Christ's doctrine of the atonement - Smeaton - XV - Chapter 4 continued

Required reading
Christ's doctrine of the atonement by George Smeaton (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue Chapter 4 by reading Section XXVII.

My summary
This week Smeaton examines Christ's testimony at the last supper, that his death is the sacrifice of the new covenant for remission of sin.

Firstly Smeaton teaches us about the saying at the last supper concerning Christ's body.  He says 'When Christ speaks, then, in the present passage, of His body given or broken for His disciples, the allusion is obviously to the fact that the Father gave Him for us, and that He spontaneously surrendered or gave Himself, as an atonement or paschal sacrifice, for the salvation of His people. And once offered, He becomes there- after to His people, onward to the end of time, their spiritual food, as they partake of His crucified flesh by faith. '

Secondly Smeaton explains the second saying at the last supper concerning Christ's blood.  He says: 'Christ here describes His blood, then, from a threefold point of view : (1) as shed or poured out for His disciples ; (2) as the procuring cause of remission of sins; (3) as the fundamental condition of the covenant.'  Smeaton then unpacks each of these three points.

Then to finish Smeaton refutes perversions in reference to the truths he has outlined.

What grabbed me
Towards the end of the section Smeaton answered a difficult question: 'But a further inquiry confronts us : How do sufferings and trials that seem to come to us under the guise of punishment, remain after the full and complete remission of sins ? why are the consequences of sin suffered to remain, if sin is thus completely cancelled ? This fact does not invalidate the full remission of sins, which takes place at the moment one believes. The man is perfectly forgiven, and the person fully accepted, and all that is strictly penal in the consequences of sin is brought to an end and terminated for ever. These effects of sin are transformed into a course of discipline. The sickness, suffer- ing, and death which come to us in the ordinary course of things, and which could not be altered without a miracle, still remain to the Christian, but they are wholly changed in their character. They are no longer penal, no longer part of the curse, which was quite exhausted on Christ, but means of spiritual improvement, or a part of the Christian's education in patience and hope. Though physical suffering is allowed to remain in the history of the redeemed, it is no longer an infliction of wrath or a channel of vengeance, but a fatherly chastisement or a salutary discipline, and through divine grace richly made available for our growth in holiness. For we must always distinguish between correction and punishment in the proper import of the term ; and constant prosperity is so rarely advantageous, that an alternation with the opposite is found profitable to the Christian. '

The reason for the believer's suffering is vastly different from the reason for the unbeliever's suffering.

Next week's reading
Continue Chapter 4 by reading Section XXVIII.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.