THE DESIGN OF THE GOSPEL.
By John Nevins Andrews
Notes of a Sermon preached in Mill Yard Chapel, London, Sabbath Afternoon, Nov. 24, 1877. TEXT: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 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; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Rom. 8:1–4. THESE verses present the design of the gospel of Christ with respect to the law of God. Those who will read them with care may see that God did not send his Son to abolish the holy law which condemns the sinner, but that he sent him to deliver men from the guilt of sin, and to place them where they can render acceptable obedience. The condemnation from which Christ delivers is a just condemnation. It is the condemnation which the law of God pronounces against sin. The fault is wholly with the sinner, and not at all with the law. It is not, therefore, the law of God, but the sinner, that needs to be changed, in order that things may be right. The persons who are delivered from condemnation are those who have ceased to walk after the carnal mind. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is the gospel of Christ. The law of sin and death from which the Christian is delivered is explained in Rom. 7:22, 23: “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man; but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” It is said to be another law in the members which wars against the law of God. This law of sin is further defined, in Rom. 8:7, as the carnal mind. Those who are delivered from the just condemnation of the law of God are changed by the gospel of Christ, so that the natural enmity of their hearts toward the law is taken away from them. The gospel, therefore, accomplishes that which the law could not accomplish. The law demands filial obedience, but cannot obtain it because man has an evil nature. The gospel changes man’s nature, so that he can obey from the heart. Paul said that the law was weak through the flesh, or carnal mind. Yet the law of God is as strong as the Lawgiver, and Christ said that “it is easier for heaven and earth to pass than for one tittle of the law to fail.” Luke 16:17. The law is not weak with respect to punishing sin, but with respect to obtaining from the sinner the loving obedience it demands. The weakness is not in the law, but in man, who is not willing to render love to God; the law demands perfect love, but the presence of the law of sin in the heart renders this obedience impossible. It is not the office of the law of God to change the evil nature of the sinner. If it finds him in rebellion, it can only condemn him. The man who has nothing, and yet owes £10,000, cannot be made to pay it even by the most powerful of laws. The law of God shows the extent of what God requires. Thus we read: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” Deut. 6:5. Let these words be well considered. This is the sum of our duty toward God. The gospel cannot ask more and cannot accept less. In fact, we see that God has not changed with respect to this just demand, and that in the nature of the case he cannot change. It is the design of the gospel of Christ, not to erect another and more perfect standard of right, but to enable men to conform to that which God has already erected in the law. The gospel accomplishes this by providing a great sacrifice for sin. Men deserved to die. God sent his Son to die for man as his substitute. This was a solemn attestation of the justice of men’s condemnation. The gospel cannot offer pardon till the justice of the law has been shown beyond all question. The sacrifice offered must be the life of one who never sinned, else he would merit death on his own account. It must be the life of one who did not owe service to the law, else he would be under obligation to obey with all his powers in the discharge of his own duty, and he could not, therefore, take the place of others as their substitute. It must be the life of one who, in the sight of the law, is of as great worth as the lives of all who have broken it. It was the life of Christ alone which answered all this. And when this great sacrifice had been made, the sinner could not say, “Now the great debt has been paid, and the law has no more demand upon me.” The sinner has given nothing. There is something now for him to do. In this which follows we find the part which the sinner is to act, in order that this sacrifice may avail him. Christ, having died for our offenses, was raised for our justification. Then he ascended on high to become a priest on men’s behalf. The office of the priest is to present the blood of sin offering in behalf of the sinner. It is now the part of the sinner to come to God through the high priest, and to ask that this sacrifice which has been made to the law of God, may be accepted in his behalf. The conditions on which we may obtain this great mercy are, repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance is toward God, because it is his law that has been broken; it commences with godly sorrow, but it never ceases till it has caused the sinner to leave off to transgress and to turn to obedience. Faith is directed to our Lord Jesus Christ, because he is the great sacrifice for our sins. And when we have thus laid hold upon the sacrifice made for us, it is accepted of God in our behalf, and the law of God ceases to condemn us. This is not all. The Spirit of God works in our hearts the great change which is called conversion. It takes out of the heart the law of sin, and it writes in the heart the law of God. This is the great promise of the new covenant, that God will forgive the sins of those with whom he enters into covenant, and that he will write his law in their hearts. Jer. 31:33. This is the great work which the Bible calls conversion. When the carnal mind, which will not be subjected to the law of God, has been taken away, the man is no longer in enmity against the law. When the law of God has been written in the heart, then the mouth can no longer speak against it. Nay: the law of God being within the heart, the man will obey that law with his members and in all his life. Hence the apostle states the grand result in these words: “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” John defines righteousness to be right doing. 1 John 3:7. We may therefore say, without fear of contradiction, that the design of the gospel of Christ is to honor the law of God, while extending mercy to the sinner, and that those who are really New Testament Christians, will, from the heart, render obedience to all the commandments of the law of God.—Sabbath Memorial.