Questions on the Atonement of Christ
These questions and statements are designed to provoke thought in the area of the sovereignty of God in salvation. The responsibility of man is not emphasized here but should be included in a balanced view of salvation. The fact that God is a sovereign and man is responsible to respond to God cannot be denied. These two truths do not contradict each other but meet in time and result in effectual salvation.
May I recommend that these questions be prayerfully meditated upon one at a time? Look up and read carefully each scripture given considering its context and thought in light of the particular question being scrutinized. As in all Bible study, as much as possible, set aside any preconceived ideas and prejudices and let the Holy Scriptures be the only authority for your faith. It will take much study to do as the Bereans in Acts 17 who received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily, to see whether those things were so. May God’s spirit attend your study and meditation of His Holy Word!
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CHRIST’S WORK ON THE CROSS
1. Did Christ’s work on the cross make those for whom He died savable, redeemable, reconcilable and justifiable, or did it actually save, redeem, reconcile and justify all for whom it was intended?
Romans 5:8-11; ‘But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.’
Romans 8:1,30-32; ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit…Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely gives us all things?’
Hebrews 2:11; ‘For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.’
2. Did the precious blood of Christ purchase a ‘possible’ or an ‘actual’ salvation?
Matthew 20:28; ‘Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.’
John 17:2,4,9; ‘As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him… I have glorified thee on the earth; I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do… I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine.’
Titus 2:14: ‘Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.’
3. Did Christ die in the place of sinners so that one ‘could’ be saved or so that one ‘would’ be saved?
Isaiah 53:10-12; ‘Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.’
Hebrews 9:12,15; ‘Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us… And for this cause he is the mediator of the New Testament that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.’
Hebrews 10:14; ‘For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.’
4. Was Christ’s intercession on behalf of sinners partially effective of 100% efficient?
Isaiah 53:10, 11; ‘Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.’
John 6:37; ‘All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.’
John 10: 15,26-28; ‘As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep…But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.’
Romans 5:18; ‘Therefore as by the offense of one, judgement came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.’
5. Would God be just in exacting the penalty for sin twice: first in Christ dying in the sinner’s place (in which case the sinner is actually said to have died with Christ) and then a second time in the sinner perishing for his own sins? Did Christ pay the FULL penalty, or a partial penalty?
Isaiah 53:10-12; ‘Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see of his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.’
Romans 6:3-8; ‘Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.’
Romans 8:1; ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.’
Hebrews 1:3; ‘Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.’
6. If Christ put away ‘all sin’ must not this include the sin of unbelief? If so, then why are not all men saved?
Hebrews 9:26, 28; ‘For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world; but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself…So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.’