What is the Gospel?

 by David McKivett

Many years ago I was in a discussion with someone who had graduated from a leading Bible college in London and had gained his BA.  He was not in favour of my ministry and told me that I was not preaching the gospel.   I asked him what is the gospel, and he was unable to tell me.  

    This is not unusual many Christians have no idea what the gospel is.  I have watched Christian television and discovered that many that claim to be preaching the gospel have no idea what it is either.

    In order to understand the essential of the New Birth is we will have to examine the fall of man, the nature of man, the purpose of the death and resurrection of Jesus and why the New Birth is so important.

 

The fall of man

Man was created sinless. We know, this, for God declared in Genesis 1:31,  ‘And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.’  However, some have suggested that man was created with no positive moral inclination but this goes against scripture, which declares man was created upright.

 

    Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions

 Eccles.7: 29.

 

Emery H Bancroft points out that man was not created with moral deficiency.

 

Others suggest that man had some moral deficiency when created but this cannot be reconciled with the statements of creation (Gen. 1:26,31).  God did not put inclination in man which led him to sin, nor did God remove from man His sustaining power.

Man was originally created as a morally responsible being.  (Gen 1:26, 27, 31; 2:27; Eccl 7:29)[1]

 

Many believe that man did not have to sin. However, not all hold this view.  Some teach the necessity of the fall.  This argument has divided those from the Calvinist position. One view is called ‘Supralapsarianism’ and the other is ‘infralapsarianism’ both views are held by Calvinists.  I am not going to discuss this in detail but it is helpful to be aware of the position held by reformers concerning the fall.

 

 Supralapsarianism (also antelapsarianism) is the view that God's decrees of election and reprobation logically preceded the decree of the fall while infralapsarianism (with a minor variant, sublapsarianism) asserts that God's decrees of election and reprobation logically succeeded the decree of the fall.

Many prominent early Protestants were supralapsarian, such as (some argue) Martin Luther, John Knox, Theodore Beza, Huldrych Zwingli, Jerome Zanchius, Franciscus Gomarus, William Twisse, and William Perkins. John Calvin's own position is often disputed, and subsequent Calvinism was frequently infralapsarian, although supralapsarianism has been revived recently by theologians such as Geerhardus Vos and Gordon Clark. According to Loraine Boettner, very few modern Calvinists are supralapsarian.^[2]

 

Historically, infralapsarianism won out at the Synod of Dordt in 1618. In the Canons of Dordt, First Point of Doctrine, Article 7, it states:

Before the foundation of the world, by sheer grace, according to the free good pleasure of his will, [God] chose in Christ to salvation a definite number of particular people out of the entire human race which had fallen by its own fault from its original innocence into sin and ruin. (Translation from Ecumenical Creeds and Reformed Confessions, CRC Publications, Grand Rapids, MI, 1988, page 124)

 

The Westminster Assembly leaned in favor of infralapsarianism, although there were supralapsarians in the Assembly as well, and the documents that resulted from the Assembly, the Westminster Standards, also imply infralapsarianism, though not as strongly as Dordt's position.[2]

 

Some in their theology have blamed God for sin.  However this goes against scripture as Wayne Grudem points out in His Systematic Theology.

 

Where did sin come from? How did it come into the universe? First, we must clearly affirm that God himself did not sin, and God is not to be blamed for sin. It was man, who sinned, and it was angels who sinned, and in both cases they did so by willful, voluntary choice. To blame God for sin would be blasphemy against the character of God. “His work is perfect; for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and right is he” (Deut. 32:4). Abraham asks with truth and force in his words, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Gen. 18:25). And Elihu rightly says, “Far be it from God that he should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that he should do wrong” (Job 34:10). In fact, it is impossible for God even to desire to do wrong: “God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one” (James 1:13).

Yet, on the other hand, we must guard against an opposite error: it would be wrong for us to say there is an eternally existing evil power in the universe similar to or equal to God himself in power. To say this would be to affirm what is called an ultimate “dualism” in the universe, the existence of two equally ultimate powers, one good and the other evil. Also, we must never think that sin surprised God or challenged or overcame his omnipotence or his providential control over the universe. Therefore, even though we must never say that God himself sinned or he is to be blamed for sin, yet we must also affirm that the God who “accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will” (Eph. 1:11), the God who “does according to his will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What are you doing?”’ (Dan. 4:35) did ordain that sin would come into the world, even though he does not delight in it and even though he ordained that it would come about through the voluntary choices of moral creatures.^[3]

 

The manner of the fall.

 

God had given man intelligence. It was Adam that gave the names to every living thing.

 

    And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

Genesis 2:19-20

 

God told Adam that he could eat of all except from one tree (Gen 2:17).  Adam as we have said was intelligent he would have understood the command and the penalty

 

Gen 2:17 -

thou shalt not eat of it ... thou shalt surely die — no reason assigned for the prohibition, but death was to be the punishment of disobedience. A positive command like this was not only the simplest and easiest, but the only trial to which their fidelity could be exposed.[4]

 

Eve also was fully aware of the prohibition and the consequences of disobeying.  However, whereby Adam wilfully disobeyed, Eve was deceived (1 Tim 2:14).   The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary gave some interesting thoughts on why Eve may have been deceived.

 

Gen 3:2 -

the woman said, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden — In her answer, Eve extolled the large extent of liberty they enjoyed in ranging at will amongst all the trees - one only excepted, with respect to which, she declared there was no doubt, either of the prohibition or the penalty. But there is reason to think that she had already received an injurious impression; for in using the words “lest ye die,” instead of “ye shall surely die” [Gen_2:17], she spoke as if the tree had been forbidden because of some poisonous quality of its fruit. The tempter, perceiving this, became bolder in his assertions.[5]

 

Both Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate of the forbidden fruit.  Instantly they died spiritually and later physically.   They were dead in trespasses and sin from the moment they ate of the fruit, and physical death followed later. 

 

The Consequences of the Adam’s sin

 

Emery H. Bancroft points out there was instant effects Adam’s sin. 

The immediate effects of the first sin.  These were six in number (Gen 3:7-13)

1.                       A sense of shame.  This was due to the awakening of conscience.

2.                       The covering of fig leaves.  This was a bloodless covering (see Gen 3:21; Phil 3:9)

3.                       A feeling of fear.  This arose from their guilty conscience.

4.                       An attempt of concealment.  Foolishly Adam and Eve supposed that they could hide from the presence of God

5.                       An effort at self-vindication.  Though guilty, yet Adam and Eve tried to justify themselves.

6.                       The shifting of blame.  Adam laid the blame for his sin upon Eve, and laid the blame for her sin upon the serpent, i.e., the serpent[6]

 

The consequences of Adam’s sin affected the whole human race.  Adam is the federal head of the human race and what he became the human race that would proceed from him also became.  R. Sproul’s comments on this point are helpful.

 

For the most part, the federal view of the Fall has been the most popular among advocates of the Reformed view of predestination. This view teaches that Adam acted as a representative of the entire human race. With the test that God set before Adam and Eve, he was testing the whole of mankind. Adam’s name means “man” or “mankind.” Adam was the first human being created. He stands at the head of the human race. He was placed in the garden to act not only for himself but for all of his future descendents. Just as a federal government has a chief spokesman who is the head of the nation, so Adam was the federal head of mankind.

The chief idea of federalism is that, when Adam sinned, he sinned for all of us. His fall was our fall. When God punished Adam by taking away his original righteousness, we were all likewise punished. The curse of the Fall affects us all. Not only was Adam destined to make his living by the sweat of his brow, but that is true for us as well. Not only was Eve consigned to have pain in childbirth, but that has been true for women of all human generations. The offending serpent in the garden was not the only member of his species who was cursed to crawl on his belly.[7]

 

Every person that comes into the world is born with a sinful nature. Some teach that babies are born sinless however, the Bible teaches the opposite.

 

    Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Psalm 51:5

 

Psalm 58:3

    The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

 

 If babies were born sinless there would have been no need for the virgin birth, and no baby would ever die.    Babies are born with a sinful nature and will manifest that nature as they grow.  A person does not become a sinner when they sin; they sin because they are a sinner.

Without exception every unregenerated person (not reborn spiritually and not repentant[8]) is dead in trespasses and sin (Eph 2:1).  Theologians refer to this a total depravity.

 

When we speak of man's depravity we mean man's natural condition apart from any grace exerted by God to restrain or transform man.

There is no doubt that man could perform more evil acts toward his fellow man than he does. But if he is restrained from performing more evil acts by motives that are not owing to his glad submission to God, then even his "virtue" is evil in the sight of God.

Romans 14:23 says, "Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." This is a radical indictment of all natural "virtue" that does not flow from a heart humbly relying on God's grace.

The terrible condition of man's heart will never be recognized by people who assess it only in relation to other men. Romans 14:23 makes plain that depravity is our condition in relation to God primarily, and only secondarily in relation to man. Unless we start here we will never grasp the totality of our natural depravity.[9]

Total depravity affects the mental capacity of every person.  They are dead in sin and are unable to please God, they will not choose God and are unable to do so.   The unregenerated person can still make choices but will only choose according to his nature.  The sinner does not seek God (Rom 3:11).  It is in fact Jesus that seeks His elect for salvation (Luke 19:10).

 

Man's depravity is total in at least four senses.

(1)        Our rebellion against God is total. Apart from the grace of God there is no delight in the holiness of God, and there is no glad submission to the sovereign authority of God.

Of course totally depraved men can be very religious and very philanthropic. They can pray and give alms and fast, as Jesus said (Matthew 6:1-18). But their very religion is rebellion against the rights of their Creator, if it does not come from a childlike heart of trust in the free grace of God. Religion is one of the chief ways that man conceals his unwillingness to forsake self-reliance and bank all his hopes on the unmerited mercy of God (Luke 18:9-14; Colossians 2:20-23).

The totality of our rebellion is seen in Romans 3:9-10 and 18. "I have already charged that all men, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin, as it is written: None is righteous, no not one; no one seeks for God.... There is no fear of God before their eyes."

2) In his total rebellion everything man does is sin.

In Romans 14:23 Paul says, "Whatever is not from faith is sin." Therefore, if all men are in total rebellion, everything they do is the product of rebellion and cannot be an honour to God, but only part of their sinful rebellion. If a king teaches his subjects how to fight well and then those subjects rebel against their king and use the very skill he taught them to resist him, then even those skills become evil.

3) Man's inability to submit to God and do good is total.

Picking up on the term "flesh" above (man apart from the grace of God) we find Paul declaring it to be totally enslaved to rebellion. Romans 8:7-8 says, "For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, indeed it cannot; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God."

(4) Our rebellion is totally deserving of eternal punishment.

Ephesians 2:3 goes on to say that in our deadness we were "children of wrath." That is, we were under God's wrath because of the corruption of our hearts that made us as good as dead before God.[10]

I have spent a lot of time on this because the way a person sees the condition of the lost will determine the way he/she presents the gospel.   A person that believes that a lost person is able to choose Christ by an act of his or her own freewill will usually resort to decisional salvation.  Entertainment will be brought into the church, and gimmicks used to entice the sinner to make the right decision.

Many today teach that salvation is a two-way thing, you do your bit and God does His.  This teaching is not biblical for in salvation it is God doing all.   Salvation is not 50% God and 50% man.  Salvation is in fact 100% of God and 0% of man.   The Bible clearly teaches mankind is dead in sin, and dead men do not make decision.   Salvation is not in what we do but what God does.

 

    For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Ephes. 2:8-9

 

One preacher gives an illustration that is a common but mistaken belief in our day.

 

Dr. Patterson also gave an illustration of a sailor damaged by an explosion, and cast into the sea. An admiral sees the sailor knocked into the sea and sends a helicopter to save the sailor. The sailor can barely hear, but faintly hears the whir of the helicopter blades, and he signals the helicopter, which saves him. Dr. Patterson says that we are like the sailor in the sea, God is like the admiral, and the whirring of the helicopter blades is the preaching of the gospel. We can barely hear the gospel due to our depraved condition, but if we respond to what we hear, we will be saved.[11]

 

However, R.C Sproul responds with a more biblical illustration.

 

[Sinful man] is not merely drowning, he has already sunk to the bottom of the sea. It is futile to throw a life preserver to a man who has already drowned. If I understand Paul, I hear him saying that God dives into the water [without being signaled, presumably, by the drowned man] and pulls the dead man from the bottom of the sea and then performs a divine act of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. He breathed into the dead man new life.[12]

 

If God waited for man to make a decision no one would be saved because sinful man is dead in sin (Eph 2:10).  When Jesus finds the sinner, he or she is spiritually dead.  He gives them life (John 10:10).   It is then they respond.  The Bible makes it clear that the unregenate man cannot understand the things of God and cannot recieves them.

 

    But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Cor. 2:14

 

 

The necessity of the New Birth

 

For the reasons we have mentioned above we see that the New Birth is essential.  This was made clear to Nicodemus.

 

    There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: [2] The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. [3] Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

John 3:1-3

 

The record of Nicodemus’ encounter with Jesus is very significant to this study.  For here we have a man that was dedicated and faithful to the religious observances of the Jews.   He kept the Sabbath and was a faithful participator in all the Jewish feasts.  Interestingly, he was an exception to the other rabbis because he believed Jesus to be the messiah.  

 

Nicodemus was a Pharisee, and a prominent member of the Sanhedrin. However, unlike nearly all, if not all, of his peers at the time, he recognized Jesus Christ as The Messiah. He was the recipient of Jesus' "born again" teaching, and John 3:16, one of the most famous and widely-quoted verses of The Bible ("For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life"), was spoken by Jesus Christ to Nicodemus. [13]

 

Jesus reply to Nicodemus must have astonished him.  Instead of telling Nicodemus what he must do to get to heaven, he told him what must happen.  Many miss it when they teach the New Birth is something we do or is achieved by making the right decision.   Jesus was not giving him another religious observance.  He was not leading in him into to some kind of evangelical ritual, and nether did He lead him into a “sinners prayer”.

 

The New birth is not achieved by what we do.  It is not the result of some religious observance or ceremony.  The new birth is not even the result of a decision based on our so-called

free will.  We are born again not by our choice but God’s.   Not by what we do but by what God does.

 

    Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 1:13

 

Natural birth and New Birth

 

No one is born into this world by there own choosing.  No person decides today will be a good day to be born.  Our birth was not the result of our faithfulness.  It was not the result of merit.   It was not the result of anything we did.   We are born into this world not by what we did but what our parents did.   This is exactly the same with the New Birth. A sinner does not seek God, and cannot seek after God because the sinner is dead in trespasses and sins.

 

 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

 Eph 2:1  (ESV)

 

    There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

Romans 3:11

 

Humanity is dead in sin, alienated from God. There is none that is capable of doing any good that is acceptable to God, and even the righteousness of humanity is but filthy rags in the eyes of the holy sovereign God.   If man had to earn is salvation there would be no one saved.

 

    Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

Ephes. 4:18

 

    And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

Col. 1:21

 

    As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: [11] There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. [12] They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Romans 3:10-12

 

 

Regeneration precedes Faith.

I have already said that new birth is not the result of anything we do or believe.  In fact the unregenerate person is incapable of receiving or understanding the things of God. 

 

    But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Cor. 2:14

 

It is for this reason that many in the reformed camp have long argued that regeneration must precede faith.

 

It is natural to understand that regeneration comes before saving faith. It is in fact this work of God that gives us the spiritual ability to respond to God in faith. However, when we say that it comes “before” saving faith, it is important to remember that they usually come so close together that it will ordinarily seem to us that they are happening at the same time. As God addresses the effective call of the gospel to us, he regenerates us and we respond in faith and repentance to this call. So from our perspective it is hard to tell any difference in time, especially because regeneration is a spiritual work that we cannot perceive with our eyes or even understand with our minds.^[14]

 

R. C. Sproul also teaches that faith is excised after regeneration.

After a person is regenerated, that person cooperates by exercising faith and trust. But the first step is the work of God and of God alone.[15]

 

Some may ask is it not faith in Christ is that saves us (John 3:16; Eph. 2:8). If regeneration (being born again) precedes faith, doesn't that mean that when we first become born again we are still unsaved until we have "saving faith"?  I found a good answer to this question on a reformed website.

 

When we say that regeneration precedes faith, we are speaking of "logical precedence" rather than "temporal precedence." That is, logically speaking, an unregenerate heart cannot have faith (Rom. 8:5-9). Therefore, if anyone is to have faith, he must first be regenerated. But this does not mean that a person may be regenerated and not yet have faith. On the contrary, faith and regeneration are simultaneous.

The drawing that Jesus mentions in John 6:44 should not be confused with the interest Nicodemus had in Jesus as a result of Jesus' miracles. In John 6:44, Jesus was teaching that fallen human beings are incapable of turning to Jesus for salvation. His point was that until God does something miraculous in and to a person, that person cannot come to faith. This powerful drawing is an expression of faith in response to what we call "irresistible grace." It takes place simultaneously with and as a logical consequence of regeneration. Those who are regenerated have new natures that love God, and their immediate response is to cling to Christ in faith.[16]

 

Wayne Crudem makes some interesting comments about regeneration (born again) that proves regeneration must precede faith.

 

Yet there are several passages that tell us that this secret, hidden work of God in our spirits does in fact come before we respond to God in saving faith (though often it may be only seconds before we respond). When talking about regeneration with Nicodemus, Jesus said, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Now we enter the kingdom of God when we become Christians at conversion. But Jesus says that we have to be born “of the Spirit” before we can do that.⁷ Our inability to come to Christ on our own, without an initial work of God within us, is also emphasized when Jesus says, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44), and “No one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father” (John 6:65). This inward act of regeneration is described beautifully when Luke says of Lydia, “The Lord opened her heart to give heed to what was said by Paul” (Acts 16:14). First the Lord opened her heart, then she was able to give heed to Paul’s preaching and to respond in faith.^[17]

 

A person can take part in religious observances without being born again, and there are many that do.  However, everything to do with our salvation comes from God.  He takes a man dead in sin, and gives him life.    A dead man does not choose to live anymore than Lazarus chose to live. 

 

There is nothing wrong with some of the ordinances we have in the church, in fact a few like baptism and the Lord’s Supper are commanded in the Bible.  However, many of the religious observances in the Roman Catholic Church are contrary to scripture.   The danger lies when we trust in religious observances as a means to achieve salvation. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that salvation cannot be earned.  A sinner cannot work is way into heaven.  

 

    For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Ephes. 2:8-9

 

Once we realise that regeneration in not the result of being smarter than others and making the right decision, or a reward for religious service, then all pride goes, and God gets all the glory.

 

    Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Titus 3:5

 

 

Death and Resurrection

There would be no gospel, no salvation and no New Birth if it were not for the death and resurrection of Christ.   Believing this fact is essential to our salvation.

 

    That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Romans 10:9

 

When Jesus was explaining to Nicodemus about the importance of the New Birth, also revealed the importance of His death revealing that there can be no New Birth without the Atonement.

 

    And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: [15] That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:14-15

 

What happened at the cross

1.    A substitute was made

The word substitute means to put somebody or something in place of another, or to take the place of another.   This is what the Bible declared would happen.

 

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:4-5

 

  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

 2 Corinthians 5:21

 

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

1 Peter 2:24

 

2.            Salvation was purchased

 

    Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. Acts 20:28

 

Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Ephes. 1:14

 

Souls are not won but purchased.  We often refer to soul winning but in reality souls are not won, they are paid for. 

 

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

1 Peter 1:18-20

 

    For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

1 Cor. 6:20

 

    Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

1 Cor. 7:23

 

3.            Reconciliation was achieved

Reconciliation means 1.  The ending of conflict or renewing of a friendly relationship between disputing people or groups.  2. The making of two or more apparently conflicting things consistent or compatible.

 

    For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

 Romans 5:10

 

    To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

2 Cor. 5:19

 

 

Unbiblical teachings of the purpose of Calvary

 

The Bible tell us in 1 Corinthians 1:21 … the world by wisdom knew not God…. It also tells us in 1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

   So it should be of no surprised to us that man using his own wisdom to understand the Bible as come up with false concepts surrounding the most important event in history, that of the death and physical resurrection of Jesus. Let us a look at some of the theories that man has come up with concerning the purpose of the Cross

 

2.                  The Ransom Theory

Origaen and Justin Martyr held this doctrine. This theory holds that God and Satan are in eternal conflict over man.  This view advocated that Satan had captured man and had a right to his spoils. So Satan could only be bought off by a ransom.   The ransom was Christ in the guise of sinful humanity deceiving Satan into believing he was just another sinful man, and was overcame him by the resurrection.  This view though modified is also taught by some word of faith teachers such as Kenneth Copeland.

 

2.         The example theory

This theory holds that Jesus death on the cross was no more than just an example for us all.  This view denies that man is spiritually dead and all that was needed was for man to have a good example to follow.  According to this theory Jesus gave us such an example by which man is able to follow.  It is true that Jesus did give us an example to follow, however this view does not take into account the spiritual condition of man, and that God’s justice requires a payment for sin.   Pelegius, Socinus, and Abelard held this view.

 

 

3.            Moral Influence Theory:

This view is similar to the above only it holds that some how God’s love demonstrated in Christ death softens the hearts of man and causes them to repent and seeks God.  Once again this view denies that man is dead in sin.  It denies the total depravity of man.  It denies that the atonement was a payment for sin.  It was just God showing how much he loves us in order that we might love him. Some that hold this view also hold to example theory.  Abelard, Bushnell, and Rashdall taught this doctrine.

 

4.             The Universal atonement

   The general atonement doctrine is the very popular in our day.  It promotes the idea that Jesus did not save anyone on the cross but gave man the opportunity to be saved.  God is said to cooperate with man to bring about salvation.  This is known as synergism.  This doctrine teaches that God did all he could to save people but is unable to do so unless man avails himself of it.

    The logical conclusion is that if God really did want to save everyone and sent his son to save everyone, then he would be a failure since everyone is not and will not be saved.  Though claiming to believe in an atonement they in reality do not believe in any atonement since an atonement that does not atone, is not atonement.  

  Someone once said that General atonement is like a great, wide, bridge with only half an arch: it does no go across the stream; it only professes to go half way: it does not secure salvation for anyone.

  This view like all false views denies the condition of man.  It denies the total depravity of man. It denies that sinners do not seek the lord (Romans 3:11) or that they are unable to understand the things of God (1 Cor 2:14). God only makes the way for man to be saved, and man must give God permission to save them.  The logical conclusion to this view is that man elects God and not vice versa 

 

Biblical atonement

Having looked at the various theories of the atonement we will now look at the biblical view.   The death and resurrection of Christ was for a specific purpose.  We are saved through the atonement.  The atonement from a biblical viewpoint was not just to give sinners a chance to be saved; it was in fact to save as Romans 5:9 declares, ‘Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.’  The Biblical view, which has been taught by all reformers, is the Penal Substitution Theory.

 

This view sees the atonement of Christ as being a vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice that satisfied the demands of God’s justice upon sin. In His death Christ paid the penalty of man’s sin bringing forgiveness, imputing righteousness and reconciling man to God. Those that hold this view believe that every aspect of man, his mind, will and emotions have been corrupted by sin and that man is totally depraved and spiritually dead. This view holds that Christ’s death paid the penalty of sin for those whom God elects to save and that through repentance man can accept Christ’s substitution as payment for sin. This view of the atonement aligns most accurately with Scripture in its view of sin, the nature of man, and the results of the death of Christ on the cross.[18]

 

The Death and resurrection is the Gospel

The apostle makes it very clear that the death and resurrection of Christ is the gospel.  

 

    Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

1 Cor. 15:1-4

 

Without the death and resurrection there would be no forgiveness of sins.

 

    And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

1 Cor. 15:17

 

Everything that we have as Christians, which includes salvation, healing, deliverance, miracles, and the future hope of the resurrection, is based on the fact that Jesus died for our sins and rose the third day. 

If a preacher does not teach the depravity of man and the purpose of the cross and why it was essential for the salvation of God’s elect that Jesus died and rose again, then the Gospel has not been preached for that is the Gospel.

 

Famous quotes on the resurrection

 

I will end this essay with quotes from great men of God on the importance of the death and resurrection

 

R. A. Torrey:

"Gospel preachers nowadays preach the gospel of the Crucifixion, the Apostles preached the gospel of the Resurrection as well. (2 Tim. 2:8-Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead, according to my gospel.") The Crucifixion loses its meaning without the Resurrection. Without the Resurrection the death of Christ was only the heroic death of a noble martyr; with the Resurrection it is the atoning death the Son of God. It shows that death to be of sufficient value to cover our sins, for it was the sacrifice of the Son of God."[19]

 

John MacArthur:

If Christ was not raised, His death was in vain, your faith in Him would be pointless, and your sins would still be counted against you with no hope of spiritual life."[20]

 

H.A. Ironside:

The Apostle Peter preaching on the day of Pentecost of the risen Savior, says, "God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." And He speaks of Him as the anointed One, exalted at God's right hand. The Gospel is the Gospel of the Risen Christ. There would be no Gospel for sinners if Christ had not been raised. So the apostle says, "If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins" (1 Cor. 15:17).[21]

 

Sir Robert Anderson:

Apart from it, the incarnation and the ministry would lose all their significance, the crucifixion would be but a martyrdom, and the cross a symbol of the victory of death over life. By the Resurrection it was that the Crucified One was "declared to be the Son of God with power," the great truth on which the Christian's faith is founded, and to which his hope is anchored. That Christ died for our sins is the Gospel of the Christian religion regarded as a human cult. The Gospel of Christianity goes on to declare "That He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Cor. 15:4). And to show the immeasurable importance of the added words, the Holy Spirit testifies that if Christ be not raised, our faith is vain, we are yet in our sins...The empty tomb, and not the manger of Bethlehem, is the earthly symbol of the great birth upon which Christianity is founded. Were it not for Bethlehem there could be no Calvary; but, apart from the Resurrection, Calvary were but a stupendous disaster, of which the Cross would be for all time the emblem.[22]

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

Emery H Bancroft.  Christian Theology (Zondervan Publishing House 1982)

 

Lapsarianism avalaible fom http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supralapsarianism_and_infralapsarianism accessed 29th December 2008.

 

Grudem, Wayne A.: Systematic Theology : An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, Mich. : Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 1994

 

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary on the Whole Bible (Zondervan Pub. House 1982

 

Dr. R.C. Sproul. Adam’s fall and mine.  Available from http://www.the-highway.com/fall_Sproul.html accessed on the 29th December 2008

Encarta® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1999 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

 

John Piper. Total Depravity.  Available from http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/piper/depravity.html Accessed on the 29th December 2008

 

A Response to Dr. Paige Patterson’s Presentation on Total Depravity. avalable from http://strangebaptistfire.wordpress.com/2008/11/29/a-response-to-dr-paige-pattersons-presentation-on-total-depravity/ accessed 29^th December 2008

 

R.C. Sproul, Chosen By God (Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1986),

 

Wayne Bank, Nicodemus available from  http://www.keyway.ca/htm2000/20000216.htm accessed on 30th December 2008

 

Regeneration, Faith and Drawing available from http://www.thirdmill.org/answers/answer.asp/file/99686.qna/category/th/page/questions/site/iiim accessed 30th December 2008

 

What are the various theories on the atonement? Available from http://www.gotquestions.org/atonement-theories.html accessed on the 30 December 2008

 

Torrey, R. A. What The Bible Teaches (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1898-1993)

 

The Resurrection Of The Lord Jesus Christ available from http://www.geocities.com/cobblestoneministries/2005_CRM/TheResurrection_QuotesbyChristianLeaders accessed 31st December 2008

 

 

I just want to be where you are

Dwelling in your      Presence,

Feasting at your table,

Surrounded by your glory

In your Presence

That’s where I always want to be,

I just want to be,

I just want to be with You

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