It is not possible to overestimate the interest and value of the great truth that the source of the life which, as Christians, we possess, is a risen and victorious Christ. It is as risen from the dead that the second Man becomes the Head of a race—Head of His body the Church. The life which the believer now possesses is a life which has been tested and tried in every possible way, and, consequently, can never come into judgment. It is a life which has passed through death and judgment, and therefore it can never die—never come into judgment. Christ, our living Head, has abolished death, and brought life and incorruptibility to light through the gospel. He met death in all its reality that we might never meet it. He died, that we might never die. He has so wrought for us, in His marvelous love and grace, as to render death part of our property. See 1 Cor. 3:2222Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; (1 Corinthians 3:22).
In the old creation, man belongs to death, and hence it has been truly said that the very moment man begins to live he begins to die. Solemn fact! Man cannot escape death. "It is appointed unto men, once to die, and after this the judgment." There is not so much as a single thing which man possesses, in the old creation, that will not be wrenched from his grasp by the ruthless hand of death. Death takes everything from him and reduces his body to dust, and sends his soul to judgment. Houses, lands, wealth and distinction, fame and influence—all goes when the last grim foe approaches. The wealth of the universe, were it in a man's possession, could not purchase one moment's respite. Death strips man of all and bears him away to judgment. The king and the beggar, the peer and the peasant, the learned philosopher and the ignorant clown, the civilized and the savage, it is all alike. Death 122 seizes upon all, within the limits of the old creation. The grave is the terminus of man's earthly history, and beyond that the throne of judgment and the lake of fire.
But, on the other hand, in the new creation, death belongs to man. There is not so much as a single thing that the Christian possesses which he does not owe to death. He has life, pardon, righteousness, peace, acceptance, glory, all through death—the death of Christ. In a word, the entire aspect of death is changed. Satan can no longer bring it to bear upon the soul of the believer, as the judgment of God against sin. God can and does use it, in His governmental dealings with His people, in the way of discipline and chastening. (See Acts 5 Cor. 11:30; 1 John 5:1616If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. (1 John 5:16).) But, as the one who had the power of death, Satan has been destroyed. Our Lord Christ has wrested his power from him, and He now holds in His omnipotent hand the keys of death and the grave. Death has lost its sting—the grave its victory; and, therefore, if death does come to the believer, it comes not as a master, but as a servant. It comes, not like a policeman to drag the soul to its eternal prison house, but as a friendly hand to open the door of the cage and let the spirit fly to its native home in the skies.
All this makes a material difference. It tends, amongst other things, to take away that fear of death which was perfectly consistent with the state of believers under the law, but is wholly incompatible with the standing and privileges of those who are united to Him who is alive from the dead. Nor is this all. The entire life and character of the Christian must take its tone from the source from whence that life emanates. " If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." (Col. 3 I—4.) Water always finds its own level, and so the life of the Christian, strengthened and guided by the Holy Ghost, always springs up toward its source.
Let no one imagine that all this for which we are contending is a mere question of human opinion—an unimportant point—-an uninfluential notion. Far from it. It is a great practical truth constantly set forth and insisted upon by the apostle Paul—a truth which he preached as an evangelist, taught and unfolded as a teacher, and watched its effects as a faithful vigilant pastor. So prominent was the place which the great truth of resurrection held in the apostle's preaching, that it was said of him by some of the Athenian philosophers, " He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection." Acts 17:1818Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. (Acts 17:18).
Let the reader note this. "Jesus and the resurrection." Why was it not Jesus and the incarnation? or Jesus and the crucifixion? Was it that these profound and priceless mysteries held no place in apostolic preaching and teaching? Read 1 Timothy hi. 16 for the answer. "And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." Read also Gal. 4:4, 54But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Galatians 4:4‑5). " But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law."
These passages settle the question as to the foundation doctrines of incarnation and crucifixion. But, be it ever remembered, that Paul preached and taught and jealously insisted upon resurrection. He himself was converted to a risen and glorified Christ. The very first glimpse he caught of Jesus of Nazareth was as a risen Man in glory. It was only thus he knew Him, as he tells us in 2 Cor. 5 " Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more." Paul preached a resurrection gospel. He labored to present every man perfect in a risen glorified Christ. He did not confine himself to the mere question of forgiveness of sin and salvation from hell—precious, beyond all price, as are these fruits of the atoning death of Christ—he aimed at the glorious end of planting the soul in Christ, and of keeping it there. "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him, rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving." " Ye are complete in him.י י—" Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him."—" Quickened together with him." Col. 2
Such was Paul's preaching and teaching. This was his gospel. This is true Christianity, in contrast with all the forms of human religiousness and fleshly pietism under the sun. Life in a risen Christ was Paul's grand theme. It was not merely forgiveness and salvation by Christ, but union with Him. Paul's gospel planted the soul at once in a risen and glorified Christ, redemption and forgiveness of sins being the obvious and necessary consequence. This was the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to Paul's trust. 1 Tim. 1:22Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Timothy 1:2).
Most gladly would we dwell at greater length, on the blessed theme of the source of christian life; but we must hasten on to the remaining points of our subject, and shall therefore very briefly call the reader's attention, in the second place, to the characteristics or moral features of the life which as Christians we possess. To do anything like justice to this point we should seek to unfold the precious mystery of the life of Christ, as a man, on this earth—to trace His ways—to mark the style and spirit with which He passed through all the scenes and circumstances of His course here below. We should view Him as a child subject to His parents, growing up beneath the eye of God, increasing from day to day in wisdom and stature, exhibiting all that was lovely in the sight of God and man. We should trace His path as a servant, faithful in all things—a path marked by incessant labor and toil. We should ponder Him as the lowly, humble, and obedient man, subject and dependent in all things, emptying Himself and making Himself of no reputation, surrendering Himself perfectly, for the glory of God and the good of man; never seeking His own interest in anything. We should mark Him as the gracious, loving, sympathizing friend and companion, ever ready with the cup of consolation for every child of sorrow, ever at hand to dry the widow's tear, to hear the cry of the distressed, to feed the hungry, to cleanse the leper, to heal all manner of disease. In a word, we should point out the countless rays of moral glory that shine forth in the precious and perfect life of Him who Went about doing good.
But who is sufficient for these things? We can merely say to the christian reader, Go, study your great Exemplar. Gaze upon your Model. If a risen Christ is the source of your life, the Christ who lived down here in this world is your pattern. The features of your life are those selfsame features that shone in Him as a man here below. Through death, He has made His life to be your life. He has linked you with Himself by a bond that can never be severed, and now you are privileged to go back and study the gospel narratives in order to see how He walked, that you may, through the grace of the Holy Ghost, walk even as He walked.
It is a very blessed though a very solemn truth, that there is nothing of any value, in God's account, save the outflow of the life of Christ from His members here. All that is not the direct fruit of that life is utterly valueless in God's account. The activities of the old nature are not merely worthless but sinful. There are certain natural relationships in which we stand, and which are sanctioned by God, and in which Christ is our model. For example, " Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church."
We are recognized as parents and. children, masters and servants, and instructed as to our deportment in these holy relationships; but all this is on the new ground of risen life in Christ. (See Col. 3; Eph, v. vi.) The old man is not recognized at all. It is viewed as crucified, dead, and buried; and we are called upon to reckon it as dead, and to mortify our members which are on the earth, and to walk even as Christ walked; to live a life of self surrender, to manifest the life of Christ, to reproduce Him. This is practical Christianity. May we understand it better! May we, at least, remember that nothing is of the smallest value in God's account save the life of Christ shown out in the believer, from day to day, by the power of the Holy Ghost. The feeblest expression of this life is a sweet odor to God. The mightiest efforts of mere religious flesh—the costliest sacrifices—-the most imposing ordinances and ceremonies, are but " dead works," in the sight of God. Religiousness is one thing; Christianity is quite another.
And, now, one word, as to the issue of the Me which as Christians we possess. We may truly say " one word," and what is that? " Glory." This is the only issue of christian life. "When Christ our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." Jesus is waiting for the moment of His manifestation in glory, and we wait in and with Him. He is seated and expecting, and we are seated and expecting likewise. "As he is so are we in this world." (1 John 4 IT.) Death and judgment are behind us; nothing but glory before. If we may so express it, our yesterday is the cross; our today, a risen Christ; our tomorrow, glory. Thus it stands with all true believers. It is with them as with their living and exalted Head. As is the Head so are the members. They cannot be separated for a single moment, for any object whatsoever. They are inseparably joined together in the power of a union that no influence of earth or hell can ever dissolve. The Head and the members are eternally one. The Head has passed through death and judgment; so have the members. The Head is seated in the presence of God, so are the members—co quickened, co raised, and co seated with the Head in glory. _
Reader, this is christian life. Think of it, Think deeply. Look at it in the light of the New Testament. Its source, a risen Christ. Its characteristics, the very features of the life of Christ, as seen in this world. Its issue, cloudless and eternal glory. Contrast with this the life which we possess as sons and daughters of Adam. Its source, a ruined, fallen, outcast man. Its characteristics, the ten thousand forms of selfishness in which fallen humanity clothes itself. Its issue, the lake of lire. This is the simple truth of the matter, if we are to be guided by scripture.
And let us just say, in conclusion, in reference to the life which Christians possess, that there is no such thing as " a higher christian life." It may be that persons who use this form of speech mean a right thing; but the form is incorrect. There is but the one His, and that is Christ. No doubt there are varied measures in the enjoyment and exhibition of this life; but however the measure may vary the life is one. There may be higher or lower stages in this life, but the life is but one. The most advanced saint on earth and the feeblest babe possess one and the same life, for Christ is the life of each, the life of both, the life of all.
All this is most blessedly simple, and we desire that the reader should carefully ponder it. We are fully persuaded that there is an urgent need for the clear un-folding and faithful proclamation of this resurrection gospel. Many stop at incarnation; others go on to the crucifixion. We want a gospel that gives all, incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection. This is the gospel which possesses the true moral power—the mighty leverage to lift the soul out of all earthly association, and set it tree to walk with God, in the power of risen life in Christ. May this Gospel be sent forth in living energy, far and wide, throughout the length and breadth of the protesting Church. There are hundreds and thousands of God's people who need to know it. They are afflicted with doubts and questions which would all be removed by the simple reception of the blessed truth of life in a risen Christ. There arc no doubts or fears in Christianity. Christians, alas! have them; but they do not Delong to Christianity at all. May the bright light of Paul's gospel stream in upon all the saints of God, and disperse the fogs and mists which surround them, so that they may really enter into that holy liberty wherewith Christ makes His people free!