SOME time ago, in a meeting for young men in the city of London, it was stated by a gentleman whose opinion is worthy of respect that three-fourths of the Christians in the world confounded their standing before God in Christ with their everyday fluctuating state. As a consequence, they were never sure of their ultimate salvation, believing it to depend on the condition of their soul when death should over take them, or the Lord should come. Such was his conviction. It set us thinking!
The word “standing” may not be the best for expressing all that is meant, though we frankly confess we can find no better. We use it in this paper as embracing those eternal blessings which have reached us in and through Christ our Lord, and which, once bestowed, are never withdrawn. Here everything is perfect, complete, and unchangeable. The state of our souls cannot be so described. Were our standing before God dependent on our state, it would be constantly changing, like the hand of a barometer, with every turn of wind and weather. Thank God it is not so. Our everyday state may ebb and flow like the tides of the ocean — our standing remains firm as the solid rock. But let us look at the subject a little more in detail.
First, then, the believer has the standing of one whose sins, are forgiven, and against whom no charge of guilt can ever be laid (Rom. 8:3333Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. (Romans 8:33)). He is 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)). This is saying much — more perhaps than some can say, though it be among the elementary truths of the Gospel. If it be asked, How may anyone know this for himself and be firmly assured of it? we answer: From the Holy Scriptures. There we are told that Christ died for the ungodly; we are also told that every believer in Him, is forgiven and justified. Both statements come from the same source and rest on the same divine authority. We believe the one, we draw comfort from it; on what ground, then, do we hesitate to believe the other?
Let us see what the first messengers of the risen Christ have to say about it. In Acts 2:3838Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38) we read of “the remission of sins,” in chapter 3:19 of “sins blotted out,” in chapter 5:31 of “the forgiveness of sins” for every repentant one. All their preaching led up to that point, as well it might, for forgiveness is the first great need of the soul. And when the Apostle Peter went to the Gentiles he followed the same plan. After having spoken of the Lord Jesus whom God had raised from the dead, he declared that “to Him give all the prophets witness that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.” Such words — gloriously plain and sure — did not fall on unbelieving ears. The good news, was received in faith by Cornelius and his many friends, and immediately it was sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:42, 4342And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. 43To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:42‑43)).
Nor did the Apostle Paul do otherwise when preaching to his Jewish brethren and to as many others as feared God in the synagogue at Antioch. Beautiful in their simplicity are the words which he spake. He, too, bare witness to the risen Christ, and said, “Be it known, unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:38, 3938Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:38‑39)). Could anything be plainer or more suited to our case than that?
And if we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, are not our sins forgiven even as theirs were? Of course they are, every one of them. Is it God’s will that we should know it? Certainly. For that very purpose the Gospel is preached to men. The heaven-sent message not only points out the way of salvation, but gives us the knowledge of it. Our assurance is founded on nothing less than the Word of the living God. Surely that is enough.
It is of the greatest moment that we should be clear upon this latter point, for here so many go astray. The tendency of timid souls is to be ever occupied with their inward state and their outward walk. Dissatisfied with both, they feel it would ill become them to be, too confident of the actual forgiveness of their sins. A feeble flickering hope is all they dare cherish, and anything more would be to them a presumptuous sin. So long as this continues there can be no real rest. The eye is off Christ. His atoning work it out of sight, and instead of the Word of God being the sole ground of faith, self, with its poor and unsatisfying experiences, takes its place. Then a better, brighter state is hoped for and a holier walk. But if these hopes were crowned it would give no certainty that we were among God’s forgiven ones. Any confidence that is based upon experiences rests upon a precarious foundation. How much better is it to hearken to the voice of God in the Holy Scriptures! There I learn that my sins have been borne by my Saviour in His own body on the tree (1 Peter 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)), and there I am told that God will remember my sins and iniquities no more (Heb. 10:1717And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 10:17)). Am I not to believe that? And if I do, shall I be building my house on the sinking sand?
Second: all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ have the standing of dear children in the house and home of their Father. They are born of God. Having received Him in whom the eyes of men saw no beauty, the right is theirs to take the place of God’s children. On this point John 1:1212But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12) is most explicit. “As many as received Him, to them gave He the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on His name” (R.V.). “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:1717And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:17)). That is what you are. It is indeed wonderful that God should speak in those gracious terms of you and of all who have received Christ as their Saviour and confess Him as Lord. But it is so.
Here let me pause and ask some questions Did we become God’s children through any merit of our own? Do we continue to be His children only so long as we behave ourselves, and do we cease to be His the moment we are not what we ought to be? Does the relationship between us and our own children hang upon so slender a thread? Do we disown them and cast them off when they fail to please us? If a child be very naughty, is it not still the child of its mother? Are divinely-formed relationships less enduring than earthly ones? What sort of a father are you making out God to be, if you think your continuing to be His child is dependent on your changing state? Do you not dishonor Him by such hard and legal thoughts? And if children, surely He loves us with a love that goes beyond that of any earthly parent. No mother’s love equals His. She may forget the child she bare, but He never will. “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee” (Isa. 49:1515Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. (Isaiah 49:15)). Do you say, But if I fall, will He love me just the same? Yes; your fall will not alienate His love.
“I remember,” says Dr. Campbell Morgan, “when my twelve months’ old laddie began to walk. With what delight we watched his first tottering steps! One day down he went, all in a heap! Did I straighten my back, and disown him, and disinherit him? That did not I. I picked him up, and set him on his feet, and kissed away his tears, and felt all the pain of his fall, and bade him try again. He tried and walked the better. Is my love to my child more tender than your Lord’s love to you?” But should I fall again and yet again, will He still love me? Yes; though He may not manifest His love to you unless it be in the way of correction. A parent does not caress his child when wayward and disobedient, though the love be there. “If his children forsake My law, and walk not in My judgments; if they break My statutes, and keep not My commandments; then will I visit their transgressions with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless My lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer My faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of My lips” (Psa. 89:30-3430If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; 31If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; 32Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. 33Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. 34My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. (Psalm 89:30‑34)). If God thus speaks of His ancient people of Israel, will He say less of those to whom He has shown richer and more abundant grace?
Again, the believer has the standing bore God of one who is “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)). In our unconverted days we were “in the flesh,” we are now “in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in us” (Rom. 8:99But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Romans 8:9)). Then, we were of Adam’s fallen family, now we are “in Christ” and of that family of which He is the risen and glorious Head. “If anyone be in Christ, there is a new creation: old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17,17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) N.Tr.). This does not mean that “the flesh” has passed away, and will never more be seen or felt. It is still in us, though we are not in it before God. But it does mean that we have been taken, by the power of God, out of the conditions in which all men are by nature — dead in trespasses and sins — and placed in Christ, quickened with a new life and set in new and heavenly associations. Now we know that “whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it: and God doeth it that men should fear before Him” (Eccl. 3:1414I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. (Ecclesiastes 3:14)).
Are we to conclude, then, that our inward state and outward walk are matters of no moment? God forbid! Only let us distinguish between things that differ. If our standing and relationships are, unchangeable and abiding, so also are the obligations that flow from them. Am I always one of God’s children? Then I am always to be an imitator of Him as a dear child (Eph. 5:11Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; (Ephesians 5:1)). If the relationship be weakened, so is the responsibility attaching to it. They stand or fall together.
And the power for a holy walk is not found in looking within and doubting whether we are really the Lord’s because of what we find there. We are, indeed, in ourselves but an unclean thing, and in our flesh good does not dwell. Why, then, should we be always thinking about it? God has judged it and set it aside in the cross of Christ. Let us also cast it behind our back as something unworthy of a thought. The Holy Spirit would engage our hearts with Christ and with the things that are above, of which Christ is the glorious Center. Our salvation secured, our relationship established, our hearts assured of the everlasting love of God our Father, we are now at leisure to learn those great and grand purposes of God that are yet to be fulfilled, and which are revealed in the Holy Scriptures for us to understand. Christ in His greatness and glory will thus displace self, and as we grow in the knowledge of Him, under whose feet by and by all things in heaven and earth are to be placed, and whose glory His Church shall share, our souls will be filled with wonder, love, and praise. Instead of raining a prisoner in the gloomy dungeons of Doubting Castle, our emancipated spirits will roam at large in the broad inheritance of which Christ is Heir and we are His co-heirs. By these things we shall live, and in us God will be glorified.
W.B.