The distance between God and man was so great that no man could possibly, even measurably, have approached God and made satisfaction for his grave offence. Moreover, the sum of offences was so great that nothing in the world could atone for it. 2. Our Lord Jesus Christ by His Sacrifice for sins became our _Expiation_. "When He cometh into the world, He saith, Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest not, but a Body hast Thou prepared Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast no pleasure: Then said I, Lo, I come to do Thy Will (to make a free-will offering), O God. Above when He said, Sacrifice and offering ... Thou wouldest not ... which was offered by the Law; then said I, Lo, I come to do Thy Will (to make a free-will offering), O God. He taketh away the first (the symbolic Sacrifice) that He may establish the second (the full, perfect, free-will Sacrifice of Christ)." (Heb. x. 5-9.) He became our _Substitute_. "Christ hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God." (1 Pet. iii. 18.) "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us--He took it out of the way, nailing it to His Cross." (Col. i. 14.) He became our _Redemption_. "Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold--but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." (1 Pet. i. 18, 19.) 3. Thus we see that Christ, by His full and voluntary Sacrifice of Himself, by His incomparable sufferings and death, made atonement to God for the transgressions we had committed against Him, thus removing the barrier that stood between the just and righteous God and man. That He suffered in our place; a vicarious victim enduring the wrath of God, and the pains due to us for our transgression of God's law. And that He paid the price whereby we were bought back out of servitude to evil, and set at liberty to serve God in freedom. [Illustration] Good Friday. _THE EFFECTS OF THE PASSION._ (CONTINUED.) 1. The satisfaction offered by our Lord Jesus Christ was perfect. His offering was a _free will_ one. He came down from Heaven to redeem men. "Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again." (John x. 17, 18.) Although His human will recoiled from the prospect of humiliation and death, yet He submitted it to the Divine Will, "Not Mine, but Thine be done." It was _complete_, and fulfilled all the requirements of justice. None but God Himself could offer a complete and perfect atonement for the mass of transgressions committed against God.