Sovereign Grace Church

For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

(2 Corinthians 5:21)

What are we to understand by His being made sin? We have partly anticipated the meaning of the words:—“Made Him to be sin.” [Reader,] if Christ takes the sinner’s place, He must bear the sinner’s sins and punishment which the sinner ought to have borne for his disobedience to, and transgression of the law of God. Christ is made sin by imputation. He was not a sinner by nature, but sin was charged upon Him, as He stood in the stead of His people. My own [thought] is, that the doctrine of imputation arises out of union. To illustrate what I mean, take the following words: “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” (Romans 5:19).
Union with Adam makes us sinners with him. Union with Christ makes us righteous with Him. His own eternal union with His people makes Him responsible for their delinquencies. Their sins are charged upon Him, and He must bear the penalty. Are not our hearts rent asunder? as we hear our Substitute saying:—“For innumerable evils have compassed Me about: Mine iniquities have taken hold upon Me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of Mine head: therefore My heart faileth Me. Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver Me: O LORD make haste to help Me” (Psalm 40:12, 13). Here you have Christ crying out in the bitterness of His soul as the vial of God’s wrath is poured out upon Him. He drank the full cup of wrath for His people. God determined to reckon with Christ on behalf of His chosen. He said to Him pay Me, that Thou owest. They are debtors to the whole law. They are like [a bankrupt] debtor, and have nothing with which they can settle the account with the Creditor. Christ steps in and says, “Have patience with Me, and I will pay thee all” (Matthew 18:26,29). Take an illustration: Saint Paul said to Philemon on behalf of Onesimus:—“If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account” (Philemon 1:18). So Christ speaks to His Father on behalf of His Own: If they have wronged Thee, or oweth Thee ought, put that on Mine account. Transact the business with Me, and not with them. Settle the account with Me, for I will pay Thee all, even to the uttermost farthing. [AMEN!] — Copied [1884]