The Vicarious Death Of Jesus (III)

The Price Of Redemption

By the time we get to the pages of the New Testament, we are absolutely overjoyed to discover that the great scheme of redemption that was fully hidden in the mind of God before the foundation of the world has now been revealed to us, actualized in the fullness of time in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, who was the Messiah, that is, the Christ (consider what is said in Ephesians 3:5 coupled with the many other passages that tell us who Jesus was and what He came to accomplish). Oh, what magnificent grace and mercy! Oh, what wonderful, wonderful love!

The Calvinists are always arguing that if man is amenable to the gospel and is actually called upon to do anything in order to be saved, then salvation is by works instead of faith alone. However, as we’ve already learned, the Bible does not teach salvation by faith alone, at least not in the sense the Calvinists mean. It does teach that if man is going to be saved, it will have to be “by grace…through faith” (Ephesians 2:8); therefore, it is to this much-misunderstood concept that we now turn our attention.

Saved By Grace Through Faith

Man does not have to sin, but he does. In fact, all have, or will, sin (cf. Romans 3:23). The only way a man can be justified under a system of justification by law-keeping is by perfect law-keeping, which no mere man has ever done. Thus, if sinful man is going to be justified (saved), it will have to be because of God’s grace. This grace has been extended to us through God’s sending of His only begotten Son into this world to do what we had failed to do—namely, to perfectly keep, and thus fulfill, the law. Having done so, such a system (personified in the law of Moses) could be set aside so that a new covenant, with better promises, could be instituted for man’s justification/salvation (cf. Hebrews 8:6; 12:24).

So, although it is theoretically possible for one to keep the law perfectly and thus go to Heaven, the rules under such a system require that all the law be kept all one’s life (remember that the grace available under the law was made so only by the blood that would one day be shed on the cross of Calvary). Because all mankind miserably failed in this, except Jesus of Nazareth, all mankind was in need of redemption. God was not obligated to redeem His prodigal creation, but He wanted to anyway. Thus, He designed a plan (viz., the grand and glorious Scheme of Redemption) whereby His fallen creatures could be redeemed.

Contrary to popular belief, God could not have saved man just any ol’ way (cf. Romans 3:21-26). Redemption, if such was going to be implemented, would have to satisfy God’s justice, and God’s justice requires that any violation of law be punished. Jesus Christ, then, became the propitiation (or satisfaction) of such justice, which required that the only man who ever lived perfectly under law (thus qualifying as the spotless sacrifice, or propitiation, for the sins of all mankind) would pay the penalty for everyone else (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15). Thus, the only man who truly deserved glorification in Heaven, and this because He kept the law perfectly, suffered the penalty and, in so doing, became the propitiation for the sins of us all.

We must remember, then, that grace—and this is because it’s grace—isn’t fair. I know this sounds strange to those who’ve never thought about it this way, but if it’s fair you want, you must relate to God through a system of justification by perfect law-keeping. Keep the law and you do not fall into condemnation; break the law and you become guilty of all, deserving the penalty that is due every law-breaker. This is fair. But under such a system, all mankind, except for Jesus, sinned and, as a result, deserves the penalty. But because He loved us, God sent His only begotten Son into this world to bring about our salvation through the sacrifice of Himself coupled with our willingness to accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Thus, if God is for us, and He’s demonstrated He is by the sending of His Son on our behalf, who is it then that will be able to stand against us (Romans 8:31)? Paul continues:

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. (Romans 8:32-34).

It is clear, then, that God, in connection with His Son, has given us “all things.” This means there is nothing lacking in connection with our redemption and continued salvation—not one single, solitary thing! Because God was able to justify us in connection with the sacrifice of His only begotten Son on the cross, who vicariously paid the price of redemption for our sins, no one can now bring a charge against His elect and make it stick. Thus, nothing is “able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).

Next, we’ll delve a bit more deeply into what the Scriptures say about propitiation.

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