A series of articles in The Christadelphian by Henry Sulley in 1921 and 1922

The Christadelphian December 1921, Henry Sulley

“The Atonement”

By Brother H. Sulley

(Continued from page 502.)

“In all points tempted like his brethren yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15).

Jesus must have fully understood why his Father required him to die. A reason aptly expressed in subsequent apostolic comment on his sacrifice, thus: “God condemned sin in the flesh” (Rom. 8:3). “He hath made him sin for us who knew no sin.” Obviously, these two testimonies shew that there is a state of sin, or “constitution of sin” in human nature. That which leads to sin being described as sin. Consequently, impulses in man contrary to the will of God are sinful. Does this truth imply that temptation is sin? By no means. There is no law against impulses aroused by temptation if those impulses are resisted, therefore sin is not imputed to those who experience them, otherwise temptation would be sin. Of temptation we read:

“Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

“Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (Jas. 1:14, 15).

Here reference is made to three processes:

1. Every man is tempted when he is enticed by lust, or desire. Into this state every man comes involuntarily.

2. When desire hath conceived it bringeth forth sin” (Matt. 5:28; 1 John 3:15), whether the object of desire is attained or not.

Thus it is written: “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matt. 5:27, 28). “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15).

These testimonies are startling indications where sin begins, and are sober invocations to righteousness, because Jesus said: “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20). [Here it may be observed that under the Mosaic law judgment was meted out against overt actions, but those “under law to Christ” will be judged for wicked words and evil thoughts. (See Matt. 5:21–30; Acts 8:18–23.)]

3. Sinwhen it is finished bringeth forth death” (James 1:15; Rom. 6:23).

In Jesus we see one who, according to the first condition, was made sin, i.e., was constituted of sinful flesh or of human nature, but never passed into the second state, for he instantly repelled any and every impulse contrary to his Father’s will, as illustrated in temptation by the devil, by Peter, and in the garden of Gethsemane.

4. Into the third state Jesus passed voluntarily, not as a penalty, because he never transgressed God’s commandments, but in order that he might be delivered from the power of sin in himself, “in that he died, he died unto sin once” (Rom. 6:10), and also that he might deliver others, “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Heb. 9:28).

Now it is written that “The law was our schoolmaster unto Christ” (Gal. 3:24). It may also be said that it was the schoolmaster to Christ, because “the law was ordained to eternal life” (Rom. 7:10; Luke 10:25–27). It called forth in him perfect obedience, obedience which necessitated faith and self-sacrifice, because of the precept: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength”; and the precept. “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Mark 12:29–31) involves self-sacrifice. In fact, if those two precepts are observed, to die for others is a necessary corollary.. By the exercise of this faith it may be said that Jesus earned eternal life, for he manifested perfect faith and complete and whole-hearted subjection to the mind and will of God in loving response to the manifestation of the love of his Father to him. He kept the first commandment, i.e., He loved God with all his heart, soul, and strength, always doing that which pleased his Father. He kept the second commandment, loving his neighbour as himself by permitting himself to be slain—pouring out his soul (blood) unto death—yea, in anticipation of the event, saying, This is my blood, shed for the remission of sins, and this is my body, broken for you.

Now also it is written that although the law was ordained to eternal life it was powerless to effect that result and to condemn sin because of the weakness of the flesh. “What the law could not do,” God did in Jesus, when “by His determinate counsel and foreknowledge He delivered him to be slain” (Rom. 8:3; Acts 2:23). Seeing then that the life blood must be poured out in order to deliver from sin, seeing that Jesus did not sin, notwithstanding the weakness of the flesh, it was impossible for the Father to leave His son in the grave (Acts 2:24), “because he (Jesus) saw the Lord always before his face, he was on his right hand that he could not be moved.” Therefore, “his heart always rejoiced.” Moreover, the flesh of the Anointed One “rested in hope,” because his Father “would not leave his soul in hell, neither suffer His Holy One to see corruption” (ibid. verses 25–27).

In permitting himself to be crucified, Jesus, by his obedience of the law came under its curse, therefore the law which cursed an obedient, righteous man is abolished, and the gift of eternal life becomes available upon the principle of “the righteousness of faith.” Jesus fully exhibited that righteousness, for what greater faith can a man exhibit than permitting himself to be slain, believing that God will raise him from the dead. In this way, Jesus becomes a medium for delivering from death those who transgressed under the first covenant (Heb. 9:15). Thus it is written that he “Abolished in his flesh the enmity, the law of commandments in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, making peace.” “And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity (Marg., in himself)” (Eph. 2:15–116).

Now, after transgression Adam was a body of sin. This “old man” Jesus and his brethren inherit from him. Physically, Jesus was one with his brethren in this respect—an extension of Adam’s being—“made of a woman” (Gal. 4:4). Therefore, our “old man crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed, ” is that flesh and blood nature whose impulses led Adam to transgress God’s laws.

A dual result was accomplished in the death of Jesus, viz., deliverance from the power of sin (Heb. 2:14) and the abolition of the law (Gal. 3:13).

The method adopted by the Father for removing the evil which ensued in consequence of Adam’s transgression illustrates his righteousness and unchangeableness. Without abrogating the law of sin and death, the bestowal of the Mosaic law opened the way for the removal of its effects by causing its precepts to meet on Jesus, who fulfilled that law in its minutest details. In obedience to that law he freely offered himself as a sacrifice, and thus came under its curse, “for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree” (Gal. 3:13). Since the law cursed a righteous man, its abolition in Christ was a justifiable procedure. “He hath taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross” (Col. 2:14), Sin being crucified in Jesus, “Who magnified the law,” and honoured his Father in his death. Therefore, “God raised him up, having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should be holden of it” (Acts 2:24).

Thus was illustrated another law, viz., “The righteousness of God by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe” (Rom. 3:22). “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (ibid. verses 24–25).

In this we have the most remarkable illustration of the way in which one law may be neutralised by another, after the example of the law of Medes and the Persians. Mordecai was not permitted to alter the edict given under the King’s Seal for the destruction of the Jews, but another edict permitting them to defend themselves brought to nought the evil designs of the enemy. Similarly, “a law” in our members which leads to sin and death is neutralised and its ultimate effects removed in the case of those who are redeemed in Jesus Anointed.

Yet again, if even the Son of God, who was righteous, could not be delivered from the motions of sin in human flesh without dying, the law of sin in our members cannot be a barrier to the gift of eternal life to those who do “not sin after the similitude of Adam’s transgression.” For: “God hath set forth (Jesus) to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God; To declare at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus” (Rom. 3:25, 26). Just upon the same principle that death passed upon all men on account of one that sinned, so the righteousness of one brings eternal life upon all that believe in Jesus (Rom. 5:12–21). In the one case all men are helplessly involved in the results of the sin of one man, through no fault of their own (Rom. 8:20). In the other case they become entitled to eternal life through the righteousness of one, by voluntarily confessing their own personal sins and belief in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead (Acts 2:38: 22:16: 8:12).

The idea of a trinity of gods discussing ways and means of saving fallen humanity, and one of the three asking the others to be sent on a redeeming mission, would, apart from its tragic consequences, be very comical. For this third party in the trinity to contract and come forth as a babe from Bethleham, like the genie of some Arabian story, must invite ridicule in those who expect a reason for the hope of the believer. The fact is that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself (2 Cor. 5:19), so that from the very beginning when sin came into the world by transgression, the means of deliverance was promised to the woman. She was told that her seed would bruise the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15) and the manner of accomplishing this was foreshadowed in the antitypical covering of skins obtained from slain animals (ibid. verse 21). In due time the medium of reconciliation was manifested. Thus we read: “He (Jesus) made of a woman, a man approved of God by mighty works and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you. . . Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain” (Acts 2:22, 23).

In this way Jesus became the Sin-bearer, the Lamb provided by the Father, for delivering from sin and death those who come unto God through him. Moreover, the deliverance from death through the righteousness of faith precludes any glorifying of the flesh (1 Cor. 1:29; Rom. 3:20–22). “For God hath shut up all unto disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.” “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” “How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!” “For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?” (Rom. 11:32–36). “Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?” “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever.” Amen.

(To be continued).