The Spirit of Love by William Law

Author:William Law
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Religion, General, Christian Life, Christian Theology, Devotional
ISBN: 9781232246688
Publisher: RareBooksClub.com
Published: 2012-05-13T22:00:00+00:00

[Love-2.2-34] This is the one scripture account of the whole nature, the sole end, and full efficacy of all that Christ did and suffered for us. It is all comprehended in these two texts of scripture: (1) "That Christ was manifested to destroy the works of the devil; (2) That as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive." From the beginning to the end of Christ's atoning work, no other power is ascribed to it, nothing else is intended by it as an appeaser of wrath but the destroying of all that in man which comes from the devil, no other merits, or value, or infinite worth than that of its infinite ability and sufficiency to quicken again in all human nature that heavenly life that died in Adam.

[Love-2.2-35] Eusebius. Though all that is here said seems to have both the letter and the spirit of scripture on its side, yet I am afraid it will be thought not enough to assert the infinite value and merits of our savior's sufferings. For it is the common opinion of doctors that the righteousness or justice of God must have satisfaction done to it. And that nothing could avail with God as a satisfaction but the infinite worth and value of the sufferings of Christ.

[Love-2.2-36] Theophilus. It is true, Eusebius, that this is often, and almost always thus asserted in human writers, but it is neither the language nor the doctrine of scripture.

[Love-2.2-37] Not a word is there said of a righteousness or justice as an attribute of God that must be satisfied or that the sacrifice of Christ is that which satisfies the righteousness that is in God himself.

[Love-2.2-38] It has been sufficiently proved to you that God wanted not to be reconciled to fallen man; that he never was anything else toward him but love; and that his love brought forth the whole scheme of his redemption. Thence it is that the scriptures do not say that Christ came into the world to procure us the divine favor and good will for to {in order to--Spencer; note in Stanwood that "for to" means "in order to"} put a stop to antecedent righteous wrath in God toward us. No, the reverse of all this is the truth, viz., that Christ and his whole mediatorial office came purely and solely from God, already so reconciled to us as to bestow an infinity of love upon us. "The God of all grace," saith the apostle, "who hath called us to his eternal glory by Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 5:10). Here you see Christ is not the cause or motive of God's mercy toward fallen man, but God's own love for us, his own desire of our eternal glory and happiness hath for that end given us Christ that we may be made partakers of it. The same as when it is again said, "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself," that is, calling and raising it out of its ungodly and miserable state.

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