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Lesson 5  Waist no time in your Christian Life! Run like a swift fearless horse in Battle in your running with Christ!

Song of Solomon 1:4  “Take me away with you let us hurry, let the King take me into His Chambers.” NIV

KJV “Draw me after you and let us run together!  The king has brought me into his chambers.”

 

Song of Solomon 1:9

There is a type of violence or force to our pursuit of intimacy with God. Matthew 11:12. “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.”

Song 1:4  “Draw me.. Take me away with you..Let us hurry!  Why?  It concerns every one that would obtain the kingdom of God, to be pressing into it.  His drawing us by His Love is sweet and irresistible and our running is with a type of force and violence.  Not just a willing obedience following Jesus where ever He leading but forcefully and fearlessly running!  There is a type of violence or force to our pursuit of intimacy with God. Matthew 11:12. “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.”

Lets look at 3 things we learn from this verse and then some examples.

1. This expression denotes strength of desire.They have such a conviction of the misery of their present state, and of the extreme necessity of obtaining a better, that their minds are as it were possessed with and wrapped up in concern about it.

2. Pressing into the kingdom of heaven denotes earnestness and firmness of resolution. There should be strength of resolution, accompanying strength of desire, as it was in the psalmist, in the place just now referred to: “one thing have I desired, and that will I seek after.”

God draws or calls us to Himself and we waist no time because the days are evil!  We are commanded to redeem. Those who love Jesus will run and want the strictest union possible with Him.  Hurry to repent!  Hurry to do good and run from evil!  Don’t sit around and be lazy.  The better, closer and longer we hold holy communion with God through Christ the faster we run!  “Let us hurry” is a request for Christ to draw her to Himself without delay and take her into His chambers for the closest most intimate relationship as possible here on earth.

1.  Her desire for Him and need of Him is expressed in this verse.  She needs Him for this, she can’t do it on her own.  “Let”  and “Take” are requests of Him to do this drawing.  Jer. 31:3, Hos. 11:4, John 6:44, 12:32

Examples in the Song where the bride of Christ failed to hurry and waisted time then did all she could to get back on track!

Song 3:1, 5:2-3  In these verses the bride gets lazy and then finally gets up out of her spiritual sleep and does something about it.

Where Christ complimented her for her swiftness and fearlessness in her pursuit of a closer more intimate relationship. 5. By pressing into the kingdom of God is denoted a breaking through opposition and difficulties.

Song 1:9, 2:3-5  In Song 1:9 Christ compliments His bride for being fearless and swift due to her understanding of the Gospel she has nothing to fear but is bold and courageous.  Also in Song 2:3-5 the Bride is already experiencing the Love of Christ like never before and wants it to even be better, so she says “Take me to the banquet hall”  which is the same as to say show me a greater manifestation of your love.

 

Those who desire to experience God’s love through Christ desire it because it is better than any other experience.  And Love Him because of who He is and what He did for them will want the strictest union with Him as soon as possible!  The Actings of Christians love to Christ, is in their desires after union unto, and Communion with Christ. It is the Nature of love to desire Union with the one you love; especially of this love to Christ: and this Union being attained, the desires are after Communion with Christ, Converse and Fellowship with him; no Converse is so desirable as with the Persons whom we most dearly love: and this Communion being attained, there is chief Complacency therein, the Soul doth sweetly rest and repose itself in Christ, and rejoices in His presence and love.

 

5 Reasons Why we should hurry and not waist time.  To show why the kingdom of heaven should be sought in this manner.

First, because a happy or miserable eternity depends on the good or ill improvement of our time by pursuing the kingdom of God.  To show why the kingdom of heaven should be sought in this manner.  On account of the extreme necessity we are in of getting into the kingdom of heaven. We are in a perishing necessity of it; without it we are utterly and eternally lost. Out of the kingdom of God is no safety; there is no other hiding-place; this is the only city of refuge, in which we can be secure from the avenger that pursues all the ungodly. The vengeance of God will pursue, overtake, and eternally destroy, them that are not in this kingdom, so run swift and fearlessly like a mare in battle knowing His Love and Grace for us in Christ.

Second, time is very short, which is another thing that renders it very precious. “When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.” Job 16:22. “My days are swifter than a post. They are passed away as the swift ships; as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.” Job 9:25  The scarcity of any commodity occasions men to set a higher value upon it, especially if it be necessary and they cannot do without it.  We press into the kingdom on account of the shortness and uncertainty of the opportunity for getting into this kingdom. When a few days are past, all our opportunity for it will be gone. Our day is limited. God has set our bounds and times and places.

Third, time ought to be esteemed by us very precious, because we are uncertain of its continuance. We know that it is very short, but we know not how short. We know not how little of it remains, whether a year, or several years, or only a month, a week, or a day.

Fourth, time is very precious, because when it is past, it cannot be recovered.

Fifth,  On account of the difficulty of getting into the kingdom of God. There are innumerable difficulties in the way; such as few conquer: most of them that try have not resolution, courage, earnestness, and constancy enough; but they fail, give up, and perish. The difficulties are too many and too great for them that do not violently press forward. They never get along, but stick by the way; are turned aside, or turned back, and ruined. Matthew 7:14. “Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Luke 13:24. “Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”

 

Where there is strength of desire, and firmness of resolution, there will be answerable endeavors. Persons thus engaged in their hearts will “strive to enter in at the strait gate,”

Application

Practical things that waist or time in your pursuit of a closer more intimate relationship with God through Christ and what we can do about it.

1. Be directed to sacrifice every thing to your soul’s eternal interest. Let seeking this be so much your bent, and what you are so resolved in, that you will make every thing give place to it. Let nothing stand before your resolution of seeking the kingdom of God. Whatever it be that you used to look upon as a convenience, or comfort, or ease, or thing desirable on any account, if it stands in the way of this great concern, let it be dismissed without hesitation; and if it be of that nature that it is likely always to be a hinderance, then wholly have done with it, and never entertain any expectation from it more.

2. Be directed to forget the things that are behind: that is, not to keep thinking and making much of what you have done, but let your mind be wholly intent on what you have to do.    In some sense you ought to look back; you should look back to your sins. Jeremiah 2:23. “See thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done.” You should look back on the wretchedness of your religious performances, and consider how you have fallen short in them; how exceedingly polluted all your duties have been, and how justly God might reject and loathe them, and you for them. But you ought not to spend your time in looking back, as many persons do, thinking how much they have done for their salvation; what great pains they have taken, how that they have done what they can, and do not see how they can do more; how long a time they have been seeking, and how much more they have done than others, and even than such and such who have obtained mercy. They think with themselves how hardly God deals with them, that he does not extend mercy to them, but turns a deaf ear to their cries; and hence discourage themselves, and complain of God. Do not thus spend your time in looking back on what is past, but look forward, and consider what is before you; consider what it is that you can do, and what it is necessary that you should do, and what God calls you still to do, in order to your own salvation. The apostle, in the third chapter to the Philippians, tells us what things he did while a Jew, how much he had to boast of, if any could boast; but he tells us, that he forgot those things, and all other things that were behind, and reached forth towards the things that were before, pressing forwards towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

1. Labour to get your heart thoroughly disposed to go on and hold out to the end. Many that seem to be earnest have not a heart thus disposed. It is a common thing for persons to appear greatly affected for a little while; but all is soon past away, and there is no more to be seen of it. Labour therefore to obtain a thorough willingness and preparation of spirit, to continue seeking, in the use of your utmost endeavours, without limitation; and do not think your whole life too long.

2.  Improve the present season of the God calling you and drawing you. Prudence in any affair whatsoever consists very much in minding and improving our opportunities. If you would have spiritual prosperity, you must exercise prudence in the concerns of your souls, more so than obtaining physical food. The prudent husband will observe his opportunities; he will improve seed-time and harvest; he will make his advantage of the showers and shines of heaven. The prudent merchant will discern his opportunities; he will not be idle on a market-day; he is careful not to let slip his seasons for enriching himself: So will those who prudently seek the fruits of righteousness, and the merchandise of wisdom, they will improve their opportunities for their eternal wealth and happiness.

3.  Waist no time learning truth and obeying it. Learn both the  Confession of Faith and Sinners Prayer.  Heb. 12:1  “let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

Song 1:4  “Take me away with You”

1.  A saving knowledge of Christ along with delight in His love will produce a desire for the strictest union with Him! Thus “Take me away with You”  Draw me closer!  I want You Lord!  Take me away with You!  I desire to be with You!  Oneness is desired with the One we love.  “Let them be one”  (Our oneness grows to all eternity but never infinitely perfectly one in reality like the Father is with the Son but forever getting closer yet there will always be an infinite degree of difference between Creator and creation.)

Proverbs 4:11-12