sinners by the disobedience of one, by the obedience of one many would
not have been made righteous (ver. 18); so there would have been no
room for that amazing display of the Son of God's love to mankind.
There would have been no occasion for His "being obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross." It would not then have been said, to the
astonishment of all the hosts of heaven, "God so loved the world,"
yea, the ungodly world, which had no thought or desire of returning to
Him, "that he gave his Son" out of His bosom, His only begotten Son,
to the end that "whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but
have everlasting life." Neither could we then have said, "God was in
Christ reconciling the world to himself"; or that He "made him to be
sin," that is, a sin-offering "for us, who know no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God through him." There would have been
no such occasion for such "an advocate with the Father" as "Jesus
Christ the Righteous"; neither for His appearing "at the right hand of
God, to make intercession for us."

What is the necessary consequence of this? It is this: there could
then have been no such thing as faith in God, thus loving the world,
giving His only Son for us men, and for our salvation. There could
have been no such thing as faith in the Son of God, as loving us and
giving Himself for us. There could have been no faith in the Spirit of
God, as renewing the image of God in our hearts, as raising us from
the death of sin unto the life of righteousness. Indeed, the whole
privilege of justification by faith could have no existence; there
could have been no redemption in the blood of Christ: neither could
Christ have been "made of God unto us," "wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, or redemption."

And the same grand blank which was in our faith, must likewise have