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UNITED TO CHRIST, AND WITNESSING OF HIM

^[p. 389] UNITED TO CHRIST, AND WITNESSING OF HIM

JBS The work of the Spirit of God in giving us the knowledge of union is a subject of the greatest importance and interest. I think we must bear in mind that it is the Spirit’s work we are tracing, as to His course and dealing with us in our souls. Nothing can be more injurious to a teacher than to speak of things which he himself has not been led into by the Spirit. In coming to union we reach the highest thing the apostle treats of. In chapter 1: 19 he prays that the saints might know that the same power which wrought in Christ has wrought in them. Jew and gentile have been raised up together, and we get the good of it when we come to know it by faith. One great result of being united to Christ is that I can be a witness of Him; if I am not in the power of union with Him I cannot be a witness of Him. I am to be descriptive of the glorified Man in heaven; but no one could possibly be descriptive of Him here, unless he was in the power of union with Him there.

Ques I thought Colossians made you descriptive of Christ?

JBS Colossians gives you character, not power. In Ephesians you have power, not simply character.

Ques “Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power” (Colossians 1: 11) - what is that?

JBS That is power coming downwards, a very great contrast to Ephesians 3, where it is in connection with going up. You must be with Him where He is to realise union; fitness is not union. Rebecca was fit for Isaac before she was brought to him, but she was brought to him - that is Ephesians. It has all been effected for me, it was not when I found it had been ^[p. 390] done that it was effected - that is the great point. I could not be in the power of the heavenly Man on earth, apart from union with Him. In chapter 2 we have the calling of the heavenly man. First, he is in heavenly places (verse 6); second, a new creation (verse 10); third, one new man (verse 15); fourth, one body (verse 16); fifth, access by one Spirit to the Father (verse 18); sixth, growing to a holy temple (verse 21); seventh, a habitation of God through the Spirit (verse 22).

Ques What is the difference between servant and witness?

JBS You could not witness of Christ if you did not know Him where He is. You get it in John 16; the Holy Spirit is to come down from a glorified Christ, and He is to testify of Him, not for Him; it is much easier to testify for Him than of Him. The Spirit brings demonstration to the world of sin, therefore as a witness you must be outside of it. I do not believe that a man holding or seeking a position in this world is a witness; I do not say he is not a servant. I might be born in a good earthly position, but I should not be seeking to maintain my position, because I want to be descriptive of the Man whom the world would not have, and I must be a witness against it. Witness is connected with intimacy. How can I witness of Him if I do not know Him? I can serve Him if I know His grace; but as a witness I have to testify of Christ, the heavenly Man to whom I am united.

Ques How can we be descriptive of Him?

JBS Because you belong to Him; every member of my body is descriptive of me.

Ques. All are united?

JBS Yes, but all have not conscious knowledge of it. We all admit as a matter of doctrine that we are united to Him, but the point is, how far does that go practically? If I know it, then practically I should be a changed man, but I shall be so only as far as the Spirit has made the truth good in me. The very fact ^[p. 391] of union involves a new being by the Spirit. Union does not take in what I am as a responsible man on earth; as united I am outside that. People talk about union as though we were united to Christ as men upon earth; a person the other day said we were united, body, soul and spirit! I do not think anyone can know union until he goes to the place where Christ is. The result of it is that you are outside the man here, but at the same time you are Christ-like in your relative duties because they are of God.

Ques What is the gain from union?

JBS A distinct gain from union comes out in chapter 3 - Christ dwelling in the heart by faith; the One to whom I am united is the One who takes possession of my heart.

Ques What about the power?

JBS It is the power that brings me up; not when I know it - it was effected long ago, though I may not have known it till now. It is of great importance to see that there is a moment when the soul reaches it; the Spirit brings you to that point, and when you come to it you never lose it; you may get cloudy, but you never lose it - you never lose anything that the Spirit works in you. The apostle prays for the Ephesians, that they may know “the exceeding greatness of his power”, for if you know that, you know union. This is an actual thing received, just as I receive the Spirit, whereby I cry, “Abba, Father”. The enlightenment is that we may understand the counsel - that He “may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him”; you are not enlightened till you get that.

Ques And you will not get that till you pray for it?

JBS The apostle prays for it; you seek it. I do not think you could conceive anything so marvellous as union. I am really a member of that blessed One, and the effect upon me is that I have a new class of interests.

Ques The Christ “dwelling in your hearts by faith”. What is that?

JBS That is really “the Christ”, all that concerns Him. There is another thing. If you are not in conscious union with Christ, you will never be able to face all the power that is against Him. As soon as you come out as a heavenly man you have the whole power of Satan against you; that is the time you want the armour. What is the use of talking about armour to a man sitting comfortably at home? He does not want it; armour is for a soldier, for a man going into battle. Do not talk of armour until you are going into battle. Prayer is for God, armour is for Satan. When you come into conflict you come out from God. In chapter 3 we see the gain from union. “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man” (you see it is the Spirit’s work); “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” - the range of everything, finishing up with knowing “the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge”. Does anyone ask what is the good of union? Why, nothing can surpass it; but it is not until you are in it that you can know what it is. Then comes, “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”. Now the power works in you, not towards you as in chapter 1.

Ques What kind of power is it?

JBS Beyond all we can ask or think. It is not the power in God, but in you; and it is to come out in display, as in chapters 4 and 6.

Ques What is the inner man?

JBS Not the outer man, but what God forms. God has begun the work; it is really what has been built by Himself - spiritual in contrast with natural.

^[p. 393] Ques Is it at all identical with the soul and spirit of a man?

JBS No, God breathed into man and he became a living soul, but he has been alienated from God. When conversion takes place he is turned to God, but it is God’s work; hence the beginning of conversion is always fear; “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”. What should be preached is present judgment - the wrath of God is on you; begin with what man is in the sight of God. God said to Adam, “Who told thee that thou wast naked?” Preach present judgment, and then future judgment will not be left out. The Corinthians thought they would never see the body again; they had no idea that the body was to be the actual exponent of the measure of the grace received, and that as you behave in that body, so you will be found in relation to Christ in the kingdom. You are to receive the things done in your body, and as each one has “the righteousnesses”, so he comes out to reign with Christ on earth. The righteous will reign on earth; through grace we are in heaven.

Ques In preaching the gospel you would not leave out guilt?

JBS Certainly not, nor the judgment of God. People make their conscience the arbiter of everything. It is God whom you have offended, and the question is, how do you stand with Him?

We have not touched yet upon the close of the epistle - the conflict. In chapter 6 you confront the whole force of the enemy. Therefore “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” - it is the very same word you get in chapter 1; there the power is towards you, in chapter 3 it is in you, in chapter 6 it is from you.

Ques Is there any ground for confining the last two verses of chapter 3 to the millennium?

JBS It runs on to the new Jerusalem, and that ^[p. 394] is connected in Revelation 21 with the eternal state before it is connected with the millennial state. That chapter opens with the eternal state; that is often made a difficulty, commencing with the eternal state and passing on to the millennial.

I do not think you could show the new Jerusalem except in the eternal state; the millennial state is administrative. God does not wait till everything is completed to set forth His masterpiece; hence the last thing is set forth first. A man in chapter 6, really knowing that he is united to Christ, and that consequently Christ’s interests are his, would now find that he has to encounter the whole power of Satan, because there is nothing Satan is so opposed to as the heavenly man. God has exalted to heaven the very Man whom man and Satan rejected here.

Another thing: as soon as the rapture takes place Satan will have to leave heaven, according to Revelation 12. Really Satan has morally fallen from heaven; we find the Lord views it so in Luke 10 - “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven”. That is the marvellous thing in chapter 6; you are stronger than Satan. It is in keeping with John 16 - “the prince of this world is judged”; judgment is on the world, so let us have no part in that world. There is no righteousness here. If you are not detached from the world you cannot be a witness; a true witness does not seek the world’s recognition; he would shrink from it.

Ques “The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly”?

JBS That is Romans.

Ques Would a soul have the conflict of Ephesians 6 if not consciously in union?

JBS Certainly not. You put on the armour of light in Romans, but here you must have the armour of God. Satan knows his man; put your foot down in the right direction and he will find you out.

^[p. 395] Ques What is the object of Satan’s opposition in Ephesians 6?

JBS It is against the heavenly man; he cannot bear a bit of blue; he wants to keep you out of heaven. He has lost his place there, and you have a place there, and he will keep you out if he can. You have to stand against “the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”. It is a religious character of opposition, not so much what is worldly. It is something that comes to baulk you.

Ques The devil is cast out of heaven when the saints are caught up?

JBS Quite so, that is Revelation 12.

Ques How is it that all saints are not brought into the consciousness of union?

JBS They do not want it, do not wish for it.

Ques Why is it we do not go on?

JBS You do not seek it, you prefer something else. If you want to be a witness you must not take position in the world.

Ques But suppose we would rather be one?

JBS Then you must part with the other, and that is where discipline comes in to help you. I daresay Jacob might have kept Rebecca’s nurse if he had not gone to Bethel. Now, God says, you must part with her; and they buried her under the oak of weeping.

The Lord never removes the stone before the wheel till you come up to it; the heart says, I should like to go on; the Lord says, Then I will remove the stone.

The Lord would be casting pearls before swine if He gave it before you wish for it. If you desire it you seek it; you stand daily at His gates.

If I am really set before the Lord to desire anything of Himself, He is sure to give it me. I do not know how it will come, but it will be sure to come. “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after”.

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