November 1928
663
T h e
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
Knowing Christ in the Energizing of the Will B y P rofessor H oward W. K ellogg Anniversary Conference Message
OR the subject there is a very definite text, “For it is God that worketh in [ energon] you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” God energizing you to will. Since this is God’s ideal and plan for us, it is our business to see how this transcendent miracle can come to pass and what heavenly results will flow from it. The thought of Philippians 2 is very closely coupled. The first chapter has closed with this statement: “Because to you it hath been granted [Echaristhe] in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer in his behalf” (Phil. 2:29). God has thus much of confidence in you, that He takes you into closest fellowship with Himself1, granting to you as a token of this confidence that He per mits you to suffer in his behalf. Then follows the great exhortation to unity and obe dience which marks the second chapter with distinction. This is based upon what Christ is as our Comforter, for as the Other Comforter, or Paraclete, is now here with us, so the primary Comforter is now our “Advocate [ Paraclete ] with the Father” (1 John 2:1). “If there is therefore any comfort [ paraclesis ] in Christ, if any co mingling of hearts in love . . . . be ye of one mind, the-mind of lowliness.” But who can be of this mind? it is surely not of earth, and the exhortation to be of this mind will be as futile as any exhortation to do an impos sible thing unless the power to do is in some way imparted. Is the difficulty diminished or increased.by the further exhortation,—“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2 :5 )? We must agree that the difficulty is increased when we go on to measure the height and depths of Christ’s obedience. Who can attain, who can have this mind of Christ? It is only as we come to the further teaching of the passage that we understand. W h a t is t h e M in d of C h r is t ? What is it to be like Him in mind? If we accept the classification of our own faculties that has become most familiar, we think of our own minds in terms of intellect, sensibilities and will. We need not assume that there are three distinct departments of our mind or even of our brain, and that one of these departments may serve us in the capacity of thinker, another as feeler and another as wilier. Doubtless the whole mind moves when it thinks, when it feels, when it wills. But those actions of the mind that lie in the domain of the will—those things we call volitions—-these are the things that proclaim what we are. If our wills are laid under tribute to God, the man him self is subject to God. And it is just here that our initial text comes to reassure us, “I t is God that worketh in you both to will and to do.” It is God that works in us the mind of Christ, that mind that chooses to will the things that He wills and to do the things that please Him. We find him ener gizing our minds, our wills, yes, our affections; and we know that we know Him. The surprises are as great to us as to others and this is the thing that puts the ring of
sincerity into all true Christian testimony. It is the unexpected, the surprise element, that gives our testimony tongue. Whether or not we approve of the preaching of so- called redeemed men, we all admit the power of their testi mony. When a man confesses what he was by nature, by choice and by practice, a dishonest, lewd, blasphemous, intemperate wretch—and then tells us how Christ came into his life and put energy into a will that was para lyzed, purity into a mind and body that were defiled, we recognize the handiwork of God and we say that the proof of His present-day miracles is before us. P resent -D ay M iracles No less is this proof before us when we see a young man who has never wandered into forbidden paths, choose to walk in a way that by nature he could not choose. It may be he has wealth, he has social position, he has educa tion, he has talents, he has a career‘assured for himself. There is no line of endeavor that he would not excel in. Indeed he has well advanced on his course of preparation. His family are already counting on his achieving distinc tion. Ambition is about to be realized. A life partner may have been chosen who will be able to adorn the home of the successful man with all graces. In the midst of all this glad anticipation of the career and all that it may bring, comes the supreme crisis of the young man’s life. He yields himself to his Redeemer, not merely that he may be himself personally saved, but that he may lay himself at his Redeemer’s feet and ac knowledge Him as Lord. A new sense of the significance of life comes upon him: he cannot longer contemplate a career. He hears the words spoken to Baruch, “Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not.” And he becomes obedient. And now we turn our imagined case into one of actual life. This young man did live. His father was owner of a great line of ocean steamers and hoped that the son would succeed him and carry the family name and fortune to greater heights. But the young man chose to be a mis sionary;, his betrothed wife joined him in this supreme decision. But when the news came to the father, he tried in vain to dissuadé, then threatened and finally cut off his splendid son without a dollar. Like the true man that he was, the- son earned his way through the remainder of his college course, held to his superb purpose, and then, when duly prepared, presented himself before the mission board of his church only to be told that for lack of funds he could not be sent out. That such a blow should be deliv ered at such a time to such a man is an everlasting blot upon our boasted modern Christianity. But he demonstrated the greatest fact of life, that he knew Christ and he knew Him not only in regeneration and the subjugation of his nature to the divine domination, but he knew Him in the energizing of the will, for God worked in him both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker