PREACHED BY THE REV. D. BEATON, OBAN.
“For He must reign till He hath put all enemies under His feet.” (1 Cor. xv. 25).
THESE words are used by the Apostle in connection with the important subject he is dealing with in this chapter. The supreme reign of Christ involves in its very nature the subjection of all enemies otherwise He would not be absolutely supreme.
At the outset it is necessary to point out that in the chapter from which our text is taken the Apostle is not dealing with the doctrine of the resurrection of the bodies of unbelievers but of believers only. This point is necessary to be kept in mind in view of the fact that this chapter is so often read at services in houses preparatory to burials. In this way, unfortunately, the idea has become prevalent in the minds of many that the chapter deals with the doctrine of the resurrection of the bodies of all, believers and unbelievers, but careful attention to what the Apostle says will show that this is wrong.
In coming now to consider some of the things implied in our text we shall consider:
I. The necessity of Christ’s Reign. II. The opposition to Christ reigning. III. His final Triumph.
I. The Necessity of Christ’s Reign.
He must reign, says the Apostle, till He hath put all enemies under His feet. (1). The first thing that calls for attention in this statement is the all-embracing nature of the subjection referred to and (2). its completeness. (1). All enemies are to be put under His feet. Not simply a few of the less powerful—not even a few of the most powerful and most troublesome but all enemies. When one thinks of the vast armies which are at present warring against Christ among so-called Christians and among the pagan races of mankind, to say nothing of the vast and powerful marshalled armies of Satan, one may take up the words that the Apostle uses concerning Isaiah and apply
them to himself—Paul is very bold. But it is a boldness that is the outcome of a mind divinely taught as Isaiah was and of one with a keen eye surveying the far-stretched battle-lines who sees in the light of the divine purpose the whole opposition break beneath that tremendous power that will go forth from Him who is sitting upon the throne. There is no uncertainty as to what the issue will be. He that joins issue with His enemies has the crown already upon His head and there are no possibilities in the tremendous conflict that indicate any insecurity in the wearing of that crown. (2). The completeness of the subjection is indicated by the words—”till He hath put all enemies under His feet.” Many a proud, haughty and arrogant enemy there was among the marshalled hosts that opposed Him but they are all to be put under His feet. Perhaps no words could be found which so completely convey the idea of the utter defeat of His enemies and His own triumphant victory. Among men it is not uncommon when a noble and honourable fight has been put up that the conqueror hands back the sword that has been tendered to him as a kindly and chivalrous gesture by which he recognises that his opponent has fought as an honourable man but in this conflict every vestige of honour was cast to the winds by His opponents and the rules governing the conflict were Satanic. His enemies knew not that the whole purposes of God were against their success and in measuring their strength with omnipotent power they realised not how complete and crushing the disaster was to be. Now, behind all that is to happen to Christ’s enemies there is divine necessity that it should be so. There are divine purposes which cannot but be fulfilled, divine promises that cannot be broken which render it necessary that He must reign.
- God has made it plain in His Word that His Son is to reign and to reign in such a sense that in all things He is to have the pre-eminence. He has announced His decree—”I have set my King upon my holy hill of Zion.” The rebel hosts cannot say that the decree has not been announced; neither can
they say that its solemn announcement by the God who cannot lie has restrained them in any way—their opposition is as determined and as bitter as though God had never spoken. As the forces of opposition measure their strength with eternal omnipotence, He that sits in Heaven looks down upon their unavailing efforts and holds them in derision and when His time comes He will break them in pieces as a potter’s vessel is broken. How frail, how fragile is a potter’s vessel when it is smitten by an iron rod—so shall it fare with the enemies of Christ.
Again, there are wonderful promises given in connection with Christ’s reign—promises made by the God who cannot lie. He has received the promise that His throne shall be forever and ever. The stability of that throne is not affected in the slightest degree by the mighty waves of opposition that dash themselves on that rock in vain. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and His sceptre is a sceptre of righteousness. Inasmuch as His throne is forever and ever He must reign, for though His grave is empty forever His throne is filled for evermore. But some one may ask how does all this agree with what the Apostle says in this chapter? “Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power” (verse 24). “The end” referred to in these words means the end of the world when Christ shall deliver up the kingdom mentioned, i.e. after He has accomplished the work of redemption. But what is the kingdom that Christ will deliver up to the Father? There is a threefold kingdom belonging to Christ to which the Scriptures refer. 1. That which belongs to Him as the Son equal with the Father and Holy Spirit. This kingdom extends over all creation. This kingdom is His for evermore. 2. There is the kingdom which belongs to Him as the incarnate Son of God over His people. This kingdom is also everlasting. 3. There is the kingdom that was given to Him after His resurrection when all power in heaven and earth was committed into His hands. “This kingdom, which He exercises
as the Theanthropos (God-Man), and which extends over all principalities and powers, He is to deliver up when the work of redemption is accomplished. He was invested with this dominion in His mediatorial character for the purpose of carrying on His work to its consummation. When that is done, i.e., when He has subdued all His enemies, then He will no longer reign over the universe as Mediator, but only as God; while His headship over His people is to continue forever.” This is the explanation that Dr. Charles Hodge has given of this difficult passage and it appears to us to be consistent with the teaching of Scripture. It throws light on a passage that otherwise would be very difficult to explain satisfactorily in accordance with Scripture.
Then there is the necessity of Christ reigning in virtue of the fact that the bodies of His people are resting in the graves to the resurrection. We are in danger of confining Christ’s redemptive work to the souls of His people. We must ever bear in mind that Christ’s redemption is a complete redemption—that it includes the whole man, soul and body. Now, while the souls of believers being made perfect in holiness do immediately pass into glory their bodies being still united to Christ rest in their graves till the resurrection. The Apostle Paul speaks of those who have the first fruits of the Spirit waiting for the redemption of the body (Rom. viii. 23). These bodies are not to be left in the possession of death for it is the Father’s will that of all who have been given Him He should lose nothing (not none as we so often interpret it in our mind) but should raise it up at the last day (John vi. 39). It is therefore necessary that Christ should reign until the separation that death caused between the souls and bodies of God’s people should be brought to an end. Christ’s redemptive work, as already indicated, is complete extending to soul and body and when they shall be presented before the Father at last His divine purpose will be accomplished that of all given to the Son He lost nothing.
Again there is a multitude yet to be saved known to God alone—those whose names are written in God’s book. There may be some listening to me to-night who are among these though, as yet, they have little or no thought of Christ or any love to Him. Christ must reign until these are gathered in for connected with their salvation there are divine purposes and covenant engagements that cannot be broken. They are not to be left in the hands of the devil. Christ is sitting at the right hand of Power as a Prince and a Saviour. His enemies and the enemies of His people are not the masters though too often the Lord’s people feel that their enemies are too strong for them; yet, stronger is He that is for them than all that can be against them. He must reign until all His redeemed are gathered in. When the fields of the world will become white to harvest what a multitude will He gather in. As long as God has one of His elect in a place where he is to be saved God will provide the means whereby that sinner is to be saved. He will maintain His cause, however, weak it may become, that His own divine purposes may be accomplished and we are carefully to guard against applying rules and standards to God’s government that are only applicable to the government of men. The whole out-working of the divine purpose in Joseph’s life was very mysterious and sometimes very dark but how manifestly the divine purpose was working through it all.
Intimately connected with the necessity of His reign is the fact that in the predestination of God’s elect He purposed that they should be conformed to the image of His Son. A great work is to be done in them as well as for them and He must reign until this is accomplished. None of the enemies within, however, subtle, powerful and numerous they be will be ever able to match their power with His. Every high thought and imagination instigated and nourished by the enemies of Christ within shall never be able to prevail. The victory may seem at times to be on the side of the enemies and the issues going sore against His people but the fact that the issue may go against
them at certain parts of the field of battle does not say that the day has gone against them. No doubt on the field of Waterloo the day was going well with the French at certain places but a battle was being fought which brought a crashing defeat to the hopes of Napoleon and irretrievable disaster to the armies of France. So shall it be in this conflict. The hope of God’s people is linked with a purpose that cannot fail and is assured by a power that shall prevail. Happy are the people who have such a faith as this—a hope independent of anything they can do themselves, a good hope through grace.
II. The Opposition to Christ’s Reign.
When one considers the beneficent nature of this reign, the righteous rule that characterises it and the blessings showered undeservingly upon men, opposition to Christ’s reign would be an insoluble problem were it not for the fact of sin. From whence comes this opposition? 1. From the devil and his emissaries; 2. From unregenerate men in the world; 3. From the old man in the regenerate.
-
Opposition from the devil. When our Lord came into the world it was part of His divine mission to destroy the works of the devil. Satan was under no illusion as to the significance of Christ’s presence in the world and he set himself with all the powers at his command to thwart the purpose of His mission. It was a tremendous struggle—the hour and power of darkness was terrible—and when the Lord grappled with the principalities and powers of darkness the hope of the Church of God hung upon the issue. Hell was stirred at His coming and from the manger to the cross there was one persistent and determined effort to snatch victory from Him concerning whom the decree had been announced—”I have set my King upon my holy hill of Zion” (Ps. ii. 6). Satan felt the impact of that tremendous power which was to wreck his hopes forever and he met it with all the strength and power he could command.
-
The opposition of unregenerate men. How unaccountable it was; how unnatural; how Satanic! Herod, instigated by
the devil, stretched forth his hand against a helpless Infant. He could not brook the idea that here was one that might challenge his place as a ruler and so he determined to dip his sword in the blood of those who had no quarrel with him. He failed in his plan but that did not bring the opposition to this King to an end. It tracked His footsteps right up to the hours of His suffering on the Cross. It was an opposition that had behind it all the viciousness, wickedness and maliciousness that Satan could pour into the hearts of men. His acts of kindness, the graciousness of the words that fell from His blessed lips, His manifest interest in the poor, downtrodden and distressed instead of breaking the brunt of the storm that beat upon Him only intensified it until at last the cry was heard—”Away with Him, away with Him; crucify Him” (John xix. 15). They would not have this Man to rule over them. The heart of man has not changed since the time earth heard that terrible cry. There is no desire in the natural man that Jesus should reign. There is opposition to His holiness, His righteousness, His holy laws and precepts and it requires greater power than man possesses to end this opposition. In the face of all the opposition offered to Him He could challenge His enemies with the fact that they hated Him without a cause. -
Opposition from the old man in the regenerate is also keenly felt by those who desire that He would reign within their heart. Their conscience tells them that He ought to reign, their heart that He should reign and their understanding that it is the most reasonable thing under the sun that He should reign yet they know that He is not getting the place He ought to get and which their love to Him says He should get. They do not feel that acquiescence to His will which ought to characterise them as followers of the Lamb. They carry about with them a nature that is at war with the holy laws of His kingdom. But when confronted with the rebel host, seemingly so irresistible, it comforts them to know that He must reign until all His enemies will be put under His feet. Had the Allied Nations in the
Great War been assured that Germany would be ultimately crushed in the field it would have saved them from that gnawing fear which at times well nigh paralyzed their hearts. So when we see the great armies marshalled in all the pomp and circumstance of pride setting themselves in array against the Lord and His anointed they are assured by the infallible Word of God that Jesus Christ must reign until all His enemies are put under His feet then we may lift our heads and say with the Church of old: “Lo, this is our God, we have waited for Him.”
Is Christ being exalted and honoured by the legislation of the civilized nations of the earth? Is he honoured and glorified by the great mass of the literature that is pouring from the printing presses of the world? What place is given Him in the high councils of the nations? Need we wait to give answers. But we ask again what place is given Him by men eminent in science, philosophy and literature? What place is given Him in His own professing Church, in the theological chairs of our colleges and in the pulpits of our churches? Are they all joining with one accord in giving Him the place of pre-eminence which the Father has given Him? Are we willing that He should reign? Whether we are willing or not He is to reign till His enemies are put under His feet. The cause of Christ’s enemies is the most hopeless on which men ever embarked.
III. His Final Triumph.
Measured by the eternal ages the day of His manifested triumph is not very far away—though measured by the years of human life it may appear to be very distant. The day is coming, however, when all nations will be summoned before Him to give an account of all the deeds done in the body. When He comes in His glory—heaven and earth fleeing away at His presence—and when the transactions of that unspeakably solemn day begin who among these assembled millions will be able to take his or her eye off the face of Him who sits on the Great White Throne? How unspeakably solemn it is even to think about it and speak about it now but what must it be
when our eyes look on the reality. Every eye shall see Him and every knee shall bow to Him and confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father. The loud voice of opposition will be stilled, the indifference to His claims as supreme Ruler will give place to riveted attention and the proud boasting of His enemies will cease before a glory so awful and a power so overwhelming. Do men really realise what they are engaged in when they are opposing Christ? Are they—are we—really considering what it will all mean if persisted in until that day with all its solemnities bursts upon us. What is your attitude—what is my attitude—to this One who must reign till all His enemies are put under His feet? If we have been rebels up till now and still are rebels may God give us grace that we may be reconciled to Him through His Son. Who can tell what it will mean for those who had the message of the gospel ringing in their ears with all its wonderful encouragements, invitations and promises if they continue rebels to the end? One does not need to be an abandoned person, an atheist, infidel, blasphemer or a pagan to be a rebel. Everyone who will not submit to Christ as King is a rebel in the sight of God. Will there be any who will go from this congregation who when they see Him seated on His throne will have to say? “Oh! I was told that such a day was before me, I was told that I would be judged according to the deeds in the body, I was told that it would be ill with the wicked and that it would be well with the righteous; that a day was coming when I should hear the Judge say to those on His right hand—’Come ye blessed of my Father’—and to those on His left hand: ‘Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’ Woe is me for that day is come and I stand before my Judge as a contemner of His counsels and a despiser of His Gospel.” May God grant that none from this congregation shall ever have such an experience.
Before concluding I would like to say a word to those who acknowledge Him as their King and whose greatest happiness
would be if they could in all their thoughts, words and actions honour Him and give Him the place that the Father has given Him. With what joy shall they behold Him that day. No terror shall take possession of their heart but a feeling of joy—joy arising from the fact that the One who is presiding amidst all the solemnities of this Day is none other than the One who so loved them that He died for them. The Judge is their Friend and when their sins are sought for they shall not be found. They were rebels but He subdued them. They were lost and He found them and now they are to be with Him forever—their wills in perfect harmony with His forever. They came into this world the children of wrath and they are leaving it the heirs of the hope of eternal glory. Happy people! May we know the Saviour who redeemed them as our own Saviour and may we have the hope which they had—a good hope through grace and then we may look forward to serving Him in the ages to come when no rebel thoughts will mar the harmony between His will and the will of His redeemed.