Part 83 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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Part 84 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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[2.] Secondly, The PRAYERS that have been put up upon this very account, do clearly evidence that it is possible for you to attain to a greater measure of holiness.Certainly the people of God would never have prayed for higher degrees of grace and holiness, if they had not been attainable. Now it is very observable that the spirits of the saints have run out much this way, as is evident in these instances, Phil. 1:9-11, "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God."
Colossians 1:9 "For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding." Colossians 4:12, "Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured." The Greek word is a metaphor from a ship, whose sails are filled with wind. Epaphras was a humble petitioner that the souls of the Colossians might be filled with the highest degrees of grace and holiness, as the sails of a ship are filled with wind. 1 Thes. 3:12, "And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one towards another, and towards all men, even as we do towards you." The apostle, by doubling his word, increase and abound, discovers himself to be an importunate suitor, that a double portion of grace and holiness might be given out to the Thessalonians.
Just so, in Hebrews 13:20-21, "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." The apostle cannot beg anything for these believing Hebrews below perfection. And the apostle Peter puts up the same requests for those blessed converts who were scattered throughout "Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia."
1 Peter 5:10, "But the God of all grace, who has called us into his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you." God is called "the God of all grace," because he is the giver of all kinds of grace, and of all degrees of grace. Nothing below perfection will satisfy this great apostle, when he comes to plead for these saints. Though they had as much grace as would bring them to heaven—yet he begs such a perfection of grace as might raise them high in heaven. And thus it appears by the prayers of these holy men, that saints may still be rising in grace and holiness. But,
[3.] Thirdly, The EXPERIENCE of other saints does clearly evidence this, that you may attain unto higher degrees of grace and holiness than those which yet you have attained unto.
Genesis 6:9, "Noah was a just man and perfect in his generation, and Noah walked with God." Noah was not only perfect with perfection of parts; nor only perfect in respect of desires, endeavors, and aims; nor only perfect in respect of his justification before God by imputed righteousness; nor only perfect in respect of God's approbation, acceptance, and delight; nor only perfect in respect of God's design and intentions to make him so in the eternal world; nor only perfect in respect of those gifts and graces with which he was adorned and furnished for the discharge of his place, office, and work to which the Lord had called him; nor only comparatively perfect, in regard of that profane, ungodly, and debauched generation among whom he lived; but also he is said to be perfect in respect of an eminent progress that he had made in grace and holiness. He had attained to considerable degrees and measures of grace and holiness; and though his proficiency in the exercise of grace and practice of piety fell short of complete perfection—yet it rose to such a height that God could not but crown him and chronicle him for a perfect man. [Psalm 37:37; Phil. 3:11-16; Cant. 4:7; Eph. 5:26-27; Rev. 14:4-5; Proverbs 2:21, and 11:5; 2 Tim. 3:16-17.] In all ages of the world, there has been four different levels of Christians—namely, babes, children, young men, and old men. [1 Pet. 2:2; 1 John 2:12-14; Heb. 5:12-14.] Noah was not a babe, nor a child, nor a young man—but an old man in grace and holiness; and therefore he is said to be perfect. There are several grades in Christ's school—some higher, some lower. Now he who is in the highest grade may be said to be perfect, in regard of those who are in a lower or in the lowest grade. Now Noah was in the highest grade of grace and godliness, therefore he is said to be perfect.
And in this sense, I suppose, Job is said to be a perfect man: Job 1:1, 8, "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one who feared God, and eschewed evil. And the Lord said unto Satan, Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one who fears God, and eschews evil?" Job was a very considerable person; he was a man of a choice spirit, he was taller in goodness, and head and shoulders higher in grace and godliness—than any of the saints in that age and corner of the world where he lived. Job was a man of the greatest weight and worth for holiness, in all the world. Job was a paragon; no Christians could come near him. As he was the greatest—just so, he was the best of the best of all the saints—for heights of grace and holiness. He was a giant, and all the Christians round about him were but as so many dwarfs. He was the paragon of his time; for piety and sanctity none could parallel him, none could match him.
In this sense we are to understand the apostle, both in 1 Cor. 2:6, "We speak wisdom among those who are perfect," and in Phil. 3:15, "Let as many as be perfect be thus minded." He speaks here not of an absolute perfection, for such a perfection himself disclaims in verse 12, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." By the force of the original word, that is here rendered press on, [I persecute, I follow with as hot and as eager a spirit after perfection, just as persecutors do follow after those they persecute.] the apostle declares that he had perfection in chase, as it were, and that his spirit was with much heat and eagerness carried out in pursuing after it, and resolved not to rest until he had attained to it.
An absolute perfection is very desirable on earth—but shall never be obtained until we come to heaven. Absolute perfection is not the privilege of saints militant—but of saints triumphant; and therefore the perfection that the believing Corinthians and holy Philippians had attained to—was not an absolute but a comparative perfection; they were perfect in comparison of those who were but babes and shrubs and dwarfs in Christ.
It is a very high and honorable report which the apostle gives of the Corinthians in that 2 Cor. 8:7, "Therefore, as you abound in everything, in faith, in utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us; see that you abound in this grace also." And it is a very large testimony that the same apostle gives of the Romans in that Romans 15:14, "And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that you are also full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another." Now the fullness the apostle speaks of is not a fullness of parts, for the weakest believer as well as the strongest is at first conversion renewed and sanctified in every part, though it be but in part and imperfect. But of this fullness the apostle does not speak. But then there is a fullness of degrees. The apostle is to be understood of a comparative fullness. The Romans were full of all goodness and knowledge—in comparison of those in whom Christ was but newly formed, and in whom the work of grace was but newly erected. And they were full of all goodness and knowledge now, in comparison of what they were at their first acquaintance with Christ, and first acceptance of Christ, and first resignation of themselves to Christ, and at their first marriage union and communion with Christ.
And thus you see, by the experiences of other saints, that it is possible for you to attain to higher degrees of grace and holiness than any that yet you have attained to. But,
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Part 84 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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