Thursday, October 9, 2014

"That Which Is Born of the Spirit" # 6

" The Heavens Do Rule"

Daniel 4:26

The Gospels were written many years after the things recorded in them had taken place; there had been a considerable lapse of time. It is important to note why they were written. The Apostles had been witnessing a long time to the things here recorded, and had brought those things also among men, and had sought to establish the spiritual truth behind those things. Thus having borne witness to those things and brought them among men, and having sought to establish the spiritual truth in the hearts of men, they now write by way of confirming that to which they have borne testimony; that is the meaning of having those records.

The great thing is this; GOD had broken into this world in the Person of His Son, the Lord Jesus. He had intervened in the course of the history of this world with one main intention - to assert the fact of His rights, to bring in His prerogatives in this world: these had been disputed, challenged and refused.

Israel had been raised up to be an embodiment of these rights, and Israel as a whole had failed; failed as an instrument through whom God's rights were testified to and maintained on the earth; Israel did not represent in any concrete public way the Divine rights and prerogatives: although there were still those faithful ones here and there, secret for the most part.

That intervention of God to bring in His rights was fourfold:

1. His rights in the matter of Sovereignty, as seen in the Gospel of Matthew;

2. His rights in the matter of service, as seen in the Gospel of Mark;

3. His rights in the matter of Grace, as seen in the Gospel of Luke;

4. His rights in the matter of Love, as seen in the Gospel of John.

These four Gospels represent one breaking in of God in Christ Jesus. They represent ONE PERSON with one object: to manifest the rights of God and secure those rights for Him; and the Gospels were written to confirm by permanent record in permanent form that to which the Apostles had been bearing witness:

1. Sovereignty - God's rights in sovereignty and the nature of that sovereignty made known;

2. Service - God's rights in service, and what is the nature of the servant and the service;

3. Grace;

4. Love - God's rights and prerogatives in these.

These were the things by which they called men to recognize the claims and rights of God and to respond to them; and wherever they went proclaiming this Gospel of His Son, there were added to them those who came to accept the rights of God and so become living witnesses to those rights and prerogatives.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(continued with # 7)

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