The Signs of the Times, vol. 19

June 5, 1893

“Life Giver” The Signs of the Times, 19, 30.

E. J. Waggoner

The one object for which the Lord Jesus came to this earth was to bring life to lost mankind. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” “For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world.” John 6:33. And again Jesus said, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10. SITI June 5, 1893, page 420.26

“Why,” says one, “I thought that he came to save people from sin.” So he did. The words of the angel were, “Thou shalt call his name JESUS; for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” 1 Timothy 1:15. And yet it is true that the sole purpose for which he came was to save people from death. SITI June 5, 1893, page 420.27

How is this? The apostle tells us: “By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Romans 5:12. Sin brought death into the world. It is not merely that death followed in the train of sin, but that sin is itself death. “The sting of death is sin.” 1 Corinthians 15:56. “To be carnally minded is death.” Romans 8:6. Sin came in with death, because sin always carries death with it. Sin itself is nothing but a “body of death.” SITI June 5, 1893, page 420.28

Therefore it is that Christ gives life by cleansing from sin. He saves from death by giving life, and so he saves from sin by giving righteousness. And both are one and the same act. For as sin is death, so is righteousness life. “To be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Romans 8:6. Christ came to give life, not merely as a consequence of righteousness that men might attain to, but he came to give life in righteousness. “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” Romans 5:10. “Therefore, as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” Verse 18. SITI June 5, 1893, page 420.29

In Christ there is life. John 1:4. He is “our life.” Colossians 3:4. Outside of him there is no life. “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” 1 John 5:12. Nay, more, “he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life.” John 3:36. It seems strange that any who profess to honor the Lord Jesus Christ should, by claiming that men have life in themselves, frustrate the grace of God in giving his Son that they might have life. SITI June 5, 1893, page 420.30

The origin of the doctrine that men have life in themselves, was in the idea that they can of themselves do acts of righteousness. This is shown by the Bible. The Pharisees “trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.” Their very name signified that they were separate from the rest of the people, because they thought themselves more holy. And of all the Jews it was true that they rested in the law. It was to them that Jesus said, “Ye search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and these are they that bear witness of me; and ye will not come to me, that ye may have life.” John 5:39, 40, Revised Version. And why would they not come to Christ for life? Was it because they did not want life?-Not by any mean, because they thought that they had it themselves. They thought that they of themselves kept all the commandments of God, and of course if that were true, they had no need of anything from anyone else. SITI June 5, 1893, page 420.31

Now almost all who profess belief in Christ acknowledge that righteousness can come only from him. This is true. And why?-Simply because the life of Christ is the only life ever lived on this earth that was free from sin. No other righteous life ever appeared on earth, and no other than he ever could live a life of righteousness. Moreover, there is no righteousness in the universe except the righteousness of God in Christ. Among all the hosts of the redeemed there will be only one righteousness. It will be the righteousness of one, and not of many, that will be manifested in heaven. “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. SITI June 5, 1893, page 420.32

What does this show?-Simply this, that the life of Christ will be manifested in everyone who is saved. The life of Jesus manifested in mortal flesh is the mystery of God. Whoever has that life has righteousness; and whoever has righteousness has life. So it is that they who do not have Christ have no life. The sting of death is in them, and if they die in their sins, there is no hope of life for them. Eternal death will be their portion. SITI June 5, 1893, page 420.33

We read that Christ “hath abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” 2 Timothy 1:10. He who seeks for life elsewhere than in the gospel, will not find it. As we have seen, this life is manifested in mortal flesh. That is a mystery which we may know but cannot understand. It is the life of Christ, the same life which he lived in Judea and Galilee, and the same life which he now lives in heaven. It is that life which triumphed over death and the grave. It is that life which he could give up, and still retain. When he lay in the grave, it was impossible that he should be held by death (Acts 2:24), because there was no unrighteousness in him. This life is ours by faith. He who dies having kept the faith, dies in the possession of that life, and it is impossible for the grave to hold him as it was for it to hold Christ. That life is “hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3), and therefore Satan cannot touch it. Therefore when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall the saints appear with him in glory. SITI June 5, 1893, page 420.34

At that time immortality will be conferred. “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written; death is swallowed up in victory.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-54, Revised Version. Then will the life of Christ be manifested in immortal flesh. But that mystery is but the continuation of the present mystery of the gospel,-the life of Christ manifest in mortal flesh, as a life of righteousness. SITI June 5, 1893, page 420.35