THE CHRISTIAN’S PRIVILEGES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
J. Wright
Philippians 3: 13–21; 1 Corinthians 15: 51–58
As in the presence of death, these scriptures point us to what is beyond death for the believer on the Lord Jesus. The word in Philippians has its bearing on the Christian’s privileges, and that in Corinthians has its application to the believer’s responsibilities. Now a Christian’s privileges and responsibilities go together, so what the apostle brings forward here is a word for us who remain.
In Philippians 3 Paul is speaking not as an apostle, although he was an apostle, but as a Christian, of the wonderful privilege of being a Christian. Paul, as a Christian, spoke in such a way before Agrippa that the king said, “In a little thou persuadest me to become a Christian”, Acts 26: 28. In the light of what is beyond death it is indeed a privilege to be a believer on the Lord Jesus. The essence of being a Christian is to have Christ. Paul had suffered the loss of all, but he had gained Christ. Our beloved brother, who is now with the Lord, had suffered loss outwardly during his long life, but he had Christ and he clearly enjoyed his part with Christ, both as an individual and as among the saints collectively. Christ more than compensated for any loss here. Both individually and collectively we can have Christ as our gain. Now Paul was pursuing and the word to us is to pursue. As having the Spirit we can have as much of Christian privilege as we go in for. Let us take up this privilege more.
Paul speaks of “our commonwealth”, which suggests that our privileges are to be enjoyed together, but it is a heavenly commonwealth. It “has its existence in the heavens”. What is being worked out in us here is heavenly. Our privileges are not connected with this scene. Paul as a Hebrew of Hebrews, and so on, had had privileges connected with this scene, but what was far better had laid hold of him—Christ. As having Christ as his gain Paul was ready to sacrifice everything else, all that he had once gloried in and in which he had found satisfaction, for he had something far better. How wonderful Christ is!
Paul goes on to say that “also we await the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour”—that would be as Saviour in the final sense—“who shall transform our body of humiliation into conformity to his body of glory”. Bodies of glory will be required to enjoy our privileges to the full, and He Himself is going to transform these mortal bodies of ours, so that when we see Him, we shall be like Him. What a prospect for the believer on Him, but what a triumph that by the power of the Spirit we can know our heavenly privileges even now!
Now the section in Corinthians bears on the side of our responsibilities. Earlier in this chapter the apostle had gone over the truth of the glad tidings which meets our responsibility before God as sinners through Christ dying for our sins, being buried, and being raised the third day.
As in the gain of the triumph of the resurrection of Christ and the light of the resurrection of the saints, Paul goes over certain matters with a sense of victory and triumph in his soul. We can look forward to being with Christ and being no longer in this mortal condition, but meanwhile the work of the Lord is to go on, and it was this aspect of our responsibility that I had particularly in mind.
If the Lord takes one to be with Himself there is a gap, nevertheless, the work of the Lord is to go on. Paul therefore encourages the brethren to be “firm, immovable, abounding always in the work of the Lord”, and this has to be worked out in our local settings.
Our beloved brother’s public service did not extend far, but he was devoted to the assembly in this locality. In one sense it is more testing to go on day by day in obscurity in the work of the Lord locally, rather than be engaged in more prominent service, but we have a responsibility to see that this work goes on. Let us, as in the light of the glory beyond death, be committed to the work of the Lord, involving the responsibilities of the fellowship and devotion to what is of assembly character in each of our localities. Such toil will not be in vain, for there is that which will go through to the end for the pleasure and glory of God. May we all be in it.
Word at the burial of Mr. C. H. Stay, St. Albans
28 April 1982