Christ Preached To The Dead

In a follow up to my previous posting "What Bible Preachers Said To The Dead" (here) I want to give some citations from Chapter 48 -- Addresses To The Lost VII (See here). In that series of chapters I went through several of Christ's sermons in the Gospel of John and showed the errors of Hardshellism and Hyper Calvinism from them.

In this chapter I will conclude the series titled "Addresses to the Lost." I have already shown how the scriptures command us to "teach" and "warn" "every man" (Col. 1:28) and that this is exactly what the early Christians did. I have also already alluded to how the preaching of the prophets, Christ, and the apostles, was in agreement with this command. Now I want to look at some other sermons and gospel preaching, done by Christ and the apostles, wherein it is clear that they addressed unregenerated sinners and that they exhorted them to do what they, in themselves, could not do, and yet what they must do in order to be born again and forever saved.

"I will begin an analysis of the above sermon of Christ as it relates to Hardshell views thereon and upon the subject of the spiritual resurrection of which Jesus speaks. I thought it good to begin this examination by taking note of the various "voices" alluded to by Christ in this sermon. The word "voice" itself is used specifically in relation to both the Father and the Son. However, the often repeated use of the terms "witness" and "testify," imply a "spoken voice." Hence, my list above delineating those "voices."

One thing I also want to point out, in preparation for an upcoming chapter, to be titled "Addresses To The Lost," that this sermon was addressed to a specific audience, to a group who were clearly not regenerated, clearly not among that group who had already "come to Christ for life." And what do we then see? Simply this--CHRIST PREACHED THE GOSPEL EVEN TO THE LOST, TO THOSE WHO WERE NOT REGENERATED AND POINTED TO THEM THE WAY TO BE SAVED, YEA, EVEN EXHORTING THEM TO BELIEVE AND BE SAVED!

YOU WILL NEVER HEAR A HARDSHELL PREACH SUCH A SERMON TO THOSE THEY KNOW ARE NOT REGENERATED!

Take this then as a prelude to a more indepth discussion (which I have done in the past six chapters on "Addresses to the Lost") of this whole issue of whether the gospel is to be preached to all men, for the purpose of exhorting them to come to Christ for salvation."

Addressing the Lost in John 6

Who is Christ Addressing in John 6? And, what does he say to them?

They are described thusly by Christ: 1) They don't "seek Christ" (vs. 26), 2) They "seek" the "loaves and fishes" (vs. 26), 3) They are not laboring for spiritual food (vs. 34), 4) They are laboring to satisfy carnal appetites (vs. 34), 5) They do not believe in Jesus (vs. 28, 30), 6) They murmur against Jesus (vs. 41, 43), 7) They have no life in them (vs. 53), 8) They went back from following Christ (vs. 66-69), 9) They had no assurance of salvation (vs. 66-69).

Why is Jesus even preaching to them? Is he talking to their carnal minds or to their spiritual minds? Is he "casting pearls before swine" and "giving holy bread to the dogs"? Is he preaching the gospel or the law to these unregenerate souls? When he corrects them, to what end is it? Is he condemning them for these things? Are they under duty then? Is there not a call to faith here? When Jesus says, "My Father gives you the true bread," who is designated by the pronoun "you"? Is it not these who are presently unregenerate and dead? And, does the word "give" not mean all the same as "offer"? When he says that he gives his life "for the life of the world" (vs. 34, 35), is he not saying this bread is available to them? Is it not by their "coming to Christ," the very thing they "will not" do? And, even though Jesus knows already that they "will not come to him," yet he preaches to them anyway! Is this the modern Hardshell practice?

These lost souls in John 6 had "sent unto John" (vs. 33), as a kind of enquirer, and were "willing to rejoice in his light" (vs. 35). Many Hardshells will want to make these people born again souls because of this latter statement. But, even depraved sinners may find reason to rejoice when they hear the gospel but who are not yet born again.

And the clincher is this; Christ says "these things I say unto you that you might be saved." The Hardshells cannot make this "time salvation" as these have not even been regenerated yet. The "salvation" can't be regeneration either, in the Hardshell scheme, since Christ does not use preaching to accomplish that work, and preaching is what he is doing here! "These things I say," meaning this whole sermon I am preaching to you, are spoken that you might thereby believe and be saved. Besides, Christ is clearly attempting to persuade and he uses words and arguments, something that many Hardshells decry! Do the Hardshells preach to the unregenerate as did Christ? Do they teach them as did Christ? Do they exhort them as did Christ? Clearly Christ did not accept their "logic" that preaching to dead sinners was a waste of time and served no purpose!

Addresses to the Lost in John 8

Here is the description of those to whom Jesus was speaking: 1. They know not the Father (vcs. 19), 2. They know not Christ (vs. 19), 3. They are unbelievers and will die in their sins (vs. 21), 4. They are "from below" (vs. 23), 5. They are "of the world" (vs. 23), 6. They want to kill the Lord (vs. 37, 40, 59), 7. They are not "Abraham's children" (vs. 39), 8. God is not their "Father" (vs. 42), 9. Satan is their "father" (vs. 44), 10. Unbelievers (vs. 45,46), 11. They are "not of God" (vs. 47), 12. They are "accusers" of Jesus - "he has a demon" (vs. 48), 13. They do not know the Father (vs. 55).

Notice verse 24 - "I say unto you..." "You" who? Is it not these same people? What does he say to them? "You shall die in your sins if you believe not..." Is that the type preaching of the Hardshells? Do they preach this way to dead sinners? Notice verse 51 - "I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death."

This address, like the ones in John 5, John 6, and John 7, are all to the spiritually dead, to those who are degenenerate, not "regenerate." This is where we get our authority and example to preach to the unsaved. This is where we get insight into how to witness to them, what to say to them, etc. But the Hyper Calvinist ignores all this! Every would be Hardshell "debater" and "apologist" must meet these objections and cannot avoid them without embarrassment.

Addresses to the Lost in John 10

There is a division in the audience that Jesus addresses in this chapter. Sometimes he will speak to the entire audience, without distinction, and then, at other times, will speak to one of the two classes within the audience. There are believers and unbelievers, as it says - "there was a division among them" (vs. 19) "Them" refers to the audience generally. To some, he speaks to them as being his "sheep," while to others he addresses, saying - "you are not of my sheep." Now, if Jesus were a Hyper Calvinist, a Hardshell Baptist, he would not even be preaching at all to these people! He certainly could not be condemning them for not coming to him savingly, nor for not believing on him, because they do not believe unregenerate men are under any duty or obligation to do this! But, Christ did condemn them, thus proving he thought it to be their duty to do so! He also spoke of spiritual truth, not just moral truth. He spoke of the plan and way of salvation, which is surely spiritual truth, and that to people who had no ears to hear, nor any spiritual life! Again, it is more proof that Christ was not an Antinomian Hyperist! His practice proves his doctrine.

Those to whom Christ preached the gospel, in John 10, included those "doubting Jews" (vs. 24), unbelievers (vs. 25,26,38), those who do not "know" Jesus (vs. 27,38), and those whom Jesus does not "know" (vs. 27), those who want to kill Jesus (vs. 31,39), and who accuse him, saying - "he has a demon" (vs. 33,36)

How can these characters be "born again" children of God? Only a biased Hardshell heretic will attempt to make them so. Why? Because he is unwilling to see the truth here - the gospel is to be preached to the dead sinner that he might live thereby.