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What is the Actual Purpose of the Cross?
INTRODUCTION: EX.
W.W.J.D.? versus W.D.J.D.? (What Did
Jesus Do?) Yes,
Scripture commands us to follow His example, but the power to do so is from His
cross! (Phil 2:5ff; 1 Pet 2:21; 1 Jn 2:6). Scripture
always describes Christ’s work as effectual. Hebrews 9:28 – By His death as sin-bearer, there was
an effectual removal of the sins that were laid upon Him. John 10:27-30 – By His
death, Christ secured the eternal safety of those given to Him by the
Father. “They shall never perish.” Isaiah 53:10, 11 – By giving
Himself as a guilt offering, Christ would justify the many by bearing
their iniquities. He would be satisfied
as a result of seeing “His seed.”
Seed refers to the spiritual “offspring” purchased by His death. (See also Heb 10:10, 14; Rev 5:9, 10.) Because
Christ’s death is effectual, one must not confuse the offer
of
the cross with God’s purpose in the cross. The offer is to be taken to every creature (Mark 16:15).
The good news is to be preached to every person, “be reconciled to God”
(2 Cor 5:20). When men
reject the Substitute who suffered for sinners, and prefer to stay in their
unbelief, it does not mean that one bit of Christ’s work was in vain. God’s sovereign purpose in the cross is not
made to depend upon man’s fickle will (man’s will is enslaved and
corrupted). Mankind, by sinful
self-determination, does not mold God’s purpose in the cross. God’s
revealed will (or command) is that all men everywhere believe and repent (Acts 17:30). God expresses His love, stating that it is
His desire for all men to be saved (1
Tim 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9). The legitimacy of
this universal offer of salvation is NOT nullified by the fact that God has a
sovereign plan to save the elect. Eph 5:25-27 I. Christ’s
death was motivated by His love for the church.
1.
Why is His church referred to as His Bride or Wife? (The church is the
Father’s gift to Christ. God chose a
Bride for His Son. Marriage is the most
intimate relationship we know of. It show
Christ’s loving headship over His redeemed.) 2.
What is Christ’s motivation for laying down His life for His Bride? (It is
His love for her.) 3.
Does the laying down of His life produce the possibility of some outcome OR
does it effectually produce the outcome itself? (The language in the Greek
involves the subjunctive mood used in a purpose or intent clause. This means that the laying down of His life
was to bring about a particular effect.
See the list of things guaranteed in question #4.) 4.
What does His death for His Bride accomplish? (Sanctification, cleansing,
holiness, blamelessness and glory.) 5.
What does the metaphor, “Without spot or wrinkle” mean? (It pictures the
spiritual perfection of the glorified church.) 6.
As you look at Eph 5:25-27, would you say that Christ is laying down His life
for specific individuals previously known and loved? (Or) That He is laying
down His life without a specific people in mind? (Another way to phrase this question is as follows: “Can God
legitimately offer His redeeming love universally to sinners IF He has a
sovereign plan behind it that guarantees it will sanctify those chosen to make
up the Church?
Our
passage in Eph 5 joins God’s electing love to His redeeming love.
NOTE:
There are a number of passages that place the universality of the offer of
salvation next to a passage that teaches God’s sovereignty over salvation: See
– Matt 11:27-30; Jn 6:37ff.) 7.
Why must salvation have God’s sovereignty behind it? (Because of man’s lost,
rebellious, spiritually dead condition – Eph 2:1-3. Is the natural man simply spiritually unconscious, OR, is he more
accurately described as “dead at the bottom of the sea with his heart eaten out
by a shark?” Only a spiritual
“resurrection” can avail to restore him to life. The
granting of spiritual life is likened to a resurrection in which God takes the
initiative (Eph 2:5, 6; Col 2:11-14). John 17:1,2, 6,
9, 17-20ff. II. Christ’s
death secures eternal life for those given to Him by the Father. 1.
(v. 1, 2) What is the purpose for which Christ has authority over all mankind?
(That He might give eternal life to all those given Him by the Father. Are these specific individuals that are
given to Him?) 2.
(v. 6) What does this phrase mean, “Thine they were. . .?” (By reason of election, they belonged to
the Father. Remember the decree of
election is behind the gift of the Church to the Son – the Father gave them to
Christ. It is impossible for an elect
person over the age of accountability to die before he finds Christ as
Savior. Consider that angels protect
those who will inherit salvation – Heb 1:14.) 3.
(v. 9) What does it mean, “I do not ask on behalf of the world?” (Remember that this is Christ’s “high
priestly” prayer. He is not simply
praying for the welfare of people, He is asking for their eternal life based
upon His soon to come sacrifice. Note
that Christ’s intercession is always PRIESTLY, that is He pleads the merits of
His blood, and He does so for the elect – Rom 8:33, 34.
What
is unique about Christ’s intercession as a Priest in Jn 17 is that never has a
priest in the history of the world interceded based upon His own shed blood –
Heb 7:27; 9:14; 10:10-14. Note
that the entire Trinity is active in our salvation (the Father elects, the Son
redeems by His blood, the Spirit regenerates, applying the benefits of Christ’s
death to the believer). Also note that
some aspects of salvation are timeless (election, foreordination,
predestination), and some aspects of our salvation begin in time (justification,
regeneration, etc., see Rom 8:29, 30).
4.
(v. 19) What does it mean, “For their sakes, I sanctify Myself?” (Jesus
was sinless, impeccable, and immutably holy, why then is He said to “sancify
Himself?”. Remember the context of Jn
17. This is the prayer just before
Gethsemene. Jesus is “setting Himself
apart” for His atoning work on Calvary that is soon to follow. Note, for the joy set before Him, He
endured the cross – Heb 12:1-3). 5.
(vv. 20-26) What are the guaranteed
results of Jesus “sanctifying Himself on their behalf?” (NOTE the effects that are brought about
as the Son asks the Father to do these things for those given to Him – the Son
is asking for these things based upon His atoning work soon to follow His
prayer. The prayed-for effects of His
atonement are described in vv. 20-26: sanctification, believing through the
Apostles’ word, being unified in Christ, being with Christ in heaven and seeing
His eternal glory, knowing the Father, and knowing experientially the love that
exists within the trinity.) 2 Cor 5:14-17 III. Christ’s
death obtained the obedience of all believers.
1.
(v. 15-17) Did the cross secure
anything connected to the believer’s obedience to Christ? (YES! Note the effect of His death upon
the believer’s motivation for living; he no longer lives for himself.) 2.
(v. (14, 15) Does the Apostle use any “qualifiers” with the word all? (Yes,
the all make up a class of individuals who “died when Christ died.” Additional
qualifiers include references to “us” and “we”-- these refer only to those who
have been reconciled to God. Thus the
“all” comprises the saved.) 3.
What does it mean when it says a person DIES WHEN CHRIST DIES? (Note
the other passages that teach “co-crucifixion” – see Rom 6:5, 6; Gal 2:20. Also note that the effect of dying with
Christ is described in 5:15-17.) 4.
Is it accurate to say that Christ’s death SECURED the death of the
believer? (Yes, we may accurately
say that “Christ died for all who died when He died.” According to John MacArthur, only by hermeneutical gymnastics can
a person avoid drawing this conclusion
from the text. The
“death” of the believer with Christ is defined in verse 15 and the first part
of verse 14. Christ’s love governs and
controls every true child of God – there is no exception, this is common to
every Christian.) 5.
(v. 14) Paul says “having concluded” or “thus we judge” because the love of
Christ exerts constraining power. The Apostle Paul has concluded that
Christ’s death didn’t just place believers under obligation to be Christ’s
servants, it secured this devotion!
WHY? Because believers died in Christ when He died on Calvary
(Rom 6:4, 5). 6.
(v. 14) Christ’s death was a wrathful death of condemnation, our death in Him
was not, ours was an identification with our Substitute so that we would
experience the benefits of His life and death and resurrection. His death in our place saves us from the
second death. Note that the “all” in verse
14 is a class of individuals characterized by the effects produced in their
lives (those effects include consecrated servanthood to Christ – see how many
other effects of His death you can identify in vv. 14-21). The
“all” is necessarily limited by what the Scriptures teach concerning the design
of Christ’s death – this entails the actual purpose of the cross. Christ died
for all who died when He died. Christ’s death secures our reconciliation to
God, and the reconciliation secures a life of devotion to Christ and service to
Him. Christ died that He might be Lord
of His people. His people serve Him as
Lord. They belong to Him and are
devoted to Him. There is no distinction
therefore between those for whom Christ dies and those whom He sanctifies (Heb
10:10; 1 Cor 1:30). In the mind of God, those whom the Father
chose are so united to the Son that His death is their death and His life is
their life. (This is the same argument
used by the Apostle in Romans 6:5, 6; Gal 2:20; 1 Pet 2:24). The ultimate summary verse which
encapsulates the exchange is 2 Cor 5:21.
In that verse, the benefits of His life and death are freely given to
the believer, because he is in union with Christ. According to 2 Cor 5:14, 15, those for
whom Christ died REALLY DIE TO SIN and its dominion in their lives. Those for whom Christ died will have His
death take effect in their lives. It is
the genuine Christian who lives for Christ because he has become a partaker of
Christ’s death and life (Heb 3:14). Saving faith and consecration to Christ are inseparably joined. By union with Christ, believers are transformed – they are “new creations” with new principles, new perspectives, new affections, new motivations. All
of these new things are characteristics of the new creation, the old things
have passed away. “Creation” refers to
the greatness of the change wrought in us by Christ’s work – a change that has
radically transformed our natures. The
cross of Christ and His love to the saint is truly the source of power for a
holy life of service to God.
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