352
Selected Messages Book 1
that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this
time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him
which believeth in Jesus” (
Romans 3:24-26
). “For by grace are ye
saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God”
(
Ephesians 2:8
). [
John 1:14-16
quoted.]
The Promise of the Spirit
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
[395]
be done for them; for the work is now complete. The believer is not
called upon to make his peace with God; he never has nor ever can
do this. He is to accept Christ as his peace, for with Christ is God
and peace. Christ made an end of sin, bearing its heavy curse in His
own body on the tree, and He hath taken away the curse from all those
who believe in Him as a personal Saviour. He makes an end of the
controlling power of sin in the heart, and the life and character of the
believer testify to the genuine character of the grace of Christ. To those
that ask Him, Jesus imparts the Holy Spirit; for it is necessary that
every believer should be delivered from pollution, as well as from the
curse and condemnation of the law. Through the work of the Holy
Spirit, the sanctification of the truth, the believer becomes fitted for the
courts of heaven; for Christ works within us, and His righteousness is
upon us. Without this no soul will be entitled to heaven. We would not
enjoy heaven unless qualified for its holy atmosphere by the influence
of the Spirit and the righteousness of Christ.
In order to be candidates for heaven we must meet the requirement
of the law: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and
with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and
thy neighbour as thyself” (
Luke 10:27
). We can do this only as we
grasp by faith the righteousness of Christ. By beholding Jesus we
receive a living, expanding principle in the heart, and the Holy Spirit
carries on the work, and the believer advances from grace to grace,
from strength to strength, from character to character. He conforms
to the image of Christ, until in spiritual growth he attains unto the
measure of the full stature in Christ Jesus. Thus Christ makes an end