Why Christ Died for All — 2 Corinthians 5:14-16 Explained

Hello and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick. Because as I've said so often, we're just an informal Bible study. We're not trying to change where you are into something else, but to just give you the ability to read the Scriptures, to understand them, and to hopefully get a better feel of what it's all about. We are presently of course in Paul's Epistles, and I'll probably in a moment put some time elements on the board that will help us understand a little better where the Apostle is coming from at this point in time. We also always like to remind our folk that everything is available on video, the audio tapes now, and also the printed page. So if you're interested in any of that, for Sunday school material, or for home Bible study groups, why you just call and let us know. Or if you have friends who are on the foreign mission field, we try to provide that free of cost to those kind of people. And the same way with fellows who are incarcerated. All right, let's jump right back where we left off in II Corinthians chapter 5, and now verse 14. My, these are tremendous verses. For the love of Christ constraineth us, or drives us on. Now you remember I've been stressing the last several programs how the Apostle Paul suffered inexorably for the sake of the Gospel, and how long with all of his physical sufferings he had to constantly defend his Apostleship. He had to constantly stand up against the Jewish people from Jerusalem, who thought of course he was a false teacher, an imposter. And so in spite of all the opposition, there was only one thing that kept driving the man on, and I think he says it all right here. It was for only one reason, and that was the love of Christ. Now you want to remember the man's background kind of sets him up for this, because he was such a religious zealot under Judaism. I mean his whole life was wrapped up in Judaism, and as his work as a Pharisee. Now of course God knowing that, even though God totally transformed the man and saved him by grace, yet that personality kept going. And now the man is turning all of that energy, not to defeat the name of Christ, but now out of love for Him. So the love of Christ constraineth, or drives us, because we thus conclude that if one died for the whole human race, then we're all dead. Oh now that's another concept a lot of people don't like to stare in the face, and that is what? We are all, having fallen short of the glory of God, we are all sinners by virtue of our having been born from Adam, and we are separated from God. There is that vast gulf between man and God, all because of Adam. And it's not because, as I've put on the board so often, we're not sinners because we sin. It isn't what we've done that makes us a sinner. We sin because we're sinners, and we're sinners because we're born of the lineage of Adam. And so all of this is right here. The love of Christ constrains this man because Christ died not just for Saul, not just for the nation of Israel, He died for the whole human race. And since the whole human race needed His sacrificial death, it follows that the whole human race was dead in sin. Now you see, when people determine, or try to make eternal life theirs by their works, then they are flatly denying this. They are not admitting that they have been totally separated from God. They are not admitting that they're dead spiritually. They are still thinking that somehow whatever they do will merit favor with God, and they're going to get in. No they're not. Because as I've stressed so often, when you go all the way back to our study in Genesis, man was created, the physical body, which we can see, and touch, and we function. But in this body are another two areas of our makeup that are invisible, and that's the soul and the spirit. Nobody can touch that. No human being can get into that. And so how in the world can someone in a works religion hope to make it when they can't even see and touch their own invisible personality? So it has to be a miraculous work of God, who alone can work in the area of the invisible. Now let's see how often Paul brings that out. Come over to Ephesians chapter 2, because this isn't just a quirk of Corinthians. This is his theme throughout all of his letters. In fact while you're looking at it, I'll just put the timeline that we like to use so often, especially beginning with Genesis 12 and the call of Abraham, and when God pulled the nation of Israel out of that river of humanity, and promised them all those covenant promises given to the nation of Israel. And it was the time of God dealing almost exclusively, but we always put that there were some exceptions that He dealt with Gentiles. But He pulls off this little nation of Israel, and He gives them all the covenant promises. He gives them the law and the priesthood, the civil law. In other words, a nation that had the very mind of God expressed in their national behavior, and in their understanding of the Spirit. And then one day God sent the Messiah, and with the idea that Israel could take the knowledge of Her, Jehovah God, to now these pagan Gentiles. But before they got that far, they rejected everything, and they crucified their Messiah. Now beginning with the three years of Christ's earthly ministry, of course, we find that Jesus again ministered only to the Jew, and under the Law. Now you know, it's funny, things prompt me to come back and repeat and emphasize just the other night in our Tulsa class, a lady came up and she said, last week when you made the statement that Jesus ministered to the Jews under the Law, she said, it was the first time I'd ever caught that. See, well that's so true. A lot of people still, as often as I've said it, do not understand that Jesus' whole ministry for three years was under the Law. He never told anybody to stop temple worship. He never told a Jew, now you no longer have to give sacrifices. They were still under the Law. And even as you go past His death, burial and resurrection, and we come into the early chapters of Acts, and we discovered that in our last all day seminar, how that all the language in those first chapters of Acts is still the Jews under the Law. No one has told them that they're not under the Law. Everything is still legal. In chapter 5 I think it is, Peter and John go up to the temple at the hour of prayer. Well what does that imply? There was certainly nothing in Christianity that demanded three or four times a day you go to the temple and pray. That was Judaism. And so they were still under the demands of the Law, even though they had recognized Christ as their Messiah, and were believers of that, but they weren't released from the Law. And so this is what I try to point out, that those early chapters of Acts are still all God dealing with the nation of Israel, and the language is so plain. And then finally when it was evident that Israel was not going to accept their Messiah, Acts chapter 9 takes place again in God's operation. He saves the very man that was trying to destroy Him from Judaism, Saul of Tarsus. And as old Saul was laboring under his blindness, and the results of that experience on the road to Damascus, God tells a man in Damascus, Ananias by name, and what does He tell him? Don't be afraid of this man, I'm going to send him far hence to the Gentiles, and he's going to suffer for my name's sake. And so in our timeline then we can see that after Israel had rejected the Messiah, Israel had rejected all of Peter's and the Eleventh's preaching in those first few years after the crucifixion. God now sends Israel back into a dispersion, especially after 70 A.D. and the destruction of the Temple, and in the meantime He is now doing just the opposite, and we've pulled this out more than once on this program. Now instead of dealing with Israel primarily, He is dealing primarily with Gentiles, albeit there are going to be Jews that can come into this body of Christ individually, but not as a nation as God was dealing with them back there. And so here's where the Apostle Paul now comes in as the Apostle. In fact while I'm writing this, be looking up Romans chapter 11 verse 13. Now this Apostle is no longer as the Twelve were, the Apostle of Israel, but in Romans chapter 11 verse 13, it is so explicit there is no way we can argue with it. Romans 11 verse 13, "...forasmuch I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles." Romans 11 verse 13, plain English, "...for I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles." And now he says, I'm not going to take a back seat to that, I magnify my office. Alright, another verse that says almost the same thing, turn back with me to Ephesians chapter 3, and then we'll come back to II Corinthians. But Ephesians chapter 3, and this is why I'm spending so much time on Paul's epistles, because this is where we as Gentiles have to spend our greatest amount of time. Now that doesn't cancel the rest of Scripture. I know some people have accused me of telling people to just throw away the four Gospels. Ah, now you know better than that. But nevertheless, never, never do we take away any portion of Scripture, but we have to set priorities. It's like in everything else. And the priority for the Grace Age Gentile believer, and the Jew as he has come into Christianity as a born again person, is that these Pauline epistles is where we find the very meat of our faith and practice. Because the four Gospels, like I said a moment ago, that was Christ under the Law, and we're not under Law, we're under Grace. Alright, now look what he says in Ephesians chapter 3, verses 1 and 2. For this cause, because of everything that he has written in Ephesians 2, such as, "...for by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves." Alright, because of what he has written in chapter 2, he says, "...for this cause, I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ, for whom? You Gentiles." See how plain that is? And then verse 2, "...if you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which is given me." But it didn't stop there. Where did it go next? "...to you Gentiles." And so, bear with me as I spend this much time on Paul's epistles, is because of this very concept that God has now called this man as the Apostle of Gentiles. He has inspired this man to write the biggest part of our New Testament. And as I said, when we began our study of Paul's epistles, way, way back when we started in Romans, of all the existing manuscripts of the New Testament, some of them have the Gospels in various order, some of them have the little epistles at the end in various order, but always, every time, Paul's epistles are in the same identical order. Now that just tells me the Holy Spirit has just hovered over that part of our New Testament, so that no one has been able to fool with it. It's exactly where it belongs, from Romans through Hebrews. So keep all that in mind as I keep spending week after week on these letters to the various churches from this Apostle. All right, now if you will then come back to II Corinthians chapter 5. And so, as the Apostle of the Gentiles has now written to this period of time that we think we're coming close to the end, but nevertheless, it's still just as apropos as the day he wrote it. And so, he says again in verse 14 of II Corinthians 5, "...we thus conclude," or judge, "...that if one died for all, then were all dead." Well, I'm sorry, we didn't get to Ephesians chapter 2, verse 1. I was going to use that next, I know I was. Ephesians chapter 2, verse 1. Ephesians 2, verse 1. And again, remember Ephesus was a Gentile congregation. Now I'm sure there were a scattering of Jewish believers in all these churches, but they were predominantly Gentile. And now he says, "...and you he hath quickened," or made alive, "...who were dead in trespasses and sins." Now that's the lot of every human being. Not because they were pagan, not because of their religion, not because of their immorality. They were dead in trespasses and sins because they were sons and daughters of Adam. And oh, I hope people don't get tired of my drumming it in. But we have to understand that every one of us were dead in sin because we are the offspring of Adam. Alright? And then he says in verse 2 of Ephesians 2, "...wherein while we were dead in trespasses and sins." Oh, we were living in the flesh. And so wherein in times past, "...you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." So for the lost world, they are still dead in trespasses and sins. Alright, now then let's come back to 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and next verse. Verse 15. 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 15. "...and that he died for all." You see how the Scripture constantly brings this in? "...he died for all, that they who live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them, and rose again." What is that? The Gospel. You see how it kept popping up throughout all of Paul's writing? And you remember he delineates it as the Gospel in 1 Corinthians 15. How that Christ died for our sins. He was buried and He rose again. Listen, if we believe anything but that, we're not believing the Gospel. And it's a false Gospel. But this is why the Holy Spirit has prompted the man to just bring it up, and bring it up, and bring it up. How that He died for our sins and He rose again. A verse just comes to mind. Go back with me to Hebrews. Now you know I told people Saturday I'd like to see them wear out their Bible between 8.30 and 5. And that's what I think God expects us to do. Use this book till it becomes totally worn out. Then go get another one. I think this is my 7th one now since I've started teaching. So wear them out. That's what God wants. Alright Hebrews chapter 2. Hebrews 2. And again He makes it so plain. Hebrews 2. We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, and was crowned with glory and honor, that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man. He died the death that every human being should have had, but He did it substitutionally on their behalf. And so as I've said so often, what a waste that God has done everything that every human being ever needed for salvation, and yet the vast majority are walking it underfoot. I hope the latest poll I wrote, I hope it's true. I kind of have a hard time believing it. But this particular pollster declared that 50 some percent of Americans are born again Christians. My, I would think we'd have a different nation if that were true. But let's hope so. I hate to think of anybody going out to a lost eternity seeing as how Christ has already paid the price. Back to II Corinthians chapter 5. Verse 15 again. And since He died for all, not everybody is going to be enjoying the results of His death because they haven't believed it. But for those who have believed the Gospel, and they've become spiritually alive, they should not henceforth live unto themselves, but were to live unto Him who died for them and rose again. Now I'm quite sure, I'm confident, that God doesn't expect every believer to suffer as the Apostle Paul did. I don't think He expects that. But on the other hand, I don't think we have to take the idea that since we're Christians, everything is going to be a rose-petaled pathway. No way. We're going to have trials and tribulations. We're going to have pain and suffering and sickness just like anybody else. But we have this blessed assurance that whatever we go through, the Lord is with us. We're not alone. But on the other hand, He does expect us to live for Him as much as is within us, and as He gives us guidance and direction to do so. But too many people are just totally unconcerned. Oh yeah, I'm a Christian. I'm not going to go to hell when I die. I'm going to go to heaven. And that's where they leave it. But see, that's not what God wants. And again, I've used it on the program before, and I'll repeat it again. I remember back when communist Russia was seemingly going to overrun the world. And I think many of us thought there wasn't anything that could stop the juggernaut of communism. And that was probably back in the early 80's, and there was just nothing of the signs of it finally crumbling away. But I remember reading, I think it was in Time Magazine, a little box on the bottom of the page where the reporter had interviewed an ordinary communist worker. He was a factory worker, something like that. And it just alarmed me that when he got off work in the evening, he would go down to communist headquarters, wherever city he was living. He would go down to the communist headquarters, and he would work for the party until 10 or 11 o'clock at night. His family was second, everything was second to his love and the pushing of communism. And as I read that years and years ago already, I often thought, my, if Christians would even come close to that. If we could just come close to that, what a different world we'd be living in. So coming back again to verse 15, so the very core of all of our activity is the fact that we know He has died for us, and He has risen from the dead. Now verse 16, wherefore, now let's take this slowly and carefully, henceforth. Now what does the word henceforth mean? You know I'm a stickler for words, every word. Henceforth, what does it mean from that point on? See, He's not going back to John the Baptist. He's not going back to Christ's earthly ministry. He's going back to what? His death, burial, and resurrection. That's where things really kick in gear for us Gentiles. You remember, oh listen, we've got to use Scripture, John's Gospel, John's Gospel. Come all the way back with me. Chapter 12, and I know this is a pill for some people to swallow, a big one. But listen, we have to understand that all the way up through the Old Testament, God was dealing with His covenant people under the Law, and all the prophets wrote under the Law, and they practiced it to the hilt. But once the death, burial, and resurrection has been revealed to us Gentiles as God's plan of salvation, that's where we have to start. All right, John's Gospel, chapter 12, and again dropping in at verse 20. And there were certain Greeks, Gentiles, among them that came to worship at the feet. Now I didn't say they came to worship, so don't try to put the handle proselyte on them. I think they were just curious bystanders. And these Gentiles, they saw these masses of Jews coming in from all over the world for these various feast days. This, of course, is the day of Passover is approaching. And so these Gentiles who were among them that came up to worship, the same came therefore to Philip, who was of Bethsaida, of Galilee, and desired of him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. And Philip comes and tells Andrew. Andrew and Philip go and tell Jesus, there are some Gentiles and they want to see you. Does Jesus accept them? No, no way. But what does He say? The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a kernel of wheat fall into the ground and die, that kernel abideth alone. Now watch this. This is a tremendous lesson in theology. If this kernel lays by itself, it has to die before it can bring forth life. So if a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and die, it abideth alone, and if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. But what's He saying? Unless that kernel germinates and springs forth the stem of grain and brings out the number of heads that are on that stem, that kernel stays alone. But if it dies, if it germinates, and if it brings forth new life, then what's the result? That whole head of maybe 100, 120 kernels of grain. What was He alluding to? His own death and burial. And that when He would die, and that when He would be resurrected from the dead, then these Gentiles could come into the picture. He could be the object of their faith as a result now of His death, burial, and resurrection, and really not until. And so this again is what Paul is referring to in II Corinthians 5. Henceforth from when? From His death, burial, and resurrection. So henceforth we know no man after the flesh. Now I haven't got time to expound on that. We'll do that in the next program. But don't lose this. The henceforth is going back to Box 760, Kinta, Oklahoma, 74552. 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