FROM ADAM TO CHRIST
Acts 19: 1-7; Ephesians 1: 12-14
I am not going to say much, beloved brethren, as to receiving the Holy Ghost, but what I do feel is needed (and I throw it out more in the way of two or three suggestions) is to meet the difficulties in souls. There is a certain amount of acceptance of the truth. I suppose all here would hold firmly as a truth that the old man is gone in the cross, and that we are in Christ before God. Then when it comes to the real history of the soul, and our actual life down here, we find that we often have to say to ourselves, 'where are we'? and I think that is a most important question - not how far I have apprehended certain truths. If you consider this question and look at the turn things often take in the meetings, we find how little our souls practically enter into the truth, and that is a very important point. I am sure, beloved friends, there must be what I call the journey of the soul; I do not mean the journey of the understanding. It is of immense importance to the soul when the light comes in, and I see divine things in the light of God. It is a moment never to be forgotten. What I feel is, that there are many who have not taken the journey from Adam to Christ; these people at Ephesus had not taken it. It is not that I want to raise the question as to whether any here have received the Holy Ghost or not, but it is useful to look at things as they came out in scripture. At Ephesus there was evidently something wanting in these disciples, and I would say here, as an important point, that we are formed in our souls by the teaching we listen to. These people had listened to the teaching of Apollos, and he only knew the baptism of John. Apollos's preaching was a rousing gospel if you please, and it occupied them with turning from the old state of alienation to God, that is repentance, as I understand it. It is a real turn to God, and that was the effect of John's preaching and baptism. What has often struck me with regard to John's baptism is that they all had to go out to him at Jordan to be baptised; it was a real going out, and leaving the old state of things; but it is one thing to have left Egypt, or the old state, and another question, 'what have I come to'?
It is one thing to see that I am clear of the land of judgment, by the death of Christ, as Israel was clear of Egypt when through the sea, another thing to have the heart in Canaan. You must remember that Israel carried Egypt in their hearts all the way through the wilderness. Canaan was not in their souls. As to Israel we could not speak of their having come to another man, for Christ had not appeared, but by God's deliverance they were clear of Egypt. All was complete deliverance on His side, but they were not clear of it in their own souls. And now, I think you will find, beloved brethren, if one can speak for others, that a great secret of defect with us is that we have not left Adam for Christ. I am not speaking now of salvation, nor of the fact that I am delivered and clear of judgment before God, but on what ground am I really in my soul? That is an immense point. Paul saw there was something defective with these people at Ephesus, and he asked them, "have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed". I do not ask that question, but I would say that I believe the true mark of the Spirit of God in any soul is that that soul is linked with Christ. The Holy Spirit judges everything that is of the old man; of necessity He must; but what I may call the normal work of the Spirit of God is that He connects the soul with Christ, so that Christ may become everything to it, and you can understand from Paul's question here that they had not reached Christ in the experience of their souls, they were still on the ground of repentance and getting away from the old state, but were not really clear of that. Many a person may know the work of Christ; they have come to the cross, that is, to Christ's work, but not to Christ personally. It will put the soul entirely on a new platform when it has reached Christ. The soul may be hindered, or difficulties may come in, but I believe it is of immense moment to any soul when it takes that journey, from Adam to Christ. The first moment God begins with any one it is not merely to shelter him from judgment, but to put him on a new platform altogether. You can be sheltered in Egypt, but there is no real journey there. You may say to me, "that man is sheltered from judgment", but with a view to a journey. I see God has found by the resurrection of Christ, a new platform on which the soul can be and it joins Christ there; not only has the work been done for me, but I myself must move. The twelve men at Ephesus replied to Paul's question, "we have not so much as heard whether the Holy Ghost is yet". Apollos's preaching had been defective, but Aquila and Priscilla took him and expounded unto him "the way of the Lord more perfectly". I suppose "the way of the Lord" is an allusion to Isaiah 11. There we see that the way of the Lord was prepared by the voice which cried "all flesh is grass", and the moment we see the disposal of all flesh, I mean in the experience of our souls, the way of the Lord is prepared, for God is brought in. God comes in with His salvation on the ground that all flesh is grass, and the word of this salvation spoken by the prophet speaks of a new state of things when all flesh should see the glory of the Lord. The soul is thus introduced to a new scene, where all things are of God, though in Isaiah it does not go further than the millennium. When I reach Christ I am connected with a new scene into which He has entered by redemption.
Now, beloved brethren, I do trust that you understand what it is to reach Christ and that new sphere, because it is where the soul and affections are formed. That is where my life is though I am still down here; I am going through this place, but my soul has been put upon new ground; not only is there peace but I am on new ground before God, I have reached Christ. John's ministry, great as he was, really belonged to the old order, it prepared the way for Him who came after, that is Christ Jesus.
Now Christ has died under the old order and the significance of these twelve disciples being baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus is that they emerged from the old order by having part in the death of Christ. The bearing of the ordinance upon them was that they reached Christ; the journey was taken from Adam to Christ; that puts the soul on a new platform, and the reception of the Holy Ghost (through them the counsels and purposes of God which are all in Christ, the Spirit being the earnest of all the glory into which redemption brings us. The apostle is putting the soul in connection with the scene of God's glory, "that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ". No doubt those who "first trusted in Christ" were Jewish believers whose hope centred in Christ before the nation receives Him, and gets in Him the promises made to Israel; but those from among the nation, who first trusted in Christ are to be to the praise of His glory. "In whom", he adds, "ye also”, i.e. these Ephesians, "after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation" - that which delivered them from the old order - "in whom having believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise", thus they were connected with Christ in the faith of their souls. They reached His work, but the full effect of the gospel of salvation is that they reach Christ Himself. It puts the soul on a new platform, to live on it in the power of the laying on of Paul's hands) gave them the Holy Ghost. Thus the apostle can open out power to occupy it.
I only add one more thought in connection with Ephesians 1: 13. This passage refers to what took place in Acts 19. He speaks of their having received the Holy Ghost after their souls had taken this journey. "In whom after ye believed, ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise", hence he can unfold to a new place in connection with the thoughts and counsels of God. We shall be to the praise of His glory, and being sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, we realise now that which redemption brings us into. The power of the Holy Ghost is in connection with the promise in Christ Jesus. But it is not that I dwell upon, I wanted to bring before you, however feebly, this transfer of the soul to another Person and ground, and you will find it will affect us in every way.
May the Lord by His blessed Spirit enable us to understand it.
T.H.R.
THE CHILDREN'S GROWTH
It is a question as to how far we may speak of growth in relation to the Person of Jesus as a child. The gospel writer, Luke, records most of the early life of the Saviour and tells us that He grew and waxed, or became, strong in spirit. The power was inherent in Himself as a life-giving Creator. At the age of twelve, which is a stage of development in childhood, He was found in the temple hearing the teachers and asking them questions. All this would be spoken of as normal growth and it is evident that the teachers also asked Him questions and, as we would expect, were amazed at His answers. In the case of the forerunner, John the baptist, he grew up in a similar way but it says of him that he "was strengthened in spirit" as being only a creature.
Scripture speaks very tenderly of young growing persons as is seen in the case of the girl of twelve years old who fell ill and died. On raising her from the dead the Lord used the affectionate word "damsel", taking her by the hand and speaking in the language that she would be used to. In order to maintain life she needed food and the Lord desired that loving hands should provide it for her.
The matter of food raises a very important question for both young and old. As converted persons believing on the Lord Jesus we have been born anew and a completely new life within has been begun, mysteriously to us. Then this life needs the earliest food that a new-born babe needs, which is milk. Thus Peter writes of the importance of the "pure mental milk of the word". For those to whom he wrote this must have been the Old Testament with his own writings and anything else of inspired value that reached the dispersed saints. For us it means the whole of the Scriptures.
The little children growing up in the wilderness must soon have become acquainted with the manna as food. For the believer the manna is Jesus in His humble life here. Therefore converted children need to read about Him and think over His words and deeds so that the new nature is fed and nourished. The "old corn of the land" refers to the same Person known and communed with as being now in heaven where the believer also belongs in God's purpose. Scripture also speaks of "growing by the true knowledge of God" and as we grow older and the work of God progresses in our souls we need the "strong meat" of Paul's ministry. Are you enjoying the true heavenly food?
J.C.Evershed