I really enjoyed this sermon by Reverend Lloyd-Jones entitled "Christ the King" (unfortunately the end of the sermon is cut off but it is still well worth listening to). In this sermon Rev. Lloyd-Jones discusses some of the types of blessings that accrue as a result of Christ's work on the Cross and also who receives such blessings. I discuss some of his points further below.
1. The general fact of mankind's existence is a direct result of Christ's work on the Cross. The reverend argues that, in essence, the moment Adam fell Christ was raised up in the sense that the only reason mankind was not extinguished after Adam sinned is because it was foreknown that Christ was going to make an atonement for sin. While I do not think there is direct biblical support for this it makes logical sense. If the end result of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and God is merciful, then if he knew that all mankind was to die it follows that he probably would not have allowed any further suffering from sin and the death it brings unless the Lord knew he would redeem mankind from sin. An alternative argument (that is not mutually exclusive with the previous one) is that Adam actually physically died when he sinned but the redemption work of the Cross that was to come preserved him. This latter argument is not the reverend's (at least I don't believe it is) but it is something I've contemplated before and, theories of how such a thing actually works given what we understand about time aside, it strikes me as having some truth.
The reverend's argument resonates with me as well because the idea of letting the wicked live for the sake of the righteous (who are in reality the body of one man, the Christ) is found in other biblical contexts. In the story of Abraham we see that he convinces the Lord to spare the town of Sodom and Gomorrah if there are ten righteous persons to be found there (Genesis 18:16-33). So it is that perhaps the reason that all wicked people are allowed to live is on account of the righteous that live alongside them. This is also supported by the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13-24-30), where the tares are allowed to grow for the sake of the eventual harvest of the wheat.
2. Christ's work on the Cross benefited man, the angels and Christ himself. Obviously mankind was benefited through salvation from and redemption of sins and resultant death, but what of the heavens? The reverend argues that due to the fall of Satan there was a vacancy in the hierarchy of the angels, as he believes Satan was the head of all the angels. I do not know that there is biblical support for this statement but I do agree that Satan's fall (along with one third of the company of Heaven) left a large hole in the angelic hierarchical structure. I am actually curious as to what the result of that fallout is and how such a large breach in the heavens was restored, if it ever has been. To the reverend's argument he states that Christ's ascension was not only as king over mankind but all things, including the heavens, replacing Satan as leader of the angels. I do not know that I agree as Christ always was and so was there a time where he was not the head of all things? However, this appears to me to be the very point that the reverend makes, that Christ through his work on the Cross became king over all the cosmos (as regent for the Father). Another blessing that accrued to Christ was the giving to him of the Church, his bride, who are the saints. I agree that Christ was blessed by the giving of the Church to him as his bride due to his work on the Cross but I am not sure about this question of kingship.
This sermon raises other questions that I think are interesting although I don't know that they have much in the way of answers this side of heaven. What relationship would man have had to Jesus Christ (or the Holy Spirit for that matter) if Adam had not fallen? Would Jesus Christ have ever been incarnated? Would the Holy Spirit have ever been sent down? What would we know of God's mercy and salvation without our sin? Could we ever come to a full(er) knowledge of God without it?
Lord Jesus Christ I am thankful for your work on the Cross, the mysteries of which I doubt I will ever fully comprehend, and whose blessings redound to unknown places. I simply thank you Lord that we (and all mankind) reap where you have sown.
1. The general fact of mankind's existence is a direct result of Christ's work on the Cross. The reverend argues that, in essence, the moment Adam fell Christ was raised up in the sense that the only reason mankind was not extinguished after Adam sinned is because it was foreknown that Christ was going to make an atonement for sin. While I do not think there is direct biblical support for this it makes logical sense. If the end result of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and God is merciful, then if he knew that all mankind was to die it follows that he probably would not have allowed any further suffering from sin and the death it brings unless the Lord knew he would redeem mankind from sin. An alternative argument (that is not mutually exclusive with the previous one) is that Adam actually physically died when he sinned but the redemption work of the Cross that was to come preserved him. This latter argument is not the reverend's (at least I don't believe it is) but it is something I've contemplated before and, theories of how such a thing actually works given what we understand about time aside, it strikes me as having some truth.
The reverend's argument resonates with me as well because the idea of letting the wicked live for the sake of the righteous (who are in reality the body of one man, the Christ) is found in other biblical contexts. In the story of Abraham we see that he convinces the Lord to spare the town of Sodom and Gomorrah if there are ten righteous persons to be found there (Genesis 18:16-33). So it is that perhaps the reason that all wicked people are allowed to live is on account of the righteous that live alongside them. This is also supported by the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13-24-30), where the tares are allowed to grow for the sake of the eventual harvest of the wheat.
2. Christ's work on the Cross benefited man, the angels and Christ himself. Obviously mankind was benefited through salvation from and redemption of sins and resultant death, but what of the heavens? The reverend argues that due to the fall of Satan there was a vacancy in the hierarchy of the angels, as he believes Satan was the head of all the angels. I do not know that there is biblical support for this statement but I do agree that Satan's fall (along with one third of the company of Heaven) left a large hole in the angelic hierarchical structure. I am actually curious as to what the result of that fallout is and how such a large breach in the heavens was restored, if it ever has been. To the reverend's argument he states that Christ's ascension was not only as king over mankind but all things, including the heavens, replacing Satan as leader of the angels. I do not know that I agree as Christ always was and so was there a time where he was not the head of all things? However, this appears to me to be the very point that the reverend makes, that Christ through his work on the Cross became king over all the cosmos (as regent for the Father). Another blessing that accrued to Christ was the giving to him of the Church, his bride, who are the saints. I agree that Christ was blessed by the giving of the Church to him as his bride due to his work on the Cross but I am not sure about this question of kingship.
This sermon raises other questions that I think are interesting although I don't know that they have much in the way of answers this side of heaven. What relationship would man have had to Jesus Christ (or the Holy Spirit for that matter) if Adam had not fallen? Would Jesus Christ have ever been incarnated? Would the Holy Spirit have ever been sent down? What would we know of God's mercy and salvation without our sin? Could we ever come to a full(er) knowledge of God without it?
Lord Jesus Christ I am thankful for your work on the Cross, the mysteries of which I doubt I will ever fully comprehend, and whose blessings redound to unknown places. I simply thank you Lord that we (and all mankind) reap where you have sown.
