We do thank the Lord for bringing us together again this year. The theme of this year is spiritual reality.
Now, we do not come here to discuss spiritual reality. We come here to seek for spiritual reality.
The reason why we feel this matter of spiritual reality is of such tremendous importance to us now is because of the time in which we are living today.
In the Old Testament, we find that term, “the end of days,” as we find in Isaiah 2:2 and in many other places in the Old Testament. Now, the end of days is a Hebrew expression signifying the end of the period of law, introducing the coming in of the Messiah.
With the Old Testament prophets, they had no idea of the two comings of our Lord Jesus. But to us, we know that between the two comings of our Lord Jesus is the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations, but has now been revealed to us through the holy prophets and apostles. It is the period of the church.
So you find in the New Testament that the apostles, in their time, also mentioned this matter of the last days. Paul, in 2 Timothy 3:1, said that in the last days there would be very dangerous times.
Men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.
And the apostle John also mentioned this matter of the last hour. In his epistles, he said, “This is the last hour,” because the spirit of Antichrist has already come. Now, with John, “hour” means a period of time.
So, brothers and sisters, we realize that if, in the apostles’ time, they already realized that they were in the last hour, the last days, then after two thousand years have passed, certainly we are in the very last of the last hour. This is a very serious time.
Brothers and sisters, it is most important for us to know the time. Do we really realize what time we are living in now?
You know, in 1 Chronicles 12:32, we find that in the old days many people came to Hebron, to King David, to help him transfer the kingdom from Saul to David. Among those who came were those from Issachar. The Bible says they knew the times, and they knew what Israel ought to do.
To everything there is a time; to every purpose there is a time. And it is the wise who know the time and manner.
Brothers and sisters, this is why we feel it is so urgent for us to know what time we are living in now. There is a purpose to every time, and we need to know God’s purpose for this time. We also need to know how to behave and conduct ourselves during this very special time.
In Hebrews 12:25-28, we find the writer of Hebrews mentioning that, yet once more, there will be a great shaking. Of course, we know that he quotes the Old Testament, Haggai 2:6.
In Haggai, the prophet prophesied that once more God would not only shake the earth, but He would shake the heaven and the earth, the sea and the land, and all nations; and the desire of all nations would come.
The explanation of “yet once more” is given by the writer of Hebrews. He tells us that this signifies the removing of all that is shakable, that is, things that have been made. So everything that can be shaken will be shaken, so that that which is unshakable may remain.
Now, brothers and sisters, this “yet once more” is already upon us. We find that not only in this world—all the earthly things, the whole world—is being shaken, but even things that we consider heavenly and spiritual are also being shaken.
Our faith is severely tested. Our love is greatly challenged. And the Bible says that because of the difficult days, the love of many will grow cold. The Lord said, “When He shall come, shall He find faith on the earth?”
Brothers and sisters, we feel that today our very spiritual life is being tested. Many things that we take for granted, things that we think we do have, we find that when they are challenged, they are shattered.
Many things that we think are established, things that we understand, when we are tested we find they are gone. Very little is left. Everything is now being shaken, preparing for the day when the unshakable kingdom shall come.
So, brothers and sisters, living in such a time, how important it is for us to seek that which is unshakable.
The apostle Peter, in his epistles, mentioned that the end of all things has drawn near. Be sober and watchful unto prayer. In 2 Peter 3, he mentioned that the day of the Lord shall come like a thief, and everything will be consumed by fire. The heavens and the earth will all be burned with fire.
How we need to prepare ourselves, ready for our Lord, even hastening His return.
And, brothers and sisters, the apostle Paul told us in Romans 14:10 that we shall all be placed before the judgment seat of God. Everything we will confess before that judgment seat.
The same you find in 2 Corinthians 5:10: we shall all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, and we shall be judged according to the work that each one has done.
Paul said he was like a master builder. He laid the foundation, and there is no other foundation but Christ Jesus. But see how each one of us builds upon that foundation. Do we build with gold, silver, and precious stones, or do we build with wood, hay, and stubble?
That day, a fire shall appear, and it will test everything. The wood, the hay, and the stubble will be burned up. You will be saved because the foundation cannot be burned, but barely saved. But if you build with gold, silver, and precious stones, under the fire they will become more precious.
So, brothers and sisters, this is the hour. This is the time in which we are living now. It is for this reason that we feel very strongly in our spirit that we need to seek for spiritual reality.
All that is not real will be shaken, will be burned, and will be judged. And thank God, He still gives us time to repent. He still gives us time to be before Him and let His light shine upon us.
Brothers and sisters, our heart is deceitful above all things. We deceive not only other people; we deceive ourselves. We do not know our real condition.
Even if we try to analyze ourselves, we will not be able to arrive at the right conclusion. Our analysis will either elate us and make us think that we are better than we really are, or it may deflate us and make us think that we are less than what we really are. Self-examination is never accurate. It will never do the work.
For, brothers and sisters, what should we do in these last days? There is one thing we must do: we must place ourselves under the light of God.
You know, Ephesians 5:13 tells us that it is the light that shows the real character of a thing. It is the light that exposes, and we need light.
Today, we think we are in the light, but, brothers and sisters, I am afraid that oftentimes we just surround ourselves with the light that we have lit ourselves. Just as Isaiah said, you light your own fire and surround yourselves with its sparks; but if you do, you will lie down in sorrow.
We need the light of God. Psalm 36:9 says:
For with Thee is the fountain of life:
In Thy light shall we see light.
It is only in the light of God that we will be able to see exactly what we are and where we are. Reality can only be shown in the light of God.
So, dear brothers and sisters, when we first begin, I think the one thing that we really need to do is humble ourselves before the Lord.
Probably we think more of ourselves than we really ought to think. There are many things in our lives—many experiences, many teachings, many doctrines, many works, much service, and much of what we consider spiritual life.
Probably, when we are really under the light of God, the true character will be exposed, and we will find how little is there. It is much better to find out now than to find out later, when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ. That would be a tremendous regret.
So, brothers and sisters, we feel that we are really in a very, very serious time. This is no time to play religion. This is the time that we get real.
Our brother mentioned last night that the word reality is not found in the New Testament. The word there is truth, because the word truth, according to Cremer, signifies reality: that which lies at the basis of an appearance, the manifested and veritable substance of a matter.
In other words, what is reality? Reality is something behind an appearance. How often we think an appearance is reality, but it is that which is the basis of an appearance that is reality.
Reality is the substance—not the teaching, not the doctrine, not the form, but the substance. It is something solid, something eternal, something unfading, incorruptible, infallible; something that remains forever. It is something real.
We add “spiritual” to our theme because, as our brother mentioned last night, even earthly things, to the natural man, are very real. But though they may be real to the natural man, spiritually speaking they are unreal. Why? Because they are superficial, temporary, and passing. They are not everlasting. They are not the eternal verities.
I think probably the best way we can gain some understanding of spiritual reality is by making some contrasts—by considering what is not real and what is not spiritual reality.
First of all, religion versus spiritual reality. Religion, to many people, is very real.
When our Lord Jesus was on earth, He lived among a people who were very religious. The Jews at that time were very religious. They had their temple restored, their priesthood restored, their daily sacrifices, and their feasts. They came to Jerusalem three times a year to worship God.
So, by all appearances, they had a religion. They were a religious people. As a matter of fact, Judaism at that time was the purest of all religions. That is the reason many Gentiles became proselytes; they were converted to Judaism because it was the best religion to be found upon the earth.
The Pharisees made a study of the law their life. Not only that, but they even tried to keep the law.
But, brothers and sisters, if we turn to John 8, we remember the conversation between our Lord Jesus and the Jews.
The Lord said:
If ye abide in My word, then are ye truly My disciples;
And ye shall know the truth,
And the truth shall make you free.
You shall know reality, and that reality will set you free. The Lord was saying these words to those pious Jews, very religious Jews. They thought they already had reality. They thought they had the truth, and they were proud of it.
Yet the Lord said, “If you abide in My word, then you shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Your religion binds you and puts you into bondage. You are not free people; you are under severe bondage. But if you know reality, then you will be set free.
The Jews answered the Lord, saying, “We were never in bondage. We are always free.” Oh, how blind they were! Even at that very hour they were under the Roman Empire. They were not free; they were a conquered people. Yet they could say, “We were never in bondage. We are always free.”
And the Lord said:
Every one that committeth sin is the bondservant of sin.
If therefore the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
In spite of your religion, you keep on sinning. You are a bondservant of sin. You are under bondage. And if the Son of God shall set you free, then you are free indeed.
Well, they said, “We are Abraham’s seed. Abraham is our father.” So the Lord said, “Yes, you are Abraham’s seed, but you do not act as Abraham did.”
If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
But now ye seek to kill Me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I heard from God: this did not Abraham.
Our Lord Jesus was speaking the truth, the reality, from God the Father to the seed of Abraham. Yet they wanted to kill Him. This was not a work of Abraham.
They argued with the Lord and said, “We were not born of fornication. We have one Father, even God.” Now think of that. That is religion.
They had the knowledge of God. They considered God as their Father, not like the Gentiles who worshiped many gods and had many fathers. Through Abraham, they worshiped one God, and God they considered as their Father. But was God really their Father?
So far as religion is concerned, it seems that God was their Father, because they accepted that. But so far as spiritual reality is concerned, the Lord said, “No, God is not your Father. Because if God is your Father, then you will listen to Me—listen to the One whom the Father has sent.”
For I came not of Myself, but He sent Me.
Why do ye not understand My speech?
Even because ye cannot hear My word.
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do.
He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.
The Lord says that, so far as spiritual reality is concerned, you religious people have the devil as your father. The devil is a murderer from the beginning. He does not stand in truth, in reality. There is no truth in him. He is a liar and the father of lies. Because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.
Brothers and sisters, I think this is a very clear illustration of the difference between religion and spiritual reality. Sadly, this was not only true at the time of our Lord Jesus. It is true even today.
We find that many accept the Christian religion. Of all the religions in the world, they compare these religions and consider the Christian religion the purest. Many accept Christianity as a religion.
You remember the story of the Wesleys. When the Wesleys were at Oxford University, they and a few of their friends were so religious that they organized what was called the Holy Club.
They regulated their lives. They frequented prisons, visited the sick, and fasted during the week. They were holy people—very religious. Christian religion at its best.
Many do not take Christian religion very seriously, even though they consider themselves Christians. But the Wesleys, Whitefield, and a number of their friends took Christianity very seriously. They were very religious.
The Wesleys even went to the New World—to this country, to Georgia—to convert the natives. But after some time, they both discovered that they had gone out to convert the natives, but they themselves were not converted.
They were not saved. They had no living relationship with God. They had all the teachings and all the doctrines of Christianity. They taught these things and practiced these things, yet there was no reality in it. No wonder no one was converted.
Until one day, Charles Wesley, of course, came to the Lord in a very real way earlier than his brother John. It was through Martin Luther’s commentary on the book of Romans.
You remember, when John Wesley heard the preface to the book of Romans being read—because at that time unordained persons could not preach; it was against the law, and if you tried to preach, you would be put in prison—the Moravians could only read the preface to the book of Romans written by Martin Luther.
And while they were reading it, John Wesley said, “I felt my heart strangely warmed, and I realized I do believe in the Lord Jesus as my personal Savior.”
Brothers and sisters, do you see the difference between religion and spiritual reality? As our brother mentioned last night in his own testimony, I believe every one of us has had such an experience.
It is a touch, a contact, a relationship with the living God through our Lord Jesus by the Holy Spirit. Only there and then do we touch spiritual reality. So religion is no help.
Under the light of God, I wonder how much of our spiritual life is religion and not reality. You may have the outward form. You may have the correct teaching. You may have some understanding. But, brothers and sisters, do you touch God? Does God touch you?
How much of God is in all your daily living? How much of God is in your daily prayer? How much of God is in your daily reading of the Word? How much of God is in your serving the Lord? How much?
I am afraid most of what we consider spirituality is religion. God is not in it. If God is not in it in a living way, it is religion. It is not spiritual reality.
Secondly, orthodoxy versus spiritual reality. We often take orthodoxy as reality.
If you can trace your religion back to the apostles, or back to the church fathers, you think that you have the real thing.
You know, the Church of Christ—and I am not trying to criticize anyone; I am only trying to present a contrast—advertises that it goes back to the time of the apostles. The Greek Orthodox Church traces its origin back to the church fathers.
We think that if we can trace back far enough to ancient times, there is authority there, there is a certain assurance there, and that it is bound to be real. So-called mainline Christianity thinks this way.
Think of Judaism. Before Judaism was born, it was really a living revelation. The God of glory appeared to Abraham. Even in the time of Moses, there was living revelation. On Mount Sinai, the Ten Words began with living revelation and a living faith.
But gradually, as time went on, you find that living revelation had degenerated into something that was merely a tradition. It was correct, but there was no life.
Then you find the tradition of the fathers. In the beginning, these fathers and rabbis—great rabbis raised up by God to interpret the Old Testament—tried to apply the principles of the Old Testament to people’s daily lives.
Then, generation after generation, other rabbis were raised up. They did not interpret the original Word of God; they interpreted the interpretations of the rabbis before them. So you find interpretation after interpretation, application after application, precept upon precept, added and added and added, until it became Judaism: a system.
Orthodox, but dead.
Our Lord Jesus said, “The flesh profiteth nothing; it is the Spirit that giveth life.” The apostle Paul said, “The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.” They had all the letter—correct, orthodox—but that does not mean they had reality.
I think Saul of Tarsus, the Pharisee, is a good example. He was so orthodox that he persecuted the church. But when the Lord met him on the road to Damascus, he realized that he was a blasphemer, a persecutor, an insolent and overbearing person, the chief of sinners.
Brothers and sisters, never consider orthodoxy as reality.
I can think of some dear brothers greatly used by the Lord at one time. Now they belong to the Greek Orthodox Church; they became bishops and priests there. Why? Because they tried to be orthodox. They tried to trace the origin of their faith back to the church fathers. They said only the church fathers could interpret the Bible, so they followed the church fathers.
Orthodoxy does not give you spiritual reality. It is a substitute for spirituality. How many just rest upon orthodoxy?
Even among us, brothers and sisters, we think we are very orthodox. I am speaking especially to those who came from the Far East. We thought we were the people.
Shame, shame. In the beginning it was living, and now it is dead. It kills; it does not quicken. What is the use of this orthodoxy if we lose reality?
Let us not deceive ourselves. Oh, wake up and seek spiritual reality.
Thirdly, appearance versus spiritual reality.
There is nothing wrong with appearance. There is a need for appearance. If something is only within and is never expressed without, what is the use of it?
But, brothers and sisters, appearance should be the product of reality. Because there is reality within, therefore it appears without. It is not something that you try to make up or imitate. It is something that comes from within. You cannot help it.
A Chinese proverb says, “What is real inside, it will appear outside.”
But, brothers and sisters, how deceiving it is that you can have an appearance but not the reality.
As the apostle says, in the last days there will be people who have the form of godliness without the power thereof. The form is there. The external appearance is there. But where is the power?
It is make-believe. How appearance deceives us.
It is easy to put up an appearance. On Sunday, you can put on your Sunday best.
But, brothers and sisters, is this something that you make up, pretend, and put on as a façade? You are not really what you appear to be, but inside it is a different story.
That is the reason why, when our Lord was on earth, He was a friend of sinners and publicans, but He denounced the hypocrites in very strong terms. Why? Because they put up an appearance but had no reality within them.
They stood on the corners of the streets and made long prayers to be seen by men. They enlarged their phylacteries. They wanted people to see that they were very spiritual. What is the use? It is not real.
I think also of the book of Hebrews. You know, the book of Hebrews tells us that in Old Testament times all these things we find there are shadows, but the reality is Christ.
Moses was a very real person, but Moses is a type of Christ. In other words, he tells us of the One who is coming.
The Aaronic priesthood is a shadow. It tells us of the priesthood of our Lord Jesus according to the order of Melchizedek. The temple and all the services in the temple are types and shadows, speaking of the One who is coming. All the sacrifices are shadows.
And, brothers and sisters, when Christ has come, then the shadows disappear. But unfortunately, you find that those Jews rejected Christ and kept Moses. “We are disciples of Moses,” they said. They did not know that Moses spoke of the coming One.
On the Mount of Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appeared. But when Peter tried to put them on the same footing as our Lord Jesus, God dismissed them right away. Christ is the reality. Shadows shall pass away, but the reality is Christ.
Brothers and sisters, even in Christianity there are many shadows: great leaders, great teachers, great methods, great forms, and great systems. All these things are shadows. Christ has come. Therefore, we should not go back to the shadows. We should go on with Christ, the reality.
Fourth, carnality versus spiritual reality.
You know, our flesh is a great imitator. How our flesh can imitate anything that is spiritual reality.
Oftentimes we find that our emotion is actually of the flesh. We think that it is of the spirit, that it is real. I sometimes hear people say, “I just want to be real. I get angry because I want to be real. If I try to hide my anger within me, I am not real.”
Now, is that reality? Is that spiritual reality? It is carnality. It is an imitation.
The Bible says, “Be ye angry, and sin not.” So you say, “I am angry.” But do you see yourself being touched, provoked, and irritated? Lots of emotional things that we find in Christianity today come from the flesh. It is an imitation.
The Bible says we live by faith, not by feeling. Now, it is true that there are spiritual feelings too, but how the soul imitates our spiritual feelings! Humanly, it is impossible to distinguish.
Our mind—we think we have the mind of Christ. But is it the mind of Christ, or is it just our own mind? Is self at the back of it?
The same thing applies to the will. We think that we really will the will of God. Now, if we really do, we shall know. But oftentimes we substitute our own will.
Carnality is such a big problem among God’s people today.
You know, the whole book of Malachi is a book of accusation. Our minds can be so deceived that we think we are spiritual, and yet we are carnal all the time.
You find an argument, a controversy, between God and the remnant. God said, “I have loved you.” And they said, “Wherein hast Thou loved us?” God said, “Ye have defiled Me.” They said, “Wherein have we defiled Thee?”
They offered the lame, the crippled, the sick, and the worst of the animals, and they thought they were serving God. God said, “Ye rob Me.” They said, “Wherein have we robbed Thee?”
You find that the whole book of Malachi is an accusation. Religious people can be so deceived in their minds that they cannot see through. They cannot see the truth. They think that they do everything right.
In Romans 8, we are told that the mind of the flesh is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be. And the mind of the flesh cannot please God.
Anything that is carnal, anything that is natural, anything that comes from our Adamic nature, from the old creation, brothers and sisters, all these have to be shaken off.
And finally, I would like to mention the world versus spiritual reality.
Our brother mentioned last night that the world is very real. Marriage is real. Sickness is real. Death is real. All these are very real. You cannot take the attitude and say, “Well, these are not real,” like the Christian Scientist. You are deceiving yourself.
So far as the world is concerned, it is real. But, brothers and sisters, the Bible says we are in the world, but we are not of the world.
Because we are not of the world, to us the world is a lie. The world is under the devil, who is a liar, and he uses that world system to lie to mankind, cheating them into thinking that all these things—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—are the things that are real and that we should seek after.
Is that true?
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.
The world and all these things are passing. They are not eternal. They are not lasting. Anything that is passing is not spiritually real.
We are in the world. We have to be in touch with it. We have to use the things in this world. But, brothers and sisters, what is our attitude?
Are we seeking these things as though they were real—position, power, success, wealth? Are they real? You are chasing shadows.
Our attitude toward the things of the world is that we use them as though they do not belong to us.
Brothers and sisters, the world is not spiritually real.
So what is reality? What is spiritual reality? Now, this morning, we will conclude with a few criteria.
Number one: spiritual reality is spiritual. Anything that is not spiritual, that is not of the Spirit of God, is not real.
The physical, the material, the old creation—all these will be burned up. Only that which is spiritual, of the Spirit, of God, that alone is real.
If it comes from man, it is of the flesh. It is not spiritually real. It is not reality. It is a façade, a pretense, a counterfeit.
Number two: spiritual reality is of life.
Anything that is not of life—and by life I mean divine life, God’s life—anything that is not of life is not spiritual reality. Knowledge, appearance, form—anything that is not the manifestation of life from within is not spiritual.
You may have a good knowledge of the Bible, exact and correct, but if there is no life in it, it is superficial. It does not reach the spirit. It will not last forever.
Number three: spiritual reality must be of substance. It must be something solid, not abstract, not for speculation, imagination, or merely mental exercise.
It is the real thing. As our brother mentioned last night, it is a real thing—something of substance. There is something there. If you have it, you know it. If it is not there, it is not there. You can talk about it; you can even teach it. If it is not there, it is not there.
And finally, spiritual reality is of God. God is the only spiritual reality.
So measure spiritual reality by these four criteria, and I believe you will come to know what it really is.
Now, today is just an introduction. God willing, we will talk about where you can find spiritual reality and how you can get it. So pray that the Lord will open up His Word to us. Let us pray.
Lord, Thou searchest our hearts. Thou knowest that we do not come here just to discuss something. We come here to seek Thee, to seek reality.
Oh, hear the heart cry of every heart. Reveal Thyself to us. We have seen signs and wonders, but now we want to know Thee.
We want to know Thee, the only true God, and the One whom Thou hast sent, our Lord Jesus. This is eternal life.
Hear our cry, in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.