It has been the invariable method of God, to take occasion from every successive failure of the creature, more clearly to manifest His own perfections; and while in so doing He has brought Himself nearer to man, He has at the same time progressively increased man's responsibility. The failure has ever been from man's waywardness; the glory of getting good out of evil, God's sole prerogative. “Where sin abounded, grace much more abounded,” while true in individual blessing to God's elect, is specially true in each successive dispensation, from the fall to “the fullness of time in which God sent forth His Son;” which even yet awaits a fuller development “in the dispensation of the fullness of times, when He shall gather together in one, all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth” (Eph. 1:1010That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: (Ephesians 1:10)). The progress of the divine dispensations is thus summarily stated by the apostle, in the Epistle to the Hebrews: “God, who at sundry times (πολυμερῶς) and in divers manners (πολυτρόπως), spake in time past unto the fathers, by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son” (Heb. 1:1, 21God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (Hebrews 1:1‑2)).
The contrast here is not merely between the prophets and the Son, but also between the fullness of the manifestation of God in the Son compared with the partial character of previous manifestations. They were but piecemeal. At one time there was a revelation of mercy, at another of power, at another of faithfulness; and in ways too sufficiently indicative of their obscurity—in a vision, or a dream. But in Jesus the whole effulgence of the divine character shone forth. He was “the brightness of glory.” “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father also.” And so entirely divested of obscurity was the manifestation, that one could say, “That which was from the beginning, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the Word of life,” in a word, “God manifested in the flesh.”
This progress has been to greater intimacy (if the expression may reverently be used) between God and man. He was known to the fathers by the name of “God Almighty” (Ex. 6:33And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. (Exodus 6:3)). To the Israelites He was made known by His name “Jehovah,” a great God and “very present help in time of trouble,” as well as a holy and jealous God. This was the burthen οf the testimony of God's servants the prophets, whom He sent, “rising early and sending, until there was no remedy.” Israel had not only failed to manifest Jehovah, but the end was “that the name of God was blasphemed through them among the heathen” (Ezek. 36:2323And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. (Ezekiel 36:23); Rom. 2:2424For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. (Romans 2:24).)
The latest testimony to them was that of John, who came in the way of righteousness; and then another dispensation was announced. “The law and the prophets were until John; since that time, the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it” (Luke 16:1616The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. (Luke 16:16)). But the dispensation might not pass without the vindication of God's wisdom in it, that it was holy, just, and good; until “God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem that were ender the law” (Gal. 4:3, 43Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 4But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, (Galatians 4:3‑4)). He took it up, and what in man had failed was in Him magnified. No jot or tittle of the law passed till all was fulfilled. Every one of its requirements was met by the Lord, and God was with Him (Acts 10:3838How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. (Acts 10:38)). In Him, the “righteous Servant,” was exhibited God's power (Christ the power of God), acknowledged and felt, reasoned against indeed as to its source (“whence has this man this power? what manner of man is this?”), but too palpable to be gainsayed.
Having established His claim to be “the Just One” (“which of you convinceth Me of sin?” “the prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in Me”), He further vindicated God in the law by undergoing its awful curse; and thus set it aside. He was “obedient unto death, even the death of the cross,” and declared to be the righteous One by His resurrection; and not only so, but exalted as such, and declared to be “worthy to receive power, and riches, and glory, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and blessing.” It is important to remark that the old dispensation was completely set aside, not renovated or altered; and that before the kingdom of God which was announced, was set up in power, an opportunity was afforded by the death of Christ and the fulfillment of the law, for a further display of the character of God previous to the exercise of active power and retributive justice in His kingdom by Him who was worthy to receive power.
This intermediate dispensation is that in which we are. “The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” In order to the public manifestation of God's grace, not only was it needful for man to be exhibited in his utter helplessness and apostasy, but likewise for the law to be set aside, or it would stand as a barrier of God's own raising against it. Therefore instead of God manifested through Israel by the exercise of His power in and through them, and showing His holy character through their reflection of it— “be ye holy, for I am holy;” and thus proving what a great and terrible God He was—how inaccessible by man, because of His holiness—with the preservation of every previously manifested perfection of God—we now have seen Him set forth in Christ as “reconciling the world unto Himself;” and instead of keeping sinners at a distance from Him, “preaching peace by Jesus Christ.”
But while God is thus set forth, in all this nearness to sinners, as was exhibited on the part of Jesus being conversant with them, those who were drawn by God's grace into His presence were to become the means of exhibiting the presence of God in the world. How now is God manifested in nearness to man? In Israel He was manifested to be near them by His protection, and the confession of His presence was extorted from the mouth of His enemies by His judgments. But it is not so now. The dispensation is changed from active righteousness to grace; God is letting men alone, by not interfering now in vengeance on sinners who see it not, and therefore “despise the riches of His goodness, and, forbearance, and longsuffering,” and are “treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath.” God, in all the nearness of grace, is actually less acknowledged than in all the distance the law had made between Him and man.
The reason is obvious. God's presence was then manifest to sense, but now in the power of deliverance from the world; and not only did the one more readily address itself naturally to man than the other, but the failure has been more decided. So long as Jesus remained on earth, the presence of God was felt if not acknowledged, “God was manifest in the flesh.” It was, however, expedient for His disciples that He should go away—expedient for them! It is marvelous that it should have been so. His presence, which was the joy of their heart and only stability, was to be lost to them, in order to increase their blessing. Was it, therefore, possible for them to have God nearer to them than to have His presence, whose name was “Immanuel, God with us?” Yes, this was even possible; and therefore, it was expedient that Jesus should ascend. He had the power of life on earth—He could have so sustained it, as He showed in Lazarus, as to prevent death. But this, after all, would have been but the Adam life prolonged. It was at His ascension that Jesus was proved to be the quickening spirit— “because I live, ye shall live also” —live out of death—triumph over death. “Thanks be to God which giveth us the victory;” it was resurrection life with God.
What then do we see, but the same Jesus Who was crucified, at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty on high? We see God's perfect complacency in a man—even the man Christ Jesus; so that we have not only the great principle of God's love in the incarnation of the Son of God, but we have the result of that in the glory to which man is to he exalted. Because He humbled Himself, He was exalted; and this exaltation was in that which alone was capable of exaltation—even the nature He had taken into union with Himself But this also was in order to further nearness of God to man. Having had God with him, he was now to have God in him.
“He being exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear.” There was the word made good, “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever, the Spirit of truth, Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him. But ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you and shall be in you.” Here, then, is the progress of God's manifestation, marked indeed not only by outward power, but more by His presence pressing itself on the conscience of men (Acts 4:3333And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. (Acts 4:33); 1 Cor. 14:24, 2524But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: 25And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. (1 Corinthians 14:24‑25)). Here then in the saints, in the indwelling of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. 6:19; 3:1619What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19)
16Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16); 2 Cor. 6:1616And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (2 Corinthians 6:16)), it is manifested that there is a God of judgment, and that by Him actions are weighed. This is the very end of the people of God being left here, the Spirit (Whom the world cannot receive) in and through them being to convince the world of sin (John 16:7-117Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. (John 16:7‑11)). Here we have brought out clearly the marvel of God's dealing with the world in grace, and yet showing Himself in His saints as “the righteous God That loveth righteousness.”
If God be not here, where is He? And hence the deep and solemn importance of being sound in the faith of the deity, and personality of the Holy Ghost. “The Holy Ghost was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” Surely it would be destructive to His deity, and blasphemy against His person, ever to assert that He was not as to being; as it would be destructive to the existence of the saints under former dispensations to say they were not born of Him. The gravamen of Israel's apostasy, as summed up by Stephen, is, “Ye stiff-necked, and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye;” and again we read, “Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” “Whereof the Holy Ghost is a witness to us, for after that He had said before, &c.” These are testimonies amply sufficient to show that the blessed agent, in testimony and in grace, has ever been the Holy Spirit. The expression of our Lord, as commented on by John, must therefore have another meaning; and the understanding of it unfolds the character and blessing of the present dispensation.