THE HOLY CALLING

2 Timothy 1: 6-10; Numbers 25: 6-13; 27: 1-6

A.C.C. I want to bring forward two thoughts found in 2 Timothy. First, in this meeting, the holy calling, and later, if the Lord will, God's foundation. What I have especially in mind is the footnote to 'rekindle' (see note 'd' to 2 Tim 1: 6) which bears on the conditions in which we are at his time in the history of the testimony. This footnote reads 'to revive, rekindle what is drooping ... The whole subject of the epistle is energy in the darkening state of the assembly". What is particularly in mind is the energy required for the maintenance of the holy calling. It is a holy calling, and already Paul was concerned for the maintenance of the standard of it. With the pressure of what is around us, there is a tendency to be lax and to lack the energy that should mark us. Phinehas was one who was marked by energy and jealousy for God to protect the holy calling. The daughters of Zelophehad manifest energy to take up the inheritance.

My concern is that there should be more energy with us to maintain things in their proper character. I trust that the Lord will use these meetings to stimulate and promote more of this energy with us. The enemy would use the conditions around us to suffocate exercise. The lukewarm, self-sufficiency of Laodicea is the complete opposite to the energy which Paul was seeking to stimulate in Timothy. The holy calling suggests what is priestly, and it is of prime importance for us now that, despite the conditions that exist publicly, we should not lower the standard in our affections or in our practice of what relates to the holy calling or to any other of the great items of the truth which we profess to hold.

J.H. Do we get this energy by feeding on good food?

A.C.C. No doubt that is so, but it comes back to our valuation of the things we have come into in the goodness of God. What is my estimate of them? Am I prepared to act in view of their preservation according to their proper nature and character?

D.E.B. Paul was jealous in relation to the Corinthians that their thoughts should not be corrupted from simplicity as to the Christ. Phinehas was marked by that same kind of jealousy. We need to have an appreciation of what is holy and right in order to be marked by that right aspect of jealousy.

A.C.C. It is a question as to how God regards matters. We can count on divine help in maintaining what is according to the divine mind.

J.W. What is in accord with the divine mind is not only what God has brought in to meet the present situation, but relates to what He has had before him from the beginning.

A.C.C. Yes. Then God has supplied us with the resources, in the spirit of power and of love and of wise discretion, so that what is according to God might be maintained.

V.E.W. The apostle is marked by zeal, purpose and energy despite his prison circumstances. He was superior to the prison in his links with divine Persons and the saints.

A.C.C. Talk is of little value if the truth is not manifested in reality, but we have been divinely equipped to maintain things according to their proper level.

D.E.R. The proper level seems to be linked with the apostle himself, for it is he himself who is particularly the test here. He, the Lord's prisoner, his chain and his glad tidings are still the test today.

A.C.C. What you say is right. Even in prison, Paul was setting out energy. Onesiphorus was marked by it too. Vitality and power marked Paul.

D.E.R. Laying hold of Paul's glad tidings would stimulate that energy and faithfulness.

A.C.C. The tendency is to be ashamed of Paul, but he was not ashamed. There is no need to be ashamed, which is why he brings in the great matter of Christ having annulled death and brought to light life and incorruptibility, to strengthen us for the maintenance of the testimony.

J.R.W. It says "who has saved us". Would an appreciation of what God has done for us stimulate us?

A.C.C. It ought to stimulate us to more energy in relation to the holy calling.

D.J.H. What we are saved for rather than what we are saved from is more in mind here. God has done everything for us from His side, but the question is our answer to it.

A.C.C. Quite true. His purpose and grace have been made known that we might enter upon the holy calling, but energy is needed for it to be maintained in accordance with its quality and intrinsic value. In Numbers, Israel had come to the last encampment: 2 Timothy is the last encampment for us. In it are Paul's final instructions as to how we are to regulate ourselves in regard to divine things in the difficult times of the last days. In Numbers 25, Phinehas acted to defend the holy calling. In 1 Cor 10, Paul refers to six incidents in Israel's history, but Baal-Peor is the only one following the experience of the brazen serpent, which relates to Romans 7 for us. The enemy would level himself against that experience. He could not curse the people, but he seduced them and that is what he is attempting to do at the present time. But one man rose up in his jealousy for God to defend the holy calling.

D.J.H. Phinehas "rose up from among the assembly", in contrast to the grievous wolves that Paul warned the Ephesian elders about, who would rise up from among their own selves.

A.C.C. Phinehas had no commandment from Moses for this action, so it falls to each one of us to act to maintain the holy calling.

D.E.R. Paul's glad tidings involve not only salvation from the destroying angel and the passage of the Red Sea, but going through the experiences of the wilderness to reach the land.

A.C.C. The holy calling has all that in mind - to reach the inheritance.

G.C.B. What would help us to take things up in energy, rather than sitting back?

A.C.C. It is simply a question of our love for the Lord and our valuation of divine things, so as to be prepared to maintain things here according to Him.

V.E.W. Phinehas' action was priestly in character, and he comes into the covenant of the priesthood.

A.C.C. He gets God's approbation and secures the everlasting priesthood.

J.W. The holy calling is God's sovereign matter, and love for God Himself would stimulate faithfulness to it on our side.

A.C.C. The calling involves association with Christ-like Aaron and his sons. They were associated with him in the service of God.

J.W. It is a question of whether we value being associated with Christ, but to be in the conscious enjoyment of that requires a suited state.

A.C.C. So the call to each of us is to stand up for what is according to God. At the end, there will be greater tests as greater powers of seduction operate to neutralise our valuation of holy things.

J.W. The thrust of the enemy in Numbers 25, as today, is to get us to associate in a social way with persons not going on with the truth.

A.C.C. That is just it. While Balaam could not curse the people - God defended them from that - he must have given out his doctrine (as it is called in Revelation 2) before he went home. Israel was not conscious of what he was doing with a view to their seduction, but alas he was successful and they accepted these invitations, and became joined to Baal-Peor.

D.J.R. So even a little leaven leavens the whole lump.

A.C.C. How important therefore that we should always keep in mind that our calling is a holy one.

E.F.W. Phinehas rising up from among the assembly suggests that he did not go off on an individual course, but that he had some impression of God's love for the assembly.

A.C.C. He acted in view of the salvation of the assembly, but matters have to be met by individuals who value it, and love it for Christ's sake.

T.J.H. Phinehas' genealogy is traced back to Aaron the priest.

A.C.C. His action was an abnormal one for one of the priestly family. He is not generally viewed as militant in Numbers and Joshua, but the sight of the man in his audacity leading this woman into the camp stirred Phinehas to act with an energy which should mark us in relation to divine things.

W.G. Paul speaks of his jealousy to espouse the Corinthians unto one man as a chaste virgin. His motive was love for Christ in ministering to them as he did.

A.C.C. He valued what the assembly is to Christ and was prepared to war accordingly. His jealousy is also seen in 1 Corinthians 10, where the children of Israel are said to be types of - not, for - us. Amidst the increasing corruption of Christendom, is God's jealousy marking us in maintaining a walk at its proper level?

J.W. Phinehas had a sound judgment of the evil.

A.C.C. We must have that. We start by judging ourselves, and then we shall have power and energy to meet any evil which may arise.

D.E.R. How do we arrive at a sound judgment of social links with persons not in fellowship? It was not that Phinehas was lacking in grace, as human sentiment would say, but he was motivated by love, love that the assembly should be maintained in its purity for Christ and that the saints should arrive at their inheritance.

A.C.C. Exactly. Israel joining himself to Baal-Peor was a challenge to God's rights and Phinehas would allow nothing to interfere with those rights.

A.McS. Is the holy calling maintained by the truth of the kingdom?

A.C.C. Yes. The kingdom is involved in the gift of t e spirit of power, and of love, and of wise discretion, so that we should be marked by divine jealousy for the preservation of the holy calling at its proper level. The awful insipid lukewarmness and lack of exercise that characterised Laodicea would be what there might be for God in these latter times. We may come to the meetings and assent and take part, but my concern is that there should be vitality and energy to hold divine things at their proper level.

J.H. Phinehas acted on the instruction to slay everyone his man who had joined himself to Baal-Peor.

A.C.C. Soto preserve what is due to God, we must face what would interfere with what He should get from his people.

R.H.B. In this incident, the people had some realisation - they were weeping - that what was proceeding among them was not right and not in accordance with their status as the people of God, but they were impotent to do anything about it.

A.C.C. So action is called for. The question then is how much divine things mean to me and what I might do, or not do, in view of their preservation.

R.H.B. What is holiness and how do we become holy?

A.C.C. Holiness relates to the divine nature, being closely allied with love. On one hand we are made holy, but on the other, we are called to be holy as He is holy.

B.E.S. It is important to maintain holiness and the divine standard in marriages among us. If all of us, both old and young, do not maintain this standard, we cannot be surprised if what prevails in the world should come in.

A.C.C. If nowhere else in the world, the marriage bond - a divine institution before sin came in - should be maintained by the brethren at its own proper level.

V.E.W. Romans 7 involves an indissoluble bond with Christ. In principle, Phinehas was in the gain of that bond, and it is what motivated and energised to act as he did.

A.C.C. We should allow nothing which would interfere with the service of God.

G.C.B. Phinehas had no mixed motives but had God's interests wholly before him.

A.C.C. He was governed by what was due to God and the preservation of the assembly. It devolves on each one of us to be faithful in this way.

J.S.G. Use of the javelin by us would be insistence on the word.

A.C.C. And no compromise, and to show our judgment clearly.

J.S.G. The sequence of these chapters involves the recognition of the Spirit, and there is power in the Spirit to insist on the divine word, as we are firstly governed by it ourselves.

A.C.C. No seduction or temptation can in any way succeed as we look to the Spirit. In our day the enemy is seeking to seduce us and to stifle exercise by compromise and eating of idol sacrifices.

J.S.G. We ought to be careful as to every detail of our lives - but you have more in mind as to eating of idol sacrifices.

A.C.C. It is in contrast with the Lord's supper, and it is the Supper which should determine our circle of fellowship.

Q.P. Twice in John 17, the Lord speaks of his own being not of the world as he was not of the world.

A.C.C. The Lord could regard his own as being abstractly not of the world, but it also involves the responsible side. In these days the test is how far we are practically not of the world.

T.J.H. The idea of the heavenly calling is referred to in Hebrews 3.

A.C.C. The heavenly calling in Hebrews is in contrast to Israel's earthly calling. For us, the holy calling is emphasised in days of neutrality and compromise.

R.H.B. What you are urging on us is that there should be a practical answer in us to what God has done in calling us.

A.C.C. Yes. I am endeavouring to stimulate exercise and energy, so that we do not settle down and accept a standard that might be acceptable in Christendom, but that the divine standard of behaviour should be maintained, which involves being prepared to sacrifice ourselves.

B.E.S. There are matters which belong to divine sovereignty and have to be left in God's hands. But we cannot leave everything on the ground of waiting for the Lord to act. There are matters which He has committed into the saints' hands to take up.

A.C.C. There is a good deal of leaving things to the Lord, or to others, to take up, but sharing in the great privilege of the Lord's supper and association with Him in the service of God should help us practically to defend the holy calling and allow nothing that would interfere with it. Associations, and association with people not in fellowship, was faced long ago, but can come up again.

J.R.W. Your reference to the Supper being the standard of fellowship is helpful. But this act here was blatant and brought out the need for a javelin.

A.C.C. A javelin is not a priestly instrument, but Phinehas was prepared to use it to meet this serious situation, which called into question God's rights. His use of the javelin brings out the thoroughness of his judgment of the matter and of it needing to be met without compromise.

J.W. Evil is judged by separating from it.

A.C.C. That is right: separation is a very effective weapon.

J.H. This matter became public, but it must have been there in secret beforehand.

A.C.C. But a bold Phinehas was there to meet the situation. The point is whether you or I are prepared to stand like he was.

D.J.H. One's tendency is perhaps to wait for someone else to act, but it might be me whom the Lord would use at any particular point.

A.C.C. As partakers of the holy calling, it devolves on each one of us to be set for the preservation of the divine standard and to allow nothing personally, householdly or in our localities which would interfere with the service of God.

D.E.R. We can understand our responsibility to take up matters of compromise arising in our own localities, but help us as to situations we may hear about in other localities.

A.C.C. That is a big question. Our first responsibility is to deal with household and local matters: matters further away are more difficult. We have learned the wisdom of waiting upon those on the spot, but you nevertheless carry your judgment about the situation.

Now with the daughters of Zelophehad, it was not a question of meeting evil, but energy in relation to taking up the inheritance.

J.W. The exercises of the end of Numbers were in view of God's people taking up their inheritance and the need to be in a suited state to do so, as these daughters were.

A.C.C. They belonged to a half-tribe, which suggests that they might not have had much encouragement in their exercise. Half the tribe was staying on the wilderness side, but they belonged to the half that was going over.

J.W. Their energy is seen in their overcoming what was seemingly disadvantageous to them.

J.S.G. Our business is not with others, but to go in ourselves for the maintenance of the truth that will liberate us for the enjoyment of what God has in mind for us.

A.C.C. We need stimulating to go in for what belongs to us. It must be delightful to heaven to regard a few people in a locality going in for the heavenly land. Moses could see that these daughters had a good case, so he brought their cause before Jehovah. It must have been delightful to Him to have these women claim their inheritance, so He says they "speak right". Their father was not one of the band of Korah, he was one of the 600,000 who had died during the forty years. His daughters would be a stimulation to us, for we have not yet come into our inheritance practically, but we have the light of it and the Spirit would give us to enjoy it at the present time. Then further light comes in and these daughters accept the restriction of being able to marry only within their own tribe. It is remarkable that the exercises of these women in regard to their inheritance should find a permanent place in God's statute book.

D.J.H. This passage shows that if our hearts and minds are set on the inheritance, we can be assured of divine support to help us into it.

A.C.C. Very good.