Moreover, let us remark here, and it is an important feature in this
picture of the fruits of grace and of the new man, that when the grace and
love, which come down from God, act in man, they always go up again to God
in devotedness. Walk, he says, in love, even as Christ loved us and gave
Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling
savour. We see it in Christ. He is this love which comes down in grace, but
this grace, acting in man, makes Him devote Himself to God, although it is
on behalf of others. So it is in us; it is the touchstone of the christian
heart's activity.
The apostle then speaks plainly as to sin, in order that no one may deceive
himself; nor be occupied with deep truths, using them intellectually, to
the neglect of ordinary morality-one of the signs of heresy, properly so
called. He has connected the profoundest doctrines in his teaching with
daily practice. If Christ be glorified, the Head of the assembly, He is the
model of the new man, the last Adam; the assembly being one with Him on
high, and the habitation of God on earth by the Spirit, with whom every
Christian is sealed. Every Christian, if indeed he has learned the truth as
it is in Jesus, has learned that it consists in having put off the old man,
and having put on the new man, created after God in righteousness and
holiness (of which Christ is the model, according to the counsels of God in
glory); and he is to grow up unto the measure of the stature of Christ, who
is the Head, and not grieve the Holy Spirit wherewith he is sealed. The
fullest revelation of grace does not weaken the immutable truth that God
had a character proper to Himself; it unfolds that character to us by means
of the most precious revelations of the gospel, and of the closest
relationships with God, which were formed by these revelations: but this
character could not alter, nor could the kingdom of God allow of, any
characters contrary to it. The wrath of God therefore against evil, and
against those who commit it, is plainly set forth.
Now we were that which is contrary to His character, we were darkness; not
only in the dark, but darkness in our nature, the opposite of God who is
light. Not one ray of that which He is was found in our will, our desires,
our understanding. We were morally destitute of it. There was the
corruptness of the first Adam, but no share in any feature of the divine
character. We are now partakers of the divine nature, we have the same
desires, we know what it is that He loves, and we love what He loves, we
enjoy that which He enjoys, we are light (poor and weak indeed, yet such by
nature) in the Lord-looked at as in Christ. They are the fruits of light
[see note #24]
that are developed in the Christian; he is to avoid all association with
the unfruitful works of darkness.
But, in speaking of motives, the apostle returns to the great subjects that
pre-occupied him, and he returns to them, not only that we should put on
the character set forth by that of which he speaks, but that we should
realise all its extent, that we should experience all its force. He had
told us that the truth in Christ was the having put on the new man, in
contrast with the old man, and that we are not to grieve the Holy Spirit.
Now he exhorts those that sleep to awake, and Christ should be their light.
Light makes all things manifest; but he who sleeps, although not dead, does
not profit by it. For hearing, seeing, and all mental reception and
communication, he is in the state of a dead man. Alas, how apt this sleep
is to overtake us! But in awaking, it was not that they should see the
light dimly, but Christ Himself should be the light of the soul; they
should have all the full revelation of that which is well-pleasing to God,
that which He loves; they should have divine wisdom in Christ; they should
be able to profit by opportunities, should find them, being thus
enlightened, in the difficulties of a world governed by the enemy, and
should act according to spiritual understanding in every case that
presented itself. Further, if they were not to lose their senses through
means of excitement used in the world, they were to be filled with the
Spirit, that is, that He should take such possession of our affections, our
thoughts, our understanding, that He should be their only source according
to His proper and mighty energy to the exclusion of all else. Thus, full of
joy, we should praise, we should sing for joy; and we should give thanks
for all that might happen, because a God of love is the true source of all.
We should be full of joy in the spiritual realisation of the objects of
faith, and the heart continuing to be filled with the Spirit and sustained
by this grace, the experience of the hand of God in everything here below
will give rise only to thanksgiving. It comes from His hand whom we trust
and whose love we know. But giving thanks in all things is a test of the
state of the soul; because the consciousness that all things are from God's
hand, full trust in His love, and deadness as to any will of our own, must
exist in order to give thanks in everything-a single eye which delights in
His will.
In entering into the details of relationships and particular duties, the
apostle cannot give up the subject that is so dear to him. The command
which he addresses to wives, that they are to submit themselves to their
husbands, immediately suggests the relationship between Christ and the
assembly, not now as a subject for knowledge, but to unfold His affection
and tender care. We have seen that the apostle, having established the
great principles displayed in the revelation of our relationship with
God-our vocation-then deduces their practical consequences with regard to
the life and conduct of Christians: they were to walk as having put on the
new man, to have Christ for their light, not to grieve the Spirit, to be
filled with the Spirit. Now all this, while the fruit of grace, was either
knowledge or practical responsibility.
But here the subject is viewed in another aspect. It is the grace that acts
in Christ Himself, His affections, His guardian care, His devotedness to
the assembly. Nothing can be more precious, more tender, more intimate. He
loved the assembly-that is the source of all. And there are three steps in
the work of this love. He gave Himself for it, He washes it, He presents it
all glorious to Himself. This is not precisely the sovereign election of
the individual by God; but the affection that displays itself in the
relationship which Christ maintains with the assembly.[see note #25]
See also the extent of the gift, and how marvellous the ground of
confidence that it contains. He gives Himself; it is not only His life,
true as that is, but Himself.[see note #26]
All that Christ was has been given, and given by Himself; it is the entire
devotedness and giving of Himself. And now all that is in Him-His grace,
His righteousness, His acceptance with the Father, the excellent glory of
His Person, His wisdom, the energy of divine love that can give itself-all
is consecrated to the welfare of the assembly. There are no qualities, no
excellencies in Christ, which are not ours in their exercise consequent on
the gift of Himself. He has already given them, and consecrated them to the
blessing of the assembly which He has given Himself to have. Not only are
they given, but He has given them; His love has accomplished it
.
We know well that it is on the cross that this giving of Himself was
accomplished, it is there that the consecration of Himself to the good of
the assembly was complete. But here that glorious work is not exactly
viewed on the side of its atoning and redeeming efficacy, but on that of
the devotedness and love to the assembly which Christ manifested in it. Now
we can always reckon upon this love which was perfectly displayed in it. It
is not altered. Jesus-blessed and praised be His name for it!-is for me
according to the energy of His love in all that He is, in all circumstances
and for ever, and in the activity of that love according to which He gave
Himself. He loved the assembly and gave Himself for it. This is the source
of all our blessings, as members of the assembly.
But this love of Christ is inexhaustible and unchangeable. It effects the
blessing of its cherished object, by preparing it for a happiness of which
His heart is alike the measure and the source, [see note #27]
to happiness of perfect purity, the excellence of which He knows in
heaven-purity suited to the presence of God, and to her who should be in
that presence for ever, the bride of the Lamb-purity which renders it
capable of enjoying perfect love and glory; even as that love tends to
purify the soul by making itself known to it, and attracting it, divesting
it of self, and filling it with God as the centre of blessing and joy.
It is important to remark that Christ does not here sanctify the assembly
to make it His own, but makes it His own to sanctify it. It is first His,
then He suits it to Himself. Christ, who loves the church as being His own,
and who has already made it His own by giving Himself for it, and who
chooses to have it such as His heart desires, occupies Himself with it,
when He has won it, to render it such. He gave Himself for it, that He
might sanctify it by the washing of water by the word. Here we find that
moral effect produced by the care of Christ, the object which He proposes
to Himself in His work accomplished in time, and the means He uses to
attain it. He appropriates the assembly morally, sets it morally apart for
Himself, when He has made it His; for He can only desire holy things-holy
according to the knowledge He has of purity-by virtue of His eternal and
natural abode in heaven. He then puts the assembly in connection with
heaven, from whence He is, and into which He will introduce it. He gave
Himself in order to sanctify it. For this purpose He uses the word, which
is the divine expression of the mind of God, of heavenly order and
holiness, of truth itself (that is to say, of the true relation of all
things with God; and that according to His love in Christ), and which
consequently judges all that deviates from it as to purity or love.
He forms the assembly for His bride, a help-meet for Him, in which all is
according to the glory and the love of God, by the revelation (through the
word, which comes from thence) of these things as they exist in heaven. Now
Christ Himself is the full expression of these things, the image of the
invisible God. Thus, in communicating them to the assembly, He prepares it
for Himself. When speaking therefore in this sense of His own testimony, He
says, "We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen."
But it is this which the word is, as we have received it from Jesus; and
more especially as speaking from heaven, with the character of the new
commandment, the darkness passing away, and the true light now shining; and
consequently, the thing being true, not only in Him, but in us. The
ministry of chapter 1 is occupied with this, forming the hearts of the
saints on earth in fellowship with the Head from which the grace and the
light descended. In this manner then Christ sanctifies the assembly for
which He gave Himself. He has formed it for heavenly things by the
communication of heavenly things, of which He is Himself the fulness and
the glory. But this word finds the assembly mixed up with things that are
contrary to this heavenly purity and love. Alas! its affections-as to the
old man at least-mixed up with these earthly things, which are contrary to
the will of God and to His nature. Thus in sanctifying the assembly He must
needs cleanse it. This is therefore the work of the love of Christ during
the present time, but for the eternal and essential happiness of the
assembly.
He sanctifies the assembly, but He does it by the word, communicating
heavenly things-all that belongs to the nature, to the majesty, and to the
glory of God-in love, but at the same time applying them to judge
everything in her present affections, which is at variance with that which
He communicates. Precious work of love, which not only loves us but labours
to make us fit to enjoy that love; fit to be with Christ Himself in the
Father's house!
How deeply is He interested in us! He not only accomplished the glorious
work of our redemption by giving Himself for us, but He acts continually
with perfect love and patience to make us such as He would have us to be in
His own presence-fit for the heavenly places and heavenly things.
What a character this shews to belong also to the word, and what grace in
His use of it! It is the communication of divine things according to their
own perfection, and now as God Himself is in the light. It is the
revelation of God Himself, as we know Him in a glorified Christ, in a
perfect love to form us also according to that perfection for the enjoyment
of Him; and yet it is addressed to us, yea is suited in its very nature to
us down here (compare John 1:4) to impart these things to us by bringing
in light amid the darkness, thus necessarily judging all that is in the
darkness, but in order to purify us in love.
Observe, also, the order in which this work of Christ is presented to us,
beginning with love. He loved the assembly; this, as we have already said,
is the source of all. All that follows is the result of that love and
cannot gainsay it. The perfect proof of it is then stated: He gave Himself
for the assembly. He could not give more. It was to the glory of the
Father, no doubt, but it was for the assembly. Had he reserved anything,
the love in giving Himself would not have been perfect, not absolute; it
would not have been a devotedness that left nothing for the awakened heart
to desire. It would not have been Christ, for He could not but be perfect.
We know love and perfection in knowing Him. But He has won the heart of the
assembly by giving Himself for it. He has won her thus. She is His
according to that love. Yea; it is there that we have learnt what love is.
Hereby know we love in that He gave Himself for us. All was for the glory
of the Father: without that it wouldnot have been perfection; and the
revelation of the heavenly things would not have taken place, for that
depended on the Father's being perfectly glorified. In this the things to
be revealed were manifested and verified, so to speak, in spite of evil;
but all is entirely for us.
If we have learnt to know love, we have learnt to know Jesus, such as He is
for us; and He is wholly for us.
Thus the entire work of cleansing and of sanctification is the result of
perfect love. It is not the means of obtaining the love, or of being its
object. It is indeed the means of enabling us to enjoy it; but it is the
love itself which, in its exercise, works this sanctification. Christ wins
the assembly first. He then in His perfect love makes it such as He would
have it to be-a truth that is precious to us in every way, and first, in
order to free the soul from all servile fear, to give sanctification its
true character of grace and its true extent here. It is joy of heart to
know that Christ Himself will make us all He desires us to be.
We have considered two effects of the love of Christ for the assembly. The
first was the gift of Himself, which in a certain sense comprises the
whole; it is love perfect in itself. He gave Himself. The second is the
moral formation of the object of His love, that it may be with Him;
according, we may add, to the perfections of God Himself, for that indeed
is what the word is-the expression of the nature, the ways, and the
thoughts of God.
There is yet a third effect of this love of Christ's which completes it. He
presents it to Himself a glorious assembly without spot or wrinkle. If He
gave Himself for the assembly, it was in order to have it with Him; but if
He would have it with Him, He must render it fit to be in His glorious
presence; and He has sanctified it by cleansing it according to the
revelation of God Himself, and the heavenly things of which He is in
Himself the centre in glory. The Holy Ghost has taken the things of Christ,
and has revealed them to the assembly; and all that the Father has is
Christ's. Thus perfected according to the perfection of heaven, He presents
it to Himself a glorious assembly. Morally, the work was done; the elements
of heavenly glory had been communicated to her who was to stand in that
glory, had entered into her moral being, and thus formed her to participate
in it. The power of the Lord is needed to make her participate in it in
fact, to make her glorious, to destroy every trace of her earthly abode,
save the excellent fruit that results from it. He presents her glorious to
Himself-this is the result of all. He took her for Himself, He presents her
to Himself, the fruit and the proof of His perfect love; and for her it is
the perfect enjoyment of that same love. But there is yet more. That
sentence discloses to us all the import of this admirable display of grace.
The Spirit carries us back to the case of Adam and Eve, in which God,
having formed Eve, presents her to Adam all complete according to His own
divine thoughts and at the same time suited to be the delight of Adam, as a
help-meet adapted to his nature and condition. Now Christ is God. He has
formed the assembly, but with this additional right over her heart that He
has given Himself for her; but He is also the last Adam in glory; and He
presents her glorified to Himself, such as He had formed her for himself.
What a sphere for the development of spiritual affections is this
revelation! What infinite grace is that which has given place for such an
exercise of these affections!
We cannot fail to notice the connection between the cleansing and the
glory, that is, that the cleansing is according to the glory and by it; and
that the glory is the completeness of, and completely answers to, the
cleansing. For the cleansing is by the word, which reveals the whole glory
and mind of God. Presented in glory she has neither spot not wrinkle; she
is holy and unblamable. This is a most important truth, and recurs
elsewhere. Compare 2 Corinthians 3:18, and Philippians 3:11 to the end.
So in 1 Thessalonians3:13. What is complete in glory there, is wrought
into the soul now by the Spirit operating with the word.
This then is the purpose, the mind of the Lord, with regard to the
assembly, and this the sanctifying work which prepares her for Himself and
for heaven. But these are not all the effects of His love. He watches
tenderly over her during all the time of her sojourn here below.
The apostle, who did not lose sight of the thesis which gave rise to this
digression that is so instructive to us, says that the husband ought to
love his wife as his own body-that it was loving himself. He was naturally
led to this by the allusion to Genesis; but he immediately returns to the
subject that occupies him. No one, he says, ever hated his own flesh; he
nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the assembly. This is the
precious aspect, during time, of Christ's love, which the apostle here
presents. Not only has Christ a heavenly aim, but His love performs the
work which, so to speak, is natural to it. He tenderly cares for the
assembly here below; He nourishes it, He cherishes it. The wants, the
weaknesses, the difficulties, the anxieties of the assembly are only
opportunities to Christ for the exercise of His love. The assembly needs to
be nourished, as do our bodies; and He nourishes her. She is the object of
His tender affections; He cherishes her. If the end is heaven, the assembly
is not left desolate here. She learns His love where her heart needs it.
She will enjoy it fully when need has passed away for ever. Moreover it is
precious to know that Christ cares for the assembly, as a man cares for his
own flesh. For we are members of His own body. We are of His flesh, and of
His bones. Eve is here alluded to. We are, as it were, a part of Himself,
having our existence and our being from Him, as Eve from Adam. He can say,
"I am Jesus whom thou persecutest." Our position is, on the one hand, to be
members of His body; on the other hand, we have our existence as Christians
from Him. Therefore it is that a man is to leave his natural relations, in
order to be united to his wife. It is a great mystery. Now it was just this
that Christ did as man, in a certain sense, divinely. Nevertheless every
one ought thus to love his own wife, and the wife to reverence her husband.
There remain yet certain relationships in life, with which the doctrine of
the Spirit of God is connected: those of children and parents, of fathers
and children, and of servants and master. It is interesting to see the
children of believers introduced as objects of the Holy Spirit's care, and
even slaves (for servants were such), raised by Christianity to a position
which the circumstances of their social degradation could not affect.
All the children of Christians are viewed as subjects of the exhortations
in the Lord, which belong to those who are within, who are no longer in
this world, of which Satan is the prince. Sweet and precious comfort to the
parent, that he may look upon them as having a right to this position, and
a part in those tender cares which the Holy Ghost lavishes on all who are
in the house of God! The apostle marks the importance which God attached,
under the law, to this duty. It is the first command with which He linked a
promise. Verse 3 is only the quotation of that which he alludes to in verse
2.
The exhortation to fathers is also remarkable-that they should not provoke
their children; that their hearts should be turned towards them; that they
should not repel them, nor destroy that influence which is the strongest
guard against the evil of the world. God forms the heart of children around
this happy centre: the father should watch over this. But there is more.
The christian father (for it is always those within to whom he speaks)
ought to recognise the position in which, as we have seen, the children are
placed, and to bring them up under the yoke of Christ in the discipline and
admonition of the Lord. Christian position is to be the measure and the
form of the influences which the father exercises, and of the education
which he gives his children. He treats them as brought up for the Lord, and
as the Lord would bring them up.
It will be remarked, that in the two relationships we are considering, as
well as in that of wives with their husbands, it is on the side from which
submission is due that the exhortations begin. This is the genius of
Christianity in our evil world, in which man's will is the source of all
the evil, expressing his departure from God to whom all submission is due.
The principle of submission and of obedience is the healing principle of
humanity: only God must be brought into it, in order that the will of man
be not the guide after all. But the principle that governs the heart of man
in good, is always and everywhere obedience. I may have to say that God
must be obeyed rather than man; but to depart from obedience is to enter
into sin. A man may have, as a father, to command and direct; but he does
it ill if he do it not in obedience to God and to His word. This was the
essence of the life of Christ: "I come to do thy will, O my God."
Accordingly the apostle begins his exhortations with regard to
relationships by giving the general precept: "Submit yourselves one to
another." This renders order easy, even when the order of institutions and
of authority may fail. Submission, moral obedience, can never in principle
be wanting to the true Christian. It is the starting-point of his whole
life. He is sanctified unto the obedience of Christ (1 Pet. 1:2).
In the case which has led to these remarks, it is striking to see how this
principle elevates the slave in his condition: he obeys by an inward divine
principle, as though it were Christ Himself whom he obeyed. However wicked
his master may be, he obeys as if he obeyed Christ Himself. Three times the
apostle repeats this principle of obedience to Christ or the service of
Christ, adding, "doing the will of God from the heart." What a difference
this made in the poor slave's condition! Moreover, whether bond or free,
each should receive his reward from the Lord. The master himself had the
same Master in heaven, with whom there is no respect of persons. Still it
is to masters that he says this, not to the slave; for Christianity is
delicate in its propriety, and never falsifies its principles. The master
was also to treat the slave with perfect equity-even as he expected it from
the slave-and was not to threaten.
It is beautiful to see the way in which divine doctrine enters into the
details of life, and throws the fragrance of its perfection into every duty
and every relationship; how it acknowledges existing things, as far as they
can be owned and directed by its principles, but exalts and enhances the
value of everything according to the perfection of those principles; by
touching not the relationships but the man's heart who walks in them;
taking the moral side, and that of submission, in love and in the exercise
of authority which the divine doctrine can regulate, bringing in the grace
which governs the use of the authority of God.
