SHARING
D. Robertson
1 Peter 3: 4–7; Proverbs 22: 17–21
The main thought that one has on one’s heart at this time, dear brethren, is to say a word about the great matter of sharing. I believe it is an important principle in Christianity that we learn how to share things. It is an important thing in the Christian household that exercises regarding the testimony and the assembly are shared. It is not something that is very common these days in the world. The idea of marriage in the world is a rather independent kind of thing. But it is not that way in God’s mind. It is very fine to think of how God has shared things with us, particularly His Spirit. We were reminded of that during the week in the ministry meeting—God has given to us of His Spirit (see 1 John 4: 13); not only given His Spirit, but given to us of His Spirit. How wonderful that God, in that sense, should share the Holy Spirit with us!
The Lord Jesus Himself is with us today in a secret and hidden way, but in public and coming glory He will share His glory with the assembly; the assembly is said to be “the fulness of him who fills all in all”, Ephesians 1: 23. She is His complement. We had some impression in prayer about the glory of the matter of Christ and the assembly. It is fine to think of the assembly’s competency to be alongside of Christ, and to share things with Christ, and He so regards the assembly that He will share glory with it.
Now this great matter comes down to us, dear brethren, to our localities, and to our households, that we might share divine things and draw on them together. I believe that when we share divine things we grow in them together, and that is good. I have felt (and no doubt many of my own age, and older ones who have gone through exercises, have also) that the poorest time in a household is the time when you have missed out in sharing in the matter of prayer. I would like to commend to Paul and Olive that they learn to share everything in prayer. That is a secret, and a real one. You would think that Peter was going to say something very exalted after he speaks of being fellow-heirs of the grace of life, but he says something wonderfully simple—“that your prayers be not hindered”. I think that is something worth bearing in mind, and worth bearing in mind daily in our households, that there is one thing that we cannot afford to give up, and that is praying together, sharing in the matter of prayer. I would like to say that simply to all of us, and our dear young brother and sister, that they begin that way and continue in it, sharing in prayer. I do not know anything more critical in the present time than the need for households to be united in prayer for the testimony.
So Peter speaks of being “fellow-heirs of the grace of life”; it is something that is needed for life; it is needed every day, the divine supply and resource of grace, and, thank God, it is available, we may say readily available. It is something we can enjoy together, the divine power and the grace that enable us to live here for Christ and for the assembly. It is a great privilege. I would appeal to the hearts of the brethren, for it is not every Christian who has the privilege of living for Christ and the assembly. Some Christians have not the light as to Christ and the assembly, so we are in a privileged position as having through mercy been given it.
We need therefore to see that daily in our lives we are faithful and true to such a great matter.
There is a secret side in it too which I want to touch. I believe sharing involves secrets, and there is a wonderful secret here that applies to the women—and indeed to all of us—and that is that we have a “hidden man of the heart”. This book, dear brethren, deals with the government of God and necessarily brings up the matter of subjection to God and subjection to institutions set up by God. There is no blessing without subjection, and I think subject persons always have a secret. It is not the man of the world, the man of ambition, the man of pride, but it is “the hidden man of the heart”; it is Christ. Think of Sarah. What was going to sustain her? What was the light that dawned in her heart at a certain point in her dealings with God? She was given the secret of another man altogether. Isaac was like that; he was like the hidden man of the heart. And Christ is to be in our affections in that way, and we therefore can share with each other in the appreciation of Christ treasured inwardly.
I read in Proverbs to confirm the matter of the secret and how it is kept. It says, “For it is a pleasant thing to keep them within thee”—to keep them within thee. So many Christians today are adrift. Many are occupied with the problems of the breakdown; households which once were anchored to the testimony are adrift from it; they have missed the mark. Oh that we might have a secret that keeps us right for the testimony, and that that secret might be held in living, inward affection and bound up with our Lord Jesus Christ—and more, to have the precious secret and understanding of the preciousness of the assembly to Christ.
We are in the days of Philadelphia and Laodicea and the burning question is this—Is there a place in every locality, in every household, for Christ? Is there a heart for Christ? It is not so much, Is there a great big store of knowledge in your mind, but Philadelphia and Laodicea raise the challenge with all of us—Is there a heart for Christ? Is Christ yours? In the tenor of what is said here, are the things of Christ precious to us?
“For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee—they shall be together fitted on thy lips ... I have made them known to thee this day, even to thee. Have not I written to thee excellent things, in counsels and knowledge ...?” Oh to be more filled with the knowledge of Christ and His preciousness and glory, and to have Christ formed subjectively in us, the hidden Man of the heart, having the knowledge that there is something here on earth that is pleasurable for His heart.
Well, may there be more heart for Christ, and may our young brother and sister be encouraged to be among those who have a heart for Him, because there is not very much of it about. There is not very much because we are living in a day when the love of the most has grown cold (see Matthew 24: 12). May we not be among the most, dear brethren. May we be among the few who have a heart for Christ, for His name’s sake.