"I HAVE FOUND AN ANSWER IN CHRIST TO EVERY QUESTION THAT TROUBLED ME; HE IS THE WISDOM OF GOD." — From a letter by one who sought in vain for satisfaction in Theosophy and Eastern Philosophy.
There are many religions and systems of philosophy in the world, but there is only one Mediator between God and man, THE MAN CHRIST JESUS, and no truly awakened soul and conscience can find rest except in Him. There are two terrible realities in the world which affect every man, woman, and child in it; they are SIN and DEATH. The religions of the world make no proposals as to how to deal with these realities; the philosophies of the world wear themselves out in the endeavour to discover the why and wherefore of their presence here; they cannot grapple with them, or curb their activities, or annul their power. There may be high ethical teaching in some of these religions, but they provide men with no strength by which their precepts can be carried out; nor do they tell a sinner, conscious of his perpetual sinning, how he can be at peace with God, or how he may overcome the evil tendencies of his nature they have no remedy for sin; they cannot cope with death.
But Christ came into the world to deal with these two great powers that held men in this terrible bondage. He came to deal with sin and death. Christ is the power and wisdom of God; He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, and He has annulled death and brought life and incorruptibility to light by the Gospel; and in taking up these questions He has made fully manifest the very heart of God, and none of the speculative religions of the world do this; the religions of the world are darkness; Jesus is the light of the world, for in Him God was manifested in the flesh. It was at the cross that He dealt with sin and death, and revealed the love of God to men; for there the one Mediator between God and man gave Himself a ransom for all.
He was without sin — the Holy One of God. Yet He was made sin for us, that in righteous judgment our sins might be cancelled, and the nature that produced them condemned, that we might be in Him the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21). He was totally exempt from any liability to death as to His own person, and yet He came to die, moved by the love that passes knowledge, and He has broken the power of death, and triumphed over it by resurrection from it.
Our Lord and Saviour stands forth without a rival. His is the Name that is above every name. All honour and praise be His for ever! Every question of the human soul can find an answer in Him, for He is the wisdom of God; every sinful man can be delivered from the power of sin and death, for He is the power of God. How right it is that He should be exalted, since He has met and overcome sin and death, these two great foes of God and man. How right it is that every knee should bow to Him, and every lip confess Him Lord!
Does the question of our sins arise?
"He was delivered for our offence, and was raised again for our justification" (Rom. 4:25).
Do we ask how the question of our sinful nature is to be answered?
"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin" (Rom. 6:6).
Do we fear the power of death?
"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Heb. 2:14-15).
That according as it is written, He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord (1 Cor. 1:31).