The Personal Presence of Christ
God would make known what is
the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ
in you, the hope of glory: whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching
every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ
Jesus. Colossians 1:27,28.
The personal presence of
Christ—"Christ in you the hope of glory"—that is the gospel.
There is not any need of a particle of misunderstanding about this question
of faith and works. Christ was in the world once, wasn't He? He did not do
anything of Himself. "Of mine own self I can do nothing." The
Father dwelt in Him. He did the works. "The Father that dwelleth in me
He doeth the works." John 14:10. "As my father hath sent me, even
so send I you."
As God was in Christ, Christ
is to be in us. Is Christ the same yesterday, today and forever? Yes, He is.
How did He act when He was on earth, in our flesh that He had? He went about
doing good; He cared for the sick, sympathized with them. How will He act
when He is in our flesh now? He will act the same way.
Don't you see then how that
the works take care of themselves in Him who has faith in Jesus Christ. I do
not mean that satanic belief. I mean the man that has faith. Then
don't you see what those people miss who get their minds on works more than
on Christ? They miss the very incentive and the very power that alone can do
the things that are good. It is Christ in you. And when He goes with
you and in you there stands the testimony, "It will win even from
worldlings the statement, 'They are like Jesus.'"
Is there any real need of
anybody getting any misunderstanding at all about whether righteousness by
faith, justification by faith carries with it in itself the very living
virtue of God to work in God's way? Not the least.
The mind that is yielded to
God and wants to have God's way, Christ first and last, will then become so
acquainted with Christ that he knows that faith in Jesus Christ brings that
divine presence and that divine power. Why you cannot separate it. The
divine life is in it; the divine power is in it; the divine word is in it.
A.T. Jones, 1893 General
Conference Bulletin, p. 301 |
