| The Berean Expositor
Volume 1 - Page 19 of 111 Index | Zoom | |
translated "sin" 165 times in the Old Testament. Hence, looking beyond Judah to the
anti-type, we see that if Christ our Surety failed in His work, He must be still bearing
sin--a dreadful thought--but, blessed be God, this is effectually disposed of by the
resurrection, for "He was delivered because of our offences, and raised again because of
our justifying" (Rom. 4: 25). "Sin hath no more dominion over Him." The
substitutionary character of the work of the surety is further emphasized in Gen. 44: 33,
"Let thy servant abide instead of the lad." Precious word "instead." "That One who
knew no sin was made sin (and a sin offering) for us (or on our behalf), with the object
that we might become righteousness of God in Him" (II Cor. 5: 21), Christ dying in my
stead, and raised from the dead, is pledge of
Irreversible salvation.
Gen. 44: 34 gives a word which enables us to see that the step downward from
heaven's glory to earth's shame taken by the Lord Jesus when He made our cause His
own, is to be followed by a step upward from earth's shame to heaven's glory with Him.
He who identified Himself with our sorrows has identified us with His joys. Oh, the
wonder of it all! Truly "by grace ye are saved"; truly (as one has put it) "the saved are in
for favour." Listen to Judah, but think of Christ, as he says, "How shall I ascend up to my
father, and the lad be not with me?" How can Christ who suffered, died, and rose again,
ever be satisfied until those for whom He became surety are safely by His side in the
Father's home?
"With me."--When we contemplate our ruin, our fall, our sin, our doom; what grace,
what love, that He, the spotless peerless Son of God should come down and identify
Himself "with me!" When we contemplate His glory, His fulness, His holiness, the
wonders of the heavenly home, the light of His glorious throne, the nearness to the
Father, what transcendent grace and unspeakable mercy do we find in the scripture which
tells us that, sinful by nature as we are, we shall one day reach the fruition of redemption
by finding ourselves placed securely for all eternity "with Him."
Let it be repeated and emphasized unremittingly that all is of grace, that He hath
"saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the age-times"
(II Tim. 1: 9). There are some who are so spiritual (?) that the doctrine of the atoning
blood is repulsive to them. We can but pity them. In the sight of God that blood is
"precious." On the pages of Scripture we discover that through that precious blood we
have peace; we are justified; we are saved from wrath. We know Him, our great Surety,
not only as the One who died, but as the One who was raised from the dead to die no
more. Still for us He lives; still for us He intercedes; soon for us He is coming. Soon we
shall be with Him.
May those who read these words be led fully to realize the blessedness of the truth
contained in the type before us, and unflinchingly and unfalteringly hold fast the truth of
Christ our Surety.