The World's Propitiation #2b

Welcome to The Truth Pulpit with Don Green, Founding Pastor of Truth Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Hello again, I'm Bill Wright. It is our joy to continue our commitment to teaching God's people God's Word. Today Don is continuing with the second part of a message we started last time.

So let's get right to it. Open your Bible as we join Don now in The Truth Pulpit. Another question. Why do only some receive salvation? Why do only some receive salvation?

Why do some men get saved and not others? Well, the typical evangelical response would be that some of us have believed and those others haven't. That's not a satisfactory answer when you think it through all the way, because God has to grant faith to us. God has to grant faith. Philippians 1 29 says that to you it has been granted for Christ's sake.

It has been granted to you for Christ's sake. Not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake. The believing was a gift from God to us. In 2 Timothy 2 25, it talks about how God were gentle and kind with all men so that if perhaps God might grant them repentance that leads to life.

And there are other passages that you can look at there as well. Why are only some men saved? It is not because of some limitation in the merit of Christ. He was of infinite merit. No, there's a different reason, beloved.

One that is very humbling to the human heart, humbling to the human mind, but one that is clearly true. Some men are saved and others are not. Because God designed it that way. When we talk about particular redemption, when we talk about Christ died to achieve actual salvation for some men but not all, we are saying that God designed it that way. That is what He wanted. It was His plan.

And that's what this second point is about. Verse 23 says this, get this, Christ was delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God. God had a plan in mind when Christ died. And it wasn't simply a chronological plan that would be fulfilled at the precise moment when Christ died on the cross. His saving purposes were part of the predetermined plan that led Christ to the cross as well. It was predetermined. God had worked this out in advance. And so God intended, by the way, just look at the ultimate result, the ultimate outcome of things. If you believe that there is a literal hell, and you genuinely believe that there are people that are going to go to hell, you're drawn to the conclusion either way, either on the front end through the doctrine of election, or by the result with the doctrine of hell, God is orchestrating things to achieve His purposes. And the results tell us that God had not infallibly decreed for all men to be saved because not all men are saved. And so what does that mean?

Follow me, beloved, and stick with me all the way to the end here. God intended to save a subset of all men in the world to be His own people. He chose them before the foundation of the world, some among others. And at the cross, He intended to work out the means of their salvation in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in perfect conformity with His predetermined election before the foundation of the world.

What that means for believers today, get this, this starts to get very, very sweet. God had a particular design and a special love for those whom He has chosen that does not apply to the entire world at large. 1 Timothy 4 verse 10 says this, we have fixed our hope on the living God who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.

There is a special intent. God was especially working out salvific purposes on behalf of believers in the crucifixion of Christ. If it was just an indistinguishable mass, if He was viewing everybody the same throughout the course of time in His salvific purposes, just waiting to see who would believe and who wouldn't, then there's not a sense in which Christ is the Savior especially of believers. Listen to John 17 verse 9. Jesus in His high priestly prayer as He is interceding, this is as clear as it could possibly be. He's praying and He says, I ask on their behalf, talking about His disciples, I ask on their behalf, I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom you have given Me. As He is interceding on the night before of His crucifixion, He specifically says, I'm not praying for the whole world, I'm praying in a special way for My disciples. Titus chapter 2 verse 14 says this, says that Christ gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed.

Get this. And to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. He gave Himself with a specific purpose to redeem a special people who would have a special purpose. In other words, a people that would be His and would live to His glory and would be zealous for Him.

You could multiply the examples, but those are in my judgment particularly clear. Now, beloved, the doctrine of substitution that Christ died on our behalf shows that God had a design as well. Substitution requires a correspondence between the one being sacrificed and the one who would benefit from the sacrifice. God punished the specific sins of specific people on the cross, and Christ took the wrath for us. He took the wrath for them. Christ didn't die in general for a mass of undistinguishable people.

His substitution corresponds precisely to those for whom it was intended. God had a plan. He wasn't simply winding up the death of Christ on the cross and then releasing it to do whatever effects men chose to do with it. That would be absurd, and that would be futile, because as we saw last time, men do not want God. Men do not seek God.

Romans 8, 7 says that men in the flesh are hostile to God. So where is their faith going to come from? Where is the attraction to salvation going to be if it's left up to them? And as we said last time, if you say, well, God has to work in their hearts, then you've just brought the question right back to where we're dealing with it at the atonement.

Why does He work in some hearts and not others? The whole point is that God does this by His own design. God had a plan, and He is working out His plan. And as evident by the Scripture and as evident by the results, God evidently designed salvation to secure the salvation of some but not others.

Now, beloved, stay with me here. If you believe that God is sovereign over all things, if you believe that God's providence is such that He is working in absolutely everything that happens and is directing all events in His creation to accomplish His will, if you believe that fundamental overarching point about the sovereignty of God, that He always accomplishes His purposes, then you have to believe that God had a particular design in mind in salvation that the fact that some people are saved and others are not is because in the secret counsels of God, He intended it to be that way. Otherwise, what you're left with is that God intended to save everyone somehow, but a lot of them ended up in hell anyway, and so He wasn't able to carry out His plan. The will of man becomes sovereign over the intentions of God under that view. Beloved, that's not the God of the Bible. A frustrated God is not the holy, sovereign, wise, all-powerful, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God of the Bible.

He's not. And it's not worthy of God to suggest that that is the way that it works. God is sovereign and He achieves His purposes. Now, I myself am not omniscient. I know that doesn't surprise you to hear me say that.

I can't even remember where I put my car keys. But I'm guessing that some of you in here are understandably saying, but what about John 3.16 and verses like that, where it says, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. That takes care of everything that you just said, preacher. Well, it doesn't work that way.

It's not like that. You have to look at these verses in their context and not just throw them out as if one verse settles the discussion. You have to say, what does that mean? Even in the context, talking about John 3.16 in particular, even in the context of the Gospel of John, you can see that Jesus did not mean that world, that term world, to mean all men individually without exception because in the context of the same Gospel of John, we just saw in chapter 17 verse 9, He said, I don't pray for the world. He's not indicating that He is equally disposed and equally working in all men without distinction. The context of the Gospel of John leads us to that. What you see in John 3.16, for example, is a description of the depth of God's love. God so loved the world.

He is so loving. His character is so intrinsically love and compassion that He even loves sinful humanity that rebels against Him. But even John 3.16, beloved, limits eternal life to those who believe in Him. He so loved the world that whoever believes in Him would receive eternal life.

He sent His Son, He sent Him with a purpose, and He sent Him with a purpose that whoever believes in Him would have eternal life. Because not all men without exception. Because not all men believe in Christ. Those who do not believe do not receive the saving benefit of God's Son. And in light of the Scriptures, in light of God's sovereignty, we say that that result happens because that is the way God intended it to come out. Point number three.

Point number three. But that's not fair! But that's not fair, preacher! How can you say such a thing?

I believe, preacher, that you are impugning the goodness of God when you say that. I realize that this is a difficult doctrine. It's difficult for some of you to embrace. Some of you have embraced it, but only after a past struggle of coming to grips with it. Let me give you a perspective to help you process this in your mind. And all I ask you to do is to hear what I say without fighting against it as I say it, and then go and search the Scriptures for yourself.

That's what I call you to do today. First of all, realize that Christ's atonement does bring actual benefit to the unsaved, even if they never come to forgiveness. The atonement of Christ has a spillover effect that benefits those who are never saved.

Think about it this way. When a man sins and breaks God's eternal law, immediate guilt comes upon him. The truth of the matter is that we're all born into guilt. We've inherited guilt from our ancestors going all the way back to Adam. And so we're born into this world guilty. And flowing from that intrinsic guilt, we sin against God on a daily basis.

Many, many times a day. And as unsaved people, unsaved people live in a settled attitude of rejection and indifference and rebellion to God. Now, listen, in that state, in that state, why doesn't God just pour out judgment on them immediately and get it over with? And give them what they deserve, the full fury of His wrath for violating His eternal law. Why doesn't God do that?

I'll tell you why. It's because God is good and God is gracious. And because Christ has died on the cross, there is a stay of judgment. There is a delay in judgment that Christ purchased on behalf of unbelievers. And as a result of that, they have an earthly life. Unbelievers have an earthly life in which they enjoy the blessings of human happiness and love, of relationships, of good food, of a sunset over the ocean.

Gifts from God, beloved, to people who not only do not believe in Him, do not want Him, but never will want Him. Out of the own wickedness of their own heart, they reject that. And yet God pours out in common grace these blessings upon a mass of humanity that never will believe in Him. It's the death of Christ that makes that possible. It's the death of Christ that stays the ultimate judging hand of God. It's the grace of God that gives 70, 80 years of good life to so many people who won't bear the thought of His name. Matthew 5 44 and 45 says that God sends His reign on the just and on the unjust.

It's an expression of His love. And in the goodness of God, He blesses men even though they deserve immediate judgment. Listen, all men everywhere should give thanks to God that He is like that and praise Him for the goodness He does show, but they don't.

And it's a travesty. It's appalling that men would receive good gifts from God even in a temporal sense and not thank Him for it. Romans 1 says that even though they knew God, they did not give thanks to Him. And so while God is pouring out blessing upon them, they're rejecting and ungrateful and mocking Christ and mocking those who believe in Him. Don't tell me, not that you would, but I'm positing an imaginary objector here. Don't tell me that God's not good to unbelievers.

Don't say that. Don't compound your own guilt by making such an accusation against the goodness and holiness of God. If you don't want Christ, fine, just don't compound your guilt by criticizing the character of God like that. That's appalling. And it's wrong. But now in terms of salvation, beloved, in terms of God's gift of eternal salvation, the fact that He's bestowing forgiveness on some but not on others, the fact that some will come to heaven but others will face eternal judgment. Understand this. It is not unfair for God to do that. It is not unjust for Him to design the operation of the universe in that way. Absolutely not.

Follow me. All men without exception, here we're talking about every man individually now. Every man individually without exception has forfeited for all time and for all eternity any claim on the goodness of God.

Absolutely forfeited it. Because we all, speaking of humanity collectively and individually, we all are guilty sinners who have broken God's eternal law and guilt falls upon us. We don't love Him with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind.

We don't honor Christ as the sovereign head of the universe. On what basis from that condition does anyone claim any right to God's salvation or any blessing from His hand? Out of a depth of guilt and sin and deliberate rejection of Christ and the gospel, sinful men would bark against God and say that's not fair while on the side enjoying the temporal blessings that He gives them. The objection to this doctrine that would impugn the character of God for this is absolutely overruled. No, beloved, that's the wrong way to think about it. We're thinking as though when people think that way, they're thinking as though God somehow owes them.

Wrong, that is not true. God owes them all right. He owes them eternal judgment. Beloved, the fact that God saves anyone proves His grace. Because all men deserve judgment and yet God in His grace saves some. If I had a $20 bill in my pocket and in front of all of you I walked up to Reg here on the front row and I handed him that $20 bill, none of you would have a claim that I had been unfair to you by not also giving you $20.

You have no claim on what's in my wallet. If I give something to Reg out of my own goodness, it is only wickedness and jealousy and ingratitude that would make others criticize that kind of kindness, undeserved kindness to someone that I chose to bestow it upon. Well, magnify that by infinity and have an appreciation for God's sovereign right and sovereign pleasure and sovereign prerogative to do with salvation as he sees fit. Salvation belongs to the Lord, Jonah 2.9 says.

It is His. It is His gift to bestow as He sees fit. Now, properly understood, beloved, this reality of particular redemption brings great joy to you if you are a Christian.

Follow me here. What we've done is we've vindicated God's design in salvation. We have vindicated God's right to have a design in salvation. Men are not in a position to question this. It's not their right to judge the way God runs His universe. But, beloved, if you're here as a Christian, listen to me carefully. This ends on the top of spiritual Mount Everest.

It really does. When we say that God had a design in salvation, that God intended to save some of us deliberately and intentionally, here's what that means for you if you're here in Christ today. That means that you were not one person among an indistinguishable mass of humanity that Christ died for in general for the potential that some might be saved. No. Oh, no.

No, beloved. When we talk about God's design in salvation, we're saying that Jesus Christ came to this world talking to you as a Christian. If you're a Christian, Jesus Christ came to die specifically for you. For you. Not for all men everywhere in general.

For you. Listen to what J. Gresham Machen said on this score. One of the great heroes of prior generations of Christianity. This is the best quote I've read in at least 12 months. He said this. He said, thank God that we can say as we contemplate Christ upon the cross, not just, quote, he died for the mass of humanity and how glad I am that I'm a part of that mass.

But we can say this. He loved me and gave himself for me. My name was written from all eternity upon his heart. And when he hung and suffered there on the cross, he thought of me, even me, as one for whom in his grace he was willing to die.

Beloved, think about that. Because that should melt your heart and cause you to be so magnificently in awe of the glory and grace of Christ that you just desperately want to get closer and closer to him for his saving grace in your life. God had a plan. Before the foundation of the world, he included you by name in that plan. And when Christ, the eternal son of God, hung on a cross suffering for the sins of everyone who would believe in him, you were in his mind, individually, not collectively, not as a mass of humanity, not one in a stadium full of people. He knew you and he had designs on you. And then, in time, in your life, the Holy Spirit applied that directly to you. From the foundation of the world to the cross to the application of salvation in your life, the whole triune Godhead designed, implemented, and secured your eternal salvation.

Wow. Now listen to me. What do we say to non-Christians in light of that? If you're not a Christian here today, beloved, let me say something important to you. Understand that nothing that we've said here this morning hinders you from coming to Christ. Nothing hinders you from coming to Christ. These designs of God, this design of God is something that is in his mind.

It's what he knew before the foundation of the world. For us, here in time, we hear the sound of the gospel and we respond to the gospel, which is his revealed will to sinners. For you, a non-Christian here today, Christ calls you openly and without restraint. Does your guilt make you think of the fires of hell? Does the thought of hell cause you to tremble? Do you stagger under an accusing conscience?

Knowing of your guilt and wanting to be free but finding no way to have release? Beloved to you, Christ calls out. Christ himself said, Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

You don't have to speculate about the designs of God and the atonement if you're not a believer. All you have to hear is your own sense of guilt and the fact that Christ calls and says, I will forgive you. He says, I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. We proclaim the gospel freely to everyone who will listen without restriction because this is a proclamation that goes out throughout all the world. Christ has never once turned away a sinner who came to him for forgiveness and he never will.

That is how great and gracious he is. He stands before sinners, as it were, through the proclamation of his word and he says, Come to me, if you know the guilt of your sin, come to me and I will forgive you and I will give you eternal life. I paid for your sin on the cross of Calvary. Redemption is accomplished.

Receive me and it will belong in all of its fullness to you. Unbelieving friend, trust him for your salvation. I plead with you. I plead with you. Don't assume that you will have tomorrow.

Don't assume that you'll be here six hours from now. The sound of the gospel has come to your hearing and today is the day to respond. Receive Christ today and enter into this kingdom where God has secured eternal blessings for all time to those who love his son.

Let's pray. Father, we stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene and marvel that he could love us, sinners condemned unclean. We give great glory to you and acknowledge that salvation belongs to you. Those of us that know you, Father, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

You specifically designed it on our behalf for your glory and for our good and we're deeply grateful. For those, Father, who do not know Christ, who've come under the sound of these words, Father, work in their hearts. Open their eyes to the glory of Christ. Grant them faith and repentance that they might put their faith in Christ and be saved from the eternal judgment that certainly awaits them if they don't repent. Make Christ beautiful to them.

Make him lovely and attractive to them. Work in their hearts, Father, so that they would come. We pray these things in the glorious name of our Lord and Savior, the eternal Son of God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, even our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. And before we go after today's broadcast, I just want to invite you to look me up on Facebook, Don Green on Facebook. I often make original posts. I make comments about ministry and other matters of biblical importance there that do not make their way into this broadcast. And so if you are on Facebook, I invite you to join me. Look for Don Green and join us on Facebook for another way to connect with our ministry. That's Don Green, founding pastor of Truth Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. Thank you so much for listening to The Truth Pulpit. Join us next time for more as we continue teaching God's people God's word.