PSALM 73 AND 2 CORINTHIANS 3: 18 - THE OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS AND THE CHURCH

PSALM 73 AND 2 CORINTHIANS 3: 18 - THE OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS AND THE CHURCH

I had a very happy day at ———— through the Lord’s mercy. I said a little in the morning on the difference between Psalm 73 and 2 Corinthians 3: 18. In the former the saint’s judgment was changed, while in the latter the saint ^[p. 102] himself is transformed. The word for transformed is used only four times in the New Testament and twice it is translated “transfigured”. This is very interesting.

In the evening I spoke from Acts 9. The very beginning of the gospel is, the light comes out from heaven and the seal of the blessing is the Holy Ghost who had come down from heaven. Does not that make the gospel heavenly, though some say it is not. I fear that there is a tendency abroad to exaggerate the standing and state of the Old Testament saints in order to make little difference between the church and them, and thus the heavenly exclusiveness is weakened or lost. The aim of the enemy from a very early date was to draw the saints from their heavenly calling. See the Hebrews. Once heaven as a present portion is surrendered, all the great privileges and position of the church are frittered away. The Old Testament saints were wrought on by God, and they may put us to shame by their fidelity and devotedness and cleaving to God, but if we descend to them we lose sight of our own calling. It is quite true the heir should embrace all that the infant has, but not this only, but a great deal more!