Ver. 30.-What Christ is to the believer. What is Christ to us 1 This is a great, an all-important question. The answer to it is an answer to all vital questions respecting our present and future. To God;Christ is much; to the angels, much; to many men, rwtl,ing-a mere "root out of a dry ground" (Isa. liii. 2). What to us? To the 1,eliever Christ is- i. WISDOM. This is the supply of a great want, for though in the world there is much .talk of wisdom, there is but little possession. Every philosopher has come with the promise of wisdom, but how few with the fulfilment! 'l'he great questions of life have found no satisfactory answers in even the profoundeHt human systems. But Christ 1s made to us the truest wisdom. From him we learn what to choose, reject, pursue, enjoy, in daily life. He teaches how to live. He is the Revealer of God. We have glim- merings of the Divine Being, but we know him not until _we know him through Christ. ;, Keither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him " (Matt. xi. 27). He makes us wise in a true knowledge of God. 'l'hroug:h him we are made wise unto salvation. lie discloses to us the future, and at ,the same time he instructs us in the fitting preparation for it. The closer our union with .Christ, .the .wiser shall we become; the more of Christ we have, the more of wisdom we have. ·When the union is complete, we shall know even as we are known. This is a wisdom which will not come to nought (eh. ii. 6). ]L RIGHTEOUSNESS. Our natural state is sinful; our righteousnesses as "filthy ,!'ags," that is, complete unrighteousneRs. But when we receive Christ, his righteousness is imputed to us; as our Representative, the second Adam, he was righteous/or us in .his obedience to the Divine Law, and satisfied the claims of Divine justice in his death. So we cry," The Lord our Righteousness." He took our sins and gave us his righteous- ness. This righteousness i6 (1) perfect, (2) accepted by God, and thus (3) of justify• fog efficacy. UL SANCTIFICATION. We need not only righteousness imputed, but righteousness .realized; not only justification, but purification, regeneration; not only a vital alteration in our relation to God, but a vital alteration in ourselves. "Verily, verily, I say untc thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John iii. 3). ~l'hrough Christ we receive the Divine Spirit, who renews us and conforms us to Christ. He transforms us into the likeness of Christ, and when our sanctification is complete, we .shall be "like him." "If any man be in Christ, he i:. a new creature" (2 Cor. v. 17). cu. 1. 1-31.] THE FIHST EPISTLE TO TUE COnINTHIANS.
IV. REDEMPTION. Christ redeems us from the curse of sin, but here reference is to the 6nal rcdomption from corruption, pain, peril, sorrow, death, the fruits of sin, which we 8 hall experience at lust if we are Christ's. 'l'his redemption includes the redemption of the body. How bright is the believer's prospect! Well may he "glory in the Lord.'i Note: 1. Christ is wis<lorn, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, only to those who aro in him. To he in Christ is to believe in him, to love him, to serve him, to follow him. 2. It is through God, of Divine grace alone, that we can be in Ch1ist: '' Of him aro ye in Christ Jesus." God gave Christ; Goel calls us to find salvation anu all blessing in Christ; and faith itself is the gift of God (Eph. ii. 8). As no man cometh unto the Father but by the Son (John xiv. 6), so no man cometh unto the Son but by the Father (John vi. 44). All the praise of our salvation must be rendered to God: "According as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."-H.