Is Jesus Lord?

Introduction

Why do Christians preach the Gospel? I can think of two reasons: It is the explicit command of our Lord that we do so (Mark 16:15); and we are burdened by the fact that an eternal destiny awaits all humanity (Revelation 20:13; cf. Daniel 7:22). The destiny of those who rightly respond to the Gospel is an eternity in the loving arms of our Creator (John 14:1-3). But for those who reject the Gospel, there is only hopelessness and incarceration in Hell (Psalms 9:17): Which is some place (its whereabouts unbeknown to mankind) that is outside of our Creator’s love. If this sounds like old-time fire and brimstone preaching, you are right, it is. But this does not change the fact that it is true: the Word of God is truth and what is stated above came right out of the pages of the Bible.

Stark Reality

While the Bible is a message of God’s love and grace (cf. Psalms 19:41), this is unequivocally based on the sacrifice of Christ on behalf of sinners (John 15:13). Christ satisfied God’s righteous judgment for those who would believe the Gospel, so that they are no longer doomed to suffer His wrath. As pointed out by Dr. Lightner: "Christ's accomplishment on the cross was his substitution for sin and sinners...the Son of God died in the place of sinners...in the sinner's place and stead...the substitution holds true, whether or not anyone ever appropriates the benefits" (Robert P. Lightner: "Handbook of Evangelical Theology;" Kregel Publications, 1995, p., 88). In spite of this, for the unbeliever (those that never "appropriates the benefits"), a day of reckoning is due at the end of which God will cast out all evil—including the unbeliever—from His presence into a fiery abode (Revelation 20:10; cf. Romans 2:5).

Why is this harsh end coming upon the unbeliever? It is because they—though conscience of the fact that they are sinners (Romans 1:32; cf. Genesis 3:22) by nature and practice—refuse to repent of their unbelief in the Gospel message and they willingly reject the free redemption from sin and God’s offer of reconciliation, which Christ’s death has afforded to them: "The purchase price of [H]is blood was paid even for the false prophets and teachers who deny the only possible thing that can save them" (Lightner, p., 194). God gives to them the same opportunity to accept His message of love and grace as He gave to those that heard it and believed it. This is truly evil: the unbeliever's rejection the of message is also a rejection of the One whose blood was spilled on the Cross for their benefit!    

The Apostle John, speaking of Christ’s work says, “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). Obviously, John is making the point that when Lord Jesus died upon the Cross, He not only paid the debt owed to God for sin, but also took away the guilt of the whole world with regard to sin: "The death of Christ satisfies the righteous demand of the Father. Because of sin [H]is holiness has been offended...only a sinless sacrifice could meet [H]is righteous demands...Christ...provided in [H]imself the perfect sacrifice" (ibid, p., 195). John is also making a clear contrast of the believer and unbeliever. While God through Christ has opened the way for everyone to be righteous in His sight, there is a "whole world" that will never come to experience "our" benefits from the Cross.

However, sin can never exclude an individual from coming to God. Because of the Cross of Christ “whosoever” believes can approach God in repentance and be saved! Therefore, no one need be judged of God because of their sins, if they accept the work of Christ on their behalf. That is the extent of the “propitiation” mentioned here.

Why then is it that the entire world is not reconciled to God? Why is it that some, though the guilt of sin having already been removed and settled for on the Cross, are living in estrangement and hostility toward the God who loves them and who seeks after them? Why is it that so many of our race are still defying God, blaspheming God and turning and running from Him instead of towards Him? Why are they knowingly embracing death and darkness and not desiring light and life?

The answer: They will never believe in Him, because they prefer to believe in themselves; they think it degrading to their self-perceived, self-righteousness to accept forgiveness from Him (Matthew 9:13). While God has offered forgiveness to them by the only means that can infinitely and eternally satisfy His nature (i.e., justice, love, holiness, etc.) they can never accept this (Matthew 26:28). It is this rebel attitude against the Creator that must be swept from creation (2 Peter 3:10-13), because it is the root of sin and left unchecked it will forever lift its grotesque face to cause evil and incite others to evil.

So then there are two sides to the Gospel message: On one side it benefits those who believe unto salvation; on the other it brings to the surface and displays the unchanging hatred of God and His Christ, which intrinsically exists in the hearts of those who will not believe (Hebrews 2:12) and dooms them to hell.

Future Eternal Hope For All?

Contrary to what has been presented above, Universalism teaches that all people—regardless of religious affiliation or spiritual ethics—will eventually be saved through the atonement of Jesus. It maintains that the Bible teaches that God wants all men to be saved, therefore all “all roads” lead to some higher being who will save all of humanity. It denies the eternal nature of hell as conscious punishment of the lost. The most prominent verses appealed to by Universalist to support their position are:

1 Timothy 2:3-4: “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

However, we do not make doctrine from verses taken out of context: we must consider all of God’s counsel. When we do this we know that Universalism cannot be true. For example, Jesus said in Matthew 25:46, speaking of those present on earth at the time He sets up His Kingdom, “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Also He says, “all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” (Mark 3:28-29). Notice, verse 28, says that all sins shall be forgiven, then in verse 29, He clarifies His statement and flatly says that there is a sin that is “eternal sin,” which cannot be forgiven. Finally, John the Apostle writes, “the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever…if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:10-15).

Nevertheless, Universalism still claims that the verses shown at the beginning of this section are strong evidence that God will save all people. However, a closer look at Scripture clearly proves that Timothy 2:3-4, in fact does not say that God will save all people: it simply states that God desires or is willing that all people be saved.

As shown in Scripture, while God is willing that all people be saved not all people are willing to be saved. Similarly, God wants people not to sin. Do people sin? Of course we do. And some will face judgment for their sins (those not justified by faith in Christ) and fall under the condemnation of God. Likewise, God does not want anyone to go into eternal condemnation: “As I live!” Declares the Lord GOD, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn back, turn back from your evil ways!” (Ezekiel 33:11). But will some—“the wicked”—perish into eternal separation from God? Yes, because God punishes the sinner who is not covered in the blood of Christ: “he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).

Again, 1 Timothy 2:3-4, does not prove that God will save all of mankind and the same arguments used to present the case against Universalism in these verses apply to 2 Peter 3:9, too.

Conclusion

The point of all this is merely to show that there are those who will believe and those who will not. No one but God knows into which group any human will fall. And we as Christians should never be caught second-guessing the eternal destiny of anyone, but we should instead obey our Lord’s command to the take the Gospel to the “whole world.” God has chosen the Christian as the messenger of His grace: “the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21; emphasis mine). It is only by following this great commission that the “whosoevers” that are out there can come to faith in the risen Christ!

If you are saved you need to consider this question: Why am I here? The answer, you will find, is that God has placed you here, in your own time, to be a minister of the Reconciliation. And in this sense, being a Gospel preacher, not only shows you are Christian, but also gives you one strong reason of why you are a Christian.

I Want To Be Like Paul

Introduction

The Gospel is a message of shame, defeat and foolishness! At least this is how the world views the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. And sadly, many Christians are facilitating this view, because no matter the zeal that they have regarding their own salvation experience, they neither know the full extent of the Gospel message nor are they empowered by the Spirit to present it to the unsaved.

Thus, whether confronted at their own doors by trained Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormon missionaries or faced down by peers who are pagan hedonist or atheist evolutionist the best defense for their faith that many Christians can muster is empty clichés. This is a sad but true commentary. Especially so since Jesus said: “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life;” “believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light” (John 8:12;12:36). And Paul affirms: “For so the Lord has commanded us, I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES, THAT YOU MAY BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH” (Acts 13:47).

Stop and ask yourself this question: Do you really desire to preach Christ? After all, who would want to undertake the task of carrying this most ridiculed and hated message to the very people who despise it above all else.

Who Can Believe This

About 2000-years ago a man named Jesus from the tiny remote Roman province of Galilee claimed He was the promised Messiah of the Jews (Luke 4:17-21). He went about the ancestral territories of the Jews making this claim, performing a wide variety of miracles, healing all sorts diseases and maladies and offering the long awaited Kingdom of God to the Jews.

His message was flat-out rejected by the Jews. As so too was His claim to being their Messiah; and the miraculous signs and wonders that He showed the Jews, to verify His claim, were attributed by them to be works of the devil. The Kingdom that He offered them, though every Jew had longingly awaited its fulfillment, they also rejected and instead they decided to remain under domination and in servitude to Gentile powers (Deuteronomy 28).

So adamant was their rejection of Him, His message and the Kingdom that He offered that the Jews turned Jesus over to the Roman governor of the province of Judea and accuse Him of treason against Rome. They testified to governor Pontus Pilate that Jesus claimed He was the King of the Jews. To this end the Jews demanded Jesus be put to death in the manner prescribed by Roman law for rebel slaves: “Crucify Him,” they demanded. “Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.” When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus [before the Jews]…“Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews. But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified” (John 19:12-16).

But neither Pilate nor the Jews exercised any real power or authority over Jesus, because: “this Man,” was “delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God.” While He was “nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men,” and they “put Him to death” (Acts 2:23), it was always God’s intention all along that they should do this. While these “godless men” are forgiven of this sin (and all other sins except the sin of unbelief), history shows us that both the Jews and the Romans eventually suffered grave consequences for this heinous act. They were not condemned as one having no hope of grace, but the wheels they set in motion at the Cross brought both civilizations to eventual ruin.

However, God’s plan is never hindered by man: “their rejection [of Him] is the reconciliation of the world” (Romans 11:15); because “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19). Because “now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Hebrews 9:26). To the glory of God, He has made a full display of the fact that “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

This is an incredible tale! Hardly believable! And the only record of it is found in the New Testament.

Overcoming The Stigma Of The Cross

While the message is quit simple--God has forgiven the entire world of its sins and if you believe in the sacrificial death of Christ Jesus you are saved from God’s judgment of the sin of unbelief--yet it is the hardest idea that any human mind will have to process (1Corinthians 1:23; cf., Romans 9:23). Additionally, the presentation of the Gospel, because of its very nature, will always solicit questions from the unbeliever. You must be prepared to answer these questions, but these question can only be answered after you have gained a thorough understanding of the underlining doctrines of salvation: election, propitiation, redemption, regeneration, imputation, reconciliation,  forgiveness, justification, righteousness, sanctification, perfection and final glorification (1 Peter 3:15). Only through the Spirit-illuminated study of God’s Word will you arrive at the satisfactory understanding of these great doctrinal truths (2 Timothy 2:15-16).

Also, the believer must be walking in the Spirit (Romans 15:18, 19), and not in the flesh, if he ever expects to be used by God to effectively bring His saving message to the walking dead of the world (cf., Hebrews 5: 11, 12). Only by the Spirit can we overcome our fears and doubts (Romans 15:13); only by the Spirit can we accurately present the biblical message that we have stored in our brains (2 Corinthians 1-10). And only the Spirit can change the human heart and convince (John 16:8; cf., John 1:13; 3:5-8) the world that the message we proclaim is not an utter absurdity, but is in fact the absolute truth with regard to mankind’s fallen condition in sin and God’s remedy for the evil that besets us all of our long sad days (Titus 3:3-5).

Conclusion

Paul said that he “is not ashamed of the Gospel.” In fact he and the other believers of that day had built a worldwide reputation for proclaiming Christ. So much so that when the Believers arrived in Thessalonica it was said of them, “These men who have upset the world have come here also” (Acts 17:6). Even while imprisoned in Rome awaiting his death sentence for his witness of Christ, Paul still proclaimed Him. By the power of the Spirit all who endeavor to serve God can do no less. Paul was so tireless in presenting the Gospel while imprisoned that some in Caesar’s own household believed and were saved (Philippians 4:22). Quite possibility, even some of Caesar’s hardened bodyguards were amongst those who believed in Christ’s sacrificial work on the Cross (Philippians 1:13).

For no other reason than for my love of the One who first loved me, I want to be like Paul (1 Corinthians 11:1-3).