The Extent of the Atonement - 13

Today in second Corinthians chapter 5 as we come to verses nine and following were coming to another passage that raises certain question as we did last week recall of the passage last week in the first eight verses of second Corinthians raised the question about our intermediary condition after we died before the resurrection of the body. What exactly will be our state them, though that was not the main point of the passage that was an inevitable topic that came up in the course of that study.

Today we come to another passage that raises great questions and hear the question that we will deal with eventually is the question of the extent of the atonement, but again that's not the main point of the passage. It is an unavoidable aspect. However, what is taught in the passing the ball is continuing in today's passage to deal with aspects of his ministry and its effect and why he does what he does and why he does what he does in the way that he does it and what is important for us for the Corinthians. Of course, first of all, and then beyond that us to know about these things because of number one are accountability to God. Verses nine and 10, number two, our responsibility to men verses 11 through 13 and finally number three our gratitude to Christ. Verses 14 and 15 first are accountability to God. And Paul deals with his own overarching ambition.

In verse nine and his ever present reflection in verse 10. What is Paul's overarching ambition and all that he does and why he does what he does.

The way he does it and he tells us why in verse nine.

Therefore we make it our aim whether present or absent to be well pleasing to him. Paul's overarching aim is to be pleasing to God at all times in all places, whether present or absent of that, of course, refers back to the previous verses is talking about whether present with the Lord after death, or absent from the Lord before death, but in either case, he wants to be pleasing to God. In other words, because we are destined to be with the Lord forever. Right if we know the Lord.

We are destined to be in his presence forever. Therefore, it is our desire to be pleasing to him. Now as well as when we are with him and therefore pleasing Christ is really all that matters in this life. There a lot of concerns a lot of challenges a lot of responsibilities in life. But there's really only one thing that matters and that is am I pleasing God and all that I do, because that's going to be the big question someday.

That's going to be what we will wish we have done had done Sunday so Paul's name the word that is used in our translation, which in some translations is ambition.

Paul's aim, Paul's ambition was to be pleasing to God that every time in every place.

The question is, is that my ambition is that your ambition what is your main goal in life. What is your big ambition in life. You have goals that frankly if you carefully analyze them all revolve around yourself, your interest, your desires, your comfort, your earthly success or is your ambition to be pleasing to Christ. That's what our overarching ambition should be. Yes, the art smaller goals lesser ambitions of the perfectly legitimate as long as all of them are subjugated to the great and high goal of pleasing God and everything, whether therefore you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God. Paul says that's the way he lived. That's the way we must live to learn as well are accountability to God is seen in Paul's overarching ambition verse nine and then, particularly in Paul's ever present reflection of verse 10.

Because Paul had before him at all times. The reality of the judgment seat of Christ, for he says in verse 10 we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that everyone may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad judgment seat of Christ.

Now this is another passage the raises questions which I really don't have time to deal with and I don't know that I'm prepared to deal with all of them adequately, but is clear that in stating what Paul says in verse tell him that he leaves out a number of details about this day of judgment which our experiences and questions and studies of God's word would like to have answered, but they're not all answered here. He says the will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.

But in this passage, he does not tell us when I think we understand that it's connected with the second coming of Christ. But of course we still don't know why I'm because we don't know when that's going to happen for Christ makes it very clear that nobody knows the day nor the hour of his coming.

Only God above knows that, so we don't know when this is going to occur and according to your particular eschatology. There are different perspectives as to when this will occur even after the coming of Christ. But none of that is revealed in this passage. In verse 10. Furthermore there even questions raised as to who is going to be judged is Paul talking about the judgment only of believers, or is he talking about the judgment of all men, believers and unbelievers. In other words, is there one judgment or to again. There are conflicting opinions about that Paul doesn't answer that question here is clear that in the context he's talking about about believers, but he doesn't say specifically that unbelievers are not in view in any way, but it's also clear that that's not what he's talking about in this passage. There are even some questions about whether the judgment seat of Christ in the great white throne judgment are one and the same, though with two different names or are they two different judgments that take place at two different times again. It all depends upon your eschatological viewpoint doesn't.

One thing is clear. You can't say correctly and dogmatically that that Christ only judges his people and that God the father judges the unbelievers because there are several reference the Gospels to the fact that Christ will judge all men. He will judge unbelievers.

He will judge those who condemned him, he will condemn those who condemned him if they do not repent, so Jesus Christ is going to judge unbelievers but is that what this text is talking about or is it not I leave the question hanging were not going to deal with that one were going to deal only with what is stated here with the details that are revealed here in what were told about the judgment seat of Christ is that it is comprehensive, it is revelatory and it is direct compensatory and what I mean by that is comprehensive of all believers in the context that's clearly what Paul has in mind for we must all all believers, we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. No exceptions. Every believer in Jesus Christ is going to stand before his Lord some day be judged. It is comprehensive. Secondly, it is revelatory.

What we mean by that lets going to reveal a whole lot we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, we must all be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ is the way some translations put it, it's a Greek word that has the idea of laid there stripped of every façade. The full reality of every person's inner character is going to be laid bare for all to see. In this day our true character. Our secret thoughts and deeds who and what we really are not what we pretend to be, not what we seem to be not what we purport to be before others not what we want our fellow church members to believe that we are or even other members of the community to believe what we are. But in that day. Our lives are going to be opened up. The true reality is going to be revealed. We are going to be manifested for what we really are. It will be seen in that day what our character is truly made of and I don't need to tell you that all of us are going to have some sad moments in that day because we will all have things that we wish we had done differently. We will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

A comprehensive judgment of revelatory judgment and a wreck compensatory judgment because we will be recompensed for the deeds of the body that each one may receive the things done in his body according to what he is done, whether good or bad, there will be rewards for faithful service. There will be lost for unfaithfulness again. The details are not given. We are not told what these rewards will be exactly just that there will be rewards there will be compensation there will be a return for the good things that we have done but at the same time, there's going to be some kind of loss for those things that represent unfaithfulness and again were not told what that is, we don't know what this loss consists of exactly this text certainly doesn't tell us, but we can't pass it off lightly say well that's no big deal. Paul considered a big deal.

That's the whole point here. Paul considered it a big deal he's talking about our accountability to God and he does what he does in the lives the way he lives that he serves with the energy and commitment that he serves Christ with because of this day of judgment were going to all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account for the things done in the body, whether they are good or bad were going to do that I'm going to do that sick Paul, you're going to do that, says Paul, and therefore we need to live in the light of that day our accountability to God.

Secondly in aspect to be well pleasing to God is our responsibility to men versus, 11, 12 and 13 because our our relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ in our accountability to him also carries with it responsibility to men. In fact, a lot of what we do in serving Christ has to do with the way we serve others in our responsibility to men therefore includes our responsibility for clear testimony.

Verse 11 for a principal defense verse 12, and for a responsibility to serve verse 13 we are responsible for a clear testimony before others.

Verse 11. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord we persuade men but we are well known to God and I trust also are well known to your conscience, knowing the terror of the Lord, knowing the solemnity of that day of judgment when we are going to be manifested when we are going to be laid there. When we are going to be stripped of all façade, all pretense and are going to be seen for what we really are. That is going to be a very Solomon it's Solomon searching day and knowing.

Therefore, the terror of the Lord, the reverent fear that we have for God because of the reality of this day of countability this day of judgment. When we as servants of Christ stewards of Christ are going to give an account for stewardship. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord we persuade men. Now, I have assumed all of my life until this last week or two when I've been studying this passage I have assumed all of my life that when Paul says, knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men that he's talking about evangelism.

We persuade men to believe in Christ, we persuade men of the day when they must stand and give an account to God we persuade men of the great terror of the Lord that is going to fall upon those who are unbelievers, but as I now fully believe the context is actually talking about something else though it's not well you have to scratch around to see what it is he's talking about, but it does become clear in what Paul's talking about when he says, knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men means we persuade men of our ministerial integrity. That's what he's talking about in this context he goes on to say we give you rather verse verse 11 we are known.

We are known to God. But we trust are well known to your consciences will he's already talked about that previously as well.

Being appealing to their conscience, and so now it comes up again. I'm looking for that exact verse I failed to write down the reference where he talks previously about appealing to their conscience, but you can see where the two things tied together the previous statement and the present statement in the previous statement about his conscience has to do with his reputation before them, and his ministerial integrity before them, and he says in this text. Verse 11 that God knows I don't have to persuade him. I Persuade him. He knows me thoroughly. He knows my heart. He knows my life. He knows my actions. He knows my boat is God knows. But he says I'm not sure that you fully know what my heart contains send. I'm not sure that your fully persuaded of my ministerial integrity because there's been a lot of criticism of Paul and he's already been talking about these false teachers who are seeking to tear down his reputation and to denigrate him in the minds of others and of course in doing that they are trying to cause people not to listen to Paul but to listen instead to them, they can't really get people to believe what they're teaching until they get them somehow to stop believing what Paul's teaching and one way to do that is to raise questions about Paul's integrity. Is he really a faithful servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Is he really an apostle of Christ is he really doing things God's way and Paul said because I understand the terrible Lord I understand the judgment seat of Christ were all going to stand before someday. I persuade men to believe in my ministry my integrity. Why is Paul concerned about what people think of him, not really, except in this sense, he knows that that has impact upon the day when they stand before Christ also because if they listen to the false teachers. They are not going to be prepared to stand before Christ at the judgment seat, but if they reject the false teachers and listen to the truth that comes from the apostle Paul, then they will be prepared to stand before Christ and foot so therefore for the sake of truth and for the sake of their spiritual welfare for the sake of the day when they will stand before God.

Knowing the terror of the Lord I'm persuading you to believe that I am a true messenger of Christ. The my ministry is one of integrity because I am responsible for clear testimony before men the responsibility to men. Number two involves the responsibility for principal defense and this is very interesting. Verse 12 and again verse 12. In the context supports what I told you about verse 11.

The way I interpreted verse 11 verse 12 for we do not commend ourselves again to you that's not what I'm doing. I'm not. I'm not bragging about myself. It's not what I'm doing that's that's what the critics accuse me of doing. That's not what I'm doing. It may sound like it may sound like it when I say that I'm trying to persuade you of my basic and fundamental integrity of life and ministry. But that's not what I'm doing. I'm not commending myself again to you, but what am I doing I'm giving you opportunity. Maybe we would even say ammunition I'm giving you material so that you can boast on our behalf, so that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. This is not self commendation of Paul, but it is an opportunity for the Corinthians to defend him against the critics, the critics are in Paul's presence so he can't straighten them out. The critics are speaking to the Corinthians in Corinth. They are sniping away around the edges of that church trying to get people to listen to them and to doubt Paul a Paul said, you need to stand up for me for the sake of your weaker brethren don't just stand there like a bump on a log doing something, say something about the situation come to my defense. We do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart before those who are being wrongly influenced by false teachers. I want you to speak a word in our defense. Those in the end he describes the false teachers here in an interesting way. They are those who boast in appearance, not in heart, that is, those who whose claim to validity. Is there outward seeming success, rather than the inward spirituality of their life. They are boasting in appearance, not in heart, boasting in outward signs of success not shook the outward signs of success in their day may have been different from ours. If these are Judaizers as were quite quite strongly influenced to believe that they are and they were no doubt boasting in their circumcision boasting in their Jewishness boasting in their keeping the Mosaic law. The dietary laws. These outward things you can have confidence in us because we don't eat ham and Paul does know that sort of thing you could have confidence in us because were keeping all the Jewish feast days in Paul's not see how this was going there they're pointing to what they consider to be outward evidences of their spirituality and their spiritual success rather than the inward condition of their heart, which is far more important in our day. It wouldn't be pork and observing the day of atonement or whatever, what would it be. Look at our success. We have more people in our church that you have in yours that we have weekly report no more conversions, more professions of faith in you.

Do we baptize more people than you do. This is our claim to success. And as we know in our day.

So many times those things turn out to greet delete erroneous and fabricated. They are the evidence of fleshly psychological manipulation and appeal that does not do anything to change hearts and to produce spiritual life with the other and a persevering faithful for a faith that will endure so many times they proved to be absolutely nothing but these are paraded as being the evidences of success why you want to listen to me. Same sort of thing. And Paul says those people who are boasting in appearances, not in heart. They're the ones that are seeking and are successfully in some cases doing damage to some of the members of the Corinthian church, and I need for you to stand up and say I have found Paul to be a man of integrity. I've had found Paul to be a godly man. I found Paul to be faithful. I have observed his ministry over many many years and he's been faithful during all of this time, he said, I'm giving you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart is telling them that they were responsible to defend his ministry, his integrity to the extent that it was God honoring and true not to say anything that wasn't true not to present him as better than he actually was. But for goodness sake, stand up and say what you know to be true. This man gives every evidence of loving the Lord. This man carefully handles the word of God. This man has been faithful over many many years. You can trust him. You can listen to him. That's the kind of thing the Paul was asking them to do to defend his ministry's integrity were talking about our responsibility to men number one responsibility for clear testimony. Verse 11, number two responsibility for a principal defense verse 12, number three responsible to serve verse 13 forces Paul if we are beside ourselves. It is for God or with if we are of sound mind. It is for you if we are beside ourselves. That's a phrase carries the idea being a little bit crazy. I don't think Paul was saying, I am crazy but I think Paul was say some people say I have my critics say I haven't. Sometimes it might appear that I am, that's not really something to be too ashamed of. Don't you remember that the critics of Jesus accused him of the same. Remember that in fact his own family came to them in a busy period of his life and he was teaching the multitudes, and they said your mother, your brothers and your sisters are out here calling for you and what were they doing. They were concerned about his mental balance. They thought he got a little off balance.

They thought he was a little overzealous with a thought that he was a little strung out. They thought that he was beside himself, which of course he wasn't, but anybody who's 100% sold out for Christ is going to be accused of being off balance overzealous overdoing it a little bit crazy by unbelievers, but more often by professing believers who actually may be unbelievers of the truth were known, only God knows the heart, but certainly by those Christians who don't want to be embarrassed or convicted by having an example set before them of somebody who is hundred percent sold out to Christ, and so they will say he's a little bit off balance will Paul said, even if I am, but I don't think he saying that he thought he was. But okay, let's concede for the moment, even if I am, it's to serve God. I've given myself 100% to God, I'm burning out for God and I have no apologies for that. So if I'm beside myself.

It is for God if I'm of sound mind, which I think is Paul's opinion of himself and what most true believers thought of him that he was of sound mind, not beside himself, but if I'm of sound mind.

It is for the purpose of serving men everything I do is to serve God and others. It matters little what people think or say it matters only how I live and serve before the Lord, if I am successfully living my life to please him back to verse whatever that was. Verse nine. If I am actually living my life successfully to please him, then it really doesn't matter what others say about me. I'm not going to stand before them to give an account. I'm going to stand before Christ to give an account but I understand the my pet accountability to Christ involves my serving God and man. So to be well pleasing to God. We must understand our accountability to God to be well pleasing to God. We must understand our responsibility to man to be well pleasing to God. We must understand our gratitude to Christ. Verses 14 and 15 for the love of Christ compels us, because we judged us that if one died for all, then all died and he died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves but for him who died for them and rose again our gratitude for Christ is our gratitude for his amazing love in our gratitude for his vicarious death.

Our gratitude for his imparted life. Divine life. To these imparted to us is gratitude for his amazing love for the love of Christ compels us. Verse 14 that's Christ love to us such amazing love amazing love how can it be that thou my God shouldst die for me. That's what Paul is saying here this incredible, amazing love of Christ for me. The chief of sinners, the most undeserving one of all. Christ love for me compels me that motivates me that drives me on to serve the Lord, my gratitude to Christ for his amazing love recipients of such love who understand the greatness of that love live accordingly.

They live in the light of this amazing love of Christ to us a compels us beyond his gratitude for this amazing love is is gratitude for Christ vicarious death and of course it was his love that led him to the cross to die but verse 14 for the love of Christ compels us, because we judged us that if one died for all, if one died.

If one died for that word means on behalf of or in the place of Christ died on my behalf. If Christ died in my place.

What can I do pour out my eternal thanks and gratitude to him with a life of service to him thinking Paul says in the book of Romans. After 11 chapters of explaining the gospel going deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper into the details of the gospel finally comes back up to the surface and takes a gulp of air and he says now this is what it means for you. Practically, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that what you present your bodies a living sacrifice wholly acceptable under God which is your reasonable service. That's the only appropriate response in the face of such amazing love in the face of such an amazing price prayed paid on our behalf. If Jesus Christ died in my place. If he died on my behalf.

What can I do but give him my life.

My devotion, my love, my willing service, Christ died and then gratitude not only for his amazing love in his vicarious death, but hurriedly for his imparted life was 15 and he died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves but for him who died for them and rose again and dying on the cross he grants us life and that life that he's given us, which is eternal life. It is divine life and it is eternal life. It's not for us to use for ourselves. It is for us to serve and to please him show my gratitude to Christ who died for me and who rose to secure his life for me as the songwriter said all live for him who died for me how happy that my life shall be that's the idea. So, in our passage today, we find to be well pleasing to God.

We must understand our accountability to God number one.

Our responsibility to men number two in our gratitude to Christ. Number three but now we come to the questions that are raised in verses 14 and 15 about the extent of the atonement.

Let me see if I can deal with this graciously and helpfully clearly to the best of my ability, because obviously this is one of the most heated theological debates of all the centuries you know that will make you don't, maybe not all of you do know that if you haven't been engaged in one of those debates but it is a very common debate among Christians. Now this is not, as I said the main point of the passage, but it is a necessary conclusion the draws out of what Paul said in verses 14 and 15 as I will try to show you now the question before us the theological question before us is did Christ death, atonement for the sins of everyone, or did Christ die in the place of his people only now just to raise that question. If someone doesn't have any understanding of why it's being raised what the background is. It sounds like you're being crazy. Why would you even ask a question like that. Of course, Christ died for everybody in all the universe God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, etc. etc. etc. maybe, maybe not. Did Christ death. Atone for the sins of everyone, or did Christ die in the place of his people only. In other words, does the Scripture teach a universal or a particular atonement universal would be for every person, without exception, no matter where they end up eternally particular, would be to die, particularly for his chosen people and another way of looking at this question is when Christ died on the cross. What did he do did he make salvation possible.

Or did he make salvation certain did he make salvation possible. If something else is added to it or did he make salvation certain for particular people and then God is going to guarantee that the other things that in fact are added to it will be added to it because God will see to it that there added to it because Christ infallibly and certainly secured their salvation upon the cross of Calvary, and therefore it cannot fail that they will be convicted of sin, and will come in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ, and of course nobody is saved, apart from believing in Christ, but the question is the Christ die on the cross for everybody and then only those who believe will actually be saved or did Christ lay down his atoning blood on the cross for those who are his people who will be saved because they are the elect of God, not a lot of things it could be said here have already in my own mind of raised trails and I would like to go down. At this point, but for sake of time I will restrict myself to what I have done my notes, but the answer to this question in the passage before us in second Corinthians 5 verses 14 and 15 all hinges on the meaning of the word all what does all mean when Paul says in verse 14 for the love of Christ compels us, because we judged us that if one died for all the LL then all died. The LL and he died for all the LL there it is again three times in this passage.

What does this word all mean does it mean every person who has ever been born. Or does it mean all of the elect of God. What does it mean the course.

It all depends upon the context, as I will show you in a moment before we get into the context found right here in verses 14 and 15 let me point out something in the context we've already looked at in verse 10 for we must all a LL appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Now, interestingly, a lot of people who will insist that the word all in verse 14 and 15 means everybody was ever born will also incest that the word all in verse 10 can only mean believers can be a general judgment that would include everybody in all the world.

It can only be a judgment for believers. That's what the word all means. In verse 10 and I'm I'm not answering that question.

I just think if you're going to be consistent. If you take that position. In verse 10, then don't get mad at me for taking the very same position in verse 14. Okay, that makes sense. Can you agree with me about that. If you can make the Oliver stand made all believers, then surely I'm not.

I'm not twisting Scripture to make the all in verses 14 and 15 middle believers consult. That's the context is that right okay and I simply going to say that if you will study the word all in the Bible you will find it word all a LL seldom means everyone without exception, occasionally, does the context of sides, but more often not the not that is not what turns out to me but let's see what it means here, here, the all that he's talking about died as a result of Christ's death. Verse 14 for the love of Christ compels us, because we judged us that if one died for all, then consequence therefore all nine coverages skipping lightly over the surface you say yes Christ died for all, all men without exception, and all died yes because we've all died to sin, but this is not talking about people who died as a result of sin. He's not talking about all died because of Adam's sin, nor is he talking about all died because of our sin. He's not talking about our spiritual death.

Because of sin, look at it in the context it's very clear that's not what he's talking about. He's talking about a death that is the result of Christ's death on the cross. If one died for all, then as a consequence, all died almost certainly has to mean the same thing and that those two uses, Christ died for all. As a consequence thereof. All done. That is, died in Christ. Christ death secured their death is what the meaning plainly is, Christ died for all, who died when he died is another way of putting it right and then it goes on in verse 14 to say all who died. The ones referred to in verse 14 verse 15 live because of Christ's death. So the all for whom Christ died are those who died when he died and rose again when he rose again this is a spiritual union with Christ everyone for whom Christ died died in Christ death and rose again in Christ's resurrection. This is spiritual death, dying to Christ in Christ.

This is spiritual resurrection rising with Christ, which of course exactly what is portrayed in believers baptism bearing the likeness of his death race to walk in newness of life. That's what Paul is talking about. And these people called all are obligated to live for him who died and rose for them.

Christ death and the imparted life.

It secures obligates those whom he died, for whom he died to live for him to give their life to the one who died for them. There is a necessary connection between those for whom Christ died and those who receive divine life in the context the all or all the elect all the sheep.

Those who are already saved and those who will be other sheep I have were not of this fold them. Also I must bring. These are all God's chosen people in Christ died for, on behalf of, in the place of every one of those and as a consequence of that every one of those died in Christ when he died so that we have experienced in Christ the death that our sins deserve and every one of those rose from the dead.

When Christ arose. Therefore, in Christ, we receive the eternal life which only Christ can impart. And that's the all that is spoken of in this text when you really look at it closely. I don't see how you can come to any other conclusion. This is actually a very very strong text for the doctrine of particular redemption.

It's amazing how many text the people on the surface.

Think disapprove particular redemption.

Upon closer examination, do just the opposite. They actually prove particular redemption. This is one years ago I heard what's his name for the former teacher Dallas seminary. I want to say CS Lewis but that's not it.

S. Lewis Johnson. I heard Les Lewis Johnson privilege to hear him teach and he expounded this passage and preface it by saying this was the passage to got him in trouble when he was teaching the Dallas seminary, where he had all the faculty members signed a doctrinal statement declaring that they believe in universal atonement, which he did until he studied this passage. It was a great teacher study they carefully understood all the horrors he knew what I was saying and when it dawned on him and gripped his heart and mind with this verse was actually saying he knew that as a matter of integrity he had to resign and he did resign his teaching post which he loved when he could no longer subscribe to that required doctrinal statement because he realized the Bible doesn't teach universal atonement. It teaches particular redemption. Indeed, it does now back to the main point of this text is great love of Christ and all that flows from it. Here's the point.

Don't get hung up in the doctrine of election and whether or not you are one of God's elect.

Here it is very simple. If you desire Christ love go to Christ. Those who come to him and repentant faith are never turned away if you desire a love like this the love of Christ constrains us, compels us go to Christ.

He has made promises to those who will come to him but I say this to a conclusion. If you resist the sovereignty of God as it is portrayed clearly in Scripture, you may not have seen it before. All of your life. Most of us come to a little by little by little, but please understand when it does become clear to you from the pages of Scripture and then you rejected.

That's dangerous to rejected and ignorance is one thing to rejected and stubbornness is something else very dangerous.

But if you know yourself to be an unworthy object of such grace. Give yourself unreservedly to Christ who loved you and gave himself for you. Shall we pray father how unworthy. We are how deserving of eternal condemnation, how amazed to find ourselves objects of your eternal father, help us to demonstrate that with undying gratitude to live our lives to please him who loved us and gave himself for us father for those who are with us today who are yet outside of Christ who father brush away all of the human obstacles that are raised so quickly, easily and readily against the message of your saving grace because demo Lord not to wrongly use the doctrine of your sovereignty and the doctrines of grace as an excuse not to come to Christ as they are commanded to do the Lord by the work of your spirit. Draw every one to Christ in believing faith that they may know the amazing salvation which only he gives. We ask it in Jesus name