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Is God the Executioner?

firstly let a list be made of what some would call counter-statements. In reality they are not and cannot be counter-statements for there is...

Saturday, January 14, 2012

God's Love Draws

(a) All the life and happiness which the world enjoys is the purchase
of Christ's sacrifice. Every loaf of bread is stamped with His cross (John
6:32, 33, 35, 50-53; cf. The Desire of Ages, p.660). This truth of total
indebtedness to Him is the basis for all genuine Christian experience.

(b) If Christ had not died for the world, we would all have perished.
The Father laid the trespasses of the world on Christ (2 Corinthians 5:19;
Isaiah 53:5, 6). Thus, in a very real sense, Christ's sacrifice has justified
"all men" by giving them a legal "verdict of acquittal" in place of that
"judgment" of "condemnation" "in Adam" (Romans 3:23, 24; 5:15-18,
NEB). When the sinner hears and believes the truth, he experiences
justification by faith (Romans 4:25; Ephesians 2:8-10).

(c) The lost deliberately negate this justification Christ has effected
for them, and take the "condemnation" back upon themselves (Hebrews
10:29; 2 Corinthians 6:1; cf. Steps to Christ, p. 27).

(d) Believers in Christ can say that "He Himself is the propitiation
for our sins." But it is "not for ours only, but also for the whole world" (1
John 2:2). "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish" (John 3:16). Since
He paid the price for all our sins, the only reason anyone can be lost is
refusal to believe, to appreciate, the gift already given "in Him" (verse
18). God does not put us in double jeopardy, for "the Lord has laid
on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6). How then can He lay that
iniquity on us again? Paul asks (Romans 8:33-39). The lost take it back
on themselves.

(e) All this adds up to a judicial "verdict of acquittal… and life for all
men," just as surely as Adam's sin brought "a verdict… of condemnation
for all men" (Romans 5:16-18, NEB). The one who believes this Good
News is motivated to total consecration of his all to Christ (2 Corinthians
5:14, 15).

R.J.Wieland (10 Truths Booklet)

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