 |  |
"And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works,
yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy
and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight."
These thoughts lead on to the affirmation that the believer is united with Christ
(Colossians 2: 10-13), and this in turn to the exhortation of chapter 3: 1-5. Here is the
underlying secret of the worthy walk, and of the knowledge of the will of God:
"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ
sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection (or mind) on things above, not on
things on the earth."
Not until these `doctrinal' matters have been dealt with, as being a part of the worthy
walk, does Paul then outline the `practical' instructions. These are very largely a
restatement of the similar instructions given in the epistle to the Ephesians. For this high
calling, for this glorious Lord and Head, the worthy walk in its `practical' aspects is to
live an ordinary life on earth but `as unto the Lord, and not unto men', with the mind `set'
on things above, on Christ Himself at the right hand of all authority and power and glory.
May we not thus say: This is the will of God concerning you?
No.11.
Summary.
pp. 71 - 73
As we conclude this series of articles on the Will of God, we would re-affirm what we
said at the commencement. This subject is by no means easy. We have sought to deal
with it comprehensively, though not exhaustively. We trust we have been able to cover
the important points which we now purpose to summarize, but in so doing we would
emphasize that it is not possible to lay down certain principles which if applied will
reveal God's will in any given circumstance. The only sure advice which can be given is
to have a right relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself; this we believe will be
made clear, if the previous articles have failed to do so, in the summary which follows.
In the first of this series we thought of Rom. 12: 1, 2, where the key-thought is to
`yield yourselves a living sacrifice', by no means a popular thought nowadays. The
unpopularity arises out of forgetfulness and neglect; forgetfulness of the `mercies of
God' to which Paul draws attention in this very Scripture as the ground of his appeal, and
neglect of the `glory' which always accompanies thoughts of sacrifice and suffering in
Scripture. It is at least hinted at in Rom. 12: 1, 2 `be ye transformed by the renewing of
your mind', where the word `transformed' is the same one translated `transfigured' in the
accounts of the Transfiguration of the Lord. The Lord, when speaking to the disciples of
His death, always went on to speak of His resurrection, e.g., Matt. 16: 21,
"From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto His disciples, how that He must go
unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be
killed, and be raised again the third day."