Ii) GOD'S WORKMANSHIP
C.Hammond
Ephesians 2: 10; 2 Timothy 2: 2
Our brother has referred to the identity that will remain throughout eternity with what God is doing now. It does not say we 'shall be' His workmanship, but we are God's workmanship. It is a matter of increasing wonder that in the flesh and blood condition there should be something going on that can be attributed to God Himself, His workmanship. We have "been created in Christ Jesus for good works" it says. We need to enquire into what those good works are according to Ephesians. James speaks about works, but on a somewhat lower level, "faith without works is dead" (Jas 2: 20), which is perfectly true in its context. But these good works, as I understand it, are to be exhibited in those who have a conscious living link, not only with a risen Lord, but an exalted Head.
So that the works are said to be prepared by God "that we should walk in them". God is to have an expression here below of His highest thoughts; not merely what belongs to time and the recovery of man, which involves much that is moral, but the spiritual work that is proceeding that results in our walking in these good works, for which we have been created. I suppose this runs near to the thought in 2 Corinthians of new creation, but makes it a little more personal, in that we have been created in Christ Jesus. That is a characteristic title in this section, the One who is anointed over everything for God, for His present and eternal pleasure. It is a wonderful thing if we are brought into that, dear brethren, but it involves, I believe, that our identity with the new place into which God has placed us, in Christ Jesus, is understood. That involves not only His resurrection but His ascension, His exaltation. The work of God is seen in the latter part of the first chapter and the first part of this chapter in its various aspects, and the "working in the might of his strength" in doing certain things; but here there is just this terse statement which is so striking, "we are his workmanship". There can be no fault found with what is God's workmanship. It is evident if, as our brother has rightly emphasised, God clothes it with a body that is pleasing to Him, then the work which can be attributed to God Himself and therefore is perfect and is proceeding now, is something that God is going to clothe with a body that is suitable to it. The identity will remain, the identity with those who here on earth have entered in some measure into the purpose of God, which involves sonship and the assembly, and devoted themselves to it, so that there is some expression somewhere in someone of what God's thoughts are in purpose in relation to an exalted Christ, the Head of the assembly. So these good works will find expression in support and activity in relation to what the assembly is in purpose, and the members of it as having their part in it.
Now I come to 2 Timothy, which supposes a day of breakdown publicly, but we have been reminded recently that what is of God remains. Much else may fail, persons are diverted, in considerable numbers at times, but what is of God remains. There is divine provision made for a continuance of what is of God and for God in this scene and that is connected with what it says about these faithful men. "And the things thou hast heard of me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men". Perhaps we think they are all gifted men, we may get a little out of focus the idea of gifted men. We used to speak of 'three-day-meeting men'. I think it is an erroneous view. Gift is additional, and if gift does anything it makes a man a servant, but what the man is as a spiritual personality is the thing that counts, and it is that that is going over.
Our brother did not move about greatly in service, but there is no question that he was a faithful man. You could rely on him, he was trustworthy, he had imbibed the truth, he had held it in his affections, as our brother has indicated. He was slow to speak, but he certainly was not slow to hear, for he had obviously imbibed the truth and it had had its effect upon him so that he could be regarded as a faithful man. How much has depended in times past on faithful men, not always men of outstanding gift. As you look at the ministry of the past, your spirit is affected by the number of men who were regarded as gifted who have gone astray. What was lacking, dear brethren? Behind it is the question of spiritual personality; the workmanship of God is what stands the test.
Gifts are not to be despised at all, because they come down from an exalted Head, and we want to get the full gain of them; but things are continued on the basis of the presence of faithful men who are able to instruct others. It might be said, Does not that involve gift? It involves our being versed in the truth, to have a background of the truth and to be formed in it in some measure and faithful to it. Now one outstanding feature of our brother was his faithfulness - a faithful man, and the evidence is here today of a continuance even in regard of his progeny. But not only so, but many of the younger men are indebted to the quiet, stable character of our departed brother, his quiet confidence. He knew something of what the scripture says, "in quietness and confidence shall be your strength", Isa 30: 15. That was the character of the man, that was the feature of the workmanship that God wrought in our brother. It is not a time for posthumous eulogy; it is a question of appreciating the work of God and what is the effect of His workmanship. I think it would elevate our thoughts about one another if we saw things in that light.
Well, "these entrust to faithful men, such as shall be competent to instruct others also". As I have said, it does not necessarily require outstanding gift to instruct others also. If we are versed in the truth, disciplined into it we can exemplify it in our life, as our brother did. He moved amongst the brethren, saying little, but knowing a good deal more than he said. We thank God for the workmanship that was displayed in it. Now he is with his Lord. The result of that will be that this body that is here has to suffer corruption because of the death penalty, but the identity will remain of what was wrought in his life in flesh and blood. It will remain and will have its place, not only in those eternal realms, but also according to the faithfulness that marked him, in the world to come; the Lord will see to that. What a thing it is, dear brethren, to be uplifted in our spirits from the variation in the mixed condition that we often see in one another, to recognise the stable character of what can be designated here, "we are his workmanship", and these works have been prepared beforehand "that we should walk in them". He was an exemplar of the truth.
Now all we have to do is to commend this body to the Lord against that day when this change of which our brother has spoken has taken place and God will give it a body as it pleases Him. Thank God, there is something He can clothe! In the simplest saint in whom the work of God is, the workmanship of God is seen. What a wonderful thing to view the saints thus as God's workmanship in which there can be no failure, but it will come out in glorious display presently, when all shall have bodies suitable, clothed by God. Our brother's illness was terminated by the Lord; we almost prayed for that in view of the sickness of his body; the Lord granted that request, but the work was finished. At the termination of life the work is finished. We ourselves are facing that; the days go on in regard to an aged saint and you wonder why. But, when the work is finished the spirit will depart to be with Christ. We do not commit the real personality to the grave; we commit the body to the Lord, but the spirit is with Christ in an interim period waiting that body of glory with which God will clothe the workmanship of His own hand by the Spirit in our brother.
Let us be encouraged, dear brethren, with these things; let us lift our sights as to the present moment as to what is going on even in the mixed condition in which we are. We know here, in Eph 2, that Paul is presenting things at the level of God's thoughts, and God has a right to say a thing is, whether in our experience it may appear to be or not. Here God seeks an answer, and He has prepared these works that we should walk in them. May there be, dear brethren, an increasing testimony here on earth, not merely to the doctrines we hold, but to the truth as in Jesus (see Eph 4: 21, note b) That is the standard, the truth as in Jesus. What a de light to the Father to have the Son there in manhood perpetually before Him; and from that exalted sphere and our link with that Man there, in ascension, the Holy Spirit produces something of the reflection of that in the saints here. May it increasingly be so, dear brethren, by the Spirit, for His Name's sake!