But if
we realize the Bible teaching that Christ is the Son of God, that is, the
Divine Principle of Humanity out of which we originated and subsisting in
us all, however unconsciously to ourselves, then we see that sinners as
well as saints are included in this Principle; and consequently that the
Self-offering of Christ must actually include the self-offering of every
human being in the acknowledgment (however unknown to his _objective_
mentality) of his sin. If we can grasp this somewhat abstract point of view
it follows that in the Person of Christ every human being, past, present,
and to come, was self-offered for the condemnation of his sin--a _self_-
condemnation and a _self_-offering, and hence a cleansing, for the simple
reason that if you can get a man to realize his past error, really see his
mistake, he won't do it again; and it is the perpetuation of sin and error
that has to be got rid of--to do this universally would be to regain
Paradise. Seen therefore in this light there is no question of transference
of moral guilt, and I take it this is St. Paul's meaning when he speaks of
our being partakers in Christ's death.
Then there is the objection, How can past sins be done away with? If we
accept the philosophical conclusion that Time has no substantive existence
then all that remains is states of consciousness.
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