God’s Provision for All

Transcript

GR 2221
10/27/2019
God’s Provision for All
Romans 5:18-21; 2 Corinthians 5:14-21
Gil Rugh

We’ve been looking into Romans and we are in the fifth chapter. We’re in the last part of the fifth chapter and we’re talking about one of the major theological passages in really the whole bible, which pulls together in a real way much of what we’ve talked about in the book of Romans. Remember the book of Romans moves along in an orderly fashion. We started out with the doctrine of sin, condemnation, and that went from chapter 1, verse 18 through chapter 3, verse 20. Then with chapter 3, verse 21, we picked up with the doctrine of justification, how God can justly declare us righteous who are sinners. And really, when we come to verses 12 to 21 in chapter 5, you get something of a pulling together of those two major sections, because we’re dealing with two men.

Adam and Christ, the first Adam and the second Adam, in that both are viewed as heads of the race. Adam explains and is the answer to how sin came into the picture, and that’s what the first section of Romans was about, sin, our condemnation. Well, how did we get into this situation? One man, Adam. Then we come into the doctrine of righteousness and how did that come to be provided for sinful human beings? One man, Christ? In a way, verses 12 to 21 are pulling together these first two major sections of the book of Romans and explain the foundation for the two major doctrines we talk about, sin and righteousness, or condemnation and justification accomplished through the actions of two men. One brought sin, one provided righteousness, and that’s been the emphases as we’ve looked in the first part of these verses 12 to 17.

There’s some key words. One is the word, “one.” One, it’s used a dozen times as we’ve noted in verses 12 and following, and then two words really conveying the same meaning. The word “all” and the word “many” and he goes back and forth using all and many, interchangeably, and those two words together are used, I believe, 9 times if I counted correctly, so that’s the emphasis. The one and the many, one and all, the impact of one man Adam on all, the impact of Christ upon all, so that’s the simple comparison going through. Verse 12 began, “Therefore, just as through one man (that’s Adam) sin entered into the world…” So, that explains. We talked about sin and condemnation in that opening section, but he didn’t take it back to Adam there. He just talked about the reality of our present condition, but now we’re just going back to pull that all together.

“…just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men…” You see the one and the all, the impact of the action of one on all, and “…so death spread to all men, because all sinned…” He acted as our representative. He acted on our behalf, important to keep the picture clear here. We’re told down at the end of verse 14 that Adam is a type of Christ, “…of Him who was to come.” Christ, by His one action, impacted the whole race. Christ by His one action, so Adam is a type and a type is prefiguring something in key areas, but it’s not exact representation. Otherwise the two would blend together, but in the key ways the action of one impacting all, is the major point of comparison. The same comparison Paul also uses in his letter to the Corinthians where he refers to Adam and Christ as the second Adam, because they are both heads of the race.

What they do acting on behalf of the human race impacts the whole race. So down in verse 14, Adam brought sin, but he was a type of the One who was to come. But the one act of the One who was to come is different than the one act of Adam because the one act of Adam brought sin. The one act of Christ will bring righteousness and the one act of Adam was one act of sin that spread and corrupted the whole race. Christ’s one act of righteousness had to now take in all the sins of all humanity from Adam on, and by one act provide righteousness that could encompass the whole race and the sins of all. He’s emphasizing the act of Christ is of much greater importance and significance. Adam by one act could corrupt everyone, but Christ by His one act had to envelop everything that everyone had done, and provide righteousness that could counteract if you will, the action of the first Adam; so, “…the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one (that’s Adam) the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.” And as we noted, I take it in this, the “one” and “the many” are talking about the same thing.

One refers to one man, one man Adam, one Man Christ. And the many, whether you’re talking about the impact of Adam’s sin or the impact provided in Christ’s action, one act. It’s the many, it would be all as we talked about this in the doctrine of the atonement, the difference between limited atonement and unlimited atonement. Let me remind you, limited atonement is the expression we use for those who teach that Christ only died on the cross for those that God had chosen, the elect. That’s what the doctrine of limited atonement is teaching that Christ only died for the elect, those that God had chosen. In these kinds of passages, those who hold that doctrine, try to limit; the word many is not talking about the same many that you’re talking about when you talk about Adam’s sin, because Christ only died for the elect. That means there was no salvation provided for anyone else. In that sense it’s not correct to tell an unbeliever Christ died for you, because if he’s not one of the elect, He didn’t die for him. That’s the doctrine of limited atonement.

The doctrine of unlimited atonement, which I hold and we as a church hold is that Christ died for all. For the world, but that does not mean everyone in the world is saved. That death is only applied to those who believe, that’s what we had beginning in Romans chapter 3, verse 21 down to this point. The righteousness provided by God in Christ in His one act on the cross was a death on behalf of all. Well why are not all saved? Because God has ordained that that death will only be applied to a person who believes. Christ died for everyone, but that death doesn’t save everyone. That death is simply a provision for everyone. Now there’s no doubt that God intended to save the elect, but the provision He made is for everyone. It is correct to tell any unbeliever you talk to that Christ died for your sins. He paid the penalty. Well, then why do I have to pay it? Because it will not be applied to you unless you believe in what He has done.

I don’t think it’s complicated. Reformed theology, which includes that limited atonement makes it difficult. It’s clear the provision is made for everyone. It is only applied to those who believe, so the points of comparison, the one act of Adam, the one act of Christ. They both impact the whole race, one by bringing sin on the race, one by providing righteousness for the whole race, but that righteousness provided will only be applied to those who believe. But it is available to all because Christ’s death was for all. It was for the world. When he uses these words, many and one, that’s why I say in verse 15, the one man Adam and the one Man Christ it’s the same meaning, one, and I see no reason to change the word many. The many died, and God’s grace will abound to the many in Christ. You have to come to be in Him by believing, but He still acted as a head of the race as Adam did, otherwise His death is of miniscule impact, if I can say that with respect.

If He only died for the elect because Jesus Himself said there are few who enter the narrow gate and travel the narrow road, so the comparison would break down. It’s Adam by one act who did something that would affect the whole race. Christ by His one act just did a narrow slice of the race. No! His one act provided righteousness for the whole race and enveloped the payment for all sin, of all people potentially, but it will be applied only when a person believes. Verse 16, “The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation…(that’s Adam, one sin and it then spread through the race to all of his descendants)…but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.” That’s what I mentioned earlier, Christ hanging on the cross. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so all the sins and all the sin of humanity, it’s much different.

You know, one act bringing the pollution of sin that then would spread out to all. But now you’ve got it thousands of years later, and how much sin has been committed and will yet be committed. But the provision of Christ and His one act, and I emphasize that as well. It’s one act, His death on the cross. Reformed theology teaches, as I talked to you about the active and passive obedience of Christ, and they say that Christ had to perfectly obey the Law to acquire righteousness, that He could then have credited to us. He was a perfect sacrifice, He was sinless. In that sense He didn’t break the Law, but it wasn’t to acquire righteousness. We need God’s righteousness applied to us when we believe in Christ, so the passive obedience of Christ, His death on the cross.

I even see dispensationalists using these terms. I don’t think they’re biblical terms. They’re theologically derived to fit a theological system. Just taking the normal interpretation of Scripture, you don’t arrive there. Verse 17, “For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one…” You see this emphasis on the one, the one, the one. Because that’s the point of comparison there, one man, one action, one Man, one action, and then Adam in the Garden, one man, Christ on the cross. That’s the comparison. “…if by the transgression of the one (Adam), death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Christ Jesus.” The provision for the race has been made. Now you have to be joined to Christ, that’s not automatic. We are, so to speak, automatically descendants of Adam by physical descent.

You must become a spiritual descendant of Christ and that’s what’s laid out with the free gift, the gift of righteousness. God’s abundant grace, His overflowing grace, provides the gift in Christ. Again, when we’ve come to this through the study of chapter 4 and chapter 5 up to this point, it’s clear. It’s by faith, it’s by faith, it’s by faith, it’s by faith. Just hammered away and illustrated from the Old Testament, particularly in chapter 4 using Abraham as the example. So then, picking up with verse 18 and this is where we stopped the last time, “So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.” I take it the encompassing “all” must mean the same in both.

Again, we want to be careful in our theology that we don’t just come and rearrange Scripture. If you’re just reading this, why would you think the “all” used twice in verse 18 means two different things any more than verse 15? Why would the “many” used twice refer to two different things? Where would you come up with that? Well, our theology, we should build our theology out of the word, not bring our theology to the word and make the word fit. “So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men…” (that one act of sin). One act of righteousness resulted in justification of life to all men, so again it’s not automatic, you’re not born into this when you’re born into the human race. But you’re spiritually born into this, the provision is there for all, by the one act. Now he’s made clear you have to be in Christ to benefit from it, but it’s not a limited provision. It’s a limited application. I don’t think it’s difficult to follow. He made the provision for all and that’s a greater provision in the sense there were multiplied billions of sins that had to be covered and taken care of, but His one act does.

Verse 19, For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” So, the provision is not limited, but it’s been clear that you need to receive it as a gift. You need to have faith and then you’re born into God’s family. You become a partaker of the divine nature. You don’t become deity, but you partake of the nature of God and His character, so it’s not a limited provision, it’s a limited application. Keeping those things distinct even though in the plan of God, it would be His gracious action to act on the heart of certain ones to draw them to faith in Christ. But that doesn’t limit the provision, and it doesn’t limit the offer, and it’s the one act. This becomes a major issue, that’s why I’m stressing it. It’s not the active and passive obedience of Christ that’s a theologically made up position. It’s one act, it’s not the life of Christ, a life lived in obedience to the Law. And because of His perfect obedience to the Law, He could acquire righteousness. You don’t find that anywhere in Scripture.

You find the Scripture to say that Christ kept the Law because He was sinless, and the keeping of the Law is a demonstration of His sinless character, but it wasn’t to acquire righteousness for us. It was to enable God’s righteousness to be available to us and applied to us when we believe, so that’s what he is saying in these verses. They were one act of obedience “…through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” Then he’s going to summarize this. “The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more…” He’s made clear, remember that we couldn’t be saved by keeping the Law and what did the Law do? Well, “the Law came in so that the transgression would increase…” Now the Law didn’t come in to make us sinners, because we were already sinners before the Law was given. Men died. We’ve looked at that. But the Law did what it demonstrated that we were sinners.

Look how he goes on, “The Law came in so the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more…” That’s what we’ve talked about, the grace of God in providing righteousness in Christ was so overflowing great that even the magnitude of sins is covered. What did the Law do, how did it increase it? What did Adam do that those between Adam and Moses did not do? Adam broke a specific commandment that was his sin, and that sin brought death, but everyone after Adam, even before Moses and the Law was given, also died. It demonstrates they were sinners, but they weren’t sinning in the same way Adam sinned. It wasn’t a specific commandment, it was a character of a life involved in rebellion against God, as in the days of Noah where every thought of men’s heart was only evil continually. They were sinners, but they were not sinners in the same way Adam did of breaking a specific commandment that showed the corruption of sin. The sin nature had spread to them.

With the giving of the Mosaic Law now, we will have 613 individual commandments given. It multiplied the clarity of sin, because everybody under the Law would recognize, boy, I’m guilty! I broke that law, I’ve got to take that sacrifice, I’ve got to go through this religious ritual. “The Law came in so that the transgression would increase…” The Law was never given as a way of salvation. It was given to help clarify and magnify to man his guilt. That’s why God put in there all the sacrifices including sacrifices for specific sins. That’s why the giving of the Law caused the transgressions to increase. Adam only had one law to obey, don’t eat of that one tree. There were no other laws given that we have, and he broke it and he brought condemnation, where sin increased. So, the giving of the Law just magnified so that you could see how clear sin was, but God’s grace was sufficient and encompassed it all. So, as sin reigned, then we’re going to have righteousness and grace reigning. “…so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” There we have it all brought together, the sin and condemnation, and the righteousness through faith.

Now in verses 12 to 21 we’ve pulled those first two major sections together because now he’s going to move on to talk about sanctification in chapters 6, 7, and 8, but you understand how we got to this. One act of Adam brought sin on the race. One act of obedience on Christ’s behalf, dying on the cross, provided righteousness for that fallen race; that’s the comparison. Now it’s through faith in Christ that the members of the race who were under the condemnation of sin can enter into the life provided by Christ and His death. It’s an eternal life. It is characterized by grace and righteousness that enables us to have that life, eternal life, the One in whom was life, Jesus Christ. It’s through Christ our Lord. That’s how grace and righteousness could reign. So, a great summary of the first two chapters.

I want to take you over to the 2 Corinthians, chapter 5, because it’s very similar. I mentioned this with the doctrine of reconciliation. And as you turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 5, let me just read you verses 10 and 11 in Romans chapter 5 where Paul talked about it. “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we will be saved by His life. And not only this, we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

Over in 2 Corinthians, chapter 5, Paul talks about some of the similar things that we’ve been talking about in this section in Romans chapter 5. Verse 14 of 2 Corinthians 5, “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.” You note this emphasis, Christ died for all and therefore all died. Potentially the provision is there. Those who live by faith in Christ are no longer to sin, because His death was to free us from the sin. Again, you are bringing in similar elements that we just talked about in Romans. One died for all. There the provision is made for all, so He died for all so that they who live by—how would they live? Well, Paul will talk about that here and we just talked about it in Romans, through faith in the provision that God made. That’s always been the way of salvation, believing God and His provision, “…so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.”

Come down to verse 17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ…” You see there again we have the new birth. The provision was there for all, but it’s not applied to anyone who is not in Christ. We are automatically in Adam by birth. We have to experience a spiritual birth to be in Christ. He’s made the provision on the same level in a greater way as we saw than Adam’s impact, but the benefit of that will only be applied when you come to be in Christ spiritually. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” That’s why we are born again, born from above, that’s the impact. “Now all these things are from God…” God is the initiator. He’s the One that’s the source of all this provision. “…all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ…” That’s what He is doing.

We were alienated from Him. We were His enemies. He reconciled us, He brought us back into right relationship by what Christ did for us. God reconciled us. How did He do that? He did that through Christ and then He gave us the ministry of reconciliation as Paul talks about. It’s passed on and that’s the message of the gospel that we pass on and share. Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture. He was buried. He was raised from the dead. That’s the message. We have the ministry of reconciliation. How did God reconcile us to Himself? We saw in Romans chapter 5 that God was in Christ reconciling us, and that’s the same thing He’s talking about here. “…while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son…And not only this, but we also exalt in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” It’s now been applied to us.
Back in 2 Corinthians, chapter 5, you see the similarity. He reconciled us to Himself, He’s given us the ministry of reconciliation. Now in verse 19, “…namely, that God was in Christ reconciling…” The elect to Himself? No! “…the world to Himself…” That’s the greatness of God’s grace. We don’t want to minimize that grace or limit that grace. The limit is the sinfulness of man who continues to reject such free grace. He gave us the ministry of reconciliation and what are we telling people? What is the ministry of reconciliation? We’re telling people that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. This is the gospel.

I shared with you some of the confusion coming as men have tried to say, well, that’s not all there is to the gospel. They use the picture of a bird that has two wings, and one wing is this message of reconciliation the other is social action. How do such men avoid condemnation? It puzzles me. I come to the conclusion, could they have been truly saved if they come in and corrupt that is every bit as serious, and perhaps more serious than those who tried to say the Law was necessary for salvation? That is believing in Christ, plus keeping the Law. Is believing in Christ, plus doing social action, even the ring of that you say, my goodness, how did you come up with that? Well, men decided it was a good idea. You see what the ministry of reconciliation we come to tell you God was in Christ reconciling the world. That’s what He was doing for you, that’s what He was doing for me. I can tell it’s for your benefit. Note that He said, “the world”, everybody. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son…”

Why would you not be reconciled? That’s where Paul is going. “He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” What does that make us? Paul says, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us…” You see the position that Paul says he is in, and it’s been passed on to us. It’s God speaking through us. I’d better be careful not to add or contribute my ideas. I don’t have anything else to offer. Here’s what I have to offer to you, it’s as though God were making the appeal. How gracious He is that He would appeal to men. What He’s done! You think He might be sitting on His throne saying, if you beg enough, if you go through enough contortions, maybe I’ll apply it to you. No! He’s begging you to come. He’s appealing through His spokesman, a human spokesman. Paul says, “…we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” What a message! Could it get any simpler? This is our message, I’m here representing God and His Son Jesus Christ, and I beg you on their behalf, be reconciled to God.

“He made Him who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” There’s how it can be done. Christ took our place. He didn’t become a sinner. He didn’t become a murderer, a rapist, a thief, a liar. But He took upon Himself all our sin. This is pictured in that animal sacrifice, and when the person put their hand on the head of the animal that animal didn’t become guilty of a specific sin, but he was carrying the sin of that person and all the sins together. “He made Him who knew no sin…” because when He died on the cross, He was bearing our sin, the consequences for our sin. The penalty for sin is death “…so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” And that’s where we were in Romans chapter 3, verses 21 and following.

Remember how God could be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Christ, the One who could declare us righteous and do that consistent with His own righteous character. Christ came and bore the penalty. He was carrying the weight of the sins of all humanity in His body on the tree, on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. And that identity with Him as He carries it out, as He develops our sanctification, will come up in Romans chapter 8. In Chapter 6 and then run through chapter 8, but in chapter 6 he’ll talk about our being identified with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. That’s the message we have and want to get to. So, we would say, cut to the chase when we’re talking to people about the gospel. Here’s where we have to get to, we’re not merely here to tell you, because even though you were a sinner like I am and like we all are, there is a solution and provision for your sin. God sent His Son to take your place, pay your penalty, so He could offer you a free gift, life rather than death. Forgiveness, cleansing, because he made Him who knew no sin to take your place to die for you, so that we might become the righteousness God. You note that expression the righteousness of God.

It doesn’t say the righteousness of Christ. Now, I don’t want to be too minute, but when you get into the active and passive obedience of Christ this is a difference. Now the Bible never says in the New Testament we get the righteousness of Christ. We get the righteousness provided by Christ’s death. It’s the righteousness of God applied to us when we believe in Christ. I don’t want to, in the general sense, make more of it than we should, because it is righteousness that comes to us through Christ. But we want to be careful that we don’t get drawn into unbiblical theological positions. Like, this is the active righteousness of Christ, whereby it was acquired by His keeping the Law perfectly, so He would have that righteousness of His perfect life and perfect obedience. Now that can be applied to us. That’s not true! We want to be careful. It is true that Christ was sinless, and He kept the Law perfectly, and no one could accuse Him of sin. That was to show He was the Lamb, who could die for sinners, He had no sin of His own. God’s righteousness and the action of a righteous God, who alone could declare us righteous, can because of the sufficiency of the work of Christ.

With that Paul is ready to move into the application of that. That we are to live new lives. Romans, Chapter 6 will begin, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be!” Such a thought is inconceivable, because we died to sin, so then we move on to how we live. Now we are moving in an orderly progression from sin and condemnation to righteousness, justification, now sanctification, living out our life as those who have been declared righteous in Christ.

I’m going to take a just a couple of minutes we have left here. Maybe you have a question or two. Let me say something. I recommended a big white book that some of you think is a doorstop (Gil laughs in amusement). You know, I tell you to always start at the back. If you picked up one of those large white books you might start at the back, because probably the most helpful chapter to get you started is his last chapter, I think its 9. It’s about 25 pages. Why unlimited atonement is important. You may not want to get bogged down in some of the history that he develops there, and it’s one of those books you can dip in and out of. But start with the last chapter, if you did pick that up, and read why unlimited atonement is so important. I think you’ll find that helpful in solidifying the distinction between limited atonement and unlimited atonement. Did Christ die only for the elect or did He die for all people, and it’s only applied to the elect?

In light of the discussion that we’re doing here on the gospel, the salvation that Christ provides, there’s the other concept that Christ died for everybody, so everybody is saved. Yes, those who hold limited atonement like to say there’s only two positions, either Christ only died for the elect or if He died for everyone, then everyone’s saved, otherwise you’re in double jeopardy. Christ died for my sin, now I have to die for my sin. The problem is they’re not distinguishing between the extent of the provision God made and the application of that provision, because on the basis of that argument the elect should be born saved, because the penalty has been paid for them already. So, the whole section on faith is unnecessary, because if there’s only two positions, if Christ paid for your penalty, how can you be dead in your trespasses and sins even if you’re of the elect? It’s already paid. How could you, if you’re saved from birth? That’s part of the problem. That’s where they make it based on their logic, and then put you in a box. If Christ died for everyone, and it’s like you went into a store and you bought something, and you paid just for the items you buy. The picture of Scripture is, and we saw this in Romans, He died for all the sins. He didn’t just die for these particular sins here and these particular sins here. This person’s sins here, this person’s sins here. No, He died and made provision for everyone. Now they’ll distinguish that it’s sufficient for everyone, but it’s not efficient for everyone. That again it sounds logical, but tell me what that means? It’s sufficient for everyone, but He didn’t die for you because you’re not one of the Elect. Well then, it’s not sufficient for you, because there’s no provision for you. How can it be sufficient for me when there’s no provision for me?

That’s where we can get confused because we’re maybe not familiar with the way they are using the terminology because it’s not really come out of Scripture. It comes out of a theological position imposed on Scripture. I like it the way Allen does it, and I was reading a theological quarterly this week, a review of Allen’s book. The man reviewing says, “I like it the way Allen puts it. Limited atonement is a doctrine looking for a text.” They’ve come up with a doctrine now. They are trying to find and fit Scripture into it, so I don’t think a universal provision requires a universal salvation, because it’s not applied except you believe; so, nobody’s saved by the death of Christ. That argument would be turned around, the Elect are saved, you could never say their penalty’s been paid before they were born. Go ahead with you question.

“Yeah, the follow up on that Gil, it seems like when I witness to a lot of the people from liberal churches that’s their concept of saying, oh, I just have to profess to be a Christian (yeah) that’s all I need to do.”

For the liberal, they’d be outside the realm. They’re not operating even on the basis of the death of Christ, because those who are liberal wouldn’t even limit it that way. You might meet some, I was a Methodist, we thought we were saved because people who go to church are saved, and if you asked me if I believed in Christ, of course, but they haven’t really understood. That’s where you have to sit down and explain to them their condition. Tell me how you were saved. That’s why I often like to ask people that, before we tell them the answer because then they tell you like a Methodist like I was and would say, oh yeah, that’s what I believe too. Ask them, God says we’re sinners and the penalty for our sin is death and eternity in hell, and I know you as a Methodist the follower of John Wesley or a Lutheran, Martin Luther like to believe in…tie them to somebody. You’d believe that of course. Yeah, I believe it. Well, tell how you were saved. Well, you know I was baptized by my parents…so somehow you find out what are they trusting. Not to trap them, but to help clarify things for them. I think the liberals are universal, they don’t usually anymore even want to limit it that way. Well, everybody who believes in Christ they have moved beyond--Christ’s provision is for them even if they don’t believe in Him. Even Billy Graham got confused on this towards the latter part of his life and thought people could be saved on the basis of what Christ had done, even though they never heard and believed in Him. It’s hard to explain some of the confusion that comes.

Yeah, yes go ahead. “Thank you for the explanation on limited verses unlimited atonement. (Yeah) Thank you for your continued study and the clarity in which you present these viewpoints. Taking the unlimited atonement and focusing on those two words of provision and application, excellent, thank you for that. In following through then on the application and asking someone to consider that application, is it sufficient for us to then say, it’s your faith in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, it was His blood on the cross. Do we leave Him hanging on the cross or do we then need to go on and talk about the resurrection and the ascension, for the complete package to be totally sufficient and efficient?”

Hmm, well you know the basic issue in Scripture is the death of Christ on the cross. His resurrection seals that and guarantees the efficiency of it, so I would probably include that. The real focus like in Paul here, he hasn’t mentioned the resurrection yet, but Christ is alive, he did mention that in Romans. He’ll get into that now in Romans 6. We died with Him, we were buried with Him, we were raised with Him to newness of life. The doctrine of the resurrection is a proof of the sufficiency of what Christ did, and it is also used as an evidence of the new life we are now to live. So yeah, when you’re talking to a person it depends on where they are and where they’re going, because we don’t want to overwhelm them with doctrine, but we want to bring enough clarity to it that they’ll understand it. Yes, the resurrection is a completion of that and a necessary part of it in that sense.

Let’s have a word of prayer. Thank You, Lord, for Your grace. Thank You, for bringing those into our lives that brought the message of reconciliation, and Lord what an honor and a privilege and responsibility has been given to us that we now represent You as Your spokesman to bring the message of Christ to others. Lord, we do want to be bold, we want to be clear, we want to be loving. It is a message of the greatness of Your love in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, and we want to take the privilege and every opportunity to share that truth with others. Thank You, for the fellowship we have as believers. Bless our time over these refreshments, encourage our hearts. Lord, we pray for the week ahead of us, that You’ll use us as lights wherever we are. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.




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