35. “ J. E.,” Adelaide. We desire to tender you our warmest thanks for your interesting and encouraging letter. We deem it a most precious privilege to be allowed, in any little way, to minister to the flock of Christ. Pray for us, beloved friend, that we may be kept to the end true to Christ, and seeking the blessing of all who belong to Him. May you enjoy much of His blessed presence, both in private and in public. To Him we would earnestly commend you, and all those with whom you are associated.
36. “ J. C. K,” New York. 1 John 1:99If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) teaches the blessed truth, that when we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Christ has answered for all our sins, and this is the ground of divine faithfulness and justice in forgiving us. Were it not for the death of Christ, God’s faithfulness and justice would be seen in sending us to hell for a single sinful thought; for, most surely, a single sinful thought proves a sinful nature just as clearly as a whole life of sin. One solitary crab upon a tree proves it to be a crab-tree just as distinctly as ten thousand crabs. As to the word “ if,” it in nowise touches the precious grace of the passage; but how could we be in communion with God with un-confessed, unjudged, sin on the conscience? Impossible. If we have failed, in thought, word, or deed, there must be confession, ere our communion can be restored. Thanks be to God, all this is provided for in the advocacy of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, and that advocacy rests upon the eternal foundation of His atoning death—that priceless, peerless, divine sacrifice. Let us praise Him continually with all our ransomed powers.
37. “ W. R.,” Ayrshire. Rom. 7:7-247What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. 8But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. 9For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 10And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. 11For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. 12Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. 13Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. 14For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (Romans 7:7‑24) describes the condition of a quickened soul under law. Some would teach us that it presents proper christian experience. This is a mistake. Surely a Christian is not a “wretched man,” crying out for deliverance; but a happy man, rejoicing in being delivered. Again, can a Christian never do good? Must he always do evil? To say so is to falsify the whole christian position. The Christian is one who is washed in the blood of Christ, delivered from the law, from sin, from the world, from Satan—sealed by the Holy Ghost, who is the spring of power to avoid what is wrong, and to do what is right. This, and nothing less, is the Christianity of the New Testament.
But, on the other hand, there are some who maintain that Rom. 7 does not set forth the exercises of a quickened soul at all. This too is a mistake. Who but a quickened soul could say, “ I delight in the law of God after the inner man?” What does the “ inner man” mean but the new nature? We believe this much misunderstood passage sets before us the experience of a quickened soul not delivered, not emancipated, not sealed. It most certainly was not Paul’s experience when writing the epistle. He may have passed through it, as many of God’s people have; but to say that it is the proper experience of a Christian, is simply to deny the whole teaching of the New Testament, and to rob the Christian of all his distinctive privileges and blessings as a member of the body of Christ.
38. “ L.,” Somerset. We have not considered the question; indeed we may say to you that such things are not in our line. They may have their interest and value, but we do not go in for them.
39. “A. C,” London. You are under a complete mistake as to Heb. 10:1212But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; (Hebrews 10:12). You are doubtless led astray by the punctuation in some of our English bibles. We give you the true rendering of the passage, from the pen of a very able and accurate Greek scholar.
“ But he, having offered one sacrifice for sins, sat down in perpetuity at the right hand of God.” This we can affirm to be the true reading of the passage, as any ordinary scholar can see at a glance. The following explanation gives the warrant for the above rendering. “εις το διηνεκες” differs from “εισ τοναιωνα.” Having perfectly completed the work, He had not to get up again to complete it; He could sit down, and abide so, having done all. It is in contrast with the priests standing. They stood daily; He is set down for a continuance. The connecting εισ το διηνεκες (forever, or in perpetuity) with ‘sacrifice’ spoils the whole force of the passage. You must allow us to say, dear friend, that in writing on such a point, your tone might well have been a little more modest. It is you, and not our correspondent, that “must have missed much of the force of the argument.”
40. “A Constant Reader,” Childokeford. 2 Corinthians v. 10 states the broad fact as to the judgment-seat of Christ. All shall be, must be, manifested there. All shall come out there. The word “ all” takes in believers and unbelievers. Not, blessed be God, that they will be manifested at the same time. The time is different, and—all praise to redeeming and pardoning love!—the ground and result are perfectly opposite. The believer will be manifested to be the righteousness of God. The Judge on the judgment-seat will be his righteousness. The unbeliever will be judged according to his works, as in Revelation 20. What should be the present effect of all this upon us? “ Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.”
As to 1 Cor. 7:14,14For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. (1 Corinthians 7:14) there is nothing about conversion, on the one hand, or baptism, on the other. It simply teaches that, under the gospel, the offspring of a mixed marriage need not be put away, as was the case under the law. It is not a question as to the subjective state of the children—as to any work of the Spirit of God in them.