How the Resurrection of Christ Brings Assurance of Salvation
by C.H. Mackintosh (1820-1896)
In Romans 4:24 the apostle Paul introduces God to our hearts as the one “who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead”.
In the context he is speaking of Abraham who, he tells us, “against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about 100 years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that what He had promised, He was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him who…” – who did what? Who gave His Son? No. Who bruised His Son upon the cross? No. What then? “Who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead” – the very same One “who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (v25).
Now, weigh this great fact. What was it that brought the precious Saviour to the cross? What brought Him down to the dust of death? Was it not our offences? Truly so. “He was delivered for our offences.” He was nailed to the cursed tree for us. He represented us on the cross. He was our substitute, in all the full value and deep significance of that word. He took our place and was treated, in every respect, as we deserve to be treated. The hand of infinite justice dealt with our sins – all our sins, at the cross. Jesus made Himself responsible for all our offences, our iniquities, our transgressions, our liabilities, all that was or ever could be against us; He – blessed be His peerless and adorable name! – made Himself answerable for all, and died in our stead, under the full weight of our sins. He died, the just for the unjust.
Where is He now? The heart bounds with ineffable joy and holy triumph at the thought of the answer. Where is the blessed one who hung on Calvary’s cross, and lay in the garden tomb? He is at the right hand of God, crowned with glory and honour. Who set Him there? Who put the crown upon His blessed brow? God Himself. The one who gave Him, and the one who bruised Him is the one who raised Him, and it is in Him we are to believe, if we are to be counted righteous. This is the special point before Paul’s mind. Righteousness shall be imputed to us if we believe on God as the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
Mark the vital link. Seize the all-important connection. The selfsame one who hung upon the cross, charged with all our offences, is now on the throne without them. How did He get there? Was it in virtue of His eternal godhead? No: for on that ground He was always there. He was ever “God over all blessed forever”. Was it in virtue of His eternal Sonship? No; for He was ever there on that ground as well. Therefore it could, in no wise meet our need as guilty sinners, charged with innumerable offences, to be told that the eternal Son of the Father has taken His seat at the right hand of the majesty in the heavens, since that place always belonged to Him – yes, the very deepest and tenderest place in the bosom of the Father. Again, was it as the spotless, sinless, perfect man that our adorable Lord took His seat on the throne? No; because He could have, at any moment between the manger and the cross, taken His place there on that basis.
To what conclusion, then, are we absolutely shut up, in this matter? To that most precious, that calming conclusion, that the selfsame one who was delivered for our offences, bruised for our iniquities, judged in our stead, is now in heaven; that the one who represented us on the cross, is now on the throne; that the one who stood charged with all our guilt, is now crowned with glory and honour; that, so perfectly, so absolutely and completely, has He disposed of the entire question of our sins, that infinite justice has raised Him from the dead, and placed a diadem of glory upon His sacred brow.
D0 you understand this? Do you see its bearing upon you? Do you believe in the one who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead? Do you see that, in so doing, He has declared Himself friendly to you? And do you believe that, in raising up Jesus, God set forth His infinite satisfaction in the great work of atonement, and furnished you with a receipt in full for all your debts – a receipt for the “ten thousand talents”.
Here lies the gist, marrow, and substance of this magnificent argument of Romans 4. If the man who was delivered for our offences is now in heaven,—in heaven, too, by the hand and act of God Himself; then, most surely, our offences are all gone, and we stand justified from all things, as free from every charge of guilt, and every breath of condemnation, as the blessed one Himself. It cannot possibly be otherwise, if we believe on Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. It is utterly impossible for a charge to be brought against the believer in the God of resurrection, for the simplest of all reasons that the one whom He raised was the one whom He bruised for the believer’s sins. Why did He raise Him? Because the sins for which He bruised Him were all put away, and put away forever. The Lord Jesus, having undertaken our cause, and made Himself answerable for us in every way, could not be where He now is, if a single jot or tittle of our guilt remained. But, on the other hand, being where He now is, and being there by God’s own act, it is impossible – utterly impossible – for any question to be raised as to the full and complete justification and perfect righteousness of the soul that believes in Him. Thus, the moment that any one believes in God, in the special character of the raiser of Jesus, he is counted perfectly righteous before Him. This is most marvellous, but divinely and eternally true. May the reader feel its power, sweetness, and calming virtue! Indeed, may the eternal Spirit give him the blessed sense of it, deep down in his heart! Then, indeed shall he have perfect peace in his soul; then, too, shall he understand how that, in raising, as well as in bruising and giving His Son, God has declared and proved Himself to be for us.
See also: The Remarkable Conversion of W.W. Fereday
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