PROGRESS TOGETHER
E.Palmer
Numbers 21: 17-20; Philippians 3: 9-14
I would like to say a simple word of encouragement as to progress, and progress together. We know that the book of Numbers is a wilderness book, but the people of God are viewed in it as making progress toward the divinely-purposed objective. I believe that to have this in our hearts is calculated to give us a very great and wonderful outlook, and something to work to together, because the land of God's purpose was ever in the heart of God and certainly was in the heart of Moses although he was excluded from actually entering into it.
My simple concern, beloved, is that in all the exercises of the wilderness we might not fail to keep God’s objective before us and work to it, and, as working to it and counting upon the Spirit, to make progress together. I am sure of this, that it is no thought of God that His people should be held up. I believe that Satan would have that in mind for the adversary would seek to hinder at every point possible but the Spirit of God is greater than he is, and as we count upon the Spirit I think we would be helped together to make progress, because this is the progress of God's people. It is beautiful to see in verse 17 that Israel sang this song - a people dignified by God and viewed as an entity. Let us hold to that, dear brethren. Let us not be diverted to anything less, because the wonder of God's grace is in it and the magnitude of His operations active that it may be so and that we should be conscious of this dignity. The work of Christ lies behind it and God's own purpose that His people should move on, make progress, into the realisation of the wonder of what lies beyond death and to have part together in that which ministers to the divine pleasure.
So I have read this part of Numbers. A lot of history has preceded it. The significant 21st chapter is where there are moral matters arrived at in regard to the condition found among the people on account of their murmuring and because of the effect of the bite of the serpent, but in the presence of that there is the divinely-provided, all-sufficient remedy. I believe we are inclined to be detained on account of what we discover consequent on the bite of the serpent, but let us be occupied with divine sufficiency to meet it, for it is found in Christ Himself. He is the all-sufficient answer to what is discovered on account of these fiery serpents, that which results in death, but the answer is in Jesus made sin for us: "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, thus must the Son of man be lifted up, that every one who believes on him may not perish", John 3: 4,15. I think the setting there is to perish in the wilderness, and people who perish in the wilderness make no progress, I need not say, into the divine purpose. But Jesus was lifted up, and life eternal - that is an order of things to which death has nothing to say - is in view for the people of God.
Then this great matter of the Spirit comes in, this important passage in the holy writings that has been used by God to liberate our hearts in regard to response to the Spirit: "Israel sang this song, Rise up, well! sing unto it". I do not go into the detail except to say that, immediately after this liberty with the Spirit, there is this list of places that indicate the progress the people made. We read the names through; each one is a move forward towards the land of God 's purpose. Of course Satan is against it - you may be sure of that - so let us not be marked by any kind of lethargy in regard to the activities of Satan. There was the attempt by Balak in hiring Balaam, of which, I suppose, the people knew nothing. It seems like that, but God Himself entered into the matter in all the details of it. But then subsequently we know that there was a corrupting influence through Balaam in regard to the propensities of the flesh. We are all prone to it, for the flesh is still in us; so let us avail ourselves of the help of the Spirit to keep sin in the flesh in the place of condemnation in accord with that which has been so perfectly worked out in the death of Jesus. Let us therefore avail ourselves of the Spirit so that we give no place to what is corrupt. Let us not be either beguiled or enticed by what is not of Christ, for Satan is set against what is of Christ, but the Spirit is available that it may continue and progress in the saints according to God's own thoughts.
Now Paul speaks of what is individual, but progress is in his mind. We may say, Progress for Paul? Yes, progress for Paul. He speaks about how he stands before God: "that I may be found in him, not having my righteousness, which would be on the principle of law, but that which is by faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God". What kind of righteousness is that? The righteousness that suits God in every detail that belongs to it. That is how the believer stands. It is verily the truth, the truth of God. Let us go in for it; Paul did. "To know him" - that is Christ - "and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death". Paul desired that everything to which the death of Christ had to say should be brought to bear upon himself - a deep exercise that, but a very wholesome one and very productive, for he says "if any way I arrive at the resurrection from among the dead". The resurrection from among the dead is a condition of soul where every moral issue is settled and a new order of life opened up in which God has in mind that His own should enter and make progress now. Then Paul says "Not that I have already obtained the prize, or am already perfected; but I pursue, if also I may get possession of it, seeing that also I have been taken possession of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not count to have got possession myself; but one thing - forgetting the things behind, and stretching out to the things before, I pursue". This was a man making progress: "I pursue"; and then "looking towards the goal, for the prize of the calling on high of God in Christ Jesus". He is looking towards the goal, he has a sole objective, and this will surely result in progress.
Let us have this wonderful objective, counting upon the Spirit that we may pursue and go on individually; we shall then find great help in moving together progressively towards the thoughts of God for His people.
LONDON
6 December 1983
LIFE
C.G.Hitchcock
John 1: 4,5; John 15: 13-15; 1 Timothy 2: 1-4
I have had a great deal before me today the thought of life and it may have been noticed that the scriptures I have read all contain the thought of life, and in each of the scriptures in the original there is a different word for 'life'.
In the first scripture a closely-connected word appears in the first element of our well-known word 'zoological', but what is exactly in mind here is an original word which we find transliterated in the girl's name Zoe; in the second scripture the word appears in the first element of our word 'psychological', and in the third scripture the word appears in the first element of our word 'biological'.
It is a great thing, beloved brethren, to have before us the person of the Lord Jesus Christ continually. In what I have read in the first scripture we have the thought that "in him was life". That word for life is the great general thought of life, from the life of God to the life in the humblest plant, a wonderfully wide general truth, the word for it constantly used in the gospel of John. John does use another word, but this word I speak of he employs time and again, it is the perfect and abiding antithesis to death.
Now our brother who has already spoken has referred to the need of being engaged with what is beyond death. In that realm beyond death we have the great, valuable, gift of God to enjoy, the gift of life in His Son, and all that goes with it, for there will be a universe taking its character from the life that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. That blessed One has been into death for us, dear brethren, and we could not have the life I speak of apart from what has been effected in that death, which has closed for ever through it the first order of man, which came under the power of Satan and brought in sin and death. That old order for faith has been closed for ever and there has opened out before our spiritual gaze a great vista of life, of which the Lord Jesus Christ is the head and centre. God grant that we may be more and more engaged with that blessed Person in whom there is life. Our life is in Him, hid with Him in God.
Now, dear brethren, the work of God in our souls has been necessary that the life of that One, which, when He was here, was the light of men, should - but now from Him in glory - enlighten our very beings. There has been of necessity this fundamental work in our souls, for the darkness of man by nature apprehends not that light. So how thankful we are that the blessed Spirit of God, having worked in us initially, prepared the ground for our reception of the glad tidings, whereby God has introduced us all into the sphere of light, life and liberty.
Now I want to speak about what we have in this 15th chapter of John: "No one has greater love than this, that one should lay down his life for his friends". This thought of life is connected with breath, with animal life, but when seen in man, man is superior to animals, for God had breathed into Man's nostrils the breath of life (zoe) and Man had become a living soul (psyche). Brethren, do we care for our living souls and value what lies before us through having been brought through grace to the knowledge of God and to the prospect of being in His presence eternally in the glory of sonship? How the Lord has loved us and what feelings! He has laid down His life for us; He has called us His friends - a beautiful relationship: how dignified! Think of Abraham, whom Jehovah called "my friend", Isa 41: 8. What delight God had in Abraham's faith! What pleasure He had in communion with him, telling him what His thoughts were for the future, the blessing that he should have, the seed in Isaac, which typically was Christ!
So the Lord has spoken of us as His friends and has laid down His life for us. A Friend indeed He is to us. We were under death and He has laid down His life for us and there has been brought to light through the gospel life and incorruptibility. Through grace, beloved brethren, this is our portion, all because the Lord Jesus has laid down His life for us. Life in this scripture is the idea of a rational mind, a mind that can reason, a soul that can feel; what the Lord's feelings are for His own! How beautifully scripture speaks of the thoughts the Lord had for those whom He called His own! How His soul went out to them in love! That life of His was given up in death, His life for His friends. He calls us no longer bondmen, though we have to remember there is that relationship; we are His servants and the apostles could speak of being bondmen. Nevertheless the Lord says here "I call you no longer bondmen... but I have called you friends" - beautiful thought!
Now I will speak of the third scripture: "I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made for all men; for kings and all that are in dignity, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all piety and gravity; for this is good and acceptable before our Saviour God, who desires that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth". How necessary it is at the present day, when we see the state of things in the world, that we should be urgent in our prayers. But, beloved brethren, let us at the same time rest our souls in the knowledge that God has all in control. People are agitated and concerned and fearful and some are anxious about nuclear warfare. But as to those of us who through the grace of God walk in the light, we know that the Lord is coming for us; we shall hear His assembling shout and shall be caught up to meet Him in the air. So while down here we can be restful and peaceful. This scripture speaks of our leading a quiet and tranquil life. The thought of life here is the life that we live; men not only live, but they lead lives; a man has a manner of life. Let us ask ourselves, as a test, What sort of life am I leading; collectively, what sort of life do we lead? Let us give our minds to our way of life and I am sure that, as we do so with the Lord before us, we shall be relieved of anxiety and shall be found moving more earnestly in unity of spirit and outlook. In the Lord's wonderful speaking to the Father in John 17 He could say of His own; "that they may be one as we". And then in leading this life we can freely enter into the desires of God: "that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth". It would tend to move our souls evangelically - we should think of others. We have been much blessed, we have much light.
What about poor souls around who are grovelling in darkness some of them whose wants are felt but seldom uttered? Through prayer and interest in persons cannot some of these wants come out into the open, to be met by the glorious gospel of God? The Lord often met expressed needs. May God bless His word.
LONDON
6 December 1983
THE CHILDREN'S SALVATION
Professor Simpson was a Scottish doctor who found out the secret of how to save his patients from feeling pain when they had to have severe treatment. This was his best-known discovery. When, in his later life, a young friend asked him what was his greatest discovery, he answered at once 'That I was a great sinner, but that Jesus was a great Saviour'. He may not have had the privilege of childhood in a Christian family as do so many who read this page. Perhaps in the course of his work his conscience had become more and more uneasy as he faced the reality of having to do with the God who had given His creature such a marvellous body, soul and spirit. At all events he learned that this most personal of all questions touching time and eternity was answered for him by the sin-bearing work of the Lord Jesus, and he accepted it by faith.
This incident relates to just one of the many who have found the way of salvation. It is open to all men, women and children. Salvation is without price - but not without cost which we learn in pondering the atoning work at Calvary. True, a greater sinner may very likely have a greater estimate of the Person and work of the Saviour. The wicked but repentant robber taken to paradise gave a personal testimony of Jesus as great as that of Peter, John and Paul and in similar words. He said "... but this man has done nothing amiss". But the cost of his redemption was the same as that for a child - even for a child too young to be able to know the need of a Redeemer.
Jesus said, "for the Son of man has come to save that which was lost". This is one of at least twelve different reasons that the Lord gave for having come! In our daily life there is constant need of salvation, both from things that are evil and for things that are good. To be obedient in believing on Jesus and in confessing Him as Lord makes way for the Holy Spirit to be received. He brings understanding of what is harmful to the Christian on the one hand and on the other that which will help spiritual life. Our histories may not always be pleasant or comfortable but there will be the prospect of finishing our course with confidence. On an early visit to Germany I travelled sometimes fourth class on the railway. There were distinct disadvantages in this, but one had the same expectation of arriving safely as if one had travelled first class!
Are you in the joy of salvation all the day long?
J.C.Evershed