p. 262 | DIVINITY OF CHRIST by Ellet Joseph Waggoner

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · May 6, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 17.

DIVINITY OF CHRIST.

By Ellet Joseph Waggoner

LAWGIVER AND REDEEMER.

WE may take the fourth commandment, and show that what is true of the whole law is specially true of it. Thus; in that commandment we read that "in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it." Ex. 20:11. Gen. 2:3 also says: "And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made."

The One who made the heavens and the earth also made the Sabbath for man. He made it by resting at the close of his creative work, and by afterwards blessing and sanctifying the day upon which he rested—the seventh day. It was the same being who created, who rested on the seventh day, who blessed the seventh day, and who sanctified it, or set it apart for man to use, with instruction how he should use it. But it was Christ who created the heavens and the earth, for "by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible." "All things were created by him." Therefore it was Christ who made the Sabbath. He is Lord of all, even of the Sabbath-day. Matt. 12:8. Thus we identify the Sabbath,—the same day which the Jews professed to keep, and which they wickedly accused Christ of violating—with the Lord's day. So we have proved in general and in particular that Christ is the Lawgiver for all mankind. We must honor him, therefore, as Creator, and as Lawgiver, and now, lastly, as Redeemer. And in this we come to the comforting, encouraging part of all that has gone before.

A few texts will suffice on this point. We first quote John 3:16: "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." But the giving was not all on the part of the Father. Both Father and Son shared equally in this, as in all things else. Paul says of Christ that he "gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." Gal. 1:4. See also Titus 2:13, 14.

But while the Father and the Son shared equally in this work, the Son was the one in whom the Father was revealed, as we have learned from John 1:18 and 14:7-9. Paul also expressly declares that "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself." 2 Cor. 5:19. We can know the measure of God's love for man only as we "know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge;" and we can learn this only from Calvary. So John says, "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us." 1 John 3:16. It is our God that is our Redeemer.

What a pledge this affords of the faithfulness of the "exceeding great and precious promises" of the gospel. The great law of the universe was broken by the inhabitants of this little planet, and the Lawgiver gave himself to redeem these rebels. If he had deputized an angel, we would have no surety of salvation; but he gave himself. No other life was of enough value. By giving himself he fulfilled the words of the prophet: "The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honorable." Isa. 42:21. He magnified it by his death. By that he showed its worth, and how utterly impossible it is for the law to be changed or abrogated, or to swerve in the least from its rigidity.

This meets the infidel cavil of the injustice of having an innocent person suffer for a guilty one. That would be unjust, under ordinary circumstances; but when that innocent one is the Lawgiver himself, there is no injustice. God could not relax one jot of the claims of his law. To do that would have been to deny himself, to set aside his own righteousness. But he had a right to give himself for man, and in so doing he vindicated his law and justified believing sinners, and at the same time was perfectly just.

And if the Lawgiver gave himself for us, to redeem us from the transgression of his own law, what greater assurance could we ask that he will save to the uttermost all who come to him? Well might Paul say, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." 2 Tim. 1:12. When we remember also the wonderful power manifested in the creation, in bringing the worlds from nothing, how appropriate are the words of the apostle Peter: "Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator." 1 Peter 4:19. He who is able to take things that are not, to bring to naught things that are (1 Cor. 1:28), is able to take our very weakness and turn it into strength; and for our further assurance we have the record of many who "out of weakness were made strong." Heb. 11:34. Well may the poet sing:—

"How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in his excellent word! What more can he say than to you he hath said, Who unto the Saviour for refuge have fled?" E. J. W.