Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

Verse 36: Even as it is written, On account of Thee we are killed all the day long: We were reckoned as sheep for the slaughter.

Here, then, is the description of God’s saints: “killed perpetually,” and
“sheep for slaughter.” We know that this quotation is taken from a Psalm (44:22) which describes that terrible hunting down by the Antichrist of the godly remnant of Israel in the days of the Great Tribulation. But today—all the day [of grace] long, this is the real state of real saints: killed, and slaughter-sheep! To the student of God’s Word, the many years of outward peace—from persecution, horrors, and death,—that have come to us is the unusual, the astonishing thing. Look at the “deaths oft” of the early Church, the martyrs; and again when truth burst out afresh at the Reformation! (See footnote p. 475)

But now again! look at Russia, look at Germany, look all around! Ruthless
hatred of God’s saints is breaking out everywhere, as of old!

Now, we ought not to view such things with alarm, but, on the contrary, to
remember that Christ has not yet set up His kingdom,191 nor will till His second coming! Satan is the prince of this world, and shall yet be exhibited as the “god of this age”—see Revelation Thirteen. For,

“The whole earth wondered after the Wild Beast [Satan’s man, the Antichrist]; and they worshipped the dragon [Satan] . . . and there was given to him authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, every one whose name hath not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that hath been slain.”

Let the saints rouse quickly from these false dreams of “peace.” The saints are sheep for slaughter! Name yourself among them, and cease contending for your “rights” in a world that has cast out Christ! Persecution is shaping itself up again throughout Christendom—yea, even in the United States. Intolerance unto death for any who will not bow to a totalitarian state is ready, as in the days of the Roman emperors (who demanded worship) to assert itself,—is asserting itself, throughout the world. This “totalitarian” movement is setting the stage for Antichrist more rapidly than you dream! Therefore get ready. Put up over your mirror the motto: “I am Christ’s: a sheep for slaughter.”

Verse 37: Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us!

What a wonderful book this Word of God is! “Sheep for slaughter” naming themselves more than conquerors! 192

Now note three things in this verse: (1) We are conquerors in all this
terrible situation, in all these things. (2) We are more than conquerors. (3) It is altogether through Him that loved us, and not through human energy of any kind, that we are more than conquerors.

Now, what is it to be “more than conquerors?” (a) It is to come off
conqueror in every difficulty, (b) It is to know that Divine, and therefore infinite, power has been engaged for us in the conflict, (c) It is the absolute confidence that this infinite and therefore limitless Divine help is granted to us against any possible future emergency, (d) It is to “divide the spoil” over any foe, after victory! (Isaiah 53:12.)

Him that loved us—Note first the past tense. That preaching which always emphasizes the present love of God or Christ for the soul, as the great persuading power over the human heart, falls sadly short. When our Lord described God’s love for the world, it was, “God so loved that He gave His Son.” Again, “Herein is love, that God loved us, and sent His Son.” Again, when Paul describes Christ’s love for His own it is by pointing to His sacrifice. Here (in Romans 8:37) the cross is indicated, as in verse 32 of our chapter: “He that spared not His own Son.”

Further, when Christ’s love for the Church is described, it is again the past tense—“Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for it” (Ephesians 5:25). And, “The Son of God loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). It is this past tense gospel the devil hates,—for “the Word of the Cross is the power of God.” Let a preacher be continually saying, “God loves you, Christ
loves you,” and he and his congregation will by and by be losing sight both of their sinnerhood and of the substitutionary atonement of the cross, where the love of God and of Christ was once for all and supremely set forth,—and in righteous display!

Now whether God or Christ is indicated in Him that loved us in this verse, what we have said holds true.

Frankly we personally feel that the rendering “the love of God” in verse 35, is correct. And this because it is the love of God that is emphasized throughout this passage, from verse 31 to the end. For note, it is God that is for us, God spared not His Son; God justifieth. And it is Christ Jesus whom He had “not spared,” that died, that was raised, who is at the right hand of God, and who intercedes. From such love of God (as good authorities read in verse 35), no difficulties can separate us.

We know, however, that verse 39 definitely declares that it is “the love
of God which is in Christ Jesus” from which nothing can separate us.

Therefore, we are also quite strongly drawn to read “the love of Christ” in verse 35, because (1) Christ’s work for us has just been described in the immediately preceding verse; and also (2) because of the glorious historical fact that the martyrs were directly conscious, in the midst of the flames and when they were thrown to the beasts, of the presence and love of Christ, their Redeemer, Lord and Head.

But, however we read, both are correct!

Verse 38: For I am persuaded—Before we quote the last two verses of this
triumphant paean, let us lay to heart this word persuaded, for it is the key to Paul’s triumph as he goes shouting up these mountain heights of Christian faith. “Persuaded” is a heart word. The difference between knowing a truth and being heart-persuaded of it, Paul brings out in Chapter 14:14: “I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself.” (See that passage.) Many people know, for example, that in this dispensation all distinctions of meats have been removed; yet their consciences are not relieved. Weakness and fear still trouble them—about meats and days and many things. To know a Bible truth, you have only to read it: to be “persuaded of it in the Lord Jesus” involves the fact, first, that the truth in question touches your own personal safety before God; and, second, that your heart has so been enlightened by the Holy Spirit, and your will so won over—persuaded”—that confidence, heart-satisfied persuasion, results.

Now Paul says in Romans 8:38: I am persuaded—Dear saints, had not Paul
passed through all these terrible things of verse 35, tribulation, anguish, persecution,—all? Look at the scars on his body! Assurance? He had it: “In the sight of God speak we in Christ” (II Corinthians 12:19); “Seeing that ye seek a proof of Christ that speaketh in me” (II Corinthians 13:3). Confidence? Hearken to his last epistle: “The Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will save me unto His heavenly kingdom: to whom be the glory unto the ages of the ages” (II Timothy 4:18). “Persuaded?” His mind, his conscience, his heart, his whole being, were sublimely committed to what he is about to say. The days of doubt and uncertainty were forever passed for him!

Verses 38, 39: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

How we do misquote this verse, putting it according to natural thought,
“neither life nor death.” But God says, neither death nor life. To the instructed believer, the fear of death is gone (see Hebrews 2:14, 15). Christ partook of it: “That through death He might bring to nought him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver all them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”

But life! Ah, life is so much more difficult than death!—life with its burdens, its bitternesses, its disappointments, its uncertainties; often with its physical miseries,—as Job said, “My soul chooseth strangling and death rather than these my bones.” But just as death cannot separate us from this unchangeable love of God in Christ, neither can any circumstances of life do it!

Nor angels—Whether we speak of the elect angels—the angels of God’s power, in the presence of whom the saints have felt overwhelmed by their utter unworthiness (as Daniel, Daniel 10:8-17); or whether it be the malignant angels, who chose Satan’s captaincy, and are a unity with him in evil;—no angels can separate us from that love of God which is fixed forever in Christ.

Nor principalities—Here we touch a mysterious word. We know from Ephesians 1:21 that there is an ordered realm of unseen authorities whether of good or of evil (Ephesians 2:2; 6:12). But with none of them have we anything to do, for whatever they are, they cannot separate us from God’s love in Christ.

Nor things present nor things to come—In Job’s case, Satan dealt in “things present”—and they were as bad as hellish enmity could make them. But they did not separate from God’s love, for look at “the end of the Lord,” with Job. In the cases of David and Elijah, Satan dealt in “futures”: David said, “I shall now one day perish by the hand of Saul.” Yet shortly he sat on the throne! And Jezebel threatened, “I will make thy life as the life of one of them [the slain prophets] by tomorrow about this time.” When Elijah saw that, (alas, these “thats” of the devil!) “he arose, and went for his life.” Yet God took him up by a chariot of fire into heaven!

Nor powers—The word translated “powers”193 here is dunamis, energy: and has reference evidently to those uncanny and horrible workings of Satan and his host seen in spiritism, theosophy, and all kinds of magic. Indeed, this very word is used in Acts 8:10 concerning Simon the Magician: “They said, This man is that power (dunamis) of God which is called Great.” All kinds of bewitchment, sorcery, necromancy, “evil eye,” and “mystic spells” cast upon people are included. Now I know that sorcery, the “evil eye,” “spells,” are potent over the unsaved. But, it is a sad fact that many dear saints are troubled by these things. They are afraid—of Friday the thirteenth, of passing under a ladder, of seeing a black cat, of breaking a mirror! Now this simply leaves God out! Who rules in earth’s affairs, Satan or God?

People say to me, “Do you believe there is anything in spiritism?” I say,”I certainly do—the devil’s in it!” But none of these “powers” can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. There is no such thing as “luck.” Let us cease to dishonor God by mentioning it! “God worketh all things after the counsel of His will.” I have seen professing Christians “knock on wood” if making some confident statement! (I am ashamed as I write this.) Let us be “persuaded” of the love which God, without cause in us, has unchangeable toward us in Christ Jesus our Lord. No matter how real, insidious, terrifying these demon powers may be, we are safe in Christ! If you want to be free from superstition and fears, do as James directs: “Ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall both live and do this or that.” That brings God in!

Verse 39: Nor height, nor depth—The astronomers would frighten us with their figures of the vastness of the universe But Christ has passed through
all the heavens, and is at the right hand of God! And God has loved us in Christ—there is no separation from that love. But “depth”—Ah, poor mortals we are afraid, even of earthly cliffs and chasms. Yea, but Christ descended into “the lower parts of the earth,” into “the abyss” at “the heart of the earth” (Ephesians 4:9; Rom 10:7; Matthew 12:40). Moreover, He has said that His Church would not enter the gates of Hades (Matthew 16:18). And they shall not! But even if God had arranged that they should, Christ says to John, “Fear not; I am the First and the Last, and the Living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades!” This is indeed a glorious salvation! No “depth” can separate us from God’s love in Christ.

Nor any other created thing—There! That should banish all our fears, no matter what they be. The ability of the human heart to conjure up possible trouble and disaster is without limit, it seems: but this word gives us peace. No created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in. Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Notice that this love of God is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Why God set His love upon us, we cannot tell. Why He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, connecting our destiny eternally with Christ His beloved Son, we cannot tell. But, “Whatsoever Jehovah doeth, it shall be forever.” We must therefore hold in mind this fact, that God has loved us even as He loved Christ (John 17:26): for He loved us in Him.

Some dear saints seem to think that it is a mark of humility to doubt the security of God’s elect. But Romans has surely shown us the way to be certain! Do not try to assure your heart that you are one of God’s elect. If you are troubled with doubts, go and sit down on the sinner’s seat, and say, “God declares righteous the ungodly who trust Him. I renounce all thoughts of my own righteousness, and as a sinner I trust the God who raised Christ from the dead,—who was delivered up for my trespasses.” This is the path our God in Romans shows us. Uncertainty about election arises from some kind of self-righteousness!

As we have elsewhere noted, the saints are those who have received Him whom God in His great love gave to the world, and they by Divine grace welcomed this only-begotten Son whom God has given. Therefore the love of God in Christ Jesus is forever theirs. However the world of men may treat this astonishing unspeakable gift which God has proffered, and may go on rejecting Christ till a day when it must be eternally withdrawn; yet God’s elect, the saints, “those who have believed,” find themselves borne upon the irresistible tide of this Divine affection which “is in Christ Jesus,” out into an eternity of bliss! “God is love,” and “the Father loveth the Son.” And now these connected with Christ find themselves wrapped in this same eternal affection shown by God to His dear Son.

When we fail utterly, and are overwhelmed, then is the time to say: We have been accepted in Christ—only in Christ, wholly in Christ. Our place is unchanged by our failure. We are ashamed before God, but not confounded. Just now His eyes are on us in Christ, as they ever have been. His love is as deep and wonderful as ever, being “the love wherewith He loved Christ”! We do not resolve to “do better,” for we are weak. We trust the grace of God in Christ and cast ourselves anew, and all the more wholly, upon His grace alone. We trust Him never to forsake or fail us: for He hath loved us in His beloved Son; and God will never forsake Christ! For His sake will He deal with us now and ever.

How hard it is to turn away from its object the love even of a man, a creature, a bit of dust! How eternally impossible, then, that the infinite God should be turned away from His love to those that are in Christ Jesus!

The wonderful text of this passage, GOD IS FOR US, fills our amazed and grateful hearts more and more.

MY HIGH TOWER

By Paul Gerhardt: A.D. 1676

IS GOD FOR ME? I fear not, though all against me rise;

I call on Christ my Savior, the host of evil flies.

My friend the Lord Almighty, and He who loves me, God!

What enemy shall harm me, though coming as a flood?

I know it, I believe it, I say it fearlessly,

That God, the Highest, Mightiest, forever loveth me;

At all times, in all places, He standeth at my side,

He rules the battle fury, the tempest and the tide.

A Rock that Stands forever is Christ my righteousness,

And there I stand unfearing in everlasting bliss;

No earthly thing is needful to this my life from Heaven,

And nought of love is worthy, save that which Christ hath given.

Christ, all my praise and glory, my Light most sweet and fair,

The ship wherein He saileth is scathless everywhere!

In Him I dare be joyful, a hero in the war

The judgment of the sinner affrighteth me no more!

There is no condemnation, there is no hell for me,

The torment and the fire mine eyes shall never see;

For me there is no sentence, for me death has no stings,

Because the Lord Who saved me shall shield me with His wings.

Above my soul’s dark waters His Spirit hovers still,

He guards me from all sorrow, from terror and from ill;

In me He works and blesses the life-seed He hath sown,

From Him I learn the Abba, that prayer of faith alone.

And if in lonely places, a fearful child, I shrink,

He prays the prayers within me I cannot ask or think;

In deep unspoken language, known only to that Love

Who fathoms the heart’s mystery from the Throne of Light above.

His Spirit to my spirit sweet words of comfort saith,

How God the weak one strengthens who leans on Him in faith;

How He hath built a City, of love, and light, and song,

Where the eye at last beholdeth what the heart had loved so long.

And there is mine inheritance, my kingly palace-home;

The leaf may fall and perish, not less the spring will come;

As wind and rain of winter, our earthly sighs and tears,

Till the golden summer dawneth of the endless Year of years.

The world may pass and perish, Thou, God, wilt not remove—

No hatred of all devils can part me from Thy love;

No hungering nor thirsting, no poverty nor care,

No wrath of mighty princes can reach my shelter there.

No Angel, and no Heaven, no throne, nor power, nor might,

No love, no tribulation, no danger, fear, nor fight,

No height, no depth, no creature that has been or can be,

Can drive me from Thy bosom, can sever me from Thee.

My heart in joy upleapeth, grief cannot linger there—

While singing high in glory amidst the sunshine fair!

The source of all my singing is high in Heaven above;

The Sun that shines upon me is Jesus and His Love!

165 The Revised Version correctly omits “who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.” Since the King James translation, over 300 years ago, many., and the best, most accurate, ancient Greek manuscripts which we have, have been recovered; and earnest, godly men have gone steadily ahead with the tedious but fruitful work of correcting errors that had crept in in copying. For, as we all know, we have not the original manuscripts of Scripture: God has been pleased to withhold these from creatures so prone to idolatry as the sons of men.

We must close verse 1 with the words “in Christ Jesus,” for four reasons: (1) The evidence of the Greek manuscripts is overwhelmingly in favor of the omission of the clause “who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit” from verse 1,—as the evidence is universally for including these words in Verse 4. (2) Spiritual discernment also agrees, for the introduction of these words in verse I makes our safety depend upon our walk, and not upon the Spirit of God, But all in Christ Jesus are safe from condemnation, as is plainly taught throughout the epistles. Otherwise, our security depends on our walk, and not on our position in Christ. (3) The clause is plainly in proper place at the end of verse 4,—where the manner of the believer’s walk, not his safety, from condemnation, is described. (4) That the clause at the end of verse 1 in the King James is a gloss (marginal note by some copyist) appears not only from its omission by the great uncial manuscripts, Aleph, A, B, C, D, F, G; A, D (corr.); with some good cursives and ancient versions (see Olshausen, Meyer, Alford, J. F. and B., and Darby’s excellent discussion in his Synopsis, in loc); but it also appears from the similarity of this gloss to like additions made through legal fear, found in other passages.

That God chose to have His Word translated and still authoritative is seen from the use in the New Testament of the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, the Septuagint.

We should thank God for those devoted men who have spent their lifetimes in profound study of the manuscripts God has left us, and who have given us so marvelously perfect a translation as we have. We should distinguish such scholars absolutely and forever from the arrogant “Modernists” (or, in former days, the “Higher Critics”). who undertake to tell us what God ought to say in the Bible, rather than with deep humility seeking to find out what God has said.

166 Here we have at the very beginning of the chapter, one of the most
common words of argument in Paul’s epistles—for (Greek gar). It occurs
some 17 times in this Eighth Chapter, and about one half as many in Chapter Seven, etc. In general, it assigns the reason. Let us not be among those who avoid Paul’s epistles because of the mental attention they demand. Most people would rather read a novel or go to the picture shows than study. A chapter with 17 “fors” in it, is closely knit, and must be patiently followed. Unmeasured blessing will result.

167 John Wesley’s testimony is well known, concerning the beginning of his life of real faith (in his 35th year, after 13 years in a relatively common-place ministry): “In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street where one was reading Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me, that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death. For the next 53 years Wesley was “the outstanding figure and the greatest force in the English speaking world.” But notice that he realized at Aldersgate Street, the two great elements of our salvation:
(1) forgiveness of sin’s guilt; and (2) deliverance from sin’s power—from the law of sin and death!

168 “The expression is purposely a general one, because the design was not to speak of Christ’s mission to atone for sin, but, in virtue of that atonement, to destroy its dominion and extirpate it altogether from believers. We think it wrong, therefore, to render the words (as in margin) “by a sacrifice for sin” (peri hamartias) for this sense is too definite, and makes the idea of expiation more prominent than it is”—Jamieson-Fausset-Brown.

169 God condemned, or, as you might say, executed sin in the flesh for us
by the death of Christ. He did not die only for my sins (though that’s true), but for my sin. The root of sin that is in my nature, and that which worries and distresses the heart of the sincere believer daily, is put away for faith by death, and we are dead to it . . . God has settled the question, condemned the sin in you, which you condemn. But where has He done it? Outside of yourself altogether . . . He takes away the condemnation of sin in the nature, by God’s judgment being executed on the sinless flesh of His own Son. Thus sin in my flesh is judged, as well as my committed sins”—Darby, Notes on Romans, in loc.

170 We find the definite article “the” in the Greek before the word Spirit, where the Holy Spirit’s person or personal action is emphasized. But where His power, or nature as a sphere of being, and not His person, is before us, the article generally disappears. To translate literally several instances in this chapter: The Holy Spirit is introduced in verse 2 as “the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus”; but in verse 4, it is “who walk not according to flesh but according to Spirit.” In verse 5, “they that are according to Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” Here “according to Spirit” is a matter of characterizing; whereas in “the things of the Spirit,” the Holy Spirit’s person is brought to the fore. He has certain things—“the things of God none knoweth save the Spirit of God” (II Corinthians 2:11). Again, in Romans 8:9, “Ye are not in flesh but in Spirit.”

171 “Man earthy, of the earth, an hungred feeds

On earth’s dark poison tree—

Wild gourds, and deadly roots, and bitter weeds;

And as his food is he.

And hungry souls there are, that find and eat

God’s manna day by day;

And glad they are, their life is fresh and sweet,

For as their food are they!

—Ter Steegen.

172 Very many years ago a deep revival was in progress in New Haven, Conn., and in Yale College there. Many, especially of the society class, were falling under profound conviction. Several young ladies who had found peace in the blood of Christ, went to a very prominent friend,—a young woman whose generosity, grace and kindness had endeared her especially to her circle of friends. They besought her to come to the revival meetings. When she objected, they protested, “But God has a claim on you. He loves you. He gave His Son to die for you,” Fiercely she burst forth, stamping her foot: “I hate God!”

173 Of earnest “church members” today have all the Holy Spirit? Here and there is one who has the witness, “Abba, Father”; who testifies boldly that Jesus Christ is his Lord; who has a burden of prayer for the lost; who has a yearning for the fellowship of the saints, and a hunger for God’s Word. What about the rest? They are occupied with various “Christian” activities. Or, having in most cases, (I speak of earnest souls) a Seventh of “Romans experience, not knowing themselves fully accepted of God on the ground of Christ’s work, and not knowing the deliverance that is through Christ Jesus by the indwelling Holy Spirit from the power of sin and selfishness and worldliness, and sometimes—awful to say! not willing to come out and be separate from that world which crucified their Lord (and is not sorry!), they become part of the present ecclesiastical system,—as Jews were of that system.

You ask, are such people Christians? If they have finally broken with sin,
and are “praying to God alway,” they belong, indeed, in the company of
Cornelius (Acts 10), who was a devout man, but was not yet in the Christian position. Two steps led him to the Christian position: first, faith in Christ that his sins were remitted. (Acts 10:43); second, the gift of the Holy Ghost, which followed (Acts 11:15-18.)

Of course, we cannot agree with the Pentecostal people that only those that speak with tongues have the Holy Ghost. We believe that gift was given at Cornelius house to convince Peter, as we read in the following chapter (Acts 11:17) that they had “the like gift,” that had been conferred on the hundred and twenty on the Day of Pentecost. That gift was the Holy Spirit; and not a gift—charisma—which the Spirit Himself afterwards conferred. The same thing applies to Acts 19:6: “The Holy Spirit came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.” The essential thing was the conferring of the Holy Spirit, and not the Spirit’s operations thereafter.

(What we say does not mean that we “forbid to speak with tongues”—which God forbids us to forbid:—I Corinthians 14:39;—and concerning “prophesying” we comment in Chapter Twelve.)

174 “It is astonishing to find many commentators insisting on “Spirit” with a small “s” here, stating that it is “the human spirit, . . . essentially that part of man that holds communion with God” (Sanday). But such a notion defeats the whole meaning of the passage, which is, that that possession by the believer of the Holy Spirit in person is the seal and mark of a true believer over against those that are merely “soulical” (literally, “psychical”); as in Jude 19: “These are they who make separations, sensual, [Greek: psychikoi], having not the Spirit.” Paul says to the Ephesians concerning Christ: “In whom, upon believing, [aorist] ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is an earnest of our inheritance” (Ephesians 1:13, 14). Having the Holy Spirit is the unvarying apostolic sign of the true Christian. “Hereby we know that He abideth in us by the Spirit which He gave us” (I John 3:24). Compare Galatians 3:2, 3; I Corinthians 12:3, 13.

175 “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27), is called by the apostle there “the riches of the glory of this mystery”—the great revelation which Paul’s gospel contains.

But it is a terrible error to confine the revelation of that mystery to what are called “the prison epistles,” beginning with Ephesians. The two sides of the gospel, We in Christ, and, Christ in us, are constantly set forth from Romans on. The very words of our verse in Romans (8:10): If Christ is in you, are as wonderful as we find! In Galatians also (2:20): “It is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me.” And in II Corinthians 13:3: “Christ that speaketh in me”; and in Galatians 1:16: “To reveal His Son in me.” (These last two refer especially to testimony.) In Ephesians 3:14 to 21 we have the great prayer, “that Christ may make His home down in your hearts through faith.” He lives in all saints (II Corinthians 13.5), just as all saints are in Him. But the Ephesians passage is like Revelation 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Let us beware of the false teaching, that only the so-called “prison epistles” are “church truth.” For in all Paul’s epistles we find this great double truth, we in Christ, and Christ in us. Each epistle has its particular object and phase of truth, certainly, but they are one; and are all for the Church, the one Body!

176 lt is “body” (soma), not flesh (sarx). It it were sarx, we would at once know the Holy Spirit is meant,—from Galatians 5.17.

177 We have sought in vain for some simple English expression to set forth the Greek word so poorly rendered “adoption.” This word is huio-thesia: from, huios, “son come of age”; and thesia, a placing, or setting a person or thing in its place. In earthly affairs, “adoption” is the term applied to the selection as child and heir of one not born of us; and the execution of legal papers making such child our own, inheriting legal rights, etc.

But God’s children are begotten and born of God, and are called tekna, “born-ones,” of God. Thus are they directly related to God, “partakers of the Divine nature” (II Peter 1:4). All God’s children, whether in Old Testament days or today, are thus born. But the word huios means, a child come of age; no longer “as a servant” (Galatians 4:7). And huiothesia means God’s recognizing them in that position! This will be consummated fully at the coming of Christ, when our bodies, redeemed, and fashioned anew, shall be conformed to Christ’s glorious body.

Meanwhile, because we are already adult sons (huioi), God has given us a spirit of adult-sonship! No Jew called God “Father,” or “Abba”; but “Jehovah.” (Indeed) fearfulness, even prevented, generally, the use by the Jews of God’s memorial-name—Jehovah—for that nation: they called Him Adonai—“Lord.” And the English translations of the Old Testament, except the A.R.V., do the same thing,—only printing Jehovah as “LORD”—in capitals! But this is no translation; and is legal fearfulness.)

“Because ye are adult-sons (huioi) God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6, 7).

Even as to the strong Roman law concerning “adoption” of those not born in the family, (and Paul is writing to Romans) the following is instructive:

“The process of legal adoption by which the chosen heir became entitled not only to the reversion of the property but to the civil status) to the burdens as well as the rights of the adopter—made him become, as it were, his other self, one with him . . . We have but a faint conception of the force with which such an illustration would speak to one familiar with the Roman practice; how it would serve to impress upon him the assurance that the adopted son of God becomes, in a peculiar and intimate sense, one with the heavenly Father.” (Merivale, quoted by Vincent.)

178 1.Much unnecessary and unfruitful questioning as to what is the witness of the Spirit has arisen.

It is plain both in this passage (verses 15, 16) and from the great verse
in Galatians 4:6: “Because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father,” that the “witness of the Spirit” is the producing of the consciousness of being born of God, of belonging to His family, in Christ. And for us today who are in Christ, there should be the consciousness, not merely of babes, but of adult-sons. “God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father,” It is a sense of the very relation to the Father which Christ Himself has as Son! Mark, in this we do not “know” the Son, for He is the second person of the Deity; but we do know the Father, and the Son “willeth to reveal Him” by sending the blessed Spirit for that purpose. (See Matthew 11:27.)

How beautifully sweet is the recognition of its parents by a babe, a child! unconcious, instinctive, yet how real!

Now the witness of the Spirit is to the fact of our relationship. How
foolish it would be, and how sad, if a child should fall into the delusion that it must have certain “feelings” if it is to believe itself a child of its parents. The unconscious certainty of the relationship is the beauty of it. There are, indeed, certain tests Divinely given us, by which to assure ourselves. Most of these, perhaps, are in the great Epistle of Fellowship, First John;—“fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ”: “I have written unto you, little children, because ye know the Father (2:13). Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if He shall be manifested, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him even as He is (3:2). Hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He gave us” (3:24).

179 This word tekna means “born-ones,” offspring. The several other Greek words for child are used accurately in Scripture: brephos,—an unborn child or a newborn child (Luke 1:44 and 2:12 and 16); nepios, babes or small children,—children not come of age (Matthew 21:16; I Corinthians 3:1; 13:11; Galatians 4:1, 3; Eph 4:14), as over against adults or those come of age; pais, paidion and paidarion, children, generally; and with regard to their need of training and teaching. (The verbal for paideo means to train children, or to cause any one to learn; thus arises its use in Hebrews 12:6.) Finally, huios, which is the word of sonship, of adult understanding: Paul contrasts this word, with nepios in both Galatians 4:6, and I Corinthians 13:11, as adulthood over against childhood, or infancy.

These distinctions are not absolute, but practically so.

180Eiper—“if so be that,” Is used six times in the New Testament; Romans 8:9 and 17; I Corinthians 8:5; 15:15; II Thessalonians 1:6; I Peter 2:3. An examination of these references shows that this word eiper can only be interpreted in one passage, I Corinthians 15:15, as introducing a non-existent state of things; and here it is only most evidently for the sake of argument only: “if so be that the dead rise not.” This use in Romans 8:9, the text proves to be in connection with a positive asserted fact. “if so be the Spirit of God dwelleth in you.” This word eiper can be rendered in all six passages by “if, as is supposed.” I would suggest the rendering, “inasmuch as,” for Romans 8:17.

181 The expression “the glory which shall be revealed toward us,” is
translated “in us” in the King James. This preposition (eis) is used twice, for example, in II Thessalonians 2:14: “Unto which also He called you through our gospel unto the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ,” This “glory” is to be revealed “to usward”: not only to us, but in us, and therefore through us, to an astonished universe; and that forever!

182 The expression creation seems to refer to this earth, even although the words in verse 22 are the whole creation. In Colossians 1:23, Paul speaks of the gospel having been preached “in all creation under heaven.” God announced as a result of man’s sin, “Cursed is the ground for thy sake; thorns and thistles shall it bring forth unto thee,” The creation—the old version here reads “creature,” which is not accurate or clear. The reference is especially to the present world and the order of life upon it.

183 Major D. W. Whittle—of blessed memory! used to say, “The trouble with most Christians is that they are not willing to groan! Unwilling to face constantly the fact of being ‘in a tabernacle’ our earthly body, in which we groan, being burdened; and thus to long for the coming of Christ in the redemption of their bodies, most Christians get weary and long for death—disembodiment, which is not the Christian’s hope. Or else they turn back for some kind of satisfaction ,to the things of this poor wretched dying world. Or they seek to have sin ‘eradicated’ from their bodies.”

184 As for the “Modernist,” his shallow, ignorant, blatant boast if, “We do not know; we are not sure,” thus giving continual open evidence that he does not belong to that company of whom John writes: “We know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”

185 “Called” here does not mean invited,—as in Proverbs, for instance. “Unto you, O men, I call”; for this would be an appeal to man’s will instead of a description of those who are the objects of God’s will, His purpose. “Called,” in the sense of Romans 8:28, is illustrated in I Corinthians 1:24: where “Christ crucified” is declared to be a “stumbling-block” to Jews (to people whose thought was religion) and “foolishness” to Greeks (to those whose life lay in philosophy): but to ‘the called themselves” (Greek margin) “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” Here “the called” are seen to be a. company whose mark is neither religious response nor intellectual apprehending; but the electing grace of God which has so marked out the sphere of their being, that they are named “the called.” They are called according to His (God’s) purpose!

Now, that purpose is not merely an expressed Divine desire, but a fixed and vast will, that itself subordinates, necessarily, all things; submerges all opposition; effects its object. God’s purpose, in regard to “the called,” His “elect,” does, indeed, arise out of His desire, as well as being according to His infinite wisdom.

This is shown in:

“Jehovah hath chosen Zion;

He hath desired it for His habitation.

Here will I dwell; for I have desired it” (Psalm 132:13, 14).

Also, “Because He [Jehovah] loved thy [Israel’s] fathers, therefore He chose their seed after them” (Deuteronomy 4:37). Even those “chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world,” are said to be “loved in Christ Jesus our Lord.” “Go is love, “ and acts according to that nature. Out of His infinite, holy desire arose His Purpose. Reverse this order, and you have the god of the fatalist, not of the Bible.

186 “It is important to observe that the apostle does not speak of a passive or naked foreknowlege as if God only saw beforehand what some would be, and do, or believe. His foreknowledge is of persons, not of their state or conduct; it is not what, but ‘whom’ He foreknew” (Kelly).

187 Both the R.V. and the King James neglect to translate the little particle (Greek ge) which gives this passage its peculiar emphasis: Literally: “God for US . . . . who even spared not His own Son!” went even that length.

188 Note that the last statement of verse 33—“It is God that justifieth,” is connected with the opening question of verse 34. The verse division is unfortunate, and beclouds the meaning. The second sentence of verse 34, Christ Jesus is the one that died, etc., is entirely separate from and an advance upon, the preceding verses.

189 The other instances: Ephesians 1:20; Hebrews :3; 8:1;  10:12; 12:2;  Colossians 3:1.

190 Christ Jesus making intercession for us at the right hand of God in Heaven, is not properly Romans truth, but is brought in here simply to show His eternal commitment to our cause. We say this because the remnants of Romish unbelief lie in most or all of us. For instance, take the lines,

“O blessed feet of Jesus, weary with seeking me,

Kneel at God’s bar of judgment, and intercede for me!”

What a mixture and hodge-podge such words are! Christ is not “appeasing God” in Heaven. That was all done forever on the cross where our sins were put away. Our Lord as our High Priest in Heaven now leads our worship and praise, and looks after us in our infirmity. The book of Hebrews opens out this. But it is that same book which says, “He, when He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God” (10:12). The work on which faith rests has been done, and those who rely on Christ’s work on the cross will find their needs taken care of by Christ in Heaven.

191 As we say elsewhere, the mouthings of the “Modernist” who knows not the prophetic Word (and would not bow to it if it were shown to him) must not be listened to for a moment. The “Stone” of the Second of Daniel strikes that great prophetic Image of Gold, Silver, Brass, Iron, and Iron-Clay feet, with a sudden unexpected impact, destroying the whole Gentile order of things,—away down in the feet and toes period. The Kingdom of the Most High is then, and not till then, set up. We all know that those born again shall “see the Kingdom of God”—indeed, are in that Kingdom, as spiritually existing. But no others, no “social order,” no man-made conditions, are in the Kingdom! Further, to those born .again, God says, “The Kingdom of God is righteousness and joy and peace, in the Holy Ghost.” Outside the Spirit, the Kingdom of God does not exist. Indeed, the Kingdom has not yet been given to Christ in heaven by the Father. When it is given to Him (Revelation 5; Psalm 2:7-9), He will Himself come and set up His Kingdom in power according to Matthew 13:36-43; 25:31-46. Read these words of Christ, and believe them,—hearkening to no “peace, peace” words of the “Modern” dreamers.

192 It is evident that those whose description is “killed all the day long” “sheep for slaughter” will never become more than conquerors, or conquerors at all, through moral influence,” human “merits,” “the ballot box,” “the betterment of humanity,” “interracial understanding”! No, not with Satan prince and god, here! And he will be such until cast into the abyss (Revelation 20) at Christ’s coming.

193 In Ephesians 6:12, in the expression “principalities and powers,” the first word, (archai) is the word translated “principalities” in Romans 8:38, meaning one in high position in the unseen world. The second word, “powers,” in Ephesians 6:12, is the Greek exousia,and is directly connected with “principalities,” being a word indicative of authority, rather than energy. See Matthew 10:1; Acts 26:10,12.