The Fruit of Trust in God’s Love, Part 2

Trust Yields Divine Fellowship and Confidence

 

The Fruit of Trust in God’s Love

Part 2 (Conclusion)

By Fred O. Blakely

“And we know and have believed the love which God hath in us. God is love; and he that abideth in love abideth in God, and God abideth in him. Herein is love made perfect with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, even so are we in this world. There is no fear in love: but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath punishment; and he that feareth is not made perfect in love” (I Jn. 4:16-18, ASV).

The Boldness before God. The ultimate outcome of such reliance upon, and fellowship with, God in the era of grace has its setting in the world to come, says the Apostle. “Herein is love made perfect with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, even so are we in this world. There is no fear in love: but perfect love casteth out fear.” The firstfruits of this reliant boldness before God is experienced by the believer while yet in the flesh. Through faith and trust in the record which God has given of Himself and His Son, he comes “boldly unto the throne of grace,” entering without fear “into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Heb. 4:14-16; 10:19-22). At the great judgment seat of Christ, before which “we must all appear” (II Cor. 5:10), he will but continue in “this grace” wherein he now stands, relying wholly upon His acceptance with God “in the Beloved” (Rom. 5:5-11; Eph. 1:6).

The unspeakable glory of this deliverance from fear of “judgment to come” needs to be emphasized, that we may the more appreciate the greatness of our salvation in Christ (Acts 24:25).  “What countless fears agitate the hearts of those who are not in sympathy with God! Some men are dreading poverty; others, painful and lingering illness; others, death; others, judgment; others, God Himself. Such fears agitate and distress souls; they have torment. Perfect love will expel each and all these tormentors. It clothes our life and its experiences in new aspects, by enabling us to regard them in a different spirit. This love is of God; it proceeds from and returns to Him. It cannot dread Him and His appointments in relation to us. In this way it banishes from the heart the dread of death and of the judgment. Since God is what He is—‘Love’ (v. 16) and ‘Light’ (ch. 1:5)—we can do no other than trust Him. Hence, even now we look forward with confidence to the day of judgment. Perfect love not only expels servile fear, but inspires victorious trust in God.” “The confidence which we shall have ‘in that day,’ and which we have even now by anticipation of it, is the perfection of our love grounded on the consideration which follows, ‘Because as He is, even so are we in this world.’”

The final fruitage of our abiding in the divine love, like the “good wine” which the Lord made at the wedding feast (Jn. 2:10), is the best. “It will give us peace and satisfaction of spirit in the day when it will be most needed, or when it will be the greatest pleasure and blessing imaginable. There must be a day of universal judgment. Happy (are) they who shall have holy fiducial boldness before the Judge at that day, who shall be able to lift up their heads and look Him in the face, knowing He is their Friend and Advocate!

Happy (are) they who have holy boldness and assurance in the prospect of that day, who look and wait for it, and for the Judge’s appearance! So do, and so may do, the lovers of God. Their love to God assures them of God’s love to them (I Jn. 4:19), and consequently of the friendship of the Son of God. As God is good and loving, and faithful to His promises, so we can easily be persuaded of His love, and the happy fruits of His love, when we can say, Thou that knowest all things knowest that we love Thee (Jn. 21:17). ‘And hope maketh not ashamed.’ Our hope, conceived by the consideration of God’s love, will not disappoint us, ‘because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us.’”

“The fear which is inconsistent with perfect love is the fear of the slave dreading the lash, or the culprit dreading the verdict. But if the love of God is within us, sweetly subduing us with its tenderness, and if through that love sin is pardoned and destroyed, why, there is not lash to dread, there is not adverse verdict to fear (Jn. 5:24, ASV); for in such a case, to see the Judge upon the throne will be to look upon the face of an infinite Vindicator and Friend, in whose love we have lived here, and the enjoyment of whose love is the highest heaven for ever! And so far as the judgment will bear on others, the man of love will be more than content with the decisions of the Son of God and Son of man, and will desire nothing more than that the entire race should be dealt with by Christ as He sees fit. Evidently, if this be not our state of mind, there must be a deficiency in love in exactly the same degree as there is any restless fear.”

Our expectancy of boldness in the day of judgment is also rooted in our present conformity to Christ, John declares. “Because as He is, even so are we in this world” (v. 17). In what sense is this to be taken? Primarily, of course, we are judicially reckoned by God to be so, in that we are joined to Christ—one Spirit with Him, “members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones” (I Cor. 6:17; Eph. 5:30). In addition, we are experientially identified with our Lord.  We have God as our Father, as does He, “for which cause He is not ashamed” to recognize us as brethren (Heb. 2:11-13). We are also “separate from sinners” and the world, and “alive unto God, as He is (Rom. 6:11; Heb. 7:26). We have been raised up, as was Christ, and been made to “sit with Him in the heavenly places” (Eph. 2:6).

Hence, as He was “received up into glory” (I Tim. 3:16), so have we also been (Eph. 1:6; Heb. 10:19-22).  In our reconciliation to the objectives of the Father in the Son, and the work which He is executing through Him, we are also Christ-like. “We are looking forward to the day of judgment as the consummation of our hope, and the Redeemer is working in the world with a view to that day as the consummation of His mediatorial reign (I Cor. 15:24-28; Heb. 10:12-13). ‘This world’ (I Jn. 4:17; cf. Gal. 1:4), as distinguished from ‘the world,’ emphasizes the idea of transitoriness. Just so, Christ, in His redeeming work, and we in our believing hope, are working with the same goal in view— ‘the day of judgment.’ This world is but a passing phase of things. This is the day in which our Lord Jesus is carrying on His saving work in the world, and His educating process in the church; and all with a view to ‘the great day.’ Believers, too, are only in the preliminary period of their training, and hence they, too, believe and hope and love with a view to ‘that day.’ As their Lord is, so are they in this passing world, looking to and preparing for what lies above and beyond it.” Hence such passages of Scripture as these: Mt. 25; Mk. 13:35-37; Lk. 12:35-40; 21:34-36; Rom. 14:9-12; I Cor. 4:5; II Cor. 5:10; Phil. 1:6, 10; Col. 1:28-29; I Th. 5:23; II Tim. 1:12.

Conclusion. Since the fruit of trustfully abiding in God’s love is so precious, the work of the believer clearly is cut out for him. It is, as the Savior requested, to “continue in My love” (Jn. 15:9-10).  Or, as expressed by Jude, to “keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude 21). Or, by Paul to Timothy, “That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in us” (II Tim. 1:14).

As the embattled saint wages the warfare of abiding in God and permitting God to abide in him, the assurances of Scripture encourage and sustain his heart. “The anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you,” wrote John earlier in his first epistle, “and ye need not that any man teach you; but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is true, and is no lie, and as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him” (I Jn. 2:27). In his second letter, the Apostle voiced like assurance. The “elect lady,” to whom it is addressed, he loved “for the truth’s sake,” he said.

Which truth, he continued, “abideth in us, and shall be with us for ever” (II Jn. 1-2).  With full confidence in God, let us therefore determine to heed the apostolic exhortation: “And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming” (I Jn. 2:28). So shall we claim the beatitude of our Lord, proclaimed from Heaven: “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame” (Rev. 16:15). 

Our Fellowship with the Father and the Son

It is Foretaste of the Exceeding Blessedness to Come!

 

Our Fellowship with the Father and the Son

By Al Stoner

“And truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ” (I Jn. 1:3).

Introduction. In our day the significance of the term “fellowship” has been greatly obscured because of the word’s misuse. Men today speak of fellowship halls, fellowship banquets, fellowships of various Christian organizations, and even “fun, food, and fellowship.” But as the word itself  indicates, fellowship is a close union among "fellows", whether between men and other men, between the Father and the Son, or between God and men.   With regard to men's inclusion in this fellowship, it came at great price, namely the offering up the Lord Jesus Christ for us all.  The fellowship of which we are speaking was purchased with the blood of God's Son.  Our purpose in this article shall be to uncover the meaning of the word “fellowship” as it is used in Scripture. We shall always be the better for giving the due attention to what the Scripture is saying.

The Fellowship’s Involvements. When we speak of men having fellowship with God, we are speaking of God and men being together, and delightfully walking together, and being wonderfully and perfectly joined together “in the same mind and in the same judgment” (I Cor. 1:10). It entails God imparting His mind and thoughts to redeemed men and women, and they in turn bearing their mind and thoughts to Him through the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Fellowship involves walking in a lively awareness of sins being forgiven by Christ. Those who are in Christ are given, in measure, to enter into the fellowship that is had between the Father and the Son, as the Lord Jesus declared in His prayer in John chapter 17.

If we speak of men having fellowship with other men, we are saying that such ones are blessedly joined together in heart and mind to the extent that all the involved individuals are walking in the light (cf. I Jn. 1:7), just as John declared in his first epistle.  Fellowship is not effortless on the part of men, because we are yet in the body of this death. Sin has now been put away so that the door is now opened for fellowship with God, and fellowship with believing men and women. But constant effort must be put forth by men to walk in the light, and to abide in the Father and the Son, in order for the fellowship to be realized. We are not striving to have fellowship, per se, but rather to walk and abide in the light, which is the domain where the fellowship is enjoyed.  We are summoned of God to walk in the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, a light that draws attention to the blessed accomplishments of the Lord Jesus Christ in His putting away sin from before the face of God.

Another of the involvements of fellowship with the Father is that of walking before or unto Him with all the heart. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jer. 17:9). It is as the strange woman of Proverbs (cf. Prov. 23:27). When left unchecked, and if our affection is not set on things above, the heart will certainly wend its way to the couch and bed of other loves.  

Let us, therefore, resolve daily to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength! And may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus! "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth" (Col. 3:2). As we go on, we shall see that these are some of the involvements of fellowship.  As new creatures in Christ we have been divinely equipped to glorify God in our body and in our spirit.

Some Moral Entailments. “Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?” (Ps. 94:20). And if a throne of iniquity can have no fellowship with Him, neither can a heart of iniquity. But in the new covenant, hearts are now purified by faith (cf. Acts 15:9).  We shall also affirm here that fellowship with the Father and with the Son is rooted in righteousness and true holiness. It is not unrighteous, or contrary to law, or what men call today amoral. It is not had in ignorement of God's absolute righteousness and holiness. And yet this fellowship is enjoyed by men and women and children that have obeyed the gospel, because their sins have now been put away by Christ. Let us give thanks unto the Father for the gracious provision which He has made in our behalf!

A Summons to Reason. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Is. 1:18).  This same voice may still be heard in the present age. Come now, let us reason together! "If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin."  And, "If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye, through the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." And again,"If the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken [or make alive] your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Rom. 8:11).  As we reason together with God on such matters as these mentioned above, we are having fellowship with Him with regard to the blessed involvements of our redemption in Christ.

The Matter of Abiding. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me” (Jn.15:4). Our abiding in Christ, and Christ's abiding in us, is an essential part of fellowship. Without this abiding there is no fellowship. Abiding carries with it the thought of continuing, standing, enduring, dwelling, tarrying, remaining, and being present in Him.

As we are abiding we are present with Him, and He is present with us; we are continuing in Him, and He is continuing in us; by faith we are dwelling in Him, and He, through the Spirit, is dwelling in us; we are remaining in Him, and He is remaining in us; we are tarrying in Him, and He is tarrying in us.  The abiding is real, even though unseen. Our abiding in Him is done by faith, and His abiding in us is realized by faith. The abiding is not symbolic or metaphorical.  Fellowship with the Father and with the Son always results in fruit bearing. There can be no barren relationship with the living God and with the living Christ!

The Fellowship and Unity. “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me” (Jn. 17:20-21).  Fellowship entails union and unity, but not unity at any cost. It is not unity for unity's sake. It is unity on certain terms and under certain conditions!  This is a unity that has been purchased by the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.

The oneness, spoken of here by the Savior, is, as He said, "as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee." The Father and the Son are together the Supreme Archetype of acceptable union and unity that is to be had by men. The unity is to this end that, "they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me."

The Fellowhip’s Root and Fatness. “And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree” (Rom. 11:17).  Fellowship with the Father and the Son, from this perspective, involves partaking, by faith, of the root and the fatness of the olive tree.  And having fellowship with one another results when two or more are partaking of this root and fatness. The words “root and fatness” speak of “the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” (Rom. 11:33). And these riches are for men to receive and freely partake of!

The Lord’s Table. “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” (I Cor. 10:16).  The Lord's table is to be a time of fellowshipping with the Father and the Son over sins that have been forgiven and washed away. The cup commemorates a divinely appointed purging and cleansing agent. As our thoughts are drawn unto this “fruit of the vine” (Mt. 26:29) at the time of communion, we are given to taste afresh of sins that have been purged.

The bread commemorates that body of the Son of God that was broken in our behalf. Christ was bruised, His body was broken, and the chastisement of our peace was upon Him. The time of the Lord's table was designed to persuade the saints anew that “One died for all” (II Cor. 5:14).  That thought can get away from us. And if “One died for all, then are all dead, And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again.”

Some Involved Jeopardies. “But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils” (I Cor. 10:20).  In our day the sacrifices offered to devils have simply taken a different form. Men and women today offer sacrifice to the idols that are called pleasures of this life, convenience, and covetousness. (Those who are in Christ are to use this present world, not abusing it.) 

And with many today who make a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the drinking of the cup of demons and the cup of devils evidences itself in a subtle, but yet willful, conformity to this present evil world, of which Satan is prince.  Wherever men and women are not offering up their bodies a living sacrifice, being transformed into Christ’s Image by the renewing of their minds (cf. Rom. 12:1-2), by default, they are being conformed to this present world, which is slated to be burned up when Jesus comes again with power and great glory. 

 

 

 

Blessed are the Dead which Die in the Lord

Blessed are the Dead which die in the Lord

“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them” (Rev. 14:13).

The Context. “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”

“And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”

“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”

“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”

“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them” (Rev. 14:6-13).

The Witness of the Psalmists and Prophets.  “Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people” (Gen. 25:8). “And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him” (Gen. 35:29).

“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints” (Ps. 116:15). 

Job, when he cursed his day, made a startling utterance with regard to what he knew of the state of the righteous dead. “There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest. There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor. The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master” (Job 3:17-19).

The Testimony of Isaiah.  “The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness” (Isa. 57:1-2). 

Resting in their beds and walking. This speaks of a rest that is associated with activity on the part of the departed dead. 

None considering, these were taken away from the evil to come.  These are no longer in jeopardies, as the domain to which they have been blessedly removed is one of security and safety.

The Words of the Savior. “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom” (Lk. 16:22-23).

The Witness of Paul. “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit” (II Cor. 5:1-5).

That of Peter.  “For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit” (I Pet. 4:6).

A Voice from Heaven. A voice from Heaven, speaking in the behalf of Heaven, with Heaven’s authority.

Write! At the beginning of the Revelation, John was commanded, “What thou seest, write in a book, and send it to the seven churches.” And several times throughout the Revelation John was commanded to write, or even not to write, specific things that he was given to behold.

The Dead which Die in the Lord.  Those who are faithful unto death.  Those in whom is demonstrated “the patience of the saints”, who “keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” unto the time of their departure from this present world.

From Henceforth. Most of the translations read “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth”, or “from now own”.  But a few of the translations attach the “from henceforth” to the following clause.  “And I heard a voice from heaven, saying to me: Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. From henceforth now, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours. For their works follow them” (DRB).

The Dead which Die in the Lord from Henceforth.  The sufferings of Christ, and the glory which has followed has introduced a blessed change of condition for both the living and the dead.  For the righteous dead, any gloominess that may have been associated with the unseen realm of the departed dead, has now been completely expelled.  Now this domain is one of triumphant anticipation and expectation for what is next on the Divine agenda.

From Henceforth, that they May Rest from their Labors. Those individuals who have made their departure to be with Christ have entered into a state of blessedness where they

Yea, Saith the Spirit. The Spirit affirms the blessedness of the state of the dead in Christ, as a double confirmation, similar to God swearing with an oath.

They Rest from their Labors.  They are resting from the toil associated with the work of faith, and labor of love, which they had shown towards Christ’s Name when they were yet here with us.  They are resting from the burdensomeness of life, in general, here in the realm of the curse. 

Their Works Do Follow Them.  Their works, which were done in faith while yet in this world continue to be a living example.  Their works live on and continue to minister to those who are yet in this present realm, attesting to the fact that the ones who did the works, while they were yet here, are still alive, though promoted of God to another realm.

 

“There is no death”

J. L. McCreery

 

THERE is no death! the stars go down   To rise upon some other shore, And bright in heaven’s jewelled crown   They shine forever more.   There is no death! the forest leaves         5   Convert to life the viewless air; The rocks disgorge to feed   The hungry moss they bear.   There is no death! the dust we tread   Shall change, beneath the summer showers,         10 To golden grain, or mellow fruit,   Or rainbow-tinted flowers.   There is no death! the leaves may fall,   The flowers may fade and pass away— They only wait, through wintry hours,         15   The warm sweet breath of May.   There is no death! the choicest gifts   That heaven hath kindly lent to earth Are ever first to seek again   The country of their birth.         20   And all things that for growth of joy   Are worthy of our love or care, Whose loss has left us desolate,   Are safely garnered there.   Though life become a dreary waste,         25   We know its fairest, sweetest flowers, Transplanted into paradise,   Adorn immortal bowers.   The voice of bird-like melody   That we have missed and mourned so long         30 Now mingles with the angel choir   In everlasting song.   There is no death! although we grieve   When beautiful, familiar forms That we have learned to love are torn         35   From our embracing arms;   Although with bowed and breaking heart,   With sable garb and silent tread, We bear their senseless dust to rest,   And say that they are “dead.”         40   They are not dead! they have but passed   Beyond the mists that blind us here Into the new and larger life   Of that serener sphere.   They have but dropped their robe of clay         45   To put their shining raiment on; They have not wandered far away—   They are not “lost” or “gone.”   Though disenthralled and glorified,   They still are here and love us yet;         50 The dear ones they have left behind   They never can forget.   And sometimes, when our hearts grow faint   Amid temptations fierce and deep, Or when the wildly raging waves         55   Of grief or passion sweep,   We feel upon our fevered brow   Their gentle touch, their breath of balm; Their arms enfold us, and our hearts   Grow comforted and calm.         60   And ever near us, though unseen,   The dear, immortal spirits tread; For all the boundless universe   Is life—there are no dead. 1863.