We come now to the teaching of the Holy Spirit, on and after the day of Pentecost. It was not until Jesus, our atoning Substitute, was glorified, that the Holy Spirit could come to dwell here in the redeemed. Jesus had distinctly told them, “For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you” (John 16:77Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. (John 16:7)). His presence here, then, is in consequence of redemption being accomplished by the Son of God.
On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit used Peter to announce, in the very city where Jesus had been rejected and slain, that God had, according to the scriptures, raised Him from the dead and made Him both Lord and Christ — the very Jesus whom they had crucified. This announcement convicts them of the deepest and blackest sin; and makes them cry out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” They are directed to repent and be baptized in the very name of this once rejected, now exalted, Jesus Christ, the Savior Christ, for the remission of sins just as was foretold by Gabriel, the angel of God. And with many other words did he testify and exhort.
And the effect was marvelous. “The same day there were added about three thousand souls.” The day had now dawned, when “whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Reconciliation for iniquity had now been made. The veil was rent — Jesus had entered heaven, by His own blood. He entered into the holy place, and now the mercy-seat is opened to the whole world. Peter did not as yet fully comprehend this. But the Holy Spirit acted upon this great truth. Jesus had cried, It is finished. God had rent the veil. Here it may be well to be reminded of the contrast between the propitiatory aspect of the sacrifice of Christ, and Christ as His people’s Substitute.
Propitiation is what the blood is to God for His people and for all creation. As He said, as to redemption, “When I see the blood.” So on the day of atonement, when the blood was first sprinkled before God, He saw the blood. But the blood of bullocks and goats never enabled God to rend the veil. Those sacrifices could not open the mercy-seat to the whole world. The blood of Jesus was shed, the veil was rent, the mercy-seat is opened to the whole world. Hence the Spirit of God gives the word now, “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord.” And to show that none are excluded, the first preaching sets the door wide open to the very murderers of Jesus; and three thousand enter in. It is on this ground that all preaching proceeds in the Acts. Indeed, the commission was as wide as the human race. “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:4747And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:47)). No matter, then, of what nationality you are; repentance and remission of sins are preached to you. God sees the blood; He is glorified by the death of His Son. The propitiatory mercy-seat is opened to you. Repentance and everlasting remission of sins are proclaimed to you.
In this aspect, as the propitiatory mercy-seat, the atonement is, as to the whole human race, unlimited. And thus the gospel is preached unto every creature. God has been glorified on the cross. But the atonement, in the sense of substitution, is limited to believers; to those who have redemption through His blood.
Let us, however, look at the scriptures. We have seen the door opened to the rejecting, despising Jews, by the preaching of Peter. Let us now see the same door opened to the Gentiles by the same apostle. After speaking of His death and resurrection, he says, “To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name, WHOSOEVER believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word” (Acts 10:43, 4443To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. 44While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. (Acts 10:43‑44)). Thus blessed be God! to both Jew and Gentile, the effect of the propitiation is an unlimited proclamation of mercy and forgiveness of sins. God sees the blood, infinite in value, before Him; and thus whosoever believeth in Jesus, shall receive remission of sins. Through the propitiation, forgiveness is preached. And to all who believe the message of God, from that moment they know Jesus as their Substitute, all sins and trespasses are forgiven: to this the Holy Spirit bears witness.
The preaching of Paul is on precisely the same ground. What does the preach to the Jews in their synagogue, and to the crowd of Gentiles? First, the death and resurrection of Jesus. Then the unlimited proclamation of forgiveness, with the absolute assurance that all that believe are justified from all things. Read his proclamation in Acts 13. Does this set aside the sovereignty of God? Not for a moment. Forgiveness of sins is truly preached to all; for the same words were preached to the Gentiles. And what was the effect? “And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed (Acts 13:4848And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. (Acts 13:48)). Now why should Christians differ about these two things? Is it not the clear doctrine of scripture that forgiveness of sins is preached to all, to every creature? Is it not an absolute fact that all who believe God ARE justified from all things? God says so in His inspired word. But if you ask, And who do believe? the answer is perfectly clear, “As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed.” We have no more right to deny one of these truths than the other.
Nothing can exceed the importance of the soul clearly understanding the ground of these two things: the propitiation of the death of Christ by which He has become the mercy-seat to the whole world, and His substitution for His people’s sins, by which THEY are justified from all things. It is the same sacrifice once offered. But, reader, have you the clear certainty in your own soul that, believing God, you are justified from all things? Do you say, “Well, I do not enjoy that certainty”?
It is no use denying the fact that there are many, who we trust are Christians, who do not enjoy the certainty that their sins are forgiven; and that God cannot impute sin to them. We would seek to help such.
Now first as to propitiation — God glorified about the whole question of sin, and sins. What is this? Who did it? and where was it done? Where was God glorified about the whole question of sin? Have you ever thought seriously of those hours of darkness, when Jesus was nailed to the cross, bearing the whole wrath of God due to sin? Have you really thought of the infinite suffering of the Son of God, made sin? Now think of those words, the cry of Jesus, long foretold — “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me?” And have you ever thought of those further words: “It is finished; and He bowed His head and gave up the ghost”? Why was He thus forsaken? What was finished, and where was it finished? Solemn questions of eternal moment. Atonement was there and thus made. Propitiation was there and thus, by the Son of God, FINISHED ON THE CROSS, on the cross alone, God was there glorified as to sin. And all that followed, was because He, the holy One, made sin, had there on that cross glorified God. The infinite suffering of Christ, because of sin, was the atonement.
We must here notice two most bold errors held by some as to the atonement. The one is, that Christ was making the atonement during His blessed life. The other is, that it was not finished on the cross, but had to be made somehow after His death, now He is in heaven. This has many shades of error, such as Romish masses, fresh sprinklings, making propitiation with out shedding of blood, or the suffering of divine wrath. For none would be so daring as to say that Jesus is now enduring the wrath of God. Now both views entirely set aside the true character of atonement or propitiation. Both set aside the awful nature of sin. Both are equally false.
In truest sympathy He entered into and carried our sorrows, and was thus perfected as the Captain of our salvation. But carrying our sorrows, and bearing our sins, must not be confounded.
It was as He approached the cross, He cried out, “Father, glorify Thy name.” It was in the garden, with the awful cup before Him, that He sweat as it were great drops of blood. There He said, “O My Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done.” Precious Jesus! the cup of wrath was still future, still before Him. It was only on the cross He could say, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me?” It was in that darkness His soul was made an offering for sin. It was on “the tree He bare our sins in His own body”; yes, on the tree. During His life He was despised and rejected of men; but the Father could say, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” But on the cross all was darkness — forsaken of His God! There was the atonement made. There it was finished: there He bowed His head and died. Jesus said, “It is finished.” There my soul rests in peace.
To say that He was making atonement during His life, would be to say that, though sin was imputed to Him, though He was made sin, yet sin is not so terrible, but God could have communion with Him when made sin. But on the cross the righteousness of God is fully revealed. Though it be His holy One, yet now sin is reckoned to Him, and He is bearing sins, He must now be forsaken of God until atonement be made. And it was made by Him, the infinite Son, so that God is glorified. Thus two things could He now say, as He bowed His blessed head in death, “It is finished.” “FATHER, into Thy hands I commend My spirit.” Yes, whether as the propitiation, glorifying God; or the substitute of His people’s sins, all was over — it was finished. And wilt thou, O vain, reasoning man, say that it was not finished? Wilt thou say that He had still to make propitiation in heaven, and priests to make it on earth? Wilt thou still deny that it is finished? and say that there must be millions of repeated sacrifices offered yet, or one sacrifice offered continuously? Or wilt thou say, it is not finished, for there must be renewed sprinklings if we sin or fail? All the subtleties of Satan and unbelief would deny those blessed words of Christ, “It is finished.” Begone, unbelief! God was glorified by the finished work of Christ; propitiation was made by that work of Christ on the cross, so that through Him is preached the forgiveness of sins, and by Him all that believe are justified from all things.
We will next look at what followed the propitiatory death on the cross. But let us hold. fast the blessed truth that “It is finished.” And ever remember that it was not in heaven, but on the cross, Jesus spake those precious words. It was when He expired on the cross the veil was rent. His entrance into heaven, and sitting down, was in consequence of having glorified God on the cross — of having obtained eternal redemption for us.
We have dwelt more on the propitiation aspect than the substitution of the atoning death of our Lord on the cross, because it is so little understood, and it is so important that it should be, as the ground on which forgiveness is preached to all. The one atoning death of the cross was both. Propitiation was what Jesus did: He glorified God as to sin. Substitution was what Jesus did; He bore our sins on the tree. But all for God, and for us, was done when Jesus said, “It is finished”; and died. We shall find the application of both these parts of the atonement in the epistles.
But the next thing is not what Jesus did, looked at as Man, though truly infinite God; it is what did God do? When Jesus had glorified God by the death of the cross, having bowed His blessed head in death; and further, His body having been laid in the sepulcher; did God leave the One who had finished the work, which He had given Him to do in the grave. Impossible! He might have left Him there if He had failed to finish the work. If it had to be finished in heaven, or now on earth by human priests; but, having made propitiation by His blood — that is, having glorified God by atonement — God could not in righteousness leave Jesus in the grave.
The first thing, then, that God did was to raise up from among the dead the One who had glorified Him as to sin. God raised up Jesus from the dead. This has an immense bearing on propitiation and substitution. He who had made propitiation, is now “declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:44And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: (Romans 1:4)). Thus all doubt as to the work being finished, is forever removed; for God has raised Him from the dead who said on the cross, “It is finished.” We could have no greater proof that God is perfectly glorified by Jesus than this, God raised Him from the dead in proof, and that by the Spirit of holiness.
There is thus the most absolute certainty of forgiveness of sins, preached in the name of the once crucified, now risen and glorified, Jesus, All is now fully open and revealed. The great question was this, How could the righteousness of God be maintained in pardoning and justifying such poor, guilty sinners as we were?
Forgiveness was preached, and all who believed were declared to be justified from all things (Acts 13:3838Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: (Acts 13:38)). But now God, in the tenderness of His love to us explains how He is righteous in doing this. The explanation is this, and there is, no other: “Being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth a propitiation, through faith in His BLOOD, to declare His righteousness,” etc. (Rom. 3:24, 2524Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (Romans 3:24‑25)). This is shown to be the explanation of the righteousness of God, both in passing over the sins of His people, past sing before the death of Christ, and also in justifying. all who believe now.
Oh, do you see how God is glorified by the death of the Lamb, through which redemption we are justified freely? Has God justified you freely? Did not He provide that Lamb? God sets forth that same death on the cross, as the revelation of His righteousness in mercy to a lost world. Do you believe that He is righteous in justifying him that believeth? And you believe. Blessed foundation for your soul to rest upon. Can you say, God is just in justifying me? You must say so, if you believe God. For this is the Word of God. As the propitiatory, or mercy-seat, was sprinkled with the shed blood, the blood applied to it, so the infinite value and efficacy of the shed blood of Christ is applied to the throne of God, and the effect is, that throne of mercy is opened to the whole world. Grace reigns through righteousness.
The first part of the day of atonement, as well as redemption, is fulfilled: Jesus has made propitiation for the sins of the people. So that, apart from law, God is righteous by that sacrifice in being my Justifier (Romans 3:2626To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (Romans 3:26)). You will now get still greater comfort to your soul, by looking at the other part of the day of atonement. It must be borne in mind that both parts, propitiation and substitution, took place at the same time on the cross. If you are a believer — if you believe God that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead — what we mean by substitution is this: Jesus standing as our Substitute. “Who was delivered for our offenses.” Just as on the day of atonement, when propitiation had been made, the sins and iniquities of Israel were transferred to the head of the goat, so all believers can say, “He hath laid on Him the iniquities of us all.” Do you now see how Jesus was delivered for your offenses? all our sins laid on Him, transferred to Him? Oh, precious Jesus! and didst Thou thus take the whole responsibility of my sins? Yes; for this He was delivered. Are they still on Him? Is He still bearing them? Is there, can there be, a sin charged now to Him? No; God says, “and was raised again for our justification.” Who is the Justifier who raised Him from the dead — our Substitute standing for us, in our stead? It is God.
Our sins have been laid on Jesus yes, and fully judged on Him. Yes; and God has raised our Substitute from the dead for the very purpose of being our justification, of being the everlasting evidence that we are justified from all things; yes, and of being our everlasting, unchanging righteousness. Yes; exactly so! Oh rejoice, my soul, then! “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” If you believe God, then assuredly you are thus justified, and you have peace with God. And it is equally plain that if you are not justified from all things, and if you have not peace with God, then you evidently do not believe God. If you read on you will see that if you have thus been saved and justified through the efficacy of the blood of Jesus, proved and made sure to you by His resurrection; how much more certain is it that you will be saved from wrath through Him? “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” (Rom. 4:2424But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; (Romans 4:24) to 5:11). Yes; the whole question of our sins is settled in divine righteousness. We are justified from all things. Such is the efficacy of the death of Christ. And God who has been glorified by that death, is our Justifier. Who then can condemn?
The first Epistle to the Corinthians is chiefly occupied with the church and its order, when it was seen in its unity on earth; but when the apostle does mention the gospel, it is Christ, the believer’s Substitute: “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” (1 Cor. 15:2-42By 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 15:2‑4)). Take away that foundation, and Christianity falls to pieces. It would be a mere system of lies. But God has raised Him from the dead and given assurance to all men. All now is clear and certain. We must, however, never forget that not only did He die for our sins, but there is even a deeper truth — Jesus the fulfillment of the sin-offering. That is, in reconciling us to God, “He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:2121For 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 Corinthians 5:21)). Thus in the likeness of sinful flesh, and by a sacrifice for sin, condemned sin in the flesh (Rom. 8:33For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: (Romans 8:3)). What deep joy this gives to the soul that knows not only the shamefulness of sins, but the loathsomeness of sin, the very nature in us, that produces all the sins; and that this also has been fully condemned, judged, in Jesus taking the place of the sin-offering on the cross. This was the lowest depth He could descend to for us. He went down to the lowest, that we might be raised to the highest — the righteousness of God IN HIM.
Oh this was good news! This was the will of God and our Father. The grace also of Christ “who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from the present evil world,” etc. (Gal. 1:3-63Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 4Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: 5To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 6I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: (Galatians 1:3‑6)). And that this was the sacrifice on the cross, there can be no mistake. For of those who were under the curse of the law, we read, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” In it also was the purpose of blessing to the Gentiles (Gal. 3:1212And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. (Galatians 3:12)). It is remarkable how the Holy Spirit ever keeps the first great truth of the death of Christ before us — redemption through His blood — even when about to speak of our highest standing and privileges. When our adoption and sonship is the thought, He says: “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, TO REDEEM them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Gal. 4:5, 65To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Galatians 4:5‑6)). Oh, how God sees in the redemption-blood His title to bring us to Himself as His sons. As we have said, all the offerings that follow redemption, reveal the righteousness of God when explained in Christ in all His dealings with us after we have redemption.
Even when the very highest standing and portion of the saints is before the Spirit, He still goes back to redemption — when dwelling on the gracious purpose of God in bringing us into favor in the Beloved, than which nothing can be higher. Oh, think of it, not only in favor, but in favor in the Beloved! In whatever favor Christ as the Beloved is, we are brought into favor IN HIM. But immediately He says, “In whom we have REDEMPTION through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:3-73Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:3‑7)). Do you know that you are in the Beloved, in all the unchanging love and favor of God to His beloved One -in Him the Beloved? How great, then, the value of that blood, through which you have forgiveness of your sins. Oh, the riches of His grace! And if He has thus loved His church, of which you are a part; if you have thus redemption, as to give Himself for it; will He, can He, possibly fail to wash it by the water of the word? Will He fail to present it to Himself, without spot and glorious? Why are you troubled, then, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? May He not still say this to us all? (Eph. 5:25-2725Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:25‑27)).
And again, is it a small privilege to know with a thankful heart that, instead of untold years of purgatorial suffering, the believer is fit for heaven at any moment? -to be “Giving thanks unto the Father, which HATH made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light?” Can you, at this moment, thus give thanks? Only as you have the Spirit’s teaching of Him, “in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” After the so-called Fathers lost the true doctrine of eternal redemption, you never hear them thus give thanks And to this day, how few have recovered either the full knowledge of what redemption really is, and how equally few can truly give thanks that the Father HATH made them fit for the inheritance, and at any moment Christ may come to take us to Himself. Think of those words: “In the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight” (Col. 1:22, 12-1422In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: (Colossians 1:22)
12Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (Colossians 1:12‑14)).