Lesson # 5 / Part 2 - The Work of Christ (Fundamentals of the Faith by John MacArthur)

The Work of Christ as the Only Complete Sacrifice

All right, so this is a continuation of lesson number five of John MacArthur's book the fundamentals of the faith. Lesson number five the work of Christ we're picking up in section three the provisions of Christ's work.

Says Jesus Christ came to earth to pay the price for sin. That price was his own life. Which he gave Voluntarily John 10 11 17 also 17 and 18 his sacrifice was the only way to take away sin for all Time and that's Hebrews 9 verse 12.

So the sacrifice of Christ. This is the work of Christ and it dealt with sin. What do we like to say? Hebrews tells us once for all he died once. For all now, what was the word that we looked at last time?

Begins with an s that Jesus his death on the cross his work. He died as a Substitute this is the Substitutionary atonement of Christ that Jesus died in our place. God the Father punished him instead of us.

Because he took our place. That is that is the gospel that is what we believe that's taught in Isaiah 53. Jesus died as a substitute. Because if he didn't take our sin if he didn't die in our place, what would that mean?

Yeah, we would have to pay the penalty for our sin. Okay, so this section it asks. The questioner asked you to describe what Jesus is death. Accomplished and it lists several verses so first Peter chapter 3 What did the death of Christ accomplish?

Says for Christ also died for sins once. For all the just for the unjust so that he might bring us to God having been put to death in the flesh. But made alive by the Spirit. So that's first Peter 3 18 and notice he died once for all so Hebrews talks about this and Peter talks about it if Jesus didn't die once for all what would that mean?

Well either he would have to die again or we would have to add to it. Many of you are familiar with the Roman Catholic Mass. Now what is the Roman Catholic Mass this is when they Resacrifice and this is what the term they use it is a re presenting or a resacrifice of Christ on a Roman altar in The Eucharist again and again and again until the end of the world.

So when we take communion, we believe the bread and the cup are symbolic. It's a memorial do this in memory of me so they represent the body and blood of Christ. But the Roman Church says that they actually turn into the literal flesh and blood of Christ.

So when they take of communion Jesus is being Resacrificed again and again until the end of the world. That's why they believe you can lose your salvation. You need to go to confession Partake of the Eucharist and keep getting Reforgiven again and again and again and again because they don't believe in the once for all death of Christ.

Yes, Marcus the name for that is transmutation.

Transubstantiation is is the belief that the elements turn into the literal flesh and blood of Christ The the Protestants in the the Reformation. Or since the Reformation we have identified that Protestants and evangelicals have identified that as a different gospel.

We believe Jesus died once his sacrifice was enough. Amen. There's nothing you can add to it your good works. Ceremonies and rituals. Being drizzled by water or eating bread and drinking that that is not going to forgive you of your sin.

Nothing can forgive a person of their sin except Jesus's death on the cross which only happened once.

Yes.

I'm glad you mentioned that right because if you go to a jewelry counter and they they're selling, you know Crucifixes or they might sell a necklace with a cross. I Overheard this at Walmart one time a lady was trying to buy a cross and the person at the counter asked Well, is this for a Catholic or a Protestant?

Because a Catholic would want Jesus on the cross because again, he's the perpetual victim. He has to die. He doesn't actually die again and again, but that's that's their system. So that's why he's still on the cross with a crucifix.

But our cross that we display is empty because it already happened. So That is a major difference that we should be aware of. All right, any other comments or questions? Yes, Carol.

Yeah.

She likes that Jesus on the cross because it reminds her of all he did for her, right?

Right.

Right and not only is he not there. It's a graven image that people are bowing down to. The Ten Commandments are very specific. You shall not make unto thee any graven image. Do not bow down to them nor serve them.

You say yeah, but it's an image of God. No, you God does not want images of himself or that are supposed to represent himself even the person of Christ to make an image to make an idol of Christ and of course, that's not really him because nobody knows what he looked like.

But to make an image of Christ and to bow down in front of that graven image. I mean this really should be pretty basic, but. Again, it's very very common Marcus. As a painting I personally don't like any visible representations of Christ.

So a painting. This was also An issue in church history more with the Orthodox Church if you're familiar. There's the Roman Catholic Church that has graven images 3d images statues. And then the Orthodox Church says okay graven images are wrong, but they have flat images.

So paintings of Jesus where they kiss and bow to the pain. I don't even like the paintings because I know if you show Jesus Devotion to this painting of a man that man is not Jesus. It's like walking around to me.

This is how I would describe you walk around with a picture of your wife in your wallet. Hey, you want to see my wife and you show a picture of another woman? That's what you're doing because that man in that.

That painting is not the Lord Jesus. It is a different Jesus. I know that's not how people look at it. But we should show our devotion to God himself not to any physical representations. All right anything before we move on.

The Gospel Is Not Ritual, but the Once-for-All Death of Christ

Okay, so this is pretty standard Protestant doctrine or evangelical doctrine. But the day and age we live in the common attitude out there is with anything. It's like well, what's the big deal? Don't worry about it.

Like that's just the common attitude with anything and everything and we need to patiently teach the scripture. Romans 5 10 the provisions of the work of Christ describe what Jesus is death accomplished.

Says for if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his son much more having been Reconciled we shall be saved by his Life, so not only did Jesus die on the cross for our sins.

He lived for our Justification Jesus during his life. He kept the law of God perfectly. We can't so Jesus did that for us and then of course his resurrection because he Lives forevermore. We shall live forevermore if we put our faith in him.

2nd Corinthians 5 21. He that is God the Father made him. Which is Christ? He made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf. So that we might become the righteousness of God in him. So this is that transfer I talked about last week Jesus as the substitute he takes all of our sin.

Died for it on the cross and in exchange through faith. He gives us all of his Righteousness, so that's the great exchange that happens in the gospel. So you are righteous a person who is saved is righteous.

Because of your own deeds because of what you've done. No, your righteousness is by faith. And this is what Martin Luther realized that kicked off the whole Protestant Reformation when he read the book of Romans and realized that all his good works all his Devotion all the things he was doing was not enough.

The only true righteousness is by faith. This is why we say the gospel is grace alone. Faith alone in Christ alone. Not me doing my best because that's not good enough.

Yeah.

Okay, I'll just ignore you.

But.

Your comment there that. What we give to him and what he gives to us. I did attend a charismatic Pentecostal church in Springfield because my neighbor invited me and I go where I'm invited. But of course they lift their hands and and I think that is Scriptural that we're told to lift our hands and I as I did I was conscious.

It was like I was giving. What was I giving him, you know. All my failure. All my sin. Sure, everything I needed. Everything that I needed forgiveness for. And what can I was receiving? I was receiving.

Yeah, and I'm glad I'm glad for these comments as they remind me of things I don't want to communicate that what you do doesn't matter because what we do of course does matter not for salvation. We don't work or do anything for our salvation.

But Hebrews 13 verse 16 says. But do not forget to do good and to share for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased. And what are the sacrifices we are offering not? Bulls and goats to atone for our sin.

No Jesus dealt with that already. What are the sacrifices that you're talking about the raising of that hand? You don't have to raise your hand. I think that's fine. But the sacrifices we offer verse 15 Hebrews 13 15 therefore by him.

Let us continually offer the sacrifice of what praise praise To God that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name so when we come to church and assemble and we sing our praises to God or or Express our praises to God through our mouth.

That's what we offer to God and he is well Pleased with that, but we're not Doing that to be saved. We're doing that because we are saved.

Yeah, let's remember when we used to always do the doxology. Praise God from all blessings flow. Yeah, I used to. I used to turn my hands like this.

Yeah.

But that's that's the time to do. It is when you are appraising him.

Well, yeah, since you since he's bringing it up. You can usually tell a charismatic or a Pentecostal because during the songs they're like this. Hey, that's that's totally fine. You can be a Baptist or a Presbyterian or whatever.

There's nothing wrong with lifting your hands. Yeah, nothing wrong with that at all. So I do not discourage that. I don't discourage amens or hallelujahs either.

You know.

We actually we could probably learn a few things from them and be a little more because the the other end of the spectrum is. You know you stand there and just don't move and don't say anything and you're very reserved.

And then the Pentecostals are you know? I'm just a happy middle. Maybe it's. Well, it should be a joyful time and not against laughing. So Galatians 1 4 Jesus gave himself for our sins. Ecclesiastes says well, there's a time to laugh and a time to mourn.

There's a time for everything. Anyways, let me. Galatians 1 4 Jesus gave himself for our sins so that he might rescue us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father. So notice he's he's rescuing us from this present evil age.

So.

Implied in that is we shouldn't be like everybody else. We shouldn't be going along with what everybody else is going along with. Yeah, we should be holy right. We should be set apart. We should be noticeably different.

Larry.

People keep us from Problems right from trials and tribulations, but he will be with us through.

Exactly yeah, I mean, you know, he's not delivering us from all our problems. That that whole idea I don't know if it's part of the prosperity gospel. You know that if you just do the right things and believe the right they say the right things you have health and wealth and Blessing and all your problems will go away.

Well that that just simply isn't true.

Yeah.

Right, it's.

We can be prosperous and content with all that we have where we should be but also We can be very prosperous.

Enjoy.

And love and. You know just abundant abundance. You know as it says in John 10 10 You know Jesus was saying the thief talking about Satan comes to steal kill and destroy. But I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly.

Mm-hmm. So abundant life is. Not in our things our possessions, but in Christ alone. It's more valuable.

Absolutely, what good is a billion dollars if you're.

Miserable. Marcus, I think the prosperous or the prosperity is fruit. Whether the fruit of the Spirit or other fruit in other people's lives or Souls one things like that. That's the best kind of prosperity prosperity and things that last forever.

Redemption, Forgiveness, and the Lord’s Table

All right, Ephesians 1 verse 7 another way to describe what Jesus is death accomplished in him. We have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace.

So we have redemption and forgiveness. So Jesus if you're saved he has forgiven you of all your sin. I think our problems is we don't forgive ourselves. We hold on to things but not realizing or maybe we do realize that we do it.

Anyways, or we we don't forgive others. We don't forgive ourselves. Yet God has forgiven us. That's what he says. He's forgiven us of all of our trespasses. John MacArthur says at the heart of the church's worship is the beautiful ordinance of the Lord's table.

With which we are very familiar there at the Lord's table, we take the bread and the cup in remembrance and communion with Christ. At the heart of the Lord's table is a doctrine and That doctrine is the very core of the Christian gospel.

You want to know what that doctrine is? Okay, it is summed up in the words of our Lord who said this is my body which is given for you. The essence of the Christian gospel is that Jesus Christ has done something for us.

More specifically he died for us. That's the point his death was for us and that is precisely what Peter says in 1st Peter 2 21. Christ also suffered for you. He suffered for you. It was for us that Christ suffered.

That is the point, okay, so again the Cup representing the blood the the bread representing his body which was broken for who? If you believe it's for you.

Yes.

We're bought we're bought and paid for we belong to him. We need to remember that he bought us. So we belong to him. We don't belong to ourselves anymore. We need to give ourselves over him.

Right. So the first step is believing being saved that's Justification from there on out right now. We are in a different stage. Sanctification so we're learning these things we're growing hopefully and.

That's that's what this this class is all about it's this is basically a class in the fundamentals of the faith. But it's really discipleship 13 lessons to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Because again the attitude that's out there that the attitude that you'll even find amongst believers is. You know what again? What's the big issue? Just kind of not seeing the importance of all of these things.

We need we need to teach the scriptures because the scriptures tell us how important this is a big issue is. It is it is for those who are lost. But for those in the church, you don't want people to have the mindset that okay.

I've already believed check. I've got that done. And now now I'm good. No, that's just the beginning. Now for believers the biggest issue is growing sanctification right. Romans 6 verses 6 7. Our old self was crucified with him in order that our body of sin might be done away with.

So that we would no longer be slaves to sin for he who has died is free from sin. So our old self was crucified with him. In order that our body of sin might be done away with. Is it done away with. Is it well it says that it might be done away with it's not done away with because.

We still have this this flesh that we're dragging around with us every day. And the flesh doesn't die and well until we die.

We're crucified with Christ, but crucifixion is a slow painful death.

Right.

Larry.

Was.

In song somewhere It says that God Casts our sin into the deepest part of the sea and he chooses to forget. I mean, he's all-knowing. He knows everything. He knows all of our sin past present and future.

But yet he chooses to not remember because of.

Christ.

The work that he did on the cross and so if he chooses to forget. We should as well. And in Psalm 103 It says that as far as the East is from the West so so far he has removed our transgressions from us and.

You know, it doesn't say north and south those are two fixed points, but east and west you know, they never meet.

Yeah, yep. Good. Thank you. Are any questions before we move on to this next section? Jesus Christ the answer to all man's problems concerning.

Salvation I.

Life first saw this the answer to all man's problems. Well, yeah, that's true. But in this life again still gonna have problems. But he is the answer to all man's problems concerning salvation. It says Christ's work on the cross and his resurrection are the only solution to man's problems.

That is why Peter proclaimed of Jesus Christ acts 4 verse 12 and there is salvation in. None other for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. I'm I have it memorized in a different version.

So that's why it doesn't the same the exact same thing in yours, but notice what he says. There's no other name. No other name under heaven. Not Muhammad or Buddha or Confucius or Joseph Smith or the Pope or anybody else?

It's no other name. There's only one way of salvation. Salvation can only be found in Christ. Refer to your answers in the first section of this lesson and note how Christ is the answer. To each of man's problems.

Man’s Guilt, Blindness, and Need for Salvation

Okay, so let's go through man's product man has a lot of problems. We have a lot of we have a lot of problems. So let's go through these and we'll see how Christ is the answer. So I guess you were supposed I have the teacher's guide.

Okay, so these are filled in already. So if you have something different raise your hand man's problem. Number one is his guilt before God. Is that written in? Okay. Now is the solution written in that's we.

Know yes. Yeah. Oh it is. Okay, and you need to fill in the scripture or is that written in? Okay.

Okay, I just wanted to double-check.

Because everything then written in red here is is what you need to fill in. So let's just go through this. Man's problem his main problem is what? His guilt before God. This is why I always say, you know before you preach the good news.

You have to first preach the bad news. Because if people don't understand that there's one famous preacher who said, you know. Admittedly, he said why you know, I just don't preach against sin. He says because people already know that they're sinners.

Well, I don't know that people do. People realize they're not perfect. But I'm not so sure the average person fully understands our guilt before God. So if a preacher doesn't preach against sin, you can't preach the gospel unless you preach against sin is my point.

It's not possible. So this is where it all starts. Man's main problem is his Guilt before God and the solution. Romans 5 19 Is that through the obedience of the one Jesus? The many Christians will be made righteous.

So the problem is our guilt before God Larry. I.

Think a lot of people. You know, they look you look at others and they compare themselves To others and so unbelievers You know can't even look at us and say I'm not that bad. And if they're believers.

What do I need a savior? Why do I need a savior? Yeah, so I mean we have to be careful how we live because we're being watched.

And.

Right, so.

We could be as it were the only Jesus that they will see right?

Yeah, and it's easy to see flaws in people. But if there's a church member is obvious to even unbelievers that wow. This guy is really bad and I'm not as bad as him. I mean you have a way of a major problem if that's the case, you know like it shouldn't be that obvious to unbelievers, but I Mean obviously something that happens, but this is something that is basic.

Our main problem is our guilt before God, but the average person I think what you're getting at is that the average person doesn't really believe that the average person has the idea that. You know, I'm pretty good.

Things aren't that bad and I'm sure things will be okay in the end. Like they don't really believe that it's as bad as the the scripture says or Paul in Romans that right. This is what we're looking at.

None righteous none that understands no one seeks after God all have turned away all have become useless. There is none who does good. No, not one if you can just get a person to believe that then they're primed to accept the gospel, but That might be the hardest thing to convince somebody of.

There's a lot of people do believe there's a God in heaven, I mean most people do believe in some concept of God and Well, yeah God to probably accept me, but they don't under they don't believe this part that that's the root issue.

I think. Okay. So the next problem is That we don't understand man does not understand the first John 5 20 says the Son of God has come and has given Us what?

Understanding.

Another one of man's problems is not seeking after God. But Luke 19 verse 10 says the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. This is this is my favorite part that nobody is searching after God.

It's God who searches after us. The whole seeker sensitive approach to worship. We're the majority of churches are going in this direction where they. We've talked about this where they remove everything from the church.

That seems to churchy. You know remove the pulpit remove the stained glass remove the hymns all the things that the church has. Preaching verse by verse through the Bible just remove all because the the world doesn't like that.

So they want to appeal to the world by bringing in secular music or stuff that sounds like secular music. They want to appeal to the world by preaching a Motivational type of sermon with a little Jesus sprinkled it just totally appeal to the world.

But the what they don't understand the world is not seeking after God. What you win them with is what you win them, too. The problem is they don't want God. Unless you're addressing that in your message, you know, all these tactics might bring people through the door.

But then you're not gonna have a flock. You're gonna have a goat farm. And that that's what we have. Well, not not we but that's what that's what is happening all over the place. But thankfully, yeah, nobody's seeking after God.

But God is seeking after us. I Can tell you I was not seeking after God. He sought me he was pursuing me not the other way around. And it says another one of man's problems. Man has turned away from God first.

Peter 225 says you were straying. But now you have returned to The Shepherd. I think these talks about the bishop of your souls. Or the the Shepherd. Okay, who's the Shepherd?

Christ.

Another problem man's problem. All have become useless. Second Peter 1 8. These qualities render you neither useless nor unfruitful in Christ. So Christ is our. He's the solution man's problem. There's no good works, you know, all of our righteousness is As filthy rags as the verse says.

The solution Ephesians 2 10, but we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works. Man's problem. We are slaves in our natural condition. We are slaves to sin. The solution. John 5 24. He who hears my word and believes him who sent me has Eternal life.

Actually I read the wrong one. Sorry. Romans 8 2. Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. So man's problem he's facing death. But he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life.

John 5 24. And then the final one. Man is facing the wrath of God. Another thing that the average person certainly does not believe. The solution. Romans 5 9. Justified by his blood we shall be saved from the wrath of God Through him.

All right. Any questions on this section? Do we believe this. Do we believe that man has these problems? Right that that's the bad news. We have the problems and then the good news. Jesus is the solution.

God’s Love, Mercy, and the Resurrection of Christ

All right. Number Four. The motive for Christ's work. Why did God save men? John 3 16 and Romans 5 8. What what's the simple answer? What would you say? Right, right because God loves us. If God didn't love us then he could just let us all live out our lives do what we want and then perish and That's what God would have done if he didn't care.

But he loved us so much that he sent his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. All right. B. That's a B is what attribute of God is demonstrated in his salvation of men?

Okay mercy, that's that's the correct answer. And you said abundant mercy. First Peter 1 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his great Mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living Hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

I like this because it. It puts it in a way that most people don't think of it. Most people think well, I'm born again because of what I did. Well, I would just point out it says because of his great mercy he has caused us to Be born again.

Yes, Larry.

Lamentations.

322 I believe it is. Yeah. It is because of his mercies that we are not consumed.

Right is.

His mercies are new every morning great. This is faithfulness. Amen. Yep.

See, why does the author call God's mercy great and it gives a hint? Romans 5 6 in 8. Right his mercy is great because we're unworthy. I mean if we deserved it then he owed it to us, right? I mean if you're such a good person and you deserve to be saved and God I mean God needs to do that because he owed but no it's great.

Because we don't deserve and of course that's the very concept of grace it's undeserved. That's why our works can't take part in it at all. That's why salvation can't be 50 -50, you know half of Jesus death on the cross half our good works or even 99 and 1 us it has to be all 100 of God.

Otherwise, it's not grace because he would owe us Something because of what we did. All right, any comments before we move on? This is all pretty basic stuff and yet it's it's deep. Because it goes against the grain the average person even in you know churches.

You wouldn't necessarily. And this is obviously not being taught in many places. All right, the resolution number five the resolution and continuation of Christ's work. Christ's death on Calvary finished his redemptive work for man John 19 verse 30 but salvation story does not end there the grave could not hold Christ.

He lives and continues the work he began for us. So a how was Christ declared? How is Christ declared to be the Son of God? Romans 1 for how is he declared the Son of God?

The Holy Spirit.

Okay.

Right, yeah with power by the resurrection from the dead according to the Spirit of Holiness. So if Jesus didn't rise from the dead, he would just be another failed Messiah. There's a lot of men who claim to be the Messiah back in his day before and afterward.

I think I remember hearing the latest one. There is a guy in Texas who Claims to be the Messiah. Many people have claimed to be the Messiah or claimed to be Jesus and When they die, guess what happens?

Well, they're dead and they stay dead. That's proof. They're not the Messiah, but Jesus actually rose so that proves he was who he said he was be. After Christ made purification of Sins, how was he exalted?

Hebrews 1 verse 3.

Down on the right hand of the majesty on high.

Okay, you heard that he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. So Jesus ascended into heaven and now we don't think this is included in the study. But there's three offices that Jesus held their Old Testament offices.

That in the Old Testament one person could not hold all three of these offices, but Jesus did. What are the three offices that he holds? Prophet priest and king. Now, what couldn't you be in the Old Testament?

You couldn't be a King and a priest. There is that separation there, but Jesus was prophet priest and king. So what office is he exercising now that he's in heaven?

King.

Yeah, I was thinking high priest, but of course he is He I mean he is King. Some of our songs. I don't know if you've ever picked up on this, but some of the songs in our hymn book talk about Jesus reigning as King, you know even crown him with many crowns maybe but there's some songs that talk about Him being king in the future.

Yeah, right that we're praying by kingdom come the idea that Jesus is reigning as King of the earth. He is King. There's no question about he is King, but is he reigning as King on the earth. The if he is it sure doesn't look like it so we would recognize the kingdom is a future.

Is a future state.

Interesting to that. We're told that we are priests between unsaved people and Him and he's our high priest. Right we are.

We are priests to royal priesthood, right? So when Jesus came he was a prophet. I mean he was more than a prophet, but he came and what was he doing? He was going from place to place. Teaching and preaching and that's what a prop.

That's what the word prophet means one who who speaks for God. It's a mouthpiece for God. So Jesus was Prophesying. He came as a prophet right now. He's in heaven. He is our great high priest making intercession Between us and God the Father.

But when he comes back, he comes back as.

King.

So.

Is he King now? Yes, is he still prop? I mean, I'm not gonna make some hard and fast line between each age, but I would recognize it that way. He came as a prophet right now. He's Acting as priest in the future.

He will reign as as king. He's king in this room. He's king. He should be king of your heart. Yeah, right and his kingdom now is spiritual. But it's not physical. It's not here on the earth and that song joy to the world where we sing and we sing it around Christmas time and some of you know what I'm gonna say, but Yeah, we think joy to the world, yeah, that's a Christmas song about Jesus's first advent.

No, it's if you look at the words, it's talking about his second advent when heaven and nature sing that didn't happen back then it's not happening now, it will happen when he reigns as king and We're just about out of time.

But since we're celebrating advent, are you gonna explain advent? Yes, okay. So you're gonna explain it so I don't need to get into the explanation but obviously we're We're recognizing the first advent of Jesus.