Meditations - (Nos. 21-28)

"My meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD." — Psalm 104:34.
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21. The apostle Peter in his first Epistle warned that (4:17) “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the House of God:” And thus we see at the near end of the apostolic period, Christ, Who is the Head of the Assembly judging the professing Church (Rev. 2-3). Observe, He appears not as the Son of God, but "one like unto the Son of man," in His majesty and glory (Rev. 1). The Father "hath committed all judgment unto the Son" -- "hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man." (John 5.) Thus, in this judicial character, the Son of man appears holding "the seven Stars in His right hand," and walking "in the midst of the seven golden Lampstands (Rev. 1; 2:1).

22. There has been a wide-spread departure from the first principles in many of the local Assemblies that are professing to be gathered unto the Lord's Name. Rev. 2 and 3 show the Lord Jesus, Who knows the works, and "He which searcheth the reins and hearts" etc. judging the professing Church. Hence, it is our solemn duty, in these last days, to heed the word of Christ, confess our public ruin, and repent, and do the first works. Our ruin is so apparent that what we are now seeing in our midst is “a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:” (II Tim. 3:5); there is a profession, but alas no fruit. But sadly, many of our brethren are slow to acknowledge this failure in our midst. But as it has been said, that if we desire to view the true state of the professing Church, we must, as the apostle John has shown us, fall at the feet of Jesus, and there learn for ourselves all about our ruin. (Rev. 1.)

23. We are not of the world. Because Christ has taken us out of the world and redeemed us and sanctified us (John 17). But He sends us again into the world, not so that we become conformed to its principles and ways (Romans 12, Eph. 4, James 4 etc), but rather to bear witness to Him, Who has been exalted to the right hand of God (John 15:27, Acts 2 etc.), and to shine forth His light in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation ( Phil. 2:15). But how many a Christian is remembering this the great purpose and duty of their sojourn here in this world, while they are looking for His return (Phil. 3:20-21)?

24. While Christ bears us before God in the heavenlies (Heb. 7:27), we are to bear witness to the absent Lord here below, for He has said: "And ye also shall bear witness," (John 15:27a), that is, before the Christ-hating and still rejecting world.

25. The world is against the Father (I John 5). Believers are separated from the world through the cross of Christ. Hence in John 16:8-11, the work of the Holy Spirit in relation to the world is, to reprove it of sin, because of their unbelief in the Son of God; and of righteousness, because He has been exalted to sit on the right hand of God the Father in defiance to the world (Psalm 2, Psalm 110 &c.), and it is where in heaven the righteousness remains and not here below; and finally of judgment, because the prince of this world has been judged, and with him, as we learn from John 12:31, the world too has been brought under the condemnation of the cross.

26. It is said that the saints have two highest positions: First, as Eph. 2:5-6 shows us that "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" Secondly, as seen in the world below, they are declared to be “..as He is, so are we in this world” (I John 4:17) -- that is, perfect, obedient, holy, blameless before God, thus they "may have boldness in the day of judgment." Therefore, this has nothing to do with themselves, as far as their position in Christ is concerned. As Christ prays to the Father (John 17) testifying concerning them “..they have kept Thy word" etc. Such is the immutable position that the Lord Christ maintains for us before His Father, notwithstanding all our failures during our sojourn in the world below. (See also I John 2:1-2; Rev 3:5.)

27. The Advocacy of Christ maintains our fellowship with the Father. "if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous; and He is the Propitiation for our sins" (I John 2:1-2). Observe the preposition here used. It is "if" and not "when"; therefore, I ought not to sin, because the life of Christ has been imparted to me (Col. 3; I John 5:11-13 &c.); but notwithstanding, if I sin by failing to mortify (that is, put to death) my members (Col. 3:5-10), Christ having a deep interest in me, a failing sinner, exercises His advocacy with the Father, so that I am brought to confess my sins--"if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."--"The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." (IJohn 1.) This is how He restores our fellowship with the Father, when we have sinned. And now, as regards our passage through the wilderness is concerned, what great consolation and privilege has been granted to the saints in the Priesthood of Christ, which He exercises for us in the heavens, so therefore, we can "come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb. 4:14-16; See also 2:17-18; 7:23-26 &c.)

28. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:" (Phil. 2:5). As in everything else, to have the mind of Christ is the one and only true safeguard against all strife, vain glory, murmurings, disputings, divisions, and contentions between the saints of God. Hence, we will do well to heed the deeply solemn exhortations given in the following Scripture passages: I Cor. 1:10-12, Eph. 4:2-6, Phil. 2:1-4. I Peter 4 etc.

[Jan. 26, 2016]

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