“IN HIS NAME”
John 5: 43; 14: 12-14; 15: 16, 23, 24, 26;
It is of the first importance that we should understand that we are left here in the name of Christ, that is, to represent Him while He is absent, to care for His interests, to be occupied in His business. To illustrate the idea, we might think of a firm in another country, sending someone to represent them in this country. The business of the representative is to look after the interests of the firm that sent him. If he spends his time in seeking his own ease and pleasure, or if he set up some independent interest of his own, he would be unfaithful to the firm that sent him. And if he behaves himself in any dishonourable way, he would dishonour the name of the firm.
This may serve to illustrate the thought of our being here in the name of Christ. He was here in His Father’s name, and faithfully represented Him who sent Him, devoting Himself to the Father’s interests, seeking only His glory. He kept the disciples in the Father’s name. At the end He could say, “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do”, John 17: 4. And now on going away He has sent us into the world in His name, as He said to the disciples, “As the Father sent me forth, I also send you”, John 20: 21. We have been delivered from the world, and then sent into it. As the Lord said to the Father, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world”, John 17: 15. Again He said, “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world”, v 18.
We are sent to represent Him, to promote His interests. If we give ourselves up to self-gratification, or to taking our ease, or if we set up some interest of our own, thus seeking our own things, if we conduct ourselves in a manner unworthy of the holy name we bear, then we are unfaithful to the One who sent us. The day will come when we shall have to give an account of our stewardship.
We may well inquire what are His interests here? He has no interest in the world as such. “I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine”, v 9. His interest is in His own, those whom the Father has given Him out of the world. If we are occupied in worldly politics and schemes for the improvement of the world, seeking to make it a better place for man to live in, or interfering in its government, if we are engaged in human plans for the betterment of men, we are not serving the interests of Christ. Such matters are good in their way, and useful work for men of the world, but they are not the business of Christians. Christ has no interest in the strivings of the nations of the earth, nor in their schemes to bring about a millennium of peace and prosperity. All this awaits the day of His coming. He died for us that He might deliver us from this present evil world. His present work is to save men out of a world doomed to judgment.
The Lord’s interest here is the testimony of God, the kingdom of God, the assembly of God, the work of God in His saints. To promote these things should be our interest. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness”, Matt 6: 33. In teaching the disciples to pray, the Lord taught them to put these things before their own personal interests, “Our Father which art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt 6: 9), &c.
In any way in which we can support the testimony of our Lord, or minister to His saints, or further the glad tidings of the kingdom of God, we are supporting the interests of Christ.
We see this remarkably exemplified in the apostle Paul, he was not ashamed to suffer for the gospel (2 Tim 1: 12), and he was willing to lay down his life for the prosperity of the saints, Phil 2: 17. He did not belie the testimony in his manner of life, 1 Thess 2: 10; 2 Tim 3: 10, 11. There are many ways in which we can support the testimony, see Rom 16. There are two important things indicated in Philippians 2: 15, 16. The first is to shine, the second is to hold forth the word of life. These are open to every saint. In whatever circumstances we are found, however obscure, we can shine, that is, display the spirit and grace of Christ, and exhibit the character of God in our conduct toward men.
Then apart from public preaching, we can find plenty of opportunities for speaking the word of life to those we come in contact with. Again, the opportunities for ministering to God’s beloved people are innumerable and always at hand.
As representing the interests of Christ, we can pray, assured that we shall receive what we ask. “Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it”, John 14: 13, 14. Asking in His name does not mean tacking His name on to the end of our prayers, but asking in His interests, as representing Him. If we are really here for Christ, we have all the resources of heaven at our disposal for faith to draw upon. Like the man who represents his firm, he can always appeal to head-quarters for all he needs to support him in carrying on the business of the firm.
If we are intelligent in the mind of Christ, and in communion with Him as to His interests, we shall pray as Christ would pray if He were here. For this we need to look to Him to direct our prayers by His Spirit.
The spring of this devotion to Christ is love, abiding in His love. This will deliver us from self-interest, self-gratification, and from all our natural selfishness. We are all naturally self-centred, until we come under the influence and power of divine love.
This devotion to the interest of the Lord becomes a bond, uniting us together. Hence we gather together to His name, to pray in relation to His interests. We have something in common to pray about, this produces spiritual agreement. We do not come together to pray about our own individual interests, we can do that at home. We come together to take up things in connection with the interests of the Lord. If we pray for a saint in affliction or in sickness, we do not take it up in a natural way, and ask that he may speedily be delivered from it, but rather that it may be turned to account for the promotion of the work of God in his soul, and for his spiritual prosperity, while at the same time we can pray that God may grant him all needed mercy and grace. If thus gathered, we are assured that what we agree to ask will come to us from the Father who is in the heavens, and also of the presence and support of Christ. “For where two or three are gathered together unto my name, there am I in the midst of them”, Matt 18: 20. His presence gives direction and efficacy to our prayers, and the answer comes from the Father. This coming together is open to two or three saints at any time, if they have some exercise in connection with the interests of Christ. It does not necessarily involve anything of an assembly character, or even a public meeting, though the scripture would apply equally to a public meeting for prayer, if convened on these lines.
When the Lord was going away, He spoke of the Father sending the Holy Spirit in His name. He is here to represent Christ, to maintain His interests here during the time of His absence. Everything for God and for Christ is maintained here by the Spirit. He is here not in His own name, but in the name of Christ, as Christ had been here in the Father’s name. Therefore if we are here in the name of Christ, and for His service, we are in company with the Spirit, and in communion with Him, and we shall be conscious of His support. We shall be like a ship in the trade winds, that is, in the line of divine power. If saints turn aside from the line of Christ’s interests, they lose the power they had previously known, and have therefore to depend upon human means and support.
The interests of the Lord are very wide, there is much to cause exercise, and that calls for prayer. One brother may take them up from one point of view, another from a different point of view, without any repetition, and all may say, Amen. May the Lord help.
From The Believer’s Friend vol 13 (1921)