without excuse. "What things so ever the law saith, it saith to them
who are under the law." How many, then, are under the law? The remainder of
the verse determines this with certainty. "That every mouth may be stopped, and
all the world may become guilty before God." This fact then is plainly stated: that
the whole human family are addressed by the law of God; that all of its members
without distinction of rank, or order, share in one general condemnation; and that
condemnation is so just, that every mouth is shut, and all the world stands
speechless before the bar of God. The twenty-third verse explains the cause of
this: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
The law of God can justify no flesh in his sight. But why cannot the law justify
sinful man? Because by the law is the knowledge of sin. Man is
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guilty of transgression, and the law of God discovers and manifests this fact. The
law is God's great rule of right; and as such, it shows every departure from
rectitude and holiness. We have thus seen the sad state of fallen men. Let us
now consider what God does for their salvation. If he takes back his law, one of
two things must be true:-
1. He takes back an unjust law, and thus acknowledges that he was the
cause of man's condemnation. But this is false; for we have seen that the law is
so just that none can plead against its righteous sentence. Hence if God has
taken back his law we shall be compelled to adopt the second position; namely,
2. He takes back a just law, thus denying his own moral character as
expressed in that law, and overthrowing his own moral government. God cannot
lie; and it is manifestly absurd to teach that God has abolished the principles of
his own moral government. Hence we conclude that God did not, and could not
overthrow his own moral law, in order to save its transgressors.
We inquire again, What did the great Law-giver do in order to save men? If he
did not take back his law, and abolish his own moral government, what did he
do? It would seem that but one other thing could be done; namely, to put the law
in force upon its transgressors. In other words, to execute its
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penalty upon the human race. If this were done, all must be destroyed; for all
were its transgressors; and the wages of sin is death. Let us now with gratitude
and adoration look at the wondrous plan which God has devised for man's
redemption: a plan in which justice and mercy meet together, and righteousness
and peace kiss each other: [Ps.85:8-13:] a system of redemption by which God
can be just and yet can justify him that believeth in Jesus. It is set forth by Paul in
the following language:-
"Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to
declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the
forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness; that he might
be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Rom.3:24-26.
In these words the great plan of redemption is set forth; but oh! what has it
not cost! Man had broken the law of Jehovah and fallen under its awful and yet
just condemnation. God could not reverse his holy law without destroying the
moral government of the universe; but he so loved our race that he gave his only
Son to die for perishing man. John3:14-17. He sent his Son to be the propitiation
or offering for the sins of men. 1John4:10.
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Christ came to take the curse of the law upon himself, and to offer his life as a
ransom for its transgressors. Gal.3:13; 1Tim.2:5,6.
The Father had two objects of the dearest affection: his own perfect law, and
his only Son. He would save man who had revolted from allegiance to that law,
and openly set it at naught. To do this, the great Law-giver must sacrifice either
his perfect law, or his beloved and only Son. The first he could not do; for God
cannot deny himself; and he hath in all ages ever magnified his word above all
his name; [Ps.138:2;] but he could give his only Son to die, that revolted man
might have a sacrifice to bring to God that could avail to take away sin.
Jesus was delivered for our offenses, and raised again for our justification. He
ascended into the true Tabernacle in heaven, the new covenant Sanctuary,
where the ark of God stands, containing his holy law - as a great High Priest, to
plead the merits of his blood in behalf of penitent men. Heb.9; Rev.11:19. As the
ancient high priest entered the typical tabernacle to sprinkle the ark of the
testament with blood even thus was it necessary that our great High Priest
should act. The earthly high priest did not sprinkle the blood of sin-offering upon
the ark that he might blot out the ten commandments which it contained, or that
he might
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lessen the obligation of men to observe them. On the contrary, he entered the
tabernacle with blood, because man had violated that holy law, and could not be
pardoned without the offering of blood to take away sin.
Even thus did our Lord. By his own blood he entered the true Tabernacle, and
presented himself before the Father on our account. In fulfilling the ministration of
the true holy places, the two dearest objects of affection to the great Law-giver
are again united. But how wondrous the union! Jesus, who has died for the
transgressors of that sacred law, now stands as a great High Priest before the
ark containing the law of God, pleading in behalf of men, the merits of his own
sacrificial death. The Law-giver can accept the offering, and man, who has
broken the law of God, can be pardoned.
http://alfaempresa.com.br/tunel.php
It is evident, therefore, that the death of our Saviour sustains the same
relation to the law of God, that the death of the victim in the ancient typical
system sustained to that law. The design of either was not
