1871 316 The Epistle to the Ephesians especially brings before us our privileges, and God's counsels and purposes His sovereign goodness and thoughts about us, all depending on His good pleasure in Christ and His work. When I see the need of my soul as a sinner, and God's necessary judgment of sin, how I have ruined myself and am totally worthless, my soul is content to lie low before God and to be cast on His grace. Then I find myself adopted as a son and "accepted in the beloved "— not only redeemed through Christ's blood and forgiven my sins, but brought into glory. Two things run through this Epistle, God's intentions about us and the glory of the Son of God. It begins with counsels of God and the salvation of grace through the Lord Jesus Christ. The fact that Christ is God as well as man brings me to see how I can be loved as the Son. Love can come down to me as a sinner, as it can take me up where the Saviour is.
The moment I see myself all sin, I may see all this grace shown me, just as much accepted now as when before Him in the glory. This I have not yet got; I am only waiting for the glory, but I am now accepted in the beloved. One must be either in sin before God, or in Christ accepted. There is no middle state. If looking at myself, I must be condemned; but if I rest on His sovereign goodness, the riches of His grace are mine in the gift of His Son, not dying only for sinners, but risen and in heaven, and myself accepted in Him. In Him I have redemption through His blood. In this there is nothing vague. There is forgiveness and redemption. I was a slave under Satan, but am redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. Christ has a title to me that none can gainsay. None can claim a tittle of my dust. I am not redeemed with corruptible things, but bought with His blood. God's righteousness and holiness are vindicated. Christ has not to do His work again. The redemption is accomplished, the work is done. There is peace and blessedness now for the believer. This does not hinder ups or downs: I may grieve the Spirit through a careless or faulty walk; but I am reconciled and saved.
The prodigal son might think of being made as a hired servant. It is not for us to dictate terms to God, He will make us sons and nothing less for His own glory. The creature, the body is not yet delivered. It is still a "groaning creation." Though we have the Holy Ghost, it is in an earthen vessel. The soul gets rest in this spring of love from the God and Father of our Lord Jesus. How can such a worm as I am be in such a place? Even a little sickness may prevent my getting a good thought. But Christ is the head who rules and fills all.
Individual enjoyment depends on sealing. God does not seal a sinner, but a believer. The sinner needs quickening through faith of Christ. When you receive the word of truth and submit to God's righteousness, you get another thing: God puts His stamp upon that. When one is quickened, he seeks to please God; when he receives the Spirit of the Lord, there is holy liberty.
The Lord grant us the enjoyment of those things to the praise of His grace until the day of His appearing.