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General Meetings Wheaton, July 1982 Last Reading Meeting.
Sing Hymn number 154.
Our father. We won't work.
In favor of the night.
41.
Graveyard.
God we bring all you crying me, God grace are made of spine.
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My faithfulness.
All my goodness and our hearts divine.
Response.
Saddened his life.
All I did must enjoy.
Together.
Oh my God.
And.
In this third chapter and on down to the 13th verse of the next chapter.
Verse 16.
Ephesians Chapter 3, verse 16.
That He would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, That ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with All Saints what is their breadth and length and depth and height.
And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.
To unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask, or think according to the power that worketh in US, unto him the glory in the Church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation of wherewith ye are called, with all loneliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
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There is one body and one spirit, even as he are called in one hope of your calling.
One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism.
One God and Father of all, who is above all and through all, and in you all but unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Wherefore yourself when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
Now that he ascended, what is it that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
He that descended is the same also that ascended up above all heavens, that He might feel all things.
And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man under the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
Onto that.
13th verse where we have what will take place at the Lord's coming at this wonderful mystical body. We have been enjoying the truth about him, the deep truths here in the third chapter.
Will be brought to completion when the Lord comes and then the.
Doctrine about how it is brought about how God works and how the Lord Jesus has given those gifts to.
Nourish and cherish the Church.
That is very practical in the beginning of the 4th chapter. And then it brings us right up to the time when there is just that one man deep Christ, the head and the body together, and the grand fact that till we all come at that day, all will be together, The unity will be there and displayed. But it's good to go on with our.
3rd chapter.
And seek to enjoy these wonderful things that are given to us, that are revealed to us now.
Some of us are exercised about being able.
To enter into these things.
To enjoy them.
Maybe we are concerned about our capacity to take them in.
And it seems to me that we have several things in this third chapter.
I'm looking at verse 16, that he would grant you to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner Mass.
We will need that strengthening with might by the Spirit to enter into these things, because they cannot be entered into and joy in the flesh. It has to be the strengthening of the inner mind by the Spirit.
Capacity developed to take them in.
And then in verse 17 speaks of Christ dwelling in our hearts, but faith. But it says that ye being rooted and grounded in love.
Rooted and grounded in love. Well, when we were saved, the love of God was shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost that was given to us.
Perhaps.
We could think of that as the rooting, but how about the grounding? Being grounded in love? Are we settled in it? Is it a real foundation for us?
Well, it develops a capacity to think of the Lord's love and that that divine love is in our heart, and we can rest upon that love. We can depend upon it. Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it. How good to lean upon the love of the Lord Jesus Christ for us.
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And to know that he loved us as was brought before us in John 15.
Verse 9 As the fathers loved me, the Lord says, so have I loved you.
We need to be in a state of soul where we're meditating upon that love, thinking of that love, And if we sit down and think about that wonderful love the Lord has for us and that love is in our heart, so we can love our brethren.
We can't think very long about that love of the Lord without our hearts really getting warmed up. Maybe we're concerned about we're cold in our souls and we wish we love the Lord more, but it can't come from anything that we can do. But we're to be rooted and grounded in that love He occupied with His love, and our hearts will warm up. Then there's another thing.
May be able to comprehend with All Saints.
We need our comprehension developed.
Or our ability to apprehend, to take it in.
Well, it sells about the need of a capacity for something here that has breadth and length and depth and height.
What kind of a calculation is that?
Well, 4 dimensions.
This is a wonderful thing. Are we able to comprehend it, apprehended to enter into it?
Well, there has to be exercise about that.
And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, Well, what will that lead to? That's a strange expression, isn't it? The love to know the love of Christ. And then it says it passes knowledge. Well, if it passes knowledge, how can I know it?
Well, I can't know all of it, but I can be exercised about being dipping into it because it's like a big ocean and our cup is very small.
And perhaps we need to be exercised about having a bigger cup so we can make a bigger dip, get more of that, know more about that love that passes knowledge.
Well, I was just sitting here looking at that and seeing that that evidently this is bringing before us the need of an exercise about developing capacity to take these things in, to enter into them the children of Israel. When they went into the land of Canaan, they had the whole land before them. All the blessings, earthly blessings of Canaan were there.
But they did not walk with God in such a way that they could possess it all. They could not enjoy it all. Really, Only a small part of it did they enjoy. But what happened? Well, they were not going on with the law. They were not dwelling upon God and his love and his care for them.
And they got away from God, and they didn't develop their capacities at work to be able to enjoy all the land, to enter into the whole thing, to possess it all. One example for us.
Our brother Anderson, the reading of that coupling of those two together.
What you've just been telling us?
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that she being brooded and grounded in love, in order that she may be able to apprehend.
With that, would that fit there so that these are all coupled together?
And the love comes first and then the apprehension. Otherwise it's simply the mind, isn't it?
Now do we not have in Ephesians?
First of all, in the first chapter of the Inheritance, now that's all created things that will be given to Christ and the Church or has been given. He created them as God, but he takes them as man so that he can share them with us.
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But what we have now in this portion?
Grows further than that.
Because that has limits.
The creation you get it in the 19 Psalm.
The furthest parts of the earth. There's warmth there too. But now we have the Father's house.
We have that which has to do in these verses with our eternal portion.
In the place of the affections of the Father.
It's that which has to do with the inner man.
And is called the riches of his glory.
Now Gloria Glory is excellence in exhibition. It may not be in display, but it's an exhibition.
A glory that is enjoyed in the soul.
Of those who are in the good of the love of Christ.
There are many things that cannot be in display.
Many things you cannot communicate to others.
And rather than that's what will be our portion for all eternity, that which will be enjoyed in our souls.
And in their proper place the children before the Father.
And the bride with the lamb.
Because when you speak, when the Scripture speaks of the marriage, it's always the marriage of the lamb. It isn't the marriage of the bride, the marriage of the lamb. We had that little hymn this morning, the lamb. Lovely. It's the lamb. It's the one who died and the one who paid the price.
And so we're going to be with him, but also children before the father.
You recall when Abraham was.
I'd have the battle with the Kings, and I suppose he was a little apprehensive of their coming back to destroy him.
And God said to him, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
Well, immediately, Abraham says. What will you give me? What will you give me?
What did he mean? Why? He said the steward of mine house is going to be the heir. Oh no, God says the steward won't be the heir. Your own son will be the heir.
He had to receive it by faith.
And So what was happening at that moment? Abraham was in tune with God's thoughts.
Abraham wanted children to take over the inheritance that was going to be given him.
God was thinking about the time when his son was going to take the inheritance.
And he was going to have children in his own presence. Two things. The inheritance.
And the children in the Father's house. And so we see the thoughts of Abraham and the thoughts of God.
Coalescing at the same moment.
And when Abraham says, what wilt thou give me? There's only one thing on his heart, and that was that he might have a son to carry out what's God's purposes were in connection with the earth because Abraham, you know, was to inherit the earth.
But now we have that beside which was pictured there, both the inheritance and the father's house, where the children are and where the bride is.
And I like to think of that one. There are several pictures in the Old Testament of the Bride or companion, and Abigail has her own peculiar characteristic. Her name means the joy of the Father.
Now that's the that's the place and the condition that you and I will be in in the glory. The Bride of Christ will be the joy of the Father. Can you think of a relationship that will be more enjoyable?
Then that relationship that the bride will have in the heavens both is the bride of Christ, and to be part of the children of God in the Father's house to enjoy not that which is limited, which the inheritance would be.
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But that which we have those 4 dimensions that you speak of.
Connected with the fullness of God.
That is.
In the Colossians.
In him dwells all the fullness in a in a man, in a human body.
For all eternity dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and ye are complete in him. Now that is the portion in the Father's house that's over and beyond the inheritance.
And that's what we have in these verses that we're considering that which has to do.
With the riches of his glory.
In verse 17, following upon the strengthening of the Spirit in the inner man is that Christ may dwell in the heart by faith, and I was meditating upon that. And let us ask ourselves what does that mean? Christ is the center of all God's thoughts.
Christ is the center of all God's purposes.
Those eternal purposes of grace.
Centered in the person of the Lord Jesus. When I wake up in the morning, when you wake up in the morning, is Christ dwelling in your heart? In my heart by faith is he my first thought and as I go through the day.
Is he my constant companion? Does he find a home in my heart? Does he find a home in your heart? This is what Paul is praying for. And for this we need the strengthening of the Spirit of God in the inner man. That Christ might dwell, that he might live there, that he might be at home there in our hearts by faith. It can only be by faith.
This is the first thing.
That he mentions.
I think the most painful thing in my life, and you might find it so in yours.
That I find myself so intensely selfish.
So self-centered, everything seems to revolve around my little world. You find it so. But that's not God's fault. And if we're filled with the Spirit, everything revolves around Christ. He is the center of all his thoughts and God would lift us by the power of the Spirit from our little world of our own interests and.
Our pains and our aches and our sorrows and our sufferings and whatever it is.
Into his boss and they all centered in the Lord Jesus.
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, and then, being rooted and grounded in love, that she may be able to comprehend with all the Saints, the length, the breath, the depth, the breadth and length, and depth and height.
I believe here we have the dimensions of the mystery. We think of everything in three dimensions down here.
But here is something that goes beyond nature.
The breath. Think of the breath, the scope of the wondrous mystery that he's been unfolding, those eternal councils of God which center in Christ. He's going to have his all various manifold wisdom made known to the created intelligence as the principalities and powers through the assembly, Christ in the Church.
You and myself glorified one with the man in the glory, the breath of it, the length of it. Does it have an end? The Kingdom will have an end. It will last for 1000 years, and then give over, of course into the eternal state. But our portion is forever with Christ in glory and then the depth. How low did he go? We read that in the next chapter.
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He that ascended there is the height. He also descended into the lower parts of the earth. He went down to where we were, the death in which we lay, the degraded condition in which we were by nature. He went down, down, down, that he might lift this up into that place of glory with himself. The breath, the length, the depth, the height, to be able to enter into these things. These are God's thoughts.
And they set her in the person of Christ, all that the Spirit of God might have his way with us and lift us out of our little immediate circle so that we're occupied with him. There's a poem. There's a story. I think most of us may have read it. If Jesus would come to your house now, I can't repeat it, but it goes that maybe there would be some literature in the house, that it would have to be put away.
Maybe there would be some electronic equipment that would have to be put away. Maybe there would be various things. But if Jesus is dwelling in my heart and in yours, if he came to our house, there wouldn't be anything changed. Nothing, because he's our constant companion. We wouldn't have to change a thing because we're walking with him every moment.
Of every day. This is what Paul is praying for in this epistle, in this prayer.
So happy yesterday and we started on this portion and more so today. I was so happy when our brother started with First Corinthians 2 That thought of the deep.
Things of God being revealed to us by the Spirit, and certainly we've been fed that way.
And I can't help but feel we've been brought to the pinnacle several times, and we're being brought again in this portion. These are things that we will never fully grasp, perhaps, but that word comprehend means lay hold of or apprehend may be able to lay hold of with all the Saints. And now it will never exhaust these things. These are the deep things of God. They're so precious. They're attributes.
Of our Father, which we can't now with these minds really take it in. And I was thinking what it says to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge. You know, there's things that are beyond our ability to take in fully. That's one of them. If we look at first Peter, the first chapter, we have one of these things too. And I was thinking there's two things that we speak of that are.
Unspeakable.
And there's two things that are unsearchable and there's one thing that passes knowledge. And these are those attributes are things that we have in Christ. And it says in First Peter the first chapter 8 verse.
Whom having not seen ye love, and whom know now ye see him, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy, unspeakable and full of glory. That's one of those things that really are unspeakable. There isn't any way we can relay to anyone the joy in US individually, when we see him, when we are in the good of his love.
There's just nothing. There's no words.
Unspeakable. Perhaps our faith shows it at times. Wonderful. That's a testimony of a of a St. But we cannot give it out fully. They have to enjoy it themselves. They have to have him. And the other thing we don't have to turn to it is in Second Corinthians. I think it's the 9th chapter at the end.
I think it's the the gift of God. The UN thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift. Well, we try to talk. We can go on and on. Take all the Old Testament scriptures and all the New Testament scriptures.
The help of the Holy Spirit of God. And there's no way we can tell our bully the gift of God to us.
John 316 The greatest word there in the and the largest is so Esso. You can put as many zeros on the end of it as you want and it will never fully sell it out. God so loved the world He gave the gift of God. For those two things are unspeakable. But then there's those two things, I believe, that we can say.
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Are unsearchable. We had it here in Ephesians 3, the eighth verse.
Of Ephesians 3, it says the unsearchable riches of Christ. Well, there's no way to get to the bottom of this. There's only a wonderful thing, as our brother said, to develop capacity, to enjoy it and take it in. And that's what we've been doing. These last two reading meetings is developing capacity. So there's two unsearchable things. One is that and the other is in Romans 11.
Where we have the unsearchable thing and it ties right in the 11Th chapter. I believe it's verse 30.
Or verse 32. Start with verse 32.
For God hath concluded the mall in unbelief that He might have mercy upon all all the depths of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable His judgments His ways past finding out. Isn't it true, we have to say, How can you search these things when we beggars as we were? Really.
Unworthy, unlovable, ungodly are placed where we are.
As part of Christ, One with him, kings and priests. Now it's unsearchable. There's no way to get to the plot of such a thing. But then we have the one thing we've got now, and that's the the love, the love, which is past. Finding out it passes. I have to get back to a speech and get the expression, but it's so precious. This is the one thing in Ephesians 3.
And to know the love of Christ.
Which passed passes knowledge, passes knowledge.
Tells us in Corinthians 1 Corinthians 13 Now there's faith and there's hope and there's love, but the greatest is love, and oh, how wonderful this is. How long have we been going into the love of Christ? Well, as long as we've been saved and we're just beginning to get into it. And for all eternity, we'll be learning more.
Of his love will never exhaust it forever. That's one thing we'll be taking in. And again and again.
And I believe the first lesson comes when we're there. First, he'll gird himself and serve us.
Begin to learn of His love. Begin to learn of it. Well, those two things then I just mentioned, they're they're beyond our finding out. Two are unsearchable. 2 are unspeakable, but one has knowing past knowledge, past finding out. All these things are attributes of God.
Let's don't be disappointed that we can't take all this in, but we're getting a beautiful outline here.
And I know many times in readings and conferences we've been in Ephesians 3. And the first time I walked away and said really, I didn't get anything out of that, they're way over my head.
But I thank God for it, because you know, the truth has been placed in my heart.
And in my mind, and when the Holy Spirit is ready, he takes it. Made it good to me. And he's making it even more wonderful to me as we've gone through Ephesians 3 again. Now, Well, let's just rejoice. We've got things here we're not going to take in fully, brethren.
Dwell in your hearts by faith.
When Christ writes to the Church at Philadelphia.
He says these things, saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David.
I believe that Key of David there refers to really the same thing a a dwelling place for God.
David had that desire in the Old Testament to find a dwelling for the God of Israel.
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And here at the close of this dispensation of grace.
There is one who has that key of David.
It's his purpose, his desire to have a dwelling place in his people in their hearts by faith.
But it's expressed by that church at Philadelphia, or what corresponds to it in that the scripture is about to it's accepted as the divine word of God.
And he's telling us what he is doing in this dispensation. Christ is building the church.
And the purpose is that he might have a dwelling place here.
And then in order to enjoy that, and that's what we're talking about, the enjoyment of it, we must go on.
In obedience to the Word. The proof of our love is not our words, but our actions. Are we obedient to the Word of God?
But he's asked us to show his death.
At the Lord's table and the Lord's Supper, which gives expression to these wonderful truths.
That Christ has a body on earth, and that He dwells in the body.
So that if you and I go on practically giving expression to the truth.
Then there is a dwelling place for God, for Christ.
And of course, personally, individually, we need this capacity to enter into these things, to enjoy it more and more. But what a wonderful thing it is just to go on obedient to the scriptures or I believe it's the only place where this enjoyment can be entered into in a little measure down here.
The heavenly things that we've had before us would give us sort of a model for the next chapter that you're referring to.
I was thinking.
Of the first instance in John where these things are introduced.
When the Lord.
Is addressed.
In the first chapter.
A master where dwellest thou? And they went with him that day.
Now we don't know what happened, but it's a little picture to us of the dwelling place in His presence.
But it was down here.
And it is formed after the character of what he knew.
Of the dwelling place that he had come from in the Father's house.
I believe it's beautiful to couple this with the next chapter. As you have mentioned, the our portion of course is in the heavens and the Father's house, but there's a dwelling place on earth. This next chapter links with the last verse of the second chapter, and it's a question of the Tabernacle now or the dwelling place of God with men on earth, but in the end of this chapter.
We've been considering.
There's a verse that says 20th verse now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.
Now is he referring to?
Temporal things.
Well, I'm sure that that's included, but I believe the subject here is.
The subject of the spiritual things, the heavenly things that have been open to us and what we need to lay hold of.
Capacity is the new nature and the Spirit of God opening them to us.
Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask, or think according to the power that worketh in us. What's that power? The Holy Spirit isn't it? And the last verse gives us the ultimate.
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It takes us way on into eternity, I suppose, further than any other verse in scripture.
Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. I believe the expression really means eternity, does it not?
Are thinking about what we have in Revelation chapter 21, which brings us to eternity.
In the 1St 8 verses.
Revelation 21.
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth.
First Terrence and the first Earth were passed away and there was number more seed.
After thought of no more sea is nothing more to divide God's people.
And I saw, and I, John, saw the holy city.
New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven.
Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
This is in the eternal state. Now this is different from what we have from the ninth verse on in chapter 21. There you have a description of the heavenly city as it will appear in hovering over the earth during the Millennium 1000 years raid.
But after the 1000 years reign of the Lord Jesus Christ, then the Lord judges all, the great white throne is set up and all the wicked dead are judged.
And then it is that heaven and earth pass away too. It's gone and.
There's a new heaven and a new earth where indwelleth righteousness as Peter speaks of.
Then we read here, and I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people. God himself should be with them and be their God.
The Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them.
Is this part of the riches of that glory God dwelling with men in the Tabernacle, which is His Tabernacle? What's the Tabernacle of God now? Is that the assembly? The church? It's His dwelling place here on the earth.
Well, God will still have that as His dwelling place in eternity, and he'll be dwelling amongst men.
I suppose that refers to all the redeemed from all ages and their men, God dwelling with men.
You see, when you begin to think about these things, it overwhelms you.
And you feel the need.
Of the Lord's help to enter into it, to really enjoy, to think of this, that God, a holy God.
A righteous God.
Will dwell with men.
But men have been redeemed.
And they've been made like unto the Lord Jesus Christ. When we come to this point, we shall, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is, and the whole company like the Lord Jesus Christ.
And God dwelling in the midst of his Tabernacle among men.
Well, how are we going to be able to comprehend this as we're cast upon the Lord?
To help us by His Spirit as we have here.
According to the power, that worketh enough.
The Holy Spirit making these things good to us now.
But how good of God to let us in on these things?
And his desire to be among men.
Well, it's all been turned over to God at this point.
Because the Lord Jesus Christ has subdued all his enemies, He's going to be judged and judged until all his enemies are made His footstool, and then all, as we read in First Corinthians 15, will be turned over to God. That God may be All in all. That does not mean that the Lord Jesus Christ steps down in any way as deity, but he still remains a man.
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And God is All in all, and God.
Gaining to dwell amongst men.
And take us up as His Tabernacle.
How can we really enter into it, but by the Spirit of God?
What a tranquil picture, though, when the church.
Will visit.
With men on the earth, as you have in this picture, you've brought before us the church visiting.
And yet the Church's home is in the Father's house, but there will be communion between heaven and earth, because those on the earth and there will be men on the earth forever.
We'll have communion with those in the heavens.
Now there is the picture of Jacob's ladder, you know, but it's a one way ladder. Those on earth can never go into the heavens. They have a different portion. They'll be on the earth forever, but the ones in heaven, as we have in this passage.
They will be the Tabernacle of God. The Church will be with men on the earth, because really the picture is earthly.
Is bringing before us with man on the earth. And what a tranquil scene that will be all evil done away there'll be righteousness dwelling.
And not raining, but dwelling.
Be nothing to disturb the peace forever.
In that long eternal day, and to think that we have been brought into it through sovereign grace, and we're in the part that is of the heavenly ones, yet we will have communion with all those no doubt of God's creation, who are redeemed.
Thoughts that I'd like to read Psalm 90 verse one and Psalm 91 verse one.
Psalm 90 verse one is a prayer of Moses the man of God, and it says Lord.
Thou hast been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Well, Moses is looking back to that people of Israel, and perhaps on in the future.
As to where their dwelling place is, it is in God that was where their security was, and is. But the 91St Psalm goes on with a similar thought. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. The next verse I will say of the Lord He is my refuge and my fortress my God. In him will I trust.
The words you were saying about the beautiful picture of repose with the church in the millennial day, reigning with Christ over this scene of blessing on the earth, I believe is pictured in that title, The Most High. It's really heat up dwelleth in the secret of who the Most High is. And that's for us. Now we know.
Who the Most High is? It is the millennial title of the Lord Jesus. So the picture brings us right into what has been said when God will dwell with men and Christ will be reigning as king and we the church associated with him over that scene. And then it goes on to very practical thought. If we know that, then presently we are at this time abiding.
Under that protection of the one who takes the title of almighty.
He takes that title in the New Testament when it comes in with the question of separation from evil things there in Corinthians. So it's a comfort for us right now to know that we have this protection, for we know who is going to be on the throne in that day. But in connection with our what our brother Anderson was saying about Revelation 21 There, I like to go back and.
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Pick up.
The whole plan of God and we have had his purposes developed very much here in these meetings. And we've had the the Jew and the Gentile brought before us and then the Church of God developed in a most wonderful way that truth. As to the body of Christ, well, in God's plan he started with God and men. That was all. And it was the perfect scene there in the garden for just a little time. And then sin came in and then the.
Families developed and then the nations, and then God chose out one particular people for himself. So then we have God and the nations. And besides that Israel and that work of God went on in that way up till the cross.
And then, since the cross and sits Pentecost, Christ is building his church. So God recognizes on the earth men, I mean nation.
Gentiles and the Jews and the Church of God. That's in this present dispensation that those things are seen here on the earth. But the moment the Lord comes, the Church will be gone. She won't be here on the earth anymore, and in the Millennium it will revert back to on the earth, God and the Jew and the nations around.
But what about the eternal day? God comes out victorious and all evil is done away, and there are no nations on the earth. There's no such thing as a Jew or the Gentile, and the the scene is fixed in all its blessedness, but the Church will still be there.
There with Christ dwelling there through those eternal ages, in perfect peace and palm and repulse.
Expression that is at the end of verse 19. I think that just a few comments on it in connection with what our brethren have been bringing before us, that she might be filled and should read, I believe, to all the fullness of God.
And in Colossians chapter one, verse 12.
It says.
It pleased the Father, that in him should all fullness dwell.
For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell.
And in the 25th verse of Colossians one Paul says I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you to fulfill.
The word of God to fill it out.
The Lord Jesus.
As we've been saying and hearing is the center of all God's thoughts and for the.
Saints of the present day to enter into the immense truth that Paul was given as the great administrator to bring out.
The truth of the Church, Christ in the assembly, the Church being the complement of Christ.
And the truth of the mystery these truths complete the divine revelation. The Old Testament has told us of an earthly people, Israel, the reign of the Lord Jesus on earth down here and hearing about that and.
But the present day in which we're living is a day in which is which kept secret all the truths that we enjoy, that are ours to enjoy.
We're not unfolded in the Old Testament. There ours now by the Spirit, and they all center in Christ. And He prays at the end of this prayer that we might be filled even to all the fullness of God. The fullness of God is the complete, total revelation that He has been pleased to give of Himself. He could not go beyond it, and we say that reverently.
01:00:13
Because it's He's exhausted himself, as it were, in coming out in blessing to the to the likes of us, the poor sinners of the Gentiles, to bring us into union with Christ. This marvelous plan, these marvelous thoughts, what raised the wondrous thought or who did it suggest that we, the Church to glory, brought you with the Son be blessed.
Oh God, the thought was dying, Dying only it could be fruit of the wisdom love divine, peculiar unto thee for sure. No other mind so vast, so full, so free greatness or strength could ever find thine only it could be.
What a lovely expression of these truths that we have before us that we might be filled even to all the fullness of God himself. And as we've just been hearing in the eternal state, it will all center around Christ. And I can't understand the state of God of the present day being uninterested in anything that concerns the glory of Christ by saying, well, that doesn't concern me, therefore I'm not interested in prophecy.
Or I'm not interested in what's going to happen to Israel. It all concerns Christ, doesn't it? And if it concerns him, we should be delighted to learn the mind of God as to it.
Here we have a little word on.
Two expressions before we leave this chapter the end of verse 17.
My brother will let me offer a few comments on being rooted and grounded in love.
And I trusted my bring us down to the practical application of all that much we have had before us.
I'm speaking now as a would be farmer.
Everyone knows when we speak of rooted and grounded, it has to do with plants.
I was just thinking of when we go out and put our corn into the ground and the little plants come up, we like a lot of moisture so they can get their roots.
And they spread their roots into the dirt, and as long as there's plenty moisture, they spread their roots very shallow. They go out to get all that moisture that comes.
I used to think, oh, if this use could continue, we'd have beautiful corners.
But I learned different than I verified that with some other friends, if there comes a season of dryness after the roots have got started and the leaves begin to droop a little in the hot sunshine like we have it today, I used to think, oh, that's going to become that corn, though it doesn't look too good.
But that dryness lasted maybe for a week. But what happened during that time?
Those roots that spread over the surface, they went down. They went down to secure some of that moisture that was lowered down. You know, we've had so much before us that reminds us of these, this moisture that is so good for a new plant to take in and make it really fresh and green. What about afflictions, beloved trials and temptations?
Those are the times when the roots go down deep and the next drought that comes along, the roots go deep, deeper and deeper where there's still moisture.
What does the Lord teach us when we have enjoyed all these precious truths? And then temptation and afflictions come along and our leaves start to droop, Whatever. Why about the love of Christ? Why can't we enjoy it every day, every moment?
Our beloved, the Lord brings in trials that we not make the only rooted, but also grounded because one has seen.
Seen plants grow up like corn and then a wind. A strong wind came along and there was no roots that were like taproots and the corn would all lean over. It's awful hard to get that to stand up straight. Again, a lot of us would grow cooking from then on, but all the wisdom of God was taught us in creation, these things.
01:05:13
When the taproot goes down when a St. is suffering those afflictions as we have in the 5th chapter of Romans.
That tribulation also better to read just the verse there a moment.
Romans 5.
Verse 2 By whom? Also we have excess by faith. Into this graceful wintering we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Love, if that's what we can do with heaven, and not only so, but with glory and tribulation, but also annoying that tribulation works. Patients and patients experience and experience, hope and hope. Make it not a shame, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts.
Oh, how we can experience that love of God when revolution and trials come along. It will prove whether we are really rude, whether our roots have gone down deep and draw on that love of Christ, the apostles. Life was full of tribulation, and what message did he have? His first message from Godman and Ananias come to meet Paul and his eyes were open, he said.
To an annual tablet, I will show him how much he must suffer from my name. Oh, why did he say how much he will spread my gospel? The message of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom he's not persevered. Tribulation and suffering were in the first message to him. Oh, dear Saints of God, may we not be discouraged in the first chapter of Second Corinthians, which is so good.
We have that the Apostles.
Just translates to us that encouragement, that comfort of God in tribulation, and how long is it going to last?
That's the first I like to read. Just a moment there to 2nd Corinthians 1.
We've heard about the length and the breadth of the love of Christ.
And in that chapter verse 10.
Who delivered us from so great effect? Let's pass That was done at the cross. There we found our deliverance. Who doth deliver us that's present. That's right. Now he's with us in all our circumstances. And then it says in whom we trust that he will.
Deliver us and that's forever. There is no end to that. As long as we're here, we experience that love that reaches down and pray for us to the thoughts of His love as they were before us here now. And in that glory scene, what else will be thinking about? What will we be filled with? I've seen a lot of Christians.
Lovely example of being rooted and grounded, and our brother has brought it out. It's so necessary. There's only one thought I'd like to add. We're really an inverted plant or a tree now, and our roots are in heaven. They're in Christ. I was thinking of the Psalms, the first Psalm. That second verse says that his delight is in the word of the Lord, and he meditates on that word night and day. That's where we get our nourishment.
We get our water, we get our food for those roots. But it's all from above, isn't it? It's not from down here. The examples perfect, except we're a heavenly being now. And it says he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Well, that's one that's going on with the word.
With Christ and the roots were like an upside down tree. They should see, of course the fruit which is the fruit of the Spirit. But our roots are really up there, are they not? And how wonderful it is we get all the nourishment we need.
01:10:03
In the next chapter.
We have brought before us.
A responsibility.
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit.
In the uniting bond of peace.
And I believe we have been impressed with the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is the center of that unity.
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, always pointing to Christ.
As the center, all of us being pointed by the Spirit of God to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now the assembly goes through difficulties trials.
But in it all there needs to be this exercise as to endeavoring to keep the unit of the spirit.
Well, certainly the first thing we do in our exercise is to look to the one who is the center of that unity.
Because we can get bowled over by these problems.
We can really get upset and disturbed.
And perhaps some might even get offended and leave the Lord's table.
But it's so important what we've had before us. Christ, the center. He's the center of this unity, the Holy Spirit.
Has formed this unity, formed a unity on the day of Pentecost.
All were baptized into one body, the Lord Jesus Christ, the head of that body, and He's the center of the assembly. And the endeavour must be to keep our eye upon the Lord Jesus Christ, to be looking to Him as our brother brought before us yesterday afternoon in connection with servants.
That they're to get their appointment from the priest. They're to look to the priest.
Well, we're to look to the Lord Jesus Christ.
In all of these states.
And in connection with it being the unity of the Spirit, I believe we have to remember that the Spirit is the Holy Spirit. The character of that unity is holiness.
Then the Holy Spirit is also the Spirit of truth.
And the unity we must go on and endeavor to keep the unity go on together according to the truth.
But.
In verse two, we have something that needs to be.
Brought before us continually need to be reminded of it, that with all loneliness and meekness, with long-suffering forbearing one another in love, oh.
This is what brings us low loneliness and meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another in love. Oh, how we need grace in all of this, in the endeavour to keep the unity of the spirit, to go on together.
As the Lord would have it, we are one.
The spirit has formed the unity.
Are we really exercised about going on together until we come, as if we have in verse 13 in the unity of the faith in the glory?
When that is perfect.
Has come.
But the exercises forced now, while we're here now, there are many in Christendom that disclaim their responsibility. They won't take up this responsibility.
And that's why we have such confusion in Christendom. And Christendom is in ruins. That is, the church outwardly is in ruins because there's not been the exercise, if that's needed according to this, to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace.
That it's it's a walk. It begins with walk, and it's a walk worthy of that pulling. And that pulling is that we are cold in one body. We've been enjoying so much about that, the truth of the one body. That's what we're told in and now we are to walk.
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According to that calling, of course the calling goes right on up and brings us up into into the glory in the first chapter. But now we're called down here to walk corresponding to what we really are called into. And of course, that is practically endeavoring to keep that unity of the Spirit in that united bond of peace, because the spirit of God is the one who has come down.
And pull the bride and pull us into that position and will bring us there and we will be there united in that unity of the faith in that coming day. But practically there is the possibility and the place so that we can.
Give expression to that that unity, and it will be according to the guidance of that Holy Spirit who has written this book, so that individually every one of us needs to be guided by the Spirit of God who will always guide us by the word of God and bring us into that place where where the practical expression of that is seen down here.
Sometimes in business.
Different partners of a company.
Will come together, and they will.
Though they may disagree, on certain things, they'll they'll try to form.
Some kind of an answer that will be agreeable to all of them, even though they may have to compromise some things, but that's not what we have here.
We have in the mind of the Spirit.
And it's only one answer to it.
So that it isn't a question of being congenial or just agreeing so that there won't be any trouble. It's a question of going according to the truth.
And the Spirit of God will never bring in anything but the truth, so that the unity of the Spirit is on the basis of what the Spirit of God opens from the Word to His people, not just a question of agreeing, and so that we won't have any difficulties.
That will never keep things in order. It will only make things worse because it's the truth that must be maintained. So it's the unity.
Endeavoring.
I I know it's it's a difficult thing and no one pretends that this is always the case, but endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.
And where there is submission previous verses, why I believe that this can be maintained in principle?
In the assembly.
There are those in Christendom that will agree that there is one body.
We find them here and there.
Just like it says in verse four, there is one body. They know that. They know that we're all members of one body, the body of Christ.
But what about the walk? According to it, How about living up to it?
Well, they'll tell you something like this. Oh, everything is in ruins now it's everyone for himself.
Well, that's not according to the unity of spirit at all. The spirit of God would never lead us to step out independently and go off on our old we're still obligated and responsible to go on together because there is one body.
All they say, well, that's that's going to be when we're up in heaven. No, it's written for walking this we're told to walk and that's down here on the earth.
That's not up in heaven. We're not going to get exhortations about walking up there in the glory.
01:20:01
This down here, we need these expectations about what?
So there are those that will tell you, Oh well, we can't, we can't do anything like that now.
But as you say, there's the principle. It's here in the Scripture, and we're responsible to walk according to this principle that God has set before us, and it will take grace, it will take endeavor. We need the Lord to strengthen us to do this. We can't do it by ourselves.
But I believe if we really look to the Lord who is the center of this unity, and were exercised about going on according to holiness and truth, and going according to the truth of God, the Lord will give us grace for it.
It's looking unto Jesus, it's.
Looking to our high priest and asking him for grace and mercy to help us in our time of need, we forget that sometimes in a brother's meeting.
We sit there and discuss things and we're trying to solve problems.
And then we think about getting on our knees to pray. Well, the first thing we should do when we come together in a brothers meeting is to look to the Lord, to pray, to look to him for grace and strength, for what we need. We can't solve any problems by ourselves. We can't, we can't answer to this responsibility here without that.
But so often we're that way we think of prey laughs.
Which is really sad. I think it tells what kind of a state of soul where is. We're not dwelling by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We're not dwelling Christ by faith. It's sort of a an in and out matter with us. And I need this myself. We need to be exercised about this.
Or remember a story about?
The maritime work they had a tent set up and a windstorm came along and blew down the tent and tore the tent.
And then they had to look for a large needle suited to that kind of work to mend the tent and of course the thread. And in the process of mending that tent, putting it together again, they lost the needle. Well, the brethren were looking around, looking and looking and looking. Finally, someone suggested, let's get on our knees and pray.
Well then, when they had finished praying, said Amen.
Our brother saw that needle right in front of him as they were getting up off their knees.
But isn't that an illustration of the way we are? We leave out the Lord. We're not looking to the Lord first. He's the first consideration. It's something to exercise. It's something to exercise me.
School.
Seeking teachers the truth.
By the Trials and the Troubles difficulties along the way.
Nothing but Christ's son we tread.
#34 in the appendix Our brother Londine gave out 24.
Nothing but.
Pride as always.
Dress. Love you, love you.
Anywhere else, we're at the time.
Around you you are also.
Love everybody.
We also.