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BIBLE STUDY SIX

What Did Christ Accomplish
by His Sacrifice?

Part II: The New Testament Evidence

A. INTRODUCTION

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. Christ’s messages and miracles demonstrate a universal application of grace to "all men." He never asked for a prerequisite condition for His work of healing, raising the dead, or for any gift of His ministry.

B. THE BIBLE EVIDENCE

Matthew 3:17. The Voice that embraced "My beloved Son" embraced the human race. 1

Matthew 14:19-21. No tickets or prepayment were required for the "5000" to have a meal.

Matthew 25:14, 15. The "talents" are given to "every man," by virtue of Christ’s sacrifice.

Matthew 26:28. Christ’s blood was shed for "many for the remission of sins," that is, for "all." 2

Mark 4:3-18. The Lord’s seed is sown everywhere, much of it apparently "wasted."

Mark 8:2-9. "Four" thousand had a free meal, no repentance, worthiness, or work required.

Mark 14:3-9. Mary’s prodigality with her "very precious" ointment illustrates the prodigal, universal justification Christ gives to the world — most of which appears to be "wasted" as was her perfume.

Mark 16:15, 16. The Good News of what Christ has already accomplished for "all the world" is to be preached to every one first; then "he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" unto eternal life, this present life being the intended prelude to that eternal life.

Luke 2:9, 10. The "you" to whom comes "good tidings of great joy" is "all people," for unto them "is born ... a Saviour, ... Christ the Lord."

Luke 3:3-6. "All flesh shall see the salvation of God" accomplished for them in Christ. 3

Luke 23:34. All who crucified Christ are forgiven before they ask for forgiveness. 4

John 1:4. Every person has "life" only because he is already redeemed "in Christ.

John l:5, 9. By His grace, Christ freely "lighteth every man that cometh into the world."

John 1:29. As "Lamb of God" Christ takes away the sin of the world, not only of those who repent. His work accomplished applies to all people in the world.

John 3:14-19. Christ being "made sin for us who knew no sin" (as the "serpent"), and being "given" for "the world," implies a two-fold redemption: (a) this present life for all, and (b) for those who believe, this present life becomes eternal life.

John 4:42. Christ is already "the Saviour of the world."

John 10:10. As the purchase of His sacrifice, this present life is far more than the physical existence the animals enjoy; it includes all the blessings of "the more abundant life" that modern Baby Boomers or Gen-Xers enjoy in such generosity from His hand. (Do they realize it? Someone must tell them!) 5

John 16:8. The Holy Spirit cannot "convict the world of sin" unless first of all "the world" has been given an atonement "in Christ." 6

Romans 3:12, 14. The same "all" who "have sinned" are "being justified freely by His grace," present tense. 7

Romans 4:25. The same group "on account of" whose "offenses" Christ died are given "justification" "on account of" His resurrection." That group is "all men."

Romans 5:8. The sacrifice was made long before "we" believed. Thus "all" are included.

Romans 5:15. The same group ("the many," that is, all men) who are mortal receive two blessings: (a) "the grace of God," and (b) a "gift by grace" which abounds to the same the many" (all).

Romans 5:16. That "gift" is justification — which reverses the "condemnation" they received "in Adam." 8

Romans 5:17. Receiving this "abundance of grace" given leads to eternal life.

Romans 5:18. But this present "justification of life" is given to "all men" "even" as Adam gave them "condemnation." 9

Romans 6:13, 14. "All men" are even now "alive from the dead." Many don’t know it.

2 Corinthians 5:14. Thus, when Christ died, in a certain real sense "all" of us "died." 10

2 Corinthians 5:18, 19. In an objective sense, "the world" was "reconciled" to God in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:19. God could not "impute" the world’s trespasses unto themselves, else they would have died the second death immediately — before they could repent. 11

Ephesians 1:5, 6. The "us" "accepted in the Beloved" is the human race. 12

1 Timothy 4:10. Our Saviour is also "the Saviour of all men," referring to the objective atonement. "Especially of those that believe" refers to the subjective atonement, that is, the atonement received by faith. 13

2 Timothy 1:10. Christ "abolished" the second death for mankind by redeeming and saving the world. But those who rebel against His grace choose to share the second death with Satan and his angels, a totally unnecessary fate save for their persistent unbelief. The "condemnation" that Christ took from them they voluntarily take back upon themselves. 14

2 Timothy 1:10. For "all men" Christ has brought life; for those who believe, He has also brought "immortality."

Titus 2:ll. "The grace of God brings salvation to all men," not merely offers it.

Hebrews 2:9. The "death for every man" which Christ "tasted" has to be the second death. Thus for "all men" He has exhausted the penalty of sin.

Hebrews 2:14, 15. Those for whom He objectively "destroyed [paralyzed, Creek] the devil" are subjectively, experientially "delivered" from "the fear of death." All have been "all their lifetime subject to bondage" — the human race.

Hebrews 3:18, 19; John 3:17-19. The only reason anyone will be lost is his unbelief.

1 John 2:1, 2. The "propitiation" is not for "us" only, but also for the sins of the world. Thus any sinner can claim Christ as his "Advocate" if he will. 15

Revelation 18:1-4. The "voice" that effectively delivers God’s "people" from Babylon is the revelation of Christ as the "Lamb of God" and tells of His glorious sacrifice. 16

C. SUMMARY OF PART II

The Bible supports the exaltation of the cross of Christ as "the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world," not merely for those of the "saints." It supports the 1888 concepts.

D. CONCLUSION

Jones’ and Waggoner’s idea of Christ having legally, objectively saved the world, dying every man’s second death, bearing the iniquity of all sinners, legally justifying "all men," is the evangelistic message in Revelation 14. It is "the everlasting gospel" because it alone can truly reconcile the alienated heart of sinful man to God and to His holy law. This message was in fact "the beginning" of the light that is to lighten the earth with glory, and it was "in a great degree kept away from our people" and "from the world" by its rejection by the General Conference leadership of that day. We cannot expect the Sunday-keeping Evangelicals to tell it to the world for us for they can’t understand it clearly; we must do so ourselves. Has not the time come that the General Conference of today must recover the message in its fullness and restore it to our people and to the world? 17

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Notes

  1. See DA 113; AA 209. [return to study]
  2. Roman Catholicism rejects a universal redemption and justification for "all men," insisting instead on a continual repetition of the sacrifice. If we reject a universal legal justification for all men accomplished at one point of time, we come perilously close to implying a similar idea. Romanism counterfeits the 1888 idea of justification. [return to study]
  3. There would be no point in "all flesh" seeing it if it were not accomplished for them. [return to study]
  4. But they do not receive experiential forgiveness until they receive from Him the gift of repentance. [return to study]
  5. Those who in unbelief enjoy this present life and its pleasures do so only by virtue of Christ’s sacrifice. He says, "Verily I say unto you, they have their reward." He Lets them have and enjoy what they want — all because of His cross. Faith in a sacrifice of justification already accomplished is an appreciative response for this grace of life, and transforms selfish people into converted ones. [return to study]
  6. Otherwise "the world" would perish before conviction could come to them. Sinners receive the atonement experientially when they repent (Romans 5:11). The Holy Spirit convicts of the sin of unbelief (John 16:9). But unless something has been accomplished for "the world" for them to see, there is nothing for them to dis-believe. Thus, no conviction of sin would be possible. [return to study]
  7. There is no mention of faith in this statement. The justification is (a) ‘free," (b) given, (c) "by His grace" (which never requires merit), (d) through "redemption" (of the world), (e) "in Christ." [return to study]
  8. All major responsible translations recognize that this justification is a gift to all men. Only our own "Adventist Bible," The Clear Word, denies this and renders Paul as saying Christ only offers it. [return to study]
  9. The word "offer" does not appear in this or any other passage; a gift is given. When Ellen White uses the word "offer" she does not mean to limit God’s grace thus; the 1888 message emphasized the "much more" dimension. [return to study]
  10. In no way does this imply that we have been our own co-saviours. We cannot atone for our own sin in any degree. We only identify with Him in His death, by faith, by heart-appreciation for His agape. [return to study]
  11. Imputing them unto Christ instead, the "reconciliation" already is an accomplished fact. The gospel is therefore the News of "the word of reconciliation" "committed unto us" so that the atonement can be received. [return to study]
  12. See DA 113: AA 209. This does not mean that God is reconciled to sin. But He loves and accepts the sinner in Christ, for whom He has already paid the supreme price. [return to study]
  13. The preponderance of evidence in the New Testament indicates that the Greek malista means "especially" and not "that is" (cf. for example, Acts 20:38: Philippians 16: 1 Timothy 5:8: Philippians 4:22; Galatians 6:10). [return to study]
  14. See Waggoner on Romans, pp. 69, 71, 89, 101. [return to study]
  15. It can be argued that John’s statement encourages antinomianism. But his context forbids this conclusion. He who in truth claims the Advocate also "confesses" his sins (1:8, 9), and immediately is motivated to "keep His commandments" (2:3). [return to study]
  16. Abundant testimony from Ellen White tells us that Christ and Him crucified is to be the light that finally lightens the earth with glory. "The Lamb" is the Hero of the Book of Revelation, mentioned some 25 times. [return to study]
  17. Some encouragement to remind us that the phenomenal soul-winning effectiveness of the "loud cry" message (GC 612) will include the revelation of what Christ accomplished on His cross: [return to study]

"If those who today are teaching the word of God, would uplift the cross of Christ higher and still higher, their ministry would be far more successful. If sinners can be Led to give one earnest look at the cross, if they can obtain a full view of the crucified Saviour, they will realize the depth of God’s compassion and the sinfulness of sin" (AA 209, emphasis added).

"Paul ... appealed to the heathen to behold the infinite sacrifice made in man’s behalf. ... If those who had long been groping in the darkness of heathenism could but see the light streaming from Calvary’s cross, they would be drawn to the Redeemer" (AA 248, 249).

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