GOD’S PURPOSE by C. L. Emerson

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 21, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 16.

GOD’S PURPOSE.

By C. L. Emerson

“In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace; wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good-pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself; that in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him.” Eph. 1:7-10.

Here is set forth the purpose of God in creating each individual in the universe,—that he should be one with Christ. And as the purpose is eternal (Eph. 3:11), it contemplates the creating sinful beings anew in Christ, that they may be brought back to that union which existed when they came from the hand of the Creator.

We therefore find the Saviour saying, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.” John 12:32. Notice that “men” is a supplied word. It is not only men that are going to be drawn to Christ, but by His being lifted up on the cross, He draws all the universe to Him as they were not drawn to Him before. And the result will be that all, both in heaven and in earth, will be one with Christ throughout the eternal ages. Notice how it works out the oneness of Father and Son:—

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me. If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also; and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him. Philip saith unto Him, Lord, show us the Father and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself; but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works.” John 14:6-10. “To wit, that God was in Christ.” 2 Cor. 5:19. “I in them, and Thou in Me.” John 17:23.

All the words and works of Jesus were but the outward manifestation of what the Father wrought in Him. So the Saviour says, “I and My Father are one.” Not one entity, but one in Spirit. They are one in that which will forever make their purpose one; for the Spirit is called both the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ. Rom. 8:9.

Oneness of God and Angels.

In Ezekiel, chapter 1, is a description of living creatures, which God brought within the vision of the prophet; and in the tenth chapter we are told that these creatures are the angels. Of these angels it is said:—

“And they went every one straight forward; whither the Spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.” “The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.” “Whithersoever the Spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go.” Eze. 1:12, 14, 20.

It would be hard to express the willingness of the angels to execute the will of God in fewer words than by the expression, “Whithersoever the Spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go;” and the despatch with which the desires of the Spirit are executed are “as the appearance of a flash of lightning.” Surely, then, they are one in Spirit with the Father and the Son.

Oneness of Christ and Followers.

“I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” Gal. 2:20.

“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” 1 John 4:4.

The mystery of godliness is “God manifest in the flesh,” and the mystery of God is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” So, as God is in us, He is to work in us “both to will and to do of His good-pleasure.” 1 Tim. 3:16; Col. 1:27; Phil. 2:13.

If Christ is to be in us—is to be our life—we must be one with Him; for “He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit” with the Lord. 1 Cor. 6:17. Therefore, “both He that sanctifieth [God, Eze. 20:12] and they who are sanctified [His people, I Cor. 1:2] are all of one” (Heb. 2:11), not are similar in character, but “are all of one.”

Oneness of Believers.

“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us; that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one; I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one.” John 17:20-23.

Truly the Lord desires His professed followers to allow Him to live in them and to make them one with Him and with all His children. His Spirit is the living bond which unites all His real followers. This is realized by us in a limited sense at conversion. When we first find Jesus, a new love springs up in our hearts, and we feel at peace with God and all His creatures; and if we hear any one speak evil of another, even tho that other one is a sinner, it grates harshly on our ears.

The note of this union of Christ’s followers is sounded in the words, “I in them, and Thou in Me.” Then if we find that our hearts are not in harmony with the brethren and sisters in Christ, it is a serious matter. It simply means that we are not possessors of Christ’s Spirit; and “if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.” We are not one in Christ, and so are not members of the universe as it now exists in God’s purpose, and will shortly exist in fact.

Lower Creatures and Purpose.

We have seen that the Father and the Son and the angels and Christians are already gathered together into one Spirit; but is there nothing else in heaven and in earth but these? for all both in heaven and in earth are to be one with Christ. Yes, there are other intelligences of a lower order, which we are wont to term dumb animals. But are there to be animals in the universe when complete? Let us consider: We are told that the “first dominion” shall return to the “Tower of the flock,” or Christ. Micah 4:8. The first dominion is that, evidently, which was given at the first to Adam. Did any animals exist then?—All kinds. Then, if this first dominion is to return to the Second Adam, will it not contain animals?

What spirit will be in these lower intelligences? Will they be one in spirit with the rest of the universe? Let these words answer:—

“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. . . . The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. . . . They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” Isa. 11:1-9.

The Universe Complete.

“And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.” Rev. 5:13.

“And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.” 1 Cor. 15:28.

This tells us of the happiness of the universe, of the rule of God that makes this happiness, and of how God rules. The Son is subject to the Father the same as we are to be subject to Him. How is the Son subject?—He submits to the Father, and lets Him rule in his heart. We must submit, and let the Saviour rule in our hearts. Then God will be “all in all.” Then, as one has truly said: “The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation. From Him that sitteth on the throne flow life and light and gladness throughout the realms of illimitable space. From the minutest to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love.”

Such, in short, is the spirit of the home which God is preparing for His children, both the children in heaven and of earth. No wonder that the prophet exclaims, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” But we may know something of it now; for “He hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit,” the “earnest”—the part payment—“of our inheritance,” until the complete redemption of this purchased home from sin. Grand universe! Loving Father, what hast Thou prepared! C. L. Emerson.