SPIRITUAL PERSONALITY
[p. 240] SPIRITUAL PERSONALITY
Romans 7: 25; 1 John 5: 10 (first clause); 1 Timothy 4: 13 - 16
I wish to speak tonight about individuality, that is, in a spiritual sense. We really begin on that principle to attain to what is in the mind of God for us, and also for Himself. As the boards of the tabernacle had each an individuality, so each saint begins with this if he is to attain to the great design of God for him, and for Himself. The great design in Exodus was the tabernacle. That was for God. He said, “And they shall make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them”, Exodus 25:8. So each item has its existence separately, and as regards the boards which represent more fully what I am speaking of, they were made standing up. It is the divine thought that individuality in us implies an upright position, and the balance that is necessary to it.
And this brings up the matter of the material, the wood out of which the boards were formed; so that we begin in the wilderness with the wood, which is the great abstract thought of what I am speaking about. Jehovah showed Moses wood. It alludes to a kind of humanity that has to be shown. The world knows it not; the world knew Christ not. That is, it did not know Him really as to the nature of His humanity. And in regard of that, dear brethren, we have to speak of Christ’s humanity as it was and as it is. The humanity as it was was unique. There never was a man like Jesus before, nor since, nor ever shall be! There never was a Man like Him in that humanity inclusive of the condition. There are those before and after like Him morally, but not physically. He was alone — a unique kind of humanity.
Perhaps we have not thought of that, but if we do [p. 241] think of it, it will arouse considerable reflection, and contemplation, and meditation: that there was a Man here for thirty-three years — only Himself — only like Himself — not one before, or then, or since, or for ever! It was a kind of humanity all of itself — perfectly man, in every respect a man, yet unique; a Man so as to accomplish redemption, to set aside the condition of flesh and blood as before God and to replace it with another kind of humanity; not that which He took on in flesh and blood but one of which we have spoken today which is spiritual and yet physical; spiritually physical — flesh and bones, not blood.
That is really the idea of the boards. They all spring in that way from that, so Moses is shown wood. Ordinary men and women walking about do not need to be shown to us; they are there if you have eyes to see them — millions of them. But this wood was shown. It was there but not seen, not known. God showed it to Moses and Moses cast it into the waters. Morally the same Christ that went into death is the One that came out of it, but He has come out of it as another kind of humanity — actually another kind — a kind in which we have part. Had He remained in the humanity He took, He would have remained alone in it. He laid down that kind of humanity, and has taken up humanity of another kind. And in this humanity He is not alone, thank God! We are all in it. Much fruit, many grains, developed out of that one grain of wheat that fell into the ground and died.
Now the boards were made out of that. The link is that that kind of man could be handled by another. No one is really in christianity who cannot be handled by another. The tendency is that I handle others and am unhandled myself! That is not christianity! This wood is cast into the waters by Moses. It speaks of the Lord here in perfect subjection to the will of God. Whatever that will requires, I should be available and amenable.
[p. 242] That is the thought, dear brethren, and I wanted to enlarge on it: first in Romans — how we enter on individuality spiritually. I am an individual, a whole being — tri-partite, as it is called, but a whole being. It is not without significance that it is so, that man is spirit, soul, and body, and intended to be so far self-contained. So in Romans in this sentence I read, “I myself”, is the thought. Who am I? Every one of us is conscious of his existence, that it is “I myself”. Not simply ‘I’; that would be enough to express individuality but not conscious individuality. It must be “I myself” to convey that fully. Now I have to analyse that, and in order to do that I have to learn to judge; that is, to be master of the institution, for it is an institution. Every human being is an institution, if you understand, and God intends him to be that spiritually. So it is “I myself”.
Well, if I sit down or stand up or lie down, I think of myself. And alas! how much there is of useless self-occupation! But I must begin that way. It implies introspection — the chapter is intended for introspection, that I might look in and see things as they are inside. God and myself alone can do it; God can do it better than I, but I can do it, too. And instead of the corrupt condition that is described, the almost inscrutable and inexplicable condition where contrary elements are at work, I arrive at the point when by introspection I see an ordered condition inside of me. This is the beginning of spiritual individuality, and what the speaker stresses is, “I myself with the mind ...”. He has found that out; he has a mind and with that faculty, he says, “I ... serve God’s law”. That is, the character, the order of the condition of the institution, is established. There is much filling in and filling out, but there is the framework of spiritual individuality.
God must rule, and not simply God. You say, He does rule me. But the point he makes is God’s law.
[p. 243] That God has made laws is the next thing to see. He has graciously deigned to enter into law-making, and this initial analysis enables me to see that I am making headway according to God. Out of the maze of which the earlier verses speak I have come to clear daylight. I am making headway. I see this point that “I myself with the mind serve God’s law”. That is his resolution; it is a fixed matter in his mind.
Now there are those who speak about being subject to God but make little of the law of God. If it were simply the rule of God by His own personal influence, that would suit; but it is not that. God is pleased to make laws. The universe is full of laws, the physical universe. There are those who think they know a great deal about these laws but they do not know it all. The laws that work in one’s own physical being are not known. As a matter of fact, there is very little known by the human mind in regard to the physical system of things, the physical universe and the living creatures in it. The law permeates everything and aside from it, disregard of it, is disaster, physically or morally. So that the beginning of spiritual individuality according to God is “I myself” in my consciousness; not simply ‘I’, but “I myself”. I have come to that point; I am making headway and I am not content if I am not making headway. It is continuous while I am down here.
Well now, one could say much about that. The next chapter opens up how one is sustained, the filling in, but in what I have said so far is just a skeleton, but all the parts are there. There is the filling in and the filling out. Filling in is constitutional, filling out is ornamental, and God intends both. He intends a constitutional condition suitable to Himself and an ornamental condition, a testimonial condition. The testimonial condition is not inside, but outside, what is seen. So that, as I said, chapter 8 is the filling out. You emerge from chapter 7, the part to which I have [p. 244] alluded, which is a most distressing experience and yet a needed one, until you arrive at clear daylight. It may be only twilight but you see everything; not yet perhaps in the full light of which Paul speaks, “above the brightness of the sun”, but certainly in light in which all objects are seen. You see them. I hope all you young people are following what I am saying, because it is essential to christianity that each develops in individual spirituality, and then collective. There is much that is apt to be just extraneous matter, hindering the operations of the Spirit in the body. Not that I would be exclusive, nor that I would shut out the young, but be sure you have the Spirit! What the saints of God have had to endure from persons in our midst who have not the Spirit is beyond words! God would have watchmen on the walls so that none should be admitted who have not the Spirit.
So chapter 8 is the filling in and filling out of all this ego; I, the ego; myself, the consciousness of that; really a person conscious of himself. Now if I examine into myself, what are my inclinations? What are my propensities! What would I like to have just now? I would soon find out just where I am, making headway towards the world? But if I say, “I myself with the mind serve God’s law”, I am making headway Godward. The great principle of law formulated by God, whatever form it may take, if it be of God, I must submit. My spiritual continuance depends on my submitting to the law of God, “I myself” in my own consciousness, to serve the law of God. I serve it; He has made it to be served. If He formulated a principle or law, for they are synonymous (let us not be afraid of the word ‘principle’), He has pleasure in the thing being fulfilled, or ‘served’, as it is here. Of the Lord Jesus in manhood, it is said, “he hath magnified the law, and made it honourable”, Isaiah 42:21. That [p. 245] was His specific law, here it is God’s law. There is not a circumstance in which man could be found that is not ruled by law, nor even in eternity shall we be exempt from it. The Son Himself is to be subject.
Then, as I said, there is the filling in and the filling out so that there is a man here constitutionally according to God, and ornamentally according to God, so that he testifies to the glory of God! I have been thinking lately, and I should like to understand it more, how much Luke says about God being glorified. One should take that into his mind, into his heart, that the whole point is that — that God is glorified. Persons who are made well by the miraculous power of God in Jesus glorify God. That is the end. And so it is that, in beginning to serve God’s law, I am glorifying God. I am serving the law — His law — and He is pleased with me. I am in my orbit, if you understand what I mean. As soon as I disregard law, God’s law, I am not in my orbit.
So that, referring back again, the kind of humanity in Exodus is cast into the waters. It is subject to being handled by another who does it for a purpose. And see the effect of it — the waters are made sweet. If I avoid being handled according to God, I shall never make anybody sweet. It is in coming under the will of God that I minister to men.
The epistle of John gives us the inside in a more pronounced way, and I shall just touch on that part of the verse I read: “He that believes on the Son of God has the witness in himself”. Please note that I am not intending to lead any of us here to be self-occupied. I am endeavouring to bring out spiritual individuality, and how it is reached according to God. So that “He that believes on the Son of God has the witness in himself”. It is the witness, the article is there. Now this is a very interesting matter and I beg of you to look at it in this way. The passage [p. 246] is a most interesting matter and an essential matter to what I am speaking of, to have the witness in yourself. He has the witness in himself, says the apostle John — the one who believes on the Son of God. I wonder if every one in this room believes on the Son of God? It may be there is someone here who does not, because it is not the same as believing on the Lord, or even on God. Believing on the Son of God in John is a great matter. The others are, too, but he stresses this point — the Son of God. And in approaching this matter of the witness in oneself, he tells us about Jesus. “This is he that came by water and blood, Jesus the Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that bears witness ...”. It is the Spirit that bears witness.
“For they that bear witness are three: the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; and the three agree in one”. They witness to one thing — they are perfectly agreed. It is one of the important threes of Scripture. Scripture is full of threes. First of all it is said, “And it is the Spirit that bears witness”.
The three agree in one thing but the Spirit by Himself is the active witness, the others are passive witnesses.
They stand there as great facts, witnessing constantly to man, but the Spirit is the active witness. The Spirit of God is here in constant activity, serving God and then serving the saints, and He is the active witness to this great matter as to the water and the blood. From verse 6 to 12, we have the word ‘witness’ about ten times, and that in itself ought to remind us how important it is. In the passage I read, the witness is in the christian, in the person who believes on the Son of God. You ask, Why do you make that difference between believing on the Lord, or on God, or on Christ, and the Son of God? I will tell you. The Son of God is the Inaugurator and Sustainer of another world. That is the idea. One who believes on Him has his back to this world. He [p. 247] wants to bring you into another world, He wants you for it, and the introduction to that is faith in the Son of God — Jesus in that light. I hope everybody here believes on the Son of God. You say, I do. But then, do you understand what it means? Where are your desires? That tests out whether you really do believe on the Son of God, and if you do, you have the witness in yourself, but if you do not, you have not the witness.
The witness in yourself — what a wonderful thing that is! Every day and every night and every moment, something there is telling me of something else. It is the only subjective witness in the passage; the others are all objective thoughts. That is what I look at and it governs my view, my outlook, my faith. I do not rest in what is inside; I rest in what is outside. My faith is in relation to the Son of God but the witness is in myself. “He that believes on the Son of God has the witness in himself”. What independency that affords one! Not independency of will but independency of this world. Spiritual individuality involves that every believer reaches the point of independency of this world. He is now fit for another one, and he is fit to be linked up with others in another one. He is material for another one. As I said, we have the suggestion of witness about ten times in these six verses, a remarkable thing. And the final thought in them in regard of witness is that the witness that God has, the great universal irrefutable witness that God has, is not simply the Bible, but “that God has given to us”, as christians, “eternal life”. You have the witness in yourself; you are delivered from this world, and God says, I have you now as My witness; I have given to you eternal life. “And this is the witness, that God has given to us eternal life; and this life is in his Son”. That is God’s witness. Most christians today, missionary christians and the like, would make the Bible the [p. 248] testimony of God. The Bible is authoritative in a verbal sense. You can read it, it is authoritative.
But then, alongside the Bible we have these people who have eternal life. Have you ever met them?
I am putting the thing so that you will understand what I mean. God began His testimony in this world with persons who had individuality. Every one of them had a name; “the crowd of names”, as it says.
It means that, in spite of there being a crowd, you can pick out every one of them severally. You can say, That is Peter; that is John. Every one of them is distinguished. The idea is life. What God had in mind was persons who were living. This is the witness. It could not be set aside — a witness of living persons, every one of them had an individuality, a distinction, but all were together in affection. Do you want to be outside that set of brethren? Division is a denial of that. “The crowd of names” were in the upper room; they met there. You would find they are all witnesses, but John puts them together and he says, “this is the witness, that God has given to us eternal life”. “And this is the witness, ...” You will find a comma after that clause, speaking grammatically, which proves what I am speaking of: that the witness is in the persons but in a public way, that these persons have eternal life. They are living. Love is the very life of the saints. Love says, I would not be without a real saint. Love in me would say that. I would not be without a real saint in time or eternity. They are all needed. Every name denotes life; it is a question of life, persons who are living. “And this is the witness, that God has given to us eternal life”. It is not hidden, it is not a theory it is a real thing. It was a real thing in early days — it could be seen — and God says, That is My witness. The Lord says to Saul, “why persecutest thou me?” They were ‘Me’. If Saul went into a Christian house in Jerusalem, that is what he found. He found [p. 249] life, and he dragged those Christians away to the tribunals. They were of that kind of wood — they were amenable to persecution. They were “led as a lamb to the slaughter”; they were like Jesus. But there was freshness and vigour and joy of heart. Let no one talk about his Christianity whose face is not lighted up! Sometimes, of course, there is depression and sorrow, and it is seemly to express it, but the Christian is to rejoice the more. Philippians says that, it insists upon that. Let no one talk about his Christianity whose face does not light up sometimes! We were speaking last night about the glory of the stars, the glory of the sun, and of the moon. Where is that glory? It is not in the long face. It is in brilliant, shining faces, life reflected in the face, in the countenance, that is glory. It is really the shining out of life, what God has given unto us, that wonderful thing called eternal life, and the believer has his own witness to it. Does everybody here belong to those people? I should not elect myself outside of those people! I want to be among them in the glow of life. God says, That is My testimony; it is irrefutable. Who can overthrow it?
And it is to be seen. “God has given to us eternal life”. The point is that it is in Christ, “... and this life is in his Son”. That is the position of it. We have the thing in enjoyment and reflection so that it is a testimony here.
Now, to complete my thought, I will go to Timothy. What I have to say at the close concerns a servant.
These two epistles were written to a servant. A servant is tested by someone being away, someone that has to say to him. Paul had to say to Timothy.
One would like to have heard Timothy talk about Paul! One would like to have heard a conversation about him between Timothy and Titus! Now Paul intimates to Timothy in the second epistle that he had to do with him, even the laying on of his hands.
[p. 250] He had to do with his gift. No one is worth much as a christian who does not desire a gift, not for his own desire or ornamentation but for the benefit of others. And this young man was in the mind of heaven in this sense. It does not say that he desires the gift but heaven thought he could use it. And so there was the prophetic word going before. We get that in chapter 1: 18: “This charge, my child Timotheus, I commit to thee, according to the prophecies as to thee preceding ...”. Then he goes on to say, “in order that thou mightest war by them the good warfare”. I want every young man here to think of that, the prophecies preceding. You do not come up as a gift as out of the ground overnight. There is that which goes before, “the prophecies as to thee preceding”. That might help you to go to war, to war a good warfare, because unless you are tested out in warfare you will not be able to serve well. The exercise of gift requires the accompanying qualities or development of military ability. The prophecies have that in mind. What can I do without a sword? The sword and the trowel go together, according to Nehemiah. He built up, not with the sword, but with the trowel. But I must have the idea of a good warfare, of standing up against the enemy, for he will surely attack me if I have a gift at all, even if I have not used it. The Spirit comes and anoints, and then you may look out for conflict. So that the prophecies going before are to teach the servant to war a good warfare. It is commendable; it is divine. And then, that the presbytery have laid their hands on you. Prophecy does not need any evidence; it goes before. Cyrus was prophesied about before he was born. Prophecy knows of itself what is coming, but the presbytery do not, that is, the elders. They have to see. If I am to serve as a gift, then I must look out that they are there, that they lay their hands on me. They may say, That [p. 251] young man has been marked off; he is warring a good warfare. He comes to the care meetings and takes a stand for the right. He is not governed by feelings. A man that brings up his feelings is a disgrace to the divine warfare! And I have never known that young man, one of these presbytery would say, save that he was on the right side. He has always stood up for the right. He has laid his feelings aside and is waging a good warfare. But he has a gift, and that is this verse. Do not neglect it!
How did he get it? The presbytery laid their hands on him. How humbled they would be if that gift were not used! It is given to be used, and it is not given for you, but for others, and it must not be neglected. So that the word here is, “Be not negligent of the gift that is in thee, which has been given to thee through prophecy, with imposition of the hands of the elderhood”, 1 Timothy 4:14. See the prophetic word pursuing this young man! He is marked off by prophecy, that is from God. God has His eye on that young man. He has waged a good warfare on the principle of prophecy and now he has a gift on the principle of prophecy, but he has the brethren with him in it. It is greatly needed, that gift, so much in the mind of God about you, that you should have it and that it should be used. Do not neglect it! And then the apostle says, “Till I come”, as if the Lord would say, ‘Till I come’. That is the point. The Lord is away; He is not here to prod you as I am, but He is doing it through me. And He is telling you, I am not here Myself (and if the Lord were here He would speak more authoritatively than I am speaking), but I am giving you to understand that I am going to hold you accountable for this matter! All I can do, however, is to suggest the thing, that it is until the Lord come. That is the objective. Till the Lord come, keep on. Do not neglect that gift! It is needed, as I said.
[p. 252] I wanted to just finish with the things that accompany this gift, what a young brother or sister is to be engaged with until the Lord comes. “Give thyself to reading”, it says. This may be public reading or it may be private reading. There is the subway in New York City; there is the train from here to New York City for those who travel to work. This verse has these particular opportunities in mind. How are they used? It might be public reading or it might be private reading, but “give thyself to reading”!
Then “to exhortation”, he says. The youngest of us can exhort. A child may exhort its parent and save the parent. I am not saying that is altogether what is here. This goes further. In verse 15: “Occupy thyself with these things; be wholly in them, that thy progress may be manifest to all”. “Occupy thyself with these things”, the number of things that are being opened up is widening every day! We can look back years and compare the limited range of divine thoughts unfolded then with what we have today. What a range the Lord has opened up to us to live in, and the word is, “Occupy thyself with these things; be wholly in them, that thy progress may be manifest to all”. You say, I do not mind what the brethren think: But I do. In a certain sense you may say that rightly, because brethren may say too much and assert their influence too much, but we cannot ignore what they think, if we are to save them. They are honourable, you know; there are none like them, and how am I to appear in their eyes? Am I today what I was yesterday? That will not do, “... that thy progress may be manifest to all”. The saints say, That young man is growing. There is something going on of God. Then it goes on to say, “Give heed to thyself”. That is particularly what I had in mind; and then, “and to the teaching; continue in them; for, doing this, thou shalt save both thyself and those that hear thee”.
“Give heed to thyself”. Take heed to your gift, of course; do not neglect that, but do not neglect yourself! Take heed to yourself, your ways, your motives. If I am going to preach or speak to the saints, what about my walk and ways? Is it apparent that I am going on with God? It says here, “... thou shalt save both thyself and those that hear thee”. You are to save yourself; it is a question of service, of a servant, and of his ways, his practices; how he lives, how he occupies himself, but particularly he is to take heed to himself. “But youthful lusts flee ...”. Think of a great servant like Timothy having to be told that! Flee them! There are those things that are most dangerous for you. See that they do not get at you! “Give heed to thyself”. One has often been impressed with the sad endings of some great servants of God; one could name many. And it is a warning to us while we are young to take heed to ourselves as to certain propensities that we are conscious of, anything that militates against me. Lay it aside. If it is a temptation, flee it! Get out of its way, because others are looking at me. If I have a little ability to serve the Lord’s people, others are looking at me. So that the apostle is concerned about this servant, that he should save himself and that he should save those to whom he ministers; that one is what he is. “... as with the people, so with the priest”, Isaiah 24: 2. As soon as a man is recognised as having any little ability in ministry, he is watched. People say, He does it, I can do it. “Give heed to thyself and to the teaching; continue in them; for, doing this, thou shalt save both thyself and those that hear thee”. Thank God for those who hear! There are not many who hear today, relatively very few, but those who do hear, save them! That is what all this ministry is for. We need saving every day, and ministers are to be models, as this servant is told to be — “a model of the believers”.