Displayed at the Cross

Under the law, in connection with propitiation or atonement, a victim was brought, but the blood of bulls and goats never could put away sin. The blot remained, though the blood was sprinkled and put on the mercy-seat, and its effect was so far from being eternal that before the end of the year, sin being there, it needed to be done again. But Christ, by one offering, forever has put our sins away. Not only love comes out on the cross, but all He did was the expression of the love of God, and the meeting of the Father's mind. He was as completely one with the Father as it was possible to be.
I have to begin with God, not myself. What has God done? He has put before the soul the ground on which it can rest in His presence—given His Son as the propitiation for our sins. We can sing, "Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood... to Him be glory and dominion, forever and ever. Amen.”
In Rom. 2 and 3, the Spirit of God traces out the awful condition of man by nature, but God has commended His love to us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Not only has God given His Son as a propitiation for us, but He has introduced us to a higher order of existence than man in Adam ever was. He has given us the eternal life that is in His Son-an entirely new and divine order of being. What I have is just the life of that one Person in whom is God's delight.
By the work of Christ on the cross all question of sin was once and forever settled, and we have peace with God. Now out of His fullness we receive grace upon grace, and when He comes He will present us without spot or wrinkle to Himself.
Is it difficult to say whether or not we have tasted what it is to be in such a place? I get this light shining in me because He has given me of His Spirit. Has not God a right to speak? Does He not know how to use human language so as to carry it right home to my soul? You can be sure He does and He says, "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.”
The Lord Jesus declares that His sheep have eternal life, and none can pluck them out of His hand, or out of the Father's hand. But human nature says, "How can I know it to be true?" It would be far better for the creature to say, "Let God be true, and every man a liar." It is by faith in Him who cannot lie that we know this, and His testimony is that "whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.”