Quote:
Originally Posted by mfblume
Great issue to speak about in baptism-- where is faith in the finished work of the cross involved with it? I believe baptism does not finish any work, but is involved in what applies the finished work of the cross to our lives.
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Hello, mfblume. Good to hear from you as well.
The first reason for my posts was to point out what the finished work of the Cross actually was. It seems many have forgotten what was accomplished. In fact, it seems, rather than seeing the Gospel as Good News of an accomplished sin remission, many have redefined the Gospel as Good News that sin remission has only been made possible in baptism. The historic sin remission of the Cross has been moved to some future date of 'appropriation.'
It needs to be strongly driven home that the resurrection is PROOF of a finished historical work concerning the removal of those sins imputed to Christ. The resurrection is PROOF that the blood of Christ has been historically applied to those sins and historically accepted by God as being sufficient. Remission need not take place in baptism if it has already taken place on the Cross. The resurrection proves it did take place on the Cross.
So, how does faith in that finished work come into play? Though man's sins are already remitted in God's eyes, there is a need for a person to come to terms with this reality in his own heart and conscience. Forgiveness
(which happened prior to the resurrection) is received
(i.e., becomes an accepted personal reality) when man comes to trust that the sin remission of the Cross was effective on his behalf. This doesn't necessarily mean the work of the Cross is 'appropriated,' it happened whether accepted or not, but it does mean man's conscience has come to rest in Truth.
When we come to a personal acknowledgment of Christ and the work of the Cross our heart and/or conscience of sin is purified by faith and made good toward God
(Acts 15:9; 1Timothy 1:5; 3:9; Hebrews 9:14; 10:2,22; 1Peter 3:21). This does not mean that our sin is forgiven/remitted for a second time, it simply means our heart has come to rest in faith that our sin was dealt with by God through Christ at Calvary.
The Law shows man that he has sinned and fallen short. The Gospel is Good News that man's sins have been sufficiently dealt with on the Cross. Once a person hears the Good News of Christ he is presented with a life or death choice. He can rest in the finished work of the Cross and pass into life or he can reject the work of the Cross and remain spiritually dead and condemned. This condemnation is not because the work of the Cross will not have already been 'applied' to his sins, but because he will have blasphemed God by calling Him a liar
(Mark 3:28; 1John 5:10) and failed to reestablish God's lordship in his life.
Bottom line, I don't think it is so much a matter of 'applying' the finished work of the Cross to man, as it is a matter of man coming to terms with the truthfulness of the testimony of God. Adam rejected God's word in the garden and, in so doing, rejected the sovereignty of God. Man transferred lordship from the Almighty to himself by placing his own word above that of God's
(he broke the first commandment by making himself god) resulting in his spiritual death. Mankind has now been given the opportunity to reverse this condemning act by reestablishing the superiority of God's word/testimony. By accepting the Gospel of the finished work of the Cross man transfers lordship back to the Almighty resulting in justification and life.
Adam's sin is reversed, the curse of death removed, eternal life bestowed.
How's that for two cents worth?
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