John. Well, James, have you thought over our last conversation about that scripture, so often quoted by those who defend salvation by works, "Work out your own salvation"?
Jas. 1 have, and it is quite clear to me now that it cannot possibly mean that a sinner is to seek to be saved by his own works; for, as you pointed out, the persons addressed were not sinners who needed saving, but saints in Christ Jesus. And if in Christ, they were saved, justified, accepted, perfected, and this was made certain to the end, as the apostle said, " Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." I would then repeat my question, How were the Philippians, unitedly, and as individuals, to work out their own salvation? and what is the instruction now to those who desire to do the will of God in these matters?
John. In both cases the answer will be alike. The great point to them as an assembly was this, that though Paul was no longer with them, God was. "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Suppose we go back (and what a privilege that we can!) through all the long centuries of darkness and superstition, right back to the days when this first assembly was formed in Europe. Let us enter the city of Philippi. We inquire for every denomination or sect now on earth. Not one of them is known there. Not a building, nor a single congregation that answers in the least to modern Christianity. It is the first day of the week, the day on which the Lord arose from the dead. There are two or three grave, but, apparently, happy persons coming up the street. Let us test the present state of things by a few questions to these first saints at Philippi. Would you kindly tell us where we shall find mass being performed in Philippi? Would they not have said, "What is the mass? we never heard of it." Tell them it is a mortal man offering a sacrifice to God for the sins of the living and the dead; with what a shudder would they have replied, We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that He offered Himself the one sacrifice for our sins, by which offering He hath forever perfected them that are sanctified. (Heb. 10) There is no such priest in Philippi. Could you direct us, then, to the National Church, or the Lutheran, or the Presbyterian, or Dissenting church; or the Wesleyan? &c, &c. Would they not have said, We assure you there are no such churches or societies in the place—no, not one? Then tell us, what are you? and whither are you going? They could have said, "We are, through the riches of the grace of God, saints in Christ Jesus; our commonwealth is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Strangers, have ye not heard that all believers who have remission of sins arc baptized by the Holy Ghost into one body—the one body of which Christ in heaven is the Head? Do you not know that all sectarianism is condemned as carnality? We are going to break bread, according to our Lord's request, in whom ί we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.' "And do all Christians do this in Philippi?" Certainly; how can they love Jesus if they do not keep His commandments? Did He not say, 'Do this in remembrance of me'? and the one loaf, is it not the expression of the one body? This is very dear to Him, for He died to 1 gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.'" "What is your organization, then? and to what are you gathered in Philippi?" " We are gathered to Christ, who has ascended into heaven, the only center, by the Holy Ghost sent down to abide with us until Jesus comes again. Our organization and calling are not earthly, but heavenly. We are, though on earth, yet not an earthly, but a heavenly, people."
Jas. 1 declare, John, I never thought there was such a contrast between the assembly of God, as formed in the beginning by the Holy Ghost, and what man has made of a great house of modern profession.
John. But do you not see that we must go back to the very circumstances in which these assemblies were then found, in order rightly to understand the application of these inspired and blessed words to them then, and to us now? And, further, not only were all believers gathered to Christ as one body, members of His body, but also as one building, built on Him, the only foundation. But the whole world was against them, cruelly, violently against them. Now, the same world is actually called christian. The power of Satan, who failed at first to corrupt, was then working to destroy this new thing on earth—the church of God. Now, Satan has his throne in that which bears the name of Christ. (Rev. 2:13.)
It is not, James, that there was no failure in the church soon after God formed it at the beginning. But though there was failure within, and the world and Satan against them without, yet, when these epistles were written, there was no center hut the Lord Jesus Christ. No pope then on earth. The mystery of iniquity was working. Satan tried hard to get in, and present other centers at Corinth. (1 Cor. 3:3-5.) Clericalism was beginning to show itself (2 Cor. 11:13-15), and perhaps more painful to the true servant of Christ than all else. The soul-destroying doctrines of a Judaized Christianity were beginning to do their sad mischief.
(Gal. 1:6-9; 5:1-12.) Do you notice, then, James, when all these things were threatening the saints at Philippi, how God caused all things to work for their good? They had stood firm, and obeyed the truth, whilst they had the immense help of the apostle, and his presence amongst them. What a sorrow that he was now a chained prisoner at Rome! How much greater, then, the need of diligence in working out their own salvation with fear and trembling! What foes on every side; what dangers from false teachers getting inside; but all works together for good. "For it is God which worketh in you," &c.
James. Pardon my interrupting you, John; but what about the individual? Suppose a Christian, now, who desires to do that alone which is pleasing to God; and in some rare cases such an one really searches the scriptures, and finds the immense difference between the assembly of God as at the beginning, and the perplexing condition of things all around now, so very contrary to the revealed mind of God; what is he to do?
John. Thank you for the timely pull up. I understand your question to be this: How is a believer, now in the midst of things just as they are, to work out his salvation with fear and trembling: for it is God who worketh in him to will and to do of His good pleasure? I think you will see, James, that whatever is addressed by the Spirit in this epistle to all the saints, the assembly of God, must also be addressed to each individual member of the body of Christ; and thus this epistle becomes intensely valuable for each individual saint. Men and things may change, but the principles of eternal truth can never change. However men and Satan may have changed the outward character of Christianity, the truth of God remains the same. Let us take any city of Europe now back eighteen hundred and fifty years, and place it twelve miles from Philippi, in the year this epistle was written. In the one city there is the assembly gathered to Christ, every Christian in it owning the one body of Christ, God in them working to will and to do of His good pleasure. In this other city there are many centers of gathering: Christ is dishonored, the Holy Ghost set aside, every man doing what he thinks best in his own eyes. Now, James, if you knew that the principle on which the saints were gathered at Philippi was of God, and the confusion of the other city was of man, would you have any difficulty as to your own individual duty?
James. That seems clear, any way; for certainly the lapse of eighteen hundred years cannot alter the matter one bit. The question, I see, is, Am I pleasing God, or pleasing myself? Am I doing His will, or my own? But I have not stated my greatest difficulty yet as to the individual, in reference to these assembly matters, as we are on them.
John. Indeed! Then what is your further difficulty?
Jas. 1 will go back to your illustration of the city of confusion. Suppose the Spirit of God awoke a number of Christians in that city to the glory of the person of Christ, and truly to own the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, and to know and own that all believers are baptized into the one body of Christ; and thus owning Christ alone the true center, gathered to Him alone, according to the mind of the Spirit—in short, exactly on the same ground as the one assembly at Philippi, Ephesus, and elsewhere, at the same time deeply grieved, and mourning over the ruin that had come in, and feeling the common shame; of course such a gathering would be a witness of the ruin. Now this is the point, if failure takes place, even there, amongst the few gathered to Christ, if there is a low condition of soul, if worldliness comes in, even amongst them, then difference of judgment, and self-will shows itself, should there not be a new rallying-point? What am I to do then as an individual?
John. Here, James, every word in this epistle is most precious to the individual, as to his path through this wilderness, and the glory at the end of it, looked at as salvation. A new rallying-point, or a new start, James; what can you mean? If you have been gathered to Christ, the only center, tell me, how can there be another center?
There was much failure in the church during the lives of the apostles; but did they direct the saint to seek another center whilst the true Christ was the true center? If this great truth is held, independency, whether corporate or individual, is simply impossible. The planets could as soon be independent of the sun as their center, as a body of Christians, being scripturally gathered, be independent of that only true center—Christ. It is a great fact that the Holy Ghost has again gathered to Christ, the only center. It is also a fact that there can be no new or other center. Let us carefully remember, in this day, then, that men and things have changed—so changed, that if one of the first believers were to be permitted to visit any city in Europe now, he would not be able to understand the confusion he would find. Yet still, just think now, Christ is the only true center. The Holy Ghost is still on earth—all believers form the one body of Christ. Let us not forget these blessed facts. "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up unto him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ: from whom the whole body, fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth," &c.
Jas. 1 am really thankful; my difficulty is met where the true Christ is held as the only center of gathering; there is my place as an individual believer. Bless the Lord, Ο my soul, I need no other center than Christ.
John. The Lord keep us walking softly, with fear and trembling, working out our own salvation, remembering, however adverse the circumstances, it is God that worketh in us. The night is far spent. May each one, like Gideon's little company, shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life. Nothing could be more refreshing to our souls than to meditate on this Epistle in detail, for our individual path through this world; but, for the present, James, we must here close.
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