In the Lord’s teaching, in Luke 12, He sets the consciences of His disciples directly in the light of the judgment-seat. “I say unto you, My friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him, which after He hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him” (Luke 12:4-54And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. (Luke 12:4‑5)). “The fear of man bringeth a snare” (Prov. 29:2525The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. (Proverbs 29:25)) and is closely connected with “the leaven of the Pharisees.” But “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 9:1010The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)) and causes a man always so to carry himself as if he were in the full light of Christ’s judgment-seat. This would impart immense dignity and elevation to the character, while it would effectually nip, in the earliest bud, the spirit of haughty independence, by keeping the soul under the searching power of divine light. The effect of divine light is to make everything and everyone manifest. There is nothing which so tends to rob the disciple of Christ of the proper dignity of his discipleship as walking before the eyes or the thoughts of men. So long as we are doing so, we cannot be unshackled followers of our heavenly Master. Moreover, the evil of walking before men is morally allied with the evil of seeking to hide our ways from God. Both partake of “the leaven of the Pharisees,” and both will find their proper place before the judgment-seat. Why should we fear men? Why should we regard their opinions? If their opinions will not bear to be tried in the presence of the One who has power to cast into hell, they are worth nothing, for it is with Him we have to do. Paul could say, “With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment” (1 Cor. 4:33But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. (1 Corinthians 4:3)). Man may have a judgment-seat now, but he will not have it then. He may set up his tribunal in time, but he will have no tribunal in eternity. Why, therefore, should we shape our way in reference to a tribunal so frail and evanescent? Oh! let us challenge our hearts as to this. God grant us grace to act now in reference to then — to carry ourselves here with our eye on hereafter; to look at time in the light of eternity.
Confidence
“If I thus rise above human thoughts and human opinions, how shall I get on in a scene where those very thoughts and opinions prevail?” This is a very natural question, but it meets its full answer from the Master’s lips. It would even seem as though He had graciously anticipated this rising element of unbelief, when, having carried His disciples above the hazy mists of time and set them in the clear, searching, powerful light of eternity, He added, “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:6-76Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? 7But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. (Luke 12:6‑7)). Here the heart is taught not only to fear God, but also to confide in Him; it is not only warned, but also tranquilized. “Fear” and “fear not” may seem a paradox to flesh and blood, but to faith it is no paradox. The man who fears God most will fear circumstances least. The man of faith is, at once, the most dependent and independent man in the world: dependent upon God; independent of circumstances. The latter is the consequence of the former; real dependence produces real independence.
The Father’s Care
And mark the ground of the believer’s peace. The One who has power to cast into hell, the only One whom he is to fear, has actually taken the trouble to count the hairs of his head. He surely has not taken this trouble for the purpose of letting him perish either here or hereafter. By no means. The minuteness of our Father’s care should silence every doubt that might arise in our hearts. There is nothing too small, and there can be nothing too great for Him. The countless orbs that move through infinite space and a falling sparrow are alike to Him. His infinite mind can take in, with equal facility, the course of everlasting ages and the hairs of our head. This is the stable foundation on which Christ founds His “fear not” and “take no thought.” We frequently fail in the practical application of this divine principle. We may admire it as a principle, but it is only in the application of it that its real beauty is seen or felt.
Liberty of Testimony
Now, we find, in this Scripture before us, that bold and uncompromising testimony for Christ is connected with this holy elevation above men’s thoughts and this calm reliance upon our Father’s minute and tender care. If my heart is lifted above the influence of the fear of man and sweetly tranquilized by the assurance that God takes account of the hairs of my head, then I am in a condition of soul to confess Christ before men (see vss. 8-10). Nor need I be careful as to the result of this confession, for so long as God wants me here, He will maintain me here. “When they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: for the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say” (vss. 11-12). The only proper ground of testimony for Christ is to be fully delivered from human influence and established in unqualified confidence in God. So far as I am influenced by or a debtor to men, so far am I disqualified for being a servant of Christ, but I can be effectually delivered from human influence only by a lively faith in God. When God fills the heart, there is no room for the creature, and we may be perfectly sure of this, that no man has ever taken the trouble to count the hairs of our head. We have not likely taken that trouble ourselves, but God has, and therefore I can trust God more than anyone. God is perfectly sufficient for every exigency, great or small, and we only need to trust Him to know that He is. True, He may and does use men as instruments, but if we lean on men instead of God, we bring down a curse upon us, for it is written, “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord” (Jer. 17:55Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. (Jeremiah 17:5)). The Lord used the ravens to feed Elijah, but Elijah never thought of trusting in the ravens. Thus it should always be. Faith leans on God, counts on Him, clings to Him, trusts in Him, waits for Him, ever leaves a clear stage for Him to act on. It does not obstruct His glorious path by any creature-confidence, but allows Him to display Himself in all the glorious reality of what He is, leaving everything to Him. Moreover, if it gets into deep and rough waters, it will always be seen upon the crest of the loftiest billow, and from thence gazing in perfect repose upon God and His powerful actions. Such is faith — that precious principle — the only thing in this world that gives God and man their respective places.
C. H. Mackintosh (adapted)