A Sad and Beautiful Picture - 4 of 4

grace - how truly amazing, oh how undeserved, oh how precious His blood

For thus says the Lord GOD: I will deal with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant,
yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish for you an everlasting covenant.
Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and I give them to you as daughters, but not on account of the covenant with you.
I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the LORD,
that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord GOD."

Ezekiel 16:59-63

A Sad and Beautiful Picture - 3 of 4

be mercy - only to die is just

How lovesick is your heart, declares the Lord GOD, because you did all these things, the deeds of a brazen prostitute,
building your vaulted chamber at the head of every street, and making your lofty place in every square. Yet you were not like a prostitute, because you scorned payment.
Adulterous wife, who receives strangers instead of her husband!
Men give gifts to all prostitutes, but you gave your gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from every side with your whorings.
So you were different from other women in your whorings. No one solicited you to play the whore, and you gave payment, while no payment was given to you; therefore you were different.
Therefore, O prostitute, hear the word of the LORD:
Thus says the Lord GOD, Because your lust was poured out and your nakedness uncovered in your whorings with your lovers, and with all your abominable idols, and because of the blood of your children that you gave to them,
therefore, behold, I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, all those you loved and all those you hated. I will gather them against you from every side and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness.
And I will judge you as women who commit adultery and shed blood are judged, and bring upon you the blood of wrath and jealousy.
And I will give you into their hands, and they shall throw down your vaulted chamber and break down your lofty places. They shall strip you of your clothes and take your beautiful jewels and leave you naked and bare.

Ezekiel 16:30-39

A Sad and Beautiful Picture - 2 of 4

unfaithful - oh how we are

But you trusted in your beauty and played the whore because of your renown and lavished your whorings on any passerby; your beauty became his.
You took some of your garments and made for yourself colorful shrines, and on them played the whore. The like has never been, nor ever shall be.
You also took your beautiful jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself images of men, and with them played the whore.
And you took your embroidered garments to cover them, and set my oil and my incense before them.
Also my bread that I gave you--I fed you with fine flour and oil and honey--you set before them for a pleasing aroma; and so it was, declares the Lord GOD.
And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had borne to me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your whorings so small a matter
that you slaughtered my children and delivered them up as an offering by fire to them?
And in all your abominations and your whorings you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, wallowing in your blood.
And after all your wickedness (woe, woe to you! declares the Lord GOD),
you built yourself a vaulted chamber and made yourself a lofty place in every square.
At the head of every street you built your lofty place and made your beauty an abomination, offering yourself to any passerby and multiplying your whoring.

Ezekiel 16:15-25

A Sad and Beautiful Picture - 1 of 4

salvation - oh beautiful sovereign choice

And as for your birth, on the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling cloths.
No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you out of compassion for you, but you were cast out on the open field, for you were abhorred, on the day that you were born.
And when I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you in your blood, 'Live!' I said to you in your blood, 'Live!'
I made you flourish like a plant of the field. And you grew up and became tall and arrived at full adornment. Your breasts were formed, and your hair had grown; yet you were naked and bare.
When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord GOD, and you became mine.
Then I bathed you with water and washed off your blood from you and anointed you with oil.
I clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shod you with fine leather. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk.
And I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your wrists and a chain on your neck.
And I put a ring on your nose and earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head.
Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen and silk and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour and honey and oil. You grew exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty.
And your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor that I had bestowed on you, declares the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 16:4-14

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KELLI! I LOVE YOU SOOOO MUCH!!!

She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all."
Proverbs 31:27-29

Accomplished in Death - part 4 of 4

Sacrifice to Sacrifice
I want to now look at the parallel between Old Testament sacrifices, and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament purification sacrifice is indeed a detailed picture of the sacrifice to come, as are all of the expected priestly actions and their objects of those actions copies of the true things (Hebrews 9:24). The atonement made by the sacrificing of the animal was for all of the people of Israel, God's people. The sacrifice was certainly not for everyone in the world; it was for God's chosen people and no others. The atonement was made for all of their iniquities; it was an accomplishment and not an offer bidding the people to receive the atonement made for them. Likewise, Jesus Christ is the priest that offered the sacrifice for God's people, namely the sheep that His Father had before given Him. Not only did He offer it, but He was Himself the sacrifice. He needed no purification, for He was pure and holy and perfect with no blemish. As the priest, our Good Shepherd placed His own hands on His own head and confessed all of the transgressions and iniquities of His sheep, placing their sins on Himself. Jesus then offered the perfect atonement sacrifice that all of the Old Covenant atonement sacrifices foreshadowed. He offered Himself on the cross, and bore the punishment that our sins deserve. There was most definitely atonement on the cross, and the atonement was for His sheep. Unlike the Old Testament sacrifices, no other sacrifice would be needed after Christ's, because He offered Himself for the sins of the people once for all (Heb. 7:27). After the sacrifice was made which wrought perfect atonement, Jesus Christ then entered into the holy places to secure an eternal redemption for those sheep whom the Father had given Him, and once again, He did so once for all (Heb 9:12).

The oblation of Christ and the intercession of Christ cannot be separated as some like to imagine it. He did not offer Himself for all and then intercede for some. Likewise, He did not offer Himself for all and intercede for all. Christ offered Himself for those whom His Father had given Him, and after offering Himself up for their sins, He interceded for those same people with the blood of the covenant sprinkled on Himself that was the perfect blood for the perfect atonement made once for all, all of His people, every one of them and no others. The work of atonement was finished on the cross (John 19:30). The work of intercession secured the eternal redemption of those for whom the atonement was made. And as we have seen above, in the same manner that the Old Testament sacrifice was offered for God's chosen people, the atonement of Christ was made for God's chosen people throughout the whole world, every nation. It was not hopeful work performed by God, possibly in vain, but it was an accomplishment perfectly carried out as planned from before the foundation of the world.

for the sake of time and space, A Quick Conclusion
It is true that the Word of God has not failed as Paul rightly argues in Roman 9. God accomplishes all that He purposes. Christ's death was an accomplishment making atonement for the sheep that the Father had given Him before the foundation of the world. It was an accomplishment that atoned for the sins of the ones who were graciously, mercifully, and lovingly chosen by God based on His own freedom, glory, and purpose alone. Likewise, the intercession of Christ for His sheep secured their place in eternity, bringing about the end which all of the means worked to accomplish. What fails is the purpose and plan of God if Christ died for the opportunity of salvation, because billions of people for whom Christ died will enter into and spend eternity in eternal punishment. It fails if Christ did indeed pay the penalty for sins, and those for whom He paid the penalty still suffer for those very sins for which Christ suffered.

Indeed, God's purpose and plan has not failed, because the sins for which Christ suffered have met their penalty in full. Those for whom Christ died will never taste the fires of Hell, because One has paid the complete cost for them all. They have surely been redeemed with the most powerful atonement that no man can nullify. Just as the Jewish priest offered the sacrifice for atonement for the sins of the people of God, so our High Priest, Jesus Christ, offered Himself as the once for all sacrifice that atoned for the sins of the people of God, namely the sheep that the Father had given to Jesus before the foundation of the world.


farewell, I'm off for Christmas travels.
Merry Christmas!

GRACE & PEACE,
Rick

Accomplished in Death - part 3 of 4

World Meaning Everyone, World Meaning Believers Worldwide
This brings attention to the use of the word "world" in 2 Cor 5:19, as well as in other places throughout Scripture (which for the sake of time and space only 2 Cor 5:19 will be discussed in this 4 part blog). "World" in 2 Cor 5:19 can only mean one of two things: either in Christ God has reconciled every human to Himself, or it is intended that He has reconciled something or some group other than every human. By "world" it is surely not meant the cosmos, as the cosmos has no sins against which can be counted. It is also surely not meant an opportunity, as the sins mentioned have already not been counted (which is something accomplished, not hoped for) against their performers. So one must decide whether it is universalism affirmed by this verse (which will nullify all use of Scripture), or rather "world" here is meant believers, or sheep, throughout the world who had already existed, and who did exist, and who would exist; sheep that have been named by the shepherd and given by the Father. As the angel of the Lord confirms in Joseph's dream about which we read in Matthew 1:21, "She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." God's people, His elect, His sheep, His children of promise, and indeed not the world meaning all human beings, are for whom Christ was sent and came to save. Hebrews chapter 9 (particularly verse 28) confirms that it is many for whom Christ died. In his work, the Death of Death in the Death of Christ, John Owen said, "That Christ should die for all, and yet not be a ransom for all, himself affirming that he came to "give his life for many," Matt. 20:28, is to me a plain contradiction. The death of Christ, in the first most general notion and apprehension thereof, is a ransom."

"No One Can Come"
We also see in the Gospel according to John an action of the Father that enables His own to come to Christ to receive the benefits of His oblation and intercession. John 6:44 says that "no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him..." These two words, "no one", disclude no human being. The Greek word used for "no one" is oudeis which means, not even one man, woman, or thing, none, nobody, or nothing. So everyone is included, and no one is exempt from this word, oudeis. Oudeis is used in several other places in the New Testament including John 3:27 (A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.) and 6:65 (no man can come to me, unless it is granted him of the Father.). Applying this truth to what we have seen of Christ's sheep in the previous parts of this study, it follows that not even one man or woman, oudeis, can come as sheep to their Shepherd unless an action by the Father occurs which is the act of drawing. In his introduction to John Owen's the Death of Death in the Death of Christ, J. I. Packer says, "The old gospel, while stressing that faith is man's duty, stresses also that faith is not in man's power, but that God must give what He commands. It announces, not merely that men must come to Christ for salvation, but also that they cannot come unless Christ Himself draws them."

Oudeis is an all inclusive word. In John 3:27 oudeis is rendered as "nothing". "A man can receive oudeis, except it be given him from heaven." Here, John the Baptist confesses that his office of forerunner to Christ was not achieved in and of himself, but that he could not receive anything unless it was graciously given to him from heaven. So are the drawing and granting of the Father to His sheep also received by no one unless given to be received. In John 6:65 oudeis is rendered once again as "no one". "And he said, 'This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.'" Jesus includes every single human being as being unable to come to Him unless it is granted to him by the Father. In other words, there is not one single person in the entire world that can come to Jesus, unless the Father grants that person to come to Jesus. This truth is proclaimed throughout Scripture. This is how someone becomes a sheep; this is what it means to be given by the Father (John 10:29). Then by what means are we brought into the flock if no one can come to Him unless drawn or granted the ability to do so? John 6:45 gives us insight: "It is written in the Prophets, 'And they will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me." God draws us and grants us the ability to come to Him by teaching us. As David says in Psalm 51:6, "...you teach me wisdom in the secret heart." The Father teaches us and gives us a new heart and a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26). And the effect of that is as Jesus says in the latter of John 6:45, "Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me." He doesn't say that some will come after hearing and learning. This calling, drawing, granting, and teaching is effectual. If you hear and learn from the Father, if you are drawn, if it is granted to you to come, then you will most certainly come and eat as one of Christ's sheep.

tomorrow...Sacrifice to Sacrifice and some concluding comments

Accomplished in Death - part 2 of 4

Opportunity or Accomplishment
As we have seen in looking at only a couple of passages, Christ died for His sheep which are indeed a named people to be saved. Why then does it seem that everyone is invited to partake in being sheep? For example, just two chapters later, John 12:35-36 is a command for the audience to "walk while you have the light...while you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light." Is it here meant that all have the ability to walk in this mentioned light? I answer with this: Has Jesus ever told anyone to do something that they had not the power in themselves to do? Has He not told the man with the withered hand to stretch it out? (Mark 3:5) Has He not told the paralytic to take up his bed and walk? (John 5:8) Has He not told Lazarus to come out of the tomb? (John 11:43) One must suppose that all men with withered hands have the ability within themselves to stretch out their hands and become like new. One must suppose that all paralytics have the power in themselves to take up their beds and walk. Furthermore, one must assume that all who have passed from this life have the ability in their dead selves to dig themselves out of their darkened graves. Of course, the power to do these such things had to be granted, or given, to them by God. They had not the power in themselves apart from the giving of it. Therefore, when all are told to walk in the light, or to choose Christ as their savior, it is not an accurate assumption that all have the power or ability in themselves to do so; in fact, they cannot, unless, however, it is granted or given to them by God. It is also everyday evident that all do not heed to this command, as the unbelievers cannot believe as a consequence of not being named sheep (John 10:26; John 12:40), and believers do believe as sheep who have been, and because they have been, appointed to eternal life (Acts 13:48).

Christ's death was indeed an accomplishment that secured the eternal salvation of those who have been appointed to eternal life and believe. Christ gave Himself for us "to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works," (Titus 2:14). His sheep have been redeemed. His sheep are His own purified possessions. Entering into the holy places He secured for His sheep eternal redemption (Heb 9:12). And it is by His being made a curse that we have been redeemed and secured (Gal. 3:13) and reconciled (Rom 5:10). Furthermore, 2 Cor 5:19 says, "that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them..."; we have been reconciled by the salvific work of Christ.

Tomorrow...World Meaning Everyone, World Meaning Believers World Wide

Accomplished in Death - part 1 of 4

Much confusion exists towards the subject of the accomplishment in the death of Jesus Christ. There cannot be two or more ends intended in our Lord's death; but only one. Though many have been suggested, all but one devised by man, it is my intension to better understand that one accomplishment, or end, intended by the Father in His Son's death.

In Jesus' own words His purpose in the incarnation and death is revealed to us. Jesus said in Luke 19:10 "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." Paul also tells us plainly in 1Timothy 1:15 "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost." Jesus came into the world to seek and save the lost, whom are sinners. The questions at hand that bear much debate are these: 1. Who are the sinners that Christ came to save? 2. Were these sinners saved or given the opportunity to be saved in the death of Christ? 3. Did Christ die to save all men, or many men?

For Whom Did Christ Lay Down His Life?
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep." John 10:14-15

For whom did Christ lay down His life? In John 10:15, Jesus says He lays His life down for His sheep. Again, in John 10:11 Jesus calls Himself the good shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. My question to be answered is this: who are the sheep? And afterward, can the sheep in such a context and the use of the word world be reconciled? Are these sheep definite people or merely a hypothetical group that Christ hopes will form after Him?

In John 10:3 ("To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.") we have an action, or cause, and an effect of that action. The first action is that of a shepherd. The shepherd calls his own sheep. Moreover, he calls them by name. This gives the reader or hearer the impression that the called sheep are not unknown to the shepherd. In fact, they are, every one of them, named by the shepherd. Being named they are intimately connected to their own shepherd and no other. Likewise, the shepherd is connected intimately to his own sheep having named them. This action of the shepherd specifically calling his own sheep by name creates a reaction, or an effect. The sheep to which the shepherd calls hear his voice. The sheep recognize their shepherd's voice, and they must, for he cares for them, protects them, feeds them, leads them to green pastures, and gives them rest. Not hearing their shepherd's voice, or not recognizing the voice, would lead to certain death if they were to be left in their current place (if possible - Luke 15:4). The sheep are intimately connected to their shepherd in this way. They trust the voice of their shepherd who is their life sustainer; therefore, they follow the shepherd who leads them. Is it possible for the sheep to not follow their own shepherd and instead follow another? John 10:5 "A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." Sheep, who follow their own shepherd's voice in which they trust and know, cannot follow an alien voice. In fact, not only do they not follow him, they do more and flee from him. We have certain absolutes given to us in this passage: The shepherd will call his sheep by name; the sheep will know and listen to his voice; the sheep will not listen to any other; the shepherd will lead them; and the sheep will follow.

By Jesus calling Himself the Good Shepherd in John 10:14, He connects Himself with the parables of the chapter. Christ is the shepherd; His followers are His sheep. Christ calls His own out by name. His own hear His voice, fleeing from all others. Christ leads them out guaranteeing them life and protection and care. So we see that the sheep are not merely a hypothetical group, but a group that is known by name by Christ, even before His death. If Christ calls His own by name, and His own follow Him and no other, then what follows is that there are those who are not called by name by Christ. If all were called by name, then all would follow. There are many in this world that do not know Christ, and many who know of Him that do not know Him intimately as their life-giving shepherd. In verse 14 Christ says that He knows His own (His named people) and His own know Him. If His own know Him, then they follow Him. Those of the world who do not follow Him are not His own. We see this plainly in John 10:26.

After being questioned by a group of non-believing Jews if He was the Christ, Jesus gave them the reason for their non-belief. John 10:26 "But you do not believe because you are not part of my flock." Many would like to transpose this truth so that it would then falsely read, "You are not part of my flock because you do not believe," as if believing then infuses them into the flock of Christ. If Christ were to call this group of non-believing Jews by name as His sheep, because of their first being named as sheep, they would then believe and follow Him, but Jesus tells them plainly that they are not part of the flock; therefore, they are not called by name; and it is because they are not called by name that they do not believe. In the next verse Jesus again says, (27) "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." The non-believers in this passage did not follow Jesus; therefore, the only conclusion that must be derived is that they are not His named, or called out, sheep who hear His voice.

More evidence toward the sheep being a definite group of people exists in verse 29. "My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all..." Some often like to say that Christ died not to save and secure a salvation for His sheep, but rather that He died to make possible the salvation of His sheep who will only exist if they decide to become a sheep of Christ. This position must assume that verse 29 should actually read, "My Father, who has not given them to me, but rather hopes that some of the world will decide to become and name themselves as one of my sheep, is greater than all..." Of course this is not what is meant by the verse. Jesus speaks as something being accomplished and not offered or for something hoped. His Father has given His sheep to Him, which is an action on the part of the Father alone and not of the sheep themselves. The Son will then secure those sheep in their heavenly inheritance by His keeping of covenant with His Father in sacrifice.

We've seen briefly that Scripture teaches Christ's sheep are named people among all of humanity, given to Him by the Father who has granted (John 6:65) their coming and has drawn (John 6:44) them to Christ; and it is for these named people that Christ laid down His life.

tomorrow..."Opportunity or Accomplishment"

About Tonight

Tonight was great. It was truly awesome. As you can read in the comments of my previous blog, we are doing something new for the Christmas season this year. Tonight was the first night of our Christmas celebration. Our family gift tonight was a movie night (Madagascar) complete with popcorn, hot chocolate, and snugglin'. We also partially put up the Christmas tree, which is always fun but exhausting. I put all of the branches on the tree neatly fanned out. We have a white tree this year. It looks cool. We began to put the red lights on it and quickly realized that they only made it a third of the way up the tree. It has to be the shortest line of lights I've ever seen. So, we'll get the rest of the lights tomorrow and finish the decorating of the tree. I also treated myself to a Red Stripe; I haven't had one in a long time. They have to be my favorite. Then, after everyone hit the sack, it was back to the grind of studying for finals and writing papers. Now, I am giving up for the night, and hitting the sack myself!

Shalom