2 Cor. V. 21. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin ; that we might he made the righteousness of God in him.
A MORE important question cannot be asked than this, " How shall man be just with God ?" In the words before us, that question is resolved. The Apostle has before declared in more general terms, that " God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them :" but in our text he enters more particularly into the subject, and informs us, that, in order to effect a reconciliation between our offended God and us, God caused a double transfer to be made ; first, of our sins to Christ, that they might be punished in him ;
and next, of Christ's rigliteousness to us, that it might be rewarded in us, and that we might be accepted through it. This doctrine of the mutual transfer of our sins to Christ, and Christ's righteousness to us, being not generally understood, we will,
I. Explain it —
Two things are to be explained :
1. The imputation of our sins to Christ —
[It is an undoubted fact, that the Lord Jesus Christ died under the curse of God's broken law. But was he himself a sinner ? No : in him was no sin : both in his Divine and human nature he was perfectly holy: and he was able to appeal to his bitterest enemies, " Which of you convinceth me of sin ? " Indeed, if he had had sin himself, he could not have atoned for our sins. The lamb that was slain at the passover was to be without spot or blemish : and such was Christ, after the fullest possible examination, proclaimed to be by the very judge who condemned him. It was for our sins that he died : they were laid upon him by his own con- sent, that they might be punished in him, and that through his vicarious sacrifice we might be absolved. This will be best understood by the sacrifices which were offered under the law. The person who had sinned was exposed to the wrath of his offended God. But by God's appointment he brought an offering, a bullock or a kid, and, after putting his hands upon the head of his offering in token of his transferring his guilt to it, the victim was slain in his stead, and he was absolved from his guilt. The particular command, that the offender should put his hand on the head of his offering, places beyond all reasonable doubt the point we are insisting on^ • — ]
2. The imputation of Christ's righteousness to us —
[Man, though forgiven, was still incapable of fulfilling perfectly in future the law of God, and consequently was incapable of working out a righteousness wherein he could stand before God. A righteousness therefore was provided for him fully adequate to all the demands of God's holy law, even the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by his own obedience unto death, not only " made an end of sin, and reconciliation for iniquity, but brought in also an everlasting righteousness ^" which is "unto all, and upon all them that believe in him'=." It is on this account that he is called, " The Lord our righteousness." Thus, " He is made right-
a Lev. iv. 4, 15, 24, 29. See also particularly Lev. xvi. 21, 22. ^ Dan. ix. 24. " Rom. in. 21, 22.