An important distinction to the right understanding of the Scriptures is that which concerns the standing (or position) of the believer, and his state (or walk). The first is the result of the work of Christ, and is perfect and entire from the very moment that Christ is received by faith. Faith alone confers standing in God's sight, and before Him the weakest, most ignorant, most infirm and fallible man on earth, if he be a true believer on the Lord Jesus Christ, has precisely the same title as the most illustrious saint.
What our standing is, may be seen in the following Scriptures: "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name" (John 1:12). "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8:17).
"To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith" (1 Peter 1:4-5).
"Beloved 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" (1 John 3:2).
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation" (1 Peter 2:9).
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have eternal Life" (John 3:16).
"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus" (Heb. 10:19).
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings" (Eph. 1:3).
"But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved), and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:4-6).
"But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ" (Eph. 2:13).
"What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost?" (1 Cor. 6:19).
Every one of these marvelous things is true of everyone who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. Not one item in this glorious inventory is gained by prayer, diligence in service, church-going, alms-giving, self-denial, holiness of life, or by any other description of good works. All are the gift of God, through Christ and therefore belong equally to all believers.
The very instant that the jailer of Philippi believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, he became a son of God, a joint heir with Christ, a king and priest, and the owner of an incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading inheritance. In the instant that he believed with his heart and confessed with his mouth, Jesus as Lord, he was justified from all things, had peace with God, a standing in His grace, and a sure hope of glory. He received the gift of eternal life, was made accepted in the full measure of Christ's own acceptance, was sealed with the Holy Spirit, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and was baptized into the mystical body of Christ. Instantly he was clothed with the righteousness of God (Rom. 3:22), quickened with Christ, raised with Him, and seated with Him in the heavenlies.
What his actual state may have been is quite another matter; certainly it was far, far below his exalted standing in the sight of God. It was not all at once that he became as royal, priestly, and heavenly in walk as he was at once in standing. The following passages will indicate the way these two things are constantly distinguished in the Scriptures.
Standing
"To the assembly of God which is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints" (1 Cor. 1:2 JnD).
"But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:11).
"Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son" (Col. 1:12-13).
State
"For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren... that there are contentions among you" (1 Cor. 1:11).
"And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal... For ye are yet carnal; for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?" (1 Cor. 3:1-3).
"Now some are puffed up" (1 Cor. 4:18).
"But now ye also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds" (Col. 3:8-9).
Notice that the divine order, under grace, is first to give the highest possible standing, and then to exhort the believer to maintain a state in accordance with it. The beggar is lifted up from the dunghill and set among princes (1 Sam. 2:8), and then exhorted to be princely. See the following as examples.
Standing
"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed" (Rom. 6:6).
"Ye are the light of the world" (Matt. 5:14).
"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace" (2 Tim. 1:9).
"And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6).
"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now ye are light in the Lord" (Eph. 5:8).
"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him" (1 Thess. 5:9-10).
"By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Heb. 10:10).
State
"If ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances?" (Col. 2:20).
"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God" (Col. 3:1). "Walk as children of light" (Eph. 5:8).
"Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober" (1 Thess. 5:6).
"Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do" (1 Thess. 5:11).
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly" (1 Thess. 5:23).
"He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked" (1 John 2:6).
Scripture makes a clear distinction between the standing and state of the believer. The believer is not under probation to see if he is worthy of an inconceivable exalted position, but beginning with the confession of utter unworthiness, receives the position wholly as the result of Christ's work. Positionally he is "perfected forever" (Heb. 10:14), but looking within, at his state, he must say, "not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect" (Phil. 3:12).
It may be said that all the after-work of God in his behalf the application of the Word to his walk and conscience (John 17:17; Eph. 5:26), the chastisements of the Father's hand (Heb. 12:10; 1 Cor. 11:32), the ministry of the Spirit (Eph. 4:11-12), all the difficulties and trials of the wilderness way (1 Peter 4:12-14), and the final transformation when He shall appear (1 John 3:2) all are intended simply to bring the believer's character into perfect conformity to the position which is his the instant of his conversion. He grows in grace, indeed, but not into grace.
A prince, while a little child, is presumably as willful and as ignorant as other little children. Sometimes he may be very obedient, teachable and affectionate, and then he is happy and approved. At other times he may be unruly, self-willed and disobedient, and then he is unhappy and perhaps is chastised. But he is just as much a prince on the one day as on the other. It may be hoped that, as time goes on, he will learn to bring himself into willing subjection to every right way, and then he will be more princely, but not any more really a prince. He was born a prince.
In the case of every true son of the King of kings, and Lord of lords, this growth into kingliness is assured. In the end, standing and state, character and position, will be equal. But the position is not the reward of the perfected character the character is developed from the position.