THE GOSPEL ACCEPTED WHILE THE CHURCH, "THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL", IS ALTOGETHER UNKNOWN
THE GOSPEL ACCEPTED WHILE THE CHURCH, “THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL”, IS ALTOGETHER UNKNOWN
It must arrest every thoughtful soul in studying the New Testament, that there are two ministries - the ministry of the gospel, and the ministry of the church, which is the “mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6: 19) and as he is arrested by this fact, he must be deeply [p. 403] affected by the conviction that, however the former may be acknowledged, the latter is unknown in christendom, and the more he will marvel that devoted men of God can be zealous as to the one, and yet remain quite unawakened as to their entire ignorance of the other. I think of it as the most anomalous and unaccountable state of things.
I do not merely allude to Romanism where the gospel and the church are both in the bonds of priestcraft, which starts with the idea that the church was founded on Peter, as if he were the Rock. Where this idea prevails there could, of course, be no real idea of the church of God. But it is not of Romanism I speak. I confine my remarks to the Reformed churches and the Nonconformist bodies, and I do not believe that any ministers in either one or the other, however faithful they may be in preaching the gospel as far as they know it, have the least conception of “the mystery of the gospel”, which is the church. The best corroboration I can give to this statement is that, if they had any true idea of what the church is, they must take new ground - a ground open and common to every believer.
It will hardly be credited, still the appalling fact remains true, that from the days of the early fathers in the first century, there is no reference made to “the mystery of the gospel”, nor for centuries after. The first break of day after the long night of darkness was the Reformation, when Luther was led to set forth and insist upon justification by faith and not by works, which produced a separation from the Romish system.
Speaking historically, I do not remember any written or public statement as to the church, until God was pleased to give light to a clergyman of the Church of Ireland, in this century, to see that there is another ministry besides that of the gospel. This we find in Colossians 1: 23 - 25, and for this Paul says (Colossians 2: 1). he had great conflict, that the Colossians, who were [p. 404] well founded in the gospel, might know the mystery of God. This clergyman, though not as yet established in his soul as to the gospel, was so arrested by this light from God, that he devoted himself to the study of the subject; and as soon as he was established in grace, he saw clearly this great addition, that Christ is Head of His body, the church. “From which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God”. (Colossians 2: 19) And he sought the company of christians in order to make known to them what had been shown to him (in addition to a full salvation - acceptance in Christ risen - so that he could joy “in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom now we have received the reconciliation” (Romans 5: 11) even the mystery, that believers are Christ’s body here on the earth, and that Christ in heaven is the Head; and as surely as He died for us to effect salvation (which is what we first learn), so surely in the grace of God we have died with Him from the rudiments of the world; and now we can know Him in spirit, as every believer is privileged to know Him, in His own sphere, the sphere of life outside of death and of the world, typically, the other side of Jordan. Everyone who knows Him there, as risen with Him, seeks the things which are above where He sits, and learns what he could not learn elsewhere, that he has put off the body of the flesh, and then he is instructed by Him how to fulfil His pleasure here in His own circle.
In places remote one from another, earnest and devoted men became interested as to this great light, which had been given from God. But soon the enemy was at work against it. Concurrently with this, a clergyman, contemporary of the one I have referred to, propounded and inculcated the importance of ritualism, as a means of preserving the Established Church as a united body, and to prevent dissent. This was a distinct effort of the enemy to counteract the [p. 405] light which God had given, and which was arresting souls in different directions.
I need not refer to the varied ways in which the truth has been weakened since. It is a painful fact to contemplate, but generally it was weakened, and even by those who had at first accepted it. One of the most successful methods of the enemy’s opposition was the avowal that it was a far happier and more useful path to preach the gospel than to be occupied as pastors and teachers with edifying the assembly. I note this especially because down to our own day, while gospel work is not avowedly in opposition, still it is often made a set off, and a pretext for not giving attention to the truth of the church, which is “the mystery of the gospel”. Again perhaps nothing has tended more to hinder the truth of the mystery being got hold of in power by souls, than the clear and logical way in which the doctrine of it has been enunciated by those who have learned it from the letter of Scripture, but who have not been in the power and position of it themselves. This teaching, though instructive and interesting, appeals to the natural mind and lacks the point and force of practical enjoyment. It is more the report of an historian than of an eye witness, one who is really in the power of it himself. No one can borrow or acquire the peculiar force with which a person describes an important fact, at once of immense interest to himself and to his hearers. Thus, sad though it be to say it, some of those who have accepted the truth of the mystery have presented it without power and attractiveness to earnest souls, because not themselves the practical exponents of the truth they preached.
I may add that, as far as I know, no company gathered under the leading and supervision of the most devoted evangelist, were assured that they were built up a “spiritual house”; not even few of these know what it is to have come to the living Stone; for if even the few had known it they would have been a [p. 406] support and help to the others. The strongest confirmation I can give of this statement is that it was taught that every believer was on the Rock; whereas the simple truth in 1 Peter 2 is addressed to believers who have “tasted that the Lord is gracious”; and then, coming to Him, the living Stone, chosen of God and precious, they, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house. They have learned, like Peter in Matthew 14, to cross the water by Christ’s own hand, to be with Him in His assembly.
Twenty-five years ago there was a great evangelical movement which originated with two preachers in America, who pressed in a very popular way upon everyone to accept Christ, as if anyone could do so of himself. Of course, where there was a real work of God they were blessed, but many were so attracted and carried away by this movement that their interest in “the mystery of the gospel” ceased, and it became quite overlooked; so much so, that in 1873 I called attention in public to the danger of the church being lost sight of now that the gospel for the benefit of souls was absorbing such exclusive attention, and that the “mystery of the gospel” was ignored. None of those who were carried away by that movement progressed in the line of God’s purpose.
Now of late years, doubtless, the most insidious and effectual opposition to souls being led into the greatness of God’s purpose has arisen from men of ability and intelligence in the Scriptures asserting that the whole range of God’s purpose is the gift of His grace, which is true; but while they could speak of the great position to which God has called us, they ignored the subjective work of the Spirit, by which alone souls could be led into the power and enjoyment of it. It is quite true that all the range of God’s purpose, from salvation to union with Christ, is the free gift of His grace, and to be apprehended by faith; so far, those to whom I refer were right in their statement; but [p. 407] the truth of God was neutralised and made ineffectual by the denial of the subjective work of the Spirit in the soul of the believer, so that all the great possessions spoken of were unavailable as to present appropriation. Now, while it is true that all is apprehended by faith, it is only the first link that is appropriated by faith; all the rest are to be appropriated by the Spirit. The first link is that God in His grace has removed the old man in judgment by the cross, and that everyone believing in Christ risen, is justified, and receives the Holy Spirit to assure him of the love of God. That is to be appropriated by faith; but the mistake is in supposing that the other links in this great chain can be appropriated, and consequently enjoyed by anyone (though through grace he has the right to all) except by the work of the Spirit of God in him; consequently as he by the Spirit enjoys each new position, he is in the power and blessing of it here.
No form of opposition could more effectually deprive the word of its point and virtue, than to say that great possessions are given to us of God, and that, while on earth, to apprehend by faith that they are ours is enough; for if that were the truth we should get no distinct advantage from them now.
In conclusion I would briefly call attention to the great advantage and blessing accruing to us as we enjoy the purpose of God for us, and the place of power and testimony in which it places us on earth. Every believer in Christ risen is, as we have seen, by God’s grace transferred from Adam to Christ, and is assured by faith that he is a member of the body of Christ, even though he has not yet entered into the power and benefit which it confers. The second link is that if he is true to what baptism figuratively sets forth, he is “dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6: 11); he has deliverance from himself, from this “wretched man”; he is in Christ; “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death”, (Romans 8: 2) It is a wonderful new day to him when he can walk in superiority, in divine power, above the workings of the flesh.
Next, he not only beholds Christ in glory, but he comes to Him as the living Stone. All who are thus led are built up a “spiritual house”, a wonderfully blessed time, and one of the deepest enjoyment. As of the consecrated company, companions of Christ, in the holiest of all, we not only enjoy the fulness of our acceptance with God, but there we learn from the Lord Himself, as the greater than Moses. Every one who knows this finds a new interest upon the earth; Christ’s circle of interest is his chief circle; so that while we remember Him in His death here, we are furnished from Himself as to His pleasure to serve His own on the earth; and as we learn the contrariety and antagonism to Him of everything here, the more sensitive we are as to it, the more we shall rejoice in the grace which shows us that we have died with Him from the rudiments of the world, as part of the great calling of God, not only that we should know Him by and by, but that we should know that we can have part with Him now in the sphere of His life, where we learn that through His death the body of the flesh has been put off, and that we, risen with Him, can seek the things above, where He sitteth at the right hand of God. There we know Him as Head; we put on the new man, and come out in His grace and susceptibility here to fulfil His pleasure in the christian circle, and greatly advanced in grace in our own households.
And finally, we come to the consummation, when the mystery in all its magnitude is made known to our hearts. It is not only that we believe that we are by grace united to Christ, but even now we are brought into the realisation of this marvellous fact; and for this the apostle prays “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ... may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your [p. 409] understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints”. (Ephesians 1: 17,18) The profoundest human intellect could never form any just idea of the greatness of the mystery; no reading could impart it to you; no one can enter into it unless he has the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God. Who can conceive this marvellous structure of the church, the body of Christ, formed down here, and composed of every individual believer? “No man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: for we are members of his body”, Ephesians 5: 29,30.
Now, as we learn the power of the Spirit which raised Christ from the dead, we are by the Spirit brought to His presence in heaven, as Rebekah was brought to Isaac; then we realise that we are united to Him, and the language of the prayer in Ephesians 3 is our true and blessed portion even now, “that he [the Father] would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen”, Ephesians 3: 16 - 21. No greater or deeper enjoyment could be known! It is not only the greatness of the portion which is given, “the breadth, and length, and depth, and height”, but the knowledge of His love, so that we are filled unto the fulness of God. Then we can come out for Him here upon this earth, according to Ephesians 6 and John 16, able to [p. 410] withstand all the power of the enemy, and to be above all the influences of the world, for we are in heavenly power, and know that the prince of this world is judged. Our one unbroken enjoyment is to glorify Him, and to learn of His things, which “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man ... but God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit”. (1 Corinthians 2: 10) This is a very brief and scanty setting forth of the greatness of our blessing, but surely no one can see the wondrous advantage of knowing the mystery, and how God’s heart is set upon it for us, and what an interest it is to Christ Himself, without saying, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ”. (Ephesians 1: 3) He can then gladly anticipate the day when, as the new Jerusalem, we shall fully, each one of us, contribute without let or hindrance to His pleasure and glory.
May our hearts enter more into God’s desire and purpose for us, and know the great interest it is to Christ Himself; that as Rebekah was a comfort to Isaac, so should we be a comfort to Christ now in the hour of His rejection; and may we all heartily enter into the desire of the apostle that to every faithful servant may be given utterance to open his mouth boldly, “to make known the mystery of the gospel”. (Ephesians 6: 19)