Walk Worthy
Table of Contents
Walk Worthy: Part 1
IT is interesting and instructive to note the three distinct ways in which the Apostle Paul presses upon Christians that they should " walk worthy " of their christian. position.
In Eph. 4:1 They are to " walk worthy of the vocation with which ye are called."
In Col. 1:10 they are to " walk worthy of the Lord unto all well pleasing."
In 1 Thessalonians H. 12 They are to " walk worthy 'of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
On the surface it is plain that the object put before the mind, with reference to which the walk is to be worthy, is different in each case, and it is of great moment to mark this difference.
In the first case it is the " habitation of God through the Spirit " that is in view. This is plainly seen if the fact that chapter 3. is a parenthesis be noted, and thus, that the exhortation, with which chapter iv. commences, is connected with the last verse of chapter 2. In this verse Paul tells the Ephesian saints that they, with other believers, " are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit"-or "God in Spirit." Sovereign grace had called them into this blessed, yet solemn, position, they were to walk worthy of it and all it involved. Now while, doubtless, other things enter into this "calling," yet the great fact, that is here put prominently before the mind, is that all Christians form together the house of God on earth-that aspect of the church, of which Paul, in writing to his son Timothy, says, " That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." (1 Tim. 3:15.)
What we have then specially to notice here is, that it is as worthy of God's house, which in. fact they form, Christians are exhorted to walk; and thus, while all the range of blessing and responsibility in which saints stand in this present dispensation are in question, the eye is directed inwards to God Himself; and seeing that it is the Holy Ghost who actually dwells in the house, He gets special prominence before our minds in this first " walk worthy," and in two ways. On the one side we are in relation with Him as God dwelling in the midst of believers; on the other, as the One who forms and maintains the unity into which they have been introduced. In order then to walk worthy of the calling with which we have been called, we have primarily to walk in what is suited to God Himself, in His nature and ways, and hence it is that " all lowliness and meekness " are the first things requisite; just how Jesus walked-" meek and lowly in heart," as we read in Matt. 11 The foot that falls worthy of God in His own house must be a meek and lowly one; and, whatever we may think, we are not walking worthy of our vocation, and really maintaining the truth of the church, unless the lowliness and meekness that characterized Jesus before God is characterizing us.
This is the first grand essential in our walk at all times, and without it we are walking unworthily; God Himself is not before the mind, for if truly before Him we must be meek and lowly, and to talk of walking worthily with others while the first essentials of all godly walk are wanting is folly and worse, for it is the evidence of hardness of heart and want of conscience. Moreover, the second part of this walk-" with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavor- ing to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace "-is impossible if " lowliness and meekness " before God be not there, for unless we are walking right with God, we cannot walk rightly with one another. But if in " lowliness and meekness " we are walking with God, what God is in His nature and ways towards ourselves. will be found in us towards others. God's character, in long-suffering and forbearing love, will be expressed through us; and, with this, there will be the true endeavor " to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." The blessed and holy ways of God must be found in our own hearts before Him in secret before they can flow out of us in our walk with others; and, especially for those who would lead others, it is well to remember that of Him, who " made known his ways unto Moses, and his acts unto the children of Israel," it is said, " the meek will he guide in judgment, and the meek will he teach
his ways. 5)
C. w.
(To be continued, the Lord willing.)
Walk Worthy: Part 2
IN the second case in which the believer is exhorted to " walk worthy," it is the Lord Himself that is brought exclusively before the mind. In walking worthy of our vocation in Ephesians it is, as we have seen, the position in which we are set before God in a corporate relation with others that is in question. Lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, and forbearing in love, have others in view, as those with whom we have to walk in a way becoming the relations in which we stand to God as His house. Here, in Colossians, others have no place, it is our individual walk with the Lord, in a world that is opposed to Him, that alone engages the attention; we are to " walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing." It is the path that Enoch trod, who, before he was translated, had this testimony " that he pleased God;" and above all it is
the path of Him, who, in His own personal perfectness could say, as to His Father, " I do always those things that please him."
If there be not another Christian in the world, I am to " walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing." This is very precious, and throws out into relief, what it is of all-importance ever to bear in mind, that whatever the corporate relations of saints, their first and commanding obligation is to walk individually with the Lord in all that is pleasing to Him. The depth and gravity of this " walk worthy," as compared with the one we have already considered, is, we think, strikingly apparent in the way it occupied the apostle's mind.
In connection with the former he expresses the earnestness of his own feelings in the form of an exhortation to saints, but here his heart refers itself to God for them, and this he tells out in language of great force and beauty. " We do not cease," says he, " to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing." And not only have we prayer instead of exhortation, but the requisites for the walk here are very different from those for the other.
The gracious dispositions of the soul-lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another in love-that are essential for our worthy walk with other saints are not directly in question here. To walk worthy, or becomingly, of the Lord unto all pleasing, requires that we should first be filled with the knowledge of His will, and that not as a law outside of us that we strive after, but as that which intelligently fills us inwardly, so that every thought and feeling is prompted by His will made known to us by His Spirit that dwells in us. The wisdom and understanding of the believer are formed by the will of God, known and delighted in by the affections, so that it is the only spring of thought and action.
This was perfect in Jesus-" I delight to do thy will, 0 my God: yea, thy law is within my heart." Out of this flowed the practical expression of the divine and heavenly life He lived as a man on earth in which all was pleasing to God. He walked here in entire dependence on God or in perfect obedience to His will.
It is into this practical path, in which the character of God is expressed in all the Christian does and says -where all is suited to, or " worthy " of Him, that the apostle prays that saints may enter. That they might so walk, they must know what is suited to the Lord-be filled with the knowledge of His will: and walking in accordance with it, all they did would be well pleasing to Him.
Such is the high and holy walk that alone becomes the believer in Christ. It was the path in which the apostle himself walked, and which he expresses as to himself in these words, " therefore we labor, that whether present or absent we may be well pleasing to him." Oh, that our unceasing prayer, for ourselves as well as for all saints, be that we may all " walk worthy of the Lord."—c. w.
(To be continued, the Lord willing.)
Walk Worthy: Part 3
IN the third instance in which the believer has to " walk worthy," it is " God, who calls us to his kingdom and glory, that comes before the soul, supplying a motive to the heart for our walk, by what His grace is bringing us into. It is not said we are to walk worthy simply of God Himself, as this would be but a repetition of the -truth of Colossians, nor is it exactly that we are to walk worthy of the kingdom and glory, as this would give too great a prominence to the position itself, but of God, as associating us with Himself in what He is about to establish for His own glory. When God displays Himself in His power and glory, He will have us with Him in that display.
Such was the wondrous and mighty, yet touching, motive that Paul, as a father, brought to bear upon the Thessalonian saints, to form their walk in this world while waiting for God's Son from heaven.
Here again we must note, that it is the individual walk of the saint that is in question. Each one having his own place in God's kingdom and glory, the walk of each, irrespective of others, is to be suited to God according to the exalted position His grace is bringing His people into.
The appeal of God to our hearts (for it is His appeal through His servant Paul) is most affecting. As of old, God could say as to His earthly people Israel, " what could I have done more to my vineyard than I have done?" so surely He may appeal to us in deeper tones and say, " What more can I give you than I have given you-in My own kingdom and glory I will have you with Myself to share all I possess with the Son of My love? And now while down in this world, where all is away from Me and dishonors Him, I want you to walk in a manner suited to the grace and dignity I am conferring on you."
As a motive for our walk, second only to the cross itself, that infinite revelation of His love, and foundation of all our blessing, which lies behind us, and which has saved us and started us on our way to heaven, is the revelation of the glory we are going on to. Nor is it merely glory, God Himself awaits us in that glory: He " calls us to His own kingdom and glory."
What a difference it would make to us in every way if that "kingdom and glory" were ever before our eyes as the near future of our pilgrimages How would the vanities of this world lose their power over us in view of the exalted position we are about to occupy! Satan is the god and prince of this world, and the kingdoms of this world and the glory of them are all at his disposal, and to have any place or portion here we must take it from his hand and have it in association with him. A terrible thought, but is it not a true one?
All our portion, as believers, is in that future world, and there God has all the power and glory, but we must " walk worthy" of Him in this present world. What is suited to Him, as those who are to share with Him that future power and glory, must have its display in us now; Heaven will afford no opportunity of a worthy walk.
By grace, let us make those of this world know that none of the motives that govern their hearts and control their actions govern or control ours. Thus only will it be manifest that we " walk worthy of him who calls us to his own kingdom and glory." But this alone is possible to us as we humbly follow and rely on Him who has trodden the path before us. As he did, we must meet Satan and all his seductions, as dependent and obedient ones, with the word, " It is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve;' and we must let the world find in us what it found in Him who could say, " that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave me commandment, so I do." c. w.
(Concluded from page 75.)
LETTERS AND EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS OF J. N. D. ON SUBJECTS OF GENERAL INTEREST.
BELOVED BROTHER, The ground taken by your dear son.... is not, I think, a happy one. What I mean is this. It is not exercise of conscience for himself, but reasoning for others; and finding a defect of argument, or a supposed defect, the ground of putting them in the wrong, and even sheaving them on their own principles they ought to go further. This is argument, not conscience and thought for Christ's glory. Supposing that it proves that they ought to go further and that they are inconsistent, let them go further, it has nothing to do with its being right or not, but whether A. B. is consistent or not.
In many cases I judge that they are inconsistent. I should make a difference between misleaders and misled for the Lord's table sake, but they must not have a false flag-false to Christ. But in my personal conduct, though I could not have communion in religious things as. members of the same body, true christian kindness would seek to make them feel their false position. Yet I should make a great difference between such and those who, untrue to Christ, sought to pervert-" Of some have compassion, and others save with fear." I see Satan's work, and would fain deliver. Satan's instruments are a horror to me, though even they may be delivered. If there is bona fide ignorance of facts-not willful, for some refuse to know to save the trouble of having their consciences exercised-and they are not true to Christ (and bond fide ignorance is more rare than is imagined), their conscience is not bad. If they had been connected in ignorance with meetings, I should inquire and see if they were so on principle. If so, they are also false to Christ, they accept Christ and Belial going together. If they say no, and if that be so, I should not walk with them on any account, but I should not refuse them, only warning them that we knew they were so, and could not have communion with gatherings which were thus loose, and if they went back after warning, the case would be altered. Ignorance, where they have never had to say to Bethesda and her followers, is sufficient to preclude all further question; but ignorance alleged, when they have been connected with such gatherings, is saying that they do not know on what principle they were gathered, which may be, but which is strange; and at any rate they imbibe the spirit and tone of looseness, which is exactly opposite to all the scriptural directions for the last days.
All that is said of " ad infinitum" is only the repetition of what we have too often heard, and has no real sense the moment the church is known to be one. The question is, Does a person come from a place which, has identified itself with the refusal to judge evil? It little matters to me how many steps a person is from the first in the country who had the typhus fever; five or fifty are all alike if a man has got it. Evil is judged as evil wherever it is, and this argument is simply the denial of the church and the unity of the body. If a gathering accept the fellowship of those (one or fifty) who have refused to maintain the glory of Christ, it is contaminated as such would have left..; would he have gone to or to both in communion with Bethesda, and receiving from it, yea, because they were of it, and whose members went there? This was the real case we had.
When there was intercommunion, there was moral identity, cases of bona fide ignorance excepted. They have turned to independency to avoid the evident consequences themselves, as I stated to you in a former letter; they have found this evil and are now willing to exclude heresies, but I hear nothing of unity, so that there is no guarantee for what others may do, or security, so that gatherings may be owned. If they are faithful and honest in this (in excluding heresies) the reason for excluding persons belonging to them might fail, but the gathering itself denies unity and its responsibility as to other gatherings, nor is there honest confession. They would not be bound by a discipline common to all. Each person would have to be received by brethren individually; belonging to a gathering thus faithful would not of itself be a ground of exclusion; their connection with others remaining to be inquired into. Only where they have been in communion with and those associated with it, one has a right and a duty to ask if they have given it up. If they refuse to say, they are not honest and have not done so. They maintain this unholy liberty to do evil, and have not judged evil in themselves.
The making a difference between misleaders and misled, has nothing to do with its being a question of Christ and of principle.
All this reasoning is very sad. It tastes of ... . and those who sustain it. In this country ... . we have acted on the principle of refusing those belonging to bodies who allowed heresies, having nothing to do with ... . but denying the immortality of the soul; and the results have been blessing. And the state of things around us every way confirmed us in the need of faithfulness. I shall own no gathering once in connection ... . with and its supporters, which has not given it up. Nothing more simple, they are indeed formally inside the camp. I have already spoken of cases of ignorance, but if a person deliberately chose to continue in connection with loose principles, I could not own him; he has not a pure heart in his worship, and it is a mercy to himself that he should learn it. It soon comes out distinctly if there is faithfulness.
One of the most striking things in my late labors in the United States has been that everywhere, by being faithful and holding the word, persons esteemed and active in union prayer meetings and the like have professed themselves infidels. Socinians, deniers of the immortality of the soul, of the inspiration of the word of God and the like. They were strange and trying scenes, but useful; but I felt I had the immense comfort of having only to bring forward scripture. It had not got so far in the loose gatherings everywhere, but it had got very far indeed; only many have been frightened, but those of the loose gatherings who came to this country, are in full fellowship with this state of things-lead the meetings, &c. They have gone back into the camp just when the saints are being called out of it. I know one of the nicest of them boasting that he had succeeded in contaminating a young saint, so that now he could not be received among us; the latter is now grown worldly and flourishing in the religious world.
I seek to separate to Christ from evil; they will not. I never heard an argument which was not for more or less tolerating evil; where forced, they would leave it where it discredited them, but retain as much liberty as they could under the plea of charity. Such a person's conscience is not purged, he cannot but defile others if allowed.
A passage that gave me a clue on my first starting, was in that wonderful chapter, Jer. 15, " If thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth; let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them." Take the Epistles, or chapters which refer to the last days, and see if in all, separation from evil is not pressed. Patience and grace are required, but no acceptance of evil. It is Christ, it is principle, it is faithfulness and obedience to God which are in question. It is whether the church of God is bound to confess and maintain the truth with Him that is holy, Him that is true, and whether there is one church to be found upon the earth-that is the question.
If a person comes from a gathering which has been connected with ... . I am entitled and bound to ask him, "Have you broken with it?" If the person says, " No;" I ask him, How is that? He may be ignorant, though it be very rare. I say we cannot walk with that gathering because it is unfaithful. If he says, “I prefer going with as it is," he judges himself, he is unclean. I would tell him what was the principle of action, and sufficient of the facts to show him the application of the principle. If he honestly says, " If the facts are so, I would not walk with them a moment;'' I am in a great measure relieved. If he says, "I had rather wait and inquire," one has only to leave it. If he refuse to hear the facts or be informed, he has a bad conscience, he prefers walking loosely to taking a little trouble for Christ's glory, his heart is unsound, as a man who would refuse to be examined by a priest for leprosy, he condemns himself. All this requires patience and toil of heart, but the grace of Christ is sufficient for us, and quiet firmness will meet its sure reward.
A work of Satan has been going on; alleging evil doctrine was no 311 after; people have been mixed up with it; I must know if they are clear where they have, or are accepting the evil as no matter. I do
not expect to carry on the work of the Lord without Satan seeking to throw difficulties in the way, but I do count on the blessed Lord's faithfulness to be with us, and difficulties are gain if that be the effect.
I accept the principles of grace fully, but grace which is not holiness is not God's grace, and holiness is by truth. " Sanctify them by thy truth." Thus saith " He that is holy, he that is true."
Canada, 1873. J. N. D.
MY DEAR -, I am glad. for your own sake that your tract is withdrawn; you will perhaps, ere I write, have received a letter from me; its effect I had no fear of, for the simple reason that it wholly gave up all the principles brethren meet on, and would be judged by every intelligent brother.
The ... .. brethren have done so pretty generally. I could give you, very easily, an account of all those you speak of, but feel it is better to avoid speaking of individuals. The question is not whether they are logically in precisely the same position as the blasphemers, but whether their position justifies their not being received to communion. They are not according to scripture a new lump if they acquiesce in evil in their midst-not clear of the committed sin. So jealous is the apostle as to the truth, that a simple friendly " adieu" makes a man partaker of his evil deeds; how much more a willful, determined reception of them into communion, one of the pastor's holding most of the blasphemous doctrines, and when the brethren
pretended that ... ..had changed, and acted in discipline, declared they had not, and that as far as he knew they would do the same in like case, and that he did not know a single person at who held. Mr.... for a heretic. This was Mr....'s published statement long after the matter had happened. It was the open support of blasphemy, and the breach took place by an effort on the part of neutrals to force us to go on with, as they openly stated, and I personally know. There is no such thing as members of a church local or not local in scripture, but members of Christ, a totally different idea; he speaks of foot, hand, eye, &c.; you have only to read the whole passage (1 Cor. 12) and not a shadow of doubt can remain.
Members are members of Christ, whatever may mean, but it cannot have the meaning you put upon it, as it does not apply to what they were members of. Now as regards the seven churches, they are neither the unity of the body, nor directions how to act from the Head by the apostle, but judgment by Christ on their state (I get positive directions for my conduct in 2 Timothy)-Christ's judicial estimate of the whole, and what He will do if they do not repent; and this has been used to shew we are to acquiesce in things as they are-if so, with everything and exercise no discipline at all, for none is spoken of. But it is Christ's judgment of the state of things. That is found very clearly stated elsewhere. Hence it is commonly taken, and I doubt not partly for a history of the church at large, to the end of Popery, and the end of Protestantism. Your use of it would go to allow all evil in an assembly, fornication, communion with idols, and all else; and so it has been used. As 10 "ad infinitum" it is a mere bugbear; whatever associates itself with evil, be it three or three thousand or three millions, is on the same ground. If I associate myself with a principle of action, what matter how many assemblies are engaged in it, if they are so Besides, it is a denial of the unity of the body. I know of so many assemblies; discipline in one is discipline in all, and the denial of this skews plainly enough where you have all got. This is the whole question. is partaker thus in the guilt in question, if another gathering is in communion with it, receives from it as it is, goes to it, they are one; if fifty do it, they are one. I cannot own them as assemblies of God as a guarantee for integrity in one coming from them. I can make a difference between misleaders and misled, and allow for ignorance, but that is not the question. I sigh over those ensnared by the unfaithfulness of others, but I find them soon corrupted in principle. I have seen none where integrity has not suffered by having to say to it. Mr ... . urging reconciliation writes a pamphlet blaming us, and told me that Mr—-was a decided heretic and ought to have been put out; and when I said, " Why then do you blame me for not going there, when he was not put out?" I do not blame you at all," he replied, and then goes on to do his best to condemn us I I sigh over ensnared ones, but I am sick of this falseness which characterizes all that are in it. says Popery is all wrong, and stays in it. Episcopal and Presbyterian ministers say the state of things is all wrong, and stay in it. This is a system destructive to conscience, and the habit of excusing evil is ruinous to the soul. " Holy," " true," (Rev. 3:7) I find characterizes Christ in His relationship to the church. He approves to the end. The whole question is, Is the church of God to maintain the truth in unity? My experience of the opposite system in the States, in all shapes, has made me firmer than ever in the path of what is called exclusiveness-exclusion of false doctrine and false practice. in contrast to protecting and excusing it.
Yours affectionately in the Lord.
J. N. D.
I do not, the least, confine discipline to the table; where persony, deliberately take up the loose principle, I have nothing to say to them in divine things anywhere-could not say grace at table with them, and am, of course, blamed for exclusiveness. Canada, 1873.