THERE can, in one sense, be no true understanding of the nature and value of atonement, but as there is a knowledge of the state of man needing it. If the need be fully seen, then the remedy must be according to it; if only partially seen, the remedy needed will be estimated amiss. Hence, the first point for us to examine is the state and condition of man, in the eye of God; for we may rest assured, that it is an imperfect apprehension of man's state which lies at the root of the general indifference to this subject.
Adam was set in the garden of Eden, in innocence, subject to God; and while he remained in the subjection due from the creature to the Creator, he enjoyed the goodness with which he was surrounded. Against insubjection he was warned, and told that an infraction of the divine restriction (for it was not an exaction but a restriction, one which demanded nothing from him -merely described the line which he must not pass over), would be followed by the penalty of death. His life would be forfeited if he acted in self-will. Adam did not remain subject to the will of God. He acted for himself, Satan being the tempter to the transgression; and the penalty fell upon him. Now death is the penalty, it is the wages of sin; but it is not a penalty which is only endured while passing through it, as would be the case with one inflicted by man; but, because it is inflicted by God, its full extent is not known till after it has been realized, as it is written, " after death the judgment." The sense in my soul, that I die because of a penalty laid on me, in itself, places me under a sense of God's judgment and that for eternity; hence, it is not so much death itself which the sinner shrinks from, as the after-consequences; even judgment from which there is no hope or possibility of extrication. The life is forfeited, and when the forfeit is paid man is then conscious of the nature of the penalty. The suffering is not merely the act of dying, but the consciousness of being under judgment, to which dying consigns one.
Adam's life was forfeited in the state and condition in which he was set here, and dying, he must die; not to escape all suffering afterward, but as a penalty introducing him into a state of suffering. He is now without a life, at least without any real possession of one that he can call his own; for he is insecure and uncertain as to the moment when judgment may begin. His life is forfeited. The forfeit has not been paid, but over a thing forfeited, I have really no claim or power; it is the property of the one to whom it is forfeited. Man cannot count upon his life now for anything; according to God's will it is forfeited, and when the forfeit is paid, the soul enters into judgment. Man's state and condition is now that of having a forfeited life awaiting judgment. God's righteousness demands this, it could not exact less. Man set upon the earth in blessing dependent on the Creator, acts contrary to Him, at the suggestion, of another. This moral anomaly exists. A creature of the highest and most perfect order, setting up a will-a line of action, contrary to God's will. Hence the question, whether man is to be suppressed; or whether God will be indifferent to him as a creature, made in His own likeness, acting in spirit and deed in contravention to His will. If God's will is righteous, man is unrighteous, and can God in righteousness, suffer man to continue in that condition in which he can contravene the righteous will of God? The answer is simple, if it could be so, there would be an end to righteousness. Hence, God forewarned him, that if he should do what He had told him not to do, the penalty would be death, and the penalty of death, as we find by Heb. 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27), reduces him to a state in which he is conscious of the extent of his loss, and his distance, in judgment, from God. Death for the lost, is only the prison door of one eternal night of misery, where the sense of distance from God is ever maintained in weeping and gnashing of teeth.
We shall now better comprehend the nature of the atonement, which could enable the Holy God to set up man on another footing. To meet, the righteousness of God, there must be a victim, not, in himself, chargeable with our offense, in any way, bearing the penalty of death. But not only this, there must be a personal excellency, over and above the life offered up. The life is offered up, in substitution, and the perfection elicited in the time of offering is that basis, which forms the ground for the re-establishment of man, in another condition. It is evident that man could find nothing of this kind in himself-he could not offer up a life, for he had none to offer, it was forfeited; and there was nothing to be found in him, but what would aggravate the judgment under which he had fallen. Once overtaken by the penalty, he could not be released from it; he had fallen under it. If a sinner has no soul, he is neither conscious of being under judgment nor of being delivered from it; but, if he has, and is to be released from it, the release must take place before the judgment overtakes him.
Abel's offering through faith sets forth the main points of the atonement. It is the primitive offering, and we may conclude that it was the one appointed of God. Abel offered of the firstling of his flock, and of the fat thereof. A. victim not chargeable with its offense, giving up its life, and not only this, but it is added, " and the fat thereof" The blood was the life given in substitution for one who had forfeited his life, and the fat, the acceptable thing on which God could deal anew with the lost one. Now, the sense first awakened in the sinner's soul, is, that there must be something offered between him and God. Even Pagans attest this in their propitiatory sacrifices, and the like; and the law is distinctly on this ground, for it does not simply exact obedience to "a code, which in God's mind is only worthy of man, as His creature, but it insists on the need of the intervention of sacrifices, of many and various kinds, to meet the many and various states of the old man. And this was consistent with the law, for the law addressed man as still alive; but while it did so, it could not over look the sense on the conscience of distance from God and of impending judgment; hence sacrifices and rituals were imposed-until the time of reformation, which could not purge the conscience. On it, there was the sense of judgment before God from which there could be no relief until there was an atonement which would perfectly answer for the life under forfeiture, and judgment, and open out a new way for appearing before God. The law dealt with man as still alive, and hence offerings were repeated, as expressing that there was need for intervention, because that which needed it was still in existence, or recognized as so. If the being under judgment had been superseded by an atonement having been offered, then there must be an end of that which required the atonement. Either the being continues waiting for an atonement and consequently remaining in the state that needs it, as was the case under the law, or the atonement has come and the state of the being needing it no longer remains. Both cannot stand together. If the atonement be a perfect one, it supersedes in the eye of God the being needing it. If it has been accepted, the state of the being needing it does not remain before God for any one connected with the substitute. The law could' not propose that man should be superseded; for if he were, there would be no occupation for the law; and hence while it suffered man to remain in his state, it demanded from the worshipper continual sacrifices which never purged the conscience; because, if they had, they would have ceased to be tiered. The moment the sacrifices effected the end desired, they ceased to be required. The error abroad is, that the atonement is not seen, as setting aside the being under judgment, and consequently there is a sense of needing something expiatory still; which, as I have said, involves two things-one, that the sacrifice is not a satisfactory one, and the other that the state of the being needing atonement still continues before God. The sacrifice is properly the substitution for the being needing it and if a true and sufficient one, then that for which it has been a substitute is not dealt with but the substitute. The substitute must have a life like that of the being to be atoned for, only guiltless, and unchangeable in any way with his offense; and must after proving its faithfulness, in every way, give up this unforfeited life, for the forfeited one, which exposed man to eternal judgment; and not only so but the substitute must be one who has life in Himself, in order that he may rise again as perfectly acceptable to God-as it is said, "raised from the dead, by the glory of the Father."
Christ having so perfectly answered every demand of God, and having borne the judgment on man, pours out His life, at the bottom of the altar, and from thence is quickened by the Spirit, to establish man in His own life forever. In His blood, there is for every believer a substitution for the forfeited life;-for death-that door into the eternal prison;-for man in Christ has no longer a forfeited life, but life in Him who has atoned for him and who has risen out of death and judgment; and hence the life atoned for, does not exist as needing atonement.
The great points for us to see are that the state of man, because of the fall was not remediable because the, life which was forfeited was the very life of the condition in which man was set on earth; and this forfeit was the penalty, only really known after it was paid, and not in the mere act of dying; and hence the substitute for this state cannot repair this forfeited life. The first terms of atonement are that a man's life, sinless, unchangeable, and meeting every demand of God under His judgment is to be given up, before He can do aught else in the way of blessing us. If the life were under probation (and probation could never atone for a state of offense) it would be open to man to repair it. This was the course observed under law. Man is there under trial, and the life is prolonged, judgment is staved off while it is kept. It did not propose to atone, but offered a continuance of life, while its demands were observed, and fir the obedient, it through the sacrifices, intimated that the life was not an acceptable one with God; even though, through obedience, its doom might be respited, as will be fully manifested in the Millennium. But atonement must meet the state as it is. Atonement is positive, and no tentative measure could be atonement. Hence in the paschal lamb, which was an offering instituted before the law, the blood is poured out. This is the first and great thing. This satisfies the eye of God; and He says," When I see the blood I will pass over." The state of man as he is, is met by that blood, typical of Christ's blood-" Christ our passover is sacrificed for us." The blood, meeting the eye of the Judge, atones for man's state. Man's life is forfeited, and here is a life poured out for it. It does not remove the forfeiture, but it removes the consequences of it. The forfeiture has been incurred, and there can be no removal of what has been incurred but there is removal of the consequences; and this removal is effected by the substitute taking the man's place, and being to his judgment bearing the whole weight of it, in man's nature; and then, giving up the life, in substitution, for the forfeited life. One with an unforfeited life, bears all the distance and agony due to the forfeited one, and having perfectly done so, gives the life up. He not only endures all that was due to man for his offense-all the suffering which a forfeited life eternally entailed; but having perfectly and righteously met all this, He gave up the life which was not forfeited; and hence, having answered, not only for the forfeited life, but for its consequences, neither the one nor the other remain to the one who is in Christ. A new path, a new position, is opened out. He has cleared off the old, and now risen, is the head and founder of another race. In the passover, the people of God were safe through the blood shed, but more than this, they were inside, feeding on the very lamb whose blood had saved them. The victim's place exposed the substitute to the judgment
resting on man. For man, death itself was but the door to the state of judgment. Christ bears the judgment, is made sin, put in the sinner's place. He who had no sin, is treated as if He had; and freely, and of His own accord, gives up His unforfeited life. Substitutionally He should die, " not for that nation only, but that he should gather together in one the children of God which are scattered abroad." He gives the unforfeited for the forfeited, after he had endured in Himself before God every agony due to the forfeited life; thus perfecting the atonement. Having been put in the sinner's place, treated as the sinner in suffering, He resigns that life by which He was able to connect Himself with man's state of suffering. He shed His blood and then closed forever the history of man for whom He had atoned. The blood righteously sets free the being who is sheltered in a new life, because he trusts in it, and not in the state which required it, but in that of the Substitute now risen from the dead. As the paschal lamb, I feed on Him, roast with fire. My entire engagement is with Him, and He supports me, as before by His blood He saved me from a judgment due to my life and state.
Under the law we get properly four kinds of offerings, which in their various ways set forth what God required of man. In all but the meat offering the blood was shed. In the burnt offering which set forth the devotedness of Christ offering himself to God, we have the blood sprinkled all round about the altar, and then the offering is offered up. The victim is first accepted as an atonement, the hands of man being laid on it, and then the life is given up. This was necessary even in the case of a burnt sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord. In like manner in the peace-offering the blood was sprinkled round about the altar; and it too was an offering made by fire of a sweet savor unto the Lord. The excellency of the victim being the special thing offered, as setting forth the ground and basis of all blessing, and hence giving full rest and peace to the soul before God. Christ's own personal excellence is the food of all the offerings, and the sure guarantee for eternal peace.
Now it is evident, that if God required those under law to meet' the demands of righteousness the first thing is the surrender of life. Even in the burnt and peace offerings, where there is no notice taken of actual sin, the blood was given up,-that is the life of the substitute must be surrendered previous to the acceptance and sweetness of savor accorded to the offering; and this atonement and sprinkling of blood was consequent on the laying on of hands of the man needing it. 1 understand the laying on of hands to imply the attributing of man's state to the substitute. The substitute's life was poured out itself without blemish, but having been charged with man's state, previous to death it surrenders its unblemished life for his, and is accepted in perfect sweetness before God, as outside, and apart from, that life, for which it had atoned. Hence it is, as I understand, that when in Ex. 24:55And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the Lord. (Exodus 24:5), the blood of burnt offerings and peace offerings was sprinkled, there was an open way for the Elders of Israel into the presence of God. The atonement is in the blood Lev. 17:1111For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. (Leviticus 17:11); but it is plain that when the hands were laid on the. victim the penalty and the consequences of that which rested on him who laid his hands thereon were made over to the substitute, Thus Christ was placed under all the weight of man's state. before He died. He suffered because of what was placed to His account. He was made sin, and then poured out His life; and 'presented Himself in His offering capacity in every accept- able way a sweet savor in the very highest degree to God. In the sin offering the blood was not only sprinkled but all of it was poured out at the bottom of the altar; and besides the fat being burnt on the altar the carcass was burnt in a clean place without the camp. That is to say, there was to be no longer an admission of the existence of the being substitutionally represented, in the carcass. There was the excellency of the victim and the giving up of the life of the victim; but with Christ there was also, the suffering of being made sin, the just for the unjust. His death ended before God that order of being which had sinned. He was justified in the spirit, and not in the flesh. He was put to death in the flesh-but quickened-made alive (that is the opposite to death) in the spirit. In the fullness of time, God sent His 'Son, in a body prepared for Him. He was made flesh. and dwelt among us. After thirty years of patient growth, passing through every phase of man's life here below, and fully conversant with it, He comes forth into public ministry, satisfying the long restrained desire of His heart to be about His Father's business; and then, as is recorded in the three first gospels, He went about doing good, healing all that were oppressed of the devil-He set forth that there 'was no state or infirmity of man in this present life, which He could not relieve or remove. He raised the dead, expelled devils, healed the leper, gave sight to the blind, cured every disease; and yet with all this, He was not able, in the days of His flesh, to place man in likeness to Himself as God's man on earth. For this He must die; hence He says: "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone." It can never produce one like unto itself, unless it dies; but if' it die, it brings forth much fruit. Sad and sorrowful as was His walk and pilgrimage here for thirty three years, He now (John 12:24-2824Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 26If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor. 27Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. 28Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. (John 12:24‑28)), foresees the terrible season when as the sin-bearer He would enter into the suffering of a sinner's. distance from God. Hence He adds: " Father save me from this hour, but for this cause came I unto this hour." He now a man, in man's life, undertakes to bear in Himself from God-all that was due to man. He has walked in every circumstance here well pleasing to God. He has been the Father's delight, in all the ways of a man; and now, as the burnt offering He offers Himself freely without spot to God; surrendering every privilege and power to' which He was entitled, as the Holy One on earth. Unprotected, and unguarded, He is open to all the attacks of men; and exposed to all the malice of Satan; and not only this, but when He takes the place of the victim-in giving up His life,-His unforfeited life,-for man, then the consequences of this falls upon Him on the cross. He endures, trusting in God, bearing in His soul, for a season, the suffering and agony of one consigned by death unto eternal distance from God. Then He trusts, and then He prays; and then is succored, because He had done no wrong, neither was sin found in His mouth. He, in conscious and restored favor gives up the ghost, pours out His life, sheds His blood at the bottom of the altar, but being holy throughout, yea the most perfect sweet savor to God in it all, He does not see corruption; He is not holden of death; He is raised from the dead by the glory of the Father; He is quickened in the spirit,-man, alive again, but after a new order; and now the fountain, and source of eternal life, to as many as come unto Him. And in proof of this, He breathes on His disciples, and says, " Receive ye the Holy Ghost." He can now impart to us His own life, by and in the power of the Holy Ghost. While He walked here for thirty-three years, however close His contact, however He imparted of His virtues to man, He had never placed man on a level with Himself, as a man here. He still abode alone. The corn of wheat by no amount of contact with men here, had brought any to His own order. The greatest miracle did not effect conversion apart from the word. "Were there not ten cleansed, but where are the nine?" (Luke 17:1717And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? (Luke 17:17)). The one who returns to give glory to God, is the converted one, and the one in whom the word of Christ creates rest and assurance. There was no meeting or remedying the state of man, until the man Jesus Christ placed Himself under the hand of God, as one in Himself utterly and entirely irresponsible for man's state, having first proved in every stage and circumstance of life, that He could walk in the flesh, in every way well pleasing to God, to undergo all that was due to man, and in the searching agony of it, to be proved to the utmost, as to whether any thought for Himself, could arise apart from God. Nothing but self renunciation and simple subjection to God marked Him throughout; and His perfect life-He then pours out. It is not that He pours out the life merely; but He does so, after having exposed Himself to the judgment which the deprivation of life entails. He surrendered the life in which He had thus exposed Himself to judgment; and then, though the one holy perfect man, born of a woman in man's estate, who had been in every way well pleasing to God, having been made sin,-treated as the guilty, offers Himself; sheds His blood, surrenders an existence which righteously He had held, and lived in, and on which there was no claim, as substitution -for that which had been forfeited by man. He had a life which had not been forfeited; but which had endured, in the hour of forsaking, more than any man had endured, in suffering and distance from God. He had a life which was perfect in every way; most pleasing to God; but He gave it up, and before giving it up, endured in it all that was on man-because of his evil and sin. " Now is the Son of man glorified." Having so endured, having glorified God as a man, He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost. The life in which He, as a man, had glorified God, and in which He had endured man's judgment, He does not retain-He pours it out. The atonement is in the blood. We are reconciled to God by the death of His Son. The reconciliation is effected. The sinless one has been made sin, and has given up a life which He might have retained, in substitution for a life which was forfeited. But He has glorified God in it all, and hence, He is raised from the dead; we are saved by His life. " If Christ be not risen, our faith is vain, we are yet in our sins." The resurrection is the proof of acceptance, but it is for our justification. That which represented the resurrection in the typical offerings was, I suppose, the fire feeding on the fat. At any rate the fat was the excellency of the animal, and the fire consuming it indicated its acceptance. Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, and the resurrection is the proof and evidence that He has indeed offered Himself without spot to God, and that it was impossible that He should be holden of death. But then, having destroyed the power of death and abolished it, He has brought to light life and incorruptibility. In His resurrection, He is the quickening Spirit. He can impart life, His life, to those whose death He has borne. Being reconciled to God by the death of His Son, how much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by His life. He shed His blood for us, and now risen, He is the second man, able to communicate of His life to those, for whom, before He died for them, He could do nothing but relieve. He must die for them where they were, in order to set them in the life in which He is. He must bear their death and its consequences, before He could share with them His life which, is eternal.
The resurrection is the proof that Christ had in everything glorified God, and hence it is for the glory of God that He should rise from the dead. It would have compromised the glory if He had not risen. Having given up His sinless life for man's sinful life, He is raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, and also declared to be the Son of God with power, by the resurrection from the dead. The resurrection is the proof that there was life outside of death. The atonement required a life, not. liable to death, and this, being delivered up, His life, as the Son of God, asserts its place; and it is for the glory of the Father, to raise Him from among the dead; manifesting the mighty power which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in heavenly places. The penalty incurred by man is not only borne, but borne by one in no way liable to it, as the substitute for man. He gives the life which in every step and walk here, was so honoring to God, sacrificially, and more than this-He rises not only because He has life in Himself; but the glory of the Father requires that One so perfect here as a man, and so glorifying God, in submitting fully to all His righteousness, with the end and aim of unlocking the heart of God; giving Him full liberty to deal on new and eternal ground with His people once under condemnation;-the glory of the Father requires, I repeat, that such an one, should be in life again, as a man; though not in the life which He had poured out, but should, without seeing corruption, be raised up in the eternity of His own life.
The first man being under sentence, has received sentence in the cross of Christ, and not only this-a
sinless life is offered for the sinful one;. and He the substitute, being raised from the dead is the source and founder of a new race in eternal life, and perfect holiness. We are cleansed from all sin by the blood of Jesus Christ His Son. We are' made nigh by His blood. Nothing remains to interfere, or interpose, seeing that the life in which all the offense has been committed has been judged in Christ, and that He has given up His perfect unforfeited life, for our sinful forfeited one. But He is raised from being the dead man, into a living man by the spirit of God, in the power of an endless life and the man is on the highest ground, and in the highest connection, glorified now, in the Son who has done all the Father's will, and finished His work. The first man is set aside judicially in righteousness; and the Son of God, who as man met the righteousness of God, and bowed to it in judgment, is the one to express in fullness the love of God. He bore the righteous judgment fully. He when here, in a region where sin abounded, answered to God's nature in righteousness; and He expresses in fullness, and perfection, that nature which is love, when sin has been forever put away.
Blessed Mission I Blessed Missionary to our heart of all the grace and goodness of the living God. As we live by Him, may we live to Him, in joy and purpose of heart. Amen! J. B. S.