AT the time of the late Prussian war, a young man, a husband, and at the same time a father, was called to serve in the ranks, upon which a fellow-countryman of his, who was unmarried, presented himself, saying, that he having no wife or children dependent on him, his life was of less importance than that of the other, and that he was willing to serve in his stead. Such an offer, under the circumstances, was not likely to be rejected, he accordingly took the place of substitute for his friend, went forth into the field, and fell in battle.
After this there was another conscription, and the survivor, through an oversight on the part of the Government, was again required to serve. Now, however, he had a plea in his favor, which at first he had not. How do you suppose he answered the summons? He answered it thus: “I AM DEAD—I HAVE LOST MY LIFE IN SERVING MY COUNTRY, AND SHE HAS NO FURTHER CLAIM UPON ME; and so it actually was, he had died in the person of his substitute, and hence, a living man as he was, he could resign himself to be dead, and therefore exempted from exposing his life in the field.
So it is with us whose hope is in Christ. We reckon ourselves to be dead. And why? Because he, the Son of God, has died in our stead, because the penalty due to us has been borne by our Surety. (See Rom. 6:11.) On the cross He was made sin, forsaken of God; all, all to satisfy the justice of Him who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, who required that sin should meet its due punishment. This, and this alone, is our plea. By faith we identify ourselves with Him who first identified Himself with us, so that we realize ourselves to be dead—dead to sin, in two ways, dead to it both judicially and morally, simply because, in the person of our Substitute, we have suffered, and can therefore say with the apostle, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Gal. 2:20.
And now how is this? Has every one a right to speak thus of himself? No, in no way, we answer.
No one can do so but the TRUE BELIEVER, HE WHO WITH THE HEART BELIEVES UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS. He who by faith is united to Christ, who lives because He lives, who is alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord, he alone can speak of himself as dead, as having the old man crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth he should not serve sin. See Rom. 6:6.
Such is the position of the believer, though often, unhappily, through weakness of faith, he cannot speak of his state with the full confidence that he is entitled to do. lint let him only look away from himself, and. cast his eye upon Christ, and it will be otherwise with him. Let him, as in the case of the young man who gave that remarkable answer, when called to risk his life in the field, simply realize the fact that another has died in his stead, and that consequently he is dead, and he will be perfectly fearless, no judgment, no wrath, he will feel can reach him. Identified as he is in resurrection with him in whom the Father is well pleased, the value of the sufferings of that infinitely worthy One are imputed to him, as well as His worthiness. This is the ground of his confidence, hence he knows himself to be not only delivered from death, but also entitled to perfect, infinite happiness, in “THAT DAY” when Christ shall reap the reward of His work; of that devotedness which brought Him down from His true home above into the midst of the darkness and desolation of this sorrowful world; which caused Him, in the likeness of sinful flesh, to give his life a ransom for the lost and unworthy. See Rom. 8:1-4.