Sermon
#1310[1] Series: Miscellaneous Sermons
Title: Stumbling Stones or Stair Steps?
(Scriptures Blasphemers Commonly
Twist To Their Own Destruction)
Text: 1 Peter 2:6-8
Subject: Scriptures Explained Which Arminians Use To
Deny The
Efficacy Of Christ’s Blood Atonement
Date: Sunday Morning -
Tape # U-17
Introduction:
We believe, according to the
Scriptures, that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished the redemption of God’s
elect when he died as our Substitute under the wrath of God. We believe,
according to the testimony of God, that his blood paid our debt, satisfied the
justice of God, and effectually put away our sins forever. We believe,
according to the writings of this blessed Book, that all for whom Christ died
shall be with him in glory. But there are many who do not believe the testimony
of Scripture regarding the death of Christ. Rather than believing on him unto
life everlasting, trusting Christ alone for redemption and righteousness, the
vast majority of religious people in this world stumble over the gospel
doctrine of the atonement and perish in their sins.
1 Peter 2:6-8 "Wherefore also
it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone,
elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. (7) Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be
disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head
of the corner, (8) And a stone of
stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to
them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were
appointed."
As he is revealed in Holy Scripture,
the Lord Jesus Christ is to reprobate, unbelieving, self-righteous men a stone
of stumbling and a rock of offense. And this is by divine arrangement. God has
so written his Word that reprobate men will get tripped up by it and stumble
over the Scriptures as stumbling stones to hell. God has fixed it, so that who
are determined to cling to their own righteousness, who are determined not to
submit themselves to the righteousness of God established by, revealed in, and
found in Christ alone will stumble over him and fall into hell. This is exactly
what happened to those Jews described in Romans 9:31-33.
Romans 9:31-33 "But Israel,
which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of
righteousness. (32) Wherefore?
Because they sought it not by faith,
but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that
stumblingstone; (33) As it is
written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and
whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."
Proposition: In other words, Those
very same Scriptures which, by the blessing of God the Holy Spirit, are as
stair steps to God’s elect are stumbling stones to the reprobate and
unbelieving.
That is my subject this morning - Stumbling
Stones or Stair Steps. I want us tonight to look together at those
texts of Scripture which Arminians most commonly wrest to their own destruction.
I have neither the desire nor the inclination to answer the
cavils of blaspheming men and women against the Word of God. But I do want to
help you who know and worship God to understand his Word and the wonders of his
grace more fully. And I want to so preach the Word to you that you who are yet
without faith in Christ may be brought by the Spirit of God to faith in our
Savior, through the hearing of the Word.
As I have stated many times, there is not even a hint of universal redemption in the Word of God.
Read and interpreted contextually, there is not the slightest implication of
the heretical doctrine that Christ died to redeem and save those who perish
under the wrath of God in hell! Such doctrine is utter blasphemy!
However, there are numerous texts of Scripture which are
often pointed to, quoted, twisted, and perverted by dishonest blasphemers, and
by those who are confused by their teachings to refute the blessed gospel
doctrine of particular, effectual redemption.
Generally speaking, those Scripture texts most often
misinterpreted and perverted by men relating to the death of Christ and the
atonement he made for God’s elect by his blood may be lumped into three
categories:
1.
Those texts
where the word “all” is used to describe those for whom Christ died.
2.
Those texts
where the word “world” is used to describe the people for whom Christ died.
3.
And those
texts which seem to suggest, in the minds of some, that some for whom Christ
died might yet perish under the wrath of God.
We are going to look at these three groups of Scripture
texts this morning, not to explain away the caviling objections of those who
despise the gospel, but to seek by the teaching of God the Holy Spirit the
message of grace contained in them.
Sometimes, when we try to teach people the gospel,
explaining passages like John 3:16 and 1 John 2:2, they respond by saying,
“‘All’ means all and ‘world’ means world. When the Bible uses the word ‘all’ it
mean everyone, every human being, without exception. When the Bible uses the
word ‘world’ it means everyone every human being without exception.” But that
simply is not the case. And the fact that that is not the case is obvious to
any one who cares to look. Let me give you one example - Luke 2:1.
Luke 2:1 "And it came to
pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all
the world should be taxed."
Obviously, the words “all” and “world” as they are used in
this text refer to all within a specific, limited range, a specific group. They
have absolutely no bearing upon or reference to you and me. With that in mind,
I want us to look at these three categories of Scripture texts:
1.
Those texts
where the word “all” is used to describe those for whom Christ died.
2.
Those texts
where the word “world” is used to describe the people for whom Christ died.
3.
And those
texts which seem to suggest, in the minds of some, that some for whom Christ
died might yet perish under the wrath of God.
I.
First, we will
look at THOSE TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE
WHERE THE WORD “ALL” IS USED TO DESCRIBE THOSE FOR WHOM CHRIST DIED.
John 1:7 "The same
came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe."
John the Baptist, like all true gospel preachers, was sent
as a messenger from God to men, to preach the gospel to lost sinners, so that
all who believe the message of redemption and grace in Christ might be saved. If God sent no preacher none could be
saved, because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
John 12:32 "And I, if I be
lifted up from the earth, will draw all men
unto me."
Romans 5:18 "Therefore as
by the offence of one judgment came upon
all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto
justification of life."
1 Corinthians 15:22 "For as in Adam
all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 "For the love
of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all,
then were all dead: (15) And that he died for all, that they which live
should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them,
and rose again."
1.
We were all
dead under the law and dead in sin.
2.
Christ died
for all, not all men, but all his people.
·
All His Sheep.
·
All His
Church.
·
All The Sons
He Brings To Glory.
·
All God’s
Elect
3.
All for whom
Christ died died in him and with him.
4.
All for whom
the Lord of glory died, shall, as the sure result of his death, be made to live
unto him by his grace.
1 Timothy 2:4-6 "Who will have
all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (5) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus; (6) Who gave himself a
ransom for all, to be testified in due time."
1.
God is no
respecter of persons. The all referred to means all sorts of men. God has his
elect everywhere, in every rank of society.
2.
The Lord Jesus
Christ gave himself a ransom for all God’s elect for whom he is the Mediator,
for whom he makes mediation (John 17:9,20).
1 Timothy 4:10 "For therefore
we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is
the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe."
Our great and glorious God and Savior
is that One who is the Savior of all men in the sense that it is he who
preserves all men in life, providing all things necessary for life and
maintaining life for and in all. In him
we live, and move, and have our being. But he is specially the Savior of those
who believe. It is not our believing
that makes him our Savior specially, but his being specially our Savior that
makes us believe. Being our Savior specially, the Lord God…
·
Chose Us.
·
Redeemed Us.
·
Preserved Us.
·
Called Us.
·
Gave Us Faith.
·
Keeps Us in
Grace.
·
Will Bring Us
To Glory!
Titus 2:11-12 "For the grace
of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, (12) Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we
should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;"
Hebrews 2:9 "But we see
Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death,
crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death
for every man."
The word man is not the original. The
verse ends with the word every. The writer means for us to
understand and rejoice in the fact that Christ tasted death for every one of
those who are saved by his grace, as the context indicates…
·
Every Son.
·
Every Heir.
·
Every One Of
Abraham’s Seed.
·
Every One For
Whom He Intercedes.
·
Every One He
Calls Brother.
·
Every One In
His Church.
2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is
not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance."
II. Second, I want us to look at THOSE TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE IN WHICH THE WORD “WORLD” IS USED TO
DESCRIBE THOSE FOR WHOM CHRIST DIED.
John 1:9 "That was the true Light, which lighteth
every man that cometh into the world."
Christ is the Light of the World. He gives…
·
The light of
Creation and conscience to all men (Rom. 1-2).
·
The light of
Revelation to many.
·
And the saving
light of grace to his elect.
John 1:29 "The next day
John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which
taketh away the sin of the world."
John 3:16 "For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
John 4:42 "And said unto
the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is
indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world."
John 6:51 "I am the
living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he
shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will
give for the life of the world."
2 Corinthians 5:19 "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."
Those meant by the world, who were
reconciled to God by the blood of Christ are the same as those whose sins God
would not impute to them. It is the world of his elect, Jew and Gentile, black
and white, bond and free, male and female.
1 John 2:1-2 "My little
children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin,
we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (2) And he is the propitiation for our
sins: and not for ours only, but also for the
sins of the whole world."
1.
Though saved
by the grace of God, God’s elect in this world are sinners still.
2.
When we sin we
have an Advocate with the Father. Our sins, horrible as they are, can never
change our standing before or relationship with God our Father because of who
our Advocate is and what he has done!
·
“Jesus”
·
“Christ”
·
“The Righteous”
·
“The Propitiation for Our Sins”
·
“Also For The Sins Of God’s Elect Throughout The Whole
World!”
1 John 4:14 "And we have
seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world."
Blessed be God, there is a Savior! But
there is only one Savior for the whole world!
·
Christ is the
Way - The Only Way!
·
Christ is the
Truth - The Only Truth!
·
Christ is the
Life - The Only Life!
·
Christ is the
Savior - The Only Savior!
III. Third, we will look at a few of THOSE TEXTS WHICH SEEM TO MANY TO SUGGEST THAT SOME FOR WHOM CHRIST DIED
MIGHT PERISH UNDER THE WRATH OF GOD.
Romans 14:15 "But if thy
brother be grieved with thy meat, now
walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ
died."
The word destroy here means to
corrupt, mar, or defile. We must take
great care not to use our liberty in Christ at the expense of corrupting the
consciences of our weaker brethren for whom Christ died.
If Christ died for you, it is a very small thing for me to
refrain from any earthly pleasure for you.
1 Corinthians 8:11-12 "And through
thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? (12) But when ye sin so against the
brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ."
I
cannot give a better, more sensible explanation of this text than John
Gill did. He says the word “perish” here “intends, not the perishing of
his immortal soul; or of his perishing eternally in hell; which can never be
the case of any for whom Christ died; for then the death of Christ would be so
far in vain; and not be a security from condemnation; contrary to #Ro 8:33 nor be a full satisfaction to justice; or
God must be unjust, to punish twice for the same offence: but it intends, the perishing of his peace and
comfort for a time; and is explained by "defiling" and
"wounding" his conscience, and making him to "offend",
through the imprudent use of Christian liberty, in those who had stronger
faith and greater knowledge, #1Co 8:7,12,13 of
which they should be careful, from this consideration; that a weak brother is
as near and dear to Christ, since he died for him, as a stronger brother is.”
Hebrews 10:29 "Of how much
sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden
under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant,
wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the
Spirit of grace?"
Many are outwardly sanctified by
professed faith in Christ who have never been inwardly sanctified by the
experience of grace.
2 Peter 2:1 "But there were
false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers
among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord
that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction."
1.
The word
“Lord” here is “Despotes” - Despot!
2.
The word
“bought” is “agoradzo”, not ekagoradzo.
Application:
It is a great pity that men and women
will deliberately pervert and twist the Word of God rather than acknowledge
their total depravity and trust the work of Christ alone for acceptance with
God. But we must not allow ourselves to get caught in the snare of debate with
infidels. If we do, we rob ourselves of the joy of these holy things. Rather
than trying to answer all the carpings of reprobate men, let’s simply take God
at his Word, rejoicing in the great and glorious gospel doctrine of particular,
effectual redemption. Take these very texts which are stumbling stones to the
reprobate and use them as stair steps to glory. From these verses we are taught
great things. May God the Holy Spirit teach them to us all.
1.
Redemption by
Christ is glorifying to all the character of God.
2.
Redemption
could never be accomplished or obtained in any other way.
3.
Christ has
obtained and holds redemption for all God’s elect.
4.
The redemption
obtained by Christ is an eternal redemption.
5.
All who
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ by the gift of his grace, through his Spirit,
were redeemed by him at Calvary.
Galatians 3:13-14 "Christ hath
redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is
written, Cursed is every one that
hangeth on a tree: (14) That the
blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we
might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."
AMEN!
[1]
See Sermon #34 Series: Basic Bible
Doctrine preached at Danville October 27, 1997
Miscellaneous
Sermons #1310, 1316 preached at Danville, Sunday, (AM) June 20, 1999 and St. Marys, GA January 4, 1997