Four: The First Step Into The Blessed Life.
Four: The First Step Into The Blessed Life.
THERE IS A Christian life, which, in comparison with that experienced by the majority of Christians, is as summer to winter, or as the mature fruitfulness of a golden autumn to the struggling promise of a cold and late spring. It is such a life as Caleb might have lived in Hebron, the city of fellowship; or the Apostle John was living when he wrote his epistles. It may be fitly termed the Blessed Life.
And the Blessedness of the Blessed Life lies in this: that we trust the Lord to do in us and for us what we could not do; and we find that He does not belie His word, but that, according to our faith, so it is done to us. The weary spirit, which has vainly sought to realize its ideal by its own strivings and efforts, now gives itself over to the strong and tender hands of the Lord Jesus; and He accepts the task, and at once begins to work in it to will and to do of His own good pleasure, delivering it from the tyranny of beseting sin, and fulfilling in it His own perfect ideal.
This Blessed Life should be the normal life of every Christian; in work and rest; in the building-up of the inner life, and in the working-out of the life-plan. It is God's thought not for a few, but for all His children. The youngest and weakest may lay claim to it, equally with the strongest and oldest. We should step into it at the moment of conversion, without wandering with blistered feet for forty years in the desert, or lying for thirty-eight years with disappointed hopes in the porch of the House of Mercy.
But since many have long ago passed the moment of conversion, without entering the Blessed Life, it may be well to show clearly what the first step must be, to take us within its golden circle. Better take it late than never.
The first step into the Blessed Life is contained in the one word,
CONSECRATION.
It is enforced by the significant exhortation of the Apostle: "Yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." (Romans vi: 13.)
It is not enough to give our time, or energy, or money. Many will gladly give anything, rather than themselves. None of these will be accounted as a sufficient substitute by Him who gave, not only His possessions, but His very Self for us. As the Lord Jesus was all for us, He asks that we should be all for Him-body, soul and spirit; one reasonable service and gift.
That Consecration is the stepping-stone to Blessedness, is clearly established in the experience of God's children. For instance, Frances Ridley Havergal has left us this record: "It was on Advent Sunday, December, 1873, that I first saw clearly the blessedness of true consecration. I saw it as a flash of electric light, and what you see you can never unsee. There must be full surrender before there can be full Blessedness. God admits you by the one into the other. First I was shown that the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleaseth from all sin; and then it was made plain to me that He who had thus cleansed me, had power to keep me clean; so I utterly yielded myself to Him and utterly trusted Him to keep me."
The seraphic Whitfield, the brothers Wesley, the great Welsh preacher Christmas Evans, the French pastor Oberlin, and many more, have given the same testimony. And in their mouths surely this truth may be regarded as established, that we must pass through Gilgal to the Land of Rest; and that the strait gate of Consecration alone leads into the Blessed Life.
I.-THE GROUND OF CONSECRATION IS IN THE GREAT SCRIPTURE STATEMENT THAT WE ARE CHRIST'S.
There is a two-fold ground of proprietorship. We are His by Purchase. "Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price." Step into that slave-market where men and women are waiting like chattels to be bought. Yonder comes a wealthy planter, who, after due examination, lays down his money for a number of men and women to stock his estate. From that moment, those persons are absolutely his property, as much so as his cattle or his sheep. All they possess, all they may earn, is absolutely his. So, the Apostles reasoned, they were Christ's; and often they began their epistles by calling themselves, "the slaves of Jesus Christ." Paul went so far as to say that he bore in his body the brand-marks of Jesus. And are not all Christians Christ's, whether they own it and live up to it, or not, because He purchased them by His most precious blood?
We are His also by Deed of Gift. The Father has given to the Son all who shall come to Him. If ever you have come, or shall come, to Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you show that you have been included in that wonderful donation, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me ; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." (John vi: 37.) And is it likely that the Father gave only a part of us? Nay, as utterly as He gave His Son for us, so hath He given us to His Son. And our Lord Jesus thinks much of that solemn transaction, though we, alas! often live as if it had never taken place, and were free to live as we pleased.
2.-THE ACT OF CONSECRATION IS TO RECOGNIZE CHRIST'S OWNERSHIP; AND TO ACCEPT IT; AND TO SAY TO HIM, WITH THE WHOLE HEART, " LORD, I AM THINE BY RIGHT, AND I WISH TO BE THINE BY CHOICE."
Of old the mighty men of Israel were willing to swim the rivers at their flood, to come to David, their uncrowned but God-appointed King. And when they met him, they cried, "Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse." They were his because God had given them to him, but they could not rest content till they were his also by their glad choice. Why then should we not say the same to Jesus Christ? "Lord Jesus, I am Thine by right. Forgive me that I have lived so long as if I were my own. And now I gladly recognize that Thou hast a rightful claim on all I have and am. I want to live as Thine henceforth, and I do solemnly at this hour give myself to Thee. Thine in life and death. Thine absolutely and for ever."
Do not try to make a covenant with God, lest you should break it and be discouraged. But quietly fall into your right attitude as one who belongs to Christ. Take as your motto the noble confession, "Whose I am and 'Whom I serve." Breathe the grand old simple lines:
"Just as I am,-Thy love unknown
Has broken every barrier down;
Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come. "
3.-CONSECRATION IS NOT THE ACT OF OUR FEELINGS, BUT OF OUR WILL.
Do not try to feel anything. Do not try to make yourself fit or good or earnest enough for Christ. God is working in you to will, whether you feel it or not. He is giving you power, at this moment, to will and do His good pleasure. Believe this, and act upon it at once; and say, "Lord Jesus, I am willing to be Thine"; or, if you cannot say as much as that, say, "Lord Jesus, I am willing to be made willing to be Thine for evermore."
Consecration is only possible when we give up our will about everything. As soon as we come to the point of giving ourselves to God, we are almost certain to become aware of the presence of one thing, if not of more, out of harmony with His will; and whilst we feel able to surrender ourselves in all other points, here we exercise reserve. Every room and cupboard in the house, with the exception of this, thrown open to the new occupant. Every limb in the body, but one, submitted to the practised hand of the Good Physician. But that small reserve spoils the whole. To give ninety-nine parts and to withhold the hundredth undoes the whole transaction.
Jesus will have all or none. And He is wise. Who would live in a fever-stricken house, so long as one room was not exposed to disinfectants, air and sun? Who would undertake a case so long as the patient refused to submit one part of his body to examination? Who would become responsible for a bankrupt so long as one ledger was kept back? The reason that so many fail to attain the Blessed Life is that there is some one point in which they hold back from God, and concerning which they prefer to have their own way and will rather than His. In this one thing they will not yield their will and accept God's; and this one little thing mars the whole, robs them of peace, and compels them to wander in the desert.
4.--IF YOU CAN NOT GIVE ALL, ASK THE LORD JESUS TO TAKE ALL, AND ESPECIALLY THAT WHICH SEEMS SO HARD TO GIVE.
Many have been helped by hearing it put thus: Tell them to give and they shake their heads despondently. They are like the little child who told her mother that she had been trying to give Jesus her heart, but it wouldn't go. But ask them if they are willing for Him to come into their hearts and take all, and they will joyfully assent.
Tennyson says: "Our wills are ours to make them Thine." But sometimes it seems impossible to shape them out so as to match every corner and angle of the will of God. What a relief it is at such a moment to hand the will over to Christ, telling Him that we are willing to be made willing to have His will in all things, and asking him to melt our stubborn waywardness, to fashion our wills upon His anvil, and to bring us into perfect accord with Himself!
5.-WHEN WE ARE WILLING THAT THE LORD JESUS SHOULD TAKE ALL, WE MUST BELIEVE THAT HE DOES TAKE ALL.
He does not wait for us to free ourselves from evil habits, or to make ourselves good, or to feel glad and happy. His one desire is that we should put our will on His side in everything. When this is done, He instantly enters the surrendered heart and begins His blessed work of renovation and renewal. From the very moment of consecration, though it be done in much feebleness and with slender appreciation of its meaning, the spirit may begin to say with emphasis, "I am His! I am His! Glory to God, I am His!" Directly the gift is laid on the altar, the fire falls on it.
Sometimes there is a rush of holy feeling. It was so with James Brainerd Taylor, who tells: "I felt that I needed something I did not possess. I desired it, not for my benefit only, but for that of the Church and the world. I lifted up my heart that the blessing might descend. At this juncture I was delightfully conscious of giving up all to God. I was enabled in my heart to say: 'Here, Lord, take me, take my whole soul, and seal me Thine now, and Thine for ever. If Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.' Then there ensued such emotions as I never before experienced. All was calm and tranquil, and a heaven of love prevaded my soul. I had the witness of God's love to me, and of mine to Him. Shortly after I was dissolved in tears of love and gratitude to our blessed Lord, who carne as King, and took possession of my heart."
It is very delightful when such emotions are given to us; but we must not look for them, or depend on them. Our consecration may be accepted, and may excite the liveliest joy in our Saviour's heart, though we are filled with no answering ecstasy. We may know that the great transaction is done, without any glad outburst of song. We may even have to exercise faith, against feeling, as we say, many scores of times each day, "I am His." But the absence of feeling proves nothing. We must pillow our heads on the conviction that Jesus took what we gave, at the moment of our giving it, and that He will keep that which was committed to Him, against that day.
6.-IT IS WELL TO MAKE THE ACT OF CONSECRATION A DEFINITE ONE IN OUR SPIRITUAL HISTORY.
George Whitfield did it in the ordination service: "I can call heaven and earth to witness that when the bishop laid his hands upon me, I gave myself up to be a martyr for Him who hung upon the cross for me. Known unto Him are all the future events and contingences. I have thrown myself blindfolded, and without reserve, into His Almighty hands."
Christmas Evans did it as he was climbing a lonely and mountainous road toward Cader Idris: " I was weary of a cold heart toward Christ, and began to pray, and soon felt the fetters loosening. Tears flowed copiously, and I was constrained to cry out for the gracious visits of God. Thus I resigned myself to Christ, body and soul, gifts and labors, all my life, every day and every hour that remained to me; and all my cares I committed to Christ."
Stephen Grellet did in it the woods: "The woods are there of lofty and large pines, and my mind being inwardly retired before the Lord, He was pleased so to reveal His love to me, through His blessed Son, my Saviour, that my fears were removed, my wounds healed, my mourning turned into joy; and He strengthened me to offer up myself freely to Him and to His service, for my whole life."
It matters little when and how we do it; whether by speech or in writing; whether alone or in company; but we must not be content with a general desire. We must come to a definite act, at a given moment of time, when we shall gladly acknowledge and confess Christ's absolute ownership of all we are and have.
7. WHEN THE ACT OF CONSECRATION IS ONCE TRULY DONE, IT NEED NOT BE REPEATED.
We may review with thankfulness. We may add some new codicils to it. We may learn how much more was involved in it than we ever dreamed. We may find new departments of our being, constantly demanding to be included. But we can not undo, and need never repeat it; and if we fall away from it, let us go at once to our merciful High-Priest, confessing our sin, and seeking forgiveness and restoration.
S.-THE ADVANTAGES RESULTING FROM THIS ACT CAN NOT BE ENUMERATED HERE.
They pass all count. The first and best is the special filling by the Holy Ghost; and as He fills the heart, He drives before Him the evil things which had held possession there too long; just as mercury, poured into a glass of water, sinks to the bottom, expels the water, and takes its place. Directly we give ourselves to Christ, He seals us by His Spirit. Directly we present Him with a yielded nature, He begins to fill it with the Holy Ghost. Let us not try to feel that it is so; let us believe that it is so, and reckon on God's faithfulness. Others will soon see a marked difference in us, though we wist it not.
9.-ALL THAT WE HAVE TO DO IS TO MAINTAIN THIS ATTITUDE OF FULL SURRENDER, BY THE GRACE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Remember that Jesus Christ offered Himself to God, through the Eternal Spirit; and He waits to do as much for you. Ask Him to maintain you in this attitude, and to maintain this attitude in you. Use regularly the means of meditation, private prayer, and Bible study. Seek forgiveness for any failure, directly you are conscious of it; and ask to be restored. Practice the holy habit of the constant recollection of God. Do not be eager to work for God, but let God work through you. Accept everything that happens to you as being permitted, and therefore sent by the will of Him who loves you infinitely. There will roll in upon you wave on wave, tide on tide, ocean on ocean of an experience, fitly called the Blessed Life, because it is full of the Happiness of the ever-blessed God Himself.
Dear reader, will you not take this step? There will be no further difficulty about money, dress or amusements, or similar questions, which perplex some. Your heart will be filled and satisfied with the true riches. As the willing slave of Jesus Christ, you will only seek to do the will of your great and gentle Master. To spend every coin as He directs, to act as His steward, to dress so as to give Him pleasure, to spend the time only as He may approve, to do His will on earth, as it is in heaven; all this will come easy and delightful.
You are perhaps far from this at present, but it is all within your reach. Do not be afraid of Christ. He wants to take nothing from you except that which you would give up at once if you could see, as clearly as He does, the harm it is inflicting. He will ask of you nothing inconsistent with the most perfect fitness and tenderness. He will give you grace enough to perform every duty He may demand. His yoke is easy; His burden is light.
Blessed Spirit of God, by whom alone human words can be made to speak to the heart, deign to use these, to point many a longing soul to the First Step into the Blessed Life, for the exceeding Glory of the Lord Jesus, and for the sake of a dying world.