Chp.83 - Justin Reviews The Seat Of Power In God

And we mentioned formerly that the statement, ‘In the splendour of the saints before the morning star have I begotten Thee from the womb,’ is made to Christ. Justin Martyr. (1885). Dialogue of Justin with Trypho, a Jew. In A. Roberts, J. Donaldson, & A. C. Coxe (Eds.), The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (Vol. 1, p. 240). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company. Justin continues to break down Trypho's synergistic theology that makes man the pinnacle of God's love. It was for Christ that world was made, and it was for Christ that God saves sinners, and "only" in Him man is made the pinnacle of creation. So God's love must always be defined by God's love for Christ. And so, when man twists and distorts what love means, God is righteous to reserve justice upon a creation that rebels against His sovereign love.

Colossians 1:9–18 (NKJV)

9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. Justin addresses this by exposing the fallacy, which the Jews used, to give themselves authority over "other" human creations of God. By making Hezekiah "thee" right hand of God, the Jews exalted themselves to a place of authority, where only God can be enthroned-to judge the condition of a man's heart. God never gave mankind this authority apart from a proper understanding of the sovereignty of God. It is the Word of the cross that judges a man's heart, and it is the sole means of mediation between the Creator and the creation (1Tim.2:5). Therefore, man has no right to judge apart from the Word of God. Where the Word of God is absent-true love and justice are absent. Luke 11:17–19 (NKJV) 17 But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. 18 If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. 19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. John 12:46–50 (NKJV) 46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. 47 And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. 50 And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.” Again, we need to remember the error of the Jew's racist theology and superiority over the nations through which Israel had exalted themselves to the seat of God's justice. It is true, as Justin points out, what David says concerning the nations, that "the gods of the nations are demons," but this was because the Word of God was absent from their courts. They judged by what was righteous in their own eyes, and had no discernment to judge between cases involving the human condition of sin.

But Israel had the Word of God and refused to exercise it in their courts. And for this, Israel was judged by God and given over to their fallacies. So Justin reviews the cause of Israel blindness; it was the hardness of heart and the pride of their nation that kept them from progressing in the Word of Truth. So when their Savior appeared, they did not recognize Him and handed Him over to be crucified by the foreign gods of Rome. But in the divine wisdom of God, this, was how the "whole world" would be reconciled through Christ-both Jew and Gentile. In Him, the hostility and pride of the nations would cease, and the remnant of each nation will become one nation in Christ, having one true God. Jesus, now therefore, is the Holy One who was promised to make this reconciliation into one family of God (Jer.31:1;Acts3:25). But the death of Christ is also a promise to those who shut the door on this reconciliation, and the door of heaven will be forever shut against them who do (Lk.13:25), and they shall drink of the wine of God's fury (Rev.14:8), which comes upon the sons of disobedience (Col.3:6). But what will you do? Will you ignore the Word of reconciliation? Will you say, no, to His sovereign authority over you? Will you deny the Father of all life the right to love you in His beloved King of kings, to establish justice in your heart? As Justin points out to Trypho, Hezekiah was not "the one" chosen to rule in the hearts of men, but rather that this verse applies only to Him who can sit between the cherubim-the mercy seat. And all who sit at His feet, to learn of His love and mercy, will be seated with Him in heavenly places (Jn.6:37). Luke 10:38–42 (NKJV) 38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” 41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Now the good news is that Hezekiah was in Christ and therefore seated with Him. But Hezekiah was not the standard. Christ was and is the standard. Are you seated in Him? Are you established in His justice? Has peace been made between you and the right hand of God? Apart from Him you have no authority to judge anyone! And should you dare to judge apart from Him, your own words will judge you (Rom.3:3-4)! Now unlike Christ, the Father does not beget us (for salvation) in the womb of a mother, for we are conceived into sin and darkness (Ps.51:5); yet by the Word of Christ, who is the Light of the world, whom the Father has begotten from the foundation of the world, was to enter the womb of Mary for salvation in us; and so wisdom (for salvation) was born even in Him (Prov.3:9;9:10;Ps.136:5). In this wisdom, Christ was "begotten" and "received" in the womb of Mary. And therefore, the saints, by the Word of this wisdom, can see and understand how the morning star rises in the hearts of God's elect. 2 Peter 1:16–21 (NKJV) 16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. 19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Revelation 2:18–29 (NKJV) 18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: 19 “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. 20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. 22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. 23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works. 24 “Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden. 25 But hold fast what you have till I come. 26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— 27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’— as I also have received from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. 29 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’