THE SUBSTANTIAL CHARACTER OF CHRISTIANITY

THE SUBSTANTIAL CHARACTER OF CHRISTIANITY

1 Thessalonians 2: 5 - 12; Colossians 4: 7 - 14; Philemon 8 - 19

A. J. Gardiner What I desire to speak about is the substantial character of Christianity, that it is not merely a system of doctrine but it is something very concrete and substantial and is to be seen in the saints. That is why I have read these scriptures, because they will be found, I think, to indicate substantial features of the work of God appearing in one and another.

We have been speaking this morning and this afternoon of the way God is known as He has come out in wonderful revelation, having constituted what we speak of as the economy, God being known in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and the more we contemplate the economy, and the movements and services of the respective Persons of the Godhead, the more we are impressed with love, and that is what we might expect, for God is love, and the economy is simply the way that God has devised to bring His love in a tangible way to His creature, man, and to secure man in conditions of holy love before Him for ever, not merely in the blessing that a great benefactor might bestow on someone whom he regards as needy but in circumstances of the greatest conceivable nearness and in the liberty and affection which God has been pleased to devise for man; but in thus being made known, He having come into the light, He has in mind that we should be formed by the light in which He is thus revealed.

The great result of it, from one standpoint, will be seen in the holy city as it comes down out of heaven from God (Revelation 21); it will be marked by great substantiality, immense substance. The book of Revelation is a book of figures, it is not intended to be taken literally, but we are told in that book that the length of the city and the breadth of it and the height of it are each twelve thousand stadia, and if the Spirit of God gives us measurements, while He does not expect us to be literal in our thoughts, or unduly mathematical, yet He does give us these measurements in order that we may pay attention to them and so be impressed with immensity of substance, and anyone who takes the trouble to work out what the measurement of the city is according to these details given us will arrive at it that it is something over three thousand million cubic miles. I only mention that, not, as I say, to engage you with things in a literal way, but that the Spirit of God intends us to be impressed with immensity of substance formed in the saints as the result of the revelation of God in the way in which He has come out, so that there should be a vessel, as it comes down out of heaven from God, capable of exercising divine influence upon the whole universe. In all its influence, in all its movements, in all its actings, it will be an impression of God that is left. Now that is not to be a mere abstract idea before our minds for the formation of it is going on now and each of us is a necessary part of it. The formation has to go on in our own souls, and it is to come out in that which is substantially formed in every one of us, so that, as our eyes are opened to see what God is effecting by means of the light in which He has come out in revelation, we can see in the saints what is of God and rejoice to see it as it comes out in its various features and activities.

In that way Christianity becomes extraordinarily interesting. It is not, as I say, merely a matter of doctrine, of teaching, though sound doctrine is essential, but it is a matter of what is substantial and real seen in the saints. God is unseen. Thank God, we shall see Christ. We have not yet seen Him, but we shall see Him, and He is the “image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1: 15) but, save through Christ, we cannot see God. He remains the invisible God, but known to us blessedly and perfectly in the Mediator, “the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2: 5), “whom, having not seen, ye love” (1 Peter 1: 8), but whom we shall see face to face; but still, as I say, the effect of the revelation of God may be seen and is to be seen concretely in the saints.

Well now, in reading this passage in the first epistle to the Thessalonians, I wanted to point out, first of all, how Paul himself is formed by the knowledge of God, and then in the other passages how others are brought out as all of them setting forth certain features of this formative work which the blessed God is carrying on. Paul says in writing to the Thessalonians, “we have not at any time been among you with flattering discourse, even as ye know, nor with a pretext for covetousness, God is witness; nor seeking glory from men,” 1 Thessalonians 2: 5, 6. He begins with that which is negative and moral. He is going to lead on to that which is positive, how he was formed in love, but he begins first of all with that which is negative and moral, and he says that they had not been among them at any time with flattering discourse. That is an important matter, for “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all,” 1 John 1: 5.

The more we have to do with God, the more we have things exactly as they are, and desire to have them exactly as they are, and we do not resort to flattery. Flattery is a most dangerous thing, and a most unholy thing in the things of God. Elihu said, “I know not how to flatter; my maker would soon take me away,” Job 32: 22. There is a danger sometimes of flattery amongst us, and that would be corrected by the knowledge of God, by our keeping ourselves in the light in which God has come out, for He refuses all that is unreal. He does not go in for anything that is extravagant. He loves truth. He is the God of truth. Paul was formed by the knowledge that he had of God, and says they had not used among the Thessalonians flattering discourse, nor a pretext for covetousness. How important all this is, especially for those who serve, that they should be watchful that the element of covetousness does not enter into their service. It can easily come in, but it is corrected by the knowledge of God. Flattery is one of the things found in the world on every hand, and covetousness is also found in the world on every hand, and the light in which God has come out in Christ is the great antidote to these things, and Paul called God to witness to the Thessalonians that in his own movements amongst them he had been entirely free from anything of the element of flattery and from anything of the element of covetousness, and further he says he had not been among them as seeking glory from men. We know that the Lord was here perfectly as not seeking glory. He says Himself, “I seek not mine own glory” (John 8: 50), and indeed He says most solemnly on one occasion, “How can ye believe, who receive glory one of another, and seek not the glory which comes from God alone?” (John 5: 44). The element of seeking glory one of another acts as a hindrance to believing the truth.

Well now, I do not want to dwell unduly on these three features, but only to point out that the apostle brings them in first as moral elements that are all around us in the world and may tend to mark any one of us, but from which he was delivered by the light that he had of the blessed God. But now he says further, “we might have been a charge as Christ’s apostles; but have been gentle in the midst of you, as a nurse would cherish her own children. Thus, yearning over you, ... “ (1 Thessalonians 1: 7, 8). I believe in the verses that follow, beginning at this point, we have an allusion to the way the apostle was impressed, first, with the Holy Spirit, then with Christ, and then with the Father. He speaks of these tender feelings that marked him, as a nurse her own children - maternal feelings, yearning over them. I believe he has in his mind the impression he had of the wonderful feelings that have come into evidence in the Person of the Spirit of God here. We know that from the very outset the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters, bringing into evidence at the very beginning the feelings that were in the heart of God. But now, what feeling there is with the Holy Spirit of God, as He has taken up His abode in us and is constantly watching to see how we are getting on. If He finds some of us tending to be neglectful of what God is saying, the Spirit of God will say, “Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” That is, He will appeal. He is watching over us, you might say, if I may use the expression reverently, with maternal feelings, desiring that there should be formation going on in an unhindered way in the souls of God’s people, and therefore He is yearning over us. He appeals, “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption,” Ephesians 4: 30. If the Spirit of God sees - I am alluding to the way He is presented in the epistle to the Hebrews - that the saints need establishing, that they are not fully established in grace. He will bring in the testimony of the Old Testament and remind us how it applies in a full way at the present time, saying “Their sins and their lawlessnesses I will never remember any more,” Hebrews 10: 17. That is, the Spirit of God is watching and yearning. I think we may rightly say He is yearning. We want to get an impression of the feelings of the Holy Spirit, and the few allusions to Him in the epistle to the Hebrews are full of instruction in that way, as showing how He is watching over the state of the saints and would bring in what is needed at the moment. And how patient He has been for nearly 2000 years. One marvels at the way the Spirit of God has gone on patiently and undeterred all these years. He is now beginning to get the honour that is due to Him, beginning to get an increasing place with us, and the more place He gets with us the more it will develop holy sensitiveness and watchfulness on our part and at the same time holy liberty with the blessed God; but all this is the result of the Spirit’s own patient work towards us, and I believe we may rightly say He is yearning over the saints.

Paul had taken on the character of a nursing mother, a remarkable thing, that the same kind of feelings and watchful care that had come into expression in the Spirit of God were now finding their counterpart in Paul himself in the way he laboured among the Thessalonian saints, but then he was also affected by what he saw in Christ, and so he goes on to say, “Thus, yearning over you, we had found our delight in having imparted to you not only the glad tidings of God, but our own lives also, ... “ 1 Thessalonians 1: 8. That is, he had come under the impress of the love of Christ. “He has laid down his life for us” (1 John 3: 16), as it says. “Hereby we have known love, because he has laid down his life for us; and we ought for the brethren to lay down our lives.” This was working out in the apostle. It was no longer a matter simply of what was stated in the scripture; it was not only a matter now even of what had come to light in Christ and the Spirit, but it was there formed substantially in Paul. The thing was taking form in a substantial way in Paul. He was taking character from the Spirit; he was taking character from Christ. The Lord has laid down His life for us; and Paul, keeping himself in the light of this wonderful revelation of divine love in the Person of the Son, was prepared to lay down his life for the Thessalonian saints. And then he goes on to say, “ye remember, brethren, our labour and toil; working night and day, not to be chargeable to any one of you, we have preached to you the glad tidings of God,” 1 Thessalonians 1: 9. That is, the laying down of his life for the brethren did not take form in one act and then it was done; it took form in a persevering continuance, in self-sacrificing love night and day. Well, beloved brethren, you may say that is going to involve a great deal of cost and sacrifice. That may well be, but there is no great moral value in anything that does not cost something and does not involve sacrifice. God loves sacrifice. He has come out supremely in the way of sacrifice Himself; if anyone had drawn near to the tabernacle system, if the people of God had been filling it out according to divine requirements, one thing would have impressed them more than anything else, and that was that it was a system of continual sacrifice. The odour of sacrifice was ascending to God morning and evening and all through the day, as one after another brought their offerings. There was an odour of sacrifice going up to God all the time.

Well, dear brethren, that is what Christianity is in its reality. Thank God, we shall not always be marked by conditions calling for sacrifice, or by suffering or anything of that kind, but love in its reality has been told out in such conditions, and it is in such conditions, calling for sacrifice, that the work of formation in us goes on. Then Paul goes on to say, “Ye are witnesses, and God, how piously and righteously and blamelessly we have conducted our selves with you that believe; as ye know how, as a father his own children, we used to exhort each one of you, and comfort and testify, that ye should walk worthy of God, who calls you to his own kingdom and glory,” 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12. He brings in the thought now of a father. He has been a nursing mother, and he was prepared to lay down his life for them, and now he brings in the thought of exercising the moral influence of a father, and I think we may say that he had in mind the way God has spoken as Father and the way a father deals with his children, how it says in Ephesians 5, “Be ye... imitators of God, as beloved children.” That is, the consciousness of being beloved children is being brought in by the Spirit of God as an incentive to take character from our Father, and so he says, “Be ye ... imitators of God, as beloved children.” We know what the Father is in His tender interest in His children, disciplining them if need be, but not in a harsh way, but, as it says in Hebrews 12, that we might be partakers of His holiness. That is, it is a question of love desiring to secure conditions wholly suited to itself, that there may not be a shade of distance between us and the Father.

I think we can see that in that which actuated the apostle in his movements at Thessalonica there is a kind of allusion to the fact that he was impressed with the way God has come out, the Spirit and the Son and the Father, each in turn having His own influence upon the apostle and affecting his outlook towards the saints. There was that which was in the apostle Paul, formed in him, that corresponded with God.

Well now, in Colossians 4, Paul seems to take pleasure in bringing under our notice these different brethren and the features that marked them, and so he says, “Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow-bondman in the Lord ... “ He is, first of all, a beloved brother. I suppose we could hardly have a more attractive designation of anyone than that he was a beloved brother; that is, one who was marked by the love proper to the family and beloved because of what he was. I do not think Paul is saying this in any careless way. If he says “a beloved brother” he means that Tychicus was beloved and rightly so, beloved because of what he was. So you will remember it says of David that “all Israel and Judah loved David,” 1 Samuel 18: 16. Why did they love him? Because “he went out and came in before them.” That is to say, all his movements were in the open. They knew what he had done for them, how he had taken his life in his hands and gone to meet the giant on their behalf - that would attract their hearts to him - but what confirmed him in the place he had in their affections was that he went out and came in before them. All his movements were in the open. He was moving simply and unaffectedly before his brethren, so that they might see there was nothing concealed or anything of that sort in his movements. You might say he was a beloved brother. But then Tychicus is also a faithful minister. That does not mean a minister in any official sense; it means one who acts or waits in service, one who is just available to do anything that needs doing - a most important thing. It is not a question of wanting to be anything outstanding, or anything of that sort; it is a question of just fitting into the structure that God is forming in the saints. He would be one who was just at hand, ready to do anything that wanted to be done, and doing it faithfully. And then he was a “fellow-bondman in the Lord,” thoroughly devoted to the Lord’s interests - a bondman.

I think we can see how these things are the results of our learning God in Christ. We remember how the Lord says, “I am among you as he that serveth,” Luke 22: 27. He does not specify any particular kind of service. He was among them in the character of the One who serves, and we were having before us this morning how He laid aside His garments and took a linen towel and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the linen towel wherewith He was girded; John 13. He was setting them an example of serving love. What He did to them He did in love, in order that it might become formative, and that love of this character might be formed in the brethren, and then not only so, but He showed that He was wholly devoted to God’s will. There is nothing so calculated to make us devoted as the contemplation of Christ in His devotedness to God’s will, and Tychicus had taken on this three-fold character - a beloved brother, a faithful minister and a fellow-bondman in the Lord, and Paul says he “will make known to you all that concerns me,” Colossians 4: 7. Tychicus is a most interesting character, for we gather from this epistle and from the epistle to the Ephesians that he would seem to be a link between the apostle, on the one hand, and the Colossian or Ephesians saints on the other. He could make known to them all that concerned Paul, and then also, “that he might know your state” (verse 8); he would be able to bring word to Paul as to how the Colossians were getting on, as to what their real state was, and that being among them he would encourage their hearts.

All these things are very simple, but they represent the substantial work of God in one and another, not all formed exactly after the same pattern. It is, of course, all formed after God, as known in Christ, but then there are differences, differences in glory, star differing from star in glory; 1 Corinthians 15: 41. All are glorious, all are heavenly, yet star differing from star in glory. That is the system we are connected with, and every brother and every sister is to some extent at any rate a star, and it is a question of understanding that God is working in us what is essentially glorious, because it is a great system of glory that He is forming by the light in which He has come out in Christ.

And then Paul brings in Onesimus. When we come to the epistle to Philemon we learn what Onesimus’ history had been, but here the apostle says nothing about it. I suppose it is possible that the epistle to the Colossians and the epistle to Philemon were carried by Onesimus at the same time, but here Paul is commending Onesimus to the Colossians, “the faithful and beloved brother who is one of you,” Colossians 4: 9. It is the skilful and delicate way in which love moves, seen in the apostle Paul. It is beautiful to see the way love works, and how he commends this Onesimus, of whose history we hear in the epistle to Philemon, to the Colossian saints and says he is a “faithful and beloved brother.” He had not had long, as far as we may judge, to develop in these features, but he had developed in them, he had become beloved by the apostle Paul, and Paul actually links him with Tychicus, saying, “They shall make known to you everything here,” verse 9. And then he mentions others - Aristarchus, a fellow-captive, that is one who is suffering for the testimony with Paul. That has its value, the sympathy that enters into it, dear brethren, and the faithfulness too. We read of the Lord that He looked for comforters and found none. There is such a thing as finding sympathy in the exercises of the testimony, and Paul valued Aristarchus as one who was a fellow-captive. These are different features of the work of God. You can see the glory shining out as you see these different ones brought before you. We might wonder why the apostle mentions so many brethren in some of his epistles, but it is really like bringing stars in their respective glories, one by one, before our eyes, so that we may get an impression of the system of glory to which we belong. If Paul speaks of these different brethren he is not like some of our letters of commendation. He is not extravagant in his statements. He is not attaching to brethren things that do not properly belong to them. He is sober in what he says. He makes a difference between different ones. It is a great thing to be true. By all means be marked by love, and by all means look at the work of God. At the same time, bear with me for referring to it in passing, as it comes to one’s mind, we want to make sure that the persons who receive the letters will get by the letters a right estimate of the person who is being commended, and not a wrong one. We want to take account of what we have written and see whether that will convey to the persons to whom the letter is written, a right appreciation, and when I say a right appreciation I mean a true and sober appreciation of the work of God in the brother or sister whom we are commending. And so, as it comes to one’s mind in speaking in this way, we notice at the end of the passage read - that Paul mentions Demas, but says nothing more about him. We should note, what is said in certain cases and what is not said in certain other cases; Demas had asked to be included in these salutations, and Paul felt what Demas was. It was not long after this that Paul had to say Demas had forsaken him, having loved this present world (2 Timothy 4: 10), and no doubt Paul, with spiritual discernment, knew that the root was already there in Demas, and so he says “and Demas” and leaves it there. This is an example to us of truth and sobriety in the things of God, but then he mentions Mark, “if he come to you, receive him” (verse 10) a word of encouragement, a recovered man, “and Jesus called Justus, who are of the circumcision,” verse 11. “These are the only fellow-workers for the kingdom of God who have been a consolation to me.” That is how Paul can speak of them; they have been “fellow-workers for the kingdom of God.” That is to say, I have no doubt these were themselves characterised by subjection to the Holy Spirit, for that is the form the kingdom of God takes. It is the moral sway of God over the soul, and it is one of the great essentials if we are to be rightly in the assembly, that we should know something of the kingdom of God. There must be subjection to the Holy Spirit if we are to enter properly into our place in the assembly, and so the Lord in the first chapter of Acts, while assembling with the disciples, in order to get them accustomed to the idea of the assembly, spoke to them of the kingdom of God. That is a most important essential. You remember that Paul mentions that in Acts 20, how he first preached repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, and then he presented the gospel of the grace of God, bringing in, you might say, the teaching of Galatians in order that they might be thoroughly established in the sense that nothing less than sonship is in the mind of God for us, and then he goes on to say he had been among them preaching the kingdom of God. That brings in the subjective side of things, real formation by the Holy Spirit, without that we cannot enter rightly into the truth of the assembly. And so they were fellow-workers for the kingdom of God, and they had been a consolation to Paul. And now he brings in Epaphras, “who is one of you, the bondman of Christ Jesus, salutes you.” This is a local brother “always combating earnestly for you in prayers, to the end that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God,” Colossians 4: 12. What a valuable brother such would be in any locality, or a sister equally. It so happens that the passages I have read do not include any sisters; other passages do, and when it comes to a local position being supported by earnestly combating in prayer for the saints, that can easily be filled out by a sister as well as by a brother. You can see what a value such a person in any company would have, “always combating earnestly for you in prayers.” Satan would bring in all kinds of obstacles to hinder anyone who is minded to continue praying for the saints, but Epaphras would not allow himself to be overcome by obstacles. He would overcome, combating earnestly in prayer.

Sometimes it may be Satan is allowed to bring in hindrances to our spirits when we are praying, and the great thing is not to give way, to continue in prayer until the hindrance is removed. The hindrance will be removed. Of course, if there is a moral reason for the hindrance, the only way to remove it is to judge it, but sometimes the enemy may bring in pressure upon the mind or obstruction upon the spirit in order to hinder prayer, and the great thing is not to surrender to him but to go on praying, and we will find that power comes in and we get released. It is a question of combating earnestly in prayer, and no doubt Epaphras, as having the whole will of God before him, being earnest as to it, would not only have the mind of God itself before him, but would also be marked by perception as to the different movements of the enemy, the different influences that were being brought to bear upon the saints, that would hinder them from entering into those things. And so he says, “Epaphras ... the bondman of Christ Jesus, salutes you, always combating earnestly for you in prayers, to the end that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God,” and then he goes on to say “that he labours much for you, and them in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis,” verse 13. That is, he is a brother who was enlarged; he could take in two neighbouring assemblies as well. What a commendation! Upon Paul there came daily the burden of all the assemblies. Epaphras was perhaps not equal to that, but he was at any rate equal to the burden of three assemblies. Well now, that is a brother who has great value. If he were not formed after Christ he would not sacrifice himself in this way. The apostle has to say to the Philippians, “all seek their own things, not the things of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 2: 21), but you may rest assured that Epaphras went to considerable sacrifice of personal comfort, and all that kind of thing, in order to make time to take on in an earnest and intelligent way this prayer for the Colossians and for those in Hierapolis and for those in Laodicea; and Paul loves to bring it forward in order that we might have this distinctive glory before our eyes and hearts. Then he speaks of “Luke, the beloved physician, salutes you,” verse 14. He does not tell us anything more about him, but how beloved he was! He was one who had a great appreciation of Christ, or he could never have written the gospel of Luke. He had a great appreciation of the testimony, or he could never have written the Acts of the Apostles. A brother well worthy to be beloved, “the beloved physician,” one who remained true to Paul right through to the end, and, I expect he served him personally as well, and Paul loves to bring him forward.

I am mentioning these things if only one could convey some impression of the substantiality and greatness of Christianity as seen in the saints, and that we might be concerned that the work of God should go on in each one of us unhindered, and that we might learn to appreciate one another in this light, appreciating the distinctive glories of the various stars that belong to the wonderful system to which we belong.

Now in closing, I want to say a word as to Philemon. Paul is writing to Philemon, and, as we know, he is writing about Onesimus, who had been Philemon’s slave and had apparently, so far as we can gather, run away and been brought into touch with Paul at Rome and had been converted. It is wonderful, the ways of God. It was not only going to work out for Onesimus’ blessing and in his being formed as a faithful and beloved brother; it was going to work out in blessing to Philemon too; and so God has this structure in mind in all that He is doing. His ways are wonderful; they all contribute to the great end to which He is working, the formation of this vessel of glory in which He Himself is to be expressed. And so Paul writes to Philemon, marked by remarkable Christian sensibilities, he says, “having much boldness in Christ to enjoin thee what is fitting, for love’s sake I rather exhort ... .” (Philemon 8). That is, he wants to call forth love in Philemon, and so he does not enjoin but he exhorts for love’s sake. He is bringing in the appeal of love in order to bring out love. Sometimes we hear people say that there is not much love in a local company, but if that is felt to be the case, why not bring it in? There is nothing like love to call forth love. Bring in a little love and you will soon find that love will be called forth. So Paul says that “for love’s sake,” he wants to call forth love in Philemon; so he brings in love, “for love’s sake I rather exhort, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also prisoner of Jesus Christ.” And now he says he would have retained him, but, he says, “I have wished to do nothing without thy mind, that thy good might not be as of necessity but of willingness,” verse 14. These things are most touching, dear brethren. This is not doctrine, this is the practical working out of the divine nature in the saints, seen in the smallest detail - just a runaway slave and a servant of the Lord in prison, and a brother to whom he is writing; and these things are being used by God to bring out and develop the divine nature in one and another. It is a great thing to have our eyes open to what God is doing. He is doing these things in order to bring the work of God more and more into relief. So he says, “Perhaps for this reason he has been separated from thee for a time, that thou mightest possess him fully for ever; not any longer as a bondman, but above a bondman, a beloved brother, specially to me, and how much rather to thee, both in the flesh and in the Lord?” (verse 15, 16). And now he is considering that possibly there may be a little hard feeling in the heart of Philemon. I have no doubt Onesimus had wronged him; Philemon might think he had good cause for some measure of hard feeling against Onesimus, and Paul is determined that any such thought should be removed. He is determined that only what is of God should remain. It is to be formed in Philemon by these very circumstances, and so he says, “if he have wronged thee anything or owe anything to thee, put this to my account. I Paul have written it with mine own hand; I will repay it; that I say not to thee that thou owest even thine own self also to me,” verse 18, 19. You can see how he is writing in the spirit of Christ. If we have something against a brother or a sister, it is as though the Lord would say, You debit me with that. On which side will the account still remain? Paul is moving in the spirit of Christ, in order that there should be completely removed from Philemon’s mind or heart the slightest suspicion of any hard feeling against this brother, who had been converted but who is now to go back to Philemon as a matter of righteousness. And Philemon, on the other hand, was to receive him as a beloved brother. And so Paul says, “put this to my account. I Paul have written it with mine own hand; I will repay it: that I say not to thee that thou owest even thine own self also to me.” Paul was in a position to say that, but really it is the Spirit of Christ working out in Paul, and no doubt proving effective.

There is no doubt whatever that the result of this would be that Philemon would receive Onesimus as Paul says as a brother beloved, and the result of these ordinary and trivial circumstances, such as the world would count as of no importance at all, was that the work of God was going on. It was even developing in Paul, it was developed, no doubt, in Onesimus. Paul would insist on Onesimus going back to his master as a matter of practical righteousness. Christianity does not do away with the fulfilling of righteous obligations, but rather gives power in the Spirit to fulfil every righteous obligation; but then, on the other hand, love was to come out in Philemon; and all these things were used by God for formation. Every brother and every sister is potentially in this system a star, “star differing from star in glory,” and the whole thing in its completeness is shortly to come down “out of the heaven from God, having the glory of God,” Revelation 21: 10.

May the Lord help us in appreciating the substantiality of Christianity, to see that we ourselves are formed by the light in which God is revealed, and that we are filling out our part in it, to the glory of the blessed God.