The Atoning death of Christ, limited or not?

The following statement is in part from a church website, of whom I am becoming acquainted with the Pastor. I will not name him out of respect for my new friend and brother in Christ. I love his zeal for the lost. I love his passion in many other areas concerning the many facets of Christian living, least of all his total undying love for the gospel. Having said that, we have been talking about the differences in our views on some doctrinal matters, and while I do view this as serious in nature to the believers maturity, I do not stoop to say he is not a “brother” in the faith. I have seen a post even recently that labels him (not personally but as a group of people of similar theology) as unsaved or not included in the family of God. I strongly disagree with this. The regeneration in his heart can only be a work of our Lord. 

What is about to follow is a partial statement of which the last sentence I think is of particular importance. And as such I’ve supplied a complementary statement from the opposing viewpoint. The first view is as follows; (on the Atonement for sins by Christ as he suffered and died):

 “We deny that this atonement results in salvation without a person’s free response of repentance and faith. We deny that God imposes or withholds this atonement without respect to an act of the person’s free will. We deny that Christ died only for the sins of those who will be saved.”

As I have been in deep thoughtful on his subject recently, I stumbled across this and felt this was an amazing summary of the opposing view. 

Here’s an excerpt from the closing thoughts by a sermon written and preached by John MacArthur titled “For whom did Christ Die?”—October 19th, 2008 @ Grace Community Church

“One writer says this, “‘An opposing view tells us that Jesus died for multitudes that will never be saved, including millions who never so much as heard of Him. It tells us in the case of those who are lost, the death of Jesus represented in Scripture is an act whereby He took upon Himself the punishment that should have been ours was ineffective. Christ suffered once for their sins but they will now have to suffer for the same sins forever in hell.’”

 This idea of the atonement has the initial appearance of being very generous, but the more closely we look at it, the less we are impressed. Does it guarantee the salvation of anybody? No. Does it guarantee that those for whom Christ died will have an opportunity to hear of Him and respond to Him? No. Does it in any way remove or even lessen the sufferings of the lost? No. In reality this view of the atonement doesn't atone, merely clears the way for God to accept those who are able to life themselves by their own strength.

So in summary, as we think about this, the death of Christ was a real true actual satisfaction of divine justice so that the sinner for whom Christ died is really, not potentially, provided an atonement into which that sinner will enter by the sovereign power of God at the moment when God regenerates that sinner and gives him faith. Not apart from the sinner's will, but in accord with the sinner's will, activated by the power of God. The death of Christ then was definite, particular, specific and actual on behalf of God's chosen people. It was limited in its extent by the sovereign purpose of God. It was not limited in effect. It was the work of God and Christ to actually accomplish redemption, not just make it possible. Christ procured salvation for all that God would call and save. Sinners do not limit the atonement as to its extent, God does. And God put no limit on it as to its effect. It fully saves all who will believe. Jesus actually took the penalty and paid in full for the sins of those who believe. This is why there is no condemnation. This is why we persevere in faith. This is why you can't lose that salvation because it was paid for in full.

All these great doctrines of grace tie together perfectly and biblically.”—JMac

There is so much that can be said on this, though if you personally take issue with John’s words in the excerpt of this sermon, I invite you to read or YouTube this sermon and watch it in full. It really is rich in it totality and answers so much more than can be grasped in this handful of paragraphs. 

Thoughts on the church today...

It's been a little while since I've written. So much has happened in the few short months since that last blog article. I've gotten married, (I can hear the congratulations....thank you, thank you), a good friends has been issued orders to move away, made some new friends, started a new Home group meeting in our home on Tuesdays. Oh, and we left the church we called home....That was very hard. Still is in a few ways. I could detail the events of our leaving further, but that may not be appropriate in this setting, and would side track the point of my thoughts on the church as a whole today.

Shortly before leaving I did however begin something--which I consider an amazing blessing from God--I began studying for future ministry. A resource I found in an unlikely place, YouTube.

My heart's desire was to attend The Masters Seminary (TMS) in Sun Valley, California. Under the leadership of Pastor John MacArthur. Though not only is it a long way away, but expensive, and most importantly, I share custody with my daughter here. I could not leave her, to begin to really hunker down and train for my calling. My brother just recently moved to Riverside, CA, ironically, which is about--according to iphone Maps--an hour and a half from Sun Valley, and Grace Community Church.......(sigh).

The blessing came when I stumbled upon a video when I was researching info for a Men's Group that I was leading at our churches Monday night small group. I watched the video but became intrigued when I saw the publisher was TMS. So I subscribed to their page and found that they offer ALL their lectures from each course, in full and even with questions from the men attending the course included. I am not provided with the course material nor do I get the powerpoint loaded onto my pc, but I can (and do) sit at my laptop and feverishly write down page after page after page of notes, that I am categorizing into folders for future reference, as I learn courses on Historical Theology, Greek, Hebrew, Theology I, II, III, IV, V, New Testament, Old Testament, Mechanics of Expository Preaching, etc..... Hundreds of hours of lectures, and I can even email the professor for course material according to the YouTube page video.

All this plus, all 50 + years of every John MacArthur sermon online, John Calvin commentaries online, and dozens of other great preachers material online. Spurgeon, Edwards, RC Sproul, Justin Peters, there's so many more, Steve Lawson, Allister Begg, Ligon Duncan, Sinclair Ferguson, Al Mohler, I'm sure, I'm forgetting many, but you get the point.

If I sound excited, I am. Look, I'm under no illusion, I know that I wont walk away from this with a degree, wont have the desired MDiv, that churches look for in a Pastor. I guess that's for me to worry about later, I personally am disinterested in having the degree. What I want is the information, and I will study until I'm blue in the face to get it.

As I prepare for future ministry of preaching Gods word, many things are coming to light about churches that I've experienced in the past and especially now since I have been studying for ministry. 

Someone told me recently, "there are no perfect churches," in an effort to keep us from leaving. I cannot go into detail here why or why I felt restrained to explain. I suppose this individual will not know the depths of my love and care for them or the others in the church, and while I agree with the sentiment mostly, I cannot say I'm willing to sit under authority of a church that is un-biblical.

Yes, churches are full of messy people, that will always be the case.

Messy does not always equal "Authentic." A natural church, as with natural relationships does not force natural behaviors, in unnatural ways. For example, you may plan a date, but you don't plan a time to hold hands "authentically," that would be forced and in no way, is there a natural flow to the relationship for it to grow. whatever relationship exists is purely superficial. Sure, a church is full of people, who make mistakes. But the rhetoric that says, we are "Authentic","living intentionally"& to just "Come as You Are," tells me one thing: you are trying to build a church. 

Harvest Pastor Greg Laurie has joked, "I sometimes hear people say, 'I don't go to church because they are all filled with hypocrites'.....I always answer them and say, 'Well, if you find one that isn't, don't go there, because you'll ruin it.'"

Some might argue that my studies are ruining me, ruining my sense of Christian unity with the church, or that even its the men I choose to follow and study under. They’re just too much doctrine and theology. 

RC Sproul made a wise observation once. While discussing a particular issue, he gestured to a chalk board with names of great theologians on one side and names of not so well known on the opposite side, concerning this particular issue. He said, "many of these guys are big names in the evangelical world, and while they disagree on MANY issues, but when they ALL agree on one issue........................I pay attention."

This week, my family attended a church that was new to us, which was probably what would be considered in lock step with most mainline evangelical christian churches. The lights went dark when the music came on, the band was half younger half older, semi modern music.After the preacher came out and read scripture and as he worked his way through his 4 points he concluded with information everyone might like to know: God loves us all and we just need realize that comfort is found in Him, and when we do Jesus will help us through the rough times if we just ask to be delivered and hold tight to Him.

Fairly typical, for most churches, these days.

Typical, though not scriptural, and definitely not the Gospel.

As I grow in my faith I am further seeing the importance of getting the gospel right. Thats the starting block. That's the point of the church. That was the reason Jesus pointed out over and over again in the Gospels (especially John--open your bible app and do a word search for "sent" and see how many times Jesus referred to being sent by God. The Gospel is the building block Jesus is the foundation for.

Though its not some fluffy thing we can just feel warm and cozy about while we struggle through our everyday lives. The grace of God is sufficient to sustain us until we are perfected in Heaven. The purpose of trials is a couple fold, one to let us know that we are His. As believers, sometimes we question our faith. The purpose in that sense then is to illuminate to us that we in fact are in Christ as believers. And that in God our future is secured by Him. Another reason for trials is to grow our faith in strength, which makes us come to lean solely on our God. As each trial endured progressively we learn to rush to and hold that much tighter to Him, relying on Him for our endurance. 

"Come to Jesus" needs to be explained from a gospel standpoint to a world that see Christians behaving much like they do. "Why sure I can be a Christian, if I don't have to give up XYZ....." To them we act just like they do. Watch the same nasty movies. Tell the same nasty jokes, indulge our hearts in the same as everyone else in the world. We just go to church on Sunday while they sleep in. And speaking of Sunday morning, often churches are tailoring their church to draw in unbelievers. So we change the style of music, or make it dark so people aren’t embarrassed to be seen singing to Jesus. The pastor tells funny stories and is a pretty cool guy. Sure they won’t mind coming to that. We are taking a place that is designed to be a place where “believers” gather to be strengthened and worship our God and changing it to fit people who don’t even believe God or that He even exists. Think about that.  

People won over by this kind of marketing technique will be some of the first people to find the door rushing on their way out when they hear Jesus talking about "I have not come to bring peace but a sword...." or to the rich young ruler who said "Teacher all these commandments I have kept from my youth..." Jesus said "then, sell all you have a follow me.", or how about this one, "Do you suppose I came to grant peace on the earth? I tell you, no, but rather division."

You see, the Gospel is a divisive message. and when its practiced by us in ministry when we "walk in the Spirit," we are doing it Gods way not in the flesh. The flesh says we need to sell this thing to get people in here to quote "save them." God says, "my word will not return to me void." So all we have to do is read it, preach it, and or listen to it being preached, absorb it, love it, cherish it, write it on ours hearts. And live it. Then pass it along to the next generation and others. 

We don't need funny stories, we don't need illustrations week by week of the pastors family or events at each trip to starbucks. Not that any or all of that is inherently bad, or wrong, just its not necessary to proclaim the words written in Gods book. He has illustrated it with plenty of Old Testament stories for our learning pleasure. Doesn’t Paul say the things written in the Old Testament are written for us. If you need an illustration seeks God’s word. 

2 Timothy 4:2 "Preach the Word."

God Sent (Part 1) A Scripture Study

God Sent (Part 1)

Here’s a neat little bible study I stumbled upon this morning. Just something I found while reading this one verse:

“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”  (John 3:17, NASB)

So the verses that follow tell the story of Jesus’ mission as he was “sent” by God. These are verse’s Jesus spoke about himself being sent by God. Not only do they tell the story through Jesus words, they tell of the gospel mission from being called to believe and our unbelief to salvation and our mission as a called believers. It’s really an amazing little journey through a handful of verses. I hope you’ll take a minute to go through them with me. 

When you get done reading them, tell me what stood out to you?! It’s interesting to me what the Spirit brings to our brain. I’d love to hear your thoughts about what these scriptures speak to you. 

To be clear; I don’t mean it’s “what does it mean to me? or us? but what does it mean....and how does that jump out at us. Be wary of studies that start like this....”so let’s go around the room and see what that scripture means to you!”

Let’s begin: 

(all scripture in Bold, my commentary is non emphasized)

For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.  (John 3:34, NASB)

To those of us who are in Christ, we are filled with the Spirit. How can we know this....Galatians 5:24 solidly answers this question, “those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish--the very works that I do--testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me. (John 5:36, NASB)

Interesting, “that the Father has sent Me”.

The Greek word he uses here for “Me” is ego. The term is only used expressed when emphatic. 

Like in the stories of the houses built on sand and rock in Matthew 7:24, 26–“everyone then who hears these words of “mine” being the focal point of this verse....

Also in the story Jesus told about the Master of the Vineyard and the Tenants in Mark 12:7—“but those tenants said to one another, “This is the heir......” 

He is the object of our attention. 

He is the object of our affection.

We are called to this. The message is the same throughout the gospel. You must believe.

You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. (John 5:38, NASB)

Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent."  (John 6:29, NASB)

We are commanded to believe, but let’s go back to John 5 verse 36 he transitions from Johns testimony, into God’s own testimony concerning His Son. He says, “the works which the Father has given Me (notice emphatic again) to accomplish—the very works I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.”  

Notice....the works authenticate the message of the messenger. This is the model of the only true testimony by which we are to believe. The “works” he describes here are his “signs and wonders.” We incorrectly call these today miracles, I believe. When the Jews asked him to validate himself, they asked for what.....? A sign, right. What is the sign. The sign points to something. That something again is the Christ. That’s what they were wanting to know. Are you He?  The long awaited Messiah?  

He moves is along to verse 38 saying, (paraphrasing) that these are the works of God. That God is authenticating the message of the “One” whom He has sent. To move you to a state of belief. This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  (John 6:38, NASB)

Jesus as he speaks about being sent, also demonstrates what it means to be fully sanctified, being completely obedient and submissive to the Father’s will. 

As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me.  (John 6:57, NASB)

While the stomach turning analogy Jesus presents here may be hard to swallow....(thank you, thank you).....it is nearly the same testimony He gave to the Samaritan woman by the well. Another equally misunderstood analogy. She misunderstood his comments about “Living waters” while just having asked her about a drink of water. She wanted the physical manifestation of miracle that he could provide her with water that could quench her thirst for her lifetime. Same as this scripture where the act of eating flesh is not what saves anyone nor is anyone even required to do so. (This portion of scripture repeated among believers) actually circulated rumors to Greeks and Romans that “Christians were cannibals.”

But the saying is true. The water and flesh offer eternal life from the God who gives it to all who die to self and give our selves over to Christ as He gave himself over to the Father in complete submission. 

I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me."  (John 7:29, NASB)

Christ testifying to His deity, as often is said that he does not say any such thing, clearly seen here that He makes himself equal with God

The Blindness of Sin

If a stranger walked up to you and said, 

“I’ll have mercy on you.” 

That would make no sense. 

You might think, ‘I don’t even know you, I haven’t done anything to you.’—(Justin Peters)

Until we realize that we’ve actually offended God.... 

The mercy He gives us makes no sense. And we remain under the judgement of our sins until that moment is realized. 

Do you realize you have sinned against God? 

Do you also realize there is nothing you can do to earn that mercy? 

Wait what?!  

That’s right. Nothing you can do to earn it. 

Being a good person won’t do it 

Being someone who helps others wont do it

Being someone who shares their wealth or blessings won’t do it. 

Being someone who is thoughtful and peaceful with others won’t do it either. 

Just so I nail the lid on this thought. 

Let’s be extremely clear. 

There is not one thing you can do; to ever, earn your own entrance into heaven as a child of God. Nothing. 

Jesus told a story about a man who owed a King a fortune, what one couldn’t even make in earnings over the course of an entire lifespan. Yet he begged the king to let him pay him back. The king had mercy on the man and forgave him the debt he could never possibly repay. 

This is what it is like with us. 

We can only beg that the King has mercy on us. 

There isn’t a magical prayer that will save us. 

Utter these words. 

And you will be saved and on your way 

with a wonderful plan that God has for your life......

We can only beg He gives us mercy. 

Beg that He makes us new

Takes our hearts of stone 

(a heart that doesn’t care if it sins) 

And make it into a heart of flesh 

(that desires to please the king). 

Do you see a pattern in all these words. 

Only He grants. 

Only He gives

It is through Him and 

His power that;

Anything is done. 

Understand your role. 

You don’t earn, yes, you can never earn 

your saving faith through reciting a prayer. 

You don’t earn it through becoming smart enough to figure out God

You don’t earn it through being sorry because you sinned. 

You don’t earn it. Period. 

I mentioned “saving faith” a moment ago. 

Your Faith.

You don’t even earn or figure that out for yourself. God gives you that too....

Wait what?!  

Yeah.....Faith. Given to you. 

Peter had just confessed Jesus as the Messiah, as the Son of the Living God. 

What did Jesus say???

“Blessed are you Simon Barjona (Peter), for flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”—Matt 16:17

In other words you didn’t just figure this out with the faculties God has given you (that is: your brain)

But God alone gave this revelation to you. 

He planted it in your mind. 

That why he starts the verse off with....

’Blessed are you.’

Blessed, why? 

Because he just won the prize for answering correctly???

No. 

Blessed are you, because you just received something from God, that you just received a gift, that IS the blessing. 

God chose to reveal something to you. 

Something otherwise hidden from your eyes. 

Do you understand that your being saved is entirely a work of God. 

Left to yourself, you will die in your sins.  

We all will. 

Romans 1, (paraphrased) for they exchanged the truth of God for a lie....therefore God gave them over to.....

To the lust of their hearts, to impurity

To degrading passions

To a depraved mind

Loved ones, understand this. 

When we see people saying things or waving signs like:

“if America doesn’t turn from its sin God will judge us.” 

They are getting Romans 1 backwards. 

God is already judging us, that’s the therefore. He’s letting us go to fall to the destruction of ourselves. 

Ever wonder why our personal lives are so devastated with chaos, confusion 

We are falling under the condemnation of a Holy God who punishes sin. 

I don’t care one thing any longer for the things of FB, for the politics, how Trump or Obama ruined this country. I pray for you. Right now. 

For your soul. As my friend reading this. 

I pray you will....

Understand your sin. 

Understand how it devastates your life

Understand how it keeps you perpetually from God

Or maybe you think

I’m doing just fine without God. Or even;

God’s blessed me pretty good and I don’t worry about that nonsense you’re talking about Geoff. Let’s come back full circle. 

Back to the beginning of the post

If you don’t know your sin

then you never can and

never will know the Mercy God grants. 

Check out this conversation:

“65 And He was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father." Peter's Confession of Faith 

66 As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. 

67 So Jesus said to the twelve, "You do not want to go away also, do you?" 

68 Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.”  (John 6:65, NASB)

And only God grants it. Period. 

Pray He grants you faith to believe. 

Pray He grants you repentance 

Pray He turns you from being wicked

Yes I said wicked....read any of the gospels and see if Jesus thinks you’re basically a good person??

Pray He grants you salvation.

Pray He regenerates you. (Born again, spiritually)

Today is the day for your salvation. 

Not tomorrow. Or just before you die. 

Today. 

Don’t hold onto a prayer that said “Jesus I accept you into my life.”  

You may have always heard that as the “Sinners Prayer” (for all you church people reading this)

You...

Accept...

Jesus...

Let’s me tell you something. 

Jesus IS the King. 

Regardless of whether or not you accept him. 

You will answer for your sin. 

The question is:

Are you covered in His Mercy?

Or are you gonna wing it....???

Don’t wing it....

That’s a bad plan. A very bad plan. 

If you wanna talk. We can. Seek out scripture. 

Start here; (Jesus says) 

John 6:44. “No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent me, draws him;”

I’d love for you to PM me the next line in that verse if you’d like to start the conversation. 

God’s Gift of Revelation

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. (Romans 1:19, ESV)

In our local men’s group we are studying the Book of Romans. It’s a wildly interesting book, the discussion at the men’s group, can be just as wild and interesting. 

I wanted to take a few minutes to inspect this single verse. 

“For what can be known”....what is the “what” in the beginning of this verse.  It’s the truth just talked about in verse 18, being suppressed by the unrighteousness of the ungodly. This truth: (Hebrews 11:6):

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists...”

Interesting phrase, “whoever would draw near to him.” That’s just it. The unrepentant heart has zero desire to draw near to God. One of the questions this post will answer is why do we not want to draw near to Him? Is it because he does not exist? As our study verse says, “for what can be known about God is plain to them.” That is to say: it’s obvious, the evidence sought is not hidden. There’s no mystery. Yet, how many unsatisfying documentaries have been made with titles like “Unlocking the Truth of the Bible”, “The Bible Code...”, or “The Real Jesus....what was he like?” etc, etc. Why do we keep this searching? And for what, it seems like it’s in vein? Endless fruitless discussions on Facebook, different religious message boards, chat rooms or the like, why....??? It’s like why do we look at websites like “People of Walmart.” Who knows right?!  I’m just kidding but seriously and especially considering how clear verse 19 is.....The truth about God is plain to them. It’s right there. Right where, you  might say? In plain sight, right under our noses. Everyone of us, has had a moment in our lives where we stood back, and were amazed with the power and glory of this world. This wonderful creation. We’ve all wondered like a child, in amazement at some massive force of nature, while looking up to see the immense depth of the star field as it illuminated a nights sky. Or the enormous super-cell structure of a massive storm, and consequently felt like an ant. 

Look at what Albert Einstein said, “My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble minds.” 

That’s not to say he is or was a Christian. I don’t think he hailed the God of the Bible or his heritage at all. But what Einstein’s statement does say, in essence is,  that it agrees with the scripture in this regard; that it is plain to see there is something of a supernatural entity he named it the “illimitable superior spirit.” It is then plain to him, that even in our feeble attempts to understand such a god or God (big or little G), that it is worth his admiration however humble it might be. 

So when the topic is framed this way, we can see that it is not a lack of information, but rather a lack of interest in the things of God. His laws, his notions on morality. Oh sure, people are interested in God. It’s the silent longing of our conscience, of our existence to know about Him, about his existence. We treat it almost like passing by a car wreck, you want see the wreck, but you don’t want to see too much. Because what we might see might be scary. Too scary in fact, so, we don’t want to investigate too much into scripture. Don’t spend too much time talking about it with co-workers, or that guy or that girl. You know the one. They are always asking to pray and won’t stop talking about Jesus. You might see something that’s convicting, and none of us wants to feel convicted. 

It’s not really the question though. It’s not really about whether or not you look or seek out God is it? It’s about what we do with the information about God. The information of God has been out there for a very long time. Before Moses wrote any scripture, before there was a bible, people like Abraham were called, visited, and spoken to by God. Think about it. We think of things in today’s terms only. Like Christianity, Jewish, Muslim, whatever. Before all that, before there was one Jew, Abraham was just a man in the world. Just like everyone else. Yet he was called out by God for a reason. To fulfill God’s plan, that’s a different topic. People like Abraham, all over the world,  had ideas and concepts of God. Even Abraham himself had ideas about God I’m sure. It is because of the longing in the human heart to know God. So is it really any surprise that many different civilizations throughout time, have sought to know God. I’ve often heard the claim from people trying to disprove my faith that Christianity wasn’t the first religion. That many religions have similar stories. That’s true. But the fact that different civilizations attest to the notion of a God does not disprove the Bible. More accurately, I say it proves what the the scripture says, it tells us what we read earlier. “For what can be known about God, is plain to them.” 

It's plain to us, because God made it that way, "because God has shown it to them.” (Rom 1:19) How's that for clarity. Is that clear enough for you? Can you hear me now?? This is so, because God is Just. What do I mean by that? I mean,  scripture tell us that “God has shown it to them,” because He is a just God and will not condemn anyone who is totally without knowledge of him. He won't make a way and then not give you the grace to take you to it or to navigate it. This is why it has been shown to us, so we are without excuse.

This is why I titled this: the Gift of God’s Revelation. It is a gift of God because even when our hearts are just happy to hide from God, he is happy to reveal himself to us. Even with the evil in our hearts that drives us away from him; he seeks us. How can I say that? Because we'd rather not answer to him. We'd rather just go about our lives unaided. It’s not until we are driven to, and broken to our knees in utter pain, that we cry out to him. Maybe out of sheer agony, pain, anger, or just plain disillusionment. Yet, think about it, it is while He knows this, He knows we suppress the truth (remember verse 18, the one just before our study verse), he knows we don’t seek him out, and yet: “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God,” (Romans 5:10, ESV) He still sent his Son. Would you do that? The rest of verse 10 is this: “by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” (Romans 5:10, ESV)

Would you do that? Would you or I send our son....our only son....(my mind just went right to my grandson) he’s only about a year old and my daughters only baby. She just posted the picture the other day. He’s her life. The absolute love and joy in her heart and life. It makes me so happy to see her write that about him. I know she feels what I feel. Could I think for even one second that my daughter would send him to die for people with gratitude like ours. No way. Not for a moment would any of us think about killing our son for one single human being on this planet. But His ways are not our ways, are they? Oh and I thank God that He is not like us. 

Doesn’t really sound like something we deserve does it?

We don’t deserve it. We deserve Hell? In our sins, we deserve Hell. Unless you repent to God, Jesus said, “you will die in your sins.”

Wait just a minute, stop right there Geoff. How can you say that I deserve to go to Hell? How dare you?!!! 

How dare I? That’s a good question, that’s a great question. Now, God asks you....How dare you? I made you from the dirt, I made you from nothing. I breathed into your lungs, I gave you life. I sustain you everyday. Everything you have I gave you. The home the car, your children. Your clothes, your money. Your cell phone. Then even when you rebelled against me, and sought out your own ways, I sent my son to you that you might have life eternally, be reconciled with me. How did you repay me? You killed him....then I raised him from the dead so you might believe that he has the power to save you, and still you rebel and say my ways are foolish. And you say how dare I? How dare you? Who is this that darkens my council?!!! Where were you oh man when I made the earth? When I measured? Tell me?! 

Think I’m making this up. 

Read Job 38 sometime. Look, He has rightfully decreed, the wages of sin is death. That is why it’s called grace. He gracefully, or maybe said another way, mercifully gives us what we do not deserve and gave to Christ (his Son) on the cross what we do deserve. Namely our punishment. His righteousness imputed to us. 

That’s my friends is the gospel. Let’s not get all mixed up because of the word gospel. It’s not a religious term. It was just a phrase used to announce good news. Like, “the new emperor is born!” That kind of Greek or Roman News, so this is the good news of God. 

This is why we call the gift of God, it is a gift that He revealed to us the Gift of Knowledge, the knowledge of His Son. We must turn to him and confess our sinfulness to him. Do that and you can be saved. It’s not just a moment. It’s not a magical prayer and special words uttered. No formula. No card to sign. No special aisle that, at a certain point in the sermon you walk down. It’s a heart issue. God wants you to reunite with him. Not just say words. If you feel the call in your heart, you know it. Gods general call, like a tug on your heart, as you’ve maybe read these words. Or even perhaps sometime maybe recently. And here you are reading this. Follow that longing that has been with man through the ages. You want to know where that longing comes from. I’ll solve the mystery right here. Right now. It’s from the moment we left the Garden. The moment of disappointment with God long past. Like when we disappointed our parents. You remember that don’t you. That sad pit in your stomach. We walked out of the garden much the same way, saddened by the loss of relationship. We no longer could walk with God in the garden. And as time rolled on for each passing generation the sting of the memory of that sad walk vanished. But the longing never went away. If you feel that ancient pull in your heart. Do not, turn away. Do not die with that in your heart. Meet him. Beg him. As the tax collector. With tears in our eyes, Lord please forgive me I’m a sinful man.....

Time will tell if your heart is in the right place. 

Lord, it is my prayer, our prayer, the same prayer that all the saints have had down through the centuries, this message that we preach so that everyone should come to repentance and a right relationship with you God. We pray that eyes are opened. Hearts are illuminated, tears will be wept away. Hurt will be comforted. Understanding of who you are and how deep your Love is for us. For the purpose that lost hearts will be reunited with their Creator, and their lives will be forever changed in that union with you Lord. There is such joy for the believer in when we learn of how sinful we are, and when we have a right view of you a supreme and powerful God, that you have made a way and constantly seek out those to reunite with us with you oh Lord. That you chose to love us so much that you sent your son. You son Jesus came that we might have life. He was obedient to you Lord. Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord Jesus. Collect all who will come to you. It’s in your name we pray. 

Amen.