06 Chap 2 What has been done to Save us
CHAPTER. II.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO SAVE US.
Matthew 1:21.-And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.
WE have seen that salvation implies exposure, and that we therefore need salvation. Salvation is deliverance from sin and its consequences; from the guilt, pollution, and power of sin here, and the punishment of sin hereafter. To be saved is to be rescued from sin and hell, and taken to heaven ; to be restored to the favour of God in this world and the enjoyment of God in the next. It begins in regeneration and justification; is carried on in our sanctification, and is completed in our glorification. As it is written, " Whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the ’image of his Son, that he ’tight be the first-born among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called ; and whom he called, them he also justified ; and whom he justified, them he also glorified." Romans 8:29-30. Hence, when Joseph is instructed respecting the birth of the Saviour, he is also instructed respecting his name," Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21.
Jests came to save. This was the design of his advent. " For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved." John 3:17. " The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28. " He came not to destroy, but to save." Luke 9:56. " Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me ; in burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy. will, O God. . . By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Hebrews 10:5-10. He ’assumed our nature for the very purpose of accomplishing our deliverance and salvation by his own death. " Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself like wise took part of the same ; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them, who, through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Hebrews 2:14-15. " This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." 1 Timothy 1:15.
Jesus saves from sin and from the curse of the law. It would be an interesting study to collect together the names and titles of the blessed Redeemer, and ascertain their true and real import. Many of them have a relation to us, to our circumstances and wants. We are sinners; and he is called Jesus-Saviour-because he saves from sin. You must be saved from your sins, or they will be your ruin. And sin exposes to wrath; and from wrath you must be saved, if saved at all. From this too Jesus saves. Saith an Apostle, "For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God ; and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come." 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10. "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh ; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:3-4.
Jesus takes’ his people to heaven. This completes their salvation. He has said, " In 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. And 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." John 14:2-3. To be with Christ, and where he is, is the perfection of bliss. Hence it is written, " Now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him ; for we shall see him as lie is." 1 John 3:2. He will say unto them on his right hand, " Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. And you righteous shall go away into life eternal." Matthew 25:34, Matthew 25:46. " Them which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." 1 Thessalonians 4:14. " God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes ; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ Revelation 21:3-4. The happiness of the righteous is beautifully described in Revelation 7:9-17; They stand before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.
They cry with a loud voice, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And the angels join in their song, saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And what are these which are arrayed in white robes ? and whence came they ? ... These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple : and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. " With what sublime simplicity and brevity Paul sums up the bliss of heaven: So shall we be for ever with the Lord.’
It would be much to be for ever with’ any one of the angels, in any part of heaven, however remote from the throne of God and the Lamb. It would be much to be for ever with’ any one of the saints, even if not within the sight or the sound of the general assembly’ before the throne. It would be much to be for ever’ alone on the most distant hill of immortality. It would be much to ’be for ever’ any where, out of hell. What then, must it be, to be for ever with the Lord ?,,,-Yet to this does Jesus exalt his people. His intercessory prayer is answered in their glorification, where sin and sorrow are alike unknown : -" Father, I will that they also whom thou hest given me be with me where I am ; that they may behold my glory, which thou halt given me : for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." John 17:24.
’ But how does Jesus save his people from their sins? What has been done for our salvation? Here two things are to be remembered :
1. God is holy and hates sin. He is holiness itself; and he says, " Be ye holy; for am holy." 1 Peter 1:16. " He is the holy Lord God Almighty." Isaiah 6:3. Revelation 4:8. Sin is his abhorrence; it is an abomination to him. Jeremiah 44:4. He hates it, not only as it is a transgression of his law and an abuse of his goodness, but as it is in itself opposed to the holiness of his nature and the rectitude of his character. And,
2. God is just and will punish sin. His character is perfect. All his attributes are infinite; and they are equally dear to him. He will never sacrifice one of them to another, nor exalt one of them above another. He will never sacrifice his justice, nor his truth, to his benevolence. There is a beau.. tiful harmony among his attributes. There is no conflict among them. They all conspire to render his character infinitely perfect and lovely. His truth is as dear to him as his goodness; his justice is as dear as his mercy. As he must, from the holiness of his nature, hate sin; so must he, from the justice of his nature, punish it. " A God of truth and without iniquity; just and right is he." Deuteronomy 32:4. And he saith, " To me belongeth vengeance and recompense; their foot shall slide in due time; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste." Deuteronomy 32:35. The Bible teaches that God is love: and it also teaches that he is holy, just, and true. Justice and truth are essential perfections of his character, as well as benevolence; and holiness is the combined moral excellence of all his perfections. He is holy ; and holiness is necessarily opposed to sin. The happiness of the creatures is not the end of creation, but the glory of the Creator ; and when the creatures do not seek that glory, and make it the end of their being " to glorify God and enjoy him for ever," his holiness and justice both require their punishment. This punishment is, the wrath to come, to which sinners are now exposed, and which falls upon them after they pass from this vale of tears. It is punishment resulting from the essential and necessary opposition of God’s nature, and characters and purposes, to every thing impure-punish ment inflicted because God is holy, just, and true.
Now the question arises-if God is holy and hates sin ; if he is just and will punish it if he is true and faithful, and will fulfil his threatenings and execute wrath upon his enemies ; then how can we be forgiven and saved? In reply it may be observed-That we are sinners, exposed to the vindictive justice and fierce anger of God for our sins. Our exposure has been made plain ; and we cannot deliver ourselves. We are without strength to accomplish our salvation. Romans 5:6. Isaiah 44:24. We need a strong deliverer ; one who is able and mighty to save. 2 Samuel 2:2. Psalms 89:19. Isaiah 63:1. We cannot be saved by our works. The law demands perfect and constant obedience; no present or future obedience, could we render it, can atone for the past. The law says, Do and live; but as we have not done, it condemns us to death. And the law which condemns us for the first offence, can never justify us. " By the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified." Romans 3:20. We cannot be saved by our own sufferings, self-inflictions, tortures, penances. No sufferings of ours can avail to atone for our transgressions.
Vain are the heathen’s tortures, vain his ablutions; and equally vain are any self-inflictions of ours to take away our sins. We may ask, " Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old ? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul ?" Micah 6:6-7. All these are vain ; and equally vain is every thing we can do and suffer. Nor is repentance any satisfaction for sin- It makes no reparation to the injured character and government of God ; it satisfies neither his holiness nor his justice; and if sin could be pardoned, simply on the repentance of the sinner without an atonement-without a satisfaction to justice-encouragement would be given to transgression, the holiness of God would be tarnished, his truth and his justice would be sacrificed. Besides, if repentance could atone for sin,, salvation would be of works, and not of grace. Sorrow and tears, however needful and proper, are no satisfaction. Nor are prayers and religious duties. No strictness in these can take away our guilt. To depend upon them is to ruin our souls. To make them our dependence is as fatal as to neglect them altogether. We may bestow all our goods to feed the poor, and give our bodies to be burned, and yet perish in our sins. 1 Corinthians 13:3. You must have a righteousness better than your own, or you are undone. Remember with whom you have to do, the Lord God of hosts ; and remember who and what you are, a worm of the dust, a guilty rebel in, danger of hell; and well may you inquire, How shall I escape? As God is just, eternally and immutably just, sin must be punished, either in the person of the sinner, or of a substitute. The scheme of redemption was not intended to sacrifice the justice of God to his benevolence : it was designed to display all his perfections, meet the demands of justice, and render it possible for God to be, just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Romans 3:23-26. We need a Saviour who can satisfy the claims of justice, take our place, suffer in our stead, and bear our sins as Jesus did, in his own body on the tree. 2 Corinthians 5:21. 1 Peter 2:24. As God is holy, immutably and necessarily opposed to sin, he can accept of sinners only on the ground of a perfect righteousness. The scheme of redemption was never designed to lower the standard of perfection, nor to save sinners on the basis of an imperfect obedience, however sincere, or of a. defective righteousness, however painfully wrought. Perfect holiness is the standard of excellence at which all are to aim ; and a perfect righteousness is that alone on the foundation of which sinful men can be accepted with God. But who of the sons of men hath such a righteousness ? Not one. All are guilty. Sin infects us all; and yet a perfect righteousness must cover our polluted souls, or we shall be driven away in our wickedness.
How then can we escape the wrath of God, and his character not only appear untarnished, but acquire additional lustre in the view of all his creatures, while we are received and treated as righteous? It must ever be remembered-and hence it is well to repeat-that God is holy, just, and true; and his holiness, truth, and justice, must be satisfied, or man cannot be saved. The sinner stands condemned and exposed ; a substitute must be found for him, one who can suffer in his room, or he himself must suffer for his own sins. "Die he, or justice must," if no substitute assume his place. The holiness, truth, and justice of God all demand his punishment. He is condemned by the law; the law calls for his execution ; where shall a righteousness be found sufficient to cover his naked and guilty soul ? How can he be saved ? The Bible solves this difficult question. It pours divine light on human destiny ; it opens a door of hope to the perishing. The Lord has found a ransom for our souls. He is gracious and saith, " Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom." Job 33:24. Help is laid upon one that is mighty ; and one chosen out of the people is exalted. Psalms 89:19. Jesus is our substitute, our representative and surety. He took our place. Our sins were laid upon him : " the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:6. He obeyed the law and endured its penalty for us and in our stead. Galatians 3:13. " He took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men : and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Php 2:7-8. Thus he atoned for our sins ; satisfied the claims of God ; honoured his holiness, justice, and truth ; opened the way ’ of life by a true and proper. satisfaction ; and not only made forgiveness possible, but secured eternal life to his people. God can now be just while he justifies and saves, Does God’s holiness require obedience? Jesus has obeyed;
"And in his life the law appears, Drawn out in living characters." Does justice cry for vengeance? Jesus has suffered. " Who is he that condemneth ? It is Christ that died." Romans 8:34. " Surely he hath borne dur griefs and carried our sorrows : yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him ; and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:4-5. By his obedience, sufferings, and death, he has made an atonement, and brought in an everlasting righteousness. Daniel 9:24. " He is the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 2:2. "God hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin ; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Corinthians 5:21. " He , is the Lord out righteousness." Jeremiah 23:6. His obedience and sufferings-his doing and dying-constitute his righteousness, the everlasting righteousness which he has wrought out and brought in for our salvation, and which is brought near in the gospel. Isaiah 46:12-13. It is called in the Scriptures the righteousness of God. Paul declares, " I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; ... for therein is the righteousness of God revealed ; .. even the righteousness of God, which’ is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe." Romans 1:16-17, and Romans 3:22. And again, " I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." Php 3:8-9. Speaking of the Jews, he says, " They have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." Romans 10:2-3. Christ’s righteousness is called the righteousness of God, because it is that righteousness ’which God has provided for our justification. By it his holiness and justice are satisfied ; and in consequence of it a free offer of salvation is made to men. Through it we may find acceptance with God. In the work of Christ, "mercy and truth are met together ; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth ; and righteousness shall look down from heaven." Psalms 85:10-11. Being far from righteousness, we need Christ’s righteousness; and when, through the operation of the Spirit upon our hearts, we believe in him, his righteousness is imputed to us, and we are accounted and treated as righteous; our hearts being renewed, we are by faith forgiven and accepted, It is by faith in Christ’s righteousness then, that we are pardoned and justified. His righteousness is the only ground of pardon and of hope. It is on the basis of this alone that the sinner can be saved. " The wages of sin is death : but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23. As our surety and substitute he has suffered in our stead ; God’s character and government are vindicated; all his perfections are honoured; the door of salvation is opened ; and we are to receive Jesus Christ as our Saviour, and rely. upon his righteousness, and trust in him for pardon and eternal life. This is the beginning of salvation ; and it is perfected in heaven, whence all sin is banished, and where all happiness is enjoyed-" to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved ; in. whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." Ephesians 1:6-7.
Thus we see what Jesus has done to save "Christ hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit" 1 Peter 3:18. He assumed our nature, and suffered that we might be delivered from suffering. He died that we might live. To save his people from their sins, he gave himself up to ignominy and to death. What love! what compassion! While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us ; he died for the ungodly. Romans 5:6-8. This is the pity of a God I Jesus loved us, and gave himself for us. Ephesians 5:2, Ephesians 5:25. Had not he interposed, God’s holiness and truth would have required our punishment; his justice would have demanded our eternal condemnation. But now Jesus is our refuge, our hiding-place. We are safe beneath his cross.
"God’s vengeance will not strike us here, Nor Satan dare our souls invade
Jesus is the Saviour. By faith in him we are delivered from condemnation and wrath ; and he of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. 1 Corinthians 1:30. See in him God reconciled, heaven and eternal life held up to your view, and cast your soul upon him, saying, "Here, Lord, I give myself away, ’T is all that I can do."
It is all that he requires. Receive him into your heart, and you are safe, and heaven with its glories shall be yours; yours eternal life, eternal joy From what precedes, we infer the desirableness of salvation. We have seen our need of it, in what it consists, and what has been done to save us. Jesus came into the world upon this errand of mercy, and died on the cross to accomplish it. It is a salvation from sin, from its guilt and pollution, its power and punishment, and it is desirable.
" The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7. It cleanses from the guilt of sin. Guilt is liability to punishment. To this, sin renders us obnoxious. But the salvation which Jesus accomplishes delivers from guilt. When we embrace Christ by faith, we are no longer condemned. " Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1. " There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1. And have you no desire to be delivered from condemnation ? No desire to be rescued from your exposure? Think of your danger; look around at your peril; see the prison of despair ready to receive you; and is not salvation to be desired when it rescues from such perils ? O could you see your danger as it is-could your eyes be opened to look upon your situation in its true light-could you have a clear view of your guilt, I am sure you would think salvation desirable.
It delivers from the pollution of sin. Sin vitiates, corrupts, pollutes.. The blood of Christ cleanses from this pollution. It procures the gift of the Holy Spirit, by whose influences our hearts are renewed, and the work of sanctification is begun and carried on in our souls. " Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you : but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. Again, it is written, "God bath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth." 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14. Think how odious sin makes us in the sight of God; how it corrupts and pollutes all the parts of the body and the faculties of the soul; how it debases the mind and renders it earthly, sensual, and grovelling; and is it not desirable to be freed from all this pollution, of sin ? Why, then, will you not come and wash in the fountain which is open for sin and uncleanness ? Zechariah 13:1. Are the stains of sin deep upon your soul ? The blood of Jesus can wash them all out. Look to him for purification. Isaiah 1:18. Titus 2:14.
Salvation delivers from the power of sin. Sin has a condemning, a corrupting, and an enslaving power. They who commit sin are the servants of sin. John 8:34. Romans 6:16.
"How sad our state by nature is! Our sin, how deep its stains! And Satan binds our captive minds Fast in his slavish chains."
We may boast of our freedom, but while in our sins, we are the veriest slaves !
He is the freeman, whom the truth makes free."
They who are delivered from their sins, are the Lord’s freemen. John 8:36. 1 Corinthians 7:22. Romans 6:17. They stand fast in, the liber- ty wherewith Christ hath made them free. Galatians 5:1. And have you no desire for the liberty of the sons of God ? No desire to have the fetters of sin broken off, and your captive soul set free ? to be made an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ ? Romans 8:14-17. Jesus is the great Liberator. He came " to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.’ Isaiah 61:1-3. Would you be delivered from the power of sin ? Look to Jesus, who takes the prey from the mighty, and delivers the lawful captive. Isaiah 49:24. He will set you free; for where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 2 Corinthians 3:12. Reject him, and you are bound for ever; your fetters will become stronger and stronger, till at length you sink down in the chains of eternal despair. Did you never utter one devout acknowledgment to God Sur civil and religious liberty ? That were treason to your country. And will you make no effort for spiritual freedom? No effort to escape from the ’dominion of sin?
Then you are lost ! Lost ! Who can tell the fearful import of that dreadful word I Lost I it is the ruin of the soul ; of every thing precious and dear; the wreck of hopes, of happiness, of all we, are and all we prize. Go, view the ruined spirits in the world of woe; measure the length and breadth of their misery; see in their’ anguish -and which must be yours, if you are lost-the desirableness of salvation, which delivers from the guilt, pollution, and power of sin ; and while you see its desirableness, seek it with all your heart-seek it in Jesus, who came to save from sin, and hell, restore to God’s favour, and exalt to heaven. For,
Salvation delivers from hell. If saved from our sins, we are also saved from the punishment, which they deserve. Jesus endured the penalty of the law, that we might be delivered from it. If interested in him, we are rescued from perdition. And surely this is desirable. O what would you give to be sure of escape from hell ? And salvation prepares us for usefulness and happiness here, as well as for rest hereafter. It fits us for the service of God in this world, as well as for his praise in the next. It teaches us to live to God’s glory ; it enables us to die in peace ; so that living and dying, we are the Lord’s, and shall be with him for ever ! Romans 14:8. 1 Thessalonians 4:17. See, then, the goodness of God in giving his Son for us. It was of his own free love that he did it. He might have left us with no provision for our deliverance from sin and death. But he did not. " He so loved the world as to give his Son." John iii. 16. And he gave him freely. And now the offer of life through him is freely made. We should accept it. This is our duty and our privilege. We are authorized to accept it; we are required to accept it ; we are bound to accept it; and we refuse at the hazard of our souls. To reject Jesus is to reject salvation ; andto reject salvation is to reject Jesus. In either case we seal our own doom, and destroy ourselves ; and the inscription on our eternal prison will be, -’SELF-DESTROYERS!
Jesus came to save us from our sins; we reject him, refuse to be saved, and he will say unto us, " Ye would not come to me, that ye might have life." John 5:40. O, sinner, pause, think, turn; and let your trust be in the Saviour of sinners! " The voice of free grace cries, Escape to the mountain, For Adam’s lost race Christ bath opened a fountain : For sin and transgression, and every pollution, His blood flows most freely in streams of salvation."