The Subjection of All Things 2
Back to J. C. Philpot Sermons
III. But I pass on to our third point, which is to show, that in putting all things in subjection under the feet of Jesus, God left NOTHING that is not put under him.
The apostle seems to add these words as if he would, to use a familiar expression, clinch the nail. A person might say, for instance, "Well, I do believe in a general way that all things are put in subjection under Jesus' feet; but when I take a survey of all the various, I might say, immense and complicated circumstances of this world, I find it very difficult to raise my faith up to that point to believe that every individual thing, through the whole complicated series of human events, is under his positive, immediate, and direct control." Now the apostle meets that difficulty not by explaining it, but by enlarging more fully on his previous declaration. He adds, therefore, these decisive words—"In that he put all in subjection under him,he left nothing that is not put under him."
It is worth observing the stress and authority which he lays upon God's word. That is his ultimatum—the word of a king, from which there is no appeal. Receive it as fully as he does and your unbelief will stop her mouth. But you may look round and ask, as if still unconvinced, "If so, why do the ungodly prosper? Why is sin permitted to go to such awful lengths in the world, and to run down our streets unchecked like water? Why are the children of God so oppressed? Why is true religion so hated? And why, if Jesus is so supreme in authority and power, is Satan allowed to carry the chief sway?"
I fully grant, that many of the saints of God have been puzzled and perplexed upon these points, and have been scarcely able to answer them to their own satisfaction or to that of others. I fully admit, that one would have thought, reasoning naturally, if the Lord Jesus Christ were at God's right hand, and all things put in subjection under his feet, matters would not be as they are, either in the church or in the world. We would not see saints slip and fall and bring reproach on the cause of God and truth; we would not see hypocrites so abounding in churches and congregations; we would not see the truth despised and hated, and error patronized and loved; we would not see the enemies of truth rejoice, and the friends of Jesus mourn; we would not see in this so-called Christian nation sins only to be paralleled by heathens and savages, and the gospel only known and professed by a few despised and outcast people!
Reasoning naturally, should we not say, "How can Jesus be at God's right hand, and all things put in subjection under his feet, yet such evils prevail, and so little good be accomplished? As Lord of all, why does he not cause the gospel to be preached more truthfully, widely, and successfully? Why are not more called out of darkness into light? Why does he not make us really what we are nominally, a Christian nation? Why should he have so few to serve and glorify him, and they so feebly and imperfectly?" These questions, and numberless others of a similar nature, may suggest themselves to a reasoning mind—but the apostle meets all such inquiries with this pointed declaration—"In that he put all things in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him."
We shall presently see another explanation which he gives; but for the present, he beats down all such inquiries by bringing down upon them the hammer of God's word—the full force of God's own positive declaration. Then, 'reason'—be still if you can, hold your peace, and allow 'faith' to come forth and submit to the word of truth.
But even look at it thus. If all things were not put under the feet of Jesus, would this world be habitable? Would not men rend and tear each other to pieces like wild beasts? Could the saints of God dwell in this valley of tears for a single day, had Satan full dominion, surrounded as they are by the most deadly enemies, and hated by all the malice of the wicked one? No! their enemies would swallow them up, the gospel be uprooted, the ministers of truth silenced, and darkness and heathenism spread over the land; nor would there be a single saint of God left upon earth, for such a storm of persecution would break out against them as would sweep every one away. Let us then hold fast this truth, for on it depends so much of our comfort, that, in putting all things under the feet of Jesus, God left nothing which was not put under him.
IV. But we pass on to our fourth and last point, and one which, as I just hinted, may furnish an answer to some of those inquiries which naturally suggest themselves to a reasoning mind—"We see NOT YET all things put under him."
The same difficulty met the apostle's eye as meets yours and mine. He saw that, viewed by the eye of sense, all things were not put visibly under Jesus, though they were actually; that sin still reigned in high places; that persecution still raged against the saints of God; that this was still a disordered world, presenting little outward evidence that the Lord of heaven and earth was exercising supreme government in and over it. He therefore directs our eyes to a future day. "We see not yet all things put under him." The day is coming when it will be seen by all that "all power is given unto Jesus in heaven and in earth." (Matt. 28:18.) A day is coming when the world shall acknowledge his power and his sway; when there will be a universal reign of righteousness, and it shall be seen by men upon earth as well as by saints in heavenly bliss that all things are put under his feet!
It may seem hard to believe this, and many will not believe it—But what has God said? and let God be true and every man a liar. "As truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord" (Num. 14:21); and again, "For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." (Isa. 11:9.) How do the waters cover the sea? In whole or in part? So to fulfill the promise must the knowledge of the Lord one day wholly fill the earth. But that day has not yet come—nor do we know when it will come.
But take another view of the words. Look at them experimentally. Take them as applicable to the various circumstances which continually meet your eye, and especially to the trials that your mind is continually exercised with. Is it not true in this point of view, that though all things are virtually put in subjection under Jesus' feet, yet "we see not yet all thingsactually put under him?"
1. You may, for instance, be in very trying circumstances as regards PROVIDENCE. These trying circumstances are put in subjection under his feet, but as yet you do not see it. A 'cloud' is over your eyes; unbelief dims your view; and you do not yet see that those circumstances which are so trying, put under the feet of him who rules all things. You have proved it so in times past; but as regards your present trial you do not yet see it in subjection to his sovereign sway as managed by him for your good.
2. Or it may be that you are now passing through some very painful and severe TRIAL under which you groan, being burdened, nor have you any present evidence that the Lord Jesus is managing that trial for you. Your oppression, or persecution, or family trial, or church trouble, you do not yet see put under his feet. It is still too much upon your own shoulders; it is still too much carried, and that very ineffectually, by your own strength. But is not this to test your faith? Is it not that you may wait and watch the Lord's hand? By and by you will see that very circumstance, which seems now almost to escape his notice, put under the Lord's feet. Perhaps your oppressor may have still power and even increasing power over you. Or perhaps you may lose a good situation, be deprived of your lawful right, and what you have a fair claim to. Or perhaps you may be prevented from rising as you ought to rise in business, if were fair measures were carried out. Or perhaps you've been defeated in your attempts to gain a honest livelihood, and every plan of yours crossed and thwarted.
And under all this you may murmur, fret, and rebel that these things are permitted, and that these adverse circumstances are not yet put under Jesus' feet. But you shall see it! The day will come, and it may be before long, for this painful mystery to be cleared up. You may hear the church-bell toll and be one to carry the coffin of your oppressor to the cemetery. You may look into his grave or see his name on a tombstone, and say, "There lies my cruel enemy. What and where is he now who sometimes made me fairly tremble? A heap of dust!"
So with your afflictions. This affliction of yours that does not at present seem to be one of the things that the Lord is managing for you—you will one day see put under his feet. And you will also see that it was just as much under his feet when you did not see it, as when you do see it. And you will then see how it worked together for your good—what submission it wrought in you to the divine will—what prayer was offered up in and by it—what searchings of heart it led to—what promises were applied to your soul in and under it to which you were previously a stranger—and what strength was given to endure the affliction even when it pressed the hardest. Then you will see that it was even then put under his feet, and that nothing but your unbelief prevented you seeing it!
3. But you complain, and justly, that YOUR SINS are not yet put under his feet. These are your greatest burdens. Pride, lust, covetousness, carnality, and a host of other evils, how they oppress you! You would, if you could, take these sins and put them under Jesus' feet, saying, "Lord, trample them down, that I may never feel their hateful workings more. O take them and put them under your feet! O tread them down into the very dust that they may never rise out of their ashes to plague me more!" And yet you see them not yet under his feet. Your lusts still work; pride, covetousness, carnality are still alive and lively. You see them not yet, put under his feet—but you will see them! The Lord will crucify the flesh and subdue all your iniquities—as well as pardon all your sins, for that is his promise.
4. Or the TEMPTATIONS you are assailed by, which seem to gather fresh strength and become stronger instead of weaker—or perhaps some old temptation that you have been freed from for months or weeks, but which now has risen again, like a phoenix from its ashes, stronger than ever—you see not yet this temptation put under his feet. (Editor's note– a phoenix is a legendary bird which burned itself to ashes, and afterwards rose alive from the ashes to live another period.) But does it not give more room for prayer that it may be put under his feet? more reason to abhor yourself in dust and ashes? Or may it not be instrumental in crushing that hydra-headed monster of self-righteousness in you with its seven necks! Or the means of bringing you to a spot you were never brought to before, for your mouth to be stopped and you to become guilty before God? Or may it not bring you down to feel that indeed you are the chief of sinners and less than the least of all saints? But you see not yet the temptation put under his feet. But it will be so—when it has done its work, and let out the life-blood of self-righteousness—and convinced you that nothing but his rich, free, and superabounding grace can save your guilty soul.
5. So also may we apply the words to all CIRCUMSTANCES which may occur in Providence or grace; however dark or mysterious now, whatever dismal line they may wear, however the riddle cannot be read by human reason or explained by yourself or others, whatever mystery may envelop the Lord's present dealings with your soul, it will be seen by and by, still to be one of those things which are put under the feet of Jesus.
Do you not wish to be there? To lie at his feet—is not that your coveted posture? Is there a better posture than that? Yes, there is one—to lie in his bosom. But do not despair of help or hope if you are but made willing to lie at his feet. Are you not willing that he should put under his feet everything opposed to his grace and his glory? Are you not willing that your sins, your lusts, your temptations should all be put under his feet who reigns and rules above? And are you not willing and more than willing that he should be your Lord and King, bear the chief sway, guide you with his counsel, and afterwards receive you to glory? (Psalm. 73:24.) Can you have a believing heart in your bosom and not be thus minded? Can the Lord the Spirit have begun and is carrying on a sacred work upon your soul and you not be made willing to lie at the feet of the Lord—not to be willing that he should put his feet upon the neck of his enemies and your enemies?
Do you need any King but Jesus as your spiritual King? We owe all loyalty to our earthly Queen—she has not a more loyal subject than myself. But we have a spiritual King to whom we owe spiritual allegiance, to whom we give what we give to no earthly monarch—the affections of our spiritual mind. Do we then want any one to reign over us but Jesus? We say, "Lord, take us and make us wholly yours. We would be yours here on earth as well as your hereafter in heaven. Only give us now and then as we struggle through the wilderness a look of love—a cheering word—apply to our heart a comforting promise, and give us a blessed testimony that as we are suffering with you here, we shall be glorified with you hereafter. Lord, enable us to believe, to hope and to love, to struggle on through this valley of tears, not giving way to sin or Satan, but ever seeking to know your will and do it, and ever desiring that you should be our Lord and God, be the strength of our heart below, and our portion forever above."
Back to J. C. Philpot Sermons