Living Upon The Son Of God.

"I live by the faith of the Son of God."- Gal_2:20.

Through the law we die; through the cross we live. The law kills; it kills even to itself: 'We,
through the law, are dead to the law.' But this legal death produces or issues in a divine
life; we die to the law, that we may live to God; we are crucified with Christ; yet we live;
this crucifixion (or death) produces life; and yet this new life is not our own,-it is that of
Christ; who dwelleth in us, and liveth in us, so that the life which we live in the flesh, we
live by faith on the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us. This is the love that
passeth knowledge; this is the gift that transcends all gifts.
Thus Christ is our life; its spring or fountain; its root; its storehouse or treasury. We live
not upon ourselves, but on another; all that we have, and are, and hope for, is derived
from that other.
I. We live upon His person.-His person, like His name, is wonderful. It is both divine and
human. It contains all that is excellent in the creature, along with all that is excellent in
the Creator. His person is the great vessel of fullness, in which is contained all that is
needed by the neediest of souls. It pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell.
In Him is the perfection of all perfection, the glory of all glory. On this glorious person we
live. We draw our spiritual life out of Him. We live by faith upon Him. In receiving the
Father's testimony to His person, we draw in the life which is in Him for us. We use Him.
We partake of His fullness. The virtue that is in Him flows out to us. Out of His fullness we
receive, and grace for grace,-like wave upon wave.
II. We live upon his work-The great feature in that work is substitution, atonement,
propitiation. It contains many things; but this especially. 'Christ died for our sins.' He
'gave Himself for us.' He was 'made sin for us.' It is this aspect of His work that so
specially suits us; for what we require is one to stand in our stead, to represent our
persons, to bear our sins, to furnish us with a righteousness. His work upon the cross
presents us with all these,-His finished work, His accepted sacrifice, His precious blood,
His completed expiation on 'the accursed tree.' On this work we live daily. It is a
quickening work; a work the knowledge of which is life to the dead soul. To disbelieve
that work, or to lose sight of it, is death; to believe it, and to keep our eye upon it, is life
and healing. The sight of it, or the thinking about it (call it by what name we please),
draws in life; we live in and by looking. This work contains the divine fullness provided
for the sinner.
III. We live upon His love.-It is love such as men saw on earth when He went about
speaking the words and doing the works of grace. It is love (or grace) which comes out so
specially from the person and the work; the love of Christ; love without measure; love
that passeth knowledge. It is love, infinite, free, suitable, unchanging. The knowledge of
this great love is life and peace. Jesus loves! 'As the Father bath loved me, so have I loved
you; continue ye in my love.' How quickening and comforting is love like this!

We have thus spoken generally of what we get out of Christ's living fullness. But let us
now ask what this living upon Christ does for us. What do we specially get?
(1.) We get strength-In looking, we are strengthened with might in the inner man. Out of
the depth of weakness we look, and are made strong. Connection with the person, the
work, the love of Christ, communicates the divine strength. We lean upon His arm.
(2.) We get peace-The sight of Him whose name is the Peacemaker, pours in peace. It is a
peace-giving sight. We get peace by the blood of His cross; for He is our peace. Each fresh
look communicates fresh peace,-the peace which passeth all understanding.
(3.) We get sympathy and consolation.-He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. In
all our affliction He is afflicted. He sympathizes with us; He goes down to the lowest
depths of our sorrow; He comforts us in all our tribulation.
(4.) We get health-The sight of Him is healing. As we remember Him or think of Him,
health flows into us. The fragrance of His name is medicine. To think of Him, is to inhale
the health. Thus our cure proceeds; thus our diseases are banished.
(5.) We get holiness-Contact with Jesus is sanctifying. It is faith which brings us into
contact with Him, and it is by faith that we are purified. We live by faith on the Son of
God, and are by Him made holy. Thus it is that we are taught to hate sin, and thus we
learn to seek holiness, and to delight in all progress therein. Christ says to us, Be holy; His
cross says to us, Be holy; His love says to us, Be holy.
(6.) We get eternal glory.-If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him. 'Thou hast redeemed
us to God by Thy blood,' sing the saints in heaven, 'and hast made us kings and priests
unto God: and we shall reign on the earth.' Oneness with Him in humiliation leads to
oneness with Him in glory; the glory to be revealed when He comes again.