THE HOLY SPIRIT AS THE POWER OF SERVICE IN THE ASSEMBLY
[p. 219] THE HOLY SPIRIT AS THE POWER OF SERVICE IN THE ASSEMBLY
Romans 5:5 - 8; Romans 8:14,15
JT I thought we might consider the Holy Spirit in relation to the assembly as convened, and these scriptures suggest what is in mind. Romans scarcely contemplates the assembly as convened, but lays the basis for it. As apprehending Romans we sit down together, understanding how the Spirit acts, first operating in our hearts so as to bring the sense of what God and Christ are to us, and then operating in us Godward; chapter 8 says: “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God”, and, “ye have received a spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (verses 14,15). This should be intelligible to each one of us, and as sitting down together, knowing what the Spirit is to us severally, we give place to Him and He operates collectively.
WF The love of God is referred to in relation to the death of Christ in chapter 5, as shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit.
JT The Spirit operates in that connection in the commendation of God’s love to us, “in that, we being still sinners, Christ has died for us” (chapter 5:8). That enters into the Lord’s supper.
WF It found perfect expression in the death of Christ for us. The Spirit brings it to us as a present living reality.
JT That is what I thought might come before us. The Spirit is now the medium of heaven’s intervention, as angels were very largely in Old Testament conditions. The incoming of heavenly and divine impressions is therefore much more intimate in us. The operations in us are by a [p. 220] divine Person. Angels could never be so regarded; they were always objective.
ETS The verse you quoted, “in that, while we were yet sinners”. Is that to enhance the love?
JT It is not so much to call attention to us as sinners, but to enhance love: “Christ died for us” in spite of our being sinners.
FWB With reference to the Spirit in chapters 5 and 8, do you suggest that in chapter 5 it is what He does in us, and in chapter 8 the response that is produced in our hearts?
JT Yes. He operates according to chapter 5 to bring in God and Christ; in 1 Corinthians Christ is seen in the bread, and God in the cup. The emblems are objective, for our eyes; but what they mean, that is, love, is in us, so that what is presented becomes very tangible and real.
FWB The love of God is not only seen in the cup, but it is in our hearts.
JT Exactly. If an angel brought the testimony to you it would be objective, but what is in the Lord’s supper is already in our hearts, and the Spirit impresses us with it more when we are together than at any other time. These two scriptures indicate the two parts, as we may call them, of the assembly in function, the Holy Spirit being present in both. Spiritual intelligence enables us to understand this position and to make room for Him.
ETS So that He is active right from the commencement of the meeting.
JT Yes. The Lord says that the Spirit will be with us always. “He abides with you, and shall be in you”, and again, “that he may be with you for ever”, (John 14:16,17). There is to be no cessation of His presence here; and He is in us, serving each in his individual capacity, but as soon as we sit down together in assembly, He serves collectively. The individual part merges, so that we say, “we ... [p. 221] have all been given to drink of one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13), and there is conscious unity.
JTS Would this be covered by the Lord’s word, “It is profitable for you that I go away” (John 16:7), His going away being in view of sending another Comforter?
JT Yes, that enters into this side of the truth. According to the Lord’s words, His own presence here corporeally could not be what the presence of the Holy Spirit is. The Holy Spirit has never become incarnate; the mode of His presence is in the saints and is universal, wherever the saints may be, distance having nothing to do with it. When we are together in assembly there is that in which He moves and in which He operates in a peculiar way, according to the principles that govern the position; that is, He operates saintward and Godward, just as the Lord did here. The Lord operated here manward — or saintward — and then He took up a Godward attitude amongst His own. All that is proper to the assembly is to be learnt from the Lord by teaching and example, but if the Spirit is to set an example before us now, He takes up one of the saints. He moves according to the teaching of the Lord, according to what He hears, and what came out in the life of the Lord here both before and after His death. What came out before His death enters into the order of the assembly, but what came out after He arose, during the forty days, has to do mainly with the assembly Godward, being the wholly spiritual side. I think the Holy Spirit moves according to the teaching and example of the Lord.
WF In the Lord’s supper it is for us, “my body which is for you” (1 Corinthians 11:24). That would correspond to what is from God and Christ toward us as in this chapter.
FWB You speak about the service of the Spirit in the assembly, have we not rather thought of the service of Christ in the assembly?
JT The service of Christ must be mediately [p. 222] inasmuch as He is not here corporeally; if He were here, it would be by Himself directly; but in that He has gone up to heaven, the service is rendered mediately, and the Holy Spirit is the medium. If the saints are conversant with or conscious of the Spirit in their individual capacities, how He serves them, they make room for the greater thing, collective or assembly service; so that the Spirit’s service is not new to a christian who as coming into the assembly, takes his place in a wider domain.
FWB Do we get an example of His service in Christ Himself when here? The Lord says, “the Father ... will give you another Comforter” (John 14:16) — meaning another like Himself.
JT One that should take up all that the Lord said, and all that He was, and impress the saints with it. Whatever the Lord said, the Spirit would bring to their remembrance, so that He brings Christ in livingly.
WJ It says in Acts 1:4, He “being assembled with them”.
JT What the Lord was amongst His own in resurrection before He ascended, has to do with the spiritual side of the assembly; and so in Acts 1 He assembled with them; that would come into effect by the Spirit now. There is really no difficulty, if we are spiritual, in seeing the idea of personification — one divine Person being personified in Another. Divine Persons being what we know them to be in revelation, we can see how they impersonate One Another, and so it is the Lord, though it be in a mediate service; it is none less than Himself. We read in Judges 6:11, that “an angel of Jehovah came and sat under the terebinth”; he is acting as a medium, for presently it is Jehovah who speaks; Jehovah is there. We cannot say how that came about, but we can see the possibility of it, an angel being a spirit. “God is a spirit”, and in Hebrews 1:14 we read, “Are they not all ministering spirits?” What greater ministry could they render than that of becoming a medium for Jehovah to draw near to His people?
FWB So that whenever we assemble together and leave room for the Spirit we leave room for One who is already here.
JT One who is well known to us, in us and with us; so that the saints should be conversant with Him.
CSS “He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you”, (John 16:14).
JT He takes of Christ and His things, but then the Lord comes in Himself. One divine Person being here, Another can come in, so we know that it is the Lord. How to distinguish the Lord from the Spirit is of course a matter of keen spiritual discernment enabling us to say, “it is the Lord”.
JFS Is it your thought that if we leave room for the Spirit and if conditions are there, He will give us the mind of God for the moment, in the company thus gathered?
JT He will give more than His mind; the Lord is there. The angel could speak to Gideon and convey the mind of Jehovah to him, but then the Lord, or Jehovah, looked on Gideon. It was more than an angel, the Lord was there.
Ques Is it “where two or three are gathered together unto my name, there am I in the midst of them”? (Matthew 18:20).
JT It is alluded to there, but that is hardly the saints in assembly. The assembly is spoken of earlier in Matthew 18 as a greater thought.
LDM When there is the apprehension of the Lord, is that the spiritual side of the assembly — Christ coming in as Head?
JT Yes, He comes in Himself, so that He says, “it is I myself. Handle me and see”, (Luke 24:39). Then the position is changing. But what ought to be noted is that the idea of the covenant is a very great one,
[p. 224] and whilst the Lord is taking His place as Head, He would give full scope for what we have here, — the love of God. The full bearing of the covenant in the assembly has the effect of setting the saints free; and I think scope should be given for that as we may discern it is the Lord, for He is the Mediator of the covenant; “the Lord is the Spirit”, (2 Corinthians 3:17). That is the Spirit which quickens, “not of letter, but of spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit quickens” (verse 6); and then, “the Lord is the Spirit, but where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty”. Thus the saints are enlarged; there is then more room for the working out of what the assembly is Godward.
JTS Does the expression, “the Lord the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18), become intelligible to us in the light of what you are saying as to the covenant?
JT It does; perhaps it has not been intelligible. The passage begins, “God ... has also made us competent, as ministers of the new covenant; not of letter, but of spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit quickens”. Then there is a long parenthesis which unfolds the superiority of the new covenant ministry as compared with the old, and the Spirit is brought into it. It is called, “the ministry of the Spirit” (verse 8), and it “abounds in glory” (verse 9), then, after the parenthesis, it says, “the Lord is the Spirit”.
JC Do you mean to say it is not exactly the Holy Spirit, though it could not be apart from Him, but the Spirit of the Lord Himself?
JT The parenthesis brings in the Spirit too; it is “the ministry of the Spirit”. In the New Translation that word is written with a capital, alluding to the Holy Spirit, showing how intimately divine Persons are linked together, and when it says, “the Lord is the Spirit” in that connection, you cannot shut out the Holy Spirit personally, but it is the Lord. This is not in assembly, but applying it to the assembly it will be seen that it is not yet the time for addressing the [p. 225] Father, but it is time to make room for the Lord, in the light that He is the Spirit. There is an intimate connection between the Lord and the Spirit, but the Lord is said to be the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. That makes room for proper assembly service Godward, and produces the liberty for such service.
ETS Yet that very liberty would enable us, if the Lord so led, to dwell longer on the covenant side of things.
JT I think so. The whole of 2 Corinthians 3 has to do with the ministry of the covenant, which really means that the Lord is making it effective in our hearts. The way in which He does that now, is obviously by the Spirit; He is not here personally. While He was here He spoke of the new covenant; but having gone away He now makes it effective in our hearts by the Spirit, and hence the interchangeableness of “the Spirit” for “the Lord”, and then also the reference to the Spirit Himself.
FWB Do I understand that as Lord here in 2 Corinthians 3 He ministers to our hearts the terms of that covenant, but that He does it by the Spirit?
JT Yes, and the term “the Lord” intimates that He is doing it authoritatively, which is necessary. Everyone of us would recognize the necessity for that, we being what we are with the flesh in us; but it is the authority exercised in liberty, for “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty”.
Rem “The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God”, (2 Thessalonians 3:5).
JT That is an allusion to it. The point is that He is effectuating the covenant, and if authority is brought in, it is to enforce it.
Rem The Spirit makes divine love a living present reality in the heart, not only as something that took effect nineteen hundred years ago.
JT Yes, and it is the Lord using His authority [p. 226] if necessary, but in relation to that end. It is not a question of the kingdom, but of effectuating the covenant, which follows the kingdom. It is not the kingdom, although He is Lord there, but it is a transition from the kingdom to the assembly. Authority is always necessary for teaching.
The cup is in view; it comes second in order of institution, but it comes first in relation to public position and conduct; that is to enforce our obligations to one another in connection with the death of Christ, according to 1 Corinthians 10.
JA I would like a word about John 14:18 where the Lord after having promised the Spirit says, “I am coming to you”.
JT That fits in with what we are saying. The Lord has a medium now, in the Spirit. That comes in after His saying, “I will beg the Father, and he will give you another Comforter” (verse 16). It is understandable that apart from the presence of the Holy Spirit here, there could be no coming, save in an angelic way as in the Old Testament.
AFG We are dependent on the Spirit for the effectuation of the covenant in our hearts?
JT We are dependent on the Spirit, with all the authority of the Lord; so that whilst the medium is the Spirit, yet the sense of authority is there, and that is the Lord.
LDM Does that involve subjection in order to make room for the Spirit in His operations?
JT We are made to feel the necessity for the authority, that the love of God may be made effective in our hearts.
ETS Will you say another word as to the Lord coming to us? It may be a mystical idea with some of us.
JT If another Comforter is here — (the word as we know is “Paraclete”, which means one beside us who would take up all our affairs), we can understand how “the Lord the Spirit” would make way for the [p. 227] Lord, for He is by us to serve us; that is the force of the word. If He is right by us, it is to serve us. He will do His best for us; and what greater service could there be than to make way for the Lord? He takes care of our affairs to that end; but then the Lord can come in through the Paraclete as the medium.
Rem Does that need perception? Gideon perceived he had seen an angel of the Lord, but he said, “Lord Jehovah” (Judges 6:22).
JT Yes; he discerned Jehovah was there, and he offered to Him.
EBG Would the thought of the love of God being shed abroad in our hearts, give some idea of the wonderful wealth available in connection with this line of thought, “shed abroad” indicating the lavish character of the operations?
JT Yes; it prepares the way; Romans is foundational in everything. How important it is for young christians to know the action of the Spirit in their own hearts, giving them to know that God loves them! In having that knowledge they have the principle that goes right through, and if the Spirit is making them to know that God loves them, He would have them to know that God desires to come into their hearts. The Spirit’s work also would produce conditions in their hearts for God to come in; and when the saints are together in assembly that would be His particular service. He effects true conditions collectively for the coming in of both the Son and the Father, because both come in, according to John 14:21,23.
LDM When you speak of God coming into our hearts, do you mean in assembly?
JT Normally, every christian has some sense that God loves him and will come to him. It is in the assembly that it is fully realized.
LDM Does the “love of God ... shed abroad in the heart”, involve the gift of the Spirit?
JT It does; and it is important to see that the Spirit would make full room for the covenant; not only what the Lord is to us in the bread, but what God is to us in the covenant; because the covenant is between God and us, not between the Lord and us. The service the Lord would render would be to make effective what God is to us. As gathered together we would be led to make room for that. In Mark 14:23 it is said that the Lord gave thanks for the cup, “and they all drank out of it”. Then the Lord speaks of certain things before they sing a hymn, and after He had spoken these things, they go to the mount of Olives. There is a difference in that respect in Mark’s account from all the others. The Lord and the disciples do not go to the mount of Olives immediately, but certain remarks on the covenant intervene, also the hymn. The passage reads, “And having taken the cup, when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank out of it”. That is what we had here this morning, the cup being large, so that many saints were able to drink out of it — one cup. “They all drank out of it”, not simply what was in it, but “out of it”. Then verses 24 and 25 read, “he said to them, This is my blood, that of the new covenant, that shed for many. Verily I say to you, I will no more drink at all of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God”.
That intervenes between the drinking, and the singing of the hymn. It has to do with the covenant; the Lord’s remarks have to do with that. Then it says, “having sung a hymn, they went out to the mount of Olives” (verse 26). I mention that because I think it helps us as to what immediately follows the drinking of the cup; we see that room is made for a further thought [p. 229] as to the covenant; there is thus the suggestion of affording room for it after the breaking of bread.
EBG Will you enlarge a little on the thought of the covenant? It has been alluded to several times: what is presented in the further thought which you mentioned?
JT It is remarkable how much is made of the covenant in Scripture. It is from the divine side; God engaging Himself to do certain things from His own side, and all for the good of those in regard of whom the covenant is made. You have the covenants made with Adam, Noah and Abraham; and then the great covenant with Israel to which they engaged themselves. In connection with that covenant you have the shining of the glory in the face of a man, that is, in the face of Moses. That is new to the thought; it has to do with the shining out of what God is. It is a question of what He is, and what He wishes you to know of Him. So that in the type the movement in Israel, which enters into the assembly now, from the standpoint of Exodus, is not the leading by the ark of the covenant, but by the glory — that is, by the cloud; and I believe that is where the saints need help, to see the shining out of what God is, in the cup, and that is where real movement begins in the assembly; the glory leads us. “We all, looking on the glory of the Lord with unveiled face, are transformed according to the same image from glory to glory”, 2 Corinthians 3:18.
It is the Lord viewed as effectuating the covenant; not yet the ark of the covenant, but the Lord as effectuating the covenant, making God known. That thought of the glory leading in the Old Testament, helps us as to the new covenant. Whilst “new” is in contrast to “old”, yet the old is a type of it; there is instruction in the old as to the new, which is not repeated. While the old is done away, as it says, the teaching in it is not done away; that [p. 230] must stand. There is nothing lost. So the new covenant is consummated, as it says in Hebrews 8:8, quoting from Jeremiah, “as regards the house of Israel, and as regards the house of Juda”, and it is on the basis of forgiveness: “their sins and their lawlessnesses I will never remember any more” (verse 12). They are out of the way, they do not stand in the way of my enjoying God; and He says that He will put His laws into their mind, and write them upon their hearts; it is teaching as to what God is. The saints will be intelligently and heartily subject. God’s law will be, as it were, part of them and so will characterize them.
EBG Was it in your mind that Mark 14:24,25 leaves room for that disclosure, as connected with the covenant and teaching, before reaching this point of singing a hymn and going to the mount of Olives?
JT Yes. The covenant is so important that in Hebrews 8:1,2 where we have it stated that “We have such a one high priest ... minister of the holy places and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord has pitched, and not man”, the writer opens out the thought of the covenant, continuing to speak of it up to the middle of chapter 10. That gives us an understanding of the importance of it, so that the saints might be set free as regards the sanctuary. It is possible that all are not so free about God in their souls, as may be thought. We may be doctrinally correct, but are we so free in our souls that God is attractive to us, that we have no fear, and so we draw near to Him?
JTS Would the effect of the covenant be to set us free with God in holy liberty? and would that lead on to “let us approach”?
JT That is the point. When the writer has established the thought of the Minister of the sanctuary, and of a great Priest over the house of God, he turns to the covenant in Hebrews 8 and [p. 231] pursues the subject to chapter 10:18. That shows how important it is. Then he says to us, “Let us draw near” (verse 22).
FI Would it take in in chapter 8 the more excellent ministry, because He is the Mediator of the better covenant?
JT Quite so; that shows the quality of the ministry we have. Why should we not be free with God? All His covenants have in mind that men should be free with Him.
JFS If that is not so does it mean that we are not in the full good of the gospel?
JT That is just what it does mean. Hebrews is a very elementary epistle because the saints were hesitating, tending to go back. The great space given to the covenant shows how much that is needed today, because we are living in similar days, and God would set us free so that He might be attractive to us. That is what comes in after the Supper, and the Holy Spirit would impress it upon our hearts, so that there would be no impediment to drawing near, and giving full scope for the Holy Spirit to enable us to worship the Father.
LDM Is that what you had in mind in speaking of the “precious things” in Deuteronomy 33? Being free from moral questions, we might go further.
JT I think an understanding of the place Joseph obtains in that chapter, would help us in drawing near to God; the “preciousness” is toward us (1 Peter 2:7).
Ques Speaking of Mark, would you say the hymn would be in relation to the covenant?
JT I think it is the outcome of it. “Having sung a hymn”; possibly one of the “Hallel” psalms, would mean that Jehovah would get a greater place with them than He had before. The Lord Himself would bring into the hearts of the disciples a thought of Jehovah that they never had before. They sang it,
and that “they went out” is to be noted. They were set free to do this.
Ques You mentioned that after the disciples had drunk out of the cup the Lord said something further to them. Had you in mind that we should be prepared for the Lord to speak to us thus, immediately after partaking of the elements?
JT Exactly. You can understand Peter saying, as one inquired of him as to the last passover: We had a blessed time. We had been with the Lord before, and He had assembled with us, but this was an unusual time. You can understand how all that the Lord was from Jehovah’s side would enter into that occasion; and they would be specially affected by it. They all drank out of one cup. Paul says, “we ... have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13). This keeps us together as satisfied. In the Lord’s supper we enter into that in a practical way.
FI Would you gather from Mark, that a word might precede the movement towards the point of ascension? The Lord spoke, then they sang a hymn, and went to the mount of Olives. The word precedes the ascending movement.
JT I think so; it is a transitional period, however short or long it may be, according to the state of the saints. That is why we should be spiritual and not rigid in the assembly; it depends on the state of the saints. If the Holy Spirit sees it necessary to dwell longer on the covenant, give Him scope; but after you have reached “Abba, Father” do not go back to the covenant. I do not mean the formal word, but the saying “Abba, Father” by the Spirit. If “Abba, Father” is said in spiritual power, then we have moved on. Do not go back to the covenant again, because the Holy Spirit has led us on; the Lord as Head through Him has led us [p. 233] on.
FI Would you link Romans 8:14 with this point of the mount of Olives?
JT I would. It is now a question of the sons of God. You do not get that in chapter 5, for there it is the shedding abroad of the love of God in our hearts. Here it is those led by the Spirit. If I am led by the Spirit, I say “Abba, Father”.
FWB Just a question about giving a word. While you would be open for this, you would not lay down a rule that there must be one, would you?
JT No; we must not get into ruts; the assembly is a place of spiritual intelligence, where the Holy Spirit is, and if He has His place He will not let us fall into ruts.
EBG What is set forth in the covenant is inexhaustible; fresh thoughts are constantly brought before us, so that in paying attention to what the Lord has to say to us we should be intelligent as to every movement in connection with it.
JT That is the way it stands: “as many as are led by the Spirit of God”. If a brother says, “Abba Father” or “Father” — if he speaks in power to the Father, that is where the Spirit has led. I want to be among the sons; if the Spirit is leading I am prepared to be led by Him; and I will not be diverted from that.
FAD Having reached the objective you do not go back to the means by which you arrived there.
JT Quite so. You are on a higher level. We are often brought down by a hymn to the Lord after the Spirit of adoption has said “Abba, Father”, and continue indefinite in consequence. The way we are diverted is at times very humbling.
It is because we are not intelligent as to the light that governs each position. If the Father is spoken to in the power of the Spirit, there is a lead; and the sons will come [p. 234] into evidence.
AHG Might there be a word in keeping with the ascending line?
JT Yes, if a spiritual person is present, he will seek to stem the diversion, and bring the saints on to the right line.
LDM Would Hebrews 8:2, “the true tabernacle, which the Lord has pitched”, have a bearing on what you are saying as to going on? I was thinking of the retrograde movement that sometimes marks us. The Lord would help us to go on, it is His matter. If there is subjection we should be helped.
JT Just so, and the ordering of the service in the type helps, too; the day of atonement, for instance; see how orderly it is, yet it is not arbitrary. Then under Solomon, when the ark is brought in, the order is right; at the end even the priests do not minister, as though God would say, I want the entire place wholly for Myself. Nothing can be greater than the thought that God should be all in all. If we are spiritual, we are able to anticipate that as in assembly: God all in all.
EBG What is the thought of going to the mount of Olives? You mentioned going on to the thought of God being all in all. Would that lie beyond the mount of Olives?
JT Yes it would; the mount of Olives is elevation by the Spirit.
JC If we are conscious that the Lord has led beyond the Supper, and the saints are addressing the Father, you would scarcely expect that the Lord would lead in giving a hymn to Himself.
JT No, the brother who does it is not intelligent as to the light governing the position.
JTS Is the elevation of which you speak in keeping with the Lord’s word “I ascend” (John 20:17)?
JT Yes. It was said derisively to Elisha, “Go up, bald head!” (2 Kings 2:23). The ascending line was, however, already there, it was the time of going [p. 235] up, the light that had come in was of a man (Elijah) going up.
ETS Is that why it says, “my Father and your Father”, and then, “my God and your God” (John 20:17)?
JT I think “the Father” suggests the family or most intimate side. God is the final thought; “that God may be all in all”.
ETS We were speaking earlier of the love of God as being connected with the covenant before the ascending, and I wondered as to “God” coming in again in the Lord’s message to His disciples.
JT We have to read the Scriptures contextually. Sometimes God is presented as the covenant God, which does not convey the thought of “from eternity to eternity”. The covenant is to set the hearts of God’s people free for Himself now. There is no need for that in eternity; there it is. God as the source of all, and the end of all — “of him, and through him, and for him are all things”, (Romans 11:36).
ETS One is relative to us and our conditions, but the other is absolute.
JT Yes, absolute in the sense of His being the source of everything, and the end of everything.
WF Is that the thought in Ephesians 1:3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”?
JT The Father is presented first in John 20:17 to bring in the family side of the relationship, which is the most intimate. “God” is a greater thought in one sense, because He is the end of everything: “of him, and through him, and for him are all things: to him be glory for ever. Amen”, (Romans 11:36). Everything must go back to God. The Lord coming out as the Mediator, would bring all back to God. He must be the end of everything.
FAD The psalmist could say, “God my exceeding joy” (Psalm 43:4), but he did not know Him as [p. 236] Father.
JT I think the Father coming first would prepare us for the great thought of God being the end of everything.
EM We speak a good deal about our being sons of God, but say very little about our being heirs of God. Could you help us as to that?
JT That is important, “heirs also: heirs of God”, (Romans 8:17). What a portion it is to be heirs of God! We come in for all that He is, as revealed. As sons of God, we are heirs. Read Galatians 4:4,7: “When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, come of woman, come under law, that he might redeem those under law, that we might receive sonship. But because ye are sons, God has sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. So thou art no longer bondman, but son; but if son, heir also through God”.
The heir is connected with the son there. It is a very great thought. The point of it is to take the Galatian saints, and ourselves, out of a legal setting and bring us all into the relationship of sons, heirs of God, which is an immense thought. Heirs of all that has come out from and of God. Of course, Christ is the Heir. As we read, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him”, (Matthew 21:38). We are heirs of God with Christ. All that God is in revelation is involved in the inheritance. The thought of heirship is of the utmost importance, as it is so immense in its bearing. The children and sons are heirs. If I am a son, then it is obvious that I am an heir; “if son, heir also”.
LDM Would the thought of children in Romans involve a new generation, freeing us from the world system?
JT Yes. “The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God”, (Romans 8:16).
Ques Would heirship have to do with the heading up of all things in Christ, things in heaven and things [p. 237] on earth, even in Him in whom we have obtained an inheritance?
JT Yes, the assembly shares all with Christ. It is all very wonderful, and liberating, too! How we are rendered independent! What can be greater than being an heir of God!
WF In Hebrews 1:1,2 it says, “God ... has spoken to us in the person of the Son, whom he has established heir of all things”.
JT Yes. Of course there is a fulness in His heirship peculiar to itself.
WF “The called” are said to receive “the promise of the eternal inheritance”, (Hebrews 9:15).
JT How important it is to let the Holy Spirit have full scope in the assembly to lead us consciously into all this! We move on gladly and freely, as led by the Spirit. Those led by the Spirit are sons of God characteristically.