Wednesday 22 October 2014

Wayne Grudems systematic theology, Chapter 27

The Atonement.

Did Christ really need to die?

Atonement: the work Christ did in his life and death to earn our salvation.

God's love and justice made it necessary for the atonement to happen.  God loves us and wanted to spare us his wrath, but his justice requires that somebody pay the penalty.

The fact that God wants to save us at all shows a great mercy on his part. He was not so merciful to the rebellious angels, for example.

Jesus life and words show that his death as a propitiation was absolutely necessary.  Christ obediently obeyed the law in our place, and suffered for us to take the penalty due to us.

Man does not just need a moral neutrality (i.e. the slate has been wiped clean by Christ's suffering), but also a righteousness, which comes through faith in Christ's obedience to perfectly follow the law.  Together this gives us entrance to heaven through faith.

Jesus suffered in four different ways:
1. Physical pain and death
2. The pain of bearing sin (all that he hated most deeply (sin) was poured out fully upon him.)
3. Abandonment (my God my God, why have you forsaken me?)
4. Bearing the wrath of God.  God put forward Christ as a propitiation, which is, "a sacrifice that bears God's wrath to the end and in so doing changes God's wrath towards us into favor."  wow.

God the father inflicted the penalty knowingly on his beloved son.
It was not an eternal suffering in penalty, but a complete payment was made by Jesus.  (If we had to pay the penalty for our sins, it would be eternal, but Jesus could pay completely by his perfect life and death on the cross).

Four terms can show how Christs death met the four needs we have as sinners.
1. we deserve to die as penalty for sin
2. we deserve to bear God's wrath against sin
3. we are separated from God by our sins
4. we are in bondage to sin and to the kingdom of Satan.

Christ's death responds to these needs in the four following ways:
sacrifice, propitiation, reconciliation, redemption.

Some other views throughout history:
1. Ransom to Satan theory.  (Christ's death was to redeem us from Satan who rules over us).
2. Moral Influence theory. God was not paying any penalty, but rather showing a loving example through his death on the cross.
3. Example theory. Christ's death is just a nice example for us...
4. Governmental theory. God demands payment, but since he is omnipotent, Jesus payment didnt cover our sins but rather showed that God's payment was paid.

Did Christ descend into hell? The apostles creed says yes, the Bible says....,

As the apostles creed was formed, this phrase originally meant, "was buried or descended in the grave."

1 Peter 3 speaks of how Christ went and preached to the spirits in prison...  This is not a "second chance for redemption for those who have already died, but rather an encouragement for us to witness boldly to those who are hostile around us.

Does this passage mean that Christ spoke to demonic spirits/fallen angels, or to proclaim release to Old Testament saints?  Probably not.

A more satisfying explanation is that the spirit of Christ was speaking through Noah during the time of the building of the ark to seek unbeliever's repentance.

Wayne Grudem even suggests that this phrase should be removed from the apostles creed.

Did Jesus die for the entire human race, or only for the "elect?"   Non-reformed  people say that Christ's atonement must be available to all, and if it was limited, then the gospel is limited.

Reformed people say that if Christ truly died for all, then all should be cleansed and go to heaven.  We dont know who the elect are, but God did, and many passages point out that Christ died for "his sheep," etc.   This is also called limited atonement, or particular redemption.

A non-reformed view speaks often of Bible verses that point out Jesus dying for the whole world.

Both sides agree:
1.  Not all will be saved.
2. A free offer of the gospel can be made to every person ever born.  All agree that Christ's death is of infinite merit.

Let's be careful to respect our brothers and sisters who take each side, and strive to share the gospel to all and all alike!




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