A Bible Study on Man by L. A. Reed

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Feb 25, 1913

A Bible Study on Man

By L. A. Reed

By L. A. Reed

III. What Man Gains in Christ

We have now come to the most important subject in this series. It may be said to be the fundamental truth of the Bible. At the same time, it is the one doctrine that modern theology is rejecting. Perhaps we may even say it is the doctrine in the Bible which modern thought has rejected.

In all those systems of philosophy, so-called, which teach and emphasize the use of the will in overcoming difficulties and in advancing physically, mentally, and morally, such as new thought and kindred cults, everything is to be accomplished through man's effort alone. In none of them is there any suggestion that one can obtain help through Christ. In fact, whenever the matter is referred to, it is spoken of in the negative manner, that man can receive no help from any other man. Some of them even go so far as to say that it would be selfish for us to attempt to put off our troubles upon another, that it would be cowardly for us not to meet our own difficulties, and fight them out alone.

And in those more religious phases of modern belief where some emphasis is placed upon the life and example of Christ, He is referred to only as the One who gives us an example. Christian Science, along with Unitarianism, gives Him the title and the work of a way shower. By what He did He examples to us what we ought to do.

Many teachers in other denominations are adopting this doctrine.

All this is very foreign to the teaching of the Word. In the Bible, in no uncertain terms, Christ vicariously takes our place. He receives the penalty for sin in our stead. This is the very thing that modern thought denies, and yet the Bible is perfectly clear about it.

Accepts the Atonement or Pays the Penalty

If man pays the penalty of his own sin, he pays it with the penalty of death, and ceases any longer to exist. To prevent this, the atonement through Christ was made. Christ dies for all sinners who will accept Him as their substitute and sacrifice. Words could not make this plainer than the Scriptures state it: “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Cor. 5: 21. Here is an exchange: Christ is made to be sin, tho He has no sin of His own, in order that we may be righteous, tho we have no righteousness of our own.

“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” Rom. 8: 3. This last verse shows that Christ was more than an example. Righteousness could not be lived in human flesh. The statement is that what the law could not do, being weak through human flesh, God accomplished by His Son, who condemned sin in the flesh by living a righteous life in the likeness of sinful flesh. This is a plain statement. What was a physical impossibility with man, has been fully accomplished in Christ, and accomplished in such a way as to be available for every man; otherwise it would not condemn the sin in your and my flesh. Note that Christ is not a mere example showing us the way, but He accomplishes what physically in the flesh could not be.

“Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” 1 Peter 2: 24. That Christ's death upon the cross was vicarious, is here clearly stated. He was our Substitute, for His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree. And He did it that we should have the life of righteousness. He not only took our stripes, but He took those stripes in such a way that it heals our gaping wounds. So it is here clearly declared that Christ takes the penalty of man's wrong-doing, and gives to man the benefits of Christ's right-doing. There are many other texts just as clear as these. Read, for example, this:

“Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. . . . 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. . . . For the transgression of my people was He stricken.” Isa. 53: 4, 5, 8.

Again, a scripture from the New Testament: “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” Heb. 2: 9.

Accepting the Substitute

Against the proposition that no man can do anything for another man, the familiar illustration is used in the Scriptures of a man acting as a substitute for another. We are familiar with the fact. During the Civil War men with families, who did not wish to go into the field, hired substitutes. In some cases friends who had no families, no one practically dependent upon them, came forward and offered to go for those who had such dependents. And the Scripture, using this idea of the substitute, says: “For a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. . . . 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: 7, 8, 10. And again, the statement in Heb. 9: 28 is that “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many.”

And not only was Christ made our Substitute, taking the death which by rights belonged to the human race, and offering in its place the life which was His; but He is the only One who has done this, and therefore it is only through Him that man can escape the penalty of sin. No matter how many books may be written, no matter how many sermons may be preached, no matter what doctrines may be poured out into the world by men attempting to show how this or that or the other thing may be done, by the Word of God it stands forever certain that he who does not accept the substitute of Christ must

bear it for himself, and since the wages of sin is death, it follows that out of Christ there is no hope. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12.

In every case of a substitute there are always three parties who must agree upon it. For example: in the time of the Civil War referred to, there was first of all the government demanding the soldier. There was secondly the one who was drafted; and in the third place was the one offered as a substitute. If the government refuses the substitute as not being a worthy one, the substitution can not be made. If the soldier drafted refuses the substitute, the government will hold him to answer the call. Or if the one put forward as a substitute fails to give himself, again no substitution can take place.

So in this substitution of Christ; God has agreed that Christ the Substitute is a worthy one, capable in all respects of taking the place of man. Jesus Christ Himself, the Substitute, has agreed to make this exchange; and now it is left with each individual to agree whether God shall count the Substitute in his place, or if he refuse the Substitute, that God thereby shall hold him for the penalty of sin. And this last is just exactly what every man does who rejects Christ. God holds him responsible for his sins, and he will have to suffer the penalty. The Word is clear,—“the wages of sin is death;” “the soul that sinneth, it shall die.”

But just as truly, the one who accepts the substitute of Christ shall go free from the consequences of sin. But to accept Christ, he rejects his life of sin, he turns away from all his ungodliness, and here and now, in this life, accepts the righteous life of Christ, to live the life of Christ before the world.

You and I receive our physical equipment, our special cast of mind, even the outlines of our body, from our parents through the fleshly birth. Thus the child of faith is born a new being, receiving spiritual power and spiritual life through Christ as truly as he received physical power and physical life from his earthly parents.

The Plain Message for To-Day

And so the message for to-day, as in Luther's time, is the plain truth of the Word of God, “The just shall live by his faith.”

The substitution that Christ has made is a complete one. He not only takes the death of man and gives the life of Himself, but He buys back all man's estate. All that man lost through sin he shall regain through Christ, and “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”

We have found in a previous article that man lost his nature, his life, and his dominion. All these are restored through Christ. As the Word says of the purchased possession, “Unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion.” Micah 4: 8.

The restoration of the divine nature for every one who will accept it, is now going forward. It is our privilege now to become partakers of the divine nature, “having escaped the corruption which is in the world through lust.” Having chosen this life of righteousness here, on the resurrection morning, eternal life shall be given; and following that the child of God shall enter in with Christ into an immortal inheritance. Being an heir with God and a joint-heir with Jesus Christ, he then enters upon his divine legacy. This wonderful event was thus pictured by the prophet, Daniel:

“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there was given Him dominion and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” Dan. 7:13, 14.

And the 21st, 22d chapters of Revelation, the 35th chapter of Isaiah, with other scriptures, gloriously describe that future estate.

All this man gains through Christ.