Commentary on "Friends Forever (1 Thess. 2:13-3:13)"

PHIL HARRIS

 

Day 7: Friday, August 10, 2012 - Further Study

 

Overview

Today’s lesson quote (Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 101, 102) summarizes the chronology of this week’s material.

In this commentary we will examine just one of the lesson discussion questions:

“If Christ truly died for all, then why are not all saved?”

 

Observations

To answer that question we should look at the Philippian jailer’s question found in Act 16:30: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”. What he was told points us towards the answer:

And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. (Acts 16:31-33 ESV)

So, our response should be this: not all believe in the Lord Jesus and therefore have not been saved. Most importantly, we must be talking about Jesus the Son of God who died for our sins. In-other-words, we must be hearing or be preaching the gospel message of the real Jesus Christ. Some in blindness reject God. Others believe in a false gospel that is not about the real Jesus. When the blood of Jesus Christ has not covered your sins you are still dead in your sins.

Concerning the real gospel message here is a critical warning from Paul:

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (Gal. 1:6-9 ESV)

Anyone who places their faith in the words of someone who claims to be bringing you a message from God but contradicts the biblical gospel of who Jesus Christ is are those who have placed their faith in something false, something that cannot save them. Only when the blood of Christ has washed away your sins and your dead spirit brought to life by the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit have you become a member of the Body of Christ.

This is the gospel, the only gospel message of the real Jesus Christ:

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, (1 Cor. 15:3-4 (ESV)

 

Summary

1. God does love all the world and Jesus Christ did died and shed his for blood for the sins of the entire world. This, of itself, does not answer the question of why all are not saved because of what our Savior did at Calvary.
    
2. The Philippian jailer knew he was not saved and asked the important question of what he must do to become saved. The jailer was told he must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. He responded in the affirmative and he along with his whole family were saved.
    
3. Jesus shed his blood and died for our sins at Calvary. He conquered death and came back from the grave three days later. If you do not believe this or if you add something that places your faith on something that adds to or alters this gospel your faith in that altered false gospel will not save you.
    
4. You must believe that only through the work of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who shed his blood for your sins can yours sins be atoned for. When you repent of your sins you are giving them over to Jesus your Savior. The penalty of sin is removed and replaced by Jesus’ promised gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit who becomes the Seal of your salvation.

 

Copyright 2012 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised August 4, 2012. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Camp Verde, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.

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