34. Aim of Life

Aim of Life

Coming to the fourth point, the cross shows us light upon the aim of life, “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness …” (1 Peter 2:24). That is the aim of life revealed by the cross, and the cross, remember, makes a tremendous demand upon us. The purpose of the cross is not mere salvation from hell, mere forgiveness of sin; the cross makes this tremendous demand upon us for righteousness, and not righteousness in any limited sense, but righteousness towards God, righteousness towards the world, righteousness towards the people of God. That is the aim that is set before us by the cross, and we are exhorted to seek after that and to reach that, to have a life that has an eye on God, that has a heart breaking with love for the perishing, and a hand that grasps a brother’s hand. “That we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness.”

Righteousness is not righteousness if it can leave out anyone who is in the plan of grace. Righteousness is not righteousness if it does not embrace all for whom God cares; and our aim, if we are to be true to this motto, “Not I, but Christ,”—must be the full plan of God revealed in His Word.

We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, to make effective in life what grace has brought to us; and grace works through faith and love unto downright goodness, righteousness in details, righteousness in the hidden things as well as in the public things. That is the practical demand of the cross, and that is the expectation of Him who suffered, that we should live to righteousness. That is the aim, now how is it to be done?

Peter shows you that it is through the cross working in us the purpose of God. Notice that the cross is always at the back of every demand which God makes upon us, as the source of our power to meet that demand and respond to it. The cross always deals with that which hinders righteousness—sin. Here you have a revelation of it from Peter, “That we, being dead to sin” (1 Peter 2:24). Now Peter is following simply in the steps of Paul, and Peter and Paul follow simply in the steps of the Lord Jesus Christ, “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12:24). This is just Peter’s way of expressing “That we, being dead to every hindrance to righteousness, may live the righteous life.” “We, being dead,” the whole secret of victory in life which commends the Redeemer, and reveals righteousness lies in this; our attitude to sin determines our position for life. “Dead to sin,” that is the work of the cross. There is nothing you and I can do. That is the message of the cross, “Be dead to sin.” There is a word in the Greek found nowhere else. It literally means to be missing, missing, missing, “Dead to sin,” to be in a position to sin spiritually that a man is in literally to the Post Office, at times, when the Post Office has to write and say, “He has gone and left no address.” That is just the meaning of it, to be missing. It is just this, that when the old master, Sin, comes and knocks at the door of your heart, he finds no response because you are missing, you are dead, and there is a new master in you and a new power exercising its mighty thrall upon you, so that the old thralldom of sin has been broken, “That you, being dead to sin, may live unto righteousness.” That is the blessed fruit of the death of Christ. As you take up this position in the face of sin, that there is no response to you because there is a new power in you, then you live unto righteousness and you achieve the aim of redemption; and the union with Christ produces that, that is the true aim of life. Is it our aim? Perhaps some of my younger brothers and sisters are often tempted to have as their aim this, to get on, and that is quite legitimate; but how are you getting on? Perhaps the temptation is to say, “I want to make my way in the world.” That is perfectly right, but is it the way of righteousness? Sometimes the aim is to get wealthy. Well, that is all right too, because it is a good thing to have lots of money, I am quite sure, but is it God’s wealth you are after, or is it wealth for God that you are after? Or it may be the aim is to make a name in your business, in your profession. That is quite right too, quite legitimate, but is it a name for righteousness? Low aims are a crime. “If ye then be risen with Christ, aim after those things which belong to the throne.” See that you do not aim at the things that belong to the grave.