(Continued from page 307. )
6. JUSTIFICATION BY BLOOD.
But God commendeth 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 " (Rom. 5 :8-10).
We have spoken of justification being "by faith;" that is, faith as the means by which salvation is appropriated, or made ours. Faith is what distinguishes those to whom justification applies. Here we view faith as linking with what makes it of value before God:faith links us with the blood of Christ-with the redemption which is by His blood. Christ died for us, accomplishing our redemption by His sacrifice, and in the power of this we are justified.
Having been justified by His blood, "much more," says the apostle, "we shall be saved from wrath through Him." Therefore, we "wait for God's Son from heaven, whom He raised from among the dead, Jesus our Deliverer from the coming wrath" (i Thess. i :10). And we are assured that "God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ; who died for us that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him" (i Thess. 5:9). We see from both these passages that the point of time when this salvation takes place is at the Lord's coming, when He comes to take us out of this scene to be forever with Himself. Thus there is no "great tribulation" for us (Rev. 3:10, n), no " wrath to come " for us, but it is coming upon an ungodly world ; nor wrath at any time for those who have part in that blessed rapture when we meet Him in the air. Then shall have come to pass that which, as counsel, He has already given utterance to, "Whom He has justified, these also He has glorified " (Rom. 8 :30). All this, as we know, is made good to us because of the eternal value of what He is, and of what He has accomplished for us.
Furthermore, we have been reconciled. The death of Christ and the love of God expressed therein brought home to us in the Spirit's power, have banished the enmity which in our unconverted state we had to God, and now His own blessed love is shed abroad in our hearts. This "much more," of which the apostle speaks, assures us of a full, complete salvation for all future time, as He ever lives to make intercession for us. " Because I live, ye shall live also" are His own precious words. His resurrection has given to us a living hope. He Himself is there for us (i Tim. i:i). He who died is now upon the throne, and as to salvation in all its fulness-for body, soul and spirit-He is our hope; this marks the immeasurable, eternal blessedness of our salvation. He is able to save to the uttermost because He ever liveth to make intercession. He lives in the place of power with God for us; as He also entered the place of weakness and humiliation–crucified through weakness – to crush our enemies, and bring us into blessing. J. Bloore
(To be continued.)