The blood of the unblemished heifer, represents Christ who knew no sin. The blood was sprinkled before the tabernacle (the place of communion) seven times. But the body of the heifer was reduced to ashes. This shows that we still have to understand the seriousness of sin, and what the Lord had to bear.
In Numbers 19 we learn about being free of defilement. We are in the world but not of it – we belong in the sanctuary. If we come into contact with evil, a remedy is required, otherwise communion will be hindered.
The blood of the unblemished heifer, represents Christ who knew no sin. The blood was sprinkled before the tabernacle (the place of communion) seven times. But the body of the heifer was reduced to ashes. This shows that we still have to understand the seriousness of sin, and what the Lord had to bear.
The person who had been defiled had to wait seven days for communion to be restored fully. He had to gather up the ashes – making him realise the horror of sin. In grace we get a sense of God’s perfect holiness that necessitated the sacrifice. We had been careless, and found ourselves outside of God’s presence. Now communion was restored.
This is true greatness – to serve unnoticed,
And work unseen.
Learn to grapple with souls
Aim at the conscience, Exalt Christ.
Use a sharp knife with yourself,
Say little, Serve all, Pass on.
This is true greatness – to serve unnoticed,
And work unseen.
Oh, the joy of having nothing, and being nothing,
Seeing nothing but a living Christ in glory,
And being careful for nothing
But His interests down here!
The establishment of a human priesthood, as a class distinct from all other Christians, is a denial of the truth of Christianity. According to the New Testament, all Christians are priests: they offer prayer and praise to God
The establishment of a human priesthood, as a class distinct from all other Christians, is a denial of the truth of Christianity. According to the New Testament, all Christians are priests: they offer prayer and praise to God..
In the New Testament we have:
Jewish priests
The pagan priest of Jupiter
Melchisedec (contemporary with Abraham)
Christ Himself as the Great High Priest
There are absolutely no references to certain Christians having the distinction of being priests. Rather all Christians are priests. A distinct class of priests among Christians on earth is totally foreign to the New Testament. All Christians belong to a holy and royal priesthood – anything else is false and unscriptural.
See the following scriptures:
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5)
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light (1 Peter 2:9)
Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests to God and his Father (Rev 1:5-6)
By him [Jesus] therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving praise to his name (Heb 13:15) [The word ‘priest’ is not used here, but only priests offer sacrifices].
Christ is the Great High Priest; all Christians are priests. In the old system priests offered gifts and sacrifices for sins on behalf of the people who were not allowed to approach the altar and do so. This was, of course, before Christ’s own sacrifice on the cross. Christianity is founded on the perfect sacrifice of Christ, the value and efficacy of which are eternal. Hebrews emphasises that, as Christ’s work was once and for all, there cannot remain any further sacrifice for sins (see Heb 10:26).
In the Jewish tabernacle there were two veils. Common people could enter neither. Priests could enter the first to offer incense, but the veil into the Holy of Holies, the high priest entered alone once a year, with the blood of propitiation to put upon the mercy seat. Thus God was hidden within the veil. The ordinary worshipper could not approach God directly to offer his gifts or sacrifices. The priest received the them, and he offered them. God dwelt in thick darkness.
Christianity is the complete opposite of all this. The veil was rent from the top to the bottom (see Mark 15:38); God has revealed Himself. Instead of our not being able to approach God, God has approached us. This even applied to the chief of sinners (Paul). Now,
The grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared. (Titus 2:11)
The darkness is past, and the true light now shineth (1 John 2:8).
God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them. (2 Cor 5:19)
The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (John 1:14).
In him [Christ] was life, and the life was the light of men (John 1:4).
God hath given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life (1 John 5:12).
By this we deduce that, when a Christian assumes the exclusive authority to conduct a communion service or mass, he is hanging on to the old Jewish order. He is, in effect, saying, that the ordinary person cannot approach personally, but must get an ordained church officer to approach for him. This is a denial of the whole efficacy of Christianity, and the place in which all Christians are set.
But the light of God has shone forth, and it is for me to walk in the light as he [God] is in the light (1 John 1:7). I approach through the blood of Christ, the light showing me that I am perfectly clean. If I require another go into Gods presence on my behalf, I must not be regarding myself as clean. But I am clean, because of Christ’s work. I am therefore a priest, and am to offer praise, thanks and worship to God myself. And I can do it at any time.
SING without ceasing, sing
The Saviour’s present grace;
How all things shine
In light divine
For those who’ve seen His face.
SING without ceasing, sing
The Saviour’s present grace;
How all things shine
In light divine
For those who’ve seen His face.
He’s gone within the veil,
For us that place He’s won;
In Him we stand,
A heavenly band,
Where He Himself is gone.
There all’s unsullied light;
My heart lets in its rays,
And heavenly light
Makes all things bright,
Seen in that blissful gaze.
Such here on earth I am,
Though I in weakness roam;
My place on high,
God’s Self so nigh,
His presence is my home.
My heart is filled with bliss –
Heaven’s own eternal joys;
My soul at rest,
Of peace possessed,
That world its strength employs.
Thus, in divine delight
Of love so richly known,
God’s works below
With beauty glow;
His hand, His grace, I own.
And stayed by joy divine,
As hireling fills his day,
Through scenes of strife
And desert life
I tread in peace my way.
“All is a vain show around us; but that which is inside abides. When the heart gets hold of this fact, it becomes like one taken into the house to work for the day; performs the duties well, but passes through, instead of living in the circumstances . . . . The Lord keep us going on in simplicity, fulfilling as a hireling our day, till Christ shall come, and then shall every man have praise of God.”
J.N.D.
That way is upward still,
Where life and glory are;
My rest’s above,
In perfect love
The glory I shall share –
For ever with the Lord,
For ever like Him then –
And see His face
In that blest place,
My Father’s house in heaven.
John Nelson Darby (1800-82)
Written 1856
Most of the above are in Hymns for the Little Flock 1962 and 1973 – No 12
S.M. (6.6.8.6)
The next event for us is the rapture. It could be at any time – today even – and applies only to the church. Because of that, there is no reference to it in the Old Testament. In scripture, the in Greek word ἁρπαγησόμεθα/harpagēsometha/Strong 726 in 1Thess 4:17. Is translated ‘caught up’. The word ‘rapture’ is a noun with the same meaning.
We should ask why is the rapture so little understood, or even accepted amongst many sincere Christians? This scripture in 1 Thess 14:13-18 is very clear:
A few weeks ago I was talking to some of my younger Christian friends regarding the various things which had happened and were yet to happen. They had little problem with the history – creation, the fall, the flood, the Exodus, Moses receiving the law, David, the captivity, the birth of Christ, His death and resurrection, Pentecost etc., but they had real problems with what is to come. I thought therefore in this and a few coming letters to look at these future events so that we might be sure where we are in relation to them.
The Rapture
The next event for us is the rapture. It could be at any time – today even – and applies only to the church. Because of that, there is no reference to it in the Old Testament. In scripture, the in Greek word ἁρπαγησόμεθα/harpagēsometha/Strong 726 in 1Thess 4:17. Is translated ‘caught up’. The word ‘rapture’ is a noun with the same meaning.
We should ask why is the rapture so little understood, or even accepted amongst many sincere Christians? This scripture in 1 Thess 14:13-18 is very clear: ‘But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them [Darby – are in no way to anticipate those] which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words’. Look at a few phrases ‘the dead in Christ shall rise first’ – that encompasses all those who have been ransomed by His blood from creation onwards. Whether we who are alive now will be taken before the rapture, none of us knows. Paul referred to ‘we, the living’, as if he thought it would be within his lifetime. Of course we know it was not, but he was looking forward to the Lord’s coming – we should be too.[1]
Paul also says, ‘we shall ever be with the Lord’ (v.17), and ‘them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him’. Now when Jesus comes (the public second coming, often referred to in scripture as ‘the appearing’) the dead in Christ will be with Him – and so will be those lovers of the Lord who were alive at the rapture. Also, ‘When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory’ (Col 3:4). Clearly, we could not come with Him, if we were still on the earth.
The church is heavenly entity: she belongs to Christ in heaven, and her hope and glory is Christ Himself. She looks forward to and His return to take up His rights. Therefore the church has nothing to do with the course of events of the earth. This makes its rapture and return with Christ so simple and clear, as we see from Col 3:4, ‘When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.’ [2]
1 Cor 15:51-52 is another scripture which describes the rapture: ‘We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ’ From this we can deduce that there will be a rallying trumpet, the whole event will be very quick, and our bodies will be changed. The latter is also referred to in Rom 8:23 ‘waiting for the adoption, [to wit], the redemption of our body’.
When the Lord was discoursing with his disciples immediately prior to the crucifixion, He tells them that a place was being prepared for the saints to be with Him, where He is. ‘I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’ (John 14:2-3).
Therefore:
The rapture will be sudden
No one knows when the rapture will be
The rapture will be private
At the rapture there will be a voice (or trumpet sound) which only Christians will hear
At the rapture the Lord will not come quite to the earth – just to the air
The rapture will affect people, whether raptured or left here: the world carries on
At the rapture bodies will be changed
The question often arises as to what the effect of the saints being taken will be. Suddenly millions of people will just vanish! Hal Lindsey, who awakened many Christians to the rapture in the 1970’s in a popular book ‘The Late Great Planet Earth’, said that there would be confusion. I doubt it. Christians who are ‘not of the world’ will not be missed. Writing about future events in his second epistle to the Thessalonians Paul said, ‘God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie’ (2 Thess 2:11). The Antichrist will conjure up a satisfactory credible explanation which will be accepted universally.
The Rapture and the Appearing
We must not confuse the second coming with the rapture. At the rapture the Lord comes to the atmosphere immediately above the earth. At the appearing He comes to the earth. Here are some differences between the rapture and the appearing:
Something else many Christians do not realise is the fact there will be two resurrections. The Old Testament did not distinguish between the two. John made the distinction very clear. When the Lord was here, He said ‘all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation’ (John 5:28-29). Also in Revelation, ‘Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power’ (Rev 20:6). The second death is to the Great White Throne – the resurrection of the dead for judgment[3].
The first resurrection (the resurrection of the just) is primarily at the rapture. J N Darby says that it will be the consummation of our happiness[4]. Having given life to our souls, He will give life to our glorified bodies.
Satan is the author of this confusion. He does not want Christians to burn with anticipation of the Lord’s immediate coming. He certainly does not want us saying ‘Come Lord Jesus’ (Rev 22:20).
Dear Christian friends, may we keep near Him, and be assured as to the immediacy of His return.
The gift – a well of living water – the Holy Spirit
The Giver – Christ.
It is not a pool, which, even if full now, can dry up. It is a fountain which can never dry up. The believer has it in himself, and he has for ever. But first the believer must first get to know the Giver.
This was the first of series of thirteen preachings. Unlike his wrigins, the preachings are much easier to follow – so – if you have time, read the original.
Three chapters in John’s gospel speak of the effects and operations of the Spirit of God.
John 3: New birth – the power and efficacy of the Holy Spirit in giving life
John 4: The Well – a well of water springing up into everlasting life
John 7: Rivers of living water – the internal effect of the indwelling Spirit
The Lord Jesus Christ is the giver of the Holy Spirit to them that believe. As sinners, we have no relationship with God – that relationship had been lost forever. However, because of Christ’s sacrifice and intercession, it has been restored for the believer. All our blessings are through Him. He died for our sins, and rose again. He was made ‘sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him’ (2 Cor 5:21). The knowledge of God’s righteousness is by the Spirit. Knowing it we can share in God’s happiness, having fellowship with the Father and unhindered communion with God. This is the gift of God: there is no other way
The Pharisees were jealous because Jesus was making more disciples than John. In order to follow peace with all men, Jesus left Judea for Galilee, passing through Samaria on the way. It had been a long journey and He was weary, so He sat down by a well to recover His strength. It was not just that journey, He had left His home of glory and of blessedness, and come down to this weary, sinful world. There everything around would make Him weary – sin, hatred, ingratitude, ill-will, open opposition, and toil. However, He was never weary of love.
So what do we find? The Lord of glory, the Son of the Eternal God, sitting alone with a wicked sinner by a well, asking her for a drink of cold water – the humblest request possible. He was to settle the great question of eternity with her, showing her what she was herself, and telling her who He was. In love the Lord is still humbly asking people for a drink – that is, to be reconciled – ‘We pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God’ (2 Cor 5:20).
Among the Jews it was considered obnoxious to have anything to do with the Samaritans, let alone to be beholden to them for a favour. Despite what the woman asked, the Lord did not enter into argument about the prejudices of the Jews, but focused instead on her salvation. So He says, ‘If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water’ (v. 10). Her carnal mind could not take that in, it just did not mean anything to her, and it does not mean anything to people now: divine things appear stupid and valueless. Nor did she know the Giver. She said, ‘Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?’ (v. 11).
So what is this gift, and the Giver?
The gift – a well of living water – the Holy Spirit
The Giver – Christ.
It is not a pool, which, even if full now, can dry up. It is a fountain which can never dry up. The believer has it in himself, and he has for ever. But first the believer must first get to know the Giver.
The woman was occupied with her worldly duties and pursuits, and could not rise to anything higher. Satan uses these mundane things (even a waterpot) to keep souls from Christ. Dear reader, is there any waterpot which is keeping you from knowing Christ, and seeing His great salvation? It may be harmless, innocent or even praiseworthy – your family, your job or your pastimes.
Now, all of a sudden, the woman realised that there was something in what the Lord had been saying. She said, ‘Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw’ (v.15). Though she was still thinking naturally, and may even been sceptical, the Lord persevered with her in love. The Lord is always patient: He never gets weary when it comes to souls. He says ‘Go, call thy husband’, and follows this up with ‘Thou hast well said, I have no husband: for thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband’ (v. 16-18). In effect, He showed her that she did not realise the wretched, ruinous state she was in. Her conscience vibrated. In the presence of One who was acquainted with the hidden recesses of her heart, she was stripped of her self-disguise. She had never really believed that she was a sinner. Now she knew that she was, like the man who came into the assembly in 1 Cor 14:24, ‘He is convinced of all, he is judged of all; and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.’
There was some discussion as to the Lord’s being a prophet, and the arguments as to where one should worship. The Lord bore with this. But she was in the process of leaving her waterpot and coming to know the Saviour. She even appeared to be looking forward to His (the Messiah’s) coming. The Spirit lead her to say, ‘I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ; when he is come, he will tell us all things’. Jesus’ reply, ‘I that speak unto thee am he’ (v. 25-26).
The woman had wanted water and had come with her waterpot. Now she had a well of water and had left her waterpot. Christ had revealed Himself to her soul; the Messiah’s glory was now her aim and end. She knew Him, not from hearsay but personally, and immediately she preached Him to others. ‘Come, see a man that told me all that ever I did: is not this the Christ’ (v. 29). A total revolution had taken place.
It is a process in which we are taken out of a former position, as strangers, even enemies, and are introduced to a new position, where we are brought near to God. We no longer have a worldly but a heavenly portion – Christ’s portion. The Spirit shows us that our new life is the life of Christ. In fact, we are in the same position as Christ Himself!
The world’s wealth, power and distinction now has little value to us. We find no wealth but in Christ; we find no power but by Christ; we have no distinction but from Christ. Our joy is full. We have a fresh spring, drawing from the Lord of glory, giving us fellowship with millions of others who have had the same experience with the Lord, and who have received the Holy Spirit.
Dear reader, how is it with your soul? Have you asked for the living water? Is there this well within you? Do you have it yourself, or you relying on others? – that will not do. Now, if you have it, what practical influence has it had? Are you separated from the world, and separated to God? Do you think about your high calling? – heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ! (See Rom 8:17) Are you imitating Him? He was ‘holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners’ (Heb 7:26). Are you?
Do you have this spring, this well of water? If not, you do not yet know the gift of God. if you have not got it in you, you’ve got nothing. Don’t deceive yourself, nothing else will do. When temptation, trial, or affliction comes, your pool will be dried up without any resource – a useless pool without a spring,
Darby and the brethren held to all the fundamentals of the Christian faith:
There is one God, eternally blessed – Father, Son and Holy Spirit,.
The Lord Jesus was and is human and divine. He was born of a virgin and was raised from the dead and is now glorified at the right hand of God.
The Holy Spirit, having descended on the day of Pentecost, dwells in believers who are waiting for the promised return of the Lord Jesus.
The Father in His love has sent the Son to accomplish the work of redemption and grace towards men. Jesus, the Son, finished the work on earth which the Father gave Him to do. He made propitiation for our sins, and ascended into heaven. Now He is the great High Priest, seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
As to the brethren, nobody would be received into fellowship who denied any of these fundamental truths, and any who undermined them would be excommunicated. They are essential to living faith and salvation, and to the life which all Christians live as born of God.
‘After These Things’ Chapter 3.3 What did John Nelson Darby and the Brethren hold?
From our book ‘After These Things – Summaries of John Nelson Darby’s Papers on Prophecy – and more…’ Compiled by Daniel Roberts. For more about this book click on the picture or CLICK HERE
The following is a summary of a letter entitled ‘A letter to the Editor of Le Français’ – published in J N D’s Letters Volume 2 page 431.
In 1878 the editor of ‘Le Français’, a catholic newspaper wrote to J N Darby asking him about what he and the brethren held. Although he did not like writing articles for newspapers, believing that they were not compatible with the Christian’s heavenly calling, Darby said, ‘I have given him in all simplicity what he asked for. He avowed himself a Catholic and devoted to Catholicism. His letter was simple and honest: I replied to him as a Christian.’
Darby’s Reply to ‘Le Français’
Darby and the brethren held to all the fundamentals of the Christian faith:
There is one God, eternally blessed – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The Lord Jesus was and is human and divine. He was born of a virgin. Having made propitiation for our sins, He was raised from the dead and is now glorified the great High Priest, seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
The Holy Spirit, having descended on the day of Pentecost, dwells in believers who are waiting for the promised return of the Lord Jesus.
Darby’s early Christian Days
Following his accident (see Chapter 3.2 above), God gave him to understand that he was in Christ, united to Him by the Holy Spirit. Though he had always accepted that the word of God was the absolute authority as to faith and practice, God had now implanted in his heart the conviction of it. Scriptures which bore on that were:
‘At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I inyou’ (John 14:20)
‘He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit’ (1 Corinthians 6:17)
‘Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost who is in you’ (1 Corinthians 6:19)
‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus’ (Rom 8:1)
‘I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also’ (John 14:3)
‘Having believed, ye have been sealed for the day of redemption’ (Ephesians 1:13)
‘For by one Spirit are we all baptised into one body’ (1 Corinthians 12:13)
‘Even when we were dead in sins, he hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)’ ( 2:5)
‘Our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, who shall transform our body of humiliation into conformity to his body of glory’ (Phil 3:20-21)
From the above scriptures, he deduced that the Holy Spirit had given us as believers the full assurance of salvation. We have been set apart from this world, sealed to do God’s will here. We are citizens of another world, awaiting the return of our Lord and Saviour.
The body of Christ is composed of those who are united by the Holy Spirit to the Head – Christ in heaven. We are seated in the heavenly places in Christ, and are already there in spirit, just waiting to be taken there, our bodies changed.
The Public Church
This brings us to the thought of the church and of its unity.
Let us look around! We see how far we as Christians have got from what God had set up on the earth. Where is the church? Darby said it was not the national churches ( Anglicanism in Britian etc.). In his early days, he had been attracted to Rome. But then he realised that the idea of a sacrificing priesthood down here was inconsistent with Hebrews 10:14-18 ‘For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified… . Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin’. Rome pretended to be the whole, but excluded half or more of Christendom. Protestant sects were divided amongst themselves – unity was not possible. In fact, most of those who call themselves Christians were as much of the world as atheists or pagans.
The Fall of the early Church
The Church was formed on the earth at the descent of the Holy Spirit. It ought to have been clearly identifiable, distinct, separate from the world. Alas, this has not been the case. The Lord foresaw this: ‘The wolf catcheth them and scattereth the sheep’ (John 10:12) but, thank God the same faithful Shepherd also said, ‘No one shall catch them out of my hand’ (v.28).
In the beginning, ‘the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved’ (Acts 2:47). Soon false brethren crept in, tares were sown, the house was filled with unholy vessels, from which the faithful were to purge themselves. These were persons with a form of godliness without the power, from which the faithful were to turn away (See 2 Timothy 2:20-22 and ch. 3:1-5)
The apostle Paul, bidding farewell to the faithful of Asia, said, ‘I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock, and of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.’ (Acts 20:29-30). Moreover, Jude noted that deceitful men had crept in among the Christians, ‘Certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men’ (Jude v.4). This would lead to apostasy, those inside the public confession entirely abandoning the Christian faith. John continued this line in his epistles.
What the Faithful should understand
Paul tells us, ‘Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel to honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work’ (2 Timothy 2:19-21).
The public church is a great house with vessels of all kinds: a call comes to the faithful man to purify himself from the vessels to dishonour. In the next chapter, he speaks of perilous times. Men will be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud etc., but also ‘Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof’ (2 Timothy 3:5). They were evidently in the professing church, not pagans as in Romans 1. And it goes on, ‘All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse’ (2 Timothy 3:12, 13); but true believers have assurance through the scriptures, given by inspiration of God, making them wise to salvation, by the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
However, Satan will not destroy what Christ has built, the house made of living stones, and the holy temple in the Lord (See 1 Peter 2:5 and Ephesians 2:21). The Word declares that where two or three are gathered to the name of Jesus, He would be in their midst. (See Matthew 18:20).
The early Brethren
This is what Darby recognised. Initially, only four met together, not in a spirit of pride or presumption, but deeply grieved at seeing the state of that which surrounded them and praying earnestly about it. Darby said they were not thinking of forming a new sect. Indeed, they did not believe that the thing would have gone any further. They were just satisfying the need of their souls according to the word of God and found the promised presence of the Lord.
As the Holy Spirit stirred up the consciences of exercised believers, similar gatherings sprung up. The work extended in a way they did not expect – in throughout most of Europe, the British Colonies, the United States, and elsewhere. As the gospel was preached, the Spirit of God acted and produced soul yearnings that the established religious systems could not meet.
Those brethren rested on the authority of the word of God. They saw our Saviour:
first as accomplishing redemption on the cross,
then as seated at the Father’s right hand, the Holy Ghost being down here,
and finally, as coming back to take His own to be with Himself.
Nobody would be received into fellowship who denied any of these fundamental truths, and any who undermined them would be excommunicated. They are essential to living faith and salvation, and to the life which all Christians live as born of God
These Christians had the full assurance of their salvation They had faith in the efficacy of Christ’s redemption, and being sealed with the Holy Spirit, were waiting for the Son of God to come from heaven without knowing when it would happen. Bought with a high price, they felt bound to regard themselves as no longer belonging to themselves, but to please the Lord Jesus in everything, and to live only for Him.
The Brethren’s Walk
While Darby had to admit that not all the brethren walked at the full height of the heavenly calling, they acknowledged the obligation to do so. Brethren walked in a morally right way, excluding any who held heresy or engaged in immorality. They abstained from the pleasures and amusements of the world. Evening parties would be occasions of encouraging one another and discussing the word. Brethren did not vote or get involved in politics. They submitted to the established authorities, whatever political colour they may be, so long as they were not called upon to act contrary to the will of Christ. They took the Lord’s supper every Sunday, and those who had gift taught from the scriptures and preached the gospel of salvation to sinners. Everyone felt bound to seek the salvation or good of his or her neighbour, as they were able. Feeling that Christendom was corrupt, they were not of the church-world.
Asked as to how many such believers followed this course, Darby had no idea. Brethren did not number themselves, wishing to remain in the littleness which becomes Christians. In any case, they reckoned as a brother or sister in Christ, every person who had the Spirit of Christ.
Conclusion
Darby stated, ‘What is the advantage of this course? We acknowledge Christ as the Son of God and know that we have been saved by Him. In obeying Him, despite our weakness, faults and failures, we have Him as an indescribable source of joy. Looking ahead, we have an earnest or advance of eternal happiness, with no failures, where our Lord will be fully glorified in all believers’
Postscript
It is over 140 years since the letter referred to above was written. Much has transpired and most readers of this book will be aware of, or be associated with, ‘brethren’ in one form other. This is not the place to go into the history of ‘brethrenism’, with its many sad divisions. Amongst ‘so-called’ brethren (who should eschew sectarianism or any claim to ecclesiastical status), there are thousands of true lovers of our Lord Jesus who seek to please Him, serve Him and praise Him for who He is and what He has done. Human ambition and politics, a state of loveless exactitude (Ephesus) or lukewarm self-satisfaction (Laodicea) has resulted in scattering. Darby noted that when things were left in man’s hands they always fail. But the Lord knows those who are His. (see 2 Timothy 2:19). One of the hymns brethren use goes:
What will it be when all life’s toil is finished,
And we have entered our eternal rest;
When past for ever is the night of weeping,
And with Thee, Lord, we are for ever blest!
What will it be when all the strife is over,
And all Thy saints, now scattered far and wide,
Shall be without one shade of variation,
All like Thee, Lord, united by Thy side!
In Numbers 19 we learn about being free of defilement. We are in the world but not of it – we belong in the sanctuary. If we come into contact with evil, a remedy is required, otherwise communion will be hindered.
Three chapters in John’s gospel speak of the effects and operations of the Spirit of God.
