GRACE GAZETTE
Volume XXIssue14
/Published occasionally for mourners in Zion/
/Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble
knees;And make straight pathsfor your feet, lest that which is lame
be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.Hebrews 12::12-13/
PARTAKERS OF THE INHERITANCE//
//
/Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath
delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into
the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his
blood, even the forgiveness of sins.Colossians 1:12-14/
//
Every blessing which befalls the children of GOD is the result of
HIS grace and is in no wise conditioned by the activity of those so
blessed.The sons of GOD walk in obedience because HE works in them
both to will and to do of HIS good pleasure.They desire to follow
HIM because HE makes HIS people willing in the day of HIS power.They
pray because HE sends HIS SPIRIT to elicit that yearning. “/Likewise
the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we
should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh
intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Rom
8:26/) They mourn for their sin because HE convinces them of “/sin,
righteousness, and judgement./” (see John 16:8) These are but a few
of those “gifts” which CHRIST has purchased for HIS bride.HE bestows
them upon her out of HIS vast storehouse which cannot be
exhausted.HE alone has the Key and the power to unlock that chest of
treasures which are HIS.
It was the LORD who moved Habakkuk to cry out to HIM, saying “/O
LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, _revive thy
work in the midst of the years_, in the midst of the years make
known; in wrath remember mercy.” (Hab 3:2/)It was this same SPIRIT
that prompted the Psalmist’s longings, “/O God, thou art my God;
early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth
for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy
power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.” (Psa
63:1-2/)It sometimes pleases the LORD to hide HIMSELF from HIS
bride, that she might learn to value HIS presence more highly.Left
to herself she will be satisfied with the husks which the swine feed
upon and will find it a burden to stir herself from her bed of
slumber. /“I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my
beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my
dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks
with the drops of the night. I have put off my coat; how shall I put
it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? My beloved
put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved
for him. I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with
myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of
the lock. I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn
himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him,
but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.”
(Song 5:2-6/)
Thus, it is out of their poverty that the LORD is pleased to call
unto those whom HE loves.There is no good thing that dwells in any
of them and apart from HIS mercy to keep them from falling they
would surely abandon HIM.Yet HE remains faithful.Just as Job was
vexed with the unrighteousness that surrounded him in Sodom, so too
are the sons of GOD perplexed as the LORD is pleased to grieve them
with the same.Complacency is rooted in our flesh and it is quite the
evidence of HIS mercy bestowed when men cry out to HIM on account of
their own wickedness and that with which they are daily surrounded
and afflicted in mind and soul.
The true repentance of the sons of GOD, mourning for their sin and
the uncleanness of their flesh is that which is the gift of GOD.This
is that “/repentance not to be repented of/“ mentioned by Paul to
the Corinthians.This “gift” is prophesied by Zechariah, /“And I will
pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
_the spirit of grace and of supplications_: and they shall look upon
me whom they have pierced, and _they shall mourn for him_, as one
mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as
one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” (Zec 12:10/)And we see
the same demonstrated in the book of Acts./“When they heard these
things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then _hath
God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life_.” (Acts
11:18/)/“Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and
a Saviour, for _to give repentance to Israe_l, and forgiveness of
sins.” (Acts 5:31/)
So, the sons of GOD have been made “/partakers of the inheritance of
the saints.”/A man cannot gain an inheritance of any kind except it
be bestowed upon him.Men cannot earn an inheritance nor be worthy of
it, since that ONE from whom he receives the inheritance is the ONE
who labored to gain that which is bequeathed.Such is the gift of
salvation bestowed upon the saints, through the labors of HIM who
bore their griefs and carried their sorrows.
This is an “/inheritance” “in LIGHT/”.Paul says, “/Who hath
delivered us from the _power of darkness_, and hath translated us
into the kingdom of his dear Son.” (Col 1:13/) There can be no
greater contrast than that which exists between darkness and
LIGHT.To be without CHRIST is to be without LIGHT.There can be no
fellowship (i.e.; interaction or companionship) between “darkness”
and “LIGHT”./“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:
for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and
what communion hath light with darkness?” (2Cor 6:14/)“/This then is
the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that
_God is light, and in him is no darkness at all_. If we say that we
have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not
the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we
have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his
Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1John 1:5-7/)
The sons of GOD are made to enjoy HIS blessings as they are
illuminated by the gospel of the glory of the blessed GOD./“Who hath
saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given
us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest
by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished
death, and _hath brought life and immortality to light _through the
gospel.” (2Tim 1:9-10/) /“For God, who commanded the light to shine
out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2Cor 4:6/)
The appointment of the sons of GOD unto salvation is set by HIM
before the foundation of the world, but their “illumination” takes
place in the present time for this is the /“day of SALVATION/”.The
gift of “hearing” is granted unto all of those who are granted the
gift of FAITH and it is as they “hear” (/how shall they believe in
him of whom they have not heard?” (Rom 10:14)/) the gospel that they
are “/reconciled unto GOD/”.To be “reconciled” unto HIM is the work
of HIS SPIRIT in bringing them to repentance.By HIS grace they throw
down their arms of rebellion and cry out to HIM for mercy.
It is then that HOPE is wrought within their breast as they see (by
the gift of FAITH) HIS suffering, death, and resurrection as more
than simple facts, but rather the only grounds upon which they
expect to be brought into the presence of a HOLY GOD.Paul recounts
the beginnings of his journey from darkness to LIGHT: /“And it came
to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus
about noon, _suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round
about me_. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto
me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” (Acts 22:6-7/) Thus
repentance was granted unto him.He was already aware of the
crucifixion of CHRIST but it was as HE was brought face to face with
the ONE who was crucified that he believed and was baptized calling
upon HIS NAME. This was no random occurrence which took place on
that Damascus road but was the result of a DIVINE appointment which
he could not escape.So too is the deliverance of every one of those
vessels of honor chosen by GOD to be the inheritors of HIS promise.
/“For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou
that thou didst not receive?” (1Cor 4:7/)“/we have redemption
through HIS blood.”/Have you seen the LIGHT?mam
