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THE ULTIMATE AND THE IMMEDIATE

J.Renton

The coming of the Lord is the great ultimate in Christianity. Our great ultimate objective, therefore, is to be the coming of the Lord. The ultimate as it is set before us and occupies us is meant to result in something immediate. It is very interesting that the apostle John, the one whose ministry was reserved for the time of public breakdown, should be the one to give us a view of the ultimate. The first chapter of this book, Revelation, presents the Lord Jesus appearing in a certain attitude which was occasioned because of the failure of the assembly publicly. Towards the public position, Christendom, the Lord has maintained that attitude right down through the centuries to our own time. It is encouraging therefore that John, the one who had this light as to the Lord's attitude in chapter 1, should be the one to expand before our vision the greatness of the ultimate that divine love has in view, the ultimate of this dispensation. This is very significant and very encouraging. The more we feel the breakdown to which we have contributed (we always held the doctrine that we are part of the breakdown, but now it is not only a doctrine but we are conscious of having actively contributed to it) the more we shall understand how the Lord feels about it. I think the ultimate end in view in the ways of God is the world to come, and the ultimate end in view regarding the purpose of God is eternity. John shows us these great ultimates that God has in mind. The more we feel the breakdown, the more the ultimate is meant to strengthen us and fortify us.

In that great chapter regarding the resurrection of the saints, which is another view of the ultimate, Paul's conclusion is, "So then, my beloved brethren, be firm, immovable, abounding always in the work of the Lord", 1 Cor 15: 58. The ultimate as put before us and engaging us is meant to have an immediate effect in the way of committal, in perseverance, and stability and balance; this would be the immediate effect of having a fresh view of the ultimate. The ultimate will be ushered in by the coming of the Lord, which will be when the assembly will be complete and will appear in creature perfection. This is near, as we know. We have always held that the Lord's coming is near. It would be obvious to say that it is nearer than ever it was. Everything points to the Lord's coming being near. Great results will show themselves when the Lord comes. Many families will be secured; the Old Testament families will all be completed; the Lord will put these saints in their families, and the greatest of all the families, the assembly, will be complete. For the first time the Lord will have the assembly as a complete, perfect vessel for His pleasure.

The first four verses of Revelation 21 show us the order of things in eternity. The great ultimate in view in God's purpose will be an eternal, fixed order of things, an unchangeable order of families for God's pleasure, and God all in all. Then from verse 9 the apostle John sees the place that the assembly will have in the world to come. The world to come is obviously the conclusion of all God's ways, however difficult to understand some of His ways may have been. There will be a manifestation that will justify all God's ways, and the assembly will have a unique place in administration in that wonderful world to come, of which we speak, of which maybe we ought to speak more than we do. I read these verses in which the Lord says "Behold, I come quickly". "I come quickly" is the ultimate. The uninstructed or doubtful believer might wonder that the Lord says "I come quickly". He might count the number of centuries there have been since the Lord said "I come quickly". If we had some impression of the great capacity of the assembly we would understand why it has taken so long. The Father has had the allocation of time and has devoted two thousand years to the formation of the assembly. It is so great, its capacity is so vast, that a certain time had to be allowed for its formation. Think of the moral fibre that enters into the personnel of the assembly! Think of the assembly complete after all the history of it, the history of persons and the work of God in them, and the moral fibre through conflict, through sufferings including martyrdom, in all these centuries! But the Lord's outlook is "Behold, I come quickly". That is the ultimate, but the immediate effect upon us is to be this: "Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book". Now dear brethren, we have much committed to us to keep. If the enemy had his way he would deprive believers of certain things they ought to keep. The Lord's word to Philadelphia was "Hold fast what thou hast, that no one take thy crown", Rev 3: 11. Think of the crown that has been granted, and the ministry that has been given. There is something we have to keep. We are in the midst of a giving up attitude; many are giving up things of value. "Blessed is he who keeps". The more the ultimate occupies us the more the immediate effect will be to strengthen us to keep and hold fast and give up nothing that the Lord has imparted to us.

In verse 12 the Lord says "Behold, I come quickly, and my reward with me, to render to every one as his work shall be". The Lord is "the righteous Judge", 2 Tim 4: 8. Everything will be fair, everything will be right. If anyone ought to get a reward, he or she will get the reward. The Lord appreciates every little bit of response to Himself, every little bit of faithfulness, whether it be at school or in the workshop, wherever it may be, and He forgets nothing. "My reward with me... I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end". What is to result as to our immediate circumstances? "Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have right to the tree of life, and that they should go in by the gates into the city". The ultimate is "Behold, I come quickly, and my reward with me" but the immediate effect is to be "Blessed are they that wash their robes". It is not a once-andfor-all thing, as we are often taught; it is to be a continual process. Are we going to be careless? There is a good deal of carelessness around us. Are we going to be careless or are we going to see to our associations, our contacts, all that kind of thing? "Blessed are they that wash their robes". In the light of the ultimate there is to be an effect on the immediate. It applies to each one of us, dear brethren.

In verse 20 "He that testifies these things says, Yea, I come quickly. Amen; come, Lord Jesus". It would be good if every one of us responded thus. Then the immediate result is to be "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all the saints". Do not we need grace? The remark was made as to how ruthless and how rough we have been. That word 'beauty' that occupied us in the reading might read 'graciousness': 'To behold the graciousness of the Lord'; 'Let the graciousness of the Lord be upon us', Ps 27: 4; 90: 17. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all the saints". We are always in need of grace. How do we handle situations? How do we handle one another? I would just say again that the occupation with the ultimate would help us on this line. The immediate would be "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all the saints". May we all be encouraged. We are about to be ushered into the ultimate. Let us be faithful in the immediate, the daily toil, whatever it costs.

GRANGEMOUTH

18 May 1973

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