Death, Burial, Resurrection, Intercession: The One Plan of God.

I have been contemplating a thesis that suggests that God designed the gospel to save His people from their sins (Matt. 1:21), and sent Christ to die for them alone (John 10:11; Acts 20:28; Eph. 5:25-27), and their salvation is guaranteed by the work of Christ (Rom. 8:32; 2 Peter 1:3,4). The problem emerges when it is also asserted that it is God’s will to have the gospel preached to every person (without exception) because He wills to save every person (without exception). This latter part of the expression of the plan of God is at odds with itself!

I have no illusions that the gospel is to be selectively proclaimed, nor do I look for the famed yellow stripe to ensure that my gospel is reaching the elect alone, but does gospel proclamation find its ground in a genuine desire of God to save all men rather than to call out His elect? This seems to me to be rather obvious given the way the Bible speaks of the plan of God to redeem. Take for example a passage such as Romans 8:31-34. Here we find a series of rhetorical questions that emerge from Paul’s famous declaration of the “golden chain of salvation.” In the prior section Paul has assured the believers that all that have been predestined shall be called, justified and glorified. All of these stages, moreover, are in an absolute state. It is as if the glorification has already occurred; it is that certain. In light of this confirmation Paul bolsters his argument with the said rhetorical questions:

“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 delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not

with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It

is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is

also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”

The plan of salvation has an inherent unity. Observe the following:

1.) The pronouns are indicative that the promises are restricted to believers alone.

2.) That God is for His own, is enough to dispel all doubts about the certainty of final perseverance.

3.) The giving of the Son to die for His people will guarantee the remaining requirements for the saint’s ultimate salvation are also given.

4.) The specific beneficiaries of Christ’s death are the elect. Justification is their tile with the corollary of no condemnation.

5.) His death burial and resurrection are necessary for Christ’s continuing intercession for His saints. He prays for them alone.

There is not a shred of evidence here, where one would expect it, concerning God’s desire to save any but His elect. This is in harmony with God sending Christ to die in order to bring many sons to glory. When Christ commissioned his people to proclaim the gospel to every creature it is so the elect come to faith and not for any other reason. If God’s love results in our redemption, and that redemption is restricted to God’s own, then the remainder of the chapter is about a complete assurance that God’s love for the elect will never fail. On the other hand, if God genuinely loved others than the elect in a desire to save the non-elect, how can they boast of a love that never failed? That is impossible!

God’s saving plan is one, and it is consistent. It is toreach His own!