BIBLE STUDY FIVE
The 1888 Message Sees
the Cross
From Another Perspective
Part I: The Old Testament Evidence
A. INTRODUCTION
Jones and Waggoner saw the sacrifice of
Christ as far more glorified and effective than our current
presentations of righteousness by faith make possible. They saw how as
our second Adam Christ literally "saved the world" which Adam
had ruined by his sin — reversing the "condemnation" in Adam
by "justification" "in Christ." By His great
sacrifice He has accomplished this salvation for "all men."
Thus He has actually given the gift of salvation to every man inasmuch
as He has died the second death of every man. Jones and Waggoner saw
this truth as the refutation of Universalism, for they saw unbelief as a
far more deadly sin than is usually understood; the lost by their
unbelief thrust from them the gift which Christ has already placed in
their hands. 1 Bound up with
this truth is a far more effective motivation in soul-winning.
B. THE BIBLE EVIDENCE
Genesis 3:15.
For every person, as "the seed of the woman" Christ conquered
Satan, not merely wounded him. He did more than merely offer us a
provisional deliverance.
Genesis 12:3.
In Abraham's "seed" (Christ), "all families of the
earth" are in fact "blessed," not merely
provisionally, or possibly, or perhaps. 2
Genesis 28:12-14.
The vision of Jacob's ladder during his time of despair teaches that the
"blessing" of the gift of salvation is again assured to
unworthy sinners— "all." 3
Exodus 29:38-42.
Christ's universal sacrifice for sin was typified by the daily burnt
offering for "all men" including the unbelieving stranger and
the foreigner within the Land. 4
Numbers 21:5-9.
Healing was not "offered" on condition of anything the wounded
soul could do first. Rather, it was freely given, but was received
by his "looking." Repentance and obedience were not required
before "every man" could look and be healed. They followed
the thankful realization that he was healed by looking to the
serpent.
Psalm 23:1.
The Lord invites anyone to pray this prayer. He is already every
person's Shepherd who will acknowledge that He has made Himself such by
virtue of His sacrifice. We don't work to earn His care as our Shepherd.
5
Psalm 107.
Illustrates the effects of Christ's universal justification for
"the children of men," whether Israelites or Gentiles, worthy
or otherwise. If this were not true, all would perish in these various
disasters.
Isaiah 9:6.
The "us" to whom "a child is born" is the entire
human race. All these blessings are theirs "in Him."
Isaiah 53:2-6.
Sixteen first personal plural pronouns — all refer to the entire human
race.
Isaiah 53:4.
The human race do not bear their rightful grief's or sorrows; Christ bore
them.
Isaiah 53:5.
A cosmic, divine justice demands that "our peace" ("all
men's") be balanced by a corresponding and equitable
"chastisement" — which Christ suffered as our second Adam,
corporately one with us. "All men" are infinitely in debt to
Him already.
Isaiah 53:6.
As surely as "all sinned" so surely has the Lord already
laid that iniquity upon Christ. 6
Jeremiah 23:5, 6.
In context, the phrase THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS is seen to
apply to "the earth," that is "all men." But He is received
thus only by believers.
Zechariah 5:1-4.
"Over the face of the whole earth" the Holy Spirit brings
conviction of sin because the sacrifice of the Lamb of God has been
applied to atone For every "curse." Conviction of sin is
possible only if Christ has already paid the penalty for that
sin.
[To be continued in Bible Study Six, Part
II, The New Testament Evidence.]
C. SUMMARY OF PART I
From the beginning, Israel's mission was
to tell the world of a universal sacrifice for sin, not try to hoard the
blessings to themselves alone. The purpose of their presence in the
world was to win souls from everywhere. If they had understood their own
message, they would have enlightened the world effectively, and the four
cruel world empires would never have arisen as they did.
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Notes
- Some clear expressions of this idea are found in The Glad Tidings
(Waggoner), pp. 11, 13, 14, 61, 66, 107; Waggoner on Romans, pp.
69, 71, 81, 89, 101; General Conference Bulletin (Jones), 1895,
pp. 268, 269; The Consecrated Way to Christian Perfection
(Jones), pp. 82, 83. [return to study]
-
In Net 98 (which was excellent in many ways) the thought was continually
urged that Christ offers "a forever friendship." Seldom if
ever was the thought expressed that this "forever friendship"
has been given us in Christ so that only by unbelief and
rejection can the sinner fail to realize the friendship that Christ has
already given him. Motivation is intrinsically involved in this issue. [return
to study]
-
The "if" in Jacob's response (vss. 20-22) suggests an old
covenant mindset on his part, reminiscent of his grandfather's old
covenant affair with Hagar — a failure to believe God's promise
totally. The difference between Jacob-lost and Jacob-saved was the
difference between unbelief and faith.
[return to study]
-
This "continual" offering did not make unnecessary the regular
sin-offerings which required faith and repentance, but its universal
nature underlaid all the sacrificial offerings as their common
denominator. Repentance, confession of sin, obedience, did not precede
the offering of the daily burnt offering, but resulted from appreciation
for it. "The continual burnt offering" was the basis for
Paul's doctrine in Romans 3 and 5 of a universal legal justification for
"all men," or "judicial verdict of acquittal for all
men" (NEB). [return to study]
- Obviously, "with the heart man believeth unto righteousness"
(Romans 10:10). [return to study]
- In other words, Christ has already paid the full debt of "every
man's" sin. But the sinner carries that burden on his sinful heart
and conscience until someone tells him the gospel and he believes the
Good News. [return to study]
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