THE SUFFICIENCY OF CHRIST #5 THE EXTENT OF THE PROMISE IN PARTICULAR PART 1 (ODELL)

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:19   

In Lesson 4, we discovered that “all things” necessary to every aspect of their salvation have been “freely given” to the sum total of “God’s elect” to bring them into the experience of all Covenanted "good” promised to them by virtue of their ETERNAL UNION with Christ having been “chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.” See: Rom. 8:32-33; Jer. 32:40-42; Eph. 1:3. Which is why the Apostle believed his “God” (Who was also their God) would “supply all (their) need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” The extent of the promise is such that it reaches ALL THE NEED OF ALL THE SAINTS OF ALL AGES (in general). 

At the end of our last lesson (4), I was led to make the following statement which we hope to be blessed to enlarge upon today. It reads: “This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Pure, Free and Sovereign! It is the absolutely unconditional promise of the Father as found in the Covenant of Grace that He would be their God and they would be His people, and ALL THAT HE WOULD REQUIRE OF THEM HE WOULD PROVIDE FOR THEM in and “by Christ Jesus,” that no flesh should glory in His sight. It is to these PARTICULAR NEEDS we shall proceed to speak.   There is a huge difference between a saint considered a “saint in Christ Jesus,” as compared to being considered IN THEMSELVES by their own personal nature. When considered as a “saint in Christ Jesus,” we are told in Col. 2:10, that the saints are “complete IN HIM, which is the head of all principality and power.” The reason is found in the previous verse, which is Col. 2:9, “For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the God Head bodily.” 

This is what John was talking about when he testified, “Of HIS FULLNESS have all we received, and grace for grace,” John 1:16.   Regarding their STANDING in Christ, the saints are always in the POSITION of “fullness,” having already been blessed with “all spiritual blessings, in Christ,” Eph. 1:3, at the time of their election UNION. Hence, while under the activity of grace flowing into them out of the “fullness” of Him Who is their “head,’ THEY EXPERIENCE believing views of their union with Christ from time to time and SEE THEMSELVES “complete in Him” in Whom “all fullness dwells.”   Yet, notwithstanding their STANDING positionally, their STATE of condition within themselves, is one of desperate NEED! The “saints in Christ Jesus,” considered IN THEMSELVES, by their very nature, are described by this same Apostle as being “dead in trespasses and sins,” having walked, “according to the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience,” Eph. 2:1-2. Further, he went on to remind the Ephesian saints that notwithstanding their perfect STANDING (positionally)“in Christ Jesus,” their very own STATE of condition (experientially) was such that they were previously “without Christ, beings aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the Covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world,” Eph. 2:12. 

This is exactly why Paul started Chapter 2 by saying: “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins,” Vs. 1. He understood all saints of all ages have in themselves, “sinned and come short of the glory of God,” Rom. 3:23. Just like any other dead sinner before the Great Physician comes in love to their soul to make them ALIVE to Him.   Every son of fallen Adam abides in the same state of spiritual death as Adam did himself. This is why Paul reminded the “saints” at Corinth, “as in Adam all die,” I Cor. 15:22. This is the same reason Paul told the “saints” at Colosse, prior to their being “quickened TOGETHER with Christ,” in an experiential way, they had been busy “being dead in (their) sins and uncircumcision of their flesh,” Col. 2:13. No wonder, after many years past his own “quickening” on the Damascus Road, Paul cried out, “OH WRETCHED MAN THAT I AM. Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” Rom. 7:24.   THE LESSON IS THIS: Saints, considered as “saints” either have been or shall be BROUGHT to an experiential knowledge of their own spiritual death by nature and their consequent desperate NEED of the healing touch of the Great Physician Himself! This knowledge of their personal spiritual death, along with its accompanying NEED is an UNCONDITIONAL BLESSING, flowing into the saint from Christ Himself, according to his ETERNAL UNION with them at the Covenant of Grace.   This PARTICULAR blessing is found in Ezk. 36:31. It reads: “Then shall ye REMEMBER your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.” In this, we discover, that “saints in Christ Jesus” are BROUGHT by grace to see their condition by their own nature so as to SEE and FEEL their desperate NEED of Christ Himself, and nothing below Him will ever meet that PARTICULAR NEED!   

In Part 2, we hope to go back to the Great Physician Himself and find His enlargement regarding this particular need, He alone supplies to those with whom He is in union with.   

Dan O’Dell, A debtor to mercy.