One of the best analogies I've seen to explain Christ's death for all and how we choose to accept His sacrifice. �No Bible verses, not sure if this is true or not, and do not know the author. �It's a little long...
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�There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States.�� He taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution, a required course for all freshmen.�
� Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. � Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.
� �One year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve.� Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going on to seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor's class.
� One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. "How many push-ups can you do?"
� Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."
"200 push-ups.� That's pretty good, Steve, " Dr. Christianson said.� � "Do you think you could do 300?"
� �Steve replied, "I don't know.... I've never done 300 at a time."
� �"Do you think you could?" again asked Dr. Christianson.
� �"Well, I can try," said Steve.
� �"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. �Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," said the professor.
� � Steve said, "Well... I think I can...yeah, I can do it."
� � Dr. Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday.� �Let me explain what I have in mind."
� Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. �Now, these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson's class.
� �Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, �"Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?" �
Cynthia said, "Yes."
� �Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?"
�"Sure!" Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten.
� �Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk.
� Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, �"Joe, do you want a donut?"
�Joe said, "Yes."
�Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?"
� �Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten push-ups for every person before they got their donut.
� �Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott. � Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. �
�When the professor asked, "Scott do you want a donut?"
� �Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own push-ups?"
� �Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them."
�� Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."
� Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked,
� "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?"
�� With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten push-ups.
� Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want one!"
� Dr. Christianson said, "Look!, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a donut on Scott's desk.
� Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow.
� Dr. Christianson started down the third row. �Now the students were beginning to get a little angry.
�� Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?" �Sternly, Jenny said, "No."
� Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?" �Steve did ten....Jenny got a donut.
�� By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say, "No!" and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks.
�� Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these push-ups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.
��Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten push-ups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten donuts. �He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely.
� �Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. �When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.
� � Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next.�
� ��Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.
� �Steve asked Dr. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?"
� �Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your pushups. You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want." �And Dr. Christianson went on.
� ��A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!" Jason didn't know what was going on.
� �Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come."
� �Professor Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten push-ups for him?"
� �Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut."
� Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, Steve, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?"
� �Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. �"Yes," he said, "give me a donut." "Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?"
� �Steve did ten push-ups very slowly and with great effort.
� �Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.
� �Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. By this time sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no sound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room.
� ��The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular.
� ��Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked,
� �"Linda, do you want a donut?"
� Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you."
� � Professor Christianson quietly asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?"
� � Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow push-ups for Linda.
� �Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. �"Susan, do you want a donut?"
� �Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr. Christianson, why can't I help him?"
� �Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, Steve has to do it alone; I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not.
� � When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade. � Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes."
� � "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?"
� � ��As Steve very slowly finished his last push-up, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 push-ups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.
� � � Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said, "And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, 'Into thy hands �I commend my spirit.' With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, He yielded up His life. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten."
� � �Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile.
� � �"Well done, good and faithful servant," said the professor, adding, "Not all sermons are preached in words."
� � Turning to his class, the professor said, "My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior�Jesus Christ. He spared not His only Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, for the whole world, now and forever. �Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid."
� �"Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?"
Where does any of these responses agree with the Gospel?
Gal 3:8 and the Writing having foreseen that by faith God doth declare righteous the nations did proclaim before the good news to Abraham --
Gal 3:9 `Blessed in thee shall be all the nations;' so that those of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham,
Who is declared righteous?
It is not the elect, it is people, mankind., it is the lost and the saved.
Gal 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
Who is Blessed of God The heathen, God said they are blessed, so those that are saved preach the Gospel to the lost saying.
2nd Cor 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2nd Cor 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
2nd Cor 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
2nd Cor 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Who is the us here,it is the same gospel preached to Abraham, the us is those that have received the reconciliation and those that have not yet received the reconciliation.
Now Who made you Believe what you say is the Gospel,
Will you say God made you believe what you believe, because you know man does not have free will, while you actions reveal your will to believe what you want, and then to tell all others they are wrong, because you believe other than the Gospel.
Btw the Gospel is The Blessing, The rest of scripture is revealing what the blessing is. and the context tells who it is to.
The Bible doesn't teach that -- it teaches this:
Where does it teach that.
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: Matt 25:32-34
For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both SEARCH MY SHEEP, and seek them out As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I SEEK OUT MY SHEEP, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day!� Ezek 34;11,12
"I lay down My life FOR THE SHEEP�! John 10:15 NOT FOR THE GOATS.
And other sheep I HAVE, which are not of this fold: THEM ALSO I must bring, and they SHALL hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd! (referring to the Gentiles) Here notice.....He already HAS these sheep and because they are His sheep they SHALL hear His voice.
This said Caiaphas not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one THE CHILDREN OF GOD THAT WERE SCATTERED ABROAD!� John 11:51-52
The �Children of God scattered abroad� are NOT GOATS who transform into sheep by accepting Christ, but SHEEP who hear HIS voice and follow! John 10:27
He that is OF GOD heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, BECAUSE ye are not of God! John 8:47 They do not hear because they are NOT sheep. They are goats.
I found this analogy nothing short of pure blasphemy.
Christ's death on the cross being compared to "ten pushups".
God's salvation for his Elect being compared to a free doughnut but not just any kind -- an "extra fancy big kind."
Undeserving vile sinners contrasted with college students.
.... And so on.
No words are adequate to express the vile and profane nature of this analogy.
The Gospel is not to be analogized. It is to be proclaimed as it is.. in it's purity and holiness.. unadulterated. Besides, as I have shown, this blasphemous analogy presents a false gospel.
You all live in and promote a paradigm of death. Yours is a gospel that guarantees the salvation of no one.
The Gospel taught in the Bible is the effectual atonement for all of the Elect. Christ's death did not merely provide an opportunity for acceptance or rejection (as your paradigm of death promotes). It provided the actualization of salvation for all of it's intended recipients. It is salvation actualized not offered.
"The price has been paid, the High Priest is waiting for the call to administer individually the sin payment, to apply His blood already shed, for the atonement of sin."
^^Things the Bible does NOT teach anywhere.
Here is what the Bible does teach and it has always been the same.
Gen 3:21
Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
Here is the first atonement for sin applied to two sinners. Notice, God made the coats and he also clothed them with those coats. Also notice, he did not merely sacrifice an animal for it's skin and then offer the covering to Adam and Eve for their acceptance or rejection.
God: "Hey Adam, I have now atoned for your sin through a sacrificial animal, would you please accept this skin as a covering? Pretty please... a big ole fancy pretty please with cream filling? Oh come on Adam, please take it.. it's free... all you have to do is wear it but it's your choice. So, just let me know what you want to do."
James the brother of Yahshua...said and it is written...
Jam 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
*** [[[ Resist ]]] the devil and he will flee from you...Soooo If the brother of the Messiah says this about resisting the devil...then why would anyone desire to dispute what GOD says about resisting ???...:laugh:...xo
You all live in and promote a paradigm of death. Yours is a gospel that guarantees the salvation of no one. That's the bottom line. Enjoy your smoke and mirrors routines. :excited:
Far better to ask and receive, then to hope you're elected and miss out on eternity in heaven. At least, if I'm wrong, I either make or I don't...which is also the case if I think I'm elected.
There are far more places where the Bible says to repent or else you will perish. I don't see a doctrine of death in following what Jesus said to do...
1 Timothy 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Mark 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,�
15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand:repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Mark 6:12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
Lukev 13:2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
3 I tell you, Nay:but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.�
4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
5 �I tell you, Nay:but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Luke 16:30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham:but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.�
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?�
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Acts 8:21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter:for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.�
22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:�
31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Acts 26:20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten:be zealous therefore, and repent.�
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Matthew 19:25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?�
26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
Salvation is man trusting the good work which the Lord Jesus did on the cross Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:�
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;�
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:�
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;�
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
Hebrews 11:6--"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him"
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.�
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;�
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.�
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Tell you what Teach......I am just going to go ahead and leave this "extra fancy BIG doughnut with cream centers and frosting swirls" that you are serving on the desk. :ROFL:
13For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works 2 Cor. 11
