Q. Why may not a believer use the prayer, “Be not angry with us forever?” Is not God displeased, or angry with us, when we sin? Must we not, in this case, seek to be forgiven? And is not God displeased with us until we have sought His forgiveness? E. J.
A. The first point that requires to be noticed is, that the word of God expressly declares the believer in Christ to be free from condemnation. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:11There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1)). Nor is this their present privilege alone; its continuance is pledged to them by the same word. “He that heareth my words, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)). Besides, the state of the believer in this respect is contrasted in scripture with that of the unbeliever. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)). If then that which distinguishes the one class from the other be, that the wrath of God abides on the unbeliever, while from the believer it has passed away, how evident that no believer can intelligently use the prayer, “Be not angry with us forever.”
As to the remaining queries, it is of all-importance to distinguish between the natural relation we all sustain to God, as creatures, and those new, blessed relations to Him on which we enter, the moment it can be truly said of us that we are believers in Christ. As creatures, we are responsible to God, the holy, righteous Judge of all. As fallen creatures, we are utterly and hopelessly condemned. “Enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified” (Psa. 143:22And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. (Psalm 143:2)). Such was the confession of the psalmist, prior to the accomplishment of redemption, and the full triumph of grace in the death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord. It was because of our total inability to stand thus in judgment before God that Christ took our place, and bare our sins in his own body on the tree. If grace has drawn our hearts to that blessed Savior, we have God's word to assure us that in His death on the cross, our whole standing as condemned, sinful creatures before God came to an end. Believing in Him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Eph. 1:77In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7)). The believer is himself a justified, accepted person. “Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:2424Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (Romans 3:24)). “Accepted in the beloved” (Eph. 1:66To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6)). The believer enters thus, the moment he is a believer, on entirely new relations to God. He is no longer condemned and under wrath, but a pardoned, justified, accepted person, through the boundless grace of God, and the infinite efficacy of Christ's precious work. He is adopted, moreover, into God's family;...yea, born of God, and thus really His child. He is one with Christ, as a member of His body,— “for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones” (Eph. 5:3030For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. (Ephesians 5:30)).
Standing in these new relations to God, it is, no doubt, possible for the believer to fail in the service and obedience suited thereto. It is even possible that through want of practical dependence on God, and watchfulness against the enemy, he may fall into sin. He may thus need His Father's forgiveness, or need mercy of “the Lord—the Lord Jesus Christ. But in neither case does his sin need forgiveness in any such sense as he himself once needed it, in order to his becoming a child of God, and a member of Christ. The forgiveness and justification which attend my introduction to God's family are bestowed once and forever; and the relations to God into which I am thus brought, are as unchanging as Himself. But if, being God's child, I am against my Father, his fatherly government extends to such a case, and I may have to suffer the present chastenings of His hand. “And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear” (1 Peter 1:1717And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: (1 Peter 1:17)). But how wide the contrast between the chastenings of the Father, which flow from love, and are sent in order “that we may be partakers of his holiness” (Heb. 12:1010For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. (Hebrews 12:10)), and that “wrath” or “anger,” which rests upon unbelievers, and from which we are once and finally delivered, when the eye rests in faith on Christ and on His precious blood!
It is to this state of things, moreover, that the advocacy and priesthood of Christ apply. Nor is it the object of these blessed provisions of grace to turn to us the heart of our God and Father, as though our sins and failings had alienated us from that heart of love. “My little children, these things write I unto you that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 1; 2) Our Father would have us so occupied with the revelation of Himself in Christ, the Son of His love, as to be kept from sinning But if, to our shame and sorrow, we do sin, it is not that He ceases to be our Father, or that we need a new justification. We have an advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ, who, on the ground of His accomplished righteousness, and of His having been the propitiation for our sins, pleads for us, and obtains those supplies of grace by which our souls, humbled and restored, again enjoy the undimmed brightness of our Father's countenance, the unchanged sweetness of our Father's love.
There could scarcely be a more specific answer to the queries before us than is afforded by the words of the apostle in Rom. 8 where, having considered every aspect in which the subject of the believer's safety and blessedness could be regarded, he triumphantly asks, “What shall we then say to these things? if God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us?” W. T, 2. 1 John 1.—G-y asks whether περί του λόγου τψ ζωής should not be translated, “of the word, the life,” rather than “of the word of life.” He refers to Phil. 2:1616Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. (Philippians 2:16), where λόγου ζωής occurs without the article, and in the sense of the quickening testimony of God. Here it is the person of the Son, who is so often called the Word, and the Life, but not (save here) the Word of life.
A. It is obvious, however, that this proposal would give a phrase still more remote from the language used elsewhere in Scripture; so that the usual version seems preferable.
3. Rev. 11 Are there two half-weeks in the Apocalypse? (See Vol. 1, pp. 276, 277.)
2. Assuming that Rev. 11:2, 32But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. 3And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. (Revelation 11:2‑3), speaks of the last half week, and that it coincides with the continuance of the beast for forty-two months, (Rev. 13,) how comes it that after this full time is expired, the beast, far from ceasing to work, overcomes the two witnesses and kills them; that we have at least three and a half days subsequently before God interposes in any measure to vindicate His servants; that it is again after this that the seventh trumpet announces the worldly kingdom of our Lord and His Christ as come, which trumpet, it is generally considered, resolves itself into the fresh and subsequent series of vials, in their successive inflictions of wrath, and necessarily supposes a certain lapse of time? Is there not then a prolongation of the beast's power beyond the 1260 days of the witnesses? And does not this, the third woe, await its fulfillment? Certain it is that when the seventh angel sounds in chap. xi. 15, no details are given, but we have loud voices in heaven celebrating the advent of the wordly kingdom of our Lord, and the thanksgiving of the elders who anticipate the results to the very end. Now are not some of these details given under the seven vials, which, after chap. xii—xiv, resume the historical course of events on earth? And, though Rev. 11:1515And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 11:15) differs in character from chap. xii. 10, does not the latter show that heavenly celebration may long precede an earthly accomplishment? Is not xiii. 5 limited to the beast's action after he takes Satan's throne? Is it not more natural to suppose that the ascent of the beast out of the bottomless pit opens his half-week, as it closes the career of the witnesses and their half-week? With this ascent, the-casting down of Satan (Rev. 12) and his gift of authority (chap. xiii.) would coincide in time. These queries are put to the author of the above communication, not so much as objections, but as difficulties, and in the hope of eliciting further light.
J. M., &c.