PERFECTION
PERFECTION
“We speak wisdom among the perfect”. There was not power to apprehend it in the Old Testament although there was faith. But now there are those that are perfect — those who are prepared to apprehend this wisdom of God. What I understand by “the perfect” is that they have accepted crucifixion with Christ, the putting off of the old man. That is a great point to arrive at, the putting off of the body of the flesh; then we apprehend the wisdom of God. Christ was actually crucified; we are called upon to accept in mind what in Christ took place actually, and thus we are prepared for the deep things of God. If you get a Christian anxious to save himself in this world, and to save the world in measure, he will not be prepared for the deep things, but if I accept crucifixion it is because I apprehend that there is another world before God. That is the only way, just as you offer a child something better in order for it to give up something it has; it is only as we see there is something better that we are prepared to give up this world.
The death of Christ, while it was the condemnation of sin in the flesh, was especially the revelation of God’s love (John 3: 16) and now there is another scene filled by the love of God and man responsive to it. With ourselves, if we live, we live in the light of divine love — it is the great formative principle in the saints, and then they are said to be born of God.
Verses 10 - 12 show the way that God’s wisdom is made known, first to the apostle, and then he communicates it to the saints by the Spirit. No amount of words would bring love home to a person. You might read Scripture from beginning to end without getting [p. 243] the love of God brought home to you. They had received the Spirit of God that they might know the wonderful thoughts of God for man. Words would not make known His love. God commends His love and then sheds it abroad in our hearts by the Spirit.
Then (verse 13) the apostle has to communicate them by spiritual means — words which the Holy Spirit teacheth. I admit words are used, but you cannot understand by mere words, but only by the Holy Spirit giving you to understand — you are taught by Him.
I have thought that people sometimes err on the side of studying Scripture, as though they would master Scripture as they would a science. I have done it and if I had my time to go over again, I would give more time in the presence of God. I dare say you have come to Scripture and found it as dull as possible; at another time it has been lighted up because the Spirit of truth has been active. You did not understand the meaning by the letter merely.
I argue from that the vast importance of the soul being with God, not merely the study of Scripture. The object of Scripture is to lead your soul into intercourse with God. Get under the power of the word of God, and then there is another thing of the greatest importance — intercourse with God. I do not say prayer, I prefer the expression, intercourse with God. It is a great thing to sit before God. David sat before Jehovah; the habit is of the greatest importance. You can never be useful for Him unless you cultivate intercourse with God. That is by the Spirit of God and you will soon find Scripture lighted up.
In verses 14 - 16 we see the way they are made known to the apostle and then how they are communicated. In early days they had not the inspired writings; in a way they did not need them, as they had the apostles. It is the greatest possible mercy [p. 244] of God to leave us with these inspired writings, but the words will remain as a dead letter, and do so to many Christians because they do not recognise the presence of the Spirit here. I have to recognise His teaching within and not trust my own mind. My mind may get over-burdened, but what we want is quietness to sit before the Lord. Even the attention to the word of God needs to be balanced by intercourse with God. In the end of Luke 11 we see Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet and hearing His word, and in chapter 12 the disciples are saying, “Lord, teach us to pray”. I do not sit at the feet of Scripture. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus — the One Scripture makes known. You would not be regardless of Scripture, but the two things balance each other: sitting at His feet and hearing His word. I am afraid both habits are not strong enough with us.
I am much inclined to warn people against meetings, that is, if going to them excludes these things in private. Sitting at His feet is essentially private. On the other hand there is intercourse with God. Even our food is sanctified by intercourse with God and prayer. Do not neglect it if you want to make progress — get into your chamber and cultivate intercourse with God. One mark of a spiritual person is that he refers everything to God — a carnal person refers everything to himself — one is the contrast of the other. A spiritual person seeks in everything to refer to God. He takes up nothing in self-pleasing. If it is a question of worship, it is not self he wants to please; if service, he does not want to carry it out in self-pleasing. The same thing would come out in many things here — in family and business. If we seek God’s pleasure — that is the mark of a spiritual person, but if it is to please self (and we do to a large extent) then it is carnal. The carnal man uses things in regard to himself, but the spiritual man takes up everything in regard to God. And the effect of the [p. 245] Spirit of God in a man is — “the spiritual man discerns all things”, the carnal discerns nothing.
The apostle had perfection in view — as again in Philippians. It comes out in one way in new heavens and earth. Then the holy city is perfection and that is the ultimate end to which Christ will lead. It will come out to express God, and be the centre of the universe, and His activity is to draw us to Himself. Christ will make you conscious of the love of the Father. That is the great end to which God is leading — to that blessed scene where God is all in all, contrary to the confusion here, a scene of divine love perfectly appreciated. What a contrast to the cobwebs spun out of the mind of man! There are no principles in the world, good as they may appear to be, which will lead to perfection here, for passion is the strongest thing in the world. Take drink for instance: you may show a man how it is bringing him to ruin, and present the great good of turning away from it, but all the philosophy will not turn him aside. But the greatest results will come from divine wisdom, a scene where God is all in all. If you get a man converted, you get a man who is brought into the love of God and responds to that love, and he begins to appreciate the wisdom and the great end to which God is leading. You have now the man — the spiritual man — who can enter into these things.
May God exercise our hearts to look to it! If He has given us the privilege of sitting at His feet, of intercourse with Himself, we cannot afford to neglect it. In taking advantage of it we become spiritual. God becomes our object and not flesh. The spiritual mind refers everything to God. God is the standard of everything. The mark of a spiritual mind is that one is controlled and influenced by the Spirit of God.