The Paradise of God and other lectures
Eden, the garden of earthly delight, fades when compared
with a far more blessed reality, "the Paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7). The
trees and rivers and precious things of Eden are images and types of beauty
that are too little understood. This is to our shame, for the fruits of the
tree of life await the Ephesian overcomer of Revelation 2:7- the child of God
who amid general decay and departure of heart from Christ, holds fast in his
heart the freshness of first, new-born love. A truer devotedness of heart to
Him would give us even now a fuller knowledge and a richer enjoyment of what
the Paradise of God will be.
He who has the "keys of death and hell" has
also, we may be sure, the key of Paradise as well.
The Perseverance of
the Saints
The question as to what is commonly called "the perseverance
of the saints," includes in it another and a most serious one. That question is
as to the footing upon which the believer, justified by faith, stands before
God. Thus it is a point of the greatest moment to ascertain what the Scripture
truth is. It is not too much to say, that the nature and character of the peace
which as Christians we enjoy, and of our life and walk as such, are all
materially affected by the view we entertain with regard to the truth before
us.
I would at once then put the question, What is the nature of the
salvation we have received, and what the footing upon which we now stand as
believers before God?
I. In Christ
Clearly, we stand as such, before
God "in Christ," "accepted in the Beloved." (Eph 1:6.) Christ in glory, risen
from the dead, having finished in our behalf the work of atonement, stands as
our representative in the presence of God. So fully, that what He has passed
through for us we are accredited with. Thus we are said to be "dead," "buried,"
"quickened," and "raised up" with Him; and even "seated together in heavenly
places in Christ Jesus." (Rom 6:8; Eph 2:5-6.) His being in heaven for us is
thus as if we had actually gone in there and taken possession already of our
final home; and there we are, presented to the eye and heart of God as
identified with Him who, "when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at
the right hand of the Majesty on high."
Our former state and condition as
sinners has thus found its judgment in the cross. "Our old man was crucified
with Christ:"not should, or shall be, but "was;" not was crucified in me,
but "with Him." (Romans 6.) Thus, for God and for faith, the old standing has
passed away. "We are not in the flesh" (Rom 8:9); "not of the world, even as
Christ is not of the world." (John 17:14.) To sum up all in a word, the
apostles words as to the Christians place are, "If any man be in
Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things
are become new." (2 Cor 5:17.)
I know that all these things are read, or
sought to be read, in the light of experience, and referred to an inward work
in the soul instead of to our place in Christ, and what belongs to it. Yet
Scripture says distinctly in this last case, as in others, "if any man be in
Christ," and then uses expressions which would certainly not be true of "any
man in Christ," (mark) if applied to the inward work. "All things new," who
indeed can pretend to, that knows anything of himself? Thus these blessed texts
taken from their true application are made instruments of self- torture for
souls seeking honestly but blindly to find in themselves evidences that they
are accepted of God. While, with the eye on Christ, and the knowledge that we
are in Him, and therefore, "as He is, so are we" (1 John 4:17), they become the
sweetest, fullest assurances of where divine love has placed us, and what we
are to God as in His Son. Is there any "old thing" in Him? If I am thus
accepted of God, are not the "old things passed away"? Are not "all things
become new"? Yes, indeed, wholly. I can take it in the simplest way, and
believe it to the fullest extent, and find it unutterable joy, and only that.
Well, this is how we are accepted. We have travelled through death in
Christ, and come up out of it. We have taken possession, in Him, already of our
place above. We are accepted of Him where no whit of the "old things" is found.
Look at this, beloved reader, and then answer me, oh answer me - is this
security? Will Christ fail to satisfy God? Will God, who has accepted Him for
me, repent, and again turn to what I am? Alas for me if He does! Alas for me
and for you; and that, not at our worst, but at our best!
But no; that is
impossible; for with Christ - in Christs death - we have died. "He that
is dead is justified from sin." (Rom 6:7, margin.) Our life, our history, ended
with the cross in complete and utter judgment. We live before God in Christ
alone. His own words are now, "Because I live, ye shall live also." (John
14:19.)
II. Peace with God
And thus have we "peace;" and upon such
ground as this is "peace" in the proper sense alone possible. I need scarcely
waste words in proving that it is peace that God is preaching by Jesus Christ
(Acts 10:36); and that, "being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom 5:1.) Not only "the full assurance of
faith" (Heb 10:22), but "the full assurance of hope" also is what God designs
for us. (Heb 6:11.) This is peace as to the past, the present, and the future;
and this is alone true peace. However blessed my portion in the present, if
there is danger that I lose it, who shall say I ought not to be afraid? It is
no comfort to say to me, "It all depends upon yourself, " when "myself" is just
what I have learned most of all to be afraid of. Ought I to have "perfect
peace" in looking onward to the future, if it is to consist in assurance that I
shall never backslide and depart, though many have! If I read, "Thou wilt keep
him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee," I can understand that, if
I may trust Him for the future too. If I may say, in confidence that I have
committed my soul into His hands, "I know whom I have believed, and am
persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed unto Him against that
day" (2 Tim 1:12), then indeed all is well. If He will not keep it, except I do
my part (little or much), then how can it be peace? To trust Him fully, if He
be all in it, is surely well, and what I ought to do; but, on the other hand, I
ought to distrust myself. "Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he
fall." But if I am not to think I stand, and yet my salvation depends upon my
standing, ought I to be at rest?
III. Eternal Salvation
But, blessed
be God, it is not so. Perfected as a Savior through the suffering of the cross,
Christ is become "the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him."
(Heb 5:9.) What is "eternal" salvation? And when do I receive it? Well, Paul
says to us, that God "HATH saved us." (2 Tim 1:9.) Is not that, then, "eternal
salvation"? If I have obeyed Him - for the gospel calls for obedience, most
surely (Rom 10:16) - if I have obeyed His call of grace, and come to Him, is He
not the author of eternal salvation to me just then? Or must I wait till there
is no more danger before I can speak of being saved for ever?
IV. Eternal
Redemption
But redemption, too, is eternal. "He hath entered in once into
the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." (Heb 9:12.) Well,
are we redeemed? Yes, assuredly, "we HAVE redemption through His blood, the
forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." (Eph 1:7.) Is that,
then, "for ever"? Alas! through how many of the plainest testimonies of
Scripture the legality and unbelief of the human heart will work their way. Yet
there it lies, the only true and perfect rest for the conscience, as we are
witness to ourselves; there it lies before us, preaching peace without
presumption, because "peace through Jesus Christ." Will He rebuke me, think
you, because I cast this burden with all other burdens on Himself? May I not
cast this care for the future too upon Him? Will He not justify my trust? Will
He not care also for this?
V. Eternal Life
But my "life," too, is
"eternal." I already have "everlasting life." How He has compassed me about
with these eternities, as if to build me up an infinite rampart against doubt!
For thus saith the Lord Himself, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that
heareth my word and believeth on Him that sent me, HATH everlasting life, and
shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (John
5:24.)
Beloved reader, these are the Lords own words. Solemnly
uttered and affirmed as truth, they link the present and the future of the
believer indissolubly together. He says, the one who has eternal life (in the
present) shall not (in the future) come into condemnation. Do you believe that?
There is no "guarding" of that statement, such as men suggest; no "if" nor
"but" to mar the blessed peace that that assurance gives. Are you going to put
it in? Are you going to bring some other Scripture to qualify or modify the
simple meaning of this? It is in vain; for "Scripture cannot be broken," and He
who gave it cannot so deny Himself. The whole idea of balancing one passage
with another, as if, taken simply as they stand, they were opposed to one
another, is false, and a fatal denial of the truth of God. What simple soul
could lay hold of the truth in a statement which had to be balanced with an
unknown number of other statements, before the precise meaning could be
settled? The divine Lover of mens souls could not speak so to them. He
could not use words which, taken simply and literally as they stand, would
deceive. No, He could not do this. And thus, if I get what really He has said,
I may be sure He has said nothing else to contradict or empty it of meaning. I
may rest my soul upon it safely. I may build on it as on a rock.
I know
few sadder signs of the little authority the Word of God has in the present
day, than this deplorable habit of ranging Scripture against Scripture. On one
side a text is produced; instead of reverent inquiry as to what it means, a
text in opposition to it, as men deem, is produced. James "justification
by works" is put in the one scale; Pauls "justification by faith" in the
other. Arminian texts are balanced with Calvinistic. Alas! Gods Word is
gone as an authority, and common sense and human reason become supreme judges
as to the side on which the scale of truth inclines.
How unlike our
Lords "Verily, verily"! What a relief to come back to that out of the fog
of human uncertainty! "He spake as One that had authority, and not as the
scribes." Do you fear to trust Him, beloved reader, apart from all His
commentators? Certainly, then, what He says of the believer is, that he has
everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but - here is the
confirmation of it - is passed from death unto life. His future condition is
settled by his present one; for already he has "EVERLASTING life." He is alive
to God for ever.
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