Eternal Victory by W. W. Prescott

Pacific Press Publishing Association

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 37, No. 13.

Eternal Victory

By W. W. Prescott

VICTORY! Victory in the face of apparent defeat! Victory over the kingdom of this world and the god of this world! Victory over every opposing power and all opposing powers combined, just at the time when the wisdom of this world would prophesy certain defeat. Victory such as no world-power has gained during the long-continued struggle for supremacy and permanent possession of the earth! Victory through the power of righteousness revealed in humanity, "even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe;" that supreme gift of God to men which makes them "partakers of the divine nature" and "joint-heirs with Christ" to His throne of universal dominion! Victory which finds its best expression in the words of that immortal song: "Who is like unto Thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? . . . Thou in Thy mercy hast led forth the people which Thou hast redeemed; Thou hast guided them in Thy strength unto Thy holy habitation. . . . Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of Thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which Thou hast made for Thee to dwell in, in the sanctuary, O Lord, which Thy hands have established. The Lord shall reign forever and ever." This is the Gospel outlook when the eye of faith is at the telescope.

A Definite Purpose

The Gospel is not abstract, but concrete. It is not a verbal statement of truth which demands an intellectual assent merely; but a revelation of truth in life, an experience of divine power which can only be known and appropriated by personal faith. The Gospel of Christ "is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; . . . for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith." And this is based upon the fundamental truth that "the just shall live by faith." The righteousness of God revealed, not in a definition, but in a person, to be appropriated as the life of the believer, fellowship with "that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested,"—this is the Gospel of Christ.

The eternal life was manifested in the flesh for a very definite purpose. "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." "He was manifested to take away our sins." "He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him;" "to bring in everlasting righteousness;" to "restore again the kingdom of Israel." Thus the "mystery of godliness," He who "was manifested in the flesh," was revealed, and the union of the divine life with sinful flesh was accomplished, not simply in order to provide an all-sufficient sacrifice for sin, but to bring into humanity that power of righteousness which in it could defeat the devil, deliver from fear of death by saving from the dominion of sin, restore the image of God in the soul, and so restore the kingdom to the Israel of God. This great truth is the source and the substance of all real Gospel teaching, under whatsoever form it may be presented.

It is therefore clear that present deliverance from the power and dominion of sin through the "abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness" is the experience which is the pledge of the fulfilment of all promises for the future. Thus the sharing with the King in His kingly character involves all the outward results which flow from such a life, as revealed in Him. This is the key to the understanding of all those promises which set forth the final and glorious triumphs of the Gospel. They are not the arbitrary gifts of a capricious monarch, which will be bestowed upon certain favorites, but the simple outworking of the eternal principles of the divine character as shown by the results when "that eternal life" was manifested in the flesh of Jesus of Nazareth.

Triumphing in Righteousness

The kingdoms of earth, existing in the providence of God, as revealed in Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia, Rome, and others, failing to recognize God as their all, and themselves as the servants of God, have utterly failed to establish either righteousness or continuance.

And yet, after all this repeated failure of earth's mightiest powers, a most glorious triumph is predicted in the declaration that "the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever." What the rulers of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome, with all the power of armies and navies at their bidding, could not do, is accomplished through the power of a righteous character in the weakest child of God. "God hath chosen . . . the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty." "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." But the assurance of all this is found in the present cleansing from sin. "Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and [in so doing] hath made us kings." And of those it is said, "And they shall reign forever and ever."

Triumphing in Humility

All that is included, however, in the Gospel outlook, is not fully apprehended unless there is a clear understanding of all that was accomplished in the flesh of Jesus of Nazareth by the manifestation of that eternal life in Him. His experience is set forth as the experience of every one who is brought into life-union with Him through being born again. "Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; who, being in the form of God, counted it not a prize to be on an equality with God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross." And this was done with no greater inducement in view than that He might win back man for the earth and the earth for man, and that thus the original dominion might be restored. But the character which was revealed by the Son of God

in thus becoming the Son of Man for man's sake, brought to Him, as the Son of Man, and to all who are in Him, all that He gave up as the Son of God when He emptied Himself. "Wherefore also God highly exalted Him, and gave unto Him the name which is above every name; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Reigning with Christ

Thus the man Christ Jesus was exalted to the throne of the universe, "far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion." And all this He shares with the humblest believer who really shares with Him in His character. Through the grace which is in Christ Jesus, man is so filled with the fulness of God through the wonderful provision of the Gospel, that he is thereby restored, not simply to the dominion which was forfeited through the loss of his kingly character, but to a seat upon the throne of the universe by the side of the King eternal, immortal, invisible. New heavens, new earth, New Jerusalem, new creatures in Christ Jesus! "Behold, I make all things new." "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son." "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. . . . We know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him." O glorious outlook of a glorious Gospel! "Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." "Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth."