`But unto the Son He saith'

(Heb. 1:8).

`But Thou remainest'

(Heb. 1:11).

`But Thou art the same'

(Heb. 1:12).

`But to which of the angels ... `

(Heb. 1:13).

`But one in a certain place testified'

(Heb. 2:6).

`But now we see not yet all things ... `

(Heb. 2:8).

`But we see Jesus'

(Heb. 2:9).

`But He took on Him the seed of Abraham'

(Heb. 2:16).

We will not set out the complete list of occurrences of this word. The above specimen reveals how closely the

doctrine of the epistle is linked with these recurrent `buts', and a patient completion of this concordance will prove

these `buts' to be of importance beyond question.

`But this Man'

(Heb. 7:24).

`But Christ being come ... `

(Heb. 9:11).

`But a body hast Thou prepared Me'

(Heb. 10:5),

point the way to a glorious conception of the Person and Work of the Saviour, above angels, above Moses, above

Levitical priests or sacrifices, `His Son' (Heb. 1:2).

`as He is' - Christ is the centre of all the purposes of God's grace. He is the Author, The Perfecter, The Goal.

Likeness to our Risen Lord is the theme before us now, both during our sojourn here, and in that day when we

shall be satisfied upon awaking in His likeness.

First let us briefly consider Him. `If we walk in the light, as He is in the light' (1 John 1:7). Verse five declares

that `God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all'. In the full blaze of that glory our Saviour stands. Not only is

He there in His own right, but He is there because of the perfectness of His Atoning Work. Nothing but absolute

righteousness and perfect holiness could endure the Light in which our Great Advocate and High Priest stands. Yet,

fellow-believer, weak and failing as we may be in ourselves, that, and nothing less, is our position in Christ!

Chapter 2:29 tells us `He is righteous'; 3:3 tells us `He is pure', emphasizing that which is involved in the

statement quoted above `He is in the light'. 1 John 1:7 commences with a `But if' - a condition is therefore

attached. Before we consider the conditional aspect, let us turn to the verses that reveal the absolute nature of the

believer's sanctification in Christ.

A literal reading would read as follows :

`In this hath been perfected the love with us, in order that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, that as

he is , we also are (though) in this world' (1 John 4:17).

God's love to us is the subject under consideration in this verse. The words translated `In this' are of constant

occurrence in the epistle. In this very chapter they are translated `hereby' verse thirteen, `herein' verse ten, and `in

this' in verse nine. To what does the apostle refer when he says `Herein' in verse seventeen? Does he mean that

God's love is perfected in this - that believers shall have boldness in the day of Judgment ? Yes - and yet no - for

this is but part of the glorious goal.

Avoiding the somewhat stilted literal translation given above, the following may be acceptable.

`In this is the love with us perfected (in order that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment); that as He is,

so are we in this world'.

The Love is perfected in this - that the believer in Christ is as He is. God Himself knows no higher goal for

eternity than that the believer shall be as his Lord, and when these bodies of our humiliation are changed for bodies

like unto that of the glorified Lord, then perfect love will have found its goal.