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Bro. Turner:
 Would
you mind commenting on the "doing" of Jesus, as it
pertains to our salvation. Tract enclosed. R.H.
Reply:
The
tract, by one of our brethren, reasons that since justification
by law necessitates perfect obedience (a scriptural concept, cf.
Gal. 3:10-12); that Christ must perfectly obey on our behalf.
The later is not proven, nor does it follow. The writer only
hints at "imputation" of Christ's perfect life to us,
but his theological dream came from there, and leads others
there, whether he espouses it or not. (See P.T., Vol. 12, No. 8)
Paul's
argument that "freedom from guilt" via law would
necessitate perfect obedience to law, does not necessitate the
conclusion that God's "perfect law must be vindicated by
being kept perfectly in a human life." God wants all men to
come to repentance. Must Christ "repent" for all men;
and from what would He repent?
Christ's
perfect life was necessary — on His own behalf. When He became
man He accepted the obligations of man; and living under law, He
did indeed keep law perfectly. He thus was qualified as the
perfect offering for sin (2 Cor. 5: 21); but our rightstanding
with God is on the basis of forgiveness (v.19, Rom. 4: 6-8).
The
tract writer thinks the "body" in the Lord's Supper
signifies His perfect obedience prior to the cross. 1 Cor. 11:
24 K.J. reads,
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"This is my body which
is broken for you..." 'The A.S. moves "broken" to
footnotes, saying, "Many ancient authorities read: is
broken for you"; but complete removal of "broken"
doesn't change context. And Peter said Christ "bare our
sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins,
should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes so were
healed" (1 Pet. 2: 24). It is the body offered on the
cross, not in the perfect life, that is given significance in
the scriptures "through the obedience of the One"
(Rom. 5: 15-19) refers to the "one act of
righteousness" (v.18, A.S.), viz., His death on the cross.
(Matt. 26: 42) He cites Matt. 5: 17-18, that Christ came to
fulfill the law — but fails to show how he got "on our
behalf” in this or any other passage.
He
made the "body prepared” of Heb. 10:5-7, refer to the
perfect life before His death, when the context says it is a
body "offered ... for sins." He seems to ignore the
need for Jesus to live a perfect life on His own behalf, as a
man; and thereby to qualify as the perfect sacrifice for us.
He
uses "saved by His life" (Rom. 5:10) as referring to
His life before death, when context (4:25) makes it the
resurrected life. The DEATH-LIFE of Christ — in this order —
is frequently referred to in Hebrews (7:23, 25; 9:12, 23-24, 28;
10:12) where the redemptive process is discussed. In His
resurrected life He is our Advocate when we sin. (1 Jn. 2: 1-2)
The
Calvinistic paper, Present Truth, contributed more than drawings
to the tract, "A Certain Salvation."
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