COMMITTAL

L.A.Barlow

John 3: 35, 36; Genesis 24: 2-4; John 19: 25-27.

I wish to say a few words as to what is committed. The basis for committal is love, so I read this first scripture to encourage and strengthen our hearts that "the Father loves the Son, and has given all things (to be) in his hand". That is the divine assurance and certainty that everything will eventually be secured for the glory and pleasure of God. Our hearts need to be encouraged that, whatever may appear to be the position, the Father loves the Son and that is His settled disposition in relation to the Son and He has therefore committed all things to be in His hand. There are no safer hands, beloved! There is not the possibility of any diversion or of God having to adjust His ways, for the very fact that things have been placed in the hands of the Son is the guarantee that everything will be brought through to glorious fruition. How stabilising it is in the day in which we live to know that divine things are certain and sure because they are committed into the hands of the Man who has never failed. Oh, that we might be increasingly strengthened to go on as engaged with this glorious Person! Not only to be engaged with what He has done, but with who He is, which is the glory of this section of scripture. The obedience called for, as the note says, is not simply by way of subjection to His commands, but to the Person himself. There is no one like Him who is loved of the Father and who is going to bring all through in all its detail to perfection. How wonderful it is that everything done by Him will be absolutely fair and just. Even judgment has been committed into His hands as Son of man - a real man - and that is the wonder of it. Such matters could not be in better hands; they are those of One who has been down here in the scene of testimony amidst trials and difficulties, having been "tempted in all things :in like manner, sin apart". (Hebrews 4: 15). All is a matter of love and may our hearts revolve more in relation to God's centre - a Man in whom He has established every thing for His own glory and praise.

What immediately follows this section of scripture is the way in which Jesus made known to a woman - a woman with a history - the thoughts of divine love and the answer that God was seeking. Now I think that the activities of this blessed Person at the present moment are peculiarly set in that direction, that is, for the securing of persons who can worship God tin spirit and truth. In the day to come He will adjust everything, put everything in its place, maintain everything and establish everything. What He is doing now is seeking something for the heart of the Father in persons who can worship in spirit and truth. May we come increasingly under His regulation and control and be influenced by Him in the way He would lead us. One great need constantly is that, in the power of the Spirit, we should reach in our minds and thoughts over to the divine side. I think the tendency so often is to be unduly occupied and engaged with our side which, alas, may bring in depression. Not that we are to be unmindful of failure, but we need help to feel things rightly. One of the things we are made to feel in the presence of this glorious Person is in any little service you may render how clumsily you do it. How consoling it is to think of the perfection of His service, the gentleness, the attractiveness and the wisdom that marks Him in His approach to this woman. What He has in His mind and heart is to secure such a person as she, as one who can worship God, in spirit and truth.

I have often thought, beloved, that if we had written John's gospel we might have written it quite differently. Some would have written a book on this woman's history. The tendency so often is to dwell on the history of our failure or, maybe, that of others and, perhaps to talk about it. But divine love would, as it were, show to our hearts that in the wonder of the work of Christ, the cross of Calvary, God has closed up histories in order to make way in our affections for the glorious Man into whose hands He has committed all things. This is the line on which He is working. I have not a shadow of doubt that what divine love is doing at the present moment is working in spite of the history and even because of the history. If we reflect on our histories it should cause and teach us to love the Lord Jesus better. It is the result of reviewing history in the presence of God that you do not tell persons how much better you would do if you had your time over again: but you come to this, that God turns it all to increase our knowledge of the glory of the Man into whose hands He has placed all things. May we be encouraged that all our matters are in His hands! Wisdom on our side is in simply being subject to Him.

God would bring us to His own side of things as we are subject to Him in the blessedness of His person. What glory shines there for, whatever God needs, whatever He looks for, is found in Him. He is surely God's salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth and our present salvation is in occupation and engagement with Him and what He is doing. It is in His mind to secure persons like you and me as those who can worship God in spirit and truth. Who else could accomplish that? Only He could make it possible that even now in the very scene where we have dishonoured God and His testimony, we should be secured in relation to God's own thoughts that He should have - not just worship - but persons who are worshippers. How does He bring it about? It is by engaging our hearts in the power of the Spirit with the greatness, glory and blessedness of Himself where He now is. There is nothing that has been left out of His hands. I think that the touch we had recently in London has remained - that in all circumstances that have arisen all things have been in the hands of the Lord. That would maintain our hearts in stability and I repeat that our wisdom is to come increasingly under His control and regulation, because it says that, "He that is not subject to the Son shall not see life". John 3: 36. All this has a very real and practical bearing on our lives here but it is essential if we are to enjoy life fully.

As to the scriptures read from Genesis, beloved, I turned to this to speak of the committal of the Spirit. That too is a most encouraging thing to think of because He has been here all the time since Pentecost. He has never been diverted from what is in His mind; He has never been turned aside from His intention to secure a glorious answer to that living Man, and assuredly He will secure it. The Revelation confirms to us that the Spirit and the bride say 'Come'. There will be at the close of this dispensation that which answers in a vital and living way to what the assembly really is. Why so - because of you and me? No - because of the presence and power of the Spirit of God down here in this scene and His committal to Christ. It is a love matter and the servant as he finishes his journey in this chapter says, "That is my master!" Surely this is typical of the affection of the Spirit for Christ. Oh, that our hearts might be lifted up into the realm where divine Persons work for the satisfaction of Their own affections - the One for the Other! I believe that what the Spirit is set on, is that there might be even now a living answer in formation to the affections of Christ. What this chapter shows is that Isaac is comforted after his mother's death. That means that, whilst the Lord waits for His full portion, there is that provided which gives comfort to Him at the present time.

The first thing the servant asks for is a sip. How essential it is to realise and be sustained in the recognition of the glorious personality, if one may so speak reverently, of the Spirit of God! Worthy of our homage, worthy of our worship, He is God in the glory and majesty of His person and His very presence calls forth from those who know Him the adoring response of their hearts. We are told that the servant was seeking room: the Spirit requires room in order to operate - may we know what it is to provide Him with it in our hearts. What He looks for, too, is committal so that we should not be delayed by natural things. I say that simply, because I believe that one of the tests of the present moment is whether we are concerned about going in for what is spiritual, or whether we are going to be detained by what is natural. We should not put off what is spiritual for a day to come, but should be assured through grace now of the blessedness of what is going to be our eternal portion in association with that glorious Man. We did nothing in relation to it; the precious blood secured it for us, our title to it being in the purposes of God which existed before we ever did. How wonderfully stabilising that is! But the question is, are we prepared to find an entrance into them at the present time? I think that the Spirit of God is looking for persons who are committed in relation to Himself in view of what He would lead them into - a present living answer to the Lord Jesus. How worthy He is of it! Surely every true heart would admit that, and the Spirit is here at the present time in view of that comfort for the heart of Christ.

Finally, I read from John's gospel because I think this gives the secret from our side, as to whether we are ready to stand by the cross of Jesus. That can mean a lot of things but what is in mind is whether we are prepared to identify ourselves fully with a Man who has been rejected here. John shows persons in nearness to the cross. The other gospels show the need that there is on our side to stand afar off. The immensity and intensity of what was transacted at the cross must ever cause us to stand afar off. It is something that our hearts can never penetrate into and could never fully understand, yet, as engaged with it, every true heart knows that it had a personal part in it. If there is one thing that is needed more than anything else it is that the glory of the gospel should sink right down into our hearts - the glory of a love that was expressed for each and every one of us personally. I believe that the result of appreciating this is that there would be a preparedness to stand at the present time near to the cross of Jesus. Those whom John brings before our gaze are mainly women, although he brings himself there as he loves to do, because it leaves room for any one of us to occupy the position where he is. He would have each one of us to know what it is to be the disciple whom Jesus loved - not just the person whom Jesus loved for, if one may so say, there is a qualification about it. It is the disciple whom Jesus loved and that is a person, as is seen later on in the gospel, who is following Jesus as committed to Him. I do not think we really come to appreciate and know the love of Jesus until we are in some measure committed to following Him and it is then that we find that His love is much greater than we ever thought it was. So John is there by the cross. What divine love is looking for as the fruit and result of its own activity in substantial reality.

It is in this very region, standing by the cross of Jesus, that the Lord commits to someone whom He loves, that which He loves. I believe that is the present position, that the Lord is committing what He loves to persons who know His love. What the local assembly is in this respect ought to have an increasing place in our hearts. The truth is not to be just something in the air or something that I just conform to by way of doctrine, but there is to be a concrete expression of what it is in the place where I am set. What the Lord Jesus commits to John in that sense is, I believe, the local assembly as it appears in a character which, you might say, is defenceless. I am just applying it, I trust not wrongly, in relation to the mother of Jesus - she was someone who was going to be left in this scene bereft of any support outwardly. Surely that is the true position of the local assembly in any place. Now, beloved, are you and I prepared to give that a real place in our hearts - that is the current test. Is it to find a place in our affections; are we prepared to care for the interests of Christ in the places where we are set? Maybe you would do much better in some other place; possibly it would be much easier; but I think the test is whether you value the thought of the assembly in the place where you are so that you give it a place in your own home. You may say that you love Christ: the proof of it is in your love for the local assembly. I have no doubt about it. That is, you are prepared to take on responsibility in relation to it, as the Lord says, "Behold thy son … Behold thy mother". What the local assembly is to Christ as down here in the sphere of responsibility becomes our own responsibility. I think that Mr Raven said that John did not have a commission, so that helps us all, does it not? Maybe there is someone here who has a commission, but it is open to us all to care for the local assembly in the place where we find ourselves. That is a committal to which each and every one of us can be devoted, what is precious to the heart of Christ down here.

It is at the same place that another woman comes to light - Mary of Magdala. Possibly we might have written a book on her history as well but John does not! What John has in mind is not recording history for history's sake, but for what is secured in affection for the one blessed and glorious Man. The only value of any history must be in result that Christ becomes greater in our affections, as with this woman. Hence, as she moves into the next chapter, she has entrusted to her the greatest and most blessed message ever granted to a creature to convey. Beloved, the enjoyment of divine things in all their blessedness at the present time stands related to the sphere of responsibility the focal point of which is the cross of Christ. Whilst we are left down here I think it is right to say that we must never dissociate the sphere of responsibility from our enjoyment of the scene of privilege above. In the grace of God we are taken far above whatever is connected with our responsibility, which we all would readily admit could not be otherwise. However, I believe that the measure in which in power we enter into the enjoyment of what the assembly really is to Christ stands related to the measure in which we are committed to Him in that character down here. May He help us, beloved, for the day calls for our wholehearted committal to these things. It is a simple question of where our life is. Is it in our business, our homes, or have we some sense that our true life is hid with the Christ in God. It is in relation to an order of things which belongs to another scene, but nevertheless is to find expression in the places where we are. May God just help us to be committed increasingly so that we might now know the gain and joy of what the assembly's part is with Christ in the realm which He fills!

MAIDSTONE

13 January 1973