ends. Nor were they the mere natural consequences of his be- coming a man and subjecting Himself to the common lot of human- ity. They were divine inflictions. It pleased the Lord to bruise Him. He was smitten of God and afflicted. These sufferings were declared to be on account of sin, not his own, but ours. He bore our sins. The chastisement of our peace was on Him. And they were designed as an expiation, or for the satisfaction of jus- tice. Tiiey had, therefore, all the elements of punisinnent, and consequently it was in a strict and proper sense that He was made a curse for us. All this is included in what the Apostle teaches in this passage (Gal. iii. 13), and its immediate context.
Redemption from the Law.
2. Nearly allied to this mode of representation are those pas- sages in which Christ is said to have delivered us from the law. Redemption from bondage to the law includes not only deliverance from its penalty, but also from the obligation to satisfy its demands. This is the fundamental idea of Paul's doctrine of justification. The law demands, and from the nature of God, must demand per- fect obedience. It says. Do this and live ; and, " Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." No man since the fall is able to fulfil these demands, yet He must fulfil them or perish. The only pos- sible method, according to the Scriptures, by which men can be saved, is that they should be delivered from this obligation of per- fect obedience. This, the Apostle teaches, has been effected by Christ. He was " made under the law to redeem them that were under the law." (Gal. iv. 4, 5.) Therefore, in Romans vi. 14, he says to believers, " Ye are not under the law, but under grace." And this redemption from the law in Romans vii. 4, is said to be " by the body of Christ." Hence we are justified not by our own obedience, but " by the obedience " of Christ. (Rom. v. 18, 19.) Redemption in this case is not mere deliverance, but a true re- demption, i. e,, a deliverance effected by satisfying all the just claims which are against us. The Apostle says, in Galatians iv. 5, that we are thus redeemed from the law, in order " that we might receive the adoption of sons " ; that is, be introduced into the state and relation of sons to God. Subjection to the law, in our case, was a state of bondage. Those under the law are, there- fore, called slaves, SouXot. From this state of bondage they are redeemed, and introduced into the liberty of the sons of God. This redemption includes freedom from a slavish spirit, which ia
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supplanted by a spirit of adoption, filling the heart with reverence, love, and confidence in God as our reconciled Father.
Redemption from the Power of Sin.
3. As deliverance from the curse of the law secures restoration to the favour of God, and as the love of God is the life of the soul, and restores us to his imao;e, therefore in redeemincr us from the curse of the law, Christ redeems us also from the power of sin. " Whosoever committeth sin," saith our Lord, " is the ser- vant (the slave) of sin." This is a bondage from which no man can deliver himself. To efiect this deliverance was the great ob- ject of the mission of Christ. He gave Himself that He might purify unto Himself a peculiar people zealous of good works. He died, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us unto God. He loved the Church and gave Himself for it, that He might pre- sent it unto Himself a glorious Church, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. This deliverance from sin is a true redemption. A deliverance effected by a ransom, or satisfaction to justice, was the necessary condition of restoration to the favour of God; and res- toration to his favour was the necessary condition of holiness. Therefore, it is said, Galatians i. 3, Christ " gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us (^iiiXq-at') from this present evil world." Titus ii. 14, " Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity." 1 Peter i. 18, 19, " Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." Deliverance by sacrifice was deliverance by ransom. Therefore, here as elsewhere, the two modes of state- ment are combined. Thus our Lord in Matthew xx. 28, Mark x. 45, says, " The Son of Man came .... to give his life a ransom for many (^avrl, not merely virep, ttoAAojv). " The idea of substitution cannot be more definitely expressed. In these passages our de- liverance is said to be effected by a ransom. In Matthew xxvi. 28, our Lord says that his blood was " shed for many for the remission of sins." Here his death is presented in the light of a sacrifice. The two modes of deliverance are therefore identical. A ransom was a satisfaction to justice, and a sacrifice is a satisfaction to jus- tice.
Redemption from the Power of Satan.
4. The Scriptures teach that Christ redeems us from the power of Satan. Satan is said to be the prince and god of this world.
g 6.] PROOF OF THE DOCTRINE. 510
His kingdom is the kingdom of darkness, in which all men, since Adam, are born, and in which they remain, until translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son. They are his subjects " taken captive by him at his will." (2 Tim. ii. 26.) The first promise was that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head. Christ came to destroy the works of the devil ; to cast him down fi'om his place of usurped power, to deliver those who are subject to his dominion. (2 Cor. iv. 4 ; Col. ii. 15.) The fact of this redemption of his people from the power of Satan, and the mode of its accomplishment, are clearly stated in Hebrews ii. 15. The eternal Son of God, who in the first chapter of that epistle, is proved to be God, the object of the worship of angels, the creator of heaven and earth, eternal and immutable, in verse 14 of the second chapter, is said to have become man, in order " that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, and de- liver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." It is here taught, (1.) That men are in a state of bondacre through fear of the wrath of God on account of sin. (2.) That in this state they are in subjection to Satan who has the power of death over them ; i. e., the ability and opportunity of in- flicting on them the sufferings due to them as sinners. (3.) That from this state of bondage and of subjection to the power of Satan, they are delivered by the death of Christ. His death, by satisfying the justice of God, frees them from the penalty of the law ; and freedom from the curse of the law involves freedom from the power of Satan to inflict its penalty. " The strength of sin is the law." (1 Cor. XV. 56.) What satisfles the law deprives sin of the power to subject us to the wrath of God. And thus redemption from the law, is redemption from the curse, and consequently redemption from the power of Satan. This Scriptural representation took such hold of the imao-ination of manv of the early fathers, that they dwelt upon it, almost to the exclusion of other and more im- portant aspects of the work of Christ. They daUied with it and wrought it out into many fanciful theories. These theories have passed away ; the Scriptural truth which underlay them, remains. Christ is our Redeemer from the power of Satan, as well as from the curse of the law, and from the dominion of sin. And if a Re- deemer, the deliverance which He effected was by means of a ransom. Hence He is often said to have purchased his people. They are his because He bought them. " Know ye not that .... ye are not your own ? " says the Apostle, " For ye are bought with a price." (1 Cor. vi. 20.) God, in Acts xx. 28, is said
520 PART III. Ch. VII. — satisfaction OF CHRIST.
to have purchased the Church " with his own blood." " Ye were redeemed (delivered by purchase) .... with the precious blood of Christ." (1 Pet. i. 18, 19.) " Thou art worthy .... for thou has purchased us (^yopao-as) for God by thy blood." (Rev. V. 9.)
Final Redemption from all Evil.