Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
General meetings.
Montreal, October 1975, Third reading meeting.
00:05:43
How far did we get in John 14?
John Gospel.
Doctor 14 verse 17.
Even the spirit of truth over the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you.
Get a little while in the world, see if me no more. But you see me because I live, ye shall live also.
That that day you shall know that I am in my Father, and ye and me, and I and you.
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them he it is that loveth me, neither loveth me shall be loved of my father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Jurists are done to him, not his carrier.
Lord, how is it the Thou would manifest thyself under us and not under the world?
If a man loved me, he would keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him.
He's in love with me, not keepeth not my sayings, and the word which he hear is not mine, but the fathers resent me.
These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you, but the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost.
Whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you, not as the world give us give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
You have heard how I said unto you, I go away, come again unto you.
If you love me, you would rejoice because I said I'd go into the Father, for my Father is greater than I.
Now I have told you before counterparts that when it is come to pass, we might believe.
Hereafter I will not talk much with you, for the Prince of this world cometh and has nothing in me.
But that the world may know that I love the Father, and the Father gave me commandment, Even so I do. Arise, let us go ahead.
We're seeing in the earlier verses where the Lord says I am the way, the truth and the life.
Now here the Spirit is spoken of as the Spirit of truth.
I judge that is because the Spirit is here to exalt and to manifest the Son who is himself the truth.
Three times in these three chapters, isn't it?
And then special way.
In this chapter later on we'll notice that.
00:10:02
It's connected with is going away.
Whereas in the next chapter it's connected more with the thought of the testimony and the bearing of fruit, in the last chapter of the 16th chapter it's more connected with the fact that.
Their hopes as far as the world are gone, and they.
May face martyrdom, which they all did, perhaps except one. And so he showed them things to come.
So all three of these are very profitable for us to meditate on. We may not be called upon to go through martyrdom, but.
Someone has said, you know, it's sometimes harder to live.
Than to die for Christ.
And so we're living in a day when there are special things that would turn us aside in the path of faith, and we need all three of these.
Shall I say exhortations, because in a way they are the spirit of truth is the spirit that reaches the conscience as well as the heart.
Here we have the Holy Spirit being given by the Father.
And in that connection, he has no link with the world.
Where we get a similar line of things brought before us in in the Epistle of John. And there we have that.
That which is of the world is not of the Father and 1St John.
Chapter 2.
Verse 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world.
So.
The Father has no length, no connection with the world. There's no relationship there all, and that system is going to pass away. But the family of the Father is going to remain. And here we have the Holy Spirit spoken of that the world cannot receive him. It doesn't see him, doesn't know him, But then it speaks of the ye, the children of the Father.
They know not only the Father, but they know too the present indwelling of the Holy Spirit and their conscious that God is their Father because they've been given the Holy Spirit, although at this point in which the Lord is speaking, the Holy Spirit hadn't come yet. But do we find that in John's Gospel many things are spoken of by way of anticipation, and it's a wonderful thing to have the minister of the Lord himself?
In these things. And then we get the ministry of the apostle Paul when it actually takes place.
Let's just say that the Lord was preparing His disciples here for the coming of the Spirit. And would you say that He's preparing our hearts now for that happy day when we'll be in His presence?
We hear a great deal today too about the activity of the spirit of God. Now we need to test it whether it's according to truth, because the Spirit of God will never lead contrary to the word of God. And so we find constantly the test applied because there are evil spirits. And in John's epistle it speaks of the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Now that is, there is a power behind error. The enemy is seeking to attack the truth of God.
And thank God, there is a power behind the truth, there is the Spirit of truth. And the Spirit of God would lead our souls through the Word of God into the truth that which God would teach us concerning His mind, and above all to glorify His Son.
I remember one time that Fredericton, that one of the general meetings, it was a preacher there that said he could talk in tongues. I read to him in First Corinthians 14, where they were told that if there was no one there to interpret, they were to be in silence. I said, would you talk in tongues if there was no one to interpret for you?
00:15:09
He thought a minute, and he said, if the Spirit moved me, I would. Well, that would make the Spirit of God contrary to the word of God, so it would not be the Spirit of truth, would it? And I think of another case I was talking to.
There's a cousin of mine that he said that one company.
That made us Christians to remember the Lord so-called, rather that they were all equally gathered to the Lords name and had the large presence in the midst. I said, suppose here's two meetings. Well, you know that in Oak Park there are two meeting rooms that look very much alike, not more than a block apart. I said with the Spirit of God leads some of the children of God to this place.
And some of the children of God to this other place.
He had no answer. Well, I said, if he did, why then he would contradict his own words. For when the subject of division is spoken of in First Corinthians 1, the apostle says, is Christ divided?
According to that, Christ is divided. If we accepted the teaching that he was holding, well, he had no answer at all. I was having some gospel meetings in a place in Kansas. It was in a school house.
There were a few that came in and then I saw a couple and his wife come in and they sat down the back.
And after the meeting that night, I went back and spoke to this couple.
And we got to speaking about the truth and the truth of the church. And I found out that both this man and his wife, they sort of took charge of the church so-called that they were connected with and they would be called the ministers of that congregation.
And in conversation with them, I found out that she would get up and preach as well as he.
And so I asked them, well, what do you do about First Corinthians chapter 14, where it says that the the sisters, the women are to keep silence in the assembly? All but she said, when the spirit comes on me, I have to get up and say something.
Well, I said. Would the Spirit of God who indicted this portion of Scripture leads you contrary to what is written down here? Well, the end of the conversation.
Solomon to think that people are not subject to the word of God, and will allow some other spirit to leave them contrary to the leading and the truth of the Spirit of God that has been indicted by the Holy Spirit.
We had a woman coming on Bible reading one night and she sat next to Brother Walker.
And the meeting hadn't started longer before she stopped above him. So he read that scripture too, and she got up on temperament when as quickly as she could.
Pardon.
Who is that?
I can't hear you at the back, I said. We had a woman coming on Bible reading one night.
And soon she sat next to Brother Warner. And soon after the meeting began, she started butting in and giving her thoughts and opinions. And Brother Walker read the scripture Brother Anderson just quoted that your women keep silence in the churches. And she looked at them so angrily and Garvin went out.
I'll have nothing more to do with you.
Well, that was the mercy.
The spirit of the prophets are subject to the prophecy.
Well, here it says where he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Purpose this.
I believe from Saturday.
And I believe the thought was that this anticipates Pentecost. That is the when the Spirit of God came down as he did.
Has a rushing mighty wind that he sat up for the clothing tongues as a fire sat upon each of them.
00:20:06
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. It was an individual entrance of the Holy Spirit. And then he filled all the house so that there was a collective.
Manifestation of his presence.
And there was only one Pentecost.
For when the Spirit of God came, as we have already read that he abideth with you forever, so the Spirit wasn't lacked the blessed Lord who came and who returned to the Father. The Spirit remains until the Lord comes in the air, and then the Spirit will return with him.
I think as well if we notice again the passage in First Corinthians 2 That was brought before us on Saturday.
It has been well said that the time will come and.
May be here already when?
Many will think that.
The activity.
Of the false spirit is the activity of the Spirit of God.
And so we have the guard in this second chapter of First Corinthians in the 12Th verse now we have received.
Not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God first.
We've received, that is that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Now that's divine intelligence for the believer.
Then in the 13th verse which things also we speak?
Not in the words which man's wisdom teaches.
But which the Holy Ghost Teacher?
Comparing spiritual things with spiritual or discerning things by spiritual means is that not the thought.
So that we have received and we also communicate by the Spirit. Otherwise it isn't the work of the Spirit. Now this was particularly needed in Corinth because of the danger there of the natural.
Mind the human intelligence.
Going ahead of Scripture, going ahead of the mind of God. So the apostle wouldn't even.
Go further with them, and that's the first part than the cross of Christ. Later on he speaks further of things, but he wanted them to realize that everything depended upon the work of the Spirit of God and the control of the Spirit of God. Now if we're to be aware of the evils around us and which are coming in fast.
We we must realize that it's only.
And the measure in which our hearts are taken up with the truth of God independence that we will be kept.
Dependence upon God. And so we have received by the Spirit, we communicate by the Spirit, and we discern by the Spirit, not by natural intelligence.
I don't know that I rightly understand the end of this 17th verse. He dwelleth with you, seems present tense, and shall be in you.
Does this entirely refer to that which was yet to take place at the time of Pentecost, in its anticipating that it says he dwelleth with you, or does it have any reference to the presence of the Lord himself?
Be with them at that time. I'm just asking in the way of a real question.
Well, certainly every activity of the Lord Jesus was by the Spirit of God and so.
When they spoke about his casting out devils by the Beelzebub, he said, If I by the Spirit of God cast out devils, that is, he was himself perfectly led by the Spirit in everything that he did. He was the one who was as the meat offering, not only anointed with oil, as at the day of as that is baptism, when the Spirit came upon him like a dog, but mingled with oil.
00:25:22
That is every action, every thought, everything it is blessed pathway here was by the energy of the Spirit of God, and saw that they could see in him that perfect display of one who was led by the Spirit. It's not always so with us.
We are indwelled by the Spirit, but we are certainly not always filled with the Spirit. So we are exhorted to be filled with the Spirit. And I have thought myself that in this verse what the Lord was saying, that he dwelleth with you, that they have seen and watched His blessed pathway, one who was ever led by the Spirit of God and energized by the Spirit of God and everything. And then he was going to come to indwell them.
This on the day of Pentecost, Saw that now.
It tells us ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. And then too there's a verse in the third of John that says He whom God hath sent speaketh the word of God. For God giveth not His Spirit by measure. In our translation the 2 words unto Him are added, but in reality it's just God giveth not His spirit. By measure He saw that the precious Savior.
He was energized by the Spirit of God. We have received the same power, but the hindrance in US is the flesh, which often hinders that manifestation of the Spirit. But we have within us the same blessed Spirit of God, who was in our precious Savior in His pathway, here only perfect, unhindered by anything, so that He could say I do always those things which please Him.
I believe it's very important for.
Newborn babes in Christ, those who have just received the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, to be aware that when they are cleansed by the precious blood of Christ, then the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in their heart. And that He is a divine person. Not just an influence or simply a power, but he is a person. A person as much as the Lord Jesus Christ and as God Himself. And you remember that when?
Ananias and Sapphira, they sinned against God. Well, Peter says you've lied unto God, but it was actually the Holy Spirit they had sinned against. And so the Spirit of God is looked at in Scripture as a third person of the Godhead and Brethren.
I'm afraid we don't realize very much what it really is to have that divine person dwelling in our hearts.
Oh, if we were in the consciousness of this morning the good of it more, I'm sure it would have a deep effect in our lives, for good and for holiness and respect for the Lord and His truth.
I would like to ask a little further about the end of the 17th verse. He dwelleth with you and shall be in you. I had had this thought from myself that the width is a collective in the assembly presence of the Spirit of God, and in you the personal individual indwelling of the Spirit. I'd like some help on that.
That's what our brother Barry was speaking about, and it's certainly true. And I believe it's very important that we should realize that the spirit of God dwells in the house as well as in the individual bodies of believers. And in Acts 2, as it was remarked, he filled the house where they were sitting. He also sat upon each of them. And if you turn to 1St Corinthians 3, we see the difference between.
His dwelling.
Individually and collectively, when we compare 1St Corinthians 3 and 1 Corinthians 6.
1St Corinthians 6 we read yesterday, says, Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you. That is an individual thing. Our personal body as believers is the place where the Spirit of God dwells. But in First Corinthians 3.
00:30:09
It's the collective thing that is brought before us, similar to what we have in Ephesians 2, where it tells us we are builded together for inhabitation of God by the spirit. Now notice this in First Corinthians 3.
Here he says in the ninth verse, We are laborers together with God. Ye are God's husbandry, Ye are God's building according to the grace of God, which is given unto me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another build it thereon.
Let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon for other foundation Can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Now if a man built, any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, would hay stubble, every man's work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
Any man's work abide which he have built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss.
But he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire, knowing he not the T are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, For the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
Now here he's not talking about the Spirit of God indwelling the body of a real believer. If that were so, it would mean that a person could be saved and lost because he says in the 16th verse the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. And then he says in the 17th verse, if any man the final, the temple of God, him shall God destroy. So we can see here it's the collective thing that he's speaking about in some places in Scripture.
Building is looked upon as being composed of all living stones, and as living stones it is the work of God the Lord. Jesus said I will build my church, and as we have in first Peter chapter two, we have living. He also has living. Stones are built up a spiritual house, and that is where God is the builder and all who are built by him are living stones, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
But as you read this scripture, you see that man is taking part in the building, and he doesn't just build in living stones. He builds in wood, hay and stubble. He brings in that which is going to be manifested in the fire and burned up. And so there are three classes of workmen brought before us here. There's a saved Workman with good work, and his work abides. There's a saved Workman with poor work, and he himself is saved.
But his work is destroyed because it was not of God. And then there's a man who defiles the temple of God. Where did have such a man as Pastor Russell bring his evil teaching? He didn't bring it into a heathen land. He brought it into the professing House of Christendom. He brought in under the name of Christianity, into the very place where the spirit of God dwells teaching that attack the deity of Christ.
He defiled the temple of God. Well, he's going to come under the judgment of God because it was much more serious for him to bring it in where the Spirit of truth is and bring in and associate with that which the the Church is to be the pillar and ground of the truth and to associate it with, with an error. And I think this is a very solemn thing and it's a very important thing for us to see that the Church is responsible to hold the deposit of truth committed to it.
But when man takes the place as a builder, he often brings in where the spirit of God dwells, of that which is evil, and the manifestation is going to bring this out. And so the Lord spoke about the tares and the wheat growing together to the harvest.
Now that doesn't mean that as gathered to the Lord's name, we are not we are responsible to be separate from evil. But here brings in another point that I think we should understand that where the house is looked upon as a great house in Second Timothy chapter 2, the one who would be faithful is not told to go out of the house. He would have to renounce Christianity to go out of the house. But he separates from the vessels to dishonor in the house.
00:35:11
He doesn't leave the house, that's where the spirit dwells, but he separates from the vessels to dishonor.
And as gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. And we seek to be a testimony in Christendom to the truth, and we are responsible to hold it. We are responsible to recognize the presence of the Spirit of God and give him the place now that is due to him. Recognize that he is the Spirit of truth, Recognize that liberty that is according to truth. And this is all in the house which has now become a great house.
So as I say, I believe if we look at First Corinthians 3 as what is going on in the Great House and 1St Corinthians 6 as the individual indwelling of the Spirit of God in our bodies, we see those two aspects of the truth brought before us, I believe.
I just like to give a warning as to bringing in wood, hay and stubble in Christendom. It has been absolutely disastrous.
Pastor of a church and near Woodbridge, NJ, came into the meeting one night and we had a talk with him, he said. He didn't. He didn't have any place to go Sunday night. He was a pastor of a Methodist Church.
And he said the preachers are to blame for the condition. He said they have filled these churches with unconverted people and now they won't have the gospel. Well, that's a characteristic condition of the so-called churches. Many of them sound and fundamental, but in their anxiety to get numbers, they got confessions that were not real and they were received and baptized and.
Given membership and after a while it just becomes a system.
Of unconverted people? Well, brethren, we're in danger of falling into the same ways that we see in Christendom and in having gospel meetings. The anxiety to see some result will lead to getting confessions of times that are not real. Now, I say this. Not that I'm condemning others, I've done it myself to.
And realize the seriousness of getting.
Confessions that are not real and we can easily fall into that same condition and get our poor little meetings.
With many mere professors among us, and its weakness and a danger that we should be warned against, I know the most useful brethren that I remember as a child, Brother close and Brother Hart.
They would preach the most powerful gospel among a class of people who had heard very little gospel before.
But they never would try to press people to make a confession. They left it with the Lord and often walked out to rather disappointment of some that they didn't try to get.
Converts, but they saw the danger.
Uh, pressing people for a confession. Our newer brother that just got all kinds of confessions and they were not real and it was just, especially among children, because you can talk children into making the confession very easily. And where there's a desire to see some results, you can get hold of children and get confessions from them, and it only weakens the testimony. Leave the testimony, leave the result.
Of the preaching of the gospel with the Lord and the life is real, the Lord will work it out and sometimes we can even get a confession. Maybe one is saved, but you have only hindered the work of the Spirit of God that is exercising that soul, And that repentance the soul is going through is very important and to get a confession before.
There has been a deep and real work of repents.
You've only given relief to a soul and hindered his growth so that maybe he'll be a weakling all his life. Now, I didn't want to carry that any further, but since it's coming up about wood, hay and stubble, let's be careful, brother, for we can weaken our testimony just as we see so much weakness all over Christendom.
00:40:23
By Mike, nor by Power.
But by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts. They needed that word.
In the Old Testament days. And it's Zechariah that gives that word to those at Jerusalem, the little remnant that had come back from captivity.
And they needed that word to make them realize that in their weakness they were not able to do anything but that they must trust God by his Spirit.
To energize them and to guide them and help them that they might rebuild the city of Jerusalem and build the walls not by Mike, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts. God hasn't left us without instruction and His word about this. I think it's very important.
The all of the book of Acts is telling us how the work was done in the early days when God established the testimony. And you won't find one single instance in the whole of the Acts where anyone was pressed to a confession, but you find thousands that were saved. The Spirit of God was working and it was a real work. But when human pressure is brought on, it only spoils what God is doing. And I believe it's very, very helpful for us to read.
And see the divine pattern for the way God would have his work to be done.
Brother who are zealous for the work of the Lord, and it's good to see that they want to give out the Gospel, give out tracts, preach the gospel in the open air, and so forth. But I would advise you to read the book of the Acts. The Lord gave me a lot of help in the Congress. Just a young man over there trying to do the work of the Lord. But reading the book of the Acts was a big help to me. So read it, reread it. The Lord gives instruction through His word.
Brother, what's my?
Question or two in two parts.
Is it not sold as corrected by wrong, that the President of Christ as a state from the presence of spirit? The one is selective and the other is individual? Am I correct in that?
I believe we could say the presence of the Lord is collective, and the presence of the Spirit is collective also in the sense that we were Speaking of now, that is, he filled the house. We are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit. But I I will say, well, perhaps there's a misunderstanding about this that I believe when it says in Matthew 18 and 20, where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
It speaks of the Lord's authority and approval of that which is according to his mind, so that if we were to use the name of the Prime Minister of Canada to associate it with something without his authority, we would be wrong.
We would need his authority to properly use his name, and so it must be that which God owns to be properly and scripturally gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. But his presence is there collectively, but the Spirit of God dwells in the house.
And so that those who are in the systems, those who are in all that is organized about us, are responsible because they do not recognize the presence of the Spirit of God on earth as a divine person. And so I wouldn't say, and I don't believe it's scriptural to say, that only those who are gathered according to the word have the presence of the Spirit of God. That would be denying his presence in the house. I would say that when we are scripturally gathered, we seek to give the Spirit of God his right place.
And to acknowledge his presence, but not to say that his presence is only there. But I believe Matthew 18 and 20 has to do with that which is according to truth gathered by the Spirit to a person. And I believe it's a very searching question for each of us. Are we seeking to be gathered according to the truth of God, where the Spirit of God is gathering to Christ?
00:45:11
I believe we have a principle Psalm 144.
In connection with wood, hay and stubble, some 144.
Twice we find the sound of saying deliver me from strange children, from strange children and further down, he says.
Repeat this in verse 11. Read me and deliver me from the hand of strange children whose mouth treat vanity, and their right hand is the right hand of falsehood. Now he says that our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth, that our daughters may be as cornerstones polished after the similitude of the palace, that our garlands may be full, affording all manner store.
That our sheep may bring forth thousands and 10 thousands in our streets.
That our oxen may be strong to labor and this is important that there be no breaking in.
And nor going out.
Solemn thing it is to find that there are those who have been received in the assemblies and caused no end of trouble. I knew the brother in England who was received into a meeting. He came from the Raven Company. The Brethren were warned not to receive him, but they kept him waiting a while, then received him, and he was one of the strange children. He brought in the Raven Doctrine right away and he had to be put away. But here it says no going out.
What a solemn thing to go about. We have been received. It is the work of the Spirit of God. We should remain where He has placed us and serves a warning here, no bringing in and nor nor going, no going out.
The second part of my question I was bringing up was the fact that I cannot speak from my brother, I can only speak for myself.
I haven't been confirmed in the Church of England.
I realized that the Lord was not in the midst. I left it.
Now if I was to step back into that system.
I might have Spirit of God. I was moved to get off and speak.
I would be told to sit down because where the spirit of the Lord there is liberty and I think myself and myself, that I can always speak my own feelings.
That I came into this assembly department and felt the Lord's in the faith, and I cannot believe that.
He would be in any other system of man. Am I right? Am I wrong? Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, and I am not permitted to get up and speak in that congregation. In my village where the ministers that God leads or in prison, he will have last to sit down and recall my brother hail going to hail save that Mister darling with lead.
Church Think about because he couldn't ask the apostle Paul was speaking in churches because he was not ordained of man.
The end of the third chapter.
For the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. Does it not have to do with the?
New order of things that has been brought in, that the old order was under the law, but now we have that which is brought in, which is more glorious.
It's in the eighth verse, the ministration of the Spirit, and in the ninth verse the administration of righteousness. And so in that sense we're brought into a liberty that the did not have in the Old Testament.
Now that doesn't mean though that there's liberty for the flesh. And sometimes someone will think that now that they are in this new position, that there's perfect liberty to do as they feel. But as was quoted this morning, the spirit of the prophet is is subject to the prophet, and he's subject to the word of God.
00:50:23
And so he might feel that.
He should say or do something, but he should always be controlled by what the Word of God says. Now we have been brought into the place of full liberty, and one walking in the enjoyment of communion would act according to the Spirit of God.
Now, one more thought I'd like to mention in connection with this verse we're considering.
In the 14th of John.
It says he dwelleth with you.
And shall be in you about when we think of the place that the Spirit has now dwelling within the believer, Is it not a very solemn thing?
That the Spirit of God is dwelling within us.
If we think of this, would it not color our ways?
Have its effect on all that we say and do if we realize that the Spirit of God is dwelling in each believer, and then we may have this.
When you and I have been gathered.
To the precious name of the Lord Jesus.
Is it not a very special?
Solemn thing to consider.
That God in his ways has down through the ages.
Manifested that he had a purpose and that was to gather the children of God together.
In one and then these very closing days before this world is judged, God has been pleased in the last days to gather to the precious name of the Lord Jesus.
What a privilege it is.
Would you and I dare in any way to mar this privilege by our actions, by our ways, allowing things in our lives, because whatever we do affects the rest of the Saints.
And whatever one assembly does affects the other assemblies. And I really believe that we have in this chapter before us that which should exercise our hearts both as to the fact that we individually have the Spirit of God indwelling us, but also that we have a privilege that no one else of another day has had to be gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus.
And I believe that where we are gathered to his precious name, he has promised his presence in the midst. We can be assured of this.
Well, are we ready to go on to the 18th, 1St?
Exactly that spirit of error. I know we're lingering a long while on that verse, but in first John Four we are told that every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.
Is not of God, but if the spirit of Antichrist and 1St Corinthians 12 and three.
It says Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God follow Jesus accursed, and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost. I understand that in the beginning of the modern Pentecostal movement that they were not speaking in tongues, but they were prophesying and.
Evidently speaking well of Christ. But there were things of course mixed with it that would be discerned now. In Luke 4 and 41 we find demons.
Let's say the devil came out of many crying out and saying, Thou art Christ, the Son of God.
And rebuked them, suffering them not to speak, for they knew that he was Christ. So here is a a false spirit, a demon, apparently confessing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. What is really the intent of first John 4? How do we apply that?
00:55:21
How do we apply that today? Is that your question?
Spirit of error.
Jesus, that he was the Christ, the Son of God.
Well, in that 4th chapter of John, there are different ways that we are to detect.
The air the 1St as you quoted he that confesseth not that Jesus Christ has come in place without the inflation.
There were gymnastics were bringing in false doctrine as to the literal.
Humanity of Christ. And of course that that was settled by this.
And then?
Then he says greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. The presence of the spirit of God in the believer, if he's walking in communion, detects error and.
Exposes it if necessary, then we get the third.
And the sixth verse.
We are of God. He that he that knoweth God heareth us. Now notice that's emphatic. Hearth us. He that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby knowly the spirit of truth and the spirit of air. That is the third way of discovering the the spirits that are not of God is are they giving the truth.
From the Word, the word of God is a test there as to whether.
They are of God or not.
And a clerk, when John says us, he's taking in all the inspired writers. So that's one way that we discovered just like that man I was talking about that said he could talk in spirit by immediately when he rejected the word as to where he could, as he said talk in the spirit. While that proved that he is what he said was the spirit was false because it was contrary to the word.
Second, the pistol of John in connection with the demon confessing the name of Christ.
Louder please. The 2nd epistle is gone.
And verse 9.
Think of this in connection with what our brother said about the demon confessing the name of Christ. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not, abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God.
He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, He have both the Father and the Son.
I believe there in John's epistle where it says about Christ coming in flesh, that it's important to see that the Lord Jesus was perfect God and perfect man in one person and that we find denied. Very often they'll recognize that the Lord Jesus was a perfect man. Or as the Gnostics, as our brother said, they would recognize that God came but they wouldn't recognize that he was actually in a human body. They would make a mystical person out of him.
But the truth is that, as the little hymn puts it nicely, we mentioned before.
His glory. Not only God's Son in manhood, he had his full part. And we know that even error has come in among those gathered to the Lords name by one who couldn't see the union of the Godhead and manhood in one person, our precious Lord Jesus Christ, So that we see there are insidious ways in which the enemy attacks the truth of God.
And if a person said, well, he was a mystical person, but they deny that he was a perfect man, they have actually denied that God and man were together in one person in the Lord Jesus Christ here upon earth. And I believe that was the particular emphasis in John's epistle. I believe in Corinthians Owning Jesus as Lord is really owning his authority. It tells us in Matthew that many will come in that day and say Lord, Lord.
01:00:12
But it's just the repetition of words, just the same as you might give a person a title and yet not recognized as authority. So that owning Jesus as Lord is more than just repeating words. It's that which comes from the heart. Thou believe us that there is one God thou doest. Well, the devils also believe and tremble now. That is, they believed who the Lord Jesus was about. They didn't do like the blind man.
Who? When he found out, the Lord said, Just I'll believe in the Son of God. He said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And when he found out that he was in his presence, he said, Lord, I believe, And he worshipped him. So that we have to remember that God speaks of and deals in realities. For instance, it says, Whosoever shall deny me before men, him shall I deny before my Father, which is in heaven.
Now Peter denied the Lord before men, but he's not going to be denied before his Father, which is in heaven, because he didn't do it from his heart. He did it through fear, under pressure, about when he realized what he had done, he went out and went bitterly. So we need to realize that God is dealing in realities and I'm sure that in our dealings with these people we have found very often that while they can repeat, just as the one mentioned in Matthew, Lord, Lord.
There is no recognition of His authority. If there was the recognition of His authority, and there would be the bowing to His word, there would be the worshipping Him and recognizing those divine mysteries connected with His person that are beyond our mind to take in.
Saw that it isn't just some shall I say, little phrase that's out of place. It's the whole attitude of the heart that's wrong and not owning really the glory of his person or his authority.
Is that orphans in verse 18, brother? Very yes. I think that's the correct word. I will not leave you orphans Well, we can think of.
A form where both parents have been taken.
I think a very sad case by Cliff. And what a sad situation it was. No father to go to, no mother to love them. Let their hopeless without parental care. Well, the Lord speaking to his disciples, He assures him that he is not to lead them in that way. As far as he says, I will come unto you.
And I take that to be the coming of the Holy Spirit. They would have His presence via the Spirit, so that they would have His care, His love for manifested 2 of them, now that He would no longer be visibly present with Him. Is that your thought? Yes, but isn't it sweet too that He's introducing them to the Father?
So that they'll enjoy the father's love.
And.
Even though he leaves them, they will enter into that new relationship that Christianity brings.
That is, to know the Father. We get that in the 20th chapter of John, don't we? The introduction of that truth, particularly in his resurrection, it was not known before, but here he's, as it were, anticipating for them that time, so that when he finally is gone, they will enjoy that new position of knowing the Father. And so as we pray, we address the Father and.
We know that he hears us because we're his children and we have that enjoyment as we address him in prayer that he hears us and he knows beforehand what we have needed, but he loves to hear us addressing.
I might just mention, since you have brought our going to the Father and my attention was called to a statement I made at the beginning of the meeting that now we call on the name of the Father. Well, that's not just correct. We call on the name of the son, but we do address God as our Father in perfect liberty now as His children. I just mentioned that to correct air.
01:05:07
And we want to go right on with the next verse yet a little while, and the world sees me no more. But ye see me because I live, ye shall live also. Well, that's in keeping with the second chapter of Hebrews, where we read this. Now we see not yet all things put under him, but we see Jesus was made a little lower than the angels.
For the suffering of death, crown with glory and honor. Now faith sees that glorified 1 seated at God's right hand. And you know the the vision of faith is is more absolutely true than things that we see with our natural lives. All times we get deceived we think we see something beautiful and.
Maybe it turns out to be very different from what we suppose.
But faith is never deceived. What is revealed to the heart by faith is just as sure as if we were already in the scene that fate directs us too. So we see Jesus. We gaze upon him, gazing on the Lord and glorious we were singing yesterday.
While our hearts and worship bow.
So he says here.
The world seeth me no more, but ye see me. Then here's something very, very precious. And because I live, he shall live also. Seems to me that that is a special character of the Christian life that is occupied with Christ. As we've been Speaking of, believing by faith is there.
And enjoying the thought of knowing him there.
Our glory is one that died for us on the cross, now living for us on high, while it produces a special character of life down here is so, he says. Because I live, he shall live also. What a precious, wonderful life that is, and how we should cover to be in the good and enjoyment of a life like that.
As a living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father.
So he that eateth me shall live by me. And this is what the believer can enjoy daily, is it not?
I believe that's what the Lord referred to in John chapter 10. I am calm that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. That is, the more abundant life isn't just the idea that some Christians live a more spiritual life than others by its the whole character of Christianity as contrasted with the position of those who had divine life in the Old Testament.
In the Old Testament they had divine life, but they weren't in the liberty and enjoyment of relationship. About here is one who has gone off, who said, I ascend unto my Father and your Father to my God and your God, who breathed on them and said receive ye the Holy Spirit or Holy Spirit. And now by the Spirit of God we enter into and enjoy that relationship. And that is really what is spoken now as the abundant life. It's the present position of the believer in contrast with Judaism.
It's set before us again in Galatians where it speaks about the child who's the heir, but he's not in the liberty of his position. But when the time comes appointed of the father, he is now declared to be in the liberty of his position. And just like Prince Charles, when he was going to the school, he was under tutors and governors. But now he's in the liberty of his position and his heir to the throne, and he knows it and walks in that enjoyment and dignity, or at least is entitled to.
I believe that's the thought here, Because I live, ye shall live. Also. It's the more abundant life of Christianity.
But its occupation with Christ, when we are really in the good and enjoyment and in a practical way are living that life. Because if we had just worldly objects before us by then our life protects the character of the world around us.
01:10:08
So it isn't a matter of 1 giving up his job and going off into seclusion or anything. He can be in a busy.
In officer, in the factory, or farming or anything, and in the enjoyment of Christ and the that life manifesting itself is in the good of it.
Charles returned and placed himself under tutors and governors. He is denying the liberty. That's rightly his, and that's what the Galatians were doing. They were returning back to law and ******* and not enjoying the liberty they had been brought into. And so in these meetings the Spirit of God would seek to lead us into the liberty of this position, first to know that it's ours, and then by the Spirit, to enjoy it and walk in it.
Well then in the next verse at that day. Now that's very important to notice at that day. That's really Pentecost. I take it when there would be the.
The presence of the Spirit of God, dwelling in the believer and in the house.
It introduces a new line of things.
In that day, at that day He shall know that I am in my Father, and ye, and me, and I and you. We find that until the Holy Spirit came, the disciples were in great darkness as to the instruction the Lord had given them in His life and ministry. They never seem to understand the Lord. They always misunderstood what He was saying. The Lord told him plainly about his crucifixion and death. And yet they were when He was taken and they buried him, they didn't seem to understand that he would actually be raised again.
They wouldn't believe the women when they came and told, but he plainly told him he was going to rise again. But when the Spirit of God had come, and then dwelt the disciples and those who were waiting for the promise of the Father, why then they entered in an intelligent way into the truth that the Lord had been teaching them in His ministry? And rather, doesn't that remind you and me?
Of the marvelous.
Position that we're in at this time in which we're living. We're living in the time of the that the Holy Spirit is dwelling here on earth. There never was a time like it before and there'll never be a time like it for all eternity. A special, peculiar and wonderful time that we're permitted to live and have our being and and pass through this scene when God the Holy Spirit.
Is dying here in this world. Now in the Old Testament they they knew goddess the Jehovah. It was briefly characterized by Jehovah God. He had chosen the people and they were called his people the people of Jehovah. But for a short time the Lord Jesus the sun was here and that brief time that he was here on earth.
Characterize the time of his sojourn. Now he's gone back to the Father, but he has sent God the Holy Spirit down. And we're living in that special time of untold blessing for his preparing God's people who live at this time for the special place that dare to occupy in the coming scene of glory and in connection with the Kingdom and then going on into the eternal ages.
Speaks out here, extends to the present time, doesn't it? And it's it's really the longest period of time that has been known. We speak of dispensation.
Or periods of time in which God is dealing with those on earth, especially who are his people. And this is the longest day, really the longest period of time. And I suppose it's because it's the day of grace. God is gracious and not willing that any should perish. He's very long-suffering and patient. He wants all to be saved. And so the day is extending out. But we're longing for the Lord to come to take us home.
01:15:16
To end the day, aren't we?
Well, I suppose is in connection with what we have in the beginning of the chapter. He was going away. Their hearts were troubled because he was going away. Now he says by the Spirit you will see me and also is walking in obedience. You can enjoy my company during my absence by the Spirit. And I think that's so lovely if we bring bring in these verses that follow in connection with the first part of the chapter.
And in Hebrews 2 But we see Jesus. Now notice this 21St verse, He that hath my commandments and keepeth them. He it is that loveth me. And he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him. While now as we see Judas couldn't understand how this could be during the Lord's absence, but the Lord explains it, that it's by the Spirit that we could enjoy the Father and the Son making their abode with us, walking in the enjoyment of that circle of love.
And in obedience. What a place we have been brought into now. So it's true it'll be more blessed when faith has changed to sight. But what a blessed place is ours right now.
Notice, he says here at that day he shall know that I'm in my father.
And he and me, and I and you. Well we can see the Lord graciously beats the situation along the disciples, because Philip had said, Lord, show us the Father, and the Lord had said, Have I been so long with you? And hast thou not known me, Philip, he that hath seen me?
Has seen the Father well, they feebly entered into or believe the Lord's words, although they didn't contemplate the extent and and the full meaning of it. But here the Lord says, in that day you're going to know that I'm in my Father, and more than that that ye in me. Well, that's a wonderful thought that we're in Christ.
Before God, that's what a Christian really is, isn't it? Really. The word term Christian has been so corrupted in Christendom they little understand it. They think it would be a very wrong thing to therefore 1 to say he was saved. Well that's a more general term than to be a Christian or the those that.
At Antioch were first call. They were first called Christians at Antioch. That is, there was something about them that reminded them of their savior and Master, their Christ.
So really, a Christian is one who is in Christ before God and for Christ before men.
We could say that oneness is spoken of in the scriptures in three different ways in connection with Christianity. In John's ministry, it's particularly that we possess his life and so possessing his life. Why we are one in that sense that we possess his life. We are in Christ before God, and then in Paul's ministry we are looked upon as being one, as being members of the body of Christ.
Now that is members one of another and a priest who is the head in glory. Now that is particularly that which was revealed to Paul. And then in Hebrews chapter two we have oneness and kind. Now that is, there's a real man in the glory. We see one up there at the right hand of God who wears our nature on the throne, that holy man who is there, a glorified man, entering into all that we are passing through here as men.
And he's not ashamed to call us brethren. Isn't it lovely to see these three?
Lines of truth brought before us such a place of nearness, possessing the same life members of the body of Christ, and associated not to an Angel, but to a man in the glory, one who is truly God and truly man.
01:20:12
I've enjoyed this little thought that Phillip in his little faith who might say he uses the Word, show us the Father. But here in these verses that we have now before us, the Word is much stronger and the Lord says I will manifest. Well that was a lot more full and more complete, wasn't it, than just show us the Father.
He did half my commandments. That carries with it the thought that there's a responsibility.
Now in the new nature.
There's a nature that loves to do what he wants.
We find with the children of Israel, having heard they provoked, that is they they knew it wasn't ignorance they had heard and they provoked. Well, it's a very solemn thing, isn't it, To have the truth and then reject it or refuse to walk in it. That's really the first step of of declension, having heard and then not acting upon the truth that we've heard.
We've heard a great deal of truth in these meetings and I'm sure it should exercise our hearts because it's a responsibility as well, because if we don't, we're not going to be in the enjoyment of that communion that we have set before us in the next verse.
The disciples were no doubt disappointed when the Lord spoke of his going away.
And they were hoping that the Lord would set up the Kingdom and reign on the earth. But if he were going away, this couldn't be.
Well, that isn't what the Lord is bringing before them here, reigning his reigning on the earth, but perhaps it's more it's reigning in their hearts in a moral way.
Their subjection to him and letting Christ fill their hearts.
And reigning over them. They're giving the blessed Lord the throne in their hearts and reigning in their lives in a moral way.
Really up because it takes about 5 minutes to.
That's 18 in the appendix.