Menu•SiteMap | Ministry

THE  TRUTH  AS  A  WHOLE
"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:
for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear,
that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come", John 16: 13.

J. B. Stoney, 1814-97

This verse might be more correctly read,

What I propose to present to you as well as I am able, is what really the truth is. Because here the Spirit of God, not the church, guides into it; and one of the failures of Christendom is the boast that the church expounds the truth.

The first scripture I will turn to as expressing what the truth is, and which will convey it to you in a very small compass, is Colossians 1: 23-25,

I look for an admission of the truth; not that I expect every one of the company to be intelligent as to the truth.

I would not judge a company of saints by one or two; I must take the whole. I do not judge a country by a village. I look at the whole. And you may be sure that the Lord looks at the whole.

Next – if the gospel has not made me fit for Christ, and to be united to Christ, then what does? Surely union does not fit me. I am fit by the gospel, and that is the great teaching of the earlier verses of Ephesians. I am fit for union.

These two ministries comprise the truth, because they show not only what the work of Christ has effected, but what our relationship is to Christ, and that for ever. Not only in this world, but for ever, the assembly will be the medium by which He will convey His pleasure over the whole universe.

Now I pass on to the practical application, which I may call the test whether you know these two ministries or not.

  1. The first – there is not one here, I hope, who is not clear about it – that our blessed Lord was on this earth, and that He died and rose again.

  2. The second is that He has been glorified.

  3. The third is that the Holy Spirit has come down from the One who has been glorified.

  4. The fourth is not yet accomplished; it is what we wait for – the coming of the Lord.

1. Let us look at the first. You say: I believe the Lord was here, and that He died and rose again. Well, I ask, What does that involve?

I do not wish to go beyond the comprehension of the youngest here, but I want you to know whether you do really believe this first event: That Christ died and rose again; that He cleared everything away, that He not only removed all your guilt

Well, beloved friends, I need not dilate upon this doctrine; but what is the actual state of the one who has accepted the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ? He is not only justified from the guilt, but he is actually freed from the old man.

You are now like a bird out of a cage, you enter on new ground altogether, you are in a new region. The old is set aside; the new is introduced; you are in the life of Christ. That is the first event.

2. Now I turn to the second event, and it tests us. The second is, That Christ is glorified.

It is one of the most interesting moments in the history of the soul, when the inquiry is raised, Where is He?

But I am dealing now with events or facts which necessarily test us as to whether we hold the truth or not, not a truth but the truth. The Holy Spirit is called

It is a simple question for every heart in this room: we assume to hold the truth – I will test you.

I put a plain question to every one of you, How much of the things above have you sought today? You belong to another sphere altogether. You have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Be like a tree that has its roots in heaven, and its branches down here. You say, That is a miracle.

I have no doubt at all that the first fact, that is, Christ's work at His first coming, is not clear and full in your souls, or you would long to know where He is.

3. The answer is, The Holy Spirit has come down, and this is the third fact or event. The Holy Spirit has come down to be with us, and in us.

Someone lately asked, What would make me heavenly minded? Nothing but a Person, the Person who is in heaven – your Saviour.

It is not a question of the world; in one sense it is almost easier to get out of the world than to get free of the earth.

The Lord interest you more in having really your associations in heaven. I do not ask you to give up anything, I ask you to acquire, to be true to the simple fact, that He is in heaven.

The moment you accept that Christ is in heaven, and the Holy Spirit is on earth, you must bring in the assembly. The gospel gives me title to be where He is, but in the assembly we are placed there.

4. The fourth fact or event, I refer to only very briefly. You can easily see how it must be. What are you looking for? That you get in Thessalonians,

Well then, you are in this world, and the Holy Spirit is here, what are you looking for? I am looking for Him to come. Therefore,

One does not assume anything, but I have challenged people before now who profess to be gathered to His name, just give me a short statement of what the assembly is. Their inability to do it shows where they are.

The Lord grant that each of our hearts may be delighting in the knowledge of the truth. As we are in His company, we expand in it. He is the Truth.

Page Top   Article Top

SERVICE
Proverbs 31: 10-31

A beautiful picture of what service is! Service is always declared by what is done. Here, there was a wise woman and a house; and the house told what her work was. You do not see her; but you look at the house, and you see the wisdom of the woman who orders it.

I have read this scripture because it gives you a picture of service, not that I am going to interpret it, or attempt it, but I will refer to one or two great characteristics connected with it.

There are two great characteristic marks of this wise woman, and they sum up our own service; she fed and clothed her household: food and clothing.

It is a great thing to get hold of principles; and the first great principle that I desire to bring before you, as describing true service, is that it is established in righteousness.

I shall be able to bring another reason for service presently, but I start with righteousness. If you are a slave, you have no right to do anything but at the dictation of your master.

The first thing, and it is of paramount importance, is, that you are Christ's slave, you are bought with a price; as I have said, even your children do not belong to you. You should be glad that you are a slave, because He is such a wonderful Master.

As another has said, I never knew of anyone who was cast wholly on the Lord, reduced to actual want, except one who lived on nettles for three days, and he had been in prison for the Lord's service.

But is that all? No; He looks for you to be a trusty servant.

Now turn to Romans 12, and you will see another thing. Thank God, I was led in anywise to think of serving the Lord. The first thing that attracted my heart from my very youth was that I must serve the Lord.

But now I turn to another point, one of immense importance – where am I to begin? Here I am a servant; I know I am a slave of Christ, I know my body is His, and I see that for myself I must forsake all that I have, and I say, Now where am I to begin?

Where do you begin then? With the body of Christ.

But now turn to Ephesians 4, and I come to another point in connection with service. Here, again, I find what the beginning is connected with – the assembly; the first thing is to walk worthy of the vocation. I am called to

Now I come to gifts for service, which Ephesians unfolds. In Romans we get more our responsibility than special gifts, that which is common to every one,

Here in Ephesians 4, the great point is, That special gifts are given from the Head, and not merely the service which is the duty of every man, as you get in 1 Corinthians 12,

In connection with special gifts, it is an interesting question, though I cannot say much upon it, when a person gets a gift. I do not think that it is necessarily at conversion.

One passage of scripture is enough to settle the matter. I will quote now the Lord's words in John 20.

It was the same with Isaiah; but I put it to anyone who really understands that he has received anything from the Lord – where did you get that confirmed? Where did you get His mind about it? You must be in the Lord's presence, in His own circle, to apprehend His mind respecting your gift, because it is given

Next I look at Acts 13: 2. Here you find Saul and Barnabas in the assembly.

  • I lay a stress upon it. Here are these men, Barnabas and Saul, highly gifted, but where did they get a right direction for their service? In the assembly. The Holy Spirit is the Person who is acting for Christ, and the Holy Spirit is the only means by which the communication can be made. He says,

    • "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them".
      • "Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery".

    • The presbytery means the elders. It was as much as saying, We all go with you. I desire to get your heart into the sense that if I want to get right direction from the Lord, it is in the assembly I am to get it.

    • It is not a question of gift. I get the gift absolutely from the Lord, but He directs me in relation to His own. I do not think we understand the assembly, and the presence of the Lord sufficiently. The presence of the Lord now introduces us into the holiest.

      • "I went into the sanctuary of God"

    • does not mean His presence in your own room; the antitype of that is the assembly. I do not think we have a sufficient idea of the wonderful nature of the assembly. I meet the Lord in the midst of His own; I never have His presence in the same way in my own room as in the assembly. The truth I have learned in my own room, comes out in a much fuller way in the assembly.

    The next thing I would speak of is, How do I know the right thing to do? That is a very crucial question with every one, and ought to be – indeed there is never progress where there is not exercise, and the more exercise the better.

    • I am the Lord's servant; I desire to know the right thing to do. I turn to the end of Luke 10, a familiar passage, about Martha and Mary. The question is, Is it the opportunity that is to direct me as to my service? or, is it the Lord who is to direct me? I know you will say the Lord.

    • Here are Martha and Mary, two sisters, and Martha says, a great Guest has come to the house, the occasion indicates to me that I should provide for Him. Well, she is cumbered about much serving, and that is always the case when I am occupied about my own line of things. It was the human idea; and there is nothing we suffer from more than from the human idea.

    • Mary sits at the Lord's feet and hears His word, and the Lord says of her:

      • "One thing is needful, and Mary has chosen that good part".

    • Not "better part", which is the popular way of reading it, and shows how little it is understood. She had chosen that good part, the right thing; she is learning the mind of the Lord. And I do not see how you can have a right idea of what the Lord would like, if you are not in His company.

    • It is not looking for a text. No doubt the Lord meets the faith of the child in this way. But you cannot know His mind unless you are beside Him. As I am sitting at His feet, listening to His word, I get wisdom from Him and I come from Him.

    • It is not the occasion that directs you, if you are really with the Lord, He will lead you aright. It is a wonderful thing – here am I left in the scene of the man who does not understand one thing about God, and I have to carry out everything according to God!

    • If I were quite clear of the man contrary to God, there would not be the difficulty; but my thwarted will is constantly going out or popping up to do this or that. No; it was not direction with Martha, and Martha's way is the way generally service is done.

      • "One thing is needful".

    • What was needful? She studies Me.

    We all know what it is to be exercised about service – shall I go and visit this person? shall I do this or that? Surely it is not right to be indolent, but activity in itself is nothing.

      • "The way of the righteous shall be made plain";

    • it does not say, 'the way of the active'; but there is a great difference between the way of the righteous and the way of the slothful.

    • Saints in general are occupied with the occasion. I desire to press that it is not the occasion which is to direct me; it is the Lord. I consult Him. It is a great thing to be able to stand waiting for orders.

    • What greater favour can there be than to be employed by the Lord? The servants of the crown are the highest men in the country; what can be greater than to be a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ? And I have no doubt the Lord would rather I did some little thing in concert with Him than do some of the finest works done today apart from Him.

    • Next, and it is a very cheering thing and I often feel it a great comfort, that the very highest service is that which is most pleasing to the one who loves Christ.

      • "If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am there shall also my servant be".

    • Can there be anything more attractive? Everyone can understand what it is to be a friend, though you are a servant.
    \Numbers 18: 2: "And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness".

    • Every one of us is a Levite as well as a priest. We are priests, but the priest is inside with God; and it is remarkable that when the priests were consecrated, there is not a word about anything outside: it is all inside with God; I was very much struck with this.

    • What is the priest when he comes out? The Levite; and the Levite had plenty to do. See the Kohathite, and what the range of his service was – from the ark of the covenant to the altar outside. He could not say he took up one part and left the other.

    • The Levites had the pins and the bars, the boards and all the rest; they had to get material agency to come in and carry them, but they all had a service and were joined with the priests. I bring this in to show that your Levitical service ought to answer to your priestly service; you ought to come from communion, you ought to come outside from inside.

    I look now at another subject, and that is, the moral influence of the person who serves. Luke 11: 36:

      • "If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light".

    • You are called to be lights in the world. The servant must be a reflection of the truth he presents. Someone has remarked, If you have not a good report, even of those who are without you cannot stand up boldly where you are defective. That is the practical meaning of the breastplate of righteousness.

    • People could say to Peter, You denied the Lord. Yes; but I am not doing it now; I have on the breastplate of righteousness. And you cannot stand boldly otherwise.

    • It is an immense thing for a servant to be in himself morally descriptive of what he presents. You get this presented by the apostle in the Philippians.

      • "Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do".

    • It was not only what they had heard, but what they had seen. I cannot think of anything more beautiful. Thus there is a moral weight about a person, he is characteristic of what he presents.

    It is beautifully set forth in Peter's epistle – even an ungodly husband can be won by the chaste conversation of the wife.

    • No doubt we should have a great deal more effect upon people, our families, and so forth, if there were more of the moral weight of divine grace about us; that is, in our manner of life. Paul says to Timothy, 1 Timothy 4: 12,

      • "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in faith, in purity".

    • He was to be an example. See how Christendom takes it up; Christendom enjoins upon a person a certain dress to show the sacredness of his office. Why should I not have that morally? Why should I not have that divine weight about me, that I should not require a mere external garb to command respect?

    The next thing I turn to is the manner you ought to have to those whom you serve – a manner which I think is very much neglected. It is not only what you are in yourself, but what you are to those you serve.

    • There is a greater thing than gift, and that is love – it is the nature of Christ.

      • "Yet show I unto you a more excellent way", 1 Corinthians 12: 31.

    • I see very often, a person who has not much gift, but who has love, that he surpasses the more gifted in service. Everyone may have love. I visit a sick person, and I feel that five minutes is as much as that person can bear.

    • I do not think of myself at all and all that I could say; I might pour out a volume, but I am thinking of him. It is a consideration for him, I am losing sight of myself. Read 1 Thessalonians 2: 3-8

      • "For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: but as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

        "For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness: nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.

        "But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: so being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us".

    • See what a servant Paul was. Again, 2 Thessalonians 3: 7

      • "For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you".

    There is another quality of the servant that I will bring before you, that I may show you the apostle's character. It sums up the character of a servant. 2 Corinthians 12: 15:

      • "I will gladly spend and be spent for you".

    • That is the right principle; that gives you the character. The only other point I will bring before you tonight is the reward for service. Turn to 1 John 2: 28 .

      • "And not be ashamed before him at his coming".

    • That was as the servant in relation to them; it was not that they would be ashamed. It is the same idea as that of the apostle Paul:

      • "My joy and crown".

      • "Ye are our glory and joy".

    It is a very solemn subject, because if I am not acting with the Lord, my service is cumbering, and will not count at all.

      • "The fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is".

      • "For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad".

    There is only one verse more that I will quote: 2 John 8,

      • "Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward".

    • That is, there should be no lack.

    I need not add more, but I commend to you the scripture I began with. It is a wonderful blessing to walk in thorough devotedness to Christ's interest.

    • The virtuous woman had only one thought, and the heart of her husband did safely trust in her. She was thinking entirely of his interests, and whether she sought her food from afar, or bought a field, or whatever she did, it was all for this purpose, and therefore it was, that her husband was known in the gates.

    • She sought wool and flax, and worked willingly with her hands. She began with the raw material, then she spun and wove it, and finally sold it to the merchants.

    • And the characteristic of her own manner of life was beautiful, her clothing was strength and honour, and the way in which she spoke was a wonderful mark of wisdom:

      • "She openeth her mouth with wisdom";

    • that shows her heart is full of it.

      • "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh".

    • Very often we say, a wise person closes his mouth with wisdom, or he may say a wise thing before he shuts it; but it is a great thing to hear a person open his mouth with wisdom.

    The Lord lead our hearts to understand how blessed it is to belong to Him. We do belong to the Lord; He has His interests on the earth, and we are to be occupied with His interests, and may He use us for His interests, for His name's sake.

    Page Top   Article Top