03.06. Whom Does the Blood Save?
6. - WHOM DOES THE BLOOD SAVE?
(a) In the possibility, the whole human race, indeed the whole creation. It is declared distinctly that the sacrifice of Christ cleanses the heavenly things, defiled by the sin of angels (Hebrews 9:23), and that the whole creation is to be relieved from the curse which sin has brought (Romans 8:18-25). This defiling of the heavenly regions where God dwells by the sin of angels has its earthly counterpart, in that the Holy Places of Tabernacle and Temple, where God dwelt, had to be purified annually on the day of Atonement from the defilement occasioned by the sins of Israel (Leviticus 16:16 :etc.).
It is shown beyond doubt that the love of God, which provides eternal life for sinners, is toward “the world” (John 3:16), and that the Righteous One is the propitiation not only for such as have already believed on Him, but “for the whole world” (1 John 2:2). It is false dealing with the Word of God to make this last passage mean that He is the propitiation for the world of the elect. In 1 John 5:19 of the very same Epistle the same Apostle uses again the same contrast between believers and others when he says, “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in the Evil One.” Evidently the “whole world” is all of the human race in contrast to those who have been born of God. Who would think of adding here that it is the whole world of the elect that are in the sphere and power of Satan?
It is contrary to the infinite dignity of the Divine Substitute to imagine that He could offer a limited redemption; it is derogatory to the divine virtue of His precious blood to attach any restriction to its scope. Since the Creator transcends the creation, so must His sacrifice transcend its need.
Therefore that His saints should intercede for “all men... is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, Who wishes [thelo] all men [emphatic] to be saved;” unto which end the one Mediator between the one God and men, Christ Jesus, Himself man, “gave Himself a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:1-6). As Anselm, in a passage to be given later, long since argued, a payment which more than covers the debt must needs justify complete remission of it.
Words could not be more explicit. Salvation through the blood of Christ is available for all men. He who knows this has strong confidence as he announces the good news to every man, and he feels also that he is “debtor” to all men, for he holds a treasure intended for every man (Romans 1:1-32
God constrains but does not coerce. He persuades but does not force. The essence of the faith that saves is seen in the action of the man in Egypt who splashed the protecting blood around his doorway. He accepted the declaration of God that (1) death was due as the punishment of sin, (2) that it would be executed, (3) that the death of the substitute would be accepted for deliverance. His godly fear and his faith were displayed in his obedience to the direction to shed and sprinkle the saving blood. By doing this he publicly declared his danger and his faith, and God attested his faith by granting deliverance. In our case also it is thus:“if we confess our sins He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9), “because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved:for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth onHim shall not be put to shame” (Romans 10:9-11). This shows that obedience is of the essence of faith. Therefore the gospel requires “obedience of faith,” and “a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith” (Romans 1:5 : Acts 6:7).
Salvation includes of prime necessity deliverance from the unsubdued will. Obedience alone can prove saving faith. God commands all men everywhere to repent, to believe on His Son, and to love one another (Acts 17:30 : 1 John 3:23).