THE NEEDS OF THE MOMENT
1 Corinthians 3: 16; 12: 7-13, 24, 25; 16: 13, 14
I am sure we all feel that we are undoubtedly nearing the end, and I have the impression that there are two things which we need pre-eminently at the present time. One is the definite recognition of the Spirit in all that He is ready to be to us, not only individually but as moving together, and the other is fervent love among ourselves. I believe these are the two things which preserve us from every attack of the enemy, the full recognition of and reliance upon the Holy Spirit, and then fervent love among ourselves. It is significant that, as the Lord was about to leave, as we have it in John's gospel, He emphasised these two things. Indeed He mentions love before He brings in all that the Comforter would be to us. He says, “A new commandment I give to you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another”. That is in John 13, and then in chapter 14 He introduces the Con1forter and all that the Comforter would be to us as abiding with us for ever. Then in chapter 15 He reverts to the commandment that we are to love one another, and then in chapter 16 He reverts to the Comforter and that He would undertake everything for us and guide us into all the truth. It would seem that these two matters, the recognition of the value and service of the Spirit of God with us, and love among ourselves, are the two urgent needs if we are to go through to the end as finishing on the highest levels of the service of God, for there is no doubt that what the Lord introduces in John 20, and also what He has indicated in the latter part of John 17, present to us the highest features that belong to the service of God.
I especially have in mind, in relation to the recognition of the Spirit, the great value of the temple. The temple is the place where divine light shines, and the Spirit of God through Paul addressing the Corinthians, a local company, says, “Do ye not know that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” The idea of the temple in Corinthians, which is a wilderness epistle, would connect with the tabernacle, in which the only light was that of the candlestick. It is intended to set before us that what is connected with the mind of man is entirely excluded, and that the light that shines is in the Spirit. It is significant that the candlestick had seven lamps, suggesting the complete thought of the assembly as seen in localities, and that the light is to shine in virtue of the presence of the Spirit of God amongst the saints in each locality. In that connection we may remark that in the book of Revelation the Spirit is brought before us in a way not found in any other scripture, as the seven Spirits of God. He is referred to four times in this way in the book of Revelation, and that book also brings in seven assemblies as representing the full thought of the assembly as seen in localities. The fact that the Spirit is presented as the seven Spirits of God is, I believe, not only intended to convey the thought of fulness of power, but also of the Spirit as identified with the seven assemblies, that is, with all the local companies. That is an important matter, because I believe the Lord would have us concerned to realise that in each locality there is the possibility, in virtue of the presence of the Spirit, of arriving correctly at the mind of God about any matter.
So it is a question practically of how we come together, whether we are in fact relying upon the Spirit to open out the truth when we come together, particularly in our reading meetings, for there we have the idea of enquiring in the temple. David desired to dwell in the house of Jehovah and to enquire of Him in His temple, and the question is whether when we come to reading meetings that is in fact the attitude of our minds, that we a.re recognising that no less than God Himself in the Spirit is in our midst and we can enquire of Him, not assuming as though we knew, but dependently reckoning on the Spirit bringing in light and help as we proceed. This is particularly needful if there are 1nattcrs of exercise amongst us as to the truth, for as we move on these lines the Spirit will bring in light and help. This raises the question of our individual faith, what marks each brother and sister, whether we come to the readings merely because it is our custom to do so, or wheth.er in the definite recognition that God Himself is there in the Spirit among the saints and that as together in a spirit of enquiry we may expect the truth to open out.
The practical working out of this according to chapter 12 results in mutual appreciation of one another. Anyone to whom the Lord has given gift, while recognising his responsibility to exercise his gift for the edification of the saints) should always be on his guard against the tendency to become clerical. This tendency is overcome by the full recognition that the constitution of the assembly is the idea of a body, which is the very opposite of what is clerical. Hence in coming together in the faith of the presence of the Spirit we get help in mutual appreciation, because it says for one, by the Spirit, is given the word of wisdom; and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit; and to a different one faith, in the power of the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healing”, and so on, and then “to another prophecy “ and so on. Not only in our reading meetings but in our care meetings and in all our movements together, the recognition by us of the presence with us of the Holy Spirit is really to result in a development of mutual appreciation of one another, because the Spirit distributes things. “All these things operates the one and the same Spirit, dividing to each in particular according as he pleases”. Hence we can see, I think, how the practical recognition of the Spirit tends in itself to promote love among ourselves. It tends to commend one another to us as we see one and another and then another available to and used by the Spirit for our help. There is nothing more encouraging and confirming than to have the real sense that the Spirit Himself, who is God, has taken His abode in us and will remain with us to the end. Therefore all that is needed on our part is the right moral conditions, practical righteousness and holiness, and then faith expressing itself in dependence, and conditions of love amongst ourselves. If these conditions are secured and maintained by us, then no position can arise but what the Spirit of God will give the answer to it.
In the book of the Revelation John, in addressing the seven assemblies in chapter 1, invokes grace and peace, first from “him who is, and who was, and who is to come”, then “from the seven Spirits which are before his throne”, and then “from Jesus Christ”. He brings the Spirit into remarkable prominence in the book of the Revelation, a book that contemplates the closing phases of the testimony and the greatest opposition to it. He brings the Spirit of God in His fulness of power and availability to each local assembly into prominence. He invokes grace and peace “from the seven Spirits which are before his throne”. The fact that the Spirit is thus viewed as before God's throne shows that His presence with us has in view the maintenance of all that is due to God. The maintenance of the truth is all part of the rights of the throne, and the Spirit is here to secure it. Hence it is a most comforting thing, if only we maintain the suited conditions among ourselves so that the Spirit is unhindered, that we can go forward confidently in the assurance that the Spirit of God will bring in light as it is needed, enabling the saints to go forward into all the truth.
So the sovereignty of the Spirit is emphasised in this chapter in Corinthians, “dividing to each in particular according as he pleases”. Then it is said that “in the power of one Spirit we have all been baptised into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bondmen or free, and have all been given to drink of one Spirit”. There can be no oneness without love. Love is a most important matter, not simply in the abstract but in the practical working out of it. In John 13 the Lord gave an example of love in the practical working out of it, in setting Himself to wash the feet of all the disciples. It was a question of introducing love, not as an abstract idea, but as something which is to work out in the local companies. There is indeed to be love for all saints, but in a sense it is not difficult to love brethren on the other side of the world; the test is to love the brethren close at hand. It is there that love is to work out practically, and it is there that the binding effect of love is seen. And so it says we “have all been given to drink of one Spirit”. That is real satisfaction, real joy, especially at the Supper, that we are all made to drink of one Spirit. There is nothing so unifying as such an occasion when the Spirit of God gives us to drink of one Spirit and sets us together in bonds of love; hence the Supper has such an important place in our assembly history.
Then the apostle enlarges on the truth of the body: “God has tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to the part that lacked; that there might be no division in the body, but that the members might have the same concern one for another”. In another epistle we read of Timothy that he cared with genuine feeling how the saints were getting on. The apostle at the end of this epistle, which is largely occupied with administrative matters, says, “Let all things ye do be done in love”. He says “Be vigilant; stand fast in the faith; quit yourselves like men; be strong. Let all things ye do be clone in love”. It is a kind of militant position. He brings in the great thought of victory in chapter 15 and then he says, “Be vigilant”. It is a militant position because the gates of hades are constantly plotting against the assembly; the gates of hades never go to sleep, and therefore the need for watchfulness on our part. We have to be vigilant and stand fast in the faith, quit ourselves like men, and be strong. Another essential is that we should take to ourselves the panoply of God, seeing that no part of the armour mentioned in Ephesians 6 is lacking. The armour suggests subjective conditions among ourselves, and we should see to it that every item of the equipment has its place with us, for only in that way will we be able to stand against the wiles of the wicked one.
So, as though the apostle would bring in a final word, he says, “Let all things ye do be done in love”. In chapter 13 he gives us an abstract picture of love. I suppose he had to present it in the abstract because it was not much in expression at Corinth. The household of Stephanas and the household of Chloe would express it, but in the main it was somewhat lacking, so the apostle describes it, what it does and what it does not do. It “believes all things, hopes all things”. I only mention that as feeling the need of it, because there is a tendency to think evil of one another and speak evil of one another. There is a danger of lightly saying things about the brethren which may belittle them in our minds. “Love has long patience, is kind; love is not emulous of others; love is not insolent and rash, is not puffed up, does not behave in an unseemly manner, does not seek what is its own, is not quickly provoked, does not impute evil, does not rejoice at iniquity hut rejoices with the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things”. And then, finally, “love never fails”, as though that is the one thing that is going through, and all the power of which the saints, as knit together and holding the truth in love, will be able to move into all the truth God has in mind for us.
That is, I believe, what we need at the present time, the full recognition of the Spirit so that the gain of the temple may be realised as we come together, and then that the value of one another as available to the Spirit may be recognised also. There will be increased liberty and contribution amongst us as the Spirit finds one and another available for the purpose, and, as moving with the Spirit and in increasing love among ourselves, we shall find we are able to move into the highest features of the truth and are preserved against every attack of the enemy.
LONDON
1st August 1952
From Words of Grace and Comfort
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