I hope you have filled your heart the truth concerning the blood of Christ. There is where you find immediate pardon for every sinner believing in it and resting upon it. Andrew Bonar writes:
“It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Lev. 17: 11).
“There I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy-seat” (Exod. 25: 22).
The Lord shows us a more excellent way. Glorious truth! Spoken of Jesus by those who were stumbled by its very glory. “This man receiveth sinners” (Luke 15. 2). In the Gospel-call, so far as any ground of acceptance is concerned, the Lord has no respect to the sinner’s state at all, as to whether it be better? Or whether it be worse. The only question is, Art thou willing? The invitation is, “Whosoever will.”
The sinner who comes in faith to the mercy-seat is immediately received. The priest who thus confessed and spread out his sin, found God at that spot where the seven-times sprinkled blood lay, waiting to be gracious. There never was seen the flash of angry lightning over the mercy-seat. There never was heard one faint murmur of Sinai-thunder there. There was, on the contrary, the bright and glorious cloud that cast its mild rays, sweeter than ever did setting sun, over the sinner who had on that spot spoken out his soul’s guilt, and left it on the blood.
God looked on the atoning blood, and pointing to it, seemed to say, “I am well pleased therein; and therefore, spare this sinner.” He saw His justice satisfied, because fully met by that setting forth of death for the guilty. Bending over it, it was as if He bent over His beloved Son, in whom He is ever well pleased.
The sinner, too, fixed his eye on the same atonement that lay on that mercy-seat; and after having so confessed his sinfulness, stood gazing on the blood, as if to say, “Lord, there is my death for each sin; there is my satisfaction; there is my propitiation; there is Thy law’s demand; I do not seek aught inconsistent with Thy perfect righteousness!” And this is the position of a believing soul. His eye is on Jesus. His ear hears the testimony, that because of the blood, God has given us eternal life (1 John 5. 11). His soul says, “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to me.” He is told, “Him hath God set forth to be a propitiation” (Rom. 3. 25), and he believes it, and holds it up to God. God owns it as enough, and is at peace with him. (“The Mercy Seat”)
Filed under: Andrew Bonar, Bible, Christianity, Faith, God, Jesus Christ, Reformed Christian Topics, Salvation Tagged: | Christ, Gospel of Luke, Lord, mercyseat
