05.18. Our Exalted King!
Our Exalted King!
"The LORD says to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet!" Psalms 110:1
Jesus is King. All power is given to Him, both in Heaven and earth. At His ascension He was exalted to the Father’s right hand, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come! The angels greet Him with a joyful welcome: "Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up you everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in." Then was fulfilled the prophecy uttered by the Psalmist: "The LORD says to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet!" A deep importance attaches to this passage. It is no less than four times referred to in the New Testament. It manifests clearly the Divine nature of our Lord. He who was to be David’s son, was also David’s Lord. It manifests also the kingly majesty of Christ, and the victory ensured to Him. Calmly He sits above the water-floods, there abiding near the Father until the promised dominion shall be all His own.
Behold Christ by the power of His grace bringing those aforetime rebels and opposers in willing submission to His footstool! His people become willing in the day of His power. Those who would once despise His authority and reject His commands, learn to delight themselves in doing His will. Nor is there to be found anywhere a greater manifestation of Divine power than in this. An earthly sovereign may send forth his armies — he may defeat and scatter to the winds all that opposes his progress, he may raze to the ground the strong fortress, he may conquer and lay waste cities and provinces. But Jesus can do that which is mightier far. For what is the strongest thing on earth? Leaving out of sight what grace can effect, I would answer, assuredly the strongest thing is a rebellious human will. How fortified is it by all the craft and malice of the invisible foe, how strong is it to resist . . .
mercies, and judgments,
the terrors of the law,
the warnings of conscience,
the invitations of the Gospel!
Yet there is One stronger. Jesus can subdue this rebel will. His Spirit can wrest the captive out of the power of the Evil One. He can change the daring rebel into the loyal devoted subject of the King of kings.
See the thief on the cross confessing his sin, and owning the Kingly power of Jesus when all else seemed to have doubted it. See the many thousands who shortly afterwards cast away their deep-rooted prejudice and submit to the sway of the Nazarene. See the very ringleader of the persecuting Jews, while his heart was full of rage against Christ and His people — arrested and brought low, so that Saul the Pharisee, becomes Paul the chief of apostles.
Take also an instance of later times. An old Hindu, formerly almost worshiped by his disciples, though his life was stained by unnumbered crimes, was by the Spirit convinced of sin, and became so truthful, so honest, so full of love and kindness — that he became an honor to the Church of Christ in India. After ten years of faithful service, he was called to his rest. A few weeks before his death he said to those around "I have two requests to make to you: first, that you will pray for me that the Lord may soon receive me into His kingdom; and secondly, that next Sunday before the whole congregation, that you will offer up thanksgivings and praises to the Lord Jesus, that in His boundless mercy He has taken me, the vilest of the vile and the most abandoned sinner, out of the world, uniting me with His Church, making me one of His own. What boundless grace and mercy! Yes, yes, Jesus, You are my Savior, my all in all!"
Let the Christian away with the thought that any on earth are beyond the reach of Christ’s arm. Only bring to the feet of our King, those for whose souls you care. There plead for them. Slacken not faith and prayer. Rely upon the omnipotence of His grace, and His declared goodwill towards the guilty and the lost. Then tarry the Lord’s leisure, and, it may be, far beyond your expectation will He put forth His saving power. But we are also to look up and behold our King in His own time putting beneath His feet all that opposes His rule. If you are one of His, it shall be so with the enemies that disturb your peace.
Because you are knit to Him, He reckons your enemies to be His enemies, and as such, He will deal with them. Joshua brought the kings out of the cave, and bade his men of war put their feet on their necks — for thus would the Lord do to all those against whom they fought. Thus does Jesus with you. Does the wily foe harass and disturb you? Does much evil still dwell within you? Do you find impatience arise under suffering, wandering imaginations in the hour of prayer, inward corruptions resisting the law of the Spirit, distrust and unbelief at times prevailing against you? These are Christ’s enemies, as they are yours, and He will surely give you the dominion over them.
Likewise shall He remove whatever else mars your peace and comfort. All the works of the devil, all the fruits of sin — pain, sorrow, disease and death — these too shall He put beneath His feet. But look the wide world round, and see how full it is as yet of the enemies of Christ. Consider the false religions which overspread the earth’s surface. What a company would it form if you could gather together all the priests and teachers of the various systems that oppose Christianity. What myriads would there be of Brahmans, Buddhist priests, Devil priests and the like. Consider likewise the infidelity that abounds, denying at one time the truth of the Pentateuch, at another the inspiration of John’s Gospel or the reality of our Lord’s miracles. Add moreover the fearful errors of professing Christendom. What gross iniquities also prevail, and every abominable thing that the Lord hates! And yet in the survey of all this, there is infinite consolation in the thought that the Lord reigns, and that every evil we deplore shall at length be made to pay tribute to Him. "The Lord has made all things for Himself, yes, even the wicked for the day of evil."
It is worth remembering that the greatest error in religion was combined with the greatest sin that the world ever witnessed — and yet both combined, wrought out, through God’s mercy, the greatest blessing the world has ever received. Of course I refer to the death of Christ. His enemies thought of Him as a blasphemer, so greatly did they err; with wicked hands they crucified the Lord of glory, so greatly did they sin. And yet through that death which Jesus thus accomplished, does He save the souls of all His believing people.
Only wait then until Jesus our King returns openly to take the kingdom. The Captain of our salvation will then give to His Church a glorious triumph. He will bring good out of every evil that now burdens our world.
Every idol shall then fall,
every false religion shall be forsaken,
every persecutor of the Church shall be ashamed,
every skeptic shall believe,
every error and sin shall be cast down.
Yes, Satan and all his emissaries shall be confounded and overthrown forever, and the reign of Immanuel shall be the more glorious for the evils that have preceded it. Is Jesus exalted to reign forever? Then let us ask, Who is on the Lord’s side? Reader, have you yielded yourself to Him? Do you so desire to be His alone, that you would have every thought, every action brought in subjection to His will?
Bear in mind, Christ has two rods, and by one or the other of them, everyone, without exception, will be brought to bow before Him. The one is the rod of His loving grace, His Word, His Spirit, by which He brings down high thoughts, and leads the sinner to choose His service. Often for this purpose He sends, together with His Word, the rod of affliction; as it is written, "Hear the rod, and Him who has appointed it." The other is "the rod of iron," the rod of His mighty power, shown not in mercy but in wrath: "You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel!"
Why not yield now to Christ, if you have not hitherto done so, that cheerful, glad obedience which His love so justly demands? Why not ask of Him both the will and strength faithfully to serve Him all the days of your life? Why not go to Him with the humble acknowledgment of former disobedience, and purposing hereafter to be His alone, "O Lord our God, other lords beside You have had dominion over us — but by You only will we make mention of Your name!" But let there be no attempt at a divided service. Christ hates above all things half-heartedness and indecision. Steadfastness, boldness, determination to confess His name, to honor His truth before men, is most essential. A few striking words of a great and godly man may illustrate its necessity. Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, crossed over into Germany that he might assist the Protestant princes in casting off the tyranny of the Catholic League. He was however sorely hindered by the lukewarmness of the Duke of Saxony and the Elector of Brandeburg. Hear his bold words to the ambassador of the latter: "This I say to you plainly beforehand, I will hear and know nothing of neutrality. His highness must be friend or foe. When I come to his borders he must declare himself hot or cold. The battle is one between God and the devil. Will his highness hold with God, let him stand on my side; if he prefer to hold with the devil, then he must fight against me. A third position will not be granted to him."
Thus spoke an earthly prince. And what says our King to those that steer a middle course, that play fast and loose with Him, that halt between two opinions? Hearken to the word of Him who shall hereafter decide our everlasting destiny: "He who is not with Me is against Me — and he who gathers not with Me scatters." "No man can serve two masters — you cannot serve both God and mammon."
Strive then to take your place as a decided, fearless, out-spoken follower of the Lamb. For this purpose rise up to enjoy closer fellowship with your exalted King. Look for more of the strengthening might of the Holy Spirit. Realize more the power of Christ’s resurrection. Depend without faltering on His faithful promise. Then stand forth boldly as His witness in the world. Whether in the sick chamber or in society — shrink not from the reproach of the cross; but ever manifest your unwavering allegiance to the King of Zion.
Very gracious is the Lord’s promise to those that own His name, and very solemn His warning to those that deny Him. "I say unto you, whoever shall confess Me before men — him shall the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God." "Whoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation — of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."