The failure of man, of the church even, does not touch the source of divine grace. From Adam downwards everything that was placed in the hands of man has failed; but the very evil and failure has only been made an opportunity by God for showing more and richer grace. Also times of declension and unfaithfulness in the body give occasion for brighter manifestations of faithfulness in individuals, who might under such circumstances enjoy closer and more blessed communion with God Himself.
The Lord in these chapters turns His eye to that which should have been the place of righteousness; “but behold iniquity was there.” Therefore it was necessary that judgment should begin at the house of God, and this at first in the way of testimony, for He ever warns before He executes judgment, and in judgment remembers mercy. We see that the Lord took notice of every circumstance, of every shade of conduct, in these churches. His love is not a careless love, indifferent about the ways and daily steps of His people, because He has secured their blessing at the end. Rather like a parent that could not be satisfied with knowing that his child must eventually inherit his property, He anxiously trains him up, watching every development of his mind and faculties, ordering all things in his education so as best to fit him for his future destination. There is great comfort in seeing that this is the spring of God's dealing with us; at the same time it should act strongly on our consciences to see how closely the Lord must watch over us, not passing over anything in us, but judging and disciplining us in all our ways and states.
We have to remember that the church, and indeed every individual, is set in the place of direct conflict with Satan, the more so from the high standing and privileges given to us in Christ. We know that Satan will be fully dethroned by-and-by, when God will establish His own kingdom and glory; and even now, in order to realize our blessing in the heavenly places, it is necessary he should be practically dethroned from our hearts through the power of the Holy Ghost; for although it is quite certain that he shall be bruised under our feet shortly, yet that certainty of Christ's final victory over him dues not lessen his activity meantime, which is so great as to make constant watchfulness necessary on our part. Without this watchfulness we shall constantly be giving him a handle; for the flesh, by means of which he works, is still present with us. Perhaps we have often been surprised at grievous falls in ourselves or others; but if we fail to watch in little things, such will be the result. Habitual watchfulness in little things is the secret of not falling.
It has ever been in times of general failure that the promises of God have been most graciously brought out, and that His faithful ones have had increased communion, being thrown more entirely upon Himself. If we are ourselves in trial and exercise of soul, we may look for increased revelation of His love to our hearts; and this, not only in giving us clearer and firmer apprehension of the promises of God, but also a fuller knowledge of all that is in Christ, as suitable to be drawn out by our need. He that is faithful may always count upon this, and expect to find in trial deeper manifestations of grace. This principle is clearly seen in the epistles to the churches, both by the promises given to them, and the different characters in which the Lord presents Himself to them according to their circumstances of need. We saw the last time how the church in Ephesus began to fail also. Instead of being spoken to, as in Paul's Epistle, of the high and holy things connected with the church at large, instead of being addressed as occupying the place of witness and testimony to others, their eyes had to be turned inward to their own state: a plain proof how much they had declined. But the Lord was still there, and brings out to the eye of faith “the tree of life.” They had fallen from their first love, but He sets paradise before them, where there will be no declension.
In the case of the church of Smyrna, they had begun the downward course, but the Lord had arrested it by tribulation most graciously, for we go wonderfully quick down hill unless a strong hand stops us. They were in trial and poverty and persecution, and upon this, how does He reveal Himself to them? “I am the First and the Last;” One whom nothing can touch—no clouds, nor storms, affect; like the sun, bright before the storm, and bright after it; above and beyond it all! Yes, it might be said, this is true of Him, but the storm rolls over us and threatens to overwhelm us. But He reveals Himself not only as the First and the Last, the One therefore on whom we may lean for eternal strength, but also as “He which was dead and is alive,” as One who had gone through it all, One who had entered into all the weakness and undergone all the trials, even unto death, and yet is alive. There was nothing He had not gone through; for death is the last effort of Satan's power; it ends there for the sinner as well as the saint. Satan has no power in hell—those who die in their sins come under God's judgment there. Satan may have pre-eminence in misery there, but no power. His reigning there is some poet's dream; it is in this world he reigns, by means of the vanity, pride, evil passions, and idleness of men; he is the ruler of the darkness of this world, not of the next.
But whatever may be the extent of power which he exercises against the children of God, we can be in no trial which Jesus has not been through, and met the power of Satan in it, and yet is alive. And now He lives for evermore, not only to sustain you while passing through the storm but to feel for you and sympathize with you, as having experienced more than all the heaviness of the circumstances you are in, and able to pity you with the utmost tenderness. He came into the very center of our misery; but the weakness of God is stronger than man, and though Christ was dead, yet is He alive. (Ver. 9.) “I know thy works.” The Lord recognizes what He can in us. We may say our works are not what we could desire, and it is very true they are not; but the Lord knows them, and though it is right and useful to judge ourselves, so as to detect the evil and correct it, yet it is very unworthy to be always occupied in considering our works. The answer to all our thoughts and estimations of ourselves is, “I know thy works:” your business is to know Me. He presents Himself as our object, not our own works. “And thy poverty.” Certainly riches never entered into the church of God without producing more trial and difficulty. You may see rich men giving their riches to relieve the poverty of others, and this is very blessed; but wherever the character of riches continues, it enfeebles the energies of the church of God.
Take notice too that Caleb and Joshua had to go round the wilderness with the rest, though not sharers with their unbelief.
We see in Pergamos that we have to separate ourselves from the evil around, though we may not be separated from its results. We may find ourselves in feebleness and weakness, as this church did; but our comfort, like theirs, is that the Lord says, “I know thy works, and where thou dwellest.” God, in His grace, takes full knowledge of all that concerns us—not only of our conduct, but of the circumstances we are in—and this even when He has somewhat against us. There is great comfort in knowing this; for we may be placed, by providential circumstances or by means over which we have no control, in a place where Christian conduct is very difficult, and which it might not be right for us to leave, as, for instance, a converted child in an ungodly family; and the Lord will not only judge His child's conduct there, but He will take notice of every little circumstance which makes it trying. He just as well knew all the power of Pharaoh, and the details of his tyranny, as the cries and groans of the Israelites; and it may not always be His will to take us out of the trying circumstances. He may choose to have us glorify Him in them, and learn what perhaps we could not learn elsewhere. There may not always be opportunity for great works in the Lord's service; but He takes notice if we do but hold fast His name, and of the circumstances which may make even that measure of faithfulness difficult.
But the Lord not only threatens to fight against them. with the sword of His mouth, but encourages them with the promises suited to counteract their temptations. They were tempted to eat of things sacrificed to idols; but He promises to those that overcome, that He would give them to eat of the hidden manna. If they had grace to separate from the open evil around them, He would reward them with the unseen blessings of the heavenly places. They were tempted to deny His name and faith; but He promises those who should overcome this temptation to give them a white stone, and in the stone a new name written,” which no man knoweth, save he that receiveth it.” To keep them from slipping back into the world, to strengthen them in incurring, as they must, in separation from it, the disapprobation of so many, He promises them inward blessings to cheer their hearts. The white stone seems to mark His individual approbation; the new name, peculiar intercourse between Christ and the individual, different from that which all share alike—different from the public joy.
All the saints together will enter the joy of their Lord, and with one heart and one voice sound His praise. There will also be joy in seeing the fruit of our labor, as it is written, “What is Our joy and crown of rejoicing? are not ye in the presence of our Lord?” &c.; and in seeing the company of the redeemed, all according to Christ, in holiness and glory.
But, besides this public joy, there will be the private individual recognition and approval, the white stone and the new name. Christ speaks elsewhere of His own new name as Head of the new creation. There are old names belonging to the Lord Jesus, but His new name is connected with that into which His Father brings Him when all things which have failed in the hands of man will be established and developed in Him; and, having thus Himself a new name, he gives us also a promise of a new name. We are not only to know Jesus, and be known of Him, according to present circumstances, but to have a special knowledge of Him in glory according to the glory. Our souls must value His personal approval, as well as think of the public approval; the latter will be great, blessedness, but there is nothing in it that will stamp peculiar love in the individual. Glory will be common to all, but glory is not affection. The new name is the proof of Christ's value for one who has acted on the knowledge of His mind, overcoming through communion with Him. This will be met by special individual approbation.
There is the public joy and approval in various ways, the manifestation of our being loved of the Father as He loved Jesus; but there is also the special private joy of love for those who have to act in circumstances of trial and danger. When the common course of the church is not straight, nor in the full energy of the Holy Ghost, then we find the Lord applying Himself more to the walk of individuals than to that of the church as a body. “To him that overcometh.” There is peculiar value in this. First, it takes us out of the danger which especially belongs to such a state of things, of every one walking according to his own will, and tracing out a path for himself, because of the unfaithfulness and disobedient walk of the professing body. What faith has to do in such circumstances is to lay bold intelligently of the Lord's mind and walk according to it, strengthened by the promises which He has attached to such a path as He can own.
This at once refers the heart and conscience to Jesus, and breaks down human will, whilst full of encouragement to the most feeble saint. And it is very precious to have thus the guidance of the Lord, and the promise of His peculiar approbation, when we are thrown much on individual responsibility, as must be the case when the professing church has become mingled with the world. For then individuals who seek to be faithful must often have to walk alone, and endure the charge of folly and self-will, even from their brethren, for refusing to follow the beaten path. The natural tendency, indeed, will be self-will; and the only safety will be to bring the soul under the sense of direct responsibility to the Lord, by means of such warnings and promises as these, which both guide and supply strength to stand free from all around, whilst the consciousness that Christ marks and owns our ways will sanctify as well as encourage our hearts. For it must be joy to any one who loves the Lord to think of having His peculiar approbation and love—to think that He has approved of our conduct in such and such circumstances, though none may know of His approval but ourselves. But, beloved friends, are we content with the approbation which Christ only knows? or are we not too desirous of men's commendation for our actions, or at least that they should give us credit for our motives? Are we content, as long as good is done, that none should know but Christ even our motives? Are we content, even in the church, to by thought nothing of—to seek nothing but the white stone, and the new name which no man knows, save he who receives it?
How terrible must the evil and selfishness of that heart be which is not satisfied with the Lord's special favor, but seeks honor from man instead! I would ask you, which would be most precious to you—His public owning of you as a good and faithful servant, or the private individual owning of His love? We shall have both, if faithful; but the heart that is specially attached to Christ will prefer the latter, and there is nothing that will carry us so straight on in our course as the anticipation of this. I would therefore have you to rest especially on this promise. Whatever glorifies Christ is what we have to do with. We are to be as much separate from and above the world as Christ is—as He says, “My ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts.” So should ours as united to Him. All our conduct should be ruled by this: we are united to One who is made higher than the heavens, we therefore are so too. Most sublime truth! but most practical too—where it is realized, it must tell in every detail of life. How could one made higher than the heavens be seeking earthly things, riches, &c.! As some one has said, “If an angel were to come down here, he would be as willing to sweep the streets as to be a king.” Much more, then, one who has this personal intimate consciousness of union with Christ. The more of a servant the happier he is, because it would be more like his Master. But in seeking to be like Jesus, we must remember that there is much difficulty: we have Satan always to resist us, we have to overcome in various circumstances and trials—not only to contend with, but to overcome; so that it is not all joy, though we are set in so blessed a place.
To keep the flesh mortified is the great thing in these practical difficulties, and nothing will do this but living communion with the Lord. We must be watching its first strivings, or, before we are aware, the flesh will be giving a handle to Satan. If we are holding fast (as the faithful ones in Thyatira were commanded) that which we have in the Lord, then Satan will lose his power over us, and then all is joy—even suffering for the sake of Jesus will be joy. But if there be not the every-day commonplace diligence to break the power of the every-day commonplace difficulties, we shall have to contend with the flesh instead of Satan, with whom our conflict ought to be; while it will also give him power to come in, and then we are not ready to meet him, but have to get the armor in order ore we have to begin to fight. I pray you, beloved friends, to attend to this, for if we fail in this daily judging and keeping down the flesh, we lose the power of overcoming Satan, and at least only stand our ground, and prevent his gaining advantage over us, instead of gaining ground on him. We are unfaithful to Christ when it is so, for we have the victory in Him, and we owe it to Him to gain ground upon the world; where Satan reigns, to stand in such a position as to be able to go forward and win souls from Satan, instead of only standing on the defensive.
I ask you, in the name of the Lord's love to you and because of the privileges that belong to you, to judge yourselves, to look if the flesh be so judged in you, that you are ready for the battle; or whether Satan would find the flesh so alive in you, that it would be a handle he could use against you.
But while thus judging yourselves, remember that your souls, in the midst of whatever failure and humiliation, are to rest on the joy of His perfect righteousness, though to have overcome will add to our joy on the day of His appearing, and bring more glory to Him now. The Lord give us to find Him in all circumstances to be just what we need, and so enable us to walk in the Spirit as to discern all the grace and suitability which are in Him for our every necessity, and to understand and feel in our own souls the fitness and power of His promises.