FAITHFULNESS

L. A. Barlow

2 Timothy 2: 1–13; Luke 12: 40–44; Acts 16: 13–15

I have in mind to say a few words on the thought of being faithful. The last verse of the first scripture I read is one that imparts tremendous stability, that in the presence of so much unfaithfulness there is a glorious Person who abides faithful. Indeed the very darkness of the background but brings out the lustre of the glory of the Person of whom it is said, “He abides faithful, for he cannot deny himself”. What a rock on which to rest, the fact that, no matter what comes in, He abides faithful. May God strengthen all our hearts in this.

When John was in Patmos he looked at the stability of God’s throne, and at the power that there is to maintain its rights, but then he refers to the answer there has been here below in the faithful Witness (Revelation 1: 5). How wonderful to know that, in a scene of so much unfaithfulness, there has been a faithful Witness for God. It is in the light of this that he goes on to refer to Him in His own glorious greatness. Would that our hearts might increasingly join in that doxology, “To him who loves us”. The unchangeable love of Jesus remains in spite of everything, and is the surety and certainty that all for our joy and for God’s pleasure will be secured, “If we are unfaithful, he abides faithful”.

There are other references to faithfulness in this chapter in Timothy. The testimony is to be entrusted to “faithful men, such as shall be competent to instruct others also”. I would encourage us that that is what is needed at the present time, the element of faithfulness in relation to the truth. Through Paul God would remind this young man Timothy of the stability and power that are in His things, “Be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus”. It is a wonderful thing to get our hearts lifted up to think of all that is resident in that glorious Man where He is, a nail in a sure place, and to know that there is abounding grace for the present position of the testimony, flowing from Him there. Paul says in another place, “My God shall abundantly supply all your need according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4: 19)—wonderful source of supply and power for the testimony at all times. May our hearts be strengthened to realise this power, which is adequate to carry us through right to the end.

Then the passage comes on to the reason why the Lord has taken us up. It is to be good soldiers. Christianity is not a voluntary matter. It is a question of having been enlisted, and of recognising who has enlisted you. He takes on what may appear to be pretty poor material, but we would be encouraged and strengthened to be ‘good soldiers of Jesus Christ’, persons who are not entangled with the affairs of life. Beloved, may I speak very simply. What engages and occupies my mind? What is the primary consideration of my life? Am I here to please the One who has enlisted me? I think some of us who were ‘called up’ in the war may have had in experience advantage over some younger persons. In those conditions you could not get too entangled with the affairs of life. You just had to do what the commanding officer wanted. God would have us to know what it is to be enlisted by this glorious Person and that we might increasingly realise that He has enlisted us, in view of being here in His testimony.

Then we are to contend in the games lawfully. I believe there are some who try to take short cuts. The result is that they never finish the course. There is a way into spiritual things, and God would have us to go that way. Man’s natural ability is of no avail in divine things. We have to see that God has set aside, everything that stands related to me as born of Adam’s race. Instead He would establish me in another Man, and give me another power altogether, in the consciousness of the Holy Spirit indwelling. We are to contend in the games lawfully, and to be persons who are finishing the course. As Paul says later on, there is a crown of righteousness laid up for all that love His appearing. May we be persons who have the finishing of the course before us, as numbered amongst those who are loving His appearing.

Paul speaks of the husbandman labouring in view of fruit. No matter where we are at the present time, it is not a time for settling down, beloved. It is a time of labour, a time of energy, in view of fruit. May God encourage our hearts that we may be in the testimony in a vital way as committing ourselves unreservedly in the light of the glorious Person who, even if everyone else were unfaithful, remains faithful.

Even to Laodicea He says, “I rebuke and discipline as many as I love”, Revelation 3; 19. It is the faithfulness of His love, love that can be relied upon, strength that can be relied upon.

The scripture in Luke is a very sobering one, the Lord warning His own as to the leaven of hypocrisy. We live in a day when so much appears to be other than what it really is, when things are different underneath from what they appear to be on the surface. The chapter ends with the Lord referring to certain persons as hypocrites, as not discerning the time. God would have us to discern what the time is. We are right at the close of the dispensation. The coming of the Lord is an immediate matter. Some of us were reminded on Lord’s day that in just a moment we shall be taken out of the scene of time, of worry, of trial, and of suffering, and we shall be ever with the Lord. We are on the verge of these things, beloved. There is a peculiar urgency, a need to be watching, as the Lord mentions in this scripture. Earlier in the chapter He shows how persons tend to be engaged with the things of this world. He speaks in the parable about a person whom God refers to as a fool, one who is spending his time amassing things in this scene and, as He says, is not rich towards God. It is a time when we should all be becoming enriched towards God. Whatever we amass of things here below we shall leave behind. Mr. Raven said that the most humbling thing is not that things leave us but that we leave them.

At the same time the Lord goes on to speak about the very hairs of our head being numbered.

O, beloved, that we might be more in the consciousness of what we are to God! God numbers the very hairs of our head. How little interest sometimes we may have in God, but God is wonderfully interested in us at all times. The Lord speaks about the sparrows, and says, “Ye are better than many sparrows” (Luke 12: 7). He speaks about the grass. He speaks about the ravens, He speaks about the way God cares for us. Why should we be in anxiety? There is plenty of anxiety around as to what is going to happen. The days we are in have the very character of the days spoken of in this chapter, but God would have us to be restful, and have our treasure not down here, but in the heavens. That is what is in mind in the reference to the birds, that God would have us to understand that we are heavenly persons.

Then there is this word, “Who then is the faithful and prudent steward?”. The Lord would direct the word to hearer and speaker alike. He would challenge all of us as to what we are using the present time for, whether we are using it in His service. What wonderful promises there are in this chapter to those who are found watching. He says, “He … will make them recline at table, and coming up will serve them”. How gloriously attractive it is to be served by Christ! We have all been served by Him, but He promises, so to speak, to give His own special service to persons who are found watching. The question is raised, “Who is the faithful and prudent steward?”. The Lord would encourage us to qualify for that, that we might be persons who are restful in their spirits, not needing to worry about what we are going to put on (How much time we may spend doing that!), or what we are going to eat.

Instead, He would have us devote the little time we have left to the service of His people, to being persons who are providing spiritual food in its season, who know what the Master’s mind is, and bring it in. What an opportunity is afforded each Tuesday to most of us brothers, just to bring in food in its season, being with the Lord in relation to the current need in our own localities and bringing food in. He says, “He will set him over all that he has”. I believe this is the training time in view of the day of administration. May we be faithful and prudent stewards who are concerned to provide for the Lord’s household just what is needed.

In the scripture in Acts we have a man under direction, a sensitive man. He is prevented by the Spirit from going in one direction, but then the Spirit of Jesus comes in to direct him in another. At the close of this dispensation the Lord is concerned about finding a sensitive area of things, such as Philippi speaks of. It stands in contrast to all we find in the world around. It is a sphere where what is excellent is not good enough. He says, “That ye may judge of and approve the things that are more excellent”, Philippians 1: 10. It is a sphere of things where there are “bowels and compassions”, Philippians 2: 1. It is marked by peace, the peace of God, and the God of peace. It is a sphere of abundant supplies, as has already been said, but it is also an area of things where persons are working out their own salvation in fear and trembling. The Lord is looking for an answer here below to the truth, where things are according to His own mind. It is to be found amongst persons whose hearts have been opened to receive the things spoken by Paul, and who are attending to them. Just to hear the things spoken by Paul is not sufficient, we must attend to them.

Because of what we are, there is ever a tendency with us to become casual in our attitude to details connected with God’s things, whereas Paul speaks in the Philippian epistle of his feelings in relation to persons glorying in their shame and who mind earthly things. In his approach to the Lord’s supper in Corinthians he touches on various practical matters relating to the deportment of men and women, such as the token, the covering, and length of hair to be worn by each. It is right for us to feel it where such directions are ignored. Faithfulness to the Lord is involved in our attending to these matters and refusing to be governed as to them by the changing fashion of a passing world where He was crucified. We need to be regulated by the things spoken by Paul if we are to know what truly belongs to christianity.

Lydia says, “If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord”. Let us come under scrutiny and searching as to whether we have been faithful to the Lord in relation to the ministry that Paul has set on. Are things right with me? Are they right in my household? Are they right in the locality? I am not suggesting harshness. In dealing with these things, the answer is the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. But let us be concerned to be marked as persons who are faithful to the Lord in relation to the ministry of Paul. God would help us in it, for He wants to bring us fully into this wonderful area of things where christianity is known and experienced.

Just read the epistle to the Philippians again. What an attractive area! The glorious resource of it is that faithful One, and the mind that was in Him is to be in us, by way of regulation, the mind to go down. It is a wonderfully attractive scene into which God would introduce us, but it is reached by persons who are faithful to the Lord. May God help us to see that the stability of everything is the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus. In answer to it, may we spend the rest of our time in faithfulness to Him. May we know what it is to serve the saints in faithfulness, and may we all be among those who “attend to the things spoken by Paul”, for the pleasure of God and for His glory.

Address at Grangemouth
21 December 1974