Defending and Commending the Faith With Dr. Joe L. Mott, inviting the atheist, agnostic and skeptic to examine for themselves the evidence for the Christian faith

References: (1) Genesis 3:15 is the first prophecy of the PROMISED DELIVERER of humans, the Redeemer who would save His people from their sins. (2) In the atonement God addresses 4 basic NEEDS that we all have as sinners: a. We deserve to DIE as the PENALTY for our sin. b. We deserve to BEAR God’s WRATH against us. c.We are SEPARATED from God by our sins (Isa. 59:2)and there is a great gulf between us and Him. We need a BRIDGE over that gulf. d. We are in BONDAGE to sin and the kingdom of Satan. Therefore, we need LIBERATION from that bondage. (3) The atonement of Christ, His death on the cross, provides what we need for our sin. (4) In the OT one of the places where atonement was obtained occurred in the tabernacle in the wilderness. (5) Heb. 9:1-7 describes in cryptic fashion the tabernacle in the wilderness. (6) The idea of propitiation — that is, of AVERTING God’s WRATH by an OFFERING — is a SCARLET THREAD that is WOVEN throughout the CLOTH of the entire Bible. (7) J. I. Packer in his book Knowing God asks the question: Has the word “propitiation” any place in Christianity? He responds, “In the faith of the NT it is CENTRAL. The love of God, the taking of human form by the Son, the meaning of the cross, Christ’s heavenly intercession, the way of salvation — all are EXPLAINED in terms of [PROPITIATION] . . . . any explanation from which the thought of PROPITIATION is MISSING will be INCOMPLETE, and indeed actually MISLEADING.” This is Episode 201.

References: (1) The OT translation for atonement is taken from the Hebrew word kaphar. Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words says: “Most uses of the word [kaphar], involve the THEOLOGICAL MEANING of “COVERING OVER,” often with the BLOOD of a sacrifice in order to ATONE for some sin.” (2) Atonement is frequently identified with the juxtaposition of 3 words: “at,“one,” and “ment” to convey the idea of reconciliation. (3) However, this idea of “at-one-ment” is not a completely satisfactory explanation of atonement. While the idea does convey reconciliation to God, it does not remind us of the slave market where there is an auction and a cacophony of voices vying to make us their property and keeping us in bondage. We are the slaves who need freedom. It does not remind us of the blood sacrifice, neither the payment of a ransom price, nor the idea of giving the former slave freedom. (4) The word atonement is perhaps best known from the term Yom Kippur, “Day of Atonement” — Yom is “day” and Kippur is “atonement.” That day was the MOST SOLEMN HOLY DAY of all Israelite feasts. (5) Nisan is significant for a number of reasons, but most importantly because of the Feast of Passover, which commemorates the Israelites’ EXODUS from slavery in Egypt. (6) Exodus 12 gives the details of the PASSOVER RITUAL. (7) Leviticus 23 lists 7 feasts and the Day of Atonement. The feasts are: the Sabbath, Passover, Unleavened Bread, First-fruits, Weeks, Trumpets, and Tabernacles. All feasts and the Day of Atonement except the Feast of First-fruits have a day that is identified as a holy CONVOCATION on which no work is done. (8) Someone has compared the OT to a room RICHLY FURNISHED but DIMLY LIGHTED. The introduction of light does not add anything to what is there, but it shows it more CLEARLY. The light of the NT adequately illumines these 2 chapters: Exodus chapter 12 and Leviticus chapter 23. (9) The ancient ritual DID NOT REALLY SAVE — no ritual does — it depicts merely a STAY OF EXECUTION until Jesus Christ would come who was Himself the First-born over all creation and the head of the body, the church, the One who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead (Col.1:15, 18). (10) The tabernacle was a PORTABLE DWELLING PLACE for God that the Israelites used as a place of worship and sacrifice in the wilderness while traveling from Egypt to the land of Canaan. (11) The grounds inside the tabernacle were divided into 3 main APARTMENTS. (12) The LID of the sacred chest called the MERCY SEAT, UPON WHICH the presence of God was revealed, and FROM WHICH, by virtue of atonement, pardon was granted to the repentant sinner. (13) The only light in this last apartment is the holy Shekinah, the the SUPERNATURAL MANIFESTATION of the presence of Almighty God, a reflection of the glories of the temple of God in HEAVEN, the center of the work for man’s REDEMPTION. This is Episode 200. This is Episode 200.

References: (1) The OT translation for atonement is taken from the Hebrew word kaphar which literally means “to COVER.” (2) The word redemption is now used in a SPIRITUAL SENSE to describe the over-all work of Christ in salvation, but it also means in a NATURAL SENSE deliverance on payment of a ransom price, in the case of a slave, or a prisoner of war, or in order to let the condemned go free from prison. (3) Redemption is always at a COST to the redeemer. (4) There are all sorts of illustrations of God’s CARE for people and His READINESS to bring about deliverance as long as that deliverance does not conflict with His demands of justice. (5) In the whole of the OT there is no STERNER TEST of faith than the attempted sacrifice of Isaac on Mount Moriah. It is a test of OBEDIENCE. (6) This showed Abraham’s FAITH in God believing that SOMEHOW OR OTHER God would fulfill His promise to BLESS the world through that very Isaac he was to lay on the altar, even if it MEANT RAISING him for the dead (Heb. 11:17-19). (7) Abraham spoke prophetically that in the future God would PROVIDE at Calvary the satisfying sacrifice of atonement in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead when God “did not spare His own Son” (Rom. 8:32). (8) Leviticus actually means a book FROM the Levites, the priests during the time of Moses. Leviticus established in greater detail the implication of a sacrificial relationship to God. (9)Exodus emphasizes REDEMPTION — deliverance and liberation by God. Leviticus emphasizes the RESTORATION of a redeemed people to communion with God. This restoration was to be SECURED by sacrifice. (10) There were 2 distinct types of Levitical offerings: one type including 5 offerings by individuals called burnt, meal, peace, sin, and trespass offerings. The meal offering is the only BLOODLESS OFFERING. However before the meal offering was placed on the alter, the burnt offering was given first. (11) “The Bible in the Light of our Redemption” by E. W. Kenyon. (12) Redemption and atonement is portrayed in Isaiah’s prophecy in chapter 53. (13) Jesus’ death and resurrection fulfills the work that the animal sacrifices mandated by the Law of Moses BEGAN but could NEVER COMPLETE. (14) Under the Law of Moses, sin was neither PURGED, PUT AWAY, nor CLEANSED. They were only COVERED by the blood of bulls and goats that could NEVER take away sins completely. This is Episode 199.

References: (1) The Importance of the Atonement. What could be more important than the atonement? We all are sinners by nature and activity (Rom. 3:23; 5:12). It focuses on the reasons why the Son of God was sent into the world in the first place. (2) Wayne Grudem says in his book Bible Doctrine that both the love and the justice of God were the ULTIMATE CAUSE of the atonement. (3) The Necessity of the Atonement. After Jesus rose from the dead, He asked, “Was it not NECESSARY that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory?” (Luke 24:26, RSV). (4) The Nature of the Atonement: I consider only 2 aspects of Christ’s work: (1) Christ’s obedience for us, and (2) Christ’s suffering for us. (5) I quote several paragraphs from Wayne Grudem’s book Christian Beliefs, pp. 74-75. (6) The atonement is the HEART of the gospel. We can be wrong of about the method of baptism, or end time prophecies, but we must be right on the atonement. If we truly understand the atonement, our study of Christ and our study of salvation both will be sound. This is Episode 198.

References: (1) Systematic Theology Vol. 3, by Norman Geisler, pp. 222-230. (2) The word atonement — coming back to God — is a common theme in the OT particularly in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers being mentioned in Exodus 10 times, in Leviticus 49 times, and in Numbers 17 times. (3) Why is atonement needed? The nation of Israel was affected by sin because they and we, too, have sinned (Rom. 3:23; 5:12). (4) Because of His Deity and Incarnation Jesus Christ is uniquely qualified to be the Mediator for human beings. (5) That incident in Lev. 10:1-2 taught Israel that they CANNOT APPROACH God in their own way. God’s justice and holiness CANNOT DISMISS EVIL as though it did not happen. Rather, divine holiness REQUIRES the full measure of payment for the penalty of sin. (6) All Christian churches believe that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ of Nazareth SECURES the benefits of atonement before God. Christian churches think Jesus Christ is the Man of Sorrows, the Suffering Servant of Isa. 53. (7) The Cause of the Atonement. Scripture is clear: it presents NO OTHER WAY to salvation other than trusting in Jesus Christ alone (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Tim. 2:5-6). This way is “free,” offered by “grace,” and the “kindness and love” and “mercy” of God our Savior (Rom. 3:24; 5:15, 16, 18; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-8). (8) Wayne Grudem says in his book Bible Doctrine that both the love and the justice of God was the ultimate cause of the atonement. (9) Now there was only one being who could fulfill these conditions, and that was the Son God Himself. (10) Here are mysteries that cannot be fully explained in a brief time. But the heart of God is love, the message of Jesus is to “come” (Matt. 11:28-30), and the way to God, atonement, has been accomplished by Jesus Christ. This is the gospel, the Good News, the central theme of the entire Bible. This is Episode 197.

References: (1) Systematic Theology Vol. 3, pp. 222-227, by Norman Geisler. (2) Atonement — coming back to God — is a common theme in the OT particularly in Leviticus. The OT translation for atonement is taken from the Hebrew word kaphar which literally means “to COVER.” (3) The OT process took public form in animal sacrifices, for in the Hebrew world, the proper payment for sin was blood. “Almost all things are by the law PURGED with blood; and without shedding of blood is NO REMISSION — NO FORGIVENESS” (Heb. 9:22). (4) An elaborate system of animal sacrifice developed. But just as clearly, God’s justice and holiness was “not made whole” by animals ALONE. Even in the OT, strong hints of a FINAL, COMPLETE, and ALL-SUFFICIENT SACRIFICE is promised. Especially in Isaiah’s prophecy in Isa. 53 where a Man of Sorrows, a Suffering Servant, would bear our griefs and carry our sorrows. He would be wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace would be upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. The LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. For the transgressions of God’s people He was stricken (Isa. 53:4-5, 6b, 8b). (5) That Man of Sorrows, Suffering Servant, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whose death on the cross paid the penalty for sin and brings believers back to God because He purchased us with His own blood (Acts 20:28; 1 Cor. 6:20). Jesus’ death and resurrection fulfills the work that animal sacrifices BEGAN but could NEVER COMPLETE. This is Episode 196.

References: (1) Systematic Theology Vol. 3, by Norman Geisler, pp. 222-227. (2) Col. 1:20-22 gives us a powerful expression of what it means to be saved: It was God’s purpose that “by Him to reconcile ALL THINGS to Himself, by Christ, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made PEACE through the BLOOD of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has RECONCILED in the body of His flesh through death, to present you HOLY, and BLAMELESS, and above REPROACH in His sight.” (3) The 9th word in Geisler’s list is FORGIVENESS. (4) Forgiveness signifies the REMISSION of the punishment due to sinful conduct, the DELIVERANCE of the sinner from the PENALTY by DIVINE INTERVENTION, and therefore righteousness IMPUTED. (5) “According to the law almost all things are purified/cleansed with BLOOD and without the shedding of blood there is no remission/forgiveness” (Heb. 9:22). The author of Hebrews is quoting Leviticus 17:11. (6) Another Greek verb for forgiveness is charisomai meaning “to grant as a FAVOR graciously and unconditionally whether divine, or human, concerning debt; to deliver and freely give. (7) To show what he means Paul expresses this new relationship between God and the believer in Rom. 3:21-26 and other passages a series of metaphors. (8) Paul uses a metaphor from the LAW COURTS and the idea of JUSTIFICATION. Justification is the 10th word in Geisler’s list. This metaphor thinks of man on trial before God. (9) When Paul says that “God justifies the ungodly,” (Rom. 4:5) he means that God treats the ungodly AS IF he were innocent. (10) How can I KNOW that God is like that? I know because Jesus said so. (11) A second metaphor Paul uses is SACRIFICE and the idea of PROPITIATION, which is the 11th term of Geisler’s list. (12) A third metaphor that Paul uses is that of SLAVERY and the idea of REDEMPTION or FREEDOM from bondage. (13) Paul alludes to the metaphor of FAMILY and the idea of ADOPTION. (14) Paul uses the metaphor of FRIENDSHIP and the idea of RECONCILIATION. This is Episode 195.

References: (1) Systematic Theology Vol. 3 by Norman Geisler. (2) The Greek word for mediator is “mesites” and in classical Greek it has 2 BASIC MEANINGS: an arbiter or a sponsor, or guarantor, or surety. As an arbiter it means “a man who stands in the middle between 2 estranged parties who brings them together and who wipes out the differences between them.” This is what Jesus did between us and God. (3) A sponsor, guarantor, or surety was a man who put up bail for another persons appearance in court. But the words are specially used of guaranteeing or standing surety for a DEBT. If a man wished to borrow from a bank he had to find someone ready to pay his friend’s debt. Jesus is the sponsor, guarantor, or surety, the “mesites,” who stands good for our debt to God. (4) Geisler’s fifth word is regeneration which in Greek is “paliggenesias.” (5) The SOURCE of regeneration is God; the RESULT of regeneration is sonship; the PROCURER of regeneration is Jesus Christ; the MEANS of regeneration is the Holy Spirit; and the DURATION of regeneration is ETERNAL. (6) The sixth term in Geisler’s list is being born again or born from above and this phraseology is EQUIVALENT to regeneration. Rebirth is the point whereby an individual receives spiritual life. (7) Geisler’s 7th term for salvation is “adoption” which comes from a Greek word which means “placing as a son”; it signifies, literally, a legal child. (8) The eighth term is reconciliation. Fallen human beings are in need of reconciliation to God because of their sin. This is Episode 194.

References: (1) Let us turn our attention to discuss a number of important TERMS that are used in the Bible and Christian literature that speak of the way sinners are made right WITH God and reconciled TO God. Words like salvation, redemption, justification, forgiveness, reconciliation, and atonement have been so influential in molding the conception of the WORK of Jesus Christ that it is absolutely necessary to study them in greater detail. (2) Norman Geisler’s book Systematic Theology Vol. 3 gives a list of 12 of the most prominent such terms. Some terms are equivalent to salvation; others are simply the result of or part of salvation. (3) Effectual grace — God accomplishes in the lives of believers in Christ the salvation for which He has foreordained or about which He has foreknowledge (Isa. 55:11; 1 Pet. 1:2). (4) Sealing — Eph 1:1-14 shows that God the Father CHOSE us to be holy and blameless before Him. “From the beginning God chose us for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth” (2 Thess. 2:13). (a) “Having believed we were SEALED with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the REDEMPTION of the purchased possession” (Eph. 1:13b-14a). (b) What do the last 2 verses mean? Well, some of what it means is that the Holy Spirit is the guarantee/down payment/ pledge/earnest of the heavenly inheritance for all believers. His entrance into our spirit brings with it the same ETERNAL LIFE Jesus promised us. His work in us creates that same HOLINESS without which no one will see the Lord. His influence over us brings us the COMMUNION with God which we shall enjoy forever in heaven. (c) It means that the Holy Spirit brings to us many things which are FORETASTES of the heavenly inheritance including all the things that SALVATION ENCOMPASSES: rest [Heb. 4:3], the GIFTS of the Spirit, that which ENABLES us to walk in the Spirit, delight in earthly SERVICE, COMMUNION with saints, enlarged KNOWLEDGE of God Himself and of all divine things, VICTORY over sin, SECURITY in Christ, NEARNESS to our beloved Lord and Savior. (d) It is beneficial for us to review what EARNEST means. It is the translation of the Greek word arabon which means a deposit of money in purchases that is given as a pledge by the purchaser that the full amount will SUBSEQUENTLY BE paid, and FORFEITED if the purchase is not completed. (e) It means believers are the purchased possession; Paul writes, “You were bought with a price”(1 Cor. 6:20). Peter agrees (2 Pet. 2:1). God is the purchaser and the Holy Spirit is the earnest, the down payment. God is not going to forfeit the Holy Spirit. Therefore He will finish the purchase in the end meaning believers will be glorified. What a wonderful revelation of eternal security of the believer in Christ. (5) Redemption — a broad term, often used as the EQUIVALENT of salvation. 6 NT Greek words are translated redeem or redemption. These 6 words include 3 verbs and 3 nouns, all having to do with the idea of REDEMPTION, that is, of DELIVERANCE and LIBERATION from bondage obtained and purchased by the payment of a PRICE often designated as a RANSOM. (a) The first word is agorazo, a verb, meaning to purchase, or buy, acquire IN the marketplace: (b) second word is exagorazo, a verb, meaning to purchase FROM or OUT OF the marketplace: (c) The third word is lutroo, a verb, meaning to ransom for RELEASE from bondage by paying the RANSOM PRICE. (d) The fourth word for redeem is lutron, a noun, meaning a MEANS of release, a means of redeeming, of setting one free. (e) The fifth word is lutrosis - a noun - also translated RANSOM - the ACT of freeing, releasing after the RANSOM PRICE had been paid. (f) The sixth word for redeem is apolutrosis, a noun, meaning an act of SETTING FREE, deliverance, release FROM restraint, deliverance or release from TORTURE. This is Episode 193.

References: (1) The Bible is a salvific book. The apostle Paul told Timothy its central message: “From infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:15). (2) There are PRE-SALVATION ACTS of God that are important for our understanding of the whole salvation process. (3) While there is wide evangelical agreement on the origin, nature, and purpose of the atonement, there is considerable difference on its EXTENT. This question has been posed: TO whom is this salvation offered and FOR whom did the Lord Jesus Christ die? Here we can easily enter into a CONTROVERSY that has been prevalent since the time of John Calvin whose lifetime spanned from 1509-1564, his son-in-law, Theodore Beza (1519-1605), Jacob Arminius (1560-1609), and the Synods of Dort (1618-1619). (4) of John Calvin are usually identified by belief in most or all of the 5 points articulated by Theodore Beza. These 5 points are: Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, and Preservation of saints. If we take the first letter of each point it makes a memorable acrostic: TULIP. (5) Some Calvinists assert Christ’s atonement is LIMITED, that is, Christ died ONLY for the ELECT. Let me identify those who believe in limited atonement by labeling them as strong Calvinists. In other words, strong Calvinists do not believe in universal atonement, that is, that Christ did not die for every single person, and salvation is not available for every single person. (6) The plain statement of John 3:16-17 is that God loved the world, NOT JUST A SPECIAL FEW, and the clear IMPLICATION is that Christ was given to die for the SINS of every person in the WORLD. Moreover, verse John 3:13 makes it EVIDENT that WORLD here means the ENTIRE FALLEN WORLD, for it is the same world that is UNDER CONDEMNATION. (7) John 3:16-17 and 12:47b, signifies the SAME FALLEN, SINFUL WORLD that will be judged in the “last day” (12:48b). (8) If you believe that only the special group called the elect can be saved, then that automatically implies the non-elect CANNOT be salved. Thus, there is a DOUBLE PREDESTINATION for everyone’s eternal destiny; the elect are predestined to be saved, and the non-elect are predestined NOT to be saved. That means before the foundation of the world, God decided that some would be predestined to go to hell. How can one call that love? Such a stance has an impact on evangelization contrary to the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19). That conclusion simply goes WAY TOO FAR for me. (9) My favorite Christian apologist is Norman Geisler who is a 4-point Calvinist opposing only limited atonement. (10) There are 3 point Calvinists. I am probably a 2-point Calvinist. Accepting total depravity, and preservation of the saints opposing limited atonement, and I am not sure about the other 2 points. It seems to me that the controversy is a MATTER OF INTERPRETATION. And I believe in the universal offer of salvation to anyone. So in that regard I accept some Arminian doctrines. So both my 2 points and the universal offer of salvation I believe are true from scripture. What we need to do is come up with an interpretation that covers both. This is Episode 192.