A will is a legal document that states the testator’s instructions to be carried out after his death.
The Hebrews writer describes Jesus as a testator who had to die in order for His will or testament to go into effect: “And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives” (Hebrews 9:15-17). This second covenant, testament, or will is the gospel of Christ.
A man’s will specifies in detail the bestowment of blessings upon heirs, including very specific terms or conditions, such as the ages to be reached by children heirs. It is recognized that to distort or ignore any portion of a man’s will is not only disrespectful to the gracious testator but unlawful. Christ’s will is very specific, and like a man’s will, we have no right to distort or pick and choose out of Christ’s will what terms we will follow. The gospel of Christ specifies conditions by which one may be an heir of righteousness. The condition of belief is acceptable to many, the condition of repentance is acceptable to fewer, and the condition of baptism in order to be saved is rejected by many. When men ignore the requirement to repent and to be baptized in order to receive the forgiveness of sins, they have not respected the will and they cannot be an heir according to the will.
To say that meeting the conditions of the man’s will nullifies the grace of benevolent testator is hardly even thinkable. But what about the will of Christ? Many religious people will argue that to meet certain conditions of salvation would be to nullify his grace because, they say, “isn’t salvation a free gift?” I’m afraid the real issue is an ungrateful and stubborn people unwilling to abide by the conditions of the gift-giver.
It’s a serious infraction to alter a man’s will or to not abide in the terms of the will. And so it is with the will of Christ, only it has eternal consequences. “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).
-Larry Jones