IT is remarkable how we are bid to do as most easy the things which we all find the most difficult — “rejoice always,” and in Hebrew 12, “laying aside every weight.” It is not so easy, but there is a secret — “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Walking in the power of the Spirit, we are above the circumstances: Paul was living with God and did rejoice, and got above things in the power that was working in him and with him. It shows us, while it humbles us, what is the true state of those who are walking in the Spirit; it is attainable to us if we have not got it.
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But it is experience, though this is quite another thing from looking to experience as a ground of salvation, or looking back at it to form my estimate of my standing before God, which brings the soul under law; that would be taking up Christ as a Judge, instead of a Saviour. Many persons, fearful of lowering the standard of holiness, confound these, and mix up the question of holiness with righteousness. We don’t get the power for holiness till we know what righteousness is (i.e., till we see what God is, and that for us).
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Christ’s work and perfect value show me what God has been for me, and not what I have been for Him. He is my Saviour, not my Judge. He has made my home in His Father’s house, though I was a poor prodigal.
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The Holy Ghost makes me know that I am in Christ, and Christ in me; but in coming to this I have nothing to do with experience. I can’t experience Christ being righteousness, I must first believe that. God won’t have anything but simple, absolute faith. On the other hand, the saints ought to look for the experience of God in everything, and be uneasy if He is not there.
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When my righteousness is settled before God, I can enjoy His holiness. “Accepted in the Beloved” is a settled thing, and Divine favor resting on me as it rests on Christ. The moment I make a question of fitness for such a place of blessing, I’m back again to law and making something of myself, and looking for something in myself. Christ in our hands is the only passport into God’s presence. The measure of my acceptance is the value of Christ.
It isn’t simply that I have life, but He that died is become my life, and I have died with Him. God condemned sin in the flesh on the cross. I am crucified with Christ, and am done with the flesh, and never turn back to settle anything about it. It is all done away in God’s sight, and I am passed out of Adam into Christ.
Until that is known, we never get true rest; we can never glorify Christ or know what true affections are, because I must have a child’s love and not a sinner’s fear.
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Suppose I fail, Christ is my righteousness. He is never less than that. He may correct and chasten if need be, because we are His children, but it is all in grace, because He wants our hearts. He says to us, “I want you in the path of faith to walk along with Me. I am not going to take you out of the world, but I would have you walk with Me in it.” We are in the wilderness, where evil snares and temptations abound, and Satan ever seeking to lead our hearts into trouble — pleasure, or care — anything that leads the heart away from God. Our whole associations and relations of life are in heaven, and we are called first to manifest Christ down here — our spirit continually with God, and representing Christ down here, is the true idea of a Christian. Our path has two parts in it — joy up there, but always trial and temptation down here.
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If we were always walking in the power of the Holy Ghost, we should be walking as Christ walked. In this chapter (Phil. 4) the walk is looked at as being in the power of the Spirit above every difficulty. Chapter 2 tells us how He walked, blameless, harmless, without rebuke; we shouldn’t be content if our life isn’t this.
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“Rejoice always.” He would have us always in joy. If a Christian has walked carelessly, if he has even had evil thoughts, he can’t rejoice. It may show us what a patient, gracious Saviour we have got, but that makes us sorry for failure and not rejoicing.
Can you say to one who is not a Christian, “I would to God you were as I am?” Do you wish that others were such as you? — not reasoning and saying, “Yes, I am a Christian and you are not; I wish you were one,” but the joyful outgoing of the heart, “I would to God you were altogether such as, I am, except these bonds.” Paul could say this, because he had real, thorough happiness. He was shut up in prison, but he was shut up with Christ. There is no binding the spirit of the man that has got Christ in him. The world would not know what to do with the man that was all Christ in his life, and gets Christ by his death.
Sorrow always accompanies such joy. Joy in God makes me sorry for those around who know Him not, and love flows out. If I live near to God and Christ dwells in my heart, I am more sensible of the condition of the world and of the evil in it. My place is in Christ — my life, my righteousness, my joy are in Him, and nothing touches that joy. He has gone where it is safe. The effect of this is that my heart is filled with the joy and love of that place, and yet I may be sorrowful if living near to Him, for He was the Man of Sorrows.
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How can I witness for Christ if it is not Christ that comes naturally from me?
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Our armor must be always on, for this is not our resting-place. A false step will make one trip; so we are to have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace — perfect, blessed peace, God’s peace. Christ has made this place good for me. He is the center of it all. He is all and in all to me. Each step should bring thoughts of Him, but, alas! we don’t always think of Him; then weakness and feebleness come in. When we have Christ in us, then our path becomes exercise, but the effect is, that Christ must come out.
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Everything you meet with in the world is one of two things, either a temptation or a test of obedience. You either yield to the temptation, or having your heart exercised about it, meet it in the power of the Spirit, and are victorious in that power.
We are not taken out of trouble and difficulties, but no trouble or difficulty need overcome us. “I can do all things through Christ.” If I have got Christ’s joy in the heavenly place, I have His love down here. With gentleness and meekness I go through this world letting my moderation be known, for the Lord will soon come. It doesn’t matter if things go against me. He will settle all my rights. I need not be careful to maintain them.
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“Be careful for nothing; but with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request, be made known unto God” — not get the certainty that the thing is the Lord’s will and then pray for it, but carry before God everything that is in your heart. You belong to Him. You are His child. Count upon His love and tell Him all. Then thanksgiving will go up with prayer, because I know He will do everything for me. He is certain to answer me, and in a wiser way than I could have thought of.
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He does not say you will keep the peace of God, but it will keep your heart and mind, and it does pass understanding. Things that trouble me don’t trouble Him, so I just carry them to Him and He bears them, and gives me peace by showing me that I have a perfect interest in His heart. He could not say, “Be careful for nothing” if there were not things to be careful about.
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If we have not our hearts in heavenly places we cannot have these exercises here. Christ had a joy in fellowship with the Father, and this He shares with us; nothing can separate us from His love. He was in the Father’s bosom all the time walking through the world meekly, and finding His heart relieved by exercising love. He lost His weariness in the exercise of love towards the poor vile woman at the well.
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The secret of all this is that Christ is all; that is the rest of our hearts. Here we shall have conflict and temptation, but when I turn to God there is no conflict, all is sunshine, all is favor. He is with me, and He is going to take me to Himself.
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May He lead our hearts to know more about Himself now. There may be parts of our hearts not yet subdued. Are there no things that contest Christ’s place in your hearts? It is a different thing from fighting the enemy outside to have left the door open and so let something come in that takes His place. May the Lord give us to rejoice in Him always, and with a single eye know Him to be our all in all. Amen.
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Notes of a lecture by J. N. D. on Philippians 4, given at Kennington, 14th July 1869.