PRESSING TOWARD THE MARK.
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“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do,
forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those
things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the
high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” -Phil. 3:13,14.-
FEW IN the nominal church see any particular mark or any particular prize with
definiteness;-to be sought and to be attained. The majority are merely fleeing
from an imagined eternal torment, which pursues them as a fear, a dread, a
nightmare, a horror, from the cradle to the tomb. Others of the Lord’s people
(chiefly of “this way”) have had the eyes of their understanding illuminated by
the holy spirit through the divine Word, and have gotten a glimpse of the great
prize which God has set before the elect Church of this Gospel age. No
wonder if these are enthused with the glorious spectacle which (the natural)
eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man to
conceive of, but which “God hath revealed unto us by his spirit!” No wonder,
either, if they have given more attention to the prize than to the mark which
must be attained ere the prize is won.
Full of enthusiasm and appreciation of divine love, these have entirely lost
the fear of eternal torment, and have learned that this doctrine is of Satan,
and not of God; from man, and not of the holy spirit; from the dark ages, and
not the teachings of the inspired words of Scripture. They have learned, too,
that what scriptures seem to give any color of sanction to this blasphemy
against God’s character and plan are certain parables, symbols and dark sayings
which misinterpretations have more or less glossed and colored in the common
translations of the Scriptures.
It is quite common for this latter class to think and to speak of “running
for the prize,” and to measurably lose sight of the fact that it is not
the prize that we run toward, but the mark: that the prize is entirely
beyond our grasp;-as the Apostle expresses it above, “I press toward the
mark.” Whoever reaches the mark of character which God has established for the
elect will receive the prize; and whoever fails to reach that mark of character
will fail to get the prize. It is therefore a very serious error to run for the
prize and forget or ignore or disregard the “mark,” which must first be
attained.
The thought that a certain standard or mark of character is necessary to
all who will pass divine approval as “overcomers,” and hear the Lord’s “Well
done!” is an astounding one to many. Many have thought of the Christian race
as merely an avoidance of open sin; others have included an avoidance of secret
faults; others have gone still further, and have included a general disposition
to sacrifice many interests of the present life; others have gone still
further, and have understood the test of discipleship to be full self-surrender
to the Lord, a full sacrifice of earthly life and all of its interests to the
will of our Head, the Lord;-but almost none have the thought that all our
sacrificings and experiences and self-denials must lead up toward and
eventually bring us to the “mark” of character which God has set for the
“elect;”-else they will not get the prize of joint-heirship with Christ in the
Millennial Kingdom. Nothing, probably, has contributed so much to this
oversight of a “mark” or fixed standard of character than the false
interpretation given to our Lord’s conversation with the dying thief on
Calvary.
It is indisputably reasonable, that God has some standard or test by which
he will determine who are worthy to receive the great blessings and honors
offered to the elect-who are worthy to be members of the body of Christ and to
share his Millennial Kingdom-what shall constitute faithfulness in those
who “seek for glory, honor and immortality,” and who are “the called and chosen
and faithful.” The Apostle, in our text, unquestionably declares that
there is such a mark, and that all who are running with any hope of attaining
the desired prize must be running toward that mark, and must attain it or lose
the prize. And we see, too, that the Apostle judges himself according to this
standard, and declares that at the time he wrote he had not yet reached this
mark or standard of character-development. Such reflections cannot but awaken
in the hearts of all who are in this race earnest desires to see distinctly the
mark toward which we must run: and it should stimulate each and all of us to
run the more patiently and the more perseveringly, and to watch day by day the
measure of our progress toward the grand mark which the Lord our God has set
before us.
We notice that the Apostle has in mind foot-races, and we see the
forcefulness of the illustration: (1) As the racers must enter the race-course
in a legitimate manner, so must we get on our race-course in a legitimate
manner, through the only door-faith in the precious blood which redeemed us and
justified us before God. (2) Those who enter the course must be regularly
recorded or registered as runners; they must positively declare their
intention, else they will not be in the race. So with us: having been
“justified by faith,” and having been informed of our privileges in connection
with this race, and the attainment of its prize, it was incumbent upon us to
declare our intention-to make a covenant with the Lord, and to thus be
regularly entered-our names being written, not upon earthly church rolls, but
in the Lamb’s book of life-“written in heaven.”-Heb. 12:23.
With foot-racers there is a prize offered also, but it is not the prize
that is hung out to their view while on the race-course; it is not the prize
toward which they run, but the mark. There is the quarter-mile mark, the
half-mile mark, the three-quarter-mile mark, and the mile mark at the close of
the race; and each racer watches for and encourages himself as he passes one or
another of these marks by the way, until finally he reaches the last one, the
mark for the prize. And this watching of the marks by the way, and reckoning up
to the standard, is a great incentive to him-an encouragement as he speeds
along, a reminder if he is going slackly. So, too, it is with the Christian
runner in the narrow way toward the mark of the great prize which God
has promised-joint-heirship with his Son, the Lord of glory. It will encourage
us to note the marks on our way, and to perceive our progress-if we are coming
nearer and nearer and nearer to “the mark for the prize”-the mark which wins
the prize. And if any be careless, indifferent, slack, in his running, nothing
could be a greater stimulus to him than the knowledge that only his own
carelessness or slackness can lose him the prize.
WHAT IS THIS GREAT “MARK” OF CHARACTER SET BEFORE US BY OUR GOD?
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We answer, it is stated under various names; as for instance, our Lord
Jesus mentioned it when he said, “Be ye perfect, even as your Father in heaven
is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48.) The same mark is mentioned by the Apostle when he
says that God predestinated that all who will be of the elect must be
“conformed to the image of his Son.” (Rom. 8:29.) These two statements differ
in form, but are the same in substance. The same mark is mentioned again by
the Apostle when he says, “The righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us who
walk not after the flesh but after the spirit.” And again he tells us that
“Love is the fulfilling of the Law.” (Rom. 8:4; 13:10.) Here, then, we have an
aggregated definition of what constitutes the “mark” of Christian character, in
the elect: it is godlikeness, Christ-likeness, Love. The requirement,
therefore, would seem to be that the Lord’s people, holy and elect, must attain
to the same character or disposition of love that God possesses and that was
manifested also by our Lord Jesus.
But some one will say, How can we, “who by nature are children of wrath,
even as others,” ever hope to attain to so high a standard or mark of character
as this, that we should love as God loves, as Christ loves? We answer, that we
need never hope to attain to this high standard as respects the flesh, for so
long as we are in these mortal bodies, and obliged to use their brains, we will
necessarily be more or less opposed by the selfishness which through the fall
has come to have such complete possession of our race through the mental, moral
and physical derangements incidental to six thousand years of depravity.
The attainment of this mark of perfect love is to be an attainment of the
heart, of the will-the new will, “begotten, not of the will of the flesh, nor
of the will of man, but of God,” through the holy spirit. Nor do we find, nor
should we expect that the new mind would come up to this standard at the
beginning of our Christian experience. The new mind, altho inspired of God
through the exceeding great and precious promises of his Word, is nevertheless
our own will, and more or less circumscribed by its channel and instrument, the
human brain. Hence the Apostle informs us that the new mind must constantly
fight a battle against the flesh, and that its victory means the death of the
flesh-that it cannot be actually perfect until the “change” shall come, by
which this newly begotten will shall receive its spiritual body in the first
resurrection. But since the receiving of a spiritual body in the first resurrection
will be the receiving of the prize, we see that the race toward the mark and
the attainment of that mark must be made by the new mind while it is still in
this mortal body or “earthen vessel.”-2 Cor. 5:2-4.
In a word, the new mind must grow, must develop. As the Apostle exhorts,
we, as new creatures, must grow in grace and in the knowledge and love of
God-the growth here corresponding to the running in the figure under
consideration. We must run or press nearer and nearer to the mark day by day,
week by week, year by year, until it shall be attained,-if we would gain the
prize. Nor is it merely a question of time, for we all know some who have been
a long time in the race and have made comparatively little progress in the
cultivation of the gifts of the spirit, the sum of which is comprehended in the
one word, perfect love-the mark.
And we probably all know some others who have been a comparatively short
time in the narrow way who have made great progress,-going from grace to grace,
from knowledge to knowledge, from glory to glory-rapidly nearing the mark. And
we know some who, so far as human judgment can discern, have reached the mark;
but of these more anon.
That we may clearly comprehend this subject, let us notice how small were
the beginnings of this grace of love in our hearts; and let us hope that many,
as they trace the matter here, and compare it with their own experiences, will
be able to find large developments in their own characters-that they have
passed one after another of the quarter-mile marks in the way, and that they
are rapidly nearing, if they have not already reached, “the mark of the prize.”
(1) The beginning of our experience as Christians the Apostle expresses,
saying, it was not that we first loved God, but that “he first loved us”-that
attracted us to him. (1 John 4:19.) A sense of justice told us that since God
had so loved us as to redeem us at so great a cost, and to provide for us so
great salvation, it would be as little as we could do-it would be our duty
to love and serve him in return. This beginning of love we will designate as duty-love.
It lacked in many respects qualities which now permeate our love for God, which
is of a higher, a more advanced character, because we have grown in grace, and in
knowledge, and in love. The Apostle seems to speak again of this same
duty-love, when he says, “The love of Christ constraineth us [draws out
our love in return]; for we thus judge that if one died for all, then were all
dead [under divine sentence, the curse]; and that we who live [who have been
justified to life through faith in Jesus’ redemption] should henceforth
live not unto ourselves but unto him who died for us.” (2 Cor. 5:14,15.) Here
again it is the “should”-love or duty-love,-the first, the crudest, the
simplest development of our love toward God, our starting-point in the race
toward perfect love.
(2) After we had exercised the duty-love and sought to obey God, not only
in the avoidance of sin, but also in sacrificing our earthly interests and
rights for his sake and the truth’s sake, in obedience to his will-in obedience
to duty-love-we began to find in our hearts an appreciation of the principles
of righteousness; we began to love righteousness-justice, mercy, love: not at
first with a fervency of love, but rather with respect for the glorious
qualities of the divine character, plan and law. This was our first
quarter-mile mark, so to speak-love of principles of righteousness.
(3) The more we learned to love these elements of divine character, the
principles of righteousness which find their perfect representation in the
divine being, and through which the divine being is revealed to the eyes of our
understanding-in that proportion the true love to God (based upon principles
rather than upon duty), comes into our hearts. So to speak, here in the
race-course we had gained the second quarter-mile mark-love of God’s character;
even tho we had not yet discerned the length and breadth and heights and depths
of that character, we had begun to love the Lord in the true way-from
appreciation not only of what he had done for us, but also and specially for
what he is;-from appreciation of his character.
(4) Love of God from this latter standpoint as the representative of every
grace and every virtue, as the representative of righteousness, and the
opponent of every injustice and inequity, led us to seek and to follow out
these principles amongst our fellow-men, as well as in our own characters. As
we began to love truth, purity, nobility of character, wherever it could be
found, we found some of it in a mottled and streaked condition even in the
world of mankind: we found that the original law of God, written in the heart
of father Adam, altho largely erased and obliterated from the hearts and
consciences of his children, is not wholly gone;-that to some extent,
especially under the influence of Christianity in the past eighteen centuries,
some features of this perfect law may be dimly discerned amongst men.
But our scrutiny, backed by our increasing love of these principles of
righteousness, found nothing satisfactory amongst natural men-nor even amongst
those professing godliness-professing to be followers in the footsteps of
Jesus. We found these all, like ourselves, far short of perfection, far short
of the glory of God. But as the true love, of right principles, burned in our
hearts more and more fervently, we learned to sympathize with the entire
“groaning creation,” and to “love the brethren;” for in the latter we
perceived a class inspired by the same spirit by which we ourselves had been
begotten of God, the spirit of the truth; we saw some of them struggling as we
had struggled, with appreciation only of the duty-love; we saw others who had
gained a higher conception than this, who had learned to appreciate the
principles of righteousness and to love them, and to hate iniquity, and
further, to love the God who is the embodiment of these. And the realization
that these “brethren,” like ourselves, were gradually approximating the divine
standard-“pressing toward the mark”-filled us with interest in them and in
their battle against sin and its weaknesses, and against the Adversary and his
beguilements. We became more and more interested in their welfare and
overcoming in proportion as we were striving and making progress in the same
“narrow way.” This love of the brethren we did not have at the beginning; it
marks a distinct progress in our race toward the “mark;” we might term it the
third quarter-mile mark. But altho a grand attainment was achieved when this
love of the brethren reached the point of willingness to “lay down our lives
for the brethren” (1 John 3:16), yet it was not the full attainment of
the “mark” for which we are running.
(5) The “mark of the prize” is a still higher attainment in love;-the one
which we understand the Scriptures to point out as the very highest attainment
is that of loving our enemies-not merely tolerating them, abstaining
from injuring them, etc., while thinking evil of them; but far beyond this, it
signifies the full purging out of all anger, malice, hatred, envy, strife, not
only from our actions but also from our words, and even from our thoughts, our
sentiments. It means such a complete triumph of love in our hearts as
not only loves God supremely and delights to sacrifice in his service from love
of the principles represented in his character, and love for the brethren,
which makes us careful of their feelings and interests, and ready to lay down
our lives on their behalf, to deliver them from evil, or to avoid putting a
stumbling block in their way, but it means additionally that the love of God
has been so thoroughly shed abroad in our hearts that we can love and do love
every intelligent creature, and delight to do good unto all men, and to serve
all men as we have opportunity, especially the household of faith.-Gal. 6:10.
This does not mean that the love which we have for the world must be of
the same kind that we have for the Lord, who is the personification of
righteousness, and for the “brethren,” who are striving to have Love, the
righteousness of the Law, fulfilled in them through Christ. It means rather a
sympathetic love; a benevolence such as God himself exercised toward the whole
world of mankind. It does not mean that we are to love the world in the sense
condemned by the Apostle when he said, “Love not the world, neither the things
of the world.” (1 John 2:15.) It does mean the attainment of the condition
indicated in the expression, “God so loved the world that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever should believe on him might not perish, but have
everlasting life.” (John 3:16.) It is a love for the world, which will not
only be glad to see them lifted up out of degradation and sin to holiness and
purity and righteousness, but which will be glad to cooperate to these ends as
opportunities may offer-not, however, anticipating God’s love and the
development of his plan of the ages; but co-working with God in that great plan
which he has promised shall eventually bring, during the Millennial age,
blessing to every creature through the elect class now running in this race for
attainment of the “mark,” to win the great prize of joint-heirship with his
Son. This perfect love, which, including the other developments, extends even
to enemies and those who injure us and speak evil of us falsely for Christ’s
and righteousness’ sake, is the fourth mark in the race-“the mark for the
prize.”
While it is well for us to notice these various steps in the progress of
our race toward the “mark,” we are to remember that the illustration does not
fit perfectly, but that rather while there is this order of progression it is
less distinctly marked in our experiences, in which duty-love but gradually leads
into the higher forms, remaining, but subordinately, to the end. It is a part
of the blessed arrangement of God that those who are running in this race are
not reckoned with according to the flesh, but as “new creatures,” according to
the spirit, the mind, the will, the intention. We may never hope to attain to
this grand “mark” of perfect Love in our flesh, so that every act and every
word would give full proof of the real spirit of love which fills our hearts.
Some may have greater weaknesses and defects in the flesh than others, and
hence may be less able than others to uniformly and thoroughly show the real
sentiments of their hearts. But God looketh at the heart; it is the heart that
he sees running in this race; it is the heart which is to attain to this “mark”
set before us in the Gospel-this mark of perfect love, which includes even our
enemies. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
If now we see clearly that perfect love is “the mark of the prize,”
we see something to strive for in our daily lives; a condition which we can by
God’s grace attain, and which must be obtained if we would be counted worthy a
place in the Kingdom. The Lord is not selecting the members of the Bride of
Christ by an arbitrary election; neither is he selecting them on the lines of a
mere sentimentality; he is selecting them on the lines of character,
heart-development; and those who attain this likeness to his Son, this “mark”
of the prize, this standard of what is pleasing and acceptable to the Father-these,
and these alone, may have confident hope of joint-heirship with our Lord. How
important, then, that each runner in this race follow closely the Apostle’s
injunction to lay aside every weight and hindrance, and to run with patience
the race set before us in the Gospel-“looking unto Jesus,” the author of our
faith, until he shall have become the finisher of it (Heb. 12:1)-giving us
grace to conquer, and keeping us through his Word and through his providence
unto the end of the race.
Each one on this race-course should examine himself, rather than examine
others, in respect to progress in this narrow way; for each knows his own heart
condition and the weaknesses of his own flesh better than any other knows
these, the Lord alone excepted. Let us each note just where he is in the
race-course, rejoicing that he is in the race at all; considering it a great
privilege to be thus called and privileged to enter in this race. If we find
that we have passed the first quarter-mark, let us rejoice and press on. If we
find that we have passed the second also, let us rejoice so much the more, but
not slack our running. If we find that we have passed the third quarter we may
properly rejoice so much the more, and press with vigor on; and if we have
attained to the fourth mark, of perfect love, which includes even enemies, we
have indeed cause for great rejoicing. The prize is ours, if we but remain
faithful. But, as the Apostle says, “Having done all, stand”-with all
the armor on; stand in various testings which will then, as much as ever along
the race-course, be brought to bear against us to divert us away from the mark,
before the great Inspector and giver of rewards shall say, “Well done, good and
faithful servant; enter thou into the joys of thy Lord.”-Eph. 6:13-17.
It is indispensable to those who have reached the
mark of perfect love that they shall keep actively engaged in the service of
the Lord, laying down their lives for the brethren; because he who
loveth not his brother, whom he hath seen, what assurance hath he that he
really loves God, whom he hath not seen? (1 John 4:20.) Such must stand, not only as representatives of God and of
the principles of righteousness, but as representatives of those strong in the
Lord and in the power of his might, and in the faith of his Word,-ready and
willing and efficient in the encouragement of other runners in the race-course,
that they likewise may attain to the “mark.” As the Apostle says: “As
many, therefore, as are perfect, should be of this mind; and if in anything you
think differently, God will reveal this to you; but to what we have attained,
let us walk by the same line. Brethren, become joint-imitators of me, and
watch those who are thus walking, as you have us for a pattern.”-Phil. 3:15-17,
Diaglott.