Chapter 55
Transformed by Grace
In the life of the disciple John true sanctification is exemplified.
During the years of his close association with Christ, he was often warned
and cautioned by the Saviour; and these reproofs he accepted. As the
character of the Divine One was manifested to him, John saw his own
deficiencies, and was humbled by the revelation. Day by day, in contrast
with his own violent spirit, he beheld the tenderness and forbearance of
Jesus, and heard His lessons of humility and patience. Day by day his
heart was drawn out to Christ, until he lost sight of self in love for his
Master. The power and tenderness, the majesty and meekness, the strength
and patience, that he saw in the daily life of the Son of God, filled his
soul with admiration. He yielded his resentful, ambitious temper to the
moulding power of Christ, and divine love wrought in him a transformation
of character.
In striking contrast to the sanctification worked out in the life of
John is the experience of his fellow disciple, Judas. Like his associate,
Judas professed to be a disciple of Christ, but he possessed only a form
of godliness. He was not insensible to the beauty of the character of
Christ; and often, as he listened to the Saviour's words, conviction came
to him, but he would not humble his heart or confess his sins. By
resisting the divine influence he dishonoured the Master whom he professed
to love. John warred earnestly against his faults; but Judas violated his
conscience and yielded to temptation, fastening upon himself more securely
his habits of evil. The practice of the truths that Christ taught was at
variance with his desires and purposes, and he could not bring himself to
yield his ideas in order to receive wisdom from heaven. Instead of walking
in the light, he chose to walk in darkness. Evil desires, covetousness,
revengeful passions, dark and sullen thoughts, were cherished until Satan
gained full control of him.
John and Judas are representatives of those who profess to be Christ's
followers. Both these disciples had the same opportunities to study and
follow the divine Pattern. Both were closely associated with Jesus and
were privileged to listen to His teaching. Each possessed serious defects
of character; and each had access to the divine grace that transforms
character. But while one in humility was learning of Jesus, the other
revealed that he was not a doer of the word, but a hearer only. One, daily
dying to self and overcoming sin, was sanctified through the truth; the
other, resisting the transforming power of grace and indulging selfish
desires, was brought into bondage to Satan.
Such transformation of character as is seen in the life of John is ever
the result of communion with Christ. There may be marked defects in the
character of an individual, yet when he becomes a true disciple of Christ,
the power of divine grace transforms and sanctifies him. Beholding as in a
glass the glory of the Lord, he is changed from glory to glory, until he
is like Him whom he adores.
John was a teacher of holiness, and in his letters to the church he
laid down unerring rules for the conduct of Christians. "Every man
that hath this hope in him," he wrote, "purifieth himself, even
as He is pure." "He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself
also so to walk, even as He walked." 1 John 3:3; 2:6. He taught that
the Christian must be pure in heart and life. Never should he be satisfied
with an empty profession. As God is holy in His sphere, so fallen man,
through faith in Christ, is to be holy in his sphere.
"This is the will of God," the apostle Paul wrote, "even
your sanctification." 1 Thessalonians 4:3. The sanctification of the
church is God's object in all His dealings with His people. He has chosen
them from eternity, that they might be holy. He gave His Son to die for
them, that they might be sanctified through obedience to the truth,
divested of all the littleness of self. From them Her requires a personal
work, a personal surrender. God can be honoured by those who profess to
believe in Him, only as they are conformed to His image and controlled by
His Spirit. Then, as witnesses for the Saviour, they may make known what
divine grace has done for them.
True sanctification comes through the working out of the principle of
love. "God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and
God in him." 1 John 4:16. The life of him in whose heart Christ
abides, will reveal practical godliness. The character will be purified,
elevated, ennobled, and glorified. Pure doctrine will blend with works of
righteousness; heavenly precepts will mingle with holy practices.
Those who would gain the blessing of sanctification must first learn
the meaning of self-sacrifice. The cross of Christ is the central pillar
on which hangs the "far more exceeding and eternal weight of
glory." "If any man will come after Me," Christ says,
"let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." 2
Corinthians 4:17; Matthew 16:24. It is the fragrance of our love for our
fellow men that reveals our love for God. It is patience in service that
brings rest to the soul. It is through humble, diligent, faithful toil
that the welfare of Israel is promoted. God upholds and strengthens the
one who is willing to follow in Christ's way.
Sanctification is not the work of a moment, an hour, a day, but of a
lifetime. It is not gained by a happy flight of feeling, but is the result
of constantly dying to sin, and constantly living for Christ. Wrongs
cannot be righted nor reformations wrought in the character by feeble,
intermittent efforts. It is only by long, persevering effort, sore
discipline, and stern conflict, that we shall overcome. We know not one
day how strong will be our conflict the next. So long as Satan reigns, we
shall have self to subdue, besetting sins to overcome; so long as life
shall last, there will be no stopping place, no point which we can reach
and say, I have fully attained. Sanctification is the result of lifelong
obedience.
None of the apostles and prophets ever claimed to be without sin. Men
who have lived the nearest to God, men who would sacrifice life itself
rather than knowingly commit a wrong act, men whom God has honoured with
divine light and power, have confessed the sinfulness of their nature.
They have put no confidence in the flesh, have claimed no righteousness of
their own, but have trusted wholly in the righteousness of Christ.
So will it be with all who behold Christ. The nearer we come to Jesus,
and the more clearly we discern the purity of His character, the more
clearly shall we see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the less shall
we feel like exalting ourselves. There will be a continual reaching out of
the soul after God, a continual, earnest, heartbreaking confession of sin
and humbling of the heart before Him. At every advance step in our
Christian experience our repentance will deepen. We shall know that our
sufficiency is in Christ alone and shall make the apostle's confession our
own: "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good
thing." "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto
the world." Romans 7:18; Galatians 6:14.
Let the recording angels write the history of the holy struggles and
conflicts of the people of God; let them record their prayers and tears;
but let not God be dishonoured by the declaration from human lips, "I
am sinless; I am holy." Sanctified lips will never give utterance to
such presumptuous words.
The apostle Paul had been caught up to the third heaven and had seen
and heard things that could not be uttered, and yet his unassuming
statement is: "Not as though I had already attained, either were
already perfect: but I follow after." Philippians 3:12. Let the
angels of heaven write of Paul's victories in fighting the good fight of
faith. Let heaven rejoice in his steadfast tread heavenward, and that,
keeping the prize in view, he counts every other consideration dross.
Angels rejoice to tell his triumphs, but Paul makes no boast of his
attainments. The attitude of Paul is the attitude that every follower of
Christ should take as he urges his way onward in the strife for the
immortal crown.
Let those who feel inclined to make a high profession of holiness look
into the mirror of God's law. As they see its far-reaching claims, and
understand its work as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
heart, they will not boast of sinlessness. "If we," says John,
not separating himself from his brethren, "say that we have no sin,
we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." "If we say
that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in
us." "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:8,
10, 9.
There are those who profess holiness, who declare that they are wholly
the Lord's, who claim a right to the promises of God, while refusing to
render obedience to His commandments. These transgressors of the law claim
everything that is promised to the children of God; but this is
presumption on their part, for John tells us that true love for God will
be revealed in obedience to all His commandments. It is not enough to
believe the theory of truth, to make a profession of faith in Christ, to
believe that Jesus is no impostor, and that the religion of the Bible is
no cunningly devised fable. "He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth
not His commandments," John wrote, "is a liar, and the truth is
not in him. But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God
perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him." "He that keepeth
His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him." 1 John 2:4, 5;
3:24.
John did not teach that salvation was to be earned by obedience; but
that obedience was the fruit of faith and love. "Ye know that He was
manifested to take away our sins," he said, "and in Him is no
sin. Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen
Him, neither known Him." 1 John 3:5, 6. If we abide in Christ, if the
love of God dwells in the heart, our feelings, our thoughts, our actions,
will be in harmony with the will of God. The sanctified heart is in
harmony with the precepts of God's law.
There are many who, though striving to obey God's commandments, have
little peace or joy. This lack in their experience is the result of a
failure to exercise faith. They walk as it were in a salt land, a parched
wilderness. They claim little, when they might claim much; for there is no
limit to the promises of God. Such ones do not correctly represent the
sanctification that comes through obedience to the truth. The Lord would
have all His sons and daughters happy, peaceful, and obedient. Through the
exercise of faith the believer comes into possession of these blessings.
Through faith, every deficiency of character may be supplied, every
defilement cleansed, every fault corrected, every excellence developed.
Prayer is heaven's ordained means of success in the conflict with sin
and the development of Christian character. The divine influences that
come in answer to the prayer of faith will accomplish in the soul of the
suppliant all for which he pleads. For the pardon of sin, for the Holy
Spirit, for a Christlike temper, for wisdom and strength to do His work,
for any gift He has promised, we may ask; and the promise is, "Ye
shall receive."
It was in the mount with God that Moses beheld the pattern of that
wonderful building that was to be the abiding place of His glory. It is in
the mount with God--in the secret place of communion--that we are to
contemplate His glorious ideal for humanity. In all ages, through the
medium of communion with heaven, God has worked out His purpose for His
children, by unfolding gradually to their minds the doctrines of grace.
His manner of imparting truth is illustrated in the words, "His going
forth is prepared as the morning." Hosea 6:3. He who places himself
where God can enlighten him, advances, as it were, from the partial
obscurity of dawn to the full radiance of noonday.
True sanctification means perfect love, perfect obedience, perfect
conformity to the will of God. We are to be sanctified to God through
obedience to the truth. Our conscience must be purged from dead works to
serve the living God. We are not yet perfect; but it is our privilege to
cut away from the entanglements of self and sin, and advance to
perfection. Great possibilities, high and holy attainments, are placed
within the reach of all.
The reason many in this age of the world make no greater advancement in
the divine life is because they interpret the will of God to be just what
they will to do. While following their own desires, they flatter
themselves that they are conforming to God's will. These have no conflicts
with self. There are others who for a time are successful in the struggle
against their selfish desire for pleasure and ease. They are sincere and
earnest, but grow weary of protracted effort, of daily death, of ceaseless
turmoil. Indolence seems inviting, death to self repulsive; and they close
their drowsy eyes and fall under the power of temptation instead of
resisting it.
The directions laid down in the word of God leave no room for
compromise with evil. The Son of God was manifested that He might draw all
men unto Himself. He came not to lull the world to sleep, but to point out
the narrow path in which all must travel who reach at last the gates of
the City of God. His children must follow where He has led the way; at
whatever sacrifice of ease or selfish indulgence, at whatever cost of
labour or suffering, they must maintain a constant battle with self.
The greatest praise that men can bring to God is to become consecrated
channels through whom He can work. Time is rapidly passing into eternity.
Let us not keep back from God that which is His own. Let us not refuse Him
that which, though it cannot be given with merit, cannot be denied without
ruin. He asks for a whole heart; give it to Him; it is His, both by
creation and by redemption. He asks for your intellect; give it to Him; it
is His. He asks for your money; give it to Him; it is His. "Ye are
not your own, for ye are bought with a price." 1 Corinthians 6: 19,
20. God requires the homage of a sanctified soul, which has prepared
itself, by the exercise of the faith that works by love, to serve Him. He
holds up before us the highest ideal, even perfection. He asks us to be
absolutely and completely for Him in this world as He is for us in the
presence of God.
"This is the will of God" concerning you, "even your
sanctification." 1 Thessalonians 4:3. Is it your will also? Your sins
may be as mountains before you; but if you humble your heart and confess
your sins, trusting in the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour, He
will forgive and will cleanse you from all unrighteousness. God demands of
you entire conformity to His law. This law is the echo of His voice saying
to you, Holier, yes, holier still. Desire the fullness of the grace of
Christ. Let your heart be filled with an intense longing for His
righteousness, the work of which God's word declares is peace, and its
effect quietness and assurance forever.
As your soul yearns after God, you will find more and still more of the
unsearchable riches of His grace. As you contemplate these riches you will
come into possession of them and will reveal the merits of the Saviour's
sacrifice, the protection of His righteousness, the fullness of His
wisdom, and His power to present you before the Father "without spot,
and blameless." 2 Peter 3:14.
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