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Related articles:
"What Must I Do to Be Saved?"
"Why Isn't Everyone Saved?"
"Jesus Paid It All"
"Perverting the Gospel"

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Authority of the Bible
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We Are Not Under the 10 Commandments
We Must Study the Bible
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We Can't Trust Our Feelings
"Jesus Paid It All"

Larry Ray Hafley


Certainly, as the grand, old hymn says, "Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe." To his Father, the Son of God said, "I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do" (Jn. 17:4). On the cross, he said, "It is finished" (Jn. 19:30).

What more could God have done? What else could Jesus have suffered and sacrificed for our salvation? Absolutely nothing is lacking in the work of God for the salvation of man. If any one is lost, if any man dies in his sins, it will not be because the Lord failed to complete his work in obtaining eternal redemption for us (Heb. 9:12).

This Is True Because:

1) "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (Jn. 3:16). God's love and mercy is universal. No one is excluded. God is "not willing that any should perish" (2 Pet. 3:9). He desires to "have all men to be saved" (1 Tim. 2:4).

2) "There is no respect of persons with God" (Rom. 2:11; 1 Pet. 1:17). Men may be partial and prejudiced toward their fellowman. Injustice occurs when some are unfairly rewarded while others are discriminated against. This cannot happen before God. He judges every man "in righteousness" (Acts 17:31; 2 Tim. 4:8).

3) Jesus shed his blood and tasted "death for every man" (Heb. 2:9; 1 Jn. 2:2). The Savior died for those who crucified him, for Adolf Hitler, and for you and me. No one was excluded.

4) "The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men" (Titus 2:11). The infinite mercy of God neither ignores nor neglects any man. All have access unto the healing, cleansing powers of heaven (Isa. 55:7; Acts 10:34, 35). "Whosoever will" may come to the Lord and find grace to help in time of need (Rev. 22:17).

Since those facts are true, why are not all men saved? If God loves the world, if God is impartial, if Christ died for all, if the grace of God is open to all, why are some still lost in their sins while others are forgiven and saved?

Here Is Why

Despite the fact that "Jesus paid it all," some are yet in their sins and unsaved because they have not believed and obeyed the Lord (Lk. 6:46; Jn. 3:36). Consider the following parallels from God's physical laws of nature.

First, God has given sunshine and "rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness" (Acts 14:17). Food and water preserve our physical lives and provide nourishment for our bodies. However, if men refuse to eat and drink, what will happen? Obviously, they will die. Even though God has made every provision for man, if he will not obey the laws of nature and eat, he will perish. So, our kind, loving Lord supplies us with food, but we must accept it and appropriate it. We must eat and drink what he has fully and freely supplied, or we will die.

Second, when our bodies become ill, they need medicine. God has furnished the elements, the drugs, the healing, soothing salve, to cure our maladies. It matters not how potent a pill may be, it must be accepted and taken before it can do its work. Salve must be applied before it can bring its power to bear on what afflicts us.

Likewise, all the powers of heaven have been expended and extended to bring salvation to us. As God will not "force feed" the man who will not eat, neither will he compel conversion upon a man who will not "take the water of life freely." As our gracious God has distributed water unto man to sustain his life, but will not make him drink it, so he has dispensed "living water" in the person of his Son, but he will not drink it for him. In either the natural or the spiritual realm, the individual must be willing to accept and appropriate the water of life. To this agree the words of the prophet who said, "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power" (Psa. 110:3).

Since one must willingly receive the free gift of eternal life from God, how does he do so?

Here Is How

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (Jn. 1:12).

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21).

"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Heb. 5:8, 9).

"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city" (Rev. 22:14).

Eternal salvation is for all those who believe and obey the Son of God. Those who do not believe and who "obey not obey the gospel," will be "punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power" (2 Thess. 1:8, 9; Cf. Rom. 2:8, 9).

A Case Study

The saints at Rome provide a case study, a divine demonstration, of how one receives the blessings and benefits of the "finished work" of Christ. They had received the free gift of God, eternal life (Rom. 6:23). They had been "justified by" (a.) Grace, (b.) The Blood of Christ, and by (c.) Faith (Rom. 3:24, 5:1, 9). But when?

Here Is When

"But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness" (Rom. 6:17, 18).

When the Romans were "baptized into Jesus Christ" and "baptized into his death," they were then raised to "walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:3, 4). That is when they were justified; that is when they received the free gift of God and "became the servants of righteousness."

Jesus "paid it all." He "finished the work" God gave him to do. Still, the Romans were not saved until they "obeyed" the word of the Lord, and so it is with us today. The Savior has accomplished his work and made every provision for salvation. Yet, we must accept it; we must obey the gospel in order to receive the gift of life. Have you received and obeyed him? Do not be like a starving man who refuses to eat. Do not be like a sick man who will not take the medicine that will restore his health. Because Jesus has "paid it all," receive his free gift of eternal life by obedient faith today (Rom. 1:5; 16:26).

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