“Counsel for the day of small things.” A correspondent has been good enough to point out that the initials subscribed to this article (B.M.M., July last, p. 154) should have been J.J.P., and not J.N. D. Will our readers kindly make the necessary correction?
W.D.— We have sent you an answer to your question. It is an important one, but hardly of a kind to discuss in these pages.
Enquirer. — “Jesus unites believers to God.” Is this statement scripturally correct? There is no scripture to confirm it as far as we know. On the contrary, the thought is opposed to the teaching of the word which continually speaks of the believer as being “in Christ,” but not “in Jesus” or “in God” (Rom. 6:3; 8:1; 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 1:3; and many other passages). “We are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 5:20). But the Spirit ever avoids saying we are “in God.” So the members of the body are said to be the members of Christ (1 Cor. 6:15; 12:27). It is true our “life is hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3), but this is quite a different thing from the statement in question.
J.— Please explain the difference between the mercy and the grace of God. To make a brief distinction, God in His grace acts towards sinners in accordance with the love which He is. Hence the contrast between law and grace (see Galatians). Grace was therefore unknown till Jesus Christ, by Whom it came (John 1:17). Mercy hover was displayed in O. T. times, for God acted even then in accordance with what man was in his need and sin. Thus, mercy flows from compassion towards a destitute condition, but grace is the exercise of a love which is infinite and uncaused. The father (Luke 15) in mercy would supply the needs of his prodigal son, but in grace he gave the best robe, the ring, the sandals, the seat at the banquet.
W.C.— Kindly explain the meaning of the middle clause of Luke 16:9 “Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness.” “Mammon” is a word taken from the Chaldee, which means riches. Beside being used three times in this context, it also occurs in Matthew 6:24. The lesson that the Lord was enforcing in connection with the preceding parable is that the children of God should use this world’s riches in such a way as to secure to themselves a future reward. To serve mammon while serving God is incompatible (verse 13); but to make friends with it is to ensure an eternal advantage to be realized in the habitations on high. This method of using money in view of a heavenly reward is shown in other places. “Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not” (Luke 12:33). See 1 Timothy 6:17-19.
W.R.W.— We were thankful to receive your letter, and to hear you make a practice of reading the B.M.M. “in conjunction with the word of God.” We wish every one of its readers were like you in this respect. We have read with care your criticism upon C.G.H.’s verses (B.M.M. October last, p. 240); and we are quite at one with you as to the propriety of addressing the Lord with reverence. In this respect there is surely need for us all to grow. But we would not be hard upon the author of the lines. After all, in saying “It’s a pleasure to serve Jesus,” he is not speaking to Him but of Him. This does not justify the expression as strictly correct (Rom. 12:11; 14:18; 16:18; Col. 3:24); but we did not consider it a sufficient blemish to disqualify it for insertion.
W.T.— Would those who were without the knowledge of God be unsaved (1 Cor. 15:34)? Ignorance of God is generally the mark of an unsaved condition (Eph. 4:18; 1 Thess. 4:5; 2 Thess. 1:8). Here it implies the want of knowing the power of God in resurrection (Matt. 22:29); and, no doubt, refers to some among them who had crept in, teaching this false doctrine. In that case they would be such as are mentioned in 2 Peter 2:1.