“We judge thus: that is One died for all, then all died…Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is now a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5: 14, 17)

We are made righteous “through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24). That is, through the purchasing power that is in Christ Jesus, or through “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8). This is the reason why it comes to us as a gift.

Someone may say that everlasting life in the Kingdom of God is too great a thing to be given to us for nothing. So it is, and therefore it had to be purchased. But since we had nothing that could buy it, Christ has purchased it for us and He gives it to us freely in Himself.

But if we had to purchase it from Him, we might as well have bought it in the first place, and saved Him the task. “If righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain” (Gal. 2:21). “You were redeemed with corruptible [margin, “perishable”] things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. (1 Pet. 1:18,19). The redemption that is in Christ Jesus is His own life.

Christ is the one whom God has set forth to declare his righteousness. Now since the only righteousness that is real righteousness is the righteousness of God, and Christ is the only one who has been ordained of God to declare it upon men, it is evident that it cannot be obtained except through Him. “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

The scene on Calvary was the manifestation of what has taken place as long as sin has existed, and will take place until everyone is saved who is willing to be saved: Christ bearing the sins of the world. He bears them now. One act of death and resurrection was sufficient for all time, for it is eternal life that we are considering. Therefore it is not necessary for the sacrifice to be repeated. That life is for everyone everywhere, so that whoever accepts it by faith has all the benefit of the entire sacrifice of Christ.

Waggoner on Romans, p.72; Waggoner, The Glad Tidings, p. 47