THE LAST DAYS

D. Robertson

James 5: 1–3, 19, 20; 2 Peter 3: 1–4 (to “coming”), 17, 18; 2 Timothy 3: 1–5, 14, 15; 1 John 2: 18, 22, 23; Jude 17–21

These scriptures, one each from the five writers of the epistles, all bear reference to the last days, and I seek help just to touch briefly on some of the features of these days, but also, in contrast, to try to show what exists in the saints of God in such days.

James speaks about the rich, and he speaks of them with great severity. These are persons who take all the benefits that come from a Creator God without any regard for God, without any reference to Him. If you look into the epistle of James you will find that not only have they a lack of regard for God, but they have a lack of regard for the rights of their fellow men.

Indeed, he says, “Do not the rich oppress you …?” (James 2: 6), and that is a great feature of the last days. There are many souls in the world today who are evilly oppressed. Oppression is a feature of the day. In contrast to that we find that James shows what exists in the saints—

that they are in thankfulness and gratitude for what comes from God; that is the first thing. He says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father of lights, with whom is no variation nor shadow of turning” (James 1: 17). It is a feature that marks the saints that, even as to our daily food and the way that God cares for us day by day and hour by hour, we know it comes from above, from the Father of lights. How good He is to us, dear brethren! How we should feel it that God’s goodness today is largely ignored.

Men speak of the power of trade unionism and what it has brought about and they fail to see that what they have been provided with is really a witness to God’s goodness.

Then in chapter 2 James says, “Has not God chosen the poor as to the world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to them that love him?” (James 2: 5). James is a kingdom man. I want to speak about the kingdom and its present force. It existed in the Lord Jesus when He was here as a Man. He said, “But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then indeed the kingdom of God is come upon you”, Matthew 12: 28. The power of God to deliver the oppressed existed in that blessed Man in His pathway here. You see the contrast, beloved brethren—not to oppress like the rich, but to deliver the oppressed, and in order that that kingdom might continue, the Lord Jesus went into the heart of the earth. He went into the very domain of evil as a Man and He overthrew its power in death, and He rose again and ascended far above all the heavens. From that point of supremacy, as the great Conqueror of evil, He sent the Holy Spirit in order that the power of the kingdom might be continued and might be made effective in you and me. I speak of the force of the kingdom presently. There are other bearings of the kingdom, but what I am limiting myself to today is the initial feature of the kingdom, and that is that the oppressed might be delivered, and you and I, beloved brethren—I trust the brethren will bear the simple exhortation—want to be heirs of that kingdom and be set for the deliverance of the oppressed. We know people are oppressed. We know young people are oppressed, and sometimes—we have to judge it—when persons get into trouble and become oppressed what may arise in us is the spirit of Pharisaism that would say, ‘They have got what they deserved’. Is that Christianity? Is that the power of the kingdom?

That is why I read the end of chapter 5. I think verses 19 and 20 present the power of the kingdom operating in those who are the heirs of the kingdom. Is that how we are set, beloved brethren, that the oppressed might be delivered? How fine the language is, “My brethren, if any one among you err from the truth, and one bring him back”—that is the kingdom in operation in order that the oppressed might be delivered—“let him know that he that brings back a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death”. Oh that we might have that kind of power, that we might go in for it, that we might exercise our heirship, what is available in the present power of the Holy Spirit in the saints of God to recover persons, to recover them even from the very brink of death. Oh how evilly persons are oppressed today!

May we not be like the rich who oppress but be truly heirs of the kingdom that God has promised to them that love Him, that we might be among the lovers of God and come out like God in view of the relief of those who are oppressed.

Now when we come to Peter he speaks of the mockers, “mockers with mocking, walking according to their own lusts, and saying. Where is the promise of his coming?” The great aim in mocking is that the faith of the saints might be undermined. Often we are challenged,

‘Show us some evidence that the Lord is coming’; “Where is the promise of his coming?”

But in contrast to that Peter speaks about the saints “Being built up a spiritual house”, 1 Peter 2: 5. Peter is not undermining, and those who have part in the house are not undermining, they are “Being built up a spiritual house”. We come to Christ, “a living stone”. He says, “yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices

acceptable to God by Jesus Christ”. I want to speak to you about a house. A house is where souls are cared for; not where they are undermined, not where their faith is in any way troubled, but where there is a sphere of living affection, where there is care for souls. That is what Peter exhorts. He says, “having cast all your care upon him, for he cares about you”, 1 Peter 5: 7. A true home is where persons are cared for, and God is not behind in that. His house is for the care of souls, where faith may be nurtured, where every feature that is precious to God may be built up. Woe betide anyone who is on a different line; I would not like to be on a different line from that. It is a day for building up the saints, and it is a feature of the house; we are “being built up a spiritual house”, that is, it is an atmosphere of care and protection where there is affection to build up the saints. The house is where God puts what is precious to Him. Young people here, young believers, your true place is in the house. The Lord Jesus being on high, the Holy Spirit has come, and His coming and indwelling believers has constituted the house. Our brother prayed that we might prove salvation. This is where you prove salvation, in the house. You prove that God has power to care, and you prove that the saints have power to care.

You will remember that the precious things of the house of God were carried away into Babylon. According to Daniel they were used for unholy purposes and unholy revelling, and it says that “in the same hour”, at the very hour when these people were misusing the holy vessels of the house of God, God expressed His judgment of it (Daniel 5: 5). It is to show His jealousy as to the preciousness of the saints, who are the vessels of the house of God. You have not just been taken up to be blessed of God, but God would nurture you and care

for you so that you might be precious to Him as a vessel and be able “to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ”, 1 Peter 2: 5. That is the feature that Peter brings in and that is why I read his word, “Take care lest … ye should fall from your own stedfastness—but grow in grace”. Growth is another feature of the house, as is said in the psalm, “Those that are planted in the house of Jehovah shall flourish in the courts of our God”, Psalm 92: 13. If you want to grow, the place to grow is in the house, where there is affection, where there is care and where there is power to build up and nurture. So Peter says,

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”. How precious that is! The world has cast Him out. The last it saw of Him was on the cross but, as I said, He went into death and He rose again; He is now in heaven, and though the earth has cast Him out there is a sphere down here in correspondence with heaven where the Lord Jesus is treasured. It says, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen”. The house, beloved brethren, is a precious area. What a precious thing it is to be built up in the house, built up in your faith, built up in your affections, built up in your spiritual constitution, and built up in the constant appreciation of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Then we come to Paul. In 2 Timothy 3 he gives a most comprehensive list of the features of the last days. As you read this it is impressive. It is an absolutely accurate assessment and description of the days we are in—violence, men hating one another, headlong. I often think that word ‘headlong’ is like the swine in Luke 8 rushing down the slope; they could not stop.

What a world we are in! The whole world is geared in opposition to the testimony. I link this with what is said in

Revelation about the armies coming against Jerusalem, the beloved city. It says, “And they went up on the breadth of the earth” (Revelation 20: 9)—it is a frontal attack against the glory of the truth. There is no one who has presented the truth in its glory and privileges like Paul.

He says, “I speak as to Christ, and as to the assembly”, Ephesians 5: 32. How he unfolds the glory of the mystery; how he speaks of the vessel, the assembly, both in its universal and local bearing, the great vessel of divine light, the vessel of divine wisdom, the vessel of divine glory. He leads us on to understand that it is filled even to all the fulness of God, a vessel that corresponds to the glory of the way that God has shone out in Christ. That is the way that Paul presents the glory of the assembly. He presents it also in its attractiveness and glory as a bride wholly suitable to Christ, the counterpart of Christ, what it is for His heart. It is a vessel, too, that is equal to the glory of Christ, His complement. Paul presents all that, and the enemy is attacking it.

Make no mistake about the present condition of this world in these “difficult times”. It is really a frontal attack to break down the precious truth of Christ and the assembly. We need to know these things, beloved brethren. Paul exhorts Timothy, “But thou, abide in those things which thou hast learned”. I have been most thankful for these two readings and the references to these ministries that we are so privileged to have in our hands, God recovering the saints to the precious truth of the assembly. What precious truth is contained in these ministries, and we have to “abide in those things”. One of the great needs, I think, at the moment is that we might have the power and the grace to help one another and build one another up in features that are proper to the assembly. So Paul says, “But thou, abide in those

things”. The world is geared to lead you away—that is what it says earlier in the chapter,

“leading captive silly women”. Oh that we might not be among those who are led away but that we might abide in the best. That is what Paul presents—the best, the greatest. There is nothing beyond what Paul presents. If you leave Paul, you leave everything. Why should we give up the best for anything less? Paul also presents the features of the last days at their very worst and these last days are geared, as I have said, as the enemy’s attack on the great truth of Christ and the assembly. The word is “But thou, abide in those things which thou hast learned, and of which thou hast been fully persuaded, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the sacred letters, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus”.

I would like to make an appeal at this point to the young brethren. I trust you will hearken to it. It is a very simple appeal—I ask you to read the Scriptures. There is nothing more important practically. I know you may misconstrue that, because your relationship with God is important. It is important that you should pray and develop in your relations with God, but practically there is nothing that can be compared to reading the Holy Scriptures. I would appeal to the young brethren to read the Scriptures. Paul says of them here, they “are able”—

think of the ability of the Scriptures. You say, ‘It is only a book’. This Book has ability, there is power in it, and the ability it has is that it will “make thee wise unto salvation”—for all the glorious things that are written in this Book are centred in that glorious Man—“through faith which is in Christ Jesus”.

When we come to John, antichrist is the feature of the last days that he speaks about. I think

when we come to the thought of antichrist we touch the matter of our affections, a most important matter with a believer. You remember it says about Absalom that he “stole the hearts of the men of Israel” (2 Samuel 15: 6)—that is the antichrist. It is so deceptive because it has a religious form that is geared to taint our affections and take them away from Christ.

The great feature of the anti-Christ is that he denies, but in contrast to that John speaks about those who confess. John says, “He is the antichrist who denies the Father and the Son”. He may not appear to do so, but without doubt his aim is to break down the whole system that revolves round the revelation of God. In contrast to that it says, “He who confesses the Son has the Father also”. There is no other way you can have the Father but by confessing the Son. I wonder if we are all confessors of the Son. You say, ‘I have confessed Jesus as my Saviour’. Well, we are thankful to know that, but have you confessed Jesus as the Son? If you have, you have the Father also, you are part of the family of God. We have spoken of James in connection with the kingdom, of Peter as to the house, and of Paul as to the assembly. John speaks of the family. Do you belong to the family? Are you in the circumstances of the family? You say, How do I get into it? You confess Jesus as the Son. I will tell you what it means practically. It means that the power of this world is broken for you, it no longer holds any attraction for you. If you confess Jesus as the Son of God you have another Man and another world before you; that is the confession of Jesus as the Son. “He who confesses the Son has the Father also”. You are brought into a wonderful family system where there is affection, where there are the joys of the family, where there are the relationships of the family, where there are the liberties of the family.

It is all to be known as you confess Jesus as the Son, and I think in this way our affections are bound up livingly in this glorious family line of things. I came across a beautiful touch in Mr.

Taylor’s writings where he said that God will be known as a family God eternally. You can enjoy it now, enjoy all the glorious, holy liberty of God’s family, and the way into it is by confessing Jesus as the Son of God. The man in John 9 was a confessor of Jesus as the Son of God, and that man, you can be sure, not only had the Son but he had also the Father. Have you the Son and the Father? I would appeal to you; it is attractive to me. A brother said recently that the world bored him, and it bores me. But I tell you, the Son and the Father have attraction. Oh that you might be attracted by Them that you might become a confessor of Jesus as the Son of God, and that you might thus have the Father also, and come into the fulness, the joy and the liberty of the holy relationships of the family. That is John and it is the only way the truth can be maintained. You might say, ‘We are going to maintain the truth in my locality; we are going to maintain it to the letter’. You will fail! The whole book of Genesis is a testimony that the way to preserve the truth is the family. Think of the millions that lived in the time of Genesis, and yet what is mainly related in the book is the history of families. What is God telling us, beloved brethren? He is saying that the way to maintain the truth is in the power and joy of the family. We had recently in ministry that the way to maintain Paul’s ministry is in the vital joy of the family of God, so that “He who confesses the Son”, that Person, “has the Father also”.

I would end with a word on Jude. Jude, again, speaks of those who mock and he says, “These are they who set themselves apart, natural men, not having the Spirit”. That is a, dreadful thing! It

is formalism, and there is no life in formalism. The Spirit of God is not in it. There may be refined features about natural men, but “not having the Spirit”. We are all natural men; thank God for the ties of nature; but here they are “natural men, not having the Spirit”. It is the deadliness of formalism. They go on, setting themselves apart, but not having the Spirit. But it says, “But ye, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit” that is not formalism, that is life. A person who prays in the Holy Spirit does not need a prayer book. The illustration that Jude draws is from Enoch. I suppose Enoch lived in a time when this world was saturated with evil, and yet what is said of Enoch is that he

“walked with God; and he was not, for God took him”, Genesis 5: 24. I think he is a type of a person who is building himself up on his most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, and keeping himself in the love of God. Well, we need vitality, beloved brethren; I think it is the power of communion. I think that is what Jude brings you to. He says, “contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Jude gives us the circle of truth, not to be held in terms, but in the living power of communion with God. I think that is the way the truth is to be contended for earnestly.

I enjoyed our first hymn today, ‘Our path is on with earnest haste’ (Hymn 47)—Oh that there were more earnestness with us that we might “contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints”, knowing that the power for it lies in the intimacy of communion. Were you not touched in the last reading by what we arrived at, that the power of prophecy lies in intimacy?

It is not in what you know, it is not in assiduous study, even of the Scriptures. The power for prophecy, the power to affect one another, lies in intimacy with

God. At a time when there were many who were opposing the truth as it came out in the history of the recovery. Mr. Taylor ministered a very essential, yet simple, line of things:

‘Nearness to Christ and Public Service’ (Vol.29, p.134). It must be in that order. If you want power to contend earnestly for the truth, it lies in communion with God. So Jude says here,

“Building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God”. Beloved brethren, I do not think there is any need for any one of us to be outside the love of God. It is there for us. It is a wonderful area of things where these holy relationships and holy intimacies can be known and where, as we had today, secrets can be shared with God. Think of God sharing His secrets with us! It is wonderful when you can go into God and you can pour out your burden to Him; you can tell Him what is in your heart; you can tell Him all that you are facing and He will listen to you and He will care for you and He will minister comfort to you and consolation and help. It is a still more wonderful thing when God has the liberty to disclose something to you. I think that is keeping yourself in the love of God.

You young brethren, young believers, the first breath you take spiritually is in the love of God, in contrast to the noxious gases that fill this world. I know a little about gases; I can assure you that in a moral sense they are noxious, deceitful and dangerous. There was a time in our district when nineteen men were killed because a mine was treated as being perfectly safe when there was gas in it—a beloved brother was among the nineteen. Do not treat the world like that. It is full of noxious gases, hut the way to keep clear of it is to “keep yourselves in the love of God”. Then Jude says, “awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life”. I am not quite sure if I

understand that part, but I do know this that along with myself there are those in this room who have known the overwhelming power of mercy and been thankful for it many, many times, “awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life”. Well, what a fine line it is, beloved brethren. How fine it is to see how Jude ends, “But to him that is able to keep you without stumbling, and to set you with exultation blameless before his glory, to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, might and authority, from before the whole age, and now, and to all the ages. Amen”.

Address in Edinburgh
30 May 1986