Thoughts on 1 Corinthians 15:57.
1870 137 It is striking to hear how the Holy Ghost brings in for us triumph over both sin, death, and even the law itself, holy as the law was and therefore entirely different from sin, as indeed death is. For the law was a moral judgment of sin, as death was a present governmental judgment of it. But resurrection is God's triumph for the believer over everything that can be against him, sinner though he has been. For we must carefully remember that on God's part there is nothing against us really as believers. Once everything connected with self was against us. Satan of course, and even God Himself, though love, was obliged to be against our sins — and what else had we? Thus sin disorganized all things. It set us against God and made it imperative that God should judge us. And all was hopeless till one person appears: but that One, risen from the dead, changes all else for our souls.
The remarkable thing that I would in passing observe is this: it is not said, "Thanks be to God that will give us the victory," as if it were something entirely future and not yet brought in; but, "Thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." No doubt the victory will not be complete till we are risen. But then the victory was won when Christ rose. And this is the present joy of faith. Why should the believer wait till he actually sees the accomplishment? "What a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?" Now we do hope and wait for the full, complete, everlasting victory over everything that is against God and therefore opposed to us. But then we have got Christ risen now, and we have in Him the essence and substance of all. We have not its complete application doubtless, but just as surely we have what secures all in Christ; and "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and for ever." And we have Him thus from and with God, who "is not a man that he should lie, nor the Son of man that he should repent." It is no wonder, if this be so, that the apostle would have the saints to be full of strength, courage, and thankfulness of heart. What a joy it is to know that it is not mere men endeavouring to inspire one another with hope and courage! On the contrary, we know that if there is that which casts us down for a moment and brings a cloud over our joy, it is what springs from self.
Do you suppose that God ever doubts the victory that has been won by His beloved Son? Do you believe that God has a single cloud as to the result? And faith looks at things as God looks at them. That is the secret of all strength and courage. Why has God given us His revealed word? That we may think the same thoughts, have the same feelings, in our measure, as Himself. There is not a thought or feeling that arises out of our own hearts but what is false. Everything that flows from our old nature is evil. But we have got a new nature capable of receiving and delighting in the thoughts of God; and this is why we are so happy, and why we should never be anything else, because we have Christ and all in Him. I do not say that we ought to have no feeling but a happy feeling; but whatever may be the sorrow of outward circumstances, we ought never to lose confidence of love and enjoyment of God, for "we joy in God."
There may no doubt be special occasions where we are conscious of having failed through heedless words or evil tempers. But we should never give up our secret of happiness, never allow a doubt, because of having to judge ourselves for that which we see in us, or which may have slipped from us. We shall only be the more willing to confess our faults, if we hold fast our perfect sense of victory. For nothing more enables a man to enjoy the truth than being thoroughly happy. When one is unhappy, we know how unfitted he is either to do or bear; every thing else goes wrong where the heart is wretched. Even the shining of the sun seems unpleasant, and sweet sounds sometimes add to the irritation. But when our hearts are bright and free, do not we know the power this has to make all around another thing to us? God intends that we should be satisfied with this full victory which grace has given us. He has given it to us through Another, in order that we may with simple adoring hearts rest in His beloved Son, in the communion of His own love, knowing that He who gives us the victory now will never give us anything short or unworthy of it by and by. On the contrary, He is the God that giveth us the victory, that does give and will give the victory, as it is said in 2 Corinthians 1, "who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us."