# Does God command sinners to believe that Jesus Christ died in his room and stead



## JM (Jun 7, 2011)

Does God command sinners to believe that Jesus Christ died in his room and stead if He did not?


----------



## J. Dean (Jun 7, 2011)

Yeah... not sure I caught the question.

If you mean that God commands that all believe the gospel, then yes.


----------



## Grillsy (Jun 7, 2011)

I think what Jason is asking is "Does Jesus command the non-elect to believe and sincerely lay hold of something that cannot be theirs?"


----------



## J. Dean (Jun 7, 2011)

Grillsy said:


> I think what Jason is asking is "Does Jesus command the non-elect to believe and sincerely lay hold of something that cannot be theirs?"


Ahhhhh.... then the answer is yes.

That man is unable to perform what God requires does not abolish the requirement. This is the whole point of grace and what really sold me on Calvinism; if I contribute in any way-in ANY way-to my salvation, then it ceases to be grace. Moreover, when the Bible calls us "dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph 2), that's not a hyperbolic statement. We really are dead without the regenerative power of the Holy Spirit.


----------



## rbcbob (Jun 7, 2011)

Josh makes a good point. All mankind are commanded to repent. Those who hear the gospel and refuse to believe incur the further guilt of not believing the record that God has given of His Son.


----------



## JM (Jun 7, 2011)

I asked the question the way it was asked of me...I was little confused at first as well. Willie and Josh both added clarity, thank you.

jm


----------



## Contra_Mundum (Jun 7, 2011)

I might want to clarify, and say I would feel very much "OK" telling someone: 
"God commands all men everywhere to repent," 
_and_ 
"You *ought to* believe (have faith) that Jesus died for you, because *you believing in him*, and that he receives every sinner that so comes (sending none away), is the only way you will appropriate his gift, the only way you will discover it was for you he died."

Assurance of salvation is a product of a real, personal, "for me" appropriation of the free gift of God, though not not "of the essence" of faith (WCF18.3; WLC81). To admit "that commandment [to believe] is _for me_," and to embrace it unreservedly, is the highest expression of faith.


----------



## Grimmson (Jun 7, 2011)

Acts 17:30 ESV- The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 
Mark 1:15 ESV- and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."
1Co 15:1-3 ESV-Now I would remind you, brothers,of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,
2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
I think these verses answers your question


----------

