Address—M.W. Smith
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Unpriced salvation rests secured. The Rock of Ages must endure. Nor can that faith be overthrown, which rests upon the living Stone.
To him we look on him we lean other foundations. We disown and build on Christ the living school.
There are some scriptures that have one has enjoyed very much.
And which were touched on very lightly.
At the meetings in Wheaton.
First of all in Ephesians 4.
Than other scriptures.
Like to talk about tonight?
And one trusser won't be too long with them.
Just to remind ourselves of these precious truths that we have before us.
So Ephesians 4, verse one.
I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation, wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Now to get the background of what we have here.
We might just refer to the second chapter, the end of the second chapter of the same epistle.
Though we might refer to the general scope of the whole epistle in the first chapter of the epistle.
We have in general.
That which belongs to Christ.
And how that God has chosen us in Christ from before the foundation of the world.
And the glorious position into which he is brought in we.
With him that is that Christ.
The one who was here in this scene, the one who died in rows, is now seated in the heavenlies. That's his place. He's taking his place up on high in heaven.
And there has had over all things to the church.
Then in the second chapter.
We have the.
Not the glorious position to which we've been brought, chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.
But to bring the contrast of what we have been brought into with what we were by nature dead in trespasses and sins. In other words, he brings before us a pit from which we've been dug.
Our fearful condition before God, as following the Prince of this world, the Prince of the ruler of the air.
Children of disobedience.
But God, rich in mercy, has picked us up.
He's given us a gift of faith that we make trust in our Lord Jesus Christ.
And now God is building a church.
His building upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets.
You know what was God's purpose from the very beginning? To have a people among whom he might dwell.
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And we've referred to it before that, even in the Garden of Eden.
That it was a desire of God to commune with man.
Sir Gaunt came down in the cool of the day.
Speak with Adam.
And he found Adam.
One who was hiding himself from him because it sinned.
And so God steps in.
And he provides man with a covering for himself.
He gives them the type of redemption.
The skins of the animal death has come in. Blood has been shedding in order that man might be clothed and fitted for his presence.
Well, we find man going on in sin, man going out of the presence of God and building cities to make himself content apart from God.
We come down to the children of Israel in Egypt.
There are idolaters in Egypt.
And God steps in.
And they are his people. He's going to take them out of the land of Egypt to fulfill his promise to Abraham that he would give them the land of Canaan for their possession.
And so God steps in and we have again the type of redemption.
We have the Passover in Egypt.
And God bringing about that great salvation.
For the children of Israel.
They are delivered from Egypt. They cross the Red Sea type of the death of Christ.
And they find themselves on the other side of the Red Sea, their enemies all conquered.
Dead upon the seashore. The victory was God's, but their enemies were slain. They were drowned.
And so the children of Israel.
Guided by Moses and the wisdom given to Moses from God, they sing about the Lord, about Jehovah. He's a man of war.
He is my God, He is my Father's God, and I will prepare him inhabitation.
There was a purpose of God to dwell among his people.
And it was God's purpose to dwell among the children of Israel.
Well, we know their history. We know how they failed.
And yet God was pleased to guide Moses into making a Tabernacle.
God came down in the glory cloud.
And he dwelt among his people. A failing people is true, but it dwelled among them. But they failed again, and God had to take His presence from them.
Man had been upon his own responsibility all this time.
And man.
But God steps in in due time.
The Lord Jesus came down into this world, and he accomplished the work of redemption.
And he accomplished over the full glory of God.
The work of redemption was completed. Man no longer on his own responsibility, man no longer under law.
But God has concluded that man was dead in trespasses and sins, and he steps in and does something new.
So that the work is all of God.
And now God is building.
That wonderful church.
And is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, that is, those who have spoken to us a mind of God, and have laid the foundation for all that you and I represent in Christ Jesus.
And so the 19 verse of the second chapter. The Apostle Paul says, Now, therefore ye are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the Saints and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. Well, what a wonderful truth it is.
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That the work now is of God.
No longer God dwelling among the people who are responsible to him for his being there.
Austria responsible to God for our conduct here in this world.
But it has no effect at all. It has no place when it comes to God dwelling among his people.
So now it's gone. That is the building a temple.
To himself all the building fitly framed together groweth into an holy temple in the Lord.
So this wonderful building is going on.
Has been going on now for almost 2000 years.
And it will be completed in the day.
When God sends the Lord Jesus down here to take his own out of this world, that building will be completed and will be for the glory of God.
It's a wonderful truth to think that God is actually taking out of this world of people for a temple for himself.
And in the coming day to be in the glory with him.
And God is going to dwell in the midst of his people.
But there's something I believe more wonderful than that.
And that is the last verse of the second chapter in whom he also.
Are building together from the habitation of God through the Spirit, that is, that God is dwelling in the midst of his people right now.
It goes on at this very moment that God is dwelling in the midst of His people. God is found a people among whom He may dwell, a people redeemed by the precious Blood of Christ, and may fit for His very presence, so that He may come and dwell among his people.
Now this has nothing to do with our state.
Nothing to do with our spiritual state or our walk.
It's a position into which we've been brought through the work of Christ.
And so he goes on to develop this truth in the third chapter, which we won't touch upon except that it enlarged his opponent.
And our precious ideas to think that God has now opened up what was hitting his heart from before the foundation of the world.
And even the angels.
Can view the church and can see in the church.
All the many sided wisdom of God.
Yes, and see how God has been so wise in uniting Jew and Gentile into a a body down here.
That which is the body of Christ.
Now then, the verse that we read in the 4th chapter.
He speaks of this calling.
Inhabitation of God through the Spirit Now he says, walk worthy.
I am therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation where Wesley had been called.
Oh yeah, think of the calling.
Of God for us to be a people among whom he may dwell.
The habitation of God, no longer a physical temple, no longer dependent upon.
Your behavior in mind that God has been pleased to dwell among His people.
Now then, the impartial.
He refers to himself as a prisoner of the Lord. Why was he a prisoner? Because he was taken by Nero for preaching the gospel.
Was it for offenses that he did? No.
He says that he's a prisoner of the Lord.
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It was for this very truth.
That he's become a prisoner.
You know of the Apostle Paul had gone back to the Jerusalem and preaching the people to obey the law.
Or the Messiah had come, but they could enter into blessing by not keeping the law.
He would never have been a prisoner.
No, it is because he was preaching the blessed truth that Jew and Gentile are united together.
Into one body.
Into that among which in which God could dwell.
He's the prisoner of the Lord for that wondrous truth.
Now, he says. I beseech you.
What were they?
God dwells among you.
Now how are you walking?
All you're saying is nothing wrong with my walk. Well, perhaps not.
But he goes on to say walk worthy of the vocation, whereas he had been called.
Is that my object? Do I have God before me as a one who is in the midst of his people down here?
God with all lowliness.
You know, we likely think of ourselves as something important.
If anyone had reason to boast of being important, it was the Apostle Paul.
But the Apostle Paul like the Lord Jesus.
Thought little of himself, the Lord Jesus was the only one who was truly Lolly.
The one who could be abased.
Yes, take the very lowest place, as low as you and I could go in loneliness. Oh, you went lower.
But the apostle Pearl was one who was faithful to his master, and I suppose there was none like him in imitating the Lord Jesus.
Now he beseeched as you and me to go on in lowliness, not seeking anything for ourselves.
By thinking of him who was dwelling among his people.
With loneliness.
And meekness.
Oh, how much we need these things, need to be reminded of them, and how little.
Will we act this way?
Or, you know, somebody says anything.
They do cross us or to irritate us.
Or how do we realize it? In such a little meekness amongst us and in our own hearts, we like to defend ourselves.
Oh, think of the Lord Jesus before the High priest.
Before Pilate accused of many things.
And yet he would do nothing to defend himself.
There was one who was meek and lowly in heart.
Well, sometimes, you know, you and I can display outward meekness, but what's in the heart is another thing. The Lord Jesus was lowly.
Yes, he was meek and lowly in harsh.
And he would like to have you and me like himself. Well, we have the flesh and us it exerts itself. But always seek grace from God to do one with all loneliness and meekness.
And long-suffering. How much we need that.
Oh yeah, this world, and sometimes our brethren are pretty hard on us.
Well, we can afford, can we not? Do you want a long-suffering bearing it? The Lord Jesus bore it, And when he was reviled, he reviled not again, but He committed himself to him that judges righteously.
He laid it all before God his Father, and was willing to leave it with him because he knew that the day was coming when God would make it right.
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And you and I down here in this world, can we not afford to do the same thing? To leave all these things with God? He's going to make it right. We can't make things right now. The Lord Jesus never tried to make anything right down here in this world. The day is coming when he will.
So how? We have much we need to be exercised to go on with long-suffering.
Forbearing one another in love.
Oh, can we not think of our brotherness, those whom Christ died and he loves them.
He knows their faults more than you and I, and he knows my fault too. He knows that I'm just as much at faulting so many things as my brother and I and many things We all have failed.
Forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace.
Or, you know, the unity of the spirit is that which is an accomplished fact.
Now he exhorts us to go on in the good of it, endeavoring to go along with it, exerting us to go on.
As those who are united together by 1 Spirit, oh, may we go on dash in peace and in.
Seeking to please God.
As those who are united together into one body, the body of Christ.
How precious it is if we can do that.
And maybe seeking grace from God to do it.
Now let's look at the Colossians.
1.
That we might read from the third verse.
We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus. Another love which you have to all the Saints for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven. Where have you heard before? In the word of the truth of the gospel which has come unto you as it is in all the world, and bringeth forth fruit, as it does also in you?
Since the day he heard of it and knew the grace of God and truth.
As he also learned of Epifras, our dear fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ.
Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit?
For this 'cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you might want worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all might according to His glorious power, and to all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness.
The Colossians.
We're not in the same state of soul as those at Ephesus.
And all that. We have very high truth in the official to the Colossians.
Yet it isn't on the same plane as that.
To the Ephesians.
In the Ephesians, we find ourselves united to Christ.
In the hibernates.
In Colossians.
We have Christ, the risen head of the Church.
But his people still down here in this world?
And the Colossians, as I believe most of us know.
Although they were going on faithfully, there was a danger among them of seeking to add something to the work of Christ. There were those among them who would seek to bring them into legalism, into ritualism.
And also into the doctrines of philosophy.
Into the ethereal side, if we may put it that way.
So the apostle has to warn them about it.
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But first of all, he thanks God.
For their faith in Christ.
And the love that they exercised toward all the Saints, there was among them every evidence of their being saved.
And there was also fruit which was emanating from them. There was fruit in their path in the world.
And how we thank God for it.
They had the hope.
Set before them, it was laid up in heaven.
And they had heard it in the truth of the gospel.
But.
You know all this. He still is exercised as to their path as to the dangers before them.
And the dangers it confronted the Colossians, or dangers that confront the people of God today.
There is a danger of getting into setting rules and regulations for ourselves.
As we might think naturally, that things can be conducted in a more orderly way if we set up a few rules for ourselves.
We must do this this way and do that that way.
Well then we can get to reasoning too. And how many have got to reasoning?
About certain things in Scripture.
And have made shipwreck of faith by doing it.
Or we could refer to many things that have come in disastrously to the gathered Saints.
Because some have got their reasoning, perhaps about the person of Christ.
Well, these are sad.
But as has been said so many times in our hearing that God had allowed all these things to show their head in the days of the apostles, so that you and I might have a guidance for our path in the Scripture for today.
So the Apostle.
Speaks in the ninth verse for this 'cause we also, since today we heard it, that is, their faithfulness and the fruit of their laborers.
Since he heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
You know, we could write a book of rules.
And say this is the mind of God. This is the way we should do.
Well, that would be knowledge.
But it wouldn't be spiritual knowledge.
It wouldn't be spiritual understanding.
God wants us to know His will.
In wisdom and spiritual understanding.
Where can we get it?
All by being independent upon him who is the head of the Church.
We have it all in the Scripture. It's all there for us.
You know, in our travels.
We quite often carry a map with us.
And the whole way of our journey is laid out on the map.
Well, if we don't look at the map, we don't know how to go.
Remind us well, not have them out.
We know how many of us.
In our pathway through this world.
We go to God for guidance. We ask him to show us what we should do.
And perhaps the very thing that we should do.
The very direction for our path is written up plainly in the word of God.
He's already given us direction for our path.
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And then we go to ask the Lord for guidance. Why?
Oh, because we haven't familiarized ourselves with a map for our Christian path.
He wants us to be filled with the knowledge of his will.
In all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
You know, a few days ago we were going a certain place.
And we went the way we thought we should go after consulting with some.
And we got there eventually.
But.
There was a much better way to go.
And if we had had wisdom.
We might have gone the right way to begin with, but we didn't.
Well, God wants us to be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
And so there needs to be the dependence upon God.
In our meditation upon the Word of God.
To be in subjection to his will.
According to his wisdom.
And the understanding given to us by the Spirit of God.
Why? Why should we do this?
All they were might walk worthy not of the vocation, Wherewith recalled.
To walk worthy of the Lord, the one to whom we are responsible.
The one to whom we are in subjection. We want him as our Lord, as we have owned Him as one who has a right over us.
And is in subjection to him.
At least there should be that we desire to do the will of God.
That you might walk worthy of the Lord.
Oh, how important it is to what worthy of him.
The one who has a write over us because he's bought us. He's bought us with his own blood.
And he has every right over us because of his work at Calvary.
Isn't it all pleasing?
All we asked to please him in all our ways, not to do what we want to do, but to do what he wants us to do.
And he says if he loved me, keep my commandments.
Well, if that's the case.
If by grace refound walking that way.
Is being fruitful in every good work.
Is that seen with us that we're fruitful in every good work?
God has given us all the provision we need for us.
In His blessed word, we have everything that we need to bring us home to glory.
In such a way.
As will be to his praise.
Well, how many there are that are going to be in glory?
And yet.
Their entrance into that place is going to be.
A rather sad one.
Some of us were speaking a day or so ago.
About one that the Apostle Paul could speak of as being his fellow laborer.
And yet.
At the close of the light of the apostle Paul.
Higginsey of demons, he hath forsaken me, having loved his present age.
Oh yes, he turned backward.
Demas, I'm sure, is present with the Lord. We're going to see him in glory.
But how sad after a good beginning.
To have a set of him on the pages of inspiration.
That him loved his present age.
What does it say? You got into wickedness.
It doesn't say.
That he was an apostate.
But I believe it refers to this that he lost sight of what was ahead of him. He lost sight of the glory and of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and settled down here as though this was going to be the place of the people of God on and on.
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You love this present age.
And how many of God's dear people like to make themselves as comfortable down here as they can?
With the attitude that they're going to stay down here for the for all time.
No, is not that.
Being fruitful in every good work.
And increasing in the knowledge of God.
Oh, you know, we lose sight of that glory if we lose sight of the hope before us. How easy it is to go back in our knowledge.
Of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We can become cold in our souls.
And you know, we never stand still in our spiritual estate.
We're either going forward or we're going backwards.
Oh, he wants us to increase in the knowledge of God.
And as Peter expresses it, grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
All we need to be exercised about these.
You know, just plain knowledge. It will pop up.
But growing in graves and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, oh, we need the grace to keep us humble, to be reminded that what God gives us is not that which we deserve. He gives us what we don't deserve.
The ***** out of his bounty that he gives us and if we're conscious of that.
Oh, how it magnifies His Grace. We want to learn more about him.
And so the Apostle Paul here desires that we might increase in the knowledge of God.
And, he says, strengthened with all might.
Oh, you know, if we increase in the knowledge of God how it strengthens us to go on in the path of faith.
Because we know him as the one who never changes and the one who undertakes force in every circumstance.
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power. Oh, he gives us power if other path.
We have no strength. We can do nothing of ourselves. In fact, we're characterized by weakness.
But as he says here, according to his glorious power and to all patience.
That as endurance he wants us to endure in the path to go on.
Tirelessly in the path.
With long-suffering.
All We're going to find opposition to our path. Let's go on with long-suffering.
And with joyfulness, knowing that is for him, and that he takes account of us, He takes account of all that we do, so that we may go on on the path with all joyfulness. Oh, how precious when we can do that. Now let's turn to 1St Thessalonians.
Chapter 2.
Verse 9.
For you remember, brethren, our labor and travail for laboring night and day, because we would not be chargeable into any of you. We preached unto you the gospel of God.
Ye are witnesses, and God also.
Have holy and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe as you know how we exhort it and comfort it, and charge every one of you.
As a father to his children, that he would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his Kingdom and glory.
Here we have another expression walkworthy of God.
Well, that's a lofty expression.
And we do well to ponder it, to weigh it.
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The Thessalonians Saints had been heathen.
They had worshipped idols.
And in the first chapter they were reminded, and we are informed, how that they had turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and await for his Son from heaven. They had learned to know the living God.
In contrast with her dead idols.
Well, there was a blessed thing to learn that there is a living God.
And.
One who has sent his son down here.
And who is going to send his son back again? And they were waiting for the Son of God to come back again.
As a deliverer from coming round.
But the Apostle Paul had been with them.
A matter of some three weeks.
And one who was just converted out of Heathendon.
I'm sure can't learn very much.
Of the things and the ways of God in three weeks.
But how remarkable the testimony that is given to them and how the testimony came out from them, how that the whole region around heard about their conversion so that the apostle didn't even need to preach the gospel.
Just their very testimony in their ways and their walk was sufficient to arrest the attention of others around them in the whole province.
Well, I suppose they're among them, those who hadn't progressed quite as much as the others.
And we're going on in a disorderly way.
So the apostle has to bring before them the truth in the verses we've read.
The apartment had left him an example.
He had been amongst them.
And as opposed as a tent maker, he made his tents by day. Then he preached the gospel by night.
Any says laboring.
Night and day.
Yes, he had earned his own living while he was preaching the gospel. How gracious of him.
You know, he speaks in another place that he had the right, he had the authority to.
Ask of them subsistence, he speaks of that to the Corinthian Saints.
But in the wisdom given to him by God.
He provides his own means of support.
He would not be chargeable to them.
He says Ye are witnesses and God also.
God was a witness, and they told that he had behaved himself in a way among them, such as wouldn't you stand the searching eye of God and any criticism that might be raised against him?
Year, Witnesses and God also have holy, and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe.
Sometimes we have to hang our heads in shame when we think of how we do behave ourselves among the children of God, among the gathered Saints.
As to our shame, and yet is true of us.
I suppose it's true of each one of us that there are times when we feel the rebuke of Scripture on our pathway in the testimony, how it suffers because of our doing our own will.
Forgetting that we're children of God.
And we forget what we've been saved from.
And you know how we exhorted and comforted, and charged everyone of you as a father, death as children. All the apostles looked upon the Thessalonians Saints as his own dear children.
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And he wanted them to go on in a manner that is consistent with ever to get taught them.
Well, I suppose every father likes to have his children going on in a way that is consistent with his own character.
He says it should be.
And God desires his children to go on in a path, in a manner, in a behavior that is consistent with himself.
God is a holy God.
And we know the Scripture.
Where he says be holy, for I am holy.
Yes, he wants you to go on in that path to be holy.
Well, how can we do it?
Oh, you know, we have the flesh in US.
But there is such a thing in God's Word as keeping the flesh in the place of death.
And to reckon ourselves dead indeed unto sin.
So the apostle exhorted.
And comforted and charged everyone as a father does his children.
For what?
That they might walk worthy of God.
All is a lofty desire.
And one which we should, I'm sure, desire ourselves.
That we might walk worthy of God.
So we can ask ourselves a question. Are we walking worthy of God?
Well.
I think we, each of us, know the answer to it.
But I am sure that there is no exhortation that we have in scripture.
What God provides the means the ability to do it.
I'm sure that God does not exhort us to do that which is impossible.
For us to do.
To walk worthy of God.
All everything of God.
The one to whom all must answer.
And the one who is above all.
The one who alone.
Authority in the universe.
Do I subject myself to something else? To someone else other than God?
The Thessalonians had turned from idols.
But they had turned to God.
They found him the object of their hearts.
And he wants us to do the same. He wants us to go on all through our pathway in that character.
To walk worthy of God, who has called you or us under His Kingdom and glory.
All the time is coming when God is going to display to this world.
Those whom he has redeemed down here now.
The day is coming that Millennial Day.
When the church is going to be made visible.
To this world.
And in the epistle of the Ephesians, that tells us we're going to be to the praise of his glory.
Think of it.
Poor sinners saved by grace are going to be to the praise of his glory.
Always called us to His Kingdom.
We're going to have a share in that Kingdom with the Lord Jesus.
Yes, we're going to have a share with you. We're going to reign with him.
Do we go on with it and go on consistent to that position now?
Always call us to glory too. We're going to be with Christ in glory. We're going to share that glory with him.
Or we're walking worthy of hymns called us to that.
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Will I trust?
These things might exercise it first of all to walk worthy of the vocation, Wherewith recalled.
That is, that God dwells among his people down here in this world.
Called us for the purpose that he might dwell among his people and enjoy the company of his people.
Oh, he wanted to walk worthy of the Lord, to walk in subjection to him.
To be acquainted.
With his will to know the mystery of his will.
In all wisdom, spiritual understanding.
And he wanted to walk worthy of God, who has called us to his Kingdom and glory will, may he give us grace.
Thereto will be exercised about our own pathway in these things that we might go on pleasing to Him, and when that day comes when the Lord Jesus calls us out of this scene, and it might be yet tonight.
That we might have the joy of hearing his voice.
Or I wonder how many of us will be ashamed of what we're doing when he comes.
Or may it be that we can look forward with expectation and joy to that moment?
When he calls it out of the scene.
You might sing #212.
Where all the lands were.
Hopefully everyone can read the horns roaming.
Everything.
And some great.