Fellow-believer, do you know in your soul, as taught of God from His word, the above two blessings that are ours through grace.
Look up into the heavens, look up at the man in the glory, the accepted man at God's right hand, for that is where Jesus is now. And then hear the words of the Holy Ghost, the words of God, saying to you (in Eph. 1 verse 6) "He bath made us accepted in the Beloved," and just let your soul take it in. For that is how, " to the praise of the glory of His grace," He, the God of all grace, looks at you and me, as to our acceptance. Oh, what rest, what joy, what peace, to know this? Yes, " As He is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:1717Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. (1 John 4:17).) What a perfect standing God's perfect love has given us. But you ask, perhaps, " What about what I am in myself? I find that the more I go on, the more I learn that in me, that is in my flesh dwells no good thing.' What about that? " Listen again to the written word. " I am crucified with Christ." (Gal. 2:2020I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20).) " Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him." (Rom. 6:66Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (Romans 6:6).)
"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending His own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and by a sacrifice for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, (as well as judged sins) (Rom. 8:33For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: (Romans 8:3).) And now, though it is actually in us, (till we actually die, or the Lord comes, and we get glorified bodies like His own,) (Rom. 8:1111But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (Romans 8:11); Phil. 3:20,2120For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:20‑21); 1 John 3:22Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2),) yet in God's reckoning, we are dead, as sinful children of Adam, (as well as cleared from our guilt) in the death of Christ. And our life is hid with Christ in God, for He has become our life. (Col. 3) And so we may truthfully sing:—
Like Thee, O Lord, how wondrous fair,
Lord Jesus, all Thy members are.
A life divine to them is given,
The bright inheritance of heaven.
—-
Just as we were we came to Thee,
As heirs of wrath and misery,
Just as thou art—now we are Thine,
We stand in righteousness divine.
Or again,
Once we stood in condemnation,
Waiting thus the sinner's doom;
Christ in death has wrought salvation,
God has raised Him from the tomb.
Now we see in Christ's acceptance,
But the measure of our own;
Him who lay beneath our sentence,
Seated high upon the throne.
Quickened, raised, and in Him seated,
We a full deliverance know:
Every foe has been defeated,
Every enemy laid low.
It may be that some one reads this and says, "Yes, I know all this is true of me, but I do not enjoy it as I did when I first learned it. Why is this?" Because dear brother or sister you have not been holding fast what God showed you, or it may be you have not been walking consistently with this place God has put you in. And then of course you do not and cannot enjoy it. For if, though you know "ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God," and " when Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory," you seek the things below, instead of the " things above," where Christ sitteth. If " having put off the old man with his deeds," and "having put on the new man," as every true believer has, you do not " put to death your members which are on the earth," (see Col. 3:55Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: (Colossians 3:5) to 13.) and do not put off the old man's ways and put on the new man's ways, thus allowing the sinful flesh in you to act in some way or other, of course you cannot enjoy the place that God's grace has put you into: (for though " not in the flesh but in the Spirit," the flesh is in us, as bad and vile as ever it was,) our enjoyment of it depends upon our walk. We must not take the standing and acceptance we have in Christ and through His sufferings and death for us, and then expect to enjoy it, when we are not walking consistently with it. Indeed we cannot do so. But if you know that " you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." And as He tells you to do, "reckon yourself dead to sin, but alive unto God in Jesus Christ our Lord," then "yield yourself up unto God, as one that is alive from the dead. And your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." " Present your body, a living (i. e. a continual) sacrifice unto God." " Put to death your members which are upon the earth." Put of the old man's ways, and put on the new man's ways. Yes, dear brother or sister, give yourself up to God, and for others, instead of living to please self, as Eph. 5:11Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; (Ephesians 5:1) to 7 tells us we are to do, and thus " walk in love," and you will enjoy your place and acceptance in Christ before God, more and more as you go on, thus walking with the God who has given you such a place. But now as to our being united to Him. For the true Christian is both accepted in Him, and united to Him also. Christians are united to Christ in glory, and to one another down here, by having the Holy Ghost in them. Please look at 1 Cor. 6:15-1715Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 16What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:15‑17), also verse 19. " What know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ?" " What know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, and ye are not your own?" And. in verse 17, " He that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit," in contrast to " he that is joined to an harlot is one body, for two, saith he, shall be one flesh," verse 16. Eph. 1:12,1312That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 13In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (Ephesians 1:12‑13), tells us, when we get the indwelling of the Spirit, viz., "After ye believed." 1 Corinthians 12:12, 1312For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:12‑13), that the one Spirit baptizes all believers into one body. The passage in chapter 6. already referred to, shows us we are " joined to the Lord." And in Col. 1:18; 2:18, 1918And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:18)
18Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. (Colossians 2:18‑19), Eph. 1:22, 2322And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. (Ephesians 1:22‑23), also chapter 5:29, 30, we learn that every real Christian is a member of Christ and members one of another, therefore united to Him up there in glory, and to one another down here on earth in one body.
" One Spirit with the Lord,"
Oh blessed, wondrous word,
What heavenly light, what power divine
Doth that sweet word afford.
" One Spirit with the Lord,"
Jesus the glorified,
Esteems the Church for which He bled,
His body and His bride.
Now, if you read in the 1st of Colossians, from verse 14 to end of verse 19, also in chapter 2. verses 9 and 10, and then read verses 18 and 19 of chapter 2. you will I trust see first of all, what a glorious Person the Head of this body is, to whom we are united, One who is " the image of the invisible God." who created everything, for whom everything was created, was before everything, and upholds everything. One in whom all the fullness is pleased to dwell. All the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and then I trust you will see as you read again verse 19 of chapter 2. (which tells us that from this glorious Person, the Head, to whom we are united, flows down to us the members here on earth all our spiritual nourishment and strength,) what an infinite source of supply we have in Him as thus united to Him, who loves us too, as a man loves himself. (Eph. 5:2929For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: (Ephesians 5:29),) and what a blessing it is to be "united to Him," as well as "accepted in Him."
Yes, we are livingly united to this glorious Person, up there in glory. And there is no telling what blessing and comfort and power would be ministered to us, both individually and corporately if we only took in more simply who He is, to whom we are united, and if we only were more constantly " holding the Head," as we are exhorted to do in Col. 2:18,1918Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. (Colossians 2:18‑19).
If you ask me, what is “holding the Head "? I believe, it is not allowing anything, or any person, angel or man, to come in between us and the One who is our Head.
Now this is just what Satan is always trying to get us to allow. Just as a clever general tries by maneuvering to get some of his forces in between his opponents army and their source of supply, because he knows that if he can, then he can more easily overcome them, their supplies being cut off from coming in to them of food and ammunition, etc. So Satan tries in all manner of ways to get something or some one in between us and our blessed infinite source of supply, our Head, the Lord Jesus Christ. For if we allow him to do so, he knows well that then we are practically cut off from the one from whom all the nourishment and spiritual power, etc., flows, and then he can easily overcome us as to our walk and ways down here.
Here in Colosse he was getting angels in between the Christians there and their Head. But it does not matter what it is, whether angels or men, we must be careful not to allow any one or anything to come in between us and the blessed One up there in glory, to whom we are livingly united by the Holy Ghost. For though this union between us and Him can never be actually broken, yet the practical enjoyment of it, and the blessing that should be flowing consciously down from the Head to us the members on earth, can be, and is hindered if we are not " holding the Head."
May God give us to be going on then steadfastly, and continually, not only knowing we are " accepted in Him" and "united to Him," who is up there at God's right hand, the accepted man, and the Head of the body, the Church; but so walking, through His grace, according to the place we are in, that we may be filled with joy and peace in believing, and that, allowing nothing to come in between us and Him we may know the wonderful sweetness of being " one Spirit with the Lord " as well.
And though by storms assailed
And though by trials pressed,
Himself our Life, He bears us up
Right onward to the rest.
There we shall drink the stream
Of endless bliss above:
There we shall know, without a cloud,
His full unbounded love.