THE ESSENTIAL FOR PROGRESS
THE ESSENTIAL FOR PROGRESS
The purpose of God is that we should be conformed to the image of His Son; hence all progress now depends on the measure of our vigour in His life and ways. Though we do not here attain to the measure of our calling as new creatures in Christ Jesus, yet all our growth or progress is as we approximate to the proposed end.
The simple thing necessary in order to promote progress, is a closer and more absolute appropriation of the life and ways of our Lord Jesus Christ; in a word, to do at the present moment what He would do; what the Spirit of God is doing for Him. If I am not doing what He is doing, I am adopting a modification of His life, and consequently His Spirit in me is, in some degree at all events, hindered. Once it is admitted that progress depends on my vigour in His life and ways, then it is conclusive that my present action is not an imitation of any previous act or way of His, but the very one which the Spirit of God is engaged with at the moment, and I,
[p. 164] in my measure, am pursuing it as my object and interest. Nothing can be plainer than that there cannot be progress but as we are actively following in the current of His mind at every time, and the one who is progressing most is the one most vividly alive to His interest and glory. Now everything which diverts us from seeking and learning the strait and narrow path of His mind - the thing most in His mind, necessarily checks progress. A tree is hindered in its growth in the soil and the climate.
The Lord says, “I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends”. Hence the greatest mark of favour is the knowledge of what He is doing; and, however true and earnest a soul may be, there can be no real progress but as one is increasing in information as to His present interests.
As it is said, “Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?” The Lord always has a defined course of action, and if I am in His Spirit I can not but be in the wake of it - some way connected with it. Nothing is more self-evident, than that however good and useful I might be outside or apart from this course of action, I could not have the support and guidance of the Spirit of God, because I am not in the line of His action, and He cannot turn out of it to adopt mine, though He does serve and minister to every saint, of the grace of life, however great his deflection from His own course.
As the Lord always has a definite design from which He changes not, until His will has been accomplished, it is essential for progress that I should be led in the current of it. Where is development but in the line projected by Him? It is not now what is essential for life, but that which is essential for progress. Nothing can be progress, but an advance in the knowledge of His will and ways at the moment.
Hence, the first great question to learn is that of Saul of Tarsus, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” The order now is the same as Gideon’s to his men, “As I do, so shall ye do”. I have to find out by waiting on the Lord that with which He is occupied. There may be many substitutes. There is something that is pre-eminent with Him, and if I am one of His friends He will instruct me in it, so that I may help therein as He gives me grace, and thus my knowledge of Him increases. Many an earnest servant wearies himself in trying to promote his own projects and designs, under the name of serving Christ. Does he know what Christ is doing? Apparent and immediate success is no proof of real progress. Lot appeared to have gained at the moment an advantage over Abraham when he chose the well-watered plain, but God said unto Abram as soon as Lot was separated from him, “Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land, in the length of it, and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee”. (Genesis 13: 14 - 17.) Here was real progress. Abraham has grown in the mind of the Lord. Lot was apparently and immediately the one more blessed, but he had diverged from the divine course, and he makes no progress in the counsel of the Lord, while Abraham is very distinctly and blessedly instructed in it.
Progress is always marked by a deeper and fuller acquaintance with what His mind is set on. What greater favour could be conferred: or how could one receive it, unless prepared for it? You must be able to refuse what peculiarly addresses yourself, and offers present advantage, before you are fit for that great word. “Look northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward” - the range for progress.
In like manner, Jacob, after he had returned to the land, and after the night of wrestling, becomes occupied with his immediate blessing and settles at Shalem; but [p. 166] there is no progress until, shaken out of it, he repairs to Bethel. Then (for he is now in the Lord’s mind) he is made acquainted with the Lord’s purpose while also he is confirmed in the name “Israel”, - his own personal blessing.
Again the two and a half tribes seemed to have gained a great advantage over their brethren. Their blessing was apparent and immediate, but it is evident they never made progress as to the mind and purpose of the Lord, respecting His people in the land. They were very wise naturally to secure what was suitable for their cattle and their little ones, but they entirely departed from the counsel of God. The attempt and the assumption is that one’s individual blessing can be secured apart from knowing and following the Lord’s chief purpose at the time. That a saint may be true and pious while ignorant of it, and outside of it, I do not deny; but I see that it is essential for progress that we should be in company with His leading purpose at the time, otherwise progress would be independent of Him, which no true heart would like.
The returned captives (see Haggai) very zealously sought their own blessings in the land; but though they were on the true ground, in the place of blessing, there was no progress simply because they were ignorant or unmindful of the thing chief in the mind of God.
It is sad to note the various ways by which true saints are diverted from the path where progress only can be acquired, always something with reference to one’s self.
The most common and the most dangerous is our usefulness. No doubt we should be useful here - channels of mercy to the poor world. But when it is usefulness to one’s fellows which engrosses our attention, we are too easily drawn into the Martha place, which was not acceptable to the Lord though done visibly to Himself, because it was the fruit of her own mind, and not at His suggestion. And this it is which often leavens the preaching of the gospel: the good of souls is sought without any reference to the purpose of Christ respecting [p. 167] them at this present time; so that too often we find earnest men engaged in the work, who make little or no progress in truth, and the knowledge of His mind and word, and very often show decline by departing from their special gift - the evangelist to become stationary, and the pastor deserting the flock for evangelistic work.
Next, our religious association diverts us from carefully seeking to know His mind, just as a climate unsuited to a tree hinders its growth and development. Where is development if I know not what He desires and has destined to be accomplished - in a word what He is doing?
How can one influenced by James as Peter was, progress? He is not following in the mind of the Lord, in the truth of the gospel.
How can one like Mark, who considers for himself, who returns from Pamphylia, progress? All these examples are only heads of the classes or forms by which one is turned aside from the path in which the Spirit of God leads.
Usefulness engrosses one, religious associations bar another, and self-consideration (often shown in over care for one’s health) effectually checks progress.
It is what seems to be apparently and immediately good which is most deceptive. Divine wisdom always leads where there is no present attraction, because it must be of faith. Natural wisdom on the contrary looks for immediate advantages. Possibly there is no snare under the head of self-consideration more ensnaring than one’s health, because it is so right to care for the body, but yet when it becomes an object as is often the case with even those who have overcome the other two, there is no progress; the essential is lost, which is simply being where the Spirit of God would have me to be, and where the Lord calls me to do His work, however feeble. I do not deprecate seeking means to amend one’s health, far from it; but all I say is that when anything is made an object, the great purpose in God’s mind cannot have the principal place, and there cannot be progress.