HEAVENLINESS - A DEFENCE SYSTEM OF A NATION

HEAVENLINESS - A DEFENCE SYSTEM OF A NATION

T. Austin-Sparks

Heavenliness is a tremendous factor in the life of the Lord’s people. Heavenliness, which is spirituality, which is ascendancy, or elevation, and which is faith, is a tremendous factor. All that is gathered up in the concept of the heavenly city, Jerusalem. It means being on other ground than on the ground of this world, on the ground of the natural man. Oh, that the Church had maintained that position all the way through! What terrible tragedy have resulted from coming down to lower ground.

We will give an illustration of the tragedy of coming down from a heavenly position on the part of the Church. I found this written by Sir George Adam Smith. Speaking of the Moslem invasion of Syria, by which Syria and Israel became swept and dominated by Islam, he writes:”The Christianity of Syria fell before Islam because it was corrupt, and it deserved to fall”. And again: ”In an attempt by purely human means to regain her birthplace, the Church was beaten back by Islam because she was selfish and worldly.”

”In neither of these cases was it a true Christianity that was overthrown, though the true Church bears to this day the reproach, and the burden of the results. The irony of the Divine judgment is clearly seen in this, that it was on the very land where a spiritual monotheism first appeared that the Church was first punished for idolatry and materialism; that it was in sight of the scenes where Christ taught and healed, and went about doing good with his band of pure devoted disciples, that the envious, treacherous, truculent hosts of the Cross were put to sword and fire.They who in His name sought a kingdom of this world by worldly means could not hope to succeed on the very fields where He had put such a temptation from Him. The victory of Islam over Christendom is no more a problem then the victory of Babylon over Israel.”

That is a tremendous statement. What history there is in a statement like that! Perhaps the greatest problem today of Christianity, of the mission field, is Islam. I do not think there is a greater problem than Islam for the Church. Why? Well, Sir George Adam Smith puts his finger right on the cause when he says the power of Islam is due to the corruption of the Church at a given point in history; divided, selfish and worldly. Islam gained mastery because of that.How, then, would Islam be overthrown ? How would the mischief be undone? Surely by a heavenly Church, by that which has been wholly separated from this world in all means and methods, and united in one spirit as a great spiritual force, under the government of the Holy Spirit. That, and that alone, will overthrow the forces which have gained their position by reason of the unspirituality and unheavenliness of the Church.

If that applies to the whole, it applies to us individually, that spiritual power over any ground of the enemy demands detachment spiritually from the world, a close walk with God, and a heavenly life, a life which is above with Christ. The Lord lay upon our hearts the tremendous importance of this heavenly fellowship with Him from day to day, for the sake of spiritual power.

T. Austin-SparksFrom ”The City which hath Foundations”