SIMPLICITY OF HEART
John McKay
Acts 2: 46, 47 (with all the people); 1 Corinthians 14: 15, 16; Philippians 4: 4-7; Matthew 25: 1-13
I would like to say a word as to the expression in Acts 2, “simplicity of heart”. We live in a world where many things demand the attention of men, ourselves included, and it seems to me that what is lacking in the lives of many is simplicity of heart; simplicity of affection that will seize on what is vital and will hold to it. We spoke in the reading of Mary and I think, in the context of this word, her heart was simple; it was full in relation to the Man of God’s choice. How much of the sorrow and discord around us is caused by divided affections - disintegration of family relationships; aimlessness on the part of those who lack direction in their lives, in a world that is going on to judgment. The believer in the midst of such a scene is to be characterised by simplicity of heart. In Acts 2 this is in the context, not of spiritual things, but of ordinary things. It says, “they received their food with gladness and simplicity of heart”. I put it to you that simplicity of heart will lead to simplicity of life. The Lord has taken to Himself from our area recently two beloved brothers; one of them lived in Worcester and the other in Malvern, both well known amongst the brethren. One of the things that characterised their lives was simplicity, and I believe it flowed from simplicity of heart. There was a directness about their relations with God, they lived in relation to the God they knew, and like Abraham of old, having gone out, they had left other things to follow Christ. They did not have an inheritance here, they were simple as to this world’s affairs. Mr Darby speaks of Abraham as having the heart of a stranger. I wonder what kind of heart you have? Young brethren here, may I ask the question, older brethren too, is your heart simple, is your life simple, is the directness of your link with God, even as to material things, as evident as it should be? What destroys simplicity is man’s intellect and ability. If you read Acts 17 in the city of Athens where man’s education, I suppose, reached somewhat of a zenith, Paul goes among them and says, “I found also an altar on which was inscribed, To the unknown God”, Acts 17: 23. As academic ability shone among them for their own distinction so it resulted in a lack of the knowledge of God. They acknowledged His existence or there would not have been an altar, but they did not know Him. Paul’s language amongst them is quite interesting, he speaks about God, “himself giving to all life and breath and all things … for in him we live and move and exist” (vv 25, 28). Paul was living in relation to the God he knew and living in relation to material things as receiving them from God. Can I appeal to you as to how simple your heart is in relation to the actual affairs of life?
We need to receive creatorial things as giving thanks to the God who is the source of them. As holding all in relation to Him, our lives become simple as in integrity of affection we trace all to the Giver. Such persons are here, not as part of the morass of Christendom, but shining as those who have simple affection for the God whom they have come to know in Jesus, Ps 104: 27.
I have been attracted to this expression in 1 Corinthians 14 where Paul, in the presence of the difficulties and the administrative problems that afflicted the position in Corinth, makes this attractive reference to “he who fills the place of the simple Christian”. I wonder if I could ask you whether you qualify for such a description as that, “he who fills the place of a simple Christian”? What would that place be? If you look at other translations of the Bible they are not quite so rich in their expression; one translation referring to the unconverted, another referring to the ordinary person, another to he who takes the place of the unlearned. Mr Darby’s translation is very rich, “he who fills the place of a simple Christian”. You may say, of course I am a Christian. I ask you do you fill the place? What does it mean to fill the place? Mr Raven’s ministry is often quoted, challenging the hearts of the brethren to know where they are and why they are there. I wonder, if somebody asked you such a question, whether you would immediately begin to retail the struggles and the conflicts and the difficulties that have been amongst the saints. Where do you stand? Surely a simple Christian would look back, to the cross as the great point of reference where everything for God was settled, and look forward to the time when the Man who died on the cross, the Man of sorrows, will come again. These are fixed points we may say in the history of the universe and as rightly related to them he would fill the place that he has in the testimony as one who is a simple Christian. Can I commend such an exercise to you? Can I stimulate desire for this amongst the brethren? Let it not be that you are among those who simply trust in Christ as to the future, who as to foundation are trusting in the shed blood, and yet whose lives as to the content and character of them are lived in relation to things in which Christ has no place.
Is that filling the place of a simple Christian? One who fills the place of a simple Christian is living Christianity; he has his foundation right, he has his heart right, his future is clear and he is here in simple affection for Christ and for the saints. I commend to you the place of a simple Christian.
When we come to Philippians 4 Paul says “Rejoice in the Lord always”. Here we have the outlook of a person whose heart is right and rejoicing always marks him. This is testing to me and perhaps to all of us, for in our lives adversity has to be met and problems arise. Only those who are in the secret of what God has accomplished through Christ can be described as rejoicing in the Lord always. Let your gentleness be known of all men. What a change this would effect in our lives. We are not to be here as seeking personal advantage, we are not here to stand for our rights. “Let your gentleness be known of all men”. How do the saints know you? How do the saints know me? It would be normal to have a commendation from the brethren. This characteristic however is also to form part of our public testimony. Simplicity of heart would lay a basis in our souls so that we are not assertive as to the things that have no importance. Abraham was not tempted by the patronage of the world because He had a taste for what was better.
We are measured as to how much we live in relation to what is eternal? How much do we live in relation to the realm where Christ is already exalted? We do not yet see all things subjected to Him, but as Hebrews says, “we see Jesus … crowned with glory and honour” (chap 2: 9), persons who are living in relation to Christ’s present position can afford to yield. “The Lord is near. Be careful about nothing”. What a statement that is! We may profess concern about difficulties that exist among the saints – it is right to carry things, but it is wrong to become burdened by them. “Be careful about nothing” means that you allow divine supremacy in your life, and in relation to the saints. We learn to trust God about His people. There are many who have been diverted from the path of testimony because they have tried to unravel the problems and difficulties of Christendom. Such matters are not our responsibility. Certain things according to the parable in the gospels are allowed to go on to the harvest. It is not man’s responsibility to deal with everything that is seen to be attached to the profession. Let us be careful then, that we act only in areas for which we are responsible, and let us not become obsessed with the burdens of the way. There is so much that is positive to go in for. Let us see that our energies are not wasted on things that really have little significance. “Be careful about nothing”, not of course that you are careless - surely a person who has as their model the Man of the gospels is not going to be careless - but I think what this passage means is that you are not weighed down either by the things of this life or the problems that arise as Satan seeks to spoil what is precious to Christ in the waiting time. “Be careful about nothing; but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses every understanding, shall guard your hearts”. As getting into God’s presence we find that He is not troubled. A believer who is in the secret of God’s presence is tranquil and such a person can impart a sense of peace to any circumstance into which he comes.
Matthew 25 is a passage well known to us. It relates primarily to the Jews, but we can apply it in regard of our own position. The virgins, ten of them, “having taken their torches, went forth to meet the bridegroom”. One of the characteristics of the bridegroom is exclusive affection: there is only one object that can satisfy his heart. The affection that marks Christ is wonderful in its purity, “the love of the Christ which surpasses knowledge”, Eph 3: 19. There is only one kind of affection that can rightly respond to the heart of the Bridegroom and that is virgin affection, simplicity of heart. The Spirit of God would develop amongst us unmixed affection that looks for and expects the return of Christ. The consequence of the bridegroom tarrying was that they all grew heavy and slept. In chapter 24 the wicked bondman says, “my Lord delays to come” (v 48), he does not deny that he is coming, but he says, he is delaying to come. It is a question of what is going on in this period. I wonder what is going on in our lives in this present waiting time? What happened here was that they all grew heavy and slept; including those that had oil in their vessels, all of them grew heavy and slept. How measured we are as to our personal committal. Then it says, “But in the middle of the night there was a cry, Behold, the bridegroom; go forth to meet him”. You see how the cry brings them right back to the original purpose for which they were called out, “go forth to meet him”. Going forth involves leaving one order of things in view of living in relation to another. I wonder how much we live in relation to the present seen order of things? How measured we are because the earth and its affairs tend to hold us, more than we realise. Mr Darby raises the question as to going to heaven, saying, do you want to go now? Or when do you wish to go? Such questions are very telling, because they bring out the real condition of heart within us, whether we are prepared to relinquish the present material order of things in the light of the fact that the Man of sorrows, the Man who has been to the cross is the Man who is going to return. The whole aim around us in man’s world is to increase possessions and to seek prosperity. God is good to us as to material things but our place of prosperity is elsewhere. The Lord is coming again and the telling word here, the exhortation, yea the command is “go forth to meet him”. The going forth brings out those who were genuine and those who were mere professors. It is sad that there should be those who wearing the cloak of Christianity simply go along with others. The resource of the Spirit is available to sustain what is vital in hearts for Christ right to the end of the dispensation. There is no reason why we should not have what is necessary to complete the course.
The test of the Lord’s presence brings out the real condition of things which exists. My appeal today to my brethren is that our hearts may be simple as to the things of God and of Christ. Unburdened as we go through a scene that is darkening all around us, and ready to leave. Rebecca was ready to go, “I will go”, Gen 24: 56. Her heart was sustained, not by what she had left, but by what was before her, “Who is the man that is walking in the fields to meet us?”, Gen 24: 65. The Lord is coming, blessed be His Name, and He will not fail to answer true hearts who wait for Him.
LONDON
18 November 2000