CHRIST AS THE DESIGN OF THE LAW.
By J. O. Corliss
God desires that everyone shall understand his righteousness. But when the law which envelops it was violated, and its power to reveal that righteousness was impaired, it could do nothing but condemn all who should after come before it. So the Son of God, whose righteousness the law is, came to the world in the likeness of sinful and degraded flesh, that in this form and condition he might live the life of God, and thus reveal the righteousness of the law which was given as the standard of man's actions. By this he not only condemned unrighteousness in the flesh, but also provided a way whereby the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in everyone who would walk as directed by the Spirit, rather than the flesh. Rom. 8:3, 4. While here in the flesh, Christ was tempted in all points, just as the weakest mortal. Heb. 4:15. In these temptations he felt every pang to which human nature is subject. Heb. 2:18. Yet in every step of his earthly career, he faithfully kept every commandment of the law. John 15:10. Not the least stain of sin tainted his character. 1 John 3:5. In every act of his life the righteousness of God was manifested, and was witnessed by the law and the prophets. Rom. 3:21. Whatever the law testifies to as being right, must be in accordance with its demands; therefore the righteousness of the life of Christ is the same that the law requires, hence is the righteousness of God. Thus in his life among men, "in the likeness of sinful flesh," Christ became the end, or design, of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes in him. Rom. 10:4. The work of the Spirit of God, then, in teaching the world of righteousness, consists in holding aloft the example of Christ, as the only pattern to copy. His life in the flesh having been an exact reproduction of the righteousness demanded by the law of God, whoever copies his life, follows the righteousness of the law. But in order to do this the principles of the law must be fixed in the heart. This is accomplished when Christ abides there, who is the embodiment of righteousness, and therefore the design of the law for righteousness. Then to receive Christ by faith in the heart is to receive the law, which is God's expressed righteousness—his revealed will. Thus man is brought into covenant relation with God; for he said: "This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord. I will put my laws into their minds, and write them in their hearts." Heb. 8:10. The heart is the seat of every evil. Every word spoken is but an outflow of the heart's abundance. Matt. 12:34. When adultery, murder, theft, covetousness, blasphemy, and the like, appear in the life, it is because those things are in the heart, and so are a part of the individual. Mark 7:21-23. Just as the heart is, therefore, so is the individual, and the actions of his life reveal exactly what is in the heart. Says the Saviour: "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit." Matt. 7:18. Then a person who has evil in his heart, can only do just what he is—sin. But when the law, which is the righteousness of God, finds a place in the heart, through the provisions of the new covenant, the individual thus becomes righteous, and then produces righteousness as the fruit of his life. But the righteousness thus seen will not be that which the individual has worked out of the law, but the righteousness which Christ wrought out for him, and put in his heart, in the place of that unrighteousness which was cleansed away by faith in the blood of Christ. This is the reception of righteousness by faith. But as already seen, the law of God is righteousness; so that in having righteousness in the heart by faith in Jesus Christ, the entire law of God finds a place there also. It follows, therefore, that the righteousness which is by faith in Christ, cannot be secured by any who oppose the law of God, since that would be to oppose Christ himself, who is the design of the law for righteousness. So, then, faith in Christ in no sense makes void the law, but rather establishes it. Rom. 3:31. Thus the law of Jehovah is not only established by faith, but is also firmly implanted in the heart, from whence its fruits of right doing flow out in every act of the life. Former unrighteousness having necessarily been removed to give place to Christ's righteousness, past imperfections of character are not to be dwelt upon, but Christ is then to be the only attractive object, that his life may be made a daily pattern. In doing this, the will of God, as expressed in the life of Christ, will be made the motive of the heart, and the rule of every action. Then the human will is in conformity to the will of the Most High, which cuts off every desire of a selfish nature. When, therefore, the will of any person is in perfect accord with the will of God, there are no impossibilities before him; for whatever God wills in behalf of anyone must certainly be accomplished when the will of that person consents to have that thing done. So, then, whenever anyone, in faith, asks God for a thing which is in accordance with the will of God, that person cannot be disappointed; for he has the assurance of the infallible word, that God heard the request, and that having heard, he granted the very thing desired and asked for. 1 John 5:14, 15.