THE TRUE GOD
[p. 371] THE TRUE GOD
1 Thessalonians 1:9,10; John 17:2,3; 1 John 5:20
My burden as to this meeting is to speak a little about God, particularly in the view presented in this scripture; viz., the true God, having in mind that a knowledge of God under this heading is calculated to deliver us from the untruth that is current religiously and indeed from all untruths, for it is peculiarly the word of light. It would be remembered that Matthew deals very severely with untruth. The religious leaders of that time bribed the soldiers who watched the tomb of Jesus to say that the disciples stole Him away and the Spirit of God adds that that was currently believed up to the time of writing. That lie and others like it have been multiplied in two main forms — Rome and modernism. Barefaced untruthfulness marks both these against the testimony. The true God is presented to us, so that if we are dominated by falsehood, we may be delivered from it and kept from it. That would work out in sedulous attention to the truth. If we admit a lie in any way, it will grow. John makes much of the truth in that sense. He speaks of many things that are true and demonstrates their truth. I do not enumerate them now, because my subject is the true God, which phrase he uses twice at least.
I have selected Thessalonians where Paul uses the same word. He says these young christians had turned to God — it does not say the true God, nor does John 17 say that they may know the only true God, but “thee” — then he adds, “the only true God”. So God is the great thought, modified according to the need of the testimony as presented. God is the great thought and that is what I have in mind,
[p. 372] because I am impressed continually and increasingly that God is too little known amongst the saints; the term is known, but what it is in a moral sense and how the intent is that God, being a Spirit, should be known to us and known as near to us, for it is said even creationally, “in him we live, and move, and have our being”. Acts 17:28. That applies to all men but John says, “he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him”. 1 John 4:15. I hope to speak about dwelling in God; that only includes christians, those who dwell in love dwell in God, and God in them. How great the nearness that is implied, and one’s own heart is challenged as to what he knows of love and then what is meant by dwelling in it. The Thessalonians are peculiarly spoken of as lovable christians, they are said to be “beloved by God”. 1 Thessalonians 1:4. It may apply to all christians in an abstract way but it is not spoken of here in an abstract way, but in a concrete way, meaning they are lovable christians, beloved of God. Hardly an epistle ranks with this one in this connection in the endearing terms that are used, endearing terms in God, as to these christians. Unless God reaches lovability in us He has not reached much; if we are confined to abstract thoughts, we have not very much from His point of view. Even in the physical creation He had it that things should be lovable. We are far too wanting in our understanding of the character of what the creation is to Him. After the creation of the earth, chaotic conditions ensued. He had in mind for the creation to be lovable, suited for man’s abode, and that He should come in Himself and find nothing incongruous. He walked in the garden, that meaning the most lovable part of it, and His voice was heard. Can we doubt God would speak of the beauty of creation? No one who knows the character of God can doubt that and God speaks to Himself, says things in His heart, as we know, He had in mind that creation as it came [p. 373] from His hand should be lovable. Everything was made upright, and we are told the Spirit garnished it; just as you decorate the inside of a building, the Spirit of God garnished the heavens. So in Thessalonians, God is brought in as having reached something lovable. He reached a company of saints that He calls “the assembly of Thessalonians in God the Father”. 1 Thessalonians 1:1 That is how it opens. God has reached that which was a great thing. The address is intended to convey that something pleasing to Him had been reached. So much so, He uses the preposition ‘in’ God the Father — which is very unusual. The preposition implies action with the position in view, not a static thing, but an active thing. God intends things to be alive and their position “in God the Father” 1 Thessalonians 1:1 would mean they were in His heart, they have that peculiar place as being lovable. Every time God looked at Thessalonica He saw what was pleasing, that was their fixed place — in God the Father. What a time God had after Paul visited Philippi and established an assembly there. All these are operations which answer to the heart of God and He fixes the status of the work. That is, He looks at any one of us as the fruit of His own work and fixes your status as regards Himself. He is not hiding His face from us as He is today from Israel but looking delightfully at you, and it conveys here that the work at Thessalonica was pleasing to Him. “In God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ” 1 Thessalonians 1:1 — the latter would mean they were under the Lord’s protection. That was the position at Thessalonica and it ought to be the position in Wellington, something fixed in that way to which God gives a status according to His own appreciation of what is fixed. It is protected by the kingdom in the Lord Jesus Christ. The work at Thessalonica deserves consideration. It is given only a brief account in Acts but enough is said to indicate the result here. Paul’s sufferings at Philippi fitted him for further service, “All things work together for good to them that love God”. Romans 8:28. That is how the work of God is carried on. The suffering that happened to Paul was for God — his influence was wider than any man’s on earth. Between his first and second letters to Corinth he was down to the gates of death, despaired of living, but God who raiseth the dead delivered him and He will deliver. He says, ‘All this happened for you’ (the Corinthians) for he had to write another letter, and to write another letter he must be fitted for it as John in Revelation; before he wrote the Lord put His hand on him as the living One. John was to write in a living way and that marked Paul in his second letter. The experience at Philippi undoubtedly bore fruit at Thessalonica. He was there only three sabbaths, it says; it does not appear that he laboured during the week. On three sabbath days he entered the synagogue and so laid out the truth that a great number believed; a remarkable expression, opening and laying down that Christ must suffer. One can picture the great servant making the most of his time there. It challenges us as to what we are making of our time, but here it is three sabbath days. As far as the record goes, the work only took place on the sabbath. I suppose the week days would preclude much, being working days. He worked hard and he opened and laid down — he opened up things that Christ must suffer in that He died.
He is a teacher, so that he is forcing the truth upon them, on the Jews in the synagogue, and he no doubt opened and referred to Isaiah 53. He opened that up with perhaps more intelligence than Philip to the eunuch. The eunuch was an honest man and said that he did not understand it. Perhaps we are not honest enough to say we do not understand. The apostle undertook to show — he opened and laid down. You must accept what he brought from the [p. 375] Scriptures — he would not do that to the gentiles — but good Jews must accept it, persons who acknowledge the Scriptures, so he opened up Isaiah that Christ must suffer and rise again the third day — the prophet taught that word. That is the way God is brought in, so it illustrates how God is brought to us, how the gospel is the gospel of God, as Romans says. In whatever form it is presented it is the gospel of God and it is intended to lay a foundation as to God in a man’s soul. As soon as that is there you have a solid moral basis on which God can build. Corinthians is the assembly of God, the gospel of God is first, and then the result, the assembly of God. It belongs to God, and in the same way the apostle says, “of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us”, etc. 1 Corinthians 1:30.
That is how the truth is presented in those three days. The Son of God is God — God drawn near to us in a Man so He could have a place in our hearts. That is what was presented at Thessalonica, and the result was a beautiful set of saints. One would love to have been there and belonged to them — a beautiful crop from the seed-sowing of those three days; God would supply seed to the sower. Was it not delightful to Him to sow seed? It was a quick harvest. The seed-time was the three sabbath days — what a Sower and what a crop! The crop was a delightful crop of christians in that town. It was an important town and God looked down from heaven to see what was there as everyone would who sows. The crop was a beautiful lot of christians! The apostle loves to dwell on it, he says, “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father”. 1 Thessalonians 1:3. God was looking down for that. What delight that was for God — the fruit of His own sowing through His great servant. The apostle says, “Knowing, brethren beloved your election of God”. 1 Thessalonians 1:4. You have [p. 376] received the gospel and are beautiful spiritually and can be called the elect of God. It is somewhat incongruous to call worldly people the elect of God. People arrogate to themselves that beautiful expression. It does not fit. It is people built up spiritually who are showing themselves to be that. “Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance”. 1 Thessalonians 1:4,5. Let us, dear brethren, measure ourselves up in this way as to what effect God has had upon us as presented in the gospel. These beautiful traits draw out the delight of God and it says ‘You are in Him’ — the assembly of Thessalonians, you christians at Thessalonica. It is a local, not a general thought, a beautiful growth there.
There is much more in the chapter to show that what I am saying is true. Then at the end, how they turned to God from idols, they did that, it was their part — to serve the living and true God. God has now got not only a beautiful crop but a company of priests. The knowledge of God in our hearts renders this side, that we want to speak to God, to serve God. If I love Him, I want to serve Him, so it was said of Israel, “Let my son go, that he may serve me”. Exodus 4:23. The gospel has had an effect in their souls so that they have come out of Egypt to God, not yet the true God, but the great thought of God in the gospel; then showing their intelligence and moral uprightness, to serve the living and true God — meaning that they had been Jews, going on with a dead religion; now we want a living state of things — He is living and true — we must regulate our worship and service by the truth. And what a word that is for all the ‘isms’ of christendom, in which, alas, many of our brethren are at the present time! If the thought of the true God comes into the soul, you must regulate everything by that thought. “We are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh” Philippians 3:3.
— true worshippers. The word ‘true’ is attached to worshippers, as the Lord Himself says, “the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him”. John 4:23. God is not seeking worship but He is seeking persons who will worship Him. Not the worship, the persons are the objects of His affection.
The Thessalonians were waiting for His Son from heaven. They were brought into that hope that belongs to christians, the hope of God’s Son from heaven. Our attitude is waiting, not merely holding the doctrine of the Lord’s coming which is the common thought, without a bit of heart in it, but the word here is “to wait for his Son”. The idea of waiting begins with Jacob very largely, at least it is attributed to him in this way, “I have waited”, Jacob says. He says it in the midst of apostasy, “I have waited for thy salvation”. Genesis 49:18. The true christian who loves Jesus is waiting not simply holding the doctrine but waiting. It is real in his heart, so that the thought of the Son brings in what the Lord says in John 17, “Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent”. The two thoughts go together — “the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent”. John 17:3. Here we are on the most sacred ground touching this chapter. I touch it, not to develop the whole light of the chapter, but here the point is the true God and the sent One, Jesus Christ. A knowledge of the Father who is described as the true God, not the knowledge of the true God but “that they might know thee, the only true God”. The person to be known is the Father as John presents Him. It is to bring out what the relation is into which God has come in the economy, not simply as in Genesis 1, the Creator, but the relation into which He has come, the relation of Father. To know Thee, the Lord says. What I [p. 378] am saying now is of the greatest importance to understand John’s gospel and understand christianity. It is not yet our relation with Him. The point here is, He has come into this relation with Someone, with Jesus Christ; the only-begotten Son in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. He is known in that relation. It is God come into that economy, and the Lord says in Matthew, “thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret”. Matthew 6:6. That is, you get into direct immediate relations with God, who is a Spirit, but known as Father. Matthew says, “your Father”, but John never does until we come to chapter 20, always “the” or “my”. John is emphasising the dispensation and all the dispensation is governed by that, the dispensation of grace stretching on to the millennium. This chapter includes the millennium. “Thou hast given him authority over all flesh”. A remarkable expression, not over all nations here, nor all men, but all flesh. Of course it is all men, it is meant to be that, but it is flesh. He has absolute authority over all flesh. We are told He died and rose again that He might rule over the dead and the living. Here it is not to rule, but having that authority He has the right of way with every one of us, in order to give us eternal life — what a marvellous thought that everyone should have eternal life! “All that thou hast given to him”. He is in the place of authority and it is that He might give to all that the Father gave Him, eternal life. He has right of way anywhere and makes His own selection to pick out those whom the Father gave Him, to give them eternal life. Thank God we can speak something about this, it is not at a distance from us. God has greatly helped dear brethren in times gone by and this great thought of eternal life has perhaps lapsed a little and it may be the thing now to revive it, that we may come into it. The Lord has supreme [p. 379] authority over all flesh and is giving eternal life to those whom the Father gave to Him. He has the right to make His selection. The knowledge of God establishes that great truth in the believer, that God has sovereign rights. “Who art thou that answerest again?” Romans 9:20 the apostle says. The potter has power over the clay. We must acknowledge this to God, it requires that we acknowledge it and He gives certain to Jesus — the Lord Jesus Christ is in charge of everything — He gives these to Jesus and He gives them eternal life. Then He says — it is the only definition we have of this great blessing from the Lord’s own lips — “this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent”.
I apprehend it is God as having entered into the economy as God the Father — so all is of grace, grace reigning through righteousness to eternal life; here it is knowledge, that we “might know thee”. How much place has God in our knowledge? In Romans 1 they did not like to retain God in their knowledge. Now Jesus would bring us back to the knowledge of God the Father in this wonderful relation, speaking of Christ and eternal life, if characterised by that knowledge. Then Jesus as the Sent One; understand that the sending is not properly from heaven — it is not one divine Person sending Another, as such, but the sending is of Jesus as Man, as become Man He is available to be sent. Chapter 20 says, “as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you” John 20:21; so the Sent One in John is a characteristic word and implies an order of man entirely subject to God and these two thoughts are put together: the true God, and in Jesus as the Sent One you have a true Man — those two thoughts together give you the idea of eternal life.
It is not far away, it is to be worked out. You must labour with divine things. Is it not worth while? Christianity is everything and why not devote ourselves? To “know thee”, with the added thought “the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent”, to study that Man. Here is a living Man, the testimony is He lives, as in Hebrews, the Man who has come out of death. Is it not worth while to study the life of that Man as brought within our range?
The passage in John’s epistle confirms all this. The epistle works it out. When we come to this last verse but one, the summing up is, “we know”, — christians know this, it is a characteristic word — “that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding”. The Son of God is here, everything is in His hand, all flesh under Him, the Father loves Him. A wonderful day it is, if we would only awake to know it. We know He has come in this relation as Son in manhood so as to be near to us and understandable to us and give us understanding. Scripture speaks of senseless men, those who have no understanding. The Son of God has given us an understanding that we may know Him that is true. The ‘Him’ is God; it is Christ, too, that is John’s wonderful way of bringing the two great thoughts together: that is, the Deity brought down unto all men in Christ. He “that is true” is God, but then it is in Christ. “The true God” is the true God but in Christ. What a great fact that is, the thought of the true God is brought down in a Man, known and loved, who went about and ate and slept — wonderful fact! — and it requires us to apply ourselves to it, and see how it works out.
John wants people who are christians, not theorists, and he sees it like this — he is so impressed in his mind that he has Christ and God in the one pronoun, and it is only those who pay attention to things that get into this and see the true God in Jesus, the two ideas in one Person; that God is in Christ, brought down to us, then what man is in Christ in eternal life. The epistle is to bring that out, “That ... which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.)” 1 John 1:1,2.
[p. 381] So he finishes in this wonderful verse, “This is the true God, and eternal life”. It is in Jesus. It is not that God is someone else; when Scripture says the true God, it is God. God has brought the thing near to us but the facts are there that the true God is there to be worshipped and the true Man, too; eternal life is there, the Man out of death.