The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1909-11-13

I
lent and a good citizen, but his heart II
not right in the sight Of God. The
heart is a metaphorical term denotlne
those mental affections which are the
principles and beginnings of action. Here
il is depravty exists at the very foun'
tains from which all actions flow.
Man in a state of nature does not love
and serve God. He must be renewed
in the spirit of his mind must be born
of the spirit must become a new crea-
ture in Christ Jesus in order 10 be rec
onciled TO God. God being anxious for
that reconciliation 10 take place has
devised a plan and fixed the terms on
which that reconciliation can take
place.
This brings me now to speak of the
terms and plan of reconciliation as laid
down in the text.
Good was in Christ reconciling the
world unto Himself. for He hath made
Him 10 be sin for us who knew no SIN
that we might be made the righteous
ness of God in Him. God has thus
removed all the obstacles which exist
ed on His part TO reconciliation. He has
done all that can or will be done all
that needed to be done in order 10
make reconciliation on the part OF
men possible and easy. Christ became
a sin offering for us, that we might be
made the Righteousness of God IN Him,
that is we might be accepted and
treated as righteous on account of
what the Lord Jesus has done and suf-
fered for us. We have in the text a
beautiful contrast between what Is said
of Christ and what is said Of us. He
is made sin and we are made righteOusr
ness-that is he was treated as If he
were a sinner. though He was pure and
holy. and we are treated as If we
were righteous, though we are impure
and unholy. The idea is that on ac-
count of what the Lord Jesus has suf-
fered and done we are treated as II we
ourselves had kept the whole law Of
God and never been exposed to its PEN
atty. We in Christ and by Christ
are accounted righteous by the imputed
righteousness Of Christ through faith.
Hence we are told that Abraham be-
lieved God, and it was accounted unto
him for Righteousness. What won
derful scheme is Gods plan of human
redemptonl No wonder the apostle
wrote Without controversy great Is
the mystery Of godliness. God was
manifest in the flesh. | know not
which TO wonder at and admire most,
the wisdom which devised or the beney-
olence which executed the plan Of hu-
man redemption. The fact that
Christ was made sin for US who knew
no sin that we might be made the right
BUSINESS of God in Him" presents the
strongest argument and motive possi-
bic for becoming reconciled to God. II
is the most potent Of all arguments
and motives and the one most likely to
prove effectual and best adapted TO
melt and move the soul to repentance
and faith. The wole plan of salvation
is one of substitution and without such
substitution there can be no salvation.
The greatness of the divine compassion
and love is thus shown for the guilty,
and on that ground God has a right to
call on men to ground the arms Of their
rebellion and be at peace with Him.
While men will not know the goodness
of God leadeth them TO repentance the
long suffering, forbearance and COM
passion Of God are wonderful. But men
abuse His love and compassion, and say
God is too good and compassionate to
send a soul to perdition and punish it
eternally for the sins Of short life
time. | grant you that, for God has
never sent a soul to perdition yet. Men
send themselves there for the reason
they reject Gods plan of salvation and
refuse TO be reconciled to God. God has
made a great sacrifice to save all men.
God so loved the world as to give
His only begotten Son to die that
whose believeth in Him should not per-
ish but have everlasting life. He has
not only done that, but He sends His
ambassadors to beseech men to be rec
onciled to him. He has said 81 have
no pleasure in the death of the wicked,
but that he turn and live. Peter,
moved by the Holy Spirit, wrote, "He
is long suffering toward us, not willing
that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance. And II
men are not saved it will be simply be-
cause they will not accept Gods plan
of salvation and continue their oppo-
sition to and rebellion again His right
full authority. And they will be only
the more blame-worthy, because God 5
terms of reconciliation are so easy OF
universal acceptance. They are simply
"believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and
thou shalt be saved" Faith is the
grace which appropriates the merits
and righteousness of Christ. God has
linked faith and salvation together by
more than hooks of steal. No DEGREES
of God are more certain than ''he that
believeth shall be saved, while he that
believeth not shall be condemned. "
"He that believeth is passed from