The Blood Part 5

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5. The blood of Jesus Christ is, to them that have faith in it, propitiation. As it is written: " Christ Jesus.... whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood." (Rom. 3:2525Whom 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 3:25).)
The question at issue in this chapter is, " How can a sinful transgressor be received by God? " And the answer is, "If he come as a sinful transgressor, he will be received, freely, by God's grace, through Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth as a propitiatory, or mercy seat, for them that have faith in His blood. For this blood tells how a just God can be the justifier of the sinful transgressor, who receives the account He gives of the blood, and trusts to it. This word translated "propitiation " occurs only once more in the New Testament, in Heb. 9:5,5And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. (Hebrews 9:5) and means, propitiatory or mercy-seat-which was the, place where God dwelt, between the cherubim, and it shut up, and was over, the law in the ark; before and upon it the blood of atonement was sprinkled.
The blood as thus, first, upon, and, secondly, before, the mercy-seat, expresses (as in all the Old Testament sacrifices wherein atonement was made), the two great uses of the blood. The first, as connected with God, the way opened and the means provided by Himself, wherein He could be just and yet the justifier of the sinner: this is shown by God to man. The second is connected by God, through His grace connected, I say, with him that believeth; and so the thing which gives such an one boldness to draw near to God. The former also washing the books in heaven, as a poor dumb boy once described in writing his view of pardon: " The bleeding hand of Jesus passed over each page in my account, so that none can read it through the stain of His blood." The second cleansing also the conscience. Read the chapter from verse 19-26, and see whether this is not the outline of it. Verse 19 having said that God had pronounced the whole world to be guilty in His sight, that every mouth might be stopped, Paul first shows (ver. 20) that this is a proof the law could not justify a man-for then the Jew would not be guilty, but justified, for he had the law. And if the law, which was a round of duties, given to man by God, could not justify him, how much less can a round of duties, of a man's own devising, which God never gave, do so! Well, but if God (in so summary a way) pronounces all to be guilty, and, as far as they are concerned, irrecoverably so (so that every mouth must be stopped, and all the world become guilty before him), what can any one do? Why (ver. 21), he may have recourse to that method of justification which is, not by law, though witness of both by law and prophets, even (ver. 22) trust to God Himself, graciously to justify him by Jesus Christ. And then Paul goes over the ground, in measure, a second time. (Ver. 23.) All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; yet (ver. 24) any man may be justified by God's grace, freely, through the redemption that is in Christ. " What is that?" says the soul. Why (ver. 25) it is the, person of. Jesus in heaven (compare Rom. 8:32-3432He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (Romans 8:32‑34)) set forth as a propitiation-and it is the property (made so by God) of every one that trusts to His blood: it is set forth to show God's way of justifying those He has pronounced guilty-and tells how God completely remits all past sins-forbearing to see them even. And verse 26, it is a way which tells the justice as much as the mercy of God to the sinner-that He is just, though He does Himself justify the very one He has pronounced guilty, if so be he, trusts to Jesus; for it skews Jesus actually to have borne the sinner's punishment, and to have paid his debt. Has God already said, we are all guilty? that there is no hope for us in ourselves? Has He raised Jesus from the dead? And does He say, that if I have taken Christ's blood as my trust, then Christ bore my sins in His own body on the tree? is risen for me? and intercedes for me? Yes, He has said so, and through His grace I have said, " The blood of Jesus Christ is my trust." Reader, have You also said so?