The following is the substance of a Prayer-Meeting Address delivered on the 16th December, 1982, by the late Rev. Donald Campbell, Edinburgh.
This Epistle written by Paul while he was a prisoner in Rome, follows the pattern on which his other Epistles were based. In all these Epistles he divides the great themes of the Gospel into two main sections. There is the first part which is mainly doctrinal, dealing with the doctrines of the faith and explaining these. Then there is the moral or the practical part of the Christian life. Though man is converted and delivered from the curse of the Divine law and from the power of sin and the servitude to the god of this world, and is in these respects free, he is still under the law — that is the moral law. As such he is obliged to obey the law and to conform to it as other people are. The Lord Himself, when He was in the world was in the same position. He was made under the law, so that it was His duty to obey that law. He was the One and the only One who was able to do that fully inasmuch as He could obey it in thought, word and deed.
The believer in Christ is not in that same position, but Christ being his Daysman, his Saviour and Substitute has done and He does in a sense that for him: “Made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” The practical life of the believer is one which by the grace of God endeavours to conform to the law of God. Hence the high standard of morality among the Christians for which they were noted and admired. It is the duty of Christians in every generation to endeavour to maintain that level of moral obedience and purity. He deals, as you can see, with the different relationships of life — parents and children, husbands and wives. Here he refers to the relationship between master and servant. The conversion from paganism to Christianity very much affected that relationship because the conversion to Christianity was, to begin with at any rate, mainly among the ordinary people. “The common people heard Him gladly.” The apostle in his Epistle to the Corinthians makes that very clear. He recognises and enlarges on that very aspect of the Christian community and the Christian Church. We find the Lord Himself thanking the Father, “that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.”
It is also hinted in the apostle’s writings that Christian servants or employees were in danger of despising their masters for the simple reason that they were pagans. Again, if the masters became Christians there was a temptation to introduce equality. The apostle found it necessary to direct all believers, whether masters or servants how to conduct themselves in the world in their different relationships. Since God has chosen to build up His Own Kingdom in this world then the main duty of the Christian Church is to endeavour, by all lawful means, to bring in those that are without. “Compel them to come in.” These are the words of the Lord Himself.
The origin of the Church in Colosse is wrapped in a mystery but the important matter is that the Church was there and that it was founded upon the pure gospel and the doctrines of God our Saviour and accepted by the Colossians. Whoever brought the gospel to them the important thing is that it was brought and was received just as surely as it was in Thessalonica or in any of the other places where the gospel flourished. Epaphras, in all probability, was the preacher of the gospel who brought it first to these parts and was the means of forming the Church there. His friendly relationship with the apostle Paul himself would have played a very important part in advancing and establishing the Christian Church.
Now Paul has exhorted them in connection with different matters. When the Epistle was written perhaps the most disturbing matter was the attempt by unscrupulous men to impose upon the Church duties which the gospel did not enjoin upon any. A form of Judaism was introduced making much of the mystery. The gospel itself is a mystery but not of the kind that those enemies of the cross tried to introduce and propagate in the Church in Colosse. Worshiping angels and other mysterious exercises were proposed and this caused confusion which distracted the minds and attention of even believers from the simplicity of the gospel. These things are dealt with and clearly condemned by Paul as being a threat to the spiritual and moral welfare of the Church and individuals.
In the words before us in the verse we have an injunction and command which the apostle gave often in course of his writings and ministry. This was the duty to pray and continue praying. The point which the text raises is the duty to continue in prayer. The Lord Himself also stressed the importance of constancy in prayer. The apostle in his first Epistle to the Thessalonians uses the words, “Pray without ceasing.” The duty to pray and to pray always is one which is given prominence in the Word of God. One should not wonder at that, because prayer is the very breath of the soul; it is that by which the soul expresses itself to God and in the presence of God. “Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God, for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of His mercies.” That is a very beautiful definition of prayer. Prayer itself is, of course, a very very soothing and profitable exercise. It is also one which is bound to quicken the soul, as well as being evidence of life in the soul. One finds himself or herself in contact with, in communion with God, using the offices of His Son as High Priest and Intercessor.
The Word of God clearly shews, and this is a doctrine of the gospel, that Christ is on His Throne. There you have the dual office of Christ as Priest and King and He is also the Prophet of the Church. But, in connection with this particular matter the two offices which are prominently engaged are the offices of Priest and King. Christ is the King of kings and He is sitting on His Throne. He is set at the Right Hand of God. There He must reign till all His enemies are made His footstool. But, He is also a Priest — an High Priest. The apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrews explains this and the fact he lays emphasis on is that the Priesthood of the Messiah was after the Order of Melchisedec. It was not after the order of Aaron. That was perhaps one of the main obstacles in the way of the Jews to accept Jesus. The type of person in charge of the Church of God, and the spiritual heritage which the Jews inherited was of the Order of Aaron. They could not understand the spiritual truths and doctrines and they tenaciously held to the Aaronic priesthood. Anything which suggested a change from that situation they rejected and many of them regarded any change as nothing short of blasphemy. But the true believer like Paul himself and the other apostles, and the multitude of Jews who were converted through the preaching of the gospel by the apostles, accepted with gratitude the change and that the Aaronic priesthood had served its day and purpose. It was only a shadow of things to come, and that thing itself, the body itself, had come when Christ came. All the shadows which it caused or projected were now disposed of for they had no further use in the Church. But, the Priesthood of Melchisedec was known in the Church. It was known to Abraham for it was through that Priesthood that Abraham received the blessing. It was Mechisedec that blessed him indeed and to Melchisedec that he paid tithes. You remember how the apostle Paul enlarges on that, proving that Israel paid tithes to Levi under the Aaronic priesthood, but, that even Levi paid tithes to Melchisedec. Abraham the father of the 12 tribes paid the tithes and Israel was carried in his loins so that the Order of Melchisedec had in that respect, as well as in the other main respects, the pre-eminence. It was superior to the priesthood of Aaron though both were Divinely appointed. One was to continue for a time, the other forever: “For He is a Priest forever after the Order of Melchisedec.”
So then, Christ is a Priest on His Throne and a priest is there to offer sacrifices. That was the main reason why a priest was appointed by God in Israel. It was to offer sacrifices on the alter, for the alter was the centre of Divine worship. Israel, nor anyone else, could offer a worship to God acceptable to Him without the alter. That was the reason for the priesthood, for they would offer up sacrifices to God according to the law, to propitiate the sins of the people; to make reconciliation between the God of Israel and the people when they offended. Now Christ as the Priest, the High Priest of His Church, offered up the sacrifice.
When it is said He is a Priest on His Throne to offer up sacrifices, we must in the first place remember, that He is not offering up Himself as a sacrifice. This He did once, for with the one sacrifice He perfected forever all them who are sanctified and there remaineth no more sacrifice. All that was necessary in that respect, a sacrifice to make reconciliation for the sins of the people and a sacrifice to satisfy Divine Justice, has already been offered and that by the same Person who is Priest on His Throne.
Now, we might ask what sacrifice is He as the Priest offering? Well, He is offering the prayers of His people. That is made very clear in the Word of God. As a Priest and Intercessor He is offering the sacrifices which His people offer for it is clearly stated by Him in His address to the Father. We read in the Gospel of John: “The glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them”. That was the glory of priesthood and we find the Apostle Peter, who heard these words when they were originally spoken, in his Epistle describing the Church as “an Holy Priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” The prayers of the Lord’s people are spiritual sacrifices. We find the psalmist saying words which would confirm that when he said in the 51st psalm: “A broken and a contrite heart is to thee a pleasing sacrifice”. This is the kind of sacrifice that the Lord, the High Priest of the Church, accepts. Then, in the Book of Revelation, He is brought before us as the Angel who has much incense to offer. He has His censer and He puts incense in it and the incense, as we are told, is the prayers of the saints. So that when we are asked to pray and to continue praying, we are virtually asked to offer up to the Great High Priest of our profession sacrifices which He is willing to accept. He accepts them to present them to the father. You may be sure the Father will receive them inasmuch as they are presented to Him by His Son and presented to Him on the basis of His own finished work and His active and passive obedience.
Thus the exercise of prayer is one which is of a very high standard. It is a duty performed on a high level. The sinner, the believer may find himself cast down, broken in his heart and grieved in his mind and mourning over his sins. Yet, having the spirit of prayer, he has a living connection between himself and God in Heaven and a living communication which brings from Heaven to him the answer to his prayer. That his prayer and alms were heard was the experience of Cornelius the Centurion even while he was yet a Gentile. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of prayer, was given to him as well as the willingness to give alms, so that the angel was sent to him, to assure him that all was well. This was for the simple reason that his prayers were heard and that, as it were, steps were taken in the Court of Heaven to bring him and his people into closer relationship to the Church of God and the Kingdom of God, so that they would receive the Holy Ghost and live by the faith of Him who died for them and rose again.
The duty here is to continue in prayer. We called a day of prayer yesterday throughout the Church. We could be tempted to satisfy ourselves with giving part of the time to that exercise and as long as we devoted part of the time in public to the exercise of prayer we henceforth were relieved of the duty. The apostle Paul’s idea and understanding of prayer was not of that kind. He exhorted them to continue. If they did not get an answer to their prayers immediately, they must not come to the conclusion that they were excluded from the Court of Heaven and that God, by denying them the answer they looked for at that time, was never to give attention. They were to continue whether an answer were given to that prayer, or that other prayer. Whether or not, their duty continued.
Several of those men eminent in Godliness and in the service of the Lord, are brought before us with the distinction that they continued in prayer. This is what distinguishes Daniel even from his own companions. His ability, by the grace bestowed upon him, to pray in any and every situation when he, his companions, his people and nation were in danger of being utterly destroyed. He found himself in that situation in which he was deeply aware of his own insignificance. Notwithstanding the tokens he had of God’s favour, his tremendous achievements in the Church of God and the affairs of men, yet this is what makes him great in the eyes of the Church. When these revelations were given to him concerning the coming of the Messiah and the glory of His Kingdom he prayed, and this even in a situation which filled him with fear and trembling. His power and ability to exercise this grace shone forth so that you can conclude that the spirit of prayer is one that cannot be quenched. You cannot stifle it. It proceeds from a soul quickened, enlightened, justified and in the process of being sanctified. The presence of the Spirit is there. No-one can stop that.
Then we have the case of Job. What a man of prayer he was. Then there was David. Even in very extreme situations he found he could turn to prayer. After all that he did in the case of Uriah the Hittite, at the end of the day, he expressed himself in the terms which are left on record for us in the 51st psalm.
What a wonderful power and gift prayer is. Continue in it. This does not mean that we have to be in the devotional form. But it means that we should be as frequently as we can praying in public and private. There is another advantage prayer has. It is not confined to formal exercises for it can be offered up at any time. Some in the furnace, Jonah in the whale’s belly and others in the privacy of their own lives. They found themselves with this spirit, this breath moving within and directing their hearts and their eyes to Heaven. They found themselves doing business with their Lord regarding the most solemn matters and the matters which indeed matter. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Then there is the warning against neglecting this duty. There is the case of the foolish virgins and even the wise virgins. They lost by their failure to continue without intermission in the exercise of prayer and watching. The Word of God is full of examples which are there to encourage us. Apart from that altogether, it is a duty. Annexed to that duty is the fact that it is a pleasure to, “walk in the light, as He is in the light” and “have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
May He bless unto us our meditation on His Word.