"The doctrine before us is one which is specially hated by the world. Nothing gives such offense, and stirs up such bitter feeling among the wicked, as the idea of God making any distinction between man and man, and loving one person more than another. Yet the world's objections to the doctrine are, as usual, weak and unreasonable. Surely a little reflection might show us that a God who regarded good and bad, holy and unholy, righteous and unrighteous, with equal complacency and favor, would be a very strange kind of God! The special intercession of Christ for His saints is agreeble to reason and to common sense.
.... It is true that Christ loves all sinners, and invites all to be saved; but it is also true that He specially loves the "blessed company of all faithful people", whom He sanctifies and glorifies. It is true that He has wrought out a redemption sufficient for all mankind, and offers it freely to all; but it is also true that His redemption is effectual only to them that believe. Just so it is true that He is the Mediator between God and man; but it is also true that He intercedes actively for none but those that come unto God by Him. Hence it is written, "I pray for them: I pray not for the world." __J.C. Ryle
More on this on the next post.
2 comments:
Don,
Great photo. That is a powerful passage as is all of this prayer by Jesus.
Another point: To reconcile this verse with a belief in universal atonement is difficult indeed.
Wayne
Thanks Wayne.
"To reconcile this verse with a belief in universal atonement is difficult indeed."
I agree with you bro.
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