五、主因救赎之功而成为公义本身
95# 主借着救赎的作为，使自己成为公义。
如今基督教会之中，众人常言说且深信，唯独主拥有功德与公义，缘由是祂在世之时向父上帝全然顺服，尤以十字架受难之功为重。但世人误将十字架受难本身当作救赎的作为，实则不然，十字架受难乃是祂人性得荣耀的作为，此理将于下一论题专论救赎之时详加阐释。
主借以成就自身公义的救赎作为，乃是祂在灵性世界完成最终审判：彼时祂分别恶人与善人、山羊与绵羊，将与龙兽勾结合一之人逐出天堂；从蒙拣选之人当中建立新天堂，从悖逆之人当中划定地狱，而后逐步使天堂、地狱两处万物各归次序，又在地上建立新教会。凡此种种，便是救赎的作为，主借着这一切使自己成为公义。盖公义的本质，便是依循神性秩序行事，将一切偏离秩序之物重新归正；神性秩序本身即是公义。
主自身的话语已然点明此事：“我们理当这样尽诸般的义。”（太 3:15）
旧约经文亦有多处见证：“日子将到，我要给大卫兴起一个公义的苗裔；祂必掌王权，在地上施行公平和公义。祂的名必称为：雅威我们的义。”（耶 23:5，6；33:15，16）“我凭公义说话，以大能施行拯救。”（赛 63:1）“祂必在大卫的宝座上，以公平和公义使国坚定稳固。”（赛 9:6）“锡安必因公平得蒙救赎，其中归正的人必因公义得蒙救赎。”（赛 1:27）
95# （5）通过救赎的行为，主使自己成为公义。在当今的基督教会，人们断言并相信，唯独主凭祂在世时对父神的顺服，尤其凭十字架受难而拥有功德和公义。但他们以为十字架受难是救赎行为本身。然而，这不是一种救赎行为，而是一种荣耀祂人身的行为；后面关于救赎那一章（TCR 114-137节）将论述这个主题。主使自己成为公义的救赎行为是这些：祂施行了最后的审判，最后的审判发生在灵界；那时，祂将恶人与善人、山羊与绵羊分离，把那些与龙的兽构成一体的人（启示录13章）赶出天堂；祂从配得上的人中形成了一个新天堂，从不配的人中形成了一个地狱，并在天堂和地狱逐渐使一切事物都恢复秩序，最终建立了一个新教会。这些就是救赎行为，主通过这些行为使自己成为公义。因为公义就是照神序做一切事，将凡偏离秩序的都恢复秩序，因为神序本身就是公义。这就是主说这些话的意思：
我理当这样尽神全部的义。（马太福音3:15）
这也是旧约中这些话的意思：
看哪，日子将到，我要给大卫兴起一个公义的枝子，祂必掌权为王，在地上施行公平和公义。这是祂的名，耶和华我们的义。（耶利米书23:5，6; 33:15，16）
以赛亚书：
我凭公义说话，以大能施行拯救。（以赛亚书63:1）
又：
祂必坐在大卫的宝座上，以公平公义坚立它。（以赛亚书9:7）
又：
锡安必因公义而蒙救赎。（以赛亚书1:27）
95. 5. Through acts of redemption the Lord became justice. Christian churches nowadays say and believe that merit and justice belong to the Lord alone because of the obedience he gave in this world to God the Father and especially because of his suffering on the cross. They suppose, however, that the Lord's suffering on the cross was the act of redemption itself. That was not in fact an act of redemption; it was an act of glorification of his human nature (see the discussion of redemption under the next subheading [114-137]). The acts of redemption through which the Lord made himself justice were these: carrying out the Last Judgment, which he did in the spiritual world; separating the evil from the good and the goats from the sheep; driving out of heaven those who had joined the beasts that served the dragon [Revelation 13]; assembling a new heaven of the deserving and a new hell of the undeserving; bringing both heaven and hell back into the divine design; and establishing a new church. These acts were the acts of redemption through which the Lord became justice. Justice is following the divine design in all that one does, and bringing back into the divine design things that have fallen away from that design. Justice is the divine design itself.
These acts are meant by the following words of the Lord: "It is fitting for me to fulfill all the justice of God" (Matthew 3:15); also by these words in the Old Testament:
Behold, the days are coming when I will raise up for David a righteous offshoot who will reign as king and execute justice on earth. And this is his name: Jehovah is our Justice. (Jeremiah 23:5-6; 33:15-16)
I speak with justice; I am great in order to save. (Isaiah 63:1)
He will sit on the throne of David to establish it with judgment and justice. (Isaiah 9:7)
Zion will be redeemed with justice. (Isaiah 1:27)
95. (v) THE LORD BY ACTS OF REDEMPTION MADE HIMSELF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
The Christian churches to-day say and believe that merit and righteousness belong to the Lord alone through the obedience He showed to God the Father, while He was in the world, in particular by His passion on the cross. But they have assumed that suffering the cross was itself the act of redemption; yet that was not it, but the act of glorifying His Human, a subject which will be discussed in the following section on redemption. The acts of redemption by which the Lord made Himself righteousness were His carrying out of the last judgment, which took place in the spiritual world. He then separated the wicked from the good and the goats from the sheep, expelling from heaven those who made common cause with the beasts of the dragon. From the worthy He founded a new heaven, from the unworthy a new hell; and by stages He brought everything everywhere back into order, and in addition He established a new church. These were the acts of redemption by which the Lord made Himself righteousness; for righteousness consists in doing everything in accordance with Divine order, and restoring everything which had slipped out of order. Divine order itself is righteousness. This is the meaning of these words of the Lord:
It is appropriate for me to fulfil all the righteousness of God, Matthew 3:15.
Also these passages in the Old Testament:
Behold, the days will come when I will raise up for David a righteous shoot, who will reign as king and do righteousness upon the earth; and this is his name, Jehovah our righteousness, Jeremiah 23:5-6; 33:15-16.
I speak in righteousness, mighty to save, Isaiah 63:1.
He shall sit upon the throne of David to establish it in judgment and righteousness, Isaiah 9:7.
Zion shall be redeemed in righteousness, Isaiah 1:27.
95. (5) Through the acts of Redemption the Lord made Himself Righteousness. It is said and believed in Christian churches at this day that the Lord alone has merit and righteousness through the obedience which He rendered to God the Father while in the world, and especially through the passion of the cross. But it is asserted that the essential act of redemption was the passion of the cross. This, however, was not an act of redemption, but an act of the glorification of His Human, a subject that will be considered in the succeeding chapter on Redemption. The acts of redemption whereby the Lord made Himself righteousness were as follows: He executed the final judgment, which took place in the spiritual world; at that time He separated the evil from the good and the goats from the sheep; He expelled from heaven those who made one with the beasts of the dragon; He formed out of the worthy a new heaven, and out of the unworthy a hell; in both heaven and hell He gradually restored all things to order; and to crown all, He established a new church. These acts were the acts of redemption whereby the Lord made Himself righteousness. For righteousness is doing all things in accordance with Divine order, and restoring to order whatever has fallen from order; since righteousness is Divine order itself. This is what is meant by these words of the Lord:
It becometh Me to fulfill all the righteousness of God (Matthew 3:15);
and by these words in the Old Testament:
Behold, the days come when I will raise up unto David a righteous Branch and He shall reign as King, and shall execute righteousness in the land. And this is His name, Jehovah our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:5, 6; 33:15, 16)
I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save (Isaiah 63:1).
He shall sit upon the throne of David, to establish it in judgment and righteousness (Isaiah 9:7).
Zion shall be redeemed in righteousness (Isaiah 1:27).
95. (5) THE LORD, BY ACTS OF REDEMPTION, MADE HIMSELF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
It is asserted and believed in the Christian Churches to-day that to the Lord alone belong merit and righteousness in virtue of the obedience which He yielded to God the Father while in the world, and especially by His Passion on the Cross. It is, however, imagined that the Passion on the Cross was itself the work of redemption, when yet it was not the work of redemption that was thereby effected, but the glorification of His Human. This will be treated in the following section on Redemption. The acts of redemption, by which the Lord made Himself Righteousness, were these: He carried out a last judgment, which took place in the spiritual world, separating the evil from the good, and the goats from the sheep; He drove out from heaven those who made common cause with the beasts of the dragon, founded a new heaven from those who were worthy, and a hell from the unworthy, and successively reduced all things everywhere to order; and finally He established the New Church. These were the acts of redemption by which the Lord made Himself Righteousness; for righteousness consists in doing all things according to Divine order, and in restoring to order whatever has departed from it, for Divine order itself is righteousness. Such things are signified by the words of the Lord when He says that:
"it becometh me to fulfil all the righteousness of God" Matthew 3:15;
and by these passages in the Old Testament:
"Behold, the days come... that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign... and shall execute... righteousness in the earth... and this is His name, JEHOVAH our Righteousness" Jeremiah 23:5, 8; 33:15-16;
"I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save" Isaiah 62:1;
He shall sit "upon the throne of David... to establish it with judgment and with justice" Isaiah 9:7;
"Zion shall be redeemed... with righteousness" Isaiah 1:27.
95. V. QUOD DOMINUS PER ACTUS REDEMPTIONIS SE JUSTITIAM FECERIT. Quod Domino Soli meritum et justitia per obedientiam quam Deo Patri in Mundo praestitit; et imprimis per passionem crucis, in Ecclesiis Christianis hodie dicitur et creditur, sed autumatum est, quod Passio crucis fuerit ipse actus redemptionis, cum tamen illa non fuit actus redemptionis, sed actus glorificationis Humani Ipsius, de qua re in sequente Lemmate de REDEMPTIONE; actus Redemptionis, per quos Dominus se fecit justitiam, fuerunt 1 quod Ultimum judicium, quod factum est in Mundo spirituali, peregerit, et tunc malos a bonis et hircos ab ovibus separaverit, et illos qui unum fecerunt cum bestiis draconis e Coelo expulerit, et ex dignis condiderit Novum Coelum, et ex indignis Infernum; et successive omnia in ordinem utrobivis redegerit; ac insuper Novam Ecclesiam instauraverit; hi actus fuerunt actus Redemptionis, per quos Dominus se Justitiam fecit; justitia enim est facere omnia secundum Divinum Ordinem, ac redigere in ordinem, quae ex ordine elapsa sunt, nam ipse Divinus Ordo est Justitia. Illa intelliguntur per haec Domini Verba, Conveniens Mihi 2 est implere OMNEM JUSTITIAM DEI, Matthaeus 3:15 et per haec in Veteri Testamento, Ecce dies venient, cum suscitabo Davidi Germen JUSTUM, qui regnabit Rex, et faciet JUSTITIAM IN TERRA, et hoc nomen Ipsius, JEHOVAH JUSTITIA NOSTRA, Jeremias 23:5-6; 33:15-16. Loquor in JUSTITIA, magnus ad salvandum, Esaias 63:1. Sedebit super throno Davidis, ad stabiliendum illud in JUDICIO ET JUSTITIA, Esaias 9:6. 3 Zion in JUSTITIA 4 redimetur, Esaias 1:27.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: fuit.
2. Sic prima editio, sed nobis in margine exemplaris auctoris, Arcana Coelestia 10239, et Schmidt.
3. Sic Schmidt et Biblia Hebraica, sed 9:7 apud Biblia Anglica.
4. Sic prima editio et 51, sed apud Biblia Hebraica et Apocalypsi Explicata 850[8]: judicio.