- Overcomer Literature Trust
- Swindon
- Wiltshire
The Blessing of Weakness
By J C Metcalfe
One of the most difficult lessons that Christians have to learn is the blessing of weakness, the glory of being placed in positions where they can do nothing and when perhaps God seems silent. Yet it is probably just here that the greatest victories are won and the greatest work accomplished for the salvation of souls. This is illustrated in the accounts given in the Gospels of the arrest of the Lord Jesus in Gethsemane. Matthew’s account contains the significant question, “do you think I cannot call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” (Matthew 26 v47-51).
The prayer was never spoken by Him because His Father had revealed to Jesus that only through Calvary could salvation be secured for a lost world. He had accepted this fact with all His heart, therefore He could neither call upon the armies of heaven, nor descend from the Cross when taunted by His enemies, and His “weakness” constituted the mightiest power the world has ever known.
The Church of Christ stands in a similar position today. For we have violated the law of the Cross in recent years, and counted mainly upon our organisations, societies, meetings, conferences, publications, and such like. We have in this way given Satan the opportunity to weaken our witness, and nullify its effectiveness. It is possible that God is today answering the cry of so many of His people for a movement of the Holy Spirit by stripping the Church of all that she considers to be her equipment and weapons for conflict. Perhaps only in this way can He make her helpless enough to be mighty.
Ever since Calvary one factor has been effective in overcoming the devil’s plans to blot out the witness of the Gospel, and that is the individual life brought into living union with the Lord Jesus Christ. We must be prepared to leave ourselves in the hands of God. It is necessary that we leave our routined quiet lives of service, and die to everything that distracts so that we may get next to the man or woman who is stressed by life, and perhaps even feels that life is not worth living. And we must forget our own needs to be God’s instrument for the salvation of others.
Your attitude should be the “same mindset as Christ Jesus”, who "made Himself nothing” and “humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2 v5-8). Paul could also say, “are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again” (2 Corinthians 11 v23). The apostle had learnt the lesson of power through weakness, and if the Church of Christ is to be an instrument in the hand of God we will also need to learn this lesson.
Turn to Mark’s vivid account. “Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture Me? Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest Me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled” (Mark 14 v48-50).
How wonderfully God was working to His plan. How quietly He, who “knows the end from the beginning”, was bringing His gracious purposes to completion. He also has His plan for His Church today. The earthly ministry of His Son was carried through under God’s eye, and even at Calvary all that happened was by the “deliberate plan and foreknowledge” of God (Acts 2 v23). So too, the ministry of the Church is also prepared beforehand by God (Ephesians 2 v10). If, according to His purpose, we must face our Calvary, how shall we react? Human nature neither understands nor can it face the Cross, and His closest followers, not as yet filled with power by God the Holy Spirit, all forsook Him and fled.
There are different ideas amongst Christians about what constitutes the fullness of the Spirit, but there is one thing that we can be sure, if we are filled with the Holy Spirit we shall be taught, guided and enabled to walk the way of the Cross. If He, “through the Eternal Spirit, offered Himself” (Hebrews 9 v14), we too should offer ourselves when the same Spirit fills us. It will not then make any difference if our protection is removed and we find ourselves utterly alone for the sake of the salvation of others. The Holy Spirit who is aiming to conform us to the image of Christ will, if we are willing, finish the work He has begun.
Luke adds a striking detail not given by the other evangelists. He leaves on record that Jesus said to the officers who arrested Him, “but this is your hour, when darkness reigns” (Luke 22 v53). He has just by an act of sovereign mercy healed the ear of Malchus, cut off in the reactionary attack of Simon Peter. Now He calmly faces the awful unleashing of satanic powers against Himself, accepting by faith the present position as well as the assured triumph to follow. The story of Job shows clearly that it is God who sets the limit to the extent of the devil’s activities and power. From the human point of view the Cross looked like it was a massive failure. In it the victory of the powers of evil seemed complete. But the weakness of God is stronger than humans or demons, and by the power of weakness, having “disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the Cross” (Colossians 2 v15).
Centuries have passed since then. Today the Church stands at a place where her power and influence seem to have almost disappeared. Even the civilisation that her triumphs won for the nations seems to be in the process of disintegration. Such a situation provokes many questions. How will it all end? Will God grant a great revival? Is the coming of the Lord really near? Perhaps the real battleground is our heart attitude as Christians.
We must stand firm and unafraid facing the enemy, not pretending he is not there, nor becoming so occupied with him that his might fills our whole horizon. Can we say to him, “this is your hour, and the power of darkness, but the conflict does not end here. Victory is with the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. There will be countless souls delivered from you now, and soon you will finally and forever be bruised under our feet.” God is seeking to teach us to use the blessing of weakness, and once we learn to wield it aright we shall be moving on towards a mightier triumph than we can realise.
Last comes John’s account of Jesus’ arrest. Here we find the majesty of almighty kingship mysteriously interwoven with obedient Sonship. “Who is it you want?” Jesus asks His captors. “Jesus of Nazareth,” they said. “I told you that I am he” declares the One who is indeed God, and “they drew back and fell to the ground” (John 18 v4-6). He “did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage” (Philippians 2 v6), and we too, if we are His are “heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ” (Romans 8 v17). We can and should rejoice greatly in such a relationship with the living God. This manifestation of deity was soon followed by the rebuke to Peter, “put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup My Father has given Me?” (John 18 v11).
What a wealth of love lies behind this question. The Father had put a cup into the hand of His dearly loved Son. That cup was bitter, full to the brim with a world’s sin and woe, but it came from the Father’s hand. That made all the difference. Since that was so it could be drunk without fear or doubt. The Father’s purposes were bound to end in untold blessing. His ways are perfect. Fallen human nature might have panicked and fought to be free from the suffering and darkness that lay ahead, but He would not attempt to save Himself. He loved the Father too greatly for that.
The Father covets our love too, and He values it more than all our knowledge and activities in Christian work. “Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13 v7-8). God has a plan for every detail of the lives of those who yield themselves to Him. If He grants us peaceful surroundings, religious liberty and useful spheres of service, we should praise Him for His goodness. If He permits us to be placed in circumstances of strife, persecution or seeming lack of opportunity for Christian work, what shall we say?
I dare not choose my lot, I would not if I might,
Choose Thou for me, my God, so shall I choose aright.
Take Thou my cup and it with joy or sorrow fill,
As best to Thee may seem, choose Thou my good and ill.
This is not a passive attitude, but one of active ambition to see the pleasure of the Lord prospering in His hand under any and every circumstance. A radiant spirit, thoughtful for Him and others, is of priceless worth. Such a spirit will triumph, and it will learn the central lesson of Christian service that the blessing of weakness is the power of the Cross.
From ‘The Spirit of Calvary’.