Part 2
In the first chapter of 1 Thessalonians it was a difficult night they were passing through. Ay, but, says Paul, when you get out of the wood, then you will see it all.
In the second chapter, he takes up the difficulties through which he had to pass, and while he looks at them, he does not see any of them apart from the Lord Himself.
He says, I have suffered torture in trying to get to you, and you have suffered dreadful things in my absence from you, but when we are once at home in the glory, there will be no difficulty in my getting at you then! All these difficulties, which have been permitted to keep me away from you, will be no more, and in that day you will be my glory and joy—the Lord’s too. This is a truth, and a blessed truth; but we shall have it with Him. Not one portion of the glory or the grace, but will have flowed through Him; and I shall say, O! I know the one who has done it all, the effectuator of all this glory. One labor in one direction, and another in another; but, whatever the results, all that is really subordinate. It is Jehovah’s fellow who has done it. He is the worker of it all. And what a joy it will be to Him to see the little circles around each laborer. Here, in one corner, Paul, surrounded with his dear Thessalonians, his joy and crown; and there, in another, some other laborer, with his around him; and in them Christ will see all that His own grace had wrought.
I do not believe we think enough of that communion in the glory which will be the counterpart of our communion here in the wilderness. All the details and difficulties of the wilderness journey will have their blessed counterpart in the glory. Our crown of rejoicing is Christ. Ay, but, says Paul, are not even you this to me? In the day when all these difficulties will be done away, my glory and joy will be what God has wrought in you by me!
What a heart has Christ! No heart so unselfish as His! He loves to give away all He can give away. He might have converted every one Himself, just as He called Saul of Tarsus from the glory, but He would not. He loves to work by others.
And is there no work to do? Are there no eyes to be wiped? Are there no broken hearts to be bound up among the saints? Is there nothing of this sort to be done among His people? Well, then, go in for it! Bring out this patience of Christ, for in that day that will be a blessed counterpart of all labor among the saints.
In the next chapter he brings out another thing. The Lord is here bringing all His people out from heaven with Him.
“To the end He may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.”
“With all His saints.”
It is what we call the Epiphany—the manifestation of Christ. It is after 2 Corinthians 4,—after the bema of Christ. We have met Him, gone with Him to the Father’s house, and now He brings us out again. He comes forth with all His saints.
I do not suppose that the apostle could have let out his heart more simply than he does in these words. Christ has His retired place to take the church into—the Father’s house; but divine love will bring us forth with Him in manifested glory; and the desire of the Apostle is that there may not be a single thing in us now that may in any way mar the time when He will bring us out with Himself. Is there nothing peculiar in the expression,
“He shall come to be admired in all them that believe”?
He will be admired in His saints! Is there, then, no separation—no separation between Christ and His saints? None! There is none as to His blood shedding. He gave His life a ransom for them, and there will be none in His place in heaven. When He goes into His Father’s house, He comes to seek His people first. No separation between Him and the church. He comes with all His saints! O, what a heart Christ has!
And what a mind God has! He has chosen one around whom He can safely wind all His plans. If you want to wind anything round a thing, you must consider the weight of what you want to wind, before you can decide whether you may safely do it. You would not wind a coil of rope round a feeble twig. And thus God could not, so to say, have any center but His Son. All His saints are wound round Him, and He will bring them out with Him in the glory.
And what if I am suffering down here? Surely there is power in this part of the hope to encourage the heart now. What if I am borne down now by difficulties? I shall come forth with Him, and shall be displayed as the one who is with Him, to teach the world to rejoice, and who will keep evil in check. I shall come forth with Him.
Now, in chapter 4, there are some things that are very remarkable brought up in connection with His coming.
The first thing is covetousness, or, as he calls it here, “the lust of concupiscence.” It is the heart that is not satisfied with God and His portion—that is snatching at things round about it down here. It is just the power of the wicked spirit upon the heart that is separated to Christ, and that yet tries to satisfy itself with things down here; and that finds, like the young man in the parable, who tried to feed as the swine did, that he cannot satisfy himself in any way with the husks. He will only just find himself in the pitiable plight of trying what swine’s food will do for him. He will find the husks are only fit for a swine’s belly, and are no food for his.
And then he introduces mourning. What will be a satisfying portion? I have none down here. I have to wait, not only for happy association, but for the Person whose innate power will show itself forth in the midst of the difficulties in which He will find His church when He comes. Paul says to them, God will bring with Him those very friends and relations of yours, you Thessalonians, who you think have lost their chance of being with Him in the glory. And these words tell upon every heart since, that is in like circumstances.
I have this thought, beloved friends, and I think it rather deepens upon me. It is, that that which shines forth from Christ is what gives the power of looking upward.
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thess. 4:13-1813But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13‑18)).
(To be continued)