Satan uses two tactics. The first part of the church’s history was a history of persecution. Satan found the more he persecuted, the more the truth prevailed, and the persecution kept as it were, the false away from the true. So he changed his tactics and used seduction and succeeded.
“His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” “And there appeared an angel from heaven strengthening Him.”
“Ye have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin.” Is that what Christ did?
Yes, and the martyrs too. All who have given up their lives. You have not gone the full length if you have not resisted unto blood (Heb. 12:3, 43For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. 4Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. (Hebrews 12:3‑4)). The Lord resisted unto blood. (Hymn 281, “And did resist to blood.”) It means He resisted unto death. The Christian has not gone the full length unless he lays down his life. In that part of the Heb. the Lord’s death is not seen in its atoning character. It is surmounting every obstacle for what is set before Him. There is very little call now to resist to blood. The Christian world is a very bad world for the Christian to live in. It would be quite different in a country like China or Japan. Here it used to be if you wanted to be respectable you had to have your church associations. If you wanted to get married you would want a minister to marry you and if you died have a minister bury you and have a minister to christen the children. All that tells of a world religion.
The Christian’s persecution, if in the path of faithfulness, comes from professing Christendom. “Let us go forth unto Him outside the camp” —outside the religious profession. If you get outside the camp, you will get some reproach. “Bearing His reproach.” You must not relent. The only thing is to bear it. “Bearing His reproach.”
We find it so difficult to explain to Christians what we are, and after all they cannot understand it. Why? What can an intoxicated person understand? You do not like that word. People are so stupefied by this system of religion you cannot bring the truth before them. Real Christians sometimes cannot get them beyond “touching the hem of His garment” and getting saved.
Some say, “What kind of people are you anyway?” And we have to say, “I really cannot tell you.” “We are a happy people.” Haven’t you any church standing? Don’t go to church? Where do you go? That is where reproach comes in.
“The camp” for us is Christendom—an earthly religion—a religion that partakes in every way of Judaism with a mixture of Christianity in it. It is like mending the old garment, putting a patch on the old garment. If Christianity is a patch on Judaism, it spoils the whole thing. Put new wine into old bottles and they will break.
The gospel introduced another dealing of God with man. The law introduced one—the gospel another. The first dealing of God with man called him into an inheritance on the earth and will give it to him again when the time comes. When the gospel came it took man out of the world and gave him a home in heaven.
Verse 3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” How different that must have been to the Jews. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is our God, but He is our God and Father, and He is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Not only the Father, but the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is, the Lord Jesus will never cease to be a man. It is a great thing to “know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”
Firmness and stability are of God. Who more gentle than the Lord? Who more firm when the truth was in question? None of us like to own we are wrong. Firmness may run into obstinacy.
“Blessed be” is worship. Here it is the outburst of the heart. Simon Peter that Galilean fisherman, out of the fullness of his heart says, “Blessed be.” He did not know God in that way when the Lord Jesus was on earth. God had not made Himself known in that way. That is the fruit of redemption being accomplished.
Paul would have said “who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing,” but Peter says “which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” “To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.”
“Begotten us again.” What does that mean? They had lost their hopes. “We had hoped that it had been He which would redeem Israel.” Their hopes were all buried in the grave of Christ. “Begotten us again unto a living hope.” How? “By the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” Hope in Christ beyond death. “To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away.” Where is it? In heaven. That was all new. Look at Solomon’s kingdom. It faded away. It was corruptible. “Reserved in heaven for you.” How new that must have been for them.
Then there was another thing: “Kept by the power of God.” The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ keeps His people for that which He is keeping for them. Keeps it for them and them for it. The inheritance is in heaven and they are down here. How does He do it? “Power of God through faith.” God uses moral means—not putting forth absolute power. Different exercises. Hence he goes on, you see, “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations.” Exercise for faith. He uses all the circumstances by the way. That is God’s way of keeping us for the inheritance.
(Continued from page 213).