Our Surety by F. W. Krummacher

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Feb 4, 1913

Our Surety

By F. W. Krummacher

HEAR what Paul says: “If Christ be not raised, . . . ye are yet in your sins;” but now he means to say, ye are no longer in your sins. “How! does Paul mean to say, no more under the curse and wrath?” No! he means also, no longer in your sins. O, mystery of godliness! The risen One are we. “Who? We?” Yes, yes, we poor sinners! Not a ray of light that is seen in Him, not a virtue which shines around Him, that is not ours.

Behold, how He stands there; a youthful champion upon His open tomb—such we stand before God. Not such we shall stand; but such we stand. He has suffered—we also! He was taken away from judgment—we with Him! Nothing damnable rests longer upon Him—nothing damnable upon us also. Here is a picture of purity and beauty—we no less! He is clothed with nothing but obedience and light; the same light, the same obedience, adorns us, also. He dares venture, clothed in pure linen, into the light of the Eternal fire-eyes, without any fear lest the least grain of dust should be found upon Him—we venture, too! He is the righteousness of God Himself; we are, also, for His righteousness is given to us.

“But our old Adam! What of him?” He lies before God in the grave of an everlasting oblivion. O, ecstasy of joy! We are not merely pardoned delinquents; we are beloved and honored saints of God; and as from the cross we should cry, “Who is he that condemneth?” so from the theater of our Redeemer’s triumph we cry, “Which of you convinceth me of sin?”

And what we cry to-day, the same will we cry to-morrow, and the day after, and on to the end. Everything possible supposed—stumbling and defects, falling away and straying, new sins, and new shame—yet, out of every fall, out of every overthrow, we will venture to cry, “Who is he that condemneth?” Our Surety is not gone far over land; we see Him, either as King upon the throne, or near the throne, as Advocate and Intercessor; and joyfully shout: “Christ is here, who not only died and rose again, but who sitteth at the right hand of God, and maketh intercession for us.”—F. W. Krummacher.