II. The grounds of it —
All possible obedience is due from us to God by creation; but God has acquired a new right over us by redemption.
Christ has died, risen, and revived —
[He died to make atonement for our guilt : lie rose for our justification before God : he revived, and lives to carry on the work.]
He has done this with an express view to reduce us to allegiance —
[He undertook to save men from their sins, and not in them. Paul repeatedly declares this to have been the end of our Lord's death0; Peter speaks to the same effect11, and our Lord himself also confirms this truth e. The same was also the end of his resurrection and ascension* ; and in all that he is now doing, he keeps the same object in view.]
What he has done is therefore the proper ground of our obedience —
[We are still as much as ever bound by the laws of our creation ; but we should be particularly affected with redeem- ing love : this should stir us up to the most unreserved obe- dience. The Apostle requires such obedience, on this very ground8. We shall surely render it, if we have any interest in redemption11.]
Infer —
1. How few real Christians are there in the world! —
[If living to ourselves were Christianity, there would be Christians without number : but nothing less than an entire devotedness to God can entitle us to the name. How few then are there to be found ! The text might be reversed in almost every assembly of professing Christians1. Let us judge our- selves by this criterion : let us rest in no partial or hypocritical services : let us cry to God for his Spirit to renew us in our inward man.]
2. How reasonable is the Christian life ! —
[Christian obedience is often ridiculed as preciseness, and needless scrupulosity : it is deemed a mark of a weak and enthusiastic mind. But it is justly called a reasonable ser- viced Who can ever estimate the obligation arising from the death of Christ ? Who can sufficiently praise him for what
c 2 Cor. v. 15. Tit. ii. 14. d 1 Pet. ii. 24.
e John xvii. 19. f Phil. ii. 9—11. s 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20.
h 2 Cor. v. 14. j Phil. ii. 21. k Rom. xii. 1.