Understanding Predestination (Part 3) – The Nature of Christ’s Work

© Eric M Schumacher – Preached September 18, 2011 at Northbrook Baptist Church, Cedar Rapids

(Audio will be made available here.) 
(This is Part 3 of a series. See Part 1, Part 2.)
(There is more addressed in the audio than in the prepared manuscript.)

Club-Hoppers or Cliff-Jumpers?

If you’re like me, upon first hearing the doctrine of election, it is easy to form the wrong mental picture. Too often, we think of election as a doctrine of exclusion, rather than a doctrine of gracious salvation.

We think of God as a big, burly bouncer in shades, standing behind velvet ropes at the entrance of a dance club called “Heaven.” At those ropes there is a crowd, a line of people, all of them wanting to go in. God, the bouncer, looks down his nose at each person, perhaps checks the list on his clip-board, and then proceeds to reject some and turn them away. Occasionally, he unclips the rope and lets a lucky soul in. If that is how you think of election, you’ve got the wrong picture. Nothing could be further from the truth.

A better picture is to think of humanity as a massive heard of lemmings—wild, mangy, rabid lemmings—running full-steam toward a cliff over which they plunge into an abyss of unquenchable fire. For that is what we are—and worse—according to Ephesians 2:1-3. We are born dead in the trespasses and sins in which we walk. We freely and willfully follow the world, the devil and our flesh to our destruction. We deserve our end. And, God would be perfectly fair and just to allow us to continue on that path.

But, God, being rich in mercy, chooses to love some of these lemmings with a great love, goes after them, claims them as his own, and so changes them that they love him and want to live for him.

The Question

Given that what we have seen about the nature of man and the nature of election are true, a natural question follows: How does Christ’s work relate to predestination?

I want us to turn to the Scripture to answer the question: What is the nature of Christ’s work—its intent and effect? In other words, we will ask two questions:

1) What is the intent of Christ’s work?

How does the Bible present the intent and design of Christ’s work? Is Christ’s work presented as a work intended and designed to provide salvation for every individual person that ever lived? Or, is the intent and design of Christ’s work to secure the salvation of a particular people—namely, the elect (whom we discussed last week)?

2) What does Christ’s work actually accomplish?

Does it effect a certain and sure result? Does it guarantee a certain outcome? Does it actually save people? Or, does it make salvation possible but not certain? Did Jesus Christ die to make salvation a hypothetical possibility or an actual certainty?

Here is how the Bible consistently answers those two questions:

(1) Christ’s work was intended to save his people in particular.

(2) Christ accomplished actual, certain salvation for his people; as a result, they are saved.

We will see that atonement is efficacious substitution—the substitute of the one in the place of the many which effects a certain and sure result.

“Atonement is God’s works on sinners’ behalf to reconcile them to himself” (New Dictionary of Biblical Theology).

The Promised Suffering Servant

In one of the most famous passages of Old Testament Scripture, Isaiah 53, the prophet Isaiah speaks of the one whom we know as “The Suffering Servant.” It is a passage that speaks clearly of the atoning work that Christ will do on the cross (4-6):

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Doesn’t “us all” imply every person? Again, we must interpret such phrases in their context.

In Isaiah, as a book, this passage is directed toward the remnant that the Lord is promising to save—every one of them. But, even within these verses, we see that those—those for whom he bore griefs, carried sorrows, and was stricken, smitten and afflicted—are those who are brought peace by his chastisement and healed by his stripes. His sin-bearing work actually saves everyone whose sin he bore.

The remainder of the chapter bears this out. Consider verses 7-8:

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?

For whose transgression was he stricken? It was “for the transgression of my people.” We may be tempted to think “my people” refers only to Israel and Judah. But, we have done too much biblical theology in Galatians and in our last sermon on election for that restriction. For as Paul says in Romans 9:25-26, those who were once called “not my people” will be called “my people” and “sons of the living God.” God’s people are all those that are saved, who actually become God’s people—those God calls from the Gentiles and the Jews. And it is their transgression that Christ bears.

And consider the effects of his work in 9-12:

And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 

Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 

Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

In verse 11, the Lord says, “He shall bear their iniquities.” To whom does “their” refer? It refers back in the sentence to the “many” that he makes “to be accounted righteous.” To be accounted righteous is to be justified, to be declared just by God and have your sins forgiven. It is to be saved. And it is the iniquities of these—those accounted righteous—whose sins Christ bears.

And this is why Christ will “see and be satisfied”—for this work shall certainly accomplish its intended effect, which is to save his people. (Could he be satisfied if the majority of those for whom he died then died in their sins?)

And see what God will do in verse 12. He will divide with Christ a portion with these people—“the many”—because he was numbered with the transgressors, making intercession for them; he “bore the sin of many.” “The many” he intercedes for are “the many” with whom the portion is divided.

So to answer our two questions:

What was the intent of Christ’s work? To save his people.

What did Christ’s work accomplish? The actual, certain salvation of his people.

Isaiah was looking forward to a Suffering Servant who would die as a substitute for God’s people, bearing their sin, and actually securing redemption, forgiveness and salvation-blessings for them, a purpose in which he would not fail.

Atonement in the Gospels

Is this, however, consistent with the message of the New Testament? Is this how the Gospel writers portray Jesus? Is this how Jesus understood his own mission? Is this how the Apostles interpreted and applied the work of Christ in their Gospels?

The New Testament opens with the pronouncement of the arrival of Jesus. In Luke 1:68, after the birth of his son, John the Baptist, Zechariah “was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people.” This redemption is so certain, he speaks of it as having already been accomplished—the Lord “has visited and redeemed his people.”

And this redemption is no mere physical fulfillment of nationalistic promises. For, in speaking of his son’s role as forerunner of the Messiah, he clarifies the nature of this certain redemption—“for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins.” The certain redemption that comes in Christ is in the forgiveness of the sins of his people.

Likewise, in Matthew 1:20-21, an angel appeared to Joseph, Mary’s husband, to assure him that Mary’s child was of the Holy Spirit. He instructs Joseph in how to name the child: “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Why is he to be called “Jesus?” Because “he will save his people from their sins.”

What can we say about this salvation? 

First, it is salvation from sin. Christ is coming to save people from their sin by providing forgiveness.

Second, it is absolutely certain. The angel does not say that he will “possibly save” or “probably save” or “potentially save” or “hypothetically save under the right circumstances.” But rather, “he will.” It is a certainty that Christ will save. But, who will he save?

Third, notice the particularity of the salvation. He will save “his people.” This cannot mean physical Israel—for we know with certainty that not every individual Israelite is saved (for example, Judas). Rather, he will save “his people”—those given to him by the Father.

Conclusion: And so in the announcements of Christ’s birth, we can answer our questions in a way that is consistent with the Old Testament expectations: What was the intent of Christ’s work? To save his people. What did Christ’s work accomplish? The actual, certain salvation of his people.

Jesus’ Understanding of His Mission

But, is this consistent with Jesus’ understanding of his own mission?

What we saw when we worked through the Gospel of John was that Jesus understood his mission to be the salvation of a particular people (those the Father had given to him) and this was a mission he would accomplish with certainty. (I would encourage you to listen to the sermons on each of these passages for a more thorough understanding.)

In John 6:37-40, Jesus says:

…I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.

And in John 10, Jesus speaks about who he is dying for. In verses 11 and 15, “the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” And, he can even say in verses 25-26, “you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” Some don’t believe because they aren’t his sheep. He lays down his life for the sheep.

In John 13:1, we read of Christ’s particular love for those the Father gave to him: “when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”

And, with this in mind, as the High Priest prepares to offer himself as a sacrifice, he prays in this way in John 17:

Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

The Father gave Jesus all authority in order that Jesus might give eternal life—the knowledge of God in Christ—to all those the Father had given to him. And so he prays for his disciples in verse 9: “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.”

And not only for his present disciples, but he prays in verse 20: “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word...” Jesus is praying and dying for these particular people—those that the Father has given to him, who he will give eternal life to, who the Father will draw to him, who will believe in him.

And this is consistent with how Jesus presents his death in the other Gospels. He echoes the language of Isaiah 53, when he says (Mark 10:45; Matt 20:28): “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

And, at the Lord’s Supper (Mark 14:24): “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.”

Conclusion: And so we see that Jesus answers the questions the same way the Prophets did. What was the intent of Christ’s work? To save a particular people—those the Father had given to him. What did Christ’s work actually accomplish? It accomplished something sure and certain: he loses none but gives them all eternal life.

Atonement in the Epistles

Is this understanding of Christ’s work what we see in the Apostle’s writings? It is.

Paul frequently speaks of Christ dying for a particular people. Ephesians 5:25—Christ died for his bride, the church. Writing to the believers in the churches in Galatia (Galatians 1:3)—Christ “gave himself for our sins to deliver us.” Examples could be multiplied.

Romans 8

In Romans 8:32, Paul writes, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” God gave up his own son “for us all.” Who is “us” in that sentence? It can be no broader than the “us” in the rest of the passage.

In verse 31, “God is for us,” therefore none can be against “us.” In verse 32, God will certainly give all things (all blessings of salvation) to the “us”—the same us for whom Christ died. There can be none for whom Christ died that are not also finally given every good thing.

In verse 33, the “us” whom no one can be against are identified—“God’s elect,” whom he “justifies.” They cannot be condemned because, in verse 34, Christ Jesus died, rose and is interceding for “us.” There can be none that he died for who are not ultimately “justified” and interceded for.

And, based on all this, in verse 35, no one and no thing can separate “us” from the love of Christ. Yes, in verse 37, “we” (who are the “us”) are more than conquerors through him who loved “us.” Therefore, in verses 38-39, nothing—no nothing—in all creation can separate “us” from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The “us” for whom God gave his Son can be no broader than the “us” and “we” who are justified, graciously given all things, and unable to be separated from God’s love. The text allows no room for someone that Christ was given for being separated from God, condemned and ultimately not given “all things.” Paul’s understanding that Christ was given for a particular people is the rock-solid foundation of his comfort and security in every situation.

2 Corinthians 5

In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul writes “we have concluded this: that one has died for all.” It seems simple—he died for “all.” But what does Paul conclude? “One has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”

Paul makes a similar point in Romans 6:3-11, where he also states: “Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” Put these together: Everyone that Christ died for has also died. Everyone who has died with Christ will also live with him. Therefore, everyone whom Christ died for will live with him. Every person will not ultimately live with Christ. Therefore, the “all” that Christ died for is not every person—but all his people.

What Salvation Is

Paul speaks with such certainty, not simple because he knows that God will bring his elect to trust in Christ (which he will), but because of what he understands actually happened at the cross.

The question comes down to what actually was accomplished when Christ died. What are “redemption” and “reconciliation” and “propitiation” and “expiation” and “atonement?” Are they hypotheticals made possible by Christ’s death—or did they actually happen in his death?

Reconciliation is the establishing of peace between two parties.  In Romans 5, Paul speaks of our being “reconciled to God” at Christ’s death.

“Christ died for us…while were still sinners.” Similarly, “we were reconciled to God by the death of his son…while we were enemies.” Christ’s death, apart from any present response in those for whom he was dying, actually accomplished something at the cross—he actually reconciled those he was dying for to God at that point, guaranteeing their future justification and salvation.

Reconciliation is not something Christ made possible, but actual. There is none for whom Christ died who are not reconciled to God. Therefore, his death is accomplishes a sure salvation for a particular people.

Redemption is “the effective securement of release by price and power.” If a person is not ultimately released, there is no real redemption. But the Bible does not speak of redemption as a possibility, but as a certainty for those for whom Christ died.

For example, Paul writes in Galatians 3:13: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.” Everyone that Christ died for (became a curse for), he redeemed. Christ did not make men redeemable, but actually redeemed them, making their release certain. There is no one for whom Christ died that will not be redeemed. Therefore, his death accomplishes a certain salvation for a particular people.

Propitiation means “to turn aside wrath.” Hebrew 2:17 says that Christ “had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” If Christ is the propitiation of those people, then God’s wrath is turned aside. And if it is turned aside, they cannot be condemned under it.

Expiation is the removal of sin. Hebrews 9:26 says that Christ was “offered once to bear the sins of many.” In Colossians 2:13-14, God “canceled the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” It was nailed to the cross in Christ. Whoever’s sin was nailed in Christ is set aside, and cannot be held against them.

Atonement means “to make at one.” It is the sum total off all these things. If Christ has atoned for the sins of a person, the reconciliation, redemption, propitiation and expiation are sure. They must be saved or atonement was not made! Therefore, “Atonement is God’s works on sinners’ behalf to reconcile them to himself” (New Dictionary of Biblical Theology)—and he actually does it.

Objections

There are still certainly questions and objections to address. I haven’t addressed, and don’t have time to, the question of those “world” passages, or those that seems to speak of those whom Christ bought being lost.

You might be asking yourself, “But doesn’t God love everyone? Doesn’t God desire the salvation of ‘all men’?” To both those questions, I answer: Yes. And I’ll attempt to explain how and why that is so next week.

Conclusion

So, we see from the Old Testament, the Gospels and the Apostles’ letters how to answer our question: What is the nature of Christ’s work? What was its designed intent? What did it accomplish?

Answer: Christ’s work was designed and intended to save his people in particular. And, Christ accomplished actual, certain salvation for his people; as a result, they are saved.

Does this have any application in our lives? Certainly.

Applications

First, the nature of Christ’s work gives us confidence to preach the Gospel!

Some wrongly argue that what we have seen would make missions and evangelism insincere. They would ask, “How can we legitimately offer salvation to everyone, if Christ did not die in the same way for everyone?” Or, “How can we say to someone, ‘Christ died for your sins,’ if we believe he died to save his people?”

First, nowhere in the New Testament do we see an example of the Gospel being preached to unbelievers—“Christ died for your sins.” When that is said, it is said to believers. Search the sermons in Acts, you will not find it! The message of the New Testament is that Christ is the crucified and risen Savior, therefore, repent and believe.

Second, far from being insincere, we have a basis for truly offering salvation in the Gospel. We offer the finished and sure work of Christ. We offer accomplished salvation, not opportunity.

Our task is not to discern who is elect, but the indiscriminant preaching of the Gospel to all people, everywhere, for God has called all men to repentance. The Gospel is the good news this:

Although all humans are sinners, incapable of doing anything to save themselves, Jesus Christ, the Son of God—who lived a perfect life, died on the cross under God’s wrath and rose from the dead and ascended to the Father’s right hand—is a perfect Savior of sinners.

And, God has promised that all those who know themselves to be sinners and trust in Christ alone will be received and forgiven; not one will be cast out who comes to Christ.

Therefore, all people everywhere are called and required to repent and believe.

This offer of the Gospel is universal, real, and gracious.

If you do not believe—turn from your sins, trust in Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved!

Second, the nature of Christ’s work is basis for worship.

Our hearts are idol-factories, always looking for ways to bring ourselves glory. And so, we are eager to find ways to make grace dependent upon our actions and choices. Instead, we see that our actions and choices are dependent upon grace. Since Christ has done it, he is worthy of praise.

We see this in Revelation 5, as the living creatures and the elders sing to the Lamb who was slain:

Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.

Christ is worthy to be praised because he actually purchased these people from out of all these groups and made them a kingdom and priests.

This is why we sing:

Crown Him the Lord of life, who triumphed over the grave,

And rose victorious in the strife for those He came to save.

His glories now we sing, who died, and rose on high,

Who died eternal life to bring, and lives that death may die.

Third, the nature of Christ’s work is a basis for rest, comfort and assurance.

Our assurance of final salvation is not grounded in what I have done for myself, in what I have done for Christ, or in how I have decided for Christ.

Rather, we rest in Christ’s finished work on our behalf. We say with Paul, “Christ loved me and gave himself for me.” And, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

This gives us hope in ministry to others. Sometimes we have brothers and sisters in Christ who are afflicted by Satan, suffer in their body, wrestle with sin—and despite all our best efforts, we seem powerless to help them; we are confused, bewildered, and on the edge of despair.

Then, we can recall that Christ died for this brother. God gave his Son for this brother. Can anything separate them from God’s love in Christ? No, nothing can. For Christ:

...came down from heaven, not to do [his] own will but the will of him who sent [him]. And this is the will of him who sent [him], that [he] should lose nothing of all that he has given [him], but raise it up on the last day.

And so, we have hope in our afflictions, sufferings, struggles and doubts. When I am on my deathbed and my mind and heart and flesh grow weak, and I am perplexed by doubts and struggles, and Satan comes to me and says, “You are a sinner! You are about to die and go to hell!” I will reply, “Christ died for me.” And if Satan says, “But, Christ died for everyone. And yet many go to hell because they have no faith. Perhaps, your faith will fail and you will perish!” Then I will reply:

O Satan! Are you so stupid!? The Good News is not that I have faith, but that Christ died for me! 

I did not say that my comfort in life and in death is that I trust Christ. I find no comfort in my own faith—but only in Christ. 

My only comfort in life and in death is that I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. 

He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. 

Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

Our full confidence and final comfort is based only in the full payment and final work of Christ on our behalf.

And so, in the face of every trial, we can confidently sing:

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power

Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.