The Efficacy of Christ's Cross

 The Efficacy of Christ's Cross

The cross of Christ, with its infinite suffering, sorrow, and shame, freely endured by Him, can only be known in all its value by God, Who has fully accepted it. For He “so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God is glorified thereby.

The work of propitiation was there and thus perfectly accomplished by Jesus the Son of God and Son of man, lifted up from the earth, and exalted now to the right hand of the throne of the Majesty on high (Heb. 1:3). Thence He sent down the Holy Ghost to bear testimony, not only in the church, but to sinful man, that a Savior now sits upon the throne of God, and that to believe in Him secures not only the forgiveness of all his sins, but “justification from all things from which he could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:39). “For He was delivered for our offenses, and raised again for our justification,” (Rom. 4:25). “Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).

It is no small measure of blessing and joy to a guilty, and condemned sinner, that trembles at God's word, to be able to say, Through faith in a once crucified now risen and glorified Christ, I am “justified freely by the grace of God, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3); or, according to Col. 1:14, in Christ I “have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” And is even this all? Far from it. From the moment he believes, he can thank the Father Who made him meet to be partaker of the inheritance of the saints (Col. 1:12). For he has been sanctified by the will of God through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (Heb. 10:10); yea, by that one offering “perfected forever” (ver. 14). And a blessed testimony to this glorious truth is given by the presence and indwelling of the Holy Ghost sent down ever since the day of Pentecost (Heb. 10:15-17), Who bears witness with our spirits that we are the children of God (Rom. 8:16), all sins and iniquities having been forever removed from the believer before God, so that there is no more offering for sin. Less than this is not His gospel nor suited to Christ's cross. Other than this is not the Holy Spirit's witness to us. The sinner's position is thus entirely changed by the faith of Christ and of His blood. A new standing in divine grace is given to the believer. He is no longer seen in his sins, nor is he any longer under the responsibility of his Adam nature. As a child of God he is set apart by the Spirit to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:2). He is called to the path of His obedience (1 Peter 1:14-15). He is a new creature in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17), old things being passed, and new things come. Peace and joy now fill his heart in believing, and he exults in hope of the glory of God (Rom. 5:2).