◄ Out From The Father ►

I am able to do nothing from Myself. (John 5:30 AMP)

You get to the heart of everything in the case of the Lord Jesus when you recognize that the one question which constituted the testing ground of His life was: "Will this Man act alone, speak alone, choose alone, decide alone, move alone?" And His answer was always, "Not out from Myself!" "The Son can do nothing out from Himself." "The words that I speak unto you I speak not out from Myself." Every kind of appeal was made to Him to persuade Him on the impulse of the moment, or in response to an entreaty that seemed to promise success, or by an argument that appeared to be the truest wisdom, to move, act, speak, do something as out from Himself....

At times the suggestion wouldbe influenced by necessity of circumstances, at times by thepromise of effectiveness in His service, or again byrepresentation of the utter un-wisdom of the line that He wastaking, as when His own brethren, who did not believe in Him,chided Him for delay, saying, "Go up to Jerusalem and showyourself!" To them He said, "I go not yet up to this feast!" Andthen, so quickly after, when His brethren were gone up He went upalso. But He would not go up at the persuasion of popular reason;He would not do this merely because it was the thing whicheverybody else was doing, or because it was urged upon Him that,since everybody was going to the feast, He ought to go too. Thatninety-nine people do a thing is no argument for the hundredth todo it. We are not to be led by the appeals that decide theactions of the many "It is the popular thing! Everybody else isdoing it! It is the recognized thing to do!" No! Does my Fatherwant me to do this thing? That is the question that must everrule our steps. In the case of the Lord Jesus there was all thetime an underworking to get Him to adopt the contrary course, toact without inquiry of His Father, without direct leading fromHis Father; to act in His individual capacity as though He wereHis own Master, as though He had not to make appeal elsewhere. InHim there was none of that which was personal, independent. Weare not speaking merely of such things as are sinfully personal,positively personal, but simply of independent action, actiontaken for the best ends, for a good motive, with quite a properintention. Yes, all this may be done, but apart from the positiveword from the Father. That creates an independent thought,however good may be the motive.