Octavius Winslow (1808-1878)
AN ENTIRE PARDON
Octavius Winslow (1808-1878) "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness."
—Zechariah 13:1
W E have already…remarked upon the incompetency of natural reason to understand spiritual truth: neither the nature, the harmony, or the end of divine truth can it discern. This incapacity may be traced, not to a deficiency of mental endowment or to the extreme abstruseness1 of revelation—for the weakest intellect enlightened and sanctified by the Spirit of God may grasp the profoundest doctrine in the great system of theology, so far as the revelation of that doctrine extends—but to the want2 of a spiritually-renewed mind. This is the cause and this only…It follows then as a self-evident truth that the mind must be changed, and changed by God Himself, before divine truth will either be understood or received. Hence, we find the Apostle, in behalf of the Ephesian Christians, thus praying: "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened" (Eph 1:17-18).
Of all the doctrines of the gospel, thus dark and inexplicable to an unrenewed mind, is the doctrine of Christ's Atonement in its especial and gracious design. This can only be understood by a mind awakened to the nature and turpitude3 of sin. As the expiation of sin was the great design of Christ's wondrous death, so no individual thus ignorant of sin, however vast his mental powers and however firm his belief in the truth of divine revelation, can discover and welcome this truth…It is to this natural darkness, this ignorance of sin, this want of the Spirit's teaching that we are to attribute all the false and erroneous views that men have advanced touching the nature and design of Christ's death.
It is our solemn belief that all error in theology, especially that which undermines the Atonement, has its rise in the setting aside
1 abstruseness – the quality of being difficult to understand.
2 want – lack.
3 turpitude – corruption; moral perversion.
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the Law of God. Let the Law be fully recognized in its divine authority, its inflexible dignity, and its spotless purity; let its condemnatory sentence be felt in the soul; let all hope of justification4 by its obedience be swept away; and let the sinner stand forth in the full blaze of its terrors—then will be seen the absolute necessity of an Atonement, precisely such an Atonement as the adorable
Redeemer offered upon the cross. No individual then, taught by the Spirit, Who is emphatically designated "The Spirit of Truth," made to see the exceeding sinfulness of sin as against a holy God, emptied of all self-sufficiency, the eye open to the inward plague and laid prostrate in the dust as a poor, broken-hearted sinner—no individual thus taught would ever affirm that Jesus died with any other design than that for which He did die: to offer to divine Justice a full and infinite satisfaction for sin. This brings us to the immediate discussion of the subject.
May we feel that the ground on which we now stand is holy. If there be a subject, the consideration of which we should approach with caution, humility, and prayer, it is this. May our hearts be lifted up to God for the teachings of His Spirit, Whose blessed office in the economy of grace is to glorify Christ: Taking of the things that belong to Him and showing them to the soul (Joh
16:14). O for His holy anointing while we treat of this stupendous subject—Christ presenting Himself a sacrifice for sin! For the purpose of presenting the subject clearly before the mind of the reader, we shall first adduce5 those prominent portions of God's Word that declare the end and design of Christ's death to be an Atonement for sin. It will then be appropriate to show that the atonement of Christ is a full and entire blotting out of the sins of His people…
The Word of God, the only rule of faith and duty, distinctly and invariably represents the death of Jesus as a sacrifice and the especial and gracious design of that sacrifice: an atonement6 for sin. If this is denied, how are we to interpret the following remarkable passages? "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed…the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isa 53:5-6). "For this is my blood of the
4 justification – Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein he pardons all our sins and accepts us as righteous in His sight only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone. (Spurgeon's Catechism, Q. 32)
5 adduce – bring forward for consideration.
6 atonement – literally "at-one-ment"; the condition of being at one with another; theologically, atonement means reconciliation with God by removing or covering the guilt of sin; this was accomplished through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
An Entire Pardon
new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins"
(Mat 26:28). "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Rom 5:6). "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2Co 5:21). "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace" (Eph 1:7). "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1Pe 1:18-19). "For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Heb 9:13-14). "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1Jo 4:10). How perfectly unintelligible are these declarations of God's Word if we regard them not as so many affirmations of the great doctrine in question! Let not the reader turn away from God's Word. If he be a disbeliever in the doctrine of Christ's vicarious sufferings, let him be cautious how he tampers with these solemn declarations. They affirm the doctrine of the Atonement or nothing at all. They possess no meaning if interpreted in any other light. Recur7 again to the amazing expressions:
"Wounded for our transgressions." "Bruised for our iniquities." On Him the "iniquity of us all." "Blood shed for the remission of sins."
"Died for the ungodly." "Made sin." "Through his blood the forgiveness of sins." "Propitiation for our sins." What do see we here, but the atoning blood, the full satisfaction, the bearing of sin, the surety, the substitute?
And how shall we account for the sufferings of Christ, which were intense and mysterious, if not on the ground of their vicarious character? Those sufferings were intense in the extreme. There was a severity in them that, if not required by divine justice, would be perfectly unaccountable. Heaven, Earth, and Hell—all were in league against Him. Survey His eventful history: mark every step that He took from Bethlehem to Calvary. What do we learn of His sufferings, but that they were of the most extraordinary and intense character? His enemies, like dogs of war, were let loose upon Him. His professed followers themselves stood aghast at the scenes
7 recur – return in thought.
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through which their Lord was passing—one betraying Him, another denying Him, and all, in the hour of His extremity, forsaking
Him. Is it any wonder that in the anguish of His soul His suffering humanity should exclaim, "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done" (Luk
22:42). In that awful moment, all the waves and billows of God's wrath, due to the sins of His people, were passing over Him. The Father, the last resource of sympathy, veiled His face and withdrew from Him His sensible presence. On the cross, draining the cup of sorrow, He fulfilled the prophecy that spake of Him: "I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me" (Isa 63:3).
His sufferings, too, were mysterious. Why a holy, harmless Being Whose whole life had been one act of unparalleled beneficence8 should be doomed to persecution so severe, to sufferings so acute, and to a death so painful and ignominious,9 the denier of the Atonement must be embarrassed to account. But the doctrine of a vicarious sacrifice explains it all and presents the only key to the mystery. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2Co 5:21). "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us" (Gal 3:13). All the mystery now is gone. He was "made sin for us." He was "made a curse for us." He bore the sin and consequently the penalty of sin. Had we been left,
Christian reader, to bear our sins, we must inevitably have borne alone the punishment of our sins. But Jesus took upon Him our sins. For this, He became a party in the covenant of redemption.10
For this, He assumed our nature. For this, He sorrowed in Gethsemane. For this, the Law of God exacted its utmost claim. And for this, the justice of God inflicted the utmost penalty. O what a truth is this! The Son of God offering Himself up a sacrifice for sin! He
Who knew no sin, Who was holy, harmless, and undefiled; not one thought of evil in His heart, yet made sin or a sin offering! O the bigness of the thought! If God had not Himself declared it, we could not have believed it though an angel's trump had announced it. God Himself must proclaim it! And because He has so proclaimed it, we believe it. God alone can write it upon the heart. "O thou blessed and adorable Immanuel! Was this the end and design
8 beneficence – doing good.
9 ignominious – marked by shame and disgrace.
10 covenant of redemption – term used by some to describe the eternal purpose of redemption: God the Father purposed to give a people and a kingdom to His Son, and God the Son agreed to accomplish this purpose by His life, death, and resurrection.
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of Thy intense and mysterious sufferings? Was it that Thou shouldest obey, bear the sin, endure the curse, and bow Thy head in death that I might go free? Was it in my stead and in my behalf?
O love unexampled! O grace infinite and free! That God should become incarnate: that the Holy One should so take upon Him sin to be dealt with by stern justice, as though He were Himself the sinner; that He should drain the cup, give His back to the smiter, endure the shame and the spitting, and at last be suspended upon the cross and pour out His last drop of most precious blood—and all this for me, for me a rebel, for me a worm, for me the chief of sinners! Be astonished, O heavens! Be amazed, O earth! Was ever love like this?"
It will now be appropriate to show from God's Word that the Atonement of the blessed Redeemer was a full and entire blotting out of the sins of the believer. Need we say aught upon the vast importance of this truth? Need we say how closely it stands connected with the peace, the sanctification, and the eternal glory of the sinner that hangs on Christ? Let not the reader be satisfied to rest upon the mere surface of the truth that Christ has made an Atonement for sin. This may be believed and yet the full blessedness, peace, and sanctification of it not enjoyed. Why? Because he enters not fully into the experience of the truth. Shall we not say, too, because his views of sin rest but on the surface of sin's exceeding sinfulness? Deep views of sin will ever result in deep views of the sacrifice for sin: inadequate knowledge of sin, inadequate knowledge of Christ; low views of self, high views of Christ. Be satisfied then not to rest upon the surface of this wondrous truth. May
God the Eternal Spirit now lead us into it!
Before we consider the completeness of Christ's Atonement, it may be proper to glance at the basis or cause of that completeness.
This arises from the infinite dignity of His Person: His Godhead forms the basis of His perfect work. It guarantees, so to speak, the glorious result of His Atonement. It was this that gave perfection to His obedience and virtue to His Atonement. It was this that made the blood He shed efficacious11 in the pardon of sin, and the righteousness He wrought out complete in the justification of the soul. His entire work would have been wanting but for His Godhead. No created Savior—that dream of the Socinian12—could have given full satisfaction to an infinite Law broken by man and
11 efficacious – effective.
12 Socinian – a follower of the teachings of Socinus; one who rejects the deity of Christ, the Trinity, and original sin; influenced the development of Unitarian theology.
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calling aloud for vengeance. How could such a sacrifice, as we would suppose a created Savior to offer, have "magnified the law, and made it honourable" (Isa 42:21)?—utterly impossible! A finite being had broken it—an infinite Being must repair it. Obedience was required in every respect equal in glory and dignity to the Law that was violated. The rights of the divine government must be maintained, the purity of the divine nature must be guarded, and the honor of the divine Law must be vindicated. To accomplish this, God Himself must become flesh; to carry this fully out, the incarnate God must die! O depth of wisdom and of grace! O love infinite, love rich, love free!...Stamped, as the work of Christ is, with the infinite glory and dignity of His Godhead, it will now be an easy and a delightful task to trace its perfection as it is seen first, in the entire blotting out of all sin, and second, in the complete justification of the person.
The pardon of a believer's sins is an entire pardon. It is the full pardon of all his sins. It [would be] no pardon to him if it were not an entire pardon. If it were but a partial blotting out of the thick cloud, if it were but a partial cancelling of the bond,13 if it were but a forgiveness of some sins only—then the gospel were no glad tidings to his soul. The Law of God has brought him in guilty of an entire violation. The justice of God demands a satisfaction equal to the enormity of the sins committed and of the guilt incurred. The Holy Spirit has convinced him of his utter helplessness, his entire bankruptcy. What rapture would kindle in his bosom at the announcement of a partial atonement, of a half Savior, of a part payment of the debt? Not one throb of joyous sensation would it produce. On the contrary, this very mockery of his woe would but deepen the anguish of his spirit. But, go to the soul, weary and heavy-laden with sin, mourning over its vileness, its helplessness; and proclaim the gospel. Tell him that the Atonement that Jesus offered on Calvary was a full satisfaction for his sins. That all his sins were borne and blotted out in that awful moment. That the bond that divine Justice held against the sinner was fully cancelled by the obedience and sufferings of Christ, and that, appeased and satisfied, God was "ready to pardon." How beautiful will be the feet that convey to him tidings so transporting as this! And are not these statements perfectly accordant14 with the declarations of God's own Word? Let us ascertain.
13 bond – certificate of death.
14 accordant – in agreement.
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What was the ark symbolical of, alluded to by the Apostle in the ninth chapter of his Epistle to the Hebrews, which contained the manna, Aaron's rod, and the tables of the covenant, over which stood the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat? What but the entire covering of sin? For as the covering of the ark did hide the Law and Testimony, so did the Lord Jesus Christ hide the sins of His chosen, covenant people—not from the eye of God's omniscience, but from the eye of the Law. They stand legally acquitted.
So entire was the work of Jesus, so infinite and satisfactory His obedience, the Law of God pronounces them acquitted—and can never bring them into condemnation. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Rom 8:1). "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died" (Rom 8:34). How could the Apostle, with any truth, have made a declaration so astounding and uttered a challenge as dauntless as this if the point we are now endeavoring to establish were not strictly as we affirm it to be?
And does not the phraseology that the Holy Ghost employs in announcing the doctrine of divine forgiveness confirm the statement we have made? "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee" (Isa 44:22). Where would be the constraining power of the motive to "return" to God, but on the ground of a full and entire blotting out of all sin? This…subdues, overcomes, and wins back God's wandering child. This…abases the soul; deepens the conviction of its vileness; makes the sin of departure, of ingratitude, of rebellion so abhorrent, when on the broad basis of a full and free blotting out of sin, God bids the soul "return." "I have blotted out all thy sins, therefore return. Though thou hast gone after other lovers, though thou hast departed from Me, forgotten and forsaken Me, yet have I blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions: return, for I have redeemed thee." Again, "In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found" (Jer 5:20). "He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea" (Mic 7:19). What an astounding truth is contained in these two passages! In the one, it is declared that if the iniquity of Israel and the sin of Judah be sought for, they shall not be found. So entire was the blotting out, so glorious was the work of Jesus, so perfect His obedience that if the eye of God's holy Law searches (and where can it not penetrate?) it cannot discover them. In the other, it is declared that so
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fathomless are the depths of that sea of atoning blood, which Christ has poured out, that in it are cast, never to be found again, all the sins of the believer. So that the trembling soul may exclaim,
"Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back" (Isa 38:17).
And who can read without deep emotion these affecting announcements by the God of heaven? Gently chiding His wayward yet beloved people, He says…"And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me" (Jer 33:8)…"For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us" (Psa 103:11-12).
Look up, ye saints of God who are disconsolate15 through fear of condemnation! See all your sins charged to the account of your mighty Surety. Yea, see them all laid upon Him as your Substitute.
See Him bearing them away, sinking them in the ocean of His blood, casting them behind His back. Look up and rejoice! Let not the indwelling of sin, the remains of corruption, cause you to overlook this amazing truth—the entire blotting out of all your sins, through the atoning blood of your adorable Immanuel. It is truth, and it is your privilege to live in the holy enjoyment of it. Fully received into the heart by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, its tendency will be of the most holy, sanctifying, abasing character. It will weaken the power of sin. It will draw up the heart in pantings for divine conformity. It will deaden the influence of the objects of sense, expel the love of the world and of self, impart tenderness to the conscience, and cause the soul to go softly—"That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Col 1:10).
From Atonement and the Cross, reprinted by Tentmaker Publications, www.tentmaker.org.uk.
He did die. He did lay down His life. He did make His soul an offering for my sins. He did become a curse. He did endure thy infinite wrath. He did give complete satisfaction and a full compensation unto Thy justice for all my sins, debts, trespasses. This is my plea, O Lord! By this plea
I shall stand.—Thomas Brooks
15 disconsolate – sad beyond comforting.