The apostle being so near Christ himself, looks for the same grace also in the Philippians. He prays that their “love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment,” that they may “approve the things which are excellent,” that they “may be sincere and without offense until the day of Christ.”
I would remark here, the gracious spirit that results from the heart being near to God. It goes out in love to others, and gives lively recollections of all the good that God has wrought in the saints.
There is no one who goes so deep in divine counsels as Paul, and yet none entered more into the details of God’s grace in others. Look at the lists of names at the end of several of his epistles. He takes up the special grace, too, that characterizes the individuals he mentions. So here, he remembers how in the beginning of the gospel the church at Philippi was the only one that communicated to his need. Their present kindness in sending help a thousand miles to him in his prison, recalls to his mind their fellowship at the beginning.
It is not only as kindness to him, but he sees in it their fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; because they had him in their hearts. This activity of the recollections of grace in others is the result of nearness to God It is the external means used by the Spirit of God to link saints together in church fellowship. It is the secret of walking together happily: having, as we find in chapter 2, the mind in us which was also in Christ Jesus. Instead of the wretched flesh, jostling one against another, he has his mind filled with the lively recollection of God’s grace in the saints. Those recollections that knit the church together are also alive in his soul.
I know there is plenty that will try us in walking with others. Perhaps there never were two men who could live together, and never find anything to try them in one another. Anyhow, the case is a rare one; but then, when a person is living in the power of the Spirit, he has his mind filled with the grace that is in the saint. Their kindness wakes up the sense of the grace that produced the kindness. So that it is the grace that is remembered and not merely the kindness. And we see another result of his nearness to God. He is not afraid to express his praise of them on the feelings of his own heart towards them, a thing which I often find most difficult. There is not that happy liberty there would be, if the heart were more with the Lord and more simple before Him.
Now see how the Apostle prays for the Philippians— “For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.” He expects not only that there should be increase of love and desire, but that they should grow too in spiritual intelligence, “that their love may abound yet more and more, in knowledge and in all judgment.” Really having the mind of Christ about everything, as it says, “He that is spiritual judgeth all things.” He knows exactly what will please Christ in every turn of his life. It is more than doing what is right, it is “approving what is excellent.”
Is this the desire you have before you? You are set to be the epistle of Christ. Paul says to the Corinthians, “ye are the epistle of Christ.” Mark, not “ye ought to be “; but “ye are!” This is true of every believer. You are the epistle of Christ. The Apostle is referring to the law written upon the tables of stone, and just as men read the ten commandments on the tables of stone, so ought the world now to be able to read Christ as clearly in us. Ye are the epistle of Christ. Well, but what kind of an epistle are you? Is it all clear? Can the world read Christ? You cannot say it is not true that you ought to walk as Christ walked. No Christian can deny that he should do that. “He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also to walk even as he walked.” And mark the accuracy of Scripture. It does not say, you ought to be what Christ was, for He was without sin, and you have the flesh in you, and flesh will never be better, but as for its acting there is no excuse.
As for not knowing the mind of God too; how impossible; if I am walking with Christ is it, that I should not know the mind of God as to everything. Did not He walk with Him without a cloud, and know His perfect will about everything? so should we, if we walk as He walked.
Now, which is it with us? Am I saying, I won’t do anything wrong, or am I seeking to know what is that good and perfect, and acceptable will of God? We should be yielding our bodies a living sacrifice to Him, yielding up ourselves to Him, and thus, as the Apostle says, be renewed in the spirit of our minds, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. It is the knowledge of Christ, and of the mind of God.
Do you believe the Apostle did not expect this of them? Why then did he ask it for them? Doubtless there were differences among them, some more, and some less spiritual, much as we find it now. But what is it written for, if you can excuse yourselves without it? It is more, too, than a blameless walk; he desires an increase of love, and a growth in divine knowledge,—not only to keep from what is wrong, but an approving of things which are excellent.
It is just what we see in the address to the Church of Philadelphia. The Lord reveals Himself as “he that is holy, he that is true.” And in these last days nothing is more important than to know Him thus, if you are to be kept from that terrible day of sifting. “There is my character,” He says, “and you must walk with me thus, if I am to keep you from the hour of temptation which is to come upon all the world, to try them that dwell on the earth.
The apostle had to say in this epistle, “all seek their own, and not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” The decay had begun. He to whom Christ is all, will say, Well, my business is not to deny His name outwardly, or in anything, but to keep His word; discerning His mind in everything. It requires patience, it requires a broken will, a sense of our own nothingness, but it is the path of unmixed blessing; it is the path of nearness to Christ, and the power of hope is bright in the soul. No doubt there will be with it self-judgment; but He is leading me in my path, and remember, too, whatever removes the film from my eye to see my path clearly, removes it off Christ that I may see Him more clearly.
Can we say that this is our path, to be “sincere and without offense till the day of Christ?” Here it is the day of Christ, as the end of their responsibility; and the apostle is looking for them to be without offense till that day. It is not the question here of the sovereign grace which will present every soul blameless in that day. God has promised that, and Paul writes to the Corinthians who were walking very badly, “who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” It is the hope that grace has given to every saint; but here he is looking for a life answering to their place in Christ, and he prays that they may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.
Whenever it is a question of the responsibility of the Church, it is the day of Christ; when you get the privileges of the Christian, it is the rapture; that is the fruit of redemption! We shall all be like Christ when He appears, and Paul cannot be better than that; but when responsibility comes in it is the appearing of Christ, and we find the rewards of labor. When He thinks of this, He looks that we may be sincere and without offense till that day.
Can we say this of our path through the last week, “without offense?” There is the power to be thus. You have a nature which has the desire. You have the life of Christ, and the faithfulness and power of God to help you. Then how far can you say, “I am walking sincerely, and without offense?” Paul was no better than others as to flesh or nature. The tree is bad, but there was nothing that soiled his conscience, or that hindered him following after, though he had not already attained, neither was already perfect.
The mere fact of the existence of flesh does not give a bad conscience, but if I let it act, then the conscience is, or ought to be bad. It is like my having a bad, evil-disposed man in the house, who is bent on doing me mischief. Now as long as I keep him locked up, though he is in the house, he can do me no mischief, but if I open the door, I let him out to do the mischief, and I must suffer for it. There is no excuse for the flesh acting. You may have been careless and not have had the armor on, and the thing has hit you, but then it was this want of watchfulness and self-judgment.
But still remember, even if it is so with you, that He restores the soul. He may have to say to you, “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from among the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” All you need is grace to desire, and emptiness of self to trust in His love, and faithfulness to you! I don’t say that the light shining upon you will not humble you. It will, and will make you judge yourself for the failure, and be broken before Him, but it will bring with it the joy of His presence; and thus it is we learn what His grace is to us.
Now see what the Apostle could say of Himself, “according to my earnest expectation, and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also, Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death.” When he wrote this he had been four years in prison, chained to a soldier, and yet he could look back upon his course and say, “as always, so now also.” Oh! if we could say this, that Christ had always been “magnified” in us; and our earnest expectation and hope was that “as always, so now also?” What a great thing to say; but what happiness! The Lord give us to have the eye upon Him, discerning things that differ-that are more excellent, that Christ may be glorified in our walk! Would it not make your heart happy to say, “as always, so now also, Christ shall be magnified in my body?” Well, I say, if there is watchfulness that it may be so? There will be no opportunity for this in heaven. It is here that He exhorts His people to be a faithful people abiding in Him, living witnesses in the world of what He is to them! You are called to walk with this blessed object before you.
Is there not power in Him that it should be thus with you? You can’t say—No. For He says “My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” But we have to remember the strength is in Him,—and not in us, and to have the living earnest desire in our hearts to glorify Him from moment to moment, learning that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; going through our duties in life, but doing them to Christ and for Christ! Our affections not engaged with them, but with Him; thus manifesting whose we are, and whom we serve, that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh!