The Answer of Christ: Man Redeemed

“He found me the lost and the wandering,
The sinful, the sad, and the lone;
He said, ‘I have bought thee, beloved,
Forever thou art Mine own.

““O soul, I will show thee the wonder,
The worth of My priceless Blood;
Thou art whiter than snow on the mountains,
Thou art fair in the eyes of God.

“O vessel of living water,

From the depths of the love divine,
The glorious life within thee
Flows from My heart to thine.

“*O soul altogether lovely,
O pearl for which Christ was given,
Wouldst thou know the joy and the glory
That welcome thee into Heaven?

“* Wouldst thou know how near to the Father
The place that is granted thee?
Behold Me, O soul, in His bosom,
And measure His love to Me.

“© Are the love, and the joy, and the glory
More than My Blood could win?
In the Name of the Son Beloved,
Beloved one, enter in.’” — V.M.C.

“Hymns of Ter Steegen, Suso, and others.”

Concerning the faith in Christ Jesus. — Acts 24. 24.

God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself — 2 Cor. 5. 19.

A man in Christ. — 2 Cor. 12. 2.

Approved in Christ. — Rom. 16. 10.

Blessed... with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ. — Eph. 1. 3.

God Who always leadeth us in triumph in Christ. — 2 Cor. 2. 14.

The dead in Christ shall rise first — 1 Thess. 4. 16.

Resultant
THE ANSWER OF CHRIST — MAN REDEEMED

S at the first, in order to a correct understanding of the meaning of Christ’s mission, it was necessary to consider the nature and extent of the calamity which constituted the call for Christ,

so now at the close of the study it will be profitable to contemplate how perfectly He has responded, in the plenteous redemption He has provided.

The statement of the case concerning that provision may be made in three propositions, which correspond to the threefold statement concerning man’s need,

First, Man restored to God by Christ.

Second, Man knowing God through Christ.

Third, Man made like God in Christ.

The actual experience of the threefold redemption in human life always results from the direct work of the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father had promised, and Who was given through the Son on the day of Pentecost dispensationally, and to each individual for indwelling life, when in response to His work of conviction from without, Jesus is glorified. As this book is to be devoted rather to an examination of the resulting facts than to the initial act, it is fitting that the act should first be dealt with briefly, as to its condition and its actuality.

The first work of the Spirit with fallen man is that of producing conviction concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. All these subjects are dealt with, however, from the centre of Christ and His work. Sin is shown to consist in the rejection of the Saviour; righteousness is declared to be possible through the fact of His ascension; and judgment is pronounced against all rebellion, “because the prince of this world hath been judged.”! The initial work of grace therefore is that of bringing the sinner to a conscious-John 16. 8-11.

ness of the truth concerning these vital matters. At this point human responsibility commences. If man refuses to yield to the truth understood, he remains outside the sphere of salvation. If on the other hand, he responds to conviction by submission to Christ, and trusts in Him, then the spirit performs the stupendous miracle of regeneration. By communicating to the man “dead through trespasses and sins,” the life of Christ, He quickens his spirit. This act of God restores man to his own true balance and proportion, lifting to the throne of his personality the spirit so long neglected, and dethroning the flesh so long having occupied the place of power. More than this, the Spirit of God enters now into a perpetual partnership with the spirit of man, and thus initiates the life of power and of victory.

This of course is simply a condensed statement concerning most important truths dealt with more fully in another volume. Upon the basis of this statement it is now possible to pass to an examination of the redemption provided, under the propositions stated.

*Eph. 2. 1. *“The Spirit of God.”