Universally Proclaimed (Atonement – Part 5) - GBC Bulletin Column #42

What we believe about the atonement should produce a God-glorifying, church-centred desire to see Christ exalted in the salvation of lost sinners, and a holy passion to win souls to repentance and faith by the clear, bold, Spirit-empowered proclamation of the gospel.

If we are not burdened and broken for the unrepentant, unbelieving people of the world, if we are not stirred to greater fervour in evangelism, if our hearts do not mourn when a person dies and is eternally lost, if our gospel presentations are not punctuated by the urgency, immediacy, universality, and efficacy of the gospel invitation - “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28) – then we have completely missed it. Such callous inactivity denies the Scriptures’ teaching and dishonours the Saviour’s triumph; it is selfish and toxic, bringing only decay and destruction.

The emphasis of Scripture is not first on “who gets”, but rather on “Who gave”, and that is a message everyone simply must hear, whether they heed its implications or not. Even the demons and the dead heard it after Christ’s death (1 Peter 3:19, 4:6)! The fruit of Christ’s definitely accomplished, particularly applied, and universally proclaimed atoning work will be seen in hell, and sung in heaven:

“...you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
    from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
    and they shall reign on the earth.” (Rev. 5:9-10)

Christ’s atonement is not limited in its power or its purchase: both are full, free, and final. Accordingly, definite aspects of particularity in the atonement do not limit proclaiming the equally full and free offer of salvation at the core of the gospel. Jesus said “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mk. 16:15-16). People are judged because “they refused to love the truth and so be saved” (2 Thess. 2:10) not because ‘Christ didn’t die for them.’

For this reason, we should cross whatever boundaries of culture, class, creed, and conduct the world, the flesh, and the devil raise against us that we might join the likes of Paul and Barnabas who “spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed” (Acts 14:1). None of this is by man’s power or for his glory, but to the glory of God: as goes the Heavenly victory-cry of a blood-bought innumerable multitude of people, from all nations, tribes, people-groups, and languages: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

To be continued. This is from the unedited version of an article published in the January edition of Grace Magazine.This was printed in the worship bulletin of Grace Baptist Church (Wood Green) on 16 February 2014.