PH 1:15-23{I DESIRE to say a word on the basis and character of our communion-to show how it all turns on our confidence and dependence upon "the Father of glory," in what He has planned and accomplished as the " God of our Lord Jesus Christ," by raising Him from the dead, and setting Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places.
It is wonderful to see here, how the one great object of our faith and our communion is found in this Christ of God. 'We reach in this chapter up to that One in whom we were chosen before the foundation of the world. In previous times the Spirit of prophecy, or of God, had to witness that there was something to come, and to lead souls to look forward to that time. What a relief it is for us to know that the best thing has been now brought out, and that we have got it. We have God's best thing-call it "the mystery" if you like. God Himself gave " patterns of things in the heavens" to Moses and to David, patterns for the tabernacle, and afterward for the temple; but, to the apostle of the Gentiles, God gave not the shadows, but the divine and eternal realities.
The glory of the Lord took Paul up, but before it took him up, it crushed him; and so must it be with you and me; we must be crushed if the glory is to take us up, and make us conversant with Himself. If I think of Paul apprehended thus, in that day, I see how he was to be prepared, and how he got the great realities which he gives us afterward, in Ephesians and Colossians. So perfectly was Paul taught what these things for the glory were, that there must needs be a new prayer go up from his heart to God, for those to whom he is going to unfold them, " that the eyes of their understanding may be enlightened," etc.
When I open this epistle, and read this prayer, I judge these must be an altogether new element in our communion with God the Father, to comprehend all those counsels which hitherto were hidden, but which are now revealed to us by the Holy Ghost. The lines are fallen to us in pleasant places truly; for not only have we got our Lord Jesus Christ in the right place on high, but the people fitted to the place, and seated together with Him. Oh, let us look up to the spring-head of life and blessing, and see what it is we are thus vitally connected with!
And, as I say that word " connected," I would add, that Paul could not have offered this prayer to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, if we were not connected in life with Him. Have you in your souls got hold of that fact, that we are connected through the Holy Ghost, with the God of our Lord Jesus Christ-the Father of glory?
I press that word " connected." " Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood." What a way it is by which we have got into it! Do we object to previous types and shadows? Of course we do not; but we look through them to the God-man who fills up the shadows. He is the Alpha and Omega in every type. Christ takes the initiative, for He is the first as well as the last, in everything. And if I pass from the earth where He was, and see Him in the ascending steps of His pathway to glory, I see myself set with Him in that place, at the Father's right hand. People say we are seated in heavenly places; but I ask: How are you seated? Surely it is only as you know yourself vitally connected with Him, that "your joy can be full" in this fellowship.
Having thus shown them their place, Paul offers up this prayer. I only dwell upon one or two points in it. The outward or natural eye is no good here: it is the inside and spiritual thing that is wanted, as the Lord says in John: " If a man love Me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him " God says, I have quickened you, and made you one with Christ; the life is there, and in you.-Then, says Paul, I pray that the eyes, not of your understanding, but " of your heart, may be enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints."
Then we come to this power again, but in its application to ourselves-" the exceeding greatness of His power, to us-ward who believe." Power belongs to God, and, as I think of where Christ is, I. see that a new power is come in, and has been exercised to raise this Christ from the dead, and to place Him far above all heavens. But I do not touch it yet, and it does not touch me either-for it first occupies itself with Christ. This power of God says: I come after the righteous One; I am weary of driving out the fallen ones; I am coming in to answer the willing obedience unto death of that blessed One: I am now free to come in and act for " the fulfiller of all righteousness."
Thus power comes in from God, and sets the second Man in divine title " at His own right hand in the heavenly places," and not only that, but—quickens us together with Him, and seats us there with Him too; and thus we are connected with God, and our communion is with the on of the Father, the exalted Man in glory. God says, as sure as Christ is raised up and seated there, so surely will I raise you up, " because of His Spirit that dwells in us." It is a wonderful thing! worthy of the Father of glory and of His Son.
Here I get Christ also as the Head of the church; and no wonder Paul has to offer a new prayer, or that he should speak of the eyes of our hearts being enlightened. If the natural eye-the flesh-comes out in any way, it will only hinder our understanding. Flesh can do nothing here. " Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savor." The fly is a bit of escaped flesh.
I will just read the second prayer too, because there are one or two points I would like to refer to in it. (Read Eph: 3:14 to 21.) Notice the word families, it is not family. In the fuse prayer, we get the divine origin and Head of the church; in the second, it is "the Father of whom every family in the heavens and on earth is named." I find the Father now, and the Father as known with families; and everything in order, as it should be. " He setteth the solitary in families," and these are the bases of our knowledge of God, and communion with the Father. Only think that we should be brought up to this, in the Son of His own love, to the Father's house!
The first prayer is our acceptance and place with Christ, as being new creatures; the second is that we may know God, as a Father. In the first we are connected with all the counsels of God. In the second we are strengthened with His might, according to His glorious power, that we may be able, as beloved children, to please Him. This brings in the Spirit-for it is " by his Spirit in the inner man."
Thus we are set in our proper places in these two prayers, and we are made competent-we become practical-and now everything in us goes to work. We find the measure of the blessing to be the love of Christ which passeth knowledge. In this we are set, and, in the eighteenth verse, it is in all the, infinitude of "breadth, and length, and depth, and height." As to our perfection and completeness, it is Christ, and never anything lower than Christ.
Allow me here to say we are not only justified from all things, by His blood, but we are justified IT to the glory. In one sense you cannot be nearer, but, at the same time our great care should be about acceptability, as we have been considering. You get your acceptance in the first prayer; in the second you get the strength for carrying out your acceptance into acceptability. And what is the result of it? Why, that you may be able to know this love, and walk in it as dear children.
The second prayer flows from the Father's, and from Christ's, love to us. Do not come out from His presence, except with the strength of His Spirit in the inner man, through his grace; nor without Christ in your heart-that you may be " filled even to all the fullness of God!" What! this unfathomable fullness? Yes, for this is what the church is brought to! And what can you feel or desire as to things down here, if love like this fills you?
In the first out-goings of this love of God, did it not come down after the prodigal? Who first saw him? The Father. And who was it kissed him, and put the best robe on him, and killed the fatted calf? Was it not the Father'? That is the character of the love of God. Have you ever been near enough to get into the personal enjoyment of that love 2 The Lord knew what the love of that bosom was, and He declared it to us, and has placed us there. It is no use making excuses for oneself in the face of these two prayers, by saying, I come so short; I know so little. God forbid that any of us should separate the second prayer from the first-our acceptance from our acceptability: that we may be " filled with all the fullness of God."
The Lord give us, beloved friends, to steadily set our hearts on His own grace, and be both confident and dependent. (J. E. B.)