28 The Righteous Father

The Righteous Father

Satan having usurped authority over the present world — which he was permitted to do by divine justice, in consequence of man’s sin — has enthroned himself in man’s heart, working in him to will and to do of his good pleasure. He has succeeded in . . .
blinding the understanding,
perverting the judgment,
stupefying the conscience, and
estranging the whole soul from God;
so that man is in darkness upon the most essential points, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in him. He knows not God. He cares not for God. He desires not the knowledge of his ways. Therefore the Savior, when pleading for his people, says, "O righteous Father, the world has not known you; but I have known you, and these have known that you have sent me" (John 17:25). The Condition of the World: A state of ignorance and darkness — of ignorance and darkness in reference to the most important objects and subjects. The world was divided into two parts, comprising the Jews and the Gentiles. The Jews, with all their privileges, and they were many — for they had the Scriptures, the service of God, the temple, and the priesthood — yet they knew not God. This the Lord Jesus frequently testified, especially when he said, "He who sent me is true, whom you know not" (John 7:28). "You neither know me, nor my Father; for if you had known me, you Would have known my Father also" (John 8:19). "You say that he is your God; yet you have not known him" (John 8:54-55). "These things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me" (John 15:21). "These things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me" (John 16:3). The Jews, therefore, knew not God. The Gentiles were more degraded and ignorant than the Jews! Their wisest men had no correct views or just conceptions of God. "The world by wisdom knew not God" (1 Corinthians 1:21). How deplorable the condition of poor fallen man! — man under all circumstances, however exalted above, or distinguished from his fellow-men. The world has no true knowledge of the Scriptures, nor can it, until taught of God. It is incapacitated by sin, all man’s powers being injured by the Fall. "The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." But even if he were capacitated — he would not, because "the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." The enmity of the heart against God — prevents our seeking for the true knowledge of God. This fact of the world’s ignorance of God is clear from observation. To all the Lord’s people, the fact is known by experience; for they also were once darkness, who are now light in the Lord. The ignorance of the world,
arising as it does from enmity to God,
and leading to practical opposition to God
— brings the world under condemnation.

It is therefore condemned and doomed! Its condemnation is just! Its doom is dreadful!

"This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed!" 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10. Oh, terrible doom of a God-hating, Christ-rejecting world! The Privilege of the Saints: "But I have known you, and these have known that you have sent me." True Christians know God, and their knowledge of God is the source or foundation of life, enjoyment, and obedience. It is eternal life to know the true God! As the knowledge of God always leads to communion with him, it becomes a source of the truest and most hallowed enjoyment; which enjoyment produces hearty obedience to his law, and entire consecration to his service.

Knowing God, they acknowledge him by receiving Christ, the Sent One. Thus they become connected with Jesus, who knows God fully, and reveals God clearly. He could say, "As the Father knows me — even so know I the Father." He had as full, as clear, and as complete a knowledge of the Father — as the Father had of him. And so clearly did he reveal the Father, that he could say, "He who has seen me — has seen the Father." The knowledge of Jesus of the Father — is the cause of our knowledge of the Father. He reveals the Father’s nature, mind, will, purposes, promises, and precepts unto us. In his light — we see light; and by his teaching — we understand and know the Father. The Title Given to the Father: "O righteous Father." This is the sixth time he calls him "Father," in his prayer. He prayed, "Holy Father, sanctify them," — make them like yourself, and thoroughly set them apart for yourself. Now he prays, "O righteous Father, glorify them; let them be with me where I am, to behold my glory, which you have given me."

It is a righteous thing for God to glorify believers in Jesus. The Savior prays for it as such. He refers to his merit. He was just about to finish his work, a work full of merit, a work which would enable God honorably to carry out the dearest purpose of his heart. Hence we read, that we are "justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice . . . he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." Romans 3:24-26. As, therefore, Jesus had procured a title for us to eternal life by his merit, he appeals to God as righteous to glorify us.

He refers also to the promise. God had promised eternal life to Christ for all his seed, in the everlasting covenant. "This is the promise that he has promised us, even eternal life." When was this promise made? "In hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began." If the promise was made before the world began, it must have been made to Jesus, who in the covenant stood for us, and undertook our cause. And if the Father promised in the covenant to give eternal life to all believers — then Jesus could very justly and very consistently claim our glorification at the hands of the Father, as "The Righteous One." A similar view John presents to us when he says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Faithful to what? The promise, in which he has pledged his Word that he will pardon. Just to what? to whom? To Jesus and his infinite merit, which procured us a title to pardon, according to the arrangements and stipulations of the everlasting covenant.

God is righteous, therefore Jesus may expect his prayers to be answered, and his claims to be admitted. He deserved an answer on the ground of justice; he could claim it as a right, because of his meritorious work; and while God is righteous, he cannot be denied.

God is righteous, though the world is ignorant and condemned. Man had the knowledge of God once; but he made no proper use of it, nor would he retain it. Therefore the apostle, accounting for the deplorable state of the heathen, says, "Because, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened." Again: "Since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God — God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity!" You see they knew God — but would not glorify him. They had the knowledge of God — but did not like it, would not preserve it and hand it down to posterity; and therefore God said, "Well, take your own course!" He just left them to themselves — and all the abominations of heathenism followed. So it was with Israel, as God testifies: "My people would not hearken to my voice, and Israel would have none of me. So I gave them up to their own hearts’ lusts; and they walked in their own counsels." They got tired of God. They would not have him. How insulting! How provoking! No wonder that God should say, "Well, if you will not have me — have whom you will." And from this, followed all their ignorance, superstition, pride, and enmity against God, and against his Christ!

Observe, None can reveal God — but Jesus.

Jesus is the mirror in which God is seen.

He is the medium through which God is made known.

He is the prophet by whom God is proclaimed.

He could say, "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." The Father reveals the Son; as Jesus said to Peter, when he made his noble confession, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona; for flesh and blood has not revealed it unto you — but my Father who is in Heaven." As the Father reveals the Son — so the Son reveals the Father. "He who has seen me — has seen the Father!" As the Father reveals the Son, and the Son reveals the Father, so the Holy Spirit, as "the Spirit of wisdom and revelation," reveals both!

Thus, by the joint revelation of each divine person in the Godhead — we come to a true, experimental, heart-affecting knowledge of God. None can give us the capacity or ability to know God, but Jesus. "We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true!" We receive no new faculty — but we receive grace and power to use the faculties we have aright, and for spiritual purposes. In the light the Lord gives — we perceive the truth, and especially the truth concerning himself.

Ignorance flows from sin, and is highly dangerous. Some imagine that ignorance will be an excuse; but as it is more or less willful — it rather aggravates than lessens guilt. How solemn the words of the prophet, "It is a people of no understanding; therefore he who made them will not have mercy on them, and he who formed them will show them no favor!" The knowledge of God flows from grace, and is both excellent and necessary — so excellent, that nothing can be compared to it — so excellent, that Paul suffered the loss of all things for it, and counted them but dung and dross in compare with it.

Ignorance generates cruelty, and cruelty is ever shown toward those who take part with God. Hence the persecutions endured by the primitive Church, and more or less, according to circumstances, by all the Lord’s people.

Jesus pleads, ’These have known you — therefore let them be with me.’ The knowledge of God is a preparative for glory. If we know God on earth — we shall see and enjoy God in Heaven. The knowledge of God makes us thirst for God, and creates an appetite that can never be satisfied with anything but God.

Jesus pleads, ’I have known you — therefore let me and my people be with you.’ The presence of the Father — is the Heaven of the Son; and the presence of the Father and the Son — will be the all-satisfying Heaven of the saints. Blessed be God, the prayers of Jesus will be answered; and separated from an ignorant world, and filled with the knowledge and presence of God — we shall be glorious and happy forever!

Forever blessed be your holy name, good and gracious God, that you have given me the knowledge of yourself, and have thus distinguished me from the inhabitants of this poor, sinful, unhappy world. Give me a still clearer and more experimental knowledge of yourself, in your love, grace, and power — so that I may . . .
love you more,
serve you better, and
live with you forever!