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How
Can I
Live Forever?
Chapter 6
Rising By Falling
Speaking
of Jesus at the time of His dedication, Simeon
prophesied that . . .
`This
child is destined to cause the falling and the rising of
many in Israel.' (Luke 2:34)
Even today, this prophecy is still finding fulfillment,
for Jesus
is still causing the falling and the rising of many in
modern-day Israel. In fact, this falling, first, and
then rising, is an essential happening in the
spiritual economy that governs the Christian life, for we simply have to fall
before we can rise. In other words, we have to realize
our nothingness before we can stand boldly before the
throne of God.
But
just where are we to fall? None other place than at the
foot of the cross, for here we see Jesus in all His
loving glory, and here we see ourselves as we really
are. It is at the foot of the cross, therefore, that we
fall to the highest place that we can ever reach, for . . .
`Kneeling
in faith at the cross, [we have] reached the highest
place to which man can attain.' (SD222)
Herein
lies the beauty and the power of the gospel in that we are not
expected to rise in our own strength
- we are simply called upon to bow in humble penitence
at the bleeding feet of our victorious Master, and in so doing we will
have reached the very zenith of our spiritual experience
for . . .
`The
crown of glory awaits those who bow at the foot of the
cross.' (5T475)
Some
may have great difficulty with this concept. Can there be
glory in falling? Can humility earn for us a crown? Surely it would be better to rise
without first falling? Yet the
Christian walk only ever begins with an almighty fall -
and it is this fall that earns for us a crown . . . and anyone who tries
to earn this crown in any other way is sincerely deceived, . . .
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`The Lord would have His people sound in the faith . . . They are not to look forward, thinking that at some future time a great work is to be done for them; for
the work is now complete.' (1SM394, 395) |
They
`are losing the right way, in consequence of thinking
that they must climb to heaven, that they must do
something to merit the favor of God. They seek to make
themselves better by their own unaided efforts. This
they can never accomplish.' (1SM368)
Yet
the tragic reality is
that, even today, . . .
`This
matter is so dimly comprehended that thousands upon
thousands claiming to be sons of God are children of the
wicked one, because they will depend upon their own
works.' (6BC1071)
Notice
from the above just how serious this matter really is.
If we entertain the idea that our own righteousness can
elevate us in any way, or that our righteousness can in
any way atone for our wrongs; or if we depend in any degree upon
our own works to save us; we number ourselves
amongst the `children of the wicked one.'
As
startling as this truth may be, it is nevertheless a
truth that will make us whole in that it helps us to
realize our desperate need of a complete Saviour.
The fact is that this realization is fundamental to our
faith, yet,
tragically, . . .
`There
are many who claim to be children of God who are resting
their hopes upon other dependencies, rather than on the
blood of Christ alone. When urged to rest their faith
wholly upon Christ as a complete Saviour, many reveal
the fact that they have faith in something that they
think they can do. They say, "I have a great deal to do
before I can be fit to come to Christ." Another says,
"When I have done to the uttermost all that I can do,
then the Lord Jesus will come to my help." They imagine
that they have a great deal to do themselves to save
their own souls, and that Jesus will come in and piece
out that part which is lacking, and give the finishing
stroke to their salvation. These poor souls will not be
strong in God until they accept Christ as a complete
Saviour. They can add nothing to their
salvation.' (SD227)
As
a result of this sad misperception, . . .
`There
are many who seem to feel that they have a great work to
do themselves before they can come to Christ for His
salvation. They seem to think that Jesus will come in at
the very last of their struggle, and give them help by
putting the finishing touch to their lifework. It seems
difficult for them to understand that Christ is a
complete Saviour, and able to save to the uttermost all
that come unto God by Him. They lose sight of the fact
that Christ Himself is "the way, the truth, and the
life." ' (3SM181)
If we wish to entertain a hope that is
absolute, therefore, we
have to realize and accept that in
all the universe there was but One who could satisfy the claims
of God's law.
`Since the divine law is as
sacred as God Himself, only One equal with God could
make atonement for its transgression. None but Christ
could redeem fallen man from the curse of the law and
bring him again into harmony with heaven.' (PP63)
Which
leads us to ask the question, If Jesus has provided all the works that would ever be
needed to redeem the entire world, why
is it that man is so sorely inclined to credit his works with
merit for salvation?
One
good reason is that we have not comprehended the deep
spirituality of God's law - which law is a perfect word
representation of God's character. As a result, we have
not perceived of the high and holy nature of God and,
without this perception of His absolute holiness, we do
not and cannot have a right perception of our true
condition. This is why . . .
`Many
are deceived concerning the condition of their hearts.
They do not realize that the natural heart is deceitful
above all things, and desperately wicked. They wrap
themselves about with their own righteousness and are
satisfied in reaching their own human standard of
character. [But man] has nothing of his own but what is
tainted and corrupted, polluted with sin, utterly
repulsive to a pure and holy God. Apart from Christ, we
have no merit, no righteousness. Our sinfulness, our
weakness, our human imperfection make it impossible that
we should appear before God.' (1SM320, 342, 333)
In
short, therefore, . . .
`The
human family have all transgressed the law of God, and
as transgressors of the law, man is hopelessly ruined;
for he is the enemy of God, without strength to do any
good thing.' (1SM321)
In
fact, if we could see ourselves as we really are, we
would realize that . . .
`We
have not the first reason for self-congratulation and
self-exaltation.' (1SM126)
Yet
none of these declarations should discourage us. They
should make us fall, yes, but it is in falling that we
rise to receive the crown of eternal life. And as we
fall, all heaven breaks into glorious song.
The
Revealer of Truth
In
the light of the foregoing, we can understand that . . .
`It
is only he who knows himself to be a sinner that Christ
can save.' (COL158)
This
is one reason why God gave us His law, to stand as a mirror before
us, giving us a word picture of His perfect character and casting back
upon our minds an accurate reflection of our depraved
condition. It is in this sense that . . .
`The
law condemns the sinner and drives him to Christ.'
(UL377)
Contrary
to widespread opinion, therefore, the law of God does not speak of
the goal to be reached by a people who are intent on
saving themselves. Rather, it is the perfect pattern,
given to us by a perfect God, to reveal to us our perfect
need of a perfect and complete Saviour who kept the law
perfectly on our behalf.
We do not, and we cannot rise up to the standard of
God's holy, but that very law, properly understand, does
cause us to fall down at the foot of the cross.
`The
sense of sin, urged home by the law, drives the sinner
to the Saviour.' (1SM241)
In
this light, therefore, we will understand that God is not trying to shield us
from a face-to-face confrontation with our guilt. On the
contrary, He has given us His law to reveal to us just
how guilty we really are
- for only a deep-seated realization of our guilt will
enable us to realize just how much we need a Saviour. This is
why . . .
`Those
who have not humbled their souls before God in
acknowledging their guilt have not yet fulfilled the
first condition of acceptance.' (5T636)
This
is not to say that God wants us to squirm eternally
under feelings of remorse and shame. He simply wants us
to acknowledge our guilt so that He can introduce us to
the One who paid the ultimate price in order to free us
from our guilt.
`God
reveals to us our guilt that we may flee to Christ, and
through Him be set free from the bondage of sin, and
rejoice in the liberty of the sons of God.' (MB10)
To
be sure, there
is not a moment when God is not longing to shower us
with mercy, but until we acknowledge our guilt, and thus
acknowledge our
need of His mercy, His hands are tied. `I want you to
enjoy a deep sense of forgiveness,' we might hear Him
say, `but until you
acknowledge your guilt, until you acknowledge that you
have need of a complete Saviour, you will not accept the
complete provision that I have made for altogether guilty people.'
Thus the Lord, through His prophets, through books,
through the conscience, through straight testimonies,
has sought to lift up His law so that we might come to
an awareness of our great need, and thus find relief and
release in the precious arms of Jesus.
This is why, . . .
`The
more we know of God's laws, the clearer it becomes that
we aren't obeying them; His laws serve only to make us
see that we are sinners.' (Romans 3:20, LB)
How
sad, therefore, that so many fail to understand that . . .
`The law was added so that the trespass might increase.'
(Romans 5:20)
Instead of gazing into the law of liberty and allowing
deep conviction to take hold of their hearts, however, instead of
falling on their knees and acknowledging their spiritual
destitution, they set out with all determination, and
all-too-often with all sincerity, to try and keep the law in
the hope that this can save them. They work hard at
becoming `commandment- keepers,' which in itself is not a
bad thing, except that they believe that they can keep the
commandments in their own strength and that their
commandment-keeping can earn their pardon and their
salvation. Somehow there is a veil over their minds and
they simply cannot come to terms with the fact that . . .
`The
law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might
be justified by faith [and not by commandment-keeping].'
(Galatians 3:24)
Yes,
this is a truth that many find most difficult to accept,
largely because it cuts across human pride. But the
humbling fact is that . . .
`Man
is justified freely by God's grace through faith, and
not by works.' (TMK82)
How
thankful we should be, therefore, for a Saviour who
completed the work on our behalf. How grateful we should
be for a Saviour who provided all
the works that would ever be needed to satisfy the
demands of the law.
Are
you resting in His completed work, dear reader? Are you
aware of the fact that . . .
`The
Lord would have His people sound in the faith – not
ignorant of the great salvation so abundantly provided
for them. They are not to look forward, thinking that at
some future time a great work is to be done for them; for
the work is now complete.' (1SM394, 395)
The
work is now complete - the price has been paid in full
and, as a result, salvation is offered to us as a gift -
in the purest understanding of the word. If we try and
pay for this gift, or to earn this gift, we turn the gift
into an obligation - and God simply cannot be obligated
in any way or degree to sinners.
Thanks
to Jesus, salvation is full, abundant and free. And all
we have to do is to fall in order to receive it - and
it is in the falling that we rise.
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