William S. Plumer

The great central truth of the religion of sinners relates to the person, character, work, sufferings, offices, and glory of Jesus Christ. These are vital in Christianity. As one is sound or corrupt here, so is he substantially right or wrong in the main. Both now and in the Last Day,¹ the great question in determining character and destiny is the same: “What think ye of Christ?” (Mat 22:42).

On this subject, the controversy is old…All the friends of God have at heart been on one side and all His enemies substantially on the other—if not openly, yet secretly; if not by profession, yet in practice. For eighteen hundred years, a large portion of all the heresies that have arisen have related to the Person or work of Christ. Infidelity² is most bitter against Christ, while piety³ feeds upon the truth of which He is the sum. Many scoff and more refuse, while some admire and adore. Some obey; others cry, “We will not have this man to reign over us” (Luk 19:14). In no age has malice against Christ been more envenomed⁴ than in the present.

Jesus Christ is a wonderful, a glorious person! To look away from self and one’s own works to Christ is to lay hold on eternal life. Safety consists in fleeing to Him and abiding in Him. When He is in the ascendant, the night flees away and the morning comes without clouds. His names and titles are as important as they are significant. Every one of them is as ointment poured forth. His lips drop as the honeycomb. Honey and milk are under His tongue, and the smell of His garments is like the smell of Lebanon…To [His people] He is altogether lovely (Song 4:11; 5:16).

He is their Advocate, the angel of the covenant, the author and finisher of faith. He is as the apple tree among the trees of the wood; the Alpha and the Omega; the beloved, the Shepherd and Bishop of souls, the bread of life, the righteous Branch, the bridegroom, the brightness of the Father’s glory, and the express image of His person. He is a bundle of myrrh.

To His saints, He is and is owned to be Creator, captain, Counsel-lor, covenant, cornerstone, a covert⁵ from the tempest, and the chiefest among ten thousand. He is to them as the Dew, the door into the fold, a daysman,⁶ a day star,⁷ a deliverer, a diadem, and the desire of all nations, ranks, and generations of pious men.

In their eyes, He is the Elect, Emmanuel, the everlasting Father and eternal life. He is a Fountain of living waters to thirsty souls, of joy to troubled souls, of life to dying souls. He is the foundation on which His people of all ages safely build their hopes of heaven. He is the Father of eternity, the fir tree under whose shadow the saints rejoice, the First and the Last, the first fruits of the greatest harvest ever gathered, the first-born among many brethren and the first-begotten from the dead. To His chosen, He is as the finest gold, a guide, a governor, a glorious Lord, God, the true God, God over all blessed forever. He is the Head of the Church, the health, the hope, the husband, the heritage, the habitation of His people. He is the horn of their salvation. He rides upon the heavens by His name JAH! He is the Jehovah, the inheritance, Judge, and King of His saints. He is their light, their life, their Lord, their leader, their Lawgiver, their atoning lamb, the Lily of the Valley, the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

He is the Man Christ Jesus, the Master, the Mediator, the messenger of the covenant, the minister of the true sanctuary, “which the Lord pitched, and not man” (Heb 8:2). He is the mighty God of Isaiah…the bright and morning star of John, and the Messiah of all the prophets. He is the “only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (Joh 1:14). He is at once the root and the offspring of David. He is the Peace, the prince, the priest, the prophet, the potentate, the purifier, the propitiation⁸ for our sins, the physician of souls, the plant of renown, the power of God unto salvation, the Passover of all saints. He is a polished shaft in the quiver of God.

He is the Rock, the refuge, the ruler, the ransom, the refiner, the Redeemer, the righteousness, and the resurrection of all that walk in white. He is the rose of Sharon. He is the seed of the woman, the seed of Abraham, the seed of David, the stem of Jesse, the Son of God, the Son of Man, the shield, the strength, the surety, the Shiloh, the sacrifice, the sanctuary, the salvation, the sanctification, and the Sun of righteousness to all believers.

He is that holy thing that was born of Mary (Luk 1:35). He is the truth, the treasure, the teacher, the temple, the tree of life, the great testator⁹ of His Church. He is the Way, the well of salvation, the Word of God, the wisdom of God, the faithful witness. He is [called] Wonderful (Isa 9:6).

His person is one; His natures are two. He is both human and divine, finite and infinite, created and uncreated. He was before Abraham, though not born for ages after that patriarch slept with his fathers. He was dead; and behold, He is alive for evermore (Rev 1:18).

On earth, He had not where to lay His head; yet He disposes of all diadems. By Him, kings rule and princes decree justice. He has the arm of God and the heart of a brother. To Him all tongues shall confess and all knees bow, “yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered” (Heb 5:8). None loves like Him, none pities like Him, none saves like Him!

It is not surprising that such a person lives and reigns in the hearts of His people. No marvel that the virgins love Him, the saints praise Him, the martyrs die for Him, and the confessors are not ashamed of Him. The believing lay fast hold of Him and will not let Him go. His frown shakes the frame of universal nature, His smile gives life, His presence converts dungeons into palaces, His blood cleanses from all sin, His righteousness is the white robe of the redeemed.

If men would be safe, wise, holy, happy, useful, strong, or victorious, let them look to JESUS, let them look to none else, let them walk in Him, abide in Him, glory in Him, and count as loss all things besides. You may look at the Law until the spirit of bondage overwhelms you with terrors and torments. You may go about to establish your own righteousness until you can boast, sin, and perish like a Pharisee. You may weep until the fountain of your tears has gone dry. You may have all gifts, understand all mysteries, bestow all your goods to feed the poor, and yield your body to be burned (1Co 13:2-3); but all these things will not atone for sin, will do nothing toward regaining the lost favor of God, will not make you meet for the inheritance of the saints in light. “None but Christ, none but Christ, none but Christ!” has been the cry of the faithful witnesses of all ages when truth has triumphed, when oracles were struck dumb, when sinners were converted, when saints shouted for joy, when the Word of God mightily grew and prevailed!

True piety begins, continues, and is perfected by our union with Christ.¹⁰ We are cleansed through His blood, we are clothed in His righteousness, we are purified by His Spirit. We meet the demands of the Law of this day of grace when we walk as He walked and have the same mind that was in Him. In proportion as men are truly pious, they make Him the foundation and the top stone, the sum and substance, and center of all their hopes and rejoicings before God. He is accepted and believed on in the world, not merely because there is no other Savior, but because His way of saving sinners precisely suits their case and because it brings glory to God in the highest. The true believer not only trusts in Christ but also makes his boast in Him. He not only makes mention of Him, He admits none into comparison with Him. To all the ends, parts, and purposes of salvation, Christ stands alone. There is none like Him, there is none with Him, there is none before Him, there is none after Him, there is none beside Him. He had no predecessor; He has and shall have no successor. He has no vicegerent;¹¹ He has no assistant; He wears an undivided crown and wields a perfect sovereignty over an undivided kingdom. If God’s people exalt Him above all others, so does His holy and eternal Father. If they crown Him Lord of all, God also hath highly exalted Him and given Him a name that is above every name. If they surpassingly admire and extol¹² Him, there is cause for this preference. It is a holy, reasonable thing to fall before Him and cry, “My Lord and my God” (Joh 20:28). If He is the delight of the sons of men, He is also the delight of His Father. Listen to the voice from the excellent glory: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mat 3:17).

We sadly err when we begin in the Spirit and end in the flesh; when we regard Christ as the Author, but not as the Finisher, of our faith. A legal spirit is the bane¹³ of piety. It is as great a foe to holy comfort as it is to gospel grace. Through the Law, believers are dead to the Law that they may live unto God (Gal 2:19). This is the evangelical plan. Here is the secret of growing conformity to God. Here is power, here is life, here is wisdom. We are complete in Him.

In the wars of opinion, the greatest contests ever known have been on the question whether Christ is the sole and sufficient cause of salvation to men. Strange that any who have God’s Word should be at a loss on this subject. The language of Scripture could not be clearer: “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Rom 10:4). This is the sum of inspired teachings on the subject. This doctrine is quite beyond the suggestion of human wit, but wholly accordant with right reason. The gospel is not the progeny¹⁴ of human wisdom, but it is the proper remedy for human woes. The heart of man is strongly wedded to a plan that will not abase pride nor silence boasting. Although in regeneration folly is so far cured that the soul reclines upon Jesus, yet even the converted sometimes fall into sad declensions¹⁵ and lose their clear and lively apprehensions of the one way of salvation provided by God. Then follow darkness, dejection, and strange perplexities.¹⁶ They are then “bewitched” (Gal 3:1) and obey not the truth.

Christ is our life: severed from Him, we are withered branches. It is only when Christ is clearly seen and cordially embraced that our peace is like a river and our righteousness like the waves of the sea. The entire Christian race is run by pressing towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. All the acts of faith are the fruit of the Spirit; the object of them all is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ; the warrant of them all is the promise of God, the [call] of the gospel: and while they utterly renounce self, they bring Christ into the soul, the hope of glory.

Oh, that men would learn that Mount Sinai is far from Jerusalem, and that Calvary is hard by¹⁷ it. The nearer we are to the Law as a covenant of life, the farther we are from Christ, from deliverance. The hosts of saints who have finished their course and gone home to God all found in themselves sin, guilt, folly, misery, and helplessness, while in Him were hid all the treasures of wisdom, grace, and glory…

This subject suggests a few remarks to two classes of persons:

1. To Christians: In [believing on] Christ, you acted wisely. Exquisite suffering for Him is better than exquisite enjoyment with the world. It is better to be a prisoner for Him than a prince without Him. To die in Christ is to fall asleep in Jesus and be forever with the Lord. Hold fast your profession of His name. Stick to Him, stand up for Him, live unto Him, look to Him, be ready to die for Him, let your desires center in Him, let your motives to holy living be drawn from Him, let your sorrows be sanctified by Him, let your joys be heightened, chastened, sweetened by Him! Keep to Him alone. We are as much bound to believe that there is but one Mediator¹⁸ as that there is but one God (1Ti 2:5). None else can do us any good. Devotion to Christ cannot be excessive. Many love, serve, trust, and praise Him too little; but whoever loved, served, trusted, or praised Him too much? “There is no love of duty where there is no love to Christ.”¹⁹

2. To such as have not fled to Christ and are yet in their sins: and are yet in their sins: and are yet in their sins: Will you not embrace the Savior? If Christ shall not be taken as your Surety, you must pay your own debt. Despise not His cross. It is the life of men. By wicked men, it was designed to be and is still esteemed the seal of infamy, the badge of ignominy.²⁰ Christ crucified was to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness. But see to it that ye follow not their wicked ways. Come to Christ! He died for [sinners]; He offered Himself without spot to God, a ransom for many, a sweetsmelling savor. Cast yourselves upon Him. Believe in Him, and the Law has no more penal demands against you. Believe in Him, and God will accept you in the Beloved. Believe in Him, and your right to the tree of life is at once complete. Believe in Him, and the sting of death is extracted. Believe in Him, and you shall have part in the first resurrection. Believe in Him, and you shall have boldness in the Day of Judgment. But reject Him a little longer, and your heart will be harder than it is now. Reject Him a little longer, and the call to light and life will reach you no more. Reject Him a little longer, and the day of grace will be gone forever. Reject Him a little longer, and you will awake to shame and everlasting contempt. “There is a fearful chasm in the heart that has no love to Christ.”²¹

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From The Rock of Our Salvation, Sprinkle Publications

Notes:

1 See FGB 210, Day of Judgment, available from CHAPEL LIBRARY.
2 infidelity – disbelief in the truths of Christianity.
3 piety – reverence and obedience to God; godliness.
4 envenomed – bitter; hostile.
5 covert – shelter; hiding-place.
6 daysman – mediator; go-between; cf. Job 9:33.
7 day star – morning star; cf. Numbers 24:17.
8 propitiation – a sin offering that turns away wrath; an appeasement.
9 testator – one who makes a will or covenant.
10 See FGB 214, Union with Christ, available from CHAPEL LIBRARY.
11 vicegerent – one who acts in place of a ruler.
12 extol – praise.
13 bane – something that causes ruin or death.
14 progeny – offspring; product.
15 declensions – occasions of falling away from the standard; fallen conditions.
16 dejection…perplexities – depressed in spirit and puzzled conditions.
17 hard by – close by.
18 See FGB 183, Christ the Mediator, available from CHAPEL LIBRARY.
19 Gardiner Spring, The Contrast between Good and Bad Men, Vol. 2, 87.
20 ignominy – dishonor; shame.

Courtesy of Chapel Library