Special Study Outline

THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF CHRIST
The word of God is a book with one theme: Man’s salvation from sin through the death of Jesus Christ. The entirety of the biblical narrative reveals the problem of sin and the solution to sin. Jesus died to accomplish the salvation of His people. He died to reconcile His people to God. Salvation is in one sense an accomplished mission. One of the more familiar verses in Scripture concerning the grace of God shown through the death of Christ is found in the fifth chapter of Romans: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (v. 8, NKJV). This inspired declaration reveals the fact that Jesus died for us while we were still in an alienated, sinful condition. Most disciples know this text, and it is a wonderful truth indeed. But that is not all of the story. The question is, what happened at Calvary when “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”? We seemingly have no difficulty recognizing the fact that Jesus died for us while we were in sin, but what did His death accomplish? What many do not seem to comprehend is what Paul tells us two verses later: “For if when 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.” (5:10) There are some important truths to be noted here. Sinful man is separated from God. Paul describes the former state of his readers by stating that they “were enemies” of God. The ultimate consequence of sin is that it makes one an enemy of the Creator. Sin alone is the reason for man’s separation from God (Prov. 15:29; Isa. 59:1-2; Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3). In the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, they entered into a state of division from God. The Lord had spelled out in absolute detail what the end result of rebellion against His will would be: “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gen. 2:17) Obviously, physical death was one of the consequences of the transgression (Gen. 5), but physical death was not what God was talking specifically about. C. H. Irwin, in his commentary entitled simply, Irwin’s Bible Commentary (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1965), correctly noted: “This is the proper English rendering of the emphatic Hebrew idiom, ‘dying thou shalt die.’ As Adam lived long after the fall, in what sense are these words to be taken? Possibly as the loss of all the life that Adam had; and as the moral union of his soul with God, resemblance to Him, and the enjoyment of His presence and favor...” (p. 11). Adam and Eve died spiritually. That is, they were immediately separated from God. With man’s fall in the garden in mind, Paul informs us that the whole human race has died as well: “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12). The disease of sin is contagious, and the entire human family has been contaminated with it. Though God has loved man all along, even while in sin (Rom. 5:8), the fact remains that the holiness of God will not allow sin to go unpunished. That punishment is spiritual death—separation from His presence. It is also important to observe that once man had been separated from God, there was nothing he could do, in and of himself, to bring about reconciliation. Man is utterly hopeless to remedy the sin problem (Isa. 61:10; 64:6). Until one understands something of his own unworthiness and utter helplessness, there is no hope of him receiving God’s righteousness. Jesus stated in the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matt. 5:4). This obviously has reference to the fact that one must recognize his own spiritual helplessness—“mourn” for his sinful condition—before he can be “comforted” by God. Foy E. Wallace, Jr., commented: “The word mourn of this second beatitude, instead of meaning grief in sorrow or the condition of heart, is in reference to the sinful state of man. It is connected with the great invitation of Matthew 11:28-30: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest’...It was the comfort of the gospel, which would be the remedy for sin” (Number One Gospel Sermons, Nashville: Foy E. Wallace Jr. Publications, 1967, p. 103). We have to realize that we are helpless sinners and that only God can save us. The publican was justified because he accepted his own sinfulness: “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” (Lk. 18:13). It is the attitude of David, “Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak...” (Ps. 6:2), and Peter, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Lk. 5:8) that God accepts. Anyone who comes to God trusting in what they have done, are doing, or will do cannot be saved. Our only hope is to trust one hundred percent in what Christ has done in His perfect life and sacrificial death (Prov. 3:5; Lk. 18:9; Acts 20:21; Rom. 1:16-17; 3:22-28; 4:5; 9:31-32; 1 Cor. 2:5; Eph. 1:12-13; 2:8-9). We can only accept what God has already done. The cross is what reconciled us to God. Underscore the fact that Paul says “we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son” even while “we were enemies” (Rom. 5:10). The death of Christ was about reconciliation. Because of the separation caused by man’s sin, there needed to be a means by which God and man could be brought back together in intimate fellowship such as existed in the beginning. This process is called “reconciliation”—and it happened at the cross. If the “gulf of separation” caused by sin was going to be bridged, it would have to be bridged from God’s side—for, as we have observed, once man alienated himself from God, there was nothing he could do to save himself. The initiative in man’s salvation was taken by God (Rom. 5:8,10; Col. 1:21). When Jesus died on the cross, “the veil of the temple,” which signified the separation, was torn from top to bottom (Matt. 27:51), in evident indication that salvation is “God-accomplished” rather than “man-accomplished.” From two perspectives, what happened at Calvary brought reconciliation: Man’s sin was atoned for and God’s wrath was appeased. Thus, the severed relationship between man and his Creator, once characterized by hostility and alienation, is transformed by Christ’s blood into one of fellowship and peace. Salvation, then—the reconciliation of God and man—is God’s act. He initiated it (Gen. 3:15), He designed it (Eph. 3:11), and He accomplished it (John 19:30). What does this mean and why is it so important? Because the gospel message announces that salvation is something Christ accomplished some two thousand years ago. Long before we believed, repented, confessed, and were baptized, God “reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 5:18). When we respond in faith and baptism, we are doing just that: responding. We are accepting a free gift that Jesus accomplished for us. As we often sing, “Believe, obey, the work is done!” The word “grace” in the New Testament comes from the Greek word charis, a beautiful word which denotes all that is “gratifying,” and “favorable.” It speaks of that which produces joy and pleasure in the hearts and minds of those who hear about it. When the Bible talks about “the gospel of grace” it refers to something that fills the hearer with joy. It is good news. How does the message of God’s grace excite people this way? Because, when we realize we are sinners and are unable to save ourselves, and we hear the good news of what Christ did at Calvary, it fills us with joy. The word of truth is “the gospel (good news) of your salvation” (Eph. 1:13). Notice Romans 5:19 very carefully: “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” It is truthful to say, properly understood, that we are saved because of Christ’s obedience. That is, salvation was achieved by the perfect life of obedience which Christ offered to God (Heb. 10:1-14). Our obedience is the God-ordained response to God’s offer of salvation, which was accomplished by Christ. Why is salvation described in Scripture as a “free” gift (Rom. 5:15-18; Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 6:23)? Because the price has already been paid. Jesus paid the debt in full. We recognize that some might misunderstand this doctrine to conclude that man has no responsibility in his own salvation—which certainly is not true. Jesus’ death on the cross made salvation available to all of us. “The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared unto all men” (Titus 2:11). When the grace of God appears to us it “brings salvation”—complete and paid in full. This salvation which Jesus accomplished must be accepted on God’s terms, not ours (Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38). We are not minimizing the importance or role of faithful obedience in appropriating what Christ has done. In order to receive as individuals the benefits of what Jesus did, we must obey Him (Heb. 5:9). However, it must be clearly understood that we cannot establish our own righteousness. We can only accept the righteousness of God through Christ (Rom. 10:1-4; Phil. 3:9; 1 Cor. 1:30). We must trust His life and death, not our own obedience. Let us remember when we are sharing the good news with the lost why it is good news. Jesus is a Savior who really saves. He doesn’t just remove the obstacles for us to save ourselves. Paul regarded the gospel as “the word of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:19). Evangelism is telling others that Christ has reconciled His people to God, and they can be one of them by obedient faith. Reconciliation must be accepted by each individual through faith in Christ (Phil. 3:9; Rom. 5:1; Mk. 16:16). They can trust entirely in what Jesus has done. Because Paul was aware of “the terror of the Lord” he pleaded with the lost: “Be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20). In context, Paul’s plea was for all to accept the reconciliation that Christ has accomplished. Bryan Dunaway Grace and Peace Ministries www.gandpministries.org

The word of God is a book with one theme: Man’s salvation from sin through the death of Jesus Christ. The entirety of the biblical narrative reveals the problem of sin and the solution to sin. Jesus died to accomplish the salvation of His people. He died to reconcile His people to God. Salvation is in one sense an accomplished mission.

One of the more familiar verses in Scripture concerning the grace of God shown through the death of Christ is found in the fifth chapter of Romans: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (v. 8, NKJV). This inspired declaration reveals the fact that Jesus died for us while we were still in an alienated, sinful condition. Most disciples know this text, and it is a wonderful truth indeed. But that is not all of the story.

The question is, what happened at Calvary when “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”? We seemingly have no difficulty recognizing the fact that Jesus died for us while we were in sin, but what did His death accomplish? What many do not seem to comprehend is what Paul tells us two verses later: “For if when 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.” (5:10) There are some important truths to be noted here.

Sinful man is separated from God. Paul describes the former state of his readers by stating that they “were enemies” of God. The ultimate consequence of sin is that it makes one an enemy of the Creator. Sin alone is the reason for man’s separation from God (Prov. 15:29; Isa. 59:1-2; Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3).

In the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, they entered into a state of division from God. The Lord had spelled out in absolute detail what the end result of rebellion against His will would be: “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gen. 2:17) Obviously, physical death was one of the consequences of the transgression (Gen. 5), but physical death was not what God was talking specifically about. C. H. Irwin, in his commentary entitled simply, Irwin’s Bible Commentary (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1965), correctly noted: “This is the proper English rendering of the emphatic Hebrew idiom, ‘dying thou shalt die.’ As Adam lived long after the fall, in what sense are these words to be taken? Possibly as the loss of all the life that Adam had; and as the moral union of his soul with God, resemblance to Him, and the enjoyment of His presence and favor...” (p. 11). Adam and Eve died spiritually. That is, they were immediately separated from God.

With man’s fall in the garden in mind, Paul informs us that the whole human race has died as well: “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12). The disease of sin is contagious, and the entire human family has been contaminated with it. Though God has loved man all along, even while in sin (Rom. 5:8), the fact remains that the holiness of God will not allow sin to go unpunished. That punishment is spiritual death—separation from His presence.

It is also important to observe that once man had been separated from God, there was nothing he could do, in and of himself, to bring about reconciliation. Man is utterly hopeless to remedy the sin problem (Isa. 61:10; 64:6). Until one understands something of his own unworthiness and utter helplessness, there is no hope of him receiving God’s righteousness. Jesus stated in the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matt. 5:4). This obviously has reference to the fact that one must recognize his own spiritual helplessness—“mourn” for his sinful condition—before he can be “comforted” by God. Foy E. Wallace, Jr., commented: “The word mourn of this second beatitude, instead of meaning grief in sorrow or the condition of heart, is in reference to the sinful state of man. It is connected with the great invitation of Matthew 11:28-30: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest’...It was the comfort of the gospel, which would be the remedy for sin” (Number One Gospel Sermons, Nashville: Foy E. Wallace Jr. Publications, 1967, p. 103).

We have to realize that we are helpless sinners and that only God can save us. The publican was justified because he accepted his own sinfulness: “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” (Lk. 18:13). It is the attitude of David, “Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak...” (Ps. 6:2), and Peter, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Lk. 5:8) that God accepts. Anyone who comes to God trusting in what they have done, are doing, or will do cannot be saved. Our only hope is to trust one hundred percent in what Christ has done in His perfect life and sacrificial death (Prov. 3:5; Lk. 18:9; Acts 20:21; Rom. 1:16-17; 3:22-28; 4:5; 9:31-32; 1 Cor. 2:5; Eph. 1:12-13; 2:8-9). We can only accept what God has already done.

The cross is what reconciled us to God. Underscore the fact that Paul says “we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son” even while “we were enemies” (Rom. 5:10). The death of Christ was about reconciliation. Because of the separation caused by man’s sin, there needed to be a means by which God and man could be brought back together in intimate fellowship such as existed in the beginning. This process is called “reconciliation”—and it happened at the cross.

If the “gulf of separation” caused by sin was going to be bridged, it would have to be bridged from God’s side—for, as we have observed, once man alienated himself from God, there was nothing he could do to save himself. The initiative in man’s salvation was taken by God (Rom. 5:8,10; Col. 1:21). When Jesus died on the cross, “the veil of the temple,” which signified the separation, was torn from top to bottom (Matt. 27:51), in evident indication that salvation is “God-accomplished” rather than “man-accomplished.” From two perspectives, what happened at Calvary brought reconciliation: Man’s sin was atoned for and God’s wrath was appeased. Thus, the severed relationship between man and his Creator, once characterized by hostility and alienation, is transformed by Christ’s blood into one of fellowship and peace.

Salvation, then—the reconciliation of God and man—is God’s act. He initiated it (Gen. 3:15), He designed it (Eph. 3:11), and He accomplished it (John 19:30). What does this mean and why is it so important? Because the gospel message announces that salvation is something Christ accomplished some two thousand years ago. Long before we believed, repented, confessed, and were baptized, God “reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 5:18). When we respond in faith and baptism, we are doing just that: responding. We are accepting a free gift that Jesus accomplished for us. As we often sing, “Believe, obey, the work is done!”

The word “grace” in the New Testament comes from the Greek word charis, a beautiful word which denotes all that is “gratifying,” and “favorable.” It speaks of that which produces joy and pleasure in the hearts and minds of those who hear about it. When the Bible talks about “the gospel of grace” it refers to something that fills the hearer with joy. It is good news. How does the message of God’s grace excite people this way? Because, when we realize we are sinners and are unable to save ourselves, and we hear the good news of what Christ did at Calvary, it fills us with joy.

The word of truth is “the gospel (good news) of your salvation” (Eph. 1:13). Notice Romans 5:19 very carefully: “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” It is truthful to say, properly understood, that we are saved because of Christ’s obedience. That is, salvation was achieved by the perfect life of obedience which Christ offered to God (Heb. 10:1-14). Our obedience is the God-ordained response to God’s offer of salvation, which was accomplished by Christ. Why is salvation described in Scripture as a “free” gift (Rom. 5:15-18; Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 6:23)? Because the price has already been paid. Jesus paid the debt in full.

We recognize that some might misunderstand this doctrine to conclude that man has no responsibility in his own salvation—which certainly is not true. Jesus’ death on the cross made salvation available to all of us. “The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared unto all men” (Titus 2:11). When the grace of God appears to us it “brings salvation”—complete and paid in full. This salvation which Jesus accomplished must be accepted on God’s terms, not ours (Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38). We are not minimizing the importance or role of faithful obedience in appropriating what Christ has done. In order to receive as individuals the benefits of what Jesus did, we must obey Him (Heb. 5:9). However, it must be clearly understood that we cannot establish our own righteousness. We can only accept the righteousness of God through Christ (Rom. 10:1-4; Phil. 3:9; 1 Cor. 1:30). We must trust His life and death, not our own obedience.

Let us remember when we are sharing the good news with the lost why it is good news. Jesus is a Savior who really saves. He doesn’t just remove the obstacles for us to save ourselves. Paul regarded the gospel as “the word of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:19). Evangelism is telling others that Christ has reconciled His people to God, and they can be one of them by obedient faith. Reconciliation must be accepted by each individual through faith in Christ (Phil. 3:9; Rom. 5:1; Mk. 16:16). They can trust entirely in what Jesus has done. Because Paul was aware of “the terror of the Lord” he pleaded with the lost: “Be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20). In context, Paul’s plea was for all to accept the reconciliation that Christ has accomplished.

Bryan Dunaway

Grace and Peace Ministries