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THE CROSS, THE CALLING AND THE SPIRIT

^[p. 151] THE CROSS, THE CALLING AND THE SPIRIT

I desire to call attention to three things of the greatest importance in Christianity: (1) The cross, (2) the calling of God, and (3) the condition which qualifies believers to enter into divine things.

It is easy to see that man as degraded and corrupted by vile lusts must be set aside if blessing is to come in from God; but it is not so easy to see that all those faculties which make man great — wisdom, intelligence, prudence, power, etc. — tend to keep him in darkness and ignorance of God. Man, with all that makes him great as well as with all that makes him vile, has had to be set aside in death, in order to clear the ground for God’s thoughts of blessing to come to pass in Christ. This is the meaning of the cross.

Man’s mind, when active, carries him steadily away from God. A man may have a great intellect, but if he trusts it in divine things it will be his ruin. Man’s mind can compass many natural things, but it is always wrong in its conclusions about divine things.

When man’s mind begins to work, different schools of opinion arise at once (1 Corinthians 1: 12). Man becomes prominent instead of God. It is not so much the truth that attracts people, but the ability with which it is presented. So that if a man can speak well, and unfold things in a clear and masterly style — if he can put things in a pithy and pointed way — people like to hear him. It is not the truth that attracts them, but the man. Nay, it often happens that the less truth a man has the more popular he is.

Paul came to Corinth and preached Christ as the crucified One. If God’s Christ had to come into death for man, where is all man’s greatness? It is all seen as being under death as the judgment of God. Man with all “the things that are” which make him great, must be set aside. Death has come upon him in the death of Christ.

The preaching of the cross is the power of God to those who are being saved: it is God’s power for present deliverance from the whole world system, and from all the principles which characterise the present age.

Paul preached not with wisdom of word, lest the cross of Christ should be emptied of meaning. If he had gone to ^[p. 152] Corinth in all the maturity and splendour of his natural abilities, and displayed those abilities in connection with his service, he would no doubt have made a great impression. They would have thought him a wonderful man. But he would not thus display himself. To do so would be to empty the cross of its meaning.

In verse 18 we see two classes. To one class the preaching of the cross is foolishness; to the other class it is the power of God. If men love the present system of things and the principles that are characteristic of this age, they must regard the word of the cross as foolishness, because it makes nothing of all the things which to them are of value and importance. But such are perishing. Their life is in a system of things which is utterly doomed. The world, with all its political, educational and social schemes, is under the judgment of God. But to those who love it, and have their life in it, to say this seems the height of folly.

But there is another class who find the word of the cross to be God’s power for their deliverance from man and his world. Present salvation is by realising the import of the cross; it shows us the true character of man and his world before God, and separates us from both, There are many who are thankful to be assured that they will go to heaven when they die, who do not seem to have much desire for present salvation, from man and his world. Such will have to part company with the world some day, for they will die out of it if not saved out of it; but it is a sad and deeply solemn thing for a believer to be found in the same path as those who are perishing. God would have us saved out of it all now, and really connected in heart and spirit with that bright and blessed world of which Christ is the Centre and the Sun. The word of the cross is the power of God for present salvation; it writes death upon man and his world.

“The Jews require a sign”. Well, they had signs without number in the Old Testament times, and more abundantly still when Christ was on earth. But did the signs bring them to repentance and faith? Not at all! Man is not affected to any divine result even by the most wondrous manifestations of God’s power and grace.

Then “the Greeks seek after wisdom”. God allowed the wisdom of man to reach its climax at Athens, but what was the result of it all viewed morally? Agnosticism. An altar “To the unknown God”. The plain truth is that sin has touched man and ruined him. Man must go in death. Christ as having been crucified is to the called God’s power and wisdom for the setting aside of everything that is of man.

This brings me to the second thought that was before me. In view of all that is set forth in the cross it is perfectly clear that if men are to come into divine blessing it must be by God’s calling.

People may quarrel with the sovereignty of God, but I love it, because I know enough of my natural bent and will to be sure that if left to myself I should have gone straight to perdition. Some believers talk about man’s free-will when they are on their feet, but all are firm believers in God’s sovereignty when they get on their knees.

It is certain that if any are brought into blessing it must be by God’s calling. We are “called saints”, 1 Corinthians 1:2, and the apostle says, “For ye see your calling, etc.”, 1 Corinthians 1:26-29. God recognises nothing in man but need; He has no respect to wisdom, might and nobility. There is but one point in many that God can touch, i.e., the conscience. And God ever maintains man’s responsibility. Even the heathen are “without excuse”, Romans 1: 20.

Believers are “called” to find their every blessing in Christ Jesus, chapter 1: 30. This chapter is of immense importance, because it shows, on the one hand, how man in the flesh is excluded, and, on the other, it presents a complete system of divine blessing in another Man — that is, in Christ Jesus. God has called us into blessing that is altogether of Himself, and in relation to this blessing we have to trace our origin to God. We are “of him”. The first and every succeeding impulse in our souls towards Christ was “of God”. Spiritually speaking every Christian has derived his being directly from God.

Then we are “in Christ Jesus”. Every thought of God in relation to the blessing of man is established in Christ Jesus. God has called us into that blessing, and that we may learn the whole way He has taken to reveal Himself, and to give effect to His counsels and purposes, He has made Christ Jesus to be unto us wisdom. We see in Him how God has brought to pass His own eternal thoughts in spite of sin, Satan’s power, and death. When every possible thing had come in to hinder God’s purposes of blessing He has shown ^[p. 154] Himself to be infinitely greater than all the power of evil. He has triumphed over that power, and has removed every obstacle that seemed to stand in the way of His purpose. Think of all the wisdom that has come out in this! Think of the incarnation, the cross, the resurrection. Who can fathom the depths of the divine wisdom which comes out in all this, and which is now set forth for us in Christ Jesus? He is, indeed, the great lesson — book of divine wisdom.

Then He is also made unto us righteousness, holiness, and redemption. I cannot go into these blessed things in detail now, but they show the completeness of our blessing in Christ Jesus.

In conclusion I desire to say a few words on chapter 2, where we see that if the believer is to become acquainted with the things of the Spirit of God he must be spiritual. This is the indispensable condition of spiritual growth and intelligence.

We apprehend natural things by the natural mind, but the things of the Spirit of God are spiritually discerned. There are four things stated here: (1) that God has revealed things by His Spirit. (2) That those things are known by the Spirit. (3) That they have been communicated in words “which the Holy Spirit teacheth”. (4) That they are spiritually discerned.

Everything has been revealed by the Spirit, Ephesians 3: 5, and has been known as a reality by the Spirit in the hearts of the apostles, and also communicated by them in Spirit — taught words. But if we are to discern those blessed things we must be spiritual. The apostle was not able to speak of many of God’s things to the Corinthians on account of their carnal condition; they were not spiritual, and therefore not competent to enter into those things. It is as though he said to them, ‘I have wonderful things to say to you — wonderful treasures to unfold — as soon as you are ready for them’.

The Spirit has been given to form us in new tastes, and in a new power of apprehension so that we may be able to discern divine things. If we do not grieve Him there can be no doubt He will thus form us for the apprehension of God’s blessed things.

The way which the Spirit takes is by bringing us into moral accord with “the word of the cross”. The religious world is busy today emptying the cross of all its divine meaning. But the Spirit would give our souls an ever deepening apprehension of the true significance of the cross, and He would ^[p. 155] bring us into accord with it, and maintain us in accord with it. A believer who is really in accord with the cross — that is, self-judged and separate from the world — will be unhindered in his apprehension of the things of the Spirit of God. He will be spiritual. But a man who is not in accord with the cross is carnal, and will walk as a man. He will be wanting in any true apprehension of spiritual things.

Everything that God has prepared for us, and freely given to us, is worthy of Himself. And His things are worthy of our hearts’ earnest pursuit, and constant consideration. If we accept salvation by the cross from man and his world we shall be enriched in the knowledge of God’s things. But if we want to live in the present system of things we shall most certainly miss the present enjoyment of our true position, i.e., the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. With such an alternative presented, would any true Christian hesitate for a moment as to the decision of his heart?

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