2. Chapter Two
Chapter Two T he focus and argument of this discourse is either to direct towards
Christ as the object of faith, or to encourage believers, drawing from all those aspects of Christ mentioned in the text.
Faith and its supports, or rather Christ, as through his death and resurrection, he is the foundation of faith and the cause of our justification, is the main subject of these words. Therefore, to discuss this more extensively is the intended subject of this discourse. And so, as we have seen Christ's faith for us, let us now see what our faith is to be towards him.
However, keep this in mind for a correct understanding of all that follows, that the faith (the object and support of which I would discuss), is only faith as justifying. For justification was precisely the matter of Christ's faith for us, and is also correspondingly presented here by Paul, as that faith which believers are to have in him. Now faith is called justifying, only as it has justification for its object, and as it reaches out to Christ for justification.
Therefore, all that will be spoken must be confined to this alone, as the intention of the text. And concerning this, the text does two things:
1. It presents Christ as the object of it, "Who shall condemn? Christ has died." And he being the sole subject of those four particulars that follow, as encouragements to faith, must necessarily be therefore the object here set forth unto our faith.2. In Christ we have here all those four things made a matter of triumph for believers, to assure them they shall not be condemned, but justified: in that Christ (1.) died, (2.) rose again, (3.) is at God's right hand, (4.) intercedes.
So, in general, I am to do two things; and therein I shall fulfill the text's scope.
1. Direct your faith to Christ, as to its rightful object.
2. To encourage your faith from these various actions of Christ for us, and show how they all contain matter of triumph for faith in them, and also teach your faith how to triumph from each of them. And in this, I am to stick closely to the argument proposed, namely, faith as justifying; or to show how faith, seeking justification in Christ, may be greatly elevated from each of these particulars, and supported by them, as by so many pillars of it. So, although Christ's death, and resurrection, may aptly serve to encourage our faith in many other acts it tends to put forth (as in the matter of sanctification to be had from Christ, into which his death and resurrection have an influence), yet here we are limited to the matter of justification only; "It is God that justifies; who shall condemn, seeing Christ has died?" Romans 8:33-34. And in this, to show how his
death, and resurrection, may and do provide matter of comfort and triumphing in the matter of justification from all these. And thus you have the summary of these words, and of my focus in this ensuing treatise.