From an Address in Dublin, 1872.
LET me turn back to the basis of all this. Christ bore our sins in His own body on the tree, and all is perfectly settled forever. If it is not, it never can be. It is done once for all―forever. There is no other application of the work as regards putting away sin in God’s sight. He does not impute the believer’s sins, for the simple, blessed reason that Christ has borne them, and is sitting at the right hand of God because it is done.
Many a true, honest soul sees only past sins settled; but what about sinning afterwards? Go to Calvin, and he will send you back to baptism. Evangelicalism would have you go back to the blood. Hebrews 10 speaks of the corners thereunto being perfect; Hebrews 9:99Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; (Hebrews 9:9), a perfect conscience before God. If I go into God’s presence, I haven’t the most distant thought that He imputes anything to me as guilt. That is what is wanting in so many souls. The worshippers once purged have no more conscience of sins. There is a consciousness of indwelling sin. The old stock (i.e., the nature which produced the sins) is still there.
I go into the presence of God now and see Christ sitting there, because by one offering He has settled everything (Heb. 10:11-44).
Those whom He has set apart to God He has perfected forever as to their consciences.
“Forever” means―never interrupted. If I come to God, Christ is always there, and my conscience always perfect.
I must go and humble myself in the dust, if I have dishonored Christ; but that does not touch the relationship.
It is in the holiest I learn how bad sin is. I could not be before God in light until the veil was rent. By one offering He has perfected my conscience, and when I go to God I find Christ, who bore my sins, sitting down at God’s right hand, because He has done it.
J. N. D.