Colossians. 1:18.
The Head is mentioned first because the ground of reconciliation existed, and the members of the body were to enter into the fact, or "Christ in you, the hope of glory," would not be true to them. So each member is to accept the blessedness of what Christ has done, and to accept the suitability in which he really is regarded by God, that is as suitable to Him, not only accepted (for I might in grace accept a thing not altogether suitable to me), but regarded as positively suitable, and the blessedness of what Christ has done could not stop short of making me suitable. I am to accept this, and am to enter into the meaning of it. God looks upon the whole body with a perfect complacency, and each member is to enter into it in the displacement of all that is inconsistent: putting off the old man in very fact. We lose sight of self, and as we do, we come to one Man, presented to the soul by God, "by Him to reconcile all things to Himself." You see the same thing in Luke 15: the prodigal has become so suitable that it must be made clear to him; therefore the father says, "Bring forth the best robe and put it on him," as if it had been said, "He is suitable for the best that I can give, and I want him to know it by the manner in which I cover him, by the ring with which I bind him to myself, and by the shoes in which he can walk before me." The soul is to enter into this, to be taken up with it; then other things lose their power, you come to give up all natural advantages, natural gifts, and influence without regret, they are things that will pass away with the death or change of the body; but suitability to God, when entered into and accepted, lifts the soul into heavenly and eternal things. You see that everything is centred in one Man: you lose sight of yourself in Another, and your soul rejoices that all the fulness is in Him and none in you. Thus Christ is in you the hope of glory, and the complacency with which the Father regards Christ passes to you - as you are lost in Him. You are reconciled, settled, blessed, loved, preserved in Christ Jesus, and you know it. From knowing this the soul is encouraged to turn to account so much grace, and leaving those things which are behind, and which once held me so that my feet were spiritually in fetters, I now press toward the mark and count all natural advantages but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Thus having begun by losing sight of myself in Another, the things which helped to keep me back I lose sight of also. Other things now present themselves and draw me on.
J. A.
"In His Steps"
1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6.
JESUS, well-beloved Saviour,
Holy, spotless Lamb of God,
Thou hast ransomed us from Satan,
Bought us with Thy precious blood.
Thou hast plucked us from the ruin
Where, by nature, lost we lay,
Made us nigh to God Thy Father,
Putting all our sins away.
Sweet to know that we are righteous -
Righteous, glorious Lord, in Thee.
By Thy death from wrath and judgment
And from condemnation free.
In Thee God our Father sees us
Ever gloriously complete;
We are there in love before Him,
For His holiness made meet.
Feeding on Thee, blessed Jesus,
Bread of heaven, angels' food,
We would journey through the desert,
Onward to the rest of God.
We would follow in the footprints
Which Thy blessed feet have trod,
Whose delight from everlasting
Was to do the will of God.
Soon Thou wilt descend from heaven
And we'll hear the welcome shout
That will call us to Thy presence,
Whence we '11 never more go out.
Oh, what sacred joys await us
In the Father's house above,
Where no faith nor hope remaineth,
But where e'er abideth love! M. S. S.