11d Atonement

CHURCH-MEMBERS’

HAND - BOOK OF THEOLOGY.

CHAPTER XI.

ATONEMENT.

It comes in place now to take some notice of what the intercession of Christ effects or procures for those in whose behalf He intercedes; and here we have large scope for very interesting discussion--much larger than we shall attempt to occupy. This topic should be a delightful theme of meditation to every true believer in Christ.

Keeping in mind, then, that the intercession of our High Priest is the presentation of a prevalent and all-sufficient plea, on our behalf, that will justify the Father in removing from us the condemnation incurred by our sins, and in bestowing upon us such blessings as our necessities may require; and keeping in mind, also, that this plea is the satisfaction made to the Divine law for our sins, by the death of Christ, and we have the subject of discussion laid plainly before us in such order as makes the prosecution of our inquiry an easy task, for the merit of atonement is the efficacy of intercession.

We shall not undertake to make a full representation of every particular case, but we will exhibit the subject somewhat in detail; and the reader, being in possession of our rule, a few exemplifications will enable him to apply the rule in any requisite case; for every covenant blessing, and every spiritual grace, comes to us through the intercession, as founded upon the merits of that one competent and comprehensive plea.

Let us look at those blessings and blessed relations secured to the believer in the provisions of the covenant of grace, as they are related to this plea.

1. And first, we are guilty rebels against God; we are justly liable to His wrath; we are the objects of His righteous displeasure; we fear His anger, because we are conscious we deserve it, hence we need forgiveness; we desire reconciliation with Him. What plea now can we make? What better plea than that which our Intercessor makes for us? for "without shedding of blood there is no remission." But the Intercessor says, "This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins." And again: "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son."

2. We have transgressed the Divine law, and have incurred the penalty, and we must stand before God in the judgment. What plea can our Intercessor make for us that shall avail to avert the execution ? "Being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." "Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." "By His knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities."

3. Our redemption in full is ascribed to the death of Christ. To this we owe our deliverance from sin, and from death, and from the grave. In a word, if the question is asked, "Who is he that condemneth?" the plea and the answer is, "It is Christ that died." Can you supply your Intercessor with a better plea than this? Or can you add anything to this plea that shall give it efficacy and merit?--any thing that shall give it a value and sufficiency which it does not possess in itself, independently of any supplementary considerations ?

4. But we will consider this plea in relation to those spiritual graces which constitute true Christian character. And here opens to us a larger field for contemplation than we can undertake to survey at present; but a few words to the wise may be sufficient to guide the earnest and inquiring mind to the treasures contained in it.

5. There is a general and comprehensive view of the subject which embraces all that we have need to say on this topic; and this we will present to your consideration as a kind of groundwork for what may follow.

It is through the intercession of Christ that the Holy Spirit is given. I would hardly suppose this fact has escaped the notice of attentive Bible readers; but because we find it stated in such intimate connection with the atonement, it may be well to refer to a few scriptures: "For the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified." (John 8:39) "And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth," etc. (John 14:16-17) "For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you." (John 16:7) I might refer to other places, but as no one, I presume, will deny the doctrine, I need not detain the reader on this point.

Now the gift of the Spirit is fallen man’s great necessity. Without it, he must perish in his sins. The Spirit must give him life, enlighten his mind, subdue the enmity of his heart, and, in short, make him a new Creature. The gift of the Spirit virtually includes every thing that is necessary to prepare us for the service of God in this world, and to enjoy His blessed presence in heaven. Thus we see that it is through the intercession of our High Priest that spiritual life, with all its sanctifying operations, is given to us, and maintained in us with all its holy exercises. But as it may be that many of the younger class of Christians might be edified by seeing the application of the fundamental plea, or its relation to our more particular needs, we must give a few examples.

We need the intercession of Christ to gain acceptance for our prayers. It is through the atonement that we have access to God by a new and living way, which Christ has consecrated for us through the veil--that is to say, "His flesh;" and our interceding Priest has given to Him much incense, which He offers up with our prayers, whereby our supplications gain acceptance, and we obtain an answer of peace. We offer our prayers in His Name, and His Name makes them well-pleasing to God.

We have grace, mercy, and peace, through our Lord Jesus Christ, because He has "made peace by the blood of His cross."

While we dwell in the flesh, and sojourn in this world, beset with temptations on every hand, and too often unwatchful, we are apt to be betrayed into sin. We then need, and feel our need, of the Divine complacency: "And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He is the propitiation for our sins." In this text we see that the propitiation is the plea of intercession. And as He ever lives to make intercession for us, and His intercession never fails of success, He is able to save to the uttermost them that come to God by Him.

It remains, now, that we examine this subject of our Redeemer’s intercession, in its relation to the design of the atonement, in its personal application; for it is through the intercession of Christ that the benefits of the atonement are applied to us, and in no other way. If it was the design of God that the blessings of the death of Jesus should be assured to every one of Adam’s lost family, then of necessity the atonement must have been intended for all, and all must have been included personally in the design for which the atonement was made. Not only must it have been sufficient in itself for the redemption of all, but all must have been included, specifically and personally, in the special design of redeeming grace. This theory would agree very well with the doctrine of universal salvation; but we reject that doctrine, because the Bible condemns it. But if effectual intercession is made by the Mediator for those only who will be saved--and I believe this is conceded--and yet the atonement was made for all personally, then it follows inevitably that, in a personal point of view, the intercession is limited, while the atonement is unlimited and universal. And it is almost impossible to repress the inquiry, Why should not the intercession be co-extensive with the atonement, and as universal in its design? The merit of atonement is the all-sufficient and efficacious plea of intercession, and the only plea that the Intercessor presents in behalf of those for whom He intercedes; and as this plea is sufficient for all--if it was designedly provided for all--why should some of those for whom it was provided be denied the benefit of it? To account for this, the believers in a universal atonement have recourse to Divine sovereignty, and that is the only alternative. But to the thinking mind it will seem at least to be an incongruous and unsuitable place to introduce sovereignty; for the application of the fruits of the atonement is made in sovereignty to all to whom they are applied, whether to a part or to all the family of man; and to interpose an act of discriminating sovereignty at this stage of the proceedings, can have no other effect than to exclude from the benefits of the atonement a part of those for whose benefit the atonement was purposely made. But let us take a more enlarged view of this sovereignty, as it acts and operates in the plan of salvation; for Divine sovereignty obtains throughout the whole scheme of man’s salvation from beginning to end, as it does also in all the works of God. But, in the great arrangement for the salvation of sinners, this sovereignty is the sovereignty of love. It was the sovereign love of God to sinful men that gave His Son to be a propitiation for our sins; and this love--this sovereign love--characterizes the whole plan and proceeding from its origin to its final consummation. The Supreme, independent God was under no obligation to sinners to give His Son for our redemption. This gift was the forth-going of His sovereign love; and if we exclude discriminating sovereignty from the exercise of this love in providing atonement, and say that all men alike are the objects of this love, and that it was the gracious design of the Father that all men should have an equal interest in this great atonement, this redeeming love; and say also--which a Universal atonement necessarily presupposes--that the Son of God, in the exercise of this same sovereign love, died to make atonement for all and every one equally and alike, excluding all discriminating sovereignty from the design in its relation to persons, and we have a universal atonement in all its fullness, the production of an undiscriminating sovereign love of the Father and the Son. And this atonement is the foundation and basis of a process of intercession to be made by the Son in behalf of the persons for whom this universal atonement was accomplished. But right here--just at the transition from atonement to intercession--we must introduce a discriminating exercise of sovereign love, which leaves out of its range vast numbers who were the personal objects of that love which provided and achieved a universal atonement. There is such manifest incongruity in this arrangement of a sovereign procedure that, as I said before, makes it apparently a very inappropriate place to introduce a sovereign constitution; and if we postpone the introduction of a discriminating sovereignty to any subsequent stage of the operation of sovereign love, the same unwelcome result must necessarily ensue. Sovereignty in the plan of salvation must be admitted; there is no possible way to exclude it, and I would hope that no Christian would wish to exclude it; and if we recognize it in the beginning as first in order--the only place where I think it can be consistently admitted, and, indeed, the only place where there is any room for it--we can then see the consistency of sovereignty in every subsequent step of the progressive operation, and we see it as sovereignty shining in all the beauty of Divine love. Sovereignty admitted at the beginning may be defended, and, indeed, it will defend itself; but if interposed at any subsequent stage of the process, I can not see how we will defend it; and if we seek for a reason or a propriety for its subsequent intercession, I apprehend we shall not find it in the perfections of the Divine character, nor in the testimony of His revealed word. It would not be a sovereign choice of love, but a sovereign rejection of some of the objects of sovereign love. I am ready to doubt whether the advocates of a universal atonement themselves would admit the inbringing of a discriminating sovereignty that would exclude from the intercession any of those for whom the atonement was personally intended. Will any say that the atonement was not sufficiently meritorious and efficacious to satisfy for all for whom it was made? I suppose not. Or will any say that the intercession of the Son of God is too weak and imperfect to prevail for all those for whom intercession is offered up? Neither will this be admitted. Or must we assume that Jesus our High Priest refuses to intercede for any of those for whom He suffered and died? Why should He? And if not, what then? Must we allow that the Father will not hear His intercession? If nothing of all this is contended for, I see no alternative; we must reject the doctrine of an atonement made for all personally and for every one alike. I must leave it to those who contend for a universal and personal atonement, and deny a universal and personal salvation, to assign to its proper place the exercise of a sovereignty that makes the difference in the final destiny. That the atonement of Christ is sufficient for all--that it is free to all--and that its benefits are assured to every one that will, I have no doubt; and this is quite sufficient to devolve responsibility on every one that hears the gospel; and every one being left to his own choice, he must abide the consequences of his own voluntary decision.