The Christian's Greatest Need
First Published in 1902
There is one thing that the Christian needs more than he needs
any other things. One thing on which all others rest; and on which all others
turn.
It is certain from the word of God, and also from our own experience,
that 'we know not what we should pray for as we ought'. But 'the Spirit Himself
helpeth our infirmities' (Rom. 8:26). He knoweth what we should pray for. He
knoweth what we need. He maketh intercession for us and in us. He teacheth us
how to pray, and in Eph. 1:17, we have His prayer set forth in these words
:
' that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give
unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in THE KNOWLEDGE OF
HIM'.
This, then, must be our greatest need: A true knowledge of God. If
the Holy Spirit thus puts it before all other things, it must be because it is
more important than any other thing; yea, than all others put
together.
This, it is, that lies at the foundation of the Christian Faith;
at the threshold of Christian life. It is the essence of all trust.
We
cannot trust a person if we do not know him. At least, it is safer for us not
to do so; and as a rule we do not. But on the other hand, when we know a person
thoroughly well, we cannot help trusting him. No effort is to trust is required
when we perfectly know a person. The difficulty then is, not to trust. Why,
then, do we not thus trust God? Is not the answer clear? It is because we do
not know Him! Thus we see how this knowledge of God is our greatest need; the
very first step of our Christian course. Our trust will ever be in proportion
to our knowledge.
If we knew, for example a billionth part of God's
infinite wisdom, we should see our own to be such utter folly, that we should
not merely be 'willing' for His will, but we should desire it. It would be our
greatest happiness for Him to do and arrange all for us. We should say :
'
Lord, I am so foolish and ignorant; I know nothing, and can do nothing; I can
only see this present moment; I know nothing of tomorrow. But Thou canst see
the end from the beginning. Thy wisdom is infinite, and Thy love is infinite;
for, our Saviour and Lord could say of us to Thee, as Thy beloved Son - "Thou
has loved them, as Thou has love me" (John 17:23). Do, then, Thine own will.
This is my desire, the desire of my heart. This is what I long for above all
things'. This is far beyond being 'willing'. We may be willing for a thing,
because we cannot help it. It may be even a low form of Christian fatalism. A
Mahommedan may be thus resigned to the will of his god. But what we are
speaking of is far, far beyond the modern gospel of holiness; far in advance of
merely being 'willing'.
Those who are in the still lower condition; not
'willing', but 'willing to be made willing', do not see this condition arises
from not knowing God; not knowing how infinite is His love, how vast is His
wisdom, how blessed and how sweet is His will. If they did but know something
of this, they would yearn for His will. It would be the one great earnest
desire and longing of their hearts for Him to do exactly what is pleasing in
His own sight, in us, and for us, and through us.
Not knowing this
secret, Christians, everywhere, are striving and labouring to be 'willing' by
looking at themselves; and by some definite 'act of faith' to do something of
themselves. Instead of thinking of His wisdom and His love, they are thinking
of themselves and of their 'surrender'.
But this is labour in vain. Even
if it should seem to accomplish something, it is only like tying paper flowers
on a plant. They may look natural and fair; but they have no scent, and no
life; no fruit, and no seed. It is an artificial, fictitious attempt to produce
that which, if they did but know God, would come of itself, without an effort:
yea, the effort would be to stop or hinder the mighty power of the true
knowledge of God.
The trouble with us is, if we prove our hearts to their
depths, that, at the bottom, we think we know better. We would not say it for
the world, we would hardly admit it to ourselves. But there it is; and the
difficulty of being 'made willing' is the proof of it.
If we really knew
Him, and believe He knows better than we do what is good for us, there would be
no effort whatever, but only a blessed irrepressible desire for His
will.
Before we proceed further to consider some other of the practical
effects of this knowledge, let us notice the fact that there are two words in
the original for this knowledge of God. Two verbs which mean "to know". As
these are used sometimes in the very same verse, it is very important that we
should carefully distinguish that which the Holy Spirit has so especially
emphasised. There are, indeed, six Greek words which are translated to know,
but these two are most common.
1. The one oida (oida) means to know
without learning or effort; and refers to what we know intuitively, or as a
matter of fact or history.
2. The other ginwskw (ginosko), means to get to
know; by effort, or experience, or learning.
This difference will be clearly
seen, if we examine one or two passages :
John 13:7. 'what I do thou knowest
not now'. This is the former of these two words, and tells us that Peter had no
intuitive knowledge of what the Lord was doing; and had no means of knowing. It
was impossible. The Lord, however, goes on to say, 'but thou shalt know (i.e.,
get to know) hereafter'. Peter would learn, and find out, by experience and
revelation, what the Lord was then doing.
John 8:55. 'Ye have not known him
(i.e., gotten to know him. No. 2 of these two words); but I know him (No. 1)
and if I should say I know (No. 1) him not, I shall be a liar like unto you;
but I know him (No. 1)'. Here the Lord declares His immanent knowledge of the
Father; and declares that those whom He was addressing, not only had no such
innate knowledge of God, but had not even attained to that knowledge.
1
John 5:20. 'We know (No. 1 i.e., we know as a historical fact, with out
learning it) that the Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding
that we may know (i.e., get to know, No. 2) Him that is true'."
Here the
truth is taught that, before anyone can get to know God, he must have a
spiritual understanding imparted to him. With this agrees 1 Cor. 2:14. 'The
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are
foolishness unto him; neither can he get to know them'. Why not? Because 'they
are spiritually discerned'. The natural men has no means of getting to know
spiritual things. A spiritual understanding must first be 'given' to him. Then
he is able not only to discern, but to love and delight in the revelation of
spiritual things, and get to know Him, 'the only true God, and Jesus Christ
whom He hath sent'. 'This is life eternal' (John 17:3).
The importance
of getting to know God is thus again wondrously emphasised as our one great
need. This knowledge is not only the basis of trust in God; not only the
foundation of Christian faith; but of Christian life. Practical Christian life
and walk will be in direct proportion to our knowledge of God. Look at Col.
1:9,10, where we have the practical outcome of prayer in Eph. 1:17. In Eph.
1:17 we have the prayer itself. In Col. 1:9,10, we have it applied for our
correction and instruction. Carefully weigh the words. 'For this cause, we
also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire' -
Desire what? 'that ye might be filled with the knowledge (the noun from No. 2,
i.e., acquired knowledge) of His will in all wisdom and spiritual
understanding'. Why? For what purpose? To what end? - 'THAT YE MAY WALK WORTHY
OF THE LORD UNTO ALL PLEASING, be fruitful in every good work, and increasing
in THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD'.
Then, to walk worthy of the Lord, I must know
Him? Exactly so. If I would please Him in all things I must know what will
please Him. Is this all that is required? All that I have to do? Yes, this is
all. Then I have not to rush hither and thither; from Convention to Convention?
No, I have to sit down before God's Word, and get to know Him through that.
There is no other way of getting to know Him. And he has given us His Word, and
revealed Himself therein, on purpose that we study it and find out what it is
that pleases Him; what it is He loves; what it is He hates; what it is He does.
To get to know His wisdom, His will, His infinite love, His almighty power, His
faithfulness, His holiness, His righteousness, His truth, His goodness and
mercy, His long-suffering, His gentleness, His care, and all the innumerable
attributes of our great and glorious God. See how this knowledge is absolutely
necessary, if we would please God.
We cannot please any of our of
friends unless we know what they are pleased with. If we would make a present
to one of them, we naturally think, or try to find out, what it is he or she
needs or would be pleased to have. If we are receiving a guest, we naturally
try to remember or to find out what pleases him in food or drink, in occupation
or recreation. If we cannot find this out, then we have to guess at it, and we
may or may not succeed in our effort to please. We may take the greatest
trouble and pains, and yet, after all, we may arrange for or provide the very
thing which is most disliked.
It is even so with our God. How are we to find
out the things that please Him? How are we to discover the things He approves?
ONLY FROM HIS WORD.
There, and there alone can we get to know Him. There
alone shall we learn the fullness of the Spirit's prayer for us in Eph. 1:17;
and the blessed practical outcome of it in Col. 1:9,10. No man has this
knowledge of God intuitively. No minster can even help in imparting it, except
in and by the ministry of that Word. His own thoughts are valueless. Only as
far as he enables us to understand that Word can he be of any assistance to us.
He may be mistaken himself, and very easily be a hindrance instead of a help.
God has revealed Himself in His written Word, the Scriptures of truth; and in
the Living Word, His Son, Jesus Christ. And it is by the Communicated Word
revealed in our hearts by the Holy Ghost that we may begin thus to get to know
Him, whom to know is Life Eternal.
This is the one great reason why the
written Word is given to us. It is not given merely as a book of general
information, or of reference; but it is given to make known the invisible
God.
Why do we read it? Why do we open it at all? What is, or ought to be,
our object in reading it?
Do we read a portion that someone else has
selected for us? Do we read that portion because we have promised someone we
would do so? Or do we open it, and sit down before it with the one dominant
object to find out God; to discover His mind; to get to know His will.
Those
who are not thus engaged make their own god out of their own thoughts and
imaginations. They have to fall back on what they think their god
likes!
Thousands make their gods with their hands, out of wood, or stone, or
bread. Thousands more make him out of their own heads. But, being ignorant of
God's Word, they are alike ignorant of the God Who has there revealed
Himself.
See the power of this truth as it is applied to what is called
'Public Worship' or 'Divine Service'. How many still worship 'the unknown God';
and serve themselves; and do what is pleasing in their own eyes, studying only
their own tastes! Ignorant of that great rubric, John 4:24, 'God is a Spirit,
and they that worship Him MUST worship Him in spirit and in truth' (i.e., truly
in spirit), they talk of the kind of service they prefer, and say, 'I don't
like that at all'; or, 'I do like that so much'; as though 'places of worship',
so-called, were opened merely for persons to go in and do what pleases
themselves, forgetful of that word 'MUST', which dominates the whole sphere of
what we call worship. Worship must' be only with the spirit. We cannot worship
God - Who is a Spirit - with our eyes , by looking on at what is being done. We
cannot worship God with our noses, by smelling incense, whether ceremonially or
otherwise used. We cannot worship God with our ears, by listening to music,
however well it may be 'rendered'. No! worship cannot be with any of our
senses; or by all of them put together. It must be spiritual, and not sensual.
The worshippers must be spiritual worshippers, for 'the Father seeketh such to
worship Him' (John 4:23). 6
How many of such worshippers frequent our
churches and chapels? How many are still worshipping 'the unknown God' (Acts
17:23)?
Is it possible that, if the true God were known - the great, the
High and Holy God, who dwelleth not in temples made with hands; the God who
inhabiteth eternity; the God in whose sight the very heavens are not clean, and
who chargeth His angels with folly - is it possible, we ask, that any who know
Him could imagine, for one moment, that He 'seeks' or could be pleased with, or
accept, or regard a congregation turning the Bible into 'a book of the words',
and listening, for example, to a girl singing a solo, getting as high a note as
she can, and holding it out as long as she can! Is THAT what The Great and
Infinite God is seeking? Is that the occupation of the heart with Himself which
He says He 'MUST' have? No indeed! and the greater the ignorance of God, the
deeper and more degraded will become the accompaniments of what is called
'Public Worship'.
Consider further, the effect of this great truth on
our daily life. What rest and peace it brings. Look at its influence on our
prayers. What is prayer for? Why are we told so often to pray? Why? Because
prayer is intended to humble us by putting us into the place of helplessness
and dependence. Prayer is meant to put us with our faces in the dust before the
Mighty God.
Instead of that, what do we find? We turn that place which
is meant to humble us and keep us in the low place, into a Throne, from which
we dictate to God what He shall do in our affairs, how He shall help to carry
out our plans, what He shall do among the governments and political affairs of
the world. That is the outcome of the pride of the 'old man' within us. So that
we, who cannot manage our own affairs, do not hesitate to take on ourselves the
management of the universe, and 'move the hand that moves the world'.
A
true knowledge of God would lead to a very different condition of things. Our
prayers would be frequent indeed, but we should be so filled with a sense of
God's wisdom, and power, and goodness, that we should cease to pray as though
we had more compassion than He had; as though we were more concerned about sin
and sinners than He is; as though we were more interested in His work than He
is.
We should be 'definite' indeed, as well as may be, in many things
where from His Word, we know 'what to ask'. But we should be equally 'definite'
in leaving all our cares with Him. We should cease to take the responsibilities
of life upon ourselves. We should say :
' Lord, what Thou wilt! Do not heed
my requests if Thou seest they are not good. Do not do or give this or that
because I ask it or think it good. Withhold it, if Thou, who seest the end from
the beginning, seest it will not be for my good. I am so foolish and ignorant
before Thee: and Thou art so wonderful, so wise, and so good: Goodness and
mercy itself; and Thy love is so infinite that Thou canst do only what is
right, and wisest, and best. Thy will is love itself. Oh that I may be filled
with such a knowledge of Thy will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,
that I may enjoy the perfect rest which that knowledge will give'. In
proportion as we have this knowledge of God and of His will, shall we thus pray
without ceasing; and in this manner make known our requests unto
Him.
When we pray definitely for our will to be done in any matter, it
means (if we are honest enough to confess it), that we are willing to take all
the responsibility if that request is granted. Oh, what a solemn
responsibility! and how unnecessary, when God has provided us with One who is
our Surety, and who is responsible for us in life and in death (John
6:39).
How much better to leave our affairs in His hands. When we employ
a person to do any labour for us, and we ask him how much we have to pay him?
he replies, 'I will leave it to you, Sir'. Why? Because he knows perfectly well
that we shall be very likely to give more than he would dare ask.
It is
even so with our God. If we know Him well enough we can surely say, in making
our request, 'I will leave to thee Lord'. We have His assurance that He is able
'able to do exceedingly above all that we ask or think' (Eph. 3:20). If we do
the thinking we shall surely limit Him. How much better to leave the limit to
Him: and we shall do this in proportion as we know Him.
Take another
illustration. Here is a friend in great difficulties; and we have a plan that
will lift him right out of them, and set him on his feet again. He, meantime,
comes to us to borrow some small sum that will only give temporary relief, and
leave him to struggle on still with his difficulties. He limits our power. His
poor thoughts cannot rise to the extent of what we are able to do exceedingly
abundantly. If we answer his prayer, and grant him his request, and lend him
what he ask, how small will be his blessing. Why does he not 'ask or think'
more 'worthy' of our ability and love? Because he does not know us well enough!
That is the secret, and that is why he is not delivered. He thinks he knows
better than we do; and measures our willingness to give by his poor power to
ask. Oh to know the love, and power, and wisdom of our God. What a revolution
it would make in our prayers, as well as in our lives.
But look again at
another effect of this knowledge of God as applied to missionary work. What is
the work of the missionary? He offers himself and is accepted. He is trained
for his service, and he learns the particular language. The moment at length
arrives when he is able to speak that language, and the opportunity comes to
speak. Now what is he going to say? What is the first thing that must come out
from his opened lips? Is it not to explain his God to that heathen man or
women? Is it not to show how far the living God is above all their ideas? Is it
not to tell how God has revealed Himself in His Word? And to explain that
revelation, and to minster that Word. We thus see how a true knowledge of God
lies at the threshold of all missionary work. How can a man explain God unless
he knows God? and how can God be known apart from His Word? Hence the supreme
necessity of so studying that Word that we may not only enjoy but be able to
speak of Him of Whom that Word is sent to testify. So far we have spoken only
of a knowledge of God - the Father. But it is also of the greatest importance
that we should have a true knowledge of Christ.
This is the Christian's
one object, as well as his greatest need.
This is set forth with remarkable
clearness and force in Phil. 3.
In the ninth verse we have our standing in
Christ expressed in the words: 'FOUND IN HIM'. This is explained as not having
our own righteousness, but that which is through the faith of Christ; 'the
righteousness which is of God by faith'.
Clothed in this righteousness,
nothing of self is seen by God. Like the stones in the Temple, they were
covered over first with cedar-wood; and the cedar-wood was covered over with
gold. Then it is added 'there was no stone seen'. These words are not necessary
either for the grammar, or for the sense; for how could the stone be seen if
thus doubly covered up? No! the words are graciously added to emphasize the
antitype, and to impress on us the blessed fact that, when covered with
Christ's righteousness there is nothing of self seen in our standing before
God. We are already 'in the heavenlies, in Christ'; and are comely in all His
comeliness, perfect in all His perfection, accepted in all His merit, righteous
as He is righteousness; yea, holy as He is holy, and loved as He is beloved.
All this is included in these words 'found in Him'.
And being thus
'found in Him' for our standing, we have in verses 20 and 21 our hope; which,
is to be: LIKE HIM in resurrection and ascension glory at His coming. Hence 'we
look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body,
that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working
whereby He is able to subdue all things unto Himself'.
This is our
'blessed hope'. We have referred to it here, and not in the order in which it
stands in this chapter, in order to show what it is that lies between the two -
the beginning and the end of our Christian course. What is it that is to fill
the place between these two? What is to occupy our hearts from the moment when
we were in Christ, who is our life, to the moment when we shall be like Christ,
who shall be our glory? What is the one object that is to ever fill our hearts
and occupy our minds? 'That I may KNOW HIM'.
This is henceforth the
Christian's great object. Nothing but this aim to get to know Christ (for this
is the word used here, in Phil. 3:10).
As verse 9 contained the
explanation of the words 'found in Him', so this verse (10) contains the
explanation of how and why we are to get to know Christ.
We are
henceforth no longer to know Him after the flesh, but to get to know Him as
risen; the head of the New Creation in resurrection (2 Cor. 5:16,17).
For this is how this knowledge is explained: 'that I may get to know Him and
the power of His resurrection'. Not to know merely the historical fact of His
resurrection, but the 'power' of it: i.e., what its wondrous power has done for
us. But how can we get to know this 'power'? Ah! only by experiencing 'the
fellowship of His sufferings': by learning that when He, the Head of the Body,
suffered, all the members of that Body suffered in mysterious and blessed
'fellowship with Him'. Thus shall we get to know how we were 'made conformable
to Him in His death'. Only when we have thus learned that we suffered when He
suffered, and died when He died, can we begin to learn how we have risen also
with Christ; and 'get to know the power of His resurrection'.
How few of us
know what this 'power' is, as it takes us out of the old creation and sets us
in the new creation, where 'all things are of God' (2 Cor. 5:17).
This
then is our object, to get to know all that Christ is made unto us in
resurrection power.
How startling must these words have been as they fell
upon the ears of Greeks (for this is the first city Paul set his foot in in
Europe). They had been brought up on this great motto of Solon, the wisest of
the seven wise men of Greece. His motto was supposed by them to embody in
itself the essence of all wisdom; and it consisted of only two words, which
were carved over the entrance to the schools and colleges of Greece:
"KNOW THYSELF".
But yet, how foolish are those words. For how can one
know anything of himself by considering himself? If he looks at others, then he
can see how different he is from them; and how much better or worse he may be
than they. But it is only when we can compare ourself with Christ, who is the
wisdom and glory of God, that we learn what we really are; and how far short we
come of that glory (Romans 3:23). It is only as we see ourselves in 'the
Balance of the Sanctuary', or by the side of the plumb-line of that Perfection,
that we see, and get to know, our absolutely lost and ruined condition. Hence
this new motto was thundered from heaven into the ears of those who sought to
know themselves: 'THAT I MAY GET TO KNOW HIM'.
Yes; this is our one
object. This is it that will have the mighty transforming power over our lives.
Every moment spent in seeking to know ourselves is a moment lost: and not only
lost, but used to keep us from the one thing that alone can accomplish our
object and teach ourselves. Trying to know ourselves, we not only fail in the
attempt, but we cease to learn Christ, which alone teaches us to know
ourselves.
And yet, how many are spending their lives in this vain
search? running hither and thither to hear this man and that man. And, being
constantly directed to this self-occupation, self-surrender, and
self-examination, they are lead into trouble; or, into a joy which last only
while the excitement is kept up.
Oh! to be occupied with Christ; to have Him
for our object; and His resurrection power for our lives. This we shall have;
and have increasingly as we get to know Christ.
Again. What was it that led
the heathen world into all its darkness, corruption, and sin? Just this: 'they
did not like to retain God in their knowledge. Professing themselves to be
wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into
the likeness of corruptible man' (Romans 1:22,28).
Like people to-day who,
ignorant of God as He has revealed Himself in His Word, make their god, some
with their own hands, or out of their own heads vainly imagining He is what
they think he is, and worshipping like the heathen, 'the unknown God', such an
one as themselves.
What was it that led Israel astray and bought upon
them all their sorrows and sufferings? Isaiah opens with the Divine indictment,
which gathers up in the briefest form the one great cause which lay at the root
of all : ' The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib :
but
Israel doth NOT KNOW, My People doth not consider' (Isa. 1:3).
See how the
Lord confirms this in Luke 19:42-44, as He weeps over Jerusalem. All is summed
up in the opening words: 'IF THOU HADST ONLY KNOWN! even thou, at least in this
thy day, the things that belong unto thy peace'. And then turning to the reason
for that judgement, He adds: 'Because thou KNEWEST NOT the day of thy
visitation'.
And what is to be the acme of Israel's glory in the day of
her restoration? Ah! then it shall come to past that 'they shall no more teach
his neighbour saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all KNOW ME, from the least
of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD' (Jer. 31:34).
And
what shall be Creation's glory; and the peace and joy of the whole earth? This
sums up all :
' The earth shall be full of the KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, As the
waters cover the sea' (Isa. 11:9).
And what is the secret of our being able
to glory in our Lord, and to enjoy His blessing in this day of our visitation?
It is given in Jer. 9:23,24 :
' Let not the wise man glory in his
wisdom
Neither let the mighty man glory in his might,
Let not the rich
man glory in his riches:
But let him that glorieth, glory in this,
THAT
HE UNDERSTANDETH AND KNOWETH ME.'
We are thus brought round, and brought
back to the one great duty, which should henceforth absorb our hearts and mind,
and fill our days and years; viz., to be instance in our study of the Word of
God, which is given to us with the one great, express, commanding purpose - the
revelation of Himself, in order that we may :
GET TO KNOW HIM.