THE CHRISTIAN AND THE SOCIAL CIRCLES
[p. 244] THE CHRISTIAN AND THE SOCIAL CIRCLES
In Colossians 3 the spiritual has precedence of the social, the Christian circle before the family; the family is brought in, but the Christian circle is brought in first, and that is the crux to a very great many. I have seen many very excellent people who put the social before the Christian. The new man introduces a new circle, you set your mind on things above, your life lies there; the new man involves the circle of Christian affections, and that takes priority to every other circle. There must be with us what I should call the readjustment of things. The displacement of that which has held the first place often causes a good deal of difficulty, it is not liked. If man had remained as God made him, the relationship in which God had set him would have gone on in the sense of God’s beneficence; but then man has left God, and when God comes in to make Himself known to man, He says, I must have the first, the supreme place; every Christian would go with that in terms, but now you have come to a circle in which is a still greater test, the circle which engages the affections of the Christian is superior to the social. Christianity makes a man a better husband, etc.; but there is a superior circle which will never come to an end, while the social will come to an end.
The starting-point of all is Christ, and in recognising Him as Lord I get the millennium in my house but not in my garden. Christians ought to have a millennium in the house. Many who have not got it in the house, try to have it in the garden, while there is a great deal of moral confusion in the house. The Lord does not care a bit about your garden, but He cares a great deal about your house. It is a great reproach to a Christian to live in a fine house and to have the [p. 245] family in disorder. It is a sad enough thing to cover up the disorder in the house with a fine exterior. I think the grace of God would give order in the house.
The wilderness is where we are entirely cast on God and are tested; but in the house it is not exactly the wilderness, but where the Lord bears sway, you come into the light of the Lord, He is Lord in your house as well as Head to the assembly.