SPIRITUAL MATERIAL

E.M.Walkinshaw

Acts 3: 4-9; 1 Corinthians 15: 46-50; Galatians 4: 8-1

These passages impressed me, dear brethren, I think consequent upon what our brother has already said, because I feel sure that in a day when most people are seeking material advantage God would direct our thoughts to what is spiritual and eternal. The world is rapidly pursuing what is material and the persons in it aiming for some place; but as has already been said, in that there is nothing for God. As the world has gone on I believe what is material has gradually laid hold of the minds of men, and alas it has laid hold of the minds of many believers, and none of us could claim to be exempt from the possibility of having what is material as an objective. So the Spirit of God, I believe, would direct our attention to what is spiritual and substantial; the most precious thing that any of us possesses is the knowledge of God and that alone will go through. Each of us, dear brethren, is growing older day by day, we have often been told that we are growing older at the same rate although some are older than others, but as we grow old I think the Spirit of God would impress upon us the necessity of redeeming the time because the days are evil - not necessarily evil in the sense in which men think of it, although that would be included, but I believe evil in the sense that there is a turning away from God - men are lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God: lovers, as we have already said, of what is material. And how many materialists you meet day by day, so that what is spiritual is gradually receding in so far as this world is concerned.

Now I read from the first passage because, as with Stephen, we find a wonderful example of a man that had spiritual substance. It has been rightly said that we are not told what Stephen had; I have no doubt at all that he had sufficient, for as Jesus said, your Father knows that ye have need of these things whatever they may be. What Stephen had we are not told, but Peter says "Silver and gold I have not". He was a fisherman, and again I suppose we could say that the Father cared for him. Be not anxious, the Lord says, about tomorrow, be not anxious about what you will eat or what you will put on. I do not think these men were unduly careful about it; at the same time they would not be careless, Scripture never justifies that. But Peter says "Silver and gold I have not": I do not think there is anybody here that could say that. In God's ways we are very well provided for and so are men generally, and men generally are indulging in the mercies which God has provided and failing to recognise the One who has provided them. I suppose God is speaking to men in this drought, and I suppose many true believers are calling upon God that it might end for the sake of mankind. You wonder what the conditions will be when there is nobody here that is praying, when I say here I mean in the world, when the saints have gone; but at the present moment there are those who are praying and I am sure God's hand is over all. But in the catastrophes, the earthquakes, the floods, the famines, the droughts, God is speaking very loudly to mankind. Now whatever comes of that character we can rest assured, those of us that love Christ, that He would point us to what is spiritual. So that while Peter had not silver and gold he had something, and one thing he had was power. If there is one thing we need above another it is power, dear brethren, and power to be vessels for the bringing In of light and blessing. I am not suggesting that we can do to a person physically what Peter did, that is not of course given to us; it was given to him but it is not given to us; but I think the suggestion is that in the name of Jesus Christ Peter had something that was worth more than all the silver and gold. It belongs to God anyway - the silver and the gold and the cattle upon a thousand hills, God says, are all Mine. One old brother once said, many years ago, My very wealthy Father owns all the silver and the gold and all the cattle, but he only gives me a little at the time because he loves to see my face and hear my voice every morning and evening; if He gave me too much I might well forget Him. That is what has happened in the world. Peter was not like that, but he had the power to communicate to this man something that enabled him to rise up, and not only to rise up but to walk and to leap and to praise God.

Now in the next passage it says "But that which is spiritual was not first, but that which is natural". That means of course that we would give place to what is natural; but sometimes we use this scripture as a justification for putting the natural first, that is morally, or giving it the pre-eminence in our minds and lives, but the force of the passage I think is this, while that which is natural is first what is spiritual is to take precedence over what is natural. That is what the apostle is teaching I think, so that our minds, our thoughts, dear brethren, are to be directed to what is spiritual and eternal, durable wealth and riches that last. Oh that the Holy Spirit of God would give each of us an impression that very shortly we shall enter upon our eternal portion and leave behind everything material which in itself will eventually be burnt up.

Then simply the apostle says in Galatians "how do ye turn again to the weak and beggarly principles to which ye desire to be again anew in bondage?" You notice just before this he has spoken about sonship: "God has sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba Father", (v 6). If you are a son then you are an heir. Which are you in the gain of? That you are a son and an heir nobody will question, but do you act like a son and heir or like a beggar? - "the weak and beggarly principles to which ye desire to be again anew in bondage?" What was that, dear brethren? In some form or another it was what was material they were being turned aside to, a material system. How easily that happens to us, governed by sight, that is by seen things and not by faith. Now this spiritual substance and what is eternal is available to all of us to go in for. May the Lord help us to set our minds towards what is spiritual and eternal. I know we are all tested, every one of us, because the love of silver and gold rests in the heart of every person, the love of money is somewhere in the heart of every person in a lesser or greater degree. The Lord would help us to judge it in the light of what is spiritual and eternal and thus we shall become more like these men at the beginning of the dispensation, marked by spiritual power and benefit to those with whom we come into contact. May the Lord greatly help and encourage us, dear brethren, to go in for what is lasting, what is durable: truly that is wisdom, and to turn in any other direction is utter folly. May the Lord help us to do what is right and pursue these things for His glory.

GILLINGHAM

24 August 1976