How often we quote these words and relate them to one who has just commenced his walk of service to his new Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. But the power of these words needs to be constantly applied in examination of ourselves as to progress or development in the Truth. To what extent are we bringing forth fruit unto righteousness?
To walk in the Truth is to reveal “the virtues of Him Who hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.” As the “fulness of the Godhead rested bodily” in Jesus, and as he is the “Word made flesh”, therefore we see him as — “pure, peaceable, merciful, abundant in goodness and truth, fruitful in every good work.” He is to us the example we must follow, for he was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners”. We can be made “perfect in every good work to do God’s Will.”
The fellowship which we have through the Lord Jesus Christ must cause us to diligently and consistently pursue the path of Truth and righteousness (1 John 1:7). “Without holiness,” we are warned, “we shall not see the Lord.” “Be ye holy, for I am holy”, is the Divine standard that is set before us. “Followers of God as dear children” is an expression that encourages us, but also reminds us of our high responsibilities. Do we “press towards the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”?
How do we visualise our Lord? In what terms do we speak of him?
Jesus was more than the mouthpiece of God; he was all of that but more (Deut. 18:17-18, Heb. 1:3). The gracious words which proceeded from his mouth, together with his holiness of character, revealed him to be Immanuel, “God with us”. (Matt. 1:23, Jn. 14:8-12.) His message and example to us must be more than mere words; true doctrine must transform our lives, to make us “doers of the Word, not hearers only”. Jesus said, “By their fruits ye shall know them.”
We have come to a time in ecclesial life when brethren are being influenced to follow men instead of the one “leader and commander”. Do we truly uphold the words of our hymn?
“We worldly aims forsake,
The glory, fame and power;And Him our only portion make,
Our shield and tower.” (No. 77)
The brotherhood is coming to a state where its unity is being undermined by brethren who seek to engage in controversy, to provoke one another to evil speaking and evil deeds, rather than to “love and good works”. Earnest endeavours of faithful brethren are being scorned and ridiculed. Unless brethren conform to a particular line of reasoning and action, they are classified as weak or ignorant of the Truth, whilst these critics regard themselves as the pinnacle of knowledge, able alone to rightly apply the principles of justice (more often than not describing their own actions as “righteous indignation”). Such was the spirit of the Pharisees’ claims of old.
Persistent endeavours are made to use unseemly terms such as “defiled”, “cursed” and “condemned” as descriptive of our Lord Jesus Christ. The error of this attitude was concisely shown to be out of place by the article from the Christadelphian Office. But the Logos magazine, whilst pointing out that Christ was subject to “condemned nature” (a point that obviously is not in question by the Christadelphian), does not further the cause of avoiding the terms which gender strife and contention. One Logos article raises the question: “Has `The Christadelphian’ changed its teaching on this point?” The following Logos adds insult to injury by presuming that Bro. Nicholls “has not read the literature sent him” — because he has not acted in the way Logos demands. The Logos Editor further comments:
“What is surprising to us is that the Christadelphian advocates a different policy to what it preaches.”
In the present atmosphere of unrest, distrust, and evil speaking, there is an urgent need for us all to elevate our minds to higher thoughts, to lift our eyes to behold the character of our Master, and to follow his example. Let us “behold the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth”. As we thus endeavour to behold him, let us think upon Paul’s statement, “The Truth is in Jesus.” (Eph. 4:21.)
When Paul speaks of Jesus in these words, he is directing our attention to his moral qualities of character, not his declarations of doctrinal truths. We must also heed his instruction to reveal the same qualities in our lives as expressions of the Truth, derived from our one Teacher, our one “leader and commander”. We quote Bro. John Carter’s comments upon this statement:
“The words have often been misquoted. Paul does not say “the truth as it is in Jesus”. That would imply that the particular aspect of truth as revealed in Jesus was the one which they had learned, but that there are other aspects of truth revealed in other teachers. He says, ‘even as truth is in Jesus’, thereby indicating that truth is in him, and in him alone.”
“When we examine the phrase ‘the truth is in Jesus’ we can see that to learn Christ is much more than learning about him. We must know what he is in himself as is indicated by the word ‘truth’ “.
“What then is meant by ‘Truth’ exhibited in Jesus? Truth is that which is according to the facts of the case; agreement with reality; true state of things or facts; practice of speaking the truth; an established principle. It describes the fact in opposition to illusion, the genuine as against the counterfeit. It has usually an intellectual association, in connection with thought or fact. But Paul gives it a moral value. Ye did not so learn Christ as to follow the ways of the world. As truth is in Jesus, you must change your life, and discard the corrupt past mode of living. It is evident that the word in Biblical usage has a fuller meaning than is usually given to it.”
To these words we add Brother John Marshall’s contribution:
“He (Jesus) taught and lived the Gospel with a heavenly authority (forget for the moment his miracles which were made possible by the power of the Holy Spirit); his spiritual temperament was that of a ‘little child’; he exemplified the quality of this authority when he washed the disciples’ feet; he compassionately revealed it when he joined the company of publicans and sinners; and he lovingly showed it when, as the Immortalized One, he prepared, by the seashore. a breakfast for his tired and dispirited fishers.
This is living the life of heaven: having its truth, and living it with divine authority. This is bringing peace, and not strife to men; this is helping to prepare others for the kingdom and its rule, as Jesus prepared his disciples for twelve thrones.
If each one of us, as saints, expressed his authority of the heavenlies in the manner in which Jesus expressed it, we should have fewer deplorable disputes, for each would be more careful in word and deed: and if offences came we should remember that not only the disputants would be present in discussion, but other witnesses also: Jesus and the angels (Matt. 18:10, 21).”
It is easy for any one of us to point the finger at the other fellow: but let us look to our Master for the necessary guidance, that in all our ways we might rightly assess things, exercising righteous discernment based upon the true facts; and continue to develop a likeness to Jesus in word and action.
“May the God of peace make us perfect in every work to do His Will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ.”