002.D 01. The Limiting Effect Things 'On the Earth'

The Limiting Effect of Things ’On the Earth’

We can, of course, conclude at once that if our horizons are pressed back so far and if that is our realm, it must surely mean spiritual enlargement. But how? If we want to interpret this word ’heavenlies’ in a practical way, we find the key in Ephesians 1:3 of the letter - "...hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ." It means that now, in this realm of the believer’s life, spiritual values are pre-eminent. That is easily seen by a comparison with the two letters preceding. In ’Corinthians’ spiritual values were not really pre-eminent. Personal interests governed there. Everything was judged from the standpoint of the advantage to the people concerned and of its effect upon them here in this life on the earth. Even spiritual things were pulled down, spiritual gifts were dragged into the realm of display with a view to making something of the people themselves. In the Galatian letter the same thing is true, but from the standpoint of religion. All is brought down to earth. The Apostle put his finger upon the heart of the matter when he said of the Judaizers who were capturing the Galatian believers that they wanted to glory in their flesh (Galatians 6:13); that is, that they might be able to count heads and say, ’See how many converts we have! See how successful our movement is, how many people are joining us!’ And he sets that over against the offence of the Cross. The offence of the Cross is that there is nothing to glory in in the flesh. All the glorying in the flesh, even in a religious way, is removed by the Cross. There is an earthliness even of religious life that wants to make of Christianity something here, seen and sentient. It is earthliness in another form. It is an earthly ’Church.’