My daughter and son-in law just bought a new house. As they were moving in, they saw a notice from the electric company threatening to cut off service due to a large past due amount from the previous owner. With one short phone call, the amount owed was transferred off of that address and my daughter and son-in law were free from worry. They didn’t owe a dime because the debt was not theirs. They had a clean slate. It is just that simple to be free from the condemnation of sin. All my sin was transferred to Christ. The debt is no longer mine. It belongs to my great Substitute and He paid the awful debt in full. All it takes for me to be free from fear of condemnation for my sin is to simply believe on Christ. I don’t owe a penny because Christ paid the debt in full. I have a clean slate because His blood washed me white as snow.

Pastor

A true believer in Christ does not desire to know more than the Lord has revealed in His word. While many expend countless hours studying world events, trying to connect those events for a revelation concerning the second coming, the believer studies God’s Word which is the revelation of Jesus Christ. While the one trusting Christ is certainly watching expectantly for the return of his Lord, he is not taken up with the events surrounding that return. A believer is taken up only with the Christ Who is returning.

Pastor Marvin Stalnaker

IN WHOM WE HAVE REDEMPTION

Ephesians 1: 7: In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.

Who are the “we” for whom Christ died? It is the elect of God who have redemption through his blood. (Eph. 1:3-5)

Some teach “universal redemption”, saying that Christ made redemption available to all sinners, merely making it possible for sinners to be saved. The doctrine of universal redemption is not a minor point wherein we differ but another gospel which is not another. It makes Christ a failure, declaring that there are some for whom Christ died who perish in hell, some of which were already in hell when he died. This heresy exalts sinners, claiming the ultimate reason they are redeemed is because they decided to receive Christ. Thus it is not the grace of God that saves but the will of the sinner.

The truth of God taught throughout scripture is that Christ accomplished the redemption of a particular people given him before the foundation of the world by God the Father. (John 17:2) We call this doctrine “particular redemption” or “limited atonement.” This is the very essence of the gospel. Our being in Christ from eternity is why Christ came to redeem us after we fell in Adam. It was not our redemption that made us the bride of Christ, nor was it our faith in Christ that made us his elect. Each elect child was in Christ before we fell in Adam, chosen of God, not based on any foreseen merit in us.

Suppose a king marries his son to a pure virgin. Then she’s carried off by thieves, tied up and held for ransom. While in that state she’s still the king's daughter and the son's wife. When her husband goes to where she is he knows who it is he is going to save. When he conquers her captors and takes her back to himself she is still his wife as she was before. But now she sees his great love for her.

So it was with Christ and his bride, the church. He knew each person he came to redeem when he came. God saves on purpose. He did not send his Son to lay down his life in hopes someone would believe on him. Dead sinners would never do so! It was declared before his birth, his name shall be “Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins.” Christ said, “I lay down my life for the sheep.” He told some men they did not believe because they were not his sheep. (John 10:15, 26.) The LORD declares, “for the transgression of my people was he stricken.” (Is 53: 8)