(Eph. 4)
The cross of Christ introduces an entirely new order of things in the ways of God. His dealings with Israel and the Gentiles are here completely changed. In the death and resurrection of Christ, a sure foundation was laid for the new building—the body of Christ, composed of Jew and Gentile. All our individual and corporate blessings flow from that wondrous cross. Every soul of man is either in the state out of which Christ has risen, or in the state into which He has entered. There is no middle place. The cross determines everything as to man’s state. We are either “far off” under the awful judgment of sin, or “made nigh by the blood of Christ.” It must be either the forsaken place, or the Holy of holies—the torments of hell, or the happiness of heaven.
But there are some, alas, who think they never have been, nor are, in the “far off” place. They know nothing of the judgment of God on man because of sin. “The soul that sinneth it shall die;” is God’s declared judgment on man. This sounds like the death knell of all human goodness in God’s sight—of all boasted progress in the world: and it is the ax laid at the root of the tree of self-righteousness in the Church. But of this solemn and weighty truth, multitudes, even of professing Christians, are willingly ignorant. They have always been so moral, amiable, and good; and withal, so attentive to their religious duties, that they have no idea of their place of distance from God because of sin. This is a grave and fearful delusion. It is the ruin of millions. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And our sins, if unforgiven, must take us into the very place where Christ’s love for us led Him. Can the unpardoned sinner himself fare better under the awful judgment of sin than did the holy, spotless Lamb of God, when He became the substitute of sinners? He was in the “far off” place for us, when He uttered that mournful and pathetic cry, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Well may we exclaim, ‘If such things were done in the green tree, what must be done in the dry?’
Does my reader know anything of the fearful and malignant nature of sin? And does he know anything of the power of the blood of Jesus Christ, which alone can cleanse it all away? If not—rest not, I pray thee, until thou knowest well, both the sweet and the bitter experience of these solemn realities. Nothing short of the death and resurrection of Christ can avail for thee. Human goodness, however great—human religiousness, however complete, can never meet the judgment of God against sin. For without the shedding of blood there is no remission. But, on! precious truth, the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth us from all sin. That means—us—or all, who believe in Him. Look to Jesus, my ear reader—look to Him alone, He died for thee. What a truth! Only think of it, an it will create both love and confidence in thy heart towards Himself. Couldst thou not trust the man—the God-man, who thus loved thee, and died for thee? Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.
“I rest in Christ, the Son of God,
Who took the servant’s form;
By faith I flee to Jesus’ cross,
My covert from the storm.
At peace with God, no ills I dread,
The cup of blessing mine:
The Lord is risen, His precious blood
Is new and living wine.”
In the passage before us, the truth, I am aware, has a dispensational aspect; that is, the Jew was dispensationally near, and the Gentile dispensationally far off; but morally and judicially, Christ on the cross as the sin bearer is the measure of the “far off” place. And nothing save the blood that was shed there, can ever bring either Jew or Gentile—the morally good or the openly bad—near to God. No goodness of man can ever blot οur sin—quench the flames of hell—open the gates of heaven, or fit the soul to enter there. The blood of Christ alone can do these things. It rent the vail of heaven, and opened up a pathway to the regions of love and glory. It unlocked the portals of the tomb when it was shed; thereby showing its power over the vast territories of the dead. Its power is unlimited. It rises to the loftiest heights of heaven; it penetrates to the deepest depths of the grave. It raises all who put their trust in Jesus, from the lowest point in sin and ruin, to the highest condition in righteousness and glory. It brings back the lost soul from the place of utter distance from God, and sets it in the place of blessed and eternal nearness. Its power to cleanse, purify, ennoble, and beautify, is infinite. In short, it is the solid foundation on which rests the whole of that glorious superstructure which God is now raising for His own glory, the honor of His Son, and the blessing of His people. All rests on the blood of the cross. “But now (meaning the present moment) in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off, are (not will be, but are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” Precious assurance, and infinite comfort for the heart! The Lord be praised!
He is also the believer’s peace. “For he is our peace.” The cross has clone all. It brings the believer near to God even as Christ is near; and gives him peace with God even as Christ Himself has peace. For Christ, in heaven, is our peace. And here we may notice in passing, that many make a great mistake as to what peace is. They think of it as something which they should have to enjoy in themselves. And because they do not always feel peace within, they are troubled, and begin to doubt if they are saved at all. Now we ought ever to bear in mind, that God has given us no good thing to enjoy apart from Christ. All the good things that His love can give us, He has given them to us in Christ. Thus it is that He is said to be, not only our peace, but our life, our righteousness, our joy, our sanctification, our hope, our all in all. In virtue of His cross, and of the Holy Ghost’s presence on the earth, we are one with Christ. And what more can be said? He Himself is the measure of our nearness, acceptance, and blessing, in the presence of God. And as He can never lose His life or position, we can never lose ours. We are joined to the Lord, and one spirit with Him. His name alone have all the praise and glory!
“I hear the words of love,
I gaze upon the blood,
I see the mighty sacrifice,
And I have peace with God.
‘Tis everlasting peace!
Sure as Jehovah’s name;
‘Tis stable as His steadfast throne,
For evermore the same.
I change: He changes not;
My Christ can never die;
His love, not mine, the resting place;
His truth, not mine, the tie.
The cross still stands unchanged,
Though heaven is now His home;
The mighty stone is rolled away,
But yonder is His tomb!
And yonder is my peace,
The grave of all my woes!
I know the Son of God has come,
I know He died and rose.
But it was the cross that wrought this mighty change, and brought in this unheard of blessing for both Jew and Gentile. It removed the wall of separation which God Himself had raised; it abolished the enmity, “even the law of commandments contained in ordinances.” It dissolved completely that distinction which separated the one from the other. And thus it brought the privileged Jew, and the far off Gentile together, and made them one in Christ. “For to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.” This is the Church—the body of Christ—“one new man.” The blessing is beyond all thought or expression. It is infinite. Here learn two things, my soul, in leaving this branch of the subject. 1. That thou art saved—saved by the blood of Christ, and that thy peace is stable as the throne of God. 2. Know what thou art saved for—that thou are saved to be a member of the body of Christ, and to be one with its exalted and glorified Head forever and forever. The first question must be settled before the second can be thought of. But it will ever be the enemy’s aim, to keep up the feeling of uncertainty as to the first, that the second may never inquired into. Hence it is that the Christian’s vocation is a subject but little known, and its need but little felt. The assurance of salvation is made the soul’s highest object, and whenever this is the case it is seldom reached. Hence its constant anxiety about salvation. But this should be made the starting post, not the winning post—the commencement, not the goal, in the christian race. What can be plainer than the verses we have just been looking at, both as to our individual and our corporate blessings? May the Lord enable us by His grace, to enter more fully into these practical and most precious truths, that His own name may be glorified!
Having thus considered, though briefly, the subject of the Church as the body of Christ, we will now dwell upon it for a little, as “an habitation of god through the spirit.”
Both aspects of the Church are of the most blessed and practical character—both are abundantly taught in scripture—both are of or through the Spirit, and both are founded on redemption. 1 Cor. 12, Eph. 1; 4; 5, plainly speak of the former; and 1 Corinthians 3, Eph. 2; 2 Tim. 3 as plainly speak of the latter.
The great practical truth, both as to the body of Christ and the habitation of God, is the place which the Holy Ghost occupies in each. Until this is seen and owned, no true idea of the Church can ever be entered into. There must be great darkness and confusion, both as to Church truth and practice, so long as the Holy Spirit has not His right place. Human notions, in such a case, must take the place of the word of God.
Let this, then, be thy first lesson, Ο my soul; learn it patiently, learn it thoroughly from the holy scriptures. Examine carefully what is taught on this point; and so learn how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God. here let thy meditations be in the sanctuary of His presence. Tradition and the human will should have no place in the temple of God; but, alas, nowhere are they allowed so large a place; indeed they too often practically displace the truth of God and the person of the Holy Ghost; but when such things are allowed, God is robbed of His glory even by His own children. Hence the doubts, darkness, and bondage of those who ought to be in the enjoyment of the light and the happy liberty of the gospel.
What can be plainer than the Lord’s own words on this subject? “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” Being a Spirit, He can only be worshipped spiritually, or in the power of the Holy Spirit, and according to His own revealed truth. And such worshippers the Father seeks. He led the woman of Samaria thus to worship. What grace! Who else would have cared for her worship? The living water which the Son gives, represents the Holy Spirit as the power of worship, and communion with God and the Father. “The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” The Holy Spirit in the believer is also the seal of a present salvation, and the earnest of future glory. But our present theme is rather the presence of the Holy Spirit in the assembly than in the person of the believer. As this is by far the most important truth connected with the Church of God, let me direct thy attention for a few moments to what the Lord Himself says on the subject. Let us be clear as to the great fact of the Holy Spirit Himself (not merely a spiritual influence or power) being on the earth. This, I believe, is the characteristic truth of Christianity. Christ Himself may be savingly known, but Christianity cannot without the knowledge, in some measure, of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, He is the bond, the everlasting bond, of our union with Christ in resurrection and heavenly glory.