Five Doctrines of Divine Grace
Stanford
E. Murrell
“Unto
you therefore which believe He is precious.”
~*~
1
Peter 2:7
Special note. I am indebted to Bro. Fred G. Zaspel,
former pastor of the Word of
Five Doctrines of Divine Grace
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction
and Historical Overview
·
Charles Haddon Spurgeon and the Doctrine
of Grace
·
Opinions about Calvinism
·
A Word about the Controversy
·
Historical Development
·
New Testament Principles
·
Pre-Reformation Period
·
Augustine vs. Pelagius
·
Semi-Pelagianism vs. Gottschalk
·
Reformation Period
·
Luther vs. Erasmus
·
Reformation Themes
·
Arminus and the Remonstrance
·
The “Five Points” of Calvinism: A
Mnemonic Device
·
A Brief Summary of the Various Historical
Systems
·
A Brief Summary of Calvinism and its
Major Emphases
·
Common Denominator and Controlling Theme
·
Salient Features
·
The Depravity of Man
·
The Sovereignty of God
·
The Graciousness of Salvation
·
A Simple Outline of the Eternal Purpose
of God
·
Scriptural Statements
·
Essential Features
·
The work of God the Father in salvation
·
The work of God the Son in salvation
·
The work of God the Holy Spirit in
salvation
·
Later History: The Reformation to the
Present
·
The Importance of the Study of Calvinism
·
Doctrinal Clarity
·
The Ministry of the Gospel
·
The Glory of God
·
Authoritative Standards
·
God’s Word is True
·
God’s Word is Binding
·
God’s Word is Profitable
Chapter 2 Total
Depravity
·
Five Doctrines of Divine Grace
·
The Basis of Authority
·
The Importance of the Doctrine of Man’s
Sinfulness
·
Foundational to the Doctrine of Salvation
·
Essential to True Worship
·
The Origin of Sin in Humanity
·
Adam’s Original Righteousness
·
Adam’s Fall from Grace
·
The Consequences of the Fall of Adam
·
On himself
·
On others
·
The Nature of Fallen Man
·
Denials
·
Man has not lost God’s image altogether
·
All men are not always as sinful as they
could possibly be
·
Men are not incapable of relative
goodness
·
Affirmations
·
Judicially
·
Personally
·
The Senses
·
The Intellect
·
The Affections
·
The Will
·
The Question of Responsibility
·
The Bondage of the Will
·
The Implications of the Doctrine of Total
Depravity
·
For the Lost
·
On Evangelism
·
In Worship
·
Summary
Chapter 3 Who
Made the First Move?
·
Review
·
History
·
Total Depravity
·
Dr. T.T. Shields and the Doctrine of
Depravity
·
Unconditional Election: Points of Dispute
·
Exegetical Considerations: Overview of
Biblical Statements
·
Pauline theology and the doctrine of
unconditional election
Romans
8:28-30
Romans
9:7-23
·
Christ and the doctrine of unconditional
election
John
10:16
John
10:24-29
John
15:16
·
Other selected passages teaching the
doctrine of unconditional election
Acts
1
Corinthians 1:18-31
Ephesians
1:3-14
2
Thessalonians 2:12-13
1
Timothy 1:16
2
Timothy 1:9
2
Timothy 2:10
Titus
1:2
1
John 4:10
·
Theological Considerations: Correlation
with Related Biblical Concepts
·
Sin is Enslaving
·
Salvation is Undeserved
·
Election is of God
·
Election is of Grace
·
Practical Implications
·
Election and Assurance
·
Election and Evangelism
·
Election and Sanctification
·
Election and Worship
·
Conclusion: The Issues at State
Chapter
4-Limited Atonement
·
Voices from the Past
·
Review
·
The Concept of Particularism
·
Scriptural Evidence of Particularism
·
The Prayers of Particularism
·
The Nature of Christ’s Death
·
Substitutional
·
Sacrificial
·
Limited Atonement: The Area of
Controversy
·
Clarification of Terminology
·
Sufficiency / Value vs. Efficacy / Design
·
Preferred Terminology
·
Limited vs. Unlimited
·
Definition vs. Indefinite
·
Particular vs. General
·
The Limits of the Atonement
·
The Universal Benefits of the Death of
Christ
·
Theological Considerations—Biblical
Doctrines
·
Christ’s Death as the Fulfillment of a
·
Christ’s Death as Substitutional
·
Christ’s Death as Efficacious
·
Selected Biblical Statements on
Particular Redemption
·
Practical Implications
·
Worship and devotion
·
Evangelism
Chapter
5 Irresistible Grace or Effectual
Calling
·
Voices from the Past
·
Review
·
Irresistible Grace: The Issue Clarified
·
A Simple Definition
·
Misunderstandings
·
The Biblical meaning of “Calling”
·
General usage
·
Special usage
1
Corinthians 1:9
1
Corinthians 1:18
1 Corinthians
1:24
1
Corinthians 1:26-28
1
Corinthians 1:30
·
The Consistent Teaching of Scripture
John 10:3
Romans 8:28-30
Romans 9:23-4
Galatians 1:6
1 Thessalonians 2:12
1 Peter 2:9
1 Peter 5:10
2 Peter 1:3
Jude 1:1
·
“The
called” as a title for Christians
·
Related Biblical Statements
Psalm
110:3
Matthew
11:25
John
10:6:44,45
John
17:2
Acts
Romans
9:16
1
Corinthians 2:4
1
Corinthians 2:9,10
1
Corinthians 4:7
Philippians
2:13
·
Theological Considerations
·
Human Depravity as Binding and Blinding
·
The Unity of the Plan of Redemption
·
Salvation as a Work of God
·
The Conditions of Salvation as a Gift of
God
·
Faith
·
Repentance
·
Regeneration
·
Practical Considerations
·
Worship
·
Evangelism
·
Deterrent to Discouragement in Ministry
·
Deterrent to Both Pride and Jealousy in
Ministry
Chapter
6 The Final Perseverance of the
Saints
·
A Review of the Regeneration of the
Righteous
·
Three Systems of Salvation
·
The Perseverance of the Saints:
Definitions
·
Two Main Ideas: Preservation and
Perseverance
·
Clarifications
·
Biblical Statements
John
6:37
John
10:27-29
Romans
8:28-30,32
Philippians
1:6
1
Thessalonians 5:23,24
2
Timothy 1:12
1
Peter 1:3-5
Jude
24,25
·
Biblical Explanations
·
God’s Eternal Purpose
·
·
The Nature of Christ’s Atonement
·
The Nature of Reconciliation
·
The Intercession of Christ
·
The Indwelling Holy Spirit
·
Practical Implications
·
Obedience
·
Worship
·
Assurance and Comfort
Chapter 7 Biblical Universalism
·
Jewish Priority and First Century Bigotry
·
Christ the Savior of the World
John 12:20-32
Genesis 12:1-3
Isaiah 52:13
John 3:16-18
John 4:42
John 11:52
John 1:29
1 John 2:2
1 John 4:14
1 Timothy 2:6 cf. Romans
11:5,26
·
Common Objects
2
Peter 3:9
2
Peter 2:1
·
Christ Offered to Every Man
·
Biblical Statements
Isaiah 45:22
Isaiah 55:1-7
Matthew 23:37
Luke 19:41
Romans 10:21
Matthew 22:1-13
Matthew 28:19
Luke 24:47
·
Is there a harmony between Particularism and Universalism?
·
Biblical Characterizations
·
Unrestricted: Revelation
·
Unconditional: Matthew
·
Summary
Chapter 8 A Review and
Correlation of the Doctrines of Grace
·
The Issue of Praise: Who Gets the Glory?
·
The Doctrines of Grace and Practical
Theology
·
The Ramifications of Total Depravity
q
Counseling
q
Political Systems
q
Church Discipline
q
Criminal Law
q
International Affairs
q
Politics and Domestic Issues
q
Child Discipline
q
Statements of the Religious Establishment
q
Public Schools and Values Clarification
q
The Value of Majority Opinion
·
The Doctrines of Grace and Evangelism
·
The Message
·
The Method
·
The Motive
·
Life under a Sovereign God
·
Conclusion
Five
Doctrines of Divine Grace
Who gets the credit for the salvation of
the soul?
The
Question of Man’s Will
We
all have sufficient power to come to Christ by a choice of our own free will.
or
“No man can come to me except the Father,
which sent me, draw him.”
John
6:44
~*~
The Question of Election
God
chose me because He foresaw that we would choose Him.
or
“You have not chosen me, but I have
chosen you.”
John
15:16
~*~
The Question of Atonement
Christ
died to render all men savable.
or
“I lay down my life for the sheep.”
John
10:15
~*~
The Question of Determining Causes
God
draws all men equally; the ultimate decision is ours
or
“All that the Father gives me shall come
to me.
Unto them which are the called [the
gospel is] the power of God.”
John
6:37; Romans 1:16
~*~
The Question of Final Results
We
may keep ourselves in salvation by holy living.
or
“We are kept by the power of God through
faith.
No man can puck them out of my hand.”
1
Peter 1:5; John 10:28
~*~
“For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise
man after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath
chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath
chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
And base things of the world, and things which are despised, that God chosen,
yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no
flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of
God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and
redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory
in the Lord.”
~*~
1
Corinthians 1:26-31
Five
Doctrines of Divine Grace
Chapter 1
Introduction and Historical Overview
I.
Introduction:
Charles Haddon Spurgeon and the Doctrine of Grace
A.
Opinions about
Calvinism
B.
A Word about the Controversy
II.
Historical
Development
A.
New Testament Principles
B.
Pre-Reformation Period
1.
Augustine vs. Pelagius
2.
Semi-Pelagianism vs. Gottschalk
C.
Reformation Period
1.
Luther vs. Erasmus
2.
Reformation Themes
3.
Arminus and the Remonstrance
4.
The “Five Points” of Calvinism: A
Mnemonic Device
T = Total Depravity The
Necessity of Grace Salvation
Required
U = Unconditional Election The
Foundation of Grace Salvation
Planned
L = Limited Atonement The
Provision of Grace Salvation
Purchased
I = Irresistible Grace The
Revelation of Grace Salvation
Applied
P = Perseverance of the Saints The
Victory of Grace Salvation
Perfected
III.
A
Brief Summary of the Various Historical Systems
1.
Pelagianism teaches that man is naturally
good and has no need of grace
2.
Semi-Pelagianism teaches that man is good
but not good enough so that grace is needed to complete what man begins
3.
Arminianism argues that man is not good
but all are given equal and sufficient grace to exercise free will
4.
Augustinianism/Calvinism contends that
all men are sinful and are therefore incapable of contributing anything to the
process of personal salvation
IV.
A
Brief Summary of Calvinism and its Major Emphases
A.
Common Denominator and Controlling Theme
B.
Salient Features
1.
The Depravity of Man
2.
The Sovereignty of God
3.
The Graciousness of Salvation
C.
A Simple Outline of the Eternal Purpose
of God
1.
Scriptural Statements
2.
Essential Features
a.
The work of God the Father in salvation
b.
The work of God the Son in salvation
c.
The work of God the Holy Spirit in
salvation
D.
Later History: The Reformation to the
Present
V.
The
Importance of the Study of Calvinism
A.
Doctrinal Clarity
B.
The Ministry of the Gospel
C.
The Glory of God
VI.
Authoritative
Standards
A.
God’s Word is True
B.
God’s Word is Binding
C.
God’s Word is Profitable
Five
Doctrines of Divine Grace
Chapter 1
Introduction and Historical Overview
Introduction: Charles Haddon Spurgeon and the Doctrines of
Grace
"I have my own opinion that there is
no such thing as preaching Christ and Him crucified unless we preach what is
nowadays called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism. Calvinism is
the gospel, and nothing else. I do not believe we can preach the gospel . . .
unless we preach the sovereignty of God in His dispensation of grace; not
unless we exalt the electing, unchangeable, eternal, immutable conquering love
of Jehovah; nor do I think we can preach the gospel unless we base it on the
special, particular redemption of His elect and chosen people which Christ
wrought out upon the cross; nor can I comprehend a gospel which lets saints
fall away after they are called, and allows the children of God to be burned in
the fires of damnation after having once believed in Jesus. Such a gospel I
abhor."
~*~
With
these words the “Prince of Preachers” sated
very simply that the Christian gospel offers salvation freely in Jesus Christ
and that salvation is a work of God from beginning to end. God is the Active
Giver in the whole process of redemption: He chooses, He draws, He saves, and
He keeps. Redemption is all His doing according to the principle of grace.
Anything less is not the gospel. This idea lies on the surface of Scripture
from Genesis to Revelation.
The
apostle Paul contended that God saves in such a way that there is no room for
men to congratulate themselves. The glorious Plan of Redemption is such, “That no flesh should glory in his presence.
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto wisdom, and
righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is
written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 1:29-31)
Every Christian should come to understand that salvation is by grace apart from
human merit or effort. “For by grace are
ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not
of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9) The ultimate purpose of
God in human salvation is to display His own glorious grace. “That in the ages to come he might show the
exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” (Eph.2:
7). Therefore, “He that glorieth, let him
glory in the Lord.” (1Cor.1: 31) It cannot be stated enough times that
salvation is a work of God designed to bring glory to Himself. And this is
precisely why the gospel is "good
news." All who look to Christ alone for their salvation shall live!
See
the Lord of glory dying!
See
Him gasping air! Hear Him crying!
See
His burdened bosom heave!
Look,
ye sinners, ye that hung Him;
Look
how deep your sins have stung Him;
Dying
sinners, look and live!
It
would not be very good news to hear that God would save men if . . . anything. The heart should
shudder to think of any condition laid upon a person as a prerequisite for
salvation. If God does not save freely, there would be no real hope of being
saved at all. But hearing that God has promised to save souls without
condition, that He will take sinners just as they are, is precisely what gives
hope and confidence. God the Son in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ has
done for those who are to be the heirs of salvation everything that God has
required by way of gospel obedience. By trusting in Him Who has accomplished in
the place of the elect a perfect righteousness, by believing in Him Who has
paid the penalty for sin by His substitutional sacrifice on the cross, souls an
have peace with God. “Therefore, being
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(Rom.5: 1). This is the wonderful truth of the gospel. Salvation is free, in
Jesus Christ, by faith.
My
faith would lay her hand
On
that dear head of Thine;
While
like a penitent I stand,
And
there confess my sin.
Sadly,
however, well-intentioned individuals have complicated the simplicity of the
gospel with a system of theology historically known as Pelagianism and or
Arminianism, named respectively after popular advocates. [Pelagius, c. AD
354-after 418; Jacobus Arminius, 1559-1609] Confusion about the terms of
salvation has caused considerable debate within the Christian community. Many
religious leaders now teach that man, not God, is the determining party in
salvation. It is taught that the natural condition of man is one of sin, but
the sinfulness is not such that man is rendered incapable of choosing God. As a
result, what determines a man's salvation is his movement towards God! If man
will but turn to God, then God will choose to save him, but not until then.
Moreover, whatever previous "drawing"
of souls unto Himself that God may do, He does equally for all men, leaving the
final choice to yield or resist unto damnation to the individual himself.
There
is something else. According to Arminianism (which is widely embraced), the
atonement of Christ was intended to do the very same thing for all men everywhere
and without exception. Christ on the cross did "His part" to save everyone. However, it is man who makes the
final decision whether or not he will come to saving faith. But then, even if a
person choose to believe in God and becomes a Christian, he may again choose not to be a Christian and so may
eventually fall away into a fearful condemnation. Permeating the theology of
Arminianism is one central tenet: man is the controlling party in salvation.
His will is free to make the determinative choice concerning salvation. God
leaves the whole matter of personal salvation to the individual.
As
the earlier quote by C.H. Spurgeon indicates, this is not at all the case. God
has not left the matter of personal salvation with individuals for then no one
would ever come to faith. It is God and not man who makes the difference in
this most important matter. God makes the choice as to who will or who will not
be saved, not man. Indeed, man is so ruined by sin that he is unable to choose
God. Therefore, it is God who does the drawing. It is God who goes before the
soul and brings it to the Savior. And the purpose of Christ's death is
established—to save those whom the Father has chosen. Having saved them, God
will then keep them and will never allow them to stray so far as to fall into
ultimate condemnation. Salvation, from beginning to end, is of the Lord. From
the belly of the whale the ancient prophet declared, “I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay
that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.” (Jonah 2:9)
Opinions about the Calvinism
Without
being unduly defensive, it is accurate to say that there are many unworthy
things being taught about those who embrace the doctrines of sovereign grace
commonly called Calvinism [a system of theology was named after the French
theologian John Calvin, 1509-1564.] The following extract from a letter
received indicates how brutal the verbal assault can be. Nothing has been
changed in the wording of the quote or its emphasis.
~*~
“According to Calvinism or “Reformed”
theology, it is God’s will and His
sovereign choosing that certain people continue to sin (i.e. rape, murder,
lie, steal, blaspheme, assault, get drunk, etc. etc.) It’s His will that they do not repent
and believe, as He has chosen from eternity past, in His sovereign love,
not to give them “grace.” Because of God’s
sovereign choice not to give certain
people, whom He lovingly created,
this “irresistible grace” He made it impossible for them to repent and believe.
God sovereignly and lovingly chose to do this, even though in His Holy Word
(the Bible) He “commands all people
everywhere to repent” [Acts 17:30] and
said that He “did not want anyone to
perish, but everyone to come to
repentance.” [2 Pet. 3:9] This is a “mystery.” Also, because God chose to withhold this
special “grace” from certain people, they are doomed and damned to suffer
excruciating pain forever in hell, by this all-loving and perfectly just and
fair heavenly Father. This is God’s sovereign choice according to His good
purpose and pleasure and to His honor, glory, and praise.
However,
it was very kind of God, concerning certain other people that He chose them and gave them “irresistible
grace.” This means that it would have been impossible
for them not to believe and repent.
He thus sovereignly chooses to give them eternal happiness in heaven, whereas
He sovereignly chooses to doom all others to eternal suffering in hell. Again,
this is the case, even though God says in His Word that Christ Jesus “came into the world to save sinners (and all
have sinned)” [1 Tim. 1:15 and Rom. 3:23]; “gave Himself as a ransom for all men” [1 Tim. 2:6]; and “came from the Father full of grace and
truth” [Jn 1:14]. God is certainly
good! And He is definitely loving,
just, upright, impartial, reasonable, honorable, fair, gracious, faithful, and
true! Is He not?”
~*~
There was much more in the
correspondence but what has been recorded is sufficient to reflect that people
have strong feelings against those
who embrace a high view of God and a low view of man. As a result, it is not
unusual for “straw-man” arguments to
be set forth in an attempt to discredit believers in sovereign grace.
·
It is said that believers in the
doctrines of sovereign grace are people who believe Christians do not have to
witness because individuals will be saved whether they hear the gospel or not.
·
It is said that advocates of the
doctrines of sovereign grace believe that God is a tyrant and that He causes
people to sin in order to send them to hell.
·
It is said that the proponents of the
doctrines of sovereign grace believe that the gospel is not to be given to
everyone. Some people cannot be saved whether they wanted to be saved or not.
·
It is said that those who love the
doctrines of sovereign grace teach that people are saved against their
wills—thereby missing the point that God changes the will of sinners so that
they desire salvation.
These
are terrible charges against God’s people and all are totally without
foundation. Those who embrace the doctrines of God’s grace want to witness and they do witness
with great confidence believing that God will bring souls to the Savior because
individuals have been chosen. The heart of the apostle Paul was encouraged one
night to stay and preach in Corinth because the Lord told him in a vision that
souls would be saved according to sovereign grace. “Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid,
but speak, and hold not thy peace. For I am with thee, and no man shall set on
thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.” (Acts 18:10,11)
Those who believe in the doctrines
of grace teach that the gospel is to be presented to every man, woman, and child on the face of the earth without
exception as the Lord gives opportunity and for good reason. From the surging
sea of humanity God will rescue or
save many precious souls who are perishing in their own sins. God is not a
tyrant. He does not cause people to sin in order to send them to hell. People
sin of their own volition in accordance to the own nature. Salvation, not sin,
is the Divine design and the focus of redemptive history. The real problem is
that people do not want to be saved. When the truth is told men are wedded to
their lusts. The plight of man is desperate. “Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness,
covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity;
whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors
of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding,
covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who
knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same,
but have pleasure in them that do them.” (Rom. 1:29-32)
A Word about the Controversy
Because
men are so depraved that they have pleasure in sin and care nothing for their
own souls, if anyone is to be saved, then God must work in a sovereign manner
to rescue souls from themselves and the just judgment they have invited upon
themselves. It is because religious teachers do not appreciate the wretched
plight of man and the necessity of the absolute power of God in the process of
salvation that a historical debate has raged over the centuries.
Historical Development
As the debate unfolds those on both
sides of the issue make their appeal to the Scriptures. Believing that all men
can come to Christ according to their will, and believing that the intent of
Christ was to save all men, those who combat the doctrines of sovereign grace
quote the following Scripture for support.
¨
1
Timothy 2:3-4 “For
this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have all
men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
¨
Titus
2:11 “For the
grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,”
¨
1
Timothy 4:9-10 “This is
a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in
the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe.”
¨
Romans
5:18 “Therefore
as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by
the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of
life.”
¨
Hebrews
2:9 “But we see
Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death,
crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death
for every man.”
¨
1
John 2:2 “And he
is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins
of the whole world.”
¨
Isaiah
53:6 “All we
like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the
LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
¨
Matthew
11:28 “Come
unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
¨
Matthew
23:37 “O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which
are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even
as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”
¨ Luke 7:48-50 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? And he said unto the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
¨ John 3:14 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up:”
¨ John 12:32 “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”
From
these passages several propositions are often contented for:
·
God wants all men to be saved.
·
The grace of God has been given freely
and equally to all men.
·
Christ is the Savior of all men reflected
in the fact that He has tasted death for all and has born the iniquity of all.
·
Men can reject the gospel despite all
that Christ has done on their behalf.
·
Christ has promised to draw all men unto
Himself.
New Testament Principles
In
order to understand the verses appealed to and the conclusions drawn, a
different context must be considered.
Also appealing to the Scriptures those who believe in the doctrines of
sovereign grace emphasize the total helpless of man. The Bible reveals the extreme and desperate condition of
man. He is in a terrible state of bondage to sin.
·
By
nature men are dead in trespasses and sin. “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in
trespasses and sins.” (Eph. 2:1)
·
The
eyes of the natural man are blinded to the truth so that he cannot “see”
spiritual truth. “What
then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath
obtained it, and the rest were blinded.” (Rom. 11:7)
·
The
will of the natural man is enslaved to a harsh taskmaster.
Satan takes men captive at his will. (2
Tim. 2:26) Therefore, Jesus was right when he looked at a group of religious
leaders one-day and pronounced judgment upon them saying, And you will not come to me that ye might have life. (John 5:40)
Those who do come to Christ realize that they did not come because of their
will but because of Sovereign grace. John speaks of those who are born, “Not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:13)
·
The
heart of the unregenerate is as hard as stone. “Yea, they have made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest
they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in
his spirit by the former prophets; therefore came a great wrath from the LORD
of hosts.”
(Zech 7:12)
·
The
thoughts of the ungodly are evil continually. “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth,
and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually.”
(Gen. 6:5 cp. Rom. 1:21)
·
The
emotions are depraved. “For
this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did
change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the
men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward
another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in
themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.” (Rom.
1:26,27)
·
Every
inclination of the un-righteous is away from God. “There is none that understandeth, there
is none that seeketh after God.” (Rom. 3:11)
·
By
himself a man can do nothing to contribute to his own salvation.
“Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or
the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do
evil.” (Jer. 13:23)
·
The
natural man is saved only when God does something for him. “But the salvation of the righteous is of
the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.” (Psa.
37:39 cp. Ex. 14:13; 2 Chron. 20:17; Lam. 3:26)
So
the great questions remain. “Who is to be
credited with man’s salvation? God? Man? Both? Who is it that will get the
glory?” In considering these important questions, those who embrace the
doctrines of sovereign grace believe that the following gospel principles
should be affirmed.
·
No
one can come to Christ except the Lord draws him.
“No man can come to me, except the Father
which hath sent me draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
(John 6:44)
·
Christ
has come to call the helpless to salvation. “I came not to all the righteous, but sinners
to repentance.” (Luke 5:32) And sinners do come to Christ, by faith. They
come saying:
Lo!
I come; and Thou, blest Lamb,
O
take me to Thee as I am;
Nothing
but sin I Thee can give;
Nothing
but love may I receive.
·
The
issue in salvation is not religious zeal but a salvation according to true
knowledge. Paul writes of the Israelites that they had a
zeal for God “but not according to
knowledge.” (Rom. 10:2)
·
Salvation
is according to the principle of grace. If it is mixed with
works (including the will of man) then it ceases to be grace. “And if by grace, then it is no more of
works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no
more grace; otherwise work is no more work.” (Rom 11:6)
Because
of these gospel principles, there are some challenging questions for those who
oppose the doctrines of sovereign grace.
·
Question.
“If God wants all men to be saved, then
why are not all men saved for who can withstand the hand of God?” (study
Gen. 17:1; 18:14; Job 42:2; Isa. 26:4; Matt. 19:26; Luke 1:37; Acts 26:8; Rev.
9:6; 21:22)
·
Question.
“If the grace of God
has been given freely and equally to all men then why are missionaries sent
out? And why it is that men still perish in their sins?”
(Luke 16:19-23 cp. Matt. 5:29)
·
Question.
“If Christ is the
Savior of all men, if Christ has tasted death for all, and has born the
iniquity of all then why does anyone go to hell? On what basis does the Father
condemn anyone? If Christ has actually done all that is alleged for all men
then logically, universalism must be true. God has no basis on which to judge
anyone.”
·
Question.
“What does it matter if
men reject Christ even after He has done so much for them? Is not the sin of
rejecting Christ atoned for like all other heinous sins?”
·
Question.
“Will Christ draw men
unto Himself only to let them fall away to eternal destruction? Will Christ
draw men unto Himself only to get a better view of a bleeding Savior—a Savior
who will not save them?”
Those who oppose the doctrines of sovereign grace cannot
easily dismiss these questions—nor can they adequately answer them.
Pre-Reformation Period: Augustine vs. Pelagius
Prior
to the Reformation period the issues of human depravity, the freedom of the
will of man, and the sovereignty of God were crystallized in the debate between
Pelagius and Augustine. Pelagius was a British monk (c. AD 354 - after 418) who
arose to deny the doctrine of original sin (that the human race had fallen in
Adam). He argued that man was not born corrupt, nor was man totally depraved.
Moreover, he was not predestined to heaven or hell. Babies, he said, are
innocent. They become bad when they grow up and are influenced by others. Each
person has a free will that determines his eternal destiny. At the core of the
theology of Pelagius was the concept that man must be able to do whatever God
requires him to do. For Pelagius, responsibility necessitated ability.
In contrast, Augustine of Hippo (AD
354-430), a town on the North African coast, taught that every man is conceived
and born in sin and can be saved only through the grace of God according to His
divine pleasure. Augustine was convinced that the Scriptures taught the bondage
of the will, not its freedom, in order that salvation might be of grace. The
commandments of Christ to be “perfect”, along
with the Law, were designed to show man how helpless and hopeless his condition
was. Man needs the grace of God if he will be saved. He needs a Savior. He
needs a Divine Remedy from the power, pollution, and penalty of sin. In the
Person of Jesus Christ all that man needs for salvation is provided.
In
AD 416 two African councils condemned the teachings of Pelagius. Pope Innocent
I, who in 417 excommunicated the monk, upheld this decision. The General Council
of Ephesus in 431 again officially condemned the teachings of Pelagius. In 529
the Synod of condemned the teachings of semi-Pelagianism, which holds that it
is up to the individual to accept or refuse the gift of God’s grace. The Church
contended for God’s sovereign act of free grace, not man’s free will to choose.
Semi-Pelagianism vs. Gottschalk
Though
the Church councils had officially condemned the thinking of Pelagius, it would
not go away. Another champion was needed to combat its implications. Such a
champion was found in the ninth century. His name was Gottschalk (c. 803-869).
Born into a noble family, Gottschalk was committed by his parents to the care
of the Benedictine abbey at Fulda (part of Germany). He was to be a child
oblate (ward and pupil) of the Church. As the years passed and Gottschalk
reached maturity, he resented his confinement and sought his freedom. Despite
opposition from the abbot, Rabanus Maurus, a legislature of Mainz (829) allowed
him to go free. His freedom was short lived for the abbot appealed the decision
to the Frankish emperor Louis. Gottschalk was to return to the monastery as a
priest. The following years brought much hardship as Gottschalk embraced the
doctrines of grace and exalted the sovereignty of God. His preaching in Rome
and in the Balkans was condemned. He was deprived of the priesthood, physically
beaten, denied communion, and was imprisoned at Hautvillers. Despite almost
twenty years of suffering he was able to write a number of poems with spiritual
themes.
The Reformation Period
Around
noontime on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther (1483-1546) nailed his 95 theses to
the old wooden door of the Castle Church at Wittenburg, Germany. Little did
Luther realize that the simple act of publishing his concerns about the abuses
within the established church was to launch what is now known to history as the
Reformation Era. An exciting and heroic epoch in the life of the Church had
begun. The essential issue around which the Reformation would be fought was the
will of man. The age-old questions still persisted: “Is the will of man free, or is it in bondage? Does man have any part in his own salvation? Or is salvation of the
Lord?”
Martin Luther concluded, like so
many before him, that salvation was the free gift of free grace bestowed upon
poor sinners by a sovereign God. Works have no part in the salvation of the
soul. “The just shall live by faith”
(Hab. 2:4 cp. Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38), and that faith is apart from
human merit for it too is the gift of God. (Eph. 2:8,9) Such thinking was
contrary to the official teaching of the Church of Rome, which insisted that
faith, plus good works, merited the grace resulting in the salvation of the
soul. The church was not about to abolish a system of salvation that was financially
profitable reflected in the sale of indulgences and the contributions received
from acts of penance and vows of poverty taken by the nuns and priests.
Luther vs. Erasmus
To challenge Luther’s thinking, Rome
found a champion in the person of Desiderius Erasmus (c. 1466-1536), a Dutch
scholar, a humanist, and first editor of the Greek New Testament. Reluctant to
become involved in the controversy between Luther and the papacy, Erasmus
finally succumbed to ecclesiastical pressure and attacked Luther in Diatribe on Free Will. Luther responded
with Bondage of the Will (1526). For
Luther, the will was not something that was neutral. Man’s will is like a beast
driven by a master, either Satan or the Righteous God. Since the Fall man was
no longer master of himself. He was enslaved either to the Devil (John 8:44) or
to Christ. (Rom. 1:1)
The advocates of free will, such as
Erasmus, argued that If a man improves
his naturals, God is bound to give him spirituals. Yet, what is this but
turning grace into debt? The advocates of free will make man the cause of his
own salvation. They put grace into man’s power, not man’s will under the power
of grace. They rob God of the honor of making one to differ from another (1
Cor. 4:7) and ascribe that work to man.
·
Free will allows man the liberty of
boasting to God, saying, “God, I thank
Thee that Thou gavest me power to will (yet Thou gavest that to Judas as well
as me), but I thank myself for the act of willingness, since I receive from
Thee no more than Judas did.”
·
Free will exempts the creature from the
power of God, as if man, spider-like, could spin a thread out of his own bowels
whereon to climb to Heaven.
·
Free will makes man the cause why God
willeth this or that; so God must attend on the will of man, and not be
infallible in His decrees, nor working all things according to the counsel of
His own will. (Eph. 1:11 cp. Psa. 115:3) [From the writings of Christopher
Ness]
A
true believer is one who has been well taught his unworthiness and his
sinfulness and his weakness. A true believer is one, who, as a sinner has to
cast his all upon Christ and cries out,
Nothing
in my hand I bring;
Simply
to Thy cross I cling.
~*~
A
guilty, weak, and helpless worm,
On
Thy kind arms I fall,
Be
Thou my strength and righteousness,
My
Jesus, and my all.
~*~
Reformation Themes
The
general distinguishing principles of the Reformation may be identified.
·
A
Fundamental Respect for the Scriptures. For centuries the
Catholic Church had diminished the importance of Scripture. The Bible was not
believed to be sufficient for life, and so the writings of men, and the
authority of Church councils were given equal, or superior, weight to the Word
of God. The Scriptures were virtually withheld from the people, for it was not
allowed to be translated into the vernacular of the common man. Very few people
had even seen a copy of the Bible, let alone held one in their hands. The
Reformers restored the Scriptures to its rightful position. It was the Bible,
which was to determine the Church's doctrine, regulate its practice, and guide
the daily conduct of the believer.
·
A
Religion based upon Reason. The Church of Rome had introduced, and
advanced, many illogical doctrines. They had forced people to embrace them upon
penalty of temporal punishment or eternal pain. There was the mystical doctrine
of transubstantiation. There was the preposterous, pompous, pretensions of
papal indulgences. There was the supercilious supply of images in the hour of
worship. The Reformers placed before the people of God a creed, a code of
conduct, and a way of worship, which did not outrage the rational nature of the
mind.
·
A
Religion of Personal Piety. Catholicism did not encourage
individuals to go directly and personally to God the Father. Between the heart
of man and the heart of the God of heaven, both popes and councils had
interjected their own authority. Before a soul burdened with sin could find
divine forgiveness, the priest had to intervene to hear one's confession and
then render absolution. No longer could a saint come boldly before the throne
of grace. The Virgin Mary and departed saints were interjected, demanding
needless mediation. With the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, the Reformers
swept away all false barriers. They declared the right of private judgment.
They proclaimed a universal priesthood of the believer, and emphasized personal
responsibility. Each soul had the privilege of speaking directly to the Savior,
the true source of salvation.
·
A
Spiritual Religion. Because a multitude of outward
ordinances and ceremonies had been imposed upon the people, the true, spiritual
nature of the faith had become obscured. The Reformers arose to emphasize an
inward religious experience over external ecclesiastical rituals without
reality. The Reformers replaced penance with penitence, works with faith,
asceticism with self-denial, celibacy with chastity, and the mass with
spiritual communion.
·
The
Rise of Nationalism. Desiring to subjugate the world to
itself, Rome made each nation subservient to an ecclesiastical hierarchy over
which it presided. The Reformers protested against papal intervention into the
internal affairs of individual countries, thereby denying religious
independence. At the Diet of Spires in 1526, it was decreed that in regard to
religion "each state should live,
govern, and behave itself as it should answer to God and the Emperor."
From time to time, when he was not fighting perpetual wars outside his domain,
Charles V, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, attempted to reverse the decree
and bring everyone back to the Catholic faith, but national freedom of religion
was reaffirmed at the Augsburg Diet in 1555. The rise of nationalism,
encouraged by the Reformers, established the principle that Rome had no right
to impose its ecclesiastical discipline, ritual, or creed upon other Christians
outside its sphere of influence. (A
Glorious Institution: The Church in History, Mt. Zion Publications,
Pensacola, Fl)
Arminus and the Remonstrance
One
person that changed the historic beliefs of many, within the Protestant Church,
was James (Jacobus) Arminius. Arminius was born in the Netherlands at
Oudewater, near Utrecht (1560). His father died around the time of his birth.
Then, in the early years of childhood, the Spaniards came and destroyed his hometown.
His family perished. Discovering he was destitute of a nuclear family, kind
Dutch neighbors took Arminius into their home and provided for his needs.
Recognized
as a capable student, Arminius was enrolled as the twelfth student at the new
University of Leyden (1576). Here, for the first time on public record, he used
his Latinized name, Jacobus Arminius, instead of his given name at birth, Jacob
Harmenszoon. As expected, Arminius enjoyed academic excellence.
After
completing his studies at Leyden, Arminius continued his education at the
Geneva Academy (1582), which was headed by Theodore Beza, the successor to John
Calvin. In 1588, Arminius was ordained a minister of the gospel. He became a
pastor of the Reformed Church in Amsterdam. In 1590 Arminius married a
prosperous merchant's daughter, which gave him contact with the prominent
members of society. As a minister, Jacobus was eloquent, educated, and
enlightened. His sermons attracted large audiences, not only for their clear
content, but for the controversy they created.
According
to Arminius, High Calvinism was wrong. God did not extend His saving grace only
to those whom He predestinates to salvation. Nor is the will of man so bound in
sin that there is no freedom of thought or ability to act for God has elected
those whom He has foreseen will believe. Man is not totally enabled by sin to
merit favor with God, nor is he fully depraved.
By
1592 Arminius had been formally accused of Pelagianism (a fifth century
controversy which emphasized the freedom of the will), and departure from the
two Calvinist creeds, the Beglic Confession, and the Heidelberg Catechism.
Accusations of departing from the faith would continue to follow him until his
death in 1609. During his life, Arminius
had asked for a Church council to be called to discuss afresh the concept of
predestination, election, and reprobation. Nine years after his death, such a
council was held.
The Synod of Dort
When
the Synod of Dort met, from November 13, 1618 to May 9, 1619, delegates from
the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, England, Germany, and Switzerland
attended. The teachings of Arminius were considered and then unanimously
rejected and condemned. The Reform doctrine was reaffirmed in the Canons of Dort.
Those
who try to defend Jacobus Arminius from the condemnation of the Synod of Dort,
make a distinction between the man and the message his followers manifested. It
is a valid point. The views of Arminius were never systematically set forth
until the year following his death, when his disciples issued a declaration
called The Remonstrance (1610).
It
is doubtful that Arminius himself would have openly endorsed all of the
positions that have become associated with his name. His thinking was more
subtle. His language was more cautious. The writings of Arminius himself are so
carefully worded that Moses Stuart (1831) found it possible to argue that
Arminius was not an Arminian. However, in the end, the charge is valid that
Arminius had an indirect way of denying accepted Protestant biblical truths
such as the depravity of man, the bondage of the will, and the election of
souls to salvation or judgment.
If
Arminius was by nature a gentle man in presenting his views, if he was cautious
in his comments, the implications of his thinking inflamed—with combative
religious zeal—the young ministers whom he had trained for the minister. Though
only forty-five signed the Remonstrance the whole church was soon caught up
with theological controversy. Arminius is not without historical accountability.
He did plant the seed that has proven to be a great challenge to the church for
the souls of men. A brief summary of the direct challenge of Arminianism to
Calvinism may be stated as follows.
CALVINISM ARMINIANISM
1. Election is unconditional. 1. Election and
condemnation are conditioned upon
the
foreseen faith or unbelief of man, not upon the sovereign choice of Almighty
God.
2. The atonement is limited to the elect.
2. The atonement was made for all
but believers enjoy its benefits
3. Man is depraved as far as any ability 3. Man unaided by the Spirit is
unable to come
to come to God and to merit the merits However, the will of man is involved
in
the merits of Christ. salvation.
4. Grace is irresistible. 4. Grace can
be resisted.
5. The saints will persevere in the
faith, 5. The doctrine of the
final persevere of all the
being kept by the power of God. converted is still open to
discussion. At least,
Christians can backslide into not only
occasional sin, but even lifestyles of habitual sin—and still be saved on the
basis of their decision to receive Christ.
Though
Arminian theology was officially condemned at the Synod of Dort, its influence
did not go away. It was accepted by multitudes in the Anglican Church, by many
in the dissenting denominations, including the Baptist, and the Methodist.
Arminian theology continues to be widely accepted in much of Christendom. (A Glorious Institution: The Church in
History, Mt. Zion Publications, Pensacola, FL) Oddly enough, although this
matter of salvation as a work of God alone is a rather minority opinion today,
it is a point of repeated emphasis in the Scriptures. We will work it out here
in the form that it has been given to us for years: TULIP.
The Five Points of Calvinism: A Mnemonic Device
T
= Total Depravity The
Necessity of Grace Salvation
Required
U
= Unconditional Election The
Foundation of Grace Salvation
Planned
L
= Limited Atonement The
Provision of Grace Salvation
Purchased
I
= Irresistible Grace The
Revelation of Grace Salvation
Applied
P
= Perseverance of the Saints The
Victory of Grace Salvation
Perfected
A Brief Summary of the Various Historical Systems
·
Pelagianism teaches that man is naturally
good and has no need of grace.
·
Semi-Pelagianism teaches that man is good
but not good enough so that grace is needed to complete what man begins.
·
Arminianism argues that man is not good
but all are given equal and sufficient grace to exercise free will.
·
The doctrines of sovereign grace
(Augustianism / Calvinism) contends that all men are sinful and are therefore
incapable of contributing anything to the process of personal salvation. Men
need a Savior. Men need a Savior who is Divine and they can find such as Savior
in Jesus Christ.
Hail,
great Immanuel, all divine!
In
Thee Thy Father’s glories shine;
Thou
brightest, sweetest, fairest One,
That
eyes have seen or angels known.
A Brief Summary of Calvinism and its Major Emphasis
Theologically,
as a system of thought, Calvinism is identified by the acceptance of the
supreme role of Scripture in revelation and its interpretation by the guidance
of the Holy Spirit. From the Scriptures flows forth the doctrine of the
absolute sovereignty of God. Armed with these two emphases or presuppositions,
Calvinism logically argues for the following.
·
The primary duty of man is to do the will
of God.
·
This was possible in Adam prior to the
Fall.
·
In the Fall the power to do good and to
please God was lost.
·
Since Adam acted as the Federal
Representative of the human race he was rightfully judged and all of his
posterity are rightfully damned.
·
However, for His own good pleasure, God
in Christ has decreed to save some but not all members of Adam’s race. Those
who are saved by grace through faith alone realize that they too were worthy of
eternal judgment.
And
there should I have gone,
But
Thou dost all things well;
Thy
love was great, Thy mercy free,
Which
from the pit delivered me.
·
That God saves some is a tribute to His
mercy and grace. That He does not save all redounds to His justice.
·
God in Christ redeems whom He wills,
which are known by various names including the
elect of God. (Col. 3:12)
·
By faith, all of the elect receive
eternal life and will joyously dwell with Christ forever according to the
workings of grace. In heaven,
We’ll
sing the vast unmeasured grace,
Which,
from the days of old,
Did
all His Son’s elect embrace;
As
sheep within His fold.
~*~
John
Kent
·
Those who have been chosen to be the
heirs of eternal life are given a new heart, a new will, and a new mind in
order to have the renewed ability to do the will of God.
·
As history unfolds, God works out His
great plan of redemption in the lives of His people who honor Him within the
sphere of the Church, the ordinances (baptism and the Lord’s Supper) and the
Civil Government for Jesus has said, If
ye love me, keep my commandments. And the heart of the responds and asks,
Do
not I love Thee, dearest Lord?
Behold
my heart and see.
Common Denominator and Controlling Theme
Permeating
the system of theology setting forth the doctrines of sovereign grace is an
emphasis upon the glory of God. What the system tries to do is to give all the
glory to God that is due Him as specific questions are considered. Who is to be credited with human salvation?
Does man get any credit at all? Those who embrace the doctrines of grace
cry out, “Sola Deo Gloria!” “To God alone
be the glory!” Salvation cannot be ascribed in any way to human activity.
The salvation of a soul is only explainable in terms of divine activity. Yes,
man must believe but the ability to express positive faith to receive God, that
capacity is the gift of God.
Not
all the outward forms on earth,
Nor
rites that God hath given,
Not
will of man, nor blood, nor birth,
Can
raise a soul to Heaven.
The
sovereign will of God alone,
Creates
us heirs of grace:
Both
in the image of His Son,
A
new peculiar race.
Thus
quicken’d souls awake and rise
From
the long sleep of death;
On
Heavenly things they fix their eyes,
And
praise employs their breath.
Salient Features or Distinguishing Marks
of Calvinism
·
The
depravity or sinfulness of man. Man is sinful in every
facet of his being. Man is not as wicked as he could be at any given moment
because there is a form of relative righteousness. Some people are better than
others. But overall every man is totally depraved in the sense that every facet
of the soul is stained by sin. Therefore, man, by nature, is unable to respond
to God in faith. Man is unable to do what God requires of him.
·
The
sovereignty of God. God is free and able to do whatsoever He
wants, when He want to do it, how He wants to do it, with whomsoever He wants
to do it. God is absolutely free to do as He chooses. He is accountable to
no-one and nothing except His own perfect essence. God is sovereign in every detail
of the universe including the salvation of every lost human soul.
Sovereign
grace o’er sin abounding,
Ransom’d
souls the tidings swell;
‘Tis
a deep that knows no sounding,
Who
its breadth or length can tell?
On
its glories
Let
my soul forever dwell.
·
The
graciousness of salvation. Salvation in every detail is explained in
terms of grace. While grace does comes to relieve the heart of unlawful fears,
it was grace which taught the heart to fear God in the first place.
An Outline of the Eternal Purpose of God
Tis
done! The great transaction’s done;
I
am the Lord’s, and He is mine.
~*~
In
1859, preaching in the Surrey Music Hall in London, England, with wisdom and
eloquence C. H. Spurgeon set forth the scriptural position and the essential
features of the purpose of God in the covenant of grace. The great work of
salvation involves all the members of the triune Godhead, the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit.
“Now,
in this covenant of grace, we must first of all observe the high
contracting parties between whom it was
made. The covenant of grace was made before the foundation of the world between
God the Father, and God the Son; or to put it in a yet more scriptural light,
it was made mutually between the three divine persons of the adorable Trinity. This
covenant was not made directly between God and man. Man did not at that time
exist; but Christ stood in the covenant as man’s representative. In that sense
we will allow that it was a covenant between God and man, but not a covenant
between God and any man personally and individually. It was a covenant between
God and Christ, and through Christ indirectly with all the blood-bought seed
who were loved of Christ from the foundation of the world. It is a noble and
glorious thought, the very poetry of that old Calvinistic doctrine which we
teach, that long ere the day star knew its place, before God had spoken
existence out of nothing, before angel’s wing had stirred the unnavigated
ether, before a solitary song had disturbed the solemnity of the silence in
which God reigned supreme, He had entered into solemn counsel with Himself,
with His Son, and with His Spirit, and had in that council decreed, determined,
purposed and predestinated the salvation of His people. My soul flies back now,
winged by imagination and by faith, and looks into that mysterious council
chamber, and by faith I behold the Father pledging Himself to the Son, and the
Son pledging Himself to the Father, while the Spirit gives His pledge to both,
and thus that divine compact, long to be hidden in darkness, is completed and
settled—the covenant which in these latter days has been read in the light of
heaven, and has become the joy and hope and boast of all the saints.
And now
what were the stipulations of this covenant? They were somewhat in this wise. God had
foreseen that man after creation would break the covenant of works; that
however mild and gentle the tenure upon which Adam had possession of Paradise,
yet that tenure would be too severe for him, and he would be sure to kick
against it, and ruin himself. God had also foreseen that His elect ones, whom
He had chosen out of the rest of mankind, would fall by the sin of Adam, since
they, as well as the rest of mankind, were represented in Adam. The covenant
therefore had for its end the restoration of the chosen people. And new we may
readily understand what were the stipulations. On the Father’s part, thus runs
the covenant. I cannot tell you it in the glorious celestial tongue in which it
was written: I am fain to bring it down to the speech, which suiteth to the ear
of the flesh, and to the heart of a mortal. Thus, I say, runs the covenant, in
lines like these:
‘I, the Most High Jehovah, do hereby give
unto my only begotten and well beloved Son, a people, countless beyond the
number of the stars, who shall be by him washed from sin, by Him preserved and
kept and led, and by Him, at last, presented before my throne, without spot or
wrinkle or any such thing. I covenant by oath, and swear by Myself, because I can swear by no greater, that
these whom I now give to Christ shall be forever the objects of My eternal
love. Them will I forgive through the merit of the blood. To these will I give
a perfect righteousness; these will I adopt and make my sons and daughters, and
these shall reign with me through Christ eternally.’
Thus runs that glorious side of the
covenant. The Holy Spirit also, as one of the high contracting parties on this
side of the covenant, gave His declaration:
‘I
hereby covenant,” saith He, “that all whom the Father giveth to the Son, I will
in due time quicken. I will show them their need of redemption; I will cut off
from them all groundless hope, and destroy their refuges of lies. I will bring
them to the blood of sprinkling I will give them faith whereby this blood shall
be applied to them; I will work in them every grace; I will keep their faith
alive; I will cleanse them and drive out all depravity from them, and they
shall be presented at last spotless and faultless.’
This
was the one of the covenant, which is at this very day being fulfilled and
scrupulously kept. As for the other side of the covenant this was part of it,
engaged and covenanted by Christ. He thus declared and covenanted with His
Father:
‘My
Father, on my part I covenant that in the fullness of time I will become man. I
will take upon Myself the form and nature of the fallen race. I will live in
their wretched world, and for My people will I keep the law perfectly. I will
work out a spotless righteousness, which shall be acceptable to the demands of Thy
just and holy law. In due time I will bear the sins of all My people. Thou
shalt exact their debts on Me; the chastisement of their peace I will endure,
and by My stripes they shall be healed. My Father, I covenant and promise that
I will be obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. I will magnify Thy
law and make it honourable. I will suffer all they ought to have suffered. I
will endure the curse of thy law, and all the vials of Thy wrath shall be
emptied and spent upon My head. I will then rise again; I will ascend into
heaven; I will intercede for them at Thy right hand; and I will make myself
responsible for every one of them, that not one of them Thou has given Me shall
ever be lost, but I will bring all My sheep of whom, by My blood, Thou has
constituted Me the Shepherd—I will bring every one safe to Thee at last.’”
~*~
By these words the eternal purpose
of God in the salvation of souls is set forth. The Father has a peculiar people
for His Son. They are chosen, redeemed, sanctified, and glorified to show forth
His glory and to praise Him for all eternity.
Later History: The Reformation to the
Present Time
It
would not be wrong to say, speaking in broad, general terms, that the doctrines
of sovereign grace dominated Christian theology for many years following the
Reformation. Luther spoke about the sovereignty of God and against free will in
favor of free grace, as did John Calvin who forcefully advocated the
Presbyterian form of church government. The Church of England was initially Calvinistic
reflected in the Thirty-nine Articles of Faith. Congregationalist and the
Puritans were Calvinistic as well as most Baptist. (study The London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689)
Always present, of course, during
this long period of time was Pelagianism/Arminianism. George Whitefield along
with John and Charles Wesley established the Methodist structure. Though
Whitefield was a strong Calvinist, John and Charles Wesley were zealous for
Arminianism. They overshadowed Whitefield as leaders of the Methodist movement
and so the Methodist were from the first Arminians.
The
Baptist eventually divided into two camps. There were the General Baptist (who
advocated free will) and the Regular or Particular Baptist who insisted on free
grace. The General Baptist were Arminian which led to heretical theological
positions advanced by Unitarians and the universalist.
Today, most of the major religious
denominations have moved away from their historical roots and confessions of
faith. Pelagianism, Semi-Pelagianism, and or Arminianism now prevails in
Lutheran churches, many Baptist denominations, liberal Presbyterian churches
and even the Church of England. In a recent news article reported that the
current Archbishop of Canterbury (August 1999) said that the resurrection of
Christ was not important! Most of the newer denominations, such as the
Pentecostal churches, are strong Arminians.
The
central doctrine that prevails in the present Church—allowing the ecumenical
movement to thrive—is the lie of free will. The scriptural truth of the bondage
of the will is being denied. And so a generation has arisen that does not
understand its desperate need for a Savior. (Rom. 1:25 cp. 2 Thess. 2:11) The
unspoken question is this: What would
Christ save people from? We can help ourselves—thank you very much!
Long
ago Martin Luther anticipated all this would happen once the concept of the
bondage of the will was surrendered. In a letter to Erasmus, Luther stated that
when all was said and done, the only difference between Roman theology and the
Protestant position was the issue of the will. In other words, if the will is
free as most Protestants now believe, and man is able to move toward God and be
saved at any time of his own choosing, then there is no reason not to unite with
the Roman Catholic Church for Rome has consistently said that the will of man plus the
grace of God equals salvation. The distinctive doctrine of the bondage of the
will, which launched the Reformation and exalted the glory of God in the
salvation of souls, has been abandoned. There is no logical or compelling
reason for most Protestants to stay away from Mass and the Church of Rome.
Their system of theology is the same—salvation by grace through faith plus works,
the work of the free will choosing God as Savior when and where self pleases.
The Importance of the Study of Calvinism
·
Doctrinal
Clarity. The doctrines of sovereign grace are to be
studied afresh because doctrine is the foundation on which the church is built.
The foundation must be dug deep if the superstructure is to stand. To use another analogy, the Christian
is to be deeply rooted in doctrine for it is the will of God. (Eph. 3:17; Col.
2:7) Though doctrine is played down today the church has no right to be lax in
doctrinal clarity. The church has no right to think that it can be unclear on
certain doctrines because they are unpopular. Doctrinal clarity is very, very
important. “All scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be
perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Tim. 3:16,17)
Therefore Christian, Meditate upon these
things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.” (1
Tim. 4:15)
·
The
Ministry of the Gospel. The doctrines of sovereign grace are to
be studied afresh because it is important that the message be accurate
concerning the plight of man and the remedy of God. So, precisely, what is
man’s problem? Is man merely sick or is he dead in trespasses and sins? The
difference between the two is grave for if the church comes up with a
misdiagnoses of the problem it will also give an improper remedy. Then there is
the question as to how the remedy is to be administered. Is it to be made more palatable? Is it to be presented in selfish,
attractive terms? Many people think so with the result being an endless
array of silly religious slogans void of doctrine content and gospel truth.
v
Smile! God Loves You And So Do I.
v
God Loves You And Has A Wonderful Plan
For Your Life
v
Try Jesus!
v
Jesus Is My Co-pilot
Do these slogans reflect New
Testament sentiments? No. But they do reveal the poverty of thinking by the
present generation. They reveal the fact that the modern church has a wrong
view of the problem of man and a wrong remedy for it.
·
The
Glory of God. The doctrines
of sovereign grace are to be studied afresh because at stake is the glory of
God. Pelagianism/Arminianism as a system of theology gives a real measure of
respectability to man and so robs God of His essential glory that rightly
belongs to Him. Those who believe in the doctrines of grace say again, “Sola Deo Gloria!” “To God alone be the
glory.”
Authoritative Standards
The
objective standard by which any system of theology is to be tested is the Bible
as per 2 Timothy 3:16 which declares that, “All
scripture is given by inspiration of God.” Since the Bible is “God-breathed” it must be true. God
cannot lie nor can He make a mistake. Therefore, observe three things.
·
God’s
Word is True. God determines what is truth and what is a lie
and what is false and not public opinion—or anything else. The Scriptures are
to be approached with the attitude of a humble learner. Men are to come to the
Bible looking for truth. They are not to come to the Bible trying to justify
some popular pre-suppositional thinking.
·
God’s
Word is Binding. The Scriptures are to be submitted to.
The church has no right to pick and choose what it will or will not teach. The
whole counsel of God is to be proclaimed. (Acts 20:27) When truth is denied, it
is sin. The obligation placed upon the church is to discover what the Bible
says, believe it. and teach it.
·
God’s
Word is Profitable. More than one person has suggested openly
that since the doctrines of grace are so controversial they should not be
openly proclaimed. But the Bibles say every doctrine in the Bible is useful and
good to a holy purpose. (2 Tim. 3:16,17) The church has no right to stand above
scripture and to pick and choose, which doctrines are useful and which are not.
The doctrines of grace are given for the church to learn and by learning
increase in knowledge of Christ.
To employ another imagery, the
church is a steward in God’s employment. (Titus 1:7) The Lord has given the
church His Word to preach. And the church and the world is not served well
until that is done. By understanding the doctrines of grace, the Christian will
come to a greater appreciation of salvation. Practically, one’s devotional life
will be revolutionized, as an attitude of gratitude is cultivated for what God
has done on behalf of those whom He has given to the Son. Witnessing will
change from a man-centered presentation of the gospel to a God-centered
message. The whole Christian walk will take on a new perspective as the glory
of God is magnified. There will be more purpose and meaning in life. There will
be greater love for Christ. The discovery will be made that the doctrines of
sovereign grace are not only necessary, they are wonderful.
~*~
“It is no novelty, then, that I am
preaching; no new doctrine. I love to proclaim these strong old doctrines, that
are called by nickname Calvinism, but which are surely and verily the revealed
truth of God as it is in Christ Jesus. By this truth I make a pilgrimage into
[the] past, and as I go, I see father after father, confessor after confessor,
martyr after martyr, standing up to shake hands with me…taking these things to
be the standard of my faith, I see the land of the ancients peopled with my
brethren; I behold multitudes who confess the same as I do, and acknowledge
that this is the religion of God’s own church.” (C.H. Spurgeon) While the church must always
and only look to Christ for her truths, the spiritual wisdom of those who have
gone before should not be dismissed too quickly. It is a matter of record that the faith which
is contended for today was embraced by the greatest saints of old: Augustine,
Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, John Bunyan, Jonathan Edwards, Robert M.
M’Chenny, John Gill, Charles H. Spurgeon, William Carey and a host too
innumerable to mention. We have a great cloud of witness gone before us in the
heavenly that the doctrines of sovereign grace are true. Those who proclaim
them please the Father to whom all glory and honor is do. Amen.
Five
Doctrines of Divine Grace
Chapter 2
Total Depravity
Lo,
this only have I found, that God hath made man upright;
but
they have sought out many inventions.
~*~
Ecclesiastes 7:29
I.
Introduction
A.
“Five Points” of Divine Grace
B.
The Basis of Authority
C.
The Importance of the Doctrine of Man’s
Sinfulness
1. Foundational to the Doctrine of Salvation
2. Essential to True Worship
II.
The
Origin of Sin in Humanity
A.
Adam’s Original Righteousness
B.
Adam’s Fall from Grace and Conscience Sin
C.
The Consequences of the Fall of Adam
1.
On himself
2.
On others
III.
The
Nature of Fallen Man
A.
Denials
1.
Man has not lost God’s image altogether
2.
All men are not always as sinful as they
could possibly be
3.
Men are not incapable of relative
goodness
B.
Affirmations
1.
Judicially
2.
Personally
a.
The Senses
b.
The Intellect
c.
The Affections
d.
The Will
IV.
The
Question of Responsibility
V.
The
Bondage of the Will
VI.
The
Implications of the Doctrine of Total Depravity
A.
For the Lost
B.
On Evangelism
C.
In Worship
VII.
Summary
Five
Doctrines of Divine Grace
Chapter 2
Total Depravity
Introduction
As
the doctrines of sovereign grace exalts the glory of God it debases the pride
of man. In a day and age given to pop psychology and self-esteem theology it is
widely assumed that one of the greatest problem of modern man is that he does
not think well of himself. Whenever something goes drastically wrong in
society, such as the rash of school shootings in various states in recent
years, it is assumed that the root problem is lack of self-esteem. One
prominent pastor in California has gleefully written that Self-esteem Theology
will be the foundation for the next reformation within the church. However, the
problem with self-esteem theology is not that man thinks too little of himself
but that he thinks too highly of himself! The essence of sin is not lack of
pride but too much pride. (Luke 18:9-14) The gospel comes not to call the
righteous—or those who are pleased with their spirituality and morality—but
sinners to repentance. (Luke 5:32)
The Importance of the Doctrine of Man’s Sinfulness
Because
of pride and arrogance of the natural man (Mark 7:22), who feels he is in need
of no-one and nothing, (Psa. 14:1) it is important to study the doctrine of
depravity for two reasons: (1) it is foundational to the doctrine of salvation
and (2) it is essential to true worship.
The Christian says he believes in the
doctrine of election. But why is election
necessary? The answer is found in the doctrine of total depravity. The
Christian says he believes in the divine calling. “Why is that necessary? Why is it necessary that God must draw a person
to Himself? Why is irresistible grace necessary?” The answer is found in
the subject of total depravity. The Christian says he believes in justification
and regeneration or that a man must brought to spiritual life before he can
believe. “Why is regeneration necessary?
What makes regeneration so important?” The Christian believes in
sanctification, which is the doctrine that a man must continue to work at
removing the effects of sin. “But what
makes sanctification necessary?” The answer is found in the subject of
total depravity. Salvation will never be understood apart from a clear view of
the sinfulness of the state of the natural man.
Nor
will there be proper worship apart from an understanding of the doctrine of
total depravity. If the believer is to worship God aright and if a person is to
gain the necessary appreciation of salvation, then the heart look to the rock
from which it was hewn and to the hole from which it was dug. (Isa. 51:1) Then,
when the question arises, From what did
God save? the backward look will reveal the depths of human depravity from
which the heart was drawn and there will be a true incentive to worship and to
say,
Thank
you Lord, for saving my soul,
Thank
you Lord, for making me whole.
Thank
you Lord for giving to me
Thy
great salvation so rich and free.
The Origin of Sin in Humanity
According
to the Bible (Eccl. 7:29) God made man “upright”
(lit. straight) but he began to seek
to do all forms of evil on his own. Man was created perfect—morally,
religiously, and spiritually. He was created in accordance with God’s perfect
moral standards. But man was also created mutable or with the capacity to
change. And change Adam did. Though he knew what it was like to have sweet and
intimate fellowship with the Lord, though he knew what it was like to walk with
God (Gen.3: 8), Adam changed by a sinful act of disobedience. (Rom. 5:12)
How
Adam was able to move from a state of grace to a state of disgrace is a great
mystery for he was not created morally neutral. Adam’s original righteousness
was that of positive inclination towards God. He was created in such a way that
he wanted to obey the Lord. But he sinned and became conscious of that fact.
In
the act of sinning Adam was different from Eve. The apostle Paul told Timothy
that Eve was deceived when she ate of the forbidden fruit, but not Adam which
makes the nature of his transgression one of apostasy. Adam’s in was the action
of a willful, deliberate decision and the question arises as to why. Adam,
why did you eat the forbidden fruit? Several possibilities come to
mind.
·
It may be that Adam ate of the forbidden
fruit our of love for Eve. When Adam realized that Eve was under a sentence of
death, it is possible that he made a decision to desire the creature more than
the Creator. Adam joined Eve in death
out of love. The problem with this view is that it makes the disobedience of
Adam to appear somewhat noble, or at least romantic. But his action was not
noble, it was treacherous.
·
It may be that Adam ate of the forbidden
fruit because he was simply curious about sin having no regard for the known
consequences. Many a person has been brought up in a religious manner only to
become curious about evil and engaged in wicked behavior out of simple
intrigue.
·
It may be that Adam ate of the forbidden
fruit because he believed the words of Satan as well as the words of God. There
is a sense in which the things Satan said were true. The devil said that the
eyes of Adam and Eve would be “opened”
and they were. (Gen. 3:13 cp. 3:17) The devil said that they would both know “good and evil” and they did—but not like
God. That was the deceptive part of the truth. But it did not matter for a
half-truth is a whole lie. Instead of Adam and Eve knowing “good and evil” objectively, like God, they would know it
subjectively, like the devil who would now become their “father” and the
“father” of their offspring. (cp. John 8:44)
In the final analysis, the Bible is
content to say that Adam sinned willfully and knowingly. He consciously
violated the terms of the covenant imposed upon him. God had given Adam all
that he would need in order to obey the gracious terms of life, God had given
to Adam clear warning of the consequences of disobedience—and Adam disobeyed.
He turned on God and defied Him and broke the terms of fellowship and the
covenant.
The
consequences of the Fall of Adam were severe and immediate as the effects were
felt on himself and on others. With the sin of Adam several thing happened.
·
Death. The Lord had warned Adam that the
day in which he ate he would die and die Adam did. There was an immediate
spiritual separation or death from God and the process of physical death began.
(Rom. 6:23) The evidence for a state of spiritual death is reflected in Adam’s
awareness of evil which is why he had to get the fig leaves to cover himself,
and it is evidenced by his broken fellowship with God.
·
A new vocabulary was created to define
new emotions and behavior: sin, shame, guilt, transgression, hatred, evil, remorse,
and desperation.
·
The descendants of Adam would be
affected. The stain of sin would be passed on from one generation to the next
in the process of procreation. Since the birth of Cain, every person is born
into the world physically alive but spiritually dead. (Rom. 5:14 cp. Eph. 2:1)
Adam acted as a Federal Representative of the human race. When he sinned, all
sinned. The proof of this spiritual truth is that all die, even those who had
no law. (study Rom. 5:12-14) Because of Adam, all men are born “depraved.” (Isa. 48:8; Psa. 51:5; 58:3;
Eph. 2:1) We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners. And
sin is pandemic. It is universal (Gen. 6:5) Sin forms and transforms every
thought and action of the heart of man so that it is evil and only evil. Man’s
ambitions, intentions, and desires is evil. Socially, personally,
professionally man is evil—continually! There is never a moment when the
thoughts and intentions of natural man is evil, according to the divine
indictment. This natural depravity or evil is not something that man has
learned. It is there by birth. (Gen. 8:21)
·
Adam and Eve tried to atone for what they
had done. They tried to cover-up what they had lost—their innocence.
·
Adam and Eve fled from the face of God.
(Gen.3:8 cp. Psa. 139:7)
The
Divine response to the situation was that of justice mingled with mercy.
·
God came looking for man. (Gen. 3:9)
·
God held man accountable for his attitude
and actions. (Gen. 3:11,12)
·
God listened to the foolish excuses that
were offered by way of a defense, and then the Lord rendered a righteous
judgment upon all.
v
The serpent was to crawl on its belly and
be crushed. Gen. 3:14,15
v
The woman was to know sorrow and
submission Gen. 3:15,16
v
The man was to work by the sweat of his
brow Gen. 3:17,19
v
The earth would “groan” Gen.
3:18
v
Both man and woman were to be cast out of
the Garden Gen. 3:23,24
v
Both man and woman were to be re-clothed Gen. 3:21
v
Both man and woman were to receive a
promise Gen. 3:15
Though the judgment of God upon the
whole situation and all that were involved was severe, there was much grace
mixed with the justice of God. There always is whether Divine wrath is
manifested in the Garden, in the Flood, or at the Cross-of Calvary.
The Nature of Fallen Man
In
the discussion of the doctrine of total depravity there are some denials that
are worthy of special consideration.
·
The
doctrine of total depravity does not mean that man has not lost God’s image
altogether. The Bible speaks of fallen man still being made
in the image of God. Because of sin, the image of God has been effaced in man
but not erased. Man still has intelligence and he still has religion reflected
by a conscience. No matter how remote a tribe may be in the jungles of the
world, no matter how primitive the people may be, no matter how far individuals
live from civilization, conscience will be found. A sense of right and wrong
will be manifested in the lives of the people. “What is that but the remains of God’s image being worked out?”
·
The
doctrine of total depravity does not mean that all men are always as sinful as
they could possibly be. Not every man is as evil as they can be.
There is relative good. There is a difference between extensive depravity and
intensive depravity. Nevertheless, every part of man in his being has been
corrupted by sin.
·
The
doctrine of total depravity does not mean that men are not capable of relative
goodness. Men can choose their acts of evil. They can
choose to do acts of goodness. There are many acts of philanthropy. There have
been many people who have given up riches and status in society to go to a
place where their services are needed. That is relative good. But as to the
fundamental nature of man, that is fixed in sin. The desire to murder, steal,
and lust is unchangeable apart from the regenerating grace of God.
What
the doctrine of total depravity affirms is that that judicially, in the sight
of God (Isa. 64: 6), and personally, in the sight of self, the soul of every
man has been touched at the core so that every facet of the soul—the intellect,
the affections, and the will—are sinful. Man can do nothing to commend Himself
to God. (Gen. 6:5) God requires that man love Him with all of his heart and
mind and soul. (Matt. 22:37) But man cannot do this. He is too selfish in his
motives.
Because
of sin, the natural man does not think as he should, love as he should, and
make proper moral decisions as he should. Why? Because his nature is such that
he cannot. There is nothing in man that moves him psychologically towards God.
Sensually man moves away from God. Every part of man intended to glorify God (1
Cor. 10:31cp. Eph. 4:19) has been polluted by sin. Therefore, the only hope for
any member of Adam’s fallen race is to find a Savior who can deliver him from
the penalty, power, and pollution of sin. Man needs a Savior who can create a
new heart, a new will, and new emotions within his soul in order for there to
be restored fellowship with God and the power to respond in gospel obedience to
the will of the Father. But the problem is this. Man does not want to be saved.
He does not will to be saved.
The Question of Responsibility
If
the mind of man is spiritually darkened (Eph. 4:18), and it is; if the eyes of
man are spiritually blinded (Rom. 2:19 cp. 2 Cor. 4:4), and they are; if the
natural man is dead in trespasses and sin (Eph. 2:1) and he is, then how can he
be responsible for his attitude and actions?
Is man responsible for his attitude and actions when he is by nature
born depraved? The biblical answer is that every person is indeed responsible
for his sin.
·
Man is responsible for sin because he
loves sin. He loves darkness rather than light. (John 3:19,20) In his fallen
nature man wants more of sin. He cannot get enough of sin. He continues in evil
because he loves it. (Rom. 3:11; Isa. 53:6) Man has a real dislike for the
things of God and a real like for sin in his affections and in his intellect.
·
Man is responsible for sin because he
gives consent to sin. The will of man cannot be separated from his affections
or his intellect, therefore, he is responsible for his attitude and actions.
·
Man is responsible for sin because there
is no impulse from without to do wrong. The internal impulse is present.
Speaking on this topic, Charles Spurgeon said, “People excuse themselves because they have bad hearts. That is the
most flimsy excuse in the world. Do no robbery and thievery come from a bad
heart? Suppose a thief should say to a judge, ‘I could not help it! I have a
bad heart!’ What would the judge say but,
‘You rascal! Why, if your heart is bad I will make the sentence heavier
for you are a villain indeed. Your excuse is nothing.’ We do not preach this
doctrine [of Total Depravity] to excuse you but to humble you. The possession
of a bad nature is my fault as well as my terrible calamity.”
The
statements of Scripture set forth the truth that man is helpless and hopelessly
lost and that by his own choice. He has defied God and is responsible for that
defiance.
The Bondage of the Will
Of
course, it is not to be forgotten that the will of man is captive to what he is
and that is sinful. Since the Fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden, the will of
man is not free reflected by what he
now chooses. (Psa. 14:1ff) The will of man and thus the nature of man is
enslaved to sin. (Jer. 13:23) If a leopard could change its spots, then fallen
man could change his nature. But the leopard cannot change his spots and the
natural man cannot change the bent of his nature—but he is still responsible
for that nature because he does not seek relief.
The bondage of the will is reflected
in other ways. “Can a man, on his own,
choose God?” Jesus said no. (John 6:44) “Why?” Paul explains in
Romans 8:7. The natural mind of man is not subject to God. His will does not
allow it. Man is at war with God. “No man can say that Jesus is Lord except by
the Holy Ghost.” (1 Cor. 12:3) No man can embrace the Lord as Savior except
by the Spirit of God working a work of grace in his heart. Finally there is 2
Peter 2:14. The Bible speaks of man being unable to cease from sin. (cp. Gen.
6:5) Man has gotten himself in a mess he cannot fix. He has defied God. He has
gotten himself into a bondage that he cannot get out of—which is why, in all of
this, man is held responsible for sin. God’s estimate of man is found in Isaiah
1:2-6. Man is sinful through and through.
The Implications of the Doctrine of Total Depravity
·
For
the Lost. The grace and mercy of God designed the words of
the gospel for helpless sinners. The self-righteous and the self-sufficient
have no need of a Savior. But for those who are enslaved to sin and know it,
for those who have been hardened by sin and despair of their wickedness, there
is hope. For those who have a clear sight of themselves and see all too clearly
the natural depravity of the heart, there is a message to receive and the
message is this: Christ receives sinful men.
Come
ye sinners, poor and needy
Week
and wounded, sick and sore,
Jesus
ready stands to save you,
Full
of pity, and love, and power.
Come
you weary, heavy laden,
bruised
and broken by the Fall,
If
you tarry till you’re better,
You’ll
never come at all.
Let
not conscience make you linger,
or
of fitness fondly dream;
All
the fitness He requireth
is to feel your need of Him.
Come
ye thirsty, Come and welcome!
God’s
free bounty glorify.
True
belief, true repentance,
every grace that brings you nigh,
Without
money,
come
to Jesus Christ and buy.
·
On
Evangelism. As the sinner who agrees with his state of
total depravity finds hope in a gracious Savior with power to save, so the
saint who shares the gospel finds his heart encouraged to evangelize by the
truth of total depravity for he realizes just how great a Savior he has to
offer. Christ can still make those who are dead in trespasses and sin to live.
He can make the blind to see and the lame to walk. Christ is mighty to save.
One
of the great problems with so much modern evangelism is that people fail to
realize that their God is too small. The God of contemporary theology can be
resisted by the diminutive will of any person. He is a God that can be told
when to operate and when to go away. Such a God has no power to save anyone for
He is at the mercy of man. Even if He wanted to help, He can do nothing apart
from human will or co-operation.
With
such a gospel presentation the heart of many a Christian cries out in protest.
The true message of the Word of God is to tell people what the Lord has
declared is to be preached: man is ruined by the fail, redeemed by the Lamb,
and regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit. As an ambassador, the
Christian can do no less than to tell men forcefully and plainly they cannot
save themselves, nor can they be saved whenever they chose to be converted.
Salvation is of the Lord and He will decide the day of Divine deliverance.
The will of man, like the goodness of man, has nothing to do
with salvation. The house that is built, partly on a rock, and, partly on the
sand, will fall. And the sinner, who rests his hope of salvation, partly, on
Christ, and partly on his own works, will be damned. You may as well trust in
the supposed merits and pretended intercession of the virgin Mary, or other
saints departed, as trust in your own good works, prayers, or anything you can
do and suffer, either as a compensation to God's justice for your sins, or as
conducive toward your acceptance and salvation.
~*~
Augustus
Toplady
·
In
Worship. When
prideful man is humbled, when the gospel is faithfully proclaimed, then—and
only then—can proper worship take place. Those who are savingly joined to Christ
must look back to the hole of the pit from which they were dug. And then it
will be confessed that while “we were yet
sinners Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8) One can wonder if those who have
never felt the depths of their depravity can worship properly. “Many of you say you have faith in Christ.
Can you tell us anything about Him in whom you say you believe? Were your souls
ever ready to sink into hell? Did they ever stick fast in the miry clay of
corruption? Locked up in the prison of unbelief? Ice bound by impenitence? Laid
lower than the beasts with lusts? Tormented as beset by devils? Did anyone come
to rescue you in that state? Who is He? Is He a Savior? Mary saw the Lord: she
could tell something about it. And so the two disciples going to Emmaus. Can
you this day condescend upon a single incident, even to the extent of the
twinkling of an eye? Any condition of body or soul in which you saw the Lord by
faith? Can you tell what passed between Him and you?” (Arminianism, Another Gospel, Rev.
Jonathan R. Anderson, Glasgow, d. 1859) Those who knows by personal experience
the doctrine of total depravity can testify to the mighty saving power of
Christ.
Summary
A great appreciation of the
sinfulness of sin will result in a greater appreciation for the Savior.
Five
Doctrines of Divine Grace
Chapter 3
Who Made the First Move?
But
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
~*~
Genesis 6:8
I.
Introduction
A.
Review
1.
History
2.
Total Depravity
3.
Dr. T.T. Shields and the Doctrine of
Depravity
B.
Unconditional Election: Points of Dispute
II.
Exegetical
Considerations: Overview of Biblical Statements
A.
Pauline theology and the doctrine of
unconditional election
1.
Romans 8:28-30
2.
Romans 9:7-23
B.
Christ and the doctrine of unconditional election
1. John 10:16
2. John 10:24-29
3. John 15:16
C.
Other selected passages teaching the doctrine of unconditional election
1. Acts 13:48
2. 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
3. Ephesians 1:3-14
4.
2 Thessalonians 2:12-13
5.
1 Timothy 1:16
6.
2 Timothy 1:9
7.
2 Timothy 2:10
8.
Titus 1:2
9.
1 John 4:10
III.
Theological
Considerations: Correlation with Related Biblical Concepts
A.
Sin is Enslaving
B.
Salvation is Undeserved
C.
Election is of God
D.
Election is of Grace
IV.
Practical
Implications
A.
Election and Assurance
B.
Election and Evangelism
C.
Election and Sanctification
D.
Election and Worship
Conclusion: The Issues at State
Five
Doctrines of Divine Grace
Chapter 3
Who Made the First Move?
But
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
~*~
Genesis 6:8
T’s
not that I did choose Thee,
For
Lord, that could not be;
This
heart would still refuse Thee,
Hadst
Thou not chosen me.
Thou
from the sin that stained me,
Hast
cleansed and set me free;
Of
old Thou hast ordained me,
That
I should live to Thee.
Introduction
By
way of review, it has been noted that the doctrines of sovereign grace are the
historic faith of the Church. In particular, during the days of the Reformation
in the sixteenth and seventh century three great principles emerged to guide
faith and practice of the saints. The first rallying cry of the Reformation was
Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone). The
Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689
declares that the Scriptures are the Divine and final authority for all
Christian faith and life. The Bible says that,
All
scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and
is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for
correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That
the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly
furnished
unto all good works.
2 Timothy 3:14-17
The
second rallying cry of the Reformers was Sola
Gratia (grace alone). Martin Luther, like millions of others, had been
taught to believe that salvation was not personal but corporate. Salvation came
to the individual through the Church structure and sacraments. A person was
saved by faith in Christ and good works, with the emphasis being on good works.
As we shall see, Luther endeavored to do good works. But no matter how hard he
tried he simply could not be perfectly sinless and holy. This alarmed him for
he read that without holiness no man shall see the Lord (Deut. 27:26; Gal.
3:10; 1 John 1:8). Luther wanted to see the Lord. But how?
Eventually,
Luther came to understand the grace of God by studying the book of Romans.
(Note: Rom. 1:17) It was only then that his troubled heart found peace with God
and the peace of the God (Rom. 4:4-8; 5:1,2). We want you to have peace with
God and others as well. If you know someone who needs salvation, invite them to
come tomorrow.
The third rallying cry of the
Reformation was Sola Fide (faith
alone). This term refers to the doctrine that salvation is by faith alone,
apart from any human merit or works (Rom. 3:20-22; Gal. 2:16). It has been
observed that God is never impressed with what man can do; but He honors and
respects what His Son has done at a place called Calvary. Every soul that would
be saved must come to Calvary! At Calvary the heart can see united in One the
Judge and the Father, both holiness and utter love, both justice and mercy,
both pardon and penalty, both the vindicated Law and the Flood-point of
compassion. The Cross-honors the Divine Law equally, as it releases the Divine
grace.
Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ
and
thou shalt be saved!
Acts 16:31
History
The
doctrines of grace re-affirms the greatness of God in salvation. They protest
the presentation of any system of salvation that exalts the free will of man
and his inherent goodness. In the 5th century AD, Pelagius, a well
meaning monk, reacting against the teachings of St. Augustine, argued that the
Fall of man was not so complete as to render him incapable of obeying God.
Following the Reformation his thoughts were brought to fruition by the
followers of Jacobus Arminius (1559-1609). An attempt was made in Holland to
try and change the Calvinistic theology of the country. In response to five
points of concern, summarized in the Remonstrance, the five points of Calvinism
were set forth and the anachronism TULIP was created standing for the total
depravity of the heart, the unconditional election of those who will be the
heirs of salvation, the limited atonement or definite redemption of Christ for
those who will be saved, the irresistible grace of God in calling the elect
unto Himself, and the perseverance of the Saints in the faith as a sure sign of
salvation because of the preserving power of God in keeping His own from
ultimate and final failure.
Total Depravity
The
debate between Augustine and Pelagius in the 5th century and the
Calvinist and Arminians in later centuries raged—and still rages today—because
of a central question concerning the will of man and his basic nature. Those
who believe in the doctrines of sovereign grace are convinced that the
Scriptures teach the absolute helplessness and hopeless of man in his natural
state to be saved by one iota of human good or will. It is argued that there is
nothing good in man that commends him to God and there is nothing in man that
would move him to God. While man does have some relative righteousness in that
the image of God in his soul was effaced not erased, the damage done to him
spiritual heart was intensive and extensive. As a single drop of deadly poison
in a glass of water makes all of it unfit to drink, so the soul of man
extensively is unfit for fellowship with God. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Rom 8:8) If natural
man could believe in Christ on his own, then that would be pleasing to God. If
man could love the Lord and respond to the gospel based upon his own positive
volition to the gospel that would be pleasing to God. But because he is in the
flesh he cannot please God which means that he does not have the innate
capacity or free will to be saved. Many years ago Dr. T.T. Shields illustrated
this truth in a wonderful story that he tells.
Dr. T.T. Shields and the Doctrine of Depravity
I
knew a preacher when I was in Hamilton, a very popular preacher. One day we had
a discussion in a ministerial association (before Modernism had become as
rampant as it is now), and there was one man who read an essay on the divine
spark in man, and the development of the best that is in us—of course, entirely
repudiating the doctrine of total depravity; and this popular brother took him
to task. He did not agree with the speaker at all. The popular preacher was
thoroughly orthodox, as I thought. He said that we are a bad lot, as Moody did,
and he quoted Scripture to show that every faculty of the mind was biased, and
that we were really totally depraved. Somebody suggested, “Perhaps Mr. So-and-So will give us a paper on the other side of this
question. At the next meeting I suggest that Mr. So-and-So address us on the
subject of Total Depravity.” This was agreed, and the brother accepted the
task.
Now this man who preached the
doctrine of total depravity was an Arminian in theology. He shrank from the
doctrine of election, and could not agree with it at all. He was great on free
will, but not very strong on divine sovereignty.
The next time the brethren met,
there was a good attendance, and this brother read his paper—he went all the
way from A to Z. Calvin himself could not have outdone him. We were a bad lot
beyond all peradventure. When he had finished his paper he said he hoped the
brethren would excuse him, because he had an appointment and would not be able
to remain for the discussion. But we had one man there who was as keen as a
razor, but who was a Modernist. He would be called a Conservative now, but we
thought he was pretty far-gone then. He said, “Just a moment. I should like to ask Mr. So-and-So a question before he
leaves.”
Turning to the brother who had
delivered the address he said, “I should
like to ask you whether there is anything in man in his natural state, which
can respond to the appeal of the Spirit of God from without?” He thought a
moment and then said, “Certainly there
is.” “Well,” said the Professor, “is
that thing that can respond to the Holy Spirit good or is it evil?” He
said, “If it responds to the Holy Spirit
it cannot be evil.” “I should think not,” said the Professor. “Then it is good?” “I suppose it must be.”
“Then your whole argument fails, sir, and we are not totally depraved.”
You
see, that brother had not learned to think relatively. He had not learned that
if one certain doctrine be true, another cannot be true. There cannot be an
upper without a lower, an east without a west, nor a north without a south. Now
if man is totally depraved there is nothing in him that can possibly respond to
the Divine Spirit. If he is dead in trespasses and sin, he has no power of
himself to deliver himself, or even to assist to deliver himself out of his
natural state. If he be altogether evil then he must remain forever altogether
evil unless God in sovereign mercy touches him into life. And if that be true,
we must have the principle of election. Why? Because those who are in the flesh cannot please God! (Rom. 8:8)
Unconditional Election: Points of Dispute
Turning
from the doctrine of total depravity attention can be given to the doctrine of
unconditional election. Such a doctrine is needed in order to remind people
that if man is to be saved, he needs a Savior. If man is going to be saved he
needs God to do something for and in him that he cannot do for or in himself.
If man is held captive in his rebellion then it becomes clear that God must do
something to break down man’s rebellion and so save him. If man cannot do
anything to commend himself to God, then God must do something to make him able
and that something is grace. Unconditional election is another way of speaking
of divine grace. Unconditional election is God making the first move to give
men a new Master.
Unfortunately,
like each of the major doctrines of grace, the doctrine of unconditional
election is not without controversy. There are some definite points of dispute.
There should not be any controversy on this subject for the Bible plainly
teaches some sort of election. “But we
are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord,
because God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation through
sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.” (2 Thess. 2:13) “Has God chosen all to salvation?” No. “Has He chosen some to salvation?” Yes. “On what basis did God choose those who would
be saved?” The debate begins.
¨
Liberalism.
The Liberal branch of Christian theology teaches that God
has chosen everyone for salvation. The mission of the Church is to tell people
that God will save everyone.
¨
Arminianism.
The Arminian teaches that God foresaw something good in man
and on the basis of that foreknowledge chose him for salvation. Elect, according to the foreknowledge of God
the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling
of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. (1
Pet. 1:2) The argument is made that man chooses God. When God looked down the
halls of time he saw which individuals, based on their own positive volition to
the presentation of the gospel would believe in Christ, and on the basis of
each persons innate faith, elected or chose them.
¨
Calvinism.
The doctrines of sovereign grace affirms that for reasons
known only to Himself, God, according to His own will and good pleasure marked
out or choose those individuals who were to be the heirs of salvation and the
recipients of His grace. God set His love on certain people, not because of any
response towards him or good in themselves, but for His own good pleasure.
Souls are saved according to free grace, not free will. God’s choice of men to
salvation is not due to anything in them. Election is unconditional. Souls are
chosen to salvation unconditionally for there are no conditions that man could
ever meet to satisfy the justice of God. Salvation is according to grace.
Illustration: Noah. Noah found grace in
the eyes of the Lord. (Gen. 6:8) The thought of this passage is that God gave grace
to Noah. Why? Because such is the
nature of grace. Noah was no better than any other person. He was chosen unconditionally
to be the object of redeeming grace.
Exegetical
Considerations: Overview of Biblical Statements
The
theology of Paul clearly teaches the doctrine of unconditional election
¨
Romans
8:28-30 “And
we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknew, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the
image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30
Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”
Commentary. As
this passage is read, a natural question immediately arisen. “What does it mean to be ‘called according to
His purpose?’” It seems obvious that there are certain people who are
called by God in keeping with a larger plan. The “larger plan” is explained in five words: foreknowledge,
predestination, calling, justification, and glorification. The five words form
a golden chain of salvation that stretches from heaven to earth and back again.
·
Foreknown.
It is God who foreknows
who will be saved because He knows whom He will call. God already knows that “There
is none righteous, no, not one.” (Rom. 3:10) God already knows that there
are none that seeketh after Him. (Rom. 3:11) God already knows that no man will
by nature choose to love and obey Him for the depravity of the heart does not
allow righteousness. (Gen. 6:5) If man is to be saved, God must save him. And
the divine commentary is that God does foreknow
whom He will save. The word “foreknow”
is an intimate word. It means to set one’s affection upon. (Amos 3:2 cp. Rom.
11:2; 2 Tim. 2:19)
·
Predestinate.
This term means to establish the destiny
beforehand. And what is the destiny of those who are foreknown? They are destined to be conformed to the image of
Christ.
·
Called.
This word speaks of the external call of the gospel as well as the internal
call whereby God effectually brings souls to Himself.
·
Justified.
To be justified means to be declared righteous before the bar of Divine
justice. Because of Christ’s death at Calvary, the penalty of the law has been
satisfied. God is now free to justify whom He wills.
·
Glorified.
The act of glorification refers to the time when all the vestiges of sin are
reversed and man is restored to his original state of creation with no more
possibility of sin.
Despite
this Golden Chain of Redeeming Grace, there is something about God choosing men
unconditionally
that offends many. There is a belief that unconditional election is somehow
unfair and so the doctrines of grace become a source of embarrassment. A
frantic effort is then made to ‘rescue’ God from being an ‘arbitrary’ Savior
forgetting that a sovereign God can do what He will with His own universe. The
teaching is set forth that the real reason
why God chose certain people is because He foresaw that they would first chose
Him—and that thought is psychologically satisfying. It is also egocentric and
results in a form of auto-salvation. Anticipating the foolishness of men, the
Holy Spirit had the apostle Paul write Romans 9:7-23
¨
Romans
9:7-23 “Neither,
because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac
shall thy seed be called. 8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh,
these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted
for the seed. 9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and
Sarah shall have a son. 10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had
conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 11 (For the children being not yet
born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according
to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 12 It was said
unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13 As it is written, Jacob have I
loved, but Esau have I hated. 14 What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have
mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have
compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth,
but of God that sheweth mercy. 17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even
for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in
thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore
hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. 19
Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted
his will? 20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the
thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21Hath not
the potter power over the clay, of the same
lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? 22 What if
God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much
long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23 And that he might
make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore
prepared unto glory,”
Commentary
To
illustrate the doctrine of unconditional election, the Holy Spirit brings to
mind the case of Esau and Jacob. In unmistakable terms the truth is set forth
that God determined who would serve whom. God determined who would receive the
grace of the covenant. God determined whom He would love. The true difficulty
is not that God would hate Esau but that He would love Jacob. There was nothing
in Jacob that merited the merits of divine favor. Jacob was a rascal. Jacob was
a cheat. Jacob was a natural born swindler and yet he is loved. Jacob is
preferred to Esau. According to Divine authority Jacob will be honored and
served by Esau. None of these things can be understood apart from unconditional
election. The whole point of Romans 9:11 is that the election of God was
according to sovereign grace.
·
Those who protest sovereign grace and
unconditional election argue that the life of Jacob was better than Esau and that is why God choose him. Anyone who
thinks Jacob was somehow better than Esau has probably never been deceived in a
treacherous manner as Jacob deceived his blinded father who was thought to be
dying. The sad story is recorded in Genesis 27. While the sins of Esau were
sins of the flesh, the sins of Jacob were sins of the mind and spirit. As his
name indicates, Jacob was a ‘supplanter’
or chisler from the moment of birth.
·
Then there are those who argue that God
simply loved Esau less than He loved Jacob. Such a contention solves nothing
for there is the problem of inequity. “Why
did God Esau less and Jacob more?” The answer is, “Because He wanted to!”
·
Another argument raised in protest again
unconditional election is to teach Esau and Jacob represents nations. God loved
the descendants of Jacob in the form of the nation of Israel more than He loved
the descendants of Esau in the form of the Arabs. But the inequity still
remains. Furthermore, what are nations but groups of individuals? So nothing is
resolved. Clearly, Paul is speaking of personal individuals. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor
of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. (Rom. 9:16)
“So why did God choose Jacob over Esau?”
Because God is God! “Is this fair?”
(Rom. 9:14) Paul anticipated that question because he taught unconditional
election. [Special Note: Any
doctrine of election that does not raise a protest like the one anticipated by
Paul is not the same doctrine that the apostle taught. The very fact that Paul
had to pause and deal with the issue of unfairness indicates that he was
teaching the doctrine of unconditional election]
From
Esau and Jacob, the apostle presents Moses and Pharaoh as another test case to
illustrate divine sovereignty. ”For he
saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have
compassion on whom I will have compassion.” (Rom. 9:15) This passage has no
meaning whatsoever unless it means that God decides who will be saved. He
chooses unconditionally. “So then it is
not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth
mercy.” (Rom. 9:16) God does not have
mercy because men believe in a faith-decision.
The originating cause of salvation is not man’s will. God did not look
ahead and say of anyone, “He will’s to
believe so I will to elect him.” No! A thousand times, No! God will have
mercy on whom HE will have mercy. No man can say, “God chose me because I chose Him. For the scripture saith unto
Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my
power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he
hardeneth.” (Rom 9:17,18)
Having
set forth enough historical examples to make his point that mercy and grace is
solely in the hands of the sovereign God, the apostle moves on and anticipates
another objection. “Thou wilt say then
unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O
man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him
that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the
clay, of the same lump to make one
vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? What if God, willing to shew his
wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the
vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches
of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory.” (Rom
9:19-23) In these verses and with these words Paul demands a holy hush to fall
upon the objectors who dare to tell God what is fair and what is not fair. The
creature has no right to speak against the Creator or to challenge Him for the
way He does something. The soul is to be subject to the Sovereign in all
matters. When the temptation comes to question God, there should be a holy hush
lest there be an unholy accusation against the Divine Creator. “God is a law unto Himself. He is not obliged
in any way to explain His matters to anyone.”
(A.W. Pink)
There
is something else to consider. Why would anyone want God to be “fair” at the expense of mercy and
grace? If God had let everyone in the human race go to hell He would be “fair.” He would also be “just.” But there would be no mercy in
such a decision. It is far better to call upon the mercy of God and ask, not
for “fairness” but for matchless, marvelous grace. Julia H. Johnston wanted
grace and then greater grace as she spoke of what God does according to His
mercy.
Marvelous
grace of our loving Lord,
Grace
that exceeds our sin and our guilt,
Yonder
on Calvary’s mount out poured,
There
where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.
Grace,
grace, God’s grace,
Grace
that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace,
grace, God’s grace,
Grace
that is greater than all our sin.
“Why would anyone want ‘fairness’ when
they can have grace?” Because of grace there shall be a
multitude redeemed which no man can number from every tribe and nation in the
earth. (Rev. 5:9)
In
dealing with the question of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility, Paul
does not try to find a harmonizing principle. Rather, the apostle argues that
the difference between the Creator and the creature is so vast that the Potter
has a right to do with the clay whatsoever He pleases—and there the matter
rests.
Nor
does Paul try to resolve God’s justice with God’s sovereignty. Those who oppose
the doctrines of grace does this by attributing free will to man—which only
compounds the problem for that is man’s solution
to the alleged dilemma. Paul resolves this matter by declaring the free grace
of a sovereignty of God and telling man to put a hand over his mouth in a holy
hush.
Christ and the Doctrine of Unconditional Election
The
reason why Paul taught the sovereignty of God in salvation is because Christ
taught
the doctrine of
unconditional election.
¨
John
10:16 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.
Commentary. The
plain statement here is that there are many people whom Christ shall. Jesus is
the Good Shepherd. He must—and will—bring many into the fold. This will be done
apart from anyone meriting the grace of God or fulfilling an outward task such
as keeping the Law, being baptized, or performing a particular act of human good.
The elect number from the nation of Israel, in addition to the elect number of
Gentile converts, will constitute the one fold or one flock of whom Christ is
the Good Shepherd.
¨
John
10:24-29 “Then
came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to
doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. 25 Jesus answered them, I told
you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear
witness of me. 26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said
unto you. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall
any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater
than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.”
Commentary.
Based upon John 10:26,27 a question arises.
“Are believers sheep because they are saved? Or, Are believers saved because they are sheep?” The answer is that
those who are saved are saved because they are sheep. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John
10:27) The difference in men is that some are chosen.
¨
John
15:16 Jesus said that the reason the disciples were
His was not because they made the primary choice, but because He made the
choice. “Ye have not chose me, but I have
chosen you.” The disciples responded
to the Divine summons which called them to service because of salvation.
Other Selected Passages Teaching the Doctrine of
Unconditional Election
¨
Acts
13:48 “And when
the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord:
and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.” Luke, in speaking
of Paul’s missionary journey speaks of those who were ordained to eternal life
believed. Who believed? Those, and only those, who were ordained to eternal
life.
¨
1
Corinthians 1:18-31 “For
the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us
which are saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy
the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the
prudent. 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of
this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after
that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by
the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22 For the Jews require
a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified,
unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto
them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the
wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the
weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how
that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are
called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the
wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things
which are mighty; 28 And base
things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and
things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh
should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God
is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the
Lord.”
Commentary. In
this extended passage the argument is made that the important people of this
world are not the one’s who are wise and powerful but who receive the grace and
mercy of God. Most do not receiving saving grace. (1 Cor. 1:26) “Why?”
Because God has chosen certain individuals for salvation in order to
demonstrate His own sovereignty. The whole idea behind this passage is that of
God passing over some and selecting others unconditionally.
¨
Ephesians
1:3, 4 “Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him
before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame
before him in love.”
Commentary. Election
is the fountain for all other blessings! And when did this election take place?
Before the foundation of the world! Satan did not cast one vote for man and God
cast another vote for man and man casts the deciding vote. Besides, as someone
has observed with some humor, Satan could not have cast a vote for man for he
was not a qualified voter. Nor could man have cast a deciding vote for he was
not old enough yet. The election was made before man could have done anything.
It was unconditional.
¨
2
Thessalonians 2:12-13 “That
they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in
unrighteousness. 13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you,
brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to
salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: “
Commentary. “What is the difference between the people in verse 12 and
the people in verse 13? What does Paul say makes the difference?”
God’s divine election! If man is the source of his own salvation, then he does
not need to give God as much thanks than if God is the sole source of
salvation. “But we are bound to give
thanks always to God.” “Why?” “Because God hath from the beginning chosen.
“
¨
1
Timothy 1:16 Howbeit
for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth
all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him
to life everlasting.
Commentary. This
verse does speaks indirectly of election. Apart from God choosing Paul, he
would never have chosen the Lord Jesus for Paul hated Christ and everyone that
was associated with Christ. It was only when sovereign grace arrested and then
slew the Beast that rode the will of Saul of Tarsus that a great transformation
took place. In the words of the apostle, “I
obtained mercy.” In a sovereign manner, unconditionally, mercy was shown to
a sinner in search of souls to execute because of religious madness.
¨
2
Timothy 1:9 Who hath
saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began,
Commentary.
Question: “Why does God save and call souls unto Himself?” Answer. It is not because sinners are
smart enough and capable enough to choose Him. No. It is not according to any good
works or decisions that God saves and calls. Rather “according to his own purpose and grace” does God save.
¨
2
Timothy 2:10 “Therefore
I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the
salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.”
Commentary. Question: “Why
did Paul endure so much suffering and hardships in the ministry?” Answer:
Because the elect who will come to faith as the gospel is preached.
¨
Titus
1:2 In hope
of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
Commentary. Question. “When did God promise eternal life?”
Answer. “Before the world began.” God would not have promised life unless
there were to be souls to give this gift of grace to. The pre-suppositional
thought is in favor of unconditional election.
¨
I
John 4:10 Herein is
love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the
propitiation for our sins.
Commentary. Question. “Why does anyone love God?”
Answer. Because God loves first. God
made the first move toward man. He always has and He always will because man,
in his natural fallen state, cannot move towards from God. Only when the Lord
says, “Live!” is the ability given to
rise up and follow Christ.
¨
Revelation
17:8 “The beast that
thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go
into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were
not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world.”
Commentary.
Question: “When were the names of the elect written in the book of life?“ Answer: Before the foundation of the
world—and that is unconditional grace. Those who oppose the doctrines of
sovereign grace maintain that unconditional election makes man a robot. It is
argued time and again that God did not make man a robot, and that is true. But sin
did. On this point the scriptures are plain. Sin and Satan have united to make
man a robot to various lust patterns. Fallen man is a real captive to Satan.
Souls are “taken captive by him at his
will.” (2 Tim. 2:26) Man is
Satan’s robot to fulfill his lusts. (John 8:44) But Christ has come to set the
captive free. (Luke 4:18) It is free grace, not free will, which abounds to the
glory of God’s praise. God made man in His own image; sin remade man in a “robot’s” image. Now unconditional
sovereign grace returns to restore the original freedom of creation. It is the
devil not the Divine Creator who is to be charged with making man a “robot.”
Theological
Considerations: Correlation with Related Biblical Concepts
·
Sin
is enslaving. Depravity is pervasive and binding. Men are by nature the children of
wrath. (Eph. 2:3) It is the natural inclination of men to disobey, not obey. (2
Tim. 3:2; Tit. 3:3) Why? Because the carnal mind is enmity against
God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. (Rom.
8:7) Man is bound in sin and is hopeless—unless God makes the first move to set
the prisoner free. And He does. For God
so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
·
Salvation
is undeserved. No man is better than another. No person
is better off than another in the matter of being worthy of salvation. Only in
grace does God bring souls to Himself. All through Scriptures the declaration
is made that salvation is “not of works,
lest any man should boast.” (Eph. 2:8,9) If faith, or any part of
salvation, originates with self then a full Savior is not needed. The doctrine
of conditional election borders on impiety when considered logically for it
challenges God’s plan of redemption by contending that man can do something to merit the merits of Christ. Paul rejected such
a concept in the most forceful way by calling it “dung.” (Phil.3: 8, skubalon,
that which is thrown to the dogs, refuse.)
Salvation is something that is completely undeserved. Those who receive Divine
favor receiv it unconditionally.
·
Election
is of God. Salvation is bestowed upon sinners because of
the work of Christ at Calvary. “The heart
of Christ became like a reservoir in the midst of the mountains. All the
tributary streams of iniquity, and every drop of the sins of His people, ran
down and gathered into one vast lake, deep as hell and shoreless as eternity.
All these me, as it were, in Christ’s heart, and He endured them all.” (C.H.
Spurgeon)
·
Election
is of grace and mercy. If God chose a soul for salvation on the
basis of anything else other than grace, it would no longer be grace. Paul
argues this point in Romans 11:6. If one little area of self is added to an
ocean of grace, it ceases to be all of grace. The doctrine of election
maintains that salvation is by God’s grace, alone.
Practical Implications
·
Election
and assurance. Some people argue that if the doctrine of
election is preached it will destroy the ground of assurance. However, just the
opposite is true. When a person accepts the truth of God’s unconditional love,
there is no trouble at all in believing that the God who saves is the God who
will sustain and sanctify. God will preserve His own to the very end. They will
be glorified. (Rom. 8:28-30)
·
Election
and evangelism. The gospel of election gives freedom to
witness without internal pressure or feelings of frustration. The soul winner
is responsible for disseminating the gospel, not for its results. In the act of
evangelism, the one who witnesses is not obliged to talk or coerce someone into
making a “decision.” God is the one
who does the saving. God is the one who opens the heart. (Acts 16:14).
v
It is argued that the motive for
evangelism is lost if the doctrine of election is preached. Paul would
disagree. He said that he endure all things for
the elect’s sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ
Jesus with eternal glory. (2 Tim. 2:10) It is because God will save the elect that the effort is
made to witness. (Acts 18:10) There is real motivation for evangelism.
We
have heard the joyful sound:
Jesus
saves! Jesus saves!
Spread
the tidings all around:
Jesus
saves! Jesus saves!
Bear
the news to every land,
Climb
the steeps and cross the waves;
Onward—‘tis
our Lord’s command;
Jesus
saves! Jesus saves!
v
It is argued that the doctrine of
unconditional election discourages a person from trusting in Christ for they
might think they are not one of the elect. The proper answer is this. Let no sinner exclude himself from the
benefit of the gospel, by saying either ‘I know not if I be elect,’ or, ‘I know
not if I be a believer and so I know not if Christ died for me and gave Himself
for me in particular.’ This is to mistake the ground and the object of faith:
for as salvation in God’s purpose to the elect is not the ground of faith, and
salvation in possession of the believer is not the ground, but salvation in the
Word of grace and in the gospel offer: this is the glad news that comes to the
sinner’s ears, upon which he may build his faith and hope of salvation. The
question then is not, ‘Are you an elect person or not?’ Nor is it, “Are you a
believer or not?’ But the question is “Are you a sinner that needs a Savior?’
Is it not Christ in the decree of election that you are to look to, while you
know not that you are elected—that is to go too far back; nor is it Christ in
the heart or in possession you are to look to while you are not a believer—that
it to go too far forward; but it is Christ in the Word. You know that you are a
sinner. [Through Isaiah the prophet, 45:22] Christ as Savior is held forth to
you saying, ‘Look unto me and be ye saved all ye ends of the earth, for I am
God and beside me there is none else.” (Ralph Erskine)
v
Election
and sanctification. Holiness is measured by love and love is
measured by gospel obedience. (Matt. 22:37)
v
Election
and Worship. The basic premise in worship is that God is King
and Lord over everything—including the destiny of every individual. Those who
understand the doctrine of unconditional election will find themselves on their
knees in adoration and thanksgiving, realizing that had God not chosen them,
they would never have chosen Him. The thoughtful heart says to Christ,
I
love Thee, because Thou hast first loved me,
And
purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree;
I
love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow:
If
ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now.
There
is a lesson of humility to be learned from the doctrine of unconditional
election for self must be abandoned in order for there to be salvation and
sanctification. “For thou art an holy
people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special
people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The
LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in
number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people; But because the
LORD loved you.” (Deut. 7:6-8a) “Why
did God choose Israel? Why does God choose anyone?” Because He loves them!
And if it is asked, “On what basis does
God love?” There is only one answer: sovereign grace. “Who made the first move in the act of salvation?” “Man?” No. “God?” Yes. Sola Deo Gloria. To God alone be the glory for the great things He
hath done.
The Issues at Stake
Like all the doctrines of grace, in
the matter of unconditional election much is at stake.
·
The
condition of man’s nature. Either man is enslaved to sin or he is
not. Either man has no free will or he does. Either man is totally depraved or
he is not. Either salvation begins and ends in the sovereign grace of God, or
it begins and ends in the innate ability of fallen man to receive the gospel. “How sinful is man? Is he as sinful as God’s
word says he is? Or is there still some residue of the divine spark in his
sin-saturated soul apart from regeneration?”
·
The
sovereignty of God. “Does
the Creator have a right to do with His own creation whatsoever He pleases? Is
God free to choose whom He wills and to love whom He wills? How sovereign is
God? Is God obliged to save man?”
·
The
salvation of the soul. “Is
salvation according to free will or free grace? Is salvation in Christ
undeserved? Or is salvation something that is merited because of a wise
decision to believe in Christ at the point of gospel hearing? In the salvation
of the soul, who will get the glory? Man? or God?”
Heaven listens for the hearts acknowledgment of sovereign grace.
Five
Doctrines of Divine Grace
Chapter 4
Tulip
is my favorite flower.
~*~
Fred
Zaspel
Limited Atonement: For whom did Christ
Die?
I.
Introduction
A.
Voices from the Past
B.
Review
C.
The Concept of Particularism
D.
Scriptural Evidence of Particularism
E.
The Prayers of Particularism
F.
The Nature of Christ’s Death
1.
Substitutional
2.
Sacrificial
G.
Limited Atonement: The Area of
Controversy
H.
Clarification of Terminology
1.
Sufficiency / Value vs. Efficacy / Design
2.
Preferred Terminology
a.
Limited vs. Unlimited
b.
Definition vs. Indefinite
c.
Particular vs. General
I.
The Limits of the Atonement
J.
The Universal Benefits of the Death of Christ
II.
Theological
Considerations—Biblical Doctrines
A.
Christ’s Death as the Fulfillment of a
Mission
B.
Christ’s Death as Substitutional
C.
Christ’s Death as Efficacious
III.
Selected
Biblical Statements on Particular Redemption
A.
Isaiah
B.
Matthew
C.
Luke
D.
John
E.
Acts
F.
Romans
G.
2 Corinthians
H.
Galatians
I.
Ephesians
J.
Hebrews
K.
Revelation
IV.
Practical
Implications
A.
Worship and devotion
B.
Evangelism
Five
Doctrines of Divine Grace
Chapter 4
Limited Atonement: For whom did Christ
Die?
Introduction: Voices from the Past
“Some persons love the doctrine of
universal atonement because they say, ‘It is beautiful. It is a lovely idea
that Christ should have died for all men; it commends itself,’ they say, ‘to
the instincts of humanity; there is something in it full of joy and beauty.’ I
admit there is, but beauty may be often associated with falsehood. There is
much, which I might admire in the theory of universal redemption, but I will
just show what the supposition necessarily involves. If Christ on His cross
intended to save every man, then He intended to save those who were lost before
He died.
If the doctrine be true, that He [Christ]
died for all men, then He died for some who were in hell before He came into
this world, for doubtless there were even then myriad’s there who had been cast
away because of their sins. Once again, if it was Christ’s intention to save
all men, how deplorably has He been disappointed, for we have His own testimony
that there is lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, and into that pit of
woe have been cast some of the very persons who, according to the theory of
universal redemption, were bought with His blood. That seems to me a conception
a thousand times more repulsive than any of those consequences, which are said
to be associated with the Calvinistic and Christian doctrine of special and
particular redemption.
To think that my Savior died for me who
were or are in hell, seems a supposition too horrible for me to entertain. To
imagine for a moment that He was the Substitute for all the sons of men, and
that God, having first punished the Substitute, afterwards punished the sinners
themselves, seem to conflict with all my idea of Divine justice. That Christ
should offer an atonement and satisfaction for the sins of all men, and that
afterwards some of those very men should be punished for which Christ had
already atones, appears tome to be the most monstrous iniquity that could ever
have been imputed to Saturn, to Janus, to the goddess of the Thugs, or the most
diabolical heathen deities. God forbid that we should ever think thus of
Jehovah, the just and wise and good.”
Charles
Haddon Spurgeon
~*~
“What, I pray is it according to
Scripture, for a man to be assured that Christ died for him in particular? Is
it not the very highest improvement of faith? Doth it not include a sense of
the spiritual love of God shed abroad in our hearts? Is it not the top of the
apostle’s consolation, Romans 8:34, and the bottom of all his joyful assurance,
Galatians 2:20?”
~*~
“Christ did not die for any upon
condition, if they do believe; but He died for all God’s elect, that they
should believe.”
~*~
John Owen
Review
Throughout history the teaching has
been advocated that man has some part in his own salvation by way of a spark of
divinity or a free will. The Five Points of Calvinism, drawn up at the Synod of
Dort in response to the Remonstrance or the Five Points of Arminianism, content
that salvation is entirely of God. From beginning to end, salvation is of the
Lord. Anything that is required to redeem the soul, God provides for the elect
sinner.
The reason why God must provide for
the sinner is because the Bible teaches the doctrine of total depravity or the
fact that man is enslaved to sin which has left him powerless to please the
Lord. Man can do nothing to initiate or contribute to salvation in any way. The
doctrine of total depravity does not teach that man is as bad as he can
possibly be. It simply says that man is as bad off as he can possibly be.
Therefore, Jesus said, “No cam can come
to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.” (John 6:44)
The truth of total depravity leads
to the doctrine of unconditional election. Because there are no divinely
imposed conditions, which the natural man would be able to meet in order to be
saved, his salvation of necessity must be unconditional.
The story is told of a godly
Methodist woman who was faithfully reading her Bible. She lived next door to a
Baptist minister. As the woman read the Scriptures she came across the passages
which dealt with election. Not having learned much in this area she thought she
might ask her neighbor to help her understand the subject. The Baptist pastor
when asked what election meant said, “I
think I can help you. Let me ask you three simple questions. First, ‘Are you
saved?’” The Methodist women had heard the gospel often and she said, “Yes, I am saved.” “Good,” replied the minister. “Now
the second question. ‘Did God save
you by Himself or did you help Him?’” The good woman thought for a moment
and then said, “Oh, no. God saved me all by Himself.” “He did everything?” inquired the Baptist minister. “He did everything,” responded the woman
with confidence. “Then let me ask you the
third and final question,” said the minister. “Did God save you on purpose or was it an accident?” And the
Methodist lady replied, “Well, I guess
God did saved me on purpose.” And the Baptist pastor replied, “That is election.”
Election
is the biblical teaching that God has specifically chosen some that He would
save according to the principle of grace. Grace is need for, as Psalm 14
indicates, when “The Lord looked down
from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did
understand, and seek God, They are all gone aside, they are all together become
filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Psa. 14:2,3) If none seek after God, then
clearly God must make the first move in the salvation of the soul. And God did
make the first move in that He gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life. (John 3:16) God made the first initiative to keep souls
from going to hell. He choose certain people whom He would save, not because
they deserved it, but because of grace.
The Concept of Particularism
In
all of this there is the idea of “particularism.”
God has not set out just to save anybody nor to make all men savable. Rather,
God has set out to seek and to save certain people specifically and
particularly. The concept should not be difficult to embrace for salvation is a
supernatural experience. It requires a work of God in the heart for man to be
saved.
God must save each soul
individually. There is no sacerdotal system where salvation is administered at
the hands of a priest. God works on the soul immediately. He works in the
hearts of individuals and saves them supernaturally. If God must save, and if
he saves men individually, then there is particularism. In His sovereignty God
chooses whom He will save. Man’s destiny is in God’s hands and not man’s. Man
has already chosen his destiny and that is hell. Man has chosen sin. As a
result of his own choosing, man has entered into a state of bondage from which
he cannot be set free by his own power. He needs a Savior. If man is to be
free, if man is to be saved, then it is God who must take the initiative.
Scriptural Evidence of Particularism
The scriptural evidence for
particularism is found in many precious passages.
¨
Matthew
1:21 “And she
shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save
his people from their sins.”
¨
Acts
16:14 “And a
certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which
worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto
the things which were spoken of Paul.”
¨
Romans
8:37 “Nay, in
all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”
¨
Galatians
1:4 “Who gave
himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world,
according to the will of God and our Father:”
¨
Galatians
2:20 “I am
crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of
God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
¨
Ephesians
2:4 “But God,
who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,”
¨
Ephesians
5:2 “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself
for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.”
¨
2
Thessalonians 2:16 “Now
our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us,
and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,”
¨
2
Timothy 1:9 “Who hath
saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began,”
¨
1
John 4:10 “Herein
is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be
the propitiation for our sins.”
¨
1
John 4:11 “Beloved,
if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”
¨
1
John 4:19 “We love
him, because he first loved us.”
¨
Revelation
1:5 “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first
begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that
loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,”
The Prayers of Particularism
As
the scriptures set forth the concept of particularism so does the prayer life
of Christ and Christians. In the gospel of John (17:9) the Lord prayed for His
own. I pray for them: I pray not for the
world, but for them, which thou hast given me; for they are thine. In like
manner, when Christians pray they naturally ask God to save a particular
brother or sister, mother or father, friend or foe. Particular people are
presented before the Lord to be the objects of His redeeming mercy and grace.
In the matter of salvation it is pleasing to the Father for those within the
Christian community to understand that God has chosen “us,” God has redeemed “us”,
God is the One who has drawn “us” to
Christ, God has rescued “us” from
sin. That is particularism.
The Nature of Christ’s Death
The
study of particularism leads to an inquiry into the nature of the death of
Christ. A question arises: “How does God
save those individuals whom He has chosen to be the heirs of salvation?” The
traditional answer is that souls are saved through Jesus Christ. And that is a
correct response. “But how does the death
of Christ save souls?” The scriptural answer is twofold.
·
The
death of Christ was a substitutional death. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd
giveth his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) The death of Christ was the
death of a substitute. Jesus died instead of others. He died in the place of
another. All the spiritual obligations that fell upon the elect sinner fell
upon Christ. “The soul that sinneth it
shall die.” (Ezek. 18: 4) Christ paid the wages of sin, which is death, for
His own. (Rom. 6:23)
·
The
death of Christ was a sacrificial death. As the death of
Christ was substitutional, so it was a sacrificial death. In the Old Testament
economy there was an animal sacrifice to be made in atonement for sin. The
worshipper was to “put his hand upon the
head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement
for him.” (Lev. 1:4) Then the animal was slaughtered. In the New Testament
economy Jesus Christ was the Sacrifice to be offered. He was the Lamb of God to
be slain. (John 1:29) Jesus was the penal (or legal) Substitute in that by His
death the penalty for sins that others committed were paid. Because of the
penal sacrificial substitution of Christ, souls are saved by the Life He gave.
(Rom. 5:10) The blood of Christ reconciles individuals. (Eph. 2:13)
He
took my sin and my sorrow
And
made them His own;
He
bore my burden to Calvary
And
suffered and died alone.
Jesus
does not save men by being a Good Example, though He was, nor does the Lord
save by being a source of inspiration, though He certain provided that as well.
Rather, Christ saves by His death—and the death of Christ was sufficient. There
is nothing left for man to do or to contribute in his own salvation. The Lord “hath saved us, and called us with an holy
calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and
grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” (2 Tim.
1:9)
Jesus
paid it all,
All
to Him I owe;
Sin
had left a crimson stain,
He
washed it white as snow.
Limited Atonement: The Area of Concern
While
most Christians would unite in agreement that any soul saved is saved by the
death of Christ, there is a severe disagreement as to what exactly was
accomplished by the death of Christ. One particular theological concern is
whether or not Christ died for all men without
exception. Those who love the
doctrines of sovereign grace believe that Christ died for all men without distinction in the sense that
Christ died for Jew and Gentile, male and female, rich and poor, educated and
non-educated alike. Others say in essence, “No,
Christ died for all men without exception. Christ died for Joseph Stalin as
well as Augustine. He paid the penalty for the sins of Adolph Hitler as well as
the apostle Paul. Peter had no advantage over Judas Iscariot as far as sins
being forgiven.”
Those who uphold the doctrines of
sovereign grace contend that the death of Christ was more precise. Christ did
not come just to make men savable. There was a definite price paid for a
definite people in order for them to be saved. Christ did not die
indiscriminately. The death of deaths in the death of Christ accomplished a
perfect redemption to be applied to those who will be saved. The real question
to be asked is this: “What was the
purpose of Christ in dying?”
Clarification of Terminology
In
order to answer the proposed question, “What
was the purpose of Christ in dying?”, a clarification of terms would be
helpful.
·
The
sufficiency of the death of Christ. Calvinism does not say
that the death of Christ was good enough only for His elect. No! No! The value
of the death of Chris is immeasurable. Certainly it was sufficient to cover all
sins every man woman and child that has been or ever will be born. If a
thousand worlds had been created and populated, the one death of Christ would
be sufficient for all. The death of Jesus is of infinite value because of who
He is. The death of Christ is sufficient to save every one to be saved and
anyone to be saved. However, the issue is not the sufficiency of the death of
Christ but the efficacy and the design of His death. In its effect, the death
of Christ is applied only to the elect because for them it was designed.
Christ’s death was sufficient for all—
but efficacious for the elect.
·
Preferred
Terminology. The terminology that has emerged to crystallize
the debate is “limited atonement” vs.
an “unlimited atonement”; a “definite redemption” vs. an “indefinite redemption”; and a “particular atonement” vs. a “general atonement.” For the believer in
the doctrines of sovereign grace, the limit of the atonement is not in its
value but in its application. For this reason, many that hold to the position
of sovereign grace are ready to concede that the terminology “limited atonement” is unfortunate and
does not represent what is trying to be said. The term “definite atonement” is more accurate. A concession can be made.
There is room at the cross for all.
The Cross upon which Jesus died
Is a shelter in which we can hide.
His grace, so free is sufficient for me.
Wide as the ocean, deep as the sea.
There is room at the Cross-for you.
The Limits of the Atonement
Having acknowledged the sufficiency
of the death of Christ to save any and all that will come to the Cross-there
are still limits to the death of Christ to be recognized. If Judas Iscariot
went to hell (Acts 1:25) then the atonement did not avail for him. To concede
this truth is to grant that either the power of the Cross-is limited or the
extent is limited. The Cross-is limited in scope or it is limited in advantage.
Rather than deny the power of Christ to save, it must be realized that the
purpose of Christ was much more definite—He would save His people from their
sins. Psychologically as well as technically, it is much better to speak of a
definite atonement than a “limited” atonement for the merits of the Cross-was
given definitely to save souls.
The Universal Benefits of the Death of
Christ
While contending for a definite
redemption there are some universal benefits of the death of Christ that can be
acknowledged.
·
The
redemptive nature of Calvary is not limited to the Jews.
There is a universal offer of the gospel. Christ set out to save a large number
of people from every nation, kindred and tribe, and He has. (Rev. 5:9) In this
sense there are no boundaries to the merits of the Cross-universally. The
invitation to come to Christ is extended to the entire world. (Matt. 28:19,20)
The good news is to be shared that Jesus has removed every legal obstacle from
sinners. He has died to set men free from the power of sin. Christ has come to
cleanse all that call upon the name of the Lord.
·
The
benefits of grace are universal. There is the
privilege of hearing the gospel message, and of living in a country that has
been blessed by God because of the righteous. (Psa. 33:12)
·
There
are temporal benefits that accrue from the death of Christ. Because
of Christ, God is able to continue to make the sun to shine on the just and the
unjust alike. Because of Christ the wrath of God can be delayed. (2 Pet. 3:9)
Theological Considerations—Biblical Doctrines
How
does the doctrine of a definite redemption harmonize with other scripture? The
simple answer is, “Very well!” For
example, in John 10 the Lord declares that His death was the fulfillment of a
specific mission. “I am the good
shepherd; the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)
The mission of Christ was to protect His sheep not only from the harm that men
would do to them, but also from the harm that sin would do to them as well. So
Jesus said, “I lay down my life, that I
might take it again.” (John 10:17) In John 6:35 the teaching is again
presented that the Lord was on a mission. He had come to redeem all that the
Father had given to Him. “And this is the
Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should
lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.” (John 6:39)
In John 17, just a few hours from
the Cross, the Lord spoke one last time of the great mission He was on. The
particular mission of the Master was to give eternal life to as many souls as
the Father had given to Him. (John 17:2) Eternal life includes not only
duration of time but also a quality as will. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John 17:3) What is life eternal? To
know God and His Son, Jesus Christ. The Lord can give life eternal to all that
believe because He lives. And the Lord lives because He pleased the Father and finished the work which [the Father] thou
gavest me to do. (John 17:4) The Father had given His Son a people to save
and He accomplished the great mission of redemption for His own. (John 17:9,
20) The Covenant of Redemption was complete.
As the death of Christ occurred
because He was the Messiah on a mission (John 10:18b) so His death was a
substitute. Over and over the Bible speaks of this aspect of the work of
redemption.
¨
Galatians
2:20 “I am
crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of
God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
¨
2
Corinthians 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.”
¨
Galatians
3:13 “Christ
hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it
is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”
¨
1
Corinthians 15:3 “For
I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ
died for our sins according to the scriptures; “
It
is the repeated and emphatic teaching of Scripture that the death of Christ was
in place of all who will be saved. Christ was judged for sin so that those who
are saved cannot be judged. If Christ died for all men, Judas as well as Paul,
then a new definition of substitution is brought into view. He is condemned and
those who sin are condemned—and that is not right. Judgment cannot fall upon
both. Therefore, it is not a Son question [as some suggest] but a Sin question.
And the sin question is this: “Did Jesus
pay for the sins of all men or did He not?” If Christ did bear all the sins
of all people then no one should be condemned even for unbelief, for that would
be the greatest of all sins. But since men are condemned for rejecting Christ
as Savior, then there must be a just basis of condemnation. If Christ died for
the sins of all men there is no basis of judicial judgment. However, if Christ
did not die for the sins of the non-elect there is a just basis of reproach. It
is sinful works of sinners that separates them from God, not the Son. The Son
stands and cries, “Come unto me all ye
that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28)
Either
Christ died for all the sin of all men,
In
which case all will be saved,
or
He
died for some of the sins of all men,
In
which case no one will be saved;
or
He
died for all the sins of some men
In
which case they will be saved
and
that without exception.
~*~
John
Owen
“To think that my Savior died for me who
were or are in hell, seems a supposition too horrible for me to entertain. To
imagine for a moment that He was the Substitute for all the sons of men, and
that God, having first punished the Substitute, afterwards punished the sinners
themselves, seem to conflict with all my idea of Divine justice. That Christ
should offer an atonement and satisfaction for the sins of all men, and that
afterwards some of those very men should be punished for which Christ had
already atones, appears tome to be the most monstrous iniquity that could ever
have been imputed to Saturn, to Janus, to the goddess of the Thugs, or the most
diabolical heathen deities. God forbid that we should ever think thus of
Jehovah, the just and wise and good!”
Charles
Haddon Spurgeon
~*~
Finally,
the death of Christ was efficacious and so harmonizes with the doctrine of a
definite redemption. The death of Christ actually saves men. He does not make
men savable or but He is mighty to redeem.
¨
Romans 4:25 “Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our
justification.”
¨
Galatians 3:13 “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse
for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”
¨
2 Corinthians 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.”
¨
Romans 5:10 “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of
his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”
¨
1 John 2:2 “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but
also for the sins of the whole world.”
¨
Hebrews 9:12 “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he
entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”
The Bible does not present these
things as being potential but actual spiritual transactions. God the Father is
satisfied with all that the Son has done. By the death of Christ men are saved
and that salvation is secure and eternal. Jesus did not die on the Cross hoping
that someone somewhere and somehow be saved. Christ died with full confidence that
He was redeeming a people unto Himself. Jesus died knowing that the redemption
He accomplished would be applied to others. And while men must believe, his
faith, purchased by Christ, is the gift of God. (Eph. 2:8,9) There is no such
thing as a non-effective atonement. That would be a contradiction in terms. The
work of Christ accomplished salvation so that Paul can rejoice and say, “He gave himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20)
Who Limits the Atonement?
“We are often told that we limit the
atonement of Christ because we say that Christ has not made a satisfaction for
all men, or all men would be saved. Now, our ready reply to this is, that, on
the other hand, our opponents limit it: we do not. The Arminians say, Christ
died for all men. Ask them what they mean by it. Did Christ die so as to secure
the salvation of all men? They say, ‘No,
certainly not.’ We ask them the next question—Did Christ die so as to secure
the salvation of any man in particular? They answer, ‘No.’ They are obliged to
admit this, if they are consistent. They say, ‘No. Christ has died that any man
may be saved if’—and then follow certain conditions of salvation. Now, who is
it that limits the death of Christ? Why, you. You say that Christ did not die
so as infallibly to secure the salvation of anybody. We beg your pardon, when
you say we limit Christ’s death; we say, ‘No, my dear sir, it is you that do
it.’ We say Christ so died that he infallibly secured the salvation of a
multitude that no man can number, who through Christ’s death not only may be
saved, but are through Christ’s death not only may be saved, but are saved,
must be saved and cannot by any possibility run the hazard of being anything
but saved. You are welcome to your atonement, you may keep it. We will never
renounce ours for the sake of it.”
Charles
H. Spurgeon
~*~
Selected Biblical Statements on Particular Redemption
¨
Isaiah
53:4 “Surely
he hath borne our grief’s, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him
stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”
¨
¨
Isaiah
53:8 “He was
taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? For
he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my
people was he stricken.”
¨
Isaiah
53:10 “Yet it
pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make
his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days,
and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.”
¨
Isaiah
53:11 “He shall
see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall
my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”
¨
Matthew
1:21 “And she
shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save
his people from their sins.”
¨
Matthew
20:28 “Even as
the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his
life a ransom for many.”
¨
Matthew
26:28 “For this
is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of
sins.”
¨
Luke
1:68 “Blessed
be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,”
¨
John
3:16 “For God
so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Note. The death of Christ is limited to
believers. He gave His only begotten Son whosoever believeth shall be saved.
And other passages reveal who will believe—the elect.”
¨
John
11:51 “And this
spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that
Jesus should die for that nation;”
¨
John
11:52 “And not
for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the
children of God that were scattered abroad. Note. Jesus died to secure the salvation of His people.”
¨
Acts
20:28 “Take
heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy
Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath
purchased with his own blood.”
¨
Rom
8:32 “He that
spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with
him also freely give us all things?”
¨
2
Corinthians 5:14 “For
the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for
all, then were all dead:”
¨
2
Corinthians 5:15 “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.”
¨
Galatians
2:20 “I am
crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of
God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Practical Implications
·
For
worship and devotion. Paul said in Galatians (6:14) that he
gloried in the Cross. Paul looked at the Cross and said in effect, “There, Jesus died for me. He bore all of my
sin and took them on Himself.” When it is seen that Christ died
specifically for souls then there will be a renewed, personal, glory in the
Cross.
Dear
dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
Shall
never lose its power
Till
all the ransomed Church
Be
saved to sin no more.
·
For
evangelism. Preaching the doctrine of a definite atonement
does not hinder evangelism. Just the opposite is true. For those who understand
the doctrine of grace there is great incentive to witness for the promise is
given that if the gospel is preached there will be souls saved. (Acts 18:10;
John 4:35) There is no more glorious message in all the universe than the
gospel message that Christ died for sinners and anyone who comes to Him as the
Sovereign Savior shall be redeemed by the power of His blood shed at Calvary.
All who believe in Christ will be given life eternal. And those who believe,
those have been given spiritual mercies of Divine Majesty in this life cannot
keep from saying,
To
Jesus, the crown of my hope,
My
soul in hast to be gone;
Oh
bear me, ye cherubim, up,
And
waft me away to his throne.
Five
Doctrines of Divine Grace
Chapter 5
Irresistible Grace or Effectual Calling
I. Introduction
A.
Voices from the Past
B.
Review
C.
Irresistible Grace: The Issue Clarified
1.
A Simple Definition: Effectual calling
refers to the means by which we are
actually transferred into the fellowship of Christ
2.
Misunderstandings
a.
You
are saying that God saves people even if they do not want to be saved!
b.
But
is it not obvious that people often resist salvation, even those who are later
saved?
II.
The
Biblical Meaning of “Calling”
A.
General usage
B.
Special usage
¨
1 Corinthians 1:9
¨
1 Corinthians 1:18
¨
1 Corinthians 1:24
¨
1 Corinthians 1:26-28
¨
1 Corinthians 1:30
III.
The
Consistent Teaching of Scripture
¨
John 10:3
¨
Romans 8:28-30
¨
Romans 9:23-4
¨
Galatians 1:6
¨
1 Thessalonians 2:12
¨
1 Peter 2:9
¨
1 Peter 5:10
¨
2 Peter 1:3
¨
Jude 1:1
C.
“The
called” as a title for Christians
III. Related Biblical Statements
¨
Psalm 110:3
¨
Matthew 11:25
¨
John 10:6:44,45
¨
John 17:2
¨
Acts 16:14
¨
Romans 9:16
¨
1 Corinthians 2:4
¨
1 Corinthians 2:9,10
¨
1 Corinthians 4:7
¨
Philippians 2:13
IV.
Theological
Considerations
A.
Human Depravity as Binding and Blinding
B.
The Unity of the Plan of Redemption
C.
Salvation as a Work of God
D.
The Conditions of Salvation as a Gift of
God
1.
Faith
2.
Repentance
3.
Regeneration
V.
Practical
Considerations
A.
Worship
B.
Evangelism
C.
Deterrent to Discouragement in Ministry
D.
Deterrent to Both Pride and Jealousy in
Ministry
Five
Doctrines of Divine Grace
Chapter 5
Irresistible Grace or Effectual Calling
Introduction: Voices from the Past
“And if God does require of the
sinner—dead in sin—that he should take the first step, then he requireth just
that which renders salvation is impossible under the gospel as ever it was
under the law, seeing man is as unable to believe as he is to obey, and is just
as much without power to come to Christ as he is without power to go to heaven
without Christ. The power must be given to him of the Spirit. He lieth dead in
sin; the Spirit must quicken him. He is bound hand and foot, fettered by
transgression; the Spirit must cut his bonds, and then he will leap to liberty.
God must come and dash the iron bars out of their sockets, and then he can
escape afterwards, but unless the first thing be done for him, he must perish
as surely under the gospel as he would have done under the law. I would cease
to preach if I believed that God, in the matter of salvation, required anything
whatever of man which He Himself had not also engaged to furnish…I am the
messenger, I tell you the master’s message; if you do not like the message
quarrel with the Bible, not with me; so long as I have Scripture on my side I
will dare and defy you to do anything against me. ‘Salvation is of the Lord.’
The Lord has to apply it, to make the unwilling willing, to make the ungodly
godly, and bring the vile rebel to the feet of Jesus, or else salvation will
never be accomplished. Leave that one thing undone, and you have broken the
link of the chain, the very link which was just necessary to its integrity.
Take away the fact that God begins the good work, and that He sends us what the
old divines call preventing grace—take that away, and you have spoilt the whole
of salvation; you have just taken the key-stone out of the arch, and down it
tumbles. There is nothing left then.”
~*~
Charles
Haddon Spurgeon
Review
Many
times, historically, when there has been an
undertaking to re-examine the doctrines of sovereign grace, it is because
there has been a movement away from these scriptural truths. In the fourth
century Pelagius (c. AD 354-after 418) emerged to speak of man’s ability to
co-operate with God in his own salvation. Pelagius rejected the idea that man
was in need of internal grace in order to keep the commandments of God. Human
nature, he insisted, was created good and was endowed by God from creation with
power to live a virtuous and upright life if a man so willed. The grace of
creation is sustained by the illumination of the Law and by the life of Christ
as a Good Example.
The
thoughts of Pelagius were repudiated in Church councils and history moved
forward. In the sixteenth century, the old issues came back. Jacobus Arminus
and his followers once more emphasized free will instead of free grace.
Attention was focused on what man can do to save himself. And there the matter
rests. Over the centuries there have been any number of individuals and
religious organizations which insist that man has some part to play in his own
salvation.
Nevertheless,
others contend that salvation is of the Lord. One such person to take this
position was John Calvin (1509-1564). His formalized system of theology has
come to be commonly called Calvinism.
While John Calvin did not originate the doctrines of sovereign grace, he was
able to formulate the major biblical concerns into a cohesive system of
presentation through the sermons he preached and the books he wrote such as Institutes of the Christian Religion.
At the heart of sovereign grace
theology is the absolute dominion of God and His rule over the affairs of His
creation including the will of man. It is argued that, “God, whenever He will to make way for his providence, bends and turns
men’s will even in external things; nor are they so free to choose that God’s
will does not rule over their freedom.” (Institutes, Book II, Chapter IV, p. 315) By arguing for the
sovereignty of God in all matters including salvation, God gets all the glory
and the credit due His holy name.
Logically,
all other systems of theology removes from God ultimate glory by making man his
own savior or his own partial savior. The Bible declares that man contributes
nothing to his own salvation. God did it all. And everything that God does
require of man, He supplies so that there is no way that man can boast.
Otherwise, grace would cease to be grace. (Rom. 11:6) Augustine, in his Confessions, prayed, “Give what Thou commandest—and command what
Thou wilt.”
Because
God is the One who provides all that is necessary for salvation, it is certain
that the souls who are to be the heirs of salvation will come to faith. There
will be an effectual calling of the sheep to the Savior. Jesus said, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and
they follow me.” (John 10:27) Effectual calling refers to the means by
which souls are actually transferred into the fold or fellowship of Christ.
God,
having chosen the people He would save,
having
given them to the Son, and the Son,
having
taken them to Himself and accomplishing
their
salvation, now receives from the Father the souls
of
sinners so that the work of redemption
may
be effectively applied to their hearts.
In
all of its simplicity, this is the essence of the doctrine of irresistible
grace.
Irresistible
Grace: The Issue Clarified
Unfortunately, those who oppose the
doctrines of grace make an issue out of this point. There are two thoughts often
repeated which sets forth a basic misunderstanding. Of the doctrines of
sovereign grace. The accusation is often made that that God saves people even
if they do not want to be saved—despite the obvious fact that people do often
resist salvation, even those who are later saved. How can men “resist” if grace is “irresistible”?
What
does not seem to be fully comprehended by the opponents of the doctrines of
divine sovereignty is that irresistible grace teaches that that ultimately God
will infallibly save all those whom He wills to be saved. While there might be
some initial resistance to the gospel, none of those whom the Father has given
to the Son, and none of those for whom Christ has died will be lost. God
effects in the heart all that He requires. For example
·
God
requires faith for salvation. Man must believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ in order to be saved. (Acts 16:31) But where do men get
the faith that is required to believe? It is the gift of God. (Eph.2:8,9)
·
God
requires repentance. But can those who are dead in trespasses
and sin (Eph. 2:1) properly repent? In themselves, there is no innate ability
or desire to repent. God must grant the gift of repentance. (Acts 5:31; 2 Tim.
2:25)
·
God
requires that men be willing to be saved. The natural man
is not willing to be saved for there is none that seeketh after God. (Rom.
3:11) The will of man is in bondage to sin so that he does not will to be
saved. (John 1:13; Rom. 9:16) That is, man does not will to be saved until God
regenerates Him and makes him willing in the hour of salvation. (2 Cor. 6:2)
·
God
requires men to draw near the Cross. And God draws men to
Calvary and brings them to Christ. (John 12:32)
Because
God gives men faith for salvation, repentance unto life, a new heart that is
willing to be saved, and sight to see the Savior it can be said that His grace
is irresistible. God changes the nature of a person so that they want to be
saved. No one has ever been saved against his or her will, or apart from
repentance, and love for Christ. But because the Creator knows how to change
the creature, grace can be given. When the gospel call is then heard, there is
an irresistible longing to respond in a positive manner. Even though many that
are later saved may initially resist the gospel, Acts 7:51) it does not matter.
They will come to faith in due course because of sovereign grace being
effectively applied to their hearts. It is secret work of a mercifully God.
The Biblical meaning of “Calling”
·
General
usage. The word “called”
is used in reference to the gospel appeal that is given to all men generally.
The Bible speaks teaches that many are
called (Matt. 22:14) to salvation for God commandeth all men every where to repent. (Acts 17:30). The general
call of the gospel is a sincere offer of saving grace to every man, woman, and
child who hears it.
·
Special
usage. However, not everyone who hears the gospel
believes its message. Not everyone who receives the call to follow Christ comes
to faith—while others do. “Why? Why is it
that the gospel is effective in the lives of some?” The divine answer is
that there is a special meaning to the word “called”.
There is a specific call to salvation that is given to individuals which not
only invites souls to the salvation but also actually brings them to the Savior
as per 1 Corinthians 1:9: “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto
the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” Notice that the call is spoken of here as
something more than just a call to salvation. It actually effects something. It
brings souls in the fellowship of Christ.
In
1 Corinthians 1:18 Paul writes that, “the
preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness.” The gospel is “foolish” to the natural man for he is
totally depraved. Because of natural spiritual inability to appreciate the
gospel it is of no effect. Sin blinds men without mercy to the gospel so that
he calls it foolishness. Nevertheless, “unto
them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the
wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24) is made manifest for they are gloriously
saved. Souls are saved through the preaching of the gospel (1 Cor. 1:18)
because they are called. “Why are only
certain souls saved?” 1 Corinthians 1:26-28 explains. God has chosen some
to salvation. That is the plain argument of the passage. Therefore, “He that glorieth, let him glory in the
Lord.” (1 Cor. 1:31)
The Consistent Teaching of Scripture
¨
John
10:3. Speaking of himself as the Great Shepherd, Jesus
said, “To him the porter openeth; and the
sheep hear his voice; and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them
out.” If this passage does not stress the efficacy of the call, it does
stress the object of the called. Question: “Who
are called?” Answer: The sheep.
The Shepherd, Christ, comes and calls His sheep and they follow Him. Christians
are not sheep because they believe; they believe because they are sheep who
have been given to the Father.
¨
Acts
2:38ff. On the great day of Pentecost when Peter
preached the power of the Holy Spirit was present. People cried out and asked
what was to be done for salvation. “Then
Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the
Holy Ghost.”
¨
Romans
8:28-30. This passage teaches that individuals come to
faith in keeping with a Divine and eternal plan. God has proposed to do
something in accordance with the purpose of His will. God’s will is to
foreknow, predestinate, call, justify, and glorify certain souls. This is seen afresh by asking a basic question and
then following the links of the Golden Chain of Salvation in reverse. The
question is this: “Who shall be
glorified?” Answer: Those who
are justified. Question: “Who shall be
justified? Answer: Those who are called? Question:
“Who shall be called?” Answer: Those who are predestinated? Question: “Who are predestinated?” Answer: Those whom God has foreknown and foreloved.
¨
Romans
9:23,24ff. In context Paul speaks of God as the potter who
has power of over the clay. God can make vessels of mercy as well as vessels of
wrath. Who are the vessels of mercy? Those whom He has called. (note 9:29)
Other
particular passages speaking of a calling to Christ include Gal. 1:6; 1 Thess.
2:12; 2 Tim.1: 9; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 Peter 5:10; 2 Peter 1:3; and Jude 1:1. The
theme of a divine calling is pervasive throughout scriptures.
“The called” remains a Title for Christians
In
Jude 1:1 the Scriptures speak of those who are “sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.”
Notice again, “Who are the called?”
Those who are preserved in Christ Jesus having been sanctified or set apart by
the Father. Observe carefully that the called
are sanctified. One of the great
charges often leveled against those who believe in the doctrine of sovereign
grace is that God wants men to sin.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Because of his fallen nature, the
natural man wills to sin, and must sin, for he cannot cease from sinning.
However, Christ Jesus “gave himself for
us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar
people, zealous of God works.” (Tit. 2:14) The true ministers of the gospel
have always preached that “Justification
and sanctification go always hand in hand. He who is ‘made of God unto us,
righteousness,’ is also ‘made sanctification’; we are ‘justified and sanctified
to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God.’ (Ebenezer
Erskine, sermon preached June 4, 1721) While salvation is by grace through
faith alone, saving faith is not alone for good works accompanies it.
Related Biblical Statements
Many
passages in scriptures teach that God initiates the work of salvation. His
grace is manifested in those who will be saved. He does everything for us.
¨
Psalms
110:3 “Thy people
shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the
womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.”
¨
Matthew
11:25 “At that time
Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed
them unto babes.” God will reveal His truths to whom He
wills. Why? Because it seems good in His sight. Every man lies in God’s hands,
not their own.
¨
John
3:8 “The wind
bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not
tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of
the Spirit.” God is the one who controls the winds of life
and the winds of eternal life as well.
¨
John
6:37 “All that the
Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise
cast out.” Not most of them but all whom have given to the
Son will be given to Him.
¨
John
6:44,45 “No
man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will
raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall
be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of
the Father, cometh unto me.” The same word for
draw in verse 44 is used in John 18:18 of Peter drawing the sword from its
scabbard and in John 21:11 of the fish being drawn into the nets. The same word
is used of the mob dragging Paul in Acts 16:19.
¨
John
17:2 “As thou hast
given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as
thou hast given him.” Eternal life is given to as many as the
Father has given to Him.
¨
Acts
16:14 “And a certain
woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which
worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto
the things which were spoken of Paul.” Why did Lydia listened
to the gospel Paul preached? Because God opened her heart.
¨
Romans
9:16 “So then it is
not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth
mercy.” The ultimate cause of salvation is not the will
of man but the mercy of God.
¨
1
Corinthians 2:4 “And
my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in
demonstration of the Spirit and of power:” The preaching
of Paul was premised that God would save souls through His own power, not
through the techniques of man.
¨
1
Corinthians 2:9, “But
as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into
the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But
God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God.”
¨
1
Corinthians 4:7 “For
who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not
receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst
not received it?”
God makes the difference.
¨
Philippians
2:13 “For it is God
which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” If
you willed to come to Christ, God made you willing according to His good
pleasures.
Theological Considerations
There
is a general call to salvation and there is special and particular call. While
the first might be effectively resisted, the latter will not be resisted for it
is the means by which souls are brought to salvation. One clear example of the
distinction between the general call of the gospel and the effectual of the
gospel being applied is found in Luke 14:15-24. In this narrative the general
call goes forth but men begin to make excuses. By nature, people want nothing
to do with the gospel. They will not show respect to the Sovereign. However,
the gospel goes forth again with divine compulsion and the house of the Lord is
filled. Such compulsion is needed for none
seek after God. (Rom. 3:11) The gospel is foolishness to the natural man.
(1 Cor. 1:18; 2:14) Because the soul of man is bound in sin and blinded to the
message of grace, of what value is there in preaching free will? It has no
value because it has no power to effectually change the soul so that it can be
or will be saved.
There is a way for the will of man
to be different so that in the day of gospel hearing he wants to come to faith.
That special way of salvation is called sovereign grace. In grace God causes
the light to shine out of the spiritual darkness of the soul. In grace God causes the glorious light
of the gospel to shine in particular hearts so that individuals can say, “God hath given to me the light of the
knowledge His glory in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Cor. 4:6) Grace not
only relieves our fears, grace teaches our hearts to fear.
The Unity of the Plan of Redemption
God
shows saving grace because it is part of the unity of the plan of redemption.
God has not simply “done His part”
and now it is “up to the sinner to do his
part.” No! No! The Father has not only planned salvation, the Son has not
only executed the plan of the Father and paid the price for a people, but now
the Holy Spirit effective draws souls to Christ. A redemption which has been
accomplished is effectively applied so that it can be said in eternity as well
as in time, “Of them which thou gavest me
have I lost none.” (John 18:9)
Salvation as a Work of God
Despite
the best efforts of man to formulate various systems of salvation that are
synergistic, the Scriptures consistently reveal that the salvation that
effectual redeems is monotheistic. God saves apart from human work, human
efforts, human [natural] will, and human ”But
of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and
righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (1 Cor. 1:30) For as the
Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth
whom he will.” (John 5:21)
The Conditions of Salvation are the Gifts of God Grace
·
Faith.
God commands men to have faith (Acts
16:31), and gives the faith that is commanded. (Matt. 16:15-17 cp. 1 John 5:1;
John 6:29; Eph. 1:19)
·
Repentance.
God commands men to repent (Acts 2:38; 17:30), and gives the gift of
repentance. (Acts 5:31; 11:18; 2 Tim. 2:25) Men oppose themselves until God
grants them repentance.
·
Regeneration.
God commands men to be born again (John 3:7), and then regenerates them. (James
1:18; John 1:13; Eph. 2:8,9) Salvation is given to men. God saves sinners. He
manifests His sovereignty to whom He will.
Practical Considerations
·
Worship.
Understanding the particular nature of salvation and effectual calling, the
believer should fall down in gratitude before God. Free will leads men to hell.
Free grace makes certain souls will go to heaven. When the question is raised, Who is on the Lord’s side? The heart in
worship answers,
Jesus,
Thou hast bought us,
Not
with gold or gem,
But
with Thine own life-blood,
For
Thy diadem: With Thy blessing filling
Each
who comes to Thee,
Thou
hast made us willing, Thou hast made us free.
By
Thy grand redemption,
By
Thy grace divine, We are on the Lord’s side,
Savior,
we are Thine.
~*~
Frances
R. Havergal
·
Evangelism.
A heart of worship leads naturally to evangelism. Those who
know God, those who love Christ, those who honor the Holy Spirit want others to
come to salvation. However, in the act of presenting the gospel it is to be
realized that salvation is of the Lord and those who have been called will
believe. “Whereunto he called you by our
gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thess.
2:14)
·
Deterrent
to Discouragement in Ministry. Sometimes in the act
of witnessing, discouragement sets in. The temptation comes to use extreme and
novel methods in order to get people to make a “decision” for Christ. That is wrong. God will open the hearts when
the gospel is faithful given. The responsibility of the Christian is to sow the
seed. The harvest belongs to the Lord.
·
Deterrent
to Both Pride and Jealousy in Ministry. Because God is the
one who opens hearts, no person should boast of their spiritual
accomplishments. There is no room for pride in evangelism. It is God who gives
the increase. Paul said, “I have planted,
Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” (1 Cor. 3:6)
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Five
Doctrines of Divine Grace
Chapter 6
The Final Perseverance of the Saints
I.
Introduction
A.
A Review of the Regeneration of the
Righteous
B.
Three Systems of Salvation
C.
The Perseverance of the Saints: Definitions
D.
Two Main Ideas: Preservation and
Perseverance
1.
Clarifications
a.
This is not to say that all that profess
Christ are secure forever.
b.
This is not to say that if a man believes
he is therefore free to abandon himself to unbelief or sin without fear of judgment.
c.
This is not to say those truly regenerate
men may not fall into sin, even for a period of time.
2.
This is to say that those who are bought
to true faith in Jesus Christ are preserved in salvation forever and that the
salvation in which they are preserved guarantees their perseverance in the
faith.
II.
Biblical
Statements
¨
John 6:37
¨
John 10:27-29
¨
Romans 8:28-30,32
¨
Philippians 1:6
¨
1 Thessalonians 5:23,24
¨
2 Timothy 1:12
¨
1 Peter 1:3-5
¨
Jude 1:24,25
III.
Biblical
Explanations
A.
God’s Eternal Purpose
B.
Union with Christ
C.
The Nature of Christ’s Atonement
D.
The Nature of Reconciliation
E.
The Intercession of Christ
F.
The Indwelling Holy Spirit
IV.
Practical
Implications
A.
Obedience
B.
Worship
C.
Assurance and Comfort
Five
Doctrines of Divine Grace
Chapter 6
The Final Perseverance of the Saints
Thank
you Lord, for saving my soul,
Thank
you, Lord for making me whole.
Thank
you Lord, for giving to me
Thy
great salvation so rich and free.
~*~
Seth
Sykes
All
that the Father giveth me shall come to me;
and
him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
~*~
John
6:37
Introduction
If
ever it should come to pass,
That
sheep of Christ might fall away,
My
fickle, feeble soul, alas!
Would
fail a thousand times a day.
“If one
dear saint of God had perished, so might all; if one of the covenant ones be
lost, so may all be; and then there is no gospel promise true, but the Bible is
a lie, and there is nothing in it worth my acceptance. I will be an infidel at
once when I can believe that a saint of God can ever fall finally. If God hath
loved me one, then He will love me forever. God has a mastermind; He arranged
everything in His gigantic intellect long before He did it; and once having
settled it, He never alters it, ‘This shall be done,’ saith He, and the iron
hand of destiny marks it down, and it is brought to pass. ‘This is My purpose,’
and it stands, nor can earth or hell alter it. ‘This is My decree,’ saith He,
‘promulgate it, ye holy angels; rend it down from the gate of Heaven, ye
devils, if ye can; but ye cannot alter the decree, it shall stand for ever.’
God altereth not His plans; why should He? He is Almighty, and therefore can
perform His pleasure. Why should He? He is Almighty, and therefore cannot have
planned wrongly Why should He? He is the everlasting God, and therefore cannot die
before His plan is accomplished. Why should He change? Ye worthless atoms of
earth, ephemera of a day, ye may change your plans, but He shall never, never
change His. Has He told me that His plan is to save me? If so, I am forever
safe.
My
name from the palms of His hands
Eternity
will not erase;
Impress’d on His heart it
remains,
It
marks of indelible grace.
I do not
know how some people, who believe that a Christian can fall from grace, manage
to be happy. It must be a very commendable that in them to be able to get
through a day without despair. If I did not believe the doctrine of the final
perseverance of the saints, I think I should be of all men the most miserable,
because I should lack any ground of comfort. I could not say, whatever state of
heart I came into, that I should be like well-spring of water, whose stream
fails not; I should rather have to take the comparison of an intermittent
spring, that might stop on a sudden or a reservoir, which I had no reason to
expect would always be full. I believe that the happiest of Christians and the
truest of Christians are those who never dare to doubt God but who take His
Word simply as it stands, and believes it, and ask no questions, just feeling
assured that if God has said it, it will be so. I bear my willing testimony
that I have no reason, nor even shadow of a reason, to doubt my Lord, and I
challenge Heaven and earth, and hell to bring any proof that God is untrue.
From the depths of hell I call the friends, and from this earth I call the tried
and afflicted believers, and to Heaven I appeal, and challenge the long
experience of the blood-washed host, and there is not to be found in the tree
realms a single person who can bear witness to one fact which can disprove the
faithfulness of God, or weaken His claim to be trusted by His servants. There
are many things that may or may not happen, but this I know shall happen—
‘He
shall present my soul,
Unblemish’d and complete,
Before
the glory of His face,
With
joys divinely great.’”
~*~
Charles
Haddon Spurgeon
A Review of the Regeneration of the Righteous
One
of the great ironies among those who oppose the doctrines of sovereign grace is
a tendency to preach and write songs that expresses other sentiments. For
example, John and Charles Wesley were notorious for defending the major points
of the Remonstrance and yet they preached and wrote poems and hymns that
express so clearly the very truths which all Christians love to sing. Consider
some of the stanzas from the song Arise,
My Soul Arise.
Arises,
my soul, arise; Shake off thy guilty fears;
The
bleeding Sacrifice, In my behalf appears.
Before
the throne my Surety stands;
My
name is written on His hands,
My
name is written on His hands.
Five bleeding wounds He bears,
Received
on Calvary;
They
pour effectual prayers,
They
strongly plead for me.
‘Forgive
him, O forgive!’ they cry,
‘Nor
let that ransomed sinner die,
Nor
let that ransomed sinner die.’
My
God is reconciled. His pard’ning voice I hear;
He
owns me for His child, I can no longer fear:
With
confidence I now draw nigh,
And
‘Father, Abba, Father!’ cry,
And
‘Father, Abba, Father!’ cry.
Three
Systems of Salvation
In considering the way of salvation
various systems of belief have been set forth.
·
It
has been taught that man is basically very good.
Man is not completely fallen in Adam. Therefore, he is able to do whatever is
necessary to achieve his own salvation.
·
It
has been taught that man is basically good but not quite
good enough. He needs some divine grace to complete in himself a form of
salvation that has already begun.
·
It
has been taught that man is not good. However, because God
is good, all men have been given sufficient grace to do whatever is necessary
to be saved.
In
the providence of the Lord, individuals arose over the centuries to challenge
these systems of thought—variously described as Pelagianism, semi-Pelagianism,
and Arminianism. Free grace was exalted over free will. One great battle ground
for the debate was Holland. During one period of religious controversy, forty-five
ministers, defenders of Arminian views, who signed the Remonstrance in 1610,
were deposed from their ministry (1619) after five points affirming the
doctrines of grace were issued. They were sentenced to banishment. A few years
later, in 1630, they were granted complete liberty to live and work anywhere in
Holland. The five points of the doctrines can be remembered by the word
T*U*L*I*P.
·
T
= stands for Total Depravity or better, Total Inability.
Man is born in a sinful condition, which leaves him dead in trespasses and sin
as per Ephesians 2:1. And you hath he
quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Man is unable to do
anything to contribute to his own salvation. (John 6:44)
·
U
= stands for Unconditional Election. Because of his
desperate spiritual state, man needs a Savior who places no prior condition
upon him for salvation. The reason for election being unconditional is because
no person could ever meet a Divine condition imposed in and of himself.
·
L
= limited atonement or definite redemption. In the act of
securing the salvation of the elect, Christ died for those whom He will save.
The extent of the atonement is defined by and limited to the intent of the
atonement. Since not all are saved, then it must be that Christ did not intend
to save all. Since Christ actually purchased redemption for all of God’s elect
and saves them, then it is certain that He died in order to “save His people from their sins.” (Matt.
1:21)
·
I
= irresistible grace. Having chosen some to be saved who were
dead in trespasses and sin, having set no prior condition upon them for
salvation, having secured their salvation by redemption, it is certain that
those whom the Father has chosen and Christ has died for will come to faith by
the drawing power of the Holy Spirit. The Creator knows how to sovereignly and
surely draw the objects of His affection to Himself. The Lord of glory knows
how to change the unchangeable, redeem the unredeemable, love the unlovable,
and convert the unregenerate.
·
P
= perseverance of the saints. Those who do come to
will be kept by the power of God as they maintain good works, not in order to
be saved, but because they have been saved. In the day of ultimate judgment it
will be declared that salvation is of the Lord—from beginning to end. Salvation
is all of grace, “to the praise of His
glory.” (Eph. 1:12) All that the Father has given to the Son will be safe
and secured at last. None of them shall be lost.
The Perseverance of the Saints: Definitions
One
of the logical consequences of the theology which opposes the doctrines of
sovereign grace is that it teaches a person can leave a state of grace
according to their own free will. Since a person is saved by free will, then
logically a person can be lost by free will even after being saved! To put it
plainly, there is no security for the believer except what the will of man
determines that security to be. Some theologians have taught that those who are
saved are put on probation, like Adam before his fall in the Garden. Others
suggest that only extreme acts of sin will lead to a final fall from grace.
However, just what those acts of sin are that will remove salvation from the
soul is not clear.
In
contrast, the doctrines of grace teach that since souls are saved by free
grace, the Sovereign Himself will secure the salvation of the elect. While this
position does not provide a license to sin, it does place the ultimate
responsibility for an individual’s salvation back upon God so that He gets the
glory for what He has done not only for man but also in man. God does not save
a person only to leave them in sin. God does not save souls in order to place
them back on probation for that would be a contradiction. God saves and keeps
those whom He saves forever. All of God’s elect will be preserved in Christ
forever. They will persevere in the faith forever.
Two Main Ideas: Preservation and Perseverance
In
the final point of the doctrines of grace there are two main ideas: the
preservation of the saint by the power of God and the perseverance of the same
through the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit. In the preservation, the
believer perseveres.
Clarifications
·
This not to say that all who profess Christ is secure forever. There
are many false professors of faith. Jesus warned, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in
thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many
wonderful works? 23 and then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart
from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matt. 7:22,23)
·
This not to say that if a man believes he
is therefore free to abandon himself to unbelief or sin without fear of
judgment. 2 Timothy 2:12 “If we suffer,
we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us. Jesus
taught, 22 And ye shall be hated of all
men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”
(Matt. 10:22) The writer of Hebrews warns the Christian community, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of
you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” (Heb.
3:12) Why? “For we are made partakers of
Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;” (Heb.
3:14) The test of the genuineness of faith is the continuance in faith. The
term salvation itself indicates that those who are saved are spared not only
from sin’s judgment, but also from sin itself. In all of this the believer is
secure from sin’s dominion.
·
This not to say those truly regenerate
men may not fall into sin, even for a period of time. They will and they do. So
many of those in Scripture presented as being righteous failed at some point in
their Christian experience. Noah got drunk, Abraham lied, Lot polluted his
righteous soul with filthy living in a homosexual community, Moses became
angry, David committed adultery and murder, Paul lashed out at John Mark, Peter
cursed and denied Christ, the church at Corinth fell into gross immorality—and
that is only the beginning of the sins of the saints. Gossip, greed, pettiness,
slander, lust, pride, gluttony, boasting, laziness, and much more are sins with
which the saints struggle. Nevertheless, there will always be a sorrow for sin
and a longing to turn from sin. There will be a continuing confessing of sins
to those who have been hurt and there will be a return to God for grace and
mercy.
·
This is to say that those who are bought
to true faith in Jesus Christ are preserved in salvation forever and that the
salvation in which they are preserved guarantees their perseverance in the
faith. Salvation is not probation, but neither is it a licensee to sin. The
soul that is saved longs to be sanctified.
Lord
Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole;
I
want Thee forever to live in my soul;
Break
down every idol, cast out every foe;
Now
wash me, and I shall be whiter than soul.
~*~
James
Nicholson
Biblical Statements
¨
John
6:37 “All that the
Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise
cast out.” If there is an initial reception, there will
never be an ultimate rejection. Therefore Christian, sing a song of the
redeemed and shout,
Blessed
assurance, Jesus is mine!
what
a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir
of salvation, purchase of God,
Born
of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
¨
John
10:27-29 “My
sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto
them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck
them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and
no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.” A
form of “life”, which can be lost, is
not eternal. A soul that can be “saved”
only to be “lost” has not been truly
saved. Scriptural words such as “eternal
life” and “salvation” become
meaningless if the soul that comes to the Savior can be taken out of His hands
and the Father’s hand. No, the soul that is saved rests secures in the hands of
the Father in perfect submission and delight.
Perfect
submission, perfect delight,
Visions
of rapture now burst on my sight,
Angels,
descending, bring from above,
Echoes
of mercy, whispers of love.
¨
Romans
8:28 “And we know
that all things work together for good to them that love God, to the m who are
the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did
predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the
firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he
also called: and whom he called them he also justified: and whom he justified
them he also glorified.” God has set His love upon some according
to verse 29. He has destined them to be conformed to the image of Christ. He
has decreed it so. “Will the plan of God
be frustrated?” No. “Those who are
called by a divine summons, will they not come?” They will come. “Those who come to Christ, will they not be
justified?” They will be justified.
“Those who are justified, will they not be gloried?” So sure is
glorification, it is written in past tense as it is an accomplished thing.
Perfect
submission, all is at rest,
I
in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching
and waiting, looking above,
Filled
with His goodness, lost in His love.
This
is my story, this is my song,
Praising
my Savior all the day long;
This
is my story, this is my song,
Praising
my Savior all the day long.
~*~
Fanny
J. Crosby
¨
Romans
8:32 “He that spared
not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him
also freely give us all things?” The argument is again
from the greater to the lesser. Since God has done the most difficult thing in
sparing not His Son in order to secure the salvation of souls, surely He will
do the lesser things necessary to bring them home. Therefore, let the people of
God be assured,
‘Tis
done; the great transaction’s done!
I
am the Lord’s and He is mine;
He
drew me, and I followed on,
Charmed
to confess the voice divine.
~*~
Philip
Doddridge
¨
Philippians
1:6 “Being confident
of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it
until the day of Jesus Christ:” Paul is assured that
what God has begun in the soul of the saved will be finished. The completion of
the work of salvation includes sanctification, continuance in the faith, and
glorification. “How long will this work
continue?” Until the day of Jesus
Christ or until it is done.
Though
Satan should buffet,
tho’
trials should come,
Let
this blest assurance control,
That
Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And
hath shed His own blood for my soul.
It
is well—with my soul
It
is well, it is well, with my soul
~*~
H.G.
Spafford
¨
1
Thessalonians 5:23 “And
the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and
soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The prayer of
Paul, like the prayer of Christ, will be answered.
Some
day the silver cord will break,
And
I no more as now shall sing;
But
O, the joy when I shall wake
Within
the palace of the King!
And
I shall see Him face to face,
And
tell the story—Saved by grace;
And
I shall see Him face to face,
And
tell the story—Saved by grace.
~*~
Fanny
J. Crosby
¨
1
Thessalonians 5:24 “Faithful
is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” The
character of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is at stake
in the matter of salvation. The attribute of divine faithfulness if vindicated
in the preservation of the soul.
There’s
a peace in my heart that the world never gave,
A
peace it cannot take away,
Tho’
the trials of life may surround like a cloud,
I’ve
a peace that has come there to stay!
Constantly
abiding, Jesus is mine;
Constantly
abiding, rapture, divine;
He
never leaves me lonely, whispers, oh, so kind,
“I
will never leave thee,” Jesus is mine.
~*~
Mrs.
Will L. Murphy
¨
1
Peter 1:3 “Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant
mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and
that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power
of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” There
are three basic facts according to verse 5. First, the Christian is kept.
Second, the believer is kept through faith. Third, the believer is kept through
faith forever. The concepts of preservation and perseverance are brought
together. The believer is not kept regardless of faith, but in the sphere of
faith. The power of God is such that it keeps the soul in the faith and thus
saved, forever.
Marvelous
grace of our loving Lord,
Grace
that exceeds our sin and our guilt,
Yonder
on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There
where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.
Grace,
grace, God’s grace,
Grace
that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace,
grace, God’s grace,
Grace
that is greater than all our sin.
¨
2
Timothy 1:12 “For
the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for
I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that
which I have committed unto him against that day.”
I
know not why God’s wondrous grace
To
me He hath made known,
Nor
why, unworthy Christ in love
Redeemed
for His own.
But
“I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded
That
He is able To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto
Him against that day.”
~*~
El
Nathan
¨
Jude
24 “Now unto him
that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the
presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Savior,
be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”
God is not only able to keep a soul from falling, He will keep the soul that is
relying upon Him for that is the intention of the passage.
Rock
of Ages cleft for me,
Let
me hide myself in Thee;
Let
the water and the blood,
From
thy wounded side which flowed,
Be
of sin the double cure,
Save
from wrath and make me pure.
~*~
Augustus
M. Toplady
Biblical Explanations
From
an abundance of scriptural passages it is clear that the doctrine of the final
preservation and perseverance of the saints is a great theme of the Word of
God. Now, another question arises. “Why
are Christians not merely saved but saved forever? What is the purpose of being
given everlasting life?”
·
God’s
Eternal Plan. According to Romans 8:28ff God has an immutable
plan, which is to conform men to the image of His Son. That plan will not and
cannot change. If a soul whom Christ has saved could be lost then the plan of
God, and the promises of God, would be broken. Paul speaks of this truth when
writing to Titus. The apostle speaks of the hope
of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; (Tit.
1:2) Before time began God promised eternal life to call that would believe.
The gift of life is not given to those who are “worthy” of salvation. Before
the world began, God decreed the gifts of grace He would bestow. In John 6,
Jesus comforted Himself with the promises of the Father. His death would have
value. The sheep would be saved.
·
Union
with Christ. There is an essential unity between Christ and
the believer. In scriptural imagery, the bond that exists between Christ and
His own is inseparable.
Christ Believers
Scripture
Vine
Branches John 15:5
Sheep
Shepherd John 10:11
Chief
corner stones Building
blocks 1 Pet. 2:5
Head Body 1 Cor. 11:3; Eph.
5:30
Husband Wife Eph. 5:32; John 3:29
High
Priest Kingdom
of priest Ex. 19:6; Heb. 8:1; 1 Pet.
2:9
King A royal
nation 1 Pet. 2:9
In
light of the vital union between Christ and those who are saved, “Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed
all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all
these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am
persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor
powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor
any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is
in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom.
8:35-39) “There is therefore now no
condemnation to them, which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit.” (Rom.
8:1)
·
The
Nature of Christ’s Atonement. When Christ died, He
paid the penalty for sin. For by one
offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. (Heb. 10:14) Because of Christ being punished there
is no sin which can be charged to the account of those who are saved.
And
when, before the throne, I stand in Him complete,
“Jesus
died my soul to save,”
My
lips shall still repeat.
Jesus,
paid it all,
All
to Him I owe;
Sin
had left a crimson stain,
He
washed it white as snow.
~*~
Mrs.
H.M. Hall
·
The
Nature of Reconciliation. If God says that the soul is justified,
then what charge can be leveled against the soul to make it lose its salvation? “Who
shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34
who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen
again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for
us.” (Rom. 8:33,34) There is something else. “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of
his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” (Rom.
5:10) The argument is from the greater to the lesser. If God saved the soul
which was His enemy, how much more will He do for His friend? He will not do
less; He will do more.
·
The
Intercession of Christ. The believer is secure because of the
immutable plan of God, because of a vital union with Christ, because of the nature
of the atonement, because of the act of justification, and also because of the
prayer of Jesus that those for whom He has died will be saved. The Son has
never asked anything of the Father that was not granted (John 11:42)—and Christ
has asked for the souls that He will save. “And
now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee.
Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that
they may be one, as we are.” (John 17:11) Not only has Christ prayed for
His own but also the Lord keeps on interceding for those who are the objects of
His affection. As a great High Priest, Christ continues to represent souls
before the Father thereby securing their salvation. “But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable
priesthood. 25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that
come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Heb.
7:24,25) As Christ as the Great High Priest interceding on behalf of His own,
so He is also the Defense Attorney representing His clients so that they will
be saved. My little children, these
things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an
advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (1 John 2:1)
·
The
Indwelling Holy Spirit. The believer is secure because of the
sealing of he Holy Spirit. “In whom ye
also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit
of promise, 14 Which is the earnest [downpayment, earnest money] of our inheritance
until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”
(Eph. 1:13,14) The sealing of the Holy Spirit is the divine stamp of approval
and mark of authenticity. It is the guarantee that the believer belongs to
Christ.
Practical Implications
·
Obedience.
The doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints does
not leave people comfortable in their sins for there are the warnings of
scripture to take seriously. Those who willfully sin, those who apostatize,
those who turn away from the faith, those who show no regard for holiness
reveal that the true nature of the soul as being that of a religious hypocrite.
While salvation is by grace through faith alone, the faith that saves is not
alone for good works and holiness of life always accompany it. For those who
are saved, the commands of God are not a burden. The will of the Father is
loved and honored.
·
Worship.
The doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints leads
to worship for the great things He has done. There would be no reason to
worship a God who saves, only to allow a final destruction of the soul. The
Lord does not toy with individuals. He does not save from sin only to condemn
individuals for the same. No, no! God graciously provides all that is necessary
to secure the salvation of the soul unto the hour of glorification. God has
purposed to keep the elect safe from that which would bring them into judgment.
Therefore people of God, lift up your voices in worship and say,
Praise
ye the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O
my soul, Praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All
ye who hear, Now to His temple draw near;
Join
me in glad adoration!
~*~
Joachim
Neander
·
Assurance
and Comfort. The doctrine of the final perseverance of the
saints leads to assurance and comfort.
I
know not how this saving faith,
To
me He did impart,
Nor
how believing in His Word,
Wrought
peace within my heart.
But
“I know whom I have believed in,
And
am persuaded that He is able
To
keep that which I’ve committed
Unto
Him against that day.”
~*~
El
Nathan
Soul,
that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I
will not, I will not desert to His foes,
That
soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll
never, no never, no never forsake.
~*~
Five Doctrines of Divine Grace
Chapter 7
Biblical Universalism
How Far does the Gospel
Reach? And to whom is it Offered?
I.
Introduction: Jewish Priority and First
Century Bigotry
II.
Christ the Savior of the
World
¨
John 12:20-32
¨
Genesis 12:1-3
¨
Isaiah 52:13
¨
John 3:16-18
¨
John 4:42
¨
John 11:52
¨
John 1:29
¨
1 John 2:2
¨
1 John 4:14
¨
1 Timothy 2:6 cf. Romans 11:5,26
III.
Common Objects
¨
2 Peter 3:9
¨
2 Peter 2:1
IV.
Christ Offered to Every Man
A. Biblical Statements
¨
Isaiah 45:22
¨
Isaiah 55:1-7
¨
Matthew 23:37
¨
Luke 19:41
¨
Romans 10:21
¨
Matthew 22:1-13
¨
Matthew 28:19
¨
Luke 24:47
B. Is there a harmony between
Particularism and Universalism?
C. Biblical Characterizations
1. Unrestricted: Revelation
22:17
2. Unconditional: Matthew
11:28-30
Summary
Five Doctrines of Divine Grace
Chapter 7
Biblical Universalism
How Far does
the Gospel Reach?
And to whom is it Offered?
Introduction:
Jewish Priority and First Century Bigotry
Christ the
Savior of the World
¨
John 12:32 “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” One of the great questions
that faced the early church was the extent of the gospel. “Was the death of Christ only for the Jews and national Israel, or did
His death anticipate the salvation and encompass the coming of the Gentiles to
faith?” The gospel of John answers that question. While there was no
question of the Jewish priority to the claims of Christ, while the Jews had
many advantages over the Gentiles (Rom. 3:1ff) the Gentiles were also part of
the redemptive plan of God. The words of Christ make that plain. However, to
read into the text that Christ would draw every single person without exception
to the Cross-is without foundation. Many babies die without coming to Christ,
and many cultures have never heard about the Lord so it is obvious that not
every single person without exception will be drawn to me. In context, because
of the Greeks who had come to Philip looking for the Master, (John 12:20-31)
the universal dimensions of the Cross-could be announced in verse 32. The all
of this verse refers to all types of men, Jew and Gentiles.
¨
Genesis 12:1 “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from
thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy
name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless
thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the
earth be blessed. 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless
thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless
them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all
families of the earth be blessed.” Over the centuries the Jewish had become enamored
with the idea that they and they alone were the chosen people of God and that
He could never love any other. As a result, many Jews were bigots in the sense
that they believe God did not love any other. For a Jew to discover that the
grace and mercy of the Messiah would extent to the Gentiles, well, that was an
astonishing concept. However, the Jews should not have been surprised for it
was to Abraham that the promise was made that he would be a source of blessing
to many nations.
¨
Isaiah 52:13 “Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and
extolled, and be very high.” As Abraham anticipated the coming of the Gentiles
to faith, so did the prophet Isaiah. The Messiah was to be lifted very high above the nations of the
earth.
¨
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 27 For
God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world
through him might be saved.” With these words it is evident that the global
nature of redemption is in view here. The world as a unit is in view so that it
can be said that Christ came to reclaim the planet. In verse 18, salvation is
brought down to a personal level. But it clear that the work of redemption goes
beyond Israel.
¨
John 4:42 “And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for
we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the
Saviour of the world.” Jesus has speaking to the woman of Samaria and she in turn has been
speaking to the men of the city. The men respond by recognizing that Christ is
the Savior of the world—and the meaning is clear. The Jews did not think that
the Samaritans could be saved. But here was a woman who had met the Master.
Here was a woman who had been honored by the Messiah. Why? Because Jesus was
the Savior of the world! The Messiah’s work extended beyond Israel.
¨
John 11:50 “Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for
the people, and that the whole nation perish not. 51 And this spake he not of
himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die
for that nation; 52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together
in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.” Caiaphas spoke
prophetically—without knowing it—about the universal nature of the atonement.
The high priest spoke about the cosmic dimension of the atonement. The people
of God are found not only in the nation of Israel; they are found scattered
abroad in all the nations. And Jesus will die for them.
The language of Caiaphas is
not unusual. Universal language is still used today to convey a comprehensive
thought. Even Christians talk about “winning
the world to Christ,” all the while knowing that not every single person
will be saved. But there is no false hope and there is no misunderstanding.
People know that what is meant is that a large number of people will be saved
from every nation, every tribe, and every tongue.
¨
John 1:29 “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the
Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” The universal terms of
Scripture are often used to indicate the global dimensions of Christ’ work at
Calvary. His work is intended to save and reclaim the entire world and not just
Israel. In context, John is speaking of expiation. Jesus came to die for
sinners. Christ died to satisfy the wrath of God against sin. What John is not
teaching is that Christ removed the basis of condemnation for all men for in
the Revelation of Jesus the books are opened and men are judged for their works.
Their works are found to be sinful and worthy of salvation and on that basis
there is a just condemnation. (Rev. 20) While Christ did not die for every sin
of every man, His work of redemption is global in scope for Jews and Gentiles
who come to faith know what it is to have the remission of sins through the
blood of Christ. (Acts 10:43)
¨
1 John 2:2 “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but
also for the sins of the whole world.” It would not
be wrong to ask, “In what sense did Christ satisfy the wrath of God against the sins of
the whole world? Is God no longer angry with the wicked? Do people not longer
go to hell?” Clearly John cannot be implying that God satisfied toward
every man individually so that no man is accountable for his sins anymore. What
John does emphasize is that the death of Christ extended beyond the Jewish
borders of Israel. The world is viewed as a unit and Christ died for it.
¨
1 John 4:14 “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the
Saviour of the world….” 1 Timothy 2:6 “Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be
testified in due time.” Here are two more universal passages that are
appealed to in order to teach universal salvation. The problem is that
universal terms are always used for various kinds of meanings. Sometimes all
means a whole lot of people. Sometimes “all”
means a specific group of people. Sometimes “all”
means “all without distinction.” Here
the terms speak of the fact that Christ died for souls other than the Jews. And
while there is nothing in the context to limit the world to the church or to
the world of the elect, there are many other passages that speak of a
particular redemption. For example. There is the teaching of Romans 11:26. “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is
written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away
ungodliness from Jacob.” What does it mean, “all Israel shall be saved”? No one believes that every last
Israelite shall come to faith including Caiaphas who executed Christ. So what
does “all” mean? It means that all of
the elect remnant shall be saved. “And
not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we
have now received the atonement.” (Rom. 5:11) If “all” of Israel is
saved because an elect remnant will be saved then “all” of the world can be saved, because there is an elect remnant
coming to Christ.
Common Objects
¨
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count
slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Question. Who are the “us” referred
to? Answer. In context of chapter 3,
Peter has been dealing with mocking false teachers who were mocking the
doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ by saying that God has never intervened
in human history so why should He return? “Knowing
this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after
their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since
the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of
the creation.” (2 Pet. 3:3,4) That was too much for Peter who responded
with a historical illustration that God has intervened in history. “For this they willingly are ignorant of,
that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of
the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed
with water, perished:” (2 Pet.
3:5,6) Because God has broken into the flow of human history once, there is no
reason to doubt that He will not do so again. Therefore, the Church is to keep
the faith all the while being assured that God “is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but
is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance.” (2 Pet. 3:9) Christ will come again. In the
Divine economy, it was only day before yesterday that He went away. He is
long-suffering towards usward, the church, not willing that any of us should
perish. The Lord is waiting to accomplish His plan. He will not return till all
the sheep are within the fold.
¨
2 Peter 2:1 “But there were
false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers
among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord
that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” Question: “Did the Lord pay the price
of redemption for the lost? Are there souls in hell for whom the blood of
Christ was spilt and His death atoned?” Answer: Some people, based upon this verse would
answer in the affirmative. Interestedly enough, many of those who believe in
the security of the believer affirm such a thing is being taught. But it seems
to be a chilling thought that there Christ has died for a people who can still
perish.
Perhaps there is another
understanding to this passage. Justice can be done to this verse if it is
treated as viewing men according to their profession.
False teachers are not hesitant to claim that Jesus died for them. The
Mormons, the Jehovah Witnesses, and many other cults all claim that Christ died
for them. They insist they their sins too have been atoned for by the death of
Christ. “But is it true? Are they blood
bought? Did Christ purchase their redemption at Calvary? Will they be part of
the redeemed who give the Lamb praise? Is their profession of faith enough to
secure a place in heaven?” The problem, in the context of 2 Peter 1:1, was
that these people professed faith in Christ while denying Him.
Elsewhere the Bible
addresses those who profess one thing while denying the very thing professed by
life and by lip. Paul addresses the churches of the New Testament as saints,
knowing that there were false professors. Still professing believers are
treated according to their confession of faith. Notice what happen in 2 Chron
28. The story is told that Ahaz offered scarifies to the gods of Damascus,
which slew him! “For he sacrificed unto
the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the
kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may
help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.” (28:23) The
gods of Damascus slew him! The gods of Damascus, who are they? They are
nothing! The gods, so-called, do not exist. The God of Israel slew Ahaz but it
was attributed to the gods he professed. So in the days of Peter false teachers
denied Christ though they professed faith in him.
Christ is
offered to Every Man: Biblical Statements
¨
Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God,
and there is none else. As the work of Christ is universal,
so the offer of the gospel is universal. Based upon this text, Charles Spurgeon
was saved. It is a thrilling story, which he tells so well in his
autobiography, The Early Years.
January 6. 1850
“I sometimes think I might have been in darkness and despair until now
had it not been for the goodness of God in sending a snowstorm, one Sunday
morning, while I was going to a certain place of worship. When I could go no
further, I turned down a side street, and came to a little Primitive Methodist
Chapel. In that chapel there may have been a dozen or fifteen people. I had
heard of the Primitive Methodists, how they sang so loudly that they made
people’s heads ache; but that did not matter to me. I wanted to know how I
might be saved, and if they could tell me that, I did not care how much they
made my head ache. The minister did not come that morning; he was snowed up, I
suppose. At last, a very thin-looking man, a shoemaker, or tailor, or something
of that sort, went up into the pulpit to preach. Now, it is well that preachers
should be instructed, but this man was really stupid. He was obliged to stick
to his text, for the simple reason that he had little else to say. The test was
–Look unto Me, and Be Ye Saved, All the ends of the Earth. He did not even
pronounce the words rightly, but that did not matter. There was, I thought, a
glimpse of hope for me in that text.
The preacher began thus: “My dear friends, this is a very simple text
indeed. It say, ‘Look.’ Now lookin’ don’t take a deal of pain. It ain’t liftin’
your foot or your finger; it is just, ‘Look.’ Well, a man needn’t go to College
to learn to look. You may be the biggest fool, and yet you can look. A man
needn’t be worth a thousand a year to be able to look. Anyone can look; even a
child can look. But then the text says, ‘Look unto Me.’ Ay!” said he, in broad
Essex, “many on ye are lookin to yourselves, but it’s no use lookn’ there.
You’ll never find any comfort in yourselves. Some look to God the Father. No,
look to Him by-and-by. Jesus Christ says, ‘Look unto Me.’ Some on ye say, ‘We
must wait for the Spirit’s workin’.’ You have no business with that just now.
Look to Christ. The text says, ‘Look unto Me.’”
Then the good man followed up his text in this way: “Look unto Me; I am
sweatin’ great drops of blood. Look unto Me; I am hangin’ on the cross. Look
unto Me; I am dead and buried. Look unto Me; I rise again. Look unto Me; I
ascend to Heaven. Look unto Me; I am sittin’ at the Father’s right hand. O poor
sinner, look unto Me! Look unto Me!”
When he had gone to about that length, and managed to spin out ten
minutes or so, he was at the end of his tether. Then he looked at me under the
gallery, and I daresay, with so few present, he knew me to be a stranger. Just
fixing his eyes on me, as if he knew all my heart, he said, “Young man, you
look very miserable.” Well, I did, but I had not been accustomed to have
remarks made from the pulpit on my personal appearance before. However, it was
a good blow, struck right home. He continued, “and you always will be
miserable—miserable in life, and miserable in death—if you don’t obey my text;
but if you obey now, this moment, you will be saved.” Then, lifting up his
hands, he shouted, as only a Primitive Methodist could do, “Young man, look to
Jesus Christ. Look! Look! Look! You have nothin’ to do but to look and live.”
I saw at once the way of salvation. I know not what else he said—I did
not take much notice of it—I was so possessed with that one thought. Like as
when the brazen serpent was lifted up, the people only looked and were healed,
so it was with me. I had been waiting to do fifty things, but when I heard that
word, “Look!” what a charming word it seemed to me! Oh! I looked until I could
almost have looked my eyes away. There and then the cloud was gone, the
darkness had rolled away, and that moment I saw the sun; and I could have risen
that instant, and sung with the most enthusiastic of them, of the precious
blood of Christ, and the simple faith which looks alone to Him. Oh, that
somebody had told me this before, “Trust Christ, and you shall be saved.” Yet
it was, no doubt, all wisely ordered, and now I can say—
E’er since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing
wounds supply,
Redeeming love
has been my theme,
And shall be
till I die.’”
~*~
Returning to Isaiah 45, the
prophet emphasizes that God alone is the Lord. Because He is God and He is the
only God then men must look to Him. He is the only Savior. And it is in that
capacity that all men are commanded to look to Him. That is man’s responsibility.
So it is that God extends the offer of salvation to every last person every to
live. The sincere offer of salvation is made again in Isaiah 55.
¨
Isaiah 55:1-7 “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath
no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and
without price. 2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and
your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat
ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. 3 Incline
your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an
everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. 4 Behold, I have
given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. 5
Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew
not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One
of Israel; for he hath glorified thee. 6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found,
call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the
unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will
have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” With infinite humility, God condescends
to offer the gospel much like a street vendor hawking his wares. It is an
awesome and touching picture of the graciousness of God. “Come to me! He says, “There
is no price!” But what happened? Men turned away! They went and spent their
money on things that cannot satisfy. They still do. Nevertheless, anyone who
does come, anyone who turns to the Lord shall receive life everlasting. Here
then is the free offer of the free grace of God indiscriminately.
¨
Matthew 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest
them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children
together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would
not!” And
Luke 19:41 “And when he was come near, he
beheld the city, and wept [sobbing hysterically, passionately] over it.”
Commenting on these verses
Christopher Ness argues that, “This
gathering does not design a gathering of Jews to Christ internally, by the
Spirit and grace of God; but a gathering of them externally, to hear Him
preach, so that they might be brought to an assent unto Him as the Messiah.
This reception of Christ would not have been saving faith, but it would have
preserved them from that temporal ruin threatened in the following verse (Matt.
23:38) This scripture therefore, as Acts
7:51, only respects a resistance to Christ’s outward ministry. Jerusalem, i.e.,
her rulers, received Him not (John 7:48),
therefore their house is to be desolated (Matt. 23:38); the city is one thing and her children another.
Here is temporal destruction threatened for neglecting temporal visitations (Luke
19:44). Nationally considered, Jerusalem
would have been preserved in its peace had the people, upon the rational
opportunity afforded them for receiving the Messiah, accepted Christ under that
character.” In all of this the fault is not that a universal appeal to come
to Christ was not given; the Lord called but few answered to gospel call. They
did not come, not because they were not elect, but because they did not want to
come to Christ no matter how much He humbled Himself. even to the death of the
Cross. Once more the point is made, “There
is none that seeketh after God.”
(Rom. 3:11) The “free will” of the
natural man consistently leads him to sin, not the Savior.
¨
Romans 10:21 “But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands
unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.” Imagine a loving and good father being
spurned by his children. He holds his arms out saying, “Come back! Come back!” All day long the father stands there begging
and it is all to no avail.
¨
Matthew 22:1-13 In this parable of the
wedding feast the graciousness of the God is set forth. Once more an invitation
was extended, but those invited would not come. They made excuses. They reject
the goodness of the King. They made light of it. And they even hurt those who
were messengers of good news. Such is the depravity of the human heart when
confronted with the goodness of God.
¨
Matthew 28:19 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” Luke 24:47 “And that repentance and
remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning
at Jerusalem.” Despite the treachery of
man, the gospel is still to be preached to all men in all nations. The King has
authorized the saints to go to every person and to tell them that they have in
Christ all that is necessary for salvation. There is a time and place of
fellowship. Come to Christ. As Christians, we go in gospel obedience to do the
will of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Is there a
harmony between Particularism and Universalism?
The teaching of universalism, that the gospel
appeal is given to all, is not out of harmony with the doctrine of particularism,
that God works in the hearts of individuals. The unifying principle is that
election is inclusive, not exclusive. However, it must be realized that those
who are not saved do not want to be saved and that because of the hardness of
their hearts. God sees the hardness of hearts and is both distressed and
angered by it. In His anger He will judge everyone; in His mercy He will save
someone. In the final analysis, God is determined that some souls will come to
faith. With divine majesty He compels particular souls to come and, in the
divine compelling does all that is necessary to make men willing to come to
Christ. God regenerates, He sends the Holy spirit to call the dead to life and
to convict of sin. He shows men a dying bleeding Savior, even His own Son and
then He calls upon them to live. And by the renewing of the Holy Ghost men do
live and are saved.
Biblical
Characterizations of the offer of Salvation
According to gospel terms,
the offer of salvation is unrestricted. “And
the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let
him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life
freely.” (Rev. 22:17) According to gospel terms, the offer of salvation is
unconditional. “Come unto me, all ye that
labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you,
and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto
your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt.
11:28-30)
Summary. The work of Jesus Christ is
not limited by boundaries of nationality, tradition, heritage, social class, or
any such thing. He has come to reclaim the whole world—people from every nation
and class and walk of life—and so He shall! Moreover, His work is perfectly
suited to the needs of every sinner. We are to offer Christ to all men, for He
is available to everyone who will come. Jesus Christ is willing to save you—if
you but have Him.
~*~
Sola Deo
Gloria
Five Doctrines of Divine Grace
Chapter 8
A Review and
Correlation of the Doctrines of Grace
~*~
John 6:3 5-45
I.
The Issue of Praise: Who
Gets the Glory?
II.
The
Doctrines of Grace and Practical Theology
The Ramifications of Total Depravity
·
Counseling
·
Political Systems
·
Church Discipline
·
Criminal Law
·
International Affairs
·
Politics and Domestic Issues
·
Child Discipline
·
Statements of the Religious Establishment
·
Public Schools and Values Clarification
·
The Value of Majority Opinion
A.
The Doctrines of Grace and Evangelism
·
The Message
·
The Method
·
The Motive
B.
Life Under a Sovereign God
Conclusion
~*~
Sola,
Deo, Gloria
Five Doctrines of Divine Grace
Chapter 8
A Review and
Correlation of the Doctrines of Grace
~*~
John 6:3 5-45
The Issue of
Praise: Who Gets the Glory?
·
The
Wisdom of Man. All men have sufficient power to come to
Christ by a choice of their own free will.
The Word of God. “No
man can come to me except the Father, which sent me, draw him.”
(John 6:44)
·
The
Wisdom of Man. God chooses those whom He foresaw would
choose Him.
The Word of God. “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen
you.” (John 15:16)
The basic problem with
believing that salvation is based upon divine foreknowledge is the secondary
assumption that when God looks down the corridors of time to see where the
faith of man will turn, there is a faith to be seen. But there isn’t. The
Scriptures reveal that when God looks down the corridors of time and tries to
find faith in man there is no faith to be found for there is none that seeketh
after God! (Psa. 10:4; Rom. 3:11) If someone were seeking after God the Lord
would certainly be the first to see it and give honor where honor was due, but
the whole problem of the name man is that he has no faith that pleases God or
even seeks after the true God. The natural man either does not know that God
exits (atheism), is not sure of God’s existence (agnosticism), confuses God
with creation (pantheism), believes God is an <TOPIC:animal, or believes that man
himself is God—he just doesn’t know it! Whatever> sot of “faith” God might foresee in natural man
it would still not be saving faith for such faith is a gift of divine grace.
(Eph. 2:8,9)
·
The
Wisdom of Man. Christ died to render all men savable.
The Word of God. “I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John
10:15)
·
The
Wisdom of God. God draws all men equally; the ultimate
decision is ours
The Word of God. “All
that the Father gives me shall come to me. Unto them which are the called [the
gospel is] the power of God.” (John 6:37; Romans
1:16)
·
The
Wisdom of Man. We may keep ourselves in salvation by holy
living.
The Word of God. “We
are kept by the power of God through faith. No man can puck them out of my
hand.” (1 Peter 1:5; John 10:28)
The Doctrines of Grace and Practical Theology: Ramifications
of Total Depravity
The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jer. 17:9) The heart
of man is corrupt. And even after salvation, the residue of sin is still
present. (Rom. 7) So what are the ramifications of this truth? Practically, the
doctrines of grace will have a tremendous influence over the life of a person.
They will affect the way Christians counsel others. In the presentation of the
gospel, in helping people to understand why they are in the “mess” they are in
personally, the problem of sin must come forth. The depravity of the soul must
be stressed for man must take responsibility for his attitude and actions. If
there is one thing that modern man does not want to do, it is to be responsible
for his state of affairs. But the Bible is clear. Man has chosen to be in
bondage to sin.
The
situation is like a person who jumps off a fifteen-story building. He may
freely decide to jump but once that decision is made and the action is taken
the person is not free to reverse his course or stop in mid-air. Why not?
Because another law of the universe takes over, the law of gravity. And so it
is with man. He made a decision, first in Adam, and then personally, to leap
into the bondage of sin. Now the power of sin, the strength of Satan, and the
judicial system of God unite to enslave the soul so that every expression of
his heart is only evil continually (Gen. 6:5) apart from redeeming grace. Once
all of this is realized, once personal responsibility is accepted and
self-esteem is forsaken for the reality of sin, there is hope for change
through Jesus Christ the Lord. Man’s basic problem is not that he thinks too
little of himself but that he still thinks too highly of himself!
The
doctrines of grace have impacted not only man’s view of himself but also man’s
view of the world. In particular there has been the recognition that if a
person is told that they will receive a certain wage regardless of their
productivity, which is communism, the productivity will not be high. The
doctrine of total depravity teaches that such a system will not work. Man is
too selfish. Man is too lazy. Man by nature does not have the best interest of
others in mind but his own interest. There is no incentive for him to do honest
labor for a fair wage.
In
other areas the doctrine of total depravity guides the practical thinking of
the Christian community. Because of the nature of man church discipline is seen
to be needed, and strong laws against criminal behavior are essential. A strong
national defense is realized to be vital to the security of the nation. Knowing
the nature of mankind, discipline is appreciated as being fundamental in child
rearing, and value clarification can be challenged when the public schools
teach that man is not depraved.
Now,
it does not matter that the majority of people believe that man is basically
good. The truth of the matter is that the biblical doctrine of total depravity
is correct. When the depravity of man is realized, a more careful look will be
taken at the moral issues facing a nation. It will not be assumed that
legislators will pass good laws and judges will make the right decisions
regarding life—to offer but one example. Each year in America over a million
unwanted babies die because the depravity of the human heart says that citizens
in this country can kill their children and even charge the abortion procedure
to a credit card!
When
the doctrine of depravity is appreciated, the moral pronouncements of religious
denominations will not be passively accepted on matters such as homosexuality.
Perversion in the name of Christian love will be protested.
The Doctrines of Grace and Evangelism
·
The
Message. The doctrines of grace are a great motivate for
evangelism. They clarify the task of the church. The church is to witness. Why? Because God
has decreed that souls will come to the Savior. For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I
have much people in this city. (Acts 18:10)
·
The
Method. The doctrines of grace do not allow Christian to
cheapen the gospel through silly, and unbiblical, slogans. The method of
evangelism is loving confrontation as the Church calls upon men to repent.
Decisions are not the objective but changed lives. Belief, not repeating
certain words is the goal. Salvation is the work of God. Therefore, the
preaching of Christ is the method of true evangelism.
·
The
Motive. Because the Lord will judge the motives of the
heart, because God will examine not only what is done in His name but also why
things are done in His name, it is important to have the proper motive in
evangelism. We go to witness, not because we think God needs us, but because we
are instruments in the hands of God, which He uses to fulfill His eternal
purposes.
Life under a Sovereign God
The scriptures say it all in a very
simple manner: God is sovereign. And all
the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to
his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and
none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? (Dan. 4:35)
Because God is sovereign, because God rules in the affairs of man, for good or
bad, there is the ability to live with confidence. God is in control!
Conclusion
The
doctrines of the Sovereign’s grace are rich, warm, wonderful, and filled with
practical truth. They are loved dearly, not out of pride or party spirit, but
because of what can be learn by them about God and about the heart of man. “We believe in the five great points commonly
known as Calvinistic; but we do not regard these five points as being barbed
shafts, which we are to thrust between the ribs of our fellow-Christians. We
look upon them as being five great lamps which help to irradiate the cross; or,
rather, five bright emanations springing from the glorious covenant of our
Triune God, and illustrating the great doctrine of Jesus Crucified.” (Charles
H. Spurgeon)
~*~
O
the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge
of
God! How unsearchable are his judgments,
and
his ways past finding out!
~*~
Romans
11:33
Sola,
Deo, Gloria
Five Doctrines of Divine Grace
Study Guide Questions
Chapter 1
1. Compare five presuppositions
of Arminian theology with the Scriptures.
2. List four common charges
against Calvinist.
3. List at least five passages
Arminians appeal to in support of their theology and five conclusions they come
to.
4. Describe the extreme and
desperate condition of man according to the Scriptures.
5. Prior to the Reformation who
debated the issues of human depravity?
6. Summarize the position held
by Erasmus and Luther on the freedom of the will.
7. List five themes of the
Reformation.
8. Who was Jacobus Arminus?
9. What did the Synod of Dort
decree?
10. What are three
distinguishing marks of Calvinism?
1. Why is the debate between Calvinism
and Arminianism so desperate and emotional?
2. Is the study of the debate
between Calvinist and Arminians important? Why or why not?
3. Are there any dangers in
appealing to past great church leaders for comfort and support of a particular
doctrinal bias?
4. What might be said to those
who suggest that true truth lies in a combination of Calvinism and Arminianism?
Is there such a thing as a Cal-Arminian?
5. In the ebb and flow of
history, which side dominates the discussion today, Calvinism or Arminianism?
Responsibility
Let your
speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought
to answer every man. (Col. 4:6) When religious debates are engaged, there is a tendency to
become intemperate in language. If you are willing to abide by this biblical
exhortation please write out a pledge to that effect right now.
Five Doctrines of Divine Grace
Study Guide Questions
Chapter 2
Review
1. Why is the study of the subject of total depravity important?
2. List three things that the
doctrine of total depravity does not mean.
3. What does the doctrine of
total depravity affirm?
4. How can man be responsible
for his sin when he is by nature born depraved?
5. Give the implications of the
doctrine of total depravity for the lost and on evangelism.
1. Is it morbid to think of the
depravity of the soul?
2. What might be said about
self-esteem theology?
3. Can there ever be proper
worship of the Lord apart from an understanding of the doctrine of total
depravity?
4. If you were in the Garden of
Eden, would you have eaten of the forbidden fruit?
5. Does the doctrine of
depravity honor the Lord more than emphasizing that man was made in His image?
In a time of privacy write down on paper those
secret things in your heart that you know
displeases the Lord. Bring the hidden things to light in order to confess them
and ask the Sanctifier of the soul to cleanse you for a greater measure of
holiness and service.
Five Doctrines of Divine Grace
Study Guide Questions
Chapter 3
Who Made the First
Move?
Review
1. Who was Pelagius and what did he teach?
2. Provide a summary statement of the doctrine of unconditional election.
3. How is the love of God for Jacob over Esua minimized by some?
4. Did Jesus teach the doctrine of unconditional election? Support your answer with scripture.
5. List four theological considerations that support unconditional election.
6. What is the practical implication of unconditional election on evangelism?
7. What three issues are at state in the doctrine of unconditional election?
Reflection
1. Why do some people prefer “justice” to mercy in the divine economy?
2. What is the state of a person’s soul who is forced to concede that the Bible teaches the doctrine of election but does not want to accept it emotionally?
3. Can you see how election might make God appear “unloving” and “uncaring” in the eyes of others? What are your thoughts on this matter.
4. Are you able to think in relative terms like the man in the narrative by Dr. T.T. Shields. If so, can an example that would apply to the Christian life.
Responsibility
Do you believe that God has elected you personally to salvation? Write out the evidence for this conclusion. Avoid both pride and false humility in your answer.
Five Doctrines of Divine Grace
Study Guide Questions
Chapter 4
Limited Atonement:
For whom did Christ Die?
Review
1. List as least ten scriptural references that refers to the doctrine of a definite redemption.
2. Define the nature of the death of Christ.
3. What are the universal benefits of the death of Christ?
4. How does the doctrine of a definite atonement harmonize with other scripture?
5. What are the practical implications of the doctrine of definite redemption?
Reflection
1. Do you think that definite redemption is better terminology than “limited atonement”? Why?
2. Why do some people feel more comfortable with the concept of a “corporate” love [God loves the church etc.] rather than a “particular” love of God?
3. What thoughts come to your mind when you think of God loving you in particular and Christ dying for you in particular?
Responsibility
In your Bible make a chain reference for each of the doctrines of grace from the Scriptures presented in this study. For example, for the doctrine of definite redemption go to Matthew 1:21. By that verse mark Acts 16:14. By Acts 16:14 mark Rom. 8:37 etc. To help you remember where the first point of reference for each of the five major doctrines, make a note in your Bible. When this project is completed, indicate that on this paper at this place. ______ Project completed.
Five Doctrines of Divine Grace
Study Guide Questions
Chapter 5
Irresistible Grace
or Effectual Calling
Review
1. What four things does God require of man in order to be saved?
2. Define the word for “calling” in its general and special usage.
3. List at least ten scriptures that teach the doctrine of effectual calling.
4. Is salvation synergistic or monotheistic? Define the terms.
5. Give four practical considerations of irresistible grace.
Reflection
1. Do you think that logically, the Arminian system of theology robs God of ultimate glory? How?
2. Did you resist the gospel before you came to faith? How do you feel about that today?
Responsibility
In light of the doctrine you have just studied, write out how you anticipate you would like to respond the next time you witness and someone resists the gospel message of salvation.
Five Doctrines of Divine Grace
Study Guide Questions
Chapter 6
The Final
Perseverance of the Saints
Review
1. List three systems of salvation.
2. By way of review define T*U*L*I*P.
3. List six reasons why the believer can have confidence in his final preservation.
Reflection
1. Do you have confidence or assurance of your own salvation? Why or why not?
2. What would you say to someone who thinks that it is presumptuous to have assurance of salvation?
Responsibility
Find someone who needs help with assurance of salvation and review the scriptures with them. Do not assume that everyone in the church or all you know have the same confidence as you do. Ask at least three people personally or let it be made known generally that you “need” to talk to someone about this matter as part of this course or just to review the topic. Indicate that this has been done on this paper at this point when the project is completed. ____
Five Doctrines of Divine Grace
Study Guide Questions
Chapter 7
Biblical
Universalism
Review
1. Comment collectively on the following universal passages that are appealed to in order to teach that Christ for the sins of all men. John 3:16; 1 John 2:2; 2 Peter 3:9
2. How is God pictured in Isaiah as presenting the gospel to the world?
3. What does the New Testament teach about offering the gospel to all men?
4. Is there any harmony between particularism and universalism?
5. Summarize the doctrine of biblical universalism.
Reflection
1. If you embrace the doctrines of grace, has it made you less willing to witness to others or more willing? Give the reasons for your response either way.
2. If a person did believe in offering the gospel only to the elect, practically how would they do it?
3. Comment on the conversion of Charles Spurgeon as it relates to the way you came to faith.
Responsibility
List all the methods you utilize (past and present) to get the gospel to as many people as you can personally. If you are not witness, then do so immediately, this week, in obedience to the gospel and indicate that you have done so and the method you have used to witness.
Five Doctrines of Divine Grace
Study Guide Questions
Chapter 8
The Doctrines of Grace:
Review and Correlation
Review
1. In what five ways does Arminianism deny God the glory for man’s salvation?
2. Is there such a thing as hyper-Calvinism? Explain.
3. Show how the doctrines of grace have practical implication within society.
Reflection
1. Evangelist D. L. Moody once said that he never knew an effective Christian worker who did not have confidence of his own salvation. Would you agree or disagree with that thought?
Responsibility
Read all of the appendices and indicate that you
have done that. _______________
Five Doctrines of Divine Grace
Study Guide Answers
Chapter 1
1. Compare five presuppositions of Arminian theology with the Scriptures.
Answer.
A.
We all have sufficient power to come to
Christ by a choice of our own free will. cp. John 6:4
B.
God chose me because He foresaw that we
would choose Him. cp. John 15:16
C.
Christ died to render all men savable.
cp. John 10:15
D.
God draws all men equally; the ultimate
decision is ours. cp. John 6:37; Roman 1:16
E.
We may keep ourselves in salvation by
holy living. cp. 1 Peter 1:5; John 10:28
2.
List four common charges
against Calvinist.
Answer.
A.
It is said that Calvinist are people who
believe Christians do not have to witness. People will be saved whether they
hear the gospel or not.
B.
It is said that Calvinist believe that
God is a tyrant. He causes people to sin in order to send them to hell.
C.
It is said that Calvinist believe that
the gospel is not to be given to everyone. Some people cannot be saved whether
they wanted to be saved or not.
D.
It is said that Calvinist teach that
people are saved against their wills.
3.
List at least five passages
Arminians appeal to in support of their theology and five conclusions they come
to.
Answer.
Answer.
A.
God wants all men to be saved.
B.
The grace of God has been given freely
and equally to all men.
C.
Christ is the Savior of all men reflected
in the fact that He has tasted death for all and has born the iniquity of all.
D.
Men can reject the gospel despite all
that Christ has done on their behalf.
E.
Christ has promised to draw all men unto
Himself.
4.
Describe the extreme and
desperate condition of man according to the Scriptures.
Answer.
By
nature men are dead in trespasses and sin. (Eph. 2:1) The eyes of the natural
man are blinded to the truth so that he cannot “see” spiritual truth.. (Rom. 11:7) The will of the natural
man is enslaved to a harsh taskmaster. Satan takes men captive at his will. (2
Tim. 2:26) Therefore, Jesus was right when he looked at a group of religious
leaders one-day and pronounced judgment upon them saying, And you will not come to me that ye might have life. (John 5:40)
Those who do come to Christ realize that they did not come because of their
will but because of Sovereign grace. John speaks of those who are born, Not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:13) The heart of the
unregenerate is as hard as stone. (Zech 7:12) The thoughts of the ungodly are
evil continually (Gen. 6:5 cp. Rom. 1:21) The emotions are depraved. (Rom.
1:26,27) Every inclination of the un-righteous is away from God. (Rom. 3:11) By
himself a man can do nothing to contribute to his own salvation. (Jer. 13:23) The natural man is saved
only when God does something for him. (Psa. 37:39 cp. Ex. 14:13; 2 Chron.
20:17; Lam. 3:26)
5.
Prior to the Reformation who
debated the issues of human depravity?
Answer.
Prior to the Reformation
period the issues of human depravity, the freedom of the will of man, and the
sovereignty of God were crystallized in the debate between Pelagius and
Augustine. Pelagius was a British monk (c. AD 354 - after 418) who arose to
deny the doctrine of original sin (that the human race had fallen in Adam). He
argued that man was not born corrupt, nor was man totally depraved. Moreover,
he was not predestined to heaven or hell. In contrast, Augustine of Hippo (AD
354-430), a town on the North African coast, taught that every man is conceived
and born in sin and can be saved only through the grace of God according to His
divine pleasure. Augustine was convinced that the Scriptures taught the bondage
of the will, not its freedom, in order that grace might be of grace.
6.
Summarize the position held
by Erasmus and Luther on the freedom of the will.
Answer.
For
Luther, the will was not something that was neutral. Man’s will is like a beast
driven by a master, either Satan or the Righteous God. Since the Fall man was
no longer master of himself. He was enslaved either to the Devil (John 8:44) or
to Christ. (Rom. 1:1) Desiderius Erasmus (c. 1466-1536), a Dutch scholar, a
humanist, and first editor of the Greek New Testament. attacked Luther’s
position in his work, Diatribe on Free
Will. Luther responded with Bondage
of the Will (1526). Erasmus argued that If
a man improves his naturals, God is bound to give him spirituals. Yet, what
is this but turning grace into debt? The advocates of free will make man the
cause of his own salvation.
7.
List five themes of the
Reformation.
Answer.
8.
Who was Jacobus Arminus?
Answer.
James
(Jacobus) Arminius, born in the Netherlands, was a scholar of the finest
magnitude. Educated at the Geneva Academy (182), he became a popular preacher
not only for the clarity of content but for the controversy they aroused for
Arminus began to questions the doctrines of sovereign grace. According to
Arminius, High Calvinism was wrong. God did not extend His saving grace only to
those whom He predestinates to salvation. Nor is the will of man so bound in
sin that there is no freedom of thought or ability to act for God has elected
those whom He has foreseen will believe. Man is not totally enabled by sin to
merit favor with God, nor is he fully depraved. By 1592 Arminius had been
formally accused of Pelagianism (a fifth century controversy which emphasized
the freedom of the will), and departure from the two Calvinist creeds, the
Beglic Confession, and the Heidelberg Catechism. Accusations of departing from
the faith would continue to follow him until his death in 1609.
9.
What did the Synod of Dort
decree?
Answer.
At the Synod of Dort,
November 13, 1618 to May 9, 1619 the views of Arminius were reviewed and then
condemned. The Reformation doctrines were reaffirmed in the Canons of Dort. (See Appendices)
10.
What are three
distinguishing marks of Calvinism?
Answer.
1. Why is the debate between
Calvinism and Arminianism so desperate and emotional?
2. Is the study of the debate
between Calvinist and Arminians important? Why or why not?
3. Are there any dangers in
appealing to past great church leaders for comfort and support of a particular
doctrinal bias?
4. What might be said to those
who suggest that true truth lies in a combination of Calvinism and Arminianism?
Is there such a thing as a Cal-Arminian?
5. In the ebb and flow of
history, which side dominates the discussion today, Calvinism or Arminianism?
Let your
speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought
to answer every man. (Col. 4:6) When religious debates are engaged, there is a tendency to
become intemperate in language. If you are willing to abide by this biblical
exhortation please write out a pledge to that effect right now.
Five Doctrines of
Divine Grace
Study Guide Answers
Chapter 2
Review
1.
Why is the study of the
subject of total depravity important?
Answer.
Because
of the pride and arrogance of the natural man (Mark 7:22) who is in need of
no-one and nothing, (Psa. 14:1) it is important to study the doctrine of man’s
sinfulness for two reasons: (1) it is foundational to the doctrine of salvation
and (2) it is essential to true worship.
2.
List three things that the
doctrine of total depravity does not mean.
Answer.
3.
What does the doctrine of
total depravity affirm?
Answer.
As a doctrine, total depravity affirms that judicially, in the sight of God (Isa. 64:6) and personally, in the sight of self, the soul of every man has been touched at the core so that every facet of the soul—the intellect, the affections, and the will—are sinful. Man can do nothing to commend Himself to God. (Gen. 6:5)
4.
How can man be responsible
for his sin when he is by nature born depraved?
Answer.
A. Man is responsible for sin because he loves to sin. (John 3:19,20; Rom. 3:11; Isa. 53:6)
5.
Give the implications of the
doctrine of total depravity for the lost and on evangelism.
Answer.
The words of the gospel are
designed for helpless sinners. The self-righteous and the self-sufficient have
no need of a Savior. But for those who are enslaved to sin and know it, for
those who have been hardened by sin and despair of their wickedness, there is
hope in Christ.
1. Is it morbid to think of the
depravity of the soul?
2. What might be said about
self-esteem theology?
3. Can there ever be proper
worship of the Lord apart from an understanding of the doctrine of total
depravity?
4. If you were in the Garden of
Eden, would you have eaten of the forbidden fruit?
5. Does the doctrine of
depravity honor the Lord more than emphasizing that man was made in His image?
In a time of privacy write down on paper those
secret things in your heart that you know
displeases the Lord. Bring the hidden things to light in order to confess them
and ask the Sanctifier of the soul to cleanse you for a greater measure of
holiness and service.
Five Doctrines of
Divine Grace
Study Guide Answers
Chapter 3
Who Made the First
Move?
Review
1. Who was Pelagius and what did he teach?
Answer.
Pelagius was a well-meaning monk who lived in the 5th century AD. Appalled by the corruption within the Church and distressed by the teachings of Augustine, Pelagius argued that the Fall of man was not so complete as to render man incapable of obeying God. He began to teach a system of salvation and sanctification by good works.
2. Provide a summary statement of the doctrine
of unconditional election.
Answer.
Unconditional election is the act of God freely and sovereingly choosing those who are to be the heirs of salvation, neither because of foreseen faith or human merit, nor because of an innate ability to perform some predetermined standard. Rather, no conditions are placed upon mans election.
3. How is the love of God for Jacob over Esua
minimized by some?
Answer.
It is argued that the love of God for Jacob must be thought of as simply a lesser love or a divine preferment, one for the other. Also, it has been argued that the objective in view was not salvation but service.
4. Did Jesus teach the doctrine of
unconditional election? Support your answer with scripture.
Answer.
Jesus taught the doctrine of unconditional election in John 10:16 when He taught that in eternity past many “sheep” had been given to the Father; these sheep He would cause to hear His voice. Those who would not come to Christ as per John 10:24-29, would not come because they had not been given to the Son by the Father. They had not been chosen for salvation and so would remain in their natural condition and hardness of heart.
5. List four theological considerations that
support unconditional election.
Answer.
A. Sin is enslaving. Those who in the flesh cannot please God. (Eph. 2:3; Rom. 8:7)
B. Salvation is undeserved. Grace ceases to be grace if a condition can be met. If the conditions are met then grace becomes a slave to merit. (Eph. 2:8,9)
C. Election is an act of God. It is God who is mighty to save, and he does not need man’s help nor his co-operation or his permission.
D. Election is according to the principle of grace and mercy. (Rom. 11:6)
6. What is the practical implication of
unconditional election on evangelism?
Answer.
The
doctrine of election gives freedom to witness without internal pressure or feelings
of frustration. The soul winner is responsible for disseminating the gospel,
not for its results. In the act of evangelism, the one who witnesses is not
obliged to talk or coerce someone into making a “decision.” God is the one who
does the saving. God is the one who opens the heart. (Acts 16:14).
7. What three issues are at state in the
doctrine of unconditional election?
Answer.
A. The condition of man’s nature. Is it enslaved to sin, or merely damaged?
B. The sovereignty of God. Can God be sovereign and choose whom He wills?
C. The salvation of the soul. Is salvation according to free will or free grace? Is salvation in Christ mercy and grace or is it deserved with grace added to man’s efforts?
Reflection
1. Why do some people prefer “justice” to mercy in the divine economy?
2. What is the state of a person’s soul who is forced to concede that the Bible teaches the doctrine of election but does not want to accept it emotionally?
3. Can you see how election might make God appear “unloving” and “uncaring” in the eyes of others? What are your thoughts on this matter.
4. Are you able to think in relative terms like the man in the narrative by Dr. T.T. Shields. If so, can an example that would apply to the Christian life.
Responsibility
Do you believe that God has elected you personally to salvation? Write out the evidence for this conclusion. Avoid both pride and false humility in your answer.
Five Doctrines of
Divine Grace
Study
Guide Answers
Chapter 4
Limited Atonement:
For whom did Christ Die?
Review
1. List as least ten scriptural references
that refers to the doctrine of a definite redemption.
Answer.
2. Define the nature of the death of Christ.
Answer.
The death of Christ was a substitutional death. (John 10:11) The took the place of others. And the death of Christ was a sacrificial death. He was the Lamb of God slain. (John 1:29)
3. What are the universal benefits of the
death of Christ?
Answer.
A. The death of Christ was not limited to the Jewish world. He died for Gentiles as well.
B. The benefits of grace are universal if secondary. There is the privilege of living in a country that has been blessed of God materially and in every other way because of the righteous. (Psa. 33:12)
C. One-day even creation shall be restored to its pristine beauty and glory. (Rom. 8:22,23)
4. How does the doctrine of a definite
atonement harmonize with other scripture?
Answer.
The doctrine of a definite atonement is in complete harmony with the rest of Scripture. For example, in John 10 the Lord declares that His death was the fulfillment of a specific mission. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. (10:11) The mission of Christ was to protect His sheep not only from the harm that men would do to them, but also from the harm that sin would do to them as well. So Jesus said, I lay down my life, that I might take it again. (John 10:17) In John 6:35 the teaching is again presented that the Lord was on a mission. He had come to redeem all that the Father had given to Him. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. (John 6:39) The Father had given His Son a people to save and He accomplished the great mission of redemption for His own. (John 17:9, 20) The Covenant of Redemption was complete through the act of a definite redemption.
5. What are the practical implications of the
doctrine of definite redemption?
Answer.
In the area of worship, greater praise and honor will be given to the Lord who saves according to His great mercy. In the area of evangelism, there is confidence that the Lord has a redeemed people. If the gospel is presented, souls will be saved.
Reflection
1. Do you think that definite redemption is better terminology than “limited atonement”? Why?
2. Why do some people feel more comfortable with the concept of a “corporate” love [God loves the church etc.] rather than a “particular” love of God?
3. What thoughts come to your mind when you think of God loving you in particular and Christ dying for you in particular?
Responsibility
In your Bible make a chain reference for each of the doctrines of grace from the Scriptures presented in this study. For example, for the doctrine of definite redemption go to Matthew 1:21. By that verse mark Acts 16:14. By Acts 16:14 mark Rom. 8:37 etc. To help you remember where the first point of reference for each of the five major doctrines, make a note in your Bible. When this project is completed, indicate that on this paper at this place. ______ Project completed.
Five Doctrines of
Divine Grace
Study Guide Answers
Chapter 5
Irresistible Grace
or Effectual Calling
Review
1.
What four things does God
require of man in order to be saved?
Answer.
2.
Define the word for “calling” in its general and special
usage.
Answer.
3. List at least ten scriptures that teach the
doctrine of effectual calling.
Answer.
4. Is salvation synergistic or monotheistic?
Define the terms.
Answer.
5. Give four practical considerations of
irresistible grace.
Answer.
A. Worship. Great praise is to be given to the great God who can save souls and deliver them from the pollution of sin, the power of Satan, and the penalty of divine justice.
B. Evangelism. Witness can take place with confidence knowing that God is drawing souls to Himself.
C. Ministry. No one should be discouraged in the work of evangelism. Those who do not grow weary will enjoy a spiritual harvest. (Gal. 6:9)
D. Humility. Because God is the one drawing souls to Himself, no one should boast at success in the ministry.
Reflection
1. Do you think that logically, the Arminian system of theology robs God of ultimate glory? How?
2. Did you resist the gospel before you came to faith? How do you feel about that today?
Responsibility
In light of the doctrine you have just studied, write out how you anticipate you would like to respond the next time you witness and someone resists the gospel message of salvation.
Five Doctrines of
Divine Grace
Study Guide Answers
Chapter 6
The Final
Perseverance of the Saints
Review
1. List three systems of salvation.
Answer.
A. Salvation by works.
2. By way of review define T*U*L*I*P.
Answer.
A. Total Depravity means that man is not as bad as he can be but he is as bad off as he can be.
3. List six reasons why the believer can have
confidence in his final preservation.
Answer.
Reflection
1. Do you have confidence or assurance of your own salvation? Why or why not?
2. What would you say to someone who thinks that it is presumptuous to have assurance of salvation?
Responsibility
Find someone who needs help with assurance of salvation and review the scriptures with them. Do not assume that everyone in the church or all you know have the same confidence as you do. Ask at least three people personally or let it be made known generally that you “need” to talk to someone about this matter as part of this course or just to review the topic. Indicate that this has been done on this paper at this point when the project is completed. ____
Five Doctrines of
Divine Grace
Study Guide Answers
Chapter 7
Biblical
Universalism
Review
1. Comment collectively on the following
universal passages that are appealed to in order to teach that Christ for the
sins of all men. John 3:16; 1 John 2:2; 2 Peter 3:9
Answer.
Because the scriptures uses comprehensive language it must not be thought that all people without exception are in view. Such thinking will lead to universalism. The scope of Scripture normally is to use universal terminology in a restricted sense of a group without distinction, and not without exception. To press the Scriptures to teach a universal atonement for the sins of every man woman and child without exception is to pit God against Himself. He wills to save, but cannot save. He comes to save, but is certain of nothing. He desires all to be converted, but is limited in His ability to effect conversion. Such thinking is simply unworthy of the Sovereign.
2. How is God pictured in Isaiah as presenting
the gospel to the world?
Answer.
God is presented in Isaiah
45:22 pleading with souls to be saved even to the point that He is willing to
appear on the streets to “hawk” His gospel wares like a merchant. Despite this
display of divine humility, man is so depraved they move past him with
indifference.
3. What does the New Testament teach about
offering the gospel to all men?
Answer.
The gospel is to be offered indiscriminately to all men in all nations without exception. (Matt. 23:37; Rom. 10:21; Matt. 22:1-13; 28:19,20)
4. Is there any harmony between particularism
and universalism?
Answer.
The teaching of universalism, that the gospel appeal is given to all, is not out of harmony with the doctrine of particularism, that God works in the hearts of individuals. The unifying principle is that election is inclusive, not exclusive. However, those who are not saved do not want to be saved and that because of the hardness of their hearts. God sees the hardness of hearts and is both distressed and angered by it. In His anger He will judge everyone; in His mercy He will save someone. In the final analysis, God is determined that some souls will come to faith. With divine majesty He compels particular souls to come and, in the divine compelling does all that is necessary to make men willing to come to Christ. God regenerates, He sends the Holy spirit to call the dead to life and to convict of sin. He shows men a dying bleeding Savior, even His own Son and then He calls upon them to live. And by the renewing of the Holy Ghost men do live and are saved.
5. Summarize the doctrine of biblical
universalism.
Answer.
The work of Jesus Christ is
not limited by boundaries of nationality, tradition, heritage, social class, or
any such thing. He has come to reclaim the whole world—people from every nation
and class and walk of life—and so He shall! Moreover, His work is perfectly
suited to the needs of every sinner. We are to offer Christ to all men, for He
is available to everyone who will come. Jesus Christ is willing to save you—if you
but have Him.
Reflection
1. If you embrace the doctrines of grace, has it made you less willing to witness to others or more willing? Give the reasons for your response either way.
2. If a person did believe in offering the gospel only to the elect, practically how would they do it?
3. Comment on the conversion of Charles Spurgeon as it relates to the way you came to faith.
Responsibility
List all the methods you utilize (past and present) to get the gospel to as many people as you can personally. If you are not witness, then do so immediately, this week, in obedience to the gospel and indicate that you have done so and the method you have used to witness.
Five Doctrines of
Divine Grace
Study Guide Answers
Chapter 8
The Doctrines of Grace:
Review and Correlation
Review
1. In what five ways does Arminianism deny God
the glory for man’s salvation?
Answer.
A. Arminianism teaches that all men have sufficient power to come to Christ by a choice of their own free will. God does not have to free the will of man from sin’s bondage after all.
B. Arminianism teaches that God can only choose who He keeps in the family according to foreknowledge of man’s decision and not according to His own divine sovereignty.
C. Arminianism teaches that Christ did not die after all to save souls from their sins but to make all men savable.
D. Arminianism teaches that God draws all men equally and that the ultimate decision for salvation is man’s not Gods.
E. Arminianism teaches that individual must not only take part in their salvation but in their security. God is not capable of keeping what He possesses with the aid of man.
2. Is there such a thing as hyper-Calvinism?
Explain.
Answer.
There is such as thing as hyper-Calvinism in the sense that some men have taught that world wide evangelistic efforts on foreign fields is not necessary and that the gospel should not be offered to the non-elect. Both positions are contrary to both reason and scripture.
3. Show how the doctrines of grace have
practical implication within society.
Answer.
Because man is depraved in his nature it is right that everything he does and says be suspect. (Jer. 17:9) Realizing this will motivate the believer to review every teaching, every political policy, and every philosophy in every area of life under the scrutiny of the Scriptures and submit it to the Lordship of Christ.
Reflection
1. Evangelist D. L. Moody once said that he never knew an effective Christian worker who did not have confidence of his own salvation. Would you agree or disagree with that thought?
Responsibility
Read all of the appendices and indicate that you
have done that. _______________