The trend of modern preaching has been, and is, to deny, or purposely to omit, the doctrine of the atonement-that is, of the sacrifice of Christ for sin. Objection too is made as to the phraseology of some popular hymns concerning the death and blood of Christ; they have been pronounced "untrue" and "objectionable." All this should lead us to a close inquiry as to what Scripture does say, rather than how hymn-writers describe these facts. One of the objections most frequently raised is to the statement that "the innocent suffered for the guilty." It is true that the statement, as such, is not found in Scripture. The association with the word "innocent" is that of ignorance. We speak of an innocent child, and we mean that the child has had no opportunity of contact with evil knowledge, and has a mind pure in consequence. But this is not the fact, nor what is meant, when we describe the Son of God. He was pure and holy, was fully aware of the whole awful condition of sin which was infecting the world and destroying every human being. His was not the innocence of ignorance, but the purity of God. Therefore, the word "just" is the word used to describe Him. "He died, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God." The word "just" implies a righteous mind, perfectly aware of the full existence of sin, but uncontaminated by it. Hence the objection raised against the "innocent suffering for the guilty," falls to the ground. If He suffered with the full consciousness of all it would involve Him in, and with the full consent of His will and the purpose of His own heart, no objection can be raised on the ground of "fairness," or "legality," or "morality."
The death of Christ is viewed, usually, in reference to the provision for human need, and the salvation that is thus supplied. Let us, however, look at it from another, from God's viewpoint, and get the profound mystery of the Cross into another, and may we not say, a truer perspective.
Let us imagine ourselves as spectators, remote from this world, without being affected by its results. In the far-distant past, we see the great work of Creation, when the whole universe came into being under the Divine fiat and control of the Son of God, who is called the word, and who is spoken of "as upholding all things by the word of His power." From the hand of God has sprung a perfect Creation. A perfect Creator must have a perfect law for the true government of His universe. A perfect law must have a perfect administration both for its protective and punitive policy, should any rebellion occur. A perfect law must also have a perfect penalty for its infraction. Such a government, with such perfection of law and executive, cannot overlook nor palliate the guilt of law-breakers. It can only fully carry out its own perfect policy, both in protection and punishment. Any mere manifestation of mercy would be illegal, and therefore subversive of government. It would offer a premium to rebellion. Hence any manifestation of mercy must be strictly righteous, and can only be possible after there shall have been the full and righteous settlement of all the law's claims against law-breakers. Human justice must always be imperfect. Human law leaves many loopholes for escape. No human administration is fit or able to carry out law strictly as law, but must give some latitude, and be pitiful to those who are arraigned before it. But this is impossible with Divine law. The Throne of God is established on judgment and justice (Ps. 89 :14 ; 97 :2).Righteousness is the foundation of that throne. Therefore the administration of its government must be absolutely above suspicion of mere pity or lack of absolute righteousness.
In the due course of the Divine will and purpose, man was created, according to Genesis i :26, 27. God said :" Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. … So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him." But before the creation of man had taken place, something else had transpired. In 1 Peter 1:18-20, it is stated that the Lord Jesus was the Lamb foreordained from before the foundation of the world. The word Lamb, in relation to our Lord, is used only in connection with sacrifice for sin. What, then, is suggested ? Surely that long before the creation of man, before this world was prepared for man, a counsel had been formed and an arrangement entered into that, in the event of rebellion of the world's occupant, man, the Son of God would hold Himself responsible to the Divine government by taking upon Himself all the liabilities in which man would be involved. The Lamb was " foreordained before the foundation of the world." To what remote date this statement refers the purpose of the atonement! And why ? Is there no connection between the creation of man in the image of God and His Creator making Himself responsible for him and for the race in the event of rebellion ?
But the dire act of rebellion took place, in disobedience to God's word and will, as recorded in Genesis 2 and 3. Yet how simple was the will of God for man. Only one restriction was placed upon him; but that one was sufficient to. test man's will and conscience toward God. Man disobeyed ; the law was broken. There was necessity for the maintenance of that law, and the vindication of the righteousness of the government that had enacted that law:the rebellion was in full view of the Universe. Myriads of unfallen loyal intelligences and angels were spectators of this rebellion. For them too it was essential that the law should be maintained in all its righteousness, though little is said in Scripture about this.
Pausing here for further reflection, do we not see that when the rebellion broke out in the world, on this small sphere in the vast universe-a province merely of the Great Empire-there were two alternatives before the mind of God ? He might in His sovereign will and power simply annihilate and exterminate the rebellious province of earth, and for ever extinguish it with all its infection. Or, He might devise some scheme whereby He might reconcile the world unto Himself. This latter would be an act of sovereign grace, undeserved, unsought, unexampled, unexpected, which would manifest a new and hitherto unknown attribute of His character. Were there no sin, there could be no grace. Were there no rebellion, there could be no reconciliation. Were there no transgression, there could be no pardon. Thus out of abounding sin has appeared abounding grace and love, which otherwise could have had no possible manifestation.
" Oh, 'twas love, 'twas wondrous love,
The love of God to me ;
It brought my Saviour from above
To die on Calvary."
It is to the infinite glory of God that He should thus seek to reconcile the world unto Himself by the death of His Son. Shall puny, wretched man, impugn God's right, justice, and love in the Just One dying for unjust ones, to bring them to God ?
Christ came, lived a life of absolute sinlessness on earth. He fulfilled all the law's demands, showed how He loved God with all the heart, and all the soul, and all the mind, and all the strength, and His neighbor, man, not only as the law demanded, but in giving His life for His enemies. Thus was the heaven opened over His head on the Mount of Transfiguration, and the voice was heard:"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The glory of His home streamed down upon Him and through Him, as though the doors were flung open, inviting Him to ascend there and then, and return to the bosom of the Father. But had He done so, He could have taken no one with Him. He would not thus depart, but conversed with Moses and Elijah of " His decease." From another mountain top there would be another exit (Luke 24:50, 51).
"This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven " (Acts 1:11). -Extracted