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You are here being dead in your sins.
Of your flesh happy quicken, together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, lauding out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross.
And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them, openly triumphing over them in it.
Let no man, therefore, judge you in meat or in drink, or in respect of and holy day.
For of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days, which are a shadow of things to come, but the bodies of Christ.
Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding the head from which all the body by joints and bands, having nourishment ministered and knit together, increase it with the increase of God.
Wherefore if you be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are you subject to ordinances, touch not, taste not, handle not, which are all to perish with the using after the commandments and doctrines of men?
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Which things have indeed a show of wisdom and will, worship and humility and neglecting of the body.
Not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh.
I think we should keep before us the thought that the apostle is taking up various devices that the enemy would use to frustrate the Saints, reaching that twofold.
Goal that he has set forth in verse 2.
In verse two we've had.
That the Saints might be knit together in love firstly, and then also strengthened with full assurance of the understanding of the mystery. And now we have the latter part of the chapter, the devices of the enemy to to frustrate that.
Before we go on with the rest of the chapter, we were sort of cut off a little bit in a question that was raised about circumcision and baptism. And I'm not suggesting that we get into a lengthy discussion about it and spend an hour on it, but if anyone else had a comment to make on it before we go on, we'd like to hear it.
Go ahead, brother Ernie, you said something good to me between meetings and I think we all like to hear it.
Well, I I'm reminded of an illustration by George Cutting on circumcision that he took the illustration of a naval orange tree, that it is called a naval orange tree because of what it was manifested to be. But a naval orange tree is started with a Valencia orange rootstock, and that Valencia orange rootstock is has a naval orange grafted into it.
But as an Archer disk goes through the orchard, sometimes he feeds coming out from the bottom of the rootstock of a branch growing, and he takes his knife and he cuts it off because it comes from the old rootstock. And circumcision is the manifestation of the flesh in baptism. It's our end, our death. But there are in circumcision we see.
Manifestations of the flesh, and they are to be cut off as they appear, and that was the reproach of Egypt.
With the children of Israel were those manifestations and they were to be cut off. I think that an apropos illustration of circumcision, it's a thing that we do when those things are manifested to be cut off.
I'd like to have someone continue on just a little bit with that to to solidify that or to correct that thought.
Yo, Gaul was playing where the reproach of Egypt was rolled away, wasn't it?
We were talking last night as I was visiting a home, the brother suggested.
Might be better if I get closer to Mike.
Last night I was visiting in a home and a brother suggested how the story of David and Goliath was a beautiful picture of what we're looking at here.
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Nick David, you know.
Was a young man. It seems he was one circumcised in heart.
He was one who.
Desired to know the heart of God.
And here was this big giant that had been threatening the whole nation of Israel. Just this one man, this one giant of a man.
And he was called an uncircumcised Philistine there.
And David met him as such in the name of the Lord of hosts.
And that name, as he understood it, I believe, was one who.
Commanded everything necessary to defeat that enemy, whatever circumstance might be. The Lord of Hosts was able to make, as it were, that just that simple stone out of a sling hit its mark.
We've heard about the Lord.
Has had over all principality and power.
He's good, we say, in a sense, the Army general.
Of God's host.
Defeat Satan and his host.
David understood that like no other Israelite did, apparently.
And.
I speak my way of.
What these truths can accomplish for God and His people.
We can think on our own as we read scriptures about these things.
As led by the Spirit of God, it's pretty evident when we see.
Things connected in a simple way.
But what a blessing it was at that moment when the giant fell, and soon after his head was cut off.
The Lord Jesus.
It tells us in Ephesians.
Is God's purpose.
Mystery of his will is that.
All things be headed up in Christ.
And that's to the defeat of Satan.
Well, David was just one man.
In that intimidated populace of Israel in God's inheritance, and this Philistine was going to occupy that inheritance for Satan.
Just to sum up, what I have in mind is a verse that I was exposed to a while back.
Might turn to it and Daniel.
Chapter 11.
I think it's let's see verse.
32.
The last half of the verse.
But the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploit.
This is the benefit of the value.
Of realizing the work on the cross for us, the circumcision of Christ.
We're both by Him and his grace.
And one part of the mixed mystery is that we are joined to Him right now by his spirit.
We have every resource to overcome.
By whatever means, Satan would keep us pushed down under his thumb.
Thinking that we're mere humans.
We have always sinned. We can't do any better.
We can overcome.
Sin shall no longer have.
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Dominion over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.
And they have to rely on my brethren to kind of fill in the gaps of what I've said. But I thought it was very beautiful, that story of David and Goliath in reference to these things.
Baptism in Scripture always brings us from one position into another. It brings us in on new ground. And so we find with the children of Israel, they went into the Red Sea, and 40 years later they came up on the resurrection side of the Jordan. And so it's a picture to us not only of the end of our sins, but the end of ourselves. It's the end of the first man, if I can put it very simply, in this Red Sea, the going into the Red Sea, we see the end of our sins.
But in the going into the Jordan, we see, as I say, the end of ourselves. And both are very important to see. The hymn writer put it something like this. Jesus died and we died with him buried in his grave. We lay one with him in resurrection now in him in heaven's bright day. And so that's why John the Baptist said the axe is laid at the root of the tree, because not only did the question of sins have to be taken up.
But the question of sin, the nature that produced those sins. And so the axe is laid at the root of the tree. It's the root of man. Ernie was talking about the root, and it's the root of man that was bad. And so we find that the Lord Jesus, he not only died for my sins, but I need to recognize that I died with him. But then there is the flesh, brethren. And when the children of Israel came up on the resurrection side of the Jordan.
They needed to. There needed to be circumcision. There needed to be the cutting off of the flesh. It didn't bring them into that position. It was because they were in that position. There was.
There was something morally that had to take place so that they could now enjoy the position that they were brought into. And to make it very practical, Brethren, the old man is dead. It's crucified with Christ, it's dead.
But we still have the flesh. And as it says in Romans, sin dwelleth in me. There is the flesh. And if we don't keep in the presence of God, there isn't going to be that self judgment that's needed so that we can enjoy what is ours in Christ, so that we can enjoy all that the land of Canaan speaks to us out. And so often the problem is we enjoy something of our heavenly blessings. There's something, something of a victory in our lives.
And what happens, we don't get into the presence of God, we don't judge the flesh. And then there's defeat the next time. Then there's isn't the enjoyment of the things that he would have for us. And so I think it's important to see this. The old man is dead, it's crucified with Christ, but we still have the flesh. And the only way we can judge the flesh, brethren, is to get into the presence of God, that no flesh should glory in His presence. Why is it so often the flesh raises its ugly head in our personal lives and sometimes even in the assembly.
I suggest that it's because we aren't in the presence of God. If we're really in the presence of God consciously, then there's no place for the flesh to have part or to glory.
It's important to see that these are things that are done here in Colossians 2. It's not exhortation, it is our position in Christ circumcised, very risen with Him. And now it's only as we understand our position that we can live practically in the good of what that that means. And circumcision is cutting. It means circa means all the way around. It's cutting completely off.
Philippians, it talks about the concision. Concision is cutting out and that's what we have the end of the chapter, putting down rules to control the flesh. But if I put down rules to control the flesh, that gives a place for the flesh. God is done with that, completely done with that. That no longer figures in God's thought. It's a it's gone as far as God's concerned. Go back to Romans chapter 8.
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And verse three, I think it's helpful to see it there, he says.
For what the Law could not do, that is the law of Moses.
In that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son.
In the likeness of sinful flesh, we heard in the last meeting that there was number sin in him.
But it was in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin to settle the sin questions. But notice the last part.
Condemned sin in the flesh Sin in the flesh is condemned.
God in effect at the cross said I can no longer, I'm not going to test man in the flesh any longer. It's gone, it's condemned. Now we are to understand that, brethren, and if we understand that, then the cropping's up can be cut off and we can practically put that into effect. Going back to the 6th chapter of Romans where you see both the position of the believer address.
And then putting it into practical effect.
In verse, Let's read from verse one. What shall we say then? Shall we continue and sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer? Therein doesn't say we ought to be dead to sin. We are dead to sin.
Know ye not that so many of us, as we're baptized into Jesus Christ, we're baptized into his death, therefore we are buried with him by baptism and into death. That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, Even so we also should walk in newness of life. So we are dead, we are buried. That was done at the cross, brother.
You were mentioning, Jim, that the Red Sea is the death of Christ for us.
That Jordan is our death with Christ. And at the Jordan River two things happened. Joshua, a figure of the Lord Jesus, took 12 Stones and put them in the middle of Jordan. We're buried, not for us to bury. It's for us to understand what was done at the cross. Out of sight, out of mind. Then the 12 men from the 12 tribes of Israel took a stone from Jordan.
And put it over on the other side. Those stones were visible. That's our resurrection in Christ. And that's what we are to display. But this is positioned. This is what is true of us. Whether you understand it or not, it is true of you. It's what's been done for us. It's our position. Now that we understand that, we can put it into practical effect. Look down in this same 6th chapter of Romans.
To verse 11.
Likewise.
Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead, indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Reckon is to think. He says you're dead now think that way. Put it into practical effect. When the flesh wants to crop up. Remember I'm dead. That's the position I occupy before Christ. What does a dead man have to say with getting drunk?
Never seen a dead man drinking himself drunk. You don't see that happening. He's dead and that's what the way we're to think now as well. They've got important to see that what we have in collection. Stuart is the positional the position that we occupy in Christ right now through the circumcision of Christ buried with him in that distance.
Raised with him through the fate of the operation of God, who has raised him from the dead. With our position in Christ is which Christ has done. That's the case. Then we get in the third chapter and we get the practical exhortation. If, therefore, you've been risen with Christ, or since you've been risen with Christ, seek those things that are above. Now the practical side of it begins.
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Then going on to verse 14, we find that God has also.
Made us dead to the law through the death of Christ, hasn't he? Those ordinances that were contrary to us, they held men in ******* didn't they? Because they did just what you've been saying, Bob. They ministered to the flesh. But it's wonderful to see how that they've been taken right out of the way, nailed to his cross, because they were contrary to us. Well, as we had earlier on, the latter part of this chapter brings before us one of the most.
Shall we say common seeds that are inherent in the heart of man?
And that is to try and control the old sinful self by rules and regulations. And how easy it is to do that, how, how readily it comes into our thoughts and into our hearts. And we know that if the old man is in action, the law needs to deal with them. But as Bob was saying, we're dead to all of that. And what used to put a man under law who has, on the one hand, an old sinful self that can never keep it?
And on the other hand, new life in Christ, that can't break it. And So what a wonderful thing it is to be free from all of that. And as we've said a few moments ago, this is a position into which we have been brought. How blessed that is. I remember discussing these things with a man in another country, and we went over the Scriptures this way and that way, and I believe he understood. But he finally made a remark. He said something like this. Well, brother, that doctrine might work in North America, but it won't work over here.
As if somehow the character of people were different in the country where he was than they are over here. Well, I said, brother, I don't read in the Word of God that He wrote one thing for your country and another thing for us. I believe if we simply act on the Word of God, we will find the wonderful liberty into which we have been brought. And that is really the thrust of this latter part of the chapter, isn't it?
So we never have subtle peace in our souls until we realize.
What we are positionally in Christ unless we receive what God has done with the old man.
Unless we realize the light in which God views us now, there's going to be a struggle and never settled peace in our souls. It's like the man in the 6th and 7th of Romans. He never began to get peace. He struggled. The things he wanted to do, he couldn't. The things he didn't want to do, those were the very things he did. But what was it that began to settle things in his soul? It was when he said, it is no more I, but sin that dwelleth in me.
In other words, he began to realize that God didn't see him in the light of the old man. God saw him in a completely new standing. Yes, there was sin, yes, there was the flesh, but it's just as if when we sin, we can save. Well, God doesn't see me in the light of the old man, He sees me in Christ. His complete deliverance really came when He said, who shall deliver me? Recognizing that it wasn't something, but it was a person.
And so that's why I say we never really get peace until we understand this. We've been talking about the law too, in the next verse. And it's not that the law has changed, but we want and and not that a man goes out and breaks the law in Christianity, that a Christian is going to go out and break the law. But no, he has a new life, as has been said, a life that can only please God. It's the very life of of Christ. It's not that the law has changed.
But something else has been brought in. You might have a way here.
And the laws of gravity pull it down. Well, you can't change the law of gravity.
But if you come along and you introduce a new law by tying the helium balloon to it, it's not that you've changed the law of gravity, but you've brought in a new law. And so this is what he's saying to us. If we could enjoy what our position, if we would understand our position in Christ and what really took place at the cross, then it would give us settled peace, and then the practical would follow in our lives.
But there's many people who spend their whole life, many Christians, true Christians, and they spend their whole life struggling with these things and not fully understanding the full import of what took place when the Lord Jesus died at Calvary.
00:30:15
Maybe it'd be good to see in Romans Chapter 7 our position.
In connection with the law, because, as you say, Jim, the law has not changed.
It is valid today as it ever was. What has changed is our position.
To the law. And so in Romans 7 it says in verse 4, Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that you should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. And verse six. But now we are delivered from the law, being dead.
Wherein we were, that being dead, wherein we were held. So it's not.
The law that has changed. The law is still valid, but it is we that have changed in our position. Sometimes I give the illustration, supposing there's a criminal in the prison out here at the Walla Walla State Penitentiary condemned to die 8:00 tomorrow morning. They go in to bring him out to take him for execution.
And they find that during the night he died, now they're going to take him out and.
I don't even know if they practice capital punishment here Wallowa in Washington anymore, but supposing they do, are they going to still give them an injection, a lethal injection? No, the law does not apply to dead people. The law applies to living people. If we.
That have changed in our relationship, and I think that is important to see because there are many true believers who sincerely think that the law is a rule of life. It is not the rule of life for the believers. Christ is our life now. That is the norm. That is second for it, not the law. We are delivered from the law. We are free from the law.
Be my wife raised up the name of the death upon his inheritance, that the name of his death be not set off from among his brethren, and.
We are witnesses this day and so prior to this we never referred to as.
Of the Lord Jesus pray. Well, that's what explain.
And the hopelessness of being in a mall by come into such blessing.
Its roots, the life of Boaz. And so nobody could come along and say, well, you know, it's the Moabites not to come into the congregation, not even to attempt generation even forever.
But nobody could change that position, and our position cannot be changed in Christ either.
What an inheritance, what a blessing to be associated with him as his bride.
16 of our chapter.
Let no man care for.
Judge you in need or drink during respect of a holy day.
She can't be called a Moabitess any longer. Let no man judge you. You see, it's it's a culmination of what the apostles been developing.
In the earlier verses and verse 11.
Ye the Gentiles.
Circumcised with the circumcised made without hands.
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Verse 12 Buried with him and ******* wherein ye, ye Gentiles, are risen with him, through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead, and you Gentiles being dead in your sins.
And the uncircumcision of your flick have he quickened together with him having forgiven, Then it should read up.
You have done all trespasses because the Jew, the Gentile, was not under law.
But it says as far as the dew blotting out the handwriting of ordinances, that was against us, the Jews, which was contrary to us, and took us out of the way, kneeling it to the cross, and having spoiled principalities and powers, and made a show of them, openly triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge, we're not under law. Far away they're brought into this blessed relationship of being risen.
Being alive, being quickened with him, how blessed no longer to be called roots of Allah Biden, but root the bride, the white of boats.
There is an emphasis here to I would suggest that it's peculiar to this chapter.
And that is the emphasis is on the victory of Christ over Satan and all that he used against us.
That is, it tells us very clearly that we are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands. It tells us we are buried with Him in baptism. It tells us we are risen with Christ. But then it particularly says blocking out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, spoiling principalities and powers. What did Satan do? He used those very things that God gave to expose man's.
Utter inability to satisfy his holy claims. He used those holding it over man's head to say see what you have done, see where you are at. And again let's remind ourselves this is addressed to believers because Satan continues to hold these things over us, but he is a defeated foe. I remember hearing the reading the story about how a man in Eastern Europe by the name of Tesla invented alternating current.
He was in the United States when he did it, and most people Pooh poohed the whole thing, said it'll never work. It's of no practical significance. But a man by the name of George Westinghouse believed in him and supported him and pushed ahead with development of it and when things began to catch on.
Everything was going well, but then Westinghouse and his company were not doing very well because they had to pay very high royalties to Tesla for his invention. And finally Westinghouse called Tesla into his office one day and he said I have to just lay before your situation that exists. He said our company is going to go under because of the royalties that we're paying you. And we don't dispute the royalties. You are entitled to them.
But I'm just telling you the situation. And Tesla stood there for a moment and he said, well, what about that agreement?
And there was Tesla's signatures on it, and there was George Westinghouse of signature on it. And Westinghouse said, yes, that agreement is true. I put my name to it. I own my obligation.
But I'm telling you that we are going to go under if we have to pay it. And Tesla looked at him. He said, listen, he said you supported me when everyone else laughed at me. You believed in my invention when nobody else did. And he said, I'm not going to hold you to that agreement. That's the thought here, isn't it? Man put himself under law and said all that the Lord has spoken we will do. And yet when he comes into the presence of God, he has to realize I can't carry it out.
And so the Lord says yes, and I have provided a way through the death of Christ that you don't have to be bound by that agreement. And He spoiled principalities and powers. And I just suggest to my own soul and to each one. That is an intensely practical thing, because the devil, through various ones that he uses, would seek to bring us again into *******. And sometimes when the flesh shows itself, I think well.
00:40:00
Mightn't be a bad idea to have something to control it.
God says I have something far better for you than that. It's not a question of being held by that agreement. It's a question that you have died to all that is being held against you, and now I am giving you a new life by which you can please the Lord. And more than that, I've given you the Holy Spirit as the energy of that new life so that you have the power to carry it out. Well, it's a wonderful thing to be brought into that position, isn't it?
And people may say, well, if you're not going to allow the law to be applied, why you can do anything you like.
Doing anything he likes.
So if we're dead to the law, we are dead to sin as well.
A dead man doesn't do anything he likes.
Now we have a new life and it's been brought out. We have a life now in Christ that cannot sin.
Is there any need to put a rule to the Newman in Christ that cannot sin? No need at all, brother. It's interesting going back to Romans 8 again, what it does say there, because these things are to be practical in our lives.
Romans 8 and verse we read verse 3 verse 4 follows right on saying that the righteousness.
Of the law.
Might be fulfilled in US who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Does not say that the law is fulfilled in US.
But the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us as we walk, not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Somebody has given this illustration, the law says.
Thou shalt not steal.
What are we having? Grace. We're not under law.
Under grace, it says, let him that stole steal no more.
But rather let him labor working with his hands and.
That suffered.
So, Andrew Grace, it goes far beyond what the law is required.
From the law, but the righteousness of the law is fulfilled. I don't steal, but it goes far beyond that, and that's the power of grace.
To understand it and to enjoy that position we brought into that new life in Christ.
Resurrection Light.
Well, too, isn't there, Bob, in the Old Testament, a man kept the law because it says who through fear of death, were their whole lifetime subject to *******. And they understood very clearly that if they did things contrary to the law, there were very, very stiff penalties. If a man went out and gathered sticks on the Sabbath day, he was to be put to death at the giving of the law itself.
Moses, viewing the scene, said. And so terrible was the sight thereof, that I exceedingly fear and quake.
And so it was really fear, mainly. I'm not saying there weren't those in the Old Testament whose hearts didn't respond to Jehovah, There certainly were. But in Christianity there's not only a new life, there's not only the power for that life, the Spirit of God, but there's a new motive. And that motive is love. And so the Lord Jesus said if a man loved me, he will keep my commandments, because where the heart is, then the feet will fall.
It's not that if we keep the law, because it's a set of I was growing up in Smith's Falls, but I've enjoyed it and it's helped me to understand the difference between the motivation in the Old Testament under the law and what we have in Christianity. And this is the illustration that we used to be given as young people. Brother Albert Hayhoe used to say, let's think of a man who hires a housekeeper to do his housework.
And he when he hires that housekeeper, there's a salary established for her services. And not only so, but a list of regulations perhaps go up on the kitchen wall or the refrigerator door. And perhaps on Monday she's to do the laundry, on Tuesday she's to do the cleaning, Wednesday maybe it's the baking, whatever it is. And so every day these regulations are spelled out. And for that salary that's established, she is required.
00:45:14
Carry out those things. Now, that is perhaps a little picture to us of what we have with the children of Israel under the law in the Old Testament. But now we'll suppose for the sake of illustration, the time goes on and the man falls in love with his housekeeper and he eventually marries her. Now, when you enter that home, you would be very surprised if you saw that list of regulations up on the refrigerator door.
You would be very surprised if you found out that there was still a salary established for her services. But you'd also be very surprised if she didn't do those things. No, she's still going to do the laundry and the cleaning and the baking. In fact, she'll probably do them better now. She'll probably go beyond the Call of Duty and she'll do them better. Why? Because there's a new motivation. The motivation when she was first came in, when she first came into that home.
As the housekeeper was the salary and perhaps the fear that if she didn't carry those things out to the satisfaction of her employers, she'd be released from her duties, she'd be fired. But now that fear is gone. Now there's love. She loves this man that has married her. He loves her. And now out of a response of love, those things are carried out. As Bob said, in Christianity, it goes beyond the law. So she carries those things out beyond what was established.
When she was the housekeeper. Well, perhaps, brethren, that's a feeble illustration, but I think it helps us to understand.
Not that a man, a Christian, goes out and breaks the law. No, he lives for Christ's glory and he'll do it because there's a motive. If a man love me, he will keep my commandments. And the Lord said on earth, the Scriptures say on another occasion, my commandments are not grievous. In fact, when there's the motive of love, a request has the power of a command.
All of these things were intended by God as a shadow, and they did have a typical meaning so that with the light of the New Testament, we can go back to the old and we can see how that God was in tight, unfolding precious truth, which now find their fulfillment in Christ. But I think you made the remarks some years ago, Brother Bob. We don't pay as much attention to the shadows when we have the substance.
And that's what it is here, the body, the thought here of the body is the substance, isn't it? It's not the truth of the one body or something like that, but rather the actual substance in relationship to the shadow and all of those things we can look back to. And as I say, we can see that there is that which God would teach us. And we know how much the Old Testament opens up to us when we see the principles and truths of the New Testament illustrated in the Old.
But the body is of Christ, and so it is important in everything to.
See the precious truth revealed in the New Testament and then to see it illustrated in the Old, but not the other way round, that's always going to lead to error if we seek to bring out New Testament truth from the Old Testament without first going to the New Testament to see the substance and the body as it is of Christ. And so there's always the tendency, sad to say, for man to try and go back to those things. And that's what we get in the rest of the chapter here, isn't it? We get a warning.
Because ultimately.
It consists in not holding the head, but rather turning to that which will glorify.
Something in you and me that wants a place, something in you and me that yes, it may be what Scripture calls here a voluntary humility. But what is it really? Is it really humility? No, it isn't. It's being puffed up by our fleshly mind and how many times we will see those. And maybe it's in our own hearts where there seems to be such a nice.
Humility on the surface, and there seems to be, perhaps.
00:50:03
That which would commend itself, but in reality it is simply the flesh taking a place in the things of Christ. Well, how easily we fall into that snare and how easily we can find ourselves not holding the head, but relying on that which man would do. And I think you brought it out, Bruce, yesterday, that.
There are the teachings of men and there is the looking up to men itself, men themselves.
And both are snares into which the believer can fall if we're not holding the head.
Just to go on with another little comment, in this verse it says.
Intruding into those things which he hath not seen.
That is one thing that is typical of man's mind seeking to go beyond the revelation of God. We find in Peter that it says in Christ through the word of God we have all things that pertain unto life and godliness. But there's a warning in John's second epistle about him that goes forward. The King James says transgress.
But it should be progressive that goes forward. That is a seeking to.
Delve into things that the Spirit of God has not seen fit to reveal to us. And that is a great danger, isn't it? And the mind of man loves to do that. The mind of man loves to go beyond divine revelation in seeking to explain things and seeking to understand things and letting the mind work in the things of God. Well, again, we say the mind of man can have its fullest exercise and use within the framework of the Word of God and under the guidance of the Spirit of God.
But when man's mind starts to exercise itself beyond what we have in divine revelation, that's where the trouble starts. And then pretty soon we have the teachings of men taking their place alongside the Word of God. And if we can be specific, we see that in.
Religious systems like Mormonism and 7th Day Adventism, we see it, sad to say, in Roman Catholicism, where men have elevated their own thoughts, their own teachings to this precious book and it always takes us in the wrong direction. Well, we say, oh, we would never do that. We would never get involved in any of those errors. But I say it, I trust with feeling. Let us be careful.
That and we've had it already brought before us, that we are not found substituting the teachings and maybe the traditions of men for holding the head and going by the word of God. Let us be careful, as we have already been warned against looking to those who perhaps have more gift and more knowledge and more intelligence than we, and putting them between US and the Lord. They can be a great mercy to us, a great help.
And we value the gifts that God has given. We value those who have minds that are superior to ours. We value those whose knowledge of the Word of God is greater than ours. But ultimately, they are only valuable to us to the extent that they can point us to the Head himself. And that is the value of one another, isn't it? If my brethren don't do that for me, then they're not really doing me a service, are they? And all down through the history of the church, it has been the bane of the church.
Where men have attracted to themselves with a certain system of teaching, a certain view of things, a certain line of things that is peculiar to them, that appeals to a certain set of people. But how wonderful to hold the head will prevent all that, won't it?
Is a dangerous signal when we see.
Those who are gifted like you say.
Bill and attracting.
A following to themselves. May the Lord deliver us from that, we must say. Your brother Lundeen is mentioned in this conference. He was a man that the Lord used to encourage many of us.
But I often appreciated the fact. Maybe I didn't appreciate it at the time when you asked him a question.
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Sometimes, after he answered the question, you had as much of a question as you ever did.
He answered it in a way that you could not.
Pin something on him and I think he did it purposely so that he wouldn't get a following.
Brethren, that's a right spirit. We should not want that. We should desire that God's people be built up and come into maturity so that they follow Christ. We need, like you say, Bill, to realize that a true gift, say that a gift of a teacher, the value of a teacher is that he can help us to understand Scripture.
And then scripture is what guides us in our lives, not that teacher.
That's maturity. Rather, it's looking up to Christ. It's holding him as head. And God gives gifts. Thank God for them, not despising them in any way. But don't just listen to what's being said here, young people, in the meeting, you got your Bible open in front of you. Look at the scriptures. You're not going to understand it all at once, but compare what is being said to what's written there.
In black and white.
You won't go wrong if you get it from scripture itself.
I don't know if you have any light Brother Dave on. You mentioned about the Gnostic movement in verse 18. It speaks of worshipping of angels. Was that something connected with that movement in the early church? It would be interesting to know.
Angels Intermediate.
I think that's one of the reasons why twice in Book of Revelation, I believe it is chapter 19 to 22.
John falls down the feet of the angels, and he's rebuked for that.
Worship God only.
And I think that's part of the reason why too. The apostle says in Timothy, there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. The heart of man. The religious heart of man would always seek to interpose all kinds of intermediate beings, whether it's angels or the Saints or the Virgin Mary or whoever it might be. But in Christianity we have been brought into contact.
With God himself.
No barriers between us through that one mediator.
The Lord Jesus Christ, and that's part of him saying I am the way.
You want to be very careful. I think I'm glad this is raised because I believe today this is a difficulty. And sometimes, and brethren, I don't want to be critical, but sometimes you go to a Christian bookstore and you see a lot of books written on angels. Now the subject of angels taken up in the light of God's Word is a very edifying subject. And angels have their proper place. They've always been the messengers and ministers of God.
And even in Christianity, are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation?
But brethren, in taking up a subject like angels, we don't want to become so occupied with them that we lose sight of the fact that they are only doing the bidding of the Lord Himself. They are only His ministers. And so, as Brother Dave has said, we in Revelation, John was not to fall down at the feet of an Angel and worship him. In this connection, I'd like to go back to the 34th Psalm, where I think you have some instruction.
It's very helpful in this regard.
I just say I don't believe we ever have a precedent in Scripture that would teach us to pray to angels, not only not to worship angels, but even to pray to angels. And I think it's brought out here very clearly in this 34th Psalm. It just noticed a few verses here.
Verse five. They looked unto him, and were lightened, and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried unto the Lord.
Cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. I want you to notice this before we go on to the next verse. You notice the psalmist here. He doesn't pray to angels. He doesn't ask an Angel for deliverance. He asks the Lord. This poor man cried unto the Lord. But now notice the next verse, verse 7, the Angel of the Lord in campus round about them that fear him and Delivereth Delivereth them.
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And many of us have had experiences where we felt the direct intervention of angels as ministering spirits sent forth from the Lord. And some of us have had experiences in other countries where there's no 911 or 1800 or someone in a uniform that you can trust. And I believe the Lord often comes in and he uses angels in the way that David speaks of it here in the seventh verse, the Angel of the Lord in campus round about them. But notice.
As again, I want to stress this, it wasn't an Angel that he looked to for deliverance. He cried, he prayed to the Lord and we pray to the Lord. We cried to the Lord and he may use an Angel or angels, but and then notice just to.
Drop down well verse 80 taste and see that the Lord is good, not angels, but blessed is the man that trusteth not in angels, but trusteth in him. And then notice the end of the Psalm.
The Lord redeemeth the soul of His servants, and none of them that trust in Him shall be, shall be desolate. And so David recognized that it was the Lord here when he addressed someone. It was the Lord he addressed. And so if the Lord comes in and delivers us in a situation, we don't thank an Angel for delivering us. It may, that may have been the instrumentality that the Lord used, but we thank the Lord. Well, I just say this, brethren, because I believe this has seeped into Christian circles today.
Where angels and their function have been made so much of that people lose sight of the fact that it's the Lord, it's Christ himself.
Have the angels speaking and giving out his thought, and no doubt representing all the elect angels of heaven. And when John is down worshipping, what does he say?
He says, see thou do it not, for I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren, the prophets and of them which keep the sayings of this book worship God. It's nice to have the angels thoughts about it that if we're doing this we're we're offending them. They want God to be worshipped and glorified.
Well, it's nice to see here that when we hold the head, we find that the body works together in the right way.
And as it says here in verse 19.
All the body by joints and bands, having nourishment ministered and nicked together, increase it with the increase of God.
Man can never improve on what God has arranged, can he?
Man thinks that he can put his hand into things. Man thinks that he can make things better. And how often have we heard when we talk about the precious truth of the one body? And I'm not referring simply to gathering on that ground, precious as it is, but rather the fact that God intends that every member of the body in looking to the head and holding the head, will find, as it says here.
That nourishment ministered.
Each one contributing what is necessary. Well, we have to hang our heads, don't we? When we look at the one body of Christ which is not divided in essence, the testimony of it has been sadly divided, but the body itself is not divided. But how wonderful it would be if each one looked to the head. And we can depend on Him, can't we? And I can say this for my own soul, as I say it for others.
When difficulties and problems come and I can well remember my father.
Bringing this very much before me, he said.
We are often tempted to put our hand to things, and some of us have had to learn the hard way that we didn't have the mind of God in doing it. But he said we are tempted to put our hand to things. But first of all, let us look to the head and ask the head, what shall we do about this? What lesson are we to learn from this situation? And is there something that the Lord is seeking to bring before us in all of this? And then secondly.
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What is the head asking us to do about it? Maybe nothing.
Maybe He is saying leave it with me, I will look after it. I am the head. I will deal with matters in my time. Well, I admit that that requires discernment in the Lord's presence, but I believe that is put in here to show us that in looking to the head, man will never be the loser, but rather the gainer by it in every way. And most of most important, the Lord Jesus will get the glory. The head will be glorified, not man. And the essence of the problem here, I believe, is man, man, man seeking to have a place.
Instead of the head getting the glory.
I think that's so beautiful, Bill. It says all the body and to hold that precious truth of the body of Christ. As you say, the body of Christ has never been divided. It cannot be divided. It's one before God today as much as it was on the day of Pentecost. What is divided is the practical testimony in this world.
But if that is the case, then even today we are to act before the Lord for the good.
All the members of the body, the measure that we can, we're not called to get into compromising situations and there are places I would not feel free to go, but I say in the measure that we can, we need to be exercised. God has given gifts and they are to be used in view of the whole body of Christ and brethren, when we look around the world and see those we've heard something of our brethren over in China.
Don't know.
Of our brethren there very much, we don't know very much about them, what's happening over there because of the restrictions there are, but they are members of the body of Christ as much as we are. Isn't there a desire that they too would enjoy these same precious things that we enjoy in whatever measure that we could do something to help them to enjoy these things? There should be an exercise, if nothing else, in prayer be exercised in prayer.
About those dear brethren over there that are suffering severe persecution, but I would like to ask Brother Bill, what are the joints and bands mentioned in this verse 19?
Well, I don't want to be too technical about it, but I've looked at it this way.
We all know what joints are. That's where 2 bones come together.
Where they are able to move.
Sometimes in different directions, sometimes in only two directions. There are different types of joints, and we all have them in our bodies.
But those joints would not work properly without the bands. What are the bands? They're ligaments.
Ligaments composed of connective tissue that enable those joints to move properly within a certain range of motion that that joint is designed for. And we all know what it feels like if we sprain our ankle and stretch or tear one of those ligaments. All the young men here know what it's like, or at least have heard what it's like to be hit in the knee joint in a football game and have your anterior cruciate or something like that.
Stretched or torn? Oh dear, your knee doesn't work very well, does it? And joints that have damaged ligaments don't function very well, and yet we don't think of them very much. They're kind of insignificant things and we don't pay too much attention to them, but they're very necessary. And so I guess the way I have taken it is that when the body is going to function, it needs every member. And here it's particularly function that is in view. There are other parts of the body that don't involve.
Bones and ligaments and joints. And we all know that we have such parts in our body. We have a system to eat and digest food and that doesn't involve bones and ligaments. But here I believe the imagery is such that there are bones that are strong, that are supportive, that move, but there are bands that keep those bones in their proper places and enable them to function in a proper way without becoming dislocated, without getting arthritic and.
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Without going all over the place and it seems to me that God is saying I have set all of these in the body in order that.
It might work properly, I don't know. Does that commend itself, Bob?
Parties to work together isn't it exactly is to pull together, not pull apart. And sometimes I think we need brethren to be challenged in our thinking because the Lord has allowed division.
And it's a sorry theme to talk about, but it's the truth.
And it's happening not merely amongst those gathered to the Lord's name. I hear about it all over the place in Christian circles. But division comes in because of our fleshliness. And he does say there must be.
Divisions amongst you that they which are.
Approved be made manifest. But it's not we that can do the approving, brethren, it's the Lord that does the approving. So we need to be exercised. But what exercises my own soul brethren, is?
That we need to have the truth of God before us. Let's not get the division mentality.
Let's pull together. The body is one. I was talking to a brother the other day and he says, well, I guess I can go on by myself where I am. I says, well, how would it be if I just cut off this left hand and and put it over in the corner that he can work over there by itself? Would that work?
No, no, he says. That wouldn't work. The body is made to function together.
Yes, the testimony is an outward ruins, but we are to go on in view of that truth even today, in the measure that we can because of the outward ruin. In many ways we're Hanford, but we are to go on in view of that truth, not have the division mentality, have the mentality that the body is one. It still is one today, brethren. And so we go on in the measure that we can.
As it says here, holding the head from which all the body by joints and bands, having nourishment.
Ministered and knit together increases with the increase of God. Just like to suggest another practical result of this, brethren. Joints and bands pull the body together, the different members their points. Joints are points of stress.
Because the shoulder is a joint, and when your person is working because of what he's doing, there's often real stress at the shoulder. And that's why there's a lot of muscles there that help to withstand the stress. But brethren, we live in a world where there is a lot of problems around the world, and I think it is interesting to see in the book of the Acts.
When there was.
A forecast by a prophet in Jerusalem that there was going to be famine.
In all the land the brethren in other countries were exercised to send help to that country, to Palestine or to Jerusalem, to help out in the need. And so we in our exercise as members of the body, need to think of our brethren in other parts of the world and to be, in whatever way possible, a practical help. I understand.
And her brethren in China.
Are really lacking bibles.
I wish there was some young brother and that were exercised about taking in Bibles into China. I talked to one person who does that, takes in tour groups and they take in suitcases of Bibles. Sometimes they get caught, but because China doesn't want to offend the United States too much, they just give them a receipt and say you can pick up this suitcase when you're going out.
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They don't even take it away from them, but many times they get in.
Is there nothing for us to do, brother? And I believe if we will just Simply put ourselves at the disposition of the Lord in the simplicity of members of the body of Christ, there is much throughout the world that can be done. I thank the Lord for those that have gone over to Malawi.
They've really made a sacrifice. Life is not easy over there, but there is to me a joint between the United States.
In Malawi.
Life is tremendously different over there than it is over here.
But they are standing in the gap in a certain measure, seeking to be a help in what they can.
Do we want to live for present advantage, dear young people, or are we willing to lay down our lives?
To put aside our own interests in making a name for ourselves or making good for ourselves here so that there can be blessing in other areas around the world. There's real need all over.
Right, Jim.
Yes, there's no shortage of opportunities. There may sometimes be a shortage of diligence and exercise on our part.
And I would just reiterate what you say because I think sometimes the danger is we look round in North America and we say, well, the doors seem to be shutting. Well, that's true. Maybe in North America they are. And I don't mean we all need to pack up and go as missionaries to a foreign country. That's not what we're saying. But the needs and opportunities are many in many parts of the world. And I believe, brethren, that as long as the Church of God is here and as long as the Spirit of God is here.
There is work to be done because the Spirit of God won't leave till we leave, and the Spirit of God is here with us and in US, and that indicates that there are going to be open doors and opportunities until the Lord Jesus comes. And what we need to be exercised about, brethren, is am I availing myself of the needs and opportunities, the open doors? I don't believe we need to get up in the morning and pray for opportunities.
What we need to get up in the morning and pray for is that we would avail ourselves of the opportunities as they present themselves.
And maybe it's never been. You never will feel called or have the physical stamina to go to a foreign country and live like Tim Ruga and Tim Roach and others who have given that kind of a sacrifice. But there are many other ways that you can help. I'll just be very practical for a moment. The tonnage of literature that we're able to pour into the English Caribbean every year, we couldn't do that without sisters and brothers behind the scene.
Who take glue sticks in their hand every day and who run things through a laminator and who are exercised to have a little part. And you know what throws my heart is there's a day coming when we're going to stand together at the judgment seat of Christ. And everybody that helped in the work, someone bought the glue sticks. Someone, a sister invited people over to her home and provided a table to do the work on. Someone else printed verses and made sure that the work was was quality work and so on.
And when we stand at the judgment seat of Christ, every glue stick, every staple.
Every piece of paper, every roll of laminate is carefully recorded in God's Book of Remembrance.
And isn't going to be a thrill, Bob, to stand inside our fellow laborers in that day and see that they perhaps get a far, far greater reward than we who had a public place. Because to carry on those little hidden services from year to year, they had to do it for the Lord. Nobody commended them or thanked them or passes them on the back, but they had to do it for the Lord. And the motive was right because the hidden service, you have to have the right motive to carry on from day-to-day and year to year.
Well, I've spoken perhaps more plainly than I ought to, but I just want to impress upon us. You know, we're going to rise up from these meetings in a day or so. We're going to go back to the sphere of life where God has placed us. And brethren, let's be exercised as members of the body of Christ. Let's be exercised that we seek by the grace of God not to do the function of someone else or covet the work of someone else.
But even if it's just bands, even if it's just a hidden service.
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Whatever God gives us to do as members of the body of Christ, whether it's public or hidden, let's seek by grace to do it not with eye service as men, pleasers, but in singleness of heart is under the Lord. And if you do, there will be a building up of the body.
There will be that pulling together that we have spoken of. There will be blessing souls brought in and Saints encourage so that there is a healthy, happy body.
Amen.
Bendix.
Piles of God by Christ.
Their smiles are thine.
Rivers are you the joy of God with them?
Lying to glory.
My white land and rainbow everyone.