Discourse of God's being the Author of Reconciliation
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by
Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that
God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.—2 Cor.
5:18,19.
These words are small in bulk, but
great in mystery, it is the heads of the gospel in a nut-shell; the most
sparkling diamond in the whole golden ring of Scripture. It comprehends the
counsels of eternity and the transactions of time. A wonder in heaven, God
bringing forth a man-child to be a propitiation for sin, which was the Jews'
stumbling-block and the Gentiles' scoff. 1
Corinthians 1:23-24 (KJV)
{23} But we preach
Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and
unto the Greeks foolishness; {24} But
unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and
the wisdom of God. but wherein the wisdom and grace of God's counsel in heaven,
and the power of his actions on earth, clearly shine forth in the face of Jesus
Christ. The Jacob's ladder, the upper part fixed in heaven, and the lower foot
standing upon the earth. Angels descended on that; God descends to man by this
in acts of wisdom and grace, and man ascends to God in acts of faith and love.
If there be any mystery in
Christianity more admirable than another, it is this of reconciliation. If any
mystery in this mystery, it is the various and incomprehensible engagement of
the Father in it, in and through Christ. If anything in Scripture sets forth
this mystery in a few words like a picture in a little medal, it is this which
I have read, wherein the apostle gives us a short but
full and clear account of the doctrine of reconciliation, which is the
substantial part of the gospel.
There is a double reconciliation
here and in the following verse expressed.
First, Fundamental;
at the death of Christ, whereby it was obtained. This is the ground of God's laying aside his anger;
this is reconciliatio legalis
or de jure.
Secondly, Actual
or particular, when it is complied with by faith. This regards the application of it, when God does
actually lay aside his enmity, and imputes sin no more to the person. Which consists of two parts.
1. The proclamation of this: ver.
20, 'We pray you in Christ s stead, be ye reconciled to God,' declaring God's
willingness to take men into favour. This is the
declaration of reconciliation de jure, or the right of reconcilement.
The gospel contains the articles of peace, and the counsels and methods of God
about it. It is the copy of God's heart from eternity.
2. Particular acceptance, which is
on our part an acceptance of the terms of reconcilement, on God's part an
acceptance of us into his favour, and a
non-imputation of our sins to us, which the apostle calls, Romans 5:11 (KJV) And not only so, but we also joy in God through
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
the receiving the atonement; this is the
accepting the atonement, the ground of reconciliation on man's part, and the
application on God's part.
The first, viz., the proclamation of it to us, is God's promise to us,
the other is the performance; the one is God's gracious favour
to us, the other is God's gracious act in us. Christ is the cause of both these
reconciliations: of the fundamental reconciliation by his death, of our actual
reconciliation by his life; the one by himself in person, the other by his
deputy the Spirit.
God. God is taken
here by some* "ousiodos", for the whole
trinity, Christ, "oikonomikos", as
mediator.
Others, and more likely, understand by
God the Father, to whom reconciliation is ascribed per modum
appropriationis, as he is the fountain of the
divinity, as the fathers use to call him. As the Father is the principal person
wronged, and declaring his anger against us, the reconciliation is principally
made to him; in which sense we are said to have 'access to the Father, “Ephesians 2:18 (KJV) For through him we both have access by one
Spirit unto the Father.” through Christ, and by the Spirit. The Son brings us to the
Father, and the Spirit directs us to the Son. Christ takes away God's enmity to
us, and the Spirit takes away our enmity to God. As the first creation is
appropriated to the Father, so is the second also. The apostle having described
the new state of things, ver. 17, tells us, ver: 18, that 'all things are of
God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ;' that this new state is
of God, who is no less the creator of the second state than of the first. Adam,
the common head of God's appointment, by his falling, overthrew himself and his
posterity; God therefore appoints another head to reduce men again to himself. What is here called reconciling, is called “Ephesians 1:10 (KJV) That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things
in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:, 'gathering
together in one,' "anakephalaiosasthai".
God would gather them together to himself under one head, as they had been
separated from him under one head.
God was in Christ. Some make
this expression to signify no more than by Christ, ver 18; or for
Christ's sake:
Ephesians 4:32 (KJV) And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving
one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. 'As God for Christ's sake has forgiven you.'
But the expression notes something more than for Christ's sake. In
actual pardon, Christ, is the moving cause by his intercession, as well as the
meritorious cause by his propitiation: 1 John 2:2 (KJV) And he is the
propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
'If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous, who is a propitiation,' &c. But the first purpose of
reconciliation, and the appointing Christ as the medium for it, had no moving
cause but the infinite compassion of God to his fallen creature. Christ was not
the moving cause of this, though he be the meritorious
cause of all the effects of it, and laid the foundation of an actual
reconciliation by being the centre of the agreement between the justice and
mercy of God. God's anger was appeased by the death of Christ, but God was the
first author of this propitiation, appointing this method of restoring the
creature, and this person, or Jesus, to do it.
God was in Christ. It may be meant of the Trinity: the Father was in
Christ constituting and directing, the Son was in Christ by personal union, the
Spirit was in Christ gifting him for this work of reconciliation; but I would
rather understand it of the Father.
Being in Christ is not meant,
1. Of
that essential inness or oneness whereby the Father
and the Son are one in essence. Or as a father of the flesh and his son are
said to be of the same nature, disposition, and likeness, whereby we say the
father lives in the son, in the lineaments and temper of the son, whereby he
resembles the father. It is true, the father and the son have the same nature,
the same perfections and divine excellencies; so the
Father is in the Son without any respect to reconciliation. He is so in the Son
in creation also; he is so also one with the Spirit. But this notes some
singular manner of inness in
Christ, which is not in the third person, or in any else.
2. Nor in regard of that
affection the Father bears to Christ. He is indeed in a peculiar manner in
Christ in regard of love, more than in all believers besides. He loved him as
the head, believers as the members. This is common to believers with Christ,
though not in the same degree.
3. But it notes some peculiar
manner of operation in Christ as mediator. Redemption was not the work only of
the Son; the Son wrought it, the Father directed it; the Son paid the price,
the Father appointed him to do so, received it of him, accepted it from him,
and accounted it to others through him, which is that we are bound to believe,
as Christ tells the Jews John 10:38 (KJV) But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works:
that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him., 'that you may know and
believe that the Father is in me, and I in him,' John 14:20 (KJV) At
that day ye shall know that I am
in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. 'I am in my Father.' The Father is in Christ
by way of direction, support, and influence, and Christ in the Father by way of
observance, obedience, and dependence. As the world was in Christ as in their
surety and head, satisfying God, so God is in Christ as in his ambassador,
making peace with the world. All things that Christ acted and managed in this
work are to be referred to God as the prime author.
The world. The world properly signifies the frame of heaven and
earth, and all creatures therein, joined together by an exact harmony, order,
and dependence upon one another; but in the Scripture is chiefly understood of
mankind, the top of the lower world and end of its creation. It is frequent in
all writers to put the place for the inhabitants; and it is taken for the most
part for the corrupted world, the world fallen under sin and wrath, and
opposing God: John 1:10 (KJV) He was in the world, and the
world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 'The world
knew him not.' And when God takes some out of the world, he calls them not by
the name of the world, but his church. And those that he brings out of this
sinful condition, he is said to bring 'out of the world'' John 15:19 (KJV) If ye
were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the
world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. and to choose 'out of
the world, John 17:6 (KJV) I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
The world is fundamentally reconciled,
there being a foundation laid for the world to be at peace with God, if they
accept of the terms upon which this amity is to be obtained; or all ages of the
world, those before the coming of Christ in the flesh as well as those after, 1 John 2:2 (KJV) And he is the propitiation
for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
Reconciling. The greatest
controversy lies in this word, whether by it be meant
God's reconciliation to us, or our laying down our enmity against God. Socinus
and his followers say God was not angry with man, he was reconciled before, but
that this place is meant of affection towards God, because it is said we are
reconciled to God, and not God to us.
But learned men have cleared this. The phrase in heathen authors of
men's being reconciled to their gods, is always understood for appeasing the
anger of their gods, and escaping those dreadful judgments either actually
inflicted or certainly threatened from heaven. By reconciliation of us to God
in this place cannot be meant our conversion, or any act of ours.
1. Because the reconciliation here spoken of was the matter of the
apostles' discourses and sermons, and the great argument they used to convert
the world to God. If, then, that sense were true, it would be an impertinent
argument, unworthy of those that Christ called out to be the first messengers
and heralds of this redemption. The sense of their discourse would run thus:
God has already converted you, therefore be converted to him; as it is nonsense
to exhort a man to do that very act which he has already done.
2. This reconciliation does formally consist in the non-imputation of
sin to men. Now this is God's act, not the creature's.
'Not imputing sin' and 'forgiving sin' are the same thing, Romans 4:7 (KJV) Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are
covered. therefore the reconciliation itself is an act of God. If God
were to be brought into our favour as a person
offending, we should be said rather not to impute God's supposed offences to
him, and not to charge him with that which was the ground of our hatred of him.
The apostle tells us that God does not impute the trespasses of the
world to them emphatically, as Grotius observes, but he does to another whom he
had made sin for them: ver. 21, 'For he has made him to be sin for us, who knew
no sin.' And the apostles were sent about the world to testify this benefit, that men might give credit to God, and turn to him.
And upon the declaration of this doctrine, that God had in Christ laid
aside his anger for their sins, and having punished another for then, would not
punish them if they embraced by faith what was proposed to them, they besought
men that they would lay aside their enmity against God, as he declared himself
willing to lay aside his enmity against them, and had testified this by sending
his own Son to bear their punishment.
There is a like place with this:
Romans 5:6-10 (KJV) {6} For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ
died for the ungodly. {7} For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet
peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. {8} But God commendeth
his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. {9} Much more then, being now
justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. {10} For
if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,
much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 'if, when we were
enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being
reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.' If Christ died for sinners to make an atonement for them, it was then to procure God's well-pleasedness with them, because they had offended him. But
if he died to bring God in favour with us, then his
death was an atonement for God, and to expiate God's
offences, who never was, nor can be, guilty of any towards his creature.
But it is evident the reconciliation there mentioned, as well as in the
text, was antecedent to conversion, and therefore is not the same with the
conversion of the creature.
1. Because otherwise the apostle's argument would have little validity
in it, for it proceeds a majori, 'much more,
being reconciled by his death, we shall be saved.' If God were so infinitely
kind to us as to turn away his anger from us by the death of his Son when we
were yet enemies, how much more tender will he be of us since he has taken us
into favour, and we are actually converted to him!
2. The effect of this reconciliation is a saving from wrath by the
blood of Christ: ver. 9, 'Much more, being justified by his blood, we shall be
saved from wrath through him.' Therefore this reconciliation must be by
appeasing that wrath under which we should otherwise have fallen.
And the effect of it is to have peace with God: ver. 1, 'We have peace
with God;' whereas, if it were meant of God's being brought into our favour, it should have been said, God has peace with us,
and that God has access to us.
3. Justification is the effect and consequent of this reconciliation.
And this Crellius confesses, Justificatio
est effectus
reconciliationis. But this is the act of God,
Romans 4:5 (KJV) But to
him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his
faith is counted for righteousness. Romans 8:34 (KJV) Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of
God, who also maketh intercession for us.
4. Reconciliation is here attributed to the death of Christ as a
distinct cause from that of conversion: Romans
5:10 (KJV) For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by
the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his
life. 'If, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by
the death of his Son;' that is the reconciliatio
impetrata, which in the second expression of our
actual or applied reconciliation is ascribed to the life of Christ or
intercession, that being the end for which he lives in heaven, Hebrews 7:25 (KJV) Wherefore
he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing
he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
5. We are said to 'receive the atonement,'Romans
5:11 (KJV) And not only so,
but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now
received the atonement. which is the same with 'receiving forgiveness of sins,'Acts
10:43 (KJV)
To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth
in him shall receive remission of sins. But to receive conversion is a phrase not at
all used in Scripture. When a man turns to the east, no man says he receives
turning to the east. Besides, if it were meant of bringing God into our favour, it were more proper to say
God received the atonement, and not we.
6. If by reconciliations were meant
our bending our hearts to love God, there could not be any sufficient reason
rendered why the sanctification of the heart should be laid down by the apostle
as the end of this reconciliation, as it is Colossians
1:22 (KJV) In the body of
his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable
and unreproveable in his sight: 'Yet
now has he reconciled, in the body of his flesh through death, to present you
holy and unreprovable in his sight.' For nothing can
be both medium and finis sui ipsius, its own end and means too.
By reconciliation is meant the
whole work of redemption. The Scripture has various terms for our recovery by
Christ, which all amount to one thing, but imply the variety of our misery by
sin, and the full proportion of the remedy to all our capacities in that
misery. Our fall put us under various relations; our Saviour has cut those
knots, and tied new ones of a contrary nature. It is called reconciliation as
it respects us as enemies, salvation as it respects us in a state of damnation,
propitiation as we are guilty, redemption as captives, and bound over to
punishment. Reconciliation, justification, and adoption differ thus: in
reconciliation, God is considered as the supreme Lord and the injured party,
and man is considered as an enemy that has wronged him; in justification, God
is considered as a judge, and man as guilty; in adoption, God is considered as
a father, and man as an alien. Reconciliation makes us friends, justification
makes us righteous, adoption makes us heirs.
This verse then represents to us
the doctrine of redemption under the term of reconciliation. In it we have,
I. The principal author and spring
of this reconciliation, God.
II. The immediate efficient or the
meritorious cause of it, Christ.
III. The subjects, God and the
world: 'the world to himself.'
IV. The form of this
reconciliation, or the fruit of it: 'not imputing their trespasses unto them,'
not charging them with their crimes.
V. The instrumental cause of actual
reconcilement, the ministry of the word.
The observations we may take notice
of are these:
First,
Reconciliation by Christ is the foundation of the regeneration of nature: ver.
17, 18, 'All things are become new, and all things are of God, who has
reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ.' The design of God was to reduce us
to happiness, which was not to be done without the satisfaction of his justice.
Christ by his death satisfies that; in his life is a model of our
sanctification. God is first the God of peace before he be the God of
sanctification: 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (KJV) And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul
and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 'and
the very God of peace sanctify you wholly.' The destruction of the enmity of
our nature was founded upon the removing the enmity in God. There had been no
sanctification of our natures had there not been a redemption of our persons,
no more than for devils, who remain unholy because they remain unreconciled. Besides, since God has been at peace with us
he will sanctify us, that the actual peace may be preserved by the weeding out
the remainders of the enmity in our natures. It is as he is a God of peace that
he conquers any of our spiritual enemies. He will never engage in the bruising
Satan under our feet till he be our reconciled God in
Christ: Romans 6:20 (KJV) For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from
righteousness. 'the God of peace shall
bruise Satan under your feet.'
Secondly, God does not act
principally as a Creator, but as a reconcilable God ever since the first
promise All blessings flow from him as standing in
that relation. All his providences in keeping up the world, the fruitful
showers, the enjoyments of the sons of men in the world, are upon the account
of the Mediator, wherein he has declared himself a reconciling God. He acts
towards the world as a reconciling God, towards believers as reconciled. He is
reconcilable as long as he is inviting and keeps men alive in a state of
probation. But he is not reconciled but to those that accept of the way of
reconciliation which he has wrought in his Son, and according to the methods
whereby he wrought it. The relation of a Creator cannot cease while there is
any creature; but if God should act towards the world only as Creator, the
dissolution of the world had been long ago, because the law of the creation had
been transgressed. But he acts as a 'faithful Creator', 1 Peter 4:19 (KJV) Wherefore
let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their
souls to him in well doing, as
unto a faithful Creator. as a Creator
according to the promise of the new covenant, which his faithfulness respects.
Thirdly, And that which I only
intend, is this,
I. Doctrine. God is the
great spring and author of our recovery. Or God was principally engaged in the
whole undertaking and effecting of our redemption and reconciliation by Christ.
God was the first mover in those acts whereby the first foundation-stone was
laid and the building reared. All was begun by his order, and managed by his
direction and influence: 2 Corinthians
5:18 (KJV) And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to
himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
'All things are of God, who has reconciled,' i. e.
all things are of God in this reconciling act. The whole Trinity is concerned
in it. Each person acts a distinct part. The glory of contriving is
appropriated to the Father, as he that made the first motion, counselled Christ to undertake it, sent him in the fullness
of time, and bruised him upon the cross, making his soul an offering for sin.
The glory of effecting it is ascribed to the second
person, both in the satisfactory part to the justice of God, and also in the
victorious part, the conquest of Satan. The glory of working the conditions
upon which it is enjoyed, and the applying it, is attributed wholly to the
Spirit. The story of the creation seems to intimate some other work to be done in
the world by God besides that work of creation which God the Father made at
that time: Genesis
2:2 (KJV) And
on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the
seventh day from all his work which he had made. 'And on the seventh day God ended the work which he
had made, and rested from all his work which he had made;' and ver. 3, 'and
rested from all the work which God created and made;' thrice repeated, He
rested from that work which he had made, he made no more of that kind and
nature. But a rest he could not find; he rested from it, but not in it; there
was a work of a nobler strain behind to be made by him for his rest. He foresaw
how soon he should be disturbed by the entrance of sin; and though he rested
from making any more creatures of that sort, yet he had works of grace to make
afterwards, more wonderful than those of nature. He had a further display to
make of his gracious perfections, which could not be deciphered on the face of
that creation; but a work there was remaining wherein he intended to bring
forth the glory of his divine excellency which yet lay
hid. This is the highest draught of divine wisdom and goodness; therefore if
the Father created all things wherein his wisdom and goodness appears in a
shadowy manner, drawn with fainter colours, he should
have no less hand in this, wherein his wisdom was to appear without a veil, in
its full lustre and eternally durable colours, when this material world shall pass away:
Ephesians 3:10 (KJV)
To the intent that now
unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
'A mighty
variety of wisdom,' "polupoikilos sophia", which delights the Creator and amazes the
creature! He would no less have a hand in the second creation of all things by
Christ than he had in the first, since a greater glory was to redound to him as
reconciling than as creating, by how much it is more excellent to give man a
happy being than to give man a bare being. God is therefore said to be the
'head of Christ,’ 1 Corinthians 9:3 (KJV) Mine answer to them
that do examine me is this,’ as Christ is the head of man. As
man was made to declare the glory of Christ, so is Christ formed to declare the
glory of God. As all influences the members receive in point of direction and
motion are from the head, so all the influences Christ had were from God, as
the head directing and moving him. As the head counsels what the members act,
so God counsels what Christ acts. God brings forth this Mediator as his divine
image, and diffuses all his perfections in and through him before the eyes of
men, and thought it a work too worthy to be contrived by any but himself, and transacted be any but his Son. God only sent
him to make it, and called him back to himself as soon as ever he had finished
it.
We shall consider,
1. What reconciliation is, and
wherein the nature of it consists.
2. That God the Father is and must
be the prime cause of this.
3. Wherein the agency of the Father
appears, and by what acts it is manifested in this transaction.
4. The use.