Now he which stablisheth us with you
Two things are in this verse ascribed to God. First, the
establishing of the saints in Christ; in which may be observed,
that the people of God are in a firm, settled, established state
and condition; they are encircled in the arms of everlasting
love; they are secure of the favour of God; they are engraven on
his hands, and set as a seal on his heart, from whence they can
never be removed; they are taken into his family by adopting
grace; and will never be turned out; they are in a state of
justification, and shall never enter into condemnation; they are
regenerated and sanctified by the Spirit of God, and shall never
finally and totally fall from that grace they have received. This
their establishment is "in" Christ, and in no other. They had no
stability in Adam, nor have they any in themselves; their
standing is alone in him; the unchangeable love and favour of
God, which is their grand security, is in Christ; the covenant of
grace, in which is all their salvation, is made and stands fast
with him; their persons, with all their grace and glory, are put
into his hands, and made his care and charge, and there they are
safe. They are espoused unto him, made one with him, incorporated
into him, and are built upon him the rock of ages, where they are
so established, that hell and earth cannot shake them, so as to
remove and unsettle them from this foundation: one and all of
them, and all together, are established in him,
us with you;
all the elect of God are alike, and together in Christ, and have
the same place and standing in his love, power, and care; they
make up one body, of which Christ is the head, and not one of
them shall be lost, whether they be Jews or Gentiles, ministers
or private believers; for so this phrase may be interpreted, "us"
Jews "with you" Gentiles, or "us" ministers "with you" believers.
This work of establishing the saints in Christ is wholly the
Lord's act; he
is God
that does it; which does not contradict the word and ordinances
being means of establishment; nor does it hinder or discourage
persons making use of means for their stability; for the apostle
here is not speaking so much of the stability of hearts, frames,
and exercise of grace, as of state; though a firm, steady, and
stable assurance of interest in Christ, is what God gives by his
Spirit. The apostle's view seems to be this, that whatever
steadfastness and stability the saints have, whether ministers or
people, they ought to ascribe it entirely to God, Father, Son,
and Spirit. "Secondly", the anointing of them:
he hath anointed us;
which is to be understood either of the unction of ministers,
with the gifts of the Spirit for ministerial service; or rather
of the anointing of private Christians with the grace of the
Spirit, compared to oil or ointment, in allusion to the anointing
oil under the law, by which the tabernacle, and its vessels,
Aaron, and his sons, were anointed, who were typical of the
saints and priests of God under the Gospel; or to the lamp oil in
the candlestick, which was pure, and for light; or to oil in
common, for its sweet smell, refreshing nature, and for its
usefulness for ornament and healing. This also is the Lord's
work, and not man's; this unction comes from the God of all
grace, through Christ, by the Spirit.