by T. Austin-Sparks
Kilcreggan,
Scotland.
Beloved of God,
Once again I take my pen to share with you the exercise of my heart.
It is something clearly recognised that "our beloved brother Paul"
put down for the rest of the dispensation, and in concentrated
essence, the full revelation which he had, when he was at length cut
off from his many journeyings and scattered personal ministries. The
wisdom and sovereignty of the Lord was thus most definitely behind
the final imprisonments of His servant.
While there are no "Pauls" among us now, and none of us would think
for a moment that we come into his category, there is a factor
contained in the above which does operate and apply so often where
the Lord has servants and vessels related to His purpose, and we are
more than well aware of it just now. Let us consider what evidently
happened in the case of this "chosen vessel". At length, after much
movement and a very great deal of preaching and teaching over a
great area, and after many churches had come into being as the
spontaneous issue of his message, he found himself physically
limited to one house and room, and unable to move without a chain
upon him. Moreover, he had information that many who owed much - if
not everything - to him spiritually were disaffected toward him, and
that many of the churches had turned from him. It was a depressing
situation and might have forced him down into despair. But what
really did happen? When the earth side of things, with all its time
features and human factors seemed to be breaking down and becoming
so disappointing and heart-breaking, the flood gates of the
heavenly, eternal, and spiritual realities were opened. He was
forced by the situation to get right back behind time and the
earthlies to the eternal counsels of the Godhead; to the
foreknowledge, the foreordaining, the predestinating, the eternal
purpose concerning His Son, etc. As he gave himself up to this
contemplation and committed it to parchments for the churches, it
was his own salvation, and has been the priceless possession of the
Church through many, many generations. It has also been the salvation
of many a hard-pressed and sorely tried servant of Christ who also
has known chains and imprisonment of some kind - spiritual if not
literal. My point for the moment is this: the Lord allows or
sovereignly ordains an experience of pressing in, hedging up,
cutting off, and intense spiritual stress which has one inclusive
object, but effects various things.
Much teaching has been given. Now it seems to be failing where it
has been ministered, and there appears to be a great deal of
contradiction. Its value, and perhaps even its truth, seem to be
questioned by the inconsistencies which appear. This, with much more
of the same kind of thing, drives the servant of God down to his
foundations, causes heart-searching as to his motives, tests him as
to the faithfulness of God, and in many ways brings him flat up
against his position. This is all very salutary. He will see what
the weakness and defects have been, and can adjust. If his is a true
position, he will be confirmed, but it will be without bigotry, for
he is broken and emptied. When all the incidental matters are dealt
with by the fires of his soul-searching situation, the ultimate
intention of the Lord will be reached - a clearer, fuller, and more
fruitful revelation. From the parts he will have come to the whole:
from the circumference to the centre: from the incidental to the
eternal: from the passing features to the abiding reality.
May I ask you, Does it not seem that something like this is
happening today? Of course, I cannot tell how true this is with
regard to America, but I know it is very true for many servants and
instrumentalities of God in Europe and the East. For ourselves it is
intensely true, and speaking personally, I can only say that the
past four years have been the most agonising years of my life, in
which bottom seems to have been touched very many times.
But what is it unto? What is the counterpart of Paul's reaction and
concentrated message? I can only speak in the dawn as yet. Sometimes
from my window I look out over the mountains and water before
daybreak and see those first faint rays of light which creep across
the sky long before the sun can be discerned. It is like that, but
the strong portent of the rays to my own heart is definitely this: I
believe that there is a new movement of God on the near horizon. It
is not a movement which can be put into sectional, departmental, or
phasial terms, such as "revival", evangelistic, doctrine,
missionary, or reform. But rather is it a movement to Christ. I am
reminded as I write that in the biography of Dr. A. B. Simpson, of
the Christian and Missionary Alliance, there are two fragments. One
writer said of Dr. Simpson that "he lived before his time". Then Dr.
Simpson himself said, "The great movement of today, the greatest
movement of the Church's history is a CHRIST MOVEMENT: a revealing
in our day, with a definiteness never before so real, of the person
of the living Christ as the centre of our spiritual life, the source
of our sanctification, the fountain of our physical life - the
Prince-Leader of our work, the glorious coming King..."
I link the two statements because it is evident that that "Movement"
did not take place in an adequate way in the life-time of Dr.
Simpson, but he saw the vision and "lived before his time". Does not
everything point to the necessity and possibility of such a movement
coming now? There is no hope for the unity of Christians on this
earth until they forsake all other ground than Christ. There - on
that ground alone - is the strength needed by the Church to recover
her authority and testimony. Oh, everything needed is there! It is a
tremendous challenge and test, and may cost much, but its very value
involves this. Oh, for a new and adequate apprehension of the
immense significance of Christ Himself! Let us pray much that this
movement may begin in our hearts, and the hearts of the Lord's
people everywhere. Let us ask for the necessary resultant grace to
move from all other ground, and for the wisdom to avoid making
Christ into a party. Only a new and mighty vision of Him can do with
Christians what it did in Paul's case; i.e., emancipate from
religious prejudice, suspicion, and fear, as well as from a merely
earthly system of Christianity. No man can initiate such a movement;
it must be by the Holy Spirit: but we can see the need, proclaim it,
and urge to pray that it may quietly but deeply arise in many
hearts. Much is breaking down; much is being suspended. The war has
created conditions both negative and positive which would foster and
point to a new place for Christ Himself; and the manifest
development of Antichrist - the domination of the world by super-men
and eventually man, is not the least sign that God's Christ must come
far more to the fore. The peace will bring greater problems and
difficulties than the war has done, and no tradition will be equal
to the situation. Christ alone will be sufficient, and the measure
of Christ in believers will determine the measure of their endurance
and overcoming.
Warmest greetings to you all, in Him.
Yours, that He may fill all things,
T. AUSTIN-SPARKS
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