Tuesday, July 15, 2008

What did Christ Accomplish?

As I continue to read through The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, I have been encouraged by the unbelievable Biblical data that Owen presents in this book. His argument has been dealing with what exactly Christ accomplished on the cross for sinners. He has argued that those whom He suffered for He has also been the mediator for. Here's an argument that I've heard before, but I'll quote it from Owen.

To which I may add this dilemma to our Universalist: - God imposed his wrath due unto, and Christ underwent the pains of hell for, either all the sins of all men, or all the sins of some men, or some sins of all men. If the last, some sins of all men, then have all men some sins to answer for, and so shall no man be saved; for if God enter into judgment with us, though it were with all mankind for one sin, no flesh should be justified in his sight: "If the LORD should mark iniquities, who should stand?" Ps. cxxx. 3. We might all go to cast all that we have "to the moles and to the bats, to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty," Isa. ii. 20, 21. If the second, that is it which we affirm, that Christ in their stead and room suffered for all the sins of all the elect of the world. If the first, why, then, are not all freed from the punishment of all their sins? You will say, "Because of their unbelief; they will not believe." But this unbelief, is it a sin, or not? If not, why should they be punished for it? If it be, then Christ underwent the punishment due to it, or not. If so, they why must that hinder them more than their other sins for which he died from partaking of the fruit of his death? If he did not, then did he not die for all their sins. Let them choose which part they will.

2 comments:

Beverly said...

If you sin against your brother, you must go and ask forgiveness from that brother.

Asking for forgiveness is acknowledging that you have done wrong.

If you do not acknowledge you have sinned against your brother, your brother can not forgive you directly for your sin.

If you do not ask for forgiveness by recognizing your sin, it is nature of man to avoid, stay away from, feel shameful, or feel fearful of the brother he has sinned against. Therefore, breaking fellowship with that brother and allowing the brother to be able to do nothing for you.

If you ask forgiveness by recognizing your sin, the brother you have sinned against will forgive, allowing fellowship to continue and continuing in all that was involved in the original relationship.

The brother can not forgive you if you do not acknowledge you have sinned against him. He can not restore fellowship on his on even if he has forgiven you in his heart. The one who has sinned has to acknowledge and ask for forgiveness for that fellowship to be restored.

Beverly said...
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