Ques. How are we to understand Eph. 4:26 and 5:8? S. G.
Ans. We must look at the context, and consider the subject of the Epistle.
In chapter 2 we are seen as dead in trespasses and sins, indicating that in our fallen nature, there is no good for God. Then we are quickened together with Christ. That gives us who believe a new creation life in Christ raised from the dead. We are also sealed by the Holy Spirit. He now dwells in us. Now we have the two, the old man and the new (verses 22, 24). It speaks of our having put off the old man, and of having put on the new, and of being renewed in the spirit of our minds. So our behavior is to consist of keeping the old nature from working, and of exercising ourselves in the activities of the new, as the truth is in Jesus.
If you look down the chapter you will see the things we are to do, and the things we are not to do. The one is the new man, the other is the old. The one is darkness, the other is light; the one is self, the other is Christ.
Let us compare verse 26 with 31. In the one it is, "Be angry," in the other, "Let all anger be put away." In verse 26 it is the anger of the divine nature that refuses fellowship with evil. In verse 31 it is the hatefulness of our old nature that comes out the moment it is allowed.
"Be ye angry and sin not," is our duty toward evil, as when our Lord Jesus "looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts." Mark 3:5. The sin here is, if we were not angry, we would have fellowship with evil. If a pleasant, agreeable person presents himself, and then we find out he holds blasphemous doctrine, it is our duty to refuse fellowship with him, and as long as he holds the evil we must refuse him.
"Let not the sun go down upon your wrath," is an allusion to Joshua 10:12, where Joshua commanded the sun to stand still till the people were avenged of their enemies, for they were the enemies of God. "And the sun stood still," etc.
If we let the sun go down upon our wrath, as in this text, we are in fellowship with evil, so the next verse says, "neither give place to the devil." We must therefore in this sense "Be angry" still, or Satan triumphs.
It is easy to see that all, that is in the 31st verse is of the old nature; to allow it would be sin. This was never found in our Lord Jesus Christ. That which is contained in the 32nd verse, is what we find in Him. We are to be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ has forgiven us.
This will help to explain Eph. 5:8. The old is darkness, ignorance of God and of what is consistent with His character. The new nature is light, and we are now light in the Lord, so we are to walk before God as children of light, and the fruit of the light (see new translation) is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, proving what is agreeable to the Lord. We are to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but are rather to reprove them.
Ques. Is this the Church in Rev. 5:10; and do they reign on the earth? What does Eph. 1:20 refer to? J. F. T.
Ans. Those who sing that song are the twenty-four elders, representing all those who shall be caught up to meet the Lord when He comes. "They that are Christ's at His coming." 1 Cor. 15:23. It is therefore all the dead saints from the beginning raised, and all the living saints changed-all the redeemed up to that time. Redemption glory of Christ is their theme. New translation reading is, "Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open its seals; because Thou hast been slain, and hast redeemed to God, by Thy blood, out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, and made them to our God kings and priests; -and they shall reign over the earth." They reign with Christ on high over the earth.
Eph. 1:19, 20, speaks of God's power toward us who believe, which wrought in Christ and raised Him from among the dead, and has seated Him in heavenly places at His right hand. It is the same power that quickens us and seats us also in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Verses 22, 23 declare it is the Church which is His body, that is here spoken of.
Ques. Would like you to explain sanctification, or what some call "the second work of grace." R. C. B.
Ans. There are two aspects of sanctification for the believer in Christ. First, every believer is sanctified. "To sanctify" is "to set apart," and this is done once, so we may call it absolute sanctification. It is the person brought into relationship with the Lord. Second, every believer is to seek grace to walk worthy of his Savior, because he is a child of God. And this we may call practical, or progressive sanctification of our heart and ways.
Romans 15:16; 2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2, teach us that the Holy Spirit is the One who set us apart for Christ. We would not have come of our own will; the Holy Spirit began the good work, opened our eyes to our need, and led us to Christ. When we believed on Him as the One who bore our sins in His own body- on the tree, the Holy Spirit came to dwell in us forever (Eph. 1:13; Acts 10:43, 44). We are now sons or children of God (Gal. 3:26; 4:6; 1 John 2:12; 3:1, 2). We, that is, all true believers, are saints, sanctified in Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 1:2). We belong to Him, bought with a price-His precious blood (1 Cor. 6:19, 20; 1 Peter 1:19). And the Holy Spirit sheds abroad the love of God in our hearts (Rom. 5:5). By Christ's one great sacrifice, we have eternal acceptance, perfected forever. (Heb. 10:14).
My child by birth is always my child. Sanctification in this aspect comes before justification (1 Cor. 6:11.)
The second aspect of sanctification is of the heart and ways. It is learning to walk worthy of Christ, and the new relationship we have in Him as saints, children of God. Our relationship should teach us to behave accordingly, and for this we need to seek grace. We need to watch and pray, and seek strength and wisdom from the Lord. Take such verses as John 17:17; 1 Thes. 4:3, 7; 5:23; Eph. 5:26; all these and many others refer to our walk and ways.
Thank God we are saved (Eph. 2:8; 2 Tim. 1:9); no change can come to that, but for our behavior we need to watch and pray, and feed upon the word of God (Psa. 119:9, 11), or, like Peter, we may fall and dishonor the Lord, and we will be unhappy children until we go and confess our naughtiness, and be restored to communion, but we are still children (1 John 1:9; 2:1). We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He bore our sins in His own body on the tree, and in righteousness He maintains us as children in communion with the Father. He wants to keep us happy all the time, till we see the Lord face to face where we shall never grieve Him any more.
As to "the second work of grace," it is not found in the word of God. Not all believers know what belongs to them, and they are praying for what they should be enjoying. God has blessed us, all His children, with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Any one who knows his full standing in Christ, cannot talk of the second, or any more blessing than is in Eph. 1:3.