Faith sets a man with God, and, as an individual, alone with God. Abel acted as an individual; Enoch walked alone with God; Noah found grace in His sight; Abram was called out from all, and was the friend of God. Joseph, and Moses, and Samuel, and David, and Daniel, and all the worthies of Faith’s household, each found his springs to be in God—and his guidance to be from God.
How individual and solitary too (not only on the ground of His being the only sinless, the only perfect One, but also in the mode of His walk), was the blessed Lord! “Lo I come to do thy will O God.” “The cup which my Father has given me, shall I not drink it?” These were the mottoes of His life here below.
How beautifully, too, in the thief upon the cross, do we find his faith (divinely taught) setting Him alone with God—able to condemn, not only his own past course, but all that the religious of that day were doing: and able to give to Christ a title true of him alone from among men. “This man hath done nothing amiss.” He adds, “Lord! remember me... in Thy kingdom!” And the Lord’s word to Peter is to be noted; “If I will that he (John) tarry till I come, what is that to thee? FOLLOW THOU ME.”
The secret of all practical holiness in a believer is found in this individual walk with God—a walk which, as it keeps him in the light, where Christ is at the right hand of God., keeps him in humble self-judgment, because he sees the contrasts between Christ and himself—yet in firmness, because he has to do with God, and acts for and from God.
Directly I can say, God’s word proclaims a thing to be unholy, I am to cease from it at once. It is unholy to me at least, and to tamper with it would be defilement. Every godly soul (that knows even Rom. 14) would assent to this: every godly soul must say, “Obey God rather than man; obey God according to your light, and do not go beyond it.”
I have been asked (alas for the askers!) when so acting, “Are you infallible? Are you going to lord it over the conscience of others?” My answer is simple: “I walk with God, and judge myself; not an inch for me on the road. God’s word seems to me to prohibit; right onward where the word enjoins me to go forward.”
‘Tis replied, “How do you know you are right?” I answer, “While walking in dependence upon God alone to lead me to see His mind, that I may do it—do you think He’ll not be faithful to Himself? (John 7:17). And, as to the consciences of others, I lord it over no soul. Let each walk with God; but only let each remember, that if my walk is with God, alas! for him whose walk is not in the same pathway: be he before me or behind.”
There is no holiness in communion no “communion of saints,” apart from this solitary walk with God—of the saints as individuals.
The restless disquietude of many around convinces me they are not walking with God. Philippians 4:6-9.