Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-04-03
THE CROSS OF CHRIST"
IN ITS DEEPER MEANING
Death of Christ and Blood
of Christ synonymous,
Says Baltimore Pastor.
DIR. DIXON AT FIRST BAPTIST
Declares Significance of Phrase Is
Summed Up In Word. "At0ncmcnt,'
Used Over Eighty Times In Old
Testament.

iteN. ~. y. DIXON. -. u, pastor OF
Calvary Baptist Church, Baltimore.
preached in First Baptist Church yes
terday morning on The Cross of
Christ In Its Deeper Meaning" He
spoke, In part, as follows:
1t Is interesting to stand on a
NH top and watch the coming dawn:
tirst the grey strcaks In the East,
and then the brighter light. until
the fuli-orhcd sun arises. There is
sunrise with its dawn like that
In the Old Testament scriptures. The
ioregleam begins with the promise
In the curse upon the serpent, that
the seed OF the woman should bruise
ms head. II grows brighter in
Aoefs altar, with its sacrifice OF
blood. We see 1t again In the vic
tim, whether lamb, or bullock or
turtle-dove. on the altar Of the tab
ernacle and the temple. We see It
In the offering of Isaac. and the sub
s'itution OF the ram that was caught
IN the thicket. We see 1t in the
upiifted serpent OF brass. to which
the people were commanded to looI,
ana live. We see 1t In the fiftv-
'hird chapter of Isaiah. and kindred
prophecies, In which our Lord 10
held forth as the Messiah, the sim
bearer. the One who makes atone
mcnt for our guilt.
what Is meant by the cross Of
| christ? There are several phrases
which mean about the same thing
inc death Of Christ the blood of
enDis'' the Lamb of God which
.akcth away the sin of the world,
Christ and Him crucired'-each ha.
IN the heart OF II definition of
what the cross of Christ means Then
II you VIII put together some of the
great words which occur In rho
writings OF the Apostle Paul. Won
una an unfolding OF this heart mean
ing. The word 'propitiation.' which
Huss ests tho Justice and holiness
ol Gou' his iove-making Precipitation
H,s justice; not His demanding of
n"o,her tnat Precipitation shall be
"naue 10 Him. but love furnishing
Mhat Justice and holiness demand
reconciliation which is the man
ward side of lt-'Be We reconcilcd n
Hod = comes through the cross of
'hrist. Redemption'-'Rede no.
win corruptible things, as silver and
gold. but with the precious blood of
thrist Justification which has in
me accounting OF man as inno
80 re began before the fall in
state OF innocency, and fustiaca
tion is away beyond anything that
human court OF justice ever realizes
| is putting the sinner In the condI.
ZION before God as II he had never
sihheo al all. IL Is giving him a.
Htahalns In the merit OF Jesus Christ
or absolute innocency before God.
! Is all summed up in the word
used over eighty times in the Old
Iesla ment. and just once In the
English version OF the New, Atone
mcnt Advancement really defines
the fruitage of it. It brings us into
| harmony with God makes n. 80
with him.
Christ from eternity has been a
spiritual God: Equal with Cod
equal in authority, equal In power.
IN every respect equal with God.
now. though equal with God. and of
the very substance OF God. Very God
OF Very Cod as the old Puritans
gives up for the time this equality
ana makes Himself incarnate in a
human being. He does not cease to
ne the spiritual God that He has
| oeen from eternity. but He begtns
now to express Himself in this CON
crete way. and thus puts Himself
| within the compass OF our compre-
| hension. Our finite minds cannot
comprehend spiritual God filling
an eternity and all immensely; so
He puts Himself within the compass
OF our thought. in order that Me NAV
make Himself thinkabIe and an
proachable TO us. He saw fit TO give
up for the time, His position OF an
| thority. without surrendering one
whit OF His attributes of Deity, In
order that He might work out our
redemption.
He takes also the form Of a
servant. The God Of the universe not
| only puts Himself within the limits
ht,t
| self servant to humanity; puts
Himself not only within the limita-
lions OF perfect human being. but
In service TO imperfect human be-
inSs. How does He do that? By
becoming universal Man. Now
listen TO this phrase. for 7 would not
have YOU forget It. He took upon
Him the form OF a servant. and was
made in the likeness OF men, No.
or a man. lat In the likeness OF all
men. Son OF Man. this servant
places Himself underneath all men.
that He may serve them. He is the
universal Man. He is not Greek.
not a Roman. not Jew. not an
Italian. not an American, not a
German. not an Englishman. He Is
bigger than each and all: He Is the
Son OF Man. The blood or the whole
human race courses In His veins,
I''S hcSTl IL DIX enough to take In
its millions, and His arm long
enough to reach down TO the depths
of humanity's greatest need and lift
mp to the heights of God. Son OF
Man'--thc poorest. the richest, the
youngest. the oldest. the most de-
graded the most moral. the weakest.
the strongest. every man. every wo-
man. every human being In this
world is represented by this universal
Man.
But though He becomes n uni
fersai Man, He does not lose His
personality. And being found I'm
fashion az man.. Having the form
OF God and lin the likeness of men,
He is yet in fashion as man. lie
has His likes and dslikes: He is
careful about His mother: He hun
gers and thirsts; He gets tired and
sits by the. we'll side. This universal
Man Is an individual. He has per-
sonality that brings Him a little
closer to me still. When I realize
that He gets hungry and thirsty and
tired. and that He took my In
firmities as we'll as my sins. 1t makes
me feel akin to Him.
Now notice what took place In
the form Of a Servant. ms uni
versal Man, and yet with n person.
atty that is distinct. lie humbied