I AM firmly persuaded that we live in a time when there is great need that there be a solemn declaration of the fundamental truths of the Gospel.
First of all, let me call your attention to the fundamental importance of the Atonement—that is to say, the death of Christ on the cross for you and me. The death of Jesus Christ is mentioned one hundred and seventy-five times and more in the New Testament, to say nothing of the almost countless references to the death of Christ in the prophecies and types of the Old Testament; so it is evident at once how large a place that death occupies in the thought of God. Some people say, "Oh, don't be talking about the death of Christ all the time. Talk about His life." Well, I believe in talking about His life; I believe in His resurrection, but the fundamental truth of the Gospel is His DEATH.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:1-41Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Corinthians 15:1‑4): " Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you... how that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures. "This sums it up in one sentence. What was the Gospel?" That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again. "That is the whole Gospel according to Paul. People come to me and say," These songs about the Blood, I wish you would not sing them." A man went so far as to take one of our hymn-books, and cut out every reference to the Blood, every reference to the Atonement, then he sent it back, and said," Now you have a hymn-book that is worth singing." Why, if that man should go through the Bible in that way, and take out every reference to the death of Christ, he would not have anything but a skeleton left, and if our hymnology is to be along the lines of the Bible, it must abound in references to the atoning death.
We are told in Luke 9:30, 3130And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 31Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. (Luke 9:30‑31) in the story of the appearance of Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration that Moses and Elias, the representatives of prophecy and of the law, came back and talked with Him. What did they talk about? "And, behold, there talked with Him two men, which were Moses and Elias; who appeared in glory, and spake of His decease, which He should accomplish at Jerusalem." That is the one thing they talked about, our Lord's sacrifice. Such a conversation was never held on any other occasion on earth, and the one subject of that conversation was the atoning death of Jesus Christ. Could anything make more for the fundamental importance of His death?
We are told in Hebrews 2:1414Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; (Hebrews 2:14) "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." Now we are going to hear why Jesus Christ took flesh and blood, why the eternal Son of God became incarnate. People are constantly asking, "Why did the eternal God become a man?" Listen. "He took part of the same that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." Here we are told in the inspired Word of God that the purpose for which Jesus Christ was incarnate was that He might die. When Jesus came into the world, He came into the world for the purpose of dying. The Bible teaching is that the death of Christ was no mere incident of His incarnation, but the very purpose of His incarnation; that He was born as a Man, that He died as a Man. He Himself said the same thing.
In Matthew 20:2828Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:28) He says: "The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many." We are told in 1 Peter 1:10-1210Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. (1 Peter 1:10‑12) that the prophecies of the Old Testament revealed by the Holy Spirit of God concerning the sufferings of Christ, and the glory which should follow them after the death of Christ, was a subject of intense interest to the inspired men of the Old Testament, and in verse 12 we are told that the angels desire to look into these things. No subject is more interesting to the angelic world than the subject of the Atonement.
In the picture of heaven and heaven's choir in Revelation 5:8-128And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints. 9And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. 11And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. (Revelation 5:8‑12), "They sang a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy Blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth." The atoning death of Jesus Christ is the one great central theme of heaven's choir. That man who cut the hymn-book, and cut out all reference to the Atonement, all reference to the atoning death, all reference to the Blood, he will be very lonesome when he gets to heaven, for that is the one theme of heaven's song.
In the second place, What was the purpose of Christ's death? Let us hear His own statement: "The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matt. 20: 28). Jesus Christ Himself here declares that the purpose of His death was to provide a ransom for many; that His death was the price paid to purchase our life. Christ died that you and I might live. "The wages of sin is death." He provided a ransom. He died that He might pay the price that was necessary to purchase life for you and me.
To sum up: When Jesus Christ died upon the Cross of Calvary a perfect satisfaction to God's holiness was made regarding your sin and mine. A basis was provided upon which God could pass over and blot out the sins of the vilest sinner; and now, on the ground of the perfect satisfaction that Christ made on the Cross of Calvary, pardon is offered to everyone. Some of you want to do something to atone for sin. You cannot, and you don't need to. There is nothing to be done; it is all done; you have simply to accept as your personal Savior the perfect Sin-bearer whom God has provided. The moment you do so; the moment you accept God's testimony regarding Christ, that every one of your sins was laid upon Him, and that God is ready to forgive you on the ground of Jesus having died in your place—the moment you do it, every sin you ever committed is blotted out, and you stand before God clean and white, without one sin to your account.
Would you like to know that there was not a cloud between you and God, knowing that every sin you ever committed was atoned for and put away, knowing that God had blotted out every sin, and that you stood perfectly just in God's sight? Well, you can do it. How? Believe what God says about the death of Christ; that Christ's death was the propitiation for your sins, satisfying all God's wrath on account of your sin, and simply trust God to forgive you because Jesus died in your place. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)).
But listen. There is absolutely no other ground upon which any man or woman can ever be accepted before God, except on the ground of the atoning death. The forgiven sinners are all who believe on Jesus, and the unforgiven sinners are all who do not believe on Jesus. To WHICH CLASS DO YOU BELONG? R. A. TORREY.