1 John 5
Life has two distinct actions in its path down here; one is victory over the world, and the other the realization of the soul's confidence in God; and if we are defective in either of these, there must be an unevenness about our manners and ways, which plainly indicates constitutional derangement.
The eternal life necessarily asserts its own qualities. It is from the Father, made known and given to us in the Son, and against all that is of the world, for " if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him;" and still further, it can only find rest and solution for the Being whom it owns, by conferring with the Father about everything down here. " And this is the confidence we have in Him," &c., &c. Overcoming the world is the first victory of life. " Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." " Little children" know the Father, but " young men" overcome the wicked one, in whose power the world lieth, and as soon as ever life is in energy, it declares itself by contending against the order and notions of things which are antagonistic to its own origin and tastes.
But though this is the first victory of life, it is not the only one, though from want of intelligence it often appears to be one's only aim and success; but if we stop short here, we shall not know simple gladness and rest of spirit, for though truly the energy of life, it does not comprise its rest and satisfaction, which can only be assured by confidence in God-by knowing Him, and we can only know Him intimately in relation to ourselves according as " we know that he heareth us." The Lord (John,. xvi. 33) no sooner said, " I have overcome the world," than He lifted up His eyes to heaven and says, "Father." The full action of life not only overcomes the opposing forces here, but reaches up to the Father, who is its proper source and region. It first leads to victory through faith in the Son of God who has overcome, and then finds its home and rest in God, learning His mind and His love respecting every interest pertaining to the human vessel down here.
Now anything which is easily seen, and its results palpably felt, we naturally estimate as paramount to that which has little or no external evidence. Victory over the world is seen and recognized at once, and he who is in the power of it is conscious of the power by which he overcomes: he is acknowledged by his fellows, and is pleased himself with the strength he is gifted with; and this may be without any assumption or self-sufficiency. A " young man" illustrates one in whom is the energy of life. He is commended for his energy and enjoys it, not that he can feel himself (if conscientious) entirely victorious; but be feels in that condition which is properly an overcoming one, and the more he does, the more he desires to progress therein, and so far he is right: but the tendency and danger is that his mind and spirit may become so engaged with this primary action of life that he may overlook the full range of it, even that which leads him into confidence and knowledge of God as He would be known privately and peculiarly to himself. The love of doing or seeing oneself the agent may betray itself in the spiritual as well as the natural man; but when it does, the life is checked and hindered, and the very point so coveted is for the time-being forfeited; for however the energy of that life may declare itself in overcoming the world, the rest and support known in communion with God Himself, who is the source of life and victory, are needed not only for guidance, but for the soul's onward progress. Samson may- slay a thousand men with the jaw bone of an ass, but will that sustain him personally? No; he would have sunk from exhaustion if God had not attended to and relieved him, and thus cemented the personal link between. Samson's soul and Himself.
But if victory, real victory, is insufficient without the heart conferring with God in confidence, we may with equal truth say, that mere prayer will not do without the energy of warfare. Life must be unfettered and embrace the full range of its activities; for it is hindered if either action engages to the exclusion of the other. Joshua lying on the ground crying to God, (Josh. 6,) when he ought to have searched for evil and overcome it, illustrates to us how we may spend our time in prayer and seeking the Lord, when we ought first to have overcome the wicked one in his devices in our immediate circumstances. Check life on one side, and you cannot promote it on the other. It declares itself in victory over the world, but it is invigorated and directed in conference with God. The more we confide in God, the more we SHALL confide. The more we overcome the world, the more shall we enjoy the refreshments of His presence; and like Abram), the blessing of Melchizedec after our victory will so enrich us that the offers of the King of Sodom will have no attraction for us. If I am much with God, I become gentle, considerate, and serene; whereas when I am more occupied with mere strength, I am severe and impatient, like Jonah; I want to see my work prosper, and my sayings fulfilled, regardless of the sympathies of God. The man who knows God's mind from conference with Himself, can alone use the strength with which he is gifted skilfully and surely. Gift is often misapplied, and, in the present state of the Church, nothing is more apparent than a lack of apprehension of God's mind as to the nature and use of the gift possessed.
Let us now examine a little how we may cultivate and realize this action of life in our souls. By faith in the Son of God we overcome the world; and as we do, we have the consciousness of strength and the exultation of victory; but unless we know the mind of God, and His intention for us in our circumstances down here, we are conquering without the sense of peace or nearness to God; hence the Lord says, not only " Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world," but, " In ME ye shall have peace."
We want to be not only eager for overcoming what is against us, but also to walk in the holy, solemn, happy sense that " God is for us;" and that He is working everything for us after the counsel of His own will. As a babe in Christ I know the Father. Faith in the Son leads me to victory; and then successfully combating the world which is against Him, resting in the Son, I not only feel myself gaining by dependence, but also that I have learned to have confidence in Him. I know that if I ask anything according to His will He heareth me. I could not expect Him to do aught for me contrary to His will: but if I seek anything from Him according to His will, who has manifested His love by sending His Son to take away my sins, He will hear me. " He who spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us, will he not with him freely give us all things T' There can be no doubt that if He gave the greatest He would give the lesser, and, therefore, here is my rest; I know that if I ask anything according to His will, He heareth me. I feel and sec the world, and everything in it, against Him; I feel and know that faith in Him whom He has sent, bears me above it; and, as above it, I am seeking nothing but what is of the nature and sentiments of Him by whom I am overcoming; even the spiritual blessing wherewith I am blessed in Christ Jesus -skill and ability to maintain a victorious path through this evil world: in a word, the assured sense of holding the path of life. If I am careless or indifferent about the certainty of the Father hearing me, I may make great pretensions of serving God, (like David bringing up the ark in a cart,) but in the end there will be confusion; there is the sounding brass and the tinkling cymbals, but none of that happy self-possession and dignified action which flow from a soul able, in some little measure, to express the assurance-" I know that thou hearest me always." No one who knows the love of God by learning " Him who is from the beginning," after overcoming the wicked one through faith in Him, in a word, who is advancing to be a " father," but must feel that the one great point in all his references to God is, " Does He hear me 7" I know that I have learned this much-" If I ask anything according to his will he heareth me." And now, if I know that He hears me, I have the petitions that I desired of Hint. The idea here is not importunity, as in Luke 11, though it be quite true that importunity is required of God in order to establish our faith in Him alone. If I have any other resource, I should not persist in asking even one who could help me, if I saw there was no indication of it but if I have no other resource, then the more urgent my wants, the more shall I persist in preferring my suit. But that is not the point here. It is rather that I have confidence-that if I ask according to His will He heareth me; and the point for me to determine, and to seek, and to be unsatisfied if not known, is whether He has heard me or not; to pause and wait till I have the sense of being heard.
Oh! if we walked even occasionally in this happy conference-in this blessed sense of His hearing us, and of receiving the petitions we desired of Him-how calmly, how solemnly, should we move on! Victorious indeed down here, as " young men" in the fresh energy of life, but also as knowing Him " that is from the beginning." Waiting always on God, knowing that he is attentive to all our desires if according to His will, and therefore unsatisfied unless we knew that He had heard us. " Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; and at thy right hand pleasures for evermore."