The Truth is Clear
As we have considered in the last issue, doctrinal errors, born of extremism, become very complex and unclear in ones attempts to reconcile them with Bible principles. For example, when the spirit begettal of Christ is set aside from being an essential factor in Christ being able to lead the sinless life, John 1:14 (see clause 9 of B.A.S.F.), then alternative reasons must be found for that spirit begettal. When alternatives are created the concepts become complex and unclear. Thus the fog index is considerably increased, as a new vocabulary of phrases is formed by which the propounders insulate themselves from direct scrutiny and honest debate.
The truth however is clear and concise. It will always blend with general gospel truths and recommend itself as appropriate, right and practical.
Now simply the phrase “the righteousness of God by faith” is a state of acceptance before God, which has inherent within it the elements of both amnesty and god manifestation (faith in action). because both are present, god’s forgiveness and our faith, the believer is proclaimed “righteous” by God. Romans 3:25-26, 4:5-8, 8:4, 1:5, 6:1-14, 8:13; James 3:22; Titus 2:14; Colossians 2:8-13 cp. 3:11; Genesis 15:6.
Christ’s Begettal
As to the complete sinlessness of Christ, this is also simple and clear. His begettal of the holy spirit was absolutely necessary to enable him to be a sinless bearer of our sinning, sin-prone mortal flesh and blood. He inherited from his mother a like nature to our own, sin-prone and mortal, but counterbalanced by God with highly developed moral faculties. Therefore sin-proneness for him was not a morally reigning principle as in us. had he been begotten of the “will of the flesh” through a human father, he would have been as we, i.e. more or less inevitable sinners. from his heavenly father there was restored the mental and moral escapes that enabled him to be developed by the word of god completely, so that with a perfect faith he might be faithful on each and every occasion of trial, temptation and suffering — god manifest in the flesh. John 1:14; Psalm 139: 13-18; Isaiah 11:1-5; Luke 1:31-35.
The Word of God Believed
Now while his capacities were thus ensured and absolutely necessary, yet they of themselves would profit little. he himself said “why callest thou me good? There is none good (inherently) but God” John 6:63. However, as “the word made flesh” he was the “Eternal Spirit” veiled with the flesh “holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners”.
The undoubted major element in the perfect character and sinlessness of Christ was that which Yahweh has placed “above all his name” namely his word communicated and believed, in which Christ, because of his begettal, could excel above all other men.
Christ grew in “the word of righteousness” from the earliest possible moments of hearing and understanding. The voice of God morning by morning opened his ear (Psalm 40:6-8, Luke 2: 40-52; Isaiah 50:4-6) until he was “full of grace and truth” — such as would be expected from “an only begotten of the Father”. Hebrews 1:3 tells us that he “upheld all things by the word of his power”.
“Faith cometh by hearing and hearing from the word of God”.
As the complete reflection of that word, his faith has to be the greatest faith of all!! Hebrews 2:13; Psalm 116:10.
How is it that the word could produce such an outstanding faith, equipped to handle every situation in life with all perception, moral gravity and resolve?
Was it simply that while ever he ‘trusted’, God would keep him from sin?!!
The answer is that the word of god communicates truths and concepts that operate upon the understanding and upon all the moral faculties, so as to give perception and motivation to refuse the evil and choose the good. the word in the moral faculties generates motive forces that give power over the motive forces of the Law of Sin. the word correctly orients these faculties (see Elpis Israel pages 88 and 89).
Obedience and Moral Faculties
What are moral faculties? Let us list the areas in which they operate: Faith, hope, love, graciousness, mercy, long suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, patience, experience, joy, peace, gentleness, faithfulness, meekness, self control, virtue, endurance, kindness, loyalty, awe, conscientiousness, gratitude, thankfulness, sympathy etc.These moral faculties as with intelligence vary in their responsiveness from individual to individual. In all men the word of God understood and heartily believed orients these faculties in the best possible way for each person, different though they be. Jesus Christ, because of his paternal relationship, inherited them in full potential and by the power of Divine instruction believed and acted upon, they became fully developed — God manifest in the flesh. Obedience on each and every occasion, requires the bringing to bear of this spiritual mindedness, with its highly developed senses of sacrificial duty and love, justice and truth, judgement, mercy etc., together with understanding and wisdom.Thus was he faithful to God at all times.
The theory that simplistically says ‘trust’ God and He will prevent you from sinning, ignores the fundamental principle of “the word” working upon the inner man to give the will and ability to do God’s good pleasure. Trusting God is always essential, but trust without the word operating upon our inner man with understanding and moral force, is absolutely useless, as James categorically teaches us, “the demoniac trust and tremble”. But of course, being without the word’s understanding and moral force, it is ineffective for true obedience. (James 2:19).
Would their demented fanatical trust make sinlessness possible fot them?!!
Bible Faith More Than Trust
Bible faith, while always involving the moral reaction to trust in God, excites a wider range of moral reactions within he believer. Bible faith is basically an affectionate belief of the gospel. The gospel believed, excites every moral faculty and enlightens the understanding, so that the moral power of gospel truths become a “law of his mind” that can do battle with the “law of sin which is in his members” with an increasing degree of success. In Christ’s case completely. The works and trials of faith provide that exercise in righteousness that strengthens and ‘fixes’ our moral faculties in determined resolve to always pursue God’s holiness as our considered direction of life. (James 2: 22-23). Jesus Christ alone sustained this position continuously and completely. We to a lesser degree.
Bible faith then, (being faith in the truths of the Gospel, which affects the understanding and moral sentiments), to effect a perfect life, must be perfect in understanding and perfect in moral response, to be able to be perfect in conduct on each and every occasion. Jesus Christ alone achieved this standard of character and conduct, because he alone was both able and willing so to do.
Appropriating God’s Holiness
The theory “trust in God to be obedient on each and every occasion” claims that by faith (trust in God), God’s own complete righteousness envelops the one who trusts as a protective mantel providing both state of mind and control of circumstances; so that the one who trusts, while so trusting will be holy as God is holy, because that holiness enshrouds his mind and person so that by this state sin is kept at bay. As the theory puts it — “faith doesn’t sin”.
Here we have the age old self-deceptive emotionalism similar to that experienced by those who believe they have the holy spirit, attended also with the same immovable and jealous tenacity to their ‘experience’. The pride which apes humility permeates their attitudes, the real emotionalism behind their steadfast defence of their central belief.
A true believer in God would never pretend to be able to fully manifest God’s own personal righteousness. The idea to him is one of shock and abhorrence, bordering on dark blasphemy. The true believer realises the marvellous and beautiful complexity of the Divine character is beyond his limited capacity to fully appreciate, let alone to fully receive. He appreciates the great need by God to specially prepare His son to be able to receive fully, and manifest fully, the Eternal Spirit’s moral sentiments in action. I Corinthians 1:13; Romans 7:14; John 1:14, 3:13, 31.
Lesser men and women receive of the Divine character through the normal (but no less wonderful) process of learning and moral excitement, through the word of god believed and acted upon. By this Bible based method, believers steadily grow toward the Divine image and likeness but never fully apprehend it. Philippians 2:12-14. There is no other way of appropriating God’s own holiness. If we hunger and thirst after it, pursue it with all diligence, grow therein, delight in it, put it into practise and feel its power, the great paradox will become more and more apparent that, the more Godlike we become, the more aware we become of our weaknesses and deficiencies, and thus less likely to ever claim to have ever fully appropriated the awesome holiness of the eternal creator; even though we know it must be always the only standard of holiness for which all must strive without reservation or compromise.
Other Elements In Christ’s Sinlessness
As pointed out in clause 10 of the B.A.S.F., Jesus also had the presence of the Eternal Spirit with him, by possessing the “holy spirit without measure” from his baptism until just before he expired on the ‘tree’. This was God dwelling in him in a substantial way. He could say, “I am not alone” and “we speak what we do know”. Thus he was not only in his own character God manifest, but also God literally dwelt with him in the form of His holy spirit power. This presence of God was obviously a great comfort to him, as seen by the fact that when it was withdrawn on the ‘tree’ it caused him to cry the exclamation: “My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me!!”. This presence of God possessed by him from a very early age and in fullness from his baptism, was not only a great tool of power to do God’s work but must also have contributed to his power over sin — God being thus so real and so nigh unto him. Hebrews 6:46.
He also put to great effect the power of prayer, which being with the groaning of a word oriented spiritual mind, proved to be a tool for victory in one of his lowest moments when in Gethsemane. He was also given the benefit of angelic counselling at that time to help strengthen him for the imminent crucifixion.
Providence worked in his life “lest at anytime he should dash his foot against a stone”. Psalm 91:11-12.
The sufferings themselves contributed to his strength against sin. he is said to have “learned obedience (perfect obedience) by the things which he suffered” Hebrews 5:8.
Why add suffering to learn obedience if ‘trust’ will do it all?!!
Our Position
We see then, that for Jesus Christ to lead the sinless life it required many elements provided by his heavenly Father.
Some of these are available to us and some are not. The major element, the word of God, is available, and to the extent we are able and do use it, to that extent the moral power of God’s own holiness is communicated to us as spiritual strength, for both our fight against sin and also, positively, our delight in God’s holy ways and service. However, as the law was weak through the flesh, so also the gospel believed, without forgiveness and reconciliation, would also be weak through the flesh. We as limited believers can never fully and continuously sustain victory of sin except through the blood of the Lamb. I Corinthians 15:57; Revelation 5:9; Romans 8:1-4; Romans 3:19-26.
God’s atoning work in Christ required the reconciling event of Christ’s sacrifice to completely condemn human sin on the one hand and to completely recommend divine righteousness on the other. Thus historically, God’s revealed judgements were upheld by a son of man —at last one of the race had out of experience in both sin and holiness, agreed by word and conduct with God’s position in His relationship with His creatures. If men and women will at least identify with that man’s full agreement with God’s righteous position, then here is a just basis for God to extend mercy.
We however are not called upon to be “the lamb of god that taketh away the sin of the world”. We as lesser men and women are called upon to be what God’s moral powers and mercy can do in lesser moral vessels — i.e. to “Turn from our iniquities”, to “hunger ;and thirst after righteousness”, to follow our perfect exemplar, and never to forget, that no matter how great we may become in god’s ways, we will always need the mercy of god, the righteousness of Christ i.e. forgiveness, to fill the gap caused by our deficiencies of character and conduct!! Romans 6:14; Romans 8:1; colossians 2:9; i john 1:7-9. true holiness will always keep us un-blinded to this truth. Isaiah 6:5; Genesis 18:27; Romans 7:24. Thus is the humiliation of lesser men and women sustained, who might otherwise be lifted up in pride unwittingly, by the greatness of spirituality partitive possessed, to which the Truth has elevate them. I Corinthians 1:26-29; Romans 11:20. Greatness is not always properly managed by those of naturally meaner minds than him who was “born to be King”.
Conclusions
- Within the Gospel is revealed a righteousness available to sinners by faith in that provision of God. It is called “the righteousness of God” Romans 1:17; Romans 3:21-22; Romans 10:3 and elsewhere.
- This method for righteousness does not mean that by ‘trust’ one can fully receive the grand, perfect and complete personal holiness of the omnipotent creator himself, in which is no sin, making sin impossible while so trusting.
- it does mean however, that god, consistent with his own righteous principles and character, has provided a state of acceptability for repentant, converted, baptised persons, based on our faith in Christ’s sacrifice and god’s mercy and grace in the remission of our sins for Christ’s sake. in short amnesty righteousness. Romans 3:25.
- that the major element in God Manifestation is always the moral power of the word of god intellectually and sentimentally (morally) received and affectionately believed and acted upon. this is true for all saints — i.e. both Christ and his brethren. ii timothy 3:15-17.
- that a major element in the full manifestation of the sinless god was christ’s begettal by the holy spirit providing him with the capacity to fully receive the full power of god’s word. john 1:14 “glory as of an only begotten”.
- that we as lesser moral and intellectual beings cannot fully use the word’s full power, thus we are shortened in our endeavours to fully suppress sin and to fully manifest the almighty. Romans 3:23, 7:14.
- our considered direction of life, however, must be toward holiness and away from sin. god’s mercy of “righteousness” i.e. forgiveness, is only available to those who “walk not after the flesh but after the spirit”. Philippians 3:12-14; Romans 8:4; Romans 6.
- this subject is set out by bro. thomas in elpis israel 131 to 137 under the heading “the constitution of Righteousness”.
The Solution