BELONGING
Stephen T Eagle
John 17: 6; 9; 24
There are plenty of examples in the world around us of people aligning themselves with clubs and other societies to give them a sense of belonging. But, beloved, we belong to Christ. It is a wonderful privilege that the believer can have a true sense of belonging.
The more you read the verses in John 17, the more you see the preciousness of the relationship between the Lord Jesus and the Father. You can put yourself into those verses, in that conversation, in that prayer, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus. You can read about yourself in the words that come out of this wonderful chapter. It is an absolute privilege to have it recorded for us. It is one of the few records of a conversation directly between the Lord Jesus and the Father in private circumstances being conveyed to us through scripture, which is very precious. The verses I have read contain the words, “the men whom thou gavest me out of the world. They were thine, and thou gavest them me”. You think of those precious words confirming that we belong to Christ. We have been bought with a price and those who belong to the Lord Jesus are part of a company that is the greatest company on this earth. That is not making anything of ourselves or making an assumption as to it: we are seeing that from heaven’s view. The assembly is the greatest company that has ever walked this earth, because it belongs to Christ. These verses struck a chord with me in the sense of belonging, the Lord saying, “thou gavest them me”. He is speaking to the Father, and it gives us a sense of predestination that we were known before the foundation of the world. I find that beyond me fully to understand. I find the concept of what existed before time very difficult to grasp as my capacity is limited; however, these verses give us a sense of the greatness of divine thoughts in relation to the Lord Jesus Himself, and also in relation to each one of us, if we belong to Him. How great these things are; how wonderful these scriptures.
The Lord is speaking to the Father with His eyes fixed on heaven. He says, “the men whom thou gavest me out of the world. They were thine, and thou gavest them me”. Do you feel a sense of belonging? Do you feel a sense in your own heart? I am challenging myself, as to who I belong to and why I belong there? Maybe we find it challenging to say why; perhaps being known before the foundation of the world tests us as to how much we really know of God’s ways and God’s thoughts - again I am challenging myself. However these scriptures make it unequivocal: “They were thine, and thou gavest them me”. How the Lord loves His people and loves each one personally. Those who belong to other groups and associations are held in a collective view - the individuals may be only a small part, not really known. Some might wear some kind of a badge or an emblem. When you belong to Christ, it is in your heart: that is where it is embedded. If you belong to Him, you could never be lost or forgotten by Him, as you are His and His for ever. Being a believer in the Lord Jesus should give us the greatest sense of belonging, because we belong to Him.
The Lord goes on: “I do not demand concerning the world, but concerning those whom thou hast given me, for they are thine”. I had a simple impression as to that. God has His eyes on this world in every way, and He has His dealings with humanity. The gospel is available to all who may come under the sound of it. God’s disposition is that all men should be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. I love the preciousness of what the Lord says here “concerning those whom thou hast given me, for they are thine”. The Lord takes care of His own. The Lord takes care of His own absolutely and completely on the pathway, and there is no deficiency from the Lord’s side.
When you get to the end of the chapter, He says, “Father, as to those whom thou hast given me, I desire that where I am they also may be with me”. You think of the longings of the Lord Jesus for those who had been with Him in His life here on earth, but also for us today, in view of the eternal day. It is confirmation surely that the Lord wants our company. That is wonderful; it is good when someone wants your company. Sometimes we might feel a bit of an outcast, and someone might seek us out for company, which we find a precious thing. The Lord loves our company. I feel very tested to say that as my behaviour or the conditions in my soul could be in a low state; maybe I would not even want my own company, but the Lord never neglects His own. It is not a short-term view; it is an eternal view. It is not just that the Lord wants to help us in our lives here; He wants us in view of eternity.
Ruth is a book that starts with a famine and ends with a harvest, and I encourage us all to read it. Oh, that there were more Ruths amongst us, and I challenge myself in that regard. Ruth’s circumstances at this moment of life were testing and trying; she seemed to have reached a low point. She had become attached to Naomi, and yet here were circumstances like a crossroads in her life; she had a decision to take. I do not think Naomi at this point was necessarily great company, as she was down in her own circumstances. You can understand that her spirit was cast down by everything that had gone on in her life. But despite this Ruth desired to stay with her because she saw that what was amongst God’s people was so precious, it was greater to her than everything else. It did not matter about circumstance or that this was naturally a low point in Ruth’s life and in everything around. She was not going to let go of that blessing, even though the fulness of that blessing had not even been fully opened up to her. She only had a glimpse of it, she only had a part of it, but she was not going to let it go. She was steadfast and she had affection for the people of God. She loved what Naomi loved. Ruth would say, “Do not entreat me to leave thee, to return from following after thee; for whither thou goest I will go, and where thou lodgest I will lodge: thy people shall be my people”. What a company to belong to, the people of God. What a privilege to be numbered amongst the people of God. Do we value enough where we have been placed. Do I lay hold of God’s view of His purposes in this earth in relation Christ and to the eternal day? Ruth suggests someone who was not going to let that go. As you read through Ruth you see her stedfastness, her committal, her desire and her love for God’s people. Maybe my love for the Lord wanes, and my love for God’s people wanes. Mercy and grace would bring us back. I commend stedfastness to everyone: hold steady on the path to which we have been called. There are brighter days ahead.
If, as we find in 1 Samuel 22, persons feel “of embittered spirit”, and they are in debt; their circumstances make everything around seem to be pressing upon them, hold fast. Hold fast to Christ; keep the view of the heavenly Man always in your sights. You belong to Him. In 1 Samuel, we get the cave of Adullam and people escaped there from the pressures of what was around them. They needed safety and David became a captain over them. Friend, never be far from the Captain of salvation; never be far from Christ. Whatever circumstances we may face in our lives, He is the Captain of our salvation. That refers not only to our eternal salvation through reception of the gospel. If our faith and our trust is in Him that refers to our need for current salvation. We need preservation; we need someone over us. David became captain over them, and he would have given them the nurture and the encouragement and the help that they needed. He knew, as the Lord knows everything about us. He knows our problems; He knows our worries; He knows everything. He is able for it all, and if we belong to Him so He will take care of everything. I emphasise this as I believe it to be absolutely true, that we should have no doubts as to what the Lord can do for each one of us, whatever our trials and circumstances are. This period in Samuel would have been traumatic, but David would have put them at ease. They recognised that David was there, and he became a captain over them. Have we allowed the Lord to be captain over our lives, to take care of everything?
I was really helped earlier today by the reference to faith. Do I really allow the Lord to take care of my life? Have I got absolute confidence in Him? I want to be simple as to it, but am I utterly dependent upon the Lord for everything? We read the gospels and see the Lord was never far from the disciples. When He went to pray, He was not out of sight, He was just a little way off. The Lord is never far from us. We might be far from the Lord; that is a different matter. The Lord is never far from us. Why? Because we belong to Him. He is not going to let us go. We could have read in Luke 15 where the one sheep goes off. When it comes to the Lord and His people it is every single one that matters. He would go as far as He could until that one was brought back. It is wonderful to belong to Christ.
Psalm 100 is a psalm of worship; it is a call to worship. The heading says it is, “A Psalm of thanksgiving”. I seek help to speak as to worship, that there might be a stirring in our hearts to divine Persons. There seems to be an appeal at this point from the writer that the people should be praising. They were to be recognising the greatness of the One to whom they belonged: “Serve Jehovah with joy: come before his presence with exultation”. We should never be far from worship. Worship is in relation to divine Persons and we only worship divine Persons. Paul and Silas, under the oppression of the jailor’s regime in prison, were still in a state of praise and worship despite awful circumstances, Acts 16. Whatever state we are in in our circumstances, remember we belong to the Lord. I seek that we should never be far from a worshipful state in our souls.
Reference was helpfully made earlier to the power of the Holy Spirit: what a resource we have in our lives here in Him. Again, we should emphasise that there is no deficiency in relation to the divine side, the supply in relation to our path here. If we belong to someone, they should take care of everything for us. “Know that Jehovah is God”. That would surely draw out a response.
We often refer to the Supper in relation to worship and the opportunity to be part of such a great occasion. I suggest we look at Ruth as an individual, and at the cave of Adullam as a company. When we are brought together there should be that in appreciation for what we are brought through that would pour out as a result. The Lord knows every pressure, circumstance, all the things that burden us day by day in our natural lives. They should not stop worship being formed in our hearts. “Know that Jehovah is God: it is he that has made us”: we belong to Him; we are His creatures. Have you ever thought of the greatness of creation? The pinnacle of creation is humanity and the great end in view is for those that belong to Christ. We are His, and that should surely bring out worship. We have no qualification of our own to become His people, but this verse says, “we are his people”. That is because He has brought us here, and spoken of His desires in relation to each one of us. The psalmist writes of “the sheep of his pasture”. If there are sheep there is a shepherd. That Shepherd, the all-the-way-home Saviour, will take care of us.
Enter into the gates with thanksgiving and
into his courts with praise; give thanks unto him,
bless his name”.
Something surely wells up.
The world of corporate business does not care about people, which is the opposite to Christianity. The Lord takes care of His people first in relation to everything. That is because we belong to Him. It is not a question of everything else being fixed, and then the people are considered. It is His people that are primarily in mind, because His people form His assembly. They form the great love of His heart. Does it form the love of my heart toward Him? That would bring out worship. It would bring out an expression of the greatness of what we have been brought into and draw out a response. Not for our glory, but for His:
… give thanks unto him, bless his name: For Jehovah is good; his loving-kindness endureth for ever; and his faithfulness from generation to generation.
The Lord has been faithful right through time. Surely, we have proved in our own lifetime, the faithfulness of the Lord to each generation that has gone on. His faithfulness is unfailing: may there be a committal in our faithfulness to Him. As believers, we belong to Christ; be assured of that. John 17 shows us the greatness of divine thoughts and divine purposes all being worked out in this scene in relation to eternity; and, beloved, you belong there.
How great these things are; may we be in the enjoyment of them, for His Name’s sake.
Birmingham
11th January 2025
Edited and Published by David Brown and Andrew Burr
81 Roxburgh Road. West Norwood. London. SE27 OLE