Love's Determinate Purpose
Friday, February 23, 2007 at 08:13AM
In Chapter One, Murray discusses the necessity of the atonement. He begins by tracing the source or cause of the atonement to the Sovereign Love of God. (John 3:16)
The atonement "springs from" love--a love that elects and predestines. It is a "distinguishing love."
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:31-32
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:29
. . .just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will Ephesians 1:4,5
But what is sovereign love? To understand that correctly, we must begin with the understanding that God is love. Love is not something He chooses, rather something He IS.
It was of the free and sovereign good pleasure of His will, a good pleasure that eminated from the depths of His own goodness, that He chose a people to be heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. The reason resides wholly in Himself and proceeds from the determinations that are peculiarly His as the "I am that I am." The atonement does not win or constrain the love of God. The love of God constrains the atonement as the means of accomplishing love's determinate purpose.
Next: What was the reason for the atonement? Why is it necessary?
Reader Comments (3)
Thanks Kim. I started through this book too. Looking forward to your postings on it. It is really rich. I am taking my time and taking notes. I would highly recommend it.
"...And so we must say that this love of the Father was at no point more intensely in exercise than when the Son was actively drinking the cup of unrelieved damnation, than when he was enduring as substitute the full toll of the Father's wrath...What love for men that the Father should execute upon his own Son the full toll of holy wrath, so that we should never taste it!" (from Murray, Collected Writings, as quoted in Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith, pg. 642)
Wow! Great quote Leslie! I had Reymond out this morning, reading up on the attributes of God.