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May 1930
cause.” There was and is no cause or reason in the sin ner that he should be justified; the cause is found in God alone. He justifies freely, without a cause, all who believe in Christ. The same word is used in Rev. 22:17, “ Who soever will, let him take o f the water o f life freely”; i.e., without a cause in the one invited to take of the water. The Lord Jesus, using the same word, said, “They hated me without a cause” (Jno. 15:25). There was no cause in Him for their hatred, but they hated Him freely. Third, those who believe are justified freely by His grace. While it is true that grace is the unmerited favor of God, it is something more. The grace that justifies is the treatment God gives to those who deserve the very opposite. As men are all sinners, criminals, and rebels against God, only by such grace could they receive the Salvation of Scripture. Grace procures this salvation for man. “Mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared” (Luke 2:30, 31). Therefore it is that, “by grace ye are saved through faith” (Eph. 2 :8 ). And grace also presents it to man. “There is none that seeketh after God” (Psa. 14), but God is seeking for men. “F o r we ourselves were sometimes foolish . . . but a fter that the kindness and love o f God our Saviour toward man appeared . . . . according to his mercy he saved us . . . that being justified by grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope o f eternal life” (Titus 3 :3 -7 ). And it is grace, moreover, that proclaims it in the ears of men. “F or the grace o f God hath appeared to all men, bringing salva tion” (Titus 2:11, R. V., M .). Were it not that grace procures it, and presents it, and proclaims it, none would have the Salvation of Scrip ture. But grace does all this in such a manner that Scripture declares that the believer in Jesus Christ is jus tified freely by His grace. T hrough the R edemption in C hrist That which makes it possible for God to be just and yet justify those who believe in Christ, is “the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” By the redemptive work of Christ upon the Cross atonement has been made for sins. It was said to Israel in Lev. 17:11, “F o r the life op-the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upop'the altar to make an atone ment fo r your sou ls : fo r it is the blood that maketh an atonement fo r the soul.” Why the blood ? Because “with out shedding o f blood is no remission” (Heb. 9 :2 2 ). It was well known to Israel, taught by the fact that both the annual and daily sacrifices were offered continually and not once for all, that “it is not possible that the blood o f bulls and o f goats should take away sins” (Heb. 10:1-4). For this reason when Christ came He must take upon Himself flesh and blood in order that through the shed ding of H is blood sins might be taken away once for all. The Lord God “laid on him the iniquity o f us all” (Isa. 5 3 : 6 ) ; and “he bare our sins in his own body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2 :2 4 ). It is just this that forms the foundation of the Gospel, “Christ died fo r our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15 :3). . But not only must the sins be blotted out; the sin, which gives birth to sins, must also be dealt with. And by the redemptive work of Christ upon the Cross, sin has been put away. It is not enough that the sins, or evil deeds, should be atoned for; the sin, or the evil nature, must be put away as well. Christ was “the Lamb o f God, which taketh away the S IN o f the world” (John 1:29). When He, the One who knew no sin, hung upon the Cross, He was made sin for us (2 Cor. 5 :21) .
Again, by the redemptive work of Christ upon the Cross the sinner has been judged, found guilty, con demned, and slain. On the Cross Christ became the sub stitute for sinners; He was there in their place and stead. He assumed all that was against them, both as to what they were and what they had done. “F o r Christ also hath once suffered fo r sins, the just fo r the unjust, that he might bring us to God” {1 Pet. 3 :18 ). This speaks of both the penal and substitutionary character of the death of Christ. He received God’s judgment against the sin ner, paid the penalty for the criminal, and provided recon ciliation for the rebel. All that could be charged to the sinner, to the last iota, was charged to Christ and fully met and fully settled when He “suffered fo r sins.” His death was a penal one. While it is true that man unlaw fully condemned Him, because in Him was no sin, and He did no sin, it is also true that God lawfully condemned Him because on the Cross He stood in the sinner’s place, as the sinner’s substitute; and as such God, who can by no means clear the guilty, could not clear Him. In Him self there was no cause of death; He was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. He did no sin, says one Apostle; He knew no sin, says another; in Him was no sin, says a third; but He was “made sin” as the sub stitute for sinners, and as such He was judged in the sinner’s place and stead. He took upon Him flesh and blood in order that He could die. He took sin upon Him in order that He would die (without this He was not subject to death). And, taking the sinner’s place, He should die. Thus by the redemptive work of Christ upon the Cross, sins are atoned for, sin is put away, the sinner is judged, found guilty, and slain; and the law is fully satisfied, justice is fully vin dicated, and righteousness is fully maintained. And in this God is seen to be righteous, holy, faithful, and true to His word. He has cleared no guilty one, but has demanded and received full penalty for every crime. He has dealt so fully with the old creation, in Christ, that it has been done away. This now opens the way for the beginning of the new creation. It was a right and just thing for God to begin the old; it is a right and a just thing for Him to begin the new. All demands being satisfied in the death of his sub stitute, the sinner has passed out of the sphere and beyond the jurisdiction of the law. The law has spoken its last word concerning him in pronouncing the sentence of death upon the sinner, and it has performed its last deed in executing that sentence. By death, the death of his substitute, the sinner has passed beyond the reach of the law. As far as the old creation is concerned, it is buried in the tomb with Jesus Christ. God now begins the work of bringing in the new creation by the resur rection of Christ, who is the head of that creation. This new creation is justified, having Christ’s life, nature, and righteousness, as the risen One. Thus the Salvation of Scripture is provided “through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” and it is possessed by all who believe in Him. The question of all questions for the reader is, “Dost thou believe in the Lord Tesus Christ?”
Nor silver nor gold hath obtained my redemption, No riches of earth could have saved my poor soul; The blood of the Cross is my only foundation, The death of my Saviour now maketh me whole. I am redeemed, but not with silver, I am bought, but not with gold, Bought with a price, the blood of Jesus, Precious price of love untold.
—Jam es M. Gray. '•
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