We come now to the teaching of the Holy Ghost, on and after the day of Pentecost. It was not until Jesus, our atoning Substitute, was glorified, that the Holy Ghost 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.” His presence here, then, is in con sequence of redemption being accomplished by the Son of God.
On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Ghost 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 24:47.) 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 t: 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, lie 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, 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 Ghost bears witness.
The preaching of Paul is on precisely the same ground. What does he 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.”
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 don’t, 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, hearing 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 without 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 glorifies God on the cross—of having obtained eternal redemption for us.