“The Lord’s Death”.
The Lord’s death must be regarded as the basis and test of everything for a Christian. The reason of this is evident, since on the ground of this, and in the value of it, God will construct the new heaven and the new earth. From this central point, the Lord’s death, everything now must take up its position and value. It is God’s new beginning man-ward. It is the closing up of the old history of man God-ward and the opening of the new. Death has closed Christ’s path as a Man on earth, and, since He lives, by death He has entered upon the new. “Thou wilt show me the path of life”, Ps 16.
This is before us in the Lord’s supper. Death, His death, is expressed in the separation of the bread and wine there. His body and His blood are before us in these emblems, and as often as we partake of them we do show “the Lord’s death till he come”. He is present, in the power of an endless life, when we do it.
All the saints are in the value of the Lord’s death before God. Hence all, in any given locality, are found together to partake of the Lord’s supper. All the saints are there, and for one to be absent who might be there is as much as to say that he is outside the value of the death of Christ before God. It is the coming together in assembly on earth, of all to whom the Lord’s death has given life.
Around the fact of the Lord’s death I have no doubt that everything on earth of mine should take up its position and value. It is God’s fixed point, not only for time, but also for eternity, and is, therefore, of immense value to us who are moving amid these shifting scenes and circumstances of time. Unless you get a fixed point to start a circle from, nothing is fixed, and I have no doubt that in the death of Christ God has given to the saints this fixed point. “In the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing as slain”, Rev 5: 6 NT. Here we see this fixed centre where God is about to bring everything into subjection both with regard to the earth, to heaven, and to infernal things. “Jesus died”. And around this wondrous fact it is becoming that every voice, save that of the Spirit, should be hushed. Who could indeed lead any soul into all the deep moral significance, as God views it, of the wonderful scene presented to us in the Lord’s death? Who else could unfold to us its necessity—the love expressed in it and its present and future results?
The not seeing that the Lord’s death is God’s new beginning, to which everything around us must bow, was just (as I should judge) where the Corinthians failed, and hence the precious provision of the Lord for us in this chapter. We are men of like passions and susceptibilities with them, and what they were exposed to, saints are also exposed to today. Through their failure, light and instruction were ministered to them by the Spirit through the apostle, nor is there any other light for anyone today. The things in this world were not at Corinth grouped around the fact of “the Lord’s death”, as God’s new centre for them on the earth, and are they for each and all of us?
Is there not too often, when we come together to partake of the Lord’s supper, an effort to remember a mere historical fact which we forget too often in the week rather than a sense (as ministered by the Spirit) of the deep moral significance God-ward of the death of Christ and how that would and does daily affect us? Not one of my relations here (if its meaning is seen) could be taken up without reference to that death. To do so, would be to ignore the greatest event that time or eternity could ever furnish, for there is no event in either like that. Hence, as I understand it, the Holy Spirit is insisting anew upon the abiding import and meaning of “the Lord’s death”, which is shown out in “the Lord’s supper”. And not some but all the saints are called upon to examine themselves with regard to it. Everything must be in consistency with it, and I have to examine myself that this is so with me, and you have to examine yourself that it is so with you—“and so let him eat”. All have to be exercised, and not some. “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation [judgment] to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body”. The last words show why and when. God has given to the saints on earth the knowledge that “the Lord’s death” is where He will begin afresh with men. Although the Corinthians came together no doubt regularly to the Lord’s supper, they had lost the first thought connected with Christ’s death, namely, the termination therein of all their old history and associations. And where souls have lost this, they are in no condition to be led into the sense of the new. There is nothing for the soul to rest in where there is not the entering by the Spirit into the truth of Christ’s present place as out of judgment and in all the favour of God—the new place and its associations, which now belong to His company. I think that this is taught in John 20: 19, “The doors were shut where the disciples were” (“assembled” is not in the text, for locality is not the point here). That is, they were on new ground and in new associations, and the door was closed on the old, though they had still to learn all this. The Lord joins their feeble company in order to instruct them in it, as He does also now join us and by His Spirit lead us into it. He “breathed on them” that they by the Spirit might have the ability to enter into all that was conveyed in their new relationship involved in “as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you”.
The door is closed on old associations. Christ’s death is between me and them. This is what I learn in it, and if I have not learned this, I am not prepared for more. Effort to remember at the Lord’s supper the mere historical fact of Christ’s death, shows where the soul is as to it. Such a soul gets little good by coming thus to the Supper, because having lost the past, and conscious of the loss, it is not being formed in the truth of what abides through that death. This may be seen in the fact that saints sometimes leave the Lord’s supper with depressed and disappointed hearts, and they speak of the people, or of the subject of the meeting, rather than of Him—the Lord—whom they have been privileged to meet, with whom, too, as to all that is vital and lasting, they are eternally associated. “As he is, so are we in this world”, 1 John 4: 17. And “he is” in all the favour of God and Head of the “new creation”, of which creation the believer is, through grace!
I should add that the Lord’s supper is God’s provision for the saints, and not as some have thought a testimony to the world. It is a continual memorial for us week by week of His love to us, the greatness of which was expressed in His giving up His beloved Son. This love can never change toward us. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”, Rom 8: 32.
The “all things” here referred to indicate to me the spiritual blessings which I get in association with the Son; the Lord’s things. They form the second part of what is involved in the Lord’s death, namely, what I am brought into. The Lord is there to unfold this (“There am I in the midst”), and the Spirit is in the saints in order that they may enter into it. Who could tarry for one moment in the company of our Lord at such an unfolding as this, and yet remain unaffected by it? I believe not one who has ever been there but would feel like Peter, a desire that it might be permanent. “Lord, it is good for us to be here”, Matt 17: 4. The Son reveals the Father (“my Father and your Father”), as He Himself knows Him, and He takes us up as in that relationship, even now. “No man knoweth the Father; save the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him”, Matt 11: 27. In the midst of the assembly will I sing praise unto Thee.
May the Lord condescend to use this to impress writer and reader afresh with the immensity of those interests which belong to “the Lord’s death”, and may He use these feeble remarks on the subject to this end for His Name’s sake.
From Words of Encouragement—vol 3, 1897
The Lord Helps You When You Start
There is no real faith until you start. Look at Abraham. Many remain weak from not exercising their limbs. God intends that you should walk. The new life is in the power of the Spirit, but the believer may remain for a long time very weak. There is the desire to launch out and to live in deed. It is too often almost extinguished by fear!
Men are afraid of men. We should not walk as men. I know that it is not worldly men that you fear. It is Christian men and their opinions. You think that they can do so much better than you, and so you do nothing. Is this the way to get strong? I know that you want to feel strong before you start. I don’t think that you will or that it is God’s way that you should. It would be to me the sure indication that I was leaning on myself. But “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm”, Jer 17: 5. What I desire to feel is the wish to step out. This, I believe, every one must get, and this comes from God. But that is for the moment all that He gives to any one. No babe ever felt the ability to walk before he started. What he felt was the desire and the inclination. So he started, and that is the moment when God comes in again. Those who look on may say, ‘Ah, he makes a very poor hand at it’. Very likely. But do not be discouraged. There is Another looking on, and He does not say so. All His children were pretty much alike when they stepped off. He knows this, and He never discouraged one of them. Fancy an earthly parent discouraging the toddling babe! Ah, we want to know God better. “To him that hath no might he increaseth strength” (Isa 40: 29 NT), but we must be found in the state and the way to need it.
I say then, whatever He gives the desire for, we must step out in faith if we expect to grow in real divine strength. Is it in the prayer meeting, in the reading meeting, in preaching, however feebly, that we get man and not God before us? It is all poor work, and no wonder there are feeble knees. Step out, and He will support you. Never mind being despised by man. Seek His commendation, and not great things, but just one step at a time.
From Words of Encouragement—vol 3, 1897