SURETY or SECURITY, What is the difference, C. H. Cayce We would say that we understand Christ to be the surety for His people, and have always understood this to be the doctrine of the Primitive Baptists as a denomination. The very idea of Christ making atonement for His people on the cross is evidence that He was their surety. It is generally understood that if A is security for the payment of a debt owed by B, the creditor will look to B for the payment of the debt just as much as he looks to A. He holds B responsible equally with A. But if A is surety for B, then when the debt is due the creditor makes demand of A for the payment or settlement of the debt. He looks to A for settlement. Thus the Saviour became surety for His people. All their sins were charged to His account. Their sins were not charged to them and to Christ jointly, as partners in the affair, so that demand for payment could be made upon both. “The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”— Isaiah 53:6. All their sins, all their iniquities, were laid on Him; they were charged to His account, so that demand was made of Him for payment of the debt which they owed to divine justice. Thus He became their substitute; He was offered in their stead. In that sense He was their substitute. All their sins being charged to Christ and laid on Him, the law holds no demands against them. The demand was all against Christ, and He met every demand, and paid the debt in full. “The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all”— the demand was that he pay it all, and this was upon the principle that He had assumed the debt. If He did assume the debt, it then became His, and was not, therefore, a debt owed by them both. He took upon Himself all their indebtedness, paying what they owed and setting them free therefrom.
In Paul’s letter to Philemon (Philemon 18) he said, concerning Onesimus, “If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account.” If it was put on Paul’s account, it was not put on an account against Onesimus. Paul became his surety. He did not say, “If Onesimus fails to pay, or is not able to pay it all, I will pay what he lacks,” but he said “put it on mine account” — that is, charge it against me; do not charge it against him. Thus Christ became surety for His people. Their sins were all charged to His account.
This blessed truth is a comfort and consolation to us, but time forbids us writing more. Go on, dear brother, proclaiming the truth that Christ is our surety. The Primitive Baptist, July 2, 1907.