THE TWO SIDES OF GRACE
[p. 168] THE TWO SIDES OF GRACE
The reality of any favour is according as it meets one’s need; the greatness of it, as it places one in a condition free of that need. These two traits are pre-eminently found in every form of the grace of God. As the sense of need is necessarily the one uppermost in one’s mind, the tendency is generally to limit the grace of God to the need only. It is truly wondrous that the deep needs of the soul should be entirely and fully met; and as it requires the power of God to open the eye of the soul to see the first part which is the one so much required; so in like manner, His Spirit only can convince me, that He can place me in a condition free from need. How many delight in the first verse of Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want”, who never even contemplate or expect the second; where one is set in a place where only abundance meets the eye, and where want is unknown. “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters”.
Now let me say in connection with this important subject, that it will be found that no one is solidly and confirmedly assured of the removal of his need, until he finds himself in a condition in which he is absolutely free of it; hence the knowledge of the greatness of grace is indispensable for the corroboration of the utility of grace. In order to be fully assured that I shall not want, I must know that I am out of reach of want, and set in abundance. There is many a one who, while really possessing the first, is often doubtful about it, because he, either through ignorance or want of faith, has not reached the second.
The word to the apostle was, “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me”. The word to Moses was, “Bring [p. 169] them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey”. It is not simply a rescue from a state of sinfulness and misery, but a planting in a new position, quite apart from, and free of both.
It is well to consider the moral defect which arises from limiting the grace of God only to its utility; - that is to say, limiting it to the fact that it meets the need of man. If the forgiveness of sins was the limit or the extent of grace to man, he would simply be a forgiven man, - a child of Adam forgiven for the offences which he had committed, and the whole occupation of his conscience would be to obtain forgiveness for any sin he might commit. The state of a new man in Christ, belonging to a new sphere, with a divine nature, would be entirely unknown to him. Let us examine some of the instances in Scripture where the two sides of grace are plainly presented, and thus entail perfect blessing.
In John 1 we have the great and eventual statement, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”. Nothing could be more comprehensive regarding the sin, for it plainly embraces sin of every kind and degree. It announces the removing away from the earth the cause of all God’s judgments; so that we shall have a world without sin; but this, though so great is only one side; for in the context, there is announced the further blessing, the other half of grace, “he it is who baptises with the Holy Spirit”. One cannot in a moment comprehend the vastness of this addition. Sin is not only removed, but the holiness of God is brought in, in divine power, by the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
In chapter 3: 14 - 15 we read, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life”. Here we have stated the rescue and the benefit; but in chapter 4: 14 we get the other side; “whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give [p. 170] him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life”. In chapter 3 you get the mode and the nature of the relief conferred here; but in chapter 4 you get the manner and the power by which this benefit is perpetuated, in divine fulness and vigour. If one had only the first part, there would be the sense of an unspeakable relief, with the assurance that it was for ever; but there could be no present divine sense of its inexhaustible nature, or power, which is independent of all natural feelings, were not the Holy Spirit in us, a well of water springing up into everlasting life. We find our blessed Lord presenting this side of grace first to the woman of Samaria. He desired to awaken her heart to the great fact of what He could give to a sinner on earth; and that, outside and apart from anything on the earth. True, she required to learn the other side also; hence He made her feel that she was a sinner; and that she required the first part of grace, before she could enjoy the second part; but that the second part would place her in a position where the need which had to be relieved would not occur. And there only would relief be fully assured.
Again in chapters 8 and 9. There we get the history of light. It not only relieves, as in chapter 8, where we read, “If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death”; but in chapter 9, the blind man has light in him; and he finds that the place of full and unbounded enjoyment is in the presence of Christ, when he is cast out by the religious man on earth. He is not only relieved by light of the terrible darkness, but he is now a child of the light, finding entire satisfaction, when outside of everything of man - in his best estate, worshipping the Son of God - the Source of light - and here only can any one learn his path for Christ on earth, or the consolation by Christ.
There can be no relief to the sin-burdened conscience but through the sacrifice of Christ; remission of sins is only through faith in the blood, but unless I see my Saviour who died for my sins, raised from the dead by [p. 171] the glory of the Father, and set at His right hand - however assured I may be of the benefit and fulness of His work - I cannot be in a position free from fear, until I can see that He is glorified. What I see of Him, I possess, and as I see Him glorified, I am conscious of my perfect acceptance before God, and I can say - as He is apart from all judgment - so am I in this world. If we look at the way grace deals with us on our course here, as well as in the start, we shall observe the same principle.
The priesthood of Christ has two parts. In all my weakness down here He is touched with the feeling of my infirmities. I can ever reckon on His sympathy as I walk here according to His word; supported and cheered by His countenance and help, who has encountered every one of them, but apart from sin; and thus able to keep me apart from it. But not this only - He is a great Priest over the house of God. He has entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. So that He - blessed be His name - not only bears me up in the scene of my weakness down here; but He maintains me also in the greatness of God, in the holiest of all; and the more I know of Him in the latter, the more confiding am I in Him in my difficulties here. The soul who knows best the side of the grace which has feasted him in the Father’s house is the one who most truly knows and reckons on the other side, even the services rendered by the good neighbour to the one down here. If I limit him to the earthly side, I confine Him to my need; and I lose the knowledge of Him in His own scene, where I can only know Him for my scene; but if I know Him in bright perfect scenes, as such I can count on His help and sympathy in my scene. The tendency is to reduce Him to the measure of man.
No one intelligent and interested in the assembly on earth could in any way comprehend and support the gravity of his privilege in connection with it, did he not know that he, with all saints, is united to Christ in [p. 172] heaven. The favour vouchsafed to me on earth, is assured and intensified by the other part of it, which refers to heaven. Hence, wherever a soul from imperfect teaching, or want of light, accepts the truth of the one body on earth, without seeing the other side - even how we are placed together in Christ in heaven - he is practically lame; he has not power to walk in accordance with this high calling.
One more example. The Holy Spirit is sent down, not only to comfort me (see John 14: 26), but also to testify for Christ. (See John 15: 26.) It is not only the Holy Spirit acting in me, but acting for Him; so that in proportion as I am in the second, I am enlarged in the first. And when any one confines, or in any way limits the Holy Spirit’s action to the believer only, he correspondingly weakens the power of the Spirit for his own enjoyment; because he has curtailed or denied the side of His action where there is the greater manifestation and scope for it; as if a man would limit the light of the sun to those only who appreciate it. The principle simply rests on the great purpose of God, not only to reach us in our need, but to bring us to Himself.
May each of us more deeply and fully appreciate His grace.