Our title is taken from the subject verse; “For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.”
The Son
quickeneth whom He will; it is evident that the will and purpose of the Son is
one with the will and purpose of the Father. That is in agreement with the
declaration of our most glorious Christ in John 10: 30 “I and my Father are
one.” Our God, therefore is a trinity of persons with unity of essence in the
person of Jesus the Lord and Christ of God “Therefore let all the house of Israel
know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified,
both Lord and Christ.”(Acts 2:36) The three persons of Jehovah; Father, Son,
and Holy Ghost dwell in unity of essence in the person of Jesus Christ “For in
Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” (Colossians 2:9) And not
that only but, our most glorious Christ is “A minister of the sanctuary, and of
the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” (Hebrews 8:2) That
sanctuary is heaven itself, the abode of the triune Jehovah, and that
tabernacle is the human nature of Jesus the Christ of God. Our Lord Jesus
declared “the Son quickeneth whom He will.”
The Son quickeneth whom He will;
according to the apprehension of the writer these words declare, first, that
the Son has a will concerning whom He will quicken. First we must define the
term quicken; to quicken as it is used in this verse means to give life, to
make alive, to cause to live, it is to take someone who is dead in trespasses
and sins and to give them spiritual life in Christ. “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in
trespasses and sins;” (Ephesians 2:1) Now we would ask, what is that will, of
the Lord Jesus? Our Lord Jesus stated His will in John 6:38-40 “I came down
from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And
this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given
me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And
this is the will of him that hath sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son,
and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the
last day.” Before the worlds were made, God in the trinity of His most sacred persons,
committed a host innumerable to the charge of Jesus Christ, who stood as a lamb
as it had been slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 5:6 with
Rev. 13:8) Those committed to the shepherd care of The Son of God were chosen
in Him as members in a federal head and beloved in him because that was their
original state in the will and purpose and reckoning of God, because they were
beloved of God from everlasting, “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting
love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” (Jeremiah 31:3) These
are they whom the Lord Jesus had, and has, a will to save, these are they of
the election of grace, they are the elect, his church and people, they are the
entire family and Israel of God. (Ephesians 3:15; Galatians 6:16)
“They are not all Israel, which are
of Israel:” (Romans 9:6) In this verse, those who are of Israel but are not
Israel are the natural children of Abraham who have no covenant interest in
Christ; those who are Israel, and at the same time are of Israel are the
Spiritual seed of Abraham, (who have covenant interest in Christ) and at the
same time are of his natural generation, these who are Israel, that is, the
Israel of God (Galatians 6:16) are the elect, the children and family of God.
These are the elect, a remnant according to the election of grace, that are of
the natural seed of Abraham, and who, with the gentiles who are of the election
of grace, form the church and people of God. This Israel, Jesus the Christ was
sent into this world to save and it is his will that they, the Israel of God,
that is, the church and people of God, who were given him of the Father before
all worlds, shall be saved. It is the will of Jesus Christ to save the elect,
according to the eternal covenant of grace.
“…For many are called, but few
chosen.” (Matthew 20:16) Those who read the Holy Scriptures are called by the
scriptures to believe on the Lord Jesus and live. Those who hear the Gospel,
are invited by the gospel, to come to Christ for eternal life. Those who only
read the scriptures, or hear the word preached, and are called by the
scriptures and the preaching of the word, but have no covenant interest in
Christ, will not come to Christ that they might have life. (John 5:39, 40) The
reason of this is that they are dead in trespasses and sins, (Ephesians 2:1)
and have no spiritual life, even though they have natural life. Being dead to
spiritual things, those who only hear with the natural ear have no faith, they
do not believe, and therefore will not come to Christ. Although they are warned
of judgment to come and of eternal ruin to those who reject the Lord Jesus,
they will not come to the Lord Jesus. Although they are promised eternal life,
if they will believe the good news of Christ, yet they will never come to
Christ because of the natural enmity of their heart “Because the carnal mind is
enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can
be.” (Romans 8:7) “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit
of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because
they are spiritually discerned.” (I Corinthians 2:14) Natural man, being
spiritually dead has no spiritual power of discernment, therefore will not come
to Christ.
Natural man, has a heart that is at enmity with God,
therefore by his sinful rebellious nature he rejects the savior, in the
non-elect God is pleased to leave these to their own sin and in a state of
spiritual death. In the non-elect it is their own sin and rebellion that is
cause of their ruin.
“…But few chosen” These are they of the human race,
who God chose in Christ before the foundation of the world, (Ephesians 1:4)
these God has resolved to save,
according to that purpose, which He in his trinity of persons and unity
of essence, purposed in himself.(Ephesians 1:9; Romans 8:28-30; II Timothy 1:9;
II Thessalonians 2:13) Not only did God elect his beloved people in Christ as
members in a federal head, but He, in His glorious three persons, predestinated
the elect to salvation by Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:11). The original state of
the elect as beheld and beloved of the glorious three in one was in Christ and
not even the fall in a natural federal head (Adam) could dissolve that
everlasting love, not the personal sin of the elect could dissolve that eternal
love. The justice of God was affronted by the fall but not the love of God to
his chosen. Therefore the elect are effectually called by sovereign grace. This
effectual call is irresistible and free, it is a call to life and it is accomplished
by the Holy Ghosts freely giving eternal life as the gift of God. (Romans 6:23;
Ezekiel 16:6) Our Lord Jesus Christ came into this world to save the few (God’s
few, an innumerable host) that are chosen.
A.J.Ison
No comments:
Post a Comment