The limited design in the Atonement follows, necessarily, from the eternal choice of the Father of certain ones unto salvation. The Scriptures inform us that before the Lord became incarnate He said, Lo, I come, to do Thy will O God (Heb. 10:7), and after He had become incarnate He declared, For I came down from Heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me (John 6:38). If then God had from the beginning chosen certain ones to salvation, then, because the will of Christ was in perfect accord with the will of the Father, He would not seek to enlarge upon His election. What we have just said is not merely a plausible deduction of our own, but is in strict harmony with the express teaching of the Word. Again and again our Lord referred to those whom the Father had given Him, and concerning whom He was particularly exercised. Said He, All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out... And this is the Fathers will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day (John 6:37, 39). And again, These words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to Heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee; As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him...I have manifested Thy name unto the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world: Thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me; and they have kept Thy Word... I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine... Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me: for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world (John 17:1, 2, 6, 9, 24). Before the foundation of the world the Father predestinated a people to be conformed to the image of His Son, and the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus was in order to the carrying out of the Divine purpose. - Arthur W. Pink
Posted on: Wed, 27 Aug 2014 12:00:11 +0000
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