THE MYSTERY
Further meetings in Brighouse.
We come now to the purpose of God. We have been looking at the house of God. It would be easier to understand the mystery if we kept in mind the great characteristic of Christianity - even that the Holy Ghost is here now in a way in which He will not be when the church is taken away. In the millennium He will be on the believer, now He is in the believer.
Christ is Son over God's house; by Him we have access by one Spirit to the Father; He has given to us His Spirit; the world seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him.
Now we come to the organisation in the house. We are all baptised by one Spirit into one body. The order in Scripture is, that the house is known before the body; but it is a remarkable fact that in late times the truth of the mystery was revived before the truth of the house was revived. I remember when the truth of the house was revived, in 1848. The house is in a state of ruin, the body is not; the mystery is as perfect as ever it was.
It was necessary that the truth of the mystery - of the body - should be revived, in order that the state of the house might be understood?
It is a special mark of God's favour when He makes known to you His present object, that He has destined you for the highest position, that you are members of the body of Christ, and His purpose is that you should realise the blessedness of this union now. We ought to take to heart how little we have answered to His purpose. In our history from Plymouth days down, the effort of the enemy has been to divert souls from the truth of the mystery.
There is a constant influence at work to divert people from it?
Yes, exactly. At Plymouth it was a system of prophecy by which they were diverted from the truth they originally came out on.
That is what we should expect, that the attack of Satan should be against that which is God's purpose at the time.
I believe so. At the break up at Plymouth some said, "If you work in the church you will get your heart broken, let us go and preach the gospel". All goes on brightly in a place - where the church is the interest of all. In that place the saints flourish, and ministry will surely arise amongst them. The body is the organisation by which the assembly is edified. This is our present subject.
You cannot have Christ as your object properly unless you have the church before you?
No; because you have not His object before you.
Have you not noticed in the history of souls that there is a state which would be ready to embrace the alternative which was referred to, the church or the gospel?
We all have a weak spot, the enemy knows where it is, and he touches it. In Rebekah, the type of the church, the purpose of God is first presented; and first she has to overcome family influence and then the wilderness. God's consummation is to conduct us into conscious union with Christ. A great many fall in the wilderness. There is a day of temptation to each. I know a small thing can turn one aside.
It may not be persistent and final?
Through mercy, not. But you cannot be a confidential servant until you have answered to the purpose of God. You might be an active servant. There were three classes of servants in Solomon's house - servants, ministers and cup-bearers. The confidential servant is the one who knows the mind of Christ. "I call you not servants but friends". You are not a confidential servant until you know union with Christ.
Knowledge of the truth is not enough?
No. If you go into a room that is well lighted up you see the most interesting object, but if the light be extinguished, what have you then? Memory only! It is here where many are morally. They have lost the light and they trust to their memory.
If it is merely that, they have never had it as a revelation?
Yes, but I think they have had the light; you may get a glimpse of a truth but have it imperfectly. You were more occupied with the truth than with the Lord. I see two classes of students, one reads that he may be it, the other reads it that he may understand it.
Both ought to go together?
Yes, surely; but many can state a doctrine correctly while their consciences are not up to it. The apostle said, "When I heard of your state, I ceased not to pray for you".
Is he not writing to the saints in Ephesus who were in a good state?
Yes, they were ready to take in more. I cannot conceive anything more gracious than "the riches of his inheritance in the saints"; we should naturally have said, the riches of our inheritance; no, it is "the riches of the glory of his inheritance".
I think one has looked at Ephesians to find the position in which we are set, instead of the One who gave us the position.
The whole subject is the expression of His love.
God would have His own place in you in order to satisfy His love?
You get in the calling what we are individually.
It is not only that He saves you but He delights in it?
The church will be the eternal delight of God, and the secret is that Christ will be displayed in it?
Yes, quite so.
It will perfectly answer to Himself. Yes the church is His complement.
"The riches of the glory of his inheritance". It is touching the spring?
The great word in that verse is "His" - His glory, His inheritance, His calling; and you get it in the earlier verses.
God's inheritance is in us?
I thought it referred to the tenth verse, all that it was; Christ was to take the inheritance of all things in heaven and earth, and the reason is, when He takes possession He puts the saints in?
Oh, yes; but I do not put the inheritance before the saints, I put the saints before the inheritance. The saints is the prime thing.
It is a great thing to see that the calling will be appreciated on the part of the saints; there will be a full response.
In the nineteenth verse you get the power, it is all His purpose. All the saints have gone up in Him but all do not know it; all have gone up with Him and all come from Him, there is no addition to Him. We all come from Christ. Every feather is in a bird and comes out of a bird; they are not an addition.
It furnishes itself in beauty. Yes, it is a wonderful structure.
Do you mean it will all come out bit by bit? It will all come out by-and-by; now bit by bit.
Do you think that we should be moved to pray on these lines?
I do not believe every one is fit for it. You must be in a condition of soul for it?
Yes. It is lamentable that we all know this epistle; many are well up in Ephesians.
Do you mean intellectually?
I mean that we can know so much of it and be so little affected by it.
When we come to speak of it we do not feel that we know much.
If your conscience is governed by your faith you are trying to keep up to it.
The fact is that the epistle to the Ephesians is really the least known of any.
Yes, I believe so. I do not say that it is not carefully read by many. Let me say that there are two sides to the truth. If you are exclusively occupied with the subjective side - that everything is by attainment, you do not see that every blessing has been secured for you in Christ; while if you are exclusively on the objective side, though you see that all has been accomplished for you, you are overlooking the work of the Spirit in you. In the one you are full of aspirations which are never reached; in the other you are elated with your acquisitions which are never enjoyed.
It is quite clear the Ephesian saints had not, because the apostle prays that they might have it?
Quite so.
In chapter 4, where we get "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ". Is that when the complement is made up?
I think it refers to the present time. To make it future would take away the responsibility of the ministry. First, you must realise union and then you will know what you get by union.
What is the difference between the union of members with the Head and what is called bridal union?
I think if you know union, it is bridal union. Knowing Christ as Head is not so much union as the effect of His life.
The idea of the body united to the Head seems different to that of the church being presented to Him as the bride?
Was the union greater with Eve when she saw Adam than it was before she saw him?
She had the sense of it? What sense?
That she was part of him?
Very good - part of himself. I cannot conceive of anything greater than part of Himself. The presentation is only the declaration of position.
You cannot improve the spiritual bond, you cannot be closer to Him.
What is the difference between members of Christ and members of His body?
Members of Christ has nothing to do with union, it is your bodies which are members of Christ.
You would not deny that "he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit"?
Certainly not, but that is responsibility. The body is the Lord's; there it is the individual and it is not the same as Ephesians. Those who do not see the corporate union quote 1 Corinthians 6.
It is not wrong to say your body is joined to Him by the Spirit?
Certainly not, but you cannot call that union; you are bound to Him as members of Him, not as members of His body.
What is union in this instance?
Nothing is united to Christ but what comes from Christ. You get in chapter 2, "to make in Himself of twain, Jew and Gentile, one new man, so making peace". When we speak of union with Christ we speak of the whole church. The mistake has arisen from making the bodies united. "We are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones".
If some one will read the prayer in chapter 3: 14-21 you will see what we get by union. I think no one could have what is in this prayer unless he knows union: you get there the endowment of union.
Is not that individual?
Yes. It is individually learned, but common to all.
The question has been raised, Does it not involve the state of our souls?
It is not intended for the state. It does not create the state?
No.
Does it not mean that Christ's interests have a prominent place in your hearts?
I do not say prominent but paramount.
Is the prayer in chapter 1 objective and in chapter 3 subjective? In the first it is that you may have the conscious knowledge of the purpose?
Yes, quite so.
Here it is not Christ for my soul, but it is Christ as the centre of all God's thoughts and purposes?
Yes.
We are allowed to enter into it? Yes.
The love of Christ is not exactly the love of Christ to the sinner?
No, it is His full affection.
What is the force of being rooted and grounded in love - is that preliminary to the other? It is a necessary condition.
In chapter 4 you get the testimony?
The church is first, before family and everything.
Is the exhortation to keep the unity of the Spirit in chapter 4 in connection with the close of chapter 2?
I should say chapter 2 sets forth the calling.
What is the difference of God's calling and our calling?
Our calling is in chapter 2; God's calling is in chapter 1.
Is our calling what we are called to now on earth?
Quite so. I know Him as Head; I am "endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace".
Does endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit imply some difficulty?
Yes. the great point is to maintain the mind of Christ, and this is only known as He is known as Head.
Does not the unity of the Spirit take in all these circles? Yes, I believe so.
Is the idea of edifying the body of Christ different from edifying saints individually? .
You should have the body in view when you seek to edify; the divine way to correct error is to set forth the full truth. You expose the error fully in the light of truth; you stand for God and He honours you.