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THE KING’S BUSINESS
Paul goes on to say we “were by (i.e., “by” in the sense of “as to”) nature (it is not merely in our outward actions, but in our essential nature) children of wrath,” i. e., God’s holy wrath at sin, His intense, con suming indignation at sin is our natural and proper portion, it is what fits us, as we are born into this world (cf. Ps. 51:5;'Job 14:4). This "is a very strong doctrine but every man’s own experience, if he will investigate it thoroughly and candidly, and every man’s own inmost conscience if he will listen to it and not to his blind pride, will bear witness to its truth. This is the position and state by nature of both Jew and Gentle. There is equal guilt in all, and equal grace for all (cf. Rom. 3 :9, 22, 23; Gal. 3:22; Rom. 1:16; 3:29, 30; 10;12). It is true of each of us “even as (of) the rest.” Every one who does not accept the Lord Jesus remains under the Lord’s In verse 4 we pass from a very dark picture of what we were by nature, to a very bright picture of what we become by grace. This glorious salvation has its origin in no merit of ours, but in God’s mercy and love. The reason why God has dealt with us as He has is because He is “rich in mercy” (R. V.) (cf. Titus 3:5, R. V-; 1 Peter 1:3). It was not because of any good thing in us, but “for (better, because of) His great love wherewith He loved us” (cf. Rom. 5:6, 8). It was for the same reason that God dealt in grace with Israel (Deut. 7:7, 8). The “us” in this verse, of course, means believers, but God’s love to the whole race led to the giving of His Son in whom eternal life is offered to every member of the race (John 3:16). It was “even when we were dead through (or, in; or, by reason of; or, in respect of) our tres passes” that God loved us. He did not love us because we were good, but He loved us in our badness, and will love us into goodness. Because of this great love to us dead ones He “quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ.” When Christ was made alive after His crucifixion we wrath (Jo}m 3:36). Wednesday, June 26 . Eph. 2 : 4 , 5 .
were made alive with Him. He died as our representative and we died in Him and with Him (2 Cor. 5:14, R. V.; Gal. 2:20, R. V.), and just so also when He was quickened (or made alive) He was made alive as our representative and we were made alive with Him. Further than that, and as the outcome of that, we have now experimentally a spiritual quickening or making alive, so that we are no longer dead in respect of trespasses and sins, but are spiritually alive, and at the coming of our Lord Jesus we shall also have a phys ical quickening, or making alive (Rom. 8:11; 1 Thess. 4:16). At this point Paul interjects the thought that it is “by grace,” i. .e, by God’s unmerited favor and by no merit of our own that we “have been saved” (see R. V.). Thursday, June 27 . Eph. 2 : 6 . God not only made us alive with Christ, He also “raised us up with Him.” Just as He had died as our representative and been quickened and made alive as our rep resentative, so also He rose as our repre sentative and we rose in Him and with Him. But further than that we have exper imentally even now a spiritual resurrection to newness of life (cf. Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12; 3:1). And hereafter at the return of our Lord, by virtue of our vital union with Him, we shall have a physical resurrection also (2 Cor. 4:14; Phil. 3:20, 21, R. V.; 1 Thess. 4:14-17). Further yet, God has also ‘‘made us to sit with Him in the heavenly places (or heavenlies)”, in Christ Jesus. When Christ was exalted to God’s right hand and made to sit down there in the place of honor and authority He was exalted as our representative, and we were exalted in Him and with Him, and that is where we are today, as far as our real posi tion is concerned, “seated in the heavenlies.” He is our Head and where the head is there the body is also. But besides this we have even now experimentally a spiritual ascen sion, and in our spiritual experience we are even now “seated in the heavenlies” (cf. Heb. 10:19-22) and hereafter we shall be physically exalted into the heavenlies (1
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