THE whole question, abstractly I mean, of good and evil came out at the cross. All the fullness of evil, on the one hand, in the rejection of Christ; and, on the other, the infinite love of God in giving His Son, in divine righteousness withal against sin; and the same love seen in the Son giving Himself. Perfection also in man in the Son's love to the Father, and His perfect 'obedience. Satan's full power over man was displayed too. Everything was brought to a point in a kind of summing of it all up together. There I find all the perfect love of God, and the perfect evil of man brought out. But that is all over and done: " He hath 'made him to be sin for us who knew no sin." And then I find the second Man, in virtue of this, gone up to sit on the right hand of God.
As I look up at Christ in glory I find that He so glorified God Himself in this work, that He has put man into His own glory. I get thus my own place in. Him; I give up my place as a, child of Adam. Christ has been made sin for me, and all my sins are gone. But we are brought out utter sinners in heart and act. Shall I tell you why you commit sins? Because you like them! That is what you are by nature. I have altogether given up all hope, and fled to the cross. I have given up what 1 am. I have got all He has done.
Where is righteousness then? It is not in man; it is, in God. Law and judgment are against me. Yes, but Christ has been made sin. If Christ was made sin on the cross, it is on the cross, that righteousness against sin was shown. That is as to sin it was; but, when I get Christ at the right hand of God as man, there I see righteousness manifested and glorified in Him. In that which Christ did I find God perfectly glorified; as He says in the sixteenth of John: " Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more." It is part of God's righteousness to put me into glory-the glory of Christ-because Christ has earned me for Himself by giving Himself for me; and has earned the glory for me. He would not have the travail of His soul, and be satisfied, if He had not got me. He is sitting there at the right hand of God in virtue of what He has done for me, and I am in Him; and, if in Him, then I am in the righteousness of God. Sins looked at as my responsibility are gone, and, as the apostle triumphantly reasons: " Who is he that condemneth? " How can you condemn what is in Christ? All that He has done for me, and has shown me the glory and the blessedness of my place, that it is not in Adam but in Christ, consequent on all that the second Man has done for me-made sin for me that I might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
It is because of the full efficacy of the work et the Lord. Jesus Christ, that the Holy Ghost has been sent down to me. God has wrought me for the self same thing; and, if I say, How can 1 be sure that I shall be there? my answer is, Because it is the effect of what Christ has done. The day of judgment would have referred to what I have done. My place now is the effect of what Christ has done. If I am a new creature I am made the righteousness of God in Christ God has wrought me for that; it was His mind, His thought, His intention, and He has given me The earnest of the Spirit.
Never rest without the consciousness in your soul that you are, in Christ, this new creation, waiting for the adoption, the redemption of the body. (J. N. D.)