CHRIST, THE HEAD
[p. 30] CHRIST, THE HEAD
I desire to bring before you this evening, beloved friends, that part of the mystery which is the Head - that which all comes from; and here it speaks of the individual, not the whole church. There is one Head for all the saints on the face of the earth. The mere thought of it is a magnificent idea; but how much greater when we come to understand the privileges and responsibilities of it.
The apostle was writing on purpose to lead the Colossian saints into a knowledge of the Head. It was not that they did not know the theory. I have come to the conclusion that a great many saints understand the unity of the body, but do not understand what it is to have Christ as Head. People like the idea that we are all one. There is not the same opposition to that. If a person wants to have easy times, I say, do not touch the higher branches. The nearer you get to what is God’s line, the more you will be opposed, but the more you will be maintained. You will have better times divinely, but worse times humanly.
The first thing I turn to is to look at the epistle itself. There was only one truth that could preserve the Colossians from an impending snare. I do not think that they had actually fallen, but they were in danger. Now every truth has a speciality. I mean, that special truth alone can correct that special failing, that moral malady. I do not think the Lord cured any two diseases in the same way. He put His hand upon one, touched another, and so on. People say, Oh, this or that truth is not important. That truth is important, because that truth alone can correct an error you are sure to fall into if you do not have it.
[p. 31] The Colossians were in danger. The apostle now brings before them the only truth that would preserve them from the impending danger. I turn to chapter 1: 4 - “Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus”, etc. It is very exemplary. Could it be said of us? It is not faith in God, but what the Lord presents in John 14, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as a Man in heaven. “For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven”. That is the first thing. In the gospel you are connected with heaven. The difference between the gospel and the church is this in the gospel you get the title to heaven - Christ’s death entitles me to it; in the church I am seated as a member of Christ’s body in the heavenly places. I do not believe it is possible for any believer to be at rest as to his acceptance until he has found a place suited to God. The first question to Adam was, “Where art thou?” You that were driven out of the paradise of God, have you found a new place with God? Well, you say, what has all this to do with it? It has an immense deal to do with it. If you do not take heavenly ground you will not understand the Head. I could point to some very learned men who have not understood the Head, though they have written and spoken about Colossians. You cannot get hold of the Head in a poor scene like this. You must keep to “the hope which is laid up for you in heaven”.
The first section runs down to the end of verse 14, to “the forgiveness of sins” - from the highest point to the lowest.
The next section is from verse 15 - “who is image of the invisible God” - to “in him all the fulness of the Godhead was pleased to dwell”. Now I ask you to ponder it. Is that your Head? He is describing what the greatness of the Person is. Still you have not reached it yet.
The next section is from verse 20 to the end of the chapter. That is taken up with how it is all done.
[p. 32] Heaven is the hope of the gospel; the coming of the Lord is the hope of the church. There are two ministries the ministry of the gospel, which is to everybody, and the ministry of the church, which is only to those who are called in. The one is unlimited, the other is limited. The two were combined in the apostle Paul. The Colossians understood the ministry of the gospel. A very young believer can understand the assembly. He may not understand the mystery, still he can understand the house of God. No doubt the Colossians were a very nice assembly, but they were not walking in faith.
Now I turn to chapter 2. The section there runs down to verse 10. There is a great conflict because there is great opposition. A man need not exert a great deal of power to kill a fly. The apostle says, “For I would have you know what combat I have for you... to the full knowledge of the mystery of God; in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge”. Let a person talk about the advancement of man; I will show you an advancement you will not be able to compass. I speak of a christian, if he knew the mystery. A great many would say, What is the mystery? It is only the initiated who can understand the mystery.
But what is the danger? I turn to verse 8 - “Beware lest any man spoil you”, etc. A man must first get restful about his soul before he can get into the Colossian snare. “Tradition of men” - that is Judaism; “the rudiments of the world” - philosophy. Now what is the simple object of all this? It is one of the most specious intrusions of the flesh that can be conceived. It worked out into popery. You say, We are very far from Romanism. There is nothing in the world you are so near. Timothy was at Ephesus when Paul wrote to him. He warned him of Romanism in 1 Timothy 4 and of radicalism in chapter 6. If there ever was a centre for the christian, it ought to have [p. 33] been Ephesus. Ephesus is the first in the history of downfalls. I do not think people are aware of the solemnity of the snare. I see it creep in amongst us. As soon are you are settled about your soul, then this snare is at your door. It is this the flesh proposes to help christianity. You hear it commonly said, ‘God would like a little help. You cannot find fault with a little help’. How could I take help when I am complete? “Ye are complete in him”. But would not science and education or religiousness help you? They would not. People even try to impose on others by the sanctity of their dress, or by sanctimonious looks. It is the most desperate snare. The Corinthians said, We are converted now; we will enjoy ourselves in the world. How shocking to every godly person! The Galatians thought they would improve the flesh by bringing in law. Oh, but you say, I would not do either the Corinthian or the Galatian. Take care of the Colossian. If I were eloquent and could say some fine-sounding things - that is Colossian. Have you never heard of revivalism and all the people singing very loud to make a great impression? I see the Colossian coming up very often. You want to help the Spirit of God. Paul, who was the most accomplished of men, when he came down from heaven, was a reduced man. Satan was delighted that he was allowed to cripple him. God says, I can make a poor stuttering worm of more effect than all your splendid speakers. We look for something sensational - producing effect. I believe nothing has reduced us in power so much on this earth as the way we have tampered with the word, even in preaching the gospel. Nothing of the world that rejected Christ can support His cause.
But you have not got to the Head yet. At verse 11 a new clause begins, down to the end of the chapter. The last section ended with, “ye are complete in him”. Now what about the old? The most absolute [p. 34] statement in all scripture, as far as I am aware, is here, that the old man is cut away in the cross, never to be resumed. I can understand a pious man copying out of the original and pausing - That could not mean that the old man is absolutely cut off - so he stuck in the word ‘sins’. But it is “the body of the flesh”. Upon the earth you are buried. For what purpose? There is no status for that man here. The only status you can have is in the resurrection. I compare it to a man who has emigrated with some friends, but he is rather doubtful about his friends. As soon as they reach the shore he turns round and says, We have reached our destination; now burn the ships, that no one may go back. You say, You are bringing me to a strange place. I say I am bringing you to a very grand place. See verse 20 - “dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world”. You are over Jordan. The gospel puts me over Jordan, but I have another thing to learn - possession. I do not think you come to actual possession at all in Colossians. They (Israel) had not possession until after the overthrow of Jericho. We do not fight for possession - we fight to keep it. When a person has possession, I do not doubt that he knows what the shout is. I mean, a peculiar sense of enjoyment that this is my place. I believe Colossians 3 answers to Gilgal.
In chapter 3: 11 you touch the Head, but not until then. It is a wonderful thing to have lost my head and to get another Head. The way this truth was revived was this: a brother woke up one morning saying, Well, I have got a Head in heaven. He worked from that. If I have a Head there, other christians have one, and if there is only one Head there is only one body. I think we were better up in Ephesians formerly. If you looked at a brother’s Bible you might be sure that Ephesians was well worked. You may be well up in Ephesians but not in Colossians. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek [p. 35] those things which are above, where Christ sitteth”. Heaven is the point. It is not whether a thing is good or bad. Is it of the earth? There is no harm in a flower; but if you are occupied with it you are occupied with a thing that is earthly. Talk of your beautiful views and beautiful flowers - if you had your mind in heaven you would look at them and sigh, and say, My sin will cause all this to be burned. Paul never speaks of burning - he speaks of the new place. A captain of a ship says to the passengers, You must all go out of the ship. Then the lieutenant comes and says, Friends, you had better get to shore - the ship is on fire. That is Peter’s side. The Captain advises you to go - Peter points out that the whole thing is on fire. He skips the millennium. I am transferred from earth to heaven. You stick to it. It is your new place. Until you get a new place you are an exile. You may be forgiven, but you are not a happy man, because you have not got a new place. “And your life is bid”. I often think, if my life is in heaven, there must be a good bit of me there anyhow. “Mortify therefore your members” - you must drop everything of the old. It is actual mortification - no life in it. “Mortify ... your members” - that is will in every shape and form. Habits too - “put off all these”. It is important for the soul to understand the difference between Marah and Gilgal. Marah is what you get in 1 Peter 4 - “Arm yourselves ... with the same mind”. I would like to take that; I do not take it - that is Marah. Gilgal is that you have rolled the whole thing off, like Elisha when he took off his clothes and tore them into pieces. A country youth enlists in the army; he comes to the barracks gate. Yes, you can come in, but you will have to change your dress, your manner, your step, your life. You will be manufactured into a new article. He dropped the old thing and he put on the new thing. “Where there is neither Greek nor Jew... but Christ is all, and in all”. The intellectual [p. 36] man, the religious man - all are gone. There is no man in that spot. The blind man in John 9 was in the solitude of darkness. Did you ever hear of the solitude of light? He was outside of every man. The religious circle, the domestic circle - he was outside of it all. At one time I could see nobody, and now nobody will see me. But Jesus found him in that place. Did you ever reach it, beloved friends? My impression is that it is the day after the passover. You touch the old corn of the land. When you are in the restfulness of the accomplished work of the Lord, then comes the practice that flows from a person who has found the Head. How simple and beautiful it would be to see, if we had the consciousness that we have reached a spot where there is no man to compete. Christ is everything. You are lost in the delight of it. People talk of division; do you think there would ever have been division if there had been faith in the Head? What is good for one company is good for every company. The Head settled it. The danger amongst us is that we should get into a republic. There never was anything so autocratic as the church of God. I have to consult Him.
The Lord grant that we may not merely listen attentively to this truth, but that in waiting before Him our hearts may learn something of the magnitude of it.