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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" (Phil. 3:4-9).
This righteousness is unto all. Unto you, unto me, unto all men everywhere. It knows no barriers, no
distinctions, no frontiers. It is unto all. It is upon all them that believe. Reader, what a solemn thought is this. Sin
has been taken away. Sin no longer bars us from access to God. Sin is no longer imputed to us. Sin has been laid
upon the spotless Son of God. Righteousness has been provided, and it is a righteousness, too, of God. It is a
righteousness of God by faith. What madness then to reject such a provision, such a gift, at such a cost.
May you, dear reader, learn a lesson from Israel, of whom it is written:
"For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not
submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. FOR CHRIST IS THE END OF THE LAW FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS
TO EVERY ONE THAT BELIEVETH" (Rom. 10:3,4).
No. 8
The Lamb of God
There are three other leaflets belonging to this series, and they have presented THE GOSPEL OF GOD (No. 5); THE
SALVATION OF GOD (No. 6); and THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD (No. 7). We now draw attention to the title given to
Christ which forms the title also of this leaflet, namely, "THE LAMB OF GOD".
"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh (beareth) away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).
Why should the Son of God be called a "Lamb"? The question is answered by completing the sentence. The
Lord Jesus Christ is called the Lamb of God because He is the appointed sin-bearer. He Who bears sin, dies. He
who bears sin for another and dies, dies as a sacrifice. The Lord Jesus Christ came to die as a sacrifice for sin; to
bear our sins in His own body on the tree; to there put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. There could be no
"gospel of God" without the Lamb of God õ for there could be no "good news" to a world condemned, that did not
speak of sins forgiven. There could be no "salvation of God" without the Lamb of God, for salvation implies a
Saviour Who undertakes for the lost; and there could be no revelation or provision of a "righteousness of God"
without the Lamb of God, for imputed righteousness is the completion of that good work, begun in the putting away
of sin.
As the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus is set forth as the great passover sacrifice, and it will help us, in setting forth
the glorious work of Christ, if we consider some of the teaching of Scripture concerning that great type. First of all,
let us establish the fact that the passover lamb does set forth, in type, the offering of Christ. This we can do at once,
with one clear quotation:
"For even CHRIST OUR PASSOVER IS SACRIFICED FOR US" (1 Cor. 5:7).
That Christ as the Lamb of God is essentially God's appointed Redeemer, let the next reference make plain:
"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, ... but with the
precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: ... Who did no sin, neither was guile
found in His mouth: ... Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on (margin or, to) the tree, that we,
being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed" (1 Pet. 1:18,19; 2:22-24).
It will be observed here that while the spotlessness of the lamb is insisted on, it is the precious blood that avails
for redemption, and in the further reference, while the sinlessness of Christ is insisted on, the bearing of our sins in
His own body alone accomplishes our salvation. With the gospel facts well in mind, let us turn to Exodus 12, where
the first passover was inaugurated. There are three items that are spoken of in the earlier chapters that are true of all
men, viz., bondage, bitterness and burdens.