The Book of Nehemiah - Part 2 — T. Austin-Sparks

Christ as the Purpose and Dwelling of God

This is chapter two. Behind them and over them all is one inclusive all-over-shadowed figure. That figure is God's Son. He is overshadowed everything. He stands behind everything that is in the whole of this book in all forms of representation.

Of God is compelling to Christ. It is Christ who is established by God in this matter of which we are speaking. Both to be and to provide for God. That in which God can have pleasure to dwell. It is Christ.

The Temple and the Wall as One House

We must be of both cities. Ezra and Nehemiah with their contemporary prophets and governors. I've got one. Got one. Special entities in Ezra on the temple. Special entities in Nehemiah on the wall. But they're the pure one.

There are only two parts of one home. The temple and the wall. The temple, difficult as thought, certainly wouldn't be unnecessary for anybody knowing the Bible. For me to embark upon saying how all temples represent tension in the Bible.

A great central spot everywhere in its very constitution. A comprehensive representation of Christ. It is the public, however, that must hold us. God being amongst men. God being here. And God's finest possible, may I say, to delight, to enjoy being here.

Christ, dear friends, and only Christ that has brought God into this world. Saved by his Son. That God has drawn near and offered to dwell with men. And to make them within Christ. God cannot realize his purpose.

Because apart from his Son, because the purpose is held inextricably, inseparably bound up with. And to identify the proper notion, the answer to this vast text of God. You will see how much is gathered into that.

The whole meaning of the incarnation. The whole nature of Christ and his person. But we leave all that detail. Christ is the purpose of God. Let us not think of divine purpose in all aspects. Let us think that the purpose is a question.

And there is no possibility of realizing the purpose apart from the purpose. Therefore, if we are called according to the purpose, it is on the basis of our being called into the fillings of a God's promise.

The Presence of Christ and the Fulfillment of God's Purpose

Realization or fulfillment of God's purpose in this very creation. I mean our existence demands a vital relationship with the Lord. No explanation of existence. The existence of man, Lord, or creation.

Only a dream of determination is realized and fulfilled in the presence of God. One thing leads to the other. Wonderful, wonderful feeling of God's presence. Dependence of all eternity depends upon the presence of Christ.

And depends upon the measure of the presence. Find God in the measure in which Christ is present. Is that fine? Too simple, like a platitude? We all have a lot to bound up with us. Seek where Christ is.

And know where else. In the measure, in the measure of him. In the measure in which he's present. You and I aren't God and I lie. Let us be quite sure about this in faith. To his Son. Not to us. God doesn't commit himself to men.

Jesus never did that. He says, did not trust himself to men. He knew what was in men. Faithful. God doesn't commit himself to you and to me. Men are always trying to take hold of God, get hold of God, and use God.

Even in religion, use God. To manipulate God. To make God fulfill their dreams, desires, and ambitions. And satisfy them in some enterprise. Some undertaking that God doesn't commit himself. He does never do that.

It must be perfectly sure that God only commits himself to his Son. Because it is only Christ who satisfies God and provides him with the sanctuary. His dwelling. God is sure of the foundations. Sure of the secret structure.

The presence of God. In power. In activity. Depends entirely upon the measure in which Christ is there. To be really manifest to God. One concern is that the greatest possible measure of Christ. That is found in us.

And where we are. Sounds very simple. But it's here. The building. The building of this temple. And the building of the wall. The temple is the sanctuary but the wall. What is the wall? The definition.

The Wall as a Definition of What Belongs to God

Definition. It's the meaning. Of what? That temple which is the presence of God. It defines what is within. It gives. It teaches me. That apart from all else. That is in the world outside. That wall. Says.

Within my reach I have earned. Known. What God is like. And where God is. Is not only present. But God is like us. And there has to be. A distinguishing line. Between what is of God. And what is not of God.

That we have the world outside. From which all these. Unpaired activities are coming. The wall. Understand is. That it speaks of a definition. No one will dispute with me. The statement. That if there is one thing needed perhaps.

More than anything else. Today. Where the Lord's people are concerned. He's a God. Much more has come in. Than what is of God. What is of God. He's just appearing to me. But that wall says. If our God is confirmed.

There could be none of that. No confusion. No uncertainty. No indifference. No indifference. It's going to be all clear cut. Clearly defined. It's going to be God. And only God. And everything that is not God.

Is of Him. That is Christ. In extension. What God is after. We must have it like that. In principle we know how it is. And how much of the Lord we find there. Get us confused from this. Get the walls creeping in.

And how much of the Lord we need. Get what is of man. The Lord is limited. Christ is not like that. Do you know why? Because Christ is a sanctuary not made with hands. That is not of this creation. To use biblical language.

Christ as the Heavenly Sanctuary

Not of this creation. Not made with hands. That is the deepest mystery. Meaning of His death. Not of blood. Not of blood. The mixture of blood. Not of the will of heaven. Nor the will of man. There has been such an assault upon the virgin birth.

And the cup and the mouth. And the whole pocket of God. For having been according to Christ. He is not made with hands. He is not of this creation. He is not of man at all. He is of God. And it's all we say so clearly.

Christ is different. Christ is other. Christ is not of this world. Kingdom is not of this world. Do you know why? And so it must be that God is to have His end. And in full there must be this. This constant work.

Removing What Does Not Belong to God's House

Putting outside the wall. What is not of God. Notice this book has a lot to do with it. Putting it out. There was a time when an enemy on the inside brought the furniture into the house of God. That knew him out.

And he picked that furniture out. The metaphor is not contradictory. Not stock and barrel. None of this here doesn't belong. Doesn't belong. So I say he picked it over the wall. But anyway. Metaphorically that's what it is.

It doesn't belong. He says it doesn't belong. It doesn't belong. And all that does not belong has got to go out. The wall has got to go out. He made a definition of an enemy. Holy. I'm going to stop there for the moment.

God's Glory as the Goal of His Habitation

Leave you with that. This is not a small thing dear friends. To be called by the grace of God. Into this great purpose. To give to him. In our own lives. To get all of his people. And in this world. We answer to the needs of our own desire and heart.

Is it a small thing? Is it a small thing? If we can be the small thing. If that does not make an appeal to us. If that does not really come to us. Which comes? If you do not see the importance and greatness of that.

You can let it go as something said in a meeting. A subject spoken of in a conference. If it does not really register with us. As something above all other things. We get an explanation of this creation.

And of our being a cause. Both in creation and in redemption. The explanation of Christ coming. Of Christ living. Of Christ dying and rising. And going back to heaven. In a heavenly present. The priestly present.

Of everything else. One answer to one explanation is. To ending me and enough together. God shall dwell. And make his presence known. If that does not appeal to you. Then. I can only say. That you are a very.

The very essence of consciousness is. Not to let. The peace one. Have all. That he desires. And not to be concerned about it. It must be me. Who shall have it. It is no small thing. To be called according to this thing.

To be called. To answer to. An ever abiding desire. At the heart of God. Therefore. God takes infinite pains. To make the place. Of his habitation. Suitable. For the manifestation of his glory. That is the aim.

He is coming to be glorified. In history. And to be marveled at. In all the nations. What an aim. What an aim. You ever thought about that? To be glorified in his. To be marveled at. That all. Heavenly.

The Glory of God Revealed to Angels and the Nations

Intelligences. Look on this. Face of marvelous. Isn't it marvelous. And you know. Angels and half angels. They know something about marvelous things. They are not unfamiliar. With marvelous things. They have marveled at the creation.

The sons of God. Shattered for joy at the creation. They marveled. They marveled in the birth of Christ. They sang for joy and glory. To God in the highest. They are acquainted with marvelous things. That man says.

He has come to be marveled at. Who is going to do the marvels? Who is going to do the marvels? They must be unto these quintessentalities. And stars in the heavens. That his wonderful grace is displayed.

In the saints and the angels. They say. The marvel of all marvels. We should be glorified in people like that. What a marvelous thing to wait for. That is the end. We go before God. But God. Explains his face.

Discipline and Suffering in the Work of Sanctification

While he does it. Let's go. All together. And come back again. To discover. How he disciplines. How he. And I got to go through these. Some difficult ways. Who am I? I. Conquer this that would conquer him.

And on the other side. To bring in that. Which would guide him. With a treatable ground. Thoughtless. Pool. I know something about that. Discipline and suffering. If we really understand. We can interpret God's grace.

As we can see. On the one side. There was much that had to be conquered. Had to be broken. Had to be bound up in the fire. And we say amen. That's right too. On the other side. We cannot say too much about this.

Indeed we can't say anything very much about it at all. Nevertheless. We know that grace is doing something. We are doing things. We have more. Love for God. Than we once had. And more of the love of God.

Than we once had. And so we want to do things. We cannot speak. Much of our grace is served. It's all too slow and too little. Nevertheless. We see. And the angels. Christ is marvelous. But not in all government.

Maybe it has to be. Through Jesus. All of God.