Ephesians 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; I. The Atonement has frequently been represented AS IF IT WAS INTENDED TO PACIFY THE WRATH OF AN OFFENDED, AN ANGRY, AND A DISPLEASED CREATOR. It is very true that the Scriptures do describe God as in the exercise of wrath banishing men from His presence; but it is equally true that the Scriptures must be taken in many instances as employing metaphorical and figurative language, which we are bound to interpret upon the principles of metaphorical and figurative interpretation. If we overlook these principles, and take every term literally and every phrase literally, we shall be found to misrepresent the whole wilt of God, and the whole system of our common Christianity. But if we take the wrath of God, as it is mentioned in the Scriptures, to indicate nothing more than the course of just punishment which it inflicts — if we understand that He is described to be wrathful when He does that which we do when we are wrathful, putting forth His power to punish, but doing it under principles very different from those under which we act — we may then have a right view of what is meant by the wrath of God. It means nothing more, in the Scripture, than His displeasure with sin — His disapprobation of all that is impure and all that is unholy — His sentence against all that is morally unclean, and His rejection of all that would pollute His government. II. The Redeemer is frequently represented AS SUFFERING PRECISELY THE DEGREE OF PUNISHMENT DUE TO THE PARTIES WHOM HE CAME TO REDEEM. We forget altogether the dignity of the Atonement of Christ, when we speak thus of the degree of suffering that He had to endure. It was because the Redeemer was God as well as Man, that His suffering was infinitely valuable; and not because He sustained exactly the measure of suffering which His people ought to have endured. Such a mercantile, such a commercial mode of viewing the Atonement of Christ is unknown to the Scriptures of truth. An exact payment for the required discharge is not known to the glorious economy of the gospel. A sacrifice of infinite value was given, no matter what the amount of the sufferings; and from its infinite value those sufferings, however light or however severe, must derive all their value and all their efficacy. We rejoice in resting upon the Atonement of the Son of God; not in resting on the blood of one who suffered as much as we had to suffer. III. Again, it is sometimes said THAT CHRIST CAME INTO THE WORLD FOR THE PURPOSE OF DYING FOR PARTICULAR PERSONS, TO THE EXCLUSION OF ALL OTHERS. This is another idea connected with the Atonement. Here, again, we find a variety of evil consequences resulting from error. Tell an assembled multitude that Christ came to die for particular persons, and that all others were to be excluded from the range of His Atonement; and would not any thinking assembly say: "Then if we were of that number we must be redeemed, for He died for us; if we were not of that number it is useless for us to attempt to share the privilege." What answer could we give to this? But when we come to the Word of God, we find no foundation for this. IV. But again, in the fourth place, another error connected with the doctrine of Atonement is, THAT IT WAS INTENDED TO INTRODUCE A RELAXED ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNMENT; that, in other words, it was intended to bring before the world a remedial system — a subdued, a modified demand on the obedience of mankind, and that it was intended to make the law of more easy aspect to persons that had fallen, and that if they could not come up to its requirements, the efficacy of the Atonement would make up for their deficiency, and that in that case they might themselves be saved by doing the best they could, the Atonement supplying their lack of service. Now the Word of God contains nothing of this description. "Heaven and earth shall pass away," says the Redeemer; "but one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." The New Testament admits of no relaxation of the law of God. When the Redeemer demands the obedience of His people, He says: "Be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." V. Another error is this: "THAT THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST WAS INTENDED TO ABOLISH THE OBLIGATION TO OBEY THE MORAL LAW. But what does such a doctrine as this really teach us? It teaches us that the moral law was broken, and it teaches us that God sent His own Son to be an Atonement, not to mend the breach, but to justify the breach I VI. The Atonement is very frequently so MISREPRESENTED, AS IF DEITY HAD SUFFERED. Such a notion never belonged to Christianity, although it has very often been advanced with reference to the Atonement of Christ. Then, if the Deity could not suffer, what did suffer? The perfect humanity of Christ. What gave efficacy to the sufferings of that humanity? Its union with the Deity of Christ. The union of the humanity of Christ with His divinity, gave to all His acts and all His sufferings an infinite value; and from that union, and that union alone, must be derived all the efficacy and all the glory of the Atonement; and the efficacy and glory of the Atonement will be found to be abundant, when connected with the union of the perfect humanity of Christ and the infinite glory of His Divine nature. We are wrong, therefore, in speaking of the sufferings of God. We are misrepresenting the Atonement of Christ. VII. But without adding any more of the errors that may be current upon this subject (and I think I have embraced the principal part of them), it is due now to you that, in a few moments, I should state to you WHAT I CONCEIVE TO BE THE REAL CHARACTER OF THE ATONEMENT. Let us look, first, at the nature of sin itself. What is it but the direct violation of the law of God? Here is the Majesty of heaven, the great Lawgiver; here is the perfect law that He reveals; He demands perfect obedience from the creature; we rebel against that demand; we are at variance with Him on the ground of that rebellion. What is to be done to heal the breach that has taken place between us? He is a God of love as well as a God of power and justice; He is willing to save, but He must do it in a way that will not encourage human rebellion. He seeks that His own hands shall be free to be gracious; He seeks that His own law shall permit Him to be merciful; He seeks that the perfection of His own purity shall permit Him to be kind, without for a moment sinking the character and the rectitude of His administration. How is He to be placed in a position in which He can honourably, and without disparagement to the public law of the universe, tell a man that he can be saved? He desires to tell him this; but He desires to find means to vindicate that act. He turns to His own Son; and the Son volunteers to accept the service assigned to Him. Volunteering to accept it, we find Him going forth, taking upon Him our nature, in that nature suffering and dying, and presenting Himself, not to man but to God. The priest presented the sacrifice on the altar to the Majesty of Israel; the sacrifice had direct reference to God — the mercy had reference to the people. In the same way the sacrifice presented in the Atonement of Christ has reference Go God; it is to Him that its incense, its perfume arises; the mercy has reference to us. The sacrifice, therefore, is presented to the King of kings that He may be able, consistently and worthily and holily, to proclaim mercy through the blood of the Lord Jesus. He looks to no specific individuals; He looks to no specific sins; He looks to the altar — the Cross where the Redeemer died. God looks to that sacrifice, and He sees in that sacrifice the means by which He can be vindicated in the proclamation of His kindness throughout the world, in the announcement of His love, in the extension of His mercy. Now His hands are free; His law is "magnified and made honourable," and yet He can condescend to be gracious. We can now "have redemption through the blood of Christ, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." There is now ample scope made for free and sovereign grace to proclaim its readiness to be merciful. No one can point to the Cross and say, "The offering there made was for me; no individual can point to the Cross and say, There the anger of the Father against me was appeased, and I may approach and find Him gracious"; no, but the Father Himself looks down upon the Cross, and lifting the light of His countenance on the wondrous offering of His own Son in His own love, and the love of the Father concurring in accepting that offering, He looks round on the whole human race, and says: "Behold the measure of My love, and behold at the same time the vindication of My justice, while I proclaim My mercy, and invite all to come." This view of the Atonement makes it a great sacrifice to public justice; and when I speak of a sacrifice to public justice, I speak of justice as vindicated before the whole universe. Why do I call it public justice? Do not the angels of heaven look to it? Do not the angels of hell look to it? Do they not expect to see God consistent with what He has proclaimed? Does not the whole intelligent universe look to it? Will not the whole assembled creation at the day of judgment look to it? Is it not, then, public justice? And is it not necessary for God to have a vindication ready when He assembles the intelligent universe? He has it ready — He has it ready now — a satisfaction to public justice and public law; and now grace can invite all the sinners of mankind, and accept every returning transgressor. (John Burnet.) Parallel Verses KJV: In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; |
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