CHAPTER 1: 7 - 14
CHAPTER 1: 7 - 14
FER In the first few verses we had the revelation of the purpose of God’s will predestinating us to sonship. Now from verses 7 - 14 we get our standing down here.
In the first six verses, in the most concise way possible, we get the purpose of God. It is God’s side, all is for Himself, what He works for His own pleasure. It is important to see that what is revealed to us as God’s counsel does not belong to us looked at as responsible men upon earth; these things are not decorations for us. As men in Christ, everything is effectuated for God, but the thought of our being in Christ is abstract.
Ques Is redemption limited to forgiveness of sins?
FER Forgiveness of sins is the way in which redemption applies to us; forgiveness stands in contrast to imputation. We stand on that ground — no imputation, but forgiveness. We are looked at as having been brought into a certain position here, in virtue of having received the gospel — that is, we have forgiveness, inheritance, and the Spirit as the earnest of it. The Spirit also brings God in, and therefore the love of God. These three things are the present actual value of the gospel to us. Forgiveness of sins,
[p. 200] used in this abstract large way is in the sense of sins not being imputed. We are on that ground.
It is important to keep the light of God’s counsel distinct from the Christian standing. The purpose of God holds good for us in the Christian circle. It is all good for us in connection with God. The work of the Spirit in the believer corresponds to the revelation of God’s will, and I believe that goes a long way beyond our standing. I believe, too, that the way in which ‘standing’ has been taken up amongst us has worked mischievously, and has tended to a good deal of unreality. Sonship is revealed “in Christ Jesus”, and faith apprehending this, I see it belongs to me and is the light of God’s will about me. But it belongs to heavenly places. A Christian is much greater as to his place with God than he is with men. With my fellow men the only difference is, I can take the ground that I am forgiven, and that I have received the Spirit which is the seal and evidence of it; but with God, I am in the light of His will, and His Spirit works in me according to that.
Verses 8, 9. His grace has abounded to us in making known not only His will but the mystery of His will — that which is hidden in it; I think that refers to the truth of the church, the body. God made known to Old Testament saints that He would put all things under the Son of man, but the mystery of His will was that the church was to share with Him.
In verse 10 the expression “the Christ” brings in the Spirit, the anointing; “Son of God” brings in more the nature of God; “Son of man”, the subjugation of evil. As the Christ, He is the anointed One to take the inheritance; as Son of God He brings in the light of God’s nature; as Son of man He subjugates. These are His three great titles; verse 20 is the present position of Christ, verse 10 His future position. Christ is anointed to take the inheritance, and we come into it in that way, too — as anointed.
[p. 201] Jew and Gentile are taken up and referred to in their relative places in this epistle, but the great point is to bring them together. When once the Spirit is introduced, he can show them as one. He does not here go beyond the standing of the Christian: the idea of the seal in verse 13 is the evidence of God’s rights. “That we should be to the praise of his glory”: His glory is the complete display of the triumph of God over all evil, it is effected in resurrection. The assembly will come out in a very special way in regard of it.
Ques What is “the purchased possession”?
FER It is the whole scope of the inheritance: it is all purchased, but not yet redeemed. Israel, too, will be to the praise of His glory, it is not limited to the church. Israel is raised from the dead; the whole scene will be to the praise of His glory; it is the divine power of recovery. God gains a great deal more than had been lost. In result He puts it all on a broader platform. The Son of man has dominion not only over the works of His hands, but over all things.
Ques What is the force of verse 12?
FER It is what marked the believing Jews at the time the apostle wrote; they had trusted in Christ before He was manifested.
We get these three things, redemption, inheritance, and sealing; but when the apostle comes to prayer, he goes out a great deal beyond that, to the full scope of God’s will concerning us. The prayer goes back to counsel. The first thing he prays for is, that they may know the hope of His calling. I have been much interested in trying to distinguish between the work of the servant and the work of God. No doubt the apostle brought the light of the gospel to them by which they were saved, but then he can do no more; he has to turn to prayer. Then again in chapter 3 when he has unfolded the mystery, there, too, he prays for them. I do not think the servant can put the best robe on people; his whole work is to enlighten.
[p. 202] I do not think he can go beyond that. It is God who works and effects everything. The apostle was to open their eyes that they might turn from darkness to light, then God gives the Spirit as the seal, and after that it is all His work. No man, not even an apostle, could give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. We know everything by knowing God; all hangs on that. Everything that God does arises from what He is; the Christian state is brought about by knowing God, the love of God being shed abroad in our hearts. “Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things”, was said to babes.
The effect of having the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him is that the eyes of our understanding are enlightened. Wisdom is resource, revelation is unfolding. When we know God we have the opening up of Scripture. People are not going to get the knowledge of God by the study of Scripture; we get at Scripture by the knowledge of God.
Christ is God’s resource; Proverbs 8. He is not baffled. Christ was the link between God and men: “His delights were with the sons of men”. Christ as wisdom is the Mediator.
You never got a single bit of light on the Scripture till you had the Spirit. The Spirit may help you by Scripture, but if you are going on, you may by the Spirit be beyond the letter of Scripture. But you must never transgress the Scripture. “To the law and the testimony; if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them”. Scripture tells me things I am entitled to have, but I only get them by the Holy Spirit leading me into the knowledge of God. Take a man who receives the preaching and is converted; he receives the Spirit, and he finds he loves the Scriptures, which he never did before. Having received the Holy Spirit, he knows the love of God shed abroad in his heart. If [p. 203] he comes to the Scripture, he will understand what has taken place. We get the thing by the Spirit of God, and then by the word we get what explains and confirms it. We need to have things intelligently — by the Scriptures — not only instinctively. It is the Spirit only who enables us to understand the Scriptures. “The spirit of wisdom and revelation” is a special favour, things open up.
There is great danger in speaking of things which we know by Scripture, but do not know by the Spirit. In teaching you must keep yourself within the bounds of what you really know.