A Word To Believers.
THE late G. V. Wigram asked the late Richard Hill, an ex-judge, four questions. The first question was, “Is Christ between you and the wrath of God?” Mr. Hill replied in the affirmative.
It is well when believers know there is no wrath for them. We read of “the wrath to come,” “wrath revealed from heaven.” And of those who treasure up “wrath against the day of wrath” (Rom. 2:55But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; (Romans 2:5)).
Terrifying prospect, indeed, for the unbeliever, but well for the believer who can say, “Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Rom. 5:99Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Romans 5:9)). Again we read, “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 Them. 5:9, 10). So Christ is between the believer and the wrath of God; indeed, the wrath is all spent in the spotless Sacrifice, the Saviour, the Son of God. He bore it all, and now there is no wrath for the believer. Christ’s death has exhausted that wrath.
The second question put by G. V. Wigram to Richard Hill was, “Is Christ between you and your sins?” Again Mr. Hill answered in the affirmative.
Every believer on the Lord Jesus Christ is privileged to know that “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3, 43For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Corinthians 15:3‑4)), that “by Him all that believe are justified from all things” (Acts 13:3939And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:39)), that “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation” (Heb. 9:2828So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:28)).
Christ has indeed come in between us and our sins—so that they are remembered no more. They are gone, forgotten, canceled, annihilated.
The third question G. V. Wigram put to Richard Hill was, “Is Christ between you and the world?” Again Mr. Hill replied in the affirmative.
This is what we hear Christ say to the Father in reference to all who believe on Him. “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:1616They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. (John 17:16)). Again we read, “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not” (1 John 3:11Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. (1 John 3:1)). It is plain in these portions of Scripture that there was no place for the Son of God nor for His true followers in the world.
The fourth question put by G. V. Wigram to Richard Hill was the most testing. “Is Christ between you and Richard Hill?”
Mr. Hill promptly answered, “No, I cannot say He is. Thank you, I shall think that out.”
A woman once said to me, the greatest enemy she had was herself; and Richard Hill found that self was there, not Christ. It took forty years to teach Israel what they were in the wilderness, and God’s way to deliver them. It took forty-two chapters of the Book of Job to describe how Job found out self, and got rid of self. In Job 42:99So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the Lord commanded them: the Lord also accepted Job. (Job 42:9) we read how “The Lord accepted Job,” and blessed him when he prayed for others. Paul had to learn the same lesson. He said, “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing” (Rom. 7:1818For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (Romans 7:18)), and that the way of deliverance was just as he got saved from the wrath of God, and from his sins, and the world, even through our Lord Jesus Christ. Deliverance is only through Christ, so he could testify, “I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I 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” (Gal. 2:19, 2019For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 20I 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 2:19‑20)). Dead and crucified with Christ; living to God; Christ living in him; not only a new power, but another person—the Son of God who loved him and gave Himself for him. What a transformation! What a deliverance! And it is for us all.
We do well to face these four questions in the presence of God; and in the light of the coming day of glory or of wrath: God would have us free now for His service. Self has so many doors to come in at; so many garbs to put on; so many dishes to feed on; so many masks to appear in. But all is to no profit (see John 6:6363It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63)), no good is to be found in the flesh (see Rom. 7:1818For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (Romans 7:18)). So we are to make no provision for the flesh (see Rom. 13:1414But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. (Romans 13:14)), and have no confidence in flesh (see Phil. 3:33For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. (Philippians 3:3)). Flesh put off (see Col. 2:1111In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: (Colossians 2:11)), Christ everything and in all (see Col. 3). The Spirit is here to make room for Christ, and for no one else (see Romans 8, Galatians 4 and 5, Eph. 3.)
R. W.