June 1929
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that Christ Jesus is made unto us sanctification. This truth is to be believed and yielded to in order to be experienced and enjoyed. Then that same Word of God calls us to “grow in grace,” to “increase in love,” and to be con stantly transformed into the likeness of Christ. This is progressive or practical sanctification. It is that for which our Lord prayed in the words, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy Word is truth.” Through the reading of the Bible—the Word of God—and the increased knowledge of the truth revealed there, spiritual progress is made and the life imparted to us in the new birth grows and develops continually. This distinguishes progressive sanctification from positional sanctification. Whichever aspect is con sidered, the truth remains that Christ is made unto us sanctification. By union with Him in death and resurrec tion we are positionally sanctified; and by the knowledge of His truth incorporated into the life, we are progressive ly sanctified. Thus the purpose of God that we should be conformed to the image of His Son, is continually realized. Its ultimate and complete fulfillment is yet future. “It doth not yet appear what we shall he, but we know that when He shall appear we shall he like Him.” The third aspect of the sufficiency of Christ presents itself at this point. He is made unto us not only righteous ness and sanctification, but redemption also. This points to the future. It is the redemption referred to in Romans 8 :23 in the words, “waiting for the adoption, even the re demption o f our bodies,” To the Christian believers long ago Paul wrote, “Ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for His Son from heaven.” In waiting for the coming of our Lord we wait also for “the redemption o f our bodies.” The two events synchronize. In the meantime the constructive and de structive forces operate in our bodies. Even if Christ be
in you, says the great apostle in Romans 8:10, the body is under the power of death because of sin. We shall need our doctors and dentists and nurses as long as we dwell in the earthly house of this bodily frame. But we shall not always dwell therein. Our names are enrolled in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and our citizenship is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change the bodies of our humiliation and fashion them according to the body of His glory. Does anyone inquire how? If so, the answer follows imme diately in the Words — “According to the power whereby He is able to subdue all things unto Himself.” Christ is the guarantee of all this, for He is made unto us not only righteousness and sanctification, but redemption also. III. T h e S e c u r it y o f T h e C h r is t ia n B e l iev er This is clearly implied in that brief phrase, “in Christ Jesus.” A more secure place could not be provided or de sired. We have our safety deposit vaults to make secure our earthly possessions, and our strong boxes and hiding places, in which to store jewels and money. These are not always burglar proof. For the child of God, however, a place of absolute security is provided. To him the Spirit says, “Your life is hid with Christ in God.” And again, “Whether we wake or whether we sleep we are the Lord’s.” As we contemplate in this one verse of Scripture what Christ is to the Christian believer by the gracious provi sion of God our Father, we are constrained to say with Charles Wesley— O for a thousand tongues to sing My great Redeemer’s praise, The glories of my God and King, The triumphs of His grace. great number of exhibitions. One day I heard a man lec turing on the World’s Fair movements. He went on to say that in 1876, in the city of Philadelphia, at the greatest exhibition which, up to that time, had been known, there was no display of electricity, because men had not then appreciated the power of electricity. He stated that in the last exhibition at St. Louis there was a most wonderful display of this marvelous power, which has come to be a necessity in these days. And yet there was just as much electricity in 1876 as there is today, but men had not then appreciated it. If you are living a powerless life, the dif ficulty is with yourself. And if you regard iniquity in your heart, the Lord will not hear you. God is just as willing to give as ever. We do not need to be importunate in our praying to persuade God to hear, but it would seem to me that we should rather be impor tunate to be ourselves in the right attitude, for God could not trust us all with blessing. You have asked God for many a thing which, if He had given it to you instantly, would have been your spiritual undoing. God is willing. The difficulty must be in my life or in your life.
Our Unanswered Prayers B y t h e la te D r . J. W il b u r C h a p m a n
Y text is in James, chapter 4, verse 3: “Ye ask, and receive not, because ........... ” You may finish it in one way, or you may finish it another. You do not receive an answer to your prayer because if you should receive an answer you would spend it on your own
evil purposes. God never answers when that is the purpose of our hearts. You ask, and receive not, because there has been a sin in your heart. “I f I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” But I might go on finishing that text for you. If you turn over the pages of the New Testament you will find that Jesus was always speaking about prayer. He presented it as a duty. He said, “Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.” Jesus was always speaking about prayer, and yet He practiced it more than He preached about it. Therefore, He is the best example of prayer. And if you would know why your prayers are not answered, square your life with that of Jesus: compare your manner of living with His teaching, and doubtless the reason for unanswered prayer will be given to you quickly. | P rayer S t il l H as P ow er Prayer has just as much power as ever. It only waits for your claiming and mine. In America we have had a
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