THERE are some expressions which are frequently upon our lips, and which always take a prominent place in our devotions, and yet when we come to examine them, we find that they have only a vague and indefinite meaning in our minds. How often do we finish our petitions to God with the words “for Thy Name’s sake” or “in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord” for very little other reason than that it is the recognized way of ending a prayer. Yet these words, or others very much like them, are of such frequent occurrence in Scripture that it cannot but be that some very precious and definite meaning is contained in them if only we can find it out. This is what it is proposed to try to do, in a simple way, in this short paper.
It is interesting to see that even in the Old Testament we find David anticipating blessing on very much the same ground. Thus in the 23rd Psalm he uses the words “He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” It must be remembered that David did not know God in the blessed and intimate way in which Christians are privileged to know Him now. David knew God by the name Jehovah, a name which implies faithful and constant goodness towards the people whom He had chosen; as we see in Exodus 34:66And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, (Exodus 34:6) and 7, “And the Lord (Jehovah) passed by before him and proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, etc.” And knowing God by the name of Jehovah, David felt that he could rely on God being true to the Name He had revealed Himself by to minister the needed grace and blessing to his soul.
But Christians―and by Christians we mean all who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ to the saving of their souls―know a more blessed name than that of Jehovah. It is true that they have the blessing which is contained in that name; they too can rely on the faithfulness of God. But in their case, to the name of Jehovah is added that of Saviour, for the name Jesus signifies “Jehovah the Saviour.” How glorious was the pronouncement, fraught with hope and blessing for this world of sin and sorrow, “Thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.” As Gentiles we could never have claimed to be the chosen people of God under the old dispensation, but now that Christ has suffered and is risen from the dead, His name is preached for the obedience of faith among all nations.
And if God has revealed Himself in this wondrous way, it is in order that men might know Him and come into the blessing. Thus we read in Acts 10:4343To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43), “To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His Name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins,” and again in 1 John 2:1212I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. (1 John 2:12), “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His Name’s sake.” Alas, that so many of the Lord’s dear people should, week by week, be praying for mercy on themselves, miserable sinners, when God has pledged Himself to grant forgiveness to the believer, not on the ground of anything that man can do, but solely on the ground of what Christ is, and of the great work of redemption that He has accomplished. In the death of Christ God has approached man as a Saviour-God, and this blessed fact must characterize all His dealings with man in this the day of grace.
Here we would pause to ask the reader, whether his or her heart vibrates at the sound of the Name of Jesus. Very solemn are those words of the Apostle Paul in the last chapter of 1 Corinthians. “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.” It is indeed a sad reflection that there are many people even in this favored land who never take that beloved Name upon their lips unless it be in mockery. At the same time the Christian’s heart rejoices to think of the great company who, from the day of Christ’s coming into the world until now, have responded to the Saviour’s love and have put their trust in His saving Name: people of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. And we know that every one of those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity will be remembered by Him when His life-giving voice awakens the sleeping saints and calls the living to meet their Lord in the air. May it be the portion of every reader of these pages to be among that happy company.
To go back once more to the Old Testament for an illustration, we find David in 2 Samuel 9 desiring to show kindness to any survivor there might be of the house of Saul for Jonathan’s sake. And the only one he can find is Mephibosheth, who proves to be a helpless and spiritless man, and moreover lame on both his feet, a defect which might naturally have rendered him peculiarly repulsive to David (see 2 Sam. 5:88And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house. (2 Samuel 5:8)). But David dearly loved Jonathan, and for the sake of him whom he loved could overlook Mephibosheth’s personal defects and show to him what is touchingly described as “the kindness of God.”
May we not, then, say with all reverence, that the Lord Jesus in His blessed manhood has so delighted the heart of God the Father, and in death has so completely met all His righteous claims, that we, without a merit of our own, can approach God with the greatest confidence for Jesus’ sake. And though like Mephibosheth we find nothing but failure and worthlessness in ourselves, yet we who have believed in Christ are so blessedly linked with our risen and glorified Saviour that we may expect every blessing for His Name’s sake. We can discover no failure that has not been met in His death: while all that is in Him, beyond death, is ours forever; and God Himself the Source and Spring of all. John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16), Hebrews 2:99But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. (Hebrews 2:9).
W. F. R.
FRAGMENT. ― “I weary? Oh, no! I am unweary: it is the world all around me that is weary―not I.” So said one. “A weary one, indeed, I am,” said another; “but one in whose soul hope ever lives.” One spirit, but two different experiences.