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The Plan of Salvation

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. · Feb 8, 1915

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 92, No. 7.

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The Plan of Salvation

By C. M. Snow

The Restoration of All Things in Christ

By C. M. Snow
“Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. “And thou, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.” Micah 4:8. John was baptizing in Jordan, and multitudes under his preaching were confessing their sins, dying to this world, and rising from the watery grave to walk in newness of life.

Behold the Lamb of God

One day there came to John One who had no sins to confess; and John, looking upon him, said: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Then were the heavens opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him; and a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matt. 3:15, 17. “And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, this same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.” John 1:32-34.

A Call to Repentance

The report of the wonderful preaching of this prophet of the wilderness had spread throughout Palestine. Hearts had been deeply touched; wrongs had been made right; sins had been repented of and forsaken. Even from Jerusalem men had journeyed to Bethabara to hear the voice that testified against unrighteousness and warned men to flee from the wrath to come. Judah was stirred, and even the great ones were asking, What do these things mean? and, Is this the Christ that was to come?

What Did It Mean?

But John declared, I am not the Christ; I am not that prophet; the latchet of his shoes I am not worthy to unloose; “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord.”
What signifies this “Lamb of God”? What means this “baptism unto repentance”? What means this agitation of the people by a man from the wilderness, uncouth, unlettered, and unauthorized by the Sanhedrin or by any school of the prophets? The hour had struck for a new epoch in the history of man and of the world. Shadows were giving place to substance; types were melting into antitype; the Desire of Ages had come; and John was tilling the fields of Israel for the sowing of the good seed of the kingdom.

The Long-Looked-For Messiah Had Come

But what means this “Lamb of God” appearing in the scene just when the people were flocking to John, confessing their sins and being baptized for the remission of sin? He who alone could make the forgiveness of sin possible was the long-promised Messiah, the Anointed One, the Christ. Toward his coming Adam looked through the telescope of God’s promise—the Seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head. Abel saw him in the lamb whose blood he shed and whose body was consumed on the altar of sacrifice. Enoch looked forward to his day, and prophesied of his coming, “with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all.” Jude 14, 15. David saw him as the Lord’s anointed, the inheritor of the worlds who was to rule the nations with a rod of iron, the Lord of hosts, the King of glory, but the smitten and bruised One hanging upon the cross.
Isaiah saw him as that promised child upon whose shoulders the government was to rest, whose name is Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, and yet the One who would be despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, chastised for our peace, by whose stripes we are healed, the One upon whom the Lord had laid “the iniquity of us all,” pouring out his soul unto death, numbered with the transgressors, bearing the sin of many, and making intercession for the transgressors.
Micah saw him as the “Tower of the flock, the Stronghold of the daughter of Zion,” the retriever of the lost dominion. Zechariah knew him as the Branch who was to reconstruct in this earth the ruined edifice of Jehovah’s worship, the King of the daughter of Jerusalem; while to Malachi he was “the messenger of the covenant” and “the Sun of Righteousness,” with healing in his wings. And this being, upon whom was focused the eyes of angels, of patriarchs, and of prophets, was Immanuel, God with us, Christ the anointed, Jesus the Saviour from sin. So when John said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world,” he focused the gaze of ages on that sinless form standing upon the banks of Jordan, and declared him the One who was to be the victim of the cross.

Why This Sacrifice for Sin?

Why was it necessary that the Son of God should die for man? What profit would it be to heaven? How could it help man?
Sin put a gulf between earth and heaven. Man’s obedience to the dictates of Satan, and his disobedience to his Maker, put the race in rebellion against the government of heaven, and made Satan the “prince” of this world. The prophet says:— “Behold, Jehovah’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you.” Isa. 59:1, 2.

Man Lost Through Disobedience

When man broke the command of God, he became a rebel, and his home became the house of rebellion. So there went forth that decree: “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return;” and, “Cursed is the ground for thy sake.” But that plague upon sin and disloyalty could not remain in the universe of God forever. Either man and the home of man must be blotted out, or a remedy must be found. The decree goes forth; but the sinless Son of the Almighty steps under the falling judgment, and the hand of execution is stayed.

Christ the Remedy

Man had broken the law; but the Son of God offers to become man, and keep the law, and satisfy its claims for man. So he says:— “Lo, I am come; in the roll of the book it is written of me: I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart.” Ps. 40:7.
And when he had become man, we hear him declaring to his Father:— “I am come down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” John 6:38.
In the garden of Gethsemane, with the weight of the world’s sin crushing his soul, and the agonies of the cross staring him in the face, we hear him declaring, “Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” Luke 22:42. In that attitude he went to the cross; in that attitude he hung upon the cross, between earth and heaven, a self-given sacrifice for a race in sin; and, while hanging there, could still plead with the Father in man’s behalf, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

“Jesus Paid It All”

As man, he died, and in his death paid the penalty of the broken law. As the sinless Son of God, death could not hold him; for death is the penalty of transgression, and he had not transgressed. He died because he had volunteered to take the stroke that was man’s due; and doing that, placed within man’s reach again that life eternal which man had forfeited through sin. He bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we might not have to bear the fearful penalty of our own transgression, which is death eternal. “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.” Isa. 53:5.

The Gulf Is Bridged

That bridges the gulf which sin had made between earth and heaven, and makes it possible for man one day to see his Maker’s face, now hidden from us by the veil of sin. Being tempted in all points like as we are, he is able to succor them that are tempted, to strengthen them for every trial, to make them fit for every circumstance; and then he leaves them to walk in this gracious promise: “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” Rev. 3:21.
His righteousness is imputed to those who, fleeing from sin, seek the shelter of his grace; “for as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one shall the many be made righteous.” Rom. 5:19. Again: “If, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” Rom. 5:10. “All things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave unto us the ministry of reconciliation. . . . We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be ye reconciled to God.” 2 Cor. 5:18-20.

The Lost Dominion Restored by Promise

Having accomplished that reconciliation, he has a right to the title given him by the prophet Micah, the “Tower of the flock, the Stronghold of the daughter of Zion.” And of that one, inspiration says, “Unto thee shall it come, yea, the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.” Micah 4:8. That “former dominion” is the dominion lost to our race through sin. Christ wins it back through righteousness, and by his own blood purchases man’s release from the demands of that broken law, that he may live to enjoy the restored inheritance. Again and again did Satan tempt Christ to break God’s law. Said he, Fall down and worship me, and I will give you the dominion you seek. To have done so, would have meant ruin to the plan of salvation and destruction and oblivion to the race. But Christ did not fail. Humanity and divinity met in him. One hand clasped the human hand, the other the hand of God. “We are complete in him.” The offender and the offended are reconciled; and, that accomplished, God will make all things new. In that reconciliation and re-creation this scripture finds fulfillment.
“Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed. . . . For thy Maker is thy husband; Jehovah of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is thy Redeemer; the God of the whole earth shall he be called. . . . For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In overflowing wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting loving-kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith Jehovah thy Redeemer.” Isa. 54:4-8.

“Victory Through Our Lord Jesus Christ”

“Then shall come to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law: but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 15:54-57.
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth are passed away; and the sea is no more. . . . And I heard a great voice out of the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his peoples, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God: and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first things are passed away. And he that sitteth on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.” Rev. 21:1-5.
In that restoration and reconciliation and redemption every son and daughter of Adam may have a part.