Part 2
are on earth, He can unite our souls and bodies to His without any
substantial change to either, through the indwelling of the same infinite
Spirit in both Him and us. Thus, our flesh becomes His when it is enlivened
by His Spirit, and His flesh becomes ours just as if we were to partake of
His flesh and blood. He will be in us Himself through His Spirit, who is one
with Him and can establish a closer union with Christ than any material
substance can achieve. The Spirit can bring about a more intimate
connection between Christ and us. This does not mean that a believer
becomes one person with Christ, just as the great mystical union does not
make Christ one person with the Father. Nor does this union make a
believer into God, but rather the believer becomes the temple of God, just
as Christ's body and soul are. The Spirit acts as a vibrant instrument rather
than the principal cause. This union does not necessitate that a believer is
perfect in holiness, nor does it make Christ a sinner. Christ knows how to
dwell within believers in certain measures and degrees, making them holy
only to the extent that He dwells within them. While this union may seem
like an exalted position for unworthy creatures such as ourselves,
considering the preciousness of God's blood by which we are redeemed, it
would be dishonouring to God if we did not expect a miraculous elevation
to the highest dignity that creatures can attain through the merits of that
blood. There is nothing in this union that contradicts our senses, for the
bond of this union, being spiritual, is beyond the scope of sensory
judgment.
In recent times, many learned individuals have acknowledged only a
union between Christ and believers that can be likened to the relationship
between separate persons or things. They interpret the relevant Scripture
passages accordingly. When Christ is referred to as the Head of the church,
they understand it to mean a political leader or governor. Likewise, when it
is said that Christ is in His people and they are in Him, they believe it refers
to the presence and acceptance of Christ's law, doctrine, grace, salvation, or
godliness within them. Thus, they argue that in these instances, Christ
should not be understood as Christ Himself, but rather as something
produced in believers by Christ. When it is stated that Christ and believers
are one Spirit and one flesh, they interpret it as the agreement of their minds
and affections. They consider the profound mystery of this union, as
mentioned in Ephesians 5:32, to be a harsh figure of speech or an obscure
and improper expression, rather than a profound and complex reality. They
suggest that Christ and His apostles used convoluted language when
discussing matters that are straightforward and easily understood by the
church. Consequently, this profound mystery—the union of believers with
Christ Himself—which has historically been esteemed and embraced by
ancient fathers, numerous eminent Protestant theologians (especially those
writing about the doctrine of the Lord's Supper), and the general consensus
of the church throughout the ages, is now rejected in the new theological
paradigm. In my charitable judgment, the reason for its rejection is not
because the learned theologians who refine divinity consider themselves
less capable of defending this union compared to the other two mysterious
unions, or of refuting the objections of proud sophists who refuse to believe
what they cannot comprehend. Rather, it is because they view it as one of
the elements of Antinomianism that went unnoticed in the previous
traditional doctrine. They believe that this view leads individuals to become
prideful, believing that they are already justified and possess eternal life
within them, and that they no longer need to rely on their uncertain
performance of sincere obedience as a condition for salvation. They
perceive this as undermining the very foundation of a holy life. However,
the wisdom of God has established a different foundation for holy living,
which contradicts their assumptions. This union, which the theologians
reject, is a crucial cornerstone of that foundation, next to the cornerstone
itself. In opposition to their corrupted interpretations of the Scriptures
supporting this union, I affirm that our union with Christ is the cause of our
submission to Christ as a leader in all aspects, and it is the reason for the
abiding presence of His law, doctrine, grace, salvation, and all godliness
within us. It is also the basis for our alignment with Him in our minds and
affections. Therefore, it cannot be entirely equated with their
interpretations. This affirmation enhances our understanding of the
excellence of this union. It is not a privilege acquired through our sincere
obedience and holiness, as some may assume, or a reward of good works
reserved for us in the afterlife. Instead, it is a privilege bestowed upon
believers from the very beginning of their entrance into a state of holiness.
It is the foundation upon which all ability to do good works depends, and all
sincere obedience to the law follows as the fruit produced by it.
Now that I have explained this principle, I will demonstrate that although
the truth contained within it surpasses natural reason, it is clearly revealed
to those whose minds are open to discern the supernatural revelation of the
mysterious process of sanctification, which God has provided for us in the
Holy Scriptures.
1. There are several passages in Scripture that plainly express this
truth. Some texts indicate that all things related to our salvation are
stored up for us in Christ and encompassed within His fullness, so
we must receive them from that source or not at all (Col. 1:19). It
pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell in Him. In the same
Epistle, the apostle explains that the holy nature by which we live
for God was initially produced in us through Christ's death and
resurrection: "In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision
made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the
circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in
which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful
working of God, who raised him from the dead" (Col. 2:11-13
ESV). "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly
places" (Eph. 1:3 ESV). A holy frame of spirit, along with all its
necessary qualifications, must be encompassed within these spiritual
blessings. They are given to us in Christ's person in heavenly
realms, prepared and stored up in Him for us while we are on earth.
Therefore, we must receive our holy endowments from Him or not
at all. In this passage, some prefer to read "heavenly things" as in
the margin, since neither places nor things are explicitly mentioned
in the original text. However, the original textual reading is to be
preferred over the marginal reading as it accurately conveys the
proper sense of the original Greek phrase, which is rendered the
same way in two other places in the same Epistle (Eph. 3:10; 6:12).
Another relevant text is 1 Corinthians 1:30, which states that "Christ
Jesus... became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and
sanctification and redemption" (ESV). Christ provides us with
sanctification, enabling us to live a holy life, just as He provides
wisdom for us to be truly wise, righteousness for our justification,
and redemption from all misery to enjoy His glory in the heavenly
kingdom. Other Scripture passages clearly demonstrate that we
receive our holiness from His fullness through fellowship with Him:
"For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace" (John
1:16 ESV). This refers to grace corresponding to the law given by
Moses, which undoubtedly includes the grace of sanctification.
"That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so
that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship
is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. God is light, and in
him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him
while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But
if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with
one another" (1 John 1:3, 5-7 ESV). From this, we can deduce that
our fellowship with God and Christ specifically includes having
light and walking in it with holiness and righteousness. There are
other passages that fully support this principle, indicating not only
that our holy endowments are prepared for us in Christ and received
from Him, but also that we receive them through union with Him:
"Put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the
image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised
and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all,
and in all" (Col. 3:10-11 ESV). "But he who is joined to the Lord
becomes one spirit with him" (1 Cor. 6:17 ESV). "I have been
crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives
in me" (Gal. 2:20 ESV). "And this is the testimony, that God gave us
eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life;
whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John
5:11-12 ESV). Can we desire clearer teachings from God that all the
fullness of the new self is in Christ, along with that spiritual nature
and life by which we live for God in holiness, and that they are so
inseparably fixed in Him that we cannot possess them unless we are
joined to Him and He abides in us? Beware that, due to prejudice
and hardness of heart, you do not make God out to be a liar by not
believing this exceptional testimony that God has given us His Son.
2. God is pleased to illustrate this mysterious process of our
sanctification by using various similes and resemblances that leave
no doubt as to its truth, which is something of great importance for
us to know and believe. I will attempt to summarise the main
resemblances and their significance in a concise statement, allowing
those who are spiritually inclined to delve deeper into their
meditation. We receive from Christ a new holy nature and
disposition that enables us to live a holy life through our union and
fellowship with Him, in a similar manner to: (i) how Christ lived in
our human nature through His union with the Father (John 6:57); (ii)
how we inherit original sin and death from the first Adam (Rom.
5:12, 14, 16, 17); (iii) how the natural body receives senses,
movement, and nourishment from the head (Col. 2:19); (iv) how the
branch receives sap, nutrients, and the ability to bear fruit from the
vine (John 15:4, 5); (v) how a wife bears fruit through her marital
union with her husband (Rom. 7:4); (vi) how stones become a holy
temple when built on the foundation and joined with the cornerstone
(1 Peter 2:4-6); (vii) how we receive nourishment from bread by
eating it and from wine by drinking it (John 6:51, 55, 57). This last
resemblance is used to confirm our communion with Christ in the
Lord's Supper.
These seven resemblances illustrate the mystery in question to varying
degrees. All of them indicate that our new life and holy nature first exist in
Christ and are then imparted to us through a genuine and proper union and
fellowship with Him. If anyone argues that the similitude of Adam and his
descendants, as well as that of married couples, suggests a relational rather
than a real union between Christ and us, they should consider that all
nations are truly descended from one blood, which originated in Adam
(Acts 17:26). Furthermore, the first woman was formed from Adam's body
and was genuinely bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh. Through this
first married couple, the mystical union of Christ and His church is
particularly exemplified (Gen. 2:22-24; Eph. 5:30-32). This union
encompasses both these resemblances in their proximity and fullness, as
those joined to the Lord are not only one flesh but also one spirit with Him.
The purpose of Christ's incarnation, death, and resurrection was to
prepare and establish a holy nature and framework for us within Himself, to
be imparted to us through our union and fellowship with Him. It was not
intended to enable us to independently generate the initial foundation of
such a holy nature through our own efforts.
1. Through His incarnation, a new man was created in a holy state,
after the holiness of the first Adam had been tarnished and nullified
by the initial transgression. This new state was far more excellent
than that of the first Adam because it involved a genuine union of
the divine and human nature in one person, Christ. Thus, these
natures shared communion and Christ was capable of acting in His
human nature through the power inherent in His divine nature, being
one with God the Father. The words He spoke during His time on
earth were not from His own human power alone, but the Father
who dwelled in Him performed the works (John 14:10). Why did
Christ establish such a remarkable state of holiness in fallen human
nature, causing it to live and act in communion with God who lived
and acted within it? One significant purpose was to pass on this
excellent state to His offspring, who would be born of Him and in
Him through His Spirit, as the last Adam, the life-giving Spirit. Just
as we have borne the image of the earthly man, we would also bear
the image of the heavenly man (1 Cor. 15:45, 49), both in holiness
in the present and in glory in the future. He was born as Emmanuel,
God with us, for the fullness of the divine nature and all holiness
resided in Him bodily, even in His human nature, so that we may be
filled with that fullness in Him (Matt. 1:23; Col. 2:9, 10). He
descended from heaven as the living bread, so that just as He lives
by the Father, those who partake of Him may live in Him (John
6:51, 56), sharing the same life of God within them that was
originally in Him.
2. Through His death, Christ liberated Himself from the guilt of our
sins that were attributed to Him, as well as from all the innocent
weaknesses of His human nature that He bore for a time on our
behalf. By freeing Himself, He also prepared freedom for us from
our entire natural condition, which is both weak like His and tainted
with pollution, even without guilt and sinful corruption. Thus, the
corrupt state of our natural condition, referred to as the "old man" in
Scripture, was crucified together with Christ so that the power of sin
might be destroyed. This destruction occurs in us not through any
wounds that we can inflict upon it, but through our participation in
the freedom from it and death to it that has already been
accomplished for us through Christ's death. This is symbolised in
our baptism, where we are buried with Christ by His death being
applied to us (Rom. 6:2-4, 10, 11). "God, by sending his own Son in
the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, in
order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in
us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit"
(Rom. 8:3, 4). Notice here that although Christ died so that we
might be justified by the righteousness of God and by faith, not by
our own righteousness, which comes from the law (Rom. 10:4-6;
Phil. 3:9), He also died so that the righteousness of the law might be
fulfilled in us as we walk according to His Spirit, as those who are
in Christ (Rom. 8:4). His death is likened to a grain of wheat that
dies in the ground to produce much fruit (John 12:24), to the
Passover lamb that was slain so that a feast could be celebrated (1
Cor. 5:7, 8; 11:24), to bread that is broken to nourish those who
partake of it (1 Cor. 11:24), and to the rock that was struck to
provide water for us to drink (1 Cor. 10:4). He died to make Jew and
Gentile into one new man in Himself (Eph. 2:15), and to see His
offspring, those who inherit their holy nature from Him (Isa. 53:10).
By carefully considering these Scriptures, it becomes evident that
Christ did not die so that we could form a holy nature within
ourselves, but rather so that we could receive one that is already
prepared and formed in Christ for us through our union and
fellowship with Him.
3. Through His resurrection, Christ obtained spiritual life for us, fully
procuring it on our behalf and making it our rightful possession
through the merit of His death. Thus, we are said to be brought to
life together with Christ even when we were dead in sins, and to be
raised up together with Him. Moreover, we are made to sit together
in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, our Head, while we continue to
live on earth in our own bodies (Eph. 2:5, 6). His resurrection
signifies our resurrection to a life of holiness, just as Adam's fall led
to our spiritual death. We ourselves are not the creators or formers
of our new holy nature any more than we are of our original
corruption. Both are already formed and prepared for us to partake
in. Through our union with Christ, we participate in the spiritual life
that He obtained for us through His resurrection, enabling us to bear
its fruits. This is illustrated in Scripture through the analogy of a
marriage union (Rom. 7:4). We are united to Him who rose from the
dead so that we may bear fruit for God. Baptism represents not only
the application of Christ's death but also His resurrection to us. In it,
we are raised up with Him to newness of life, and we are taught to
consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God through Jesus Christ
our Lord because He died to sin once and lives to God (Rom. 6:4, 5,
10, 11).
4. Our sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit, through whom we
live and walk in holiness (Rom. 15:16; Gal. 5:25). The Holy Spirit
first descended upon Christ in all His fullness, so that He could be
communicated from Christ to us. This was signified to John the
Baptist through the likeness of a dove descending from heaven and
resting upon Christ at His baptism (John 1:32, 33). When the Holy
Spirit sanctifies us, He baptizes us into Christ and unites us to Him
through Himself, serving as the great bond of union (1 Cor. 12:13).
Thus, according to the scriptural language, to have Christ Himself is
synonymous with having the Spirit of Christ within us (Rom. 8:9,
10). The Holy Spirit glorifies Christ by taking what belongs to Him
and revealing it to us (John 16:14, 15). He grants us an experiential
understanding of the spiritual blessings that Christ Himself prepared
for us through His incarnation, death, and resurrection.
5. The effective causes of the four primary endowments necessary for
equipping us for the immediate practice of holiness are
encompassed in the fullness of Christ and stored up for us in Him.
These endowments, along with their causes, are richly obtained
through our union and fellowship with Christ. When we are joined
to Christ, our hearts are no longer left under the dominion of sinful
inclinations or a mere indifference towards good and evil. Instead,
they are endowed with a powerful inclination and propensity
towards the practice of holiness, through the indwelling Spirit of
Christ who inclines us to focus on spiritual matters and to resist the
desires of the flesh (Rom. 8:1, 4, 5; Gal. 5:17). Moreover, in Christ,
we experience full reconciliation with God and a higher favour than
Adam had in his state of innocence. This is because the
righteousness that Christ achieved for us through His obedience
unto death is imputed to us for our justification. It is called the
righteousness of God because it is accomplished by One who is both
God and man, and thus of infinite value in satisfying God's justice
for all our sins and obtaining His forgiveness and highest favour for
us (2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 5:19). To assure us of this reconciliation, we
receive the Spirit of adoption through Christ, enabling us to cry out,
"Abba, Father" (Rom. 8:15). Through this Spirit, we are also
persuaded of our future enjoyment of eternal happiness and of
having sufficient strength to will and perform our duties acceptably
until we attain that blessed state. The Spirit of adoption teaches us to
conclude that if we are children of God, then we are heirs of God
and joint heirs with Christ. It assures us that the law of the Spirit of
life in Christ Jesus sets us free from the law of sin and death. It
assures us that nothing can be against us, and nothing can separate
us from the love of God in Christ. Even in the face of opposition and
difficulties, we will ultimately be "more than conquerors through
Him who loved us" (Rom. 8:17, 23, 35, 37, 39).
Furthermore, this comforting assurance of our justification, future
happiness, and all saving privileges does not lead to licentiousness when
given through the means of union with Christ. This is because it is
inseparably linked with the gift of sanctification by the Spirit of Christ.
Therefore, we cannot have justification or any saving privilege in Christ
unless we receive Christ Himself and His holiness along with any other
benefit. The Scripture testifies that there is no condemnation for those who
are in Christ Jesus and who walk according to the Spirit, not the flesh
(Rom. 8:1).
1. There may be doubt about whether the saints who lived before
Christ's incarnation in the flesh could truly be united with Him as
one flesh and receive a new nature through union and fellowship
with Him, as prepared for them in His fullness. But we should
understand that the same Christ who took on our flesh existed before
Abraham and was predestined before the foundation of the world to
be sacrificed as a blameless lamb, redeeming us from all iniquity
through His precious blood. He possessed the same Spirit then,
which later filled His human nature in all its fullness and raised Him
from the dead. And He imparted that Spirit to the early church. This
Spirit had the power and efficacy to unite those saints with the flesh
that Christ would assume in due time, for He was the same in both
instances. He bestowed upon them the grace with which He would
later fill His own flesh for the salvation of all, including us. Thus,
David regarded Christ's flesh as his own and spoke of Christ's death
and resurrection as his own, even before their fulfilment: "My flesh
also shall rest in hope, for You will not leave my soul in hell; neither
will You allow Your holy One to see corruption. You will show me
the path of life" (Psalm 16:9-11). Moreover, saints who preceded
David likewise partook of the same spiritual sustenance and drank
from the same spiritual source, that is, Christ Himself. Therefore,
they too shared in the privilege of union and fellowship with Christ.
And when Christ was revealed in the flesh at the appointed time, all
things in heaven and on earth, along with the departed saints whose
spirits had been perfected in heaven, as well as the saints then
present or to come on earth, were "gathered together in one" and
included in Christ as their Head. He was the "chief cornerstone" in
whom the entire building of the church, comprising the prophets of
old and the apostles who followed His coming, is fitted together and
grows into a holy temple in the Lord. Jesus Christ remains the same
yesterday, today, and forever. His incarnation, death, and
resurrection are the cause of all the holiness ever given to humanity,
from the fall of Adam to the end of the world. This is accomplished
through the mighty power of His Spirit, by which all saints, past and
future, are joined together as members of His mystical body, with
Him as the Head.
Chapter Four
The means by which the Spirit of God accomplishes our union with Christ
he means or tools through which the Spirit of God accomplishes our
union with Christ and our fellowship with Him in all holiness are the
gospel and faith. The gospel serves as the avenue through which Christ
enters our hearts, working faith in us. Faith, in turn, enables us to receive
Christ Himself, along with His fullness, into our hearts. This faith is a gift
of the Spirit, through which we genuinely believe in the gospel and put our
trust in Christ as He is revealed and freely promised to us for our salvation.
The previous discussion about the necessity of being in Christ and having
Christ in us through a mystical union to empower us for a holy life might
cause us to hesitate in our pursuit of holiness. We may struggle to
comprehend how we can elevate ourselves above our natural limitations to
attain such a glorious union and fellowship. However, God, in His
graciousness, reveals to us two means or tools through which His Spirit
enables us to partake in this high privilege. These means are within the
reach of rational beings through the working of His Spirit in them.
One of these means is the gospel of the grace of God. Through the
gospel, God unveils to us the immeasurable riches of Christ and the hope of
glory that comes from having Christ dwelling within us. He invites and
commands us to believe in Christ for our salvation and encourages us with
the free promise of salvation to all who believe in Him. The gospel serves
as God's own instrument, through which He sends Christ to bless us with
His salvation. (Acts 3:26). It is through the work of the Spirit and
righteousness (2 Cor. 3:6, 8, 9). Faith is generated by hearing the gospel,
and therefore it serves as a powerful tool through which we are born again
in Christ and Christ is formed within us (Rom. 10:16, 17; 1 Cor. 4:15; Gal.
4:19). There is no need for us to think, 'Who will ascend to heaven to bring
Christ down?' or, 'Who will descend to the depths to bring Christ up from
the dead, so that we may be united with Him in His death and resurrection?'
The Word is close to us, the gospel, the message of faith, in which Christ
graciously draws near to us. We can reach Him there without any further
effort, if we desire to be joined with Him (Rom. 10:6-8).
The other means is faith, which is produced in us through the preaching
of the gospel. This faith serves as our means of reception, enabling us to
personally receive Christ Himself with all His fullness into our hearts. This
is the central focus of the present explanation.
The faith that philosophers commonly discuss is merely an intellectual
habit by which we give assent to a testimony based on the authority of the
one testifying. Some argue that faith in Christ is nothing more than
believing the truth of religious matters based on Christ's testimony.
However, the apostle shows that the faith through which we are justified is
faith in Christ's blood, not just faith in His authority as a testifier (Rom.
3:24, 25). While a mere assent to a testimony may be sufficient for
knowledge of things, as pursued by philosophers, we must understand that
the purpose of saving faith is not only to know the truth about Christ and
His salvation, as testified and promised in the gospel, but also to apprehend
and receive Christ and His salvation as given through the promise.
Therefore, saving faith must necessarily involve two acts: believing the
truth of the gospel and believing in Christ as freely promised to us in the
gospel for our complete salvation. Through the first act, we receive the
means through which Christ is conveyed to us, and through the second act,
we receive Christ Himself and His salvation in the means. It is similar to the
act of receiving a breast or cup that contains milk or wine and the act of
actually sucking the milk or drinking the wine from them. Both these acts
must be performed wholeheartedly, with genuine love for the truth and a
desire for Christ and His salvation above all else. This love is our spiritual
appetite, necessary for partaking of Christ as the nourishment of life, just as
a natural appetite is needed for bodily nourishment. Our assent to or belief
in the gospel should not be forced by mere conviction of the truth, which
even wicked individuals and devils may experience when they would prefer
it to be false. Likewise, our belief in Christ should not be motivated solely
by fear of damnation without any sincere love and desire for the enjoyment
of Him. Instead, we must embrace the love of the truth by savouring its
goodness and excellence. We should consider all things as loss compared to
the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord, counting them as
rubbish in order to gain Christ and be found in Him (2 Thess. 1:10; Phil.
3:8, 9). We should regard Christ as our complete salvation and ultimate
happiness, in whom all fullness dwells (Col. 3:11; Col. 1:19). This love
should extend to every aspect of Christ's salvation, including holiness and
forgiveness of sins. We should earnestly desire God to create in us a clean
heart and renew a right spirit within us, not being like those who only care
about deliverance from hell and nothing else in Christ (Ps. 51:9, 10).
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be
satisfied (Matt. 5:6). The first of these acts immediately unites us to Christ
since its focus is solely on the means of conveyance, the gospel. However,
if performed rightly, it is a saving act because it inclines and prepares the
soul for the second act, through which Christ Himself is immediately
received into the heart. One who believes the gospel with genuine love and
appreciation for its truth will undoubtedly believe in Christ with the same
sincerity for salvation. Those who know the name of the Lord will surely
put their trust in Him (Ps. 9:10). Therefore, in Scripture, saving faith is
sometimes described by the first act alone, as if it were simply believing in
the gospel, and other times it is described by the second act, as believing in
or on Christ: "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe
in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Rom.
10:9). "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame" (v. 11).
"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God" (1
John 5:1). "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son
of God, that you may know that you have eternal life" (v. 13).
For a better understanding of the nature of faith, it should be further
noted that the second and primary act of faith, believing in Christ, includes
believing in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are one and the
same infinite God, and all work together in our salvation through Christ,
who is the only Mediator between God and us. In Him, all the promises of
God are fulfilled and affirmed (2 Cor. 1:20). Through Him (as the
Mediator), we believe in God who raised Him from the dead and glorified
Him, so that our faith and hope might be in God (1 Peter 1:21). Trusting in
God or in the Lord is the same as believing in Him, and this is highly
praised throughout the entire Scripture, particularly in the Old Testament.
The similarity becomes evident when considering that they share the same
causes, effects, objects, attributes, opposites, and all the same
circumstances, except that in the Old Testament, trust had reference to the
promised Christ before His coming, while now it refers to Him who has
already come in the flesh. Believing in the Lord and trusting in His
salvation are equivalent terms that clarify each other's meaning (Ps. 78:22).
I acknowledge that trusting in things seen or known by the mere light of
reason, such as our own wisdom, power, wealth, earthly rulers, or any
human strength, may not be accurately described as believing in them.
However, trusting in a Saviour as revealed through testimony is properly
believing in Him. It is also expressed through terms like resting, relying,
leaning, and staying ourselves on the Lord, which is referred to as hoping in
the Lord. This is because it is the basis of the expectation that is the proper
act of hope, although our belief and trust encompass both present and future
benefits of salvation. The reason why the Scriptures of the New Testament
commonly use the term "believing in Christ" may be because, at the time of
writing that part of Scripture, there was a particular need to emphasize
belief in the testimony that was newly revealed through the gospel.
Having explained the nature of faith, I now affirm its proper use and
function in our salvation: it is the means and instrument by which we
actually receive Christ and His fullness into our hearts. This excellent use
and function of faith is challenged by various errors. People naturally
consider it too insignificant and trivial to produce such great effects, just as
Naaman believed that washing in the Jordan was too simple a solution for
his leprosy. They despise the true means of entering through the narrow
gate because it seems too easy for such a purpose, thus rendering the
entrance not only difficult but impossible for themselves. Some
acknowledge that faith is the sole condition for our justification and the
instrument to receive it, as previously maintained by the Protestants against
the Papists. However, they argue that it is not sufficient or effective for
sanctification. They claim that it tends towards licentiousness if it is not
accompanied by some other powerful means to ensure a holy way of life.
They commend this great doctrine of the Protestants as a comforting
remedy for those on their deathbeds or tormented by a guilty conscience.
However, they believe it is not suitable for everyday sustenance and that
ministers should rarely and sparingly offer it, always with an antidote or
correction to prevent the licentiousness it supposedly promotes. Their
common antidote or correction is the assertion that sanctification is
necessary for salvation, in addition to justification. They claim that while
we are justified by faith, we are sanctified by our own observance of the
law. Thus, they establish salvation by works, nullifying the grace of
justification and rendering it neither effective nor comforting. If this
doctrine truly had such a pernicious influence on practice, it could not be
recognized as a teaching from the most holy God, and any comfort it
provides must be baseless and deceptive. Some recent reformers of the
Protestant religion are well aware of this consequence, and therefore they
have sought to revise this doctrine. They present saving faith merely as a
condition to obtain a right and title to our justification through the
righteousness of Christ. This condition must be fulfilled before we can
legitimately claim to enjoy it or use any instrument for its actual reception,
which they refer to as accepting or receiving Christ. To ensure the practice
of holiness through their conditional faith, they do not consider trusting in
God or Christ for salvation to be the primary saving act of faith. They argue
that many loose and wicked individuals trust in God and Christ for their
salvation just as much as others and, in fact, their confidence only hardens
them further in their wickedness. Instead, they propose that the principal act
of faith should be obedience to all of Christ's laws, or at least a resolution to
obey, a consent to accept Christ as Lord, and a surrender of oneself to His
rule in all things. It is evident that the scriptural form of teaching has fallen
out of favour with our esteemed intellectuals when trusting in the Lord,
which is highly praised in Scripture, is considered a mediocre and ordinary
thing. They attempt to dissuade us from acknowledging faith as an
instrument of justification by claiming that we, the users of this instrument,
become our own primary justifiers, thereby dishonouring God. Yet, it could
easily be countered that in this way, we simply become the primary
recipients of our justification from God, the giver of it, to whom all the
glory belongs.
All of these errors will be refuted if it can be proven that the kind of faith
I have described is the instrument by which we actually receive Christ
Himself into our hearts, along with holiness of heart and life, in addition to
justification, through our union and fellowship with Him. To provide
evidence for this, I will present the following arguments.
1. Through faith, we truly experience and possess Christ Himself, not
only the forgiveness of sin but also life and, therefore, holiness.
Christ dwells in our hearts through faith (Ephesians 3:17). We live
for God, yet it is not us but Christ who lives in us through faith in
the Son of God (Galatians 2:19-20). Whoever believes in the Son of
God has the Son and eternal life in Him (1 John 5:12-13; John 3:36).
Whoever hears Christ's word and believes in Him who sent Christ
has eternal life and has crossed over from death to life (John 5:24).
These texts clearly express the kind of faith I have described.
Therefore, the effectiveness or operation of faith, for the purpose of
experiencing Christ and His fullness, cannot be merely obtaining a
legal right or title to this experience; rather, it must be an entry into
it and taking possession of it. We have gained access and entry
through faith into the grace in which we stand (Romans 5:2).
2. The Scriptures clearly attribute this effect to faith: through faith, we
receive Christ, put Him on, become rooted and grounded in Him.
The Scriptures also state that through faith, we receive the Spirit,
forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among the sanctified (John
1:12; Galatians 3:26-27; Colossians 2:6-7; Galatians 3:14; Acts
26:18). Moreover, the Scriptures illustrate this receiving by the
analogy of eating and drinking: whoever believes in Christ drinks
the living water of His Spirit (John 7:37-39). Christ is the bread of
life; His flesh is true food, and His blood is true drink. The way to
eat and drink this is to believe in Christ, and by doing so, we abide
in Him, and He in us, and we have eternal life (John 6:35, 47, 48,
54-56). How can it be made any clearer that through faith, we truly
receive Christ Himself into our souls, just as we receive food into
our bodies through eating and drinking? Thus, Christ is united to us
in this way, just as our food is united to us when we eat or drink it.
Therefore, faith cannot be a condition merely to obtain a legal right
or title to Christ, any more than eating or drinking merely obtains a
legal right or title to our food; rather, faith is the instrument by
which we receive Christ, just as the mouth receives and consumes
food.
3. Christ, along with His salvation, is freely given by the grace of God
to all who believe in Him, for we are saved by grace through faith.
And this salvation is not of ourselves; it is the gift of God
(Ephesians 2:8-9). We are justified freely by His grace through faith
in His blood (Romans 3:24-25). The Holy Spirit, who serves as the
bond of union between Christ and us, is a gift (Acts 2:38). Now,
something that is given as a gift of grace should not be earned,
purchased, or obtained through any work or effort performed as a
condition to acquire a right or title to it. Therefore, faith itself should
not be considered such a conditional work. If it is by grace, then it is
no longer based on works; otherwise, grace would not be grace
(Romans 11:6). The condition for receiving a free gift is simply to
take it and have it. In this sense, we can acknowledge that faith is a
condition, allowing for flexibility in the terms while agreeing on the
substance. However, if you give a peppercorn to purchase a title to
it, you undermine the freeness of the gift. The free offer of Christ to
you is sufficient to confer upon you a right and even make it your
duty to receive Christ and His salvation as your own. And because
we receive Christ by faith as a free gift, we may consider faith to be
the instrument and, so to speak, the hand by which we receive Him.
4. It has already been demonstrated that all spiritual life and holiness
are stored up in the fullness of Christ and communicated to us
through union with Him. Therefore, the accomplishment of union
with Christ is the initial work of saving grace in our hearts. Faith
itself, being a holy grace and part of spiritual life, cannot be present
in us before the beginning of this work; rather, it is given to us and
produced in the very process of union. And the way in which it
contributes to the union is not by merely obtaining a title to Christ as
a condition, for then it would need to be performed before the
uniting work begins. Instead, it functions as an instrument through
which we can actually receive and embrace Christ, who has already
come into the soul to take possession of it as His dwelling place.
5. True saving faith, as I have described, possesses a particular aptitude
or suitability in its nature and manner of operation to receive Christ
and His salvation, to unite our souls with Him, and to equip the soul
with a new holy nature that produces a holy way of life through
union and fellowship with Him. Just as natural instruments, such as
hands and feet, are designed for specific functions according to their
nature and natural way of operating, God has fashioned saving faith
to fulfil its purpose.
Similarly, we can understand that faith is an instrument specifically
designed for our union with Christ and sanctification if we consider its
unique suitability for the task. Recognising this is crucial for
comprehending the mysterious manner in which we receive and practice all
holiness through our union and fellowship with Christ, facilitated by the
precious grace of faith. To help you visualise its nature as the instrument I
have described, I will present three key aspects.
1. The grace of faith is as well-suited for the soul's reception of Christ
and union with Him as any bodily instrument is for receiving and
embracing essential things. Through the sincere act of trusting or
believing in Christ for salvation and happiness, the soul casts aside
everything that keeps it distant from Christ: reliance on our own
strength, efforts, works, privileges; or on worldly pleasures, profits,
honours; or on any human assistance or aids for our happiness and
salvation. Such confidences are incompatible with our confidence in
Christ for complete salvation. Paul, in his confidence in Christ, let
go of all confidence in the flesh. He considered his privileges and
legal righteousness as loss and regarded all other worldly and
religious enjoyments as insignificant compared to gaining Christ
and being found in Him (Philippians 3:3, 5-9). The voice of faith
declares, "Assyria shall not save us. We will not ride on horses. We
shall not say any more to the work of our hands, 'You are our gods';
for in You the fatherless find mercy" (Hosea 14:3). "We have no
might against this great company" of our spiritual enemies, "we do
not know what to do, but our eyes are on You" (2 Chronicles 20:12).
I could provide numerous biblical passages to demonstrate how faith is a
grace that empties the self and expels other confidences from the soul, as it
rises above them towards Christ as the sole source of happiness and
salvation. The very act of trusting or believing in Christ or in God is the
means by which our souls approach Christ (John 6:35), draw near to the
Lord (Psalm 73:28), seek refuge in the shadow of His wings (Psalm 57:1),
anchor our minds on the Lord (Isaiah 50:10; 26:3), lay hold of eternal life (1
Timothy 6:12), lift up our souls to the Lord (Psalm 25:1), commit our way
or cast our burden on the Lord (Psalm 37:5; 55:22), and partake of the
nourishment of Christ, as we have already discussed. We must consider that
Christ and His salvation cannot be seen, touched, or grasped through
physical actions; rather, they are revealed and promised to us in the Word.
Now, if anyone can invent another way for the soul to engage in any motion
or activity to receive this unseen promised salvation apart from believing
the Word and trusting in Christ for the promised benefits, let them do so.
Even if Christ were to be earned by works or any other form of conditional
faith, faith would still be instrumental in receiving Him. Some may argue
that love is more fitting as the uniting grace, but I have shown that love for
Christ's salvation is an element of faith. While love may foster a desire for
union, when we are in this world, trusting in Christ for all His benefits as
promised in the gospel is the most likely way to satisfy this appetite.
1. Saving faith inherently inclines the soul towards holiness and equips
it with all the necessary qualities from the fullness of Christ. When
we wholeheartedly trust in Christ, affectionately relying on Him for
His freely promised salvation, it naturally works within us a rational
inclination and ability to practice holiness. This trust encompasses
the belief that through Christ, we are dead to sin and alive to God;
that our old self has been crucified (Romans 6:2-4); that we live by
the Spirit (Galatians 5:25); that we have received forgiveness of
sins; that God is our God (Psalm 48:14); that we have righteousness
and strength in the Lord, enabling us to do all things (Isaiah 45:24;
Philippians 4:13); and that we will experience glorious happiness in
the eternal enjoyment of Christ (Philippians 3:20, 21). When the
saints in Scripture speak so highly of these spiritual privileges, they
reveal the familiar sentiments and language of their faith, their trust
in God and Christ. They simply explain the nature and contents of
this faith, describing what they receive from the fullness of Christ.
How can we not conclude that those who genuinely love Christ and
can think and speak so highly of themselves on solid grounds must
be sincerely inclined and profoundly strengthened for the pursuit of
holiness?
Given that faith has a natural disposition to enable and fortify the soul for
the practice of holiness, we can rightly consider it a suitable instrument for
accomplishing every aspect of that practice in an acceptable manner. Those
who, with sincere affection, steadfastly believe in Christ for the free gift of
His complete salvation can attest through experience that their faith, to the
extent of its strength or weakness, propels them to love God wholeheartedly
because He loved them first (1 John 4:19). It prompts them to praise Him,
pray to Him in Christ's name (Ephesians 5:20; John 16:26, 27), endure
afflictions with a cheerful patience while giving thanks to the Father who
called them to their heavenly inheritance (Colossians 1:11, 12), love all the
children of God out of love for their heavenly Father (1 John 5:1), walk as
Christ walked (1 John 2:6), and surrender themselves to live for Christ in all
things, compelled by His love demonstrated in His sacrifice for them (2
Corinthians 5:14). The accounts of excellent works produced by faith in the
cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 11) demonstrate this. While trusting in God
may be considered insignificant and contemptible, I see no act of obedience
that it cannot generate. Note the excellent manner in which faith operates.
Through faith, we live and act in all good works as people in Christ,
transcending our natural state by participating in Him and His salvation. We
do everything in His name and for His sake. This is the practice of the
mysterious way of living in holiness that is unique to the Christian faith in
which we exist—yet it is not us who live, but Christ who lives in us
(Galatians 2:20). When Christ and His salvation are known to us solely
through the gospel, it is hard to conceive of any other way for such a
practice to be possible.
The explanation I have provided regarding the nature and role of true
faith, and its suitability for its purpose, is sufficient to demonstrate that it is
indeed a profoundly holy faith, as it is referred to (Jude 20). The kind of
trusting in Christ that I have described, by its very nature, cannot lead to
licentiousness but only to holiness. It establishes us firmly in holiness more
than merely accepting the terms of salvation and consenting to have Christ
as our Lord can achieve. It is more effective in securing a life of holiness
than any resolutions of obedience or acts of surrender that some consider to
be the key conditions of our salvation, which are in reality nothing more
than hypocritical acts if they are not produced by this faith. There is,
indeed, a counterfeit form of dead faith that even wicked individuals can
possess. If that leads to licentiousness, let not true faith be blamed. Instead,
pay attention to the description of true faith that I have provided, so that you
may not be deceived by a counterfeit faith in its place.
I shall now add some thoughts on the efficient cause of this excellent
grace and our union with Christ through it. By doing so, it will become
evident that this path of salvation is not as easy and trivial as some might
imagine. The author and perfecter of our faith, and of our union and
fellowship with Christ through faith, is none other than the infinite Spirit of
God, and God and Christ Himself through the Spirit. By one Spirit, we are
all baptized into one body of Christ and made to drink of one Spirit (1
Corinthians 12:12, 13). May God grant us, according to the riches of His
glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in our inner beings,
so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith (Ephesians 3:16, 17).
When we consider the profound effect of faith, that through it we are
elevated to live above our natural condition with Christ and His Spirit
dwelling within us, it is not reasonable to believe that it is within the power
of human nature to achieve something that raises us to such heights.
Even if God had only restored us to our original natural holiness in our
sanctification, this could not have been accomplished without the exercise
of His own almighty power to revive those who are dead in sin. How much
more is this almighty power necessary to elevate us to this remarkable new
state, in which we live and act above the capabilities of nature, by a higher
principle of life than what was granted to Adam in his innocence, namely,
Christ and His Spirit living and working within us? The natural person
brings forth offspring in their own image through the natural power of
procreation with which God blessed them at the time of their creation.
However, the second Adam, Christ, brings forth His newborn offspring
according to His image solely by the Spirit (John 3:5). Those who receive
Him, who believe in His name, are born not of blood, nor of the will of the
flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12, 13). Just as Christ took
on His own human nature through a personal union with Himself in the
womb of the virgin Mary, accomplished by the Holy Spirit coming upon her
and the power of the Most High overshadowing her— the same power by
which the world was created (Luke 1:35)—in a similar manner, He takes us
into a mystical union and fellowship with Himself through nothing less than
infinite creative power. We are God's masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus
for good works (Ephesians 2:10), and if anyone is in Christ, they are a new
creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).
To accomplish the great work of our new creation in Christ, the Spirit of
God first works on our hearts through the gospel to produce the grace of
faith within us. If the gospel were to come to us in mere words, without
power and the Holy Spirit, the labours of Paul and Apollos to plant and
water would be in vain, for we are unable to receive the things of the Spirit
of God. In fact, we would consider them foolishness until the Spirit of God
enables us to discern their true value (1 Thessalonians 1:5; 1 Corinthians
3:6; 2:14). We can never come to Christ through human teaching alone; we
must also hear and learn from the Father and be drawn to Christ by His
Spirit (John 6:44, 45). And when saving faith is wrought within us, the
same Spirit firmly grasps hold of Christ through it. Just as the Spirit opens
the mouth of faith to receive Christ, He also fills it with Christ; otherwise,
the act of faith would be like a dream where one thinks they are eating and
drinking but awakens to find themselves empty. The same Spirit of God not
only gave the faith through which miracles were performed but also worked
the miracles by means of that faith. Similarly, the Spirit of Christ works
saving faith in us and fulfils the purpose of that faith by granting us union
and fellowship with Christ through it. Thus, none of the glory of this work
belongs to faith, but solely to Christ and His Spirit. Indeed, faith is of such a
humbling and self-denying nature that it attributes nothing it receives to
itself, but rather acknowledges all as coming from the grace of God.
Therefore, God saves us by faith, so that all the glory may be attributed to
His free grace (Romans 4:16). Even if Adam had sufficient strength in his
state of innocence to exercise the duty of faith as we do, it does not mean he
had the strength to elevate himself above his natural condition into union
with Christ. This is because faith does not unite us to Christ by its own
virtue but by the power of the Spirit working through and with it. Thus, we
are passive first and then active in this great work of mystical union. We are
first apprehended by Christ, and then we apprehend Christ. Christ first
enters the soul to join Himself to it by giving it the spirit of faith, and so the
soul receives Christ and His Spirit through their own power, just as the sun
first enlightens our eyes, and then we can see it by its own light. We should
also note, to the glory of God's grace, that this union is fully accomplished
by Christ giving the spirit of faith to us even before we exercise that faith in
receiving Him. It is through this grace or spirit of faith that the soul is
inclined and disposed to actively receive Christ. Without a doubt, Christ is
thus united to many infants who possess the spirit of faith but cannot
exercise faith due to their lack of understanding. However, those who are of
riper years and passively joined to Christ by the spirit of faith will also
actively join themselves to Him through the act of faith. Until they exercise
this faith, they cannot know or enjoy their union with Christ, nor can they
make use of it in carrying out other duties of holiness acceptably in this life.
Chapter Five
We cannot attain to the practice of true holiness by any of our endeavours
e cannot achieve true holiness through our efforts alone while
remaining in our natural state and without experiencing a new state
through union and fellowship with Christ through faith.
It is clear that not everyone possesses that precious faith which allows
Christ to dwell in our hearts. In fact, the number of those who have it is
small compared to the whole world, which lies in wickedness (1 John 5:19,
20). Furthermore, many who eventually attain this faith go without it for a
significant period (Ephesians 2:12). While some may receive the spirit of
faith from their mother's womb (such as John the Baptist, Luke 1:15, 44),
even they must experience a natural existence through physical birth before
they can undergo spiritual regeneration (1 Corinthians 15:46). This leads us
to consider two states or conditions of human beings in matters relating to
God and godliness, which are vastly different from one another. Those who
have the blessing of being born anew and created in Christ through faith are
placed in an excellent state, consisting of the enjoyment of Christ's
righteousness for their justification and the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ
for holy living in the present and eternal glory, as we have already seen. On
the other hand, those who are not in Christ through faith cannot be in a
better state than what they inherited from the first Adam through physical
birth or what they can attain through the power of their nature, with any
assistance God may be pleased to provide. I refer to the latter as a natural
state because it consists of things received through natural generation or
attainable through natural abilities with divine help, as the Scriptures
describe those in this state as natural men (1 Corinthians 2:14). The former
I call a new state because we enter into it through a new birth in Christ. It
could also be called a spiritual state according to the Scriptures because it is
received from Christ, the life-giving Spirit, and the natural and spiritual
man are contrasted (1 Corinthians 2:14, 15). Although some refer to both
these states as spiritual because they primarily concern the eternal well-
being or damnation of the soul or spirit of man.
It is a common mistake for those in a corrupt natural state to seek to
reform their lives according to the law without realizing that their state must
be changed before their lives can be transformed from sin to righteousness.
The pagans, who were unaware of a new state in Christ, were prompted by
their consciences to practice various duties of the law based on the
knowledge they had through the light of nature (Romans 2:14, 15). The
physical descendants of Israel zealously pursued God and godliness and
endeavoured to observe the written law, at least in external actions, even
though they were enemies of the faith in Christ. Even Paul reached a point
where he was blameless in external observances of the righteous
requirements of the law while persecuting the church of Christ (Philippians
3:6).
Some individuals who remain in a natural state are so close to the
kingdom of God that they are convinced of the spiritual nature of the law.
They understand that the law primarily commands us to love God with all
our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbour as ourselves.
They strive and labour with great earnestness to bring their inward thoughts
and affections in line with God's law. They aim not only to abstain from
some sins, but from all known sins, and to wholeheartedly perform every
known duty of the law. They are dedicated in their devout practices,
sometimes to the point of overworking their natural strength. Their zeal is
fervent, and they are even willing to subject their bodies to fasting and other
self-mortifications in order to conquer their sinful desires. They strongly
believe that holiness is absolutely necessary for salvation and are deeply
affected by the fear of damnation. However, they have not been sufficiently
enlightened in the mystery of the gospel to understand that a new state in
Christ is required for a new life. Consequently, they labour in vain to reform
their natural state instead of rising above it in Christ. Some of these
individuals, after spending many years struggling against the current of
their sinful desires without success, eventually fall into despair, believing
they will never attain holiness. As a result, they either sink into indulgence
in their lusts or are consumed by a fearful horror of conscience.
There are several false beliefs that these ignorant zealots hold onto to
justify their futile efforts. Some of them think they are capable of practicing
holiness because they are not compelled to sin and can abstain from it if
they choose to. They add that Christ, through the merit of His death, has
restored their freedom of will to do good, which was lost in the Fall, and
has set their nature right again. They believe that if they make an effort,
Christ will assist them with His saving grace. They also argue that it would
be unjust for God to punish them for sin if they were unable to avoid it, and
that it would be pointless for ministers of the gospel to preach and exhort
them to saving duties if they were incapable of performing them. They cite
examples of heathens and nominal Christians who have achieved great
excellence in religious words and works without any knowledge of the faith
I have described.
My current task is to liberate those ignorant zealots from their fruitless
and tormenting efforts by leading them to despair of attaining holiness in a
natural state. Instead, they should seek it only in a new state through faith in
Christ, where they can certainly find it without such torment and spiritual
anxiety. To accomplish this, I will establish the truth asserted in the
guidance and strengthen it against the aforementioned false beliefs through
the following considerations.
1. The foundation of this assertion is firmly established in the guidance
that has already been explained and is supported by numerous
passages of Scripture. If all the necessary qualities required for a
holy practice can only be obtained in a state of union and fellowship
with Christ through faith, and if faith itself is not acquired through
the natural power of free will but through the power of Christ
entering the soul by His Spirit to unite us with Himself, then it
becomes clear that the pursuit of true holiness through our most
vigorous efforts while remaining in our natural condition is utterly
hopeless. I need not say more, except to emphasize the abundance of
light that the Scripture provides to guide us correctly in this aspect,
so that those who deviate from it by following their own false lights
or corrupted judgments may find themselves more accountable.
2. It is evident that we cannot practice true holiness while remaining in
a natural state, for we must be born of water and the Spirit in order
to enter the kingdom of God (John 3:3, 5). We are created in Christ
Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand for us to
walk in (Eph. 2:10). If we were capable of loving God and our
neighbour as the law requires without a new birth and creation, then
we could live without them, as Christ said, "Do this and you will
live" (Luke 10:28). However, a new birth and creation entail more
than simply reforming and repairing our natural state. If the first
birth and creation produced both the substance of a person and a
state, the second birth and creation had nothing to produce except a
new state for the same individual. It is important to note that we
were first created and born in Adam, the natural man, but our new
birth and creation are in Christ, the spiritual Man. If anyone is in
Christ, they are in a new state that is significantly different from the
state of Adam before the Fall. They become an entirely new
creation, as it is written, "Old things have passed away; behold, all
things have become new" (2 Cor. 5:17).
3. The apostle Paul emphatically states that those who are in the flesh
cannot please God (Rom. 8:8). Many people are too hasty and
negligent in understanding the meaning of this gospel phrase,
equating being "in the flesh" to simply being sinful or excessively
indulging in sensual desires. They should consider that the apostle
speaks of being in the flesh as the cause of sinfulness, just as the
following verse speaks of being in the Spirit as the cause of
holiness. Whatever the cause may be, it must be distinct from its
effect. Sin is a deficiency within the flesh or something that resides
in the flesh (Rom. 7:18), and thus it is not synonymous with the
flesh itself. The flesh is that which opposes the Spirit (Gal. 5:17), so
it is not solely sinful desires. The true interpretation is that "flesh"
refers to the fallen nature of humanity, corrupted by Adam's fall and
inherited by us through natural birth. To be "in the flesh" means to
be in a natural state, whereas to be "in the Spirit" means to be in a
new state through the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ within us
(Rom. 8:9). The corrupted nature is called "flesh" because it is
received through carnal generation, and the new nature is called
"spirit" because it is received through spiritual regeneration. "That
which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit" (John 3:6). Thus, if we correctly understand the
apostle's words, he has given us sufficient reason to utterly despair
of attaining true holiness while remaining in a natural state.
4. The apostle testifies that those who have been instructed in the truth
as it is in Jesus have learned to put off their former sinful way of
life, characterized by the corrupt desires of the old self, and to put
on the new self, which is created in righteousness and true holiness,
according to God's likeness (Eph. 4:21, 22, 24). Putting off the old
self and putting on the new self is equivalent to not being in the
flesh but in the Spirit, as mentioned in the previous testimony. It
signifies abandoning our natural state and embracing a new state
through union and fellowship with Christ. The apostle himself
clarifies that the new self refers to that excellent state where Christ
is everything and in everyone (Col. 3:11). Therefore, the old self
undoubtedly refers to the natural state of humanity, in which one
lacks the saving enjoyment of Christ. It is called "old" in light of the
new state that believers are brought into through regeneration in
Christ. This is a manner of expression unique to the gospel, often
overlooked by those who believe that the apostle simply means they
should renounce sinfulness and pursue holiness in their conduct,
attempting to become new individuals by merely turning over a new
leaf and leading a different life.
Let them understand that the old and new self represent two contrasting
states that encompass not only sin and holiness, but also all other factors
that influence and incline us towards their practice. It is necessary to put off
the old self, as being crucified with Christ, in order to be freed from the
bondage of sin (Rom. 6:6, 7). Therefore, we cannot live a new life until we
have obtained a new state through faith in Christ. Additionally, the apostle's
intention is the same when he instructs us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ as
the means by which we can renounce the works of darkness and walk in an
upright manner, avoiding the indulgence of fleshly desires (Rom. 13:12-14).
1. Our natural state possesses various qualities that render us entirely
incapable of practicing holiness and bind us to a life of sin as long
as we remain in it. Here, I will demonstrate that the old self, the
flesh, or the natural state is not solely sin, as some may suggest, but
it encompasses several aspects, which I shall enumerate, that
contribute to its sinful nature, along with various other factors that
make it wretched. I have already established that in Christ, we
possess all the necessary attributes to cultivate godliness.
Conversely, in our fleshly state, we possess everything contrary to
that holy disposition. One aspect of our natural state is the guilt of
sin, encompassing both Adam's original sin and the corrupt
condition of our nature, as well as our own actual transgressions.
Consequently, by nature, we are children of wrath (Eph. 2:3) and
subject to God's curse. The blessing of sin forgiveness and freedom
from condemnation is not granted to us in the flesh or in a natural
state, but only in Christ (Rom. 8:1; Eph. 1:7). Can we imagine that a
person can triumph over sin while God is against them and has
pronounced a curse upon them?
Another inherent quality, inseparable from the former, is a troubled
conscience that pronounces God's wrath upon us due to sin, leading us to
abhor Him as an enemy rather than to love Him, as previously discussed. In
the case of a seared conscience, it further hardens us in our sinful ways.
A third characteristic is an inherent inclination towards evil, solely
tending towards sin, which is referred to as "sin that dwells in us" and "the
law of sin in our members." It exerts a powerful hold over us, subjugating
and captivating us to the service of sin (Rom. 7:20, 23). It is a fixed
propensity to lust, operating without deliberation, and therefore its desires
cannot be prevented by diligence or watchfulness. The mindset of the flesh
is hostile towards God, as it does not submit to God's law and is incapable
of doing so (Rom. 8:7). How futile it is, then, to argue that individuals can
do good if they choose, when their minds and will are enslaved to sin?
A fourth aspect is being subject to the power of the devil, who is the god
of this world and has blinded the minds of all unbelievers (2 Cor. 4:4). He
will undoubtedly overcome anyone he contends with on his own turf, that
is, in a natural state.
Considering all these characteristics, we can rightly conclude that our
natural state has an inherent inability to be good and is spiritually dead in
sin (Eph. 2:1), in accordance with the sentence pronounced against
mankind's initial sin in Adam: "In the day that you eat of it you shall surely
die" (Gen. 2:17). Just as you cannot bring a lifeless body back to life