Let us turn to the third part of the subject, that obedience is the order of special gift. We have here direct and topical instruction of scripture on the subject in John 15. Of the principle of it we have an illustrious instance in Sampson and his history. There was one separated to God, sanctified for the Lord, and therefore put into the order of defined obedience: his hair was not to be cut. While the commandment and precept was observed, his strength was with him. There might have seemed little connection between long or uncut hair, and all-overcoming strength; but God was in it: and an obeyed, honored God is a God of strength. It was God's strength, and given to one so definitely recognizing Him: it was a gift hanging as to its retention on obedience, consistency with the undertaken vow of separateness unto God. This secret betrayed to the world—the corrupting influence which had wound round the deceived Nazarite, his locks were cut by one nominally his friend, and associate of the God-devoted man; in truth, the sure ally of the Philistines, and suited instrument of Satan's power. Once shorn of his strength, and in the Philistines' hands, his eyes are put out; and if in any sort he regains his strength, it is blindly to destroy himself with his enemies. That which I insist on here, however, is the sign of separation to obedience being the order and hinge of the possession of the given strength, the presence or absence of the one depending on the presence or absence of the other, however unconscious the unhappy victim was of the strength of others thereupon against him a sorrowful yet instructive history to our weak and wayward will.
But I have referred to John 15 as direct instruction upon the subject; and it is most exact as to it. The Lord had stated the truth as to personal blessing, the special gift of His manifested presence, as contrasted with the world in John 14. “He that hath My commandments” (how different from a tradition we have not got!) “and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me; and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself unto him.” Here the broad principle of general blessing is laid down, and we may observe what is most important in it—"he that hath My commandments.”
Let us turn to chap 15:4. “Abide in Me, and I in you; as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the Vine, no more can ye except ye abide in Me.” This is practical abiding, or it could not be a command; abiding in Christ as the true Vine, not in anything else; as for the vine of the earth, its grapes shall be cast into the winepress of wrath. Again, ver. 7, “If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you;” and in ver. 10, “If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love:” that love from which all the gift and blessing grow, “even as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.” Would the church presumptuously assume a higher prerogative of the sureness of the Father's love than the Lord Himself, who says as to the order of its continuance, “As I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love”? Can anything be more definite and clear that the ground of assumption of blessing, the continuance of gift or blessing, is continuance in the words of Christ, of His words in the church? The assertion of it is not more clear than the ground of it is most plain and intelligible—the holy commandment. God's power, His glory, would otherwise serve as the sanction of unrighteousness. So in ver. 14 (stating the ground on which the communications of His mind, special revelations, would rest), He says, “Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” Nothing can be more definite, nothing more certain, than its thrice repeated accuracy of assertion.
The order of God to Christians is, not obedience upon blessing, but blessing on obedience; not to wait for blessing in order to obey, but to act on the command, and the blessing follows. And this is faith. There would be no faith if the blessing came first. Even Christ obeyed before He had the blessing, speaking of Him as the self-humbled man. So we are justified, and in our obedience are the consequent blessings: “to him that hath shall more be given.” It is the business of spirituality to ascertain His will, to be in our measure of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. “Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business?” If it be said, Yes, but the church had to wait for the presence of the Spirit, before it could do anything, I answer, True, before, (properly speaking) it was a church, but when the Spirit was received, all that was so dictated became the subject-matter for obedience of all who were under the influence of the Spirit thenceforward; and it was denying the Spirit to say that we must wait for the Spirit to obey what the Spirit has taught. It was mocking the Spirit. The Spirit of God had revealed it, and spirituality of mind would discern; the holy purport of the thing would surely do so, and act on it according to the power given, waiting for all other gift. Such is the necessary consequence of spirituality, and anything else is only denying the Spirit, not waiting for it. He that is spiritual, says the apostle, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. And if so, what then? They are to be obeyed, as the occasion and skill of obedience arises. Used in obedience, the gifts certainly were to be received in it also, for we are sanctified to obedience. The church is sanctified unto obedience, becomes by conversion obedient that is the thing done with it in time. The man turned to obey God instead of doing his own will. “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” And it receives blessing, it walks in obedience—the obedience of love, and continues to receive a blessing; it disobeys and receives judgment, only for the long-suffering waiting upon its rebelliousness. (Continued from p. 204.)