by T. Austin-Sparks

Chapter 3 - The Great Governing Concepts of the New Testament

That enlargement comes through straightening is an abiding law of the Kingdom of the Heavens in this age is a well-known truth. Its implications are various and its instances are numerous. One of its too oft unrecognised implications is that efforts at enlargement in a really spiritual realm only get an artificial inflation with all the weakness, unsatisfactoriness, and instability of what is not spiritually real. True development is not the work of man, his ingenuity, acumen, efficiency, resource, drive, cleverness, or enthusiasm. The very law of which we are speaking has its strength and vindication in the fact that God begins at zero. When, humanly speaking, there has remained no hope, and it has been fully recognised that only God could do the necessary thing, it has too often been proved that that was just the situation that He had been taking pains to bring about. "He hangeth the world upon nothing," is an abiding principle from the standpoint of the natural man. It is always a salutary thing for the Lord's servants to pass their eye over the scriptures and review the zeros of man and the intervention of God at that point. Such a survey must ever lead to a recognition that God is speaking in all ages in the terms of the Cross, and that there all-inclusively has been for ever established the Divine law that the "flesh profiteth nothing"; that the "natural" (Gk. soulical) man cannot in the things of God; that the Adam species and race has been wound up and finished. That is the comprehensive "Adam" zero, and at that point an entirely new order is instituted, and this is one in which God is personally resident and dominant by His Spirit. Henceforth for all Divine purposes direct the indispensable condition is

"Full of the Holy Ghost and Faith."

It is here that we centre the whole emphasis of these messages. Again may we plead that none will think us merely critical, disparaging, far less censorious. Surely it is a justifiable inquiry to make as to whether the above qualification is the one supreme consideration in all choices and appointments in the service of God.

In our missionary Boards and Directorates what has been the basis of membership? Has it been missionary interest on the part of Christian men, plus business ability, financial resource, circle of influence, a name that obtains confidence? In our church councils, committees, &c., has it been by popular vote governed by any one or more of human considerations? In our methods has it been thought that an efficient organisation, machinery, plant, "interest," would secure the end?

Or has it honestly and truly been that, all other things given a secondary place, the Lord needs first of all such as being full of the Holy Ghost and faith known above all things what "prayer and fasting" mean? When in the primitive, and free method of the first days the Spirit said "Separate me Barnabas and Saul unto the work whereto I have called them," it is a blessed thing to realise that it was not said to such as were living in comparative ease and comfort or whose occasional or second business it was to attend to these things, but to such as "ministering to the Lord and fasting" were experimentally sharing the great, spiritual cost which would fall to those who would be sent forth. It is so easy to issue instructions, give orders, make plans, manipulate lives, pass decisions, when these do not immediately involve those who do so in the spiritual cost and anguish and conflict. We think that no one ought ever to be in such a position who has not gone just as far in the cost, and sacrifice, and who is not just as fully abandoned with all that they have as those who go forth "for the sake of the Name." The Lord's ways are equal, and any unequality is unrighteousness, and this ties the hands of blessing. The Holy Spirit is free to take the initiative only in so far as the holy constituents of that Name are the foundation if the purpose, policy, methods, means, motives and lives of such as are associated with holy things. This is abundantly established in all the scriptures. Sometimes it is seen in the breaking forth of judgment; sometimes in reverses and defects; sometimes in stagnation and arrest; sometimes in the abortion and miscarriage of labours.

Thus we arrive at the point where we have to rediscover or re-establish the great governing concepts of New Testament evangelism. These may be set down as THE CROSS, THE BLOOD, THE NAME, THE CHURCH, THE ANOINTING.

The Power of the Name.

What 'the Name' meant to the Church at Pentecost is clearly visible in the record of the Acts of the Apostles. The Lord had said to them, as almost His last words ere passing from their view into the heavens: 'It is written, that the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached IN HIS NAME unto all the nations' (Luke 24:47, R.V.) - showing Calvary, resurrection, repentance, remission - all linked and bound up in the preaching in His Name.

Peter on the Day of Pentecost, in his first words to men under conviction of sin, said: 'Repent ye, and be baptised every one of you IN THE NAME,' &c. (Acts 2:38). To the lame man at the Temple gate he said: 'IN THE NAME of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk (Acts 3: 6). The power of the Name he emphasised again to the crowd who ran together to see the miracle, for he said it was 'faith in HIS NAME' (v. 16) which had brought about this mighty work. 'IN THE NAME' of Him 'whom ye crucified' but 'whom God raised' - he told the high priest - did the man stand before them whole! (1) 'Crucified,' (2) 'raised,' (3) 'the Name'; here it is again - Calvary and Resurrection, linked with the power of the Name. 'Speak no more IN THIS NAME,' said the council, but in vain. The faith of the Church in the 'all power' of the living Lord at the back of His Name, grew so that WITH PREVAILING FAITH, THEY PLEADED in the face of the opposition of the rulers of this world, that 'signs and wonders' might be done 'through the NAME of Jesus' (Acts 4:30).

'We straitly charged you not to teach in this NAME,' said the high priest; and 'they beat them, and charged them not to speak in the NAME of Jesus,' but they only rejoiced that they had been 'deemed worthy to suffer disgrace on behalf of the NAME' (Acts 5:28,42 - Weymouth). The first stripes had fallen upon martyr souls ready to suffer for the NAME: for the Name stood for the Person behind it - the risen, ascended Lord.

Again, as we trace on in the Acts, we find Philip 'preaching good tidings concerning the Kingdom' and the all-powerful NAME (Acts 8, 12), and gladly all who believed were 'baptised into the NAME' (v. 16). We find Saul the persecutor changed into Paul the disciple, and the Lord saying of him that he was chosen to bear the NAME before the Gentiles, and even kings, and to suffer for the NAME (Acts 9:15); we soon read of him 'preaching boldly in the NAME' (v. 29).

All this, and much more, shows how the early Church wielded the Name of Jesus (1) in prayer to God, (2) over Satan's power, and (3) in preaching the Gospel of the Cross.

But what is the reason of the power of the Name? Why should it be so mighty in (1) heaven - i.e., in prayer; (2) over hell - i.e., over the power of Satan; (3) over men - i.e., in proclamation of the Message? The Apostle lifts the veil in his letter to the Philippians, where he says that the Father gave the Son this all prevailing Name on the ground of Calvary!

"BECOMING OBEDIENT EVEN UNTO DEATH, YEA, THE DEATH OF THE CROSS. WHEREFORE ALSO GOD HIGHLY EXALTED HIM, AND GAVE UNTO HIM THE NAME WHICH IS ABOVE EVERY NAME THAT IN THE NAME OF JESUS EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW" (Phil. 3:10, R.V.).

Then comes again the threefold power of the Name in (1) heaven, (2) on earth, and (3) the world below (see Phil. 3:10, R.V. marg.).

The Name therefore represents, not only the living Lord on the throne, but CALVARY - in His victory over sin and over Satan. It was because He was obedient unto death - even the death of the Cross - carrying through to the bitter end the only way of victory for fallen man over sin and Satan, that God gave Him the 'Name.'

Jehovah-Jesus He was named at His birth as potential Saviour-Victor, but He had to carry it through in stern reality. He had to reach the final point of the death on the Cross ere the birthname could become surcharged with all the force and power of His finished work; and God gave Him the Name in which eventually every knee shall bow, 'every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.'

'Authority' through the Name of the One Who has all authority in heaven and upon earth is for every servant of God, and authority in three spheres of service seems clearly set forth in the Scriptures, i.e.:-

Authority in prayer (Matt. 28:19,20).

"If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together IN MY NAME there am I in the midst of them."

"Whatsoever ye shall ask IN MY NAME that will I do.... ask Me anything IN MY NAME, that will I do" (John 14:13,14).

It seems clear also from other words spoken by the Lord that the authority of prayer 'in His Name' was connected with the coming of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost. He spoke again and again of 'That Day' and all that it would mean to them. 'In that Day,' He said, 'ye shall ask me no questions.' (John 16:23, R.V. marg.), for they would understand in experience what He was now telling them. The Holy Spirit would so reveal to them their union with the Son, that one with Him (John 14:20; John 15:7-16) prayer would be to the Father in His Name, and be the same as Christ Himself asking, and God Himself giving in response to the 'Name' of His Son.

When the Holy Ghost had come, 'In that Day' (a) They would ask 'In the Name.' 'In that day ye shall ask in My Name' (John 16:26). (b) They would ask of the Father in the Name - 'Verily verily I say unto you, If ye shall ask anything of the Father, He will give it you in My Name' (John 16:23).

'Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My Name,' the Lord adds, showing that this 'asking the Father' in the 'Name' of the Son - because united to Him in one life - depended upon the work of the Holy Ghost in them and through them, when He would come at Pentecost. Until then - when the Calvary scene would be over, and the work of redemption accomplished; when the Resurrection triumph over sin and Satan had come to pass - they could not know the authority of prayer to the Father 'in the Name.'

If we briefly glance at these same disciples after the day had fully come, we shall quickly see the fulfilment of the Master's words. The most concrete example will be found in Acts 4:29-31, when the assembled company prayed to the Father asking that 'signs and wonders may be done THROUGH THE NAME of Thy Holy Servant, Jesus,' and the response from God was immediate and clear: by the Spirit in them they had asked 'In the Name' of the Father, and the Father had glorified the Son. They had authority through the Name.

Authority over the forces of evil (Luke 10:17) - 'Lord, even the demons are subject unto us IN THY NAME ' (R.V. marg.), said the seventy, and this authority was not withdrawn when the Lord ascended to heaven, but confirmed as possible to all who believe by some of the last words of the Risen Lord, for He said, 'Making use of My authority they shall expel demons' (Mark 16:17 - Weymouth). This again was proved as true for the Church of Christ, when, after Pentecost, Philip, 'the evangelist,' went down to Samaria, and, whilst he was proclaiming Christ, ('with a cry, foul spirits came out of many' Acts 8:4-8 - Weymouth), showing that the authority of the ascended Lord was as truly behind the proclamation of His Name as in the days when He walked the earth.

Again, in the history of Paul - not one of the 'Twelve' who had personally known and heard the Lord's commission of authority, save as the Risen One who met him on the way to Damascus - we have a specific instance of the authority of the Name in the story of the girl possessed by a SPIRIT OF DIVINATION - just what spiritualism today means in its actual truth. This lying spirit, crying aloud the truth in every word it spoke, could not deceive the Apostle, who, speaking direct to the spirit, said, 'I command you IN THE NAME of Jesus Christ to come out of her' (Acts 16:16-18 - Weymouth) and the spirit had to submit and obey.

This authority is possible only as the outcome of authority in prayer. The power of the NAME must be proved on high ere the soul can dare to wield it over the dark denizens of the pit. Then, as the outcome of knowledge of authority in both these spheres, i.e., (1) with God in prayer, and (2) over the unseen forces of evil in the air, comes -

Authority in preaching to men (Acts 9:43) 'Through His NAME every one that believeth on (into) Him shall receive remission of sins.' It was the authority of the NAME, and the Living One behind the NAME, that made the proclamation of remission of sins through Him to carry power to all who heard. In the house of Cornelius 'the Holy Spirit fell on all who were listening to the message,' bearing witness to the proclamation in the Name.

'Authority!' It is written of Christ, 'He, spake as One having authority, and not as the scribes' (Mark 1:22). 'Opinions!' Nay, men have 'opinions,' 'views,' 'theories'! But an ambassador sent from God with His message has authority - the authority of the unseen but Living Lord who stands behind His Name." J. P. L.




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