SPIRITUAL SUBSTANCE (3)
SPIRITUAL SUBSTANCE (3)
JT It was pointed out yesterday that in chapter 2 we have the children of the testimony. Now this chapter introduces the children of God. They are of course the same company of persons, but viewed in two different aspects. In chapter 2 it is a question of the power of the testimony, through qualified vessels, to beget children. In chapter 3 it is the manner of love that is brought forward, the manner of love which the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God. It is now a question of love manifested, of God taking us as His children. It is that we should be “called” His children.
Ques To what does the ‘it’ in verse 2 refer — “we know that if it is manifested we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is”?
JT It refers to what we shall be by and by. This has not yet been manifested. We anticipate it by hope. But now are we the children of God. The word ‘manifested’ is much used in John’s writings. But here it is what we should be called, namely, children of God. The Father names every family. John 1:12 shews how we come into this. It is a right accorded: “as many as received him, to them gave he the right to be children of God, to those that believe on his name”. He gave them this right or authority. Primarily the thought is not that we are born of God, but that God gives us the dignified title to be His children. But what underlies that is the question of our derivation. So there immediately follows: “who have been born, not of blood, nor of flesh’s will, nor of man’s will, but of God”. That implies the divine nature, which is in view in our chapter.
It is to be noticed that the Name is introduced in chapter 1 of the gospel, and that it is also a feature of the chapter we are considering here — “And this is his [p. 245] commandment, that we believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and that we love one another”. This is what marks the children of God.
Ques Does the title ‘children of God’ apply to any other family?
JT We have Deuteronomy 14:1, in which the relationship is applied to Israel, but obviously in a limited way. I think the title of children accorded here is unique. Israel were never children of God in this sense; their portion in the future will be national. The same would also apply to the nations. The children of God are unique as belonging to the present time, to those who receive Christ; hence the stress on the manner of the love here. John calls attention to this — it is the kind of love that is presented here. In the first chapter of the gospel we are given title to take that place; here we have the manner of the love bestowed on us that we are called children of God. This relationship is mentioned in Moses’ song (Deuteronomy 32), but Israel were not God’s children in their hearts; they were a crooked and perverse generation. But now there are those who are formally given the title to take the place of children, and the manner of the love thus bestowed on us is emphasised here. In the gospel our having the place of the children of God is linked up with our receiving Christ, as over against many who did not do so. It says, “as many as received him, to them gave he the right to be children of God”, (chapter 1:12). It implies that they appreciated what was presented in Him; that they took it up; and it is then explained that they believed on His name — “to those that believe on his name”. The verse is an epitome of what is recorded in the gospels and the Acts as the result of the presentation of Christ. The family of God is brought into evidence in this way; and then it adds that they were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. But here John emphasises the love which was behind that,
[p. 246] the love that claimed us as children. That is a very great thing and what follows is the privilege accorded.
Ques Are these “the secret things” spoken of in Deuteronomy 29:29?
JT Yes, I should say so. The nation of Israel rejected the Son, while the disciples received Him: “He came to his own, and his own received him not”, (John 1:11). The question of Christ’s reception is a very interesting and important one in the gospels. We know that heaven received Him, and now the question is, what will correspond with that upon the earth? Will He be received and what kind of reception will He be accorded here? We find that the Samaritans would not receive Him (Luke 9:53), for there was national rivalry and national feelings working against the reception of Christ. Then the Lord sent out the seventy into every city and place whither He Himself would come. Obviously He had in mind that He Himself should be received. Then at the end of Luke 10, He entered into a certain village, and a certain woman received Him into her house. But the manner of it was very poor; she questioned Him and criticised Him; that would not be a fitting reception. The children of God are characterised by receiving Christ and believing on His name. This principle of reception must underlie all our meetings. The children of God characteristically receive Christ; then if we receive Him we shall receive all who are of Him. The Philippians, doing all things without murmuring, would be children of God in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom they shone as lights in the world. All this should mark every local company of saints.
Rem The presentation of Christ brings to light the work of God.
JT Exactly. Those in whom God has wrought receive Christ; the flesh, whatever the education or environment, ‘profits nothing’.
[p. 247] Ques What is the difference between the love of God and the love of the Father?
JT The Father is God revealed in grace, having family relationship in view. That name is never connected with judgment; “the Father judgeth no man”, (John 5:22). In that name we are reminded of God’s fatherly affections. But here it is the peculiar manner of love that we should be called the children of God, not of the Father. It is the present status accorded to us, and it is God’s pleasure that we should be in that position. It is not the same as adoption, that is sonship. ‘Children of God’ is what we are now; we are thus the objects of His love and care as in the world; and are marked by the known character of God — righteousness and love. Hence we have the believing in His name; this bringing in of His name implies that Christ is not here. All this applies to what we are as children; but sonship is what we are before God within, for His pleasure. We are sons of God by faith, but the bringing in of His name implies His absence — He is there and we are here. The idea in the Name is that character and renown are bound up with it. The idea of children of God will hardly go on into eternity. It is that we have that status here — “in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation”, (Philippians 2:15). This chapter brings out the manner of the love that we should be called the children of God.
Now this relationship is contrasted with that of children of the devil, Cain’s family. The great features of righteousness and love are involved in the contrasting of the two families. The saints are put over against the children of the devil. It may be likened to the reference to the “sons of the kingdom” in the gospels; they are the product of the testimony of the kingdom, and grow up side by side with the darnel, which “are the sons of the evil one”, (Matthew 13:38). The devil comes under our direct notice first in the garden of Eden. From the [p. 248] beginning he sinned; we see the manner of it in that he appeared as the serpent, and there found a way in and attacked the position from its weakest side, through the woman.
Ques What is involved in believing “on the name of his Son Jesus Christ”?
JT As Son He reveals and represents God, on God’s behalf. In “Jesus Christ” we get the order of man in the position in which He revealed and represented God. All that God is is manifested in His Son Jesus Christ. All is revealed in that Man, and all this is bound up in that name. ‘Name’ in Scripture gives the idea of what a person is. So ‘men of the name’ are referred to in the Old Testament (Genesis 6:4); they were persons who had renown. So the Lord has acquired renown, and in John 2:23 it is recorded that “many believed on his name”; and John’s gospel was written that “ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life in his name”, (chapter 20:31). Believers have life in His name.
Now, to return: the practise of righteousness is most important; it is not sufficiently stressed. It is especially important here where we are alongside the children of the devil. The Lord attaches much more importance to the practise of righteousness than we are aware — “Thou hast loved righteousness”, (Hebrews 1:9), God said to Christ; and has shewn that He is righteous in the death of Christ. So it says in chapter 2:29: “If ye know that he is righteous, know that every one who practises righteousness is begotten of him”. So the children of God practise it; it is the great outward feature of christianity. Then those who practise righteousness come together; we are to follow righteousness, faith, love and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart; “the children of God who were scattered abroad”, (John 11:52), are thus gathered together into one. In this way 2 Timothy corresponds with John’s writings. Righteousness is the first thing mentioned in 2 Timothy to be followed.
In verse 3 of our chapter we have: “And every one that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure”. This shews the effect of hope, of the prospect of being like Christ when He is manifested. Christ is thus the standard of purity, as He is of everything.
Ques In saying, “even as he is pure”, does the apostle refer to Christ?
JT Yes. It is to be noticed that John has a way of using the personal pronoun without indicating whether it is the Father or the Son he has in mind. It is a striking way of asserting the deity of Christ. Here, however, Christ is in view.
The practise of righteousness becomes woven into the being of the children of God. It is one of the great features which mark them, and goes beyond paying my debts. One often thinks of the Lord, how He loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. This shews what God thinks of these features in us, for Christ is to be continued in us.
Ques In what way does this involve that I go further than the paying of all my debts, as was remarked?
JT Righteousness implies that I pay one hundred cents on the dollar, not that I demand it; it also implies that I forgive. God did not act on the line of demand. The idea of righteousness in Romans is that it is connected with grace. God is there asserting His right to forgive; so it says, “But now without law righteousness of God is manifested”. The mercy seat was “for the shewing forth of his righteousness”, (Romans 3:21,25); if He is pleased to forgive, He has the right to do so. It is the greatness of God acting against sin, exercising His sovereign rights in mercy, in order to provide justification for man through faith. Righteousness in God is the outcome of His love; it will consign many to eternal perdition, but righteousness has also devised means whereby God’s banished ones can be brought back to Him (2 Samuel 14); that is what Romans teaches us. But goodness is also taught in that epistle, and is in advance of righteousness, hence the believer should overcome evil with good. In Ephesians it is written that the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth (chapter 5:9). I have no idea of righteousness in myself, therefore I must learn it from God, for we cannot work it out from ourselves. Of what value would it be to build on man’s idea of righteousness? If God had not been revealed, what should we have known of righteousness? But not only does the believer learn righteousness in God through Christ: the new man, which he has put on, is created in righteousness.
Rem You stated that goodness is in advance of righteousness.
JT Well, take a man like Barnabas. He was a good man, it is said. He had, before this was stated of him, considered for Saul, a young believer whom the brethren were afraid of. He brought him to the apostles, and declared to them “how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus”, (Acts 9:27). It was a good act — he had no personal motive in it. So he is said to be a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit, and of faith, when later he went to Antioch and urged the brethren there that they should cleave unto the Lord with purpose of heart. That too was a good thing. “And he went away to Tarsus to seek out Saul. And having found him, he brought him to Antioch”, (Acts 11:25). All this sets forth pure and unselfish motives working for the welfare of the people of God. So in Romans 12:20 we have: “if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink”; that is goodness; in doing thus you overcome evil with good.
Then we see in our chapter how the world’s attitude helps us to determine our position. John says, “Marvel [p. 251] not, my brethren, if the world hate you”. The world does not know us as we begin to put on these divine traits; it really hates us. To have people standing aloof from us and looking askance at us is a very hard thing to bear. But the world did not know Christ, and so this shews the correspondence between Him and the children of God, and gives our position in relation to the world; this position is especially hard for the younger ones.
Referring to what was remarked above, there is a good expression of the thought of overcoming evil with good in Matthew 5:44 - 46; Matthew 5:48 where it is recorded: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye”. Then we have the conclusion: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect”. That defines the position of overcoming evil with good. We are to be discerned here by characteristics which are the outcome of the new nature.
All this is like attending to your garden: you have the plan before you, and work with it so as to reach a certain result; hence you remove all that is interfering with the development of life. The appeals here are to that end, that there might be a full result for God. The principle of chapter 3 is that the nature, the divine seed is there; this thought runs right through the chapter. Then what is looked for is a manifestation corresponding to the nature; it is a question of answering to what He was here, of being like Him, of being in correspondence with Him now; we know we shall be like Him when He appears.
Ques What is involved in our being like Him [p. 252] then?
JT It says that it does not yet appear what we shall be. I think it involves personal likeness. Each one of us has his own distinct marks, and will always have them, but then all will take character from Christ according to what He was here. We shall be conformed to the image of His Son, but we are to be like Him now as the children of God. Soon we shall have glorified bodies and be fully like Him. There will be the peculiar marks of identification upon each of us; as for instance, each one of us will have his own individual name. Each shall have his distinctive features which is true even now. We see this even in the physical creation and what wonderful variety there is there!
Now, returning to the order of the chapter, we have: “Every one that practises sin practises also lawlessness” ... “... and in him sin is not”. And then: “To this end the Son of God has been manifested, that he might undo the works of the devil”. God has had to deal with these through Him. The character and the love of Christ in entering into death for us are woven into the whole structure of this chapter. “Sin is lawlessness”; it is against the will of God and all that is of Him. So that if any man practises sin he is lawless.
Then in verse 9 we have one who does not practise sin, “because his seed abides in him”. In Isaiah 1:4 we get the expression: “Seed of evildoers”. But as children of God we have His seed in us, and so are marked by well-doing; and it adds: “he cannot sin, because he has been begotten of God”. God takes account of us as born of Him, and we should look at the saints in the same way. The language here conveys something of the character of the X-ray which takes account of certain substances and disregards others. God, if it pleases Him, is entitled to take account of us in that way. As abiding in Christ we do not sin. Things are viewed in the abstract here. What is of God is seen by itself; whatever else there may be, other substances so to speak, are not [p. 253] seen; and consequently do not detract from it. It is like a vein of gold in a rock, it retains its own lustre. We should learn to take account of ourselves abstractly, as born of God. It is not true as we sometimes hear, that christians have two natures; the truth is they — the persons — are born of God, and this involves just one nature. We are entitled to view the saints in that way. That we have sin (chapter 1:8) is another matter; it is not our nature now.
Ques Is this similar to what we have in Numbers 24, in connection with Balaam?
JT Yes. It is a great thing for us to learn to take account of ourselves abstractly in this way. And why should we not? The other things that are present with me do not in the least detract from what is of God, or alter its character. They are extraneous and are to be repudiated. The apostle says, “I myself serve the law of God”, (Romans 7:25); he did not regard the flesh as himself at all. John views the believer abstractly here; he is born of God and so “cannot sin”. “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin”. So it is the person that is born of God, not that something has been born in him; the person has been effected throughout. It is true, as already said, that there is something extraneous in him, but he does not recognise it or want it. It is of the sin that dwells in me, and by the Spirit I keep it inactive.
Christ has been manifested to take away our sins, to relieve us of them. But then He has also been manifested that He might undo the works of the devil. This is going on now. Thus the woman in Luke 13 was bent together of the devil eighteen years. The devil’s works were seen in her, but they were undone by the Son of God. Something may have happened to deform me spiritually; I may count on the Lord to undo that. The poor woman was a daughter of Abraham, but she could not look up to God. It says,
“[p. 254] a woman having a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent together and wholly unable to lift her head up”, (verse 11). It is not a question of sins, but of Satan’s power. As risen from the dead or changed we shall be entirely free from every trace of Satan’s work, and morally we are to be so now. But in the government of God certain things may remain until the end of one’s responsible life. Certain things therefore have to be left. Hence the complete undoing of the enemy’s work in us will be when we are risen. But the Son of God is undoing the works of the devil now; why then should any christian be bent together with spiritual infirmity? But there are many like that, as to the state of their souls they are not able to look up to God.
At the beginning of the chapter the thesis is laid down, we are the children of God by calling. Then in the rest of the chapter this is worked out, and we are stimulated by the word of exhortation. The chapter ends by saying, “And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us”. We are said to know things by the Spirit both in this chapter and in chapter 4; but in chapter 5 we are said to know things as a consequence of loving God and keeping His commandments; we are furnished with intelligence thus.
In verse 16 we have: “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren”. This goes beyond righteousness — it is love, and love known. This is illustrated in Genesis 44 in the way in which Joseph uses the cup to bring about house conditions or nearness. Love knows no limits, and we do well to let it have its full course. In the Song of Songs 2:7 it says, “I charge you ... that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please”, literally, “till it please”. Let it have its own way and it will do the very best possible for you. God is love, and we have known it in that Jesus laid down His life for us. One would like to be [p. 255] so marked by the thing that urging would be superfluous. Love acts from itself and therefore acts wisely; love in God has acted in Christ. I do not suppose that love was ever really known until Christ died, as it says, “Hereby we have known love, because he has laid down his life for us”. Then in the end of the verse it is a question of our coming into correspondence with these movements of divine love, of our becoming like God. We know what God is by what came out in Jesus in laying down His life for us. “We ought” then to act likewise, and “lay down our lives for the brethren”. Jesus was the perfect representative here of God Himself, the true God, and all through the epistle the thought is of our coming into correspondence with Him.
The chapter ends with the Spirit in us enabling us to know that Christ abides in us. The force of ‘abiding’ is staying or remaining, and is used in this way astronomically of the earth abiding in the sun. We have an illustration of this in the beginning of the Acts: there were certain ones who stayed in the upper room; they were not transients. Correspondence with Christ involves a fixed position, and we know it by the Spirit. Abiding in Christ implies fixedness in Him; we reach finality and fixedness in Christ. What is extraneous will have to go; the Son of God will remove it.
In verse 19 we have: “And hereby we shall know that we are of the truth, and shall persuade our hearts before him — that if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things”. This is very practical. Many are discouraged through the condemnation of their own heart, but we need not be for “God is greater than our heart and knows all things”. He searches the hearts, He knows what is there; we can thus take refuge in God. Our hearts may often be weak, but we should not rest in our heart’s feelings, but in God. Then he says, “Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness towards God, and whatsoever [p. 256] we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments, and practise the things which are pleasing in his sight”. Here a very happy and practical state of things is contemplated. Thus we have the whole experience of christians in their every-day life. Many things come in to affect and discourage us, but God knows all; and what I ask I get, because I “keep his commandments, and practise the things which are pleasing in his sight”. I can thus go on in perfect restfulness.
The chapter ends with the Spirit. We know by the Spirit that He abides in us — what a great fact that is! We have thus a fixed position, and know it by the Spirit. It gives wonderful stability of heart in the midst of current turmoil, for we are set up in fixedness with God and with one another.