THE OPERATION OF ALMIGHTY GOD!

"Ye are risen with Him, through the faith of the operation of God." -Colossians 2:12 [KJV]

Who are risen with Christ? All the members of His mystical body. He is their Head and Representative. They are all mystically risen with Him. But they have no knowledge or comfort of this, till another resurrection is experienced by them. This is what the apostle here alludes to. This is by faith. As soon as any poor sinner knows, understands, and believes, that Christ died for our offences, and was raised again for our justification, that soul is actually risen with Christ. 

Here, behold, (1st.) the preciousness of faith. 

(2d.) Whose operation it is. 

(3d.) The glorious effects it hath upon the heart and life. It brings Christ into the soul. Faith causes the soul to ascend up to a risen Saviour. 

Thus, this living, powerful, influencing grace, which is the work of the Holy Ghost, is distinguished from a dead faith, a lifeless assent, a barren notion, which floats in the heads of carnal professors. Examine yourselves. Prove and try your faith this night. Is your faith from Christ above? Then it leads your hearts and affections, from things below, to Christ above. 

Be not deceived. Take not up with a notion of faith in your head, instead of the grace of faith in your heart. The former will leave you just where it found you: in your sins, with the love of the world reigning in your hearts: the riches, honours, and pleasures of the world, your idols and your pursuits; and yourself only, a poor, cold-hearted, formal professor. O how many of this sort abound! They differ from the rest of the world, only in notion and speculation; in tongue and doctrine. 

Lord Jesus, forbid that this should be our state! If we have the faith of the operation of God the Holy Ghost, our souls will be fired with the love of Christ; our hearts will burn with ardent love to Him, His truths, His people, and His cause. We shall delight to live above with Him, and long to reign eternally in His presence. We shall consider this body as our prison, overcome the world as our enemy, and treat all things with contempt in comparison of fellowship with our God and Saviour. 

If we are not all times thus happy, at least we shall hunger and thirst after it. Risen souls are earnestly concerned to have gospel doctrines brought into heart-experience and life-influence. O, Sun of Righteousness! let us feel Thy warm enlivening beams upon our hearts, that we may not grow cold, formal, and languid before Thee. 

 

Thine is the power. 

Then raise our low affections, Lord, 

To live above with Thee: 

Let formal frames be e’er abhorr’d; 

Let us Thy glory see. 

Thus shall we know we’re rais’d indeed, 

From earth, and hell, and sin; 

To live with Thee, our glorious Head, 

Whose love doth reign within.

 

-preacher Wm. Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)

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