AN INTELLECTUAL RECEIVER OF TRUTH IS AN OPPOSER OF IT

^[p. 133] AN INTELLECTUAL RECEIVER OF TRUTH IS AN OPPOSER OF IT

When two profess to see the same truth, and one pursues a course quite different from that adopted by the other, the judgment is, that as the truth cannot produce two different effects, there must be some great discrepancy as to the way in which the truth has been received, and in this, as in everything else, the natural mind is enmity against God. The apostle evidently conveys that there are two ways in which truth can be received. He tells us how carefully he avoided the excellency of speech, in his ministry to the Corinthians, “that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God”.

Nothing is more calculated to weaken the testimony, and subvert the truth, than that the professors of the same thing, avowedly, should act quite differently, and be practically estranged from one another; so that there is a way of receiving a doctrine which unintentionally creates a marked opposition to it, like the Pharisees in our Lord’s day. That this is the case no one can deny. Hence it is incumbent on us to ascertain the cause of it. Now as the carnal mind can accept a divine truth formally, beyond one’s faith, and as this is at an immeasurable distance from faith in the power of God, which alone grasps the truth of God in its divinity, it becomes plain that the effect of truth depends on the way in which it has been received. How could the natural mind entertain any idea beyond itself? It must confine everything it grasps within its own range. The moment it travels beyond the human ken, it has passed the limit of man’s apprehension. “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned”, 1 Corinthians 2: 14. “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God ^[p. 134] knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God”. When a man thinks he comprehends a truth, it is merely the grasp of the natural mind. If a man thinks he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. It is quite true the truth is presented to the natural understanding, but when it is by the Spirit of God, it is mixed with faith, though the statement of it is within the natural perception, yet it is always with the conviction that there is a vastness behind which it does not enter into. The natural mind can grasp that which relates to itself, but though it is called by the Spirit to understand what is communicated, it is more that the conscience may be bound by it, while faith accepts it, than that the natural mind could say, I see the scope and range of that truth. The spiritual mind always, however fully it enters into a truth, is conscious how far beyond man it is, and how infinitely great, because of God. It is necessary, in order to reach the conscience, that the truth should be intelligently stated; but unless faith lays hold of the truth as of God, and from Him, there is no more power in it than in any ordinary science, where knowledge is power to exalt man. The faith is in the wisdom of men, not in the power of God.

God shews Abram the sky lighted up with stars, and tells him, “So shall thy seed be”. Abram very clearly sees what is announced to him, but if his faith were not in the power of God, he would not see, nor would he have any clue from what was presented to him as to the fulfilment of the promise. His faith was in the power of God. He believed, and it was accounted unto him for righteousness. Many great truths are presented to the understanding in shadows and types in the Old Testament, but however clearly they may be seen, unless there be faith in the power of God, there is no divine sense in the soul of the value of the revelation. One might see very clearly, and believe in the fact, that every serpent-bitten Israelite who looked at the brazen serpent was cured, who as yet would not have in his soul the efficacy of the death of ^[p. 135] Christ, if his faith was not in the power of God. He might see by faith that God had sent Christ to rescue him, and so far his faith is in the power of God; but often there is more accepted by the natural mind than has been appropriated by faith, and then there must be, some day, a cloud on the soul, to make known to it the hollowness of any apprehension of truth which is not in the power of God. Many of the cases of distress of soul, I am persuaded, arise from this. They had built on their natural conviction; and in the hour of trial it has no power, a stronger influence supersedes it. It is really attempting to build with natural material, instead of Christ only. There can be no finish there. “This man began to build, and was not able to finish”. He is an opposer.

There is ever a trying of our faith and this discloses the real measure of the faith. I may have thought that I had seen it clearly, but now when my faith is proved I am found out, and I descend to the real measure of my faith. The natural conviction is clear and exhilarating, because it does not reach beyond its own sphere, but the work of faith in power is always with the sense ‘it is high, I cannot attain unto it; such knowledge is too wonderful for me’; it clings to the soul with divine tenacity, continually expanding and making room for itself. “Your faith groweth exceedingly”.

Again, the deepest truth committed to the church is the mystery, and though completely outside of the grasp of the human mind, because it is the mystery of God, yet pre-eminently has there been an attempt to grasp it by the human intellect. It is not necessary that a man be unconverted when he attempts to seize this deep truth with his natural mind. Generally it is converted men who desire to grasp this great truth, though mere professors may follow in their wake. My conscience is not good unless I adhere to a truth of God according as I see it. This is God’s claim on me, and this I feel morally incumbent on me. Now it is comparatively easy to ^[p. 136] adhere to the claims of a truth which I have, for the most part at any rate, grasped only with my natural intellect, because this cannot go beyond man, his powers and sensibilities. Hence the Romanist says with great effect, and with all common sense on his side, that the real way to expound this great mystery is by having the same religious service, in the same language, and under one arbiter for doctrine and practice, all over the universe. This is so broad and sweeping that it satisfies the natural conscience. A converted soul may have originated this common-sense explanation of the mystery, but converted souls, walking conscientiously, soon see that there is really no Christ in this system. A man is put in the place of the Holy Spirit on earth. In later years the godly have sought to arrive at the same end in another way; they have devised that all christians should meet together for mutual edification for one week, and drop all their differences as to church government, etc. This was specious, but it disclosed to exercised consciences that a great good could be possible for a week, but after that, each one could return to his present course as if there was no power to keep them right and together continually, a distinct denial of the presence of the Holy Spirit on earth. This gave opportunity, and paved the way for a class of christians called ‘the open brethren’, whose idea of the one body is that all christians agreeing as to essentials and the same order of meeting together, without appointed ministers, express the unity of the body, though they be not responsible for, nor constitutionally affected by the associations and disorders which occur outside of any given assembly, each assembly being independent of all the others, though they are affiliated. This is the greatest opposition to the truth. Thus has the human mind, in proportion to the brightness of the testimony, sought to grasp this great truth, and in the very attempt as far as it had succeeded, to oppose the work of the Spirit at the time. To carry us beyond man’s mind into the things of God is the work of the ^[p. 137] Holy Spirit, and then only is there faith in power respecting the truth which has been accepted.

Evidences of its value are not sufficient to ensure faith in the power of God. The ten spies saw that the land was good. “They ... came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it”, Numbers 13: 26, 27. They had evidence enough of the goodness of the land, but as they had not faith in the power of God, they (through fear of difficulties) discourage the people, and decline to go up.

It is very remarkable that coincident with the church’s decline there has been, as we have seen, an attempt to seize the truth of the mystery in a human way. Thus the unique importance of it is admitted, and therefore it is the more necessary that we should ascertain what it is when received by faith, in the power of God. The first step of faith in the power of God, with regard to the mystery, is that the Holy Spirit has come down from heaven to testify of Christ in heaven. There are two great marks to this testimony; one, that the world is rebuked, and therefore its countenance not accepted. The other, that Christ is glorified, and His things, heavenly things, are revealed and disclosed. The more distinctly and profoundly this great truth is held in the power of God, the more surely and correctly will be seen how the saints on the earth are by Him baptized into one body. It is always from not apprehending this great fact that there has been error, and a mere human reception of the mystery. No natural intellect could grasp the nature and effect of the Holy Spirit’s residing here, and hence no one can in his intellect grasp the unity of the body; but if my faith is in the power of God, as to this first step, the second follows, that, beyond all human ^[p. 138] conception, I know that every believer is baptised by one Spirit into one body, and that if one member suffer, all suffer with it, and if one be honoured, all rejoice with it; and hence every one walking in the power that works in us, with all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love, is endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Be it remarked that it is not the unity of christians, or unity of doctrine, it is not any unity but the unity of the Spirit. Breaking the unity is not a mere differing from one or more. All might be wrong, but one is either in the unity of the Spirit, or breaking it, and this can never be understood but as there is faith in the power of God. The Lord awaken each of His people everywhere to the gravity of this subject, even that the worst opposer of any truth is the intellectual apprehender of it.