Quotable Quotes

June 8

He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it (1 Thessalonians 5:24 ESV).

I believe we need a new understanding of the spiritual pilgrimage of the Lord Jesus. We think that because He was God’s Son, and because of what He was, His way was less difficult than ours. He had certain powers that we have not. He had a nature that we have not. We cannot understand the mystery of One such as He being subjected to trials and difficulties and adversities, and being tested to breaking-point, where it called for the intervention of heaven to get Him through. He was brought there; He was brought to the point more than once where even He would not have gone through, had not heaven intervened and angels ministered to Him. You say: "I have never had that experience." Ah, but you have. You may never have actually seen angels coming to minister to you, but there is no believer who has gone this way, who has gone any distance, but knows in his heart, “But for God and Heaven, I would not be here today.” My own testimony is that it has required the intervention of heaven, more than once, to save me from succumbing.

But what is true of ourselves was far more true of Him. We do not understand this mystery, but He had a spiritual pilgrimage, with far deeper testings and tryings than ever you or I need, have, or will have. Yes, “in all points like as we” it is true; but, for Him, with greater acuteness than for us. Through it all He has been perfected – “made perfect.” “Though He was a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered; and having been made perfect (having been made complete) He became... the author of eternal salvation” (Heb. 5:8,9), “eternal redemption” (Heb. 9:12). He has reached the end of the road of perfection for us. And He is the guarantee that God can do it in us! That is the point. He is there like the ‘title deeds’ for faith; the guarantee and the certainty that God, having got Him there, can get anybody there. He can get you and me there at the end. He can make perfect His work in us.

By T. Austin-Sparks from: God's Purpose in All - Chapter 2 

This photograph is by Eric Jonas Swensson of Sound Shore Media.