In view of the continued misapprehension and even lack of appreciation of 'Spirituality', in the Christian World, all of which has given rise to ‘Humanism’ as a substitute for 'true Spirituality' in the Church today, I deem it time well spent, if for the next few 'weeks' or 'months' as the Lord leads, we would hold before us, and meditate upon "The School of Christ".  
 
We shall consider such 'Truths' as 'The Foundation of Spiritual Education' - 'Living by the Truth' - 'The abiding need for Faith' - 'Christ known only by Revelation' - 'No place for the Natural Man' - 'The need of a new Set of Faculties' - 'The breaking of the Self-Life' - 'The Mark of a Life anointed by the Holy Spirit', and so on.  
 
But let me say this right from the start:--    
 
As some of us have already experienced, 'the Coming into Truth’ in a ‘Living Way’ will of necessity lead us into Crisis after Crisis, and "The School of Christ" which will result in 'The Glory of God' for us, will in the meantime involve us in 'difficulties' and 'trials' of every kind.  
 
It will affect our Relationships at home and everywhere else.  
 
To understand 'God's Ways and Methods' will help us to pass through all those 'Trials' and prevent us from taking matters into our own hands when we are tempted to do so, or feel that it is our Duty to do so.   

Scripture Reading: -- 

Ezekiel 40:2-4 "In the Visions of God He brought me into the land of Israel, and set me on a very high mountain; and on it to the south there was a structure like a city. So He called me there; and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a line of flax and a measuring rod in His hand; and He was standing in the gateway. 
And the Man said to me, 'son of man, see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and give attention to all that I am going to show you; for you have been brought here in order to show it to you. Declare to the House of Israel all that you see’ ”. 

Ezekiel 43:10-11 “As for you, son of man, describe the Temple to the House of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the plan. (lit. Perfection or Pattern.) and if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the House, its structure, its exits, its entrances, all its designs, all its statutes, and all its Laws, and write it in their sight, so that they may observe its whole design and all its statutes, and do them.”

Matthew 3:17 "And behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, 'this is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased'".  
 
Matthew 11:25-30 "At that time Jesus answered and said, I praise thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes.  Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy Sight. All things have been handed over to me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light".   
 
John 1:51  "And He said to him, 'truly, truly, I say to you, you shall see the heavens opened, and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man'".  
 
Luke 9:23 "And He was saying to them all, 'if anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his Cross daily, and follow Me'".  
 
Ephesians 4:20-21 "But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as Truth is in Jesus". 

(1) “THE FOUNDATION OF SPIRITUAL EDUCATION”
 
The basic word out of those we read, for our present purpose, is Matthew 11:29  
 
"Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me"  
 
"Learn from Me!"  
 
The Apostle Paul, in a slightly different form of words, gives us what 'the Lord Jesus' meant; he says in Ephesians 4:20, "You did not learn Christ in this way".  
 
Notice: Leaving out one very little word makes all the difference and gives the true sense.  
 
Of course, ‘the Lord Jesus’, while He was here, could only put it in an objective way, for the subjective time had not arrived: and so He had to say learn from Me".  

However, when the subjective time came, 'the Holy Spirit' would lead the Apostle to leave out the 'from', and say "Learn Christ".  
 
I am quite sure that many of you will immediately discern that that is just the flaw in a very great deal of 'popular Christianity' today - a kind of objective Imitation of 'Christ' which gets us nowhere, rather than the subjective 'learning Christ' which gets us everywhere.

And so for a little while we want to occupy ourselves with 
‘the School of Christ', into which ‘School’ He brought ‘the Twelve', whom He chose, "That they might be with Him and that He might send them forth". (Mark 3:14)   
 
They were first of all called 'Disciples', which simply means they came under 'Discipline'.  

Notice: before ever we can be Apostles, that is,'Sent Ones', we have to come under 'discipline', to be 'Disciples', to 
be 'taught ones', and that in an inward way. 

It is into this 'School' that everyone who is 'born-from-above' is brought, and it is very important that we should know the 'nature' of it, - what it is that we are going to learn, - and the Principles of our 'Spiritual Education'.  
 
"The Object of our Schooling is first Comprehensively Presented" 

Coming into this ‘School’, the very first thing that 'the Holy Spirit', 'the great Teacher' and 'Interpreter', does for us, if we are truly brought under ‘His Hand’, is to show us in a comprehensive way what it is that we have to learn, - to present to us 'the great Object of our Education'.  
 
We read those passages in Ezekiel which I think have a great bearing upon this matter. 

You see, in a day when 'the true Expression of God's thought' in ‘the midst of His People’ had been lost, and 'God's people' were out of immediate touch with 'Divine thoughts', - away in that far country, 'the Spirit of God' laid ‘His Hand’ upon ‘the Prophet’ and took him in 'the Spirit' in 'the Visions of God' back to Jerusalem, and set him upon a high mountain, and gave him that 'Presentation of a New Temple', forth from which would flow a 'River of Life' to the ends of the Earth.
 
Then He followed this up by going into the whole thing in the most minute detail, and later instructed ‘the Prophet’ to show 'the House' to 'the House of Israel' with a view to bringing about a recovery of 'Spiritual Life' in conformity to that great comprehensive and detailed 'Revelation of God's thought', that they should first of all be ashamed.  
 
It may be that 'the Temple of Ezekiel' will yet literally be set up on the Earth, as so many believe, and among them, there are good Bible Expositors.   
 
We will not argue about that, but of this one thing we need have no Question, that all that Ezekiel saw has its 'Spiritual Counterpart and Fulfillment' in 'the Church' which is 'His body'; - 'Spiritually’ it is all ‘in Christ'.  
 
And 'God's Method' with His People, in order to secure a 'full Expression of His thought', is first of all to present 'the Perfect Object': and this He did when at the Jordan He rent the Heavens and said, "This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased".  
 
He presented and attested that which was the full, comprehensive and detailed 'Expression of His thought’ for ‘His People’. 

The Apostle Paul, in words familiar to us, expressly voices the fact, when he says in Romans 8:29, "Whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the Image of His Son".  
 
"This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased" - "Conformed to the Image of His Son". 

There is the presentation and the attestation and the declaration of 'Divine purpose' in relation to 'Him'.  
 
Therefore, I repeat, ‘the Holy Spirit's first Object’ is to acquaint us with what is in view in our 'Spiritual Education'; namely, that He is to reveal 'Christ in us', and then afterward to get to work to 'Conform us to Christ'.  
 
Notice: to 'learn Christ' we must first ‘see Christ’
 
"The Pre-eminent Mark of a Life Governed by The Spirit".  
 
The Mark of a 'Life' governed by 'the Holy Spirit' is that such a 'Life' is continually and ever more and more occupied with 'Christ', that 'Christ' is becoming greater and greater, more wonderful as time goes on.  

The effect of 'the Holy Spirit's Work' in us is to bring us to the shore of a mighty ocean which reaches far, far beyond our range, and concerning which we feel - Oh, the Depths, the Fullness, of 'the Riches of Christ'!
   
You know, if we live as long as ever men live, we shall still be only on the fringe of this vast 'Fullness' that 'Christ' is.  
 
Now, that at once becomes a 'Challenge' to us before we go any further.  
 
Listen, these are not just 'words'.  
 
This is not just 'Rhetoric'; - this is 'Truth'!  
 
And so, let us ask our hearts at once, is this true in our case?  
 
Is this the kind of 'Life' that we know?  
 
Are we coming to despair on this matter? 
 
That is to say, that we are glimpsing so much as signified by 'Christ' that we know that we are out of this, and will never range all this.  
 
It is beyond us, far beyond us, and yet we are drawn on and ever on.  
 
Now let me ask, is that not true in your experience?  
 
That is ‘the Mark of a Life’ governed by 'the Holy Spirit'.  
 
'Christ' becomes greater and greater and greater as we go on; not so much 'the Things of Christ’ as ‘He Himself’. 
 
If that is true, well, that is 'the way of Life'.   
 
If ever you and I should come to the place where we think we know, we have it all, we have attained, and from that point things become static, we may take it that 'the Holy Spirit' has ceased operations, and that 'Life' has become stultified. 
 
Let us take the example of ‘one’ who is given to us, I believe, as amongst Men, for this very Purpose of showing forth 'God's Ways', 'the Apostle Paul'.  
 
The words which he uses to define and express what happened to him right at the commencement are these: "It pleased God...to reveal His Son in me" (Gal.1:16).  
 
Now, that Man did a very great deal of teaching and preaching.  
 
He put out a great deal.  
 
He had a long and very full Life, not only in the amount that he put out, but in the concentrated essence which has defeated all the attempts of many Centuries to fathom.  
 
Notice: At the end of that long life, that full life, that Man who said concerning its commencement, "It pleased God...to reveal His Son in me", is crying from his heart this cry,
“That I may know Him" (Phil. 3:10); indicating surely that with the great 'Initial Revelation' and all the subsequent and continual ‘Unveilings’, even being caught up into ‘the third Heaven’ and shown ‘unspeakable things’, with all that, at the end of a long life he knows nothing compared with what there is to be known.  

“That I may know Him”!

That is ‘the essence’ of a 'Life' governed by 'the Holy Spirit,' and it is that which will deliver us from 'Death', from 'stagnation', from coming to a 'standstill'.  
 
It is the Work of 'the Holy Spirit' in 'the School of Christ' to present and to keep in view 'Christ' in 'His Greatness', 'His Fullness'. 
 
And so, God, right at the beginning, brings ‘Christ’ forth, presents Him, attests Him, and in effect says, this is ‘He’ to ‘Whom’ I will conform you, to 'His Image'!  
 
Yes, but then, having the presentation, the basic lessons begin.  
 
Oh, listen, 'the Holy Spirit' is not satisfied with just giving us a great 'Presentation’: He is going to begin real work in relation to that ‘Presentation’ and we are, under 'His Hand', brought to two or three basic things in our 'Spiritual Education'.  
 
"The Challenge and Meaning of an Open Heaven"  
 
May I just pause to urge that you seek to keep your minds altogether clear and free of any 'Idea' that I am trying to give you 'Bible-Teaching' just now.  
 
Listen, the whole point will be missed if you get a 'Mentality' like that.  

My aim, in co-operation with 'the Lord', is to make everything pre-eminently 'practical'; and so we apply the ‘Challenge’ immediately, and I ask you, Is 'the Holy Spirit' within you presenting ‘God's Fullness in His Son’ in an ever-growing way?- Is He really? 

Is that the nature of your 'Spiritual 'Life?  
 
If not, then you must have some definite exercise before ‘the Lord' about it; - there is something wrong.  
 
'The Anointing' means that, and if that is not the nature of your ‘Spiritual Life', there is something wrong in your case in relation to 'the Anointing'.  
 
To 'Nathanael', 'the Lord Jesus' said, "Henceforth" (our old English word is "Hereafter", but I think many people have mistakenly thought that means ‘the After-Life’) "You shall see the Heaven opened, and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man". 

'Hereafter', of course, was the immediate 'Hereafter', the days of 'the Holy Spirit' which were coming so soon.  
 
With an 'open Heaven' you see, and you see ‘God's meaning’ concerning ‘His Son’.  
 
That 'open Heaven' for 'the Lord Jesus' was 'the Anointing'.  
 
'The Holy Spirit' descended and lighted upon ‘Him’.  
 
It was 'the Anointing', and it is the same for us.  
 
'The open Heaven' is 'the Anointing of the Holy Spirit' from 'the Day of Pentecost' onward upon ‘Christ within us’.

That 'open Heaven’ means a continually growing 'Revelation of Christ'.  
 
I am brought back to urge this.  
 
You see, we must not just add other things too soon, but make sure that we are right on these matters.  
 
'The open Heaven' at once brings 'God's full Revelation of Christ' to your very Door, makes it available to you, so that you are not dependent in the first place upon Libraries, Books, Sermons, or anything else.  
 
It is there for you.  
 
However much 'the Lord' may see fit to use these other things for your help and enrichment, you have your own 'open Heaven’, your own clear way through, and no closed Dome over your head.  
 
‘The Lord Jesus’ is becoming more and ever more wonderful in your own heart, because "God, that said, Light shall shine out of Darkness" has "shined in our hearts, to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ". (2.Cor.4:6) 
 
"The 'Other-ness' of Christ"  
 
Now that being true - and if it is not, perhaps you must just suspend things there, until you have had dealings with ‘the Lord’, - but that being true, 'the Holy Spirit' gets to work on that, as I said, to make two or three other things very real to us, the first of which is - “the altogether 'Other-ness' of 'Christ' “.  
 
We shall continue next Sunday, Lord willing.  
 
In the meantime, please make sure that 'the Holy Spirit's Activity' within you, causes you to be more and more occupied with ‘Christ’,- 'Christ' in fact, becoming your everything. 

 
'The Foundation of our Spiritual Education', this is the thing before us for our present consideration and meditation.  
 
We saw last Sunday 'the Object of our schooling' as presented by 'the Holy Spirit'.  
 
"Whom He foreknew, He also foreordained to be conformed to the Image of His Son". (Romans 8:29)  
 
"This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased" - "Conformed to the Image of His Son".  
 
We also considered ‘the pre-eminent Mark of a Life’ governed by 'the Holy Spirit' - 'Christ' becomes greater and greater as we go on.  
 
'The Holy Spirit' is not satisfied with just giving us a great presentation: He is going to begin real work in relation to that Presentation, and we are under 'His Hand', brought to two or three basic things in our 'Spiritual Education'.  
 
That brought us to ‘the Challenge and Meaning’ of an 'Open Heaven' with a continually growing 'Revelation of Christ'.  
 
Now as we continue, we shall consider 'the work of the Holy Spirit' in regard to 'the Other-ness of Christ.' 
 
Notice: How altogether Other ‘He’ is from ourselves.  
 
Taking the Disciples who went into ‘His School’, - it was not 'the School of the Holy Spirit' in the same sense as ours is, but the result of their association with 'the Lord Jesus’ during those three, or three and a half years, was just the same, - the first thing they learned was how Other ‘He’ was from themselves.  

They had to learn it.  
 
I do not think it came to them at the first Moment.
 
It was as they went on, that they found themselves again and again clashing with 'His thoughts', 'His mind', 'His ways'.  
 
They would urge Him to take a certain course, to do certain things, to go to certain places: they would seek to bring to bear upon Him their own judgments, and their own feelings, and their own ideas.  
 
But He would have none of it.  
 
At ‘the Marriage Feast in Cana of Galilee’, His own mother, with an idea, said "They have no wine".  
 
'His reply' was, "Woman, what have I to do with you? My Hour is not yet come".  
 
"What have I to do with you"? 

Actually, that is a ‘weak translation’.  
 
Far better, 'Woman, you and I are thinking in different realms; we have at the moment nothing in common'.  
 
And so throughout their lives they sought to impinge upon Him with their standpoint of things. 

No, all the time He was putting them back and showing them how different were 'His Thoughts', 'His Ways', 'His Ideas', 'His Judgments'; altogether different.  
 
In the end I expect they despaired.  
 
He might well have despaired of them had He not known that this was exactly what was working in them.  
 
Please, catch that and you have got something helpful.
 
'Lord', why is it that I am always called out, always making a blunder?  
 
Somehow or other, I always say and do the wrong thing, I am always on the wrong side! 

Somehow I never seem to come right in line with You; I despair of ever being right!  
 
And 'the Lord' says, 'I am teaching you, that is all; it is all deliberately, quite deliberately.    
 
That is exactly what I am bringing you to see.  
 
Until you learn that lesson, we shall get nowhere at all.  
 
When you have thoroughly learned that lesson, then we can begin constructive work, but at present it is necessary for you to come to the place where you recognize I am altogether other than you are.  
 
The difference is such that we move in two altogether opposite Worlds. 

This ordinary 'Mind of Man', at its best, is another 'Mind'.  
 
This 'Will of Man', at its best, is another 'Will'.  

We never do know what lies behind our motives until 'the Holy Spirit' cleaves right down to the depths of our being and shows us.  
 
We may put our feelings and desires into the most devout terms.  
 
We may, like ‘Peter’, react to a 'Divine suggestion', "If I do not wash you, you have no part with me." and say, "Then, my Lord, wash not only my feet but also my hands and my head"; but it is only Self coming up again - my Blessing.
 
I want ‘the Blessing’, and so miss the whole point 'the Master’ is trying to teach.  
 
'I' am seeking to teach you Self-emptying, 'He' might have said, and you are laying hold of every 'suggestion of Mine' for Self-filling, to get; and 'I' am trying to say, give, let go!  
 
Oh, this Self comes out in ‘the most Spiritual way’.  
 
Self comes up for 'Spiritual Blessing'. 

And we do not know what lies behind. 

Please, hear me,- we have to come into a very severe School of 'the Holy Spirit' which eventuates in our coming to discover that our best intentions are defiled, our purest motives are unclean before those Eyes; - things that we intended to be for 'God', somewhere at their spring is Self.
 
We cannot produce from this 'Nature' anything acceptable to 'God'.  
 
All that can ever come to 'God' is ‘in Christ alone', not in us.  
 
It never will, in this Life, be in us as ours.  
 
It will always be the difference between 'Christ' and ourselves.  
 
Although 'He' be Resident within us, 'He' and 'He' only is 'the Object' of 'the Divine good Pleasure' and 'Satisfaction', and the one basic lesson you and I have to learn in this Life, under 'the Holy Spirit's Tuition' and 'Revelation and 'Discipline', is that ‘He’ is Other than we are: and ‘the Other-ness’ is indeed an 'utter thing.'  
 
That is one of ‘the hard lessons’. 

It is certainly ‘the one’ that this World will refuse to learn. 

It will not have that.  
 
You see, that runs directly counter to 'the whole system of teaching on Humanism' - the wonderful thing that Man is! - and all this horrible stuff that is dealt out day after day about living up to your best, producing your best, trying always to be at your best: and designated as ‘Christianity’ at that!   

Oh, no, no, no, when we have come to our best, there is a gulf between us and 'the beginnings of Christ' that cannot be bridged.  
 
If we attain to our best, we have not commenced 'Christ'.  
 
That is 'utter', but we perhaps hardly need that emphasis.  

Most of us have learned something in this regard, I am sure.  
 
But let us, while we know this in experience, take the comfort which comes perhaps from being told again exactly what is happening.  
 
What is 'the Lord' doing, what is 'the Holy Spirit' doing with us?  
 
Well, as a basic thing, He is making us to know that we are one thing and 'Christ' another.  
 
That is the most important lesson to learn, for there can be nothing constructive until we have learned it.  
 
The first thing, therefore, is the altogether 'Other-ness of Christ' as over against ourselves.  
 
"The Impossibility of reaching God's Standard ourselves."  
 
Then, secondly, 'the Holy Spirit' brings us face to face with 'the utter Impossibility' of our ever being that of ourselves.  
 
You see, 'God' has set up a Standard, 'God' has presented 'His Model', 'God' has given us 'His Object' for ‘our Conformity’, and the next thing we come up against is 'the utter Impossibility' of being that.  
 
Yes, of ourselves it cannot be.  
 
Let me ask, have we not learned that ‘lesson of despair’ yet?  
 
It is necessary for 'the Holy Spirit' to make us despair again and again and again?  
 
But why not have ‘one good despair’ and get it all over? 

Why despair every few days?   
 
Only because we are still hunting around for something, somewhere, some rag of goodness in ourselves that we can present to 'God' that will please ‘Him’, satisfy ‘Him’ and answer to 'His Requirements'.  
 
Of course, we will never find it.  
 
We may as well settle it that "All our Righteousness are as filthy rags".(Isaiah 64:6) 

‘Our Righteousness’, all that trying to be so righteous; 'the Lord' says of it all, ‘filthy rags’! 
 
Let us settle this once for all.  
 
If you are looking ahead of what I am saying, you will see what it is leading to.  
 
It is leading to 'the most glorious Position’. 
 
It is leading to that 'Glorious Issue' mentioned by 'the Lord Jesus' in this way, in those days before things became inward: "Learn from Me...and you shall find rest unto your souls".  
 
That is the end.  
 
But we shall never find ‘Rest unto our Souls’ until we have first of all learned ‘the utter Difference’ between 'Christ' and ourselves, and then 'the utter Impossibility' of our ever being like 'Him' by anything that we can find in ourselves, produce or do.  
 
It is not in us, it is not in ourselves, in that way.  
 
And so we had better despair our last Despair with regard to ourselves.  
 
Now those two things are basic.  
 
"A final Word and Exortation"  
 
But then, the next thing 'the Holy Spirit' will do will be to begin to show us how it is accomplished.  
 
We are not going to start on that just now, but stay with the fact that 'the Holy Spirit' can do nothing until these other things are settled.  
 
Oh, ‘God’ is very jealous for ‘His Son’.  
 
‘His Son’ has gone right through the fires over this matter, having accepted ‘Man-form’ and a ‘Life of Dependence’, having voluntarily ‘emptied Himself’ of that which meant that at any moment ‘He’ could of ‘Himself’ work by ‘Deity’ for ‘His own Deliverance’, ‘Salvation’, ‘Provision’, ‘Preservation’; having ‘emptied Himself’ of that Right and said, I let go all my ‘Rights’ and ‘Prerogatives’ and ‘Powers of Deity’ for the time being and I accept ‘Man's Position’ of all ‘utter Dependence upon God’ as ‘My Father’; I meet all that ‘Man’ ever has to meet on ‘Man's level’! (Phil.2:6-8; Heb.5:8-9) 
 
Now this does not mean that ‘He emptied Himself of Deity’, but of its ‘Rights’ for the time being.  
 
And so ‘He’ met all that ‘Man’ has to meet in every realm in its concentrated form and force and went through without a flaw as Man for Man, and went back to ‘the Throne’ on the merit of a ‘complete Triumph’ over every force that ever ‘Man’ has to encounter in ‘satisfying God’.  
 
Now do you think that after that ‘God’ is ever going to forgo ‘His Son’, and all that ‘He’ wrought in ‘Man's behalf’, and say, only be at your best and that will ‘satisfy Me’?  
 
Oh, what Blindness to ‘Christ’, what Blindness to ‘God’, is this ‘Christianity’ that is popular today.   
 
No, there is only ‘One’ in this universe concerning whom ‘God’ can say from ‘His Heart’ "In Whom I am well pleased", and that is ‘the Lord Jesus Christ’. 

If ever you and I are going to come into that favor it will be as "In Christ Jesus", never in ourselves.  
 
When that is learned, or when that part of 'the Education' has been taken up, then it is that ‘the Holy Spirit’ can begin the work of "Conformity to the Image of God's Son".(Rom.8:29).  
 
Well, we have seen lessons 'one' and 'two' in the case of 'the Disciples'. 

Through the months and years, ’His Disciples’ came to see how altogether different ‘He’ was from themselves, and then came to the place of despair on that very matter as ‘the Lord’ intended it should be.  
 
‘He’ foresaw it all.  
 
‘He’ could not hinder it, ‘He’ could not save them, ‘He’ had to allow them to go that way; and right at the end when they were making their ‘loudest Protestations’ about their ‘Loyalty’, their ‘Faithfulness’, their ‘Endurance’, and what they were going to do when put to ‘the Test’, ‘He’ said to them all, "Do you now believe? Behold, an hour is coming, yes, is come, that you shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave Me alone...” (John 16:31-32). 
 
And to ‘one’ in particular ‘He’ said, "The cock shall not crow until you deny me three times". (John 13:38)  
 
Now let me ask, what do you think those men felt when ‘He was crucified’, and they had all run away, and left ‘Him’ alone; and the 'one' had denied Him?  
 
Do you not think ‘dark despair’ entered into their souls, not only over their ‘lost prospects and expectations’, but ‘despair over themselves’. 

Yes, and ‘He’ had to allow it.  
 
‘He’ could take no step to prevent it; - it was necessary.  
 
And you and I will go the same way if we are in 'the same School'.  
 
It is essential!  
 
No constructive Work can be done until that has got advanced within us.  
 
Well, I know that sounds terrible, but that ought to be encouraging!  
 
After all, it is all constructive in a way.  
 
What is ‘the Lord’ doing with me?  
 
‘He’ is preparing a way for ‘His Son’, ‘He’ is clearing the ground for bringing in 'the Fulness of Christ’.  
 
That is what ‘He’ is doing.  
 
‘He’ did it with them, and ‘Pentecost’ and afterward was ‘His answer’ to what happened on ‘the Day’ when ‘He’ was delivered up, to all that happened with them.  
 
You say, then ‘He’ commenced ‘His constructive Work’.  
 
Yes, ‘He’ did; after 'the Cross' and ‘Pentecost’ things began to change in an inward way, and from that time you begin to see that ‘Christ’ is now manifested in a growing way in these men.  
 
They may have a long way to go, but you cannot fail to see that ‘the Foundation’ is laid, the commencement has been made.  
 
There is a difference, and the difference is not that they are necessarily ‘changed Men’ so much, as that ‘Christ’ is now within them transcending what they are by ‘Nature’. 

It is not that they become so much better, but it is that 'Christ' within becomes so much more real as a ‘Power’.  
 
That is all for the moment. 

Let us bow our hearts today, let us yield today.  

It is 'the School of Christ'.  
 
I know how challenging it is!  
 
Challenging to this 'Old Man' who dies very hard, yields with great difficulty.  
 
All our training, teaching, perhaps has been other than this.  
 
We have come into this horrible ‘Heritage of Humanism'-to be the best that I can be, to be my best!  
 
Well, you must take what I am saying in the sense in which I am saying it.  
 
No one is going to think that you can go and just be careless, slovenly, at your worst or less than your best, simply because of what I have said; but you know what I am talking about.  
 
I am saying, that at our best we can never pass across that gap between ‘Man’ and ‘Jesus Christ’.  
 
No,- that gap remains, and the only way to get over is to die and to be raised from the dead; but that, for the moment, is another matter.