Walkington's Works

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Guidance Of God

... God has placed His Word in our hands for an intensely practical purpose , namely , to direct our walk and to regulate our deportment . At once this shows us what is the first and principal use we are to make of this divine gift . It would do a traveler little good to diligently scrutinize the mechanism of a lamp , or to admire its beautiful design . Rather , he is to take it up and make a practical use of it . Many are zealous in reading "the letter of Scripture," and many are charmed with the evidences of its divine Authorship . But how few realize the primary purpose for which God gave the Scriptures ; how few make a practical use of them -- ordering the details of their lives by its rules and regulations . They eulogize the lamp , but they do not walk by its light .

 

"The Contemplation of God" is the best use of our time there is. Sunday night I told my congregation that to me my greatest reward would be to know God and enjoy him forever.

Recently I read Dr. Piper's God is the Gospel. It is so good. One of the best books I have ever read. We need to contemplate God.

Thank you, Rippon; the thought is so humbling.

 

A Detour From The Guidance of God Chapter

Thanks , TC-G . You were remarking how much you appreciate Pink's thoughts on the Contemplation of God . Spurgeon had some thought-provoking ideas on that as well . He said the following as a 19 year old . J.I.Packer opens his famous "Knowing God" book with these same words from C.H.S. when the latter was dealing with Malachi 3:6 .

Nothing will so enlarge the intellect , nothing so magnify the whole soul of man , as a devout , earnest , continued , investigation of the great subject of the Diety . The most excellent study for expanding the soul is the science of Christ and Him crucified and the knowledge of the Godhead in the glorious Trinity .
The proper study of the Christian is the Godhead . The highest science , the loftiest speculation , the mightiest philosophy , which can engage the attention of a child of God , is the name , the nature , the person , the doings , and the existence of the great God which He calls His Father , There is something exceedingly improving to the mind in a contemplation of the divinity . It is a subject so vast , that all our thoughts are lost in its immensity ; so deep , that our pride is drowned in its infinity . Other subjects we can comprehend and grapple with ; in them we feel a kind of self-content , and go on our way with the thought , "Behold I am wise ." But when we come to this master science , finding that our plumbline cannot sound its depth , and that our eagle eye cannot see its height , we turn away with the thought "I am but of yesterday and know nothing ."

 

Yes, thanks for that memorable quote. The first time I read it in Knowing God, I couldn't believe a 19yr had such deep and majestic, yet thought-provocaking insights, into what really matters.

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Guidane Of God

It is obvious that God's Word cannot be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path unless we are familiar with its contents , particularly until we are informed on the practical rules God has given us to walk by . Hence it should be obvious that the first need of the Christian is not to delve into the intricacies and mysteries of Scripture , study the prophecies , nor entertain himself with the wonderful types therein . Rather he needs to concentrate on what will instruct him as to the kind of conduct which will be pleasing to the Lord . The Scriptures are given us , primarily , not for our intellectual gratification , nor for emotional admiration , but for life's regulation . Nor are the precepts and commands , the warnings and encouragements contained therein simply for our information . They are to be reduced to practice ; they require unqualified obedience .

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Guidance Of God


A sudden strong impression of a text that seems to have resemblance to the concern on the mind has been accepted by many as an infallible token that they were right , and that things would go just as they would have them . Or , on the other hand , if the passage bore a threatening aspect , it has filled them with fears which which they have found afterwards were groundless . These impressions have been more generally regarded and trusted to , but have frequently proved no less delusive . It is true that such impressions of a precept or a promise that humble , animate , or comfort the soul , by giving it a lively sense of the truth contained in the words , are both profitable and pleasant . Many of the Lord's people have been instructed and supported ( especially in a time of trouble ) by some seasonable word of grace applied and sealed by His Spirit to their hearts . But if impressions or impulses are received as a voice from heaven , directing to particular actions that could not be proved to be duties without them , a person may be inwardly misled into great evils and gross delusions . Many have been so . There is no doubt that the enemy of our souls , if permitted , can furnish us with Scriptures in abundance for these purposes .

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Guidance Of God

In particular cases , the Lord opens and shuts for them , breaks down walls of difficulty which obstruct their path , or hedges up their way with thorns when they are in danger of going wrong . They know their concerns are in His hands ; they are willing to follow where and when He leads but are afraid of running before Him . They are not impatient . Because they believe , they will not be hasty , but wait daily upon Him in prayer , especially when they find their hearts engaged in any pursuit . They are jealous of being deceived by appearances and dare not move farther or faster than they can see His light shining upon their paths . They express at least their desire , if not their attainment . Though there are seasons when faith languishes and self prevails too much , this is their general disposition . And the Lord does not disappoint their expectations . He leads them on a right way , preserves them from a thousand snares , and satisfies them that He is and will be their Guide even unto death .

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Guidance Of God

If we are daily concerned in seeking to please God in all the details , great and small , of our lives , He will not leave us in ignorance of His will concerning us . But if we are accustomed to gratify self and only turn up to God for help in times of difficulty and emergency , then we must not be surprised if He mocks us and allows us to reap the fruits of our folly . Our business is to walk in obedient subjection to Christ , and His sure promise is "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness" ( John 8:12 ) . Make sure you sincerely endeavor to follow the example Christ left us , and He will not leave you in uncertainty as to which step you should take when you come to the place of decision .

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Guidance Of God

At regeneration , God gives His elect "the spirit ...of a sound mind" ( 2 Timothy 1:7 ) , but that spirit has to be cultivated . The necessary instruction is found in the Word . From that Word we learn what things will prove beneficial to us , and what will be injurious ; what things to seek after , and what to avoid . As the precepts of Scripture are reduced to practice by us , and as its prohibitions and warnings are heeded , we are able to judge things in their true light . We are delivered from being deceived by false appearances ; we are kept from making foolish mistakes . The closer we walk by the Word , the more fully this will prove to be the case with us : A good judgment or spiritual instinct will form in us , so that we conduct our affairs discreetly [ AW is using older English here which does not at all have the modern connotation -- Rip ] and adorn the doctrine we profess .

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Guidance Of God

Thus far we have dealt with two main things : the absolute necessity of being controlled by the Word of God without , and the having a heart within which is single to God's glory and set upon pleasing Him -- if we are to have the light of heaven on our earthy path . A third consideration must now engage our attention : the help of the Holy Spirit . But at this point we most need to be on our guard , lest we lapse into a vague mysticism on the one hand , or become guilty of wild fanaticism on the other . Many have plunged into the most foolish and evil courses under the plea they were "prompted by the Spirit." No doubt they were prompted by some spirit , but most certainly not by the Holy Spirit . He never prompts anything contrary to the Word . Our only safety is to impartially bring our inward impulses to the test of Holy Writ .

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Guidance Of God

"And lean not unto thine own understanding," which means we are not to trust in our own wisdom or rely upon the dictates of human reason . The highest act of human reason is to disown its sufficiency and bow before the wisdom of God . To lean unto our own understanding is to rest upon a broken reed , for it has been deranged by sin . Yet many find it harder to repudiate their own wisdom than they do to abandon their own righteousness . Many of God's ways are "past finding out" ( Romans 11:33) . To seek to solve the mysteries of Providence is the finite attempting to comprehend the Infinite . Philosphizing about our lot or reasoning about our circumstances is fatal to rest of soul and peace of heart .

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Guidance of God

But how is the conscientious Christian to act when some emergency confronts him ? Suppose he stands at the dividing of the ways . Two paths , two alternatives , are before him , and he does not know which to choose . What must he do ? First , let him heed that most necessary word , which as a rule of general application is ever binding upon us , "He that believeth shall not make haste " ( Isaiah 28:16 ) . To act from a sudden impulse never becomes a child of God , and to rush ahead of the Lord is sure to involve us in painful consequences . "The LORD is good unto them that wait for him , to the soul that seeketh him . It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation [ deliverance ] of the LORD" ( Lamentations 3:25-26 ) . To act in haste generally means that afterward we repent at leisure . How much each of us needs to beg the Lord to daily lay His quieting hand upon our feverish flesh !

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Guidance Of God

As a general rule it is better for us to trouble our minds very little about guidance . That is God's work . Our business is to walk in obedience to Him day by day . As we do so , there works within us a prudence which will preserve us from all serious mistakes . "I understand more than the ancients , because I keep thy precepts " ( Psalm 119:100 ) . The man who keeps God's precepts is endowed with a wisdom which far surpasses that possessed by the sages or the learned philosphers . "Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness "( 112:4 ) . The upright man may experience his day of darkness , but when the hour of emergency arrives light will be given him by God . Serve God with all your might today , and you may calmly and safely leave the future with him . A duteous conformity to what is right will be followed by luminous discernment of what would be wrong .

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Blessings Of God

"Blessed is the man whom thou choosest , and causest to approach unto thee , that he may dwell in thy courts" ( Psalm 65:4 ) . There is no doubt that the primary reference there ( though not the exclusive one ) is to "the man Christ Jesus" ( 1 Timothy 2:5 ) , for as God-man He is what He is by the grace of election , when His humanity was chosen and foreordained to union with one of the Persons in the Godhead . None other than Jehovah proclaimed Him "mine elect , in whom my soul delighteth" ( Isaiah 42:1 ) . As such He is "the man that is my fellow , saith the LORD of hosts " ( Zechariah 13:7 ) , the heir of all things" ( Hebrews 1:2 ) . Christ was not chosen for us , but for God ; and we were chosen for Christ , to be His bride . "Christ is my first elect ," He said , then chose our souls in Christ the Head . The essence of all blessings is to be in Christ , and those who partake of it do so by the act of God , as the fruit of His everlasting love unto them . "Blessed be the God and Father of our lord Jesus Christ , who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ : according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world" ( Ephesians 1:3-4 ) . In that initial blessing of election all others are wrapped up , and in due course we are partakers of them .

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Blessings Of God

"Blessed are all they that put their trust in him" ( Psalm 2:12 ) . The critical reader observes that we follow a strictly logical order . First , election is the foundation blessing , being "[unto] salvation" and including all the means thereof ( 2 Thessalonians 2:13 ) ; second , the bestowal of eternal life which capacitates the favored recipient to welcome experientially the joyful sound of the Gospel . Now there is a personal and saving embracing thereof . Note that the last sentence of Psalm 2:12 is preceded by the statement , "Kiss the Son," which signifies , "Bow in submission before His sceptre , yield to His kingly rule , render allegiance to Him" ( see 1 Samuel 10:1; 1 Kings 19:18 ) . It is most important to note that order , and still more so to put it into practice . Christ must be received as Lord ( Colossians 2:6 ) before He can be received as Saviour . Note the order in 2 Peter 1:11 ; 2:20 ; 3:18 . The "put their trust in Him" signifies to take refuge in . They repudiate their own righteousness and evince their confidence in Him by committing themselves to His keeping for time and eternity . His Gospel is their warrant for doing so , His veracity their security .

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Cursings Of God

"Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God" ( Romans 11:22 ) . From Mount Ebal were announced the divine curses ( Deuteronomy 27 ) , and from Mount Gerizim the divine blessings ( Deuteronomy 28 ) . The one could not be without the other . Thus too it will be in the last day , or while Christ will say unto His brethren , "Come , ye blessed of my Father , inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world," yet to those who despised and rejected Him shall He say ,"Depart from me , ye cursed , into everlasting fire" ( Matthew 25:34 ,41 ) .

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Cursings Of God

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law , being made a curse for us " ( Galatians 3:13 ) . Here is the glorious Gospel summed up in a brief sentence . The curse has been borne for all those who believe , visited upon the Saviour . A way has been opened where guilty sinners may not only escape from the curse of the Law , but actually be received into the favor of God . Amazing grace ! Matchless mercy ! All who put their trust in Christ are delivered from the Law's sentence of doom so that they shall never fall under it . We are righteously delivered , for as the Surety of His people Christ was born under the Law , stood in their place , had all their sins imputed to Him , and made Himself answerable for them . The Law , so finding Him , charged Him with the same , cursed Him , and demanded satisfaction . Accordingly He was dealt with by the supreme Judge , for God "spared not his own Son" ( Romans 8:32 ) , but called upon the sword of justice to "smite the shepherd' ( Zechariah 13:7 ) . By His own consent the Lord Jesus was "made a curse" by God Himself . Because He paid the ransom price all believers are "redeemed" -- delivered from God's wrath and inducted into His blessing .

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Love Of God To Us

But His love is reserved for His elect . That is unequivocally established by its characteristics , for the attributes of his love are identical with Himself . Necessarily so , for "God is love." In making that postulate it is but another way to say God's love is like Himself , from everlasting to everlasting , immutable . Nothing is more absurd than to imagine that anyone beloved of God can eternally perish or shall ever experience His everlasting vengeance . since the love of God is "in Christ Jesus ," it was attracted by nothing in its objects , nor can it be repelled by anything in , of , or by them . "Having loved his own which were in the world , he loved them unto the end" ( John 13:1 ) . The world in John 3:16 is a general term used in contrast with the Jews , and the verse must be interpreted so as not to contradict Psalm 5:5 ; 6:7 ; John 3;36 and Romans 9:13 .

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Love Of God To Us

Not only are its objects often at their worst when God's love is first revealed to them , but actually doing their worst , as in the case of Saul of Tarsus . Not only is God's love antecedent to ours , but also it was borne in His heart toward us long before we were delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the Kingdom of His dear Son . It began not in time , but bears the date of eternity . "I have loved thee with an everlasting love" (Jeremiah 31:3 ) .

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Love Of God To Us

Let God's love daily engage your mind by devout meditations on it so that the affections of your heart may be drawn out to him . When cast down in spirit , or in sore straights , plead His love in prayer , assured that it cannot deny anything good for you . Make God's wondrous love to you the incentive of your obedience to him -- gratitude requires nothing less .