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HOMESTYLE MINISTRIES |
"The Man from Wales"
sermons by IVOR POWELL
A GREAT INHERITANCE ... for us and for Christ
(EPHESIANS 1: 11-18)
I shall always remember the old lady who decided to
bequeath to me her fortune. " My boy," she said, " I am a
wealthy woman. I have property in England and South
Africa, but I cannot expect to live much longer. I have
decided to leave my possessions to you." When she smiled,
she seemed an angel! Thereafter I walked on air until one
of the local people asked how I was getting along with my
hostess. Possibly he saw the excitement in my eyes, for he
said, " She is a wonderful old lady, but she has one weakness.
Has she spoken about her will yet? She makes one every
month, and probably gets a real kick out of doing it. Has
she told you she intends to leave everything to you? Ah,
I thought so. She is always approaching new people with the
same story. Her lawyer must be a patient man." Yes, that
kindly lady made me her sole beneficiary, but she forgot to
die-in time. " For where a testament is, there must also of
necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is
of force after men are dead; otherwise it is of no strength at
all while the testator liveth " (Heb. 9: 16, 17). An inheritance
depends upon three things: (i) Someone must have something
to bequeath; (ii) That person must die before the will becomes
operative; (iii) Then the beneficiary can claim the inheritance
and rejoice in its provision.
Our Inheritance in Christ-1-11
Paul speaks of our inheritance in Christ, and then affirms
that the Lord Jesus also has an inheritance in us. The
Saviour had something to bequeath, and His death made it
possible for beneficiaries to register claims. Against the back-
ground of slavery, the apostle speaks of redemption through
the blood of Christ; but in Ephesians 2:5-7 the magnificent
sweep of his vision encompasses the eternal breadth of God's
purposes for the church. In the past, He quickened us
together with Christ; in the present, He has made us to sit
in the place of divine power; in the future, He intends to
display His eternal kindness before the assembled hosts of
heaven. When Royalty honors a subject, the act is reported
around the world. Similarly, ". . . in the ages to come he
might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness
toward us through Jesus Christ." The forgiveness of sins,
eternal life, the filling of the Holy Spirit, enduement of power,
and the assurance that some day we shall be like Him, are
all part of our great inheritance. Sometimes earthly inherit-
ances are conditioned by restrictive clauses; a man may not
register his claim until he has reached a specified age. Our
inheritance may be claimed now.
Christ's Inheritance in Us- 1:18
It should be noted that, while Paul rejoiced in the first
inheritance, he prayed for wisdom to grasp the full signifi-
cance of the second. He prayed for three things: (i) That
Christians might understand the purpose of God's call-the
hope of His calling. There were things for which Christ
fervently hoped. The apostle spoke of an inheritance. He
envisaged the joys of ownership, and thought not only of a
soul forgiven but of one possessed. An inheritance possessed
may be used by its recipient to further his purposes and
increase his pleasure. Christ plans to reach a world, but to
do so needs instruments. Second only to the joy of possessing
men is the thrill of using them. There is much latent wealth in
A GREAT INHERITANCE ... for us and for Christ
the human soul, and this may be bequeathed to the Saviour.
Yet in spite of every noble resolve, the fulfillment of our will
can never be accomplished until we also die-" for a testa-
ment is of force after men are dead." We need to be crucified
with Christ, for only then can the Lord Jesus take His inheri-
tance. Thus (ii) Paul prays that Christians may become
conversant with the details of this great inheritance; and (iii)
asks that men might know " . . . the exceeding greatness of
his power to usward who believe . . . " Yet the key to all this
is the crucifixion of the self-life. The cross of Calvary stands
at the centre of everything spiritual. Through His death for
us we may inherit the riches of heaven; through our death
for Him, He can inherit the riches of earth. He was glad to
lay down His life for us; it is problematical whether we shall
be glad to emulate His example. Elsewhere Paul speaks of
our being laborers together with God-we are partners in
a great concern. Together we work toward the one great
end. However, we do well to consider a question. We have
been able to claim our inheritance; has He been able to claim
His?
Oh, teach me how to die, dear Lord;
To die upon a cross:
To give to Thee that which is Thine,
And count all else but dross.
Then teach me how to live, dear Lord,
To take Thy hand in mine:
To work, and pray, and seek for souls,
Until the world is Thine.
The Slave Who Refused His Freedom
Perhaps the supreme illustration of this two-way inheritance
comes from the Bible itself. Under Mosaic law, provision was
made whereby a slave could refuse his freedom in order to
continue in the service of his master. In Exodus 21:2-6 we
read the following commandment: " If thou buy an Hebrew
servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall
go out free for nothing. If he came in by himself he shall go
out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out
with him. If his master have given him a wife, and she
have borne him sons or daughters; the wife and her children
shall be her master's and he shall go out by himself.
And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my
wife, and my children; I will not go out free: then his master
shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the
door, or unto the doorpost; and his master shall bore his ear
through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever." Here is
clearly defined the difference between bondage and dedicated
service. A slave may serve because he has no alternative.
When he rejects freedom because love prompts further service,
the Master may be assured this servant will be worth his
weight in gold! The Master's kindness begets increasing love.
To be free is the greatest heritage of all, yet when a man
voluntarily chooses to remain a slave-when he puts to death
the inherent longings of his soul-the life which follows will
be completely dedicated. The master thereupon inherits in
his servant a wealth of devotion and service hitherto unknown.
I love, I love my Master,
I will not go out free:
For He is my Redeemer,
He paid the price for me.
A GREAT INHERITANCE ... for us and for Christ
Why Don't You Get Out of the Way?
It is problematical whether Wales ever produced a greater
preacher than the late Rev. R. B. Jones, for the influence of
this man of God reached every part of the Principality. His
untiring activity, his soul-stirring oratory, his deep faith in
the Word of God, were those of a true prophet. All his
students revered him, and to sit at his feet was unforgettable.
Years after I had left his lecture hall, I stayed in the home
of a saintly lady who had known the beloved Principal for
many years. She told me of earlier times, when as a young
minister R. B. Jones had first made an impact upon the
Christian church. He was young, eloquent, determined,
dominant. Everywhere he went, congregations overflowed
the churches; yet something seemed to be lacking. Then one
day a certain woman, a close friend of the young minister,
said to him, "Why don't you get out of the way?" It was
enough. From that moment God filled the soul of His servant
with new power, and I am only one of the very many people
who will forever thank God for the privilege of meeting and
knowing this great man.
Dr. Scroggie's Testimony
I once heard Dr. Graham Scroggie tell a Keswick audience
that he could remember a time in his early years in the
ministry when he reached the end of himself. He was con-
vinced he was a failure, and would never succeed in the
ministry. Then one day he climbed a hillside, and sat in the
shadow of a tree. Around him the world seemed to be falling
to pieces; the outlook was bleak indeed. " And then," said
Dr. Scroggie, " He took me, and blessed me, and brake me;
and ever since has used me to feed a hungry multitude."
Silently the great Keswick audience listened to the speaker
as he developed his point. The greatest thing a Christian can
do is to die; to reach that place of self abnegation where he
is able to say, " I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I
live; yet not 1, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I
now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God,
who loved me, and gave himself for me " (Gal. 2: 20). Dr.
Scroggie had received a great inheritance through the death
of his Redeemer; the Lord Jesus received a similar inheritance
when beneath a hillside tree His weary servant gave up
depending upon self-sufficiency.
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It has been said that John Newton was once the slave of a
slave woman; that he had reached depths of human depravity
unknown by most civilized people. Then Christ found him,
and the grace of God commenced to lift the fallen man from
the depths of shame. Gradually John Newton became
stronger in the Christian faith, and ultimately entered the
ministry. His charm and power as a saintly preacher were
recognized in high circles, and finally the former slave of a
slave woman became the rector of a renowned church in the
City of London. This was the man who wrote-
How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
In a believer's ear;
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.