The Blood of the Cross

The Blood of the Cross by Horatius Bonner Chapter 4 God's Controversy with the World One of God's chief controversies with this world is respecting this blood. He has many other such controversies, but this is one of the chief. For here, His estimate and man's are at utter variance with each other, and respect both of the value and efficacy of this blood, no less than regarding the guilt of shedding it. On many points they differ in their estimates. As to the value of the soul, of earth, of time, of eternity, they differ. But here they differ most of all. And on this difference the sinner's eternity hinges. For it is according to what he thinks of this blood that he is saved or lost. This is the turning point of his salvation. He may count it strange or hard that his everlasting welfare should be thus determined. Yet God declares that it must be so. He will not consent to treat that blood so lightly as the sinner, nor will He consent to deal favorably with the sinner that slights or scorns that blood. Here He is inexorable, for the honor of His own Son is involved in it, and that honor must be maintained inviolable. And why should it be thought an incredible thing that it should be so? Grant but that this blood is what it is, the blood of God's beloved Son, and it is not difficult to see why He should, on such a point, be so awfully inflexible. Nay, shall we not say, how can it be otherwise? And wonder only how He can bear so much as one single slight offered to blood so precious in His eyes. It was the blood of one whom He loved with an immeasurable love, and who was worthy of all that love even to the uttermost. It was the blood of Him who was the brightness of Jehovah's glory, and the express image of His person. How then was it possible that He could overlook any affront to the blood of one so exalted and so loved? How could He allow the foot of man to trample on it with scorn, or the eye of man to glance past it with indifference? He could not. He must first cease to own Him as His Son, or to claim for Him the homage of creation as heir and Lord of all. Besides, had He not given up this Son for the ungodly? Had He not bruised Him and put Him to grief? Had He not allowed that blood to be shed for man? And if so, then how could He fail to resent anything like ingratitude on the part of those for whom He had delivered up His Son? Specially, how could He fail to be displeased with any contempt or indifference shown by them to that blood which for their sakes had been so freely poured out? Nothing but love to us could have led Him to such a sacrifice. He spared not His Son, just that He might spare us. He allowed His life to be taken, that ours might be restored. And having provided a ransom so precious at such a cost, what need we reckon on but that He should be jealous as to the reception which this love of His was to have among men, and jealous of the treatment which that blood was to meet with at the hands of sinners? We may wonder indeed that man should look on that blood with indifference, as if it were a common thing. But we need not wonder that Jehovah should regard that indifference as one of the blackest and most hateful of all transgressions. Whatever man's indifference to it may be, that cannot alter God's estimate of the blood, it must remain the same. And, so long as it does, He must hold controversy with the world upon this point. Men may think it a small one. He does not, cannot think so. They may imagine that it is of little consequence what their opinion of the blood may be, or whether they have any opinion on it at all. But on such a point there is no indifference with God. He cannot lower His estimate and price. He cannot abandon the controversy, till the sinner has come up to His estimate, and learned to be at one with Him respecting the blood of His only begotten Son. If God and we, then, are at variance, how is this variance to cease? Is it by His adopting our judgment, or by our adopting His? It cannot be the former. That were blasphemy even to imagine. It must be by the latter. If God and we are to be at one, it must be by our thinking as He thinks, and feeling as He feels in this matter. We must take His estimate of the blood of His Son, else the variance cannot cease. It must be prolonged forever. What think you, then, of the blood of Christ? Is that which is so precious in God's eyes as precious in yours? Has the controversy between Him and you upon this point been solidly adjusted? And are you at one with Him in His estimate of the blood of His dear Son? If so, it is well. For this is faith, and it is by this faith that you are saved. It was unbelief that led you to form so low an estimate of that blood, and it is faith which has led you to throw aside your own estimate and adopt that of God. Thus it is that we believe. The Holy Spirit shows us the real nature of that blood we have been citing. He shows us whose blood it is, what wonders it is intended to effect, what power it has to cleanse, what efficacy to give peace. He tells us what God has written concerning this blood. He tells us God's opinion of its value. And making known these things to us, He leads us to immediate peace. The new estimate which He enables us to form of this at once infuses peace. If that estimate which God had given of it be true, then all that is needful for our peace has been accomplished. That infinitely precious blood sheds peace and sunshine into our souls. We see that blood as God sees it, and our consciences are unburdened, our souls are set at rest. It is not in the nature of things that we could have peace till we have altered our estimate of that blood. Even though no vengeance hung over us for despising it, still our not valuing it would effectually shut out our peace. For in proportion as we see its value, in that proportion do we see how completely it has availed to make our peace, to magnify the law, to atone for sin, to open a fountain for all uncleanness. Nothing but infinitely precious blood could do such things. This blood has done them all. We see this, and the burden falls off. We see this, and our consciences are troubled no more. The blood of His cross has finished our peace, and that finished peace is all we need to banish every fear. Poor world, in what is thy controversy with God respecting this blood to end? In life or death to thee? If in life, then thou hast much yet to unlearn, as well as much to learn. Thou hast to unlearn thine own judgment and to learn God's. In so doing there is yet life for thee. If in death, then what a death it will be. It will be God's vengeance for slighted blood. Poor world, dost thou think that there is no controversy between thee and God on this point? Then what means thy indifference? God is not indifferent in this matter, and if thou art indifferent, is there no controversy? Will God allow thee to be indifferent to that on which His whole heart is set? You know how indifference often provokes more than open hatred, so that even although there might be no hatred, this indifference is enough to provoke the eyes of His glory. The day of controversy with God will soon be done. He will not always allow man to war this warfare. Judgment lingereth not, and damnation slumbereth not. The day for the final settlement of all such controversies is at hand. The kindling fire will close them. The sentence of the judge will settle them. Do you not know in what way, and on whose side this great controversy shall be settled? Shall it be settled in your way, or in God's, on His side, or yours?