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 bare 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 implication 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; 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. 1:4.) 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 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 13:38.) 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 bath set forth a propitiation, through faith in HIS BLOOD, to declare his righteousness,” &c. (Rom. 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 sins 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 sod, 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. (Rom. 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? 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. 4:24 to 5:11.) Yes; the 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,” (Chap. 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. 5:21.) Thus in the likeness of sinful flesh, and by a sacrifice for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. (Rom. 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,” &c. (Gal. 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. 3:12.) It is remarkable how the Holy Ghost 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 bath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” (Gal. 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. 1:3-7.)
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. 5:25-27.)
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? — “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, 12-14.)