The words, “standing” and “state,” are conventional terms—words about which there may be much strife, and little profit, as so much depends on the meaning writers or speakers may attach to them. If we examine their meaning in the English language, there is not much difference. The conventional sense, however, in which these words are used is this: standing is our place, or position with God, and may be illustrated by the following scriptures: “The true grace of God wherein ye stand” (1 Pet. 5:1212By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand. (1 Peter 5:12)); “I declare unto you the gospel [glad tidings] which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand” (1 Cor. 15:11Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; (1 Corinthians 15:1)); “This grace wherein we stand.” (Rom. 5:22By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:2).) Thus standing is what a believer is in the unbounded, free favor of God.
But his state we understand to be that condition of soul in which he is found in himself, or the state of his soul in relation to his standing.
It will therefore be seen that the standing of a believer is a fundamental truth thus revealed in scripture. It must not be limited. Who can limit the grace of God? Who can declare the extent of the glad tidings of God in which we stand, or the boundless range of this grace in which we stand? Who can unfold the perfect and complete will of God to us? Surely none but the Holy Ghost. We would look to Him to reveal to us, from the word, at least some of the distinct aspects of our standing in this grace.
First, our standing as justified. This is altogether of God, and therefore must be perfect, and all of grace—justified freely. The redemption we have through the blood of Christ is the effect of the free favor of God to us. But this is far more than being sheltered from judgment by that Mood, blessed as that is. Israel was sheltered by the blood of the paschal lamb, but they had no standing but slavery as yet. It was not until they had passed through Jordan that they arrived at their true standing; and if Christ be not risen from the dead, we have no standing in the glad tidings of God. He, in grace, took our standing; He put Himself in our relation to God, as guilty and under judgment, that we might have His standing risen from the dead—not only sins forgiven, but justified by His blood. That is true, hut that alone would be far from our standing, or relationship, to God. No efforts of our own to keep the law could possibly justify us from its curse.
But God is now revealed in righteousness, apart from law, on another principle; God is righteous in justifying us through the propitiatory work of His own Son. That righteousness has been wrought out for us, and, believing God, that raised up Jesus, our Lord, from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised, again for our justification, we are accounted—reckoned—righteous. And this perfect work gives perfect peace: “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Yes, He bore the full, infinite judgment for our sins—He was raised from the dead for our justification. And when this was accomplished, His life, which had passed through death and judgment, could in righteousness be communicated to us, “unto justification of 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).)
This life could not be communicated to us until Jesus, as the grain of wheat, had died. Now He brings forth much fruit. (John 12:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. (John 12:24).) The risen life of Jesus is the justified life we now have, our old life and standing being completely and forever gone. In Christ a new creation, old things passed away, all things new, and all of God, and therefore justified in the most complete sense; that is, there is nothing to condemn—sins are forgiven truly; but also sin in the flesh is judged, and set aside judicially in the death of Christ. In a word the believer is reckoned to be in the same position, or standing, as the risen Christ is in—accounted righteous before God, and having the same justified life in Him on the ground of accomplished, subsisting righteousness. Thus every possible disturbing element is removed, and all is perfect, everlasting peace. And it is in this pure, unmerited favor that the believer stands. Thus the believer’s standing cannot change, unless the free favor of God could fail; or the infinite value of the death of Jesus could change, and become finite, which is impossible. As to justification, then, the standing of the believer is immutable, unchanging, all of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
This being the case, what ought to be our state of soul? If we fully knew and believed this, should we not be filled with joy in the Lord? Surely praise and thanksgiving would constantly flow from our hearts in worship. Why is this not so? Because our standing is confounded with our state. God is the Justifier, and He is righteous in justifying us, and our justification is wholly of Him. But our state depends on how far this is made known to us in the power of the Holy Ghost, and on our walk in the Spirit, in accordance with this glorious standing, for our justified standing is the standing of the risen, glorified Christ.
Secondly. We will now look at our standing as the children of God. Our standing was children of wrath, even as others. But what is our standing as children, sons, of God? Have you ever thought of this position, this relationship, this standing? What a change in the standing, or relation, of Mephibosheth, as an alien, afar off, in Lodebar; and, when fetched, to sit at the king’s table as one of the kings sons. One day he had the standing of an outcast, now he has the standing of a son, not merely before the king, but sitting at his table, in the most perfect assurance of kindness for another’s sake. Such is the blessed relationship, or standing, the believer has. Once an outcast, a prodigal, far away, his standing the wretchedness of sin and misery.
But now he has passed from death unto life, the atoning work being done, God having raised His Holy One from the dead. How sweet to the heart of the risen Jesus to announce, by Mary, the reality of this new relationship, this new standing, in resurrection! No longer, Go, tell my disciples. No. “Go το my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” They were now brought into the same standing, or relationship, to the Father as the standing and relationship of Jesus risen from the dead! Oh, stupendous fact! Nothing now to hinder Him from owning them, from standing in the midst of His brethren, and saying, “Peace to you.”
“Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” “Beloved, now are we the sons of God.” This is our standing now. The glory of this standing is not yet manifested— “it doth not jet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when he shall appear [or, when it shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” Thus He has made our standing as children identical with His own. (John 3:1-31There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:1‑3).) “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God: and if children,, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.” (Rom. 8:14-1714For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17And 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 8:14‑17).) This was God’s thought of our standing from eternity, before the foundation of the world. “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children,” &c. (Eph. 1:55Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, (Ephesians 1:5).) Is not the Epistle to the Galatians given us to show that our standing is not that of servants, but of sons? “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore, thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an. heir of God, through Christ.” (Gal. 4:6, 76And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Galatians 4:6‑7).) All this is so plain, and so sure, on the testimony of the word of God, that, though it is not yet manifested, we know that when it is, it will be just this—our standing in the brightness of the glory will be to be like Him. No other creature will be brought to this standing, and God could give no higher than the standing of His own Son. Oh, the riches of His grace!
Now, dear fellow-believer, what is the state of your soul as to all this? Are you walking in this world of sorrow, and sin, and temptation, in the consciousness that you are one of the brethren of Christ, a child of God, loved with the same love—joint-heir with Him, soon to be like Him? He that hath this hope in Him, purifieth himself as He is pure. Is this your constant object? Is He your pattern? Oh, how far short we come of the copy! Yet, we are convinced, the more we know and enjoy our standing as the children of God, the more our state will correspond. May our God grant that this may be the case with every christian reader of this paper. Here we would pause, before going on to other aspects of our standing and our state.