We have shown from the Scriptures that the whole duty of man is to keep the commandments, and that only by so doing can we gain eternal life. We have also found that the law, being perfect and holy, condemns the whole world, and that we can be freed from this condemnation only by faith in Christ.
The law condemns; Christ has opened the way for pardon. When the sinner has acknowledged his guilt, and has accepted Christ as his Saviour, he can say, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:1)
The Law After Justification
We now inquire, What is his relation to the law from this time on? and, Does this condition of things make any less true the statement that to fear God and keep His commandments is the whole duty of man? Paul describes a man in this justified state: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)
We have heard this text quoted to prove that a man in Christ has no more use for the law, that such old things as that are done away. The absurdity of such a claim is manifest on its very face; for if that supposition were true, it would amount to saying that the law is abolished only for Christians, but that it is in full force until a man becomes a Christian; and since Christians and sinners live side by side in this world, we would have the anomaly of the law being both abolished and in full force at the same time! But the eighteenth verse tells what the new things are: "And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:18)
If a man in Christ does all things that are of God, he certainly will not violate God's law. The statement of what Christ did for us, proves this: "Who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)
The act of reconciliation implies that certain parties have been estranged from each other--have been enemies. "But God commends His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." (Romans 5:8-10)
So Paul shows that while we were sinners--transgressing the law--we were the enemies of God, and that we are reconciled by the death of His Son. The prophet Isaiah shows very clearly in what rebellion against God consists, when he says: "This is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord." (Isaiah 30:9)
And Paul also states that the carnal mind is enmity against God, simply because "it is not subject to the law of God." (Romans 8:7)
Since, then, our enmity to God while we were sinners consisted simply in disobedience to His law, it must necessarily follow that when we are reconciled we will keep the law. Indeed, the very act of reconciliation implies submission on our part to the requirements of God.
Reconciling to Obedience
Paul goes on to say that having received the commission from God, "Now then we [that is, the ministers of Christ] are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be reconciled to God." (2 Corinthians 5:20)
This means simply that the work of the gospel is to persuade men to keep the law of God. The thing is stated in plain words by the apostle Peter, when he says: "The grass withers, and the flower thereof falls away; but the word of God endures forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you." (1 Peter 1:24-25)
The point, however, is established beyond all controversy by the closing words of: "For He has made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
The turn which some give to the first part of this verse, that Christ was made a sin-offering for us, robs the text of all its force. It is true that Christ was our sin-offering, but that is not what the apostle here states. God made Christ (the sinless one) to be sin for us. He was made "in all things ... like unto His brethren;" (Hebrews 2:17) and that means not simply as to the outward, physical frame, but that He bore sin, just as we do. The sins that He bore were not His own, but ours. "[He] knew no sin," (2 Corinthians 5:21) yet, "The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:6)
Although the sins that He bore were ours, they were counted as His own, and so caused His death. "He was wounded for our transgression, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)
Saved from Law-Breaking
And why was this done? Why was the spotless Lamb of God made to be sin for us? Paul answers: "That we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
What is the righteousness of God? We have already shown from Isaiah 51:6-7 that it is nothing else but the law of God. Then Paul's words mean that Christ was made to be sin for us in order that, in Him, we might be conformed to the law of God. This, then, is what it is to be a new creature in Christ; it is to put away the old life of sin, and to become reconciled to God by keeping His law.
In the second chapter of Ephesians Paul briefly states the change from being dead in trespasses and sins to being quickened, and made to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. This is done because God is rich in mercy. We read: "For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
The term "saved" is sometimes used in an accommodated sense. We are really saved only when we are given the victory over death, and are made immortal in the kingdom of God. This salvation is brought to us "at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:13)
But since this everlasting salvation is given only to those who overcome their sins, (Revelation 3:21) we are said to be saved when we are freed from our past sins through the pardoning mercy of God. If we continue in this condition, we will receive our full salvation. In this place the word may be taken in both senses. "Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:9)
Simply a repetition of Romans 3:28. God was not under obligation to save us, and we could not atone for past sins, and thus earn salvation. Our salvation is wholly due to the infinite mercy of God through the merits of Christ and consequently we have nothing whereof to boast.
Unto Good Works
Shall we conclude from this, then, that Christ does everything for us, that is, in our stead, and that we have no call to work for ourselves? Paul does not so teach. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:20)
By being "created in Christ Jesus," we are made new creatures in Christ; and for what? That we might be able to perform good works, for that is what God from the beginning designed that we should do, and this is our whole duty.
And now we are able to understand fully Christ's reply to the young ruler who asked the way of life. (Matthew 19:18-21) While He said, "If you will enter into life, keep the commandments." (Matthew 19:17) you will notice that He did not leave him with that. Christ well knew that the man, in spite of his self-righteousness was a sinner. By a simple test He showed that the young man was not only covetous, but that he did not love his neighbor as well as he did himself, and that he did not love God with all his heart. He was selfish, and loved himself and his property more than he did God and his neighbors; and so he was a violator of all the commandments, for he broke the two great precepts upon which they hang. (Matthew 22:36-40)
Christ well knew that the young man could not justify himself, nor even keep the commandments as they should be kept, in his own strength, and so He added the words, "Come, and follow me." (Matthew 19:21)
What for? That in Christ he might be a new creature; that, whereas by himself he had utterly failed of fulfilling the righteousness of God, in Christ, he might attain to that; in short, that he might be enabled to keep the commandments.
And so it still remains a fact that to fear God and keep His commandments is the whole duty of man and Christ has simply come to our aid, to help us to do our duty. While He assumes the responsibility of the sins which the believer has committed in the past and thus sets him once more in the right way, justified before God, He tells him that "without me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
We are "created in Christ Jesus unto good works," (Ephesians 2:10) but it is only while we abide in Him that we can bear any fruit. (John 15:4) Without Christ our efforts to obey God are vain struggles; with the strength which He gives we can do all things, and at last stand, "complete in Him." (Colossians 2:10)
And this opens the way for us to understand how it is that Christ is the end of the law, which will next be considered.--Signs of the Times, July 17, 1884.