"The Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ."

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HAVE you ever considered the wondrous grace of the Sort of God in laying aside His glory, and in making Himself of no reputation, taking upon Himself the form of a servant, being found in fashion as a man, and then still further humbling Himself and becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross? Just think of the grace and love of His heart: “He who was so rich for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich.” Have your eyes ever been opened by the Spirit of God to behold in the lowly guise of the One whose cradle was a manger, for whom there was no room in this world, who had no where to lay His head, the lowliest of men, no less a person than God’s beloved Son―God Himself manifested in flesh?
Yes, God Himself has been down and has tabernacled in flesh amongst men. The Son of God, the One by whom the universe was made, took upon Himself the form of a servant, and was found here upon earth in fashion as a man. What wondrous grace to thus stoop so low. He was the heavenly stranger, homeless and unknown in the world His hands had made. But what return did man make to His Creator for all this grace and love so manifested? Man despised this Blessed One, man rejected Him, man would not have Him. The only place man deemed fit for the One who had no sin, who knew no sin, and in whom sin was not found, was the gibbet, and there upon Calvary’s cross they hung Him, after heaping every abuse they could upon His head, and choosing in His place one named Barabbas―yet Barrabas was a robber and a murderer (Mark 15:77And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. (Mark 15:7); Acts 3:1414But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; (Acts 3:14)). This is how man treated the Lord Jesus Christ, thus proving thereby his lost and ruined condition, his hatred and enmity to God Himself.
And yet, how wondrous it is to think that while man had thus proved His moral condition, the counsels of God had been fulfilled by His death. God had sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world (1 John 4:1414And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. (1 John 4:14)). This blessed One had come to do the will of His God. He had come to establish God’s righteousness. He had come to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. He had come as the Lamb of God to bear away the sin of the world. He had come to make propitiation for sin. He, the Just One, had come to die for the unjust that He might bring them to God. He had come to finish the work God had given Him to do, and how perfectly has all been accomplished.
He has by His death perfectly atoned for sin, and opened the way back into God’s holy presence. Propitiation has been fully effected. The work is done. God can now be just in the justification of every sinner that believeth in Jesus (Rom. 3:21-3121But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 27Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 28Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. 29Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: 30Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. 31Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. (Romans 3:21‑31)). The precious blood of Christ has been shed, and is the only title of entrance and acceptance in the presence of a holy, just, and sin-hating God. Holiness has been met. Righteousness has been satisfied, God has been glorified. He who once humbled Himself God has exalted. He whom man abased and crucified God has crowned and glorified (Phil. 2:99Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: (Philippians 2:9); Heb. 2:99But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. (Hebrews 2:9)). God in His love can now righteously offer pardon to the vilest that trust in His name.
Come, then, ye sin-stained ones, ye troubled ones, and avail yourselves now of all the full and abiding efficacy of the precious blood of Christ, once shed upon Calvary’s cross. Come and taste the joys of redeeming love. Come and prove by faith that this most precious blood is sufficient to cleanse you from all your sins and to fit you eternally for the Father’s presence (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)). Come and find everlasting rest for your conscience (Heb. 10). Come and find in the person of God’s blessed Son an object that will find and satisfy the heart, now and forever. He alone can and does satisfy the longing soul. He alone is sufficient for these hearts of ours. He alone is the fairest among ten thousand, yea, the altogether lovely. He alone is the One worth living for. He alone is the One whose love is unchanging, whose compassions are infinite, whose interest in His own blood-bought, blood-washed ones is untiring and never-ending.
Come now, as you are, and whatsoever you are. He will give you more than you ask for or even think of. He will give you power to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil. He will be with you, come what may. No power on earth shall separate you from His love (Rom. 8:38,3938For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38‑39)). He, and He alone, is worthy of your trust, of your confidence, of yourself.
“Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come.”
A. E. R.