Justified V
In our previous essays on this subject we have considered God as the
lawgiver, apprehender of sin, and judge of all the earth. We have also
considered the basis on which man is judged according to his works. In
this essay we will consider Christ as the representative of his people
at the court room of glory.
In Matt. 1:21 the angel declared unto Joseph, when he was considering
what action he should take against his espoused wife, Mary, “Joseph,
thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that
which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring
forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his
people from their sins.” Thus, we see Jesus was to come and save “his
people” from their sins.
Numerous verses of scripture show us that Jesus came as the
representative of his people. The following is a small sample of these
verses:
1. Gal. 3:13 ‑ “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law,
being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that
hangeth on a tree.” As we were under the curse of the law, Christ as
our representative was made a curse “for us” to redeem us from the curse
of the law.
2. II Cor. 5:21 _ “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no
sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” According
to this verse, Christ, who knew no sin, became sin “for us” that we be
made righteous in him.
3. Heb. 1:3 ‑ “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express
image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power,
when he had by himself purged our sins…” Here we see Jesus, as our
representative, purged our sins by himself.
4. Heb. 9:11, 12 ‑ “But Christ being come an high priest of good
things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with
hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of
goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” It was “for us” that
Jesus obtained eternal redemption by the sacrifice of himself.
5. Heb. 9:24 ‑ “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made
with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself,
now to appear in the presence of God for us.” Christ ascended into
heaven to appear in the presence of God “for us.” Thus, at the court
room of glory he appeared “for us.” According to Heb. 9:26, “but now
once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the
sacrifice of himself. Thus, we see, as our representative, Christ thru
the sacrifice of himself appeared before God to put away our sin!
6. Heb. 9:28 ‑ “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many;
and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second
time without
sin unto salvation.” It was for “the many” that Christ was offered to
bear their sins.
7. Heb. 10:10 ‑ “By the which will we are sanctified through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Jesus Christ was
offered for “all he foreknew.” He was their representative and as their
representative, he sanctified all of them through the offering of his
body.
8. Heb. 10:12‑14 ‑ “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice
for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth
expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering
he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” Thus, Jesus by the
one offering of himself perfected for ever them that he represented.
9. Rom. 5:15‑19 ‑ “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift.
For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of
God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man Jesus Christ, hath
abounded to many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift:
for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of
many offences unto justification. For if by one man’s offence death
reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of
the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to
condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came
upon all men unto justification of life. For by one man’s disobedience
many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made
righteous.” The above passage of scripture gives us a comparison of
Adam as the representative of his people (the Adamic race) and Christ as
the representative of his people (the elect of God ‑ those he
foreknew). Just as Adam, by himself, brought condemnation upon the
entire Adamic race, so Christ, by himself, brought justification upon
his whole elect family.
Shouldn’t we all be thankful that Christ represented us at the court
room of glory?
In our next essay we will consider Christ as the perfect representative
of his people.