November 26th: Thursday, 10:30 A. M.
Hymn 14, L. F. Prayer
EPHESIANS. 2:11-22.
This scripture gives us quite a good part of the vocation wherewith we are called (Eph. 4:11I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, (Ephesians 4:1).). Nearness to God is a part of it; "Ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh," and the means of it is the blood of Christ. Here it is individual; down towards the end of the chapter it is collective. We do not speak of the relationship now, but of the effect in itself; and it is nearness to God in Christ. "Through Him (Christ) we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father" (verse 18). This is new ground, and has changed our relationship entirely, as being in Adam. Now we are in our new creation place, "in Christ." It is a wonderful thing to recognize that we are dead in Christ, and risen in Christ. It is most important for us to know, not only that the blood has cleansed us from our sins, but that it has put us into a new place, entirely. Those who are "in Christ Jesus" cannot get any farther up, nor down. It is not experience, but it is our position before God, in Christ. We are partakers of the new creation; we are His workmanship (Eph. 2:1010For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)).
Rom. 8:11There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1) gives us what there is not for those who are in Christ Jesus, but does not give us what there is; and the first thing God teaches us is to know that those who are in Christ are as far beyond the reach of condemnation, as He is. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." Well, what is there? O, 'there is nearness to God in new creation. Then, Rom. 8:22For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2) adds to that, for there we get the power of the new state, the Holy Spirit dwells in us,—the power of that new life, "For the law of the Spirit of life"—not only the Holy Spirit, but the new life—"the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." It is not only a new position, but it is a new state also. I suppose that is the new life, not the person of the Spirit, as we get farther down. You get the Spirit as life, and then the Spirit later in the chapter means the power of the life.
Q. Why Is the Word "Spirit" Capitalized There?
A. Because it is the Spirit. It is difficult to separate but they can be distinguished, and so down to the 13th verse. After that it is the personal Spirit, distinct from the new life, but to the 13th verse the two go together; the Spirit is the power of that new life.
In John 20:2222And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: (John 20:22), when He breathed into them, and said, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit", the two go together,—the life, and the power. There He was the head of a new creation, and breathed into them that life in new creation, of which the Spirit is the power.
The Holy Spirit dwelling in us also is union with Christ in glory; not only the life now, for John could go that length, giving us oneness of life; but union with \Christ is by the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us, and every one that is sealed by the Spirit is also united to Christ the Head in glory, and thus are members of His body. In the end of Eph. 2, we have the relationship to God as His house, and that is quite a different thing from union with Christ, but that is part of the vocation.
What two wonderful verses are Eph. 2:10,1310For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)
13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13): "We are His workmanship," and what a word that is,—God's workmanship, "created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them," and then, "But now in Christ Jesus ye who once were far off are become nigh by the blood of Christ." That is also part of the vocation.
We can expect to see in believers something like a reflection of Christ Himself,-a reproduction of Christ in us, however small it may be. The more we live in the Spirit, and in the power of the Spirit, the more it is produced in us. Having our eyes on Christ, with Him before our souls, produces it. We can't produce it ourselves. That is being transformed,—changed from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:1818But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18)). It is to have Christ before us. All power, wisdom and grace comes from Christ. He is the Head and Fountain.
The Spirit of God will minister Christ to us, that in our walk and our ways there might be a faint reflection, at any rate, of what He is. The way in which He walked, is the standard for our walk down here. "He that saith he abideth in Him, ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked." That is accomplished by God working in our souls; it is wrought in us by the Spirit of God and the Word of God, and it conies out in our walk and ways. God always begins inside.
In Eph. 2:1919Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; (Ephesians 2:19) we find God has a family, and we are all of the household of God. In the next chapter we have heirship, but that too is only a part of the calling wherewith we are called. I have noticed of late, that we find many of God's people, and we thank God for it, who go as far as "that He might gather into one the children of God which are scattered abroad." That is John's line of things, but when we come to Paul's line, it is Christ, the Center, and the Head of the body, and all linked up with Him, in union, by the Spirit of God; the unity of the body, and the unity of the family are distinct and separate lines of truth, and have their corresponding responsibilities and affections.
Here is brought out that God has a family, and that is the most intimate relationship into which it is possible for God to bring us; but we say, Christ has a body, and we are part of that. We have those two things in this Epistle. The household of God is viewed from another standpoint, and discipline is connected with it, but not with the body of Christ. All this comes in with the vocation wherewith we are called.
Another thing, we are sealed by the Spirit of God; that God now by the Spirit claims our bodies as His temple individually. So "Grieve not the Holy Spirit" comes in this Epistle also, as an important thing for our souls. The Holy Spirit dwells in us. So we have a relationship to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Then there is a certain state of soul much needed in order to respond, to walk worthy of this vocation; and what is that state of soul, heart and mind? "With all lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another." This is what is needful, whether it be our relationship to God as His children, or our relationship to Christ as members of His body; this we would call the "Spirit of Christ." The result of the Spirit of God dwelling in us, is the Spirit of Christ manifested in our walk and ways. You will find the two spoken of in Rom. 8:99But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Romans 8:9). If the Spirit of God does not dwell in us, the Spirit of Christ cannot shine out from us. A man not sealed by the Holy Spirit, would not be of Him. The believer has the Holy Spirit dwelling in him, has the character of Christ, has the Spirit of Christ, coming out.
Q. Would It Be Possible for a Believer to Get Into Such a State That It Could Be Said, He Is Not of Him?
A. No. "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." God is looking at us in the 8th of Romans according to His thought of it. There is no failure here. It is God's treatise on the believer, and his place before Him.
The "little children", the babes of God's family know the "Father". They have the unction from the Holy One, and that will answer 101 questions about who has the Spirit. It is only by the Spirit that we call God our Father.
Our vocation gives us individual and collective responsibilities, an important thing to see; especially as some are saying now, "It is all individual; Christ is outside, and is knocking at the door"—Laodicea. Well, that is true; but suppose Christ knocks at your door and at mine, and we both open the door and let Him in. Does He say, "I will come in and save him"? No, He is not talking to sinners there at all, but to saints, and what He is seeking, is communion; "I will sup with him, and he with Me." Very well, you and I, and two or three others, have opened the door to Him, and here we are in communion. Now, what is uppermost in His heart, and what is the object of His love? It is the Church; and that brings us together according to the truth of the Church, and His headship of it. Rev. 3:2020Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20) is being used really for independency, saying "Henceforth, it is a lone walk with Jesus", as if you were the only one in communion, but can you say you are the only one? No! if we are walking with the Lord, we are brought together around Himself. This is the Spirit's way of gathering (Matt. 18:2020For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20)). It is very important to distinguish between the Kingdom of God, the family of God, and the Church of God. All Christians are in these three positions, but that is no reason why we should have fellowship with all of them. They may be real children of God, belonging to the family; they may be real Citizens of that Kingdom, but they are not all walking in obedience as to their place in the Church of God. (2 Tim. 2:19, 20, 2119Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 20But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. 21If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. (2 Timothy 2:19‑21)).
When the Lord gave the word from heaven, about what we call the Lord's Supper, He gave it to Paul, and not to John. The children of God gather about the table of the Lord, when they partake of the emblems of the Lord in death. They do this, if they do it Scripturally, not in their relationship to God as children, not in their relations to each other of the same family; they do so as members of the body of Christ. Being one bread and one body, we are all partakers of one loaf. He gave this truth through the apostle Paul to whom he revealed the Church, and it is so difficult to get saints to see this, but yet it is stated as plainly as can be.
This is not how we take the Lord's Supper. In the 11th chapter, it is remembrance; in the 10th chapter, it is communion; the ground of our fellowship in the 10th chapter, and it is this you are carrying out in remembrance of the Lord in the 11th. The ground of our communion is that we are washed in the blood of Christ, first; the second thing is, being partakers of that one bread, we are members of that one body, and we could not be partakers of that one body except we were sealed by the Spirit. The sealing of the Spirit always follows redemption, the blood. We must know redemption through His blood. No one has a claim to be at the Lord's Table except they know their sins have been washed away by the blood of Christ and then they should know they are all members of the body of Christ. So, in the 10th chapter you will notice:
"We being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread."
That is the symbol that we now have for taking the Lord's Supper. It is the Lord's Table in the 10th chapter, and the Lord's Supper in the 11th. You have these terms mentioned only once in Scripture; and the Lord's Day is mentioned once (Rev. 1:1010I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, (Revelation 1:10)).
Q. What Is the Difference Between the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the Sealing of the Holy Spirit?
A. In Acts 1:44And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. (Acts 1:4), you have an assembly, "being assembled", but in the 4th verse they are so many units, that are not joined to each other. They have the right kind of life, but they are not yet sealed. Now, in the next verse, "John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." Here is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and it is a corporate, not an individual thing.
"For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body." 1 Cor. 12:12, 1312For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:12‑13).
That was "not many days hence" after what was written in Acts 1:4, 54And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. (Acts 1:4‑5), so what took place included the Gentiles in the 2nd and in the 10th chapters. There also upon the Gentiles was poured out the Spirit, as "at the beginning," linking the two together; so now the corporate baptism of the Spirit has been accomplished. This baptism is not possible of the individual, and the moment a person is sealed by the Holy Spirit, that moment he is made a member of the body of Christ, but it is never said, that he was baptized as an individual.
Q. Did I Understand You to Say That the 10th of Acts Is a Part of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?
A. According to 1 Cor. 12:1313For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:13), yes. It takes Acts 2nd and 10th chapters together to furnish the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the same is spoken of as "at the beginning." One is the completion of the other; the one concerns Jews, and the other, Gentiles.
When Peter is speaking in the 10th chapter, it is of the Jews, rather, but it was given unto "the Gentiles" as well; it does not say, "to Cornelius" as well. They were historically recognizing that Gentiles were now in the one body, as well as the Jews, and the sealing for them is connected with the receiving of the Holy Spirit, but never with the baptism; it was the act of faith; they were sealed when they believed.
Some teach that by prayer they receive the sealing of the Holy Spirit. This is not how the Holy Spirit is given,—by prayer; but by faith. "Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" (Gal. 3:22This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? (Galatians 3:2)),—i. e., faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior; then God seals us. First, the blood was put upon the great toe, the ear, and on the right foot; and then the oil was put on the blood, (Lev. 8:23,2423And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot. 24And he brought Aaron's sons, and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear, and upon the thumbs of their right hands, and upon the great toes of their right feet: and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about. (Leviticus 8:23‑24)). If you have really believed the gospel of your salvation, you are sealed by the Holy Spirit. If you are sealed by the Spirit, you are anointed. When it is sealing it is security; when it is anointing it is power; when it is earnest, it is enjoyment of the possession. The baptism of the Spirit took place once, and that was at Pentecost, but you can't argue with people about it very well; into one Spirit you are all baptized into one body. I don't like to tell people that they personally have not been baptized, but the great thing is to get them to see that they have the Spirit of God, and that links them up with Christ, as one Spirit and one body. There is no such thing as that you are baptized by the Spirit. That is a past thing, but each one now receives that which was accomplished by the Spirit.
A. It was both individual and corporate. None of them had received the Holy Spirit. These were Samaritans, not Gentiles; but Samaritans could not receive the Holy Spirit until once the feud between Jerusalem and themselves was settled. There was only one Spirit, whether in Jerusalem or in Samaria. They could not receive the Holy Spirit until Peter and John had come down from Jerusalem, and prayed for them, and laid hands on them, and then they received the Holy Spirit. Thus there were not two assemblies independent of each other.
The woman of Samaria said to the Lord at the well, "Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place", and that had to be removed before they could receive the Holy Spirit? That had to be settled by them, and that was settled when Peter and John came down from Jerusalem, and prayed for them, and laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. They were all true believers; they were baptized, and everything had been done, but they had not received the Spirit of God. God alone has to do with the sealing, He has to do with the baptism, and all that; not man at all; it is all from God. But God withheld it in this instance, till Peter and John came down from Jerusalem. They were the ones whose laying on of hands gave the Samaritans the Holy Spirit. The Samaritans were thus identified with the assembly at Jerusalem.
We, as children of God, should learn that there are exceptions in Scripture; for instance, the cases of Cornelius and of the Samaritans are exceptions. You could not find Christians now in such a condition as we have in the 8th and 10th chapters of Acts, that is, without the Spirit of God. They already have the Spirit of God. These cases are exceptional, and for a purpose. In the history of the Spirit's acting down here on earth, you will notice the great progress that goes on in the Acts, not only giving us a history of what was done, but just lines of truth touched on in every chapter of what was before; to lead us bye and bye to a full knowledge.
For the first time, in Acts 9:44And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? (Acts 9:4), when from the glory the Lord said to Saul of Tarsus, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?" we learn that we are one with Christ. The Lord did not say, "Why persecutest thou My people?" He said, "Me", though it was His people that Saul was persecuting. In 1 Cor. 12:1212For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12) we read, "so also is Christ." We with Christ are one.
It is beautiful to see how careful the Holy Spirit was to guard that oneness; the foundation was laid on the day of Pentecost. Afterward neither the Gentiles nor the Samaritans, were allowed to begin anything new; no new foundation could be laid. If Christians could see that, what a change it would make! How carelessly things are started today, when there is only one foundation.
If a new assembly was gathered then, it was in fellowship with all the other assemblies at once, and recognized by them all. There were no two names then, but only one, and only one the Scripture gives us, and that is the name of Christ, which includes holiness. Thus they went on in the unity of the Spirit of God, in the Church, the body of Christ, as it was in the beginning, getting back only to the original ground, and holding on to those principles given at the beginning. So they could not recognize independent meetings at all.
What a serious thing it was when some of the brethren established an altar (Josh. 22) across the river from the children of Israel. They needed some excuse; but if they had been in the right place, they would have needed none. It was not their character so much that was wrong, but is was the wrong place. We are apt to judge Christians by their nice character, and say, "They belong to the kingdom of God", and perhaps they are nicer Christians than some others; but they are on the wrong ground. We can go on with them as far as the unity of the Spirit will allow us.
I can go on with a man, and talk to him about the Lord, and enjoy his conversation, until he asks, "What denomination do you belong to?" Then I am stopped, because he has set aside the unity of the Spirit. I was having a happy conversation with a man in the train till he said to me, "I would like to ask you a question. What denomination do you belong to?" I said, "We were getting along fine; why do you need to bring that in?" He said, "I wanted to know." I said, "That looks like You want to start a fight. What denomination does the Bible say I should belong to?" He said "There are no denominations in the Bible!" I asked, "What are you?" He said, "I am a Methodist." "O," I replied, "I thought you were a Christian!" If they leave that behind when they get to glory, they had better leave it behind now.
Q. Had He Broken the Unity of the Spirit?
A. Yes; that broke it. I suppose the truth led him to want more, but then he overstepped the bound.
Q. of What Does the Unity of the Spirit Consist?
A. Well unity in the truth, is must ever be. It could not be otherwise; just as it was there with that illustration I gave you.
Q. I Heard a Definition of the Unity of the Spirit That I Thought Was a Good One: the Unity of the Spirit Is That Oneness Into Which the Spirit of God Leads Us, According to the Truth of God.
A. That is the simplest definition that I know; and we are to endeavor to keep it; it is the Christian's energy; it is his calling.
Q. Now, for Instance, If One Leaves the True Ground of Gathering and Joins That Which Perhaps in His Heart He Knows to Be Wrong; When You Meet That One, You Do Not Feel Free to Have Fellowship With Him?
A. No, for he has set aside the unity of the Spirit. The unity of the body you cannot break, Christ is the Head, and takes care of that; but the unity of the Spirit is what we are responsible to keep, and it is our privilege to do so. I like privilege, because it has always been a sweeter word, to urge us on with love. Privilege does urge us on, and it is our responsibility to keep the unity of the Spirit in love, and it is our privilege to serve the Lord in this way.
Some of God's servants go on with a bad conscience, for the good they think they can do, and are identifying themselves with ecclesiastical evil.
"Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from iniquity."
Eph. 4:22With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; (Ephesians 4:2) shows us the character of Christ in the way in which the unity of the Spirit is maintained "with all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love." I think that is so like the character of Christ Himself. How He walked in that path! He never drove His disciples away; true, He often had to rebuke them; He would say to Peter, "Get thee behind Me, Satan," but His character came out in it all, and you will find Him always nearer to them, day by day. Sometimes we are apt to drive people away by our harsh manner. You do not find this in Christ; you have His faithfulness, but it is always in the character of "lowliness and meekness." In Matt. 11:2929Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (Matthew 11:29), He says, "I am meek, and lowly in heart." If we are humbled before God in that spirit, we will be meek,-"lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love. "
I think sometimes we have an idea of being faithful, and perhaps doing harsh things. Remember, the Lord Jesus would have done it in a different way; so we need to be watchful in that respect; something like an old brother; many years ago had a brother on his heart very much in regard to his wrong doing, and he wanted some one to visit the brother; finally he went himself. Instead of talking of his wrong, he had sweet fellowship with him, and then they got down on their knees. The brother prayed for some one who was getting cold, and the other brother prayed for him too, and when they rose from their knees, the other brother said, "That is very much like my case." That's the way the Lord Jesus wins our hearts; love wins our hearts; and so we find that character of Christ comes out in this verse. The new nature—not the flesh produces this,—the new life coming out in the believer, in the power of the Spirit.
"There is one body," Eph. 4:44There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; (Ephesians 4:4), and this is as true today as was at the beginning of the Church before there was any departure. "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling." This takes in every Christian, every child of God, sealed by the Spirit. Perhaps we know very few of them, but they are there, and when we partake of that one loaf on the table, it always puts us in mind of that one body, for the one loaf brings this thought before us. We do not have merely a piece of bread, nor do we cut it up, for that would only be division; it is one body, and one loaf. The size of the loaf does not matter. It is oneness; it is not size, nor does it say what kind of bread it should be. Some people are troubled as to wether it should be leavened or unleavened bread, but we should not be bothered about the frame; be occupied rather with the picture. The picture is Christ, and the loaf is a remembrance of Christ in death; and the cup is the remembrance of the blood of Christ shed for us, just as He says, "which is shed for many, for the remission of sins." The gospel puts it that way. The cup speaks to us of the blood of Christ, as a memorial. It covers all sins we have committed, and it touches our hearts, to think that Christ's blood was shed for us. What a blessed fact that there is one body, and we are members of the same body. We belong to Christ.
Hymn 327, L. F. Prayer.