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Date:         Thu, 17 Dec 1992 11:31:26 -0700
From:         "Gordon C. Zaft" <zaft@CARITAS.COTDAZR.ORG>
Subject:      Re: the Gospel, once again

[I agree with most of what Jesse says, I'm just responding on those
points where I disagree]
On Dec 15,  8:11am, "jesse i. carnes" wrote:
} Subject: the Gospel, once again
}
} The Gospel is THIS :
}
}
} The Gospel is the perfect righteousness that God the Father righteously
} demands of all people everywhere, but is perfectly complied with only in
} the LIFE, DEATH, and RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ.
} Christ in His life, fulfilled POSITIVELY speaking, all of the moral precepts
} of God the Father. He further fulfilled, NEGATIVELY speaking, all of the penal
} requirements for ALL sins incurred by those for whom He suffered and DIED as
} a sin-substitution ... thus satisfying the just wrath of the Father toward all
} those persons whose complete list of sins were charged to His account.
} In short, for whom He died, He reconciled to the Father all those whose sins
} were laid to His account.  His shed blood removed their sins from the Father's
} "tally" and His proceeding Resurrection from the dead sealed their condition
 of
} Legal Justification before God the Father.
}
        The usual term I would use is 'sin-offering' or 'sacrifice'.  Jesus
offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice so that our sins could be washed
clean in His blood.
}
} Although passive in His Resurrection, God raising Christ up bodily by the
} Holy Spirit, Christ still was ENABLED to do this for those whose sins were
} imputed to Him.

        I'm not sure where you get this.  Christ being fully God and
fully man raised Himself.  There's no 'passivity' there.
}
} Christ MET the Legal demands of the Father in His life -- that we are
 commanded
} to meet, He met all of the penal demands of what out sins merited before God
} the Father -- ALL of His Divine Wrath and separation, and Christ was bodily
} raised from the dead so that true Believers could stand as Justified legally
} before the Father.  Further, because Jesus was bodily raised from the dead,
} we ALSO being united to Christ who become Christians, are also to FOLLOW
} Christ in bodily Resurrection -- only through HIS precedent.

        I would usually say that Christ was raised body *and soul*.
}
}
}
} This is the Gospel :
}
}
} By the sin substitution of one Man who was also fully Divine, we can
} eternally stand before God the Father as Righteous as HIS SON, because
} although inherently righteous Himslef, Jesus also EARNED a righteousness
} while on Earth.  Not only is Jesus the Son of God,. but He also EARNED that
} title, in His Own right!!

        This is nonsense.  Jesus didn't 'earn' anything.  He didn't need
to.  He fulfilled perfectly the Law.
}
} He earned, what we were unable to earn.
} By His suffering and death, He REMOVED ALL of our sins from before God the
} Father, and has given a COMPLETE ACCCESS to Him with Full Justified and
} Righteous standing which can never be Removed, unless Jesus Himself can
} be destroyed, and this can never be.

        You are right that God's offer of salvation stands open to all
and is never withdrawn.  However, we may accept or reject it at any
time.
}-- End of excerpt from "jesse i. carnes"



--
* Gordon Zaft     Argus Consulting  4500 E. Sunrise #N-6, Tucson, AZ 85718
* zaft@caritas.cotdazr.org | noao.edu!coyote!caritas!zaft
                 Semper fidelis Christi et Vicarii sui.
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