The message which was accompanied by the outpouring of the Spirit in 1888 has been referred to by Ellen White as "the gospel of His grace ... in clear and distinct lines,"[1] sent to clarify and resolve our "mixed confused ideas of salvation."[2] Some of this confusion is no doubt a residual of the long-standing debate between Calvinists and Arminians. This problem has certainly deeply impacted current presentations of the gospel. The message of the latter rain resolves this 400-year-old debate. The problem at the heart of this debate goes like this: The Bible teaches that Jesus died for our sins (see 1 Corinthians 15:3). At the same time, the Scriptures teach that the unbeliever will die for his or her own sin (see Ezekiel 18:4). How can both positions be correct and not involve a clear case of double jeopardy? We should note that this would in fact be a special case of double jeopardy. The same person is not literally tried or punished twice for the same offense. However, the same sin would be punished twice. Jesus died for it on the cross, and the sinner must also die for it in the lake of fire. If that were indeed how the plan of salvation works, it would certainly be an inequitable system of justice.
Several reasons exist for the death of Christ (see Herbert Douglass, ThD, The Heartbeat of Adventism: The Great Controversy Theme in the Writings of Ellen White, 123-130, Pacific Press Publishing Association, 2010). In this work we shall focus on the reason for Christ's death that is given in the gospel. "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3).
How is this to be understood? Did Jesus really die for our sins? What is the extent of the meaning of that expression?
If one considers the "in Christ" motif, the problem becomes even more perplexing. This biblical concept presents the idea that Jesus is a corporate man. The entire human race was, in a sense, "in Christ." In the New Testament this is a major theme. The expression in Christ appears more than seventy times in the King James Version of the New Testament. When phrases such as with Christ, by Christ, through Christ, and other similar expressions are considered, the number of references swells to well more than 300.
For example, Paul wrote of our "being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24). He also wrote, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ" (Romans 8:1). He continued by writing, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2).
Being made free from the "law of sin and death" is indeed important. However, we must take note of the fact that it comes through another "law," which is "in Christ." Finally, Paul says that nothing can separate us "from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39).
From this brief survey of the New Testament we begin to see that the "in Christ" idea is central to the gospel. Jesus Himself introduced the concept, when He said, "Abide in me" (John 15:4).
When reading these words, few stop to consider the fact that one cannot abide "in Christ," unless one is already "in Christ." Considering the widespread unfamiliarity with this concept, it is refreshing to recognize the biblical evidence that indicates that everyone is already, in a certain sense, "in Christ." Before we jump to the wrong conclusion, we need to examine what this means, and we also need to understand what it does not mean. The good news is that it does mean that all have the privilege of heeding the words of Christ, when He says, "Abide in me." All who pick up a Bible and read those words of Christ may apply them to themselves and choose to abide in Christ. Yet, there is more than one sense of the expression in Christ. Everyone will not choose to "abide" in Christ. Therefore, everyone is not "in Christ," in the most common sense of the New Testament use of the expression. Nevertheless, everyone is "in Christ," in the sense that He was the representative of all at the cross. However, only the believer is "in Christ," in the sense in which the expression is most commonly used in the New Testament.
Some protest by saying, "The 'in Christ' concept is never applied to the entire human race." They argue that it applies only to believers. For example, Angel Rodriguez, former chairman of the Biblical Research Committee of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, says, "In order to be in Christ we have to make a personal decision. In fact the phrase 'in Christ' is often used as an equivalent to the noun Christian."[3] The last half of this statement is true. The expression in Christ is often used as an equivalent to the noun Christian. However, it is not always used in that manner. Thus, the first half of this statement is false. We note that there is considerable biblical evidence to the contrary. For example, the Bible says:
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again (2 Corinthians 5:14, 15).
Notice that verse 14 contains the phrase, if one died for all. This leaves open the possibility that the "one" did not die for all. Yet the next verse excludes that conclusion by affirming, "And that he died for all." Now notice that the word that is italicized in the KJV, indicating that it is not in the original text. The original text reads as it does in the NKJV, which simply states, "And he died for all."
Backing up to the preceding verse, we see: "then were all dead"! Why is the death of the "one" counted as the death of "all"? We submit that this important text assumes the universal application of the "in Christ" idea. We freely admit that the universal application of the "in Christ" idea is not the most common New Testament use of the expression. Yet, it should be acknowledged that it is a valid and important use of the expression.
At the cross Jesus was the corporate representative of the entire human race. This is the essence of the "in Christ" idea. It means that Christ was our Representative. Thus, we see that, because He was our Representative, we were all, in a sense, "in Him." "In Christ" is not usually intended to be understood literally--it is a metaphor. Therefore, we understand that what happened to Him, happened to us. When He died, we died.
In the book of Acts, Paul directly applies the "in Christ" concept to pagans, who certainly would not be considered to be "Christians" (see Acts 17:22-28).[4]
Thus, given the biblical evidence, we must conclude that God placed the entire human race "in Christ" (1 Corinthians 1:30), even though this is not the most common use of the expression. Therefore, when Jesus died, "all died" (2 Corinthians 5:14, NKJV). Jesus "died for our sins" (1 Corinthians 15:3). Therefore, "in Christ," we all died for our sins. The death of our Representative is counted as our death.
This is not meant to suggest that we get any credit or "merit" for what happened to us in Christ. All of the credit goes to Christ. The result is a free gift to us. Thus, the Samaritans were correct, when they referred to Jesus as "the Saviour of the world" (see John 4:42). The full penalty for sin (which is death, according to Romans 6:23) has been fully paid for every human soul (see Hebrews 2:9). Therefore, a way of escape has been made for every member of the human race. However, to deny the universal application of the "in Christ" idea is to deny that the possibility of salvation extends to every human being.
One of the reasons some are having problems accepting the "in Christ" idea is a failure to recognize the three phases of salvation. These three phases are important to understand and will be addressed more fully in Chapter 6. Necessary to understand now is that our eternal salvation is accomplished by our loving Creator and Redeemer in three phases--past, present, and future. Salvation in the past applies to all men. In the present it applies only to believers. In the future it applies to those who endure to the end and are then eternally saved. Likewise, the "in Christ" idea is applied in three phases. In the past tense (i.e., at the cross) it applies to all men. In the present it applies to believers. In the future it applies to those who endure to the end. Failure to recognize these distinct phases in the process of salvation will undoubtedly lead to misunderstanding of each other and misinterpretation of the teaching of Scripture.
Nevertheless, understanding this good news may leave us with a dilemma. If the price of our salvation has actually been fully paid at Calvary, and Christ has actually suffered the penalty which our sins have merited, how can we also suffer in the lake of fire for those same sins? Will this be a second penalty exacted for the same sins? Does the plan of salvation ultimately amount to double jeopardy--punishing the same sins twice? Even if one does not accept the "in Christ" idea as we have presented it, the double jeopardy problem remains unresolved.
We need to recover the message of the latter rain, in order to resolve this dilemma. That message presented an understanding of the gospel which united the grace of God, which saved us, with the justice of God, which requires the annihilation of the sinners.
Notes: