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"There is another error often committed in marriage by them who have been disappointed in a connection which they hoped to form: they become reckless for the future, and in a temper of mind bordering upon revenge, accept the first individual who may present himself whether they love him or not. This is the last degree of folly, and is such an act of suicidal violence upon their own peace, as can neither be described nor reprobated in terms sufficiently strong. This is...to sacrifice their happiness to folly.
"Discretion is a virtue at which none but fools laugh. In reference to no subject is it more frequently set aside and despised; ...and imprudent marriages . . .spread far and wide their bad consequences, and also send these consequences down to posterity.
"The understanding is given to us to control the passions and the imaginations; and they, who in an affair of such consequence as choosing of the former, and listen only to the advice of the latter, have, in that instance, at least, forfeited the character of a rational being, and sunk to the level of those creatures who are wholly governed by appetite, unchecked by reason. Prudence would prevent, if it were allowed to guide the conduct of mankind, a very large portion of human misery."
--John Angell James
THE DESIGN OF THE DEATH OF CHRIST
Text: "Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved THE CHURCH AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR IT." – Ephesians 5:25
Introduction:
"Did Christ fulfill His purpose by His death on the cross?" Oh, yes; I do not think this particular question hardly need be considered, for to believe to the contrary is to render Christ an incomplete Saviour, and indeed a failure in effecting His desired end.
Then the question of paramount importance is this: "If Christ accomplished the desired by His death on the cross, then what was His desired end. In other words, For what purpose did Christ die on the cross?"
To answer this, we need to ask two other questions.
First, "Did Christ die so as to actually save all men?" No, for this would be universalism which the Scriptures plainly refute as in Revelations 21:8 –"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
Therefore, since all men will not be in Heaven, "Did Christ die so as to actually save ANYBODY?" More is expressed here than what first meets the eye. The question is, "Did Christ die so as to make salvation possible to anyone but to guarantee it to no one?"
Many people believe that by His death, Christ only secured salvation on the condition men do this or that. But CHRIST DOES NOT LEAVE THE SINNER TO RENDER HIS WORK EFFECTUAL!"
Now, we know from Scripture God chose Israel "to be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people: for ye were the fewest of all people: but because the Lord loved you, and because He would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh, King of Egypt." – Deuteronomy 7:6b-8
We know too that God preferred Jacob to Esau "the children being not yet born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of Him that calleth." --Romans 9:11; See Genesis 25:23
It is also clear from Scripture that the Prophet Samuel would have anointed Eliab, David’s brother, to be king over Israel, but God chose David. – I Samuel 16:6,7
Therefore, we want to consider three things: first, For what purpose did Christ come? Second, What did Christ actually accomplish by His death on the cross? And Third, we will answer some objections.
I. For What Purpose Did Christ Die?
The Scriptures are very plain Christ died so as to secure salvation for SOME.
When the angel came unto Joseph to still his disquieted mind concerning the pregnancy of Mary, he said to him, "...thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save HIS PEOPLE from their sins."—Matthew 1:21
At
the conversion of Zaccheus, Jesus plainly declared His intention for
coming to dwell among men: " . . .For the Son of man is come to seek and
TO SAVE that which was lost." Luke 19:10 NOTE two things: first, though
all men are indeed "lost" few people are aware of it and second, notice
that the Son of Man did not come merely to "seek", but He came and died
"TO SAVE". The Apostle Paul declares the same in I Timothy 1:15: "This
is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus
CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS: of who I am chief."
Paul declared the same to the church at Galatia saying of our Lord Jesus Christ that He "gave Himself for OUR sins, that He might deliver US from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.... " –Galatians 1:4. Note: every epistle in the New Testament is written to Christians and Not to the unregenerate.
In Titus 2:14, Paul again reinforces this theme, for when he speaks of "the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ", he declares He "gave Himself for US, that He might redeem US from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."
WHAT THEN, DID CHRIST ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH BY HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS? – To be continued.
February 28, 1643 --In Boston, Massachusetts, Roger Scott is condemned and whipped for sleeping in church.