December, 1933
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
417
These truths need to be emphasized more than ever today, for if we lose sight o f them we become confused in our thinking, and we shall be further confused as we go on to consider the work o f His cross. He had to be what He was in order to do what He did. I f He had been in any sense less than God manifest in flesh, He could not have offered up Himself in the power of the eternal Spirit for our redemption. If He had been other than the One o f whom it was written, “ He knew no sin,” He could not have been made sin for us. While we are not saved through His incarna tion, and our present union with Him is not be cause He took our humanity upon Himself, but because we have been linked to Him, the glorified Man in heaven by the Holy Spirit, yet it is o f all importance that we hold fast to the truth “ that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself.” Bethlehem must precede Calvary. He became Man that He might die for men. In the second chapter o f Hebrews, we are told in verse 17, “ Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” The word here translated “ reconciliation” is more accurately rendered “ pro pitiation” as in 1 John 2:2 and 4:10. “ He is the propitiation for our sins.” “ God . . . sent his Son to be the propitiation.” This word is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament, made in the third century before Christ, commonly called the Septuagint, and expressed generally as the L X X , to translate the Hebrew term which occurs again and again in the Old Testament, and is ren ' 'Propitiation^
dered in many different ways in the English Ver sion, a few o f which are as follows: 1. “ Pitch” in Genesis 6:14, as used for the “ covering” o f the ark. 2. “ Appease” used in Genesis 32:20, where it means literally “ to cover the face.” 3. “ Atonement” used in many places in Leviti cus 16, and particularly in Leviticus 17:11. 4. “ Satisfaction” used in Numbers 35 :31. 5. “ Ransom” used in Job 33:24. 6. “ Put it off,” or, as the margin gives it, “ ex piate,” used in Isaiah 47:11. 7. “ Reconciliation” used in Daniel 9 :24. 8. “ Pacified” used in Ezekiel 16 :63. If we put all o f these English translations together, they do not by any means exhaust the real meaning o f this word, but they do throw wonderful light upon the Scripture doctrine o f propitiation. They tell us that in the death o f Christ God has found a ransom for sinful men, and that a covering has been provided to shield us from the storm of judg ment. Atonement has been made for our sins, full satisfaction has been rendered to the divine justice for our iniquities. God’s judgment is appeased; sin is expiated, and God is pacified toward us for all that we have done, because o f the perfection of the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now He Him self is our propitiation and we come to God alone by Him. Resurrection^ But although the death o f our Lord Jesus Christ has accomplished the putting away o f sin so that every believer is justified by His blood, it is through His resurrection that we know God is satisfied with the work that His Son accomplished when He took our place in judgment and bore our sins in His own body upon the tree. He “ was de livered for our offenses, and was. raised again for our justification.” It is not that we are justified by His resurrection, but it is that His resurrection proves that the work which justifies has been ac complished, and we come into the benefit o f it all when we put our trust in the Risen One. Every where the apostles went, they preached Jesus Christ and the resurrection. Just as incarnation without propitiation is in itself unable to save us, so pro pitiation without resurrection would be incomplete. None could know certainly that God was satisfied with the work o f His Son, if Christ had not burst the bands o f death asunder and risen in triumph from the tomb. More than this, had He remained enthralled in the arms o f death, it would have given the lie to His entire testimony and redemptive program. It was imperative that He rise again the third day. It was this that proved Him to be in very truth the Son o f God and the all-sufficient Sacrifice for sin. And so today the message that goes out to all mankind is as of old, “ I f thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believ-:,^ eth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confes sion is made unto salvation.” It is the Risen One whom God has exalted to be a Prince and a Sav iour. He has been made both Lord and Christ to give repentance and remission o f sins to all who turn to Him in faith. [Continued on page 418]
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs