is not that I did choose. Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Nyberg. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 1030 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
945 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com.
Now here's our pastor, Todd Nye. In Romans chapter 5, verse 6,
Paul says, For when we were yet without strength, in due time
Christ died for the ungodly. I've entitled this message, For
Whom Did Christ Die? Jesus Christ is the eternal,
uncreated Son of God, the second person of the blessed Trinity,
God manifest in the flesh. Jesus Christ is not like God.
He is God. the God-man. Great is the mystery
of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. The Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us. And in the flesh, for 33 years,
he obeyed God perfectly. He never sinned. Take the Ten Commandments. He
never put anything before his father. He worshiped his father
without ever having an idolatrous thought or a wrong view of his
father. He never took his father's name
in vain. He always rested. He trusted
his father completely. He honored his mother and father,
and he honored all authority. He never killed. Not only did
he never murder someone, he never killed someone's reputation or
character by slander or gossip or innuendo. He never committed
sexual sin, no, not even in his heart, mind, or imagination.
He never stole. He never lied. He never coveted. He worked out a perfect, flawless
righteousness, which is properly called in Scripture the righteousness
of God. You see, when He obeyed God's
law perfectly, in the flesh, the God-man, His righteousness
is nothing less than the very righteousness of God. What if
after achieving this perfect obedience, he simply went back
to heaven? What good would that do near
you? All it would do is condemn us.
If all he did was come down here and work out a perfect righteousness
and go back to heaven, it wouldn't do any good for us at all. But after living this perfect
life, the very righteousness of God, he died. the Son of God
died. He was nailed to a cross and
he died. Now there's only one reason for
death. Sin. That's the only reason. The wages
of sin is death. You see, the sins of God's people,
the sins of all who believe, The sins of the elect became
His sin, so that He became guilty of it, and the Son of God died
under the wrath of God as a sin-bearing substitute. You see, He came
to die. He's called in Revelation 13.8, the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world. He didn't come merely to live.
He came to die. He came to die a substitutionary,
sacrificial death. He came to die. Now listen to this, who his own
self bear our sins in his own body on the tree. The moment
he died, the sins of everybody he died for were put away. Now once in the end of the world
hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. He was manifested to take away
our sins, and in Him is no sin. Now listen to me. If Christ died
for you, that sin you committed yesterday is blotted out. If
Christ died for you, the sin you're committing right now is
blotted out. If Christ died for you, the sin
you'll commit tomorrow is blotted out. It's gone. It's wiped away. It's washed away. He was manifested
to take away our sins, and that's exactly what He did. Matthew
121 says, Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save
His people from their sins. If Christ died for you, all your
sin is gone. I can say to you what Nathan
said to David after David said, I've sinned. Nathan said, the
Lord hath put away thy sin. If Christ died for you, you've
been saved. You are saved. You'll be saved. You can't be anything but saved.
You have no sin. You have his righteousness. If
he died for you, heaven is yours. And my question is, for whom
did he die? I know that everybody he died
for, their sins put away, they're saved. The big question is, for
whom did he die? Now, the Bible does not teach
or imply that his death could ever be in vain. The Bible does
not imply that he could shed his precious blood for somebody
and that person would wind up in hell anyway. The Bible doesn't
teach anything like that. He shall see the travail of his
soul and be satisfied. He's not going to be frustrated
thinking, I died for that person and they ended up in hell anyway.
No, everybody he died for must be saved. Now, I realize that most preachers
preach that he died for all men without exception and made salvation
available for all men. Now, my dear friend, there's
not a drop of gospel in that. Somebody that preaches that doesn't
know the gospel, they don't know God, they don't know how God
saves sinners. They take away the, they make the death of Christ
meaningless. If he can die for you and you
wind up in hell anyway, his death is meaningless. And they take
away the sinner's only hope. Now listen to me, the only hope
that I have of being saved is that he died for me. And if you tell me that he can
die for somebody, and they wind up in hell anyway, I know I'll
wind up in hell. The only hope that any sinner
has is the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. All he died for
must be saved. Now, for whom did he die? Now, I want to know what God's
word teaches. That's all I'm interested in. What does God's
word teach about this subject? I want to know so I can understand
what his death actually did. When he said it is finished and
died, something was accomplished. I want to know who he died for
so I can know what his death actually accomplished. I want
to know who he died for so I can see from the scriptures if I'm
one of the people he died for. I want to know. I want to know
he died for me. And I want to know the answer to this question,
for whom did he die, so I can know how to preach the gospel.
And I know this, if somebody knows that Christ died for them,
they'll live for him. Now, for whom did Christ die? There is no scripture That even
implies that he died for all men without exception. Somebody
says, what about God so loved the world that he gave his own
begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish? Doesn't
that say he died for everybody? No, it doesn't say that. It just
says the one believing will not perish. God so loved the world.
What about that scripture? He's the propitiation for our
sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole
world. That's talking about all kinds of people. It's not just
the Jews, the Gentiles also, not just the educated, the uneducated,
or black, white, yellow, no distinctions. He died for the sins of the whole
world in that sense. It doesn't mean that he died
for all men with that exception, but he did die for somebody. Who did he die for? Well, the
scripture that I just read at the beginning of this message,
I love. Romans chapter 5 verse 6, for
when we were yet without strength in due time, Christ died for
the ungodly. Who did he die for? He died for
those without strength. Those without spiritual strength. Those who cannot do anything
to save themselves. They're poor in spirit. They
have nothing. They have no strength. They don't
have the ability to believe. They don't have the ability to
repent. They don't have the ability to love. They're without strength.
And they're ungodly. They're sinful men and women. We go on reading in verse 7, Christ died for us. For whom did he die? There are
three descriptions in those verses I just read. For those without
strength, for those who are ungodly, and for those who are sinners. Now I'm not asking you right
now if you know that you're a believer. I'm not asking you right now
if you know that Christ died for you. I'm not asking you right
now if you've been born again or if you know you're one of
the elect or if you're a Christian. Here's what I'm asking you. Are
you a sinner? Are you ungodly? Are you without
strength? If you say yes to those questions,
I can guarantee you on the authority of God's Word, Christ died for
you. 1 Timothy 1.15 says, this is
a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Paul said, of whom
I am the chief. Not, I used to be the chief,
but I'm no longer that way because I'm saved. No, he said, in his
own experience of himself, he said, Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief. If you are a sinner, Christ died
for you. Listen to this scripture from
1 Peter 3, verse 18. He died the just for the unjust. There's a description of the
one he died for, the unjust. Would that describe you? Unjust
before God. Well, if it does, I can guarantee
you upon the authority of God's Word that Christ died for you. Now in John 10, verse 15, the
Lord made this statement, I lay down my life for the sheep. That's who he died for. his sheep. I laid down my life
for the sheep." Is everybody a sheep? No. Do you remember
in Matthew chapter 25 when we're given that look at Judgment Day
and the Lord says, beginning in verse 31, when the Son of
Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with
Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory, and before
Him shall be gathered all nations, and He shall separate them one
from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats, and
He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on
His left." Now there are sheep and there are goats. Christ did
not die for goats. A goat never becomes a sheep,
and a sheep never becomes a goat. Not everybody's a sheep. And
the Lord said, I lay down my life for the sheep. In that same
chapter, in verse 24, then came the Jews round about him and
said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou
be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you
and you believe not. The works that I do in my Father's
name, they bear witness of me, but you believe not because you're
not of my sheep, as I said unto you. Now, he didn't say you're
not a sheep because you don't believe. He said you don't believe
because you're not a sheep. He goes on to describe the sheep.
He says, My sheep hear My voice. I know them, and they follow
Me, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish.
Neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father which
gave them Me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck
them out of My Father's hand. His sheep are the ones the Father
gave Him in eternal election. Who are the sheep? The elect
of God. Now listen to this scripture,
Romans 8 beginning in verse 31, if God be for us, who can be
against us? He that spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also
freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifieth. Who
is He that condemned? It's Christ that died, yea, rather,
that's where it's at again. Christ Jesus died for His sheep,
His elect. That is who He died for. For whom did Christ die? Well,
he died for sinners, he died for the unjust, he died for his
sheep, but listen to this. And as Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal
life. Who did Christ die for? Whosoever
believeth. Now, what I said Previously,
here's the truth, Christ died for sinners, and Christ died
only for the elect. But you don't need to worry as
to whether or not you're one of the elect. Here's what you're
called upon to do, believe. Now if you believe, it'll be
proven that you're one of the elect, you're one of the sheep.
But you're called upon to believe, whosoever believeth in him."
Now, as Moses lifted up that serpent in the wilderness, and
you remember what happened? The children of Israel had murmured against
God, against His providence. The Lord sent snakes into the
camp, biting the children of Israel. Many died. They came
back to Moses and said, what are we going to do? Pray for
us. And the Lord told Moses to make a brazen serpent and put
it on a pole, just like the ones that had bit the children of
Israel. And anybody who simply looked at that serpent was made
whole. And whosoever looks to Christ,
whosoever, what a glorious word, whosoever, whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. I'll tell you who he
died for. He died for whosoever believeth. If you believe the
gospel, He died for you. If you rest in Christ, He died
for you. He died for whosoever. For whom
did Christ die? Listen to these scriptures. For
the Son of Man came not to be ministered to, but to minister
and to give His life a ransom for many. He died for many. He said this is the blood of
the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of
sins. Now while not many wise men after
the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called, he still
died for many. Now understand this about the
atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. The limited nature of the atonement,
and by limited I mean it was limited to the elect. It was
intended for the elect. It wasn't intended to save anybody
who ends up in hell. It never was His intention to
save that person. The atonement of Christ is limited
to the elect. It's definite. It's particular.
It's successful. He died for the elect. Do you
know that doesn't shut anyone out who wants to come? Now, I
understand if somebody says, well, what about somebody who
wants to be saved? Can't they be saved if they're not wanting to elect?
Everybody is shut out by the sin of Adam. Everybody is already
excluded. And the atonement doesn't keep
people from coming. The atonement brings people in.
The atonement doesn't cause people to be damned who might otherwise
have been saved. It causes people to be saved
who would have otherwise been damned. Oh, thank God for the
success of the atonement. And don't anybody say, well,
I'm afraid I want to be saved, but I'm afraid I'm one of the
elect and he won't save me. That's never happened. Anybody
who comes for mercy is received by him. He died for many. Why not you? You call on His
name and you'll find out He died for you. He died for many. For whom did Christ die? Well,
Hebrews chapter 9, let me read a verse of scripture. He died
for those who are called. Hebrews chapter 9, the writer
says beginning in verse 12. Neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by His own blood. He entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the
blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling
the unclean sanctify through the purifying of the flesh, how
much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal
Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience
from dead works? to serve the living God, and
for this cause He is the mediator of the New Testament, that by
means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were
under the First Testament, they which are called might receive
the promise of eternal inheritance. Who is it that benefits from
His death? They who are called. Have I been called? I want to
know. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1,
verses 23 and 24, we preach Christ crucified. And to the Jews, the
religious fellows, it's a stumbling block. You mean I'm to be saved
by what somebody else did? To the Greeks, foolishness. Do
you expect me to believe that God became a man? Why, that's
foolishness. I know you see it that way. But
to them which are called, both Jew and Greek. Christ the power
of God and Christ the wisdom of God. Now, if you've been called,
I know this. You see Christ Himself as the
mighty power of God. He's the power of God unto salvation,
and He's God's power to save somebody like you. You realize
the only way you can be saved is by Christ being the power
of God, and you see Christ as the very wisdom of God. Oh, you
see the wisdom that God has made a way to be just. and honor His
own just character and holy requirements, and yet justify somebody through
the work of Christ on the cross. You see that as the very wisdom
of God. Everybody that's been called,
they see Christ as the power of God, and they see Christ as
the wisdom of God. Who did Christ die for? They
who are called. For whom did He die? Those who
are sanctified. For by one offering, He hath
perfected forever them that are sanctified. Set apart by God
in eternal election. Redeemed, declared to be holy
by Christ by what He did for them. Sanctified by the Spirit
of God, He perfected forever them that are sanctified. That's
who He died for. And then in 1 John 2, verse 2,
it says, he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours
only, but also for the sins of the whole world. Now, I know
a lot of people will stumble at that, and they'll say, well,
that means he died for everybody. If He died for everybody, John
wouldn't have bothered to say that. He's saying He didn't just
die for us Jews, but Gentiles as well. He died for all kinds
of people. As a matter of fact, in Revelation
chapter 5, and this is such a glorious picture of heavenly worship,
but look what the people say in Revelation chapter 5, they
sung a new song. This is the people of heaven. This is the
choir that's 10,000 times 10,000 and thousands and thousands.
That's a whole lot of people and they're up in heaven singing
this great hymn of praise and they say in Revelation 5 verse
9 they sang a new song saying thou art worthy to take the book
and to open the seals thereof for thou was slain and has redeemed
us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and
people and nation and has made us kings and priests unto God
and we shall reign on the earth notice he didn't say you redeemed
all men he said you redeemed up this great multitudes, and
you've redeemed us out of every kindred, tongue, tribe, and nation."
That's who He died for, the members of this great choir. Now, for
whom did Christ die? Did He die for me? I hope you'll
ask yourself that question. Did He die for me? Well, let
me ask you a few questions, and you can know whether or not He
died for you. You can know whether or not you're one of His people.
Here's my first question. Are you a sinner? I mean a real
sinner. If you are, He died for you. Do you believe He's the Son of
God? I think of that Ethiopian eunuch. He said, here's water.
What hinders me from being baptized? Philip answered, if you believe
with all your heart, you may. And he said, I believe that Jesus
Christ is the son of God. Do you believe that Christ is
the eternal uncreated son of God, the second person of the
blessed Trinity, the creator of the universe, the one who
controls all things? Do you believe he's the son of
God? Do you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus? And do
you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead?
Scripture says if you do, you'll be saved. Now, if you believe you're a
sinner, if you believe he's the Savior, If you believe He's the
Christ, who so believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born
of God. You believe He's God's prophet,
He's the very Word of God. You believe He's God's priest,
that if He brings you into the Father's presence, you're accepted.
You believe He's God's King, ruling and reigning over everything.
If you believe what I've just said, and I'm not just talking
about giving assent to it or agreement to it, but you really
believe that you're a sinner, and you really believe that He's
the Savior, and if He died for you, you must be saved. If you
really believe that, you can say with Paul, as he spoke in
Galatians 2.20, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and
the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of
the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me." Now, Christ
died not for all men without exception. He died for his sheep. He died for sinners. He died
for the elect. He died for those who believe.
and everybody he died for must be saved. Now really, this is
simple. It's simple. If Christ died for
you, you must be saved. It's as simple. The other view,
Christ can die for you and you might not end up being saved
if you don't do your part, that's complex. And it's confusing. And ultimately it's salvation
by works. It makes salvation dependent upon what you do rather
than what he's done. But this only is simple. And
remember this, if something's not simple, it's not true. All
truth is simple. Second, this is the only thing
that really satisfies the conscience. This is the only thing that gives
us inner peace, that Christ did everything. That when He said,
it is finished, my salvation was finished. There's nothing
for me to do. He did it all. That's the only thing that satisfies
my conscience. If you give me something to do,
I'm just worried sick, I have no peace. But no, He did it all. And this really is the only thing
that softens the heart. Law and terrors do but harden
when it ended all alone, but a sense of blood-bought pardon
will dissolve a heart of stone. The only thing that will really
soften my heart or your heart is seeing that He did it all."
And this is what will cause a man to live for Christ. Paul put
it this way, for we thus judge that if one died for all, then
we're all dead, and that he died for all, that they which live
should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him that
died for them and rose again. If he died for me, all I want
to do is live for him. Now, we have this message on
CD and DVD. If you call the church, if you
write, if you email, we'll send you a copy. This is Todd Nybert,
praying that God will be pleased to make himself known to you.
That's our prayer. To request a copy of the sermon
you have just heard, send your request to messages at toddsroadgracechurch.com. Or you may write or call the
church at the information provided on the screen.