The Justice of God. 9
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In the above passage, our blessed Redeemer stands forth as a voluntary victim, completely qualified to make full expiation of sin. Confident of His own perfect qualifications to perform the arduous work, absolutely willing to undergo all the bitterness of the sufferings involved therein—he announced His readiness to discharge the greatest undertaking of all. But let us carefully note, once more, how everything is resolved unto the Divine WILL. "Here I am, I have come to do Your will, O God" (Heb. 10:9). That will which had been formulated in His "eternal purpose" (Eph. 3:11), which had been expressed in the terms of the Everlasting Covenant, which had been freely accepted by the Mediator Himself, and which had been made known in the Scriptures of Truth. That "will" involved the magnifying of God's Law and rendering it honorable (Isaiah 42:21). It involved the Son's becoming the federal Representative of His people, His entering into the office of Surety, His serving as their Substitute, and His making expiation for their sins. And by that same "will" we are saved. How clearly this confirms what we have already said.
It would take us too far afield for us now to enter into a discussion of the nature, design, and effects of the Atonement, rather must we confine ourselves to the relation which the Satisfaction of Christ had unto the demonstrating of God's governmental perfections under the economy He had instituted. The fundamental feature of that economy is that the Lord God has placed His rational creatures under law, and that He administers this law with strict impartiality, enforcing its sanctions without respect of persons. The climactic proof of this, appears in the plan God formed for the salvation of His elect. He did not sovereignly pardon their iniquities without any satisfaction being rendered to His broken Law—but appointed His own Son to enter their stead and place—and be made a curse for them, experiencing in His own Person the unabated penalty of that Law, so that they may be righteously discharged. This it is which alone explains the unparalleled sufferings of the Savior.
What has just been pointed out, alone accounts for the agony of our Redeemer prior to the Cross. Before any human hand was laid upon Him, before any human enemy came near Him, He exclaimed, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death!" (Matt. 26:38). Behold Him prostrate in theGarden: He was in an agony of mental distress: He sweat great drops of blood: engaged in "strong crying and tears." Observe Him on the cruel Tree. With unmeasurable magnanimity He interceded for His crucifiers. With royal majesty and unparalleled mercy He allotted a place in Paradise to one of the malefactors dying by His side. But before He yielded up His spirit He cried, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me!" There is only one adequate cause for such unspeakable anguish, namely, His vicarious Character, His bearing imputed sin (for He had none of His own), His undergoing the curse of the Law in the place of those who were justly condemned by it.
Scripture speaks so plainly on this momentous subject that there is no excuse for any misunderstanding of its meaning. Christ was "wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him" (Isaiah 53:5). And why so? Because God made His Son to be "sin for us, who knew no sin" (2 Cor. 5:21), because "the Lord made the iniquity of us all, to meet on Him" (Isaiah 53:6), because "His own self, bore our sins in His own body on the tree" (1 Peter 2:24). And what was the consequence? This—Jehovah cried, "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me! declares the Lord Almighty. Strike the shepherd!" (Zech. 13:7). Under the regime God has instituted, sin must be punished wherever it is found—and no exception was made even of the spotless Lamb—when the iniquities of His people were transferred to Him. Hence we are told that the Sin-bearer was "smitten of God" and again, "it pleased the Lord to bruise Him" (Isaiah 53:4, 10).
It is, then, in the work of redemption, that we behold the clearest, the most solemn, and yet the grandest display of God's justice. Therein we learn His estimate of sin, His holy abhorrence of it, the nature and severity of His sentence upon it. Not only does the work of redemption exhibit the exceeding riches of Divine mercy in the pardon of deservedly condemned criminals—but it manifests the inexorable and awe-inspiring character of Divine justice—in the tremendous punishment of sin inflicted upon the Holy Lamb! The more we prayerfully contemplate the Father's conduct in connection with the obedience and sufferings of His dear Son—the more clearly do we behold Him vindicating the honor of His broken Law, satisfying the claims of His penal justice, furnishing incontestable proof of His equity and veracity, and thereby is He set forth as One who is infinitely worthy to superintend the universe and to govern this world.
Finally, the justice of God will be openly manifested at the end of this world, when the present administration terminates: then will be "the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God" (Romans 2:5). The ends of justice, so far as they consist in retribution, would be answered by the sentence pronounced upon every individual immediately after death, for it is enough that the state of men in the next world conform to theircharacters and conduct in this world. But the Grand Assize is designed for the final manifestation of God's justice before an assembled universe, to bring it out of any obscurity and uncertainty in which it is partly veiled under the varied dispensations of Providence, and to demonstrate once and for all—that the Ruler of Heaven and earth is no respecter of persons. Then shall the books be opened, fair trial accorded, all the evidence adduced and every man shall "receive according to his works." The wicked will then be convicted that each one has received the due reward of his iniquities, while the righteous will exclaim, "Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments!" (Rev. 6:7).
Let us now endeavor, though very briefly, to APPLY this important subject in a doctrinal and practical manner.
First, such manifestations of the Divine justice as have been before us, should indeed promote the exercise of deep humility before God in all our devotional fellowship with Him. O fellow-Christian, if we apprehend in any measure this most solemn truth of the Divine justice, we must surely feel the propriety of that precept, "Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear—for our God is a consuming fire!" (Heb. 12:28, 29). There is far more danger of real believers approaching the Father of mercies in a careless, carnal, and formal manner—than there is of them drawing near to Him under the influence of painful timidity or of a desponding temper. We should endeavor to acquire a settled habit of reminding ourselves that the Object of our worship is One who is "glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders!" Such a view of God is adapted to arouse solemnity, excite reverence, and promote submission.
Second, such manifestations of Divine justice as have been before us, should warm our hearts and enkindle the spirit of praise. O what a difference it makes whether that justice is for—or against us. God's justice is now for the weakest and most unworthy believer, for the simple but sufficient reason—that it was against his blessed Redeemer. God cannot twice demand payment—first at our bleeding Surety's hand, and then again at ours. Because the sword of Divine justice was sheathed in the side of the Substitute—I go free. Because He received the wages of sin in my place—my debts are fully discharged. Because He rendered to the Law a vicarious obedience which magnified and made it honorable—His perfect righteousness is reckoned to my account. Because I have put my trust in His finished work, I am justified from all things. Surely, then, I must exclaim, "my mouth shall show forth Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day!" (Psalm 71:15). O what praise and devotion are due Him. "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness!" (Isaiah 61:10).
Third, such manifestations of Divine justice as have been before us, constitute an unspeakably solemn warning to the unsaved. While the consideration of God's justice must fill believers with peace and joy—yet it is a fearful thing for the Christless to contemplate. It is a justice which is inflexible, inexorable, and immutable. It is a justice which is never set aside by sentimental considerations, and which cannot be bought with promises, or bribed by tears. The solemn truth of God's justice, addresses the consciences of those who are secure in their sins, saying, "O sleeper, arise, call upon your God." It speaks with the voice of thunder, maintaining the reasonableness of that obedience which the Law requires, the equity of the sanctions by which it is enforced, and the inflexibility of the Legislator to execute His threatened curse upon its transgressors. If God "spared not His own Son," most certainly He will not spare any who finally despise and reject Him. Even now His wrath is upon them (John 3:36), and unless they repent—soon shall they feel the full force of it in the Lake of Fire!
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