Fourth Benefit Purchased by Christ: Bringing Us to God by Reconciliation and Glorification
“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.” 1 Pur. 3: 18.
Tue scope of the apostle in this place is to fortify Christians for a day of suffering; in order to their cheerful sustaining of which, he prescribes two excellent rules: first, to get a good conscience within them; and secondly, to set the example of Christ’s sufferings before them, ‘“For Christ hath once suffered for sins;” the sufferings of Christ for us is the great motive. engaging Christians to -suffer cheerfully for him.
In these words we have the sufficiency and fulness of Christ’s sufferings intimated in the particle once: Christ needs to suffer no more, having completed that whole work at once; the cause of the sufferings of Christ, and that is sin: “Christ once suffered for sins,” not his own sins, but ours; the admirable grace and unexampled love of Christ to us sinners, “the just for the unjust,” in which words the substitution of Christ in the room and place of sinners is plainly expressed; the design of the sufferings of Christ, which was, to bring us to God; and the issue of the sufferings of Christ, which was, the death of Christ in the flesh, and the quickening of Christ after death by the Spirit. The doctrine we now propose to illustrate is, that
The end of Christ’s death and sufferings was to bring all those for whom he died wnto God.
In the explication, two things must be considered:
what Christ’s bringing us to God imports; and what influence the death of Christ has upon this design of bringing us to God.
I. Waar Curist’s Brincing us To God imports, And certainly there are many excellent things contained in this expression. Generally it denotes our state of reconciliation and our state of glorification. By reconciliation we are brought nigh unto God. Ye are made nigh, that is, reconciled by the blood of Christ. Eph. 2:13. We are said to come to God the Judge of all, Heb. 12: 22, 23. By reconciliation, we are brought nigh unto God now; by glorification, we shall be brought home to God hereafter. We shall be ever with the Lord. 1 Thess. 4:17. But more particularly this phrase, “that he might bring us to God,” imports,
1. That the chief happiness of man conszsts in the enjoyment of God. The creature has as necessary a dependence upon God for happiness as the stream has upon the fountain, or the image in the glass upon the face of him that looks into it. For as the sum of the creature’s misery lies in this, ‘Depart from me,” separation from God being the principal part of damnation; so on the contrary the chief happiness of the creature consists in the enjoyment and blessed vision of God. 1 John 3:2. ‘TI shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” Psalm 17: 15.
2. It implies man’s apostasy from God. “But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometime were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” Eph. 2:18. Those whom Christ brings unto God were before far off from him, both in condition and in disposition. We were lost, and had no desire to return to God. The prodigal was said to go into a far country. Luke 15; 13.
8. Christ’s bringing us to God implies owr wabdlity of ourselves to return to God. We must be brought back by Christ, or perish for ever in separation from God. The lost sheep is made the emblem of the lost sinner. Luke
15:5. The shepherd seeks it, finds it, and carries it back upon his shoulders. The apostle plainly tells us that ‘““when we were without strength,” that is, to save ourselves, ‘in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” Rom. O26)
4. Christ’s bringing us to God implies that G’od’s justice was once the great bar between him and man. Man can have no access to God but by Christ; and he brings us to God in no other way but that of satisfaction by his blood: ‘“‘He hath suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.” Better ten thousand worlds should perish for ever than that God should lose the honor of his justice. This great bar to our enjoyment of God is effectually removed by the death of Christ, whereby God’s justice is not only fully satisfied, but highly honored and glorified. Rom. 3:24. And so the way by which we are brought to God is again opened, to the wonder and joy of all believers, by the blood and sufferings of Christ.
5. It shows us the happiness of believers above all people. These only shall be brought to God by Jesus Christ in a reconciled state. Others indeed shall be brought to God as a Judge, to be condemned; believers only are brought to God in the Mediator’s hand as a reconciled Father, to be made biessed for ever in the enjoyment of him. Every believer is brought singly to God at his death, Luke 16: 22; and all believers shall be jointly and solemnly presented to God in the great day. Col. 1:22. They shall be all presented faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. Jude 24. The privilege of believers in that day will lie in divers things.
(1.) They shall be all brought to God together. This will be the general assembly mentioned, Heb. 12: 23. There shall be a collection of all believers in all ages of the world into one blessed assembly; they shall come from the east and west, the north and south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. Luke 13:29. Oh what a glorious train will be seen following the Redeemer in that day!
(2.) As all the saints shall be collected into one body, so they shall be all brought or presented unto God fawitless and without blemish. Jude 24. “A glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.” Eph. 5:27. This is the general assembly of the spirits of just men made perfect. Heb. 12:23. All sin was perfectly separated from them when death had separated their souls and bodies.
(3.) As believers shall be all brought together, and that in a state of absolute pur-ty and perfection, so they shall be all brought to God: they shall see his face, in the vision whereof is fulness of joy, and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:11. The blessedness of the saints consists in their fruition of God. Psalm 73:25. To see God in his word and works is the happiness of the saints on earth; but to see him face to face will be the fulness of their blessedness in heaven. 1 John 3:2. This is that transforming and sanctifying vision of which the Scriptures frequently speak. Psalm Prebble Corts 128arReve ts 17:
(4.) To be brought to God implies a state of perfect joy and highest delight. Christ shall present or bring them to God with exceeding joy. Jude 24. And more fully the joy of this day is expressed, Psalm 45: 15: “With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought; they shall enter into the king’s palace.” It will be a day of universal joy when all the saints are brought home to God in a perfected state. For,
God the Father will rejoice when Christ brings home that precious number of his elect whom he redeemed by his blood: he rejoices in them now, though imperfect and under many corruptions and weaknesses. Zeph. 3: 17. How much more will he rejoice in them when Christ presents them without spot or wrinkle to him. Ephesians 622%
Jesus Christ will exceedingly rejoice; it will be the day of the gladness and satisfaction of his heart; for now, and not till now, he receives his mystical fulness, Col. 1; 24, beholds all the blessed issues of his death, which cannot but give him unspeakable joy. ‘‘ He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.” Isa. 53:11.
The day in which believers are brought home to God will be a day of unspeakable joy to the Holy Spirit himself; for unto this all his sanctifying designs had respect; to this day he sealed them and stirred up desires in their hearts that cannot be uttered. Eph. 4:30; Rom. 8: 26. Thus the blessed persons, Father, Son, and Spirit, will rejoice in the bringing home of the elect to God. For as it is the greatest joy to a man to see the designs which he has been long projecting and anticipating at last brought to a happy issue, much more will it be so here, each person of the Holy Trinity being deeply concerned in this blessed design.
The angels of God will rejoice at the bringing home of believers to him; the spirits of just men made perfect will be united in one general assembly with an innumerable company of angels. Heb. 12: 22, 23. Great is the love of angels to redeemed ones; they rejoiced at the incarnation of Christ for them, Luke 2:13; they delight to pry into the mystery of their redemption, 1 Pet. 1:12; they were delighted at their conversion, which was the day of their espousals to Christ, Luke 15:10; they have been careful over them and serviceable to them in this world, Heb. 1: 14, and cannot but rejoice exceedingly to see them all brought home in safety to their Father’s house.
Christ’s bringing home all believers to God will be matter of unspeakable joy to themselves; for whatever acquaintance they had with God here, whatever anticipations they had of heaven and the glory to come, yet the sight of God and Christ the Redeemer will be an unspeakable surprise to them in that day. It will be the full satisfaction of all their desires.
II. Let it be considered what influence THE DEATH OF Curist hath upon this design, and you shall find it much every way.
1. The death of Christ removes all obstacles out of the way of this mercy. The bars hindering our access to God were such as nothing but the death of Christ could remove. The guilt of sin barred us from his gracious presence. Rom. 5:2, 3; Hos. 14:2. The pollution of sin excluded us from God. Hab. 1:23; Heb. 12:14. The enmity of our nature stopped up our way to God. Col. 1:21; Rom.8:7. By reason hereof fallen man hath no desire to come to God. Job 21:14. The justice of God, like a flaming sword turning every way, kept all men from access to him; and Satan, that malicious adversary, lay as a lion in the way to God. 1 Pet.5:8. O with what bars were the gates of heaven shut against our souls! The way to God was filled with difficulties that none but Christ was able to remove; and he has effectually removed them all. The way is now open, even the new and living way, consecrated for us by his blood. The death of Christ effectually removes the guilt of sin, 1 Pet. 2:24; washed away the pollution of sin, 1 John 5: 6; takes away the enmity of nature, Col. 1:20, 21; satisfies all the demands of justice, Rom. 3: 25, 26; has broken all the power of Satan, Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14; and consequently the way to God is fully opened to believers by the blood of Jesus. Heb. 10: 20.
2. The blood of Christ purchased for believers their right to this privilege. ‘‘But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law,
that we might receive the adoption of sons,” Gal. 4:4, 5; Method. 15 that is, both the relation and inheritance of sons. There was worth enough in the precious blood of Christ to pay all our debts to justice, and to purchase for us this invaluable privilege. We must put this unspeakable mercy of being brought to God to the account of the death of Christ: no believer had ever tasted the sweetness of such a mercy, if Christ had not tasted the bitterness. of death for him.
InrerENcE 1. Great 2s the preciousness and worth of souls, that the life of Christ should be given to redeem and recover them to God. As God laid out his counsel from eternity upon them to project the way of their salvation, so the Lord Jesus, in pursuance of that blessed design, came from the bosom of the Father and shed his invaluable blood to bring them to God. No wise man expends vast sums to obtain trifling commodities: how cheap soever our souls are in our estimation, it is evident they are of precious esteem in the eyes of Christ.
2. Redeemed souls must expect no rest or satisfaction on this side heaven. The life of believers in this world is a life of expectation — they are now coming to God. 1 Peter 2:4. God, you see, is the centre and rest of their souls. Heb. 4:9. As the rivers cannot rest till they pour themselves into the sea, so neither can renewed souls find rest till they come into the bosom of God. There are four things which disturb the souls of believers in this world — afflictions, temptations, corruptions, and absence from God. If the three former causes of disquietude were totally removed, so that a believer were placed in a condition upon earth where no affliction could disturb him, no temptation trouble him, no corruption defile or grieve him, yet his very absence from God must still keep him unsatisfied. “While we are at home in the body we are absent from
the Lord.” 2 Cor, 5: 6.
3. What pleasant thoughts should all believers have of
death, When they die they shall be fully brought home to God. Death to the saints is the door by which they enter into the enjoyment of God. The dying Christian is almost home; yet a few pangs more and he is come to God, in whose presence is fulness of joy. “Having a desire to depart,” said Paul, ‘‘and to be with Christ, which is far better.” Phil. 1:23. It should not affright us to be brought to death, the king of terrors, so long as it is his office to bring us to God. The opinion of the soul’s sleeping after death is as ungrounded as it is uncomfortable: the day we loose from this shore we shall be landed upon the blessed shore where we shall see and enjoy God for ever. O if the friends of deceased believers did but understand with whom their souls are while they are mourning over their bodies, they would dry up their tears and fill the house of mourning with praise and thanksgiving.
4. How comfortable and sweet should the communications of Christians be with one another. Christ is bringing them all to God through this vale of tears: they are now in the way to him — all bound for heaven — going home to God, their everlasting rest in glory: every hour, every duty brings them nearer and nearer to their journey’s end. “Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” Rom. 18:11. O what manner of heavenly communica-: tions and ravishing discourses should believers have with each other as they walk by the way! O what pleasant - and delightful converse should they have about the place and state whither Christ is bringing them, and where they shall shortly be! What transporting, transforming visions they shall have when they are brought home to God! How surprisingly glorious to them the sight of Jesus Christ will be, who died for them to bring them to God! How should such discourse sweeten their passage through the world, strengthen and encourage the dejected and fee, ble-minded, and honor and adorn their profession! Thus lived the believers of old: “By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Heb. 11: 9, 10. But alas, most Christians are either so entangled in the cares or so ensnared by the pleasures which almost continually take up their thoughts by the way, that there is little room for discourse of Christ and heaven among them. When the apostle had entertained the Thessalonians with a discourse of their meeting the Lord in the air, and being ever with the Lord, he charges it upon them as their great duty to comfort one another with these words. 1 Thess. 4:17, 18.
5. How unreasonable are the dejections of believers on account of the troubles they meet with in the world. It is true, afflictions of all kinds attend believers in their way to God; through many tribulations we must enter into that kingdom. But what then? must we despond and droop under them as other men? Surely not. If afflictions be the way through which you must come to God, then never be discouraged at affliction; troubles are of excellent use, under the blessing of the Spirit, to further Christ’s great design in bringing you to God. How often would you turn out of the way which leads to God, if he did not hedge up your way with thorns. Hosea 2:6. Doubtless, when you come home to God you shall find you have been more beholden to your troubles than to your comforts for bringing you thither. The sweetness of the end will infinitely more than recompense the sorrows of the way, nor are they worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in you. Rom. 8: 18.
6. How much are all believers wnder obligation to follow Jesus Christ whithersoever he goes. Thus are the saints described: “These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the first-fruits unto God, and to the
Lamb.” Rev. 14:4. If it be the design of Christ to bring us to God, it is our duty to follow Christ in all the paths of obedience through which he now leads us, as ever we expect to be brought home to God at last. ‘We are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.” Heb. 3:14. If we have followed him through many sufferings, and turn away from him at last, we lose all that we have done and suffered in religion, and shall never reach home to God. The crown of life belongs only to them who are faithful unto death.
1. Let all that desire to come to G’od hereafter, come to Christ by faith now. There is no other way to the Father but by Christ; no other way to Christ but faith. How vain then are the hopes and expectations of all unbelievers. Be assured that death shall bring you to God as an avenging Judge, if Christ do not bring you now to God as a reconciled Father. Without holiness no man shall see God. The door of hope is shut against all Christless persons. ‘No man cometh unto the Father but by me.” John 14:6. O what a sweet voice cometh down from heaven to your soul this day, saying, ‘‘As ever you hope to come to God and enjoy the blessing that is here, come unto Christ, obey his calls, give up yourselves to his government, and you shall certainly be brought to God. As sure as you shall now be brought to Jesus Christ by spiritual 1 union, so sure shall you be brought to God in full fruition.”
Blessed be God for Jesus Christ, the new and living way to the Father.
Thus I have finished the motives drawn from the titles and benefits of Christ, serving to enforce the great gospel exhortation of coming to and effectually applying the Lord Jesus Christ in the way of faith. O that the blessing of the Spirit may follow these calls, and fix these considerations ‘as nails in a sure place
And now, since the great hinderance to faith is the false persuasion of most unregenerate men that they are already in Christ, my next work shall be, in a further improvement for conviction, to undeceive men in this matter; and that by showing them the undoubted certainty of these two things: That there is no coming ordinarily to Christ without the application of the law to owr consciences in a way of effectwal conviction. Nor by that, without the teachings of God in the way of spiritual illumination.