Jottings

by J. Miller | Category: Jottings | Aug 1967

The Jews hated the Lord for many reasons, but there are two chief reasons stated in John 5.1618. Firstly, that He told a man lying at the pool of Bethesda, who had suffered from his infirmity for thirty-eight years, to arise and walk, and so He cured him, doing this on the sabbath day. Secondly, He claimed that His Father wrought till then and He Himself wrought; "For this cause therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only brake the sabbath, but also called God His own Father, making Himself equal with God" (verse 18).

The Lord's statement in verse 19, "The Son can do nothing of Himself", shows the unity of action by the Persons of the Godhead. There is no independence of action on the part of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. So the Lord goes on to say "what things soever He [the Father] doeth, these the Son also doeth in like manner". Thus the works of the Father are the works of the Son. This is confirmed by the words of Paul, "There is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him" (1 Corinthians 8.6).

The Father bestows His love upon the Son, whose eternal dwelling-place is the bosom of the Father (John 1.18); "For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth Him all things that Himself doeth: and greater works than these will He show Him, that ye may marvel" (John 5.20). The showing of all things by the Father to the Son is the result of perfect love.

There were greater things that the Father would show the Son than the healing of the man who was thirty-eight years in his infirmity, so the Son goes on to speak of the Father raising the dead and quickening them, and the Son also quickening whom He will. But we cannot think of the Father raising the dead and quickening them apart from the Son, neither can we think of the Son quickening according to His own will apart from the Father. Unity of Being implies unity of action. The Lord said, "I and the Father are one" (John 10.30). This does not mean that the Father and the Son are one Person, for there are three Persons in the Godhead.

In verse 24 we have that clear statement of the Lord which has brought life to many souls who were dead in their trespasses and sins. In it the Lord says that the one who hears His word and believes His Father that sent Him has eternal life, and comes not into judgement, for his sins are forgiven for Christ's sake, and he has passed out of death into life. This is not life to the body but to the soul, and is a present experience of all believers.

In verse 25 the Lord speaks of those who were raised from the dead in a bodily sense, such as the widow's son at Nain, and Lazarus of Bethany. Verse 25 also includes, I judge, the members of the Church, the Body of Christ, and all of the first resurrection, referred to in Revelation 20.5. Then in verses 28 and 29 He says that all the dead who are still in their tombs shall hear His voice and shall come forth. Those who have done good will rise to a resurrection of life, and those who have done ill, to a resurrection of judgement. I would again draw attention to Romans 2.7, which shows that those who have sought, by patience in well-doing, glory and honour and incorruption, will have eternal life in the day of judgement of Revelation 20. Their names will be found in the book of life, whilst the portion of all evil-doers will be wrath, indignation, tribulation, and anguish, whether they be Jew or Gentile. There will be no respect of persons with God.

Paul writes of mankind, "There is no fear of God before their eyes" (Roman 3.18). It is not natural for men to fear God. Yet Peter, speaking in the house of the centurion Cornelius, said, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to Him" (Acts 10.34,35). God had been pleased to reveal Himself to Cornelius. This may have been by "the invisible things of Him since the creation of the world", which "are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even His everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse" (Romans 1.20). Whether it was by the visible things of the creation or in some other way Cornelius got to know God is not revealed in Acts 10. But that he knew God, and as a repentant man feared God, and did so with all his house, is without doubt. He gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. He saw an angel in a vision, who said to him, "Thy prayers and thine alms are gone up for a memorial before God" (verse 4). He was told to send for Peter, "who shall speak unto thee words, whereby thou shalt be saved, thou and all thy house" (Acts 11.14).

Here was a change in God's dealings with men. It was possible for men to repent of their evil works, to fear God and work righteousness, even before the Saviour came and wrought salvation on their behalf. This was a possibility for men thousands of years before the Lord came to earth. Those like Cornelius, who feared God and 'wrought righteousness, were acceptable to God, but when they died they left the earth without the knowledge of salvation. Finding acceptance with God by those who hear the gospel now, is by the words of salvation such as were spoken to Cornelius and the rest who were gathered to hear Peter's message. Peter's message was summed up with the words, "To Him [Christ] bear all the prophets witness, that through His name every one that believeth on Him shall receive remission of sins" (Acts 10.43). In the words which follow we see how quickly Cornelius and his friends believed. "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them that heard the word" (verse 44).

In Romans, which is the great gospel book of the New Testament, we have first of all in chapter 1, in verses 1 to 17, Paul's introduction, as one who had been separated unto the gospel of God. This gospel is concerning the Lord, who is of the seed of David according to the flesh, and is also the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection of the dead. The two groups of words, "according to the flesh", and "according to the spirit of holiness" show the Manhood of the Lord on the one hand and His Godhead on the other.

Then Paul, as an apostle of the Gentiles, shows the fearfully depraved state of the Gentiles to whom he was sent (1.l6-32.) And in 2.17-29 he

unveils the dreadful hypocrisy of the Jews, and says, "Thou who gloriest in the law, through thy transgression of the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you" (verses 23, 24).

In chapter 2.1-16 He deals with man judging his fellows, and says, "And reckonest thou this, 0 man, who judgest them that practise such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgement of God?" Paul continues showing the kindly way in which God deals with men, in goodness, forbearance and long-suffering, and that the goodness of God leads them to repentance, if they take knowledge of His ways. But if their hearts remain hard and impenitent they will simply be treasuring up for themselves wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God. Paul then makes a statement well known in Scripture, and 'written in the conscience of every reasonable man, "Who [God] will render to every' man according to his works" (verse 6). Elihu, in the ancient book of Job, says, '~For the work of a man shall He [God] render to him". This fact is repeated often in the Scriptures.

J. Miller | Aug 1967
Jottings