THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL
THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL
JBS I think it will be seen from this scripture that you must be in a suited state to understand “the mystery”; we must not suppose that every christian we meet can understand it, they are not ready for it.
A great many believe in union who are not in the truth of union; the doctrine may be generally accepted, but it is another thing to have conscious knowledge of it.
If you take the type, Abraham’s servant was sworn to see that Isaac’s bride was of his kindred; that is where the practical difficulty with souls comes in, they do not know of what kindred they are. As brethren of Christ we cannot speak of our sins. The teaching of Hebrews is that we are His brethren. You must apprehend that you are of the same stock and lineage as Christ before you can know union.
DLH When you say, as brethren of Christ, we do not speak of our sins, I suppose you mean in that relationship. Viewed as a man in responsibility one might commit sin and speak of it.
WH Would you say that verse 15 is state?
JBS I should. It is the hearing of their state that led to the apostle’s prayer.
FER We learn everything individually, but that leads on to the way in which we become manifest collectively. “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil”, 1 John 3: 10. That is not an individual, but a collective thought.
JBS We are not collective in the flesh, but collective in the Spirit. We do not get to the company until we are fit for the company.
How did Abraham’s steward find Rebekah? It is a great thing to see how [p. 281] Scripture puts things.
Rem By the grace that was seen in her.
JBS Quite so; and it is by the grace displayed in a person that we may know whether such a one is ready for the knowledge of union; as it says here, “faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints”. He is walking in the power of his true lineage, and the question for every heart is - do you know it? Have you been conducted from Syria to the presence of Isaac? The Spirit of God is waiting to lead every soul to that spot; there must be some thing hindering, or you would be brought into conscious union with Christ in heaven.
GeoC But when it says, “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ” - is not that true of all christians?
JBS No one could have that apart from union.
FER We must bear in mind that without faith, which apprehends God’s purpose, we have no title to anything; but it is a great mistake to confound the purpose of God with what is made good in yourself.
JBS You cannot have conscious union until you have been conducted, like Rebekah, across the wilderness to Isaac; there must be the passing from knowledge to conscious knowledge. Rebekah had decision; she said, “I will go”.
FER I venture to think that what leads to it is the knowledge of God, and that I do not get that by faith but by the Spirit. The Scriptures tell me what I have, but they do not give it me. It is by the Spirit that I get light; I doubt whether you get much desire except by the Spirit.
JBS God declares His mind in His word, but the Spirit alone makes it good to you. What we have here makes it very plain; Paul prays: “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know”, etc.
[p. 282] If you speak about being enlightened, you have to get the spirit of wisdom and revelation before you can be enlightened, that is, that you may really understand this great mystery.
RFK What does the spirit of wisdom mean?
JBS I must have a true idea of what God is about. If you do not know what Christ is, you do not know what you are; and apart from the knowledge of Christ you certainly cannot know what the church is. Having the spirit of wisdom I see what is His great thought. John says, “There are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written”, John 21: 25. Yet it is in God’s purpose that not one single thing that He did should be lost, but should come out in one member or another of His body, according to John 17, and will come out in the new Jerusalem.
THR “The spirit of wisdom”, etc., must come from God; all that is spoken of here is divine, and therefore must come in the way of revelation. It is what He is going to do for His own glory.
Ques Why does it say God, and not Christ?
JBS It is the greatness of God Himself in all His fulness.
FER The prayer makes it plain - it is the hope of His calling; the word repeated in the verse is “his” - His calling, His inheritance, His power. All that comes out is completely on the divine side, and all is ready to satisfy the love of God.
Ques What is the hindrance to getting into it?
FER We are not men enough for it. There is a great difference between having things in the letter and in the Spirit, and thus having them made good in you.
WH Is it that we are to advance?
JBS You cannot advance in union, you are [p. 283] to know it. We must take the road in order to know what is done for us, and must be with Him where He is to realise union, though all was done for me before I discovered it was done.
DLH I should like to ask about “raised us up together”.
JBS There are seven things come out in chapter 2. First, raised up, and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ (verse 6); then, a new creation (verse 10), one new man (verse 15), one body (verse 16), access by one Spirit to the Father (verse 18), and growing to a holy temple (verse 21); which brings you down to what is here “Builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (verse 22).
FER It is perfectly clear that in our being quickened together with Christ there is a positive operation of God’s power in us. The apostle states, “You hath he quickened”; there is the plain statement, you who were in a certain previous state are now quickened together with Christ; that could not be ours apart from conscious association with Christ. This is the first step, and without it you could not be raised up and made to sit in the heavenly places in Christ. It is only in virtue of deriving from Christ, as Eve from Adam, that you can be united to Him. But in all the individuality is maintained; the same who are viewed as dead in trespasses and sins are sitting in Christ in heavenly places.
I see that one thing in it is, it is not a question of time; in the epistle all is stated from the divine side, it presents what God has effected apart from the question of moment.
FHB I feel that it helps to the understanding of it if we leave out the point of time, as our brother says.
FER All is first effected in Christ, and then by the Spirit in us.
JJ If it is quickened together with Christ, how [p. 284] could you be brought into it unless you have the life of Christ?
JBS People say, In Christ, in heavenly places, but they have not got it; it is “in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus”, Ephesians 2: 6.
The great thing is to get it now. If you do, you will come out in a new way; answering to chapter 3. Christ will be dwelling in your heart by faith, that is really the Christ, all that concerns Him.
RFK As to being “quickened ... together with Christ”, and so on, was that not effected in me at conversion?
JBS It was true of you, but it is only by the Spirit that it is effected in you.
FER A good deal, I have no doubt, hangs upon the word “know”, in the apostle’s prayer; it means effectually: I cannot understand its being said of anyone that he is quickened together with Christ, if he is not; you have to be brought into the consciousness that you are in association with Christ.
THR The whole secret of the difficulty of being in this truth in power is that we are not willing to go to the place where Christ is.
JBS Where is the person who has crossed the Jordan, and who has reached the sphere where Christ is Head? You are there in the sphere of His life, and you come on to the understanding that you are united to Him; and when that is learned in the soul, the one paramount thought of your heart is the interests of Christ; you are joined to Him.
THR When Rebecca went from Syria, there was nothing but Isaac for her. Are we going to heaven now where He is? There is nothing but Christ there for you?
JBS The mystery of the gospel is that we are united to Christ; and that gospel is not to bring you to heaven when you die, but to bring you to the Person who effected the work.
FER You only enter into the “heavenly places” in proportion as you enter into the love that would have you there; and that love will never be content until you are there. The apostle speaks in chapter 2 of the “great love wherewith he loved us” (verse 4), that is His love is such that it will not be satisfied apart from having us where He is.
AM It is a difficulty with many christians if all is secured by Christ, why all is not theirs.
FER People do not leave room in their minds for the truth as to the formative work of the Spirit. To enter into what is ours there must be that; all is dependent on the affections in which you are formed by the Spirit; it is not faith that carries the believer into heavenly places, but love, answering to God’s love. It is His pleasure to have you in His own place; and it is your acceptance of that which leads you into it. Accept that, that it is the pleasure of God’s love to have you there, and I do not think you will let anything stop you.
JBS It is the christian’s true terminus, but you cannot get there until you have crossed the Jordan.
FER We get an illustration in the children of Israel; it was not the pleasure of Jehovah to put them into the wilderness, but to bring them into the mountain of His holiness. Love will have company, and will not be content with anything short of company. I think it is the most wonderful thing that you can conceive of that it is the pleasure of God to have us in “heavenly places”, the most inconceivable joy possible, that it is God’s pleasure to have a heavenly company with Christ; nothing inferior to that will do for God now.
JBS When I think that we are dwelling on God’s great purpose for every one of us, and that He would have us know it, it ought to be heart-breaking to think how very few there are who do know it; we are slow to give God credit for [p. 286] His purpose.
FER No one can touch union until knowing that they are with Christ in life; and that is deliverance. You share with Him in His exaltation, and that according to the purpose of God’s love.
JBS Many know a good deal about the Scriptures, but do not know the Lord; do not know Him personally; that is what has an effect upon a person. We have no revelation but the Scripture, and no other power but the Spirit of God.
Ques Was not Rebekah marked by decision?
JBS Yes; and she not only had decision, but she had continuance, and that is where many come short.