Chapter 18: Eight Consequences of Our Reconciliation Being Made in Christ
Chapter 18:
Eight Consequences of Our Reconciliation Being Made in Christ 1. It is a deep mystery.
2. It is very free.
3. It is sure and certain.
4. It is full.
5. It is an honourable way.
6. Yet in such a way as does debase man.
7. It is firm and everlasting.
8. This Reconciliation was a very difficult work.
There are yet the fifth and sixth particulars mentioned in the twelfth chapter that follow in the explication of this point of reconciliation with God in Christ, and when we have completed them, we shall proceed to the application of all six matters.
The fifth point is some consequences that follow from what has been spoken. For if we are reconciled to God in Christ, we may, from that premise, draw various consequences. I shall not now approach it by way of application, but merely show you how the consequences I shall name naturally flow from what has been said. For if the reconciliation between God and us is in Christ, then these particulars of it follow; and these things may be said concerning it.
Consequence 1
First, it follows that the reconciliation of the children of men with God is a very great and deep mystery. It is not something that can ordinarily be understood; it is not something that is accomplished in a natural way. To reconcile any soul unto God is done in a manner that is most deep and hidden, and is (in itself) a most glorious mystery. Therefore, when Scripture speaks of our reconciliation with God in Jesus Christ, it tells us that it is the hidden wisdom of God. In 1 Corinthians 2:7, it states, "We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery; even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world for our glory." It speaks of the very same matter as my text: namely, that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Jesus
Christ. This, it says, was the wisdom of God in a mystery—the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world for our glory. And then again, in verse 10, "God has revealed them to us by His Spirit." The particle [them] is not in the Greek, but only this: "God has revealed to us by His Spirit," that is, this mystery, for "the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God." That is the first consequence: it is a mystery.
Consequence 2 The second is this: hence our reconciliation with God is very free—it is a work of free grace. It is God reconciling Himself in Christ; it is not reconciling Himself to us for what we do ourselves, or for what we can do. No, there is nothing that we do or can do, nothing that angels do or can do for us, that can reconcile us unto God. We are reconciled to God in Christ; therefore, the work of our reconciliation is nothing but free grace. We do not contribute anything at all to this great work—it is all done in Christ; it is entirely free. Even if anything is required of us, it is still God and Christ who must work it.
Everything, every aspect of our reconciliation (whatever particulars there are in it) is all in Christ, and therefore it is altogether free grace
towards us. Christ is the gift of God, and everything that is indeed in Him, and by Him, is a free gift to us. That is the second consequence: that this reconciliation is free.
Consequence 3 The third aspect that may be noted is this: that our reconciliation is sure and certain. There is a sureness to this reconciliation. Why?
Because God has worked so extraordinarily in this matter, and He would never work so remarkably on such a task without bringing it to completion; He would not allow this work, after all that has been accomplished, to come to nothing.
Those who hold to the doctrine of free will and assert that there is a price paid on the condition that we believe, but that it is left to ourselves either to believe or not to believe, and that God only proposes the means—what do they teach but this? That after all the counsels of God concerning our reconciliation, and after the great things God has done for us in Christ, it is in the power of man to render it all void and ineffective. They imply that there might not be a single soul reconciled in the end, for if it were left to man to believe or not believe, then it would also be within man's power to make all the counsels of God, and the great works of God in Christ, of no effect at all. Thus, after God has from all eternity planned this work, sent
His own Son into the world to be made a curse for the sin of man, to die, and to do all that was necessary for reconciliation and atonement, if that doctrine were true—which is a falsehood of the greatest magnitude—it would have been possible, notwithstanding all that was done, for all to have been lost, and Christ might have died in vain, with not one soul in the world being saved.
But now, having seen that there is so much done to make up our peace and reconciliation with God, it necessarily follows, and can be
certainly concluded, that there are indeed some who are to be reconciled to God, and this work shall never be in vain. God will not have plotted such a great work, sent His Son into the world, and done so much for the sin of man, only for it to be lost in the end. He will certainly bring some to salvation.
I admit that when a poor sinner, made aware of what sin is and the breach that sin has created between him and God, considers the greatness of the work of being reconciled to God, he trembles and shakes within himself, fearing it might be too good to be true, and that it might not be certain or sure. Yet, when he comes to understand what God has done to accomplish this work, how God has not only promised it but that it is now done, that the Lord has indeed sent His Son into the world, that He has become man, been under the curse of God for man's sin, has been crucified, dead, buried, ascended into heaven, and now sits at the right hand of the Father, and that all the glorious mysteries of the Gospel spoken of in the Old Testament have been fulfilled and accomplished—when a sinner comes to understand this, then he believes, surely, there is a certainty, a sureness in this work of reconciliation with God.
Just as when Jacob heard that Joseph, his beloved son, was still alive, the text says that the old man's heart failed; he did not believe it, thinking it was too good to be true. But when his other sons showed him the chariots Joseph had sent and gave him such real evidence, not only that he was alive but that he was the greatest man in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh, the text says that the spirit of Jacob revived, and he said, "Is Joseph my son still alive? I have enough." Similarly, when a sinner, made aware of the evil of sin and the magnitude and extent of the breach between him and God, hears the preaching of the doctrine of reconciliation and how all his sins can be pardoned, and that God can become his true friend, enabling
him to be saved and eternally glorified in the highest heavens, the heart of a poor sinner begins to waver. But when he learns of the great things God has done to bring about this work—that God has, in His infinite wisdom, established such a glorious way of reconciliation, that He sent His Son, who became man, endured the wrath of His Father, satisfied for man's sin, died, shed His blood, and now ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father, as an advocate and intercessor—then the sinner comes to believe there is a reality, a certainty in this work of reconciliation.
My brethren, the work of reconciliation is indeed a sure thing. It is not merely a notion, a fancy, or an imagination; it is a reality, and a certainty. This certainty follows from the fact that it is [in Christ]. We could never be so sure of the matter if we did not have these real demonstrations of God's heart towards us.
Suppose God had sent an angel from heaven to preach to the children of men the doctrine of reconciliation, telling them that God was willing to be reconciled unto them; this would not have made it as certain. The hearts of poor sinners would have continued to be afraid, thinking that whatever was said to them was but an attempt to soothe them for the present. Certainly, the matter would not have been as declared. However, when God pleases to give this evidence to us of His heart towards us, and of His willingness to be reconciled to us—having worked so extraordinarily for us in sending the second person of the Trinity to become man and accomplish this work of reconciliation—we may certainly conclude that the heart of God is real in this matter.
In Romans 4:16, we have an expression to this effect: "Therefore it is of faith," says the Apostle. What is "it"? It refers to the promise of life and peace, for that is what the Apostle is speaking about in that
passage. "It is of faith," why? "That it might be by grace, to the end the promise might be sure." Note here these two characteristics of our reconciliation with God: we are reconciled in Christ. From this, firstly, it follows that it is a great mystery. Secondly, it follows that it is free; "therefore," says he, "it is of faith that it might be free." It is of faith, as if to say, it is from God in Christ, for faith always relates to Christ. "It is of faith," that is, faith in Christ, so that it might be by grace. For if it were by any works we performed, it would not be free; it would not be by grace. But it is by faith in Christ, so that it might be by grace.
Secondly, it is of faith in Christ, to the end that the promise might be sure. You may ask, "Would it not be sure if it were not by faith?"
Suppose God had only sent an angel (as mentioned earlier), would it not have been sure? No, not as sure as it is now; for in that it is by faith upon Christ, we have Christ as the object of our faith for our reconciliation with God, and by this, it becomes more certain than it could be by any other means. We cannot conceive that it would be possible for the Lord to reveal the reality of His heart and the certainty of His work in reconciling the world to Himself in any way more convincingly than by revealing it to be in Christ. And that is the third point that follows from this.
Consequence 4 The fourth consequence is this: if our reconciliation is in Christ, then, as it is sure, so it is full. Indeed, if reconciliation with God were revealed to us in any other way than in Christ, we might fear there was something still in the heart of God against us, that His heart did not fully embrace us or that we were not fully reconciled with Him.
But when we understand what God has done to reconcile us to Himself—what a price He has paid for it, the great cost He has borne
to accomplish it, and that His own Son has undertaken to bring us and the Father together to make this reconciliation complete—we can conclude that it is a full and perfect reconciliation. Jesus Christ would never undertake such a work without bringing it to completion, and He has indeed completed it. Therefore, when you hear the word of the Gospel that we are reconciled to God in Christ, you can be assured that this work is both full and complete, because it is accomplished in Him. That is another consequence.
Consequence 5 Furthermore, if our reconciliation with God is in Christ, then it follows, in the fifth place, that God is reconciled to humankind on very honourable terms; it is an honourable reconciliation, for it is a reconciliation in which God suffers nothing at all, but instead, everything is restored to Him. If God had merely overlooked our offences and been reconciled to us without any further action, the devils might have cried out against Him, saying, "Where is the glory of Your justice? These have sinned against You just as we have, and the breach they have made upon Your justice is in no way made right; You have been dishonoured by them, and that dishonour has not been addressed." But now, with humankind reconciled to God in Christ, no devil in Hell can speak against God's justice or righteousness. For God is not only reconciled, but He is reconciled on honourable terms.
Indeed, when a man has an inferior who has offended him, and if he can find no other way to address the wrong but to endure all the injury done to him, it is a far different matter from being reconciled to the offending party on honourable terms. For if he could have the wrong fully made right, and not only have the offender submit to him, but also receive full satisfaction for the injury done, that would
be truly honourable. Such is the reconciliation between God and us; it is so honourable that it will bring glory to God before the angels and saints for all eternity, and God rejoices in it greatly, as it brings
Him immense satisfaction that His honour is restored in this reconciliation. That is a fifth consequence.
Consequence 6 Sixthly, if we are reconciled to God in Christ, it follows that this reconciliation is accomplished in a way that entirely humbles humanity. Though it is an honourable reconciliation, it is one in which humankind has no reason to boast. It is the greatest possible way to lower and humble humanity. There could be no devised method of reconciliation that would so reconcile us to God while at the same time abasing us as much as this way of reconciliation, when we truly consider it.
For though we are reconciled, how did it happen? We did not initiate it ourselves; we did nothing to bring it about; it was all done by Christ. Therefore, in Romans 3:27, the Apostle asks, "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith." Indeed, God has done great things for us, but none of what has been done for us is to our own credit; it was all accomplished without our contribution. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, and therefore, although it is honourable (in respect of God), when we truly consider it, we have ample reason to be humbled, even to the very dust.
Consequence 7 Furthermore, if our reconciliation is in Christ, it follows that it is a most firm and lasting reconciliation, an everlasting reconciliation.
Since it is in Christ, this forms the basis of its everlasting nature.