THE FAMILY OF GOD
[p. 154] THE FAMILY OF GOD
Proverbs 30:4; Proverbs 30:11-14; John 1:11 - 13
I have in mind to speak about the family of God, which, as you will see by the passage in the first chapter of John, is composed of those who receive Christ. God makes Christ the test in every connection, and those who receive Him belong to His family. It was in His mind from the beginning to have a family, and so with that family in view, as the descendants of Noah had decided to turn away from Him, He blessed Shem. He curses one family in the announcement of Noah, and He blesses Shem, because in Shem there should arise a family suitable to Him, Abraham being in the direct line of Shem; so God blesses Shem, and in calling out Abraham (whose name signifies, Father), He speaks of him later as “a wholly right seed”. God intending to have a family wholly according to His own mind, He appeared to Abraham, we are told, which was a very great distinction, and subsequent developments bring to light the import of that appearing, for we have in Abraham a reflection of the heart of God in regard to his family. He, we are told, dwelt with Isaac and Jacob in tents, the heirs with him of the same promise. We have thus an indication, beloved friends, that God intends to dwell with His family. Hence how great a thing it is to belong to the family of God!
Now the book of Proverbs, in the passages I read, brings out the thought of a divine generation. It brings it out in the form of an enquiry, and then it calls attention to other generations that are very far from being divine. The Lord Jesus, when here, as you remember, in addressing the Jews, spoke of them as of their father, the devil — a terrible word, as employed by Him who knew. He, indeed, speaks in [p. 155] spirit here in classifying the generations of mankind. He heads them up in four connections — four characteristics — and in dwelling on these it is for each of us to determine whether we belong to these four generations, or whether we, as receiving Christ, belong to the divine generation.
You see the writer of this chapter has the peculiarity of being an enquirer. The book is generally authoritative, but an honest enquirer is a man that is sure to get light. And so in enquiring as to who ascended and who descended, and who his son is — what his name is — he is led to take account of things on the earth among men as they are. It is well that we should, as it were, look into the result of this remarkable man’s observations, for he goes beneath the veneer of society. He looks down below the ordinary civilities and amenities that mark the society of this world, and he gets to the root of things, and classifies his observations under four distinct heads. For these generations are not compatible with Him who ascended and who descended — He it says, gathers the wind in His fists and binds the waters in a garment. If such a one as this has a generation, that generation must be in accord with Him; and we believers in Christ, we receivers of Christ, have come into the family of Him who ascended. It is a question, beloved friends, of the revelation of God, and that is what I want to present for a moment, for no word can be regarded as a gospel address which fails in bringing out in some sense God, as revealed in Christ. As we apprehend Him thus revealed, we have some understanding of the family that He brings into existence and recognises. So the word is, “Who has ascended up into heaven?” Is there any of the sons of Adam that can do that? And is there any who can descend, and who can bind the wind in his fists, as it says, who can bind the waters in a garment! Not one of all the sons of Adam’s race correspond with this. We are in the presence here, beloved friends, of God — of God in Christ. He who said, “I ascend”, and, again, “Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth” (Ephesians 4:9).
God has come out in Christ. The One who ascended, descended. The ascension denotes His power — His dignity; His descending denotes His love. Would that I could speak to you of the love, beloved friends, that led Him to descend! How far did He descend? Into the lower parts of the earth, we are told. How low? To the very centre of the earth. You say, ‘Impossible: geologically impossible!’ Let no one speak thus: as the Lord Jesus Himse]f says, “As Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40). Into the very heart of the earth He went — to the very lowest point, in His love. Would that I could convey, as I said, to you, the love that led Him to descend! Not only to express His own love for us, but the love of God! For we read, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son” (John 3:16). In giving Him up, you see, He gave Him up to go down to the depths. Think of what it was to give His beloved Son — His only beloved Son — that He should go into the heart of the earth. Well might the sun cease to shine! Well might darkness cover the face of the earth as Jesus suffered, in His love, the full penalty of sin! “It became God”, we read, “in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings” (Hebrews 2:10). Think of those atoning sufferings! He went down to the heart of the earth. No one can go lower.
But then not only did He descend, but He “gathered the wind in his fists”. I wish you to dwell for a moment on this remarkable figure. It refers to the power of Satan. The wind is a symbol of Satanic [p. 157] influence (not always, I admit). But it is so used. You remember in the lifetime of our Lord Jesus Christ here, as He was asleep in the boat, the wind arose and the sea became agitated. It refers to Satanic power, which would fain have engulfed Him and the boat and all in the waters. He arose, we are told, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence;” and those who witnessed the occurrence said, “Who then is this?” (Mark 4:39,41). Think of the power of the Son of God, as it is said here, He “gathered the wind in his fists”. As one may say, He can control and hold firmly the power of Satan, and not only the power of Satan but the power of death. In regard to Satan, we read, He has annulled him through death, who had the power of death.
And then as it says here, “who hath bound the waters in a garment?” All this refers to what the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished. He has exhausted the judgment of God, beloved friends, in descending. As a consequence He has limited the power of Satan, and He gathers the waters in a garment. Death itself is controlled. And so now the gospel is appearing, and standing here tonight I am, thank God, in the light of all these things. I know that the Lord holds Satan’s power in His fists, or we should not be here tonight; and, moreover, I know that He has death in His hand, so that it cannot be used against His people, save at His pleasure. We who belong to the family of God, die in the Lord. We are put to sleep, if we die ere He comes, through Jesus. It is a remarkable fact that, whilst the immediate descendants of Adam are all said to have died, however long one lived, even to 969 years, it says, “he died — he died”. Yet, when we come to the generation of Shem, we read of the longevity of each patriarch, but the expression, “he died”, is omitted. The Spirit of God does not emphasise death in the line of the family. In John 11, where death occurs with a [p. 158] member of the family, Jesus proceeds to render it null and void. There is no death, beloved friends, in the family of God. Death has no power there. If we die, as we speak of it, we are put to sleep “through Jesus”. How precious for us! We can well understand it. He in His love went down to the very heart of the earth for us — where destruction and death were; yea, where, as we are told, the Jordan was driven back. “What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?” (Psalm 114:5). All the power that disposed of these enemies is available to the family, and, as I said, if one of the family die, like Lazarus, Jesus is available. He is at the graveside. He first places Himself beside the mourners, and then He is at the graveside, and He calls Lazarus out.
Well now, you see it goes on to say, “what is his name, and his son’s name?” Now we arrive at the Son, for that is what comes to light, beloved friends. He is declared — Jesus is declared to be Son of God, with power by resurrection from among the dead. God’s name has been fully vindicated in all that; but now we have the Son. We can tell now: it is no longer a question of mystery, the Son of God has come to light, beloved friends, through resurrection. He is declared to be the Son of God, with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from among the dead. That is His Son’s name. And the Son brings in the family.
Jesus would say to you tonight — He would impress upon you tonight — that He thought of you when He died. The Son of God, beloved friends, is come on God’s account, and His purpose is to bring in a family according to God. Are you prepared tonight for the proposal that He would make to you? He wants you. You see it is said in Genesis 14:21 that the king of Sodom wanted the persons. He says to Abraham, “Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself”. That will not do at all, beloved friends. The Son of God is come and He wants persons. He has given Himself for you and He wants you. He intends to bring you into the family of God. What an immense thing — what an immense proposal! But then, as I said, these other generations must be exposed. For God does not intend that His family should be found perpetually in relation to these other generations. And so the prophet here proceeds (this is a prophecy) to call attention to four distinct generations, and these generations, as we shall see, I hope, are not of God. They are not of God. Look at the first of them.
There is a generation, it says, that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. Is there the least suggestion of a divine generation — a divine family — of divine traits in that? Disobedience to parents is a mark of the present time. Are there children here tonight who are in any way marked by this? It says, they curse their father and do not bless their mother. We have arrived at apostasy — apostasy has set in, and one of the marks of it is disregard of parents.
I would speak to young people here, for God has placed authority where it is least felt. It is least felt in those who love you. It is easier to recognise authority in your parents than in others, for they love you. Hence the action of the will in cursing the father and not blessing the mother. But then, he proceeds, “A generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness”. These are not children. These comprise, alas! millions. A generation pure in their own eyes and not washed from their filthiness — pure in your own eyes — of what value is that? Do you know that you have to meet God’s eyes? Do you know that in the final analysis you have to meet God? And He is of purer eyes, we are told, than to behold iniquity. How, then, do [p. 160] you hope to stand before those eyes? We read of the eyes of the Son of God as a flame of fire. How shall you stand that gaze? You are pure in your own eyes, and you are not washed from your filthiness. Oh! I say, if there is such an one here, let me speak to you. You have filthiness, and you see amiss. You are blinded by your own self-importance and religiousness. You do not see as God sees, that all your righteousnesses are as filthy rags, as the prophet says. As Job said when he heard God, “I am vile” (Job 40:4). When he heard Him speak even, he said he was vile; and when he saw Him, he said, “I abhor myself” (Job 42:6).
I call upon you tonight, in the name of God, to abhor yourself. God calls upon you to abhor yourself — to be foolish no longer. You are vile, and yet you are pure in your own eyes. You are not cleansed from your filthiness. God calls upon you to judge yourself. He has the means of cleansing. He has opened a fountain of cleansing for you in the blood of Jesus, which cleanseth us from all sin.
And then, again, it says, “There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up”. They are full of pride — they are not on the level of ordinary men and women. Pride is perhaps the most prominent feature of our nature. We all have to admit it. The pride of life, the little bit of family, the little bit of education, the little bit of money, the little bit of intellect — we wrap ourselves in all these things, and we look lofty. Oh! how small in the divine eye — worms really of the dust. Think of the degradation of that word, “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Genesis 3:19)! Where, then, is the occasion for pride?
And with this generation you have another, as it says, “whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men”. You may be sure, where this loftiness exists, that there is lust, and your [p. 161] lust will lead you to take away the lives of others. You say, ‘Never’. If you get the opportunity, you will not be any different from those who have risen to power in this world on the dead bodies of their fellow men. There is no difference, beloved friends; we are all alike. There is a generation full of pride, and their eyes are lofty, and their teeth as swords, and they would take away the poor from among men — they have no respect for their fellow men — they are not in accordance with the Mediator who gave Himself a ransom for all. Jesus gave Himself for the poor whom you are destroying.
You may think I am very scathing, beloved friends, but I am quoting Scripture, and the Spirit of God here exposes to us what we are as born after the flesh, so that we might judge ourselves, and see how we can be right with God, and how we can come into the family of God.
Well now I go on to the gospel of John, just to show you how the family of God came to light. It says that Jesus came unto His own, and His own received Him not. In that statement you see of what little value mere religion is. Unless one is really born again, one will not receive Christ. You say, ‘Well, I cannot effect this’. No, God has to work in you. But if you are a Christ rejecter until this present time, then I say you are not born again, and that is a most serious thing. The Lord said to Nicodemus “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7) Do you accept it? If you see these four generations of which I have spoken as wholly unsuitable to God, then you will say something must happen. Yes, beloved friends, something must happen. As the Lord says, ye must be born again. There is to be a wholly new start, and God has to begin, and He does begin.
And so, as I said, He came unto His own — to the most cultured people on earth — the most religious people on earth — the most favoured nation on earth,
[p. 162] according to the flesh — sons of Abraham’s race — the Messiah came to them, and walked amongst them — He performed miracles amongst them — He made God known amongst them — never a man spake like Him amongst them, and yet they received Him not.
It may be there are those here who have had like opportunities. You have heard about Christ — you have heard the gospel, but you have not received Him. I challenge you tonight — Have you received Him? He is the test. Of what value is all your training — of what value is all your privilege — if you are a Christ rejecter? He came to His own, and His own received Him not.
But then it goes on to say, “As many as received him”. Most of us here tonight have received Christ. Do we take any credit for it? No. We should never have received Him were it not that we were the subjects of the work of God; but nevertheless we have received Him, and we have come into the family, and we want you to come. There is only one way, and that is by receiving Christ. God presents Christ. He is the test. If you refuse to receive Christ, you do not belong to the family of God. You are outside the family of God.
Let me appeal to you tonight to receive Him. He is presented to you to be received. It says, “As many as received him”. We are not told how many. There is plenty of room. There are no limitations. “As many as received him” — are you prepared to decide now? Is He not worth your consideration?
Most of us, as I said, have received Christ, and we have had the right to take the place of children of God; so that now we belong to a fifth generation, and this generation is to supplant all the others. Not one of the others is to remain on this earth. They are brought to light so as to be condemned — so as to be convicted and condemned, and room is thus made for the family of God. There is to be no other.
[p. 163] I am not overlooking that there will be families in God’s world. I am speaking now of the one family of which John speaks — the children of God. They have come to light by receiving Christ. The family has been added to by millions since that day, and, as I said, most of us here tonight belong to it, and we belong to it because we have received Christ.
And so the Spirit of God goes on to say — to explain — “which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God”. As having received Christ, it has come to light that we are born of God, so that you can see what a family we belong to! What a family, beloved! And it is open to you tonight to receive Christ, and to believe on His name. And God gives you the right to belong to that family, and we who belong to it already shall greet you. We shall quickly recognise you as worthy members of the family of God. It is simply on the ground of receiving Christ, believing on His name, as it says here. God accords to you the right to belong to the family, and so you escape the consequences of the guilt of these other generations to one of which you surely belong, if not to all.
And so, dear friends, I leave the matter with you. As Jesus came to His own, and His own received Him not, so those who received Him had the right accorded to them of being in the family as the children of God.
Then the same writer says later, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God” (1 John 3:1) We are known in heaven by that distinctive name as the children of God. It doth not yet appear or is not yet manifested what we shall be, but when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. How will you see Him, sinner? Every eye, we are told, shall see Him. If you die in your sins, you will see Him as a Judge — you will not be [p. 164] like Him, as you are not like Him now. As belonging to these four generations, you will not be like Him then, and all your lofty looks will be dissipated. You will have to take your place, for it says that the small and great will stand before God, and you will see Him.
Our hope is that we shall see Him as He is. You will see Him as He shall be, that is, as a Judge. He is not that yet. We shall see Him as He is — in all that represents the love of God, and the glory of God — and we shall be like Him. What a prospect!
May God help you to receive Christ, and thus come into this family!
Pages 165 - 195 — “Peter’s Service Preparing for Paul’s Ministry”. Scotland, August, 1925 (Volume 75)