Taken from G.H.Lang’s
“Ideals and Realities” chapter IV
Published 1934
We have pointed out (a) That all gifts come to men from God on the principle of grace, since we deserve nothing but wrath. “To the sinner anything out of hell is mercy”; (b) That nevertheless there is always possibility that man may not accept what grace offers, and so not benefit by the grace of God.
This is true of the unregenerate: such may refuse or neglect salvation entirely. It remains true of the saved, in so far that they may fail to receive those further benefits to which regeneration opens the way.
No one questions this in relation to this present life, for it is certain that many believers do not enjoy very much of the present portion available to every believer. Assurance of salvation, conscious relation with God as child to father, priestly access and power in intercession, some heart-sense of sitting with Christ in heavenly places, may be instanced as privileges often missed, of which, indeed, many who own that Jesus is their redeemer have no knowledge at all, not even as possible. Through defective instruction they are like those disciples who had not received the Spirit because they did not know He had been given. (Acts 19:2).
It is also certain that some who did not know these privileges in power have forfeited this experience through carnality and worldliness.
As, then, present privileges may be missed, on what ground are we to hold that future privileges cannot be? Of course, intelligent students of the word do not so hold. It is generally admitted that rewards in the kingdom will be proportionate to works of faith, to labours of love, to sufferings for the kingdom in this life, which rewards therefore have the nature of prizes, crowns, and may be forfeited.
Now the important part here considered is that, not only status and reward in the kingdom, but sharing in it at all stands also on this precise footing. No new principle of life or recompense is introduced, but only an extension of the same principle. It thus becomes simply a question of what is the testimony of Scripture upon the point. This testimony we deem to be as plain and abundant as for the truth that there is to be a kingdom of God. We take numerous statements addressed to disciples to mean exactly what they say, as Matt. 5:20; 18:3; Rom 8:17; 1 Cor 6:7; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:5; Phil. 3:10,11; 2 Thess. 1:11; 2 Tim. 2:11-13; Rev. 2:27,28; 3:4,5,21; etc.
It is narrated that Queen Elizabeth was dealing with an appeal for pardon by a would-be assassin. She proposed to show grace upon conditions that she would name. The suppliant answered that grace with conditions were no grace. It is said that Elizabeth declared that to be a better lesson in theology than her bishops had ever taught her.
Probably many may deem this a striking thought, yet it is certainly false. Grace is none the less grace if, for good reason, it impose conditions.
John Bampton left property for the maintenance at Oxford of the celebrated lectureship that bears his name. This was grace, since he was under no liability so to bequeath his possessions. But for securing a certain standard of excellence he imposed the condition that the lecturer should be at least a Master of Arts, and for the securing permanency to the lectures he ordered that the lecturer should not be paid until there had been printed thirty copies of the lectures. These conditions did not impair his grace but they showed his wisdom.
A gift may be absolute or conditional. If it be the former the property can never be reclaimed by the donor or denied to the receiver. But if it be the latter the receiver forfeits his title if the condition be not fulfilled.
Bequests are known which operate only on such conditions as that the legatee (a) shall take the name of the testator, or (b) shall continue to dwell in the house devised, or c) shall never become a Roman Catholic. Such conditions are of two classes: (a) operates before the property devised passes to the legatee; (b) and c) continue after the property has passed. In the case of (a), the name having been taken the gift becomes absolute; in (b) and c) it remains always conditional.
Now as regards the gifts of God they are of necessity always conditional, but some are of the (a) class, others of the (b) and c) class.
Justification and eternal life are the former. The condition required, and which is necessarily indispensable, is repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. If this condition is not fulfilled these gifts offered by grace never pass to the sinner. If, however, this condition is met these benefits operate, and are irrevocable by God and non-forfeitable by the receiver. Thus it is written of the repenting and believing man that he is “justified freely by God’s grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” and that ” the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 3:24;6:23).
We take the terms “freely” and “free” to mean not only free from purchase price to be found by the sinner, but free from after conditions, once upon repentance and by faith these benefits have been acquired.
But we do not find this asserted as regards any subsequent privileges offered by the grace of God. These all are equally gifts of grace but are of the (b) and c) class, having conditions attached , having conditions attached which require perpetual fulfilment. If God has made reigning with His Son in His kingdom consequent upon suffering with Him now, this does not impair His grace to men in ever opening so magnificent a prospect, but it shows that it is indeed marked by ” all wisdom and prudence” (Eph. 1:8), for thus His grace cannot be abused to promote slothfulness and unfaithfulness.