"All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation." 2 CORINTHIANS 5:18
IN THE PRECEDING VERSE it is written, "If any man be in Christ Jesus, all things are become new" in that soul, and here we are told whence all this change proceeds: "And all things are of God". The beginning, the carrying on, and the perfecting of the glorious work of regeneration in the soul, is the work of Jehovah; so that every new creature can sing, "The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me; thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever; forsake not the work of thine own hands" (Psalm 138:8). In a still wider sense these words are true, "All things are of God". He is the fountain of being: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light." All creatures flow from Him, and will ultimately show forth His highest praise. Hearken to the song of the four and twenty Elders, as they cast their crowns before the throne: "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created" (Revelation 4: 11). He is the fountain of providence. Every drop of water in the air, or in the river, or in the ocean, performs its appointed course. The myriads of insects that flutter in the sunshine, all fulfil His will. And every man, angel, and devil, only fulfil the eternal counsel of the blessed Jehovah: "All things are of God." The natural heart rages against this truth, but it is like the raging of the foam upon the everlasting rocks - the purpose of the Lord it shall stand. But the true meaning of the words is, that all things of the new creation in the soul are of God. It is God who freely, sovereignly, and from eternity loves the soul that is to be saved: "I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." It is God who guides the soul under the ministry where he is to be awakened, He prepares the way to the heart, and at length, when His blessed time is come, He sends the word home with power. It is God who keeps the awakened soul from going back to the world, from taking rest in any refuge of lies, or from being offended at Christ. It is God who reveals His Son in the heart, as He did to Paul: "It pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me." This is a work peculiarly divine; nature cannot help in it. Man cannot accomplish it. It is God who now fills the soul with the Holy Spirit, and He persuades the sinner most freely and heartily to leave old sins, old habits, old companions, and to follow Jesus in the way. All this amazing change, more wonderful than the creation of the world, more durable than the whole material universe, is the work of God alone: "All things are of God." Ah yes! when my guilty soul shall stand washed, and justified, and sanctified before the throne of God, when I shall see clearly the whole way by which He has led me, when I shall know fully the spring and ocean of that love which is from everlasting to everlasting, when my dark mind shall grasp the whole plan of the universe, by which every atom, and every being, saved or lost, is brought to yield eternal glory to God and the Lamb, then I shall understand the word that is written, "Salvation belongeth unto the Lord", and I shall be enabled to join the new song of the innumerable company before the throne, "Salvation to our God, which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb" (Revelation 7: 10).
In what remains we have a description of the stream of grace which flows from this Fountain of living waters. A twofold stream is here set before us, the one part reconciliation to Himself, the other the gift of the ministry They are mentioned together in like manner: "We have received grace and apostleship" (Romans 1: 5). These two gifts are not inseparable. Many have been reconciled to God who have not got the ministry committed to them. Women, for example, are made partakers of grace, but never of apostleship; for Paul says, "I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence" (1 Timothy 2:12). Those also who are converted in mature years, when they are deeply engaged in some profession, do not seem to be called upon to change their business, and undertake the work of the ministry, unless in extraordinary times, and by a very clear call from heaven: "Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called" (I Corinthians 7:20).
When these two, grace and apostleship, are united in one man, O! what a gift is this from the God of all grace. What amazing love it is not only to save our guilty souls, but to make us instrumentally the saviours of the souls of others: "According to thy manifold mercies, thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies" (Nehemiah 9:27). It is Christ alone who gives faithful pastors, and from Him they should be sought. This is one of the gifts which He obtained by dying for sinners, "He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors, and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:1 1). It is Christ alone who guides ministers to the sphere where He wishes them to shine. Happy the pastor who allows no hand but Christ's to place or to remove him. It is Christ alone who gives them all their light and brightness, all their gifts and graces, the gifts of prayer, eloquence, knowledge; the graces of faith, love, zeal, perseverance, boldness. All this was taught to John in the island of patmos, when he saw "one like the Son of man walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, and he had in his right hand seven stars" (Revelation 1: 13, 16). It is Christ alone who gives ministers all their success: "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase" (I Corinthians 3:6). He can take away the blessing from a slothful, selfpleasing, self-conceited minister. He can bless one who is weak in body, weak in argument, weak in everything. When I glance for a moment at the weight, vastness, responsibility, blessedness, and glory of this work, these words rise up before me: "Unto me who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." When I consider the urgent need of unconverted men, the shortness of the time, the awfulness of eternity, and the mercy that has come to my own soul, I am forced to cry, "Necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel" (I Corinthians 9:16).