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THE PENALTY PAID

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Sep 17, 1902

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 28, No. 38.

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THE PENALTY PAID.

By G. L.

The law demands the death of the sinner. How then can the law be satisfied and the sinner still live? Paul says, “I through the law died unto the law, that I might live unto God.” Gal. 2:19, R. V. From this it appears that Paul had paid the penalty of sin, yet he was alive. His explanation is this: “I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live; and yet no longer I, but Christ liveth in me; and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself up for me.”
When Christ was crucified He died, and every one who accepts that fact by faith is also reckoned to have died with Him. Thus by the death of Christ the law concedes that every one who confesses its claim, and pleads the death of Christ as his substitute, has paid the penalty. Being thus connected with Christ in His death, the resurrection of Christ naturally gives new life to the dead sinner who died with Him.
The same apostle sums up the situation in these words: “For he that hath died is justified from sin. But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him; knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died unto sin once; but the life that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Even so reckon yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God, in Christ Jesus.” Rom. 6:7–11.
This is all made possible by the voluntary sacrifice of the life of the Son of God. And it is made a fact in the experience of the sinner by a change of heart—a change of mind, or purpose in life. The conception is so wonderful as to be incomprehensible to the finite mind, yet it is so simple in its application that a child may intelligently rest in the belief of it, and know that it is true.
And it is all done without a change of so much as “one jot or one tittle of the law.” In human jurisprudence the criminal sentenced to death may escape through the pardon of the governor. He goes free, yet the law which he violated is satisfied, and he is reckoned as having paid the penalty. But the pardon does not repeal the law. Should the pardoned one again violate it, he is again subject to the penalty. So the pardon of the sinner, his escape by faith in an accredited Substitute, does not do away with the law of God. It still stands as a rule of life, and will again convict if the individual turns again to sin.
The doctrine of the penalty paid is illustrated in the ordinance of baptism. Says the apostle: “We were buried therefore with Him through baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.” Then the penalty having been paid for us, and we having accepted the pardon—a receipt in full for the debt—we are under renewed obligation not to incur the penalty again. If the law were repealed, there would be no danger of that, for “sin is not imputed where there is no law;” “where no law is, there is no transgression.”
But we are forcibly reminded of such danger, and of our renewed obligation. Peter says that “the time past may suffice to have wrought the desire of the Gentiles, and to have walked in lasciviousness, lusts, etc.” And John tells us that “he that saith he abideth in Him [Christ] ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.” And he further instructs us how we may know that we know Him, and that is, “if we keep His commandments.” So the continuance of freedom from the penalty of sin implies continuance of obedience to the law whose transgression is sin. “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.” Tho Christ be the propitiation “for sins that are past,” the disciple is instructed for the future, to “let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” Faith in Him who has paid the penalty for us, and obedience to His Word, is the only assurance of final victory.
G. L.