In coming to the world to save sinners our Lord Jesus Christ was not spared humiliation, contradiction of sinners, cruel suffering or the loss of divine fellowship with His Father. He was given as our Substitute and delivered up in our behalf to bear our sins, endure our punishment and die in our place. Substitutionary atonement is a central gospel truth and the Lord Jesus died as our Substitute. The price of our salvation was paid by Christ and our Redeemer bore our grief and carried our sorrow in His own body on the tree.<\/p>\n
Here Paul speaks of \u2018us all\u2019. He is referring to all for whom Christ died. The \u2018all\u2019 refers to God\u2019s elect whom He foreknew, predestinated, called, justified and glorified and for whom all things work together for good. They are the very same individuals who were committed to the care of the Son in the everlasting covenant of grace and represented by Him in the eternal councils of peace. For the salvation of \u2018us all\u2019 God the Son was delivered into the hands of cruel men. He willingly surrendered Himself as Substitute for \u2018us all\u2019 who were chosen and set apart \u2018in him before the foundation of the world\u2019.<\/p>\n
Given, and taken<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n
The word \u2018delivered\u2019 leaves no doubt about God\u2019s active role in the giving up, or yielding up, of His Son to suffer and die. It complements Paul\u2019s previous description of the Father not sparing the Son but sending Him to accomplish redemption, secure pardon and effect the work of reconciliation. The Saviour was not taken until He was given. The Lord Jesus Christ was always the divinely appointed Substitute; ever the Lamb of God. His death was always intended for the salvation of the elect, no more and no less.<\/p>\n
A consistent apostolic message<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n
Paul taught the believers at Rome how satisfaction for sin and justification for righteousness comes by Christ\u2019s death, \u2018Who\u2019, says Paul, \u2018was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification\u2019. Here, God is expressly declared to deliver His Son. This is consistent with the Apostle Peter\u2019s message in Acts chapter 2. There Peter speaks of God\u2019s eternal purpose to save His people from their sins by delivering the Messiah for the suffering of death.<\/p>\n
The Jews, says Peter, by wicked hands had crucified and slain Jesus. Responsibility and culpability for Christ\u2019s death lay with them. Yet, Peter makes it equally clear that the crucifixion was no unforeseen event on God\u2019s part. The covenant of grace is God\u2019s purpose to save and the only begotten Son was \u2018delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God\u2019 in order that His blood be shed in lieu of His people\u2019s. Had not Isaiah said, \u2018For the transgression of my people was he stricken\u2019?<\/p>\n
The fact and the effect<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n
It is important that God\u2019s people know and understand the nature of Christ\u2019s substitutionary work and the significance of the atonement. Many preachers give lip service to the facts of Christ\u2019s death yet deny or neglect the benefits secured by it. They preach of a \u2018sufficiency\u2019 in Christ\u2019s sacrifice for everyone but an \u2018efficiency\u2019 for only a few, confounding God\u2019s clear covenant purpose and ignoring His intent.<\/p>\n
When pressed, many agree Christ secured forgiveness only for the elect yet they persist in offering salvation to everyone. They speak of cleansing for sin, imputed righteousness and a new creation, which we applaud, but then add that men must continue working to honour God by their obedience to the law of Moses. They look to the work of Christ for justification and the work of man for sanctification.<\/p>\n
Freely given \u2018all things\u2019<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n
Christ being not spared by the Father but delivered up for us all has secured every covenant blessing and fulfilled every covenant obligation laid upon the Great Substitute and Representative by Jehovah God. With the Lord Jesus Christ comes all good things. Our Saviour told His disciples, \u2018seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you\u2019. What are \u2018these things\u2019? All temporal things that are good and necessary for our earthly life. All the blessings of salvation; a hatred of sin, forgiveness of sin, and peace with God. All the blessings of spiritual life; union with Christ, the love of God, the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. All the blessings of heaven and eternal glory.<\/p>\n
First the best, then the rest<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n
Paul\u2019s argument is simple. If Jehovah God provided us with the Lord Jesus Christ, the greatest gift of all; if He spared Him not, but delivered Him up for us all, then nothing that is less than Christ will be withheld from us. Every good and perfect gift is the inheritance of the family of God. The Godhead works together for our good. All the angelic host works together, under Christ, for our good. The temporal universe and everything created in it works together for our good. Even sin, death and the grave are employed to benefit God\u2019s people.<\/p>\n
The word \u2018freely\u2019 in our verse speaks of God\u2019s liberality in blessing His people. His goodness is bountiful and generous. \u2018The Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly\u2019 (Psalm 84:11). We have previously seen, \u2018them that walk uprightly\u2019 are those who walk by faith in Christ. Our Father delights to give good things to His children. The gifts of His goodness and the callings of His grace, being without repentance, being without regret on God\u2019s part, will never be withdrawn or annulled.<\/p>\n
Sovereign grace<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n
Freely speaks, too, of the sovereignty of God\u2019s choice in dispensing His good gifts. They are liberally bestowed without compulsion in God and without reference to merit in the recipient \u2013 of which there is none, we all being sinners. There is nothing innate in us that Jehovah foresaw, sees now, or ever will see, to attract His gracious notice or merit divine goodness. All who know something of their own heart will agree in this matter. To the glory of God, His goodness and mercy is graciously free, both in its nature and supply.<\/p>\n
This is not to suggest there will be no suffering for the Lord\u2019s elect. History proves otherwise, be it the persecution of Christ\u2019s apostles or the testimony of the saints of God in all ages. Believers know sickness, loss and death, and we know what it is to experience doubt. Yet, \u2018all things are yours\u2019 says the apostle to the Corinthians. Let us learn to interpret our trials in the light of God\u2019s word and not question God\u2019s word because of our trials.<\/p>\n
Christ is everything<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n
The Lord Jesus is the supreme gift of God\u2019s love to sinners. The covenant of peace is the expression and revelation of God\u2019s grace and goodness. \u2018All things\u2019 work together for our good. To that end Christ is our Substitute by whom we are reconciled. He is our Risen Head to whom we are united, our Daily Bread with whom we are fed, our Everlasting Life through whom we live spiritually.<\/p>\n
The dimensions of God\u2019s love have not been measured nor the boundaries of His goodness set. \u2018Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.\u2019 As we face the challenges of life we have God\u2019s gospel promises to encourage us by day. When we face the challenge of death God\u2019s promises are our comfort in the darkness. Those who trust in the shed blood and sacrifice of the Lord Jesus have in themselves God\u2019s justifying righteousness, complete pardon of sin, sanctifying grace, filial adoption, and eternal life \u2013 all \u2018freely\u2019 given, in a sovereign way, according to our God\u2019s good will and pleasure.<\/p>\n
The reward of grace<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n
As we face uncertain days, trials and temptations our confidence is not in our own strength but in Christ\u2019s. Our hope is not in our righteousness but in Christ\u2019s. Our comfort comes from the Holy Spirit upon us, the love of God toward us and the faith of Christ within us. We trust Him for everything. We do so knowing all glory and honour is His by right, His by covenant obedience and His by victory at the cross and it is ours as well. It is ours because God has freely given to us all things in our precious Saviour Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n