Category Archives: The Doctrines of Grace

The Message of the Cross

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“Is it true that everyone on earth is drawn to the cross?” Many assume so. They base this on John 12:32 which says, “And I, will draw all men to Myself.” But as I explained in a recent article here, I believe the phrase “all men” in that context refers to all kinds of people – all without distinction rather than all without exception.

So what do the Scriptures specifically tell us concerning the message of the cross?

1 Corinthians 1:18 says, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

1 Corinthians 1:22-24 gives us further insight when it says, “For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

The cross is actually foolishness to Gentiles and a stumbling block to Jews. That’s pretty clear isn’t it?

When Gentiles hear the message that the answer to the problems of this world is a man dieing on a Roman cross thousands of years ago, thousands of miles away – they have a category for that – “nuts”, “crazy” or “foolishness.”

Jews on the other hand, have a different problem. They see the cross as a stumbling block because their own Scriptures (in Deut. 21:23) tell them that anyone hanging on a tree is under the curse of God (and they would understand a cross to be simply a cut down tree). Continue reading →

The Whole Point

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In Romans 8, in the context of Paul revealing God’s eternal plan of foreknowing, predestinating, calling, justifying and glorifying a people for Himself (Rom. 8:28-30), he then continues to write about the exact same group of people – the “those,” the “many brothers,” the “we”, the “us”, “God’s elect”. From verse 28 onwards until the end of the chapter, it is this group that is in view.

I have emphasized (in bold) certain words so you can see this clearly in the text:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The whole point of talking, sharing, blogging, preaching and getting our understanding precise as to the intention of God in sending His Son to the cross is not so that our heads would be enlarged by theological speculation, but that our hearts would be broken, crushed; forever amazed and astounded at the love of God for us. God wants us to know the security of His abiding love for us, so that during even the toughest times in life we know that all things work together for the good of His people. The truths of the electing love of God, the finished cross-work of Christ and His continued intercession on our behalf are the firm and solid foundation for this great Romans 8:28 promise, so cherished by His people in the midst of life’s storms. Continue reading →

The Divine Intention of the Cross (Part 4)

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Continued from part 3

I ended the last post on this theme by recommending John Owen’s book “The Death of Death in the Death of Christ.” It is a majestic work. Though written many decades ago, I believe the arguments presented there remain unrefuted.

Here’s what we need to think through. If we as Christians believe that Christ really did make an atonement for sin… if we believe He made an actual rather than a merely hypothetical atonement that really did remove the wrath of God on behalf of sinners, then we need to think through the logical consequences of that.

As John Owen makes clear in the book, if Christ made an actual atonement for sin, then by resistless logic, the following must therefore be true:

“The Father imposed His wrath due unto, and the Son underwent punishment for, either:

1) All the sins of all men.
2) All the sins of some men, or
3) Some of the sins of all men.

In which case it may be said:

That if the last be true, all men have some sins to answer for, and so, none are saved.

That if the second be true, then Christ, in their stead suffered for all the sins of all the elect in the whole world, and this is the truth.
But if the first be the case, why are not all men free from the punishment due unto their sins?

You answer, “Because of unbelief.”

I ask, “Is this unbelief a sin, or is it not? If it is, then Christ suffered the punishment due unto it, or He did not. If He did, why must that hinder them more than their other sins for which He died? If He did not, He did not die for all their sins!”

Continue reading →