Quote

Laying on my desk are a series of index cards with different quotes that I have written down over the last several weeks. For most of the quotes I have indicated the specific author who penned it. However, (for whatever reason) I failed to indicate the author of my favorite quote on these cards. I really do not know where I read this one, but it is good......

"We must be willing to laugh at all our righteous, good deeds."

This is well said. We must view our good works as worth nothing before a holy God. They do not even come close to impressing God.

MacArthur Quote

I came across this statement by John MacArthur in my study of John 6:41-59 yesterday. MacArthur is commenting specifically on verse 51 where Jesus said"...and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh". MacArthur writes:

"The concept of Jesus giving Himself sacrificially for sinners is a repeated New Testament theme (e.g. Matt. 20:28; Gal. 1:4; 2:20; Eph. 5:2, 25; I Tim. 2:6; Titus 2:14). The Lord referred prophetically here to His death on the cross (2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13; I Pet. 2:24), one of many such predictions recorded in the Gospels (John 2:19-22; 12:24; Matt. 12:40; 16:21; 17:22; 20:18: Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34; Lk. 9:22, 44; 18:31-33; 24:6-7). It is Jesus' offering of His 'flesh' that is the price of redemption. Had He merely come and proclaimed God's standards, it would have left the human race in a hopeless predicament. Since no one can keep those standards, there would have been no way for sinners to have a relationship with God. But to make reconciliation between sinful man and holy God possible, 'Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God' (I Pet. 3:18; cf. 2:24; Isa. 53:4-6; Rom. 3:21-26; 2 Cor. 5:21)...

...His death, for all who believed and would believe, God accepted as the full payment for sin...

The death of Christ was a real, genuine, actual, satisfaction of divine justice. It was a true payment and atonement in full- actually, not potentially, paid to God by Christ on behalf of all who would ever believe, because they were chosen and redeemed by the power of God. The death of Christ was definite, particular, specific, and actual on behalf of God's chosen people, limited in extent by His sovereign purposes, but unlimited in effect for all for whom it was rendered.

Redemption is the work of God. Christ died to accomplish it, not merely to make it possible and then finally accomplished when the sinner believes. The Bible does not teach that Jesus died for everyone potentially, but no one actually. On the contrary, Christ procured salvation for all whom God would call and justify; He actually paid the penalty in full for all who would ever believe. Sinners do not limit the atonement by their lack of faith; God does by His sovereign design" (The MacArthur N.T. Commentary, 258-259).

What a statement on the atonement!