THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S In Philippians, “the death of the cross” represents the last and lowest of the seven steps in Christ’s self-emptying - (chap. 2), and the perpetual incentive to us to have the same mind in us—shar ing the fellowship of His suffering on the way to His joy, by being conformed to His death. In Colossians, the same thought is emphasized, and we are taught the pri vilege of thus filling up that which is behind of His afflictions in our flesh, for His body’s sake (1:24)—the most re markable instance of the setting forth of our identity with the crucified Lord. In Thessalonians, it is He who died for us whom we are to serve and for whom to wait, and with whom we are to live in glory. In the epistles to Timothy, the cruci fied is the ransom for all. In Hebrews, He is declared to have tasted death, suffered death, for every man, and by death destroyed him that had the power of death. His'one sacri fice has forever perfected the believer. In Peter’s epistles, He is the Paschal Lamb, in whose vicarious death-all sacri fices found their fulfilment. In John’s epistles, He is the propitia tory, mercy-seat, as in Romans, and the Love of God finds only in His death its full exhibition and efficacy. NOT A BAD MOTTO C. D. Foss tells of an Indian, who one day came to a missionary, and told him he had been making some poetry, which he wished to show him. It was found to be several verses in very “common metre,” and all exactly like the first verse, which ran as follows: “Go on, go on, go on, go on; Go on, go on, go on, • Go on, go on, go on, go on, Go on, go on, go on.” The Indian’s poem is not a bad motto for all Christian workers.
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and the impression of His holiness is deeply felt. If what has been said is correct, it follows that any'teaching which negates God’s existence, or denies or weakens the truth of the holiness of God, must, in the degree in which it does .so, weak en or subvert the Christian conception 6f sin. NYONE who is tempted to think of Christianity apart from the cross should examine, for instance, the prominence which the cross occupies in the epistles as well as in the gospels. In Romans, it is inseparably connect ed with “propitiation—through _faith In his blood.” The mercy-seat, or propitia tory, must be sprinkled with the blood of atonement before man can approach- it, or even the high priest himself as man’s representative. We are taught then that He was delivered over (as to a sheriff) for our offences; and that we are baptized into His death. In Corinthians, it is Christ crucified who is the power of God and wisdom of God unto salvation. Sanctification and service both hang upon our union with Him on the cross (2 Cor. 5:14,15). In Galatians," the believer is represent ed as cruciffed with Christ, and so dying to the law both as his accuser and vindi cator, to the flesh as the seat of corrupt affections and lusts, to the world as the all-embracing sphere of their indulgence, and to the self-life, most subtle of all foes of God. In Ephesians, both Jew and Gentile are reconciled to God, in one body by the cross. Peace is made with God and with each other by Him who on the cross made one new man. The cross is the sign and seal of Christ’s love for the Church for which He gave Himself (5:25). THE CROSS Dr. A. T. Pierson
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