◄ ►

Christ in Heaven and Christ Within

Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27)

We feel the importance of saying a word with regard to Christ in heaven and Christ within the believer, that is, what is objective and what is subjective. It is tremendously important that we should keep a proper balance of truth. A very great deal of our trouble is because of there being an unbalanced emphasis upon some aspect of truth. It is good to know the truth, and it is good to rejoice in it, but it is just possible that even truth may get us into trouble. There are many perils lying in the direction of truth, even spiritual truth; and there are not a few of the Lord's people who have fallen into those perils. It is not that they suffer from want of light, but they are suffering very much because they have not got their light properly adjusted and balanced. Thus it becomes very necessary for us to get things in their right perspective and proportion. Preponderance on any one side will always lead to spiritual injury, and very often to disaster. The history of many instrumentalities which have been raised up and used by the Lord is eventually the sad story of a loss of power and effectiveness because of striking an unbalanced emphasis, of putting some side of truth in a place out of proportion to that which is complementary to it....

If we over-emphasize the subjective we take something from the glory of Christ. If we over-emphasize the objective we take something from God's purpose. It is a matter of the work of God in Christ, and the purpose of God in Christ: and these two things must both have their place. May the Lord give us understanding, so that we come into a place of rest and are delivered from the perils which lurk in the vicinity of every Divine blessing.

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.

In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul. § While I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering.

Do not hide Your face from me; do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. § But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to help Me!

Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. § [He] delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us. § Shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.

Isa. 59:1;  Ps. 138:3;  Dan. 9:21;  Ps. 27:9;  Ps. 22:19;  Jer. 32:17;  2 Cor. 1:10;  Luke 18:7,8

I have glorified You on the earth.

My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. § I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.

“Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them. § This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it… Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?

Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. § You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased. § All bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.

You are worthy… for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.

John 17:4;  John 4:34;  John 9:4;  Luke 2:49,50;  John 11:4,40;  Luke 2:52;  Luke 3:22;  Luke 4:22;  Rev. 5:9,10

Fixed Position

And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Luke 9:23)

True spiritual experience will result from our standing immovable in our position "in Christ." All too often believers allow certain "experiences" to move them from the faith-ground of their objective position, and they are soon adrift on the sea of subjective feelings and unscriptural influences.

"The Christian life is essentially a continuous dying, and a continuous living. Of course, there may come a particular crisis in experience where the Spirit of God brings the soul face to face with a definite issue as to a willingness for the Cross, and a yielding of the life to God. Yes, the first revelation of the secret of victory also may constitute a real crisis in the life of the believer, but that crisis or experience can never, in itself, avail for the future.

"There is a subtle danger in relying upon some isolated experience of sanctification,' so-called. The victorious Christian life is a Person, not an experience. Following the crisis, whatever phase or landmark in the life that may represent, there must be the daily reckoning, the moment-by-moment abiding and the control of the Holy Spirit. Whatever may have been our experience of holiness, and the measure of spiritual attainment in the past, we can never get beyond the need of abiding in Christ and the continuous reckoning of faith." -R.W.

"For we, alive though we are, are continually surrendering ourselves to death for the sake of Jesus" (2 Cor. 4:11, Wey.).

Which Law? - Growing In Grace (26)

This Light Affliction