Or, The Place, the Peril and the Power of the Christian (2 Cor. 12.)

The possibilities of a Christian come before us in a most striking manner in this chapter. The height to which he may be taken and the depths to which he may fall, alike are presented. Here we may discover the wonderful privileges of the believer as "a man in Christ" and the awful dangers to which he is exposed as having the flesh in him, himself.

"I knew (or, "I know" rather) a man in Christ," says the apostle (referring no doubt to himself), "such an one caught up to the third heaven…. How that he was caught up to paradise and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such an one I will glory:yet of myself I will not glory but in mine infirmities" (2 Cor. 12:2-5).

A remarkable utterance truly, and worthy of our most careful consideration.

"A MAN IN CHRIST"-HIS POSITION

This is the portion of every child of God. The believer on the Lord Jesus is "in Christ." Some well-known passages show this conclusively. And, mark it well, they are written of all Christians. "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works" (Eph. 2:10). "Of Him (of God) are ye in Christ Jesus" (1 Cor. 1:30). "To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved" (Eph. 1:6). "Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us is God" (2 Cor. 1:21).

From these and other scriptures we may see that the "man in Christ" is wholly God's workmanship. He is what God has chosen to make him. He is "complete in Christ" (Col. 2:10). Nothing can be added to him for he is "blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ." And he is seen to be part of a new creation altogether, as it is written, "If any man be in Christ he is a new creature" (a new creation).

"A man in Christ" thus is in a new position before God, entirely. He was "in Adam" as to his standing. There he was linked up with his first father, in sin and condemnation and death. Now the translation has taken place. He has been taken out of that association and is linked up with Christ and His obedience and with justification, and life and glory.

Our attainments differ. There are various stages in spiritual growth. We may be babes, or young men or fathers. Our experiences may and do change. Feelings and realizations may come and go. But every believer is at all times "in Christ" before God.

A servant of the Lord would sometimes ask young Christians the question, "Are you in Adam or in Christ?" Falteringly the answer would come, "I suppose that I am in Christ." To test further, the next question was put, "How often are you in Christ? "Not very often I fear," would sometimes be the reply. Then the truth would be unfolded, the glorious truth, that we are always in Christ.
The Christian is never put back into his old place in Adam. He stands for ever associated with the Lord Jesus, beyond death and beyond judgment. Five words express this great truth "Christ's place is our place." Or as another has said, in another sentence of five words, "In Christ is as Christ." Until this precious fact is known a soul is kept in uncertainty. Doubts and misgivings will fill the mind and it may be at times despair may distress the most earnest seeker after a consistent walk.

"A man in Christ.. .caught up to the third heaven… caught up to paradise." Here our great ultimate is seen. The terminus of our pilgrim pathway is to be with Christ, in paradise. But the "man in Christ" of our chapter anticipated the day of glory, when all Christ's own will be there. It pleased God that His servant should be in ecstasy. "Whether in the body or out of the body" we are not told and need not conjecture for all such conjectures are profitless. He was rapt away from the things of time and sense. For the duration of that period of bliss he was in the innermost presence of God, "in the paradise of God" (Rev. 2:7). There Christ is everything and the world around us and the flesh within us, while here, are nothing. Thoughts of the body therefore have no place.

It was the sovereign power of God which translated this "man in Christ" to that scene of unspeakable glory. And before long it will translate every Christian to that same scene, at the coming again of our Lord. In Paul's case his visit to the home of eternal life was of limited extent and was for the purpose of confirmation in his service and to extend his usefulness. In our case it will be of everlasting duration, "for ever with the Lord."

Such is the surpassing value of the precious blood of Christ, that a poor thief could come forth from prison on the morning of his execution, careless and callous; he could, later on, join in the curses of the mob against the crucified Son of God; but turning to Him at last and his sins being cleansed, he could pass with the Saviour into paradise at the close of the day, fitted to be the companion of Christ in His glory. And this is our prospect through grace. All blessedness is summed up in being like Christ and with Christ in His own home – the Father's house. There in perfect suitability, conformed to His image, our souls will know the delights in fulness of which the "man in Christ" tasted when caught up.

"A MAN IN CHRIST"-HIS OCCUPATION

When in the third heaven, in his ecstatic state, Paul was in conscious enjoyment. No "sleep of the soul" was his. He heard unspeakable things. He listened to revelations which it was not possible to convey to men in their mortal condition. Entranced with the vision he was not aware of his bodily form at all. Whether in it or not he could not tell. He was engaged altogether with the communications which were being made to him. What these communications were we are not told. Their character was such that they could not be uttered on earth. What will engage us there? Perhaps we may learn something of this from the transfiguration scene on the holy mount. Moses and Elias appearing there in glory, spake with the Lord Jesus of the decease which He would accomplish at Jerusalem. Calvary with all its wonderful teachings may be the subject of consideration in that home of glory when "talking with Jesus!" Blessed occupation!

And there our prayers will be ended, and praise will fill our lips, as we enjoy fulness of blessing in the presence and likeness of our Lord. No more curse, no more sighing, no more crying, no more pain, no more death-all the former things will have passed away. The groaning within ourselves (as here we share with a groaning creation, travailing in pain) will be hushed for ever and exchanged for the Hallelujah chorus of the redeemed.

Unspeakable words falling on our ears, unspeakable sights charming our vision, unspeakable joy filling our hearts! All will be according to the mind of God, and the presence of our Saviour and Lord will give character to everything around. And there, too, the power of the Holy Ghost will be unhindered. Nought within or around will mar the realms of glory.

"But who that glorious blaze,
Of living light shall tell,
Where all His brightness God displays,
And the Lamb's glories dwell?"

"God and the Lamb shall there
The light and temple be,
And radiant hosts forever share
The unveiled mystery."

Inglis Fleming

(To be continued, D.V.)