First, how we acquire Christ; and Secondly, How we express Christ.
I think, it is often the case with many of us, that we know a great deal more of the Lord than we can show. Else, why do we feel so distrest when we have not acted rightly? Why, we know more of the Lord than we express, but have not been able to act no to it. How is this? Why, there is something the matter―something wrong. You see in 2 Corinthians 3 the secret of acquiring Christ. I have a Saviour in the glory of God, and it is the easiest place for my soul if I belong to Him. I will show you presently how a man finds it so, and how a man walks in the grace of God. “The Lord is that spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” ―Liberty, wherever there is a good thing to do. I have liberty to go wherever there is good, I do not want to go where there is bad. Then, “But we all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.” You have got an object, and you take in the object because you have a mirror. The Lord is there, and we behold Him with unveiled face. There is no veil upon His face, nor on ours―and you go in and look upon Him. You say that is very simple. Yes, it is all very simple if you practice it. Try it, and see what you will be. “If you see me, it shall be so unto you, and if not, it shall not be.” It is the same principle. And it was then we first came to Christ―we looked at Him. So with the brazen serpent―they looked and were healed. So with the thief on the cross. He looked―He did nothing else―looked to the man that had done nothing amiss.
Beloved friends, I say it distinctly, there is a greater light in this place tonight than the light of the sun, and by that light I see Jesus more clearly on the throne of God, than I see any of you. Thank God for that light. The God of this world tries to blind the eyes of them that believe not “lest the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” It is the illumination― the expression of the divine satisfaction in the accomplished work of Christ.
The glory is the expression of the divine satisfaction in Christ. But the Apostle says it shines out from us.
Then we must have got it in us if it shines out. But how do I grow in this? “Beholding with unveiled face,” I catch the image, and I am formed into the same image. Beholding the Lord’s glory, we are transformed―not changed―into the name image of glory. The glory now claims me. At mount Sinai, man, could not get near it. Now it claims, me. What does it do? It draws me to the Saviour― “from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord,” There you acquire Christ, and most blessed it is. I am sure I trust you know what it is to sit alone with the Lord gazing upon Him, taken up with the glory of His person―and there is no expressing Him without it. The more I know of Him, the more I am able to express Him.
It is like a man standing on the sea-shore, gazing on the sun. He sees it there, but he gets on higher land, and the sight increases. He goes on a mountain, and the object grows larger still. He ascends one yet higher, till at length he sees nothing but the sun.
And so it is as to Christ: the higher I go, the more immense I see the One I have to do with. And this is the secret. I am looking at Him—beholding Him. The first blessing I got came by looking at Him, and every blessing comes in that way. But how do I know I am, looking at Him Because I am not looking at anything else. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where CHRIST sitteth on the right hand of God.”
People often think this so very simple. It is very simple, but I say, let me see you practically maintaining it, then it will throw you on dependence on Him, and that is what faith is.
What hinders souls is, that they get off this ground. You go in like, Paul perhaps into the third heaven, and very happy you come out, but someone meets you and says something disagreeable to you, and you reply with something naughty, and you say, I wish I had not come out. I was so very happy, and now I am come out it is all wrong. What is the explanation? You were right in acquiring Christ, but failed in expressing Him. And why? You do, not walk in faith. You were trusting to your enjoyment, instead of walking in faith. And how many have damaged the truth after enjoying, and talking of their enjoyment of it, by then going home, and failing in one of the most common details of life. This comes from trusting to your enjoyment, and not to the Lord―not walking in faith. The Apostle Paul comes out of the third heaven, but the Lord says, you must depend on me. You must not boast about these wonderful things you have seen there―you must go down, and be nothing. The principle is the same all through. I do not dwell upon it further. He took the poor man up, and set him upon His own beast. You must be carried all the way by Christ. Do not say you must get along by your own power. If you think to go on your own legs, you will come down. The principle is, the power of Christ upon me. Thus the Apostle learns in that lesson the power of Christ resting upon him. You see in heaven, it was the enjoyment he had, but now he comes down into the world, it is the power of Christ resting on him. That tells you the secret. You say, I have been very happy in the Lord, but going out into the cold world, you button your coat around you, for you feel there is an enemy outside, and so you must get ready for him. It is the principle of the Ephesians. In the first chapter, the power used against Satan, for bringing me up to God, and turning it round, I must bring that same power to bear upon the enemy―chapter 6. “Be strong in the Lord, and the power of His might.”