THE ACTIVITY AND PURPOSE OF GRACE
[p. 36] THE ACTIVITY AND PURPOSE OF GRACE
I have no thought of attempting to unfold all that is contained in this chapter, but I should like to bring before you some of the great truths which are here presented to us. The first thing I wish to speak of is the condition of the world and the way in which it has been exposed. In the opening verses of this chapter the condition of the world is completely disclosed in a few simple words. Everything has been brought to light. We do not need to try experiments to find out what the world is. Nothing can be added to the exposure of John 1:1 - 11.
Men can never by wisdom or philosophy get to the bottom of things because they leave God out. We must bring God in to get the true light — to get a right estimate of anything. And here we see that all the light of God has come into the world. The true light has come. The mind and nature of God have been most perfectly expressed in the Word made flesh, and in the light of this revelation the world has been exposed. “The light appears in darkness, and the darkness apprehended it not”. “He was in the world, and the world had its being through him, and the world knew him not. He came to his own, and his own received him not”. The light shone for every man, but it shone upon stone-blind eyes. There was every testimony to the conscience of man. For privileged Israel there was the witness of John; the appointed herald went before Jehovah, and everybody in Israel whose conscience was not hardened recognised him as sent of God. But all was in vain. There is no capacity in man to take in divine light.
[p. 37] People say they want more light, but the truth is that all the light has come and been refused. The world is a scene of moral darkness in which there is no response to God. If you accept this you will be assured that the grace of God is man’s only hope.
It is certain that the Son of God would never have come into the world merely to expose the darkness that was in it. He has done that by the way; but the great thought of God was to declare Himself (verse 18) and to have a company capable of appreciating that declaration. The world does not appreciate God, it will not receive a ray of light from Him. But He means to have a company with capacity to appreciate Him. This is the great design of grace. How could we be supremely happy in God’s presence if we did not know and appreciate Him?
“As many as received him, to them gave he the right to be children of God, to those that believe on his name; who have been born, not of blood, nor of flesh’s will, nor of man’s will, but of God”. There is no capacity in the natural man to receive light from God. There must be a company born “of God” to receive light from Him. To Nicodemus it was said, “Except any one be born anew he cannot see the kingdom of God”, John 3:3. It is “not of blood”, that is by natural descent; nor is it of “flesh’s will, nor of man’s will” in any way. It is of God in the activity and sovereignty of His grace. There is nothing in man that would originate any movement towards God, but He has purposed to have a company for Himself, and He will accomplish His purpose in spite of all the opposition and darkness that is in man. Every converted person knows that unless the grace of God had wrought in him he would never have received Christ. Nay, we did our utmost to resist the grace which sought our blessing. But God wrought in us, our self-sufficiency broke down, and a great void was produced in our hearts — a thirst for the [p. 38] knowledge of God — and thus we were prepared to receive the light.
“As many as received him, to them gave he the right to be children of God, to those that believe on his name”. It is thus that the work of God in souls is brought to light. As Christ is preached, and the light of God shines forth, there is a response in hearts where God has wrought. Thus the light of grace, presented in the gospel, makes manifest those in whom there is a work of the Spirit of God. And those who receive the light — who receive Christ by believing on His name — have the right to take the place of children of God. That is, they are entitled to take the place of having a kindred nature with God. They appreciate His light and believe on the name of Him in whom it has all come.
Now I should like to say a few words about the privileges of the children as they are brought before us in the next few verses of the chapter. In looking at them we must remember that we are not in the marvellous position occupied by the apostles. We enter into these things through their writings. The apostles could say, “Our fellowship is indeed with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ”; and as to our part in it, John says, “That which we have seen and heard we report to you, that ye also may have fellowship with us”, 1 John 1:3.
“The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us”. The Son of the Father could not be at home in this world but there was a little company among whom He could tabernacle. His heart could have no links with the darkness of the world, but amongst those born “of God” He could make Himself known and speak of what was in His heart. He could say to the Father, “I have manifested thy name to the men whom thou gavest me out of the world. They were thine, and thou gavest them me, and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things that thou [p. 39] hast given me are of thee; for the words which thou hast given me I have given them, and they have received them, and have known truly that I came out from thee, and have believed that thou sentest me”, John 17: 6 - 8. Is it not a priceless privilege to be of the company to whom the Son can thus make Himself and the Father known?
“We have contemplated his glory, a glory as of an only-begotten with a father”. What a new world for their hearts! What a contrast to all the scene of oppression, self-seeking and religious corruption around! Many have enough light to make them dissatisfied with things here but do not appear to have tasted the immeasurable satisfaction of contemplating the glory of the Word become flesh. The world cannot satisfy. If you had all the opportunities of Solomon you would find in the end that the world was too little for your heart. But there is an Object in whom the heart may find its absorbing and abiding satisfaction. “We have contemplated his glory”.
“Full of grace and truth”. In the Word become flesh our hearts find the perfect revelation of all that the Father is in the activity of His matchless grace and of all that He is in the blessedness of His own being and nature. And all subsists through Jesus Christ. There is no more to come, or to be known; it is all out. “The only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him”.
“Of his fulness we all have received, and grace upon grace”. We may have taken in very little of it, but it is “of his fulness” that we have received, and every taste of it awakens the desire for more. It is not only “grace” to begin with when the heart makes its first acquaintance with that glorious Person, but it is “grace upon grace” in deepening knowledge of Him.
‘Yet sure, if in Thy presence
My soul still constant were,
Mine eye would, more familiar’,
‘[p. 40] Its brighter glories bear,
And thus Thy deep perfections
Much better should I know,
And with adoring fervour
In this Thy nature grow’. (51:4)
Then as we pass on through the chapter we learn how the gracious purposes and the glory of God have an eternal basis in righteousness, and have been secured by redemption. “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (verse 29). Here was a Person capable of taking up the whole question of sin, and of bearing its judgment so as to glorify God fully. The purposes of God rest upon this secure foundation, and in virtue of an accomplished redemption not only can they all be carried out but the Holy Spirit can be given to bring the light and joy of those purposes into the hearts of the children of God. “He who sent me to baptise with water, he said to me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and abiding on him, he it is who baptises with the Holy Spirit”. It is only in the power and unction of the Holy Spirit that we can enter into the wondrous thoughts and purposes of God. Baptism by water introduces us into a new position on earth, but the baptism of the Holy Spirit introduced the believer to a circle of things connected with heaven, and gives him capacity to enter into heavenly things. The Spirit carries our affections into the region of eternal life. He is “a fountain of water, springing up into eternal life”, John 4:14. He brings us into the circle of heavenly things and is the present power by which we can appropriate and enjoy our privileges.
But if this be so, it is of immense importance that our hearts should be under the sway of the Spirit, and we are sure to be tested as to this. Christ is everything to hearts that are under the sway of the Spirit, and a lovely picture of this is presented to our view in the chapter before us.
“[p. 41] Again, on the morrow, there stood John and two of his disciples. And, looking at Jesus as he walked, he says, Behold the Lamb of God. And the two disciples heard him speaking and followed Jesus. But Jesus, having turned, and seeing them following, says to them, What seek ye? And they said to him, Rabbi (which, being interpreted, signifies Teacher), where abidest thou? He says to them, Come and see. They went therefore, and saw where he abode; and they abode with him that day. It was about the tenth hour”.
John’s involuntary exclamation arrested the hearts of his two disciples and brought them under the divine attraction of a new Object. They followed Jesus. He had become their absorbing Object and His company their supreme desire.
A third was soon added to their number and the three together present a beautiful pattern of the christian company, John (for I do not doubt he was one of the three, though unnamed) representing the affection of the company, Andrew its testimony and service and Peter expressive of the fact that it is a structure of living stones, an imperishable edifice in which divine grace and glory will be displayed for ever. Such is the company which is now being gathered out of the world by the grace of God, a company which finds its centre and object in the Son of God. How completely this carries us outside the range of everything that is of man! Men have set up great church systems and sectarian parties, but here we see the character of what God is doing. All the activity of His grace tends to this result, that there should be a company on earth in the unity of the divine nature and under the sway of the Holy Spirit, a company here for Christ.
May the light of God’s gracious purpose shine brightly in each of our hearts, and may we be true to the character of the company to which we belong! Thus may we [p. 42] learn, in a deeper and fuller way, our privileges as being of the wondrous company of which Christ speaks as “my assembly”.