THE KING’S BUSINESS
473
(the “burning ones,” burning in their own intense holiness) veil their face? and feet in His presence and unceasingly cry “Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of Hosts” (Isa. 6:2, 3). “God is Holy,” we think. Yes. “And I am a sinner.” Yes. But by the wondrous offering of Christ “once for all” I am “perfected forever,” and on the ground of that blood so precious and so sufficient unto God, I can march boldly into the very presence of God, look up with unveiled face into His face and call Him “Father,” and pour out before Him every desire of my heart. Oh, wondrous blood! 6. But this is not all. Because of the atoning death of Jesus Christ those who believe in Him shall ever live with Him. How plainly Paul puts it in 1 Thess. S:10, “Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, -(i. e., at His coming), we should live together with Him.” 7. Further yet, because of the atoning death of Jesus Christ, all those who believe on Him receive the promise of the eternal inheritance .. This is what we are told in Heb. 9:15, “And for this cause He is the mediator of a new covenant, that a death having taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, they that have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inher itance.” I wish I had time to dwell upon that. 8. There are other results of the atoning death of Jesus Christ as regards the Devil and his angels, into which we have no time to go. Just one more thing as regards the results of the atoning death of Jesus Christ as it relates to the material uni verse. God teaches us that through the death of Jesus Christ the material uni verse —all things, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven— is reconciled unto God. These are His words, “For it was the good pleasure of the Father that in Him (i. e., in Jesus Christ) should all the fullness dwell; and, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself;, by Him, I say, whether they be things in
earth, or things in Heaven” (Col. 1:19, 20). These are wonderful words. They tell us the death of Jesus Christ has a relation to the material universe, to things on earth and to things in heaven, as well as to us and our sins. The material universe has fallen away from God in connection with sin (Rom. 8:20, R. V.; Gen. 3:18). 'Not only earth but heaven has been invaded and polluted by sin (Eph. 6:12, R. V .; Heb. 9:23, 24). Through the death of Jesus Christ this pollution is put away.. Just as the blood of the Old Testament sacrifice was taken into the most holy place, the type of heaven, Christ has taken the blood of the better sacrifice into heaven itself and cleansed it. “All things . . . . whether they be things in earth or things in heaven” are now reconciled to God. “The creation itself also shall be delivered from the bond age of corruption into the ,liberty of the glory of the children of God” (Rom. 8:21). “We look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). The atonement o f Jesus Christ has an immense sweep—far beyond the reach of our human philosophies. We have just begun to understand what the blood that was spilled on Calvary means. Sin is a far more awful, ruinous, and far-reaching evil than we have been wont to think, but the blood of Christ has a power and efficiency, the fullness of which only eternity will disclose. C over Illu stratio n The illustration used on the cover this month is another of the Holy Land collec tion of Dr. Evans. It is of the “Street Called Straight,” in Damascus, of which we read in Acts 9:11 as follows: “And the Lord said unto him (Ananias), arise and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth.” ❖
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs