Staying Power

by John H. Johnson, Kilmarnock, Scotland | Category: The Disciple Life | Aug 1990

James, Peter, John, Andrew and the rest of the Eleven - "Ye are they that have continued with Me in My temptations". These were real men, men who never went back. Not like some "who went back, and walked no more with Him" how the Lord felt their defection!

One old brother in Northern Ireland said before he died, "I have not done much, but at least I have continued". Did he say, "At least"? "At least!" Certainly that is something the Lord will reward in a coming day. Continue brother, sister, old or young, continue. Be like the Eleven. These were men, great men, men who continued and never went back, and who rejoiced the heart of the Lord.

"Would ye also go away?" It's the Lord who speaks, who asks the question and it's for you and me to answer will all our heart, "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life". In the grace and mercy of God we were drawn to the Lord Jesus and persuaded (but not forced) by the Spirit of God to believe on Him and so we were saved by the grace of Christ:

We had to make that decision. Since that day - be it recent or distant God has encouraged us to follow the Lord Jesus, to be obedient to His teaching, that is, the apostles' teaching, but again He does not compel us. He looks for thankful and willing-hearted believers who want to be obedient to the teaching of the Lord Jesus. How does He encourage? God Himself says to us "I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee"; so that with good courage we are each enabled to say, "The Lord is my Helper; I will not fear: what shall man do unto me?" and the Lord Jesus says to us (as He did to Paul), "My grace is sufficient for thee: for My power is made perfect in weakness". It is surely a word for weak ones like you and me. "My power is made perfect in weakness!" How much of Naaman there is in us. "I thought..." But as high as the heavens are above the earth so high are God's ways above our ways.

Paul was perhaps the greatest disciple of the Lord Jesus and he felt his need, his weaknesses, and on hearing the Lord's reply he gloried in his weaknesses that the power of Christ might rest upon Him. Years ago I heard of two poor women who called at a farmhouse. One was the chief speaker and she catalogued her misfortunes to the farmer's wife. But at the mention of each misfortune the other woman would interject, "Me, too!" We also can surely say with Paul as he glories in his weaknesses that the power of Christ may rest upon him, "Me, too!". Rejoice, brother or sister, Rejoice that such grace is available to us also. We are weak, but He is mighty.

God in His infinite wisdom has left us to serve Him with a mortal body and while we are in this body we shall experience temptations - the temptations to do the evil things that belong to that old corrupt fleshly nature (they are listed for us by the Lord in Mark 7:20-23); and the temptations that come from the Devil - all conspiring together to get us down, make us feel, "I'm no use," and give up. We all know the feelings, brother, sister! but by the grace of Christ we continue, and each of us has to learn the lesson (why is it that most of us have to learn the hard way?) not to trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead. The Lord Jesus says so plainly, "Abide in Me ... for apart from Me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5). How do I abide in Him? It's not by learning some mysterious secret formula only comprehensible to the highly gifted. No, He speaks plainly and simply to us "babes" (Mat. 11:25). Personally I am glad that the Lord called us babes, meaning that we are simple enough to believe Him and trust Him. But to return to our question, How do I abide in Him? Hear what the Lord Himself answers:

If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love ... This is My commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you (John 15:10,12).

Dees that include loving the brother or sister who rubs me the wrong way, who gets under my skin? John the apostle answers:

God is LOVE; and he that abideth in love abideth' in God, and God abideth in him ... We love because He first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment have we from Him, that he who loveth God love his brother also (1 John 4:16,19,20,21).

Love is of God and love never fails. God', speaking through Peter, lists a number of Christian virtues which add up to LOVE, and He says:

If these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful unto the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ ... If ye do these things, ye shall never stumble: for thus shall be richly supplied unto you the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 1:8,10,11).

But we speak of LOVE - not the sentimental, erotic thing called love by the world.

The LOVE that we speak of, which is to characterize you and me and keep us abiding in Christ, suffers long and is kind, envies not, vaunts not itself, is not puffed up. Does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not its own, is not provoked, takes not account of evil (1 Cor. 13:4,5). "Oh stop!" you say, "It is too much! I just cannot do it" No, of course: you cannot in your own strength, but in the power of Christ you can. You can do all things in Him who strengthens you. Abide in Me, the Lord Jesus says.

God gives us every encouragement and has made full provision in Christ to enable each of us to continue, to finish the course, but He expects each of us to make an effort, and He uses various words in the Scriptures to remind us that we must make an effort in our service for God. Disaster comes to the idle. Perdition! The word almost sends a shiver through you. The opportunity of a life of service (not the believers' eternal life) for the Lord who died for us - lost! That is what is involved in shrinking back unto perdition. The Lord says, "Exercise thyself", "Be diligent", "Hold fast", "Give heed", "Strive", "Fight", "Quit yourself like a man". You and I make the effort and God supplies the strength - Marvellous! And at the end of the day He rewards; rewards each one who makes the effort to live for Him! And He gives the grace to enable us to do so!

How humble we ought to be in His service. Proud sinners do not get saved and proud believers do not serve Him acceptably. In the home, at work, at school, college, among relatives and neighbours, and in the local assembly let the love of Christ constrain us. Ask for the grace to love in the name of Jesus and it will be given you. Love never fails. "This is the way, walk ye in it". Never let any of these sorrowful words be applied to any one of us: "drift away", "go away", "fall away", "shrink back", but rather let us each paraphrase the words of one of old, "Thine am I, Lord Jesus, and on Thy side, Thou King of love".

John H. Johnson, Kilmarnock, Scotland | Aug 1990
The Disciple Life