SIT, WALK, STAND by Watchman Nee
INTRODUCTION: If the life of a Christian is to be pleasing to God it must be properly adjusted to him in all things. Too often we place the emphasis in our own lives upon the application of this principle to some single detail of our behavior or of our work for Him. pg 9
We often measure ourselves in comparison to others (II Cor. 10:12 “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”) but, God measures everything, from start to finish, by the perfection of His Son. It is only by placing our entire emphasis there that we can hope to realize the divine purpose for us. pg 9
In Ephesians, we find the highest spiritual truths concerning the Christian life. In the first section of the letter we note the word sit (2:6) which is the key to that section and the secret of a true Christian experience. God has made us to sit with Christ in the heavenly places, and every Christian must begin his spiritual life from that place of rest.
In the second part we select the word walk (4:1) as expressive of our life in the world, which is its subject. We are challenged there to display in our Christian walk conduct that is in keeping with our high calling.
Finally, in the third part, we find the key to our attitude towards the enemy contained in the one word stand (6:11), expressive of our place of triumph at the end. Thus we have:
KEY WORDS IN EPHESIANS
1. Our Position in Christ --> "SIT" (2:6)
2. Our Life in the World --> "WALK" (4:1)
3. Our Attitude to the Enemy --> "STAND" (6:11)
The life of the believer always presents these three aspects--to God, to man, and to the Satanic power. To be useful in God’s hand a man must be properly adjusted in respect of all three: his position, his life, and his warfare. pg 12
I. SIT Read -->Eph 1:17-21; Eph 2:6 “And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:”
4891 sunegeiro {soon-eg-i'-ro} from 4862 and 1453; TDNT - 7:786,1102; v
AV - rise with 2, raise up together 1; 3
1) to raise together, to cause to raise together
* 2) to raise up together from mortal death to a new and blessed life dedicated to God
2032 epouranios {ep-oo-ran'-ee-os} from 1909 and 3772; TDNT - 5:538,736; adj
AV - heavenly 16, celestial 2, in heaven 1, high 1; 20
1) existing in heaven
1a) things that take place in heaven
1b) the heavenly regions
1b1) heaven itself, the abode of God and angels
1b2) the lower heavens, of the stars
1b3) the heavens, of the clouds
1c) the heavenly temple or sanctuary
*2) of heavenly origin or nature
We don't sit in the heavenly places with Christ Jesus (yet); we sit in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Since our life and identity is in Christ, as He sits in heavenly places, so do we. (David Guzik)
The idea seems to be, that God has blessed us in Christ in regard to heavenly subjects or matters.
The phrase probably means, in things pertaining to heaven; suited to prepare us for heaven; and tending toward heaven. It probably refers here to every thing that was heavenly in its nature, or that
had relation to heaven, whether gifts or graces. (Barnes’ Notes)
We are already seated there IN Him (“in Christ Jesus,”), and hereafter shall be seated by Him; IN Him already as in our Head, which is the ground of our hope; by Him hereafter, as by the conferring cause, when hope shall be swallowed up in fruition [PEARSON]. (JFB)
Colossians 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Our hearts are there, our treasures are there, our citizenship is there in the heavenlies.
Heb 1:3 “Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”
What is the first advice that you would give a brand new Christian?
A. Most Christians make the mistake of trying to walk in order to be able to sit, but this is
a reversal of the true order. If at the outset we try to do anything, we miss everything.
For Christianity begins not with a big DO, but with a big DONE. pg 14
B. Walking implies effort, whereas God says that we are saved, not by works, but "by grace
through faith" Eph 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:” Eph 2:9 “Not of works, lest any man should boast“.
5485 charis {khar'-ece} from ; TDNT - 9:372,1298; n f
AV - grace 130, favour 6, thanks 4, thank 4, thank + 2192 3, pleasure 2, misc 7; 156
1) grace
1a) that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech
2) good will, loving-kindness, favour
*2a) of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues
3) what is due to grace
3a) the spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace
3b) the token or proof of grace, benefit
3b1) a gift of grace
3b2) benefit, bounty
4) thanks, (for benefits, services, favours), recompense, reward
2041 ergon {er'-gon} from a primary (but obsolete) ergo (to work); TDNT - 2:635,251; n n
AV - work 152, deed 22, doing 1, labour 1; 176
1) business, employment, that which any one is occupied
1a) that which one undertakes to do, enterprise, undertaking
2) any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind
3) an act, deed, thing done: the idea of working is emphasised in opp. to that which is less than work
There is no limit to the grace God is willing to bestow on us. He will give us everything, but we can receive none of it except as we rest in him. "Sitting" is an attitude of rest. Something has been finished, work stops, and we sit. It is paradoxical, but true, that we only advance in the Christian life as we learn first of all to sit down. pg 15
When we walk or stand we bear on our legs all the weight of our body, but when we sit down our entire weight rests upon the chair or couch on which we sit. We grow weary when we walk or stand, but we feel rested when we have sat down awhile. pg 15
C. What did Adam do his first full day?
Adam was created on the sixth day. Clearly, then, he had not part in those first six days of work, for he came into being only at their end. God's seventh day was, in fact, Adam's first. Whereas God worked six days and then enjoyed his Sabbath rest. Adam began his life with the Sabbath; for God works before he rests, while man must first enter into God's rest, and then alone can he work. pg 16
Moreover it was because God's work of creation was truly complete that Adam's life could begin with rest. And here is the Gospel: that God has gone one stage further and has completed also the work of redemption, and that we need do nothing whatever to merit it, but can enter by faith directly into the values of his finished work. pg 16
What did Christ say before he died on the cross and later sat down?
Before Christ sat down, he cried, "It is finished!!"
John 19:30 “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”
D. Christianity indeed means that God has done everything in Christ, and that we simply step by faith into the enjoyment of the fact. Our key word here is not a command to "sit down" , but to see ourselves as "seated" in Christ. It is not that we work for God, but that he works for us. God gives us our position of rest. His offer to us cannot be better expressed than in the words of the invitation to the great banquet: "Come; for all things are now ready"
(Lk 14:17) pg 17
*Our Christian life begins with the discovery of what God has provided.
The secret of deliverance from sin is not to do something but to rest on what God
has done. pg 22
E. God is so wealthy that His chief delight is to give. [You were a poor, sinful wretch.] It is a grief to the heart of God, when we try to provide things for Him. He is so very, very rich. It gives Him true joy when we just let him give and give and give again to us. pg 24
II. WALK pg 27
A. Though the Christian life begins with sitting, sitting is always followed by walking. When once we have been well and truly seated and have found our strength in sitting down, then we in fact begin to walk. Sitting describes our position with Christ in the heavenlies. Walking is the practical outworking of that heavenly position here on earth. pg 28
B. Walking in Christ
1. "walk worthily of the calling" Eph 4:1 “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,”
Eph 4:2 “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;”
2821 klesis {klay'-sis} from a shorter form of 2564; TDNT - 3:491,394; n f
AV - calling 10, vocation 1; 11
1) a calling, calling to
2) a call, invitation
2a) to a feast
2b) of the divine invitation to embrace salvation of God
Ephesians 1:18 “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,”
2. "Walk as children of light" Eph. 5:8-10
4043 peripateo {per-ee-pat-eh'-o} from 4012 and 3961; TDNT - 5:940,804; v
AV - walk 93, go 1, walk about 1, be occupied 1; 96
1) to walk
1a) to make one's way, progress; to make due use of opportunities
1b) Hebrew for, to live
1b1) to regulate one's life
1b2) to conduct one's self
1b3) to pass one's life
C. Walking defined --> To walk around; to deport oneself; to order one's behavior.
It brings immediately before us the subject of Christian conduct.
D. We may be surprised, for I fear many of us who say we are seated with Christ in the heavenlies in Christ display a very questionable walk in our homes. pg 29
We should search the scriptures to examine how we should walk in our homes:
1. Wives --> 5:22-24
2. Husbands --> 5:25, 28, 33
3. Children --> 6:1-3
4. Parents --> 6:4
E. How should we walk with our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ?
1. Speaking -->
a. Truth --> 4:25
b. Edifying -->Eph. 4:29 “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth,
but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”
4550 sapros {sap-ros'} from 4595; TDNT - 7:94,1000; adj
AV - corrupt 7, bad 1; 8
1) rotten, putrefied
2) corrupted by one and no longer fit for use, worn out
3) of poor quality, bad, unfit for use, worthless
c. Grieve not the Holy Spirit Eph 4:30 “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
3076 lupeo {loo-peh'-o} from 3077; TDNT - 4:313,540; v
AV - be sorrowful 6, grieve 6, make sorry 6, be sorry 3, sorrow 3, cause grief 1,
be in heaviness 1; 26
1) to make sorrowful
2) to affect with sadness, cause grief, to throw into sorrow
3) to grieve, offend
4) to make one uneasy, cause him a scruple
d. Put away some things --> Eph. 4:31 “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:”
2. Behaving -->
a. Forbearing --> Eph. 4:2 “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering,
forbearing one another in love;”
5012 tapeinophrosune {tap-i-nof-ros-oo'-nay} from a compound of 5011 and the base of 5424; TDNT - 8:1,1152; n f
AV - humility 3, humbleness of mind 1, humility of mind 1, lowliness 1, lowliness of mind 1; 7
1) the having a humble opinion of one's self
2) a deep sense of one's (moral) littleness
3) modesty, humility, lowliness of mind
430 anechomai {an-ekh'-om-ahee} middle voice from 303 and 2192; TDNT - 1:359,*; v
AV - suffer 7, bear with 4, forbear 2, endure 2; 15
1) to hold up
2) to hold one's self erect and firm
3) to sustain, to bear, to endure
b. Be kind --> 4:32a Romans 12:10
“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even
as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”
Rom. 12:10 “[Be] kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;”
c. Forgiving --> 4:32b
“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even
as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”
We ask God to forgive our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. If a person is hard bargaining towards his brothers and sisters and cannot forget their offenses towards him, he is not qualified to ask God to forgive him his debts. He whose heart is so narrow as to always notice how people have hurt and offended him is unable to pray such a prayer before God. We need to have a forgiving heart before we can come to the Father with boldness, asking Him to “forgive us our debts as also we have forgiven our debtors.” We cannot ask God to forgive our debts if we have not also forgiven another’s debts. How can we open our mouths to ask for God’s forgiveness unless we have first forgiven our debtors?
Here may we notice this one thing, that besides telling us of our relationship with the Father, the Bible also shows us our relationship among brothers and sisters. A brother or a sister deceives himself or herself if he or she considers himself or herself as right with God because he or she remembers the relationship with God although neglecting the relationship with other brothers and sisters. If we have this day created a discord with any brother or sister, we instantly lose the blessing of God. Likewise too, we incur a debt--though not a sin--if we today fail to do or to say what we ought to our brothers and sisters. Let us not fancy that as long as there is not sin everything is fine; we must also not have any debt. If we can neither forgive nor forget whatever grievances we have against our brothers and sisters, this will hinder us from receiving God’s forgiveness. Just as we treat our brothers and sisters, so God will also treat us. It is a serious self-deception if we reckon God has forgiven our debts to Him while simultaneously we continue to remember our debtors, counting and complaining all the time. For the Lord explicitly teaches us to pray: “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” The Prayer Ministry of the Church Watchman Nee, pgs 56, 57
d. Walk in love --> Eph. 5:2 “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.”
e. Submitting-> Eph. 5:21 “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”
5293 hupotasso {hoop-ot-as'-so} from 5259 and 5021: TDNT - 8:39,1156; v
AV - put under 6, be subject unto 6, be subject to 5, submit (one's) self unto 5, submit (one's) self to 3, be in subjection unto 2, put in subjection under 1, misc 12; 40
1) to arrange under, to subordinate
2) to subject, put in subjection
3) to subject one's self, obey
4) to submit to one's control
5) to yield to one's admonition or advice
6) to obey, be subject
A Greek military term meaning "to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader". In non-military use, it was "a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden".
F. Other Scriptures of Christian Conduct
1. Not Pleasing Ourselves
Romans 15:1-3
“We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. (v.2) Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification.
(v.3) For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.”
2. Bearing Another's Burdens
Gal 6:1-2 “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. (v.2) Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”
3. Thou shalt love Matt. 5:43-45 Loving God's way.
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. (v. 44) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (v. 45) That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
4. Forgiving to Stay Forgiven Matt 6:12-15 & Mark 11:25
“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. (v. 13) And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (v. 14) For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: (v. 15) But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Mark 11:25 “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
5. Forgiving Repeatedly Matt 18:21 -22 & 35
“Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”
Matt. 18:35 “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”
6. Improper Method of Solving Conflict I Cor 6:6-8
“But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. (v. 7) Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? (v. 8) Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.”
7. Proper Method of a Peaceful Resolution Matt 18:15-17
“Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. (v. 16) But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. (v. 17) And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.”
G. "But," you say, "I cannot do it. These are impossible demands."
You feel that you have been wronged--perhaps terribly wronged--and you cannot bring yourself to forgive. You were right, and your enemy's action has been wholly unjust. To love him may be ideal, but it is impossible. pg 31
Since the day that Adam took the fruit of the tree of knowledge, man has been engaged in deciding what is good and what is evil. The natural man has worked out his own standards of right and wrong, justice and injustice, and striven to live by them. pg 31
Nothing has done greater damage to our Christian testimony than our trying to be right and demanding right of other. We become preoccupied with what is and what is not right. We ask ourselves, Have we been justly or unjustly treated? and we think thus to vindicate our actions. But that is not our standard. The whole question for us is one of cross-bearing.
As Christians our standard of living can never be "right or wrong," but the Cross.
Read illustration on pg 32 -33
Our principle is conformity to Christ. We have nothing to stand for, nothing to ask or demand. We have only to give. When the Lord Jesus died on the Cross, he did not do so to defend our "rights". pg 33
We have to remind ourselves that we are often not right. We fail, and it is always good to learn from our failures. pg 33
H. It is possible.
Where, then, lies the answer to our problem of God's exacting demands?
The secret is "the power that worketh in us" (Eph. 3:20). “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh
in us,”
Also Col.1:29 “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, [I say], whether [they be] things in earth, or things in heaven.”
The Christian's secret is his rest in Christ. His power derives from his God-given position. All who sit can walk. We sit forever with Christ that we may walk continuously before men. pg 34
Phil 2:12 “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
Phil 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.”
God is working it in; work it out! That is the secret. But until we are willing for God to work it in, it is useless for us to try to work it out. Often we try to be meek and gently without knowing what it means to let God work in us the meekness and gentleness of Christ. We try to show love, and, finding we have none, we ask the Lord for love. Then we are surprised that he does not seem to give it to us. pg 35
Many a time in my need I used tothink of Christ as a Person apart, and failed to identify Him in this practical way with the “things” I felt so strongly the lack of. For two whole years I was groping in that kind of darkness, seeking to amass the virtues that I felt sure should make up the Christian life, and getting nowhere in the effort. And then one day---it was in the year 1933---light broke from heaven for me, and I saw Christ ordained of God to be made over to me in his fullness. What a difference!! pg 37
Eph 3:16 -19
The all-important rule is not to "try" but to "trust," not to depend upon our own strength but upon His. For it is the flow of life which reveals what we truly are "in Christ." pg 38
II. Acting
Too many of us are caught acting as Christians. The life of many Christians today is largely a pretense. They live a "spiritual" life, talk a "spiritual" language, adopt "spiritual" attitudes, but they are doing the whole thing themselves. It is the effort involved that should reveal to them that something is wrong. They force themselves to refrain from doing this, from saying that, from eating the other, and how hard they find it all! It is just the same as when we Chinese try to talk a language that is not our own. No matter how hard we try, it does not come spontaneously; we have to force ourselves to talk that way. But when it comes to speaking our own language, nothing could be easier. Even when we forget all about what we are doing, we still speak it. It flows. It comes to us perfectly naturally, and its very spontaneity reveals to everyone what we are. pg 38 -39
Nothing is so hurtful to the life of a Christian as acting; nothing so blessed as when our outward efforts cease and our attitudes become natural--when our words, our prayers, our very life, all become a spontaneous and unforced expression of the life within. pg 39
Too many Christians have all the doctrine but live lives that are a contradiction of it. May the Lord teach us that the whole principle of the Christian life is that we go beyond what is right to do that which is well-pleasing to Him. pg 41
III. STAND pg 51
Eph 6:10 -18 READ
Christian experience begins with sitting and leads to walking, but it does not end with these. Every Christian must learn also to stand. Each one of us must be prepared for the conflict.
A. Spiritual Reality
1. God's Enemy
God has an archenemy, and under his power are countless demons and fallen angels seeking to overrun the world with evil and exclude God from His own kingdom. pg 52
2. We see only "flesh and blood." “we wrestle not against flesh and blood”
3. Two thrones are at war
God is claiming the earth for His dominion, and Satan is seeking to usurp the authority of God. The Church is called to displace Satan from his present realm and to make Christ Head over all. pg 53
4. We are under attack.
B. The Position of the Christian
1. We have our position with the Lord in the heavenlies, and we are learning how to walk with Him before the world; but how are we to acquit ourselves in the presence of the adversary--His adversary and ours? God's word is "Stand!"
2. Stand in the Greek really means "hold your ground".
3. We are not to march, but to stand. The word stand implies that the ground disputed by the enemy is really God's, and therefore ours. We need not struggle to gain a foothold on it. pg 54
4. Today we war against Satan only to maintain and consolidate the victory which Christ has already gained. by the resurrection God proclaimed his Son victor over the whole realm of darkness, and the ground Christ won He has given to us. We do not need to fight to gain it. We only need to hold it against all challengers. pg 54
5. He has given us victory to hold. Within the sphere of Christ the enemy's defeat is already a fact, and the Church has been put there to keep him defeated.
6. We do not fight for victory; we fight from victory.
Rom 8:37 “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”
5245 hupernikao {hoop-er-nik-ah'-o} from and; TDNT - 4:942,634; v
AV - be more than conqueror 1; 1
1) to be more than a conqueror, to gain a surpassing victory
7. It is according to His Power.
Ephesians 1:19 “And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,”
1411 dunamis {doo'-nam-is} from 1410; TDNT - 2:284,186; n f
AV - power 77, mighty work 11, strength 7, miracle 7, might 4, virtue 3, mighty 2, misc 9; 120
1) strength power, ability
1a) inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth
1b) power for performing miracles
1c) moral power and excellence of soul
1d) the power and influence which belong to riches and wealth
1e) power and resources arising from numbers
1f) power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts
Eph 3:7 “Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.”
Eph. 6:10 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”
Eph. 3:20 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”
1410 dunamai {doo'-nam-ahee}of uncertain affinity; TDNT - 2:284,186; v
AV - can (could) 100, cannot + 3756 45, be able 37, may (might) 18, able 3, misc 7; 210
1) to be able, have power whether by virtue of one's own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favourable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom
2) to be able to do something
3) to be capable, strong and powerful
8. We do not fight in order to win but because in Christ we have already won. Overcomers are those who rest in the victory already given to them by their God. pg 55
I John 5:5 “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”
3528 nikao {nik-ah'-o} from 3529; TDNT - 4:942,634; v
AV - overcome 24, conquer 2, prevail 1, get the victory 1; 28
1) to conquer
1a) to carry off the victory, come off victorious
1a1) of Christ, victorious over all His foes
1a2) of Christians, that hold fast their faith even unto death against the power of their foes, and temptations and persecutions
1a3) when one is arraigned or goes to law, to win the case, maintain one's cause
9. Responding to assault.
Because victory is His, therefore it is ours. If only we will not try to gain the victory but simply maintain it, then we shall see the enemy utterly routed. We must not ask the Lord to enable us to overcome the enemy, nor even look to Him to overcome, but praise Him because He has already done so; He is victor. It is all a matter of faith in Him. If we believe the Lord, we shall not pray so much but rather we shall praise Him more. pg 56
* Only those who sit can stand. Our power for standing, as for walking, lies in our having first been made to sit together with Christ. The Christian's walk and warfare alike derive their strength from His position there. If he is not sitting before God he cannot hope to stand before the enemy. pg 56
C. In His Name
None can be saved without knowing the name of Jesus, and none can be effectively used of God without knowing the authority of that name. pg 59
The power of His name operate in three directions: pg 61
1. In our preaching it is effective to the salvation of men (Acts 4:10-12) through the remission of their sins, and through their cleansing, justification, and sanctification to God.
(v. 10) “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, [even] by him doth this man stand here before you whole.”
(v. 11) “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.”
(v. 12) “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
Luke 24:47 “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
Acts 10:43 “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.”
I Cor 6:11 “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
2. In our warfare, it is mighty against Satanic powers, to bind and bring them into subjection.
Mark 16:17 “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;”
Luke 10:17 “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.”
Luk 10:18 “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.”
Luk 10:19 “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
Acts 16:18 “And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.”
3. In our asking, it is effective towards God.
(John 14:13-14; 15:16; 16:23)
John 14:13 “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
John 14:14 “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do [it].”
John 15:16 “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”
John 16:23 “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give [it] you.”
D. Divine Self-Committal pg 63
Four Essential Features of a Work Which God Can Fully Commit Himself.
1. A true revelation to our hearts of the eternal purpose of God.
2. Understanding that all work that is going to be effective in the divine purpose must
be conceived by God. If we plan work and then ask God to bless it, we need not expect God to commit Himself to it. God's name can never be a "rubber stamp" to authorize work that is ours in conception. pg 66
3. All work to be effective must depend on its continuance upon the power of God alone.
We have got to learn that, even where God has initiated a work, if we are trying to accomplish it in our own power, God will never commit himself to it. pg 67
*God never asks us to do anything we can do. He asks us to live a life which we can never live and to a work which we can never do. Yet, by His grace, we are living it and doing it. pg 69
4. The end and object of all work to which God can commit Himself must be His glory.
This means that we get nothing out of it for ourselves. There is no room for glory to man in the work of God. pg 70
* It is when these questions are truly settled between us and God that God will commit Himself--and indeed I believe He will allow us to say that then He has to do it. pg 70
Conclusion:
The Christian life consists of sitting with Christ, walking by Him and standing in Him. We begin our spiritual life by resting in the finished work of the Lord Jesus. That rest is the source of our strength for a consistent and unfaltering walk in the world. And at the end of a grueling warfare with the hosts of darkness we are found standing with Him at last in triumphant possession of the field. pg 78
