THROUGH the atonement of Christ, reconciliation, perfect and complete, has been provided, between God and all the world.

"Having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself, by him, I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven'' (Col. i:2o). Christ died for all; the ransom price was paid for all; peace was made for all; Mercy may be preached to all. Christ, on the cross, settled potentially the sin account of all men. In His death, so far as the ground of forgiveness is concerned, the work is complete, and all men have to do is to appropriate by faith the forgiveness already potentially theirs.

Potentially means that the forgiveness is there for them. It is as if a man deposited five hundred dollars in the bank to my account. Potentially it is mine, but before I actually possess it I must go to the bank and draw it out. There is forgiveness for every one on earth, but no one actually enters into the blessings of it until by faith he appropriates and makes it his.

The atonement is for each one, a certified check, certified by the blood of Jesus Christ on the bank of God's grace, but it must be presented and cashed before it really becomes our own.

"Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people" (Heb. 2:17).

This is God's own plan of salvation and he is perfectly satisfied with it. God's love for lost men was the procuring cause of the atonement.

"All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation, to-wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God" (2 Cor. 5:18-20).

It is often asserted that Christ died to appease the wrath of God and reconcile him to the world, but this is not true. God loved the world before Christ died for it and now he is pleading with lost and rebellious men to be reconciled unto Him. The difficulty is not with God but with rebellious men.

2. By the atonement the believer is redeemed from the curse of the law. ''Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us" (Gal. 3:13).

God will not twice require satisfaction for the same sins. If Christ has borne them and made full satisfaction for them, and God and the believer have both accepted his work, then the believer cannot, in justice, be required to bear them, for that would be requiring double payment for the same debt. A debt paid by the surety and accepted by the creditor as surety releases the debtor from liability as if he himself had made the payment.

The believer stands in the same relation to the law as if he had satisfied all of its claims in his own person. God cannot and will not call upon him for a second satisfaction. He is absolutely free from the curse of the law forever and forever. All of the sins of the believer, past and present, and future are remitted the moment he believes and he can never again come into judgment for them. ^'Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath eternal life and shall not come into judgment but is passed from death unto life" (Jno 5:24).

God does not forgive by piece-meals. He does it all at once and once for all. If the future as well as the past sins of the believer be not remitted at the time he believes then he must come under condemnation every time he sins and remain there until God forgives and save him anew.

3. Through the atonement the believer is transferred from the dominion of law to the realm of grace. ''Ye are not under law but under grace" (Rom. 6:14). The law has no claims on the believer, ''for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth" (Rom. 10:4). He is not under its rule. He is under grace. Christ owns him and it is to him and not to the law that he owes obedience. This does not mean that the believer is at liberty to do as he pleases but as Christ pleases; nor does it mean that he can sin with impunity. It means that when he sins he comes under grace and not under law for correction. A man has a little son and a farm. hand. In his absence they together steal his purse and spend the money. When he returns he turns the farm hand over to the law and his son over his knee. The one is dealt with according to law and lands in the penitentiary, the other according to grace which means that his father lands on him in loving correction.

He is a son before, during and after the chastisement and remain the subject of the father's love and pity.

So God does not wink at the sins of his people but sorely chastises them that they may not be condemned with the unbeliever.