Last month, we noted that when we consider the varied aspects of God’s plan for our salvation (which subject we commonly call the Atonement), we see two important features that are ‘for human nature:” that is, they are necessitated by the extraordinary propensity to sin that is part of our nature. These two features are:
- The Savior is the Son of God.
- God’s blessings are based on promise and faith, not law and perfect compliance.
This month we consider the second of these features.
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Blessings by Promise, Not Obedience to Law
The only man who ever kept the law in his life was cursed by it as he hung on the tree in his death: “For it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Gal. 3:13).
While it may seem grossly unreasonable, this anomaly actually draws attention to a critical aspect of the atonement. The godly stand related to eternal life on the basis of the covenants of promise, not on the basis of obedience to law.
Because of human nature
This point is vital for you and me. If it were otherwise, we would have no hope because of the powerful propensity to sin that is part of human nature.
Consider how scripture sets forth the issues:
Blessings through law are based on compliance to the law: “The man that doeth them shall live in them” (Gal. 3:12).
On the other hand, for those who do not fully do the law, punishment is the result: “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them:” and “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (Gal. 3:10; James 2:10).
Scripture continues: Our human nature is such that when confronted with divine commands, a rebellious response is evoked within us: “When the commandment came, sin revived, and I died…For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me” (Rom. 7:9-11).
The impulse called sin
As human beings trying to serve God, we intuitively know what the apostle means; we live with the problem on a daily basis. The following may help, however, to clarify what we know and feel:
“Paul gave expression to a universal fact when he declared that, when the law came into his life, he became aware of a contrary internal impulse ready to assert itself. This impulse he calls sin; and he became aware of its power when the law’s prohibitions were understood by him. Sin sprang to life — it was there, but dormant, only waiting the assertion of righteous law to be awakened into a vigor which would never abate till life itself was spent…The operation of law had the effect of revealing the inward opposition of men to God’s will: it brought to the surface the latent waywardness and willfulness.” (The Letter to the Galatians, John Carter, pgs. 51,85).
The problem is not with God or His law, “If there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law” (Gal. 3:21). Because our hearts are desperately wicked, however, law could not bring blessing, it could only result in condemnation. Thus, in God’s mercy, He made the blessing of immortality a matter of promise based on faith: “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus…and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:26,29).
Jesus also an heir of promise
Only one man had a claim to divine blessing because of his perfect obedience. His Jewish adversaries would not agree; they would claim he broke the Sabbath laws and did not follow ritual cleansing after touching a leper. He alone, however, could touch a leper and not sin in neglecting a ritual of cleansing because, at his touch, the leprosy was gone; he alone had the depth of knowledge invariably to choose the situations where the spirit of the law should be exalted over the letter. Only Jesus could confidently issue the challenge: “Which of you convinceth me of sin?” for he “did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:” and only he could assert, “I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity” (John 8:48; I Peter 2:22; Psa. 18:23).
Yet even the Lord did not stand related to eternal life on the basis of the law, for it cursed him as he “hanged on a tree.” He, too, was an heir of the promise. In fact, he was the great heir of promise: “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ” (Gal. 3:16). Also note the phrasing of verse 19: the law was added “till the seed should come to whom the promise was made.”
Immortality through the promise
This promise is one of eternal life, for its blessings are to be “forever.” The Lord has already benefited from this promise, as rightly he should; and, in the wonder of God’s grace, we too have this hope “as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus…” (Heb. 6:19-20).
Thus, as well as ourselves, Jesus stood related to eternal life, not on the basis of compliance to law, but on the basis of the covenants of promise. For this reason it is testified that God “brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus…through the blood of the everlasting covenant” (Heb. 13:20).
The blood of the covenant
Hebrews 13:20 uses language that alludes to a point developed in Hebrews 9:15-23. We may feel the allusions are confusing in these verses as we try to determine whether the apostle refers to inheritance through a will or promise by a covenant. Whichever is in mind is incidental; the main point is that the covenants of promise depended on Messiah’s death before they would become fully operative.
The new covenant must be dedicated with blood (vs.18, 23). Until this was done, any of its blessings were only exercised on a temporary and provisional basis. That is the reason a unique word is used in Romans 3:25 “for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God.” The Greek for “remission,” paresis, is used only here and means a “passing over” as opposed to forgiveness. Prior to the ratification of the covenant of promise by the blood of Christ, the faithful enjoyed fellowship with the Father as do those following his death and resurrection. But they did so only on a provisional basis wholly dependent on the dedication of the eternal aspects of the Abrahamic covenant: “And for this cause, he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament [the law], they which are called [Gideon, David, Elijah, etc.] might receive the promise of eternal inheritance” (Heb. 9:15).
Without the blood of the covenant, none of its heirs would benefit from it.
The implications
Since Christ is a beneficiary of the covenant of promise and since this covenant must be dedicated by his death, then, clearly, he benefited from his own death. He is a beneficiary of the everlasting covenant ratified by his sacrificial offering.
Furthermore, the covenants-of promise aspect of the atonement is “for human nature.” When the subject is stripped of all of its legal terms, the simple fact remains that our nature is such that blessing can only come by promise and not by law. Accordingly, we are brought face to face with the fact that, as a race, we are spiritually “deceitful and desperately wicked.”
Fundamental points
There is nothing novel about the foregoing scriptural exposition; virtually every point is part of a baptismal interview. What leads to controversy is when we sound as if we have lost touch with some of these fundamental points.
Every Christadelphian knows the importance of the promises, but sometimes our first principle instruction material or program of lecture subjects minimizes them or leaves them out entirely. When that happens, it is no wonder some brother raises a warning signal that we are losing the Truth.
We all know Jesus is the promised seed of the Abrahamic covenant; we all know his death is essential to the implementation of that covenant. If, however, we disclaim that Jesus benefited from his own death, we understandably cause people to suspect we have forgotten fundamentals of the faith.
We all know the heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked. When, however, we speak of the atonement only in terms of personal sins, some may understandably feel we have lost sight of the extraordinary propensity to sin that besets us.
Keeping the teaching clear
Our hope is that by viewing this subject apart from what we feel is a tendency to legalistic jargon, the basic teaching of scripture is clearly set forth. Hopefully we will see that many aspects of the atonement bring us to a right acknowledgment of our human nature; they are “for human nature.”
Furthermore, it is hoped that a clearer understanding may have the intended impact of enhancing our appreciation of the gracious promises of God and of directing us to a more urgent warfare against the inherent lusts that strive to control our lives. God’s plan of salvation is not designed for academic discussion. It is designed to be a compelling force to godly living and thankful praise.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One