"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
We may have high anticipations in regard to the things of this life, but we shall meet with disappointment. We shall find that they fade away. But here is "an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you." We want our thoughts to be fixed on the things that will abide, not upon those that pass away with the using. If we fix our hopes on the future, immortal world, we shall not be disappointed.
When Christ came into this world, he saw that men had left the future, eternal life out of their reckoning. He came to present that life before us, that by beholding it we might be led to change our relation to the things of this life, that our affections might be placed upon the things above, and not upon the things of the earth, so soon to pass away. The shadow that Satan has caused to intervene between our souls and God, Christ seeks to roll back, that the view of God and eternity may become clear. While he does not despise this world, he places it in its proper position of subordination. And then he places the things of eternity in their relative importance before us, that we may fix the eye of faith upon the unseen. The things of temporal interest have power to engross the thoughts and affections, and it is important that we should be constantly educating and training our minds to dwell upon things of eternal interest. Will this make us unhappy? Will it cause us to have a hard time here?--No, indeed. Receiving the gift of God will make everything in life easy. The more of the Spirit of God, the more of his grace, is brought into our daily experience, the less friction there will be, the more happiness we shall have, and the more we shall impart to others.
We read in the Bible about the resurrection of Christ from the dead; but do we act as though we believed it? Do we believe that Jesus is a living Saviour, that he is not in Joseph's new tomb, with the great stone rolled before it, but that he has risen from the dead, and ascended on high, to lead captivity captive, and to give good gifts unto men? He is there to plead our cases in the courts of heaven. He is there because we need a friend in the heavenly court, one who is to be our advocate and intercessor. Then let us rejoice in this. We have everything for which to praise God. Many judge of their religious state by their emotions; but these are not a safe criterion. Our Christian life does not depend upon our feelings, but upon our having a right hold from above. We must believe the words of God just as he has spoken them; we must take Christ at his word, believe that he came to represent the Father, and that the Father, as is represented in Christ, is our friend, and that he desires not that we should perish, or he would never have given his Son to die our sacrifice. The cross of Calvary is an eternal pledge to every one of us, that God wants us to be happy, not only in the future life, but in this life.
We must bring our minds to rest upon the inheritance that is "incorruptible, and undefiled, reserved in heaven for you who are kept"--by your own merit or works?--No; "who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations." We shall have trials and afflictions; we shall have temptations because we see the working of the enemy and our feebleness to resist him, and we do not constantly look to the Source of our strength. "That the trial of your faith"--that is why temptations come, to try our faith--"that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." The trial of our faith should not cause despair or discouragement. We should not cast ourselves away, saying, "I am a sinner, and when I become good enough, I will come to Christ; then I can believe and pray." You will never be good enough of yourselves to merit the favor and help of God. You must come just as you are. Christ meets you as you draw nigh to him. Place your hand in the hand of Jesus, and he will direct you. Believe that he keeps you, and then it will be found that in the trial of your faith you will come off more than conqueror through him that loved you. We gain the victory through faith in Christ's power to save us. Then the trial of our faith will be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Christ. You will praise God that you have found in Christ a present help in every time of need.
In the books of heaven are registered your profession of faith, your responsibility as Christians. But are you Christians? What is it to be a Christian?--It is to be Christlike. To be a Christian is to act as Christ acts, to have his spirit at all times, in all places, and under all circumstances. When we are brought into adverse circumstances, when our natural feelings are stirred, and we want to give vent to them, then our faith is tried; then we are to manifest the meekness and gentleness of Christ. Not by one word are we to give expression to the feelings of the natural heart. "If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body"--the whole man. What we want is to be under the control of Jesus. We do not want our own way. I have heard some plead as an excuse for their wrong course, "You know that it is my temperament, it is my disposition, transmitted to me from my parents." Yes; and they have cultivated it, and educated themselves in it, and thus excused all their wrong-doing. Instead of yielding to temptation, they should lay hold upon the arm of Infinite Power, saying, "I will come to God just as I am, and plead with Christ to give me the victory. I shall be more than conqueror through him that loved me."
In order to understand how great the love of Jesus is for you, look to Calvary. You can then know something of the depth, the breadth, and the height of that love, and you can see something of the condescension of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, as step by step the Saviour descended into the valley of humiliation. He did not stoop to sin, to defilement, but he stood on this atom of a world to battle with Satan and his host, and here to win for us an immortal inheritance, an inheritance which is incorruptible, and undefiled, and which fadeth not away. When he ascended on high, and led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men, he left the battle in our hands, but we are not to fight in our own strength; we should certainly fail if we attempted it. Christ is there present with the Father, to bring to our help the unseen intelligences, the angels of God. What we need is the simplicity of faith, the meekness and humility of Christ. Then we shall trust wholly in the Lord of heaven, and he will be at our right hand to help us.
When you indulge the feelings of the natural heart, letting the carnal nature have the supremacy, then I ask, What assurance have you that you are kept by the power of God unto salvation? "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." No frost shall blight the crop, no mildew blast it, no palmer-worm destroy it. If we sow to the flesh, we shall of the flesh reap corruption; but if we sow to the Spirit, we shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. Let us live with reference to the reaping time.
The apostle continues, speaking of Christ, "Whom having not seen, we love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." Then why are you mourning? Christ has said: "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love." It is for us to choose whether we will abide in his love, or by indulging selfishness will separate ourselves from him. He says, "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." In him there is joy that is not uncertain and unsatisfying. If the light that flows from Jesus has come to you, and you are reflecting it upon others, you show that you have joy that is pure, elevating, and ennobling.
Why should not the religion of Christ be represented as it really is, as full of attractiveness and power? Why should we not present before the world the loveliness of Christ? Why do we not show that we have a living Saviour, one who can walk with us in the darkness as well as in the light, and that we can trust in him? While we have been on this ground, we have seen clouds interpose between us and the sun, but we did not mourn and clothe ourselves in sackcloth for fear that we should never see the sun again. We manifested no anxiety about it, but waited as cheerfully as possible until the cloud passed away and revealed the sun. Just so in our trials and temptations. Clouds may seem to shut from us the bright beams of the sun of righteousness; but we know that the face of our Redeemer is not forever hidden. He is looking upon us with love and tender compassion. Let us not cast away our confidence, which hath great recompense of reward, but when clouds hang over the soul, let us keep our eyes fixed where we can see the sun of righteousness, and rejoice that we have a living Saviour. Think how beautiful was the light which we enjoyed, keep the mind stayed on Jesus, and the light will again shine upon us, and dismal thoughts will flee. We shall have joy in Christ, and shall go singing on our way to Mount Zion. This is what the Lord wants us to do.
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul says, speaking of the gospel, "Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." Why not keep your minds fixed on the unsearchable riches of Christ, that you may present to others the gems of truth? In the word of God there are rich mines of truth that we may spend our whole lifetime in exploring, and yet we shall find that we have only begun to view their precious stores. Sink the shaft deep, and bring up the hidden treasures. But it is impossible to do this while we indulge an idle, restless spirit, seeking constantly for something that will merely gratify the senses, something to amuse, and cause a foolish laugh. Well has the wise man said, "As the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool." We should not set our minds upon such things as these, when there are unsearchable riches for us. It will take us all eternity to comprehend the riches of the glory of God and of Jesus Christ. But minds that are occupied with frivolous reading, with exciting stories, or with seeking after amusement, do not dwell upon Christ, and cannot rejoice in the fullness of his love. The mind that finds pleasure in foolish thoughts and trifling conversation, is as destitute of the joy of Christ as were the hills of Gilboa of dew or rain. Does not your own experience testify to this? How much peace of mind do you have at the close of a day spent in frivolity, in light and trifling conversation? Can you retire to rest at night, saying, "It is well, it is well with my soul; my life is hid with Christ in God, and when He who is my life shall appear, then shall I also appear with him in glory"? How often when you come into the house of God, into the solemn assembly, your thoughts are turned to that foolish remark which some one has made, to that idle story, or that comical thing which you read or saw. And the thought will come at just such a time as to eclipse a bright ray of the glory of Christ, and you lose the benefit of the heaven-sent light which you ought to receive. Keep the mind free from all such trash.
We need to be constantly filling the mind with Christ, and emptying it of selfishness and sin. When Christ came into the world, the leaders of the Jews were so permeated with Phariseeism that they could not receive his teachings. Jesus compared them to the shriveled wine skins which were not fit to receive the new wine from the vintage. He had to find new bottles into which to put the new wine of his kingdom. This was why he turned away from the Pharisees, and chose the lowly fishermen of Galilee. Jesus was the greatest teacher the world ever knew, and he chose men whom he could educate, and who would take the words from his lips, and send them down along the line to our time. So, by his Spirit and his word, he would educate you for his work. Just as surely as you empty your mind of vanity and frivolity, the vacuum will be supplied with that which God is waiting to give you,--his Holy Spirit. Then out of the good treasure of the heart you will bring forth good things, rich gems of thought, and others will catch the words and will begin to glorify God. Then you will not have the mind centered upon self. You will not be making a show of self; you will not be acting self; but your thoughts and affections will dwell upon Christ, and you will reflect upon others that which has shone upon you from the sun of righteousness.
Christ has said: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink." Have you exhausted the fountain?--No; for it is inexhaustible. Just as soon as you feel your need, you may drink, and drink again. The fountain is always full. And when you have once drank of that fountain, you will not be seeking to quench your thirst from the broken cisterns of this world; you will not be studying how you can find the most pleasure, amusement, fun, and frolic. No; because you have been drinking from the stream which makes glad the city of God. Then your joy will be full; for Christ will be in you, the hope of glory.
Let us read further from Ephesians: "And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be made known to the church the manifold wisdom of God." Then why not receive the heavenly wisdom, and impart of it to others? God has declared what your wisdom is; he says it is foolishness, and that the weak things of God are stronger than men. We need the "manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord; in whom we have boldness by the faith of him." This boldness is not presumption, but we come with confidence, as the children of God; as branches of the True Vine, we draw nourishment from it.
"Wherefore I desire that you faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end."
When Christ dwells in your heart by faith, this rich experience will be yours. Then you will know that love is flowing into your hearts, and subduing every affection and every thought, and bringing them into captivity to Christ. You cannot explain it; human language can never explain how the love of Christ can take possession of the soul, and lead captive every power of the mind. But you will know it by a personal experience.
"Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus." Praise and flattery of one another is forbidden in the Scriptures. It is an offense to God, and is an injury both to him who gives and him who receives praise. It is a snare to them; for it separates the soul from God. We must learn to place God's estimate upon men. Certain ones, you say, do not please you, and you do not enjoy their society; but these very ones may be nearer to God than you are. When we come to the judgment, we shall find that there are some whom we have esteemed very highly, whose names are not registered in the book of life. Your finite judgment approved their actions, when God did not approve them. And others, of whom you have a very low estimate, may be found to be precious jewels in the sight of God. Jesus never makes a mistake, as men do. In the scale of heaven, character is weighed. Let every tribute of praise that flows from the heart be offered to the Lord God of hosts. Praise him that he has given Jesus to be our righteousness, that he is weaving for us a garment in the loom of heaven, that we may be clothed, not unclothed, but clothed upon with the righteousness of Christ.
There is no need for us to hunger; there is no need for us to thirst, while the store-house of heaven is open for us, and the key is given into our possession. What is the key?--Faith, which is the gift of God. Unlock the store-house; take of its rich treasures. May God help us to lay hold upon the eternal realities, and "when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory."