Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27)
We feel the importance of saying a word with
regard to Christ in heaven and Christ within the believer, that is, what is
objective and what is subjective. It is tremendously important that we should
keep a proper balance of truth. A very great deal of our trouble is because of
there being an unbalanced emphasis upon some aspect of truth. It is good to know
the truth, and it is good to rejoice in it, but it is just possible that even
truth may get us into trouble. There are many perils lying in the direction of
truth, even spiritual truth; and there are not a few of the Lord's people who
have fallen into those perils. It is not that they suffer from want of light,
but they are suffering very much because they have not got their light properly
adjusted and balanced. Thus it becomes very necessary for us to get things in
their right perspective and proportion. Preponderance on any one side will
always lead to spiritual injury, and very often to disaster. The history of many
instrumentalities which have been raised up and used by the Lord is eventually
the sad story of a loss of power and effectiveness because of striking an
unbalanced emphasis, of putting some side of truth in a place out of proportion
to that which is complementary to it....
If we over-emphasize the subjective we take something
from the glory of Christ. If we over-emphasize the objective we take
something from God's purpose. It is a matter of the work of God
in Christ, and the purpose of God
in Christ: and these two things must both have their
place. May the Lord give us understanding, so
that we come into a place of rest and are delivered from
the perils which lurk in the vicinity of every Divine
blessing.