JUNE 6TH, 1888

^[p. 3] JUNE 6TH, 1888

Mr. W. Bradstock.

My Dear Brother, — Pardon the delay in replying to your letter. First as to 2 Corinthians 5:21. The subject here is reconciliation not justification. In Romans 3 and 4 where the question is of offences, justification through faith in Christ’s blood is brought in, and the believer is justified now — is accounted righteous, the righteousness of God is upon him. But in 2 Corinthians 5:21 the point is not guilt, but state — this is met by reconciliation on the basis of Christ having been made sin for us, that we might become God’s righteousness in Christ. Surely to become God’s righteousness is more than to be held for righteous as in Romans 4. If it means anything it means that sin is to be completely displaced in us by divine righteousness and that cannot be until the Lord comes. Looking at the believer abstractly as in Christ, it may be true now, but the verse involves more than this — the full result of Christ having been made sin for us.

Now as to eternal life that it is a sphere or condition of blessing is evident to all from such passages as John 4:14; John 6:27; John 17:3. It is in the Son. J.N.D. said over and over again that life was never said to be in us. It is given to everyone, the youngest believer in Christ, but it is in the Son, and the believer has the Spirit of life in him — he is born too of God, has every element. Still the having eternal life is the result of the reception of the testimony as to the Son on which it is founded — He that hath the Son hath life. John is seeking to lead those who believed in the name of the Son to the knowledge that they had eternal life — he shows that the believer (babes and all) is in the light, is born of God and has the Spirit — his object being that they, continuing in the testimony they had heard (the Father and the Son) might have the present experience of the blessing of eternal life.

Your affectionate brother,
F. E. Raven.