2) “Now, secondly,” Spurgeon says, “we must measure the great redemption BY THE STERNNESS OF DIVINE JUSTICE.”
- These two points by Spurgeon helps me understand how the God is a God of love, as well as a God of justice, and that these two charcteristics are not in conflict with one another as some critics of God would like to believe:
“His love does not diminish His justice, nor does His justice, in the least degree, make warfare upon His love. The two things are sweetly linked together in the atonement of Christ. But, mark, we can never understand the fullness of the atonement till we have first grasped the Scriptural truth of God’s immense justice.”
“Christ [paid] it all, so that the man who believeth is entirely justified from all guilt, and set free from all punishment, through what Jesus hath done. Think ye, then, how great His atonement if He hath done all this.”
THIS statement by Spurgeon, to me, sums up this entire second mesare of the greatness of the redemption. God is TRULY great and loving because he has provided Christ to satisfy his stern justice:
“You are the man for whom Jesus Christ has died; for you He has satisfied stern justice; and now all you have to do to obtain peace of conscience, is just to say to your adversary who pursues you, “Look you there! Christ died for me; my good works would not stop you, my tears would not appease you: look you there! There stands the cross; there hangs the bleeding God! Hark to His death-shriek! See Him die! Art thou not satisfied now?” And when thou hast done that, thou shalt have the peace of God which passeth all understanding, which shall keep thy heart and mind through Jesus Christ thy Lord; and then shalt thou know the greatness of His atonement.”
