THE GIFT AND REALISATION OF ETERNAL LIFE
[p. 225] THE GIFT AND REALISATION OF ETERNAL LIFE
Eternal life is conveyed through the gospel, it is had by the believer. If you speak of consciousness and realisation, it is not apart from the Holy Spirit. There are two sides to ‘hath’, which Scripture does not distinguish between, viz., the gift side and the realisation side. ‘Hath’ supposes both senses. Eternal life reaches us mediatorially and there is the formative power in which it reaches us. I do not deny that the disciples had eternal life before the cross, it was an anomalous moment.
John 5:25 — Christ was a living Christ on earth, not so now, the whole ground changed. They had it not in the same way as we, for the corn of wheat had not yet died; He was with them, He was the life, and no doubt He supplied pretty much for them what the Spirit now does for us in His absence.
Acts 8 — the Samaritans had it as a gift before the apostles came down, without the realisation till they had the Spirit.
John 17:1-3 is what eternal life consists in and the Spirit must be there to know the Father, “the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent”. The Spirit forms me, moulds me in the new man. Your mistake is taking eternal life as a vitality connected with the first man — it is in the Son. I have it in the Son — He goes on high that He might give eternal life, etc., He must send the Holy Spirit.
Eternal life is a positive thing, its effect is that I am introduced into a new scene, new for man — into a new circle of association and I am fitted for it. Not new to Him the eternal Son — but new for man and only possible through His incarnation, i.e., mediatorially. John 5 is the absolute divine side, chapter 6 [p. 226] is the realisation side, chapter 3 is the objective and chapter 4 the subjective side. The Son became the second Man and eternal life is in Him — responsible life is in the first man. The babes have it but not in the same stature.
I would not separate Christ and eternal life for an instant. That which characterises the second man is eternal life which was in the Son eternally for He never became it. Eternal life makes me think of Him, not of myself, and the Spirit forms me after His pattern. This is the renewing of the Spirit, which is not the same as possession of Him as a Person — the seal. J.N.D. said eternal life is a possession. It is a very large thing; it is made up of nature or being and position — relationship. He was the eternal life before incarnation, but He had not come out as the new man. By death, the cross, all link with the responsible man was broken. I fear our losing sight of the new man, the heavenly man.
Acts 1:9 — they had eternal life, but knew nothing till the truth of it was brought out, after that Israel was given up.
With regard to 2 Corinthians 5:21, etc., we are not ‘in Christ’ at one time and out of Christ at another. There are two sides to the christian, he is heavenly and new created, but he has not yet done with the responsible life. In Christ is new creation, there is no responsibility in new creation. It is only a question of applying Scripture in its proper connection.
Hazelville, 1890.
John 14 Chapter 13 shows the various things we have to meet with down here, in ourselves or in others — defilement, treachery, unfaithfulness, weakness, etc. Whose heart has been uniformly faithful to Christ?
[p. 227] Chapter 14 contemplates desolation and their comfort, and is introductory to chapter 15 (Christ for fruit-bearing) and chapter 16 (Christ for joy). Christ is the only source of comfort — not even the communion of saints will do. (1) We have a place, we know its character (Father’s house) and we have a representative there. (2) We have the Spirit of truth in us and all that hangs on His presence. All this the fruit of redemption.
The gospel, Romans 5, gives relief from pressure of death, etc., in order that we may be now in the enjoyment of God’s love. Verse 5 is the Spirit on God’s behalf, on God’s side. Chapter 8 is the Spirit in us, on our side. The greatest happiness for the creature is the sense of God’s love, to be under its influence. We get comfort in the company and sense of love (verses 18 - 24). We have lost all place here, but we have one in the Father’s house.
‘Believe’ in John is not receiving a testimony, it is committing yourself to a person. Love delights in company; love and not our need is the reason for God’s acting in Ephesians 2:1-6. Love would have us with Him and we are privy to it. Grace is peculiarly known to the church — grace (less than love), verse 8, is for display. The Father is God revealed as love.
Verses 16, 17 — the Spirit, in contrast to Christ, would abide with them — Christ was objective — a revelation of truth in Him; Spirit is subjective — in you.
Verses 10 and 20 — “I in the Father and the Father in me”, etc. This is reciprocity of affection; we in His affections — He in ours. This separates from the world — all here was abhorrent to Christ.
Light reveals love — also removes obstructions. In John 1, light, the portal to what is revealed in the epistle. Verse 21, subject heart to Christ.
Forest Hill, November 9th, 1892.