H. Snell
The New Testament abounds with witnesses of present joy, because of the knowledge of present salvation. It is what the Holy Spirit teaches. Our blessed Lord told His disciples before He left them that they would know their security and standing in Him. Referring to the time of the Comforter's coming He said to them, "At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you." John 14:2020At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. (John 14:20).
When a poor sin-burdened woman came to our Lord and shed tears over His dear feet and wiped them with the hairs of her head, the blessed Savior would not allow her to depart without the fullest rest of soul as to her sins and guilt. To those present He said, "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven." Then, turning to her, He added, "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace." Luke 7:47, 5047Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. (Luke 7:47)
50And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. (Luke 7:50).
Again, when a rich publican came down and received Him joyfully, the Lord also assured him that for a sin-convicted soul to receive Him whom God had sent was to have present salvation. "This day is salvation come to this house," said He. "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:9, 109And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:9‑10).
The apostles taught the same. We find Paul, when addressing saints by the Holy Spirit on the gospel, saying, "Unto us which are saved, it is the power of God." And when writing to Timothy he exclaims, "Who hath saved us." In another epistle we find the same ground of faith maintained: "We know [not we hope, but we know] that, if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have [not we hope to have, but we have] a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”
Peter, too, by the same Spirit, not only says that we rejoice in Him, whom having not seen we love, with joy unspeakable and full of glory, but, referring to present salvation, he adds, "Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." John also by the same Spirit says, "We know [not we hope, but we know] that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." "We know that we are of God.”
The same line of truth, only in more detail, is brought before us in the epistle to the Colossians. It appears that Epaphras had presented the gospel to that idolatrous city. Some believed. This success he communicated to the Apostle Paul. The two cardinal points of Christianity were very manifest in them: "faith in Christ Jesus, and... love... to all the saints." Col. 1:44Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, (Colossians 1:4). The Apostle thanked God when he heard of these characteristics of true Christianity. It was not people merely saying that they believed, but as true faith in the Lord Jesus is always connected with life in the soul and being born of God, the consequence is that this life flows out in like-mindedness to Christ who is our life. They therefore love what He loves. He loves all saints, and so do all that are born of God.
But more than this, he learned from Epaphras that it was not merely affection which they manifested to certain persons, for after all this might be mere natural affection, but with these saints it was spiritual—"love in the Spirit." There could, therefore, be no mistake as to their reality; hence the Apostle addresses them as "in Christ," for all true believers not only have life, but Christ risen and ascended is their life, they are therefore in Him. Thus Scripture now speaks only of two classes, those who are "in the flesh," and those who are "in Christ." Here the Apostle looks at them in the new creation, where God sees them. So in the second chapter he tells them, "Ye are complete in Him.”
How can Christians do God's will if they do not know it? The great adversary, therefore, has gained a great step in souls when he has succeeded in hindering them from reading and meditating on the Word of God. God's Word gives us His will. In the third chapter he exhorts them also that the word of Christ may dwell in them richly. It is impossible that the importance of habitually reading the Scriptures prayerfully, in dependence on the Holy Spirit, can be overrated. In fact, it is impossible that a believer can know how to act so as to please God without it.
Notice, as to walk, it is to "walk worthy of the Lord." How seldom we find such a standard of walk for which to contend. We hear much as to "consistent walk," but such a loose, indefinite character of walk is not found in Scripture, it is "worthy of the Lord" who loved us and gave Himself for us. This is a different thought and silences a thousand questions as to going here or there, or doing this or that. The whole point is, "Is it worthy of the Lord?”
But more than this: His heart's desire by the Holy Spirit is that they may honor the Father as they ought for having made them fit for glory. "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light." The verses which follow declare that they have present redemption: "In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins." Present deliverance—"who hath delivered us from the power of darkness"—and present translation—who "hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son [the Son of His love (JND)]." Here it is something more than the other blessings: "made meet" for the inheritance. How can it be otherwise if we are in Christ, complete in Him who is the Head of all principality and power.
And yet, how many Christians in the present day, while really in Christ and having the atoning work of Christ as the foundation of all their hope of glory, are nevertheless looking for something yet to be done in their souls to make them meet for glory. It is not uncommon to hear some speak of affliction and trial as squaring and fitting them as stones for the heavenly temple. Others talk of the present sufferings purifying them for glory, or of ripening them until they become like a shock of corn ready for the garner. Their souls have never entered into that precious declaration of the Holy Spirit that the Father hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, and that our place now is to thank Him for it.
That affliction does afterward yield peaceable fruits of righteousness to them that are exercised thereby, and that through the trials we get profit and are made partakers of His holiness, are most blessedly true. But being made meet for heaven is something not to be done, but has been done. The idea of saints getting, by their trials, more and more meet for glory denies the truth of man's thorough ruin in the flesh. It sets aside the workmanship of God in the new creation, and questions the full value of the redemption work of Christ. "For by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.”
Scripture tells us that Christ is "of God made unto us... righteousness," that "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." He is also spoken of as our life—"Christ, who is our life." If then, as we have before noticed, we are regarded by God now as not in the flesh, but in Christ, complete in Him who is our life and righteousness, and that God now speaks of us as accepted in Christ, and that "as He [Christ] is, so are we in this world," it becomes simple enough. All this, too, is traced to the Father. It was the Father who loved us and chose us in Christ, who gave us to Christ, and redeemed us by Christ. It is the Father now who welcomes us through Christ, accepts us in Christ, assures us that the cross of Christ has judicially rolled away all our sin, our guilt, and our evil nature. Now we are in the new creation, and brought into the new relationship of sons and partakers of the divine nature.
We do wait for the redemption of the body, that change which will fashion this body of humiliation like unto His glorious body. For some things we do not wait; we have them now. We have life, the forgiveness of sins, righteousness, union with Christ, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, sonship, and a full title to glory. We are "made... meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light." Hence we are told that "after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory." Eph. 1:13, 1413In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13‑14).
Beloved, have we so believed these precious truths of God as to know the joy and rest of soul, and thankfulness, too, that they produce?