Easter Conference

Easter Conference

We were again gathered at Brunstad, and again we experienced the conference as a “washing of water by the word,” as we read in Ephesians 5:26. The aim of such a washing by the Word is found in the next verse: “That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.” In light of this it would be a pity if the preaching were to be like the roar of a waterfall which is hardly noticed and which, in this case, would not have the desired effect. What follows is a short summary of the meetings.

The Foolishness of the Message and God’s Wisdom

In Galatians 5:11 we see how Paul feared that the offense of the cross would cease. His desire for the Corinthians was that they would not build on anything that was of themselves. He wanted them all to come to the same acknowledgment he had come to; namely, that we all, of ourselves, are totally incapable of doing good. Therefore he gives this testimony in Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ.” In Ro­mans 3 we see an “x-ray” of ourselves as we are by nature: “There is none righteous, no, not one.” V. 10. When we truly (not just theoretically) have acknowledged this, we begin to love the cross and hate our self-life. We no longer want to achieve something in a human way or be a “somebody,” as our nature wishes.

Paul wasn’t just anyone in his day, and he could have put his confidence in much, even in his flesh, as he tells us in Philippians 3:3, ff. However, he reckoned all of it as dung and loss compared to what he could obtain in Christ. Only by faith and in obedience to the faith can we grow in the good. “Excellence of speech” is something he reckoned as loss and dung. He did not come with this “excellence” when he preached the gospel to the Corinthians, because he was deter­mined not to know anything among them except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 1 Cor. 2:1, ff. Therefore he was among them in weakness and in fear. In Chapter 1:21 he testifies that it was God’s will to save those who believe by the foolishness of the message. Just think that what is foolishness with people is God’s most excellent wisdom! This goes to show how far human reasoning is removed from God’s wisdom. In Chapter 2:14 we read that the natural man cannot comprehend the things of the Spirit of God—for example, the word that it is more blessed to give than to receive; or the exhortation about suffering joyfully or requiting evil with good; or the word about denying ourselves. The natural man considers all this as foolishness. The natural man would rather demand his rights. “Because you deserve it” is a common advertising slogan for some products. Therefore God’s wisdom is a mystery; it is hidden. V. 7. Jesus praises the Father that He has hidden this wisdom from the wise and prudent and has revealed it to babes, to those who believe and acknowledge that they are nothing in themselves and that they understand nothing. Such people gain access to God’s wisdom. The cross makes a clear and unmistakable distinction between those who are wise and pru­dent in their own eyes and those who are poor and lowly in themselves. The wise and prudent may be able to gather many people and make an impression with their knowledge, but they cannot build the body of Christ. Their entire effort results in stiff forms and customs without life and spirit and power.

Those who are poor and lowly in themselves discover God’s hidden wisdom in life’s manifold tribula­tions. When they encounter a trial, they think like this: “Now God wants something more.” They even glory in tribulations, as we read in Romans 5:3, ff. Finding glory through suffer­ings and tribulations is foolishness to the natural man. Let us therefore not be immersed in our human under­standing, but rather allow ourselves to be saved. Let us keep the invisible and eternal things in mind, for then tribulations will lead to an eternal fullness of glory. 2 Cor. 4:17-18. Then tribulations will not cause dejection and despair in our lives; they will rather be opportunities for obtaining a fullness of eternal glory.

Always

“I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” Then Joseph gave orders for his bones to be carried to the Promised Land. Gen. 50:24-26. His dead bones were to remind them of God’s promises: “God will surely visit you.” This is reminiscent of Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 4:10: “Always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” Always carrying Jesus’ dying in our body as a testimony that we will get to the heavenly Canaan! “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Heb. 13:5. Significantly, this is written in connection with our conduct being without covetousness. When we give everything to God—our heart, our will, and our thoughts—there is no reason to be anxious about earthly things.

In his preaching the apostle Paul portrayed Jesus Christ among his hearers as crucified. Gal. 3:1. This was not some sentimental preaching. We read an example of this preaching in 2 Corinthians 5:15: “And He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” As a result, when they saw Christ portrayed among them, they also saw themselves crucified together with Him.

“Live no longer for themselves.” This is a tremendous glory. Our calling is to live for Christ. It could also have been written as “living for the others.” But since we are not to be slaves of other people, it is writ­ten, “for Him.” “But they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.” 2 Cor. 8:5.

Paul’s testimony was: “I am cru­cified with Christ.” When Christ was portrayed as crucified among the Galatians, they also saw Paul as crucified. The Galatians were in the process of departing from the pure gospel and were trying to live the new life in the old, legalistic way. However, those who have been cru­cified with Christ by faith belong to Christ. Gal. 5:24. “Always carrying about in the body . . . .” Paul was en­thusiastic for this “always.” Always, not just once in a while! This means death to the passions and desires in our flesh, death to what the law could not do anything about. Everything becomes new for the person who is crucified with Christ. Life becomes true and genuine. Truth enters into the heart’s innermost recesses. Such people are a fragrance of Christ unto God. This is an aroma of death to death to those who are perishing, but an aroma of life to life to those who are being saved. 2 Cor. 2:14, ff.

Paul writes: “Therefore I urge you, follow me.” Can we say the same thing, with spirit and power? Can we say the same thing when it concerns the love of money and a carefree rest in God? Peter writes that we live in the time of our sojourning; therefore we should conduct ourselves in fear. 1 Pet. 1:17. Let us walk in the light! We should live our life according to the light we have.

The Mind of Christ

“Repent [change your mind] therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the pres­ence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19. Another mind—a new mind—the mind of Christ! This noble mind is followed by times of refreshing—everything that is good: consolation in Christ and comfort of love.

Paul states boldly, “But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Cor. 2:16. All of us should be able to say that. “Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus . . . .” Rom. 15:5. In this one mind we learn to care for each other, just as we are exhorted to do in verse 7. Then we will experience consolation and comfort, as well as the compassion and mercy that we read about in Philippians 2:1. We find all this in Christ and in His earthly body, which is the church. The body of Christ was and is a body of humiliation. As soon as a person strives to go up instead of go the way down, he leaves this comfort. The person who does not experience this blessing in the church has a dif­ferent mind, and not this one mind that is mentioned here.

When Paul urges us to follow him as he followed Christ, it is on the way of humiliation. Only on this way can the devil be disarmed so he cannot gain power at home or in the church. In Philippians 2 we read that Jesus humbled Himself and was obedi­ent to the point of death, even the death of the cross. He went this way voluntarily. He humbled Himself of His own accord. It is terrible when people who do not have a sense for humbling themselves think that they are servants of the Lord. Even if it is obvious that it would be best for the whole church that they humbled themselves, they still will not do it. They do not know what wisdom is. Paul says that “we speak wisdom among those who are mature [per­fect].” They are the ones who have the mind of Christ. This hidden wis­dom is to be able to judge yourself, among other things. Those who judge the others treasure up for themselves wrath in the day of wrath. There is never strife or division among those who have this wisdom that they can judge themselves. They grow up in all things up to Him who is the head of the body—Christ. Only they can build the church.

Accusation and Accusers

Many people succumb to Satan’s accusations. This is completely un­necessary, for Jesus has wiped out the letter of accusation against us and nailed it to the cross, as it is written in Colossians 2:14. Therefore everyone who has brought his affairs into order with God and with man can boldly face the future. “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing . . . .” Isa. 43:18-19.

In their arrogance some people permit themselves to accuse God’s elect, whereas others are intercessors. Everyone has to test himself. Am I an accuser or am I an intercessor?

When there was some unrest in the early days of the church in Jeru­salem, the twelve apostles withdrew from the practical aspects of the min­istry of serving at the tables and said, “But we will give ourselves continu­ally to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” Acts 6:4. This ought to be an exhortation to all those who bear responsibility. It is not necessary to have your fingers in everything that is happening. It is the ministry of intercession that gives power to the ministry of the word. True interces­sors bear people’s needs on their hearts and pray for them. The spirit of accusation is a terrible spirit! It is reminiscent of Judas who betrayed the Master Himself and presumably, even though he was a poor creature himself, felt that he was a head taller than Jesus. This is an illustration of many other “creatures” who con­sider themselves to be in a position to evaluate and judge even the most God-fearing people, although they have not done anything of note in God’s kingdom themselves. On a certain occasion Jesus said to Peter, “What is that to you?” John 21:22. This would be a fitting question to ask those who judge and condemn in matters that do not concern them.

In Revelation 12:9-10 we read about the accuser of our brethren who was cast down to earth. In Ephesians 2:4, ff., we read that God, by His grace, has placed us in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. There the accuser has lost all power. When we read about those who overcome and who have become pillars in God’s temple (Rev. 3:12), it is the accuser they have over­come. They are pillars in the church. There would have been much unrest if these pillars had fallen away. How­ever, it says about them that they will not go out. They are pillars! They have overcome the accuser!

Understand With the Heart

In Matthew 13:14-15 we find the expression, “Lest they should under­stand with their heart.” The hearts of the people were dull and hard of hear­ing when it came to God’s Word, and they needed to understand with their hearts so they could be converted. God’s Word cannot take root in a person’s heart that is dull, who has a mind that is distracted—he cannot bear fruit. The person can attend meeting after meeting and conference after conference, and everything he hears has the effect of the roar of a waterfall to which he barely pays at­tention. God’s Word has not made an impression; he does not understand it, and he returns to his daily routine where everything continues as before. God’s Word should have done a work with him, but his superficiality has the opposite effect.

In Acts 16 we read about Lydia from Philippi who, when she heard Paul speaking, paid heed to what was being said, and God opened her heart. She received a heart understanding of what she heard. The Ephesians, who had an understanding of many things, nevertheless needed to get enlight­ened eyes of the heart so they could understand the hope they were called to. When we receive enlightened eyes of the heart, we also lay hold of a zeal that impels us toward the goal, and we sense this call: “Abba, Father, tell me more, more, more!” On the other hand, in 1 Timothy 6:4 we read about some who were puffed up even though they understood nothing. In this spirit of pride they rejected every­thing that was good and acceptable to God. In Psalm 62:9 it says that the children of men are all vanity. From this we understand that we need to receive something from God if we are to be valuable.

“Jesus said to them, ‘Have you understood all these things?’ They said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord.’” Matt. 13:51. How much have we actually under­stood of the salvation that is in Jesus Christ? “Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.” This is what Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:7. Paul was so apprehended of Christ that he had lived himself into the gospel to the extent that he called it “my gospel.” V. 8. He was transformed through the gospel and received, as he wrote to Timothy, understanding in all things.