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THE GREATNESS OF
CHRIST'S REDEMPTION
Ferrell Griswold
". .... We hold - we are not afraid
to say what we believe - that Christ came into this world
with the intention of saving "a multitude which no man
can number", and we believe that as the result of this,
every person for whom He died must, beyond the shadow of a
doubt, be cleansed from sin, and stand, washed in blood, before
the Father's throne.
The greatness of Christ's redemption may be measured by the
EXTENT OF THE DESIGN OF IT. He gave His life a "ransom
for many". We are often told that we limit the atonement
of Christ, because we say that Christ has not made a satisfaction
for all men, or all men would be saved. Now, our reply to
this is, that, on the other hand, our opponents limit it;
we do not. The arminians say, Christ died for all men. Ask
them what they mean by it. Did Christ die so as to secure
the salvation of all men? They say, "No, certainly not".
We ask them the next question - Did Christ die so as to secure
the salvation of any man in particular? They answer, "No".
They are obliged to admit this, if they are consistent. They
say, "No; Christ has died that any man may be saved if"
- and then following certain conditions of salvation. We say,
then, we will just go back to the old testament - Christ did
not die so as beyond a doubt to secure the salvation of anybody,
DID HE? You must say, "No"; you are obliged to say,
for you believe that even after a man has been pardoned, he
may yet fall from grace, and perish. Now, who is it that limits
the death of Christ? Why, you! You say that Christ did not
die so as to infallibly secure the salvation of anybody. We
beg your pardon, when you say we limit Christ's death; we
say, "No, my dear sir, it is you that do it". We
say Christ so died that He infallibly secured the salvation
of a multitude that no man can number, who through Christ's
death not only may be saved, but are saved, must be saved
and cannot by an possible run or hazard of being anything
but saved. You are welcome to your atonement; you may keep
it. We will never renounce ours for the sake of it."
Ferrell Griswold
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