(Concluded from p. 233.)
Viewed in the light of God's truth, philanthropy is the minding the things of the flesh. Give it all the success to which it aspires, grant it all its usefulness, death ends all its efforts: to mind the things of the flesh is death. Here it is that the reality of Christianity begins, where philanthropy ends. It starts from death onto life: to mind things of the Spirit is life and peace. Hence where real Christianity as an active living energy is exhibited, it necessarily must thwart, however unobtrusive in itself, the vain and impotent effort of man to better the condition of his species by schemes of his own devising. The time may come when men will even think they are doing God service in slaying the real disciples of Christ; for these alone will appear to stand in the way of the perfection of that system, which man would fain raise as a monument of his own greatness.
It appears to me that the separation of the two great principles of the gospel, justification by Christ; and life in the Spirit—in other words, Jesus and the Resurrection—has given rise to a most unhealthy state of things; either leaving professed believers in practical ungodliness, or encouraging a morbid sentimentality, in either case justifying worldliness. The distinction between flesh and Spirit has often been held in justification of sin; the cross being gloried in only selfishly, and not realized in its moral power of crucifying the world unto us, and as our power too against the dominance of sin. On the other hand, those who have most systematically contended for the Spirit, have but owned it as a higher influence, working on the mind unto a certain indescribable sentiment called spirituality, but only tending to form an inner circle of worldliness, where the excrescences that offend reason or morality may be lopped off. But Christianity with them is mere sentiment; and when so called evangelicalism is professed, it answers, for the most part, to the stony-ground hearers. The truths of Christianity are brought to work on the natural affections, causing excitement and busy activity, but giving no peace, no victory, no stability: in time of trial on account of the word, they fall away. Now these last are most forward in schemes simply philanthropical.
Now the scriptures set before us flesh and Spirit as two distinct departments conversant with different subjects. Wide indeed is the range of flesh, all the phenomena of man's constitution, and the world around him, that which meets the eye; but it is bounded: the things which are seen are temporal, and death is their end, or at least separates us from them. On the other hand, vast is the range of the Spirit; they are things which “eye hath not seen “; all the realities revealed to faith, and opening a field for the exercise of an enlightened understanding. It is true indeed, that the works of God, and His ways in providence, will be an object of interest to the Spirit (for the spiritual man examines all things, though the flesh cannot intrude into its department, 1 Cor. 2:1414But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14)). But the difference will be, that they will be looked on as declaring the glory of God; and the flowers of the field will so much display it, that all the glory of Solomon, yea all the achievements of men, will sink into obscurity. The natural man rejoices in the works of his hands—the spiritual in the works of God. “The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein” (Psa. 111:22The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. (Psalm 111:2)).
These two departments, therefore, have their definite tendencies, death and life. Hence the great practical power of a believer to live above present things in his conversance with those of a higher range. “Live in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.” But to mind the things of the flesh is enmity against God. It is to occupy the field that He has given up to judgment—to say that we can better it, after He was rejected Who had all blessing in His hand. It is to try the miserable experiment of getting good out of those very things which crucified the Lord of glory. The friendship of the world is enmity with God. “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” All that is in the world passeth away. He alone that doeth the will of God, walking with Him in unity of object and purpose, abideth forever. Everything now is finding its place; and may the Lord's people know theirs to be, that they, being risen with Christ, may seek and mind the things above, and be content to be expectants for real and abiding good, till Christ Who is their Life shall be manifested, and then they shall be perfectly conformed to Him, the second Man, the Lord from heaven, Head of the new creation, where there shall be no more curse, or sorrow, or death.
Courtesy of BibleTruthPublishers.com. Most likely this text has not been proofread. Any suggestions for spelling or punctuation corrections would be warmly received. Please email them to: BTPmail@bibletruthpublishers.com.