THE MYSTERY
Romans 16: 25-27
Ephesians 3:1-12
Luke 15: 3-24
BWL What was in mind in reading these scriptures was to inquire a little as to the mystery that is spoken of here at the end of Romans, and again where we read in Ephesians. While we might get some help as to what Paul means when he speaks of the mystery, it might be helpful to say first what the mystery is not. It is not exactly something that is mysterious or complicated, although there is tremendous scope in it. I think it really involves the greatness of God’s thoughts and the greatness of what He is securing for Himself in the present dispensation. The great ultimate is in the end of Ephesians 3: 21, “to him”, that is, to God, “be glory in the assembly in Christ Jesus unto all generations of the age of ages. Amen”. The mystery involves what God is securing for Himself in the present time. I think Paul speaks of it as a mystery because of what he says in the scripture we read in Romans. He says there, “as to which silence has been kept in the times of the ages”. God has really taken something from eternity into time. He also says in Ephesians 3 that it was hidden - it was hidden in God: “to enlighten all with the knowledge of what is the administration of the mystery hidden throughout the ages in God”. It was a great thing that God hid in Himself. In the present dispensation, God has been revealed. The Lord Jesus has done that; He has come into manhood and made God known. In case we think of things being complicated - for God’s thoughts are wonderful and great – or as being too much for us, I have read in Luke 15, because there, I think, we get an illustration of the administration of the mystery; what speaks of the three Persons of the Godhead working to bring persons like you and me in. I wondered if we could maybe get some help in relation to this matter as to the mystery?
SWD That is very good. We have not followed “cleverly imagined fables”, 2 Pet 1: 16. That is the way Peter puts it; that is man’s mind; but the mind of God - how wonderful! You are introducing us in these passages into something that God has treasured, and kept.
BWL Yes; that is good, not “following cleverly imagined fables” - the apostle closes Romans, which is the great gospel epistle, with a doxology to “the only wise God”. Think of the greatness of God’s thoughts and the wisdom that lay behind them, because God has secured what He had in His purposes. And He has not had to change anything because of what has come in. God’s thoughts stand; they stand in all the glory and the wisdom of God. That comes into both these sections we read in Romans and in Ephesians. It would involve not only the purpose of God but also God’s counsels, and the way He has taken to secure His purpose, which sets aside the wisdom of man.
EJH The Lord says, “thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent”, Matt 11: 25. What do you think about that, “hid these things”?
BWL What we are speaking of the natural mind cannot encompass. So, for us, there is a way into these things that involves the gospel; that is the only way we can come into these things. But God’s thoughts stand in all their greatness. So that, for us, the work of Christ was necessary to bring us in. But it is those that appreciate the Lord Jesus as Saviour that come into this. You sometimes hear speak of Paul’s two ministries - his ministry of the gospel, the glad tidings, and then his ministry in relation to the assembly but they are really all one. But for us to come in to it, we have to come by way of the gospel, would you say?
SWD Peter and James and John had a certain advantage in “having been eye-witnesses of his majesty”; but Paul coming in later, the mystery was made known to him.
BWL Yes, he speaks of that in Colossians. It was given to him “to complete the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but has now been made manifest to his saints; to whom God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Christ in you the hope of glory”, Col 1: 25-27. That involves Christ’s place in the affections of the saints.
MTH What would you say as to this being made manifest by prophetic scriptures? If I understand your thoughts as to that, it brings to mind those opening verses of Hebrews 1: 1: “God having spoken in many parts and in many ways formerly spoke to the fathers in the prophets”, but I wondered about your thoughts as to the specific mention of the prophetic scriptures here?
BWL I think this involves New Testament scriptures; this would be New Testament prophecy which relates to the present dispensation, because we look back in the Old Testament in the light of the new, in the light of Christ glorified. And the Spirit as indwelling believers opens up, sheds the light backwards on the Old Testament; but we do not, I think, get any direct references to the present time of the Spirit here and to the assembly directly referred to in the Old Testament. So, in that sense, as to what we enjoy at the present time, as the scripture says here, “silence has been kept in the times of the ages, but which has now been made manifest”.
MTH I appreciate that contrast or difference, because it has now been made manifest by the prophetic scriptures. I think it is important to see the object - that may be the wrong word - that it is made known “forobedience of faith”. The object of all this is the obedience of faith. What we have said as to the glad tidings is important in that way; obedience of faith comes in there, Rom 1: 5.
BWL Yes, that is the way in for us, the obedience of faith; so that Paul’s exercise in relation to the saints in Rome is that they are to be established. We often speak of the boards of the tabernacle standing up, and that is like what we see in Romans: believers are to be fully established in the glad tidings. But that being the case, we are immediately brought into this wonderful realm that answers to the heart of God. So, what God has now in the assembly, and what God will have in the assembly, is far greater than anything He has had in times gone past. God waited; He had to wait for His beloved Son that this may be brought about. This is something from before time that God had in His mind. And now He is free to open up what was in His heart. This is to affect us, that is the exercise in relation to these occasions. We sometimes sing hymn 118 towards the end of the service of God; I got a fresh touch from this a few weeks ago; one of the verses says:
’Twas Thy thought in revelation,
To present to men,
Secrets of Thine own affections,
Theirs to win. (Hymn 118)
God is really making His own heart known, and that is to affect us, is it not? We desire to answer in a fuller way to what is for God Himself.
MTH In the Song of Songs, it has been said that the object really, the outcome of that book, is a full triumph over the spouse’s affections; so I appreciate what you have said.
BWL That is good, and I would like to encourage the young ones to read ministry. The Song of Songs is a short book - Mr Coates’s Outline of that book is a larger book, but before you even get into the book he has a little foreword in which he says, ‘The Song of Songs is a book for the heart’, vol 7. That would stir our affections, would it not?
KDD You just mentioned the heart. That is what really lies behind everything that you are bringing out - the heart of God, that He should touch our hearts as to these things.
BWL Yes, exactly. This is not a matter merely of knowledge; it is a matter of affection. Of course, we want to be intelligent in relation to things, and that would be right, right affections. We would want to answer God in a way that is pleasing to Him. The key is the affections, and God has made His affections so wonderfully known. And as we learn in Romans, “He who, yea, has not spared his own Son”, chap 8: 32. There are the feelings of God in relation to what it has cost Him to bring us into this. The purpose of God, what God had in mind from before time, is to have men in His presence like Christ. We know that sin came in; the fall came about and sin came in, but God did not have to change any of His plans on that account to bring us into blessing. That involves the wisdom of God.
SWD And as regards the greatness of what is available in the assembly at the present time, it is said as to the woman of worth, “The heart of her husband confideth in her”, Prov 31: 11. What it must mean to the heart of Christ to have a vessel intelligent as to His thoughts, and full of affection and regard for Him: “The heart of her husband confideth in her, and he shall have no lack of spoil”.
BWL Yes, that is good; so you think then what a wonderful vessel the assembly is, because she answers to the heart of Christ in faithfulness in the present period when He is absent. She answers to Him in faithfulness as His wife, and she answers to Him too in affection as the bride, as well as being the vessel of praise Godward. She is going to be God’s dwelling eternally, “the tabernacle of God is with men”, Rev 21: 3. That is the assembly, is it not? What a wonderful vessel she is. We sometimes sing:
The concept and the consummation Thine!
(Hymn 370)
The thoughts originated with God Himself.
Perhaps we should go on to Ephesians 3. I suppose the epistle to the Ephesians is really the opening up of the mystery. Paul touches on the mystery at the end of Romans just to introduce it. Well, there is a point in us being saved. Redemption is for God; salvation is for us, but redemption is for God; God is securing something for Himself. Then the mystery is just touched on at the end of Romans. Paul as the prisoner of the Christ Jesus is free to open up in Ephesians, and, as the brethren will know, this whole chapter apart from verse 1, is in brackets. The chapter almost suggests that God has taken something from eternity into time; there has been no mention of this before. But God always had it in His mind. We are brought into this to have part in what is responsive to God at the present time. Ephesians 3 is the assembly as it is for God. When we come to chapter 5 it is the assembly for Christ.
SWD Israel was to be His own peculiar people, but alas, it has taken all this time. It will yet be, but in the meantime what Christ finds in the assembly is of such value, such worth! That you and I should be made intelligent as to it is wonderful, is it not?
BWL Yes, it is, and God’s sovereignty lies behind it. It is wonderful to consider that that is how the epistle opens, that God had us in mind from before time. We are chosen in Christ, and we are “blessed … with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ; according as he has chosen us in him before the world’s foundation”. God had us in mind before time, before He started working with men, before He started His operations with Israel. It is not that God found failure in Israel and therefore had to turn to try something else. God had these things in His mind from before time was. I suppose the greatest height reached in the Old Testament was possibly in relation to Solomon in glory, but no one was ‘in Solomon’ - but we are chosen in Christ. That is wonderful; there could not be anything greater.
MTH What you are bringing before us is encouraging. Where we had read earlier it speaks of “him that is able to establish you”, Rom 16: 25. I was thinking of that thought of establishing. If something has been established it is made to last; it is made to endure. I have been encouraged with that thought, and what you have brought before us as to what we can go in for. You had mentioned earlier about looking, about spending time reading Scripture and reading ministry: just to speak very practically about it, these are things that are to go through. There is nothing else that would have gone through, but I had that thought of what is established in us. These are things that we should be putting our time towards because they will go through. There is nothing else that will go through that we see in this scene.
BWL Yes, that is good, and there is nothing, no foundation in this world. Being established - it recalls the two pillars at the front of Solomon’s temple: ‘He will establish’ and ‘in Him is strength’ (see footnotes 1 Kings 7: 21); so that the idea of what is established is necessary, but think of what we are established in. We are established in something that can never break down, and will not break down. God is going to bring it through for Himself. We are in days of breakdown publicly, but God’s thoughts stand. I think it is good to get a hold of that - to get a view really of what is normal, and that would help us in relation to being established.
DCD The Lord said, “on this rock I will build my assembly” (Matt 16: 18); does the purpose relating to this go back before time?
BWL Yes, I think that is good. There is that which is solid. The Father had revealed something to Peter; it came from the Father. If it comes from the Father, it cannot be anything other than stable, can it?
KDD As to what our brother has brought up, this matter recalls what Paul says, that the firm foundation of God stands, 2 Tim 2: 19. It speaks of what He is securing, these things that He has purposed and He has brought about, as you are bringing before us, this mystery. It stands, does it not? It is not going to be changed by anyone; God’s thoughts go through.
BWL Yes, that is good because what you refer to is in 2 Timothy 2: “the firm foundation of God stands”. Well that still applies in days of departure, does it not? Without deciding exactly what this firm foundation is, it is of God, is it not? And it stands. There is that which is going through, and that is what we want to lay hold of.
SWD It says, “having this seal, the Lord knows those that are his”. We rejoice in that; “and” in v 19, that is our part, is it not?
BWL Yes, that is right - “every one who names the name of the Lord”. That is profession, is it not? If we name the name of the Lord we are professing something, and we have to be true to what we profess. So what Paul says here is “to enlighten all with the knowledge”. This is for every believer; it is to affect us. One of the things that light is, or should be, is attractive. If we have light as to something, it would attract us into it.
LJG What is attractive is not an arbitrary thought, or anything you would have merely to conform to. It is something of the attraction of Christ Himself. I was thinking as to what Paul says here, “purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access in confidence by the faith of him. Wherefore I beseech you not to faint through my tribulations for you, which is your glory”, Eph 3: 11-13. Whatever we may pass through, there is that which has been established in Christ that is so much greater and is stable. We are to be nearer to Him, attracted to Him, so that the believer is established in Christ. Then we think of what we may pass through and what each one would pass through; so that Paul would say you are not to faint; so the strength and power of the Spirit indeed too in the inner man would help us with that. What you said as to what is attractive so that we are drawn to it is helpful.
BWL The Ephesian saints loved Paul; he had been local with them for three years. It has often been said that the epistle to the Ephesians is not the pinnacle of Paul’s ministry - the Ephesian saints themselves were. So he is writing to persons that we could think knew what he is talking about. I suppose they felt that Paul was in a Roman prison - this is one of the prison epistles - and he says in chapter 3 he is “prisoner of the Christ Jesus”, v 1. In chapter 4 he is “the prisoner in the Lord” - he was literally in a Roman prison, and the Ephesian saints would have felt that. But really, what he is saying is that what they were to enjoy could not be limited. That is a tremendous encouragement for us. There is no limit from the divine side, is there? The limit comes in on our side. We are to be attracted into these things. It involved that God made Himself known. This mystery was hidden throughout the ages in God.
God made Himself known in various ways in the Old Testament; He was known as Creator, He was known in a family way in relation to Israel, in the way that He redeemed them from Egypt He was known in His faithfulness, but Christ has come in and has revealed God. God has made Himself known in Father, Son and Spirit. You may say that all that can be known of God by a creature has been made known. God’s heart has been fully opened up. God is free to come out with the greatest of His thoughts that belong to eternity.
PDB Could you say a little more as to what has been “made known”, where it says here, “made known through the assembly”, in verse 10? You have been speaking about the idea of what has been “made known”, but it says “might be made known through the assembly”.
BWL It is “the all-various wisdom of God” that is made known through the assembly. These are heavenly, angelic beings, I suppose, principalities and authorities - they are not spoken of as angels here but I think that is what they are. The dignity of God’s thoughts in relation to the assembly are being brought out so that these heavenly beings are given their dignified titles: “principalities and authorities in the heavenlies”. The all-various wisdom of God refers to what the assembly is to Christ, and what the assembly is to God. It is a great vessel of praise, and that is now; we do not have to wait for the day of eternity for that. And these creatures are looking on with wonder, at God’s wisdom. We sometimes sing of His “thoughts so bold, so free” (Hymn 92) - they originated in God Himself to bring about this answer. We read in chapter 2: 1, “and you” - that is the Gentiles - “being dead in your offences and sins”; nothing, no response Godward whatsoever. God has wrought and has worked to bring about this answer, this glorious vessel which will answer to the heart of Christ and answer to the heart of God. What wisdom!
SWD So, do we always comport ourselves in such a way as to be a lesson book for these heavenly dignitaries?
BWL Well, I am sure that is a test for us all. We are seeing things from the divine viewpoint. And this is what we are as in Christ. We do not build up to that, do we? That is what we are; that is our standing. Now whether our state is up to that might be a question from time to time. But, nevertheless, it is true of us: that is how God looks on us.
LJG I wonder if you could say a little more as to the all-various wisdom of God. I am not sure if it is spoken of elsewhere, but I just wondered as to that statement. Maybe you could just open that up a little bit as to the all-various wisdom.
BWL I am not sure it is exactly referred to elsewhere. I think the all-various wisdom of God involves counsel; God’s purpose is the objective that He has in view, but counsel is the way He is going to bring that to pass. And then we have the ways of God, the working out of things in His ways. But I think the all-various wisdom of God is seen in counsel. It refers to something before the incarnation. That is counsel, I think: how is this going to come about? And God’s wisdom has been such. We know what it is at work in our lives - we make a plan and then something comes in that we did not foresee, and then we have to change the plan, or perhaps we have different options: if this happens we will do something else, and things change, do they not? God does not have to change anything. The all-various wisdom of God, His counsels are perfect; He has not had to change anything.
SWD I remember Mr Roy Hibbert saying many years ago that God has something in mind and He is not going to change it for anybody.
BWL That is the truth; He is bringing it through in persons. It is persons that are being secured for His glory.
PDB In order to secure that which is for His glory in persons, persons need to change. So, we all need to change to come into an appreciation of what God’s unchangeable plan is. We need to change; we need to change in that positive sense towards what is of God’s mind, not change in terms of turning away from what is of God.
BWL Yes, that is right; I suppose the apostle is a wonderful example too in this section where he says, “To me, less than the least of all saints”, v 8. That was not any sort of put-on humility or anything; that is how he felt. This is the greatness of God’s thoughts and they have been made known to him, and Paul was an elect vessel - Ananias got that word, “this man is an elect vessel to me”, Acts 9: 15. Paul was chosen specially to open up this wonderful truth for the saints, and yet it did not inflate him. That is always a danger with us, is it not? But, he says, “To me, less than the least of all saints has this grace been given”. I suppose it is a bit like what our brother referred to at the outset: God has hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to babes. That is really how we come into it, is it not?
StWD Sometimes we tend to question God’s timing in things, but we should not because His timing is perfect. We sometimes think if some idea had come in so many years ago it would have been a tremendous help, but in His plans and counsels it comes in when it needs to come in. And it is perfect, and we should always be thankful for that too, and always seek to understand God’s all-various wisdom. Sometimes it is quite a test.
BWL Well, it is, and we can
praise Him for all that is past
And trust Him for all that is to come.
(Hymn 23)
Faith is mentioned quite a lot in Ephesians. We are in the faith period; we are to be maint ained in that.; and our faith is in a Person.
PWH I suppose our entrance into this, the revelation of this, is in the fact that Christ delivered Himself up for the assembly, Eph 5: 25. It is the only vessel, the only family, in which the truth of the mystery could be understood. But it took the work of Christ in delivering Himself up. The fact that that is referred to in Ephesians is particularly telling, because it is brought out there, and then Paul goes on to say, “This mystery is great, but I speak as to Christ, and as to the assembly”, v 32. We are there in subjection in the assembly recognising Christ as Head. That is why the truth can be opened up to us, because the assembly acknowledges Christ as Head. So we can access the all-various wisdom.
BWL Yes; that is good; I think that helps. So that we have earlier on in Ephesians as to God’s thoughts in relation to Christ: “gave Him to be head over all thingstothe assembly, which is His body” (Eph 1: 22), whereas in Colossians He is head of the assembly (chap 1: 18), so that the assembly is deriving all from Christ. We sometimes sing,
Great source of wisdom, power and food,
(Hymn 199).
Christ, as Head, is imparting to the assembly: He is “head over all things to the assembly”, Eph 1: 22. In the world to come, she is seen as sharing in His headship. What a vessel! No other family will be united to Christ as the assembly is. The assembly is the greatest of all the families. We are given to have part in that and we feel it - we are to understand it more. Mr James Taylor’s ministry had much in relation to the assembly. We need help in relation to what answers to the heart of Christ. It is a wonderful thing to have part in that.
PWH So, in that way, the reference in Romans is to a joint body: it is a wondrous thing that it is “one body in Christ”, Rom 12: 5. It really facilitates the opening up of the truth. One body - it is not individual congregations; it is one body in Christ.
BWL Yes, that is right, so that the body derives all from the Head. We see that in our literal bodies: the same is true. Paul uses the analogy of the body: that the body derives everything from the head. The body is introduced in Romans to preserve us from independency, and it is introduced in Corinthians to preserve us from what is clerical, see FER vol 4 p146.
We should go on to Luke 15 because here we have the Lord: “What man of you having a hundred sheep”. I was encouraged by the hymn we started with:
to seek and save Thy sheep,
(Hymn 293).
So, the Lord is operating, and then the Spirit is operating: “what woman having ten drachmas”, and then the Father is operating. And what is in view? It is in view of bringing persons in. That is, I think, “the administration of the mystery”. An administration means that something is working. Well, Paul had part in it and we are to have part in it. Divine Persons were working; They are working. The Lord could say, “My Father worketh hitherto and I work”, John 5: 17. There is a work going on and it is to bring about an answer in persons like you and me.
KDD I was interested in what you said in your opening remarks about the three divine Persons having their part in bringing these things about, revealing and opening up the mystery, and that resulting in the return from ourselves. It is something that the whole of the Godhead has part in, is it not? Each one working together.
BWL That is exactly it. Think of the oneness so that divine Persons are operating in unison. They are operating in unison, operating as one, and it is all to bring about this response to God Himself - affectionate response.
DTH We have to see that the assembly is the vessel which has the greatest knowledge of the three divine Persons, and I wonder if we realise the importance of the assembly, which is the chief interest to God - is it my chief interest? That is the challenge. And the Lord Jesus says in John 17 :22, “that they may be one, as we are one”. That is the object of it, that there should be unity amongst us. Would that be right?
BWL Yes, it certainly would. These things are to engage our hearts. We see what is in the divine mind. It is really to stir us up in relation to these things, and see what is for the heart of Christ and the heart of God. It is really to help us to come into this realm of enjoyment. This is to be enjoyed, is it not? Think of what God enjoys, and we are to be free. God would have us to be free in His presence and enjoying what He is enjoying: the fatted calf, that is what God is enjoying. The Father is enjoying Christ, and we are to enjoy Christ.
DTH And there is the thought of unity, “that they may be one, as we are one”. That is a very high standard; it is not simply by commandment. The Lord was saying, “that the love with which thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them”, John 17: 26. Think of the testimony there is to the world in relation to that: a high standard. And it is open to all; it is not just a special few.
BWL That is exactly right - to enlighten all. God in His goodness has operated to bring us here, has He not? There is a side of our responsibility, but then you might ask, “Why am I here?”. We are exercised about these things, and we should be, but God has seen to it that I am here.
DTH Well, is it our chief interest? You think of the little boy: Andrew says, “There is a little boy here who has five loaves and two fishes”, John 6: 9. What the Lord could do with one simple expression in the young amongst us - brothers and sisters!
BWL So that we are to be brought into this realm of rejoicing. The sheep is brought to the house; the drachma was, you might say, never out of the house, but it was lost; it was out of circulation. Money is of no use if it is not in circulation, is it? That is like us; we are to be in circulation. Where are we to be in circulation? We have been set in local assemblies, and we are to be set in circulation in relation to what is for God. The Spirit is operating, the Lord is operating, so that there is light here again - she lights a lamp. You might say we come together and the lamp is lit. The Spirit operates, and operates in our hearts, and this sweeping is a gentle matter. It is not like going around the workshop floors where all sorts of stuff has fallen off the bottom of dirty vehicles that needs swept up and thrown away. This is a gentle action because the Spirit is looking for something; He is looking for something in our hearts; and He is operating. Why do we get an impression as to something? That is the Spirit; the Spirit operating in our hearts. The whole point is that it is then brought into circulation, and the whole house gets the benefit of it.
DTH It is the whole house and then the Lord in John 17 refers to the world, “that the world may know … the love with which thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them”, v 23. What is the testimony we render in that way? And how valuable the meetings are.
BWL Well, I think we want to be more in this sort of environment, where there is rejoicing, where there is safety, where the truth is loved, where divine Persons are loved, and where They are free to operate.
PWH It was not just that he came back: the younger son came into the house, and was it not that he became part of the house? He was part of the house.
BWL Yes, that is good. That is like being in circulation. And the house, when we think of a house, we think of a structure, we think of a building such as Solomon’s house, the house that Solomon built, but what God is building He is building in persons; but we become part of it. You will remember Mr Harthill probably better than me, but I remember being at the Supper with him on a few occasions and he took part to the Father and he made reference as to ‘not being spectators but being participators’. And that is what we are brought in for. We are livingly in what is responsive to God Himself because our hearts have been so affected by what has been done for us. When the father saw him, he was yet a long way off. We are not told how far the younger son moved. It is not a halfway matter. As soon as he moved in his heart, the father was towards him. How assured he would be of the father’s love. He was assured that every matter had been removed and all that was left was complacency.
SWD The father ran. It is not often that we get this idea associated with God but in this case the father ran.
BWL Yes, that is good; that is love in activity. That is what the father was looking for; in this case he was looking for repentance; he was looking for a change. A change had come about. And immediately the father is free, his heart is free to assure us. There is no probationary period in Christianity.
PDB The Father’s thoughts and plans are much greater. The son had a plan, did he not? He was repentant and he had a plan in what he was going to say to his father, and his plan was to be a servant; but he did not get that far in terms of the father. He was able to express his repentance, but the father did not give him a chance to tell him that he was going to be a servant; he was a son.
BWL That is good; that leads us to further on in Ephesians 3 where we read, “to him that able to do far exceedingly above all which we ask or think”, v 20. Here is the younger son; he has his suggestions, his proposal - “make me as one of thy hired servants”. Well, what is the answer? “To him that is able to do far exceedingly above all which we ask or think.” He is brought in to the liberty of sonship, is he not? That is wonderful. We often go over these things - the sandals - only the family could wear sandals in the house. It really brings out the liberty and dignity of sonship that we are free to move about in these realms.
LJG Our brother preached here last weekend as to that, being set free, “If therefore the Son shall set you free, ye shall be really free”, John 8: 36. But, “Christ has set us free in freedom”, Gal 5 : 1. So there is an area in this house, where there is what you have mentioned as to the liberty of sonship, the scope of that which would fill this mansion but there is much greater which the father had in mind for the son; there is such a great scope. I was thinking as to the liberty that we are brought into in that way, that it is greater than what we could ever think.
BWL Yes, that is right, and sonship is for God. Of course, we enjoy it and there is what we come into; we appreciate that, but sonship is for God. This is what is answering to His own heart.
EJH Is there something of the mystery in what the father’s particular joy was - the son who this day had come to life again?
BWL Yes, that is good; that is an Ephesian touch as well. I think it has been said that “lost and has been found” is Romans. At the beginning of Romans, we get all sorts of persons presented, and they are living in their sins; in that sense they were lost but have been found. But in Ephesians, “you, being dead in your offences and sins” (chap 2: 1); there was nothing for God at all: “dead and has come to life”, Luke 15: 32. That is wonderful.
VLH I was thinking that God does not want these things to be mysterious to anyone. Both of these sons may have known the house; its true character was evidently a mystery to them which is a danger for all of us. These things are not understood by the natural man, or the religious man - the older son would represent the Jew. The younger son came to himself, and that is an important thing. God “enjoins men that they shall all everywhere repent”, Acts 17: 30. Then the father did the rest, did he not?
BWL Yes, that is right; so from our side repentance is required. But then, what opens up to us then is the fullness of God’s thoughts. These things are true of us before we may have any appreciation of them whatsoever. But if we can see from God’s side what He has in mind, it would help us to appreciate the greatness of His thoughts for us, and it would help us to be free in response to Him.
MTH The thought that is here in these verses as to “Bring out” and “bring”, particularly in relation to what you have been bringing before us, because these things were in the house all along. We have been speaking about what was hidden. They were there all along, but “Bring out”: that is like the revelation of the mystery.
BWL Yes, that is good; they were there from before time, but now, God is free, because of all that Christ has done; God is free. It is like “chosen us in him”, Eph 1: 4? We speak about the best robe being ‘clothed in the worth of Christ’; “chosen us in him before the world’s foundation”. Here, you might say, the best robe would help us to appreciate that. God would want us to have the conscious sense that we are loved as Christ is loved; that is tremendous. These secrets of His own affections, affections of God for the heart of Christ. We are brought in to know and share something as to that love. It is the same love that is towards us; the more we realise and appreciate that the freer we would be. So that these things are not to be strange. God has been free to open up His heart. We sometimes sing too:
all, all is told! (Hymn 207)
God is not holding anything back, is He? He has made known the very best of His thoughts.
DTH The climax of the Lord’s ministry is John 17. And the object in His ministry was, “I desire that where I am they also may be with me”, v 24. Well, where is Christ? Where is He? He is in the bosom of the Father, and we have a place in His. What an area of such affection, where the enjoyment of that love is open to us.
BWL Yes, that is good. And it is the Lord’s desire that we may be there; it is the Father’s desire too that we are to be there, and we see Christ - “that they may behold my glory”. Christ is the One that has secured everything for God.
CALGARY
28 September 2019
Key to Initials:-
P D Brien, Calgary; D C Drever, Calgary; K D Drever, Calgary; S W Drever, Calgary; Steve W Drever, Calgary; L J Gray, Calgary; V L Harvey, Vancouver; E J Hibbert, Calgary; M T Holland, Calgary; D T Howie, Edmonton; P W Howie, Edmonton;
B W Lovie, Aberdeen, Scotland