Our Sovereign Savior

Recently, I have been reading a book written by multiple contributors.  The title of the book is, "Whomever He Wills: A Surprising Display of Sovereign Mercy."  It has been a GREAT read.  In one particular chapter, Steven Lawson is expounding on Revelation 5:1-14 and he provides some tremendous insight and clarity.

In verse 9, John writes, "Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation."  In the context, we find the four angels and the twenty-four living elders all singing a new song of praise in response to the sovereignty of Christ in salvation.  Below is a portion of what Steven Lawson writes as he expounds on the definite atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross.  I quote it in length because I know that I cannot say it any better or more to the point than he does.

This is what he writes,

"What does this new song mean, that Christ has purchased with His blood a people for Himself?  This word purchased is a word drawn from the marketplace.  It is a term taken from the business world, indicating that a finished financial transaction has taken place.  It means that a purchase price has been paid, and the purchased object is given to the rightful buyer.  Notice, there is no ransom to Satan theory of the atonement in this text.  Jesus is not paying the gold and silver of His blood to Satan in order to free sinners from his bondage.  To the contrary, when He died upon the cross, Jesus did business directly and exclusively with the Father.  This was an inter-Trinitarian transaction between the Father and the Son by which the Son paid the definite price to secure the salvation of all who would believe upon Him.  Jesus Christ bought His people with His shed blood (Acts 20:28).  This Lamb gave His life for His sheep (John 10:11, 15).

Do not miss the particularity of Christ's atoning work on the cross.  Heaven is rejoicing that He bought us "from every tribe and tongue and people and nation" (verse 9).  This text does not say He redeemed everyone in every tribe, tongue, people, and nation.  If that were so, the whole world would be saved.  The fact is,  a perfectly just God cannot require a double payment for the same sin.  If Jesus has already paid the ransom for everyone'e sin at the cross, then on one would go to hell.  If purchased sinners did go to hell, God would cease to be righteous, something that is clearly impossible (1John 1:9).

But to the contrary, Jesus actually purchased a specific people out of, or out from among, every people group.  "Tongue" here speaks of language groups, "people" of ethic races, "nations" of national identities, "tribes" of genealogical descents.  Out of fallen, ruined humanity, Jesus purchased all who had been given to Him by the Father from before the foundation of the world (John 6:37-39; 10:26-30; 17:2,6,9,24).  Not a drop of His blood was shed in vain.  It is all victory at the cross.

Simply put, Jesus possesses everything He paid for at the cross.  Jesus was not jilted, nor shortchanged.  Jesus did not pay an infinite price for the salvation of sinners and receive less than what He bought.  He did not purchase the entire world, but only received believers in return.  He did not merely make the world savable, contingent upon man exercising faith and, thus, in part, saving himself.  Instead, He actually saved a definite group of people out of the world.  He did not simply make us redeemable.  Rather, Jesus actually redeemed us by His death upon Calvary's cross.  It was a finished transaction upon that cursed tree.  Jesus did not procure a hypothetical salvation for all sinners, if only they would have the good sense to believe on Him and close the deal.  Instead, at the cross, Jesus actually purchased out of these groups a specific people for whom He intentionally died and actually secured their redemption.  Only by this understanding of the cross can one truly sing "Jesus saves."

Moreover, all whom Jesus purchased will one day find themselves around the throne of God.  He did not die for an anonymous mob of people, some of whom will never make it to heaven.  He did not die for a nameless, faceless human race.  Rather, upon the cross, He died for each individual sheep.  He gave Himself up for the church (Ephesians 5:25).  All for whom He died, He saves.  It is impossible to exhaust the significance of this redeeming work of Christ upon the cross.  We can never get our arms around it completely.  We can never ascend to the heights of it, nor plumb the depths of it.  It is too high, too deep, and too broad.  It is too wonderful to comprehend that Jesus Christ redeemed a vast number of hell-bound rebels in His sin-bearing death."

O that we might truly see our Sovereign Savior in His definite atoning work of the cross and join the angles and the elders in this gloriously good and exceedingly joyful new song.  The mission is accomplished by the Lamb.  What Jesus came to do, He has completely done.  Salvation is of the Lord!  Jesus saves!  May seeing this glorious reality bring unspeakable and unshakable joy to your heart.