"SONSHIP being founded on resurrection, stands connected with perfect justification - perfect righteousness perfect freedom from everything that could in anywise be against us. God could not have us in His presence with sin upon us. The Father could not have the prodigal at his table with the rags of the far country upon him. He could fall on his neck and kiss him in those rags. It was worthy and beautifully characteristic of his grace to do; but then to seat him at the table in the rags would never do. The grace that brought the father out to the prodigal reigns through the righteousness which brought the prodigal in to his father. It would not have been grace, had the father waited for the son to deck himself in robes of his own providing; it would not have been righteousness to bring him in, in his rags; but both grace and righteousness shone forth in all their respective brightness and beauty when the father went out and fell on the prodigal's neck, and yet did not give him a seat at the table until he was clad and decked in a manner suited to that happy position. God in Christ has stooped to the very lowest point of man's moral condition, that by stooping He might raise man to the very highest point of blessedness in fellowship with Himself." C. H. M. V. SONSHIP AND COMMUNION. T is all-important that we should understand IT the exact relationship of these two facts. Sonship is not acquired through communion with God; but communion with God is the issue and fruit of sonship. So many persons reverse the divine order, and think to secure a standing with the Father by the intensity of their spiritual exercises, and the consistency of their Christian walk, that it is needful to make this point very clear. "But as many as received Him to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. "'* "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."† Thus speaks the Scripture, and thus are we taught that it is faith in Christ, and not feeling in ourselves, that constitutes us the sons of God. "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.”‡ * John 1: 14. † Gal. 3: 26. + 1 John 5: 1. This relation of sonship being once established, through our personal faith, it becomes a fixed. fact. Communion varies; sonship is unchangeable; communion is a thing of degrees; sonship is absolute. The most exalted saint is no more a child of God, than the weakest and most imperfect believer. The difference between the two is a difference of fellowship, and not a difference of birthright. not lie along a sliding scale of frames and feelings, but is grounded on the unchangeable life and love of Him who is "the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever." Those who savingly believe therefore are the sons of God without condition, and all stand on exactly the same plane of acceptance and privilege in the household of faith. A child may be disobedient, but he does not thereby cease to be his father's son; and a Christian may lose his joy and his assurance, but that does not cancel his birthright and throw him back into spiritual orphanage. But we must add, lest we should seem to lean towards Antinomian license, that there will be a vast difference in the rewards of the children of God, both as to their present joy and their future glory; and this difference will depend upon Our acceptance with God does the fellowship and faithfulness which they maintain in their walk with God. Not because faith has Let us clearly discern the exact connection of these two facts therefore, and lay a strenuous emphasis on each. "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." If sons of God we certainly have the indestructible life of God. And so in spite of the plausibility of the arguments for the contrary view, we must still hold fast to the doctrine of "the perseverance of the saints;" or as it might be more justly expressed, of the perseverance of the Saviour. the tenacity to hold fast to the end; but because faith makes us partakers of the eternal life which holds us fast unto the end. For how can the eternal life perish, and if that life has become our life how can we perish? Adoption may be annulled but birth cannot be; and hence those who have been begotten of God cannot die so long as God. lives. Is there such a thing as becoming unborn for those who have been newborn? "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand," 1 John 3: 1. |