THE SAINTS HERE FOR GOD'S PLEASURE
THE SAINTS HERE FOR GOD’S PLEASURE
Colossians 2: 13; Colossians 3: 17
We get a great result reached in this chapter (2), the practice in which the saints are to be down here, under the eye of God, that which is entirely for His pleasure. It was the case when Christ was here personally, God’s eye rested on one spot with the greatest, most infinite satisfaction and pleasure, at every moment of His pathway, and in everything He did there was infinite satisfaction to His Father. The Lord Jesus could say, “The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him”. The earth was adorned when God made Paradise, but how much more when He was here on whom the eye of God could rest with unmingled satisfaction; the earth was adorned in the eye of God with the presence of Christ. In chapter 3 the thought is continued, that is, the new man here still under the eye of God. It affords unalloyed satisfaction to God. I connect it in my own mind with John 17, only that that takes the other side of it. (See verse 21.) “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me”. That refers to the present, because the object and point of it is that the world might see; what the world was to see was the unity of the saints. The source and spring of that unity they could not understand. This comes out in Colossians, Christ is all and in all. They are looked at as one in Christ. That is the supposition; what the exhortation leads to, is that the saints are walking here in relation to one another in the grace of Christ, and that as one whole. Under the eye of God they present the beauty and the fragrance of Christ. The world does not appreciate the fragrance, the fragrance is for God, but the unity which is the result is for the world to see. In John 17 it results in testimony to the world — “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me”. “One in us” (that is, in the divine nature) “that the world may see”, that is, that the testimony may be to the world. See how much is lost in testimony to the world through the brokenness of the saints, because they are not walking together in the grace of Christ, and the unity of the divine nature, and yielding fragrance to God. There is so little testimony to the world. But God in the long run is not going to be thwarted, and the world will see the testimony, because it is to be perfected in the glory. But it is very poor now, and it is not mended by evangelical alliances. The way to be right is to go back to first principles.
What we have to look to first is the fragrance for God; that is the end to begin at. People think so much about presenting a good front to the world, but that is the wrong end to begin at. The point is to be acceptable to God. See what the saints are before God. “Elect of God, holy and beloved” — that is what Christ Himself was, and it is what they are before God, and they are all to be marked by the grace of Christ. If you read down you see what they are to put on. “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering”; that is, that they might be fragrant to God by the beauty of Christ being expressed by them to one another, and the result would be testimony, for the unity would be expressed in their ways. I have no confidence in anything that man can do to effect unity. I do not believe in the character of anything except what God does; God only can work, and I am more and more convinced of this, that no effort of man can bring in divine unity.
I want to shew what the teaching leads up to. Doctrine is to result in practice. Chapters 1 and 2 present doctrine. In chapter 3 we come to practice. I want first to speak about the doctrine and the positive work of God in the [p. 423] saints — the practical bearing of it. Here it passes on to practice. It becomes first practical and then practice. The apprehension of the christian standing and the work of God in us becomes practical to us, and then it results in practice. Every true christian is dead and risen with Christ. We all have to learn this. Once I thought I was a better man for this world, and safe for the next world, and I suppose a large proportion of christians have that idea of christianity. But christianity and the true power of it connects itself with being dead and risen with Christ. It is not a question of attainment, but it has to be realised. I have done with the world, and I am risen with Christ. If dead to the world I am dead morally, religiously and intellectually. That is putting off of the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ — I am accepted with God. I am risen, associated with Christ, and in touch with heaven. That is not attainment, but I should insist as much as any one that it is a matter of realisation. If we are risen with Christ, it has to be realised, I do not weaken that, but it is true of us as before God. The truth of God is the truth of God and the standing of the christian is the standing of the christian whether realised or not. Considering what the world is, it is not possible that God could have to say to us at all on any other ground save as dead and risen. It is as risen with Christ that God has to say to us. He has shewn us that the present line of His actings is on resurrection ground, so it says, “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead”.
In Romans 4 we are justified on that ground, on the ground of faith in resurrection. It says, “But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead”. God has shewn His acceptance of Christ by raising Him from the dead. In the eye of God who raised Christ from the dead we are accounted righteous. That is the doctrine of Romans 4. Here (Colossians) we get the further truth — [p. 424] that we are risen together with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead. (Chapter 2: 12.) Every christian believes in God who raised Jesus from the dead. Resurrection is the real test of faith, we get no certainty until we believe in the resurrection; the work of Christ would be of no value to us without His resurrection. That we get in 1 Corinthians 15. The penalty of death could not be gone if Christ had not been raised. In Romans 4 and 5 there is no penalty on the believer, but here (Colossians 3) we get more, something further — (1) Our persons are accepted. (2) In the eye of God you are in association with Christ, and (3) you are in touch with heaven. These three things convey the idea of being risen together with Christ. Just as Christ was raised from the dead and God has accepted Him, so we are risen with Him and accepted in the Beloved. The more we see that we are risen with Christ the more our eyes are heavenward; the eye of the believer is that way, just waiting to go in. “Our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ”. We are looking heavenward. Our eyes are in that direction whither the Forerunner is for us entered. We are in touch with heaven; in the eye of God we are in association with the One who is in heaven.
Now I want to speak a little of the work of God in us — the positive work of God in the believer. See verses 13, 14, 15. There is an expression used here which takes us back to Abraham (Abraham is the father of us all). It is “quickened”. In Romans 4: 17 it is said of Abraham that he believed in God who quickeneth the dead, in the God who makes alive the dead. Here we have the work of God in the believer — a positive work of God which makes him fit for heaven. That is the force of the expression, “quickened together with him”. When Christ was raised from the dead He was the same Person, but He was raised in a condition suited to the place He was about to take; He was no less Man, but He was no longer in the condition of flesh and blood. He was the expression [p. 425] in resurrection of the exceeding greatness of God’s power, so that as Man He could be raised far above all principality and power. It was not a condition of flesh and blood. His position when here after the flesh was unique, nothing like it, but in resurrection He was the expression of the mighty power of God who raised Him from the dead, suited to the place He was about to take far above all principality and power. Now what we read here is, “You ... hath he quickened together with him”, that is, we are made alive as to the state of our souls. That is the condition of the believer as to his soul, though he has not done with responsible life here, but as to his soul he is quickened, by the same power which raised Christ from the dead; he is made fit to live in a totally new order in association with Christ where He now is. The man who is quickened is no longer in the old order. We are quickened by the power of God to live after an entirely new order as risen with Christ, and in association with Him in heaven. The body is not yet quickened. We await that. What is the practical result? That I can live in the utmost familiarity and intimacy with God Himself. That was not the case with Adam in paradise. The result of quickening in the believer is that it sets him in touch not only with heaven, but with all that is in heaven, it fits him to live with God in the closest intimacy and communion. It does not come out fully yet, for we have to go on with the old order for a moment. We have still to do with the flesh. I have often compared it to a dissolving view, the old has not passed away completely, but the new has come in. The quickening power of God places and fits us for suitability to live in the closest relationship with God in heaven. It is a tremendous thing, we have not much sense of it, but how wonderful that we can dare to be intimate with God! What a wonderful thing for the christian to find that he has the power to be intimate with God!
I was connecting this last week with the assembly. I [p. 426] believe this qualifies us for the assembly; we can take our places in the assembly; what He invites us to is, to be in association with Himself. Do you think He would keep us at a distance from Himself? No, we are fit to be His companions. “He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren”. I am in the closest companionship to Christ. He has made me to live, to answer to His own blessed nature. The nearer I am and the more I use it, the more it is increased to me, I cannot trade too much on it; we do not get enough of it here; we shall in heaven. “Holy and without blame before him in love” is the result of the quickening power of God. Do you think that we need fear losing reverence because we have to say to God in such close intimacy? What tries me is the thought how much comes in to obstruct my enjoyment of the blessed privilege which I have of nearness to God as the result of His quickening power.
I just add a word as to what comes after, (verse 14.) “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross”. Three barriers are taken out of the way; (1) trespasses, (2) ordinances, (3) principalities, that is, the power of death, what was really in Satan’s hand. All this is taken out of the way, so that the ground should be perfectly clear. God has taken them all out of the way. They are all gone. First, “trespasses”, that question cannot come in. Secondly, “ordinances”, that cannot come in; and more than that, principalities and powers are spoiled. Christ by His death has taken the power of death out of the hand of Satan, so that the ground should be clear between God and those whom God has quickened.
Now I come to what is practical, verse 20, “Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances”. This passage is very important. The [p. 427] apostle will not allow them to look at themselves as alive in the world at all. Putting off the body of the flesh is a strong statement. It is what a man does actually when he dies. Buried with Him in baptism. The man who is that, is no longer controlled by the flesh, that is certain. That is the ground the christian takes. He is circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, he is no longer entitled to act in the flesh because he has put off the body of the flesh, and is no longer under the control of it. As I said before, the christian is viewed as dead to the world in three ways, morally, intellectually and religiously. Look at what the world is morally; “The lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life”, that is not of the Father but is of the world. That will not do for me. Intellectually! It does not attract me in any way. Philosophy begins at the wrong end. It begins from man to God, that is beginning at the wrong end. We begin with God and work downwards. Religiously! that is dogmatism, in which there is nothing moral or spiritual. There is a great deal of worship (so-called) in the present day which is dogmatical. People do not understand what they are doing. The apostle will not allow that. He says, “why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances?”
We need not go far to find people who are fond of that sort of thing, keeping feasts and fasts, &c. The apostle will not allow it for a moment. Why? Because there is nothing spiritual in it, and we are in the place of closest intimacy with Christ; we cannot be in touch with the world in any way, either morally, intellectually or religiously. I accept the place of dead to the world. The more we have to do with God in our souls, the more we can understand the truth of our position, and the more we shall understand why God could have nothing to say to us viewed in any way, save as dead to the world. It could not be otherwise. God knows what the world is, and He cannot own it in any sense; and the character and line of His actings is that He has taken us out of it. He [p. 428] has done with the world.
Now the other side is, chapter 3, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God”. Now there are two things I want to draw your attention to without which I do not think you can understand what “the things above” are. We have to take into account two facts, (1) redemption has been accomplished, and (2) Christ is glorified. If we apprehend the significance of these two facts we shall begin to understand the “things above”. Redemption accomplished is the basis for the accomplishment of all God’s purposes. Everything which God is establishing as the fruit of His counsels is on the ground of redemption, and Christ is exalted so that those purposes and counsels can be displayed. In Christ all is established. The heavenly Jerusalem is one of the “things above”. In Christ raised and exalted we get the foundation of the heavenly city. What is it? A company where God dwells without a temple. In Hebrews 12 we find it is what is spoken to us from heaven. In Christ risen and exalted there is the foundation of the city — God’s fixed dwelling-place where He can dwell without a temple. That is the new Jerusalem. How could that come to pass? Because redemption is accomplished and Christ is exalted.
Then there is another thought connected with “things above”. Christ is the “first-born among many brethren”. There is a company in heaven who by the grace of God are associated with Christ. The first-born is there, just as the foundation of the city is there, that in all things He might have the pre-eminence; or if we look at the truth of the body, Christ the Head is there and the body is united to Him. All the results of redemption are there; spirits of just men made perfect. Jesus the Mediator is there before the throne of God, and the blood of sprinkling is there too; the blood “that speaketh better things than that of Abel”. Everything is there in the Person of Jesus at the right hand of God for the administration [p. 429] here on earth of eternal redemption. All these things hang on two points — Christ exalted and redemption accomplished. In Christ is the foundation of all that God is going to lay in heaven. In His hands is the administration of all the counsels of God. He is exalted far above all heavens that He might fill all things. He took up every moral question on the cross, and He took up here every thread of responsibility and glorified God in it, and He is the One who is going to undo the entanglement of good and evil which the devil has brought in. Who could disentangle these things except Christ? Good and evil are mixed up in utter moral confusion. The work of Christ is to disentangle everything that has become confused. He will undo the works of the devil. He has settled every question at the cross, and He will perfectly accomplish His work. At the end the good and evil will be perfectly separated; each one gets to its own place; on one hand, the lake of fire, and on the other a wondrous scene, the new heavens and new earth where there is nothing but good. It is all settled, not in an arbitrary way, even the wicked will be convinced of the righteousness and justness of what is done.
Now I will just refer again to “things above”. The apostle says, “have your mind on things that are above”. If you read this in connection with Hebrews 12: 22, 23, you will see how the “things above” are before us. “Ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect”. All these are the “things above”, spoken of from God’s level in heaven. These are the “things above” which are established in Christ as fruit of redemption.
Now we come to practice. If we are to be here for His pleasure our minds must be kept occupied with the things in which God’s pleasure is expressed. God finds His pleasure in those things, the foundation of which is laid in the Person of Christ. We cannot be for His pleasure if we are not occupied in mind and spirit with things above, where Christ is sitting at His right hand. Christ there is the settlement and witness that all God’s ways find their resting place in Him. Are we there in mind and spirit? It is a question which tests most of us, and the result of it in practice will be that we shall come out in the reality of our profession — the putting off the old man and putting on the new. The old man will not do for us now. Then the apostle tells us what the character of the new man is — “Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering”. Suppose the whole christian company were doing this! Suppose we all were occupied with the things above, the things which God speaks of from heaven!
See the eagerness with which the man of the world reads the news of the day in his paper. God has been pleased to speak from heaven of that which is connected with the world to come, all that He has accomplished, in redemption accomplished, and Christ exalted. If our minds and thoughts and affections were in those things, the result would be that we should all wish to act in relation to each other in the grace of Christ, we should want to walk in tender, Christ-like affection towards each other, so that there might be fragrance for God. Do you think there would be the biting and devouring one another if this were the case? People who do so are under law, they have not accepted death to the world, morally, intellectually and religiously. But if our minds are set on things above, the result in practice would be that there would be something fragrant for God, and likewise testimony to the world. There would be unity. The world [p. 431] might not be able to account for the unity, but they would see it. It has been compared to a clock, the works are not seen, but the hands point to the time, and any one may see that. That illustrates what I want to point out. Christian ground is dead and risen with Christ; but not only that, God has made it effectual in our souls. As to our souls, we are made to live before God after a new order, the order of Christ risen from the dead, so that we should be fitted to live with Him in the closest intimacy and nearness. God has removed every hindrance out of the way. He has forgiven us all trespasses, blotted out the handwriting of ordinances which was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross, and having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. It is a great thing to accept the place of being dead to the world. The link to it was broken in Christ’s death. I was once bound to it morally, intellectually and religiously. God has not put the world right yet; what He has done is, He has cut the link to it for us, and we are entitled to take the place of being dead to it. Under the eye of God I am no more alive in the world. But more — He says, as it were, ‘I will not cast you on the negative’, “If ye then be risen ... seek those things which are above”. Where do you seek them? Here on the earth. I want the furtherance of the heavenly city, and the furtherance of the assembly, and the furtherance of the redemption which Christ has accomplished. If you are risen with Christ, set your mind on these things.
Then we go on to the practice in keeping with it. We are true to our profession of having put off of the body of the flesh. Putting off the old man and putting on the new, we walk here as a christian company, ministering fragrance to God and bearing testimony to the world. We are here for a moment to be in Christ’s place before the world, as we are in His place before the Father. (See John 17). We have to begin at the right end, even that we [p. 432] have died to the world, have put off the old man and put on the new, and what we have to look for here is the promotion of the grace of Christ in ourselves and in one another.