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- Aug 9, 2012
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At the Cross there has been the greatest moral revolution that can possibly be conceived. The revolution is, that now the glory, instead of repelling (Exo 20:18-21; 1Ki 8:11; 2Ch 5:14—NC), attracts (2Co 3:18—NC); the glory is the expression of God, the thing of all others that invites you, and forms you in correspondence with itself. The Law was in the glory once; now there is a Life in the glory (the Son in a living body, i.e. “life” - Jhn 1:14—NC). Being saved by the Blood of Christ, I have the righteousness of God. But the thing that is now often sought is what suits man, not what is according to the glory of God (which is respectful-fear of God’s love under Grace, instead of frightful-fear under the Law, e.g. Heb 12:18-21—NC).
When I have to do with glory, it is now “for me to live is Christ” (Phil 1:21). I have to do, not with the Law, but with my life in glory. He is thus written on the tables of my heart, as the Law was on tables of stone. I have a terrible world to go through, and my Father desires me to know that my “life is hid with Christ” in Him (Col 3:3), and that I belong to the scene where He is.
The reason there is so little growth is that there is so little association and occupation with the Lord Jesus where He is (until there is certainty of eventually being with Him, there can be only little thought of Him and heaven, and growth in faith increases most only with regular sufficient contemplation on Him—NC). The glory invites now (grace), instead of repelling (Law), and the practical effect is, “changed into the same image” (2Co 3:18). May you retire into the secret of your heart and wait on the Father (attention to the Father as we think on the Son—NC), and think that His heart is so relieved of everything about you, that He sees you according to the Son at is right hand. Amidst all the confusion and contrariety of this scene I know how my Father feels about me.
You might read the Bible through and through from morning till night, and yet not grow: true spiritual growth springs from occupation with the Lord Jesus Himself. Look at the two disciples going to Emmaus! What a wonderful exposition of Scripture they received! It gave them light, but no more. But when they saw Himself there was formation (Luk 24:32); they were in concert with Him; they went the very same way He went. You may read Scripture, and you may get light from it but it does not take form and power unless by faith you see Him where He is; because the glory not only attracts, it forms me (the purpose of thinking on the Lord Jesus in heaven is to supply sustaining substance to our assurance of inevitability joining Him there—NC).
The Lord give to each one of us the happy sense as we retire in private with Himself, that we have our life in the brightness of the Father’s glory, to the delight of His heart, and that we have our home there. The Father gave Him to bear the judgment of our sin; many accept Him as the scapegoat, and know that their sins are borne away to the land of forgetfulness, and that truly is relief to the heart; but that is only what suits me.
It is not that which brings me into union with my Father’s heart about me. What He is thinking about is, that He has glorified the One who glorified Him; and He is my Life at the Father’s right hand. You may say, “Oh, that is too high; I have got the first (union—NC), and that is sufficient for me.” I can only answer that, if you do say so, you are not thinking of what your Father rests in.
May we have a deepening sense of with what delight of heart we can look upon the Lord Jesus and say, “It is in the brightness of my Father’s glory that I have my Life. He is before the Father there, and the Father looks at me in Him. My “life is hid with Christ in God” (Col 3:3). The more I am occupied with Him there, the more I am fashioned as to what He is, and what He was in walk down here; and thus characteristically I am being changed (“conformed” – Ro 8:29—NC) into His image here.
—J B Stoney (1814-1897)
[Note: I suspect most would agree, that regularly reading and studying the written Word provides the most effective means of contemplating the living Word. Myself, along with Word-studies, I like reading through (e.g. NT) and noting where I stopped reading last, which eliminates deciding where to read next. The point is to develop a continuous rereading, esp. of the NT because it’s where the primary Christian “instruction” and growth lies - 2Ti 3:16—NC]
When I have to do with glory, it is now “for me to live is Christ” (Phil 1:21). I have to do, not with the Law, but with my life in glory. He is thus written on the tables of my heart, as the Law was on tables of stone. I have a terrible world to go through, and my Father desires me to know that my “life is hid with Christ” in Him (Col 3:3), and that I belong to the scene where He is.
The reason there is so little growth is that there is so little association and occupation with the Lord Jesus where He is (until there is certainty of eventually being with Him, there can be only little thought of Him and heaven, and growth in faith increases most only with regular sufficient contemplation on Him—NC). The glory invites now (grace), instead of repelling (Law), and the practical effect is, “changed into the same image” (2Co 3:18). May you retire into the secret of your heart and wait on the Father (attention to the Father as we think on the Son—NC), and think that His heart is so relieved of everything about you, that He sees you according to the Son at is right hand. Amidst all the confusion and contrariety of this scene I know how my Father feels about me.
You might read the Bible through and through from morning till night, and yet not grow: true spiritual growth springs from occupation with the Lord Jesus Himself. Look at the two disciples going to Emmaus! What a wonderful exposition of Scripture they received! It gave them light, but no more. But when they saw Himself there was formation (Luk 24:32); they were in concert with Him; they went the very same way He went. You may read Scripture, and you may get light from it but it does not take form and power unless by faith you see Him where He is; because the glory not only attracts, it forms me (the purpose of thinking on the Lord Jesus in heaven is to supply sustaining substance to our assurance of inevitability joining Him there—NC).
The Lord give to each one of us the happy sense as we retire in private with Himself, that we have our life in the brightness of the Father’s glory, to the delight of His heart, and that we have our home there. The Father gave Him to bear the judgment of our sin; many accept Him as the scapegoat, and know that their sins are borne away to the land of forgetfulness, and that truly is relief to the heart; but that is only what suits me.
It is not that which brings me into union with my Father’s heart about me. What He is thinking about is, that He has glorified the One who glorified Him; and He is my Life at the Father’s right hand. You may say, “Oh, that is too high; I have got the first (union—NC), and that is sufficient for me.” I can only answer that, if you do say so, you are not thinking of what your Father rests in.
May we have a deepening sense of with what delight of heart we can look upon the Lord Jesus and say, “It is in the brightness of my Father’s glory that I have my Life. He is before the Father there, and the Father looks at me in Him. My “life is hid with Christ in God” (Col 3:3). The more I am occupied with Him there, the more I am fashioned as to what He is, and what He was in walk down here; and thus characteristically I am being changed (“conformed” – Ro 8:29—NC) into His image here.
—J B Stoney (1814-1897)
[Note: I suspect most would agree, that regularly reading and studying the written Word provides the most effective means of contemplating the living Word. Myself, along with Word-studies, I like reading through (e.g. NT) and noting where I stopped reading last, which eliminates deciding where to read next. The point is to develop a continuous rereading, esp. of the NT because it’s where the primary Christian “instruction” and growth lies - 2Ti 3:16—NC]
