16. “F. Ο.,” Bawtry. We will notice the difficulties the friends you name have as to the believer having eternal life.
John 15. Now it must be carefully noticed, that eternal life is not the subject of this chapter, neither was Jesus as yet risen from the dead. Jesus had taken the place of Israel on earth, the True Vine. Abiding in Him is the very source of, not eternal life, but fruit-bearing. Eternal life is the free gift of God, not the result of our abiding. Our abiding, no doubt, is the result of having eternal life. Judas was a disciple, though the Lord well knew him to be the son of perdition all the time. Mark, Jesus does not say, If ye abide not in me, ye, though you are now vitally one with me, yet ye shall be cast out, and burnt. No; He says, “If a man abide not in me,” &c. Why this change, except to show that on this earth a man may be a professed disciple, and yet not be one abiding in Christ; whose end is to be burned? The whole matter in hand, then, has nothing whatever to say as to eternal life. When Jesus speaks of eternal life, then He shows the impossibility of those who have it ever perishing, or being plucked out of His and the Father’s hands. (John 10:27-2927My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. (John 10:27‑29).) There are evidently disciples, and disciples indeed.
John 8:3131Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; (John 8:31). The very next scripture they refer to shows this. “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed,” &c. He does not say, If ye continue, ye shall he, but, ye are. That is, the continuance is the proof that they are disciples indeed. If they do not continue, they are not, never were, disciples indeed, for the truth had never made them free.
Col. 1:2323If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; (Colossians 1:23). “If ye continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and be not moved away,” &c. Mark, this is not that they may be reconciled, but they are reconciled in the body of his flesh, &c. “Yet now hath he reconciled, in the body of his flesh, through death, to present you holy and unblameable, and unreproveable, in his sight; if ye continue” &c. Then clearly, if they did not continue, they had not been reconciled. Continuance is the proof that they have been reconciled. This principle may always be observed where “if” is used. Many instances might be given, as Heb. 3:6, 146But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. (Hebrews 3:6)
14For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; (Hebrews 3:14): “Whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” Is not the opposite also true? Whatever our profession, it is solemnly true; we are not His house, if we do not hold fast, &c. So, again, “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.” Then the opposite also must be true. (Compare Matt. 7:22, 2322Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:22‑23).)
As to Solomon, the eternal life we have as Christians was not even then brought to light. We hope shortly to take up this subject more fully.
17. “C. T.,” Huddersfield. We will try to explain why we place the comma after the word sins, in 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); and also the fact that the word translated, “forever,” in verses 12 and 14, is not in the original the word that means eternal. You will find the same word translated, “continually,” in Heb. 7:33Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. (Hebrews 7:3) and 10:1. In neither case does it mean eternally, and we believe these are the only instances where it occurs in the New Testament. The best literal translation of these texts, under consideration, is given thus: “But he, having offered one sacrifice for sins, sat down in perpetuity at the right hand of God” “For by one offering he has perfected in perpetuity the sanctified.”
His sitting down in perpetuity, or continually, is in consequence of the infinite value of His one sacrifice for our sins. His sitting down continually is also the proof of the folly of those who pretend to offer fresh sacrifices for sins. For as lie sits there continually, the sanctified are also continuously, without any change, perfected, and the Holy Ghost bears witness to that glorious fact.
Unchanging continuance of the worshippers, perfected, is the great point; and all this is in direct contrast with the sacrifices of the law, and its imperfect priesthood. They had never finished the work, and therefore always stood. Jesus, by His one infinite sacrifice, had finished the work the Father gave Him to do, and, having thus perfectly glorified God, and perfectly purged our sins, He always sits, continuously; and we are always, by His sacrifice, continuously perfected. This does not at all refer to the work of the Holy Spirit in us, or to our Father’s discipline, if we fail; or even to the Advocateship of Jesus, if we sin. All these matters we have in other scriptures, but this is the ever-continuous effect of the work which He accomplished for us on the cross. Our sins are put away, so that we have no more conscience of sins before God. This is in continuity always the same. Oh, wondrous, infinite grace!