E. le’P. -1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7). “We have fellowship one with another,” &c. Does not this mean the saints’ fellowship one with another? Can it, by any possible means, be made to mean our fellowship with God?
A.-The simple meaning is, “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship (i.e. Christians) one with another” (αλλἠλων). The word is a plural one, but one which has no singular. If “with God” were the thought, it would have been said, “we have fellowship with Him.” To say “one with another” would be irreverent and familiar to a degree, when talking of God.
“I reject entirely its being with God in 1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7); not merely think the other right. Αλλἠλων, is mere mutuality, and God would have as much communion with us as a companion, as we with Him, which is to be utterly rejected as irreverent and wrong. Scripture never speaks so of God; for God’s having communion with us as between two equals, and αλλἠλων is thorough mutuality.”
2. What is “being made the righteousness of God in him?”
A.-1. The expression is rather, “the righteousness from God.” (Phil. 3:99And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: (Philippians 3:9).) First of all, the sinner who believes on Him that justifies the ungodly, is reckoned righteous of God and by faith. It is not that so much righteousness is reckoned to him; but he himself is reckoned intrinsically righteous before God. (Rom. 4) God acts righteously through the precious blood of Christ in so counting him. Christ, at God’s right hand, is the proof that God’s righteousness is manifested. His first act, when Christ met all His righteous claims as to sin and glorified Him, was to set Christ as Man in heaven. His next act is to count righteous all who believe in Jesus.
2. But this is not all. To the believer has been communicated a new life, even in Christ risen from the dead, the character of which is a justified life—(Rom. 5:1818Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. (Romans 5:18).)—a life on the other side of death and sin. Christ risen is this life; our life is “hid with Christ in God.” (Col. 3:55Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: (Colossians 3:5).) Christ has been “made sin for us,” that we might become God’s righteousness in Him, as gone on high. He is, in heaven, God’s righteousness, and we become God’s righteousness, i.e., the expression of it, in Him.
Thus far as to what we now possess by faith. But we are journeying on to heaven to win Christ, and be found in Him, not having our own righteousness—even supposing we had all that Paul could boast of in Phil. 3:4-64Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: 5Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. (Philippians 3:4‑6). He throws it aside, and counts it dross and dung, desiring and looking for another thing when he reaches the goal, even a righteousness which is from God by faith.
Thus you find that on the one hand he is already righteous; he is already “in Christ” by faith; while he is still, at the same time, running towards the goal, as in Phil. 3, to be “found” “in Christ” at the close, and to have the righteousness which is from God at that day.
The anomalous state of the Christian, “as having nothing” in himself, yet “possessing all things” in Christ, explains it.