God’s Unspeakable Gift
II CORINTHIANS 9:15

A STUDY of the Scriptures reveals that our Heavenly Father is perfect in love, justice, wisdom, and power, and that these four basic qualities operate in full harmony with one another. This suggests that he is a God of order, and that all his ways are ordered in accord with his character. His wisdom and power are manifested throughout the universe, and especially in that which is closest to the human race, their home, the planet Earth. His unvarying justice is seen in his proper condemnation of his own creature, man, when sin entered into the world. And his great love, his unspeakable love, is revealed for all to see in that he sent his only begotten Son into the world to be sinful man’s Redeemer.

The Prophet Jeremiah tells us that “he hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding.” (Jer. 51:15) How beautifully and how comprehensively this simple statement by the prophet testifies to the greatness of our Creator! And surely a Being possessed of such wisdom would undertake no great project without a plan—without knowing the end from the beginning. The Apostle Paul tells us that the heights and depths and lengths and breadths of God’s wisdom were unknown even to those spirit beings who dwelt in high, heavenly places; but he says that it was about to be revealed to them as they would thenceforth observe his dealings with the church in connection with his great plan of salvation on behalf of mankind. He writes to the Ephesians: “Unto me … is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all … see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Eph. 3:8-11) The Diaglott renders the last portion of this passage, “According to a plan of the ages, which he formed for the Anointed Jesus our Lord.” And with what consuming interest would these members of God’s spiritual family observe each step in the development of that plan! They had seen with dismay the fall of man into sin and death. But now they were to witness the beginnings of man’s reclamation and restoration to sonship.

The Perfect Timekeeper

Since our Heavenly Father is a God of wisdom and order, operating according to a preconceived plan, we are not surprised to discover that the various features of that plan are executed according to an exact time schedule. Each phase of that plan was designed to accomplish a particular work—the time allotted would be neither too short nor too long. The period of Satan’s reign and the permission of evil will be just long enough to instill in the hearts of men the knowledge of the exceeding sinfulness of sin; the thousand-year reign of Christ and the church in the kingdom will be just long enough to have all men come to a knowledge of the Lord and the truth, so that all whose hearts truly love righteousness may choose the right, and gain everlasting life on the earth.

And each event of that plan will also take place at the proper time. The timing of the birth of our Lord did not occur by chance or by whim. Its exact date was marked by the prophet long centuries before. In Daniel 9:25 we are told that “from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks.” These sixty-nine symbolic weeks, or 483 years, reached to Jesus’ baptism at Jordan, and his anointing as the long looked-for Messiah. It was at this time, at the age of thirty (Luke 3:23), that he began his ministry, which lasted for three and a-half years. Since he was crucified at the time of the Passover, which would be about April 1, we believe that the proper date of his birth would be about October 1, rather than the generally observed date, December 25.

“We Esteemed Him Not”

The Jews were a proud people, and keenly conscious of their unique position as God’s chosen people. “You only have I known of all the families of the earth,” Jehovah had told them. (Amos 3:2; Exod. 19:5,6; Deut. 10:15) But they had long been a subject nation, and at the time of our Lord’s first advent they were chafing under the domination of their Roman rulers. But their hopes were sustained by the promised coming of the Messiah, the Anointed One—the great King to whom they looked for deliverance.

They knew of the commission that Nehemiah had obtained from King Artaxerxes of Persia to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city; and evidently they had correctly related Daniel’s prophecy to that event, for we read that at the time of John the Baptist’s preaching “the people were in expectation [margin, in suspense], and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not.” (Luke 3:15) The New English Bible renders this passage, “The people were on the tiptoe of expectation, all wondering about John, whether perhaps he was the Messiah.” How they longed for their Deliverer!

And it was, indeed, the “due time” for the first advent of him who would ultimately be the Deliverer, not only of Israel, but of the whole world. (I John 2:2; I Tim. 2:5,6) But they did not recognize him; they did not understand his mission; and because they were not prepared in their hearts to recognize and accept him, their religious rulers had him crucified. Thus it was that the perfect man Jesus took fallen man’s place in death. He became the “ransom for all,” for by his death on the cross he met the demands of Justice against the condemned human race, and opened the way unto life for all who by faith trust in the merit of his shed blood.

In Due Time

The apostle tells us that “when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Rom. 5:6) Another translation puts it in the following words: “While we were yet helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” (RSV) Yes, it was at the right time; it was far enough along in God’s dealings with his people Israel to have tested their heart condition with respect to their acceptance of their lowly “King.” It was at the right time in God’s plan of salvation to allow for the subsequent selection and testing of God’s antitypical “peculiar people.”—I Pet. 2:9,10

This selection of the footstep followers of the Lord has now been proceeding for over nineteen hundred years. When the full number of the body members has been called and found faithful, then will be the “right time” for their being raised to glory and power with their glorious Head. “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time,” Peter tells us. (I Pet. 5:6) And then—again, at the “right time”—will have arrived the glorious consummation of God’s plan of salvation for the blessing of all the families of the earth; when the knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth, as the waters cover the deep; when all men will know that “Christ Jesus … gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (Gen. 22:18; Isa. 11:9; I Tim. 2:5,6) Thanks be to God for his unspeakable Gift!

But at what cost to the Heavenly Father has this Gift come to us! The word “unspeakable” denotes that which is beyond the power of description. And how true it is that even the spirit-begotten new creature in Christ Jesus, while understanding and appreciating much of God’s plan, stands speechless in the contemplation of the vast reaches of his love and mercy toward sinful man. Justice did not require our Heavenly Father to send his beloved Son into the world as man’s Redeemer. The condemnation of death was right and proper. But his love devised a plan to meet the requirements of Justice, by sending One who was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners to be a ransom price for sinful man.

How great must have been God’s love for these wayward, disobedient human creatures, to permit his beloved Son to leave his heavenly glory, and to assume the form of flesh for the suffering of death; to witness his humiliation, his suffering, his anguish. But “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Truly, this was a “gift beyond words.” (NEB)

According to Professor Strong, the word “gift” which is used by Paul in our text is from a Greek word meaning “a present; specially a sacrifice.” The human mind is doubtless incapable of comprehending the play and range of the emotions of a spirit being. We are told, however, that God takes pleasure in righteousness, and that the Logos was daily his delight. Conversely, to have witnessed the sufferings of his perfect Son on behalf of sinful man must have brought unimaginable sorrow to the Heavenly Father. And truly this inexpressible gift to humankind of his Son represented a sacrifice on the part of the Heavenly Father.

Consider, too, the sacrifice made by our Lord Jesus of himself, on behalf of mankind. The Logos was not obliged to do this; but because he delighted to do his Father’s will, he left the glory that he had enjoyed with the Father, and “took” upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; and he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Phil 2:7,8) He “gave” himself a ransom for all. “Wherefore,” the apostle tells us, “God … hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:9-11) This is the One to whom the world renders superficial homage for a brief season each year.

Nor should this be too surprising. For the world is wholly unaware of the mighty drama that is daily unfolding in their very midst, and of which they are to be the ultimate beneficiaries. They are unaware of the Creator’s great plan of the ages, and of the sacrifice of his Son as a central part of that plan. But the Lord’s people are not unaware of God’s purposes, for to these he has revealed his plans. He has invited them to sonship, and to share with their Lord in blessing the world when the kingdom is established. This glorious privilege is theirs, not because of their own righteousness, but because of “the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe … for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”—Rom. 3:22-24

The Gift of Sonship

It is interesting to note that the Greek word which is translated “freely” as here used by the Apostle Paul is also derived from the word for “gift” that we have earlier seen implies a sacrifice. Paul is here suggesting to us that the high position of sonship with God that is granted to the church by reason of our faith justification, is the result of a sacrifice—the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus. Our Lord also used this same Greek word in like manner when instructing his apostles. After he had chosen the twelve, he sent them forth, saying, “As ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” (Matt. 10:7-8) Like Paul, the Lord seems to be saying to his followers down through the age, You have received your standing before God as a result of my sacrifice—freely ye have received; therefore, as my footstep followers, I urge you to freely give—to offer yourselves, in turn, in sacrifice; to share in my sufferings, so that you may share my glory.

How can any who have seen the goodness of the Heavenly Father, who have had a glimpse of the beauty of his loving plan of redemption, who have been invited to share with Jesus in his glory and his righteous reign, whose hearts have been moved by the richness of that unspeakable Gift—how can these do less! Thus we find the Apostle Paul, as he contemplates “the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God” (Rom. 11:33) admonishing us, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, and be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”—Rom. 12:1,2

What do we have to offer to the Lord—what do we have to sacrifice? We have only that which has come to us by inheritance, imperfect, but because of the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus—it is a humanity that our Heavenly Father looks upon as being righteous, because of our faith in the merit of the shed blood of his Son. “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God.” (Rom. 5:1) Before being thus justified we had nothing to sacrifice. But our hearts were touched by the goodness of God as revealed in his unspeakable Gift; we desired to accept his invitation to follow in the steps of Jesus, and we presented ourselves before the Heavenly Father in consecration. Those thus presenting themselves whom the Father accepts, he justifies and begets with the Holy Spirit to sonship.

Henceforth we “look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (II Cor. 4:18) How can we look at things which are not seen? Only through the eye of faith. Through the eye of faith we look beyond the trials and cares of the day to the glorious hope that is set before us of being with Jesus, of sharing his glory, and of blessing the world of mankind under the kingdom arrangements.

If We Suffer With Him

The Lord did not promise that this would be an easy way. Indeed, he made it very clear that it would be a difficult way; for “strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matt. 7:14) He indicated that it would be a way of sacrifice, even unto death, when he said to his disciples (and to us), “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matt. 16:24,25) Yes, our treasure is in heaven, not in things of the earth. The treasure for which we labor is the smile of the Father’s face upon his child; the sound of his voice, saying, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” (Matt. 25:21) The hope that draws us on is the desire to be with Jesus, and to “see him as he is” in his glorious spirit form, and to “be like him.”

If we are walking in this narrow way, we can expect no plaudits from the world. Rather, from the world we may expect tribulation, scorn, disdain. (John 16:33) If such be the case, let us rejoice, for it is a sure token of our sonship. Our Lord told the disciples, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” (John 15:19,20) Such has ever been the lot of those who follow in his steps. After thus preparing our hearts for the difficulties of the way, how encouraging are the words of our Master, “But be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”—John 16:33

Yes, our Lord overcame the world. He has heard the Heavenly Father’s “Well done!” And we, too, will overcome, if we keep before us the heavenly vision that stirred our hearts when we first presented ourselves to the Lord. And the Lord wants us to overcome, and is ever ready to help us in our every time of need. Paul calls our attention to “the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.”

Yes, that same mighty power will be exerted on behalf of each of his little ones, if we will but go to the Lord in faith and prayer. Truly, “his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”—I Pet. 1:3,4

We need never doubt the Lord’s interest and care over us. “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” (II Chron. 16:9) How glad we are that the Lord does not require perfect deeds of us, but accepts, instead, perfection of heart intention! How essential it is, therefore, that we keep watch over our hearts, for it is on the heart that God looks to judge our worthiness of the prize of the high calling.

Not only are the Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus ever watching over us, but the whole host of heaven are watching with ever-increasing interest the development of the new creation, who will become the bride of the Lamb, and take their place on Jesus’ throne, even as he is set down with his Father in his throne, far the everlasting blessing and happiness of all mankind. All this, because of, and through, God’s unspeakable Gift!

No wonder the Lord’s people enter this season with different thoughts than do those of the world. No wonder we gratefully say, with Paul, thanks be to God for his unspeakable Gift!