Turn, if you would, over to 1
Peter. That's where our first reading
will be this morning. 1 Peter 1. 1 Peter 1. We're going to
be concluding this morning study on the efficacious, vicarious,
actual atonement of our actual Savior, Jesus Christ. We've been
looking at, of course this is in our study on the doctrine
of grace that we've been doing now for several weeks now, and
we're uh... looking at the topic of atonement
and uh... as you see on the board uh...
we've had a couple of words that's been uh... used throughout this
uh... particular part portion of our
study and that is uh... efficacious and vicarious two
words that describe christ atonement. And we don't say that because
we believe in some doctrinal or theological big-worded position. We believe that because we find
that that is true in Scripture. We find that the Scripture describes
Jesus' atonement as a vicarious atonement, meaning a substitutionary
atonement. But it also describes Jesus'
atonement as one that is efficacious or one that had an effect. And
over the last few Sundays, we've looked and seen the effects that
the blood of Jesus Christ, that the atonement of Jesus Christ
made and secured and actually solidified for God's people.
Okay? And so we looked last week at
several passages in Hebrews, and as I said, we could really
spend a long time in Hebrews, because Hebrews really is about
the atonement. And we could spend a long time
in that, but I think the work that we did last week on that
pretty much covered most of that, and I think give us a pretty
good idea about the atonement in Hebrews. But this morning,
I'd like us to look at a few verses in 1 Peter and then in
Revelation and also in 1 John. But in 1 Peter chapter 1, we're
going to look at verses 18 through 20. But before we do, let's bow
and have a word of prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank You
for the day. We thank You for Your mercy and grace. We ask,
Lord, that You just might be with us this morning as we minister
the Word. And Father, right now I pray,
Father, that You would help me to speak. Right now my mind is
filled with distractions because of some of the new things that
we're trying this morning. Lord, help me to speak and not pay
any attention to these things. Lord, I just ask that now. I pray for those who are here,
they too might hear, that You might give them understanding.
Speak and edify to Your people. Father, we just thank You for
Your Word. We thank You for the ministry of the Word. We thank
You for the truth of the Word that we have to share. And Lord,
I pray that today as I minister these words, that they will be
of truth, And Father, Lord, we pray that our worship might be
honoring to You, that it might be pleasing in Your sight. And
Father, we just pray that You would just help us to lift these
praises and this worship to You in spirit and in truth. For it's
in Christ's name that we pray, Amen. Alright, 1 Peter 1. Look with me if you would at
verse 18. It says, For as much as ye know
that ye were not redeemed, with corruptible things as silver
and gold from your vain conversations received by tradition from your
fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb
without blemish and without spot." Now, it doesn't seem like much
in that verse, but something just in passing, and that is
the fact that our redemption didn't come from anything that
is carnal. Anything that is corruptible
would be carnal things. So anything carnal didn't bring
our redemption. And I would even say that has
anything to do with anything outwardly that we do in the flesh,
whether that be an exercise of our personal faith, an exercise
of will, an exercise of church membership, of baptism, of anything
like that. It wasn't redeemed. We weren't
redeemed by those carnal things. What redeemed us was the blood
of Jesus Christ. But the point I want to make
here is that the precious blood of Jesus Christ redeemed. It didn't make redemption possible.
It said, for as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed, meaning
that the blood of Jesus Christ did redeem. If we were not redeemed
by corruptible things, but by the blood, then that means that
by the blood we were redeemed. So redemption isn't something
that takes place when we do something. Redemption was something that
took place by the atonement of Jesus Christ. His atonement redeemed
His people and it made it an actual thing. That's where we
get that efficaciousness. It actually redeemed. It was
vicarious because we know here for as much as ye know that ye
were not redeemed." Well, who is Peter talking about? Well,
again, we look at the very beginning of the letter here that Peter
began and he says, "...an apostle of Jesus Christ to strangers
scattered throughout..." And that word strangers there, by
the way, if you'll look that word up, do a study on strangers
throughout the Scriptures. The Bible uses the term strangers
in In context of the believers in Jesus Christ, we are strangers,
we are pilgrims, we are sojourners, meaning that we're not from this
world. Jesus said that in John chapter 17, that we're not of
the world just as He is not of the world. And so because we're
not of the world, we are strangers here. So he says, "...to the
strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, and Bithynia. Elect, according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace be unto you
and peace be multiplied." And so we see here that this letter
was written to the believers in Jesus Christ, also the elect,
known as the elect. Strangers. And so whenever he
goes into this in verse 18, he says, For as much as ye elect
strangers, brethren, know that ye elect were not redeemed with
corruptible things, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. And so we see an efficacious,
vicarious atonement. Look with me if you would while
you're there in 1 Peter down to chapter 2. 1 Peter 2... verse 21. For even hereunto were ye called,
because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example
that ye should follow His steps, who did no sin, neither was guile
found in His mouth, wherein He was reviled, reviled not again. When He suffered, He threatened
not. but committed Himself to him that judges righteously,
who His own self bear our sins in His own body on the tree,
that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness,
by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were a sheep going astray,
but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."
So here again, not only do we see the vicariousness of this,
he said here, Ye are called, again, the context being the
elect. But he also says in verse 24, who His own self bear our
sins in His own body. Not everyone's sins in His own
body, but our sins. The believers, the strangers,
the elect. And as you go through, Peter,
you'll see that there are other words that will be used too.
Brethren will be another word. is another word. Okay? Who His
own self bear our sins in His own body on the tree that we... And then there's a parenthetical
phrase here, being dead to sins. Okay? But let's lift that out
and go from the beginning to the end without the parenthetical
phrase there so we can understand what the that is talking about.
"...who His own self-bearer sends in His own body on the tree,
that we should live unto righteousness by whose stripes ye were healed."
And so one of the effects of the cross, the work of Christ
on the cross, His atonement, is that we might live unto righteousness. And so we see that the atonement
has an effect. And all these proponents out
here of universal atonement are saying that Christ atoned for
everybody. But the effects of that atonement
are not being given to everybody. In that case, we see that God
is breaking His covenant, has lied to His people, is not giving
the promises that was promised, that Christ is not a full Savior
but only a partial Savior. I mean, we can just go on and
on of all the inherent problems with universal atonement. And
so when we look at the Scriptures and we see, especially as we
realize that this is written to the people of God as an understanding
and a knowledge building for them, but also for comfort, for
the news of their salvation, of their God, of their Christ,
these things become evident more and more that these were for
and only for them. And it shows because all the
effects that we've seen so far over the last few weeks that
the atonement has secured, we see that that is the evident
thing that comes out in those who are born again. Those who
come to know Christ, we see they exhibit these very things. They
receive these very things. And the only things that that
atonement secures It's only talked about about the believers in
Christ. It's not talked about about everybody. Everybody else
doesn't receive reconciliation. Everybody else does not receive
wrath removed. Everybody else does not receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit. Everybody else does not receive
the work of righteousness in their heart. They don't see all
these things. And so as we've looked over the
last few weeks of all the things that the atonement does, We see
that not everybody receives that. And if that's the case, then
it's either because God didn't fulfill His promise, Jesus didn't
actually save, or the atonement isn't for everybody.
I mean, we're left to that. We're left to that. But again,
I don't believe that we have to pick up a doctrine because
some theologian or because of necessity, because it has to
be that, because the Bible is replete explaining that this
is the case. It's explicitly in the Scriptures,
not implicitly because of some dogma or because of some theological
or doctrinal stance. So, I think it's very clear there. Look with me, if you would, over
at chapter 3. Verse 18, it says, "...for Christ
also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust," and
here's this word, that again, "...that He might bring us to
God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins,
the just for the unjust." Now, some are going to say, well,
there you go. Well, every man's unjust, so he's talking about
everyone. So Jesus died for everyone because
the just died for the unjust. I didn't put it in here, but
I'm thinking of a verse, and Larry might correct me here,
and it may be in Revelation, where the Bible talks about those,
whenever the time of judgment comes, that those who are just
will be just still, and those who are unjust will be unjust
still. Okay? So, at that time, when
we stand before God, the unjust are still going to be unjust.
There ain't no changing who they are. Okay? Now, when it says
He died the just for the unjust, He says that He might bring us
to God. So which unjust is He talking
about? Is He talking about all the unjust
or just us who are unjust? Again, the context bears out.
He's talking to the elect. He's talking to the brethren.
He's talking to the strangers. He's talking to the people of
God, those who believe upon Jesus Christ. He's talking about them. Those are the ones that He suffered
for that He might bring us to God. So again, we see vicariousness. We see efficaciousness. The vicariousness
is that He suffered for our sins, the just for the unjust. That's
the vicariousness. But what's the efficaciousness
here? That He might bring us to God. He died that He might
bring us to God. So everyone for whom Christ dies,
or for every unjust that the just died for and suffered for,
He will bring to God. Now I don't see, I really don't
see any other way that that can mean everybody. Not everybody
is going to be brought to God unless you want to make that
to mean be brought to God in a judgment way. There is going
to be a time when every knee shall bow and every tongue will
confess. There's going to be a time where everybody is going
to stand before the Lord and all those who are not in Christ
are going to give an account before God of all the things
that they've done. Christ is going to stand in our
stead and bear witness of everything that He has done. But yet everybody
is going to stand before God. So in that sense, yes, everybody
will be brought to God all right. But that's not what He's talking
about here. He's talking about being brought to God in a eternal,
long state. He's talking about that. We even
know that as we get further on down into our reading, especially
into 2 Peter. We see that to be the case. Anybody got any comments on any
of that? Alright, look with me if you
would over now into 1 John. Amazing little tidbit here. You've
got John who wrote in the Gospel and John now who is writing some
epistles. And in John 3.16, we find, For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting
life. I often run into folks who want
to debate on who the whosoever's are in that verse. What's amazing is the Holy Spirit
of God gave John to write some epistles, and in 1 John 3.16,
he writes this, Hereby, perceive we the love
of God, because He laid down His life for us, and we ought
to lay down our lives for the brethren." He laid down His life for us. Now, if you'll look through the
book of 1 John, this is written to those who believe upon the
name of Jesus Christ. If you look through the book
of 1 John, you'll find that these are the things that is given.
As a matter of fact, it's very clear
throughout his whole book that he says, My little children.
Verse 7 of chapter 2, So we see the context here again,
verse 18 in chapter 2, little children. We see in chapter 3,
Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us,
that we should be called the sons of God. Beloved, verse 2, now are we
the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall
be, but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like
Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Verse 5, "...and ye know that
He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him is no sin."
The context overwhelmingly, brethren, is the people of God. And so we see in verse 16, and
if you look at it, it's almost identical to John 3.16, "...for
God so loved the world. Hereby perceive we the love of
God." because He laid down His life
for us. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten
Son. But 1 John 3.16 very clearly
shows who the elect are. Atonement that is specific, that
is particular. It is an atonement that does
not include everyone. And I know a lot of people say,
well, that's just an ugly thing to say. That's an ugly gospel. That's just, that's not true. And I've even had people say
that that's not who my God is. Brethren, the only God that we
know is the God of these Scriptures. The only salvation that we know
is the salvation of these Scriptures. And if we let man and theologians
and seminaries and doctrines of men dictate to us what we
believe, then we've gone astray. The Word of God is what reveals
not only God, but also our salvation. Now, a couple more verses here,
and then we're going to take a break. And this will actually
conclude our talk on atonement. Revelation chapter 1, if you
would please. We want to look at v. 5 and 6. It says, And from Jesus Christ,
who is the fateful witness and the first begotten of the dead,
and the Prince of the kings of the earth, unto Him that loved
us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made
us kings and priests unto God and His Father, to Him be glory
and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Now, again we see, who
is this book written to? It was written to the people
of God. Specifically sent out to churches. But not only them, of course,
we know that this was sent out to seven churches, right? But
we also know that as we read what John wrote to those seven
churches, it said, let him who has ear to hear, let him hear
what the Spirit says. Okay, so it isn't just to those
particular churches, but also to all the people of God who
have been given ears to hear. Matter of fact, verse 3 says,
blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this
prophecy. and keep those things which are
written therein, for the time is at hand." So he said, if you
read and hear these things, you're blessed of God. Meaning that
it's a special, not a reading or a hearing of the carnal mind,
of the flesh, but a reading and a hearing of the spiritual mind,
the spiritual heart, the spiritual eyes, the spiritual ears. It's
to them. But we see here that Jesus loved
us, washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made
us kings and priests unto God and His Father. So by the atonement,
He has washed our sins in His blood. He's made us kings and
priests. Now, again, if the atonement
is universal, then that applies to everybody. Not unless you want to segregate
it out and say, well, the atonement was for everybody, but Jesus
only made certain ones washed in His blood, and kings and priests. Right here it has nothing to
do with what we do. It says by His blood He did these
things. Mike Smith wasn't even alive
whenever that took place. Of course, I believe, go back
to before the foundation of the world, these things were already
preordained, predestined, and ordered of God, and I believe
in the covenant already secured and accounted for. So that was before Mike Smith
ever heard a word, knew a word, knew anything, ever could do
anything. Larry brings the verse up all
the time. Before the boys had done anything good or bad, that
the purpose of election might stand. God chose one and not
the other. So brethren, the application
of the atonement has nothing, nothing, nothing to do with anything
that we as His people or as anybody else does. It has nothing to
do with that. The application comes because
of what He did, because of the merit, because of the worthiness,
because of the covenant of God. Everything, as we read in Ephesians,
all the spiritual blessings were given to God's people because
they were in Christ before the foundation of the world. They
were given to us, applied to us, accounted for us. And then
whenever we in time begin to see and know of our salvation
and experience those things, whenever the Holy Spirit comes
and quickens those who are dead in trespasses and sins, gives
them ears to hear, eyes to see, a heart to know and love, and
receive, then we begin to receive or then we begin to see and understand,
the old school Baptist used to say, we begin to experimentally
believe and receive our salvation. That's why I love what it says
in Timothy where it says that He saved us and called us with
a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
His grace and mercy which He has given us in Christ Jesus
before the foundation of the world. but now is made manifest
by the appearing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who has
abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light
through the Gospel. It's now made manifest to us.
It's now made understandable to us. It's brought to light
to us. That's what this Gospel does.
It brings to light to those who have been given it. It brings
it to light. And what a blessed thing that
is. One more, Revelation 5. Verse
9, And they sang a new song, saying,
Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof,
for Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood
out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation, and hast
made us unto God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth."
Now, again, What did the blood of Christ do? It redeemed His
people. It redeemed us. Now, I know that
a lot of people are going to get into eschatology issues here,
okay? They're especially going to go
up to verse 8 and say, when He had taken the book, the four
beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having
every one of them harps and golden vials full of odors, which are
the prayers of the saints. And they're going to say, see
there, the four and twenty beasts are different than the saints
because He's taken the prayers of the saints, and these are
the four and twenty beasts. But look what it says here. And
they sung a new song. The four and twenty elders, the
four beasts and the four and twenty elders fell down and said,
Thou art worthy to open the seals for Thou was slain and hast redeemed
us. Brethren, there is no beasts,
no angels, no other persons have been redeemed except the people
of God, the elect of God. There is no redemption of elders
and beasts. You've got to remember the book
of Revelation is a book that is signified. It says that at
the very beginning. These things He did signify to
His servant John. They are in signs. They are in
metaphors. They are in symbols. You have
to understand what those say and most of the time you're going
to have to go back to the Old Testament to understand what those say.
So these aren't monsters sitting before the throne of God bowing
down with some elders. Okay? That's paganism. These were the people of God
bowing down and saying, Thou hast redeemed us to God by Thy
blood. And it was people from every
nation, it says here. Every kindred and tongue and
people and nation. That tells me that the Gospel
is going to reach, if not has already reached, every kindred,
every tongue, every people, and every nation. But it also reiterates
what Peter wrote, and has made us unto our God kings and priests,
and we shall reign on the earth. Whoa, I thought we were going
to reign in heaven with Him. He's going to come and get us
and take us to heaven, and that's where the reign is going to be.
Now it says, and we shall reign with Him on earth. We're ruling and reigning with
Christ Jesus now. Doesn't the Bible say that we
are seated with Him in the heavenlies? And He is seated at the right
hand of God where He rules and He reigns. He rules and He reigns
until all of His enemies are made His footstools. And again,
if you remember, I mentioned to you last week and the week
before last, you might want to take a look at that, that the
footstools there is not talking about the wicked, the reprobate,
it's talking about us. We were the enemies of God and
we were made His footstools, His servants, the place of service
that was at the footstool. And that's where He is ruling
and reigning until all of His people come to repentance. Peter reiterates that also whenever
he says that Jesus won't come back again because He is long-suffering
to us. We're not willing that any of
us should perish, but that we all come to repentance. That's what we see here. We are made kings and priests
and we shall reign here on the earth. How do we reign here on
the earth? Well, that's a discussion for
another day. But I will say one thing, brethren. We rule and
reign here on earth because of who we are in and who is in us. And we do so by the Gospel. We
do so by the Gospel. Anybody got any questions or
any comments or anything you'd like to add to? Alright, well
let's stop and we'll take a break and we'll meet back in here in
just a few minutes and talk about a few more things before we leave.