The Present Tense
“But now, in Christ Jesus, ye... are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
“God... hath quickened us together with Christ,... and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” — Eph. ii. 13, 5, 6.
“But now in Christ Jesus”
npHREE brief mottoes, taken from the Word of God, comprehensively cover the whole of this great subject — “Believe on Me” — “Abide in Me” — “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” These, rightly understood, embrace the whole experience of the believer, from the time of his conversion to the period of his death, or entrance into the glory.
“Believe on Me” (John xiv. 1). Not simply “believe something about Me.” When you believe on a man you do more than believe what he says — much more. One may believe what a notoriously untruthful man says, because on that occasion he tells what is true; but to believe on a man is to rest upon him — as a wife believes on the husband she marries, as a son believes on the father whose
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guidance and guardianship he trusts. That little word “on,” or “in,” has a great significance in this connection. To believe on Christ is to come into personal touch with Him, and rest upon Him; to fling or cast yourself upon Him, as One who can bear you, as well as the burden of your sins.
Believing on Jesus Christ is laying hold; and in order to lay hold on one thing you have to let go another. So, believing in Jesus, which is the positive side, really includes repentance, which is the negative side. You need not therefore trouble yourself about your repentance, or perplex yourself about your sorrow for sin, whether or not it is sufficient. If you have so far let go of sin as that you have laid hold on Jesus, it is very sure that you have repented. Any sorrow for sin suffices that leads to forsaking of evil and turning to God.
THE HORNS OF THE ALTAR.
If you want to know what to lay hold on, in the work of Jesus, it is all briefly stated in one verse — Rom. viii. 34, which I sometimes call the “Four Horns of the altar.” The horn always stands in the Bible for strength, and the horn of the altar was a sanctuary of refuge, as we see from
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1 Kings i. 50-53 and ii. 28, 29; and the altar is acknowledged by God as such a place of refuge in Ex. xxi. 14.
Paul asks the question: “Who is he that condemneth?” How shall I escape condemnation? “It is Christ that died” — -first horn; “yea, rather that is risen again” — second horn; “Who is even at the right hand of God” — third horn; “Who also niaketh intercession for us” — -fourth horn. And there is no need of more for Him to be or do, for here all our lifelong need is met.
If as a guilty sinner you are in danger of condemnation for your sin, lay hold on the first horn: “He died for me”; for in Him you died, and the law has nothing to do with a dead sinner. If, even when forgiven, you feel yourself yet in danger of condemnation, because by reason of the flesh you have not strength to walk with God, and live the new life, lay hold on the second horn. The power of the Risen Christ dwells in you and enables you for a holy walk with God: there is nothing impossible to him in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, and moves, and works. If you feel that you are still in danger from foes without — the world’s allurements and the devil’s assaults — remember He
is at the right hand of God, and lay hold on the third horn. All enemies are under His feet judicially, and all enemies will be under your feet, if you are seated there in Him. If, finally, you feel in danger of being drawn away, day by day, from vital contact with Him, not holding fast to Him on whom you have laid hold, thus losing power for holy living, and for giving your clear witness for the Lord, there is a fourth horn to lay hold on; remember that “He ever liveth to make intercession for you.” The death of Christ, His resurrection. His session at the right hand of God, and His perpetual intercession, thus cover every possible need of every believing soul throughout his earthly pilgrimage,
THERE IS NOT ONLY AN EMBRACE OF CHRIST, BUT AN ENTRANCE INTO CHRIST.
This is taught us by the second great motto of the Christian life, “Abide in Me”
The expression “in Christ,” with its equivalents, “in Him,” “in whom,” etc., is found more frequently in the New Testament than any other. You may write these two words over every Book of the New Testament, adding a third word to “In His Life” characterise the special lesson of that particular Book, and these three words will serve to interpret every Epistle. Thus: Romans, justified in Christ; Corinthians, sanctified in Christ; Galatians, crucified in Christ; Ephesians, ascended in Christ; Philippians, satisfied in Christ; Thessalonians, glorified in Christ; and so, clear through to Jude, preserved in Christ. This expresses the believer’s entrance into Christ as the sphere of the new life. To lay hold on Him is to embrace Him; to abide in Christ is to enter into Him, so that He compasses and encloses you, and He is between you and everything else outside — all cares and perplexities, and dangers, and trials, and discontentments — so that you are absolutely secure and peaceful in Him.
In that same fifth chapter of Romans, we meet that new phrase “in His life.” The use of a new preposition here marks an era in revelation of the work of Christ. After presenting the thought that “being justified by believing on Him we have peace with God through Him, and being justified by His blood shall be kept safe through Him from wrath, we now advance (in ver. 10) to the second
of Paul’s ‘ much mores ’ — “much more, being
reconciled, we shall be kept safe in His life” Here we meet this preposition “in” — so pregnant with meaning. The life of Christ is the new sphere of the believer. The Parable of the Vine and Branches (John XV.) now has a new and luminous interpretation. And this new phrase “in Christ Jesus” henceforth, as has been said, becomes the key to every Epistle in the New Testament. This is a sublime conception — the believer ensphered in Christ — so that He interposes between the weakest disciple and all destructive or disquieting influences; keeping him safe, not only from wrath, but from all the foes of his spiritual life — the world, the flesh, the devil, and, worst of all, himself.
In that sphere — Christ — there is an atmosphere. In that atmosphere you abide, and it abides in you; that atmosphere is the Holy Spirit. We call Him an atmosphere, not unmindful that He is a Person, but by an inadequate figure of speech to associate the relation the believer bears to Him with the relation he bears to the Lord Jesus. Of course. He is not literally a sphere, nor is the Holy Spirit an atmosphere; these are only metaphors.
The atmosphere is an element, and an element * See Bishop Moule on Romans, in loco.
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is something in which we are and which is also in us. The air is an element, because we are in it, and it is in us. So the Holy Spirit is a divine and personal element, because we are in Him, and He in us. Few illustrations drawn from nature are so perfect as this, to convey spiritual truth. (1) One peculiarity of an element is that it is infinite. A finite being dwells in it, but the element is infinite. (2) It is inexhaustible. However much we draw upon it, abundance remains. (3) It is independent of us; we may die, but the element survives. (4) It is indispensable to us; we cannot live without it. (5) It is inclusive; it brings all benefits to each of those who dwell in it. (6) It is indestructible; it cannot be destroyed, but continually imparts its vitality. So the believer is to think of himself as in Christ, abiding, and breathing, and living upon the Holy Spirit, this Divine Person of the Trinity, as the source of all vitality, and energy, and strength. Says another thoughtful writer: “As to our safety in Christ” — our new sphere and atmosphere — “think of the protection of the atmosphere around the earth, to us who live on it; as in the case of shooting stars, which, entering
our atmosphere, are, by its resistance, made incandescent, and, thus vaporised, fall in harmless dust which doubtless fertilises our soil, more or less; whereas, if it were not for the atmosphere, we should soon be smashed with the showers or hail of meteors that we pass through! Indeed, God lets one pass through now and then, as He does at times permit great disasters, to show us from how much He is daily protecting us.”
THE SPIRIT AND THE RESURRECTION LIFE.
The third motto of the new life is, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” John xx. 22 suggests that the imparting of the Holy Spirit is not primarily and originally associated with Pentecost. The Pentecostal effusion was promised for power in witness (Luke xxiv. 47-49; Acts i. 8); but, on the very night of His Resurrection, He breathed on them, and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” That was a typical impartation of the Spirit, not for xoitness, but for life; and it came immediately upon the event of His Resurrection, because the inbreathing and indwelling of the Spirit of Life was to be dependent ujion, and associated with.
“The Spirit of Life”, that event in the New Testament (Rom. i. 4, viii. 11; Eph. i. 19, 20).
Hence that leading reference to the Spirit by a definite name, found in Rom. viii. 2, where He is, for the first and only time, called the Spirit of Life. In the Epistle to the Romans, as we have seen. He is always closely associated with the Resurrection of our Lord. Our identification with the Lord Jesus is indicated as begun at His Crucifixion; but our identification with the Holy Spirit dates from, and is dependent upon, His Resurrection. The reason is that, when the Spirit of Life came into the Lord Jesus, at His Resurrection, He also came into all believers typically and representatively.
In the first four chapters of Romans we have man’s condemnation and guilt, God’s righteousness and love, presented as the four necessities for the atonement. So far the emphasis is laid on the necessity of believing in the name of the Lord Jesus (Rom. iii. 22 — iv. 25).
But from this point the new emphasis is put upon our entering into, and being kept ensphered in, His life. If we translate Rom. v. 8-10, as the Bishop of Durham renders it, to convey the full meaning.
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it would read somewhat thus: “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be hept saje from wrath through Him.” It is not simply that we shall be saved — we are saved when we are justified — but we are kept in this state of security from wrath. But it is the next verse that marks this new stage in revelation: “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be hept safe in His life.” This is the first time the expression “m” occurs in this Epistle in connection with the Lord Jesus Christ and the believer’s indwelling in Him as the sphere of his own life. The apostle discards the preposition “through,” which suggests a channel of conveyance, and uses “in” — which implies enspherement: the believer is henceforth enclosed in Him. He is, to the disciple,
NOT A channel ONLY, BUT THE BLESSING ITSELF.
He is not a means or medium for the reception of blessing, but He is Himself the blessing. Not “In Christ” only, therefore, is the blessing in me, but I am in the blessing, because I am in the Blesser Himself.
No wonder we are declared to be “kept safe in His life.” The arrow cannot come to the eaglets, when under the wings of the mother eagle, without first piercing her own body. Nothing that is meant to destroy or damage the believer can reach him without passing through the I/ord Himself.
To him who is in Jesus Christ all things work together for good. Even what Satan hurls at him as a fiery dart, if permitted to pass through this encircling Presence, changes its entire character. What you are trying to avoid may therefore be the greatest blessing. “In Christ” nothing can reach you that is going to hurt you. The great thing is to be sure that you are there, and that you abide there. The strategy of God is to get us there, and the strategy of the devil is to get us out.
When the Holy Spirit seeks fully to express this identification of a believing soul with the Lord, He does not trust to a circuitous phrase — a verb, preposition, and pronoun. He brings the believer and His Lord so near that there is not even a hyphen between. He uses compound words
which we cannot always translate into the English tongue. For instance, we died with Him; we are buried with Him; we are planted with Him; we are quickened with Him; we are raised with Him; we are alive with Him; we are seated with Him; we are hid with Him in God; we are manifested with Him; we shall be brought with Him at His coming.
These great conceptions are expressed in the Greek by compound words. In a few cases even the rich original language does not furnish compound words, but compels the use of a phrase, as the English does; but in the majority of cases there is a compound word, the preposition being inseparably linked with the verb so as better to express this close identification of the child of God with the Master. The English tongue has a few such words — ‘ co-work,’ ‘ co-operate ’; but we do not say co-crucify, co-die, and co-planted; but that is what the Greek says. The disciple cannot be separated from the Lord Jesus. With Him he was crucified, with Him buried, with Him raised, with Him seated above, with Him he lives, with Him he shall come in glory, and with Him he shall reign and be glorified.
This identification of the believer with Christ
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interprets, and. in turn is interpreted by, His Representative character and career.
There are seven great facts in the Lord Jesus Christ’s career as the Son of Man that are all representative — not for His sake, but for ours. (1) His Death, Burial, and Resurrection, which we group together. (2) His Inbreathing of the Spirit into the disciples. (3) His Forty Days of Walk in newness of life. (4) His Ascension to Heaven. (5) The “Joy that was set before Him,” in compensation for enduring the cross and despising the shame. (6) His Session at the right hand of God. (7) His Coming in glory.
THE DIVINE CARE OVER THE CANON OF
SCRIPTURE.
There are seven Church Epistles, grouped in the New Testament between the Acts and the Pastoral Epistles (two Epistles being taken as one, when addressed to a single Church). These seven Churchletters are not in the order of their composition. First Thessalonians belongs first in the order of time, etc. The chronological order is mixed up, but the logical order is maintained. There is a steady and unbroken ‘progress of doctrine ’
tlirougliout! Who oversaw the preparation of the canon? Who thus overruled the controversies of the Church, and the doubts cast upon certain books, so that the order in which they were admitted into the New Testament is the logical order of thought, if it were not God? Yet observe that the order of arrangement precisely follows the order of the events we have outlined, (l) What does Romans treat of? Death, burial, and resurrection. (2) Corinthians? The reception of the Holy Ghost and His indwelling in the believer. (3) Galatians? The walk in the Spirit, so that we do not fulfil the lusts of the flesh. (4) Ephesians? The ascension to the right hand of God. (5) Philippians? The compensating joy that comes to the believer who, like his Lord, endures the cross and despises the shame. (6) Colossians? The session at the right hand of God. (7) Thessalonians? The coming of the Lord in glory. Chronology disregarded: development of doctrine sacredly guarded!
What is true as to the Lord Jesus Christ is true also as to the Holy Spirit. This sevenfold group of Epistles all treat of what the Holy Spirit is to the believer, and exactly in the logical order.
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( 1 ) How does Romans mainly present Him? The Spirit of Holiness must first be to us the Spirit of Life. First the believer must live in God. (2) Corinthians? The Spirit making the believer God’s temple, so that the light and love of God shine in him and make him a new holy of holies (mo?). (3) Galatians? The Spirit enabling him to walk according to godliness. (4) Ephesians? The Spirit lifting to a heavenly level, and blessing with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies. (5) Philippians? Thus exalted to a heavenly level, the disciple is bound to be compensated abundantly for all he has ever suffered in the earthly sphere. (6) Colossians? By the Spirit he is filled with God in Christ, as Christ is Himself. (7) Thessalonians? The Spirit indwelling fits him finally to partake of the glory of Christ in His ultimate victory, and to be seated with Him on His throne.
Thus, as in Romans you are crucified with Jesus Christ, and buried with Him by baptism, into death, descending with Him to the depths, so you receive the same Spirit to bring you up from the death of trespasses and sins to the new life of God and the most exalted heisrhts.
REELECTING THE DIVINE ATTRIBUTES.
Of Corinthians the keynote is found in the First Epistle (vi. 17): “He that is joined unto the Lord is one Spirit” That is the highest of all the sevenfold representations of unity between Christ and the believer. If the Holy Spirit comes into and joins my spirit, He is bound to make such an impression upon my personality that I shall begin to reflect, in my finite measure of capacity, the attributes of God. The mightier Spirit of God will mould the weaker spirit, so that it begins to reflect in its measure the characteristics of the Holy Spirit, as the Spirit of wisdom and knowledge, the Spirit of order, the Spirit of unselfishness, the Spirit of love, the Spirit of righteousness, the Spirit of holiness, the Spirit of patience.
In Galatians, we read that “the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.” Think of this inspired writer ascribing lusts to the Spirit! But what is a lust? It is simply an inordinate and overmastering desire, something that subdues the man; but fleshly lusts belong to the lower level of the baser, grosser desires, and they drag down the higher faculties, reason.
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conscience, sensibilities, and will, and enslave the man. But the lusts of the Spirit overmaster the desires created by the flesh, so that the mightier affection may expel the lower. These spiritual ‘ lusts ’ belong to the highest level, and they draw up the man to his noblest possibilities, and instead of enslaving, they emancipate him. What are the lusts of the Spirit? — “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” That is the way in which the Spirit enables you to live a holy life. Love puts hate under its feet; joy, gloom; peace, unrest; gentleness, imjDatience; and so through the whole catalogue of virtues. The Spirit puts into you something better, which enables you to subdue the lusts of the flesh. God can in you live a holy life; the trouble is that you have not got your grasp on His power. The lusts of the flesh master you because there is no higher, diviner desire to master the lower and baser. You must know what the Spirit’s lusts are; then you will know how the fleshly lusts are subdued.
SATAN under the BELIEVER’s FEET.
In Ephesians the Spirit is lifting us to the heavenly level, altogether. Christ has left the world below and behind, and in Him all believers have done the same. He has left clouds and darkness behind, and we have done so too. The light which shines in the heavenly places shines in our souls. There we learn a new fact, that, as the Spirit in us subdues the jieshly lusts, so He also enables us to overcome the world, and even to hold the devil in check; and so in this Epistle, where we find the highest unfolding of heavenly privilege, we have at once the greatest revelation of Satanic malice and of the power of the believer who has put on the whole armour of God to stand against his wiles. But it is only in the heavenlies that the believer ever finds Satan under his feet, or is enabled to put on the whole armour of God. Here also he has his most terrific experience of Satanic assault. As long as we are kept enslaved by the lusts of the flesh, he lets us comparatively alone; but when by heavenly fellowship with Christ we make his kingdom tremble, then look out! It is when we give him trouble that he gives us trouble.
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Let us not be surprised, then, if the highest reaches in a holy life are found only by a sorely exercised soul! If you are living a life that does not know anything about conflict, about tendencies to depression, about sore difficulties, about violent Satanic assault, it is to be feared that you have not got into the highest heavens. Yet, while we are sure thus to meet the devil in the heavenlies, blessed be God, in Christ even the weakest saint is fully panoplied, and strong to defy him and to put him to flight, and able to say, like his Master: “Get thee hence, Satan!”
The Lord Jesus came down and left everything behind for you and me. Shall we not mount upward, and leave everything behind for Him?
0 sacred Head, once wounded,
With grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded
With thorns — Thine only crown!
O sacred Head, what glory,
What bliss till now was thine!
Yet though despised and gory,
I joy to call Thee mine!