The Lord's Manifestation of Himself
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The work of God in the soul leading to repentance makes way for the voice of Christ to be heard, and the hearing of faith that listens to His voice will open the heart to receive Himself. The real answer to all the infidelity, latitudinarianism and self-sufficiency of Modernism is not found in falling back upon the orthodoxy of the creeds, but in letting Christ into the heart. The answer to Modernism, as well as the preservation from all that leads that way, is found in Christ Himself and in attachment of heart to Him. How rich the blessing that follows when Christ has His place in the affections. The Lord can say, "I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with Me."
"If I let Christ have His place in my affections," one has truly said, "He will sympathize with me in my things and lead me into the communion of His things, and the practical result is that I gain the most blessed intimate acquaintance with Christ Himself." How blessedly is this seen in that little band of disciples who in the upper room partook of that last supper with the Lord in their midst. He makes them so perfectly at home in His presence that John can lie upon His bosom. He enters into all their troubles, saying as it were, "I know the power of Satan that is against you, I know the treachery of Judas who will betray Me with a kiss, I know the weakness of Peter who will deny Me with an oath," but, "let not your hearts be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in Me."
He knows that in the world they will have tribulation; but He says, "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." He knows that the world will hate them, but He says, "If the world hate you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you." He knows that the world will persecute them, but He says, "these things will they do unto you because they have not known the Father, nor Me." He knows that they are filled with sorrow because He is leaving them; "nevertheless," He can say, "it is expedient for you that I go away."
In all such tender consideration and sympathy for His own, was He not supping with them? But He does more; He leads them to sup with Him. Not only does He sympathize with them in their things, but He leads them into communion with Him in His things. He leads their thoughts away to the Father's house and to the Father's heart. He speaks of a new circle of love comprised of His "friends," where His peace is enjoyed, His love is known, His commandments cherished and His joy abides. And He tells them that One is coming who will guide them into all truth, tell them of things to come, and take of His things and show them unto them. Again we ask, as He engages their hearts with Himself and His interests, is He not leading them to sup with Him as before He had supped with them?
Nor is it otherwise with the individual who, in our day, opens the door to Christ. He also finds One who with infinite tenderness and perfect sympathy, enters into all his exercises while at the same time he is led into the circle of the Lord's interests. So that though as an individual he opened the door to Christ, yet he is not left in isolation or independency of others, but is led to find his interests where Christ finds His, in company with those who call upon the Lord out of a pure heart.
As we trace the ways of the Lord with the Laodiceans we cannot but marvel and adore in the presence of the perfect love and wisdom which can maintain truth and yet show such grace to such sinners. In absolute fidelity to truth the Lord exposes their condition, and having done so, with infinite wisdom He counsels them to buy of Himself the gold tried in the fire, the white raiment and the eye-salve. Then, in order that the exposure and the counsel may become effective, He deals with them in rebuke and chastening; and if under His dealings any repent, He reveals Himself as ready and waiting to bless. Lastly, if any man hear His voice and opens the door He manifests Himself in sympathy and communion. Thus, there passes before our delighted gaze:
· the truth of Christ that exposes
· the wisdom of Christ that counsels
· the love of Christ in His dealings
· the grace of Christ that waits to bless
· the delight of Christ to manifest Himself.
As in the closing days of the Jewish apostasy, the darkness of the cross was lit up with the love of God, so in these last days of the Christian profession, the black background of modern religious infidelity serves to bring into relief the glories of Christ.
Feasting in the presence of Christ prepares the way for overcoming. To overcome the evil of the great professing mass that looms so large in this world is no small achievement. The power for such overcoming is alone found in the company of Christ, there to learn that He is the great Overcomer who can say, "I also overcame and am set down with My Father in His throne." At the end of His path the Lord could say to His disciples, "I have overcome the world," and as one has truly said, the world the Lord overcame was the "Jewish world" of worldly religious profession and self-righteousness in its last and darkest day.
The one who has supped with Christ, overcomes the world of Christian profession in its last dark days of lukewarmness and self-sufficiency. This indeed means that the overcomer, judging the whole Laodicean condition and separating from that which has shut Christ outside, finds himself where Christ is in the outside place. He "goes forth unto Christ without the camp, bearing His reproach." But the one who bears His reproach will share His glory, as the Lord can say, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne." That day will come when Christ's appreciation of the overcomer will be displayed before all the world, even as the Father's appreciation of Christ as the great Overcomer is witnessed by the place He now fills in the Father's throne.
The address closes with the deeply important call to the one who has an ear, to listen to what the Spirit has to say to the churches. All may not be Laodicean in the full sense, but all are in danger of the Laodicean spirit and hence the warning to hear the Spirit's voice. The one who hears will judge every tendency to indifference to Christ, to assumption and to self-sufficiency. He will take his place apart from that which is so soon to be spewed out of Christ's mouth and he will make room for Christ to sup with Him in the day of His rejection while waiting to reign with Him in the day of His glory.
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