Oceans and Streams

With guilt that no man should carry
Heavy enough for me to get buried
I feel death on the road tonight
It's got me to where I wanna run and hide

The Black Keys

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

Ephesians 5:25-27

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

John 10:11

even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Matthew 20:28

Without the death and resurrection of Jesus, our faith is worthless. So we believe in the hope of that which was prophesied at the fall of man and preached by unlearned fishermen, a tax collector, and a murderer, who sought to destroy the hope that now saves us 2000 years later. This faith, which was given to His children, whom He foreknew before the foundation of the world, is the faith in His son, who died on a cross, took upon the guilt of the world, securing a place at the table for all God's children, and ultimately rose again on the third day. It is this death that gives us life. But who did Christ die for and what exactly did His death accomplish?

Jesus says that he gave his life as a ransom for many and that He dies for His sheep. His sheep, the church, is who Paul says He died for. What are the implications of making such a statement? For Christ to have died for every single human being means that His death did not effectively secure for them any inheritance or mercy from God. If Christ died for every single person that ever lived, then what did His death accomplish? We all know people that do not believe. So if Christ died for the unbeliever, was his death not powerful enough to atone for their sins, since they remain in disbelief? And since they continue in disbelief and disobedience, Christ's death did nothing for them in the way of saving their souls. If you say that Christ's death made men savable, then you have effectively limited the power of Christ's death and put the onus of salvation on the individual. Salvation becomes a matter of choice, left to men who are dead in their sins and incapable of their own rebirth. I have even heard some people say that Christ's death regenerates all men. But if this were the case, then it would strip God of His sovereign power and once again leave salvation up to the will of sinful men. Why then pray to God for the salvation of the lost if it is our choice to believe and be saved? This is a stark contradiction of what is portrayed in scripture. It has already been established scripturally that men are spiritually dead, their will in bondage to sin. In addition, God has set apart His people from before the foundation of the world and called them according to His purpose. It is for these people, the church, that Christ has died.

In giving His life as a ransom for His sheep, Christ effectively secures their regeneration, justification, and sanctification. From the beginning to the end, it is the full work of Christ that saves His people, lest any man should boast. Christ's death has reconciled us with God. Our sins deserved death. But God loved His people so much, that He sent His son, to reconcile us to Him through Christ's blood. Paul says in Romans 5:10, "For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life." This death paid our debts. But it also has done so much more. It has also justified us with God. When God looks at you, he doesn't see a sinner failing miserably at being a "good" Christian. He sees His son. In Romans 5:8-9, Paul says, "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God." Christ's death also secures our sanctification. Sanctification is the process of being made holy. While we do play a role in our own sanctification by praying, studying the word, partaking the sacraments, serving others, and so on and so forth. But this sanctification would not be possible without first being regenerated by the Holy Spirit removing the scales from our eyes and calling us to Christ's voice and then through the gift of faith, justifying us and crediting us as righteous before God. In John 3, Christ tells Nicodemus that the good works of those that walk in the light are shown to be from God. It is the mercy and love of God, through Christ's death, that produces our good works and bears in us good fruit. In doing all of these things for His people, Jesus fulfills an eternal covenant with the Father, as evidence in John 6:35-40.

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."

So rejoice in the work that Christ has done in your life, from beginning to end, accomplishing all you will ever need. He breathed life into your dead soul, called you to Himself, by His blood, reconciled you to God and justified you in His sight. He works out everything in your life for the good. It is in Him, you find rest, love, grace, peace, and hope to carry on. It is in His death that you have life. So live this life for Him.