Latest / Providence Baptist Church - Sermons / Doctrines of Grace: Limited Atonement
Transcript
- 0:00I think of all the doctrines of grace that people study and look at, I think this is the one that a lot of people tend to struggle with more.
- 0:13Put this down. I didn't even get to finish the PowerPoint. I'm sorry. I only had like five or six slides anyway. Most of what we're doing is on here.
- 0:20But quick review, remember that all of these doctrines are connected and interconnected. They don't stand by themselves.
- 0:34It's hard to, when people make comments like I'm a, I have really good friends that make these comments, but like I'm a two-point Calvinist or I'm a four-point Calvinist or whatever.
- 0:46It's really, I think it's not actually possible to do that. Like, because they all build on each other. And if you pull one out, they all fall.
- 0:55So they're all sort of interconnected. And so what we would say is, you know, we started talking about man's radical fallenness.
- 1:05God's image being shattered and talked about depravity and how that puts man in both like an unworthy position and in a place where he can't do anything to save himself.
- 1:20Not even cooperate with God in such a way for salvation.
- 1:25And so last time we talked about election, which was the saving act of the Father, which like, remember, the whole Trinity was involved in our salvation.
- 1:36And how God chose out of his grace before the foundation of the world to save some, to save his people.
- 1:46All right. So if we believe in election, we believe in the elect.
- 1:50And now we want to carry that over to tonight, which is focused on who did Jesus actually die for?
- 1:57Who did Jesus's blood cover?
- 2:02And I grew up most of my life hearing that Jesus died for every single individual ever walking the planet.
- 2:13And it sounded right, you know, right to me.
- 2:19And I'll hear comments like, you know, Jesus died just as much for Hitler and Stalin as he did for you.
- 2:28And so I'll hear those kind of comments.
- 2:31It's never something didn't quite sit well with me when I heard that, but I didn't know what it was.
- 2:37And so this gets in tonight, the saving act of the son.
- 2:41And but before we dive into it again, every week, I'm trying to give you like a faithful saint of old that kind of taught and believed these doctrines.
- 2:51This is John Newton tonight at the top.
- 2:53He guy wrote Amazing Grace before he knew the Lord.
- 2:57He was a sailor and a merchant and a slave trader and and a brawler and a drunkard.
- 3:06And and the Lord saved him.
- 3:09And then he was involved in like the abolition of the slave trade by actually being William Wilberforce's pastor, which is kind of cool.
- 3:16All that worked.
- 3:17And so Newton wrote.
- 3:20And the views, meaning like doctrines of grace, Calvinism, whatever you want to call it, the views I have received of the doctrines of grace are essential to my peace.
- 3:30I could not live comfortably a day or an hour without them.
- 3:35I likewise believe them, those doctrines, to be friendly to holiness and to have a direct influence in producing and maintaining a gospel conversation.
- 3:45And therefore, I must not be ashamed of them.
- 3:49Someone commented about Newton that Calvinism was the sugar in his tea, meaning like you could kind of sense it.
- 3:57You could taste it, but he didn't call it that he didn't say this is Calvinism.
- 4:02He just sort of talked about it and people.
- 4:03So all that he talked about was flavored with the doctrines of grace, you could say.
- 4:08So I thought it'd be helpful to kind of give you an idea of what atonement is.
- 4:15All right.
- 4:16Since we're talking about definite atonement or particular atonement, limited atonement.
- 4:21But it comes from the Hebrew word kafur, which means to cover up one's debt or to make amends for a wrongdoing or crime.
- 4:32Originally meant to cover up with tar or pitch, but developed in meaning to cover up wrongdoing, to seal it up so that it doesn't have any more bad effects.
- 4:43All right.
- 4:44It's seen in a scenario where two parties are seriously at odds or hostile with each other due to a wrongdoing or crime committed between them.
- 4:53Those two parties remain at odds until someone willingly rushes forward and does something to kafur, like atone, makes amends for the wrong or crime committed and brings reconciliation.
- 5:05So in this case, we're talking about how we are hostile towards God, that we are enmity with God.
- 5:12We need somebody to come and, like, make atonement, to cover our debts and make the wrongdoing that we have committed against God right.
- 5:23And so that's what Christ's life and death accomplished for us, is it gave us atonement.
- 5:29He shed his blood for us to be reconciled to God.
- 5:34So this gets into our broader question here.
- 5:42So in the TULIP acronym, this is where the L is.
- 5:48We would call it limited atonement.
- 5:51And we all believe that the atonement is limited in some way.
- 5:58We either believe that it's limited in its extension or in its power.
- 6:06So if we believe that if it was meant for every single individual walking the earth, if it was meant for everyone, then it's limited in its power because it's not going to save everyone.
- 6:18We know that, right?
- 6:20Because Scripture says that.
- 6:22And we see it around us.
- 6:24We've seen lost people perish in front of our eyes.
- 6:26And so Christ's blood did not atone for that person.
- 6:32So you have to believe, if you believe it's for all people, every single person walking the planet, old, young, past, present, future, then you have to believe that it's limited in its power.
- 6:46But we would believe, or I would believe, that it is limited in its extension.
- 6:53It doesn't go to every single individual walking the planet.
- 6:57It goes exactly to who it's meant to save, which is the elect, God's people.
- 7:03And it saved them fully and completely.
- 7:06So that's where we get the term limited from.
- 7:10It means that the atonement is limited in its extension.
- 7:14It doesn't go to every single individual ever to walk the planet.
- 7:18It goes to God's people, the elect.
- 7:21So very simple, right?
- 7:24Man can't save himself.
- 7:26God, out of his grace, mercifully, chose the people.
- 7:31Now, those people have to be redeemed, right?
- 7:34Those elect have to be redeemed.
- 7:36So Jesus died for the elect.
- 7:40So that's what we would say, if that makes sense.
- 7:45It's also called definite atonement, meaning like not a potential atonement, but a definite atonement.
- 7:51It definitely bought what it was meant to buy.
- 7:55And or a particular atonement is meant particularly for a group of people.
- 8:01So that's the different ways that it's sort of framed.
- 8:05But if you change it, you can't keep tulip together, right?
- 8:08So that's why we call it limited.
- 8:10But so just pause.
- 8:14Any questions on that?
- 8:16Just from what we just talked about before we start reading some stuff.
- 8:19We're not going to read, again, as usual, every single scripture in here, but a lot of them will.
- 8:22Does that make sense about limited in extension or limited in power?
- 8:33All right.
- 8:38Okay.
- 8:39So then the next little point here is that we'll see that Christ actually died to achieve like an actual salvation.
- 8:47The scripture states, excuse me, states that Christ came not to enable men to save themselves, but to save sinners fully and completely.
- 9:00Now, what we mean by enable them to save themselves, if you remember the first time we met, we said that the semi-Pelagian view, right?
- 9:10Erasmus, meaning man is sick and God, you know, Jesus comes to man and says, hey, take my medicine and you'll be better.
- 9:20That is a cooperation.
- 9:22You see that, right?
- 9:22It is a cooperation.
- 9:23And even if Jesus, you know, did 99.9% of the work, you still contributed 1%, right?
- 9:36Like you still, therefore, you deserve a little bit of credit no matter how small it is for saving yourself, even though it's a little bit.
- 9:44It's a meet God halfway type thing, like cooperate, synergistic view of salvation,
- 9:51which was historically Roman Catholic and Arminian way of thinking.
- 9:58So we would say that's not the case.
- 10:02We say that like Christ did not come to enable men to save themselves, but to actually fully save sinners, right?
- 10:10It speaks in those terms, right?
- 10:11Look at Matthew 1.
- 10:14You shall call his, he's talking to Mary, right?
- 10:16Jesus, or the angel talking to Mary.
- 10:18You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
- 10:25And Paul gives you the idea that Christ came into the world to save sinners.
- 10:31Luke 19, for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the law.
- 10:36So that speaks of like an actual thing that happens.
- 10:38It's not, I guess, an enablement of men to do so.
- 10:42So Christ accomplishes the redemptive work that the Father sent him to do.
- 10:51This is the next point.
- 10:54As a result of Christ's suffering, his people, the elect, are reconciled to God, justified,
- 11:02and given the Holy Spirit, who regenerates and sanctifies them.
- 11:06All the blessings bought by Christ's blood are bought by Christ's blood, excuse me,
- 11:12and are secured for his people.
- 11:15So we have all these different verses that talk about what Christ's atonement achieved for us, right?
- 11:21We have justification, redemption, reconciliation with God.
- 11:26All these different verses that talk about that.
- 11:28Let's just pick one.
- 11:35About Titus 3.
- 11:37But when the goodness and love and kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us.
- 11:41So there's that, it happened.
- 11:43He saved us.
- 11:45Not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy,
- 11:51by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
- 11:54whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
- 12:00so that being justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
- 12:07So we just got to understand, like, the Father planned, the Father chose, he planned the whole thing,
- 12:15and Jesus is the one who is going to accomplish that work.
- 12:19The Father planned the work, the Son is accomplishing the work.
- 12:22Sounds like it's in one of the songs that we sing, right?
- 12:25Praise to the Son who accomplished the work.
- 12:29So all those blessings that come in redemption, Christ bought for his people, for the elect.
- 12:40That's the particular work we're talking about.
- 12:43All right, now here we get into a little bit more specific.
- 12:46I'll keep stopping periodically, but let's get through this next one before we pause again.
- 12:50All right.
- 12:53Jesus fulfills the eternal covenant.
- 12:56So meaning that all the other covenants that came before Jesus, in many ways, most of them are temporary in nature.
- 13:04The Mosaic covenant was meant to be fulfilled.
- 13:07And then now we don't live under the Mosaic law, we live under the law of Christ,
- 13:13depending on the nature of the covenant.
- 13:16But there is an eternal covenant that we have with Christ.
- 13:19It was made, and it's going to be accomplished at the end.
- 13:23It's not going to fade.
- 13:25God is going to deliver.
- 13:27So this says,
- 13:28So when was this planned?
- 13:47We kind of talked about that a little bit last time.
- 13:50This was planned before the foundation of the world.
- 13:53Not at Genesis 3.
- 13:56It was planned before the foundation of the world.
- 13:59And we see that here in all these verses.
- 14:02Two places, particularly in the Gospel of John.
- 14:07All right?
- 14:07But the first one is in the high priestly prayer in John 17.
- 14:15And we see that Jesus doesn't pray for the world.
- 14:17He actually says that.
- 14:18I'm not praying.
- 14:19But for those given him by the Father.
- 14:24So in fulfillment of the Father's charge,
- 14:27Jesus had accomplished the work he was sent to do.
- 14:30To make God known to his people and to give them eternal life.
- 14:34And so if you...
- 14:37I'm just trying to figure out some ways to save time.
- 14:40Because I know I got here late.
- 14:43Let's just start in verse 1.
- 14:45Jesus spoke these things.
- 14:46This is right before he was arrested in Gethsemane.
- 14:50And lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said,
- 14:51Father, the hour has come.
- 14:53So the hour has come for him to be arrested, beaten, and killed.
- 14:59Right?
- 15:00Glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you.
- 15:03Even as you gave him authority over all flesh.
- 15:06And here's the first time it says it.
- 15:08To all whom you have given him, he may give eternal life.
- 15:13By the way, this is a New American Standard, so I apologize.
- 15:17Which we'll be okay with tonight.
- 15:20It said,
- 15:20And this is eternal life that they may know you,
- 15:22the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
- 15:25I ask on their behalf.
- 15:28I do not ask on behalf of the world,
- 15:31but of those whom you have given me,
- 15:34for they are yours.
- 15:35Then you finally go down to verse 24.
- 15:42Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me,
- 15:46be with me where I am,
- 15:47so they may see my glory,
- 15:49in which you have given me,
- 15:50for you love me before the foundation of the world.
- 15:53So this idea that the Son existed eternally with the Father
- 15:57before the world was created.
- 15:58That's sort of a mind-blowing concept.
- 16:01And that they had a relationship,
- 16:03a loving, complete relationship,
- 16:06just dwelling in eternal glory together.
- 16:09But three times in this passage,
- 16:11he mentions those the Father gave him.
- 16:14And that's very specific.
- 16:17Right?
- 16:18And it falls right in line, what we're saying.
- 16:20It falls in line with God's elect, his people.
- 16:24And then we get the picture of the good shepherd
- 16:27in John 10.
- 16:29It says,
- 16:30Christ, the good shepherd,
- 16:31lays down his life for his sheep.
- 16:33All who are his sheep are brought into the fold
- 16:36and hear and follow his voice.
- 16:40Christ has sheep both within and without
- 16:42the fold of Israel.
- 16:44Okay?
- 16:47Yeah.
- 16:47Again, very specific terms.
- 16:50He says,
- 16:50I am the good shepherd,
- 16:51and the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.
- 16:55Kind of like to set the context for you.
- 16:57But then you go to verse 14.
- 16:59I am the good shepherd.
- 17:00I know my own,
- 17:01and my own know me.
- 17:03So who is he talking about?
- 17:06Even as the Father knows me,
- 17:07and I know the Father,
- 17:08I lay down my life for the sheep.
- 17:11And then he says,
- 17:13I have other sheep,
- 17:14which are not of this fold.
- 17:16I must bring them in also,
- 17:18and they will hear my voice,
- 17:20and they will become one flock with one shepherd.
- 17:22Now, as I mentioned that this morning,
- 17:24right, like,
- 17:25I have many people
- 17:26who are not of this flock,
- 17:28meaning Israel,
- 17:30meaning I have people outside this,
- 17:32Gentiles,
- 17:32that also need to be brought in
- 17:34so they will become one flock
- 17:36with one shepherd.
- 17:39Right?
- 17:39Then he says,
- 17:41verse 25,
- 17:45so now he's disagreeing with the Jews,
- 17:47he's fighting against them,
- 17:49they don't believe that he's the Messiah,
- 17:51and this is what he says in verse 25.
- 17:54Jesus answered them,
- 17:55I told you,
- 17:56and you do not believe
- 17:57the works that I do in my Father's name.
- 18:00These testify of me.
- 18:02Listen to what he says here,
- 18:03but you do not believe
- 18:04because you are not of my sheep.
- 18:07It's like a very,
- 18:09he doesn't say,
- 18:11in that verse,
- 18:13you're not my sheep
- 18:14because you don't believe.
- 18:16You see what he says there?
- 18:17He very carefully just says,
- 18:19the reason that you don't
- 18:21is because you don't belong to me.
- 18:24Then he contrasts.
- 18:26He contrasts to support that answer.
- 18:28He says,
- 18:28my sheep hear my voice.
- 18:30I know them,
- 18:31and they follow me,
- 18:32and I give eternal life to them,
- 18:35and they will never perish,
- 18:37and no one will snatch them
- 18:39out of my Father's hand.
- 18:40My Father who has given them to me,
- 18:42there's that idea of giving them to me,
- 18:45is greater than all,
- 18:45and no one is able to snatch them
- 18:47out of my Father's hand.
- 18:49So you see the perseverance idea there.
- 18:53So again,
- 18:53this is very specific language.
- 18:54It's not general.
- 18:55It's not like broad,
- 18:57blanket terms.
- 18:59Those that the Father has given him.
- 19:02The sheep that the Father has given him.
- 19:06So,
- 19:08pause.
- 19:09Any thoughts or questions?
- 19:12While I get a drink of body armor.
- 19:15Let's go.
- 19:44Yep, yep.
- 19:58Sure, I've heard that before too.
- 20:03I do, but I don't die first.
- 20:08I'm good.
- 20:12Yes, I've heard that before too.
- 20:15So when you use the term redeem, when you use the term ransom,
- 20:21there's an image of it in Roman culture.
- 20:25So if Rome lost a battle, they would have, or if they won a battle, they would get prisoners.
- 20:34They would collect prisoners from the opposite army, usually like their commanders, their generals, whoever it was,
- 20:42and some of their higher ranking soldiers.
- 20:45And then they would contact the losing, you know, government and say,
- 20:50hey, you want these people back?
- 20:53You've got to buy them, you know.
- 20:55And they would send a ransom.
- 20:57They would send money, an exact payment for each person.
- 21:01And they only would get back who they paid for.
- 21:03But if you want to tie it over to the Roman side of Rome lost soldiers who were captured,
- 21:08a Roman citizen could pay to ransom that particular legionary.
- 21:14And that legionary would come back.
- 21:17And that legionary would pretty much work for that person until all the debt was paid off.
- 21:22So there our analogy ends because we can never repay Christ for what he's done.
- 21:28It's like an internal debt that we will never be able to repay.
- 21:32But the point is, like, an actual transfer happened.
- 21:38There was an actual payment for an actual thing.
- 21:42And so when we connect this to the blood of Christ,
- 21:45the blood of Christ is like the currency here, right?
- 21:49It's what paid for our salvation.
- 21:52It's what ransomed us.
- 21:53We are ransomed by the blood of Christ.
- 21:56We are bought with the precious blood of Christ.
- 21:59And so you are right, Chad.
- 22:03That means then that some of that blood was just wasted.
- 22:06It's not going to obtain exactly what it was meant to obtain.
- 22:11So that's, you know, a little crazy.
- 22:15I think, imagine you're a loved one suffering the kind of death that Jesus suffered,
- 22:23just knowing that some of that would be wasted.
- 22:26Like, no.
- 22:27Like, what does it say?
- 22:30Like, that the Lord will receive the reward of his suffering.
- 22:37I'm blanking out on the verse.
- 22:38But he will receive the reward of his suffering.
- 22:44He'll get exactly what his blood purchased.
- 22:47And so, yeah, the blood of Christ is not going to be wasted.
- 22:51It'll buy exactly who it was meant to buy.
- 22:56But if it was sufficient enough to save all,
- 23:00then it would just save all.
- 23:02Be a universalist idea.
- 23:04Yeah.
- 23:08Yep.
- 23:09So, but it was always presented to me in a man-centered way.
- 23:13Does that make sense?
- 23:14It was like, what we're talking about, though, is like the blood of Jesus.
- 23:17What we're talking about is the redemptive plan of God,
- 23:19not how many, how few.
- 23:22We have to look at it that way.
- 23:23Like, what was meant by the actual atonement?
- 23:26So, all right.
- 23:32Next point.
- 23:34All blessings in Christ.
- 23:36So, Paul declares that all the spiritual blessings which the saints inherit,
- 23:41such as redemption, sonship, forgiveness of sins, etc.,
- 23:46result from being in Christ.
- 23:49And he traces the blessings back to their ultimate source in the eternal counsel of God.
- 23:55Okay.
- 23:55So, it all comes together in Jesus.
- 23:58All these blessings that we have in salvation.
- 24:00And, yeah, Ephesians 1 here.
- 24:06Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ.
- 24:11So, like, circle the in Christ here.
- 24:15I think he says it one, two, maybe three times in this passage.
- 24:21Yep.
- 24:22Three times.
- 24:22The idea of being in Christ.
- 24:26With every spiritual blessing in heavenly places, even as he chose us in him.
- 24:32I'd like to be another way of saying it.
- 24:33Maybe four times then.
- 24:34In Christ, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.
- 24:41In love, he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ,
- 24:46according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace.
- 24:51But I hope you see, like, what's going on here.
- 24:54Like, the spiritual blessings, all that the saints actually inherit, come through Jesus.
- 25:00And that was planned, again, before the foundation of the world with the eternal counsel of God.
- 25:07So, yeah.
- 25:11So, this gets into what a lot of y'all are probably wanting to talk about.
- 25:15I will admit that I'm not up to par right now.
- 25:18So, you can tell I'm already, like, slurring my speech a little bit and things like that.
- 25:24But, how, this is going to explain, we're going to talk about now,
- 25:29how Christ died for all, but yet a particular people.
- 25:34So, some passages speak of, huh, I forgot the T there, Chris.
- 25:43That's great.
- 25:44I told you I was just not with it today.
- 25:45I was like, Cara, stop beating up your sister.
- 25:49I was kind of, like, going on.
- 25:52Just add a T to that.
- 25:53Make it proper.
- 25:56Some passages speak of Christ dying for all men,
- 25:59and his saving death as saving the world.
- 26:03Yet, others speak of his dying being definite in design,
- 26:08and of his dying for a particular people,
- 26:10and securing them for salvation.
- 26:12All right, so, this deals with all the verses that talk about the world,
- 26:18all men,
- 26:20and how we ought to be able to, like, look at those things.
- 26:26So, here are some of those examples.
- 26:27Here you go.
- 26:29John 1, 29, where John the Baptist said,
- 26:33Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
- 26:37Then our famous John 3, 16,
- 26:39God so loved the world that he gave...
- 26:42Let's see.
- 26:44Verse 4 is like the verse that kind of stands out.
- 26:49It says,
- 26:50Who desires all people to be saved
- 26:53and to come to the knowledge of the truth?
- 26:57Which I'll just talk about that just in a second.
- 26:59So, a basic hermeneutic that we need to follow is...
- 27:05If you remember, if you go back to what I gave you last week,
- 27:08I gave you George Mueller's talk.
- 27:11He said that the passages that spoke for this were like so many,
- 27:16and like the ones that seemed to contradict,
- 27:19put in light of those many made sense.
- 27:21That's kind of what we're trying to do here.
- 27:23And so,
- 27:28this isn't going to be a surprise to you,
- 27:32but sometimes words actually have more than one meaning sometimes,
- 27:35depending on the context.
- 27:37I think the term God's will
- 27:40has at least eight different meanings in the Scripture,
- 27:43depending on the context.
- 27:45One may speak of his eternal,
- 27:47decreed will.
- 27:48One may talk about his desires,
- 27:50like what God desires.
- 27:52And so,
- 27:56here's one reason.
- 27:58I'm going to give you two reasons why
- 28:00these expressions are used.
- 28:01But one reason for use of the expression,
- 28:04the world, all men,
- 28:06was to correct the false notion
- 28:08that salvation was for the Jews alone.
- 28:11So, New Testament writers
- 28:13use such phrases to show
- 28:14that Christ died for all men.
- 28:16Here's our point.
- 28:17Christ died for all men
- 28:19without distinction.
- 28:22For the Jews and Gentiles alike.
- 28:25Not for all men without exception.
- 28:27You see the difference there?
- 28:28The purpose of saving each and every sinner.
- 28:32So, what we would say is that
- 28:34Christ died for all men
- 28:36without distinction,
- 28:38but not all men without exception.
- 28:41All right?
- 28:43So, God desires to have worship and praise
- 28:46from every tribe, nation, and tongue.
- 28:50The idea that Jews truly believe
- 28:53that they were the only people
- 28:55to have a standing with God
- 28:58cannot be overemphasized.
- 29:00So, they really thought
- 29:04that they were God's people alone,
- 29:07like no one else.
- 29:09And so, the New Testament writers
- 29:10are very intentional to say things like,
- 29:12yeah, the whole world,
- 29:14all nations,
- 29:15all people,
- 29:17all men.
- 29:18And that was to kind of say that,
- 29:20well, actually God's grace
- 29:22extends outside the nation
- 29:24of Israel.
- 29:25And so,
- 29:28when we're talking about the world, though,
- 29:31and all men,
- 29:32we are speaking in general terms,
- 29:35not specific terms.
- 29:36That's like what we need to see
- 29:38when we look at phrases like that.
- 29:40It says that,
- 29:42a great verse to give you an example.
- 29:46Oh, man.
- 29:47Just the beginning of the Gospel of Luke.
- 29:50It says that,
- 29:51a census went out
- 29:54from Caesar Augustus
- 29:55to the whole world.
- 29:58Did it?
- 30:00Did the Chinese
- 30:01or, you know,
- 30:03people living in North America
- 30:05at that time,
- 30:05were they a part of that census?
- 30:07No.
- 30:08Clearly not.
- 30:09They're talking about the Roman world
- 30:10is what he's referring to there.
- 30:12So,
- 30:13that's what we're trying to say here.
- 30:15So, it's not saying
- 30:16that
- 30:17Christ died
- 30:19for every single person
- 30:20in the world
- 30:20or every single man
- 30:21or woman in the world,
- 30:23but
- 30:23all people without distinction,
- 30:26not all people without exception.
- 30:28General terms,
- 30:29specific terms.
- 30:31So, I know that
- 30:32we should look at 1 Timothy.
- 30:33That was one that I
- 30:34saw
- 30:37for at least a good
- 30:38year or so
- 30:40is feeling like
- 30:40it was just contradictory.
- 30:43But,
- 30:44very simply put,
- 30:46if you rewind
- 30:47to verse 1,
- 30:48Paul says,
- 30:51first of all,
- 30:54then,
- 30:54I urge you
- 30:55the supplication,
- 30:56prayers,
- 30:57intercessions,
- 30:57and thanksgiving
- 30:58be made for all people.
- 31:00So, underline all people.
- 31:02Right?
- 31:04For kings
- 31:04and for all
- 31:05in high positions
- 31:06that they may lead
- 31:07a peaceful
- 31:08and quiet life,
- 31:09godly and dignified
- 31:10in every way.
- 31:11This is good
- 31:12and pleasing
- 31:12in the sight of God
- 31:13our Savior
- 31:14who desires
- 31:15all people
- 31:16to be saved
- 31:17and come to
- 31:17the knowledge
- 31:18of the truth.
- 31:19So, I'm going to
- 31:19like turn it over
- 31:20on you.
- 31:22Who is
- 31:23the all people here?
- 31:26What do you think?
- 31:34What do you think?
- 31:38See in verse 1,
- 31:39maybe?
- 31:40Hint, hint.
- 31:40All types of people.
- 31:45Yep.
- 31:46From kings
- 31:47to slaves
- 31:48to different types
- 31:49of people
- 31:50is who he's referring to.
- 31:52That we should
- 31:52make prayers,
- 31:54intercessions,
- 31:55and thanksgiving
- 31:55for all of them.
- 31:57For even kings
- 31:57in high positions
- 31:59that pray they
- 31:59would rule well,
- 32:01etc.
- 32:02And this is why.
- 32:03Because God desires
- 32:04for all types of people.
- 32:05All men.
- 32:08But he gives you
- 32:08an example
- 32:09of what that is.
- 32:11So,
- 32:13and again,
- 32:13if God's will
- 32:15is final,
- 32:16then if he desires
- 32:17all people
- 32:18to be saved,
- 32:19guess what?
- 32:19All people
- 32:20will be saved.
- 32:21It's not a,
- 32:22his will is not
- 32:23going to sort of
- 32:23be thwarted
- 32:24by anything
- 32:26at that point.
- 32:27So,
- 32:29that's how we
- 32:30would read that
- 32:30as speaking
- 32:31to all types
- 32:32of people.
- 32:33God desires
- 32:34all types
- 32:34of people
- 32:35to be saved.
- 32:36So,
- 32:37that's a general
- 32:38term
- 32:38and not a specific
- 32:39term.
- 32:39If it was specific,
- 32:40it would be like,
- 32:41yeah,
- 32:42every single person
- 32:43walking the planet.
- 32:45Past,
- 32:45present,
- 32:46future.
- 32:49Then,
- 32:49next,
- 32:52or,
- 32:53bring it in
- 32:54for a landing here
- 32:54and we'll have
- 32:55some other
- 32:55things to look at.
- 32:56there are many
- 33:00other passages
- 33:01that speak
- 33:01of Christ's
- 33:02saving work
- 33:02in definite
- 33:03terms.
- 33:04So,
- 33:05both of these
- 33:06are true.
- 33:07General terms,
- 33:08like the ones
- 33:08we just read,
- 33:09and then
- 33:10specific terms.
- 33:12Definite terms
- 33:13show that
- 33:13it was intended
- 33:14to infallibly
- 33:16save a particular
- 33:17people,
- 33:18namely,
- 33:19the elect,
- 33:20his bride,
- 33:21the church,
- 33:22those whom
- 33:23the Father
- 33:23has given him,
- 33:24etc.
- 33:25The scripture
- 33:25continually
- 33:26testifies
- 33:27that the Messiah
- 33:28would come
- 33:29and definitely
- 33:29save his people,
- 33:31not to possibly
- 33:33save everyone.
- 33:35Right?
- 33:35Here you go.
- 33:38Matthew 26 there.
- 33:41And when Jesus
- 33:41had taken the cup
- 33:42and given thanks,
- 33:43he gave it to them
- 33:44and said,
- 33:45Drink from it,
- 33:46all of you,
- 33:47for this is my blood,
- 33:48the blood of the covenant,
- 33:49which is poured out
- 33:50for many
- 33:51for the forgiveness
- 33:53of sins.
- 33:55All right?
- 33:56Acts 20,
- 33:5728.
- 33:57This one is,
- 33:58kind of hits
- 33:59what Chad just said.
- 34:01Paul's warning
- 34:01the pastors,
- 34:03challenging the pastors
- 34:04at Ephesus,
- 34:05the elders there.
- 34:06He says,
- 34:07Be on guard
- 34:07for yourselves
- 34:08and for your flock,
- 34:10among which
- 34:10the Holy Spirit
- 34:11has made you overseers
- 34:13to shepherd the church
- 34:14of God,
- 34:15which he purchased
- 34:16with his own blood.
- 34:18See that?
- 34:19Like it was
- 34:19an actual purchase
- 34:21that happened
- 34:21and that currency
- 34:22was the blood
- 34:23of Jesus.
- 34:25So he purchased
- 34:26the church.
- 34:28And of course,
- 34:28Ephesians 5,
- 34:30which is secondly
- 34:32about marriage,
- 34:33but primarily
- 34:34about Christ's
- 34:34relationship
- 34:35with the church.
- 34:35But very clearly,
- 34:37Jesus died
- 34:38for his bride,
- 34:39not a potential bride.
- 34:42He died for the bride.
- 34:45Right?
- 34:45Gave himself up
- 34:46for her.
- 34:49Then Hebrews 9, 15.
- 34:51Therefore,
- 34:52he is the mediator
- 34:53of a new covenant
- 34:54so that those
- 34:56who are called
- 34:57may receive
- 34:58the promised
- 34:59eternal inheritance.
- 35:00since the death
- 35:02has occurred
- 35:02that redeems them
- 35:03from the transgressions
- 35:04committed under
- 35:05the first covenant.
- 35:07All right?
- 35:09So,
- 35:11any other questions?
- 35:16Thoughts?
- 35:18Get my Bible up
- 35:19for this.
- 35:19Do lost.
- 35:37Do lost.
- 35:38All that's important with you about that procession and that analogy in regards to the way that we're going to bring down our attention.
- 35:51But that's a huge amount of time.
- 35:56Yeah.
- 35:56But in freedom here, you're going to display it and replace it.
- 36:03Yeah.
- 36:05Yeah.
- 36:08It points back to the reality of Christ.
- 36:12Mm-hmm.
- 36:13And that's very specific.
- 36:15Yeah, it is.
- 36:16And the thinking of it is very specific.
- 36:19Mm-hmm.
- 36:20Yeah.
- 36:21Yeah.
- 36:26Mm-hmm.
- 36:27Yeah.
- 36:30Yeah, I mean, all this goes to this idea of a lot of the time when the term slave is used in the New Testament,
- 36:37and it's used as doulos.
- 36:38It's talking about like this bond servant, someone who is tied to somebody for life.
- 36:44And in one way, that's freeing if you have the perfect master, right?
- 36:49And so it mirrors our relationship with God, which Paul picks up on that.
- 36:55We are now slaves of Christ, like doulos.
- 36:58There's a picture there.
- 37:00And it just goes along with like once Christ buys us, like we are his, and we want to be his.
- 37:09There's a heart change that's there.
- 37:11So I thought it might be worth it if you want to take your Bible.
- 37:18I don't have this on the paper.
- 37:20But turn over to 1 Peter chapter 3.
- 37:28So, yeah, but I mean, any other thoughts, any other questions before we just sort of look at this?
- 37:33Yes.
- 37:34I have a question.
- 37:36I understand that there is a question in the first thing you want to write.
- 37:44I think like in English we have some limitations with a couple of these verses like innovation five.
- 37:52So that's the thing that I think is better.
- 37:54I think there is a couple of different conversations.
- 37:57Yeah.
- 37:58How would you, like for somebody who would want to argue that there is a level of push?
- 38:03Is there any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those any of those
- 38:33Yeah.
- 38:37Yeah.
- 38:42Look it up for fun.
- 38:46The Greek word.
- 38:49Looking at the Hebrew word, we'll never find it.
- 38:56No, I mean, I think if you wanted to probably replace it,
- 39:01I'm going to confirm that.
- 39:02But for the purpose of so that he would is what I think I would probably say there.
- 39:12So here we go.
- 39:15So that he would idea, not just that he potentially could.
- 39:20It actually means, I mean, just the phrase.
- 39:32So it's a phrase and not a word.
- 39:34It's not just the Greek equivalent of might.
- 39:38It's like that he might.
- 39:39It means like to separate from profane things and dedicate to God.
- 39:47It means to purify, to consecrate things to God.
- 39:51So you're basically saying like he died for her for the purpose of consecrating her,
- 39:59for the purpose of purifying her.
- 40:02Yeah.
- 40:07Sometimes.
- 40:08Yeah.
- 40:10I'm thankful.
- 40:11I mean, actually, as, you know, Tyndale found out, like the English language is a very rich language
- 40:18and does pretty well at translating a lot of things.
- 40:21But there are all those moments where that might not have been the best word for that.
- 40:28But, yeah, it's not, it's a verb, right, to cleanse, to cleanse somebody.
- 40:35So, yep.
- 40:39So, so basically, yeah, we're saying that Christ died for his bride so that he might set her apart for himself.
- 40:48Right.
- 40:49The goal.
- 40:51In order to, so that.
- 40:58Anything else?
- 41:06Are we seeing how this all sort of connects?
- 41:08Like there's the elect and the father chose and the son then dies for those people.
- 41:18This is one, if you want to look at, still not there yet.
- 41:23Second Peter chapter three.
- 41:28Okay, I'm just, my pages are sticking.
- 41:32This is one that I also struggle with.
- 41:34So, really, it was like, I think I, when I was working through this, I was, I felt like I had to let go of those sort of texts that said,
- 41:43the world, all men, because that made sense.
- 41:45Like, okay, yeah, he's speaking in general terms.
- 41:47Deal.
- 41:48I get it.
- 41:49And then there was the first Timothy passage that we read.
- 41:52I failed to mention that later on in first Timothy, that same place we read where he desires all men to be saved.
- 41:58He actually says that he endures all things for the sake of the elect, like not long after that.
- 42:03So, he kind of defines who that is.
- 42:05But, yeah, so, we get to first Peter three.
- 42:13And the controversial verse, one that I was looking at before.
- 42:16I don't say this is a hard one, but I think it does make sense once we kind of like apply what we're hearing, what we know, and put it here.
- 42:24But it says in verse 9,
- 42:30The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient towards you, not wishing that any should perish, but for all.
- 42:43But, excuse me, I'm thinking in the New American Standard again.
- 42:46But that all should reach repentance.
- 42:49All right, so, that verse seems to jump out and be like, wait a minute.
- 42:55It says here clearly that God doesn't want anybody to perish.
- 42:59He's not willing that anybody should perish.
- 43:01He wants all to come to repentance.
- 43:05And I think my problem, when I was introduced to this verse throughout a lot of my life, it was just sort of thrown out there.
- 43:15God's not willing to perish, not for coming to repentance.
- 43:16And I'm like, yep, yep.
- 43:19I actually never studied 2 Peter, never studied chapter 1, 2, or 3.
- 43:24And so, if we know what 2 Peter is about, and it's about him saying that false teachers, false prophets are coming,
- 43:33like the entire part of chapter 2 is about that.
- 43:38So, yeah, and actually, if you go to 2 Peter chapter 1, real quick, flip over there.
- 43:46He mentions in verse 10,
- 43:49Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election,
- 43:54for if you practice these qualities, you will never fail.
- 43:58So, he's already mentioned this idea that there's an elect people in this verse.
- 44:03So, then he's warning, like, look, the false teachers are coming.
- 44:10It's like, they're coming.
- 44:12They're going to be there.
- 44:13They're going to try to corrupt the gospel.
- 44:15Some intentionally, some unintentionally.
- 44:17Some just being careless.
- 44:19But he basically says that they will face condemnation one day,
- 44:24and that, you know, persecution is sort of coming,
- 44:28which he wrote about in this first letter, right?
- 44:29So, if you get to chapter 3, in light of that big shadow,
- 44:33there's going to be a lot of ungodliness and false teachers.
- 44:41Then, he gets into the second part, and he's talking about how,
- 44:45don't worry, like, the Lord will return.
- 44:48The day of the Lord is coming.
- 44:49It will come.
- 44:51And he actually says that.
- 44:52And now, in the second letter that I'm writing to you,
- 44:55so there's 1 Peter, 2 Peter,
- 44:58I wish to stir up as a way of reminder
- 45:01that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets
- 45:05and commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles,
- 45:10knowing this, first of all, that scoffers will come
- 45:12in the last days with scoffing,
- 45:15following their own sinful desires.
- 45:18They will say, where is the promise of his coming?
- 45:20For ever since the fathers fell asleep,
- 45:23all these things are continuing,
- 45:25as they were from the beginning of creation.
- 45:29For they deliberately overlooked this fact,
- 45:31that the heavens existed long ago,
- 45:33and the earth was formed out of the water,
- 45:37through water, by the word of God.
- 45:41And that, by means of these,
- 45:44the world then existed,
- 45:46was deluged with water and perished.
- 45:48He's talking about the flood.
- 45:49So, basically, let me paraphrase that.
- 45:54He's saying that these scoffers are going to come back.
- 45:55Oh, yeah, well, where's God?
- 45:57Like, you say he's going to come back.
- 45:59Like, ha, ha, no, he's not.
- 46:00It's like continued on like this since the beginning of the world.
- 46:03Nothing's changed.
- 46:04It's going to keep going the way it is.
- 46:06And he's reminding them,
- 46:08oh, that's what they said to Noah
- 46:10when he was building the ark.
- 46:12And then, guess what?
- 46:13God's judgment came.
- 46:14So, like, they mocked Noah.
- 46:16They scoffed at him.
- 46:17And then God's judgment came in the form of the flood.
- 46:20So, he's saying, like, yeah,
- 46:21they did that back then, too.
- 46:24Don't worry.
- 46:24Like, God will come.
- 46:26Jesus will return.
- 46:27Don't be discouraged.
- 46:29All right?
- 46:30But they're saying, like,
- 46:33why hasn't he come back yet?
- 46:35Right?
- 46:35Why has he not come back for us?
- 46:39And then you look at verse 7.
- 46:43But by that same word,
- 46:44the heavens and the earth that now exist
- 46:46are stored up for fire being kept
- 46:48until the day of judgment
- 46:50and destruction of the ungodly.
- 46:52Meaning that that's going to come.
- 46:54All right?
- 46:55But do not overlook this one fact, beloved.
- 46:58That with the Lord,
- 46:59one day is a thousand years.
- 47:01And a thousand years is one day.
- 47:03So, meaning, like,
- 47:04I know that it feels like it's going to,
- 47:06it's taking forever.
- 47:08Like, in your world,
- 47:09in your mind,
- 47:09it seems like God is taking forever
- 47:11for these things to come to pass.
- 47:12But it's not to God.
- 47:14Like, it's not to his plan.
- 47:15Like, he's right on time.
- 47:16So, it comes across to us as slowness.
- 47:22Right?
- 47:22Like, God is being slow to fulfill his promise.
- 47:25Right?
- 47:27Then it says in verse 9,
- 47:28it says that the Lord is not slow
- 47:29to fulfill his promise,
- 47:31as some count slowness,
- 47:33but is patient towards you,
- 47:36not willing that any should perish,
- 47:37but for all to come to repentance.
- 47:41Okay?
- 47:41So, the key word here is any.
- 47:49So, does any mean all?
- 47:54We have to figure out what the,
- 47:56is it the suffix?
- 47:58Nope.
- 47:58I think about the right grammatical word here.
- 48:01What does any connect to?
- 48:05Antecedent?
- 48:05Is that right?
- 48:06Any Greek people,
- 48:07or grammar people here?
- 48:09No.
- 48:09Yeah.
- 48:11So, basically,
- 48:12we're trying to find out
- 48:13who does any refer to?
- 48:15Alright?
- 48:17Now, if you are
- 48:18a semi-Pelagian,
- 48:21or Arminian,
- 48:23you are saying
- 48:24that any means all people.
- 48:26Like, you're saying
- 48:27that, like, God is waiting
- 48:28because he doesn't want
- 48:29anyone to perish.
- 48:31Right?
- 48:33That's odd
- 48:34because this whole chapter
- 48:35is about people perishing.
- 48:38You see that?
- 48:40The whole passage
- 48:41is about God
- 48:42judging the ungodly.
- 48:43So, he's not waiting
- 48:45for those people.
- 48:46So, who is he waiting for?
- 48:50What does it say
- 48:51in the same verse?
- 48:52Look at the other pronouns
- 48:53used there.
- 48:57Any is connected to you.
- 49:01Us.
- 49:02Right?
- 49:03Okay?
- 49:03So, who's the us?
- 49:06The people that Peter's writing to.
- 49:08He's writing to the church,
- 49:09the believers.
- 49:11And, in short,
- 49:13what we would say
- 49:13is God is not willing
- 49:15that any of his elect
- 49:17should perish,
- 49:18but for all of them
- 49:19to reach repentance.
- 49:21And that is why
- 49:22God is tarrying.
- 49:24He is waiting
- 49:24to bring in the full number
- 49:26of God's people
- 49:28scattered abroad,
- 49:29which we just read about
- 49:29in John.
- 49:31To bring in that full number.
- 49:32Because he cannot be waiting
- 49:34for every single individual
- 49:35because we know
- 49:35that not every single individual
- 49:37is going to be saved.
- 49:39He's long-suffering
- 49:40towards you.
- 49:42Another translation says
- 49:43long-suffering
- 49:44towards us.
- 49:46Right?
- 49:47I think that's
- 49:48New American Standard
- 49:49might say that.
- 49:51The Lord is not slow
- 49:52to fulfill his promise.
- 49:53He is patient
- 49:53towards you.
- 49:55He is long-suffering
- 49:56towards us.
- 49:58Is there another way
- 49:59to say that?
- 49:59And the us
- 50:01is the saved people,
- 50:03the people of God.
- 50:04He waits for them
- 50:05to be saved.
- 50:07So that is his patience,
- 50:08is his forbearing.
- 50:10So the any here
- 50:10refers to the us
- 50:12or the you
- 50:13if you have
- 50:14the New English Standard Version.
- 50:17That's what I would say
- 50:18this,
- 50:19I think this means
- 50:20just on its face,
- 50:21you know,
- 50:21just by looking at
- 50:22the context.
- 50:26That the you,
- 50:27the us
- 50:28refers to the any.
- 50:29That's who it tells us
- 50:30the any is.
- 50:31But then he goes back
- 50:32and kind of gets back
- 50:33to the judgment.
- 50:33The day of the Lord
- 50:34will come like a thief.
- 50:36Then the heavens
- 50:36will pass away
- 50:37with a roar
- 50:38and the heavenly bodies
- 50:39will be turned up
- 50:39and dissolved
- 50:40and the earth
- 50:42and all its works
- 50:43that are done on
- 50:44will be exposed.
- 50:46So,
- 50:47that's what we would say
- 50:49that means.
- 50:52You can disagree,
- 50:53it's okay,
- 50:54but I think
- 50:55just on his face
- 50:56that's who we're
- 50:56talking about.
- 50:58And if you put
- 50:59that in light
- 51:00of all the other
- 51:00passages that we're
- 51:01talking about,
- 51:01it makes sense
- 51:02to me.
- 51:08Anything?
- 51:10Questions?
- 51:10Questions?
- 51:11Yeah.
- 51:11Yeah.
- 51:34Yeah.
- 51:35Well,
- 51:36I mean,
- 51:36again,
- 51:37the question to ask him
- 51:38is,
- 51:38well,
- 51:38is the whole world going to be atoned for then?
- 51:41So if Christ actually propitiated the sins of the whole world,
- 51:48if he means the world in the sense that he's trying to say,
- 51:52that means that Christ made an actual atonement for everyone.
- 51:56That leads to universalism.
- 51:59And as we're saying, again, just going back to what John said in his gospel, right,
- 52:03that the world just means all types of people, all Jews and Gentiles.
- 52:07It means, you know, it doesn't just mean Israel.
- 52:14And John was very specific to say that,
- 52:15because look at all the different fights that Jesus got into with the Jews
- 52:19about who is God's people.
- 52:23You know, we are the children of Abraham.
- 52:25You know, those sort of arguments that he got into.
- 52:27So it was very intentional to say a general term like the world,
- 52:31meaning all types of people, all nations, all languages,
- 52:34but not that the world itself is not a specific term.
- 52:39It's a general term.
- 52:40That's what I would say.
- 52:42Because, again, the flip of that is, like, everyone's sin has been propitiated.
- 52:46Or, going back to what Chad said, like, or it didn't save everybody.
- 52:50Like, a lot of it was sort of wasted, right?
- 52:54You ever paid a lot of money for something that was important
- 52:57and then, like, didn't really get the product that you paid for?
- 53:00Sort of like a, God doesn't do that.
- 53:02Like, God's not wasteful like that with the blood of his son.
- 53:07If you want to tie that into his omniscience,
- 53:10he wouldn't allow that to happen anyway.
- 53:12So, yeah, that's what I would say.
- 53:14Does that make sense?
- 53:14Yeah.
- 53:32Yeah.
- 53:33Yeah.
- 53:50Yeah.
- 53:52Yeah.
- 53:55Yeah.
- 53:58Purgatory.
- 53:59Purgatory.
- 54:01Yeah.
- 54:02I mean, for those of you who don't know me, well, it was a joke.
- 54:05Sorry.
- 54:06I shouldn't joke about that.
- 54:07But it just makes a lot of sense when you look at the language surrounding ransom, redeemed, atoned,
- 54:16that it was a specific thing that happened.
- 54:18It got exactly what it was meant to get.
- 54:21And that the blood of Jesus was not spilt needlessly for a potential people, but an actual people.
- 54:29And it ties right into God's election.
- 54:33It ties into the idea that man can't save himself or even kind of add anything to God's salvation.
- 54:39So, all sort of connects.
- 54:44To which, next week, we'll talk about, like, the Spirit's role in salvation.
- 54:50So, he takes the elect and those that Jesus accomplished the work for.
- 54:59And the Spirit applies that work, applies the work of Jesus to the individual.
- 55:04So, Jesus accomplishes it.
- 55:05The Spirit takes it and applies it to those people.
- 55:09Regenerates them.
- 55:10Gives them a new heart.
- 55:12Makes them a new creation.
- 55:14That idea.
- 55:15So, yeah.
- 55:18Any other questions or thoughts?
- 55:26You know, I'm hard to hear this.
- 55:27I'm leaning in this way.
- 55:28I'm looking at you.
- 55:29I guess, like, what is the benefit in, like, trying to fully define this phenomenon?
- 55:41Instead of saying that, like, the offer of salvation is sent to everyone, but not everyone to the faith.
- 55:48And you destroy it.
- 55:49Practical.
- 55:50Okay.
- 55:50Yep.
- 55:50But, I would say that, like, knowing, for the believer to know that Jesus built his blood for them is of immense importance.
- 56:04It makes you aware.
- 56:07It humbles you.
- 56:08Like, the same way that election does.
- 56:09Like, why me?
- 56:10Like, why did the blood of Jesus apply to me?
- 56:14Like, I am unworthy.
- 56:15I have nothing to bring, nothing to offer.
- 56:18Like, why would Christ shed his blood for me?
- 56:21So, it's very, it's a very, like, personal thing.
- 56:26Like, all this stuff is not just cool theological language.
- 56:30I mean, it's saying that, like, Christ died for his bride.
- 56:33We all love a good love story.
- 56:35Christ died for his bride.
- 56:38You know?
- 56:38He died for us.
- 56:39Like, his people.
- 56:41And for us to kind of let that fall in our hearts and not move us is a grace problem.
- 56:46Like, we have to, Christ died to purchase us with his own blood.
- 56:51And that should mean something to all of us.
- 56:53Like, it humbles us.
- 56:55Again, it's the why me explanation.
- 56:57And we can be assured, too.
- 57:01Like, because guess what?
- 57:02Christ's blood will save us fully.
- 57:06Like, it's a part of our assurance.
- 57:07Like, if he actually paid for our sin, if he actually died and brought a right atonement for our sin, then we will be with him one day.
- 57:16Like, our sin is done, covered with.
- 57:18So, to understand that the atonement was an actual thing to happen, not a potential one, gives us assurance.
- 57:25Like, good.
- 57:27It gives us peace that we are going to, in fact, be saved one day fully and completely.
- 57:34So, that's why it's important to me.
- 57:37It means that it just should create gratitude and joy for what Christ has done.
- 57:46But again, it leaves us sort of saying, like, I didn't contribute anything to this.
- 57:51Why me?
- 57:52Like, I don't know.
- 57:52I stink.
- 57:53I'm awful.
- 57:55Like, why would Christ die for a wretched person like me?
- 57:57I don't get it.
- 57:59And that's the point, though, isn't it?
- 58:01Grace, right?
- 58:02So, that's why I would say that it is important.
- 58:05And because we're seeing it everywhere in the Scripture, and, like, God's not uttering nonsense.
- 58:11Like, he wants us to see that for a reason.
- 58:14He's honing out this idea that our sins have been atoned for as his people.
- 58:22So, that stirs the affections of his people, his bride.
- 58:27So, that's what I would say, I guess.
- 58:28Yes.
- 58:32Yep.
- 58:36Anything else?
- 58:40I apologize for being late again.
- 58:43Sorry for no cool pictures and diagrams.
- 58:47But, I will pray for us, and I'll hang out.
- 58:52Again, we have some extra copies here.
- 58:54If you know somebody who wasn't here, and you're going to see them later, just grab one for them.
- 58:57But, let's pray together.