According to the Riches of His Grace: Redemption and Wisdom (continued)
"Hath Redeemed us Unto God" (continued)
And what is true in that sense of the initial aspect of our salvation will be an abiding law throughout our Christian life. If on any matter whatsoever, God's rights are being withheld, if He is not getting what which is His due, in that measure we shall lack the fullness of His rest and His peace. Now there is sort of an unbalanced state of things, there is an oscillation in the balance. Do you know something about that oscillation in the balances of your heart? Is there something just not steady in your heart? Something here that is uncertain, that is wavering, that is not sure about this yet? But immediately, when you and I get that thing cleared up with God, it may be only one thing, but get that straightened out and God gets what He is requiring, peace is restored. It is a wonderful truth in the Christian life, is it not? It is simple in that way, but that is the explanation. Oh, why have I been holding on so long. Why did I not get that thing cleared up before now? I have been spoiling everything for myself, because the Lord has not had what He had a right to.
Now redemption is "initial", redemption is "progressive", and redemption is "final". There are three tenses. You can change the word from redemption to salvation if you life, it is the same thing. We "were" saved, we "are" being saved, and we "shall" be saved; those are the three tenses of salvation. Well, the first is what He has done for us perfectly and completely and which we have accepted. The second of the process of redemption or salvation is that God is getting more and more of that requirement of His in our lives, and as He does, we are knowing more and more the balanced, the steady life of rest and confidence. But thank God, for as we go on to the end of our days - salvation will continue right to the last breath - there is that ultimate, that perfect salvation when with that throng around the Lamb on the Throne, we shall sing, "And hath redeemed us unto God by His Blood." That is the final aspect and phase of redemption. It is all in the Infinite value of the Blood of Jesus. See how great this is?! Well might the apostle here include this in the riches of His grace, the unsearchable riches of His grace, "the depth of the riches of His Grace," providing God with that which we could never give Him, answering to God for His righteous demands which we could never do. All these words are bound up together. "Who of God is mad unto us Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:30). Righteousness: the Righteousness which is of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Thus, God has provided it all in His Son.
The Heart of Wisdom and Election
Now, I will add just a word here as to the next thing in this group, this fivefold group of the riches of His grace, - Election, Adoption, Redemption, Wisdom and Consummation - it will not take me more than a few minutes to do this, because it is so closely linked in with what we have been saying. Election, adoption, and redemption. The word that I want to add is found in Ephesians 1, at verse 8, "Which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence." Oh, dear ones, one of the riches of His grace here is this "wisdom" which He has made to abound unto us. Of this so many sided and full matter of wisdom, which He made to abound unto us, Christ is made unto us from God "wisdom". I am only going to say one thing in this context with what we have said, and what the rest of this chapter contains. What is wisdom in its meaning here? Well, we will put it this way, when the apostle had tabulated these five profound things, these five unexplorable things, he goes down on his knees. Now that was something extraordinary, for a Jew very rarely knelt down to pray, he always stood up to pray, if it was in the synagogue he stood up to pray. The Bible refers to this in Mark 11:25, "When you stand praying." The common attitude and posture of prayer for the Jew were standing and lifting up holy hands. It is only occasionally that you find an one on his knees. You will find Daniel on his knees (Daniel 10:9). And now here in Ephesians 3:14 Paul says, "I bow my knees unto the Father." "Bow." What is this? Why this unusual attitude of position? Something unusual is at stake or is involved. It is an occasion for something extraordinary. You will agree that that was so with Daniel, you remember when he prayed there was something tremendous involved.
Now the apostle says, "I bow my knees," there is something here that is a tremendous matter. And what does he ask, what does he pray for? He has said all these things about the riches of His Grace, he knows how incomprehensible they are: "I bow my knees unto the Father that He would grant unto you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your heart being enlightened, that you may know." Now you have gotten the heart of wisdom. What is the heart of wisdom? It is the gift and ability of seeing right into the heart of things, the ability given to see into the heart of things. That is the spirit of wisdom and revelation.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 16)
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