Gooding, David: Progressing Toward Fullness in Christ

Now, this evening, it falls to my lot to introduce our study of the Epistle to the Colossians, on which we are, as you know, to spend some weeks studying the, uh, detail of the epistle as diligently as we may. But tonight, uh, I am not going to attempt to give you an analysis of the whole epistle. What I shall do, God helping me, is to suggest the ways in which this epistle could help us in our spiritual experience. But before I do that, I'm going to use my privilege here this evening to reverse procedures, so that instead of giving the talk and then having the questions, I'm going to have the questions first and then the talk. And that will give me an additional, uh, privilege of being the one that asks the questions. A luxury that is to be grasped if ever it comes your way. And what I'm going to do is to take advantage of the wealth of experience that we have here present this evening. We have here people that have been studying Colossians for ten years, twenty years, fifty years, seventy years, if you please. So in the first ten minutes or so, I'm going to ask a couple of questions and see how many people will be so kind to us as to give us some answer. Question number one. Is there anybody here who was saved through some verse in Colossians? Of course, if I, if I were to ask that question about the Gospel of John, of course, we should be here all night, I suspect, as one another another would quote a verse, John three sixteen, John five twenty four, John ten twenty eight, or what have you, and say, yes, thank God, I shall be in heaven because of that verse. Anybody here saved through some verse or other in Colossians? That would be my question number one. Question number two will be, has Colossians ever done anything for you? Is there some part of Colossians that is a favorite passage of yours, that means a tremendous lot to you, and has helped you in that way. Strength in the wars of the Lord, warming of the heart, provocative of your worship, or what have you. Is Colossians or any part of it, and if so, what part of it has over the years been a help to you? What has it done for you? And my point in asking these questions is that so you should help us who are younger, uh, to answer the question that now faces us. Why should we study Colossians? What is it likely to do for us? And just like those, uh, old pirates of long ago who went to their treasure islands and made maps and came back, and then other intrepid, uh, uh, intrepid explorers went back again and got out their maps and looked on them, and there were notes saying, treasure here, uh, treasure there. So you could help us from your experience, couldn't you? Who come now fresh in our youth to this epistle of Paul. Would you like to map, to mark our maps for us and say, treasure here, I found treasure here. All right, they will be my two questions. So while I give you a little time to think about those questions, uh, I myself want now to make some other preliminary remarks. I have brought along a few books. Not very learned terms, admittedly, but a few books of my own shelves in my own, uh, little collection. I thought, uh, it might just conceivably be that some of you would be interested. Doubtless our patriarchs have all the volumes on their shelves anyway, and I hope I don't get into trouble by giving you to know their secrets. Where they get their expositions from, they won't mind if I do, not really. None of this is particularly original, least of all myself, you'll see. Anyway, I brought a few books along. If you don't happen to possess them, and if it should just happen that you would care to borrow them, you would be very welcome to borrow the same. All I would ask you if you borrow them is that you, uh, write your little, your name on this little bit of paper here, because books are extraordinarily like umbrellas. They go away on rainy nights, and then they don't come back on the dry ones. And so here is, uh, Ironside, H. A. Ironside, much beloved servant of the Lord, minister of the word to thousands. H. A. Ironside's little volume, Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, on everybody's bookstore, uh, bookshelves, I suspect. Colossians and Philemon in the New Century Bible series by Ralph Martin. Rather learned volume. Uh, Colossians and Philemon by Herbert Carson, who used to be in Bangor here and has now gone elsewhere. Smaller volume, uh, not less learned, perhaps. Eh, the Epistle of Paul to Ephesians by E. K. Simpson, and then Colossians by our well-known and good brother F. F. Bruce. And uh, this one here in the Bible Speaks Today series, Fullness and Freedom by R. C. Lucas. R. C. Lucas was a fellow student of mine, eh, when I was in college, which merely shows how elderly I am. Uh, a very vigorous, uh, exposition of that book, and one very well worth reading indeed. There they are, just a few. And, uh, if, uh, it were thought profitable, let me set the fashion. Let others in other weeks tell us what books they have found helpful. And shall we share our riches? Well, now just for ten minutes. First of all, anybody here brought to the Lord, brought to faith by any verse in Colossians. Just look at that. Just look at that. No? No. Oh, well, that's interesting. I haven't the time, I wish I had, to ask you what books of Bible they were that brought you to faith. But anyway, apparently it wasn't Colossians. So let's go on to question number two. What has Colossians done for you? Is there any particular verse or passage that has meant a tremendous lot to you? I know there's one passage that means a lot to, to... Oh, Mr. Gilpin, yes. Yes, sir. Colossians chapter one and verse fifteen. Yes. And I want to quote here GCD Harland. Uh-huh. I wrote to him when he was ill, and I told him in my letter, I said I have some, eh, remarks in my Bible that you have made, and this was one of them. And he was very pleased and wrote me back again and said he was glad to know because he ministered in this hall quite often. And here's the verse, and here's his comment on it. A visible manifestation of the invisible God. Yeah. And I thought that was very good, and I looked at it again and again. A visible manifestation of the invisible God, and he illustrated it by the dye, the material, and the reproduction. Very good, sir. Thank you very much. And that has meant, Mr. Gilpin, to you, uh, a great help in appreciating the person and glories of the Lord. I think Colossians outstanding. Ah. Helpful to understand the Lord and admire, enjoy, and worship the Lord. Yes? Someone else, anybody? Oh, I know Mr. Fred Murphy has meant a lot to him, some of Colossians. I've heard him minister at the Lord's Supper on one particular passage more than once to my great prophet. Yes, that's the Colossians two fourteen. Ah, yes, and that says? It's been, uh, quite a blessing in many ways. It's a full of true lovely pictures I can point out that are in there, uh, of the drawing out, the expunging, and also the wiping out of that, that living into the cross. Mm-hmm. Uh, those two, uh, vivid pictures in 2014. And that's helped you to grasp? Okay, what? That's helped you to grasp? Uh, helped me to grasp the real significance of the work of Calvin. Ah. Yes. But, uh, when Christ died, he completely expunged our sins, put them away completely forever. Yeah. And, uh, he, by doing it to the cross, there's a picture of the payment of the debt, the mighty debt that was paid there. Yes. And those two good pictures. Marvelous. And other words, it's helped Mr. Murphy, Fred Murphy, to understand the tremendous absolute character of our forgiveness, our sins being absolutely blotted out. Yeah, that's marvelous to get hold of, isn't it? Uh, to our dying day, and particularly when we come to face eternity. I fancy verses like that, whatever else we've forgotten, will mean a tremendous lot to us. Yes, anybody else? Mr. Hoot's going to say something. In the chapter three, uh, I have underlined things that, uh, give me, uh, the indication of the cooperation that is essential for Christian living. Seek those things where that are above. Set your affection on them, for you serve the Lord Christ. And then the things that you're to put off, and the things that you're to put on, and the word of Christ to dwell in your mind. And the whole emphasis, I think, in the letters of the New Testament are very demanding on our essential thinking as God thinks, and seeking to do his will, what he would, the way in which he would like us to live, and knowing the direction in which he would see us go and help us, it's then we get his help. Mm. Uh, as we'd say, you don't autom- uh, automatically get, uh, God's power in your life. Mm. Uh, it has to be, uh, appropriated. Yes, indeed. In other words, it's helpful, sir, do I gather to see that our, our developing holiness is, is something that has to be worked at, yes? It's not a something that will happen automatically by some magic touch in five minutes. I think, uh, all of us would be holy, ever so holy, wouldn't we, if it could be done in five minutes by some extraordinary experience or other. But I gather you, you have the impression from Colossians it's, there's no shortcut to it. It has to be worked at. Yes? That is a very important thing, isn't it? Because if I got it into my head that, uh, some people have become holy overnight, so to speak, by some tremendous experience or other, I should be despairing by now because I haven't been a holy overnight at all. You'll see it's been hard work, I must say, and I haven't got very far. But then if that was how it was meant to be anyway, that it was going to be hard work right to the end, that would be an important lesson to get hold of, wouldn't it? Yes? Anybody else? Yes? We've had that the Colossians has helped us to appreciate the person of the Lord Jesus, his majesty, and bow our hearts in worship of him. We've had that it's a tremendous epistle for bringing home the wonder and absoluteness of our forgiveness. We've had the, there's the epistle that helps us to see, uh, what is demanded of us in practical Christian living, in the development of our holiness. We will have to work at it. Yes, anything else? I think the other day in my own mind that it was a commentary in Isaiah chapter 9. Cool, John, you'll have to tell us what Isaiah chapter nine is. If it pleased me, you would. Mm-hmm. Mighty God, everlasting Mm-hmm. Peace, and also in my mind the words of Isaiah 57, the high and lovely one that dwells in eternity, but it says in Isaiah 9 that he's the father of eternity. In the one scripture, he dwells in eternity, but to me, in the other one, eternity dwells in him. Mm-hmm. And this is the one here. If you go through, peace is found here. The wisdom of God that comes through as seeking, as Frank has referred to, the word of God, the word of Christ dwelling richly in all wisdom. And just in my own mind, when I was out on the road after many travels, it came to me in that sense. It was a commentary in Isaiah chapter nine. Beautiful. The pre-existing and all creating God, and I find my heart just momentarily and worship the majesty of God, that this one is found in the fullness of the forehead. Mm-hmm. Beautiful, beautiful. Again, emphasizing the person of the Lord Jesus. If I may ask a question, therefore, along that line, this epistle is obviously going to talk to us, particularly in chapter one, is it not, about our Lord Jesus in relation to creation. How all things were made in him and by him and through him. And wonderful things thou said. But, um, let me ask you, my good brethren, has it ever, uh, seemed to you that it's very important? Is it from any way practically important to you to lay hold upon the fact that the one who's redeemed you is in fact the creator? What would it matter if he wasn't? I know you like to worship him as the creator, you do indeed, but what difference does it make to you? Suppose you were redeemed by somebody else, would I take a lot of trouble when whoever it will be is talking about the detail of chapter one, about our Lord is the firstborn of all creation? Well, it's good to know, but I mean, why should I take trouble to listen? Would it be because this is simply the stage where God's greater plan was going to be shown and manifested and worked out? Mm-hmm. It's only the framework, actually, isn't it, even with all this. Yes. Yes. If there were someone who did the creation and someone who did the redemption, we would be worshipping two gods, wouldn't we? Is that a bad thing, sir? It's not a good idea. It's not good. Yes, it would lead to a dualism. Divided loyalties. Yes? Yes. It's important that there are some who would teach that the Lord being, uh, even out of that phrase. Uh, it's important to realize that he is God, and and he is the creator of all things. Uh, if we had a savior who was anything less than God, someone said it's like a bridge that's broken at the far end, doesn't get you anywhere. So we need a God that is as big as that. I see. You're saying now, are you, that, uh, if the Lord Jesus were not, uh, the creator, you wouldn't feel quite so secure in your salvation? He, I, I think it's one aspect of his Godhead. Mm-hmm. That's in it. Mm-hmm. My salvation rests on a divine being, not a created being. One who himself is capable of making creation simply by the word of his font. Good. Good, well, that's been very, very helpful. As, uh, arrows put on our map, as I say, our map of Colossians for future study, treasure here. And, uh, those of us who will take up the hint and look at these passages, we have liberty to come back to our present, I'm sure, and say, I read that when I went home, what you were talking about. It didn't mean a lot to me. What do you see in it? And it could make a subject of discussion over our soup on Sunday, couldn't it? Yes. But now let's do a little reading, uh, in the epistle itself and read just a few phrases that recur through the epistle. And starting in chapter one, Colossians chapter one verse nine: for this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray and make requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Chapter one verse twenty five. Whereof I was made a minister according to the dispensation of God, which was given me to you, Ward, to fill up the word of God. Verse, uh, chapter two, verse one: For I would have you know how greatly I strive for you and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, even Christ. Verse eight: take heed, lest there be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and in him you have been. You are, as the authorized version says, complete, using old Latin forms of the English, literally meaning, and in him you have been filled. You have been fillful in him who is the head of all principality and power. Chapter four, verse twelve: Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, saluteth you, always striving for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. And finally, verse seventeen: and say to Archippus, take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fill it, that thou fulfill it. And so, if you ask me what is my answer to the question, what is this epistle about and how will it help me? I should answer that this epistle deals with the natural desire in all believers who love the Lord to make progress, not to remain babes in Christ, but to progress and to perfect holiness in the fear of God. To experience the fullness of the Lord Jesus and the fullness of his salvation. And as I say, that is a desire that is natural to the true believer, unless per chance he has grown cold of heart and become stunted in growth. A desire to progress. And this epistle will tell us how that can be done. How can I progress in the things of the Lord and know the fullness of the fear of God, that is an exceedingly important and profitable thing. But like all things in life, it can have its dangers. Now, don't let me frighten you off. Life is a very dangerous thing, isn't it? If you get up in the morning, you run the risk of falling over and breaking your leg before you got downstairs. And if you say, I will avoid that danger and stay in bed, you'll get the thrombosis and die anyway. You can't live without danger. And what is true of ordinary life is true of spiritual life. There are dangers on all sides round. And if Satan cannot trip us up as believers by ungodliness and worldliness and self-indulgence, he can't trip us up that way and finds that we're determined to go on with the Lord and to make progress in the life of holiness, then his satanic majesty will try to trip us up by our very desire to be holier. You remember he tried that with the Lord Jesus, didn't he? He came to the Lord Jesus first, and he said, uh, make these stones bread, satisfy your hunger, if you are the Son of God. And our Lord refused to be dominated by his physical desires. And said, man shall not live by bread alone. He was determined to obey the word of his father i- first and in all things. The devil finding the Lord Jesus determined to obey the word of the Lord. No good trying to get him to break the word of the Lord and indulge his appetites contrary to the word of the Lord. Then Satan tried the other tactic, didn't he? To push him over the brink the other way. Oh, young man, he said, you are very holy. You're going to obey the word of God, that's wonderful. You really believe it's the word of God? You've got a strong faith. You know, there's a lot of ordinary folks around here, they don't really believe it's the word of God at all, you know. But you, obviously, young man, you do believe it's the word of God. Then I'll tell you what, step out on faith in it. Take God at his word. Now, doesn't it say, he shall give his angels charge over thee, and in their hands I shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Come on, young man. Put it into practice. Jump off the temple and prove the word of God. Very subtle, wasn't he? It looked as if... it was obedience to the word and leading to greater exploits of faith. And if our Lord had done it, it would have been an utter disaster. He didn't do it, of course, for he saw through the deception. But Satan tries. See, we are determined to go on and make progress in the things of God and to live holy lives. He will try to push us over the edge in that direction and get us interested in things that look as if they're holy, but are of no use whatsoever for making us holy, and will lead to sorrow and frustration and disappointment. So the lessons that we shall learn from this epistle, amongst others and others, will bring out, uh, the greater detail and the deeper wealth, but let me skim the surface. The first danger, then, that this epistle will warn us of in our desire to be holy. The danger is that we shall think that it is all very good to trust Christ for the beginning of our spiritual experience. But that if we want to make progress into the more developed spiritual experiences and the greater riches and deeper spirituality that will need to go outside of Christ. And of course, that is what is wrong. This whole epistle is written to show us that the way to deeper experience of spiritual life, the way into the deeper things of God is through that same blessed Lord Jesus through whom we came into salvation at the very first. Now there were, of course, apparently going around the ancient world and troubling the believers, there were teachers that unashamedly would have recommended things other than Christ for the development of the spiritual life. We shall have to be careful. No true believer is going to be permanently misled by those things, but we shall have to be careful. If I came to you, I shall one of these days, maybe, who knows? I need all the help I can get. If I came to you and say, my dear brother, what is the secret for going on with God, for entering into the deeper things? I wonder what the first word would be come to your lips. Would it be Christ? Or would it be something else. Let us therefore briefly look at some of the other recipes for the deepening of spiritual life that were being advocated by these false teachers to whom Paul alludes in this letter. First of all, chapter two and verse eighteen: Let no man rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and the worshiping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he hath seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind. There are difficulties, eh, in Paul's language here and in the translation of it. Those who have to expound the detailed passage will tell us all about that. But the recipe that some of these teachers were recommending is obvious. A going in for various super duper spiritual experiences. Embarking on visions. Not, perhaps, worshiping angels. I doubt whether any people that would have dared to call themselves Christians in those early first days would have recommended actually worshipping angels, bowing down at the feet of angels. The introduction of the worship of angels into Christendom comes centuries, some centuries later. I think myself that what Paul means is that these false teachers alleged that they could introduce you into such experiences of the spirit world that you could, um, actually join in the, the worship of angels as the angels worship God. Tongues of angels. No, no, says Paul. Such super duper so-called spiritual experience is not of Christ. In fact, it will minister to our fleshly mind, two verse eighteen. And its prime commendation is this, that to go in for it is, now to use his own phrase, not holding the head, which is Christ. In my worship, in my spiritual exercises, it's not listening into the angels that I need to be. It is holding the head, which is the Lord Jesus. Let's fill in the detail of that when we come to it. False recipe number two. Chapter two, verse eight: Take heed, lest there shall be anyone that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and in him you have been filled. Paul's recipe number two for the deepening of spiritual life, called philosophy. Now, once more, I doubt whether Paul was referring to what we normally call philosophy today, that is an academic discipline with its formal logic. What Paul is presumably talking about here is things that went under the name of philosophy that weren't real philosophy at all. Nowadays, things, for instance, like theosophy. Or some of the Indian, uh, mystical religions, and yoga, and such like things. And all those who claim to special knowledge that isn't common to all believers. And Paul here says that the seeking of that kind of special knowledge and great mysteries and advanced learning is wrong. Why? We don't need it anyway. For in Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And if you are in him, because he is the very fullness of God, if you are in him, you have been filled. And if you have been filled with Christ, there's not room for these other things. Beware of boga- bogus claims to knowledge. Every believer is in Christ. Every believer has been filled. And all the fullness of the Godhead is available to every believer in the Lord Jesus. False recipe number three. Chapter two, verses sixteen to twenty three. Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect to a feast day or a new moon or Sabbath day. And again, down in verse, uh, twenty, if you died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances, handle not, nor taste, nor touch all things which are to perish with the using, after the precepts and doctrines of men, which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship and humility and severity to the body, but are not of any value. They lead to, in fact, the indulgence of the flesh. What we put generally under the term of asceticism, which sounds a long word, but isn't really. Ascio in Greek is to practice, and then it comes to be used of an athlete's practice and training. If you are to be an Olympic swimmer, you'll not only have to shave your head, sir, but you'll have to get up very early in the morning and all weathers and all times be down to the swimming baths and swim about twenty miles before breakfast and be in bed by ten and all that kind of thing. Uh, and that is, uh, what the Greeks would have called askesis, stern exercise. Then it came to be applied to spiritual exercises and is generally applied nowadays in particular to those so-called spiritual exercises, uh, that take the form of being hard on the body, putting peas in your shoes, using hair shirts, uh, training yourself to say the same monotonous prayer ten thousand times over, just for sheer willpower. And all such rigorous act, uh, things like this with particular rules, handle not, nor taste, nor touch. These things have a show of wisdom in will worship, meaning the development of your psychological power. And severity to the body. And you say, how is it that those kind of things ever appeal to anybody? I must confess they don't appeal to me, but then that's because of my sinfulness in another direction. I like to stay in bed too late and all that. But how is it they ever appeal to anybody? Why, because there is in every true believer, isn't there, a desire to be holy. Have you never wished in your desire to be holy? Have you never found yourself wishing that there were some recipe for being holy overnight? Despite what Mr. Hewitt said just now. Have you never felt yourself saying, you know, I think I'm missing something? You see, I'm struggling against these sins still. I think I must really be missing something, and surely there is some... And here along came these chaps and said, well, if you really want to be free of sin and come to the happy state of sinlessness. Now here are recipes for it. Rigorous discipline. And, uh, Paul says that there are absolute humbug. And instead of promoting holiness, they will do the very opposite thing. They will lead to the indulgence of the flesh, not necessarily, though sometimes by reaction they do that into low forms of carnality. Sometimes the body, when it has been severely used, will take its own revenge in the other direction. But it will take its, uh, toll in the term of spiritual pride, like the Pharisees with their rules and regulations, imagining they were holy. You tithe, mint, and rue, said our Lord to them. You wash the outside of the cup, and your inner self hasn't been touched, full of extortion and wickedness. It is not the way to deal with the flesh. What is the way to deal with the flesh? Well, let me just point you to the verses. That's all I may do, and we're trying to gather the general argument of the epistle. The way to deal with the flesh, here is God's recipe, chapter one, verse, uh, twenty one, twenty two: and you being in time past alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh. Or again in chapter two verse eleven, in whom you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ. Here is God's great gospel. God's way of dealing with the flesh. And then in the power of the risen Lord, we are to do what, uh, chapter three and verse five tells us, to mortify not our physical bodies, but to mortify our members in the sense of fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Finally. Finally, false recipe. When it comes to conflict with demonic powers. These false teachers talk much about principalities, powers, mights, and dominions. They would have told you that there was possible to have direct experience and to enter into those realms and listen to the worship of angels, and there to struggle over demons and principalities and powers and what have you. Now, in the Epistle to the Ephesians, Paul does tell us straight that we wrestle against principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesses is in high places. Yes, that is perfectly true. But if our struggling against the spiritual opposition is going to be effective, this we shall have to learn, that it is not our victory or our might. The victory has been won for us by the Lord Jesus. And therefore, if you would strengthen me in my fight against evil spiritual powers, pray don't fill my mind with endless discussions of evil spirit powers. But do like Paul does, concentrate my mind on the Lord Jesus and on the fact that he has won the victory over those powers. End of chapter two. verse fifteen, having put off or having stripped the principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. His great victory over the powers of hell already achieved, and he now ascended and triumphed. I'm going to suggest that one of the major things we shall be looking at, far from being some sort of academic study, is going to be a very practical study. How may we make progress in the things of God? And this epistle will tell us what things to be careful about, what dangers to avoid, what are the false recipes? And it will point us to the true. One other danger there is, it seems to me, you may not have found it so, but I have from time to time found it so, and I think others have. One other danger, not so large as the first one, but real enough, is that when some people want to go on with the Lord and develop a holiness of life, that is exceedingly important. To perfect holiness in the fear of God. To do as Mr. Hewitt was exhorting us, and as this epistle will exhort us in great detail, to work at our faith, to work at developing a holy lifestyle in business, in the home, and elsewhere. We have to work at it, and in human relationships. Yes, but one danger that can come is that while we are occupied with pushing ahead, we can forget what we already have in Christ. And then, if it should happen, like it frequently does, as we're plowing ahead and fighting ahead, and we feel we're making very little progress, and so forth and so on, if we're not careful, if then we forget what we already have in the Lord, we could become despondent and feel it's no use, and we shall never succeed, and we're not getting anywhere. And once more, Satan get the advantage of us. And in extreme cases, it can lead to depression, and in some people I have known to nervous breakdowns. In the battle to make progress, we shall need the tremendous emphasis of this letter. Pray, consider, and never forget it. The tremendous things you already have in Christ. When our Lord was in the upper room and wanted to teach his apostles about his way of holiness, he taught them two things, didn't he? He taught them about that once and for all bathing that never needs to be repeated, and he taught them about the constant rinsing of the feet that has to be often done. But tell me which is the bigger thing? A bar fall over? Or the foot bath? Would say the bar fall over is the big thing. Yes, of course it is. And the big thing comes first. And what a lovely and healthy emphasis there is in this letter. I'm going to finish by rehearsing in your ears some of the things this letter will tell us that Christ has already done for us. And in getting hold of them and enjoying them, we shall find great strength against the enemy, great enthusiasm to make progress. What has he done then? Oh, look at chapter one verse twelve. He has qualified us already. Give thanks for it, says Paul, because this is tremendous. Here you are pushing ahead as best you can. God help you, my brother. But the fact is, God has already qualified you to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light. What glory it is, isn't it? If you think of that inheritance of the saints, if you please. I was reading that passage the other day at my desk, where they who stand outside the shut door, and the door is finally closed, to say there must be a chink or two in that door, I think, because as they stood there outside the door and the door shut, says our Lord, you'll see Abram coming. And uh, Isaac, and uh, Jacob, and all the prophets. And in my boyish fashion, I was sitting in my desk, but I couldn't help imagining me sitting outside the door and see, oh, there's Abram coming. Wow. And who's that? That's, uh, my brother says learnedly, that's, uh, Isaac. Oh. Do you know who he is over there? Got a clue? No, that's Jacob. Oh, how did you find out? And there's all the prophets, there's Isaiah and Ezekiel. Oh, there's Peter and Paul, and I say, what a thing it's going to be to see the guests come in and, as our Lord says, take their places at the banquet in the kingdom of God. Then I remember, of course, I wasn't standing outside looking through a keyhole or something, I goes, unfortunate loss. Should be inside, my brother. That's already two of you. He has qualified you to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us out of the power of darkness. He has translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love. And you, verse twenty one says, he, you see, he has reconciled you. In chapter, uh, uh, 2, he says in verse, uh, ten, you have been made full. In that same thing he says, in verse eleven, in whom you have been circumcised. You have been buried, says verse twelve. He has blotted out the bond written in ordinances. He has taken it away. And you stand in the clear with God. Ah yes, but more than that, do you see, uh, uh, verse thirteen, he has already quickened you. And chapter three, verse one tells us that he has raised us together with him. All the tremendous wealth of what the Lord has Has done. done. I found in my youth very early on. I fall into the mistake today still, but never mind. Found in my youth early on, that if I wasn't careful, I came to the Lord in my private devotions, and I must have, I say it reverently, I must have bored. Bored God. No. Rehearsing all my failures. I have a very dull conversation with the Lord. It's got to be done, hasn't it? It's got to be done. But when I have had a lot to say, and there's a tremendous lot to say about that, about my failures, oh God, help me to turn around and be. It's the memory and realization of what he's already done that will give me the strength to go on.