by

A. J. Gardiner (1884 - c. 1972)

THE MINISTRY OF MR. F. E. RAVEN, 1890.
F.E.R. and C.A.C. Letters

... Next, as to eternal life. It was God’s purpose in Christ* from eternity... but has now been manifested in the only begotten Son of God, who came here declaring the Father, in such wise as that the apostles could see it,** and afterwards declare it by the Spirit—but I regard it of all importance to maintain, clear and distinct from any purpose of blessing for man, the true deity... of the Word. Eternal life is given to us of God, and is in God’s Son—for us it is the heavenly relationship and blessedness in which, in the Son, man is now placed and lives before the Father, the death of Christ having come in as the end before God of man’s state in the flesh*** “He that has the Son has life”; the testimony he has received concerning the Son is, by the Spirit, the power of life in the believer, he having been born of God to receive it.**** He has also eaten the flesh of the Son of man, and drunk His blood. But at the same time, the believer still has part in seen things here

* That is, as to us. See 2 Timothy 1:9, 10; Titus 1:1-3.

** The apostles are mentioned in the text because they were the inspired instruments of declaring what they had seen. Others also were with Jesus and saw Him to be the eternal life, who to the unbelieving eyes of men was only the son of Joseph, the carpenter.

*** This is not intended as a definition of eternal life but an endeavour to convey the thought that eternal life means for a Christian a wholly new order of things, which is in its nature outside the world and seen things—it belongs to another scene.

**** It might be added here that it is by the Son that the believer lives, he is in Him that is true, that is, in His Son Jesus Christ, who is the true God and eternal life.

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(which the Son has not)* and all that is seen is temporal, and will come to an end. It has no part in eternal life though it may be greatly influenced by it. As to eternal life being a technical term, it simply referred to the fact of its having been a term in common use among the Jews without any very definite meaning. They frequently came to the Lord with questions as to it, and thought they had it in the Scriptures.

As to our relationship with God, whether of child or son, it is of gift, conveyed through the gospel. We are sons of God, through faith in Christ Jesus. Christ came to redeem that we might receive sonship. It is the full fruit and effect of redemption. Hence, it is in resurrection Jesus says to His disciples, “I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.” The full consequences of redemption belong now to every one who has faith in the Person and work of Christ; none the less, the real entering of the soul on heavenly blessing, of which relationship is the highest part, is in the putting on of Christ, and demands “the renewing of the Holy Ghost, which has been shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.” It is the Spirit of God’s Son sent forth into our hearts that cries, Abba, Father.

I may add a few words in regard to new birth. It is an absolute necessity for man, if he has to do with God in blessing. It lies at the beginning of all—without it a man cannot see, much less receive any saving testimony. It is the sovereign act of the Spirit of God. Peter and John both recognise that those who were really in the faith of Christ were born again of the word of God, or born of God—a seed of God has been implanted in them from the outset. None the less, new birth of itself does not

* Though in the days of His flesh He had.

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conduct into heavenly relationship or blessing.* For this, something more was needed, namely redemption, which in its full power, sets man in Christ in glory, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, which fits man for the new order of things. Of course, these are now, through grace, the portion of the believer.

F.E.R.

Extract of Letter.
June, 1902.

Difficulties have arisen in the minds of some whom I esteem as to certain expressions in the American notes on the subject of eternal life, but I think that the root of them lies in not apprehending how the scriptures on the subject present themselves to my mind. I may be right or I may be wrong, but anyway, it is not at all a question of any thoughts of my own but of the way in which Scripture is apprehended, and I think that those that find difficulty might try to look at things as they present themselves to me before refusing them. I do not in the matter in any way make light of the work of God in the believer, but on the contrary insist on it as that by which alone eternal life can be entered into, but the point with me is that what is wrought in the believer is not spoken of as eternal life, but is the preparation or the means by which he enters into it. A man is born again, is enlightened by the gospel and is then sealed by the Spirit, and it is then that by the Spirit he enters into eternal life. This is in accord with Scripture, which teaches that the living water that Christ gives is in the believer a well of water springing up unto everlasting life; that he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life eternal; and,

* On the other hand, the Son of God, who is the life of every believer, is the source of all life for men.

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again, that being made free from sin and having become servants to God, we have our fruit unto holiness and the end eternal life. These passages shew conclusively that the work of God in us is not spoken of as eternal life, but as leading to or ending in it. It is a great point to apprehend this.

Then comes another point, that is, as to the part faith has in it. The passage, “He that believeth hath everlasting life,” is quoted, and so it is said that eternal life is had by faith. It is certain that no one has it without faith, for a man must have been enlightened by the gospel in order to have the Spirit, but the teaching of Scripture is not that a man gets it by faith, but that the believer is the person who has it. I might say, by way of illustration, that a member of Parliament votes because he is a member. This is true; it is his qualification to vote, and yet it is not the cause of his voting. This is because he belongs to a party and votes according to that party; that is the immediate cause of his voting, though I might well say that a member votes. A believer has eternal life because he is a believer, that is his title or qualification, but the immediate cause of his having eternal life is that he has the Spirit. It is that in him which springs up into it. He has eternal life as being a believer, so that I say the believer has eternal life, as I would say the member votes, but, then, he needs the Spirit to enter into it, as the member needs opinions or party to lead him to vote. His opinions are not his title, but they are his power, so having the Spirit is not the title to the believer, but faith which apprehends Christ in whom eternal life is.

This leads me to another point as to faith, namely, that one is not called upon to believe anything as to oneself, but faith apprehends what is true in Christ. I am not called upon to believe that I have eternal life, but that eternal life is in Christ for man—that He is it. Scripture is explicit that eternal life is in

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Christ—it is God’s gift in Christ, and when faith is there, the seal of the Spirit is given so that we may appropriate what is there in Christ for man. It is ever there, and Christ is no poorer by our appropriation.

This is a very important principle. I do not want to believe anything about myself in particular, but what is in Christ for all men and, therefore, for me, and this faith is sealed by the Spirit and then begins the principle of appropriation, and this goes on as we advance in the knowledge of God, and so that all that God gives is morally in accord with Himself. Redemption is according and suitable to His grace. Salvation is according to His mercy and eternal life is according to His love, and as we apprehend these principles in God, we are enabled to reach our own blessings. It is certain that eternal life is constantly spoken of in Scripture as something to be entered into; the question therefore arises as to what it is that is to be entered into. The power or qualification to enter into it I have already spoken of. This is the springing up of the well of water in the believer. What is “entered into” is said to be eternal life. It must be something external to the believer or he could not be said to enter into it. He enters into it in soul. I might illustrate it in this way. When a child is born it enters into the elements of life which it finds existing, such as rule, atmosphere and light; and these things are life to the newly-born infant, without them it could not live. Had there not been sin man would doubtless have lived in them for ever, but the fall brought into the state of man the principle of non-continuance. Thus what is life to the infant, and, without which, even Adam could not have lived, is apprehended by us as objective.

Now, in spiritual things the same principle is true—the believer is born of God and in this way is qualified to enter into the appointed conditions. Just as the

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newly-born infant has a body subject to natural laws, lungs that can take in the air, eyes that can enjoy the light, so the believer, being born of God, is capable of entering into the conditions of life which God has appointed. These are, as in natural things, rule, atmosphere and light. Rule is found in abiding in Christ, so that the believer is delivered from lawlessness; he does not sin because he is under the law or influence of Christ. Atmosphere is found in the Christian circle, where the love of Christ pervades all, and in that the believer is delivered from a world of hatred and death. “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.” Light is found in the perfect setting forth of God’s disposition towards us in Christ, made good in us by the Spirit; Christ is the proof of what the love of God towards us is. We have thus seen what are the elements of life, and it is in them that eternal life consists, and they are there for us to enter into by the Spirit, and in entering into them we are conscious that we have eternal life, as we are told by the apostle John.

There is another point as to which objection has been raised, namely, the application of the thought of eternal life to earth. I certainly am unable to find any Scripture that connects it with heaven. It may be said that Christ is it, but this is in its application towards earth, and the principles of which I have spoken as making up eternal life properly apply to earth, such as rule, or kingdom, the bearing of which is towards earth. If Scripture anywhere speaks of eternal life in connection with heaven, I shall certainly receive it, but wherever it is spoken of, it appears connected with God’s ways on earth. In Matthew, Mark and Luke it is connected with the coming age and John gives it a present application. I therefore prefer to take it up in that light. It has been said that I limit it, but this is not my thought, but to put

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the thing in its proper connection, and I cannot attempt to restrict the power of God to bring in other and, in a sense, better things, in heaven or in the eternal state. He says “I make all things new.” I cannot pretend to say what He makes, but I have no doubt there is an ascending scale of blessing. I trust that it will be seen from the foregoing remarks that I have no design to depart from Scripture, but rather to gather from it what is the true idea of eternal life.

F.E.R.

May, 1912.

The subject of eternal life seems to be coming to the front again. I have had an impression ever since dear F.E.R.’s departure that the whole question would be raised again sooner or later. F.E.R.’s thoughts as to it were rejected at Gloucester, and I think he felt from that time that brethren in this country were not ready for the truth. You will have noticed how the subject developed in his mind, between the two volumes of American readings. In the first he connected eternal life with sonship; in the second he connected it with children. I think his contention that eternal life comes in in contrast to all that obtains here in a scene of sin and death and dearth, and that it is connected with earth is most important and indeed essential to the right apprehension of the truth. All this gives the truth as to eternal life such an intensely practical and present bearing, that one can hardly wonder that there should be found some degree of reluctance to come face to face with it.

C.A.C.

March 1st, 1933.

DEAR BROTHER IN THE LORD,—I am interested in your enquiries, and should be glad to render any help that I can on the subject of your exercises though I am at present restricted in ability for writing at length.

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“Eternal life” is a distinctive blessing, spoken of in the Old Testament in Psalm 133:3 and Daniel 12:2. It is seen in Psalm 133 to be commanded where brethren dwell together in unity as under priestly anointing, and under the divine refreshing of the dew of Hermon. In Daniel 12 it is connected with awaking out of the dust of the earth, clearly a resurrection figure. Both these scriptures give a very exalted and spiritual view of life eternal. The Jews rightly gathered from them that life eternal described the blessedness which those favoured of God would inherit in the world to come—see Mark 10:17; Luke 10:25, etc.

The Lord makes plain, by the words to which you refer in John’s gospel, that this great and wondrous blessing is available now, and is the portion of those who believe on Him. Eternal life is the divinely given portion of every believer just as Canaan was the allotted portion of Israel by God’s gift before they left Egypt, but to possess and enjoy it experimentally they had to take the journey and put their foot on the land which was given. So that the Lord’s words are not to be taken merely as words of assurance that we possess something of which we know nothing, but they are intended to move our hearts to go up and possess the land. Eternal life is truly given to us in the Son of God, but as something to be known experimentally now. To have it consciously we must be characterised by eating the flesh of the Son of man and drinking His blood (John 6:54), and we must have the Spirit as the Fountain of living water in us springing up into eternal life; John 4:14. And there must also be a sowing to the Spirit, for Paul says, “He that sows to the Spirit, from the Spirit shall reap eternal life,” Gal. 6:8.

Mr. Raven sought to encourage the saints to go in for the enjoyment of their portion, and not to be content with title without possession. This is highly

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important, for otherwise we may be saying that we have eternal life when we are perhaps practically living after the flesh and in the world.

Take some other precious statement of the Lord. “He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water,” John 7:38. “He that believes on me shall never thirst at any time,” John 6:35. These statements, and many others which might be quoted from John’s gospel, show the immense possibilities that are opened up to men in the love of God, all to be possessed on the principle of believing on His Son. They are there as precious divine proposals, but what they mean is unknown until they become conscious realities by the Spirit. It is possible to find carnal and worldly persons saying that they have eternal life, but such persons do not really know what eternal life means.

C.A.C.

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The Manhood of Christ

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