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Orthodox Doctrine (Summary of Christian Divinity)

Metropolitan Platon of Moscow, tr. Pinkerton, 1814

Part 2, Section 23: The Death of Christ is the True and Only Sacrifice (for sin.)

The death of Jesus Christ is a true sacrifice, which reconciles God to us, and saves those who believe in this divine Mediator.

1. It has been mentioned above more than once, that the justice of God, which turneth away from the sinner, could not by any means be infringed, and that on our part there was not sufficient strength to satisfy the demands of divine justice; and as it is farther evident, that the sacrifices of the Old Testament, which consisted in the offering up of animals, were not in the least adequate to reconcile God; therefore, all this the Son of God and our Mediator took upon himself and accomplished. His sufferings, shed blood, and shameful death, God received, just as if the sinner himself had suffered; and this punishment of the innocent Saviour was in our stead, according to the unsearchable purposes of God, in place of that eternal punishment which we ourselves deserved. Thus St Paul reasons on this point: “For the love of Christ¹ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead.” “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, (that is, delivered him up unto death as a sinner,) that we might be made the righteousness of God in him,” 2 Cor. v. 14—21. “He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed,” Isaiah liii. 5. The death of Christ, therefore, is the true sacrifice. A sacrifice, because Christ offered up himself upon the altar of the cross, as an innocent lamb, slain by the justice of God, and consumed by the fire of love, with which he burned for the salvation of mankind; and his being thus consumed, was a spectacle no less wonderful in itself, than acceptable to God, the Father.

Christ was also the true sacrifice; for all the other sacrifices were nothing, but a kind of types or images of this; and it alone was capable of satisfying divine justice, meriting for us God’s mercy, cleansing us from our sins, and of restoring us to our original state of blessedness. The word of God bears testimony to this; “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more shall the blood of Christ, who, through the eternal² Spirit, offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works, to serve the living God?” Heb. ix. 11, 12, 13, 14.

This sacrifice put an end to the sacrifices of Aaron or of the Old Testament, and Christ became the only and eternal priest. The only priest, because another sacrifice is impossible: the eternal priest; for, according to the words of the apostle, “He continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood; wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Heb. vii. 24, 25.

This great high-priest is called of God a priest not after the order of Aaron, but after the order of Melchisedec. Heb. v. 10. Now, in this there is a great mystery; in which every one must be astonished to behold revealed three of God’s excellencies, mercy, justice, and infinite wisdom. Mercy so great, that the only begotten Son of God, of the same essence with the Father, was delivered up unto death for us the enemies of God. Can there be a greater display of mercy! Justice so holy and inviolable, that without a complete satisfaction, it could not clear us of guilt. Infinite wisdom, that devised such a wonderful plan, not only to satisfy justice, but to pour upon us the whole fountain of goodness. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! This most exalted mystery is to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness; but to us who are thereby saved, it is the power of God and the wisdom of God: and we, with Paul, will declare, “God forbid that we should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ;” Gal. vi. 14.

All the blessedness we can ever expect from the divine goodness, is procured by the death of Christ; for, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” Rom. viii. 32. And thus, while the death of Christ engages our heavenly Father, to give to the believers in his Son, every thing that his love and mercy can bestow; so also, believers themselves are thereby engaged to shew their gratitude for this, by continually striving, in all that they do, to please God; and, in this mutual engagement the New Covenant consists, which is founded on the blood of Christ: as Matthew writes, xxvi. 28, “This is my blood of the New Covenant.”

2. Verily, “Christ died for all.” 2 Cor. v. 15. And there is no one so great a sinner whom his grace alone is not able to save. But in order that this grace may become effectual in us, faith is requisite, that is, we must heartily receive Jesus Christ as our Saviour, and without doubting, rest assured, that only through him we can be made partakers of the mercy of God. Without the infinite merits of Christ all our attempts are in vain, and man can never be saved. This is clearly taught every where in the word of God, John iii. 15; “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;” and verse 18, “He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already.” When we consider faith as essential to salvation, it is to be understood, that we mean faith unfeigned, sincere, and living, that is, “faith which worketh by love,” Gal. v. 6.

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