The flesh degrades a man. Think of the Roman centurion seeing the heads of the Jewish nation turning out to mock a poor criminal dying, as it seemed to be. There was the religion and the learning of the nation thus employed. The two high priests, the elders, the scribes, even to human sight, were degrading themselves. This was the flesh fully blown. Enmity really against God expressed; but to what a depth its manifestation had sunk poor man!
Contrast this with the moral elevation to which the Holy Spirit can raise the same fallen man, as seen, for example, in Stephen. There we see him calmly kneeling down, death in view, the storm of malice, injustice, and violence round him, everything to rouse the flesh; but the flesh held dead. There is no sign of revenge or any feeling that morally could lower a man; but in perfect moral greatness he rises above himself and prays for his murderers. This is the effect of the action of an ungrieved Spirit in a fallen man. No trace is seen practically of anything but Christ, which of course is perfect moral greatness and beauty.
Now it is the same with us. These are exceptional and extreme cases; but it is true in smaller ones too. If a father, for example, loses his temper in correcting his child, he has degraded himself. His conscience knows it, and also the child, who may dread him the more, but respects him less. Could the centurion respect the chief priest after he had seen him mock his victim at the cross? Satan’s power no doubt was there, and the effect of his work is always to degrade. What could be worse than with a kiss to betray your friend? But Satan was there too; he had entered into Judas. Now the blessed effect of Christ’s work is to elevate the object of His love. Dying in grace for our sins and ourselves, He puts away all that could bring condemnation upon us, and gains by that work in which God was glorified a place for Himself as man in the glory of God, to which glory He is conducting His people; and now grace gives the believer a place in Christ—the best robe of the prodigal! May the Lord give us to know more what mercy has done, and to prove the power of an ungrieved Spirit in our daily lives.
C. D. M.