Particular Redemption, Part I
"Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. -Matthew 20:28
May 24, 2002 - Who were these many for whom the Son of Man came to give his life? To answer this, we must understand the doctrine of substitution. Paul explains substitution to us in the book of Romans.
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned (Romans 5:12).
God is pleased to deal with the relative righteousness of his people by proxy, or by representation. Adam, that most gifted, eligible and perfect of all men (save Christ Himself) bore us in his flesh. We are the natural children of Adam, and by Gods great decree, Adam was our High Priest after the flesh. All humans being IN Adam at the time of his transgression were also IN Adam at the time of his judgment. That judgment, a curse upon Adam and his progeny, was rightfully made by God, who examined His High Priest and found Him unrighteous and unfit for the presence of God.
While we might examine our relationship with the sin of Adam in merely spiritual terms, God, in His omniscience, has related our relationship with the fallen Adam in carnal terms. We were PHYSICALLY in Adam, therefore we are partakers of THAT sin and co-partakers in the death that results naturally from that sin. All that are subsequently born of Adam, are born of corruption - and it is for this reason that God specifically stated that the redeemer (the Great High Priest) would be born of the seed of EVE and not Adam.
In the shadow forms that God used to show us the nature and priesthood of Christ, God chose priests among men to perform the duties and rituals demanded of them. These priests were commanded to be the representatives of the Children of Israel before their mighty God. The priest wore an ephod, and upon the ephod were stones which particularly denoted ALL of those who were represented by the High Priest. There was a stone on the ephod to represent each of the tribes, so that as the High Priest was tested by God - His righteous judgment would pass upon all those who were represented. If the High Priest was evil or corrupt, then the sacrifice for all the people was not acceptable to God. If the High Priest was found righteous, then the people became partakers of that judgment as well. Note that there were MILLIONS alive in the world who were not represented by the high priest as he entered in to the Holy of Holies. Paul says it this way: That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world (Ephesians 2:12). So we see that the millions of people, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, who neither knew or ever heard that there was a coming Christ, perished in ignorance - without hope - yet still guilty in the eyes of God, being of Adams seed.
This shadow-picture was the way that God chose to show us the reality and necessity of our High Priest Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was both the sacrifice AND the High Priest, passing through the veil of death; He ascended into the Holy of Holies in heaven, not without blood, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. But which people? In order for the shadow picture to hold true, all those to whom the sacrifice was applied must have been IN CHRIST as He made the redemptive act. The scripture puts it this way: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him (Rom. 6:6-8).
So our Great High Priest, who entered in to the Holy of Holies in Heaven, not without blood, made propitiation for the sins of ALL those who were IN HIM. But were ALL in Him? Surely not. Even the most jaded Arminian cynic would not claim that the unredeemed are freed from sin. Nor would any dare claim that the lost man is dead with Christ. The Apostle to the Hebrews states that the sacrifice would only be made ONE TIME, and that it would apply to sins to the uttermost, to all those who come to God by Him (Heb. 7:25).
So the question arises: Was the redemption an effective propitiatory act for those to whom it was applied? Or was the redemption merely an invitation to everyone, in the hope that some might, in the future, work out their own salvation?
Did Christ die for YOU in particular? Did His blood ACTUALLY save anyone?
It is my position that the blood of Jesus Christ ACTUALLY saved all those for whom it was shed. I am NOT saying that the blood of Christ was not sufficient to save any man that has come into the world, nor that His blood was shed particularly for any race or category of man - other than Gods elect. The sufficiency of the sacrifice is not in question. The question is: To whom was the sacrifice efficient?
There are two great biblical positions on this topic. Which one is correct?
The Arminian viewpoint is certainly carnally attractive. The universalists believe that Jesus Christ died for the sins of the whole world (meaning to them: everybody who ever lived). Therefore, they say, all men have had their sins forgiven, and only those who sin the sin of unbelief will go to hell. We will examine their position in depth.
The true Gospel viewpoint is simpler. The blood of Jesus was eternally effective and powerful and efficient. It was sufficient to save ALL men, or any men. It was particularly shed for those who were IN CHRIST, and effectively saved ALL those for whom it was shed.
The carnal flesh of man reviles the way of God. Man rejects TRUE judgment and justice. Ask a carnal man why it was righteous for God to command that all the women and babies be killed in the cities of Canaan - and they flounder. But scripture declares: And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them : there was not any left to breathe (Joshua 11:11). The armies of Joshua were NOT particular in what they killed: both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ***, with the edge of the sword. (Joshua 6:21).
Reprobate minds DEMAND that God act according to their carnal sense of justice. They revile the justice of God. They will say that our God is capricious and arbitrary. They rail and rant, refusing to accept that God alone has all the information, and God alone is right and just and good. We do not judge Gods goodness on a human scale; rather we judge human goodness on Gods scale.
God spared only a few before Christ, and all others were without hope, just as it is today, only a few are saved and the rest are without hope. Who are saved? Only those who come unto Jesus Christ. Who can come unto Him? Jesus said, no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. (John 6:65) All others, Jesus says, will perish: ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep (John 10:26).
Note that Jesus says that there are some that ARE His sheep, and others that are NOT His sheep.
Jesus stated plainly that he died for the SHEEP: I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, and again in the gospel of John, I lay down my life for the sheep. Jesus never claimed that He died for goats. Not once. Neither did He say that he died for tares. He died specifically and particularly for those who are THE called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). It is even more remarkable that God died for His elect while there was no difference between them and those who were NOT elect. Note what the scripture says: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). So it cannot be claimed that there was any merit in those for whom He died. He called us for His own purpose, and no other. Scripture says that He saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began (2 Tim. 1:9). You will notice two things that God declares:
1) We are saved for HIS purpose, not according to works.
2) This gift was given to us IN CHRIST before the world began.
It is the timelessness of the gift that riles some, it is the disdain shown by God to the works of man that riles almost everyone else.
There are about five scriptures used by the works based christians to defend Universalism. We will address them in the next article.
I am your servant in Christ Jesus,
Michael Bunker
"Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. -Matthew 20:28
May 24, 2002 - Who were these many for whom the Son of Man came to give his life? To answer this, we must understand the doctrine of substitution. Paul explains substitution to us in the book of Romans.
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned (Romans 5:12).
God is pleased to deal with the relative righteousness of his people by proxy, or by representation. Adam, that most gifted, eligible and perfect of all men (save Christ Himself) bore us in his flesh. We are the natural children of Adam, and by Gods great decree, Adam was our High Priest after the flesh. All humans being IN Adam at the time of his transgression were also IN Adam at the time of his judgment. That judgment, a curse upon Adam and his progeny, was rightfully made by God, who examined His High Priest and found Him unrighteous and unfit for the presence of God.
While we might examine our relationship with the sin of Adam in merely spiritual terms, God, in His omniscience, has related our relationship with the fallen Adam in carnal terms. We were PHYSICALLY in Adam, therefore we are partakers of THAT sin and co-partakers in the death that results naturally from that sin. All that are subsequently born of Adam, are born of corruption - and it is for this reason that God specifically stated that the redeemer (the Great High Priest) would be born of the seed of EVE and not Adam.
In the shadow forms that God used to show us the nature and priesthood of Christ, God chose priests among men to perform the duties and rituals demanded of them. These priests were commanded to be the representatives of the Children of Israel before their mighty God. The priest wore an ephod, and upon the ephod were stones which particularly denoted ALL of those who were represented by the High Priest. There was a stone on the ephod to represent each of the tribes, so that as the High Priest was tested by God - His righteous judgment would pass upon all those who were represented. If the High Priest was evil or corrupt, then the sacrifice for all the people was not acceptable to God. If the High Priest was found righteous, then the people became partakers of that judgment as well. Note that there were MILLIONS alive in the world who were not represented by the high priest as he entered in to the Holy of Holies. Paul says it this way: That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world (Ephesians 2:12). So we see that the millions of people, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, who neither knew or ever heard that there was a coming Christ, perished in ignorance - without hope - yet still guilty in the eyes of God, being of Adams seed.
This shadow-picture was the way that God chose to show us the reality and necessity of our High Priest Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was both the sacrifice AND the High Priest, passing through the veil of death; He ascended into the Holy of Holies in heaven, not without blood, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. But which people? In order for the shadow picture to hold true, all those to whom the sacrifice was applied must have been IN CHRIST as He made the redemptive act. The scripture puts it this way: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him (Rom. 6:6-8).
So our Great High Priest, who entered in to the Holy of Holies in Heaven, not without blood, made propitiation for the sins of ALL those who were IN HIM. But were ALL in Him? Surely not. Even the most jaded Arminian cynic would not claim that the unredeemed are freed from sin. Nor would any dare claim that the lost man is dead with Christ. The Apostle to the Hebrews states that the sacrifice would only be made ONE TIME, and that it would apply to sins to the uttermost, to all those who come to God by Him (Heb. 7:25).
So the question arises: Was the redemption an effective propitiatory act for those to whom it was applied? Or was the redemption merely an invitation to everyone, in the hope that some might, in the future, work out their own salvation?
Did Christ die for YOU in particular? Did His blood ACTUALLY save anyone?
It is my position that the blood of Jesus Christ ACTUALLY saved all those for whom it was shed. I am NOT saying that the blood of Christ was not sufficient to save any man that has come into the world, nor that His blood was shed particularly for any race or category of man - other than Gods elect. The sufficiency of the sacrifice is not in question. The question is: To whom was the sacrifice efficient?
There are two great biblical positions on this topic. Which one is correct?
The Arminian viewpoint is certainly carnally attractive. The universalists believe that Jesus Christ died for the sins of the whole world (meaning to them: everybody who ever lived). Therefore, they say, all men have had their sins forgiven, and only those who sin the sin of unbelief will go to hell. We will examine their position in depth.
The true Gospel viewpoint is simpler. The blood of Jesus was eternally effective and powerful and efficient. It was sufficient to save ALL men, or any men. It was particularly shed for those who were IN CHRIST, and effectively saved ALL those for whom it was shed.
The carnal flesh of man reviles the way of God. Man rejects TRUE judgment and justice. Ask a carnal man why it was righteous for God to command that all the women and babies be killed in the cities of Canaan - and they flounder. But scripture declares: And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them : there was not any left to breathe (Joshua 11:11). The armies of Joshua were NOT particular in what they killed: both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ***, with the edge of the sword. (Joshua 6:21).
Reprobate minds DEMAND that God act according to their carnal sense of justice. They revile the justice of God. They will say that our God is capricious and arbitrary. They rail and rant, refusing to accept that God alone has all the information, and God alone is right and just and good. We do not judge Gods goodness on a human scale; rather we judge human goodness on Gods scale.
God spared only a few before Christ, and all others were without hope, just as it is today, only a few are saved and the rest are without hope. Who are saved? Only those who come unto Jesus Christ. Who can come unto Him? Jesus said, no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. (John 6:65) All others, Jesus says, will perish: ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep (John 10:26).
Note that Jesus says that there are some that ARE His sheep, and others that are NOT His sheep.
Jesus stated plainly that he died for the SHEEP: I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, and again in the gospel of John, I lay down my life for the sheep. Jesus never claimed that He died for goats. Not once. Neither did He say that he died for tares. He died specifically and particularly for those who are THE called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). It is even more remarkable that God died for His elect while there was no difference between them and those who were NOT elect. Note what the scripture says: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). So it cannot be claimed that there was any merit in those for whom He died. He called us for His own purpose, and no other. Scripture says that He saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began (2 Tim. 1:9). You will notice two things that God declares:
1) We are saved for HIS purpose, not according to works.
2) This gift was given to us IN CHRIST before the world began.
It is the timelessness of the gift that riles some, it is the disdain shown by God to the works of man that riles almost everyone else.
There are about five scriptures used by the works based christians to defend Universalism. We will address them in the next article.
I am your servant in Christ Jesus,
Michael Bunker
