YOURSELVES
[p. 275] YOURSELVES
1 John 2: 27; Jude 20 - 23; John 13: 35
What I have in mind to speak of centres in the word “yourselves”. It is found in each of the scriptures read, as given in the New Translation, and points to any local company of God’s people, as also to all the saints on earth as responsible, left as it were to themselves. Not that we are left to ourselves in another sense, for the Lord says to us, “Behold, I am with you all the days until the completion of the age”, Matthew 28: 20. This promise is of course contingent on conditions, but nevertheless it can be relied upon, and becomes very great where two or three are gathered together unto the Lord’s name, for He says, “there am I in the midst of them”. In another passage where the saints are seen as bereft of all, having been on the mount of transfiguration, and having been bathed, as it were, in the radiancy of the glory on the mount, and hearing the voice out of that glory as the scene of glory disappeared, it is said, “they no longer saw any one, but Jesus alone with themselves”. Those who love Him are content with Him. He is sufficient, Jesus only!
Some are discontented at times because there is not something more than Jesus with the brethren, but there it was Jesus only with themselves. Others are discontented because Jesus is not clothed with current religious garments, but we are told that certain of His disciples were content to take Him “as he was”, that is, there is no thought of adding to Him so as to gratify natural religious desire. They took Him “as he was” into the ship. Further, at Sychar, in a passage of scripture which impresses us with what He is essentially, it says, He “sat just as he was” on the well. There was no effort to disguise anything at all; indeed He was weary, a fact which the enemy might try to use to detract from [p. 276] His glorious Person. Yet Scripture does not disguise the fact that although He who is God over all was there, a real Man sat thus as He was on the well. These are very precious truths, and should be cherished in our hearts.
On the other hand, we have to see that He has left us here. He was received out of their sight. We are told in Acts 1 that “a cloud received him out of their sight”. He was parted from them, just as in the type Elijah was parted from Elisha. Again, we find that the Lord, as children were brought to Him, laid His hands on them and blessed them and went away, implying that the parents had themselves to look after their little ones (Matthew 19: 15). He had laid His hands on them, but the parents would now be responsible. They can of course reckon on Him as having laid His hands on them, as identified with them; and so with every child born into the household of faith. The parents can reckon on the Lord to help them in looking after them, but He says, it is your affair to keep them from evil as much as you can. You are to do it.
Again, as regards the damsel whom He raised to life, He told others to give her something to eat. He commanded them to do it. He does not do it Himself. Thus the Lord imposes responsibility upon us, and in leaving His own where the enemy was. He said, “I will beg the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, that he may be with you for ever, ... for he abides with you, and shall be in you”, John 14: 16, 17.
The apostle John, having this latter fact in mind, alludes to the Spirit’s presence, in the verse read from his first epistle, and addressing the brethren as “little children”, says, “And yourselves”, not ‘ourselves’. He had been speaking to them about the antichrist, reminding them that they knew that he was coming. It was a matter of christian knowledge in the early days that antichrist was coming, and that already there were many, and the apostle gives indications as to him and [p. 277] them, so that as discerning these marks we should know that it is the last hour. That does not simply mean the last hour of the dispensation, it signifies the whole dispensation. All the dispensations have entered into this. It is the crucial one, the last one in which sin will have sway, and we have God’s testimony here as to the means of superiority and victory in it. What marks this hour for true believers is the Unction. The Holy Spirit is seen in this way, not simply as present, but as distinguishing God’s people in the way of intelligence. The idea is that every christian, however young, should, among other things, be distinguished by intelligence. The fruit of the Spirit is in variety, as seen elsewhere, nine fruits being mentioned in Galatians, the first of which is love, but we should be intelligent, and as having intelligence and knowing its source, we are independent of man. It is not that man may not be used of God. The Spirit is not incarnate and therefore uses teachers, but that is not what is meant; man in his natural attainments is in view.
The influence of Greek philosophy was being felt, and Satan was using it, and some of the brethren were going so far as to welcome it, thinking by it to add to what they had; but that was just making room for what exists today, the enormous systems dependent on man as such, although distinguished by religious garb and education. It is just man. A man having four or five sons will make one of them a clergyman, as one of the general professions in the world.
John, in calling attention to the Spirit, would show that, as having received Him, there was no need that any man as such should teach the saints. “Yourselves”, he says. You might look thus upon the brethren here in Johannesburg. When the apostle Paul was at Miletus, he called over to him the elders of the assembly at Ephesus, and he put it upon them to look after the saints ... to take heed to themselves and to all the flock. He also urged the Philippians, saying, “work out your [p. 278] own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both the willing and the working according to his good pleasure” (chapter 2: 12, 13).
If God gives the Spirit, He has in mind yourselves, but this implies that room is to be made for the ministry which He affords. Being dependent on the anointing there attaches such a dignity as no university in the world can confer. In the recognition of the anointing, brothers come to the Bible readings with something, in dependence on the Lord. “Whenever ye come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching ...”, 1 Corinthians 14: 26. Coming together is not enough, we should count on the anointing. It is a question of accepting obligation, and in dependence making room for the Spirit.
The Unction, John says, “teaches you as to all things”. The Spirit, the Lord said, will come and bring demonstration to the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. It is not simply that the world is convicted, it is rather that things are brought out in power, through the Spirit here, in the saints of God. The idea of sin is brought out, the idea of righteousness is brought out; also the idea of judgment — the judgment of God. We are to carry the sense of all this. It affords moral victory in a world of sin and Satan’s power. These things are to be in evidence — that there is such a thing as the judgment of God, a judgment capable of dealing with the whole world system. The prince of it is judged. “Now is the judgment of this world”, John 12: 31. Its execution is future, although in principle it exists, so that John says, “He that is not subject to the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him”. It is the present tense. Undoubtedly he alludes to the Jewish system, but there is that which corresponds today, and God has brought in the judgment of that system, which refuses Jesus. So that the apostle Paul says, “Wrath has come upon them to the uttermost”, 1 Thessalonians 2: 16. It is a standing testimony, so that man may fear God; God is to be feared. John has that in mind, in opening up this [p. 279] epistle to these little ones. The Unction has come, and we are to have a clear perspective of the whole position, and have the knowledge that God has the entire situation in hand. That is a great matter for young people. It is not the result of going to universities, but by holding things in the dignity of the teaching of the Spirit of God, as John says, “the same unction teaches you as to all things”. The Spirit is here and may be relied upon. Thus we do not need any man to teach us.
Now as to Jude’s epistle, we again have this word “yourselves”. Jude was an apostle, as was John. He had in mind to write of “our common salvation” — that is, what enters into the preaching of the gospel. God grant that there may be more of it! “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season”, we are enjoined. Jude would have liked to have written on that subject, but he says in effect, the apostasy is coming in with such force that I have to turn aside to speak of it and expose it. Jude’s epistle has a great place in these last days, and fortifies us as to what we are to do. He exposes the tide of apostasy. If exposed, it is morally settled. That is important in regard to John 16. If exposed, evil is morally settled. When sentence upon a criminal is passed by a court, and the punishment to be inflicted is pronounced, the execution of the penalty is a detail, a matter of time, but the case is morally ended. The Spirit brings in demonstration of sin and judgment; God has power to deal with the whole matter, and hence, as divinely demonstrated, sin is morally dealt with. So John 16: 8 - 11 clears the whole scene for us. Apprehending what the Spirit has done, the believer sees all things clearly. Some of us do not perhaps; we stay too much in the village; our minds dwell in it. In Mark 8, the Lord took the man out of the village and touched his eyes, enabling him to see all things clearly. The whole landscape is seen in this way. So that the believer moves on. He knows what is before him. He treads his way with firm step.
[p. 280] Jude exposes the evil, and shows how it is to be met; he says, “But ye, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith”. How is it to be done in the midst of the things he has been exposing? “Praying in the Holy Spirit”. That is a word for Monday evenings, and for secret prayer too. Prayer is to be in the Holy Spirit. The Book of Common Prayer is not that. The Holy Spirit is in the prayer meeting. It is prayer in the Spirit that expresses the need of the moment.
It is “yourselves” here, “But ye, beloved”. One covets to have such affection for the brethren so as to be able to use this word. “David” means beloved, and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. The apostles are able to clothe the saints in this beautiful dress. “But ye, beloved ... keep yourselves in the love of God, awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life”. These things are held out to our view as incentives to hope. Hope is a great element in the Christian’s experience. We are too content with present things. Hope “does not make ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit”, Romans 5: 5. The Spirit inspires hope in our hearts. Thus we are “looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life”.
This is not the hope that is spoken of in Philippians pressing “toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”, that is the supreme thought, the heavenly calling. This is “the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life”. It is associated with mercy; the Lord Jesus Christ comes in for us as the pressure of death is felt, but presently He will take us beyond it for ever. There is that in Philippians which is most strengthening to our souls: “Our commonwealth has its existence in the heavens, from which also we await the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, who shall transform our body of humiliation into conformity to his body of glory”.
[p. 281] Associated with that is 1 Corinthians 15 in regard to the raising of the dead, where we have the utterance, “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”. Who has not been disturbed by the thought of death? But the Spirit, as we come to understand the truth, gives the sense of victory. Not setting ourselves up here, we have a sure outlook and are praying in the Holy Spirit.
“And of some have compassion, making a difference, but others save with fear”. We are confronted amongst ourselves in every locality with “some” and with “others”. There are those that we are to be compassionate towards. The same things may attach to them as attach to the others, but with the former it is not so serious. Environment has much to do with our characters. In dealing with souls I always like to get information regarding their parentage, nationality, business, and so on, because God has taken all these things into account. “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father; but of you even the hairs of the head are all numbered”, Matthew 10: 29, 30. How much more does He consider our fathers, our environment, our tenets, our present occupation, and all else. All these things enter into the calculation of a spiritual man.
“But others”, Jude says, “save with fear, snatching them out of the fire” — they are actually in it. Although born of Christian parents, they may frequent the cinema. Pull them out of it! “Hating even the garment spotted by the flesh” — that is the thing, the garment, not the persons. Look out for the spots. In Leviticus, it took a priest to do that. Leviticus speaks about garments being leprous. Look out for the spots! Hate them!
The final thought is in chapter 13 of John’s gospel. The Lord begins this section in verse 33. He calls the disciples “Children”; it is a parental word. John in his epistle calls the saints his children. The Lord addresses His own as children. It is a question of His parental [p. 282] affection for them. He had been washing their feet. Think of Him thus, the lowly Saviour! How it should appeal to every one! Was it for them only? No, for us too. Indeed He puts it upon us here to wash one another’s feet. I do not believe I shall ever wash a saint’s feet if I do not respect him. I shall never love a person I do not respect. The truth sets aside all the things that distinguish us after the flesh. We have to clothe the brethren with heavenly dignity and respect. God is no respecter of persons in the gospel. What a variety of persons were converted in the early days! There were high-born and rich men as well as low-born and poor. Let no one despise a rich man. One man of whom it is said he was rich “sought to see Jesus who he was”. So we must not despise any because of outward circumstances. The apostle appealed to the Corinthians, who were making much of men in this sense. He says, “Consider your calling”. The generality of those called were of the lower strata of society, and this was to bring to nought among the saints the great things of the world. Christ took a servant’s place in going round washing their feet. Then He sits down and addresses them in dignity, and says, “children”. What a beautiful address that is! It is no mere formality. This is love seen in the Lord Jesus. Children, He says, if you wish to be known as My disciples, “have love amongst yourselves”. Have it as a quantity, as it were. Not simply that one or two brothers love the others, but it is to mark all — “love amongst yourselves”. It is an appeal, and “love never fails”.
Was the description of love in 1 Corinthians 13 applicable to the assembly at Corinth? Alas! no. Had it been so the picture would be much more attractive. Because of the sorrowful state at Corinth the apostle was obliged to describe love in an abstract way. The Lord in the passage before us sought that love in a positive way should be amongst us. He says, “By this shall all know that ye are disciples of mine, if ye have love amongst yourselves”. How can I sit down with a [p. 283] brother and participate in the symbols of the death of Christ, and refuse to speak to him? It is foreign to love.
The Lord is thinking of the saints as left to themselves. He would be away, but, as it were, instead of Himself, there would be love. In love I make room for the Spirit. The Lord would encourage us to have love among ourselves — each one accepting the obligation of having it.