The 17th chapter of the gospel of John is saturated with giving. The Father has given the Son "power over all flesh." That ability and authority is His to "give eternal life." Eternal life is made sure because Christ "finished the work that thou gavest me to do." Then Christ says, "I have given them thy word." It is a word of giving, the Word of the grace of God. All things given by God in Christ. Then He says, "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them." "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou has given me: for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world."
But in verse six is the highlight of God's amazing grace. "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: think they were, and THOU GAVEST THEM ME: and they have kept thy word." God has given to His Son a people out of every nation, kindred, tribe and tongue. But He has also given Christ TO that people. This is the thought in the Song of Solomon where we read, "I am my beloved's AND HE IS MINE." Can this be? Christ, the well-beloved Son in whom are all things given to one such as me? The gift of gifts to the undeserving and ill deserving? That is grace! Christ given to us by being given FOR us! Given as a Representative, a Substitute, a Redeemer. Christ was given to establish all righteousness for us. He is the Lord our Righteousness. He was given to remove our guilt and debt by the sacrifice of His body and blood. He is our justification. All for whom He lives, dies and intercedes must go free because they have Him. Having Christ, they possess all that God requires and desires. As believers we cannot fathom the riches of God's infinite grace; but we can rejoice in Christ. Why would God give His Son to them? The reason of it is to be found only in Himself; but the declaration and truth of it is to be found in His Word! He did! Christ being life...He gave them life; being hope...He gave them hope; being peace...He gave them peace; being joy...He gave them joy. But this is the glory of it, Christ being "ALL," He gave us all! All spiritual blessings are in Him. This is the Gift of gifts. "THINE THEY WERE, AND THOU GAVEST THEM ME."
Gary Shepard
How good does one have to be to get to heaven? Will God accept sincerity? Will God accept you if you do the best you can and lead a good life? Can you get to heaven if, from this day forward, you serve the Lord? Anyone who knows anything about God and His word knows that the answer to these questions must be AN EMPHATIC NO! (Rom. 3:20,28) It is not possible for any man to do or think anything that is good or acceptable before God. (Isa. 64:6) God cannot and will not accept anything less than WHAT HE IS, which is absolute perfection. He says in Leviticus 22:21, "It shall be perfect to be accepted." In order to get to heaven by our works, we must be as good as God, perfect in all things--perfect in heart, perfect in thought, perfect in works, PERFECTLY HOLY! Is there, therefore, no hope? Must we all perish forever? NO! Blessed be the Lord our God! In Christ He has found a way to be both just and Justifier. He has found a way to make fallen, sinful people like us perfect--perfectly holy and perfectly accepted. Now this perfection is not of us, in us , nor through us, nor the results of anything we do or have done. It is entirely the work of God's free grace in the Lord Jesus Christ. God has taken Christ's perfect righteousness and imputed it to us, making us to be the very righteousness of God in Him. The penalty against sins was paid in full by the doing, suffering, and dying of our Lord Jesus as the sinner's Substitute.
Scott Richardson
Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifested in the flesh," from which it is proved that the godhead of Jesus Christ is a truth about which no controversy can be allowed. We put the doctrine of HIS SUBSTITUTIONARY SACRIFICE IN THE SAME CATEGORY! There is no true Christianity without it. All of His adversaries rally against effectual, particular redemption. When any man becomes unsound on other points, if you probe deeply enough, you will find that he has become unsound on THE DOCTRINE OF THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST.
copied
No man has a true desire for the salvation of men's souls who does not first have a desire for God to the honored and glorified above all things. The individual who believes or preaches a gospel in which God is not glorified, one in which His justice is not fully satisfied as His grace is shown, not only doesn't truly desire to see men's souls saved but most likely is not saved himself. A salvation which does not begin with God, which is not provided for altogether by God, which does not save all whom He purposes to save and which does not keep all He saves...does not glorify God. The chief end of all things in salvation as well as in general is the glory of God.
Gary Shepard
Few seem to realize the fearful implications which necessarily follow the principles they hold and advocate. To predicate an atonement which fails to atone, a redemption which does not redeem, a sacrifice which secures not the actual remission of sins is a horrible reflection upon all the attributes of God. To make the efficacy or success of the greatest of all God's works dependent upon the choice of fallen and depraved creatures is to magnify man at the cost of dethroning his Maker.
A.W. Pink
We dare not hope to be accepted with God because of anything that is in us by nature or may be infused into us by grace: we are accepted in the Beloved, and apart from Him we look not to be found accepted. Even what the Holy Ghost works in us does not furnish us with any merit which we can plead, for it is a gift of grace, and no part of our justifying righteousness. We rest upon Jesus Christ crucified (His imputed righteousness, atoning blood and Mediation alone), and not upon our faith, repentance or prayers.
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