Christ hath redeemed us …… Galatians 3:13a
With those four words Paul states the whole doctrine of redemption as it is revealed in the New Testament. Christ alone is our Redeemer. Christ bore our sins. Christ endured the wrath of God, Christ satisfied the claims of justice against us, as our Substitute. The work of redemption was fully accomplished. ‘Christ hath redeemed us.’ Nothing is left to be done by us. Christ has done all. The blood of Christ poured out in death for the atonement of sin accomplished an effectual redemption. ‘Christ hath redeemed us.’ Our Lord did not provide for redemption or make redemption a possibility for all men, leaving it into the hands of man’s free will to comply with his work and make it effectual. Redemption was performed by Christ alone. Redemption was accomplished at Calvary. And that redemption accomplished at Calvary was an effectual atonement for sin. The apostle Paul also makes it plain that the benefits of Christ’s atonement are designed for and limited to God’s elect. ‘Christ hath redeemed us.’ God plainly says, regarding the death of his Son, ‘For the transgression of my people was he stricken’ (Isa. 53:8). The Bible nowhere states, nor does it anywhere imply, that the Lord, Jesus Christ shed his blood and died to redeem all men from the curse of the law. I do not believe that doctrine which says that Judas was redeemed by Christ. It is not possible that our Lord died as a Substitute in Judas’ place, hearing the curse of the law for him. Any who embrace such a doctrine must also embrace one of three absurd and blasphemous conclusions: (1) Either Judas is in heaven, which is to deny the Word of God; or (2) Christ failed to redeem the ones for whom he died and failed in his work of redemption as the sinner’s Substitute; or (3) the justice of God his fallen to the ground, for if God punishes both the sinner and the sinner’s Substitute for the same offense he would mock his own justice. This is the doctrine of Scripture: “Christ hath redeemed us!” All God’s elect, all who believe.
Don Fortner Grace For Today 2/22/11
A Particular Baptist Blog 
Christ died for His own that the Father has given him and His sheep hear his voice and follow Him…there is no mention of sheep that are not His following Him but to the contrary they are left to their own devices to wander farther and farther from the fold
Luther,
Thank you for the comment.
I absolutely agree. Our sovereign Lord Jesus Christ shall not fail to redeem and deliver to glory every soul chosen in him by the Father prior to the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).
In John 10:26 Christ stated to the unbelieving religious leaders that they did not believe because they were not his sheep. Christ clearly did not say that they were not his sheep because they did not believe.
In the very next verse (John 10:27) Christ unambigously stated three things regarding his sheep; his sheep hear his voice, he knows his sheep and his sheep follow him.
It is difficult to make an argument from this passage of scripture that anyone becomes a sheep of Christ subsequent to hearing his voice.
Thanks be to God that he did not stand by and allow all of humanity to get what we all deserve, eternal conscious torment.
To God alone be the glory!
My particular eschatology is Preterist, however I don’t have any pique’s to jump as far as I’m concerned, when it comes to Grace soteriology as presented by the Majority of the Baptist. (Ephesians 1:4). is clear and I find common ground for the teaching of a Saved by grace and grace alone apart from any works . ” This is the works of God ”John 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. Faith that see’s Grace !
Robin,
Thank you for the reply. I’d like to know more about how you came to embrace the Preterist view.
You and I don’t hold the same position on eschatology but eschatology does not matter regarding our salvation. What does matter is belief, faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. And as you have rightly quoted even that is the work of God!
To God alone be the glory!
After reading James Stuart Russell’s The Parosuia and the Harmony of the 4 Gospels By Bishop John Lightfoot which
I might add , I got to from reading Mathew Henry’s Commentary because I just wanted a reliable help from time to time for some insight on difficult to understand places. So after some long peroids of study I noticed that Mr. Henry had a great insight for scripture but was quoting a Bishop Lightfoot pretty often. Well everytime he would use him in a quote it seemed to always bring a rare look into scripture that I just needed more. Well I found the Harmony of the 4 Gospels by Lightfoot and realized that I was always a preterist and didn’t know it. When I read Luke 21:22 and saw Jesus say, these be the days of vengence that all things that are written will be fulfilled. And Mathew 24 is fortelling the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD because this generation will not pass away until these things be. I knew he came in the Parousia or 2nd advent. I knew the minute I read these things that this was the truth. I just needed a little help with some interpretive tools like audience relevance, and symbolism. All the years I went to Church I never heard the terms Parosuia or even 70 AD and it just opened a whole new chapter to my understanding. I still have some questions but today I have a lot less unanswered ones than before.
Thank you for explaining how you came to embrace and hold the view of Pretersim.
I agree that much of what Christ spoke of in the Olivet Discourse was fulfilled in 70 A.D. when Jerusalem fell to the Romans and the temple was destroyed. However, I’m of the opinion that the statement of Jesus Christ regarding his return “in great power and glory” must be spiritualized to arrive at the Preterist view of eschatology.
Eschatology is one of the second tier doctrines that we can disagree on still fellowship as brothers and sisters in Christ.
May our sovereign Lord continue to bless you with understanding and illumination by his Holy Spirit as you study his inspired word!
Sorry Greg for not getting back sooner. Been a little busy!
Thats so true, about , The return “in great power and glory” must be spiritualized to arrive at the Preterist view of eschatology”. And there is the great debate, as to what comparing spiritual to spiritual is; and where. However I can fellowship and have friends with differing points of view.
Even amongst the Preterist many have veiws about monotheistic ideas, and Covenant Eschatology, that is nothing more than Baptismal Regenerationist to me and a Heresy as far as I’m concerned. But the ones I just can’t understand their reasoning are the ones that go all the way to universalism.
Calvary still needs an act of faith to embrace and the Holy Spirit is the one who does the baptizing (or placing in) the Body of Christ ; or as Paul used the term “circumsion made without hands by the operation of God”. Colossians 2:11
I am a little odd even amoung the preterist because I have not run my Eschatology all the way to see hell done away with in the literal terms of the word as do some of the other preterists. I do believe that there are apodictic and casuistic statments in the word of God as well as audience revelance that the preterist brag about; however if you claim that there’s no longer a hell becuase your fulfilled eschatology makes it that way because of a statement from Rev 20:14! Then I think a return to the basics of interpretation in the very things they brag about is in order.
This preterist does believe that people go one place or the other at death, and we need to prepare, its that simple. But at the same time I don’t know how to get around the sun the moon and the stars of Matthew 24:29 and 2nd Peter 3:11 to be speaking of the Sun of the Mosiac Monarchy, the moon of the priestly leadership, and the Stars of the Prophets of the Jewish Church and Polity coming to an end in 70AD and then the entering in of an (age) or world without end with the Gospel.
Thanks Greg ,
Robin
Robin,
Thanks for your feedback and comments. I trust that A Particular Baptist Blog blesses you. Please continue to read, comment and be involved.
Thanks,
Greg