THE KING’S BUSINESS
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God who is by His nature the holy law giver. The latter, referring to God and His holiness, is ^probably preferable. Christ redeemed us from the curse o f a broken law by Himself being made a curse for us. His death was the ransom price paid for our deliverance. Second. As a propitiation (Homans 3 :25; 1 John 2 :2 ; Hebrews 2:17 R. V .). Christ is the propitiation for our sins; He is set forth by God to be a propitiation through His blood. “ Propitiation” means mercy-seat, or cov ering. The mercy-seat covering the ark of the covenant was called a propitiation (E xo dus 25:22; Hebrews 9 :5 ). It is that by which God covers, overlooks, and pardons the penitent and believing sinner because o f Christ’s death. Propitiation furnishes a ground on the basis o f which God could set forth His righteousness, and yet pardon sinful men (Romans 3:25, 26; Hebrews 9:15). Christ Himself is the. propitiatory sacrifice (1 John 2 :2 ). The death o f Jesus Christ is set forth as the ground on which a righteous God can pardon a guilty and sinful race without in any way compromis ing His righteousness. Third. As a reconciliation (Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19; Ephesians 2:16; Colossians 1:20). W e are recon ciled to God by the death o f Hife Son, by His cross, and by the blood o f His cross —that is the message o f these scriptures. Reconciliation-has two sides; active and passive. In the active sense we may look upon Christ’s death as removing the enmity existing between God and man, and which had hitherto been a barrier to fellowship (see the above quoted texts). This state o f existing enmity is set forth in such scrip tures as Romans 8:7— “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God.” Also Ephes ians 2:15; James 4:4. In the passive sense o f the word it may indicate the change of attitude on the part o f man toward God, this change being wrought in the heart o f man by a vision o f the cross o f Christ; a change from enmity to friendship thus tak ing place (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:20), It is
probably better to state th§ case thus: God is propitiated, and the sinner is reconciled (2 Corinthians 5:lfJ-20). Fourth. As a substitution (Isaiah 53:6; 1 Péter 2:24; 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:21). The story o f the passover lamb (Exodus 12), with 1 Corinthians 5:7, illustrates the meaning o f substitution as here used: one life given in the stead o f another. “ The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity o f us all.” God made Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us. Christ Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree—this is substitution. Christ died in our place, bore our sins, paid the penalty due our sins; and all this, not by force, but willingly (John 10:17, 18). The idea o f substitution is well illustrated by the nature o f the preposition used in connection with this phase o f Christ’s death : In Matthew 20:28 Christ is said to give His life a ran som for all (cf. 1 Timothy 2 :6 ). That this preposition means “ instead of” is clear from its use in Matthew 2 :22—“Archelaus did reign in the room (or in the stead) o f his father, Herod.” Also in Luke 11:11—“Will he for a fish give him a serpent? (cf. Hebrews 12:2, 16). Substitution, then, as used here means this : That something happened to Christ, and because it hap pened to Christ, it need not happen to us. Christ died for our sins ; we need not die for them if we accept His sacrifice. For further illustrations, see Genesis 22:13— God providing a ram instead o f Isaac ; also Barabbas freed and Christ bearing his cross and taking his place. Upon a life I did not live: Upon a death I did not die; Upon another’s death, another’s life, I risk my soul eternally. Unscriptural Views o f Christ’s Death. There are certain so-called modern views o f the atonement which it may be well to examine briefly, if only to show how unscriptural they are. That the modern mind fails to see in the doctrine o f the atonement what the orthodox faith has held for centuries to be the truth o f God regard ing this fundamental Christian doctrine,
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