“Ere He found His Church which was lost.”
The Infinite Stoop
My Savior, adored and adorable, hast Thou stooped low enough? Surely Thou hast. No, Thou hast not yet bottomed the terrible depths of her fall.
He was “made in the likeness of men.” As I trace the humiliating steps of His terrible descent into her abyss of ignominy, shame, woe, and death, I would seek, by God's help, to guard His holy humanity from being misunderstood. “Man's likeness,” what does it mean? Does it mean just like me? A thousand times “No.” The word likeness is used three times in the New Testament:
“Likeness of sinful flesh” (Rom. 8:3),
“Likeness of men” (Phil. 2), and lastly,
“Likeness of His death” (Rom. 6:5).
This last quotation gives to me the true meaning of “Likeness of men.”
Note, baptism is said by God to be the likeness of His death. Would any one suggest that it was His death, or even approaching a sameness of His death? Thus, as baptism cannot by any possible stretch of imagination be made to mean the same thing as His death, no more can His spotless, untainted, and untaintable humanity be made the same as mine. In His humanity there was the great mystery of Godliness. God manifest in flesh, not God and man, but God-man, “Immanuel—God with us,” our great Savior, but also, and at the same time, “our great God” (Titus 2:13). He was the “seed of the woman.” Here His humanity and mine part company. Again, He was immaculately conceived, called by God “that holy thing.” As He lay in the manger God's testimony of the little Babe is:
“He is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).
“He knew no sin” (2 Cor. 5:21)
“Did no sin” (1 Peter 2:22).
“Had no sin” (1 John 3:5).
As holy on the Cross as He was in His life. As holy in His life as He was in the manger, and as holy in the manger as He was in the Godhead. “That holy thing,” the incomparable God-man, a humanity which knew no taint of sin, no seed of mortality, taintless and untaintable, sinless and impeccable. The One concerning whom God said,
“I have laid hold on One who is mighty,” Satan's conqueror, the Stronger than the strong man, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, and my Redeemer.
My Savior adored, hast Thou not in the humiliating stoop of incarnation, reached her yet? Can she not be linked with Thy perfect humanity, and thus be lifted to Thy plane? No. She lies deeper still, further removed yet. No union or oneness possible in incarnation.
And being found in “man's fashion,” he was a real Man. Weary, hungry, sad, knowing throughout His life what poverty meant, suffering by His perfect sympathy, suffering for righteousness' sake, suffering as He came in contact with sin, and its concomitant evils, the terrible suffering of anticipation, for He was the only Man born with the express object to die; and, last of all, suffering as a sin-bearer on the Cross. Surely in all points, sin apart, He was tempted like as we are (Heb. 4:5). Note, “sin apart.” He never knew the temptations of sin.
The Deeper Descent
Being found in man's fashion did not reach her. He must descend lower still, if He is to get to her level. Therefore, as man, He emptied Himself and “became obedient even unto death, and that the death of the cross.”
At last He has reached her. He has gone to where she lay. He has taken her guilt, curse, and shame as His own. He carries it to Calvary, and there, instead of her, He pays the terrible price. She dies in Him. She is buried with Him, quickened with Him, raised with Him, and seated in Him at God's right hand. She died with Him to live with Him, and when He who is her life shall appear, she shall appear with Him in glory (Col. 3:4).
As we trace the terrible descent of the Son of God, and knowing all we know, yet we must say:
“None of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were those waters crossed,
Or how dark was the night
Which the Lord passed through
Ere He found His Church which was lost.”
Thank God, His love was stronger than death, waters could not quench it, floods could not drown it, Calvary, dark Calvary, could not separate her from it.
But we have not yet seen that love finally tested. Let us still seek for grace to consider Him.
Final Test of Christ's Love
“Then cometh the end when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God... and when all things shall be subdued unto Him that put all things under Him, then shall the Son Himself be subject, that God may be all in all.” 1 Cor. 15:24-28.
Here we have the eternal subjection of the Son. What does it mean? It is the final test of His love.
In order to understand it, let us read together the law of the Hebrew servant as we have it in Ex. 21. There we find that the term of his service was seven years, perfect and complete service. He can then go free, yea, as free as his master. If he brought a wife in with him, she can go out with him, but if his master gave him a wife, he must go out alone. Then comes the test of his love. If he says,
“I love my master, my wife, my children, I will not go out free,” then he is taken to the door-post, his ear bored, and he serves forever.
Our adorable Lord is the great Antitype, the perfect Hebrew servant.
“Behold My Servant, whom I uphold; Mine Elect, in whom My soul delighteth.” Isa. 42:1.
These words were applied to Christ when He came up out of the waters of baptism in Matt. 3.
The time comes in His service when He has completely fulfilled the Father's will and completely finished His work. When the great purposes of servitude are accomplished, He can go free, back into God's form and God's equality.
But His bride, what of her? He cannot take her back into God's form of God's equality. She cannot go free. He came in by Himself, His Master gave her to Him.
If He goes out, He must go out alone. Now comes the greatest test of all, the final and eternal test. Listen, O my soul, in breathless suspense listen. Will His love, the love of Christ, stand the test? He speaks:
“For her I became a man, a slave. For her I died a malefactor's death. For her I made atonement, her sins I bore, her life I quickened. I lifted her from the lowest depths of shame and hell itself, to the highest heights of My acquired glory. My vast possessions and wealth inherited by Me as man glorified, I hold and value for her sake alone, that I may lavish them upon her forever. She is life of My life, soul of My soul, joy of My joy, My glory, and My crown. For her I wore the crown of thorns. I endured the fierceness of Thy wrath. Because of her, I carry with Me My death scars into everlasting rest, and count them among My most precious possessions. No, I love My wife, I will not go free. For her I became a man, a servant; for her I remain a man, a servant, forever. I have her in My own image, sinless and perfect, and throughout the eternal ages she shall be by My side.”
“She and I in that bright glory
One deep joy shall share;
Hers to be forever with Me,
Mine, that she is there.”
I think you can now more sincerely enter into the meaning of the apostle when he cries,
“The love of Christ constraineth us.” 2 Cor. 5:14.
May it so constrain us,that we render to Him a love for a love, a life for a life, a heart for a heart! Then shall we truly sing:
“O, Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in Thee:
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.”
(Concluded)