“Now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
THE blessed object of the Saviour's first appearing in our world, is here distinctly stated. “But now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." He who had long been shadowed forth by Jewish sacrifices, appeared, in due time, Himself, to accomplish that which was impossible for them to do, namely, to make a full end of sin. The passage is most definite. It is the statement of Christ's own perfect work, for the sinner, on the cross. The sinless One died for sinners.
Oh! what love, grace, and goodness! “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8).) ROM 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) To these glad tidings, faith's answer is, “That’s me. That's just what I am, a sinner. But God loves me, a sinner. Christ died for me, a sinner. God's word says it. I believe it. Then, oh I then, I am saved, saved through death, and happy in God's redeeming love.”
Surely this is not presumption. Oh, no!
Being included in the condemnation, “All have sinned," I am entitled to the work of grace for sinners. Hence, in place of it being presumption, it is God-honoring, Christ exalting, soul-saving faith.
When the soul has been led to see in the light the hatefulness of sin, and by the quickening power of God's Spirit, it then, for the first time, gets a taste of sin's bitterness. It is a terrible thing for the soul to be searched by the light of the Lord, and at the same time to be in darkness as to the rich provisions of grace for all its need. Several cases of this kind we have lately witnessed. But, oh! who could describe the agony of a soul in this state, especially when accompanied by the stinging anguish of self-reproach. The piteous cries of such sound long in one's ears.
Oh! what an evil and malignant thing sin is!
Should this paper fall into the hands of anyone who is distressed about his soul's eternal welfare, and anxiously inquiring, “Oh! how shall I get rid of sin?" we can only reply, that the text before us, and others of a similar nature, furnish the true answer to this important question. Christ put away sin for us on the cross, by the sacrifice of Himself. It was got rid of there for us by Him, when He shed His precious blood, and we are forgiven through faith in that blood. “To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth, in Him shall receive remission of sins" (Acts 10:4343To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43).) ACT 10:4343To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43) The moment you have faith in Christ as the Saviour you are forgiven. “We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:77In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7).) EPH 1:77In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7) This is true now, at the present time, of all them that believe.
The light of God having broken in upon your once benighted soul, you now see the sin for which the blessed Jesus died, and which He put away on Calvary. You are actually groaning beneath the burden of that which has no place in the sight of God, Christ by His one perfect sacrifice having put it all and forever away. “For by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.' On the ground of this "one offering," God says of believers, “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Heb. 10: 14-17) HEB 10:14-1714For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. 15Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 10:14‑17)
Sins are forgiven and forgotten in the case of all who trust in Jesus. True, the Father deals with them as children, and chastens them about their sins; but they can never be judged as sinners, Christ having been judged for them. Sin could only be got rid of by death; and the blessed Jesus, in the greatness of His love, died the sinner's death, and thereby made a full end of his sin.
This makes the matter quite plain as to how sin was completely abolished. It was by the work of Christ alone, by the sacrifice of Himself. “When He had by Himself purged our sins, He sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Heb. 1:33Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:3).) HEB 1:33Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:3) Christ risen from the dead, and gone up on high, is the eternal witness that sin and sins, root and branch, have been put away according to the demands of the glory of God and the entire need of the sinner. This is God's answer to the question, and ought to satisfy every conscience, as to how sin is to be got rid of. It is done! Believe it, and let your heart be surrendered to Jesus in love, gratitude and praise forever.
And now, observe, the only way for a sin burdened soul to get relief is through faith in the work of Christ for us. There is now, blessed be God, a work of grace in you. But the only "true ground of peace" is the work of Christ on the cross for you. It is also the only ground of the work of grace in us, for how could the Spirit work in us, had not Christ died for us? Still, it is only through believing that the conscience finds rest and relief; through believing what Christ is to us, and what He has done for us. Nothing but the work of Christ will ever satisfy the conscience in the presence of God about sin. If the soul should slip into something like relief or rest on any other ground it will not be lasting. Its sorrows may return and be deeper than ever, because in such a case it may accuse itself of hypocrisy.
But although Christ has appeared, and appeared as the Putter-away of sin, as the Accomplisher of the great work of grace and love for man, nevertheless man is not forgiven, he is not saved, until he believes in the Lord Himself, and has faith in His finished work. The blood of Christ is the only remedy for sin. If that remedy be neglected, the two dark clouds of death and judgment hang frowning over the sinner's head. “It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment." Awful indeed will be the doom of those on whom they burst forth in their unmitigated fury, and hurl into endless woe. He who rejects the sacrifice mentioned in the 26th verse, falls back as a matter of course on the original appointment in the 27th verse. "The wages of sin is death," but after this the judgment.
Should death come to the sinner before he comes to the Saviour a still more awful death awaits him, called "the second death," or eternal banishment from the presence of the living God, in the gulf of hopeless despair.
But, oh! how changed and different everything is to the man of faith! He is associated with Christ, who has passed through death and judgment for him. He stands with Him on the rock of resurrection, in the power of resurrection-life. Death and judgment are behind him. In Christ, he has passed from death unto life. Nothing now fills the prospect to faith, but Christ Himself, and coming glory. “Unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”
Mark the expression, dear reader, in this verse, "Them that look for Him." Does not this passage clearly teach us that the true and proper position of the Christian is to be looking for the Lord Himself? Not, certainly, for natural death, or for any other predicted event that is coming upon the earth. True, death may come before the Lord; but we are not to be looking for it. Christ Himself is our “blessed hope." We should allow nothing to come between the heart and Him. Then mark the happy assurance which the word here gives to the heart, " And unto them that look for Him shall He appear.”
They will not be disappointed. He will certainly come for them, whether they are sleeping or waking, and He will appear with them. "I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also "(John 14) JOH 14:1-311Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 5Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 8Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? 10Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. 12Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 13And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. 15If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 19Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. 20At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. 21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 22Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. 25These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 26But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 27Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. 29And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. 30Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. 31But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence. (John 14:1‑31) Again," When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory " (Col. 3:44When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4).) COL 3:44When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4) His first appearing was in lowly grace, as the obedient Servant, the Doer of His Father's will, and the Accomplisher of the great work of redemption. His second appearing will be in divine majesty, and brightest glory, and all His saints with Him. Then He will have nothing to say to sin, having made an end of it at His first appearing.
The Spirit of God here contrasts the future prospects of the man of the world and the man of faith. The former, alas! has nothing to look forward to hut death and judgment. The latter is waiting for the full salvation of God.
To which of those two classes does my dear reader belong? the world or Christ? Oh! solemn, solemn question! Let it have your immediate, your undivided attention. If a single doubt clouds your mind, rest not until it is removed. Be sure that you belong by faith to Jesus. Are you really resting on His finished, His accepted work?
Be not misled by mere appearance. So far as present appearances go, the difference between the two classes may be very little. They may live in the same house, sit at the same table, and often converse happily together on the same subjects. But notwithstanding all that, there is in reality a wide difference between them, a difference as wide as heaven and earth. And were the Lord to come while that difference exists, it would be widened to infinity, and the separation would be eternal, The one would be caught up to Christ and glory, the other would fall beneath the crushing stroke of the terrible judgments that are coming on the earth, after the Church has been caught away. Overwhelming thought to the affectionate Christian now! And oh! who can tell at what moment the Lord may come?
His own word is, "Surely I come quickly.”
Oh! that the thoughtless, careless one may be led to think on these eternal realities, ere it be too late! Oh! that he may be led to receive the blessed Saviour now. To come oy faith to Jesus now. He is still saying in love to those who are outside, "Come unto Me.... I will give you rest"; "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." Oh then, flee at once to Jesus. Take refuge in Himself. Delay not. Enter by the new and living way into the rest of God. You are welcome, welcome to the bosom of His lover He will rejoice over you with singing, and set you in His own presence, robed and crowned according to the perfect love of His own heart, and infinite dignity of Christ, the eternal efficacy of His sacrifice, and the boundless glories of His grace. C. H. M.