The Lowest Place

by Atkinson, A. F. | Category: General | Jul 1955

How often in Scripture God exhorts His children not to glory or boast, but rather to take "the lowest place" (Luke 14.), the place of "LESS than the LEAST of ALL saints," NOT "some saints" (Ephesians 3.). Paul, who himself took this place, was highly gifted, and he was also a full-grown Christian. But there is no cause for boasting in such attainments, and he writes, "Who maketh thee to differ? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? But if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it? " (1 Corinthians 4. 7).

Let us ever bear in mind that we are never in a position to assess the worth of anyone, because we do not know all the facts and do not have sufficient data therefore from which we can form a just judgement. For instance, we do not know anyone's inherited tendencies, nor the strength of such tendencies, nor do we know what prayers of Christian parents or grandparents this or that person has had. But, against all this, we do know, or ought to know, our own many stumblings (see James 3.2), and the evidences of the old man in our own daily lives. Only Joshua and Caleb out of all the men of war that left Egypt entered the Land of Promise, and possessed their God-given inheritance (Numbers 26, 64, 65). And even the twelve tribes, the descendants of those who perished in the wilderness, who entered the Land failed to drive out all the Canaanites and possess the possessions God had given them - see the mournful record in Judges 1. and 2, and note the borders of the Kingdom of Israel as intended by God in Joshua 1.2-4.

And why are we so slack to possess our rich possessions in Christ? Why do we make such painfully slow progress (as compared, for example, with Stephen of Acts 6. and 7.) in putting on Christ, and in manifesting His delightful character? It is almost entirely due to our having failed to follow the example of Joshua and Caleb, to our not having wholly followed the Lord. There has been some leakage, some draining away of our strength. As a result of this lack of consecration we have not the power (even if we have the desire) to overcome the giants of the heart, whether it be the assaults of Satan or our besetting sins, for the seven Canaanite nations are typical of the perfect wickedness of the human heart. At any rate the deceitfulness of our hearts is cause for humbling before God, and should help us to esteem others better than ourselves (Philippians 2.3). Paul further writes, "If a man thinketh himself to be something, WHEN HE IS NOTHING, he deceiveth himself" (Galatians 6.3). Surely no other place than the lowest is suitable for one who is nothing, who is merely an empty earthen vessel (compare Judges 7.16 and 2 Corinthians 4.6, 7).

There is the danger, too, of family and of national pride, so that we consider our family or the nation in which we live better than other families or nations; all such thoughts are equally to be condemned. Paul had better cause for boasting in this connexion than any of us have, but though he was of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and though he advanced in the Jews' religion beyond many of his own age among his countrymen, yet all such "natural" advantages he counted "loss" and "dung" and he turned his back upon them all, so that Christ might be his All, and the cross of Christ his sole cause of glorying (see Galatians 1.13; 6.14; Philippians 3.4-8).

Again, regarding our service, let us remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that when we have done all that is commanded us (and who of us ever does "all"?), we are "UNPROFITABLE" servants (Luke 17.10).

After the perfect example and teaching of the Lord Jesus during several years, the twelve were still arguing as to who was the greatest (not who was the least). We too, beloved, shall find the lesson of being "less than the least of all saints" no easy one to learn. We shall need to be daily and even hourly on the watch lest any thought out of keeping with these seven words be harboured in our hearts (compare Psalm 141.3). Wrong thoughts are a tremendous hindrance to spiritual growth: as a man thinks in his heart, so is he (see Proverbs 23.7, A.V.).

The presence of Christ with us (Christ indwelling our hearts by faith), is our one and only hope of humility, so that we may be enabled to say out of a living experience, I no longer live, but Christ lives in me (see Galatians 2.20). Isaiah, when in the presence of God, could do no other than take the lowest place; he never thought of comparing himself with others, but was Only conscious of his own unworthiness. It was the same with Job in Job 42.6. It was the same with the publican in Luke 18, who cried, "God, be merciful to me, THE SINNER."

The love of 1 Corinthians 13 "is not puffed up," and, if we are "rooted and grounded in love " (and not in self), then in loving one another we shall find ourselves spontaneously esteeming others better than ourselves. There is a counterfeit humility which is the product of self-effort, of the old man, and which is but pride in disguise, for if we are conscious of being humble we are deceiving ourselves. But genuine humility, the humility of love, is an effortless product of the life of Christ flowing out of us (see John 7.38), like the effortless beauty of the lilies that "toil not, neither do they spin," like the unself-conscious life of a little child. "Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone " ; Stephen's face was " as it had been the face of an angel."

The Lord Jesus said, "Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." "If any man would be first, he shall be last of all."

Atkinson, A. F. | Jul 1955
General