1 Corinthians 1:30, 31; 2 Corinthians 1:19 - 22; Philippians 3:3, 8, 10 - 17; Philippians 1:19 - 21; Colossians 3:1 - 4, 11 (last clause)

I would like to raise the question, at the commencement, dear brethren, as to whom we are boasting in. We may even be boasting in ourselves; the Pharisees boasted in themselves, but made nothing of the rest of men. We each need to be delivered from self-boasting. There was a time when Paul boasted in himself; at that time he did not know a better man than himself; but through God's grace, all that was broken down. He was brought to say, "O wretched man that I am" (Romans 7:24). There are others who boast in men, an ever-present danger, especially with young people. We may see men as trees walking. The purpose of a meeting like this is to deliver you from all such boasting; that yourself, and every other man, should disappear from your vision, and that you should see Jesus only -- "they saw Jesus only with themselves". You have no right to boast in any mere man, least of all yourself. The word in 1 Corinthians 3:21 is "let no one boast in men". May the Lord bring that word home to us. Have done with that kind of boasting! "Who then is Apollos, and who Paul? Ministering servants through whom ye have believed, and as the Lord has given to each". They had nothing till the Lord gave them something. Therefore Paul says "neither the planter is anything, nor the waterer; but God the giver of the increase". Why let our vision be obscured by men?

As to the public position in this world, Paul says, "Far be it from me to boast save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world is

crucified to me, and I to the world". Let that be the language of our hearts! The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ proves my nothingness, and man's nothingness. So much is said about the crucifixion in the first and second chapters of 1 Corinthians; they were boasting in men and Paul says, "Is the Christ divided? has Paul been crucified for you?" Why should we be divided over men? The Church has been damaged all down the ages by being divided over men and their strong opinions. Have you realised the fact that Jesus has been crucified for you? "The word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but to us who are saved it is God's power". Salvation is based on the cross, God forbid that I should boast in anything else. "Jesus Christ and Him crucified" should deeply affect our hearts. I would invite you to look afresh at the cross of Christ, 'Behold on the cross of dishonour, a cursed and a dying Man'. Why should He have died upon the tree? "Cursed is everyone hanged upon a tree" and Christ became a curse for us. Has it entered your soul, that you deserved that public death of shame and curse, and that Jesus took your place upon the cross? Could Paul have done it? Could any man you might boast in have done it? Only Jesus could have taken your place upon the cross. We cannot measure the debt we owe Him. Anyone hanged upon a tree was a curse and was to be buried the same day. Jesus was buried the same day. Do you know He was buried for you, having become a curse for you? Have you accepted the fact that you ought to have been crucified? We all ought to have been, as rebels against God. But Jesus took our place, and it is our business to see that "our old man", who was crucified with Him, is buried. What a shame it is on us that we allow that man to be in evidence for so long. Buried the same day is the divine thought.

If we understood the benefit of the cross we should

use the language of Paul, who exulted in it; he said, "I am crucified with Christ". What could be greater grace than that I, who deserve to be crucified and to bear the curse myself, can now say "I am crucified with Christ"? The curse has been borne, the judgment is past; I can regard myself as crucified with Christ and reckon myself alive to God in Him. But, if He was my substitute on the cross, the only righteous thing on my part is to allow Him to substitute me. "No longer live I" Paul said, "but Christ lives in me". Christ was to be magnified in his body, whether in life or death. "In that I now live in flesh", he said, "I live by faith, the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me". Do you know what living by faith means? Some people think it means trusting God about their circumstances -- but faith and trust are two different things, though closely connected. In that verse "I live by faith, the faith of the Son of God" Paul meant that the Son of God displaced self in his vision. The controlling object of his life was the Son of God, who had loved him and given Himself for him. Was Paul going to live for himself any more? Not at all! "No longer live I, but Christ lives in me". Let me say that again -- faith means that the Son of God fills the vision to the exclusion of self. If a man is full of faith it means self is completely gone from before his vision, and the Son of God, and the system of glory that centres in Him, fills the vision of his soul; and on that principle he lives. Paul was justified by faith and now he says, "I live by faith". He lived on the same principle on which he was justified, and we have to learn to do this. If so we shall be able to trust God for our circumstances; but that is a secondary matter which flows out of the first, however important. The great thing is that self should be gone from our vision, displaced by the Son of God, the controlling Object of our life, so that Christ

lives in us. Beloved, do not let any man come between you and Christ; no other man was crucified for you. You have been united to the Lord and thus one Spirit, the closest link that could possibly be.

And so that brings us back to my original question -- In whom are we boasting? Let no one boast in men. Paul says "he that boasts, let him boast in the Lord". Every Christian should be a boasting man but he does not boast in himself nor does he boast in other men. He boasts in the Lord. Talk about evangelisation, if we were all boasting men, boasting in the Lord, the word of the Lord would be sounded abroad. People would say, 'there must be something in Christianity. These people are all boasting in the Lord'. And you know, the more you are full of faith, the more you will be filled with the Holy Spirit: the two things go together, because as self goes from your vision, and the Son of God fills it, the Holy Spirit fills you. The Holy Spirit cannot fill a man who is full of himself, but a man who is living by the faith of the Son of God, is the kind of man who is filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has come here to glorify God's Son, and to fill those who walk by faith in Him. So faith and the Spirit go together; and if you are filled with the Spirit you are filled with the new wine. We have spoken about abstaining from earthly wine but there is nothing like being filled with the Spirit. It was said of such. "These men are full of new wine".

Paul ends chapter one by the word, "he that boasts let him boast in the Lord". He precedes this by saying, "of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who has been made to us wisdom from God and righteousness and holiness and redemption". Have you realised that the Lord Jesus is that to you? What marvellous grace! The basis for all God's acting in grace is the cross of Christ, where He effected reconciliation. How our affections should be drawn out to Him! The apostle

felt it so much, that, at the end of this Epistle, he said, "if any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha". Think of Gethsemane, think of the cross! Are you going to let any man come between your soul and Jesus, who paid that price for you, who loved you and gave Himself for you, that He might be to you now wisdom from God? What resource you have in Him, Christ Jesus, the glorified Man; glorified in the presence of God. That is the Man that I boast in -- the glorified Man in the presence of God in whose face the glory of God is shining, and He is mine! Made mine! Made to me wisdom from God, righteousness, holiness and redemption.

It is of the greatest importance to get wisdom. Wisdom was required to meet the problems of the old order and to plan the new. Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. In and through Christ God has met every problem and, in Christ, God has the Pattern of the new creation; He is the beginning of the creation of God. God's plans centre in Christ, but in order to give effect to these plans, all the problems sin had brought in had to be met. The new creation is based on the settlement of good and evil and the basis of that settlement is the cross of Christ. At the great white throne there will be the final settlement of moral issues. Christ is the One by whom God meets every problem, and He can settle all my problems. There is not a problem I can meet with -- little though I may believe it, little though I may have appropriated Him -- yet I know from this Scripture that there is not a problem I could meet with individually or in my local meeting or in any way, that He cannot meet. And then, if it is a question of planning, God has planned in Christ and all His plans will come to pass; but then Christ is wisdom for me also in planning. I think of the young people here with life before you, if the

Lord tarries, What does the Proverbs say? "Wisdom is the principal thing". You say 'I want a good education', but that is not the principal thing; "wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding". (Proverbs 4:7 A.V.) Wisdom is available to you; Christ is made to us wisdom from God; therefore receive Christ, let Him be your all and you will not go wrong. "He leadeth in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake" (Psalm 23:3). "I (wisdom) lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment". (Proverbs 8:20 A.V.) How intricate the paths of judgment are! We have to come to a judgment about this and about that; there are problems every day; but wisdom will lead you through the labyrinth. God has, in Christ, settled the great problems of our sins and of our state, at infinite cost. He has borne the curse and the judgment -- our old man has been crucified with Him. Who could have thought of such a way of meeting them? The greatest problems were thus met in a way which required a love beyond all comprehension (wisdom and love go together) for it involved sacrifice and suffering unfathomed. But by that means, He has become our righteousness. He is made to us wisdom from God and righteousness. What is my title to glory? What right have I to enter the presence of God? Christ is my righteousness! The very Man in whose face the glory of God is shining is my righteousness, and thus my title to be there. So that, in perfect rest, I can behold the glory. That glory which would have terrified, repelled and expelled me, that very glory in the face of Jesus, I can restfully take in, because He is my righteousness.

And then it says, holiness. We have been speaking about being holy to the Lord. Well, from the divine side, the measure in which we have been set apart to God is seen in Jesus; He is our holiness or

sanctification. And then redemption. Redemption brings in the question of liabilities, and we are as clear of liabilities as He is. He is our redemption. If we understood these things, dear brethren, we should boast in the Lord 'Of Him we sing, God's blessed Son, of Him we make our boast'. Let earth, in so far as we are concerned, resound with our song to Jesus.

I go on to Colossians for a moment. If redemption is effected, the way into life is free. Redemption and life are intimately connected. Redemption deals with the liabilities resting upon us. What were they? Sins, death and the enemy's power. We have been redeemed by blood, and also by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, so as to receive and enjoy life in Christ Jesus. Not only is He made to us wisdom from God and righteousness and holiness and redemption, but He is our life; and when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we appear in glory with Him.

In the second epistle Paul refers to the Son of God (2 Corinthians 1:19). I wonder if you ever say with exultation, "we know that the Son of God has come". It is a triumphant cry because, if you believe that Jesus is the Son of God you have victory over the world. And so it says here "the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached by us among you ... did not become yea and nay, but yea is in Him". No more doubts or uncertainties, for yea is in Him. The Spirit of God would draw our attention to the risen Son of God, where He is beyond the reach of any hostile power, victorious over all. In Him is the yea, and in Him the Amen. Whatever God has promised, whatever He has covenanted, whatever He has purposed is bound to come to pass. And He has already done wonderful things for us; "He that establishes us with you in Christ". God would establish all the souls here tonight. He would establish you and

establish us with you in Christ, that you may have no more doubts, or uncertainties. Can we say that we are established in Christ? Are we really established in the fact that He is made to us wisdom from God and righteousness, holiness, redemption, and life? He that establishes us with you in Christ is God. And how does He give effect to it now? "And has anointed us". We already, as anointed, belong to the great system of glory, the true tabernacle, which the Lord has pitched, and not man. We have boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus. We have been established in the system, anointed in it, sealed as Divine property, and we have the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts, which brings in such wealth that we can offer like the princes at the altar in Numbers 7; but the altar is outside the camp. The Christian altar never has been in the camp, viewed from this standpoint. "We have an altar of which they have no right to eat who serve the tabernacle" (Hebrews 13:10). I hear much being said about Christians having a right to eat. Scripture does not say much about that. It tells us that the Corinthians were not eating the Lord's supper although they were breaking bread; they had forfeited their right because of sectarianism. Be careful you do not lose your right; be careful you do not go on breaking bread without eating the Lord's supper. Those who served the tabernacle -- the only divinely-accredited man-made system -- had no right to eat of the Christian altar. If serving the only divinely-accredited man-made system was a disqualification, what about serving man-made religious systems that have never had divine sanction at all?

The camp is made up of what is man-made, Hebrews makes that clear. It tells us that the true tabernacle was pitched by the Lord, and not man (8: 2), and was not made with hand (9: 11). It says that Christ has not entered into holy places made with hand (9: 24).

The moment I see anything man-made, I leave it; I

know it is part of the camp, whether a man-made priesthood or anything else. "Far from the camp", I want to be. I belong to a system that is divinely made and pitched and I want to get back to that and abide there. God has put me in it, He has established us with you in Christ, has anointed us, sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts; God has done it all, there is nothing of man about it! The anointing is to us an everlasting priesthood (Exodus 40:15), God has made us priests and we do not want man-made priests of any kind. And so, this Divine system, and our access to it, remains whatever happens down here, because it is established in the Son of God. "Having therefore a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God". The Son of God has come and He has passed through the heavens making a way through for us; we can go in, but our enjoyment of going in depends on our going out -- going out to Him without the camp. Going in is put first, you must have that as the lever, but if you want to be maintained in the joy of it -- go out. "Let us go forth to Him without the camp, bearing His reproach".

Some people are troubled because they say there is still some spiritual food in the camp, and many of the Lord's people are there. It does not say that God forsook the camp, but you have got to go out of it if you want Him. In Exodus, I would suppose, the manna still fell round the camp; the water from the rock still watered it; Moses, as a type of the Lord, went back into it in grace to care for the people. The Lord knows those that are His. If there is manna in the camp and some spiritual refreshment this just proves what Scripture says, "if we are unfaithful, He abides faithful" (2 Timothy 2:13). But that does not allure me into the camp. Why? Because I want Jesus Himself. Jesus suffered without the gate. The camp is nothing to me compared with Jesus. If

I want to meet Jesus, where must I go? To the tent of meeting! Those who sought the Lord went out to the tent of meeting. The primary thought of the tent of meeting is that there I meet with God, there I meet Jesus, face to face (see Exodus 33:11). I cannot have Him on such terms in the camp. And that is what I want, and may nothing rob me of it! Some of us have known intimacy with Jesus in recent times, in a way we never knew before. Our measure may be small but still we have known something of it at the Lord's supper, and I do not want to miss eating the Lord's supper. I know I could forfeit my right easily. I could still break bread every Lord's Day and yet not eat the Lord's supper. It is the Lord's presence that makes it the Lord's supper, Corinthians proves it. I do know that no company, however great their pretension, can claim the Lord's presence, week by week, because of a supposed outward 'position'. We hope and pray that there will be such conditions, week by week, that we shall continue to prove the Lord's presence in our midst in that intimacy which flows from unclouded communion with the Lord and with one another.

But, think of what God has done in establishing us in this divine system. Who is going to miss it for a man-made one? Through God's grace, I trust we never shall. The tent of meeting was outside the camp, far from the camp, and all who sought Jehovah went out to the tent of meeting. The point is, who are you boasting in? If you commence boasting in men you will get allured back into the camp; and you will be held by men there. I only want one Man -- Jesus. Let every other man go from my view. Let me be where I can have Jesus, our Beloved.

I have presented objective things; I think Philippians gives us the subjective answer, seen in a man, Paul. If we really appreciate these things as seen

objectively, our consuming desire will be to be in the gain of them practically -- it cannot be otherwise. In Philippians we see a man in untoward circumstances, who had Christ as his wisdom in a practical way and he had Christ as his righteousness, but he wanted to enter fully into it. He wanted to have a full experience in his soul, even before he got there actually, of what it was to be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness, which would be on the principle of law, but that which is by faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God through faith. If you lay hold of these things by the Spirit, in your soul, you will be energised to tread a path whereby you will come into the reality of them. You know as a doctrine, that Christ is your righteousness, but have you ever even in feeble measure been found in Him? Have you discovered yourself there, in that blissful place which, having Him as your righteousness, opens up to you? I would like to find myself there more and more. Paul was reaching after things that he knew well enough objectively, but he wanted to be in them in ever-fuller reality. It was the Person that captivated his heart; "that I may gain Christ", he says. To gain Christ properly, I must be with Him in His own surroundings -- to be found in Him in the gain of having Him as my righteousness, so that I am there restful and at peace, with Christ in His own surroundings.

Paul speaks of "the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord"; the cost did not count at all so long as he got that. Now that is the kind of spirit the Lord is looking for amongst those who have been through trials, and are going through them, and have come out to Him. We all profess to have come out to the Lord. Do not let us decline. What has marked Christianity all through is rapid declension after every fresh divine movement. Do not let

us think we can rest on our oars, because if we do that we shall decline, we shall fail to perform the vows that we made in the day of trouble. But think of Paul. The cost was nothing to him so long as he could have Christ. That is first love; how precious to Jesus. The best things, compared with Christ, were but filth to Paul. It was because of the wonder of Jesus and His love, the wonder of His company in His own surroundings. Be the cost what it may, we must have Jesus, and have Him where He is, in His own surroundings above, by faith entering the holy of holies; and then move down here amongst those like-minded, where we can, even in mixed conditions but with pure hearts, seek to provide Him with circumstances suited to those above. So that, when He comes to us, He may find, so far as is possible in these mixed conditions, home circumstances for Himself. That is the idea of John 14:23. The one who keeps His word is the one who says, 'I would like, when Jesus comes, that He should find something consistent with what is above'. When a loved one comes home you want everything just ready, just suitable, just what the loved one would desire to find. And He says, where that is so, "My Father will love him and we will come to him and make our abode with him". Thus we have the double privilege, entering in spirit to where Jesus is there and to experience by the Spirit His coming to us here. There is only one way to secure the privilege and I believe I can say with the utmost emphasis there is only one way to secure true unity amongst brethren, and that is to keep the commandments of God. If you want a prescription for unity I would give you that. "Hereby we know we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments". On any other course we do not really help anybody, least of all ourselves. "This is the love of God that we keep His commandments. His commandments are

not grievous" -- if you find any commandment grievous to the divine nature in you, you can be sure it is man's commandment. Men would place upon you commandments hard and grievous to be borne, not so God. Jesus says, "I know that My Father's commandment is life eternal:" All the other requirements Of divine love lead up to life eternal, and that leads up to God's praise and glory.

And so Philippians gives you a man On this road and you may say to me, 'I have not got far On that road'; nor have I, but there is this encouragement, Paul says, "whereunto we have attained let us walk in the same steps". He did not reckon himself to have attained, he was pressing On. We are all in the race to Christ in glory, in order to reach the goal and get the prize. It is not a competitive race -- the prize is open to all and we want all the brethren to be in at the finish. But there is not only the race to be run; but the walking, "whereunto we have attained", in testimony here to God's glory. The measure to which we have attained in the race, is the measure in which Christ is magnified in our body in our walk here. "Let us walk in the same steps". Your steps may be faltering compared with Paul's but walk in them nevertheless; you will get stronger in your walk as you go On further in the race. "Be imitators all together Of me, brethren, and fix your eyes On those walking thus as you have us for a model". We can afford to accept as model a man like Paul, who could say, "Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether by life Or by death", and "for me to live is Christ and to die gain". May the Lord help us to be sustained in a spirit Of exultation as to what we have in Christ and what He is to us. Let us never boast in ourselves, nor in other men, but boast in Christ Jesus; and boast in the cross Of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to us and we to the world, for His name's sake.