Notes of an Address on
“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” ―2 Cor. 5:20, 21
THE subject I desire to dwell upon this evening is in the last two or three lines of this profound and wonderful chapter: it is contained in that one sentence, “The ministry of reconciliation.”
The very expression, as you will at once see, is full of most blessed consolation for every exercised heart―the very form in which it is put, the very title of the ministry, all tell out the same thing; and this is the ministry which has characterized the whole period since our Lord Jesus Christ was upon earth.
He Himself was, I need not say, the expression of it; but from the moment of His resurrection and the descent of the Holy Ghost, the whole of that period until He comes again―a moment unknown to all but the Father―is characterized and marked by this ministry.
That period has already, under the long-suffering of our God, stretched itself out marvelously; as Peter says in replying to scoffers, giving as a reason for the delay a powerful motive, and one which comes homo with extraordinary power to every unconverted soul, “The long-suffering of our God is salvation, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
We must take these words in their full unqualified sense; we are not to allow such words to be, cut down in order to fit into the narrow, meager, poverty-stricken theological systems of men. These words are pregnant with spiritual meaning and power; there is what I may term a flash of spiritual light and life in them, and all that is sure to be tampered with when men try to square and fit them into their systems all their glow, fullness, meaning, and power, we must take these words, “The Lord is long-suffering, not willing that any should perish.”
He does not say any of the elect; though every well-instructed Christian knows that everyone who is saved is the subject of God’s electing grace. He is not willing that any should perish, and so if there is one, old or young, that has not been brought savingly to Christ, this passage comes down with all its weight, power, point, and application to you. So far as you are concerned, our Lord is waiting on you, holding back His glory, not wiling that you should perish, but that you should come to repentance at once.
Now, in considering this great subject, we shall present it under the following heads, namely, first, the oasis upon which the ministry of reconciliation rests, secondly, the terms in which it is couched, and thirdly, the objects towards whom it is exercised.
But, first of all I shall notice one expression at the beginning of the chapter. The inspired apostle says― “We know.” Now, it is of all importance that your souls should know what is the ground of certainty for you at a moment like the present, when everything is shaking. The most cursory observer must see how men’s minds are being shaken, how old institutions are crumbling before the popular voice; the most hallowed and revered institutions, according to men’s thoughts, are being swept away by the rising tide of human opinion.
Every one who rises to address men on eternal things is bound to warn his hearers against superstition on the one hand and infidelity on the other. Superstition admits that God has spoken, but denies that you and I can understand what He says without the intervention of what is called the church or the clergy, which is the same as saving that God’s revelation is of no use at all. If God cannot make me understand what He has spoken, if I must have recourse to some human authority, then, of course, virtually I have lost the value of a divine revelation. But it is your privilege, not to say your bounden duty and solemn responsibility, to know that God has spoken, and spoken to you; that He has given you a revelation of His mind, and that, apart from all human authority, if you were compelled to live in the prairie or the bush, isolated from your fellowmen, you have in His Word a link of such fullness, power, and divine perfection, that no power of earth or hell can ever break it.
And so the language with which this magnificent Scripture opens contains the expression of simple Christian certainty. It opens with the statement, “We know;” that is the expression of common certainty; it is not the especial portion of apostles, or some very advanced and holy people; it is no matter of attainment, though of course we all long for attainment in divine things.
But mark, it is one of the most subtle and mischievous devices of the enemy of your souls, one of the most deadly schemes of the devil, to make this certainty of which I speak rest upon a basis of attainment in any shape or form.
I grant you that the more we attain the clearer do things become; the nearer I get to Christ the more I learn of the Word, but that in no wise touches the statement I have already made. Christian certainty rests on this, a basis which now is brought nigh to you—and what is it? God’s Word, His own simple testimony, something outside of you: consequently the apostle says, “We know.”
The other influence to which I refer is infidelity, rationalism, or skepticism; it is increasing everywhere, and will still increase. I am fully persuaded that first superstition and then infidelity will override the whole of Christendom. What is infidelity? To deny that God has spoken at all, that is its one grana point: the only remedy for your hearts against superstition on the one hand, and infidelity on the other, is a profound faith in Holy Scripture. Take God’s Word; we have the positive certainty that, come what may, all is settled for us.
Having said this ranch on that sentence, shall proceed to unfold briefly the three points.
In the first place, note the important distinction between reconciliation and atonement. They are often confounded, and our excellent English translation has in some instances confounded them, and so helped on confusion in men’s minds: they are nevertheless two distinct things.
In the following passages the two words are confounded. Romans 5:11. “And not only so, but we joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the atonement.” The word here should be reconciliation.
Heb. 2:17 ― “To make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” Here it should be atonement.
What is the difference between them? First of all, let it be clearly settled that they are not the same. Atonement is the basis on which reconciliation takes place; without the atonement there could be no reconciliation: it is the exclusive basis. You cannot be too clear as to this; the only basis of this ministry is the atoning death of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Every single thing about our blessed Lord―His whole life, all that He did, said, and was every single movement of His blessed life, is fraught with deepest interest to us, as it was ever emitting a fragrant odor to the throne of God; it is the delight of the Holy Ghost to throw Him out into contrast with all that ever were before or beside Him. It is certainly no thought of ours to detract from the value of the life of our Lord Jesus Christ and His life sufferings. Three things were secured by His life here on earth: God was perfectly glorified: again and again the heavens opened to express God’s delight in that blessed One. Secondly, He left us an example that we should follow His steps; and thirdly, He perfectly tested man as he never had been tested before; so much so that He could say al the end, “If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin.”
But where was He made sin for us? In the manger? in His baptism? in His life? in Gethsemane? Where? On the cross only. This we must maintain with all possible authority and decision: we cannot submit to have this discussed by anyone; it was there alone that God made Him to be sin for us.
I do not believe that there is in the whole of Scripture a fuller statement than this; it contains wrapped up in its ample folds the foundation of this ministry. Oh, what a striking word! Mark it again: “He made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” In this all-important Scripture there are three parties. Draw near, I beseech you, for a moment and gaze upon the three; God, Christ, and sin. And tell me this: Have you learned thoroughly what you are in God’s sight? have you, my beloved friends, under the convicting light and action of the Holy Ghost―have you as in the presence of God Himself, learned this? In the light of His presence, where the truth penetrates to the very center of your moral being, where God lays bare those roots int lie far beyond human ken, and have struck themselves deep into the soil of the human heart, have you, I say, been brought to this point?
Now, tell me honestly, can you say sincerely that that third party represents you: others may talk as they like, but I am sin from head to foot; all sin―the root, branches, blossoms, leaves, and everything? It is true, of course; but can you say it? I appeal to your hearts; how can you do otherwise? I ask, honestly and seriously, can you say that? The only question is, will you find it out now, in the presence of this ministry of reconciliation. This is the question, and one which I feel bound to urge upon you with all the energy I possess. It is not within the compass of human power, nor of all the vehemence that ever was put forth, to produce a single divine emotion in the soul, yet I am equally persuaded that it is my bounden duty not to leave a stone unturned, nor an argument unused, to reach the door of the heart; and anyone who does not feel this, who does not know what it is to have sat and wept over impenitent souls, is not fit to be a preacher.
If you can say, by the convicting power of the Holy Ghost, I am that third party, it is the very best thing you ever said yet. What, then, is the precious truth that shines like a gem, with heavenly luster, on the very forefront of this ministry? God has made Christ to be that thing which you are. What a reality! It is no mere question of dabbling on the surface; it is not what you find in modem evangelical teaching―namely, that Christ paid your debts. Ah! He has done much more than that; what I want you to see is, that the atoning death of Christ did a great deal more for you than blot out your debts. Of course He did that, for the less must be included in the greater; He not only blotted out your guilt, but He put to death that which committed the sin. There is no such expression in Scripture as “the forgiveness of sin:” you find forgiveness of sins; but God has judged and put it away by the sacrifice of His Son.
There is another point to which I wish to direct your attention: it is what people say about Christ having reconciled the Father to us; and I should not notice it, beloved friends, were it not essential to a right understanding of the whole subject before us. I do not think that anyone will understand the nature, the genius, the character, the glory, of this ministry of reconciliation, who has his mind tinged with the false notion to which I am referring; and further, I do not believe that any heart can have a right sense of what God is, what His heart is, whose mind is tinged by that error.
God is never spoken of in Scripture as being reconciled to us; it is utterly false and a falsification of the divine character, to say that He needs to be reconciled to us. I could take you through every verse in the New Testament in which the word reconciliation occurs, and could show you that it is always men or things that are reconciled to God. Turn to Colossians 1:20, which is full of sweetness: “Having made peace by the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile,” What? God? the Father? never! ― “by him to reconcile all things to himself” ―all things― “by him. I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were some time alienated, and enemies in your mind, by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled.”
That is a simple and noble passage; I give it you as a sample of those passages in the New Testament where this subject is unfolded. One Scripture can never contradict another; if you come to an apparent discrepancy, put it down to your own ignorance. It is we that have to be reconciled, because when you speak of being reconciled, it is always with regard to ono who has gene out of his normal or proper relationship.
Now God has not stepped out of that condition towards us; His heart is the same, full of mercy and tenderness. Our hearts are full of enmity and rebellion, and so we need to be reconciled.
What does God do? He is seen coming in His own boundless love, unfathomable grace, rich infinite mercy; He is seen coming out to beseech sinners to be reconciled to Him. Only think of it; He is beseeching sinners in this ministry of reconciliation and righteousness and love, which brings out the whole character of God. He is seen with outstretched arms, beseeching you to be friends. He is not asking you to give the best of this and that, nor yet to do this, that and the other; that is law; that is Moses; that is the ministry of death and condemnation. On the contrary―the glorious contrary―God has given, His Son, and His outstretched arms and open heart beseech the vilest sinner to be friends with Him.
We should never have believed it if it had not been revealed. It is wonderful, and now all this, touching and charming as it is, would be nothing if we did not understand the ground of it. God does it on this ground, that He has taken you up, and al that you are and have done, and He has made Christ to be that. He has transferred to Christ all that you were, all that you have done; He has laid it all upon Him. It seems to me to be the most forcible, striking, commanding way in which it could be put. He has taken that spotless One, that holy One; He has given that One who was His ineffable delight from all eternity; He has taken Him for you and for me―for you, I say get hold of it; He has treated Him as you deserved; He has laid upon Him all that you should have borne―the wrath and judgment due to you he has passed upon Him; He has made Him to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
In Him as He now is, risen from the dead, the believer stands, made the righteousness of God in Him. If this sinks down into your hearts no power of men, devils, superstition or infidelity can ever shake you; you can never be moved if you get hold of this. I entreat you to let this sink down into your hearts. Take your stand beside the cross, gaze on that sacrifice; what do you see? You see God at the cross, dealing with all that you were and all that you have done. Behold that blessed Christ now crowned with glory; He is the measure of your acceptance before God, and of the standing which you have in Him. That is the place you are brought to.
Get hold of this: I look upon it as a matter of divine and eternal importance that every exercised soul should get hold of it: according to this ministry, Christ represented you on the cross. Oh, what a thought! What a truth! All that I was, my sins, my guilt; all that God had against me; the whole thing was made an end of in the cross of Christ. God and sin met on the cross; what was the issue? That sin was borne away, that the tide of love might roll over you. Nothing short of this is the Gospel; and then to be told that Christ came to reconcile the Father to us, that he came to reconcile God to us―it is a misrepresentation, a fallacy, and a falsification of God’s character. “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
I must now notice the terms, “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, and not imputing their trespasses unto them,” but imputing righteousness. These are the terms, and you are the object.
I would close with an earnest appeal to every soul here that is not reconciled, and allow me to appeal to you thus. There is a moment rapidly approaching when this ministry will close forever, when the ambassadors will be called in and their beseeching voice never be heard again. There is no shadow of hope for those who have heard of and rejected Christ―no hope for Christendom when the Master has risen up and shut-to the door. Christ is now seated, the door is open, and He is crying to you; then, He will have risen up, the door will be shut, and you will be crying to Him. Oh, what a moment! Oh! every one of you here tonight, I beseech you think of this: there is a moment rapidly approaching―every throb of your pulse brings you nearer to it―when the Master of the house will rise; this very night Christ might come.
Does He know you, and do you know Him?
He will disregard the plea of Christendom “We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.” How awful will be His response. “Verily I say unto you, I never knew you; depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” What then? Weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Dear unsaved sinner, a boundless eternity is before you: you are rushing through the narrow archway of time, and the ocean of eternity is before you. Will you lay down your head tonight on a Christless pillow? Oh! will the Master rise and you be outside? You will then remember this very night. You are besought to be reconciled: if you refuse, the day will come—when He will say to you, “Because when called, ye refused; I stretched out my hand, and no man regarded it; I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh.”
Once more let me intreat you to bow your head at once under this ministry of reconciliation, and a river of peace shall flow into your soul―a river of unbroken, divine, eternal repose.
C. H. M.