September 9th, 2014. INNER SUPPLY For the law was given through Moses, but grace and reality came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 The Lords voice under the new covenant comes as an inner infusion and supply. Galatians 3:21 says, Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. Gods voice under the old covenant was correct and proper in itself, but as an outward law it could not give life. It could not infuse and supply life. It could only tell you what to do. No doubt, the law given by Moses accurately defined our condition, but it could not supply life to carry it out. Grace and reality coming through Jesus Christ is different from an outward law being handed to us. Grace and reality is the Lord Himself in person coming to us to infuse His very life into our being. The law was given but grace came. There is a big difference. For example, I can communicate with you in two ways. I can send you a letter, or I can come in person to communicate with you. The law given by Moses is like receiving a communication by letter. But grace and reality coming through Jesus Christ is receiving a communication from Christ Himself. When He comes in person, we receive direct infusion and supply. This supply is the new covenant way God speaks to us. His speaking to us is His simultaneous supply into us. Jesus said in John 6:63, It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. The very words themselves are spirit and life. Thus, His speaking means infusion and inner supply. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and reality came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 FOR THE LAW WAS GIVEN BY MOSES. This is an anticipation, by which he meets an objection that was likely to arise; for so highly was Moses esteemed by the Jews that they could hardly receive anything that differed from him. The Evangelist therefore shows how far inferior the ministry of Moses was to the power of Christ. At the same time, this comparison sheds no small luster on the power of Christ; for while the utmost possible deference was rendered to Moses by the Jews, the Evangelist reminds them that what he brought was exceedingly small, when compared with the grace of Christ. It would otherwise have been a great hindrance, that they expected to receive from the Law what we can only obtain through Christ. But we must attend to the antithesis, when he contrasts the law with grace and truth; for his meaning is, that the law wanted both of them. The word Truth denotes, in my opinion, a fixed and permanent state of things. By the word Grace I understand the spiritual fulfillment of those things, the bare letter of which was contained in the Law. And those two words may be supposed to refer to the same thing, by a well- known figure of speech, (hypallage;) as if he had said, that grace, in which the truth of the Law consists, was at length exhibited in Christ. But as the meaning will be in no degree affected, it is of no importance whether you view them as united or as distinguished. This at least is certain, that the Evangelist means, that in the Law there was nothing more than a shadowy image of spiritual blessings, but that they are actually found in Christ; whence it follows, that if you separate the Law from Christ, there remains nothing in it but empty figures. For this reason Paul says that the shadows were in the law, but the body is in Christ, (Colossians 2:17.) And yet it must not be supposed that anything was exhibited by the Law in a manner fitted to deceive; for Christ is the soul which gives life to that which would otherwise have been dead under the law. But here a totally different question meets us, namely, what the law could do by itself and without Christ; and the Evangelist maintains that nothing permanently valuable is found in it until we come to Christ. This truth consists in our obtaining through Christ that grace which the law could not at all bestow; and therefore I take the word grace in a general sense, as denoting both the unconditional forgiveness of sins, and the renewal of the heart. For while the Evangelist points out briefly the distinction between the Old and New Testaments, (which is more fully described in Jeremiah 31:31,) he includes in this word all that relates to spiritual righteousness. Now this righteousness consists of two parts; first, that God is reconciled to us by free grace, in not imputing to us our sins; and, secondly, that he has engraven his law in our hearts, and, by his Spirit, renews men within to obedience to it; from which it is evident that the Law is incorrectly and falsely expounded, if there are any whose attention it fixes on itself, or whom it hinders from coming to Christ. September 9 MORNING HE HATH FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS; AND THE RICH HE HATH SENT EMPTY AWAY. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich.... As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled-- [When] the poor and needy seek water, and [there is] none, [and] their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.-- I [am] the LORD thy God,... open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. Wherefore do ye spend money for [that which is] not bread? and your labour for [that which] satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye [that which is] good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.-- I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. LUKE 1:53. Re 3:17- 19. Mt 5:6.-- Is 41:17.-- Ps 81:10. Is 55:2.-- Jn 6:35. September 9 EVENING MY FEET WERE ALMOST GONE; MY STEPS HAD WELL NIGH SLIPPED. When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up. The Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired [to have] you, that he may sift [you] as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. A just [man] falleth seven times, and riseth up again-- Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth [him with] his hand. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD [shall be] a light unto me.-- He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee. If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.-- Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. PSA 73:2. Ps 94:18. Lu 22:31, 32. Pr 24:16.-- Ps 37:24. Mi 7:8.-- Job 5:19. 1 Jn 2:1.-- Heb 7:25.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 11:53:40 +0000
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