EXTRACTS

The Lord says of Himself in sending the Spirit from heaven, that when He is come He will bring demonstration to the world of righteousness. That is what the Spirit would do; the Lord as it were says, ‘I can afford to wait for that’. He went down as a malefactor, they appointed a grave for Him as a malefactor; He was under that cloud in the eye of the natural man, but He says that when the Spirit comes He will make it clear. He will bring into the world the demonstration of righteousness. Heaven justifies Jesus in the Spirit coming to the disciples, so that He says, “Of righteousness, because I go away to my Father”. He whom they regarded as a malefactor and for whom they appointed a grave with the wicked, He has gone up into heaven. Who saw Him go up? The world did not, the disciples did. When the Holy Spirit came down He brought in the unquestionable testimony at Jerusalem that that Person is now with the Father, “having ... been exalted by the right hand of God, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit”.

Who can question it? Now the world is exposed and Christ is vindicated, righteousness is vindicated, “because I go away to my Father”. So here when the Lord came up out of the water, “Lo, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him—and behold, a voice out of the heavens saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight”. What had it mattered that half the people at the Jordan that day thought He was under reproach—the Galilaean? What does it matter, now heaven says definitely, “My beloved Son”? It is the Father’s voice. You see that is in perfect accord with what He says, “Thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.

As we follow that line, dear brethren, heaven will do something and will make the position so clear that every honest eye will see it. We are obligated to see it; if we do not see right and wrong there is something wrong with us. We read as to full-grown men that they have their senses exercised for distinguishing good and evil. If right is there, follow that. Indeed, it is necessary for us, dear brethren, to follow righteousness; that is the first thing mentioned. Whatever others may do, think, or say, my obligation is to do what is right and follow righteousness. Follow it up—find it, it is there; find it and follow it.

Well, that is what comes out here and, as I was saying, the Spirit, coming down from heaven at Pentecost, brought into this world a demonstration of righteousness. The word is ‘demonstration’, it is not ‘reprove’. The Authorised Version says, “he will reprove”—of course there is reproof in it, but it is not so much that, as that the thing is demonstrated.

Whatever effect it will have on the world does not alter the fact that the demonstration is there for any eye that has ability to see it, and everyone in whom God wrought saw it. Three thousand on the first day saw it and they believed it. The Spirit of God vindicates Christ. He brought in the demonstration of righteousness in Christ Jesus, who is with the Father. There was never a more righteous thing than that that blessed Man should be with the Father; after He had finished everything He had assigned Him to do, he went to heaven. The Father raised Him from the dead—“received up in glory”, “by the right hand of God exalted”. There is not a more righteous thing imaginable than that. The Spirit of God brought in demonstration of it here, and so he will demonstrate righteousness, wherever it may be, in due course.

Let us be patient then, in the pursuit of it, in the doing of it. Whatever you think of me, follow righteousness. You do what is right, and if each of us takes it to heart there will not be so much difficulty amongst us. The difficulties and darkness will soon become light. If each of us takes the obligation to himself, that, whatever I think of others, I must do what is right. God will be with us and make our day bright, as it says, “going on and brightening until the day be fully come”.

J. Taylor (Vol. 85, pp.406, 407)

It is a great blessing to enjoy all the light we have, to bring up our children in that light, and to see the bearing of the word of God, and all the intelligence possessed in these days. This is a great privilege and favour, but at the same time it may be used as a plea for settling down on the east side of Jordan, putting death between ourselves and the purpose of God about us.

There should be no such thing as settling down here, and I will tell you why—because the purpose of God is not down here but above, the other side of Jordan. The purpose of God for His people is summed up in one word, ‘Christ’. You ought not to be satisfied till you have reached Christ; not only believed on Him, owned Him as Head, but reached Him according to the purpose of God about you. Christ is not to be found on the east side of Jordan, the providence of God may be there and much light, but Christ is the other side of death.

I am sure many must be conscious of this danger. The more I possess providentially, the greater opportunity I have to gratify myself down here, and the danger is very great. In that sense I do not doubt but that ample means may become a very great snare to Christians. You may say, ‘I have a great deal of light and gain from God and will settle down; it is a very good place, we can make fenced cities for the children, and I do not want to be troubled to go any further’. But we see that they had to go further; they had to go before their brethren to war, but the mischief was that they came back, and then the Jordan was between themselves and the ark of the testimony. They were not where God was, and it is everything to be where God is. These two tribes had to set up a memorial altar of their own, for they were not where the tabernacle was.

F. E. Raven (Vol. 3, pp.224, 225)

Edited and Published by J. Strachan, 59 Frederick Street, Dundee, DD3 9DE, Scotland Printed by Crystal Stationery, 22 Western Road, Billericay, Essex CM12 9DZ, (T) (01277) 650661