Mentoring Men for the Master

DID JESUS DIE ON THE CROSS FOR ALL PERSONS OR FOR A LIMITED NUMBER?

DID JESUS DIE ON THE CROSS FOR ALL PERSONS OR FOR A LIMITED NUMBER?

Can God’s Sovereignty and Man’s Free Will Be Reconciled?

“Let the Scriptures Speak”

I. Calvinism: 

  1. Brief History:  John Calvin (1509-1564),  A product of the Protestant Reformation (16th century) advanced the doctrine that God unconditionally chose or elected  some persons to be saved but not all, arguing that human beings, because of their total depravity because of the fall, have no power and responsibility in receiving salvation, but it is sovereingly  bestowed on whomever God chooses.  Personal volition or faith has nothing to do with it.  Only God’s unconditional choice is at work. [1]  All evangelicals believe that salvation is solely by God’s grace alone (Ephesians 2:8) but also appropriated by faith (Acts 21:22; Romans 3:24ff; 5:1; 10:9-10).
  1. Why Did Calvin Advance This View?  To refute the Roman Catholic teaching, derived from St. Augustine, (1484-1546) that salvation comes through the church by obeying the 7 sacraments administered only by priests. Thus Calvin substituted the Sovereignty of God for the biblical view that salvation comes by grace through faith alone.  
  1. T U L I P – Calvinism  found its greatest acceptance in Holland where the beautiful flower Tulip abounded, so the Calvinists used the Acronym T U L I P to summarize their 5 basic teachings:

(1)    Total Depravity –  Calvinists believe that in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve fell, the image of God was totally destroyed, making him completely incapable of exercising his own free will to trust in Christ.

(2)    Unconditional Election – “Simply put this belief means that God has unconditionally chosen some to be saved and some to be lost.” [2]  Dr. Dale. Moody, renown Greek scholar, put Calvinism like this, “God looked at the whole human race as it were and said to some, “You are a seven and destined to heaven and to others you are a six and in a fix.”

(3)    Limited Atonement – Christ did not die for all.  Atonement was limited.  Redemption was particular.  Only the Elect Bride of Christ was the object of His love.” [3]

(4)    Irrestible Grace – When the Holy Spirit calls a person, that call is Irresistible.  It cannot be frustrated; it is the manifestation  of God’s irresistible grace.” [4]

(5)    Perseverance of the Saints – This belief means that since no condition in man determines his being chosen or elected, it stands to reason that there is nothing he can do to remove himself from grace.” His salvation is as eternal as the eternal God who gives it.

Arminianism – The Antithetic of Calvinism:   Arminianism is named for Jocobus Arminius, a Dutch theologian, 1509-1565.  Arminianism as well as Calvinism can be summarized under five points:

  1. Calvinism teaches total depravity; Arminianism holds to partial depravity.
  2. Calvinism believes that Election is unconditional; Arminianism believes in conditional election.
  3. Calvinism believes the Atonement is limited to the elect; Arminianism sees it as unlimited.
  4. Calvinism holds to Irrestible Grace; Anminianism believes that an individual can resist the grace of God.
  5. Calvinism holds to the perseverance of the saints; Arminianism believes that a believer can turn from Christ after being saved and lose his salvation.

“So, in the Calvinism vs. Arminianism debate, who is correct?  It is interesting to note that in the diversity of the body of Christ, there are all sorts of mixtures of Calvinism and Arminianism.  There are five-point Calvinists and five-point Arminians, and at the same time three-point Calvinists and two-point Arminians.  Many believers arrive at some sort of mixture of the two views.  Ultimately, it is our view that both systems fail in that they attempt to explain the unexplainable.  Human beings are incapable of fully grasping a concept such as this.  Yes, God is absolutely sovereign and knows all.  Yes, human beings are called to make a genuine decision to place faith in Christ unto salvation.  These two facts seem contradictory to us, but in the mind of God they make perfect sense.”[5]

II. Scriptural Salvation: 

  1. Brief History – Beginning with the first service ever held of the church at Pentecost, those first Christians  believed that Jesus Christ died for all people, and that salvation occurred by receiving God’s unmerited favor by repentance and faith.  A perfect example of this truth is found in Acts 2:37-41.  The apostle Peter boldly proclaimed the crucified, risen Christ (whom they crucified) as the only Savior.  Those who heard were “pierced to the heart” (cut open) and cried out, “What shall we do?”  Peter did not tell them there was nothing they could do, for salvation was a sovereign act of a sovereign God.  Instead he said, “Repent, all of you” and he  finished by commanding, “SAVE YOURSELF from this corrupt generation.” (Acts 2:28-40).  The results: Acts 2:41- 3000 persons plus did repent, and believed, and  were baptized and incorporated into the church (Acts 2:42-47).  This approach, Paul vividly describes in his tearful, house- to- house soul winning set forth  in Acts 20:17-31) and it continued throughout Acts and later in the writings and preaching ministries of Peter and Paul (2 Peter 3:9,15; Romans 10:1-2; Acts 21;22; Romans 1:14-16)  Dr. James Kennedy, “If the church had continued evangelizing, as it did in the 4th century, the whole world would have heard the gospel by AD 500.”
  2. Scriptural Salvation:  “The beautiful truth is that God’s grace is God’s means of election.”[6]  To remember this description of salvation, we will use the word GRACE as an Acrostic:[7]
    1. G race is GIVEN Through Christ.  Salvation is received by grace through faith in Christ (election) (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:24ff).   2nd Cor. 5:19 picks up on this truth:  “God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ  not counting men’s sin against them.”  Please note that this verse was not referring to a limited few, but to the whole world.  In Ephesians 1:3-13 Paul uses “In Christ” or its equivalent 11 times.  Paul says the saints were chosen before the foundation of the world, (Ephesians 1:3-4) but they must hear and believe.”  (Ephesians 1:13).
    2. R ejected by REBELLION – “In John 5:40, when Jesus agonized over His rejection, why did He state that “you refused to come to Me to have life?”  Why does Acts 7:51 say that some “Resisted the Holy Spirit?  Did He not realize, according to Calvinists, that people cannot refuse to come to Christ?  Did Jesus not know that if people are non-elect, they cannot reject, for they cannot decide?…According to Wesley and other who follow in this thought, the image of God is marred in every part but not destroyed, because to destroy the image would deprive men of humanity.  In Wesley’s view, the only reason any semblance of humanity is preserved is by the free grace of God.  Without grace, men would bear the image of the devil.”[8]
    3. ACCEPTED Through Faith – “Can dead people  respond?”  Dr. Roy Fish, esteemed Professor,  quickly reminds us that Adam and Eve sinned against God and became spiritually dead.  Yet, when God spoke to them in the Garden, they heard Him.  People who are dead in trespasses and sins can hear the voice of God.”[9] (Gen. 3:8).
    4. C HRIST Died for All – “Even though the Scriptures do not teach universal salvation, they do teach the unlimited atonement of Christ.  Not only does God desire all people to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4; John 3:16-17; Matthew 18:14, 19:14, 28:18-20) but also that Christ died for all mankind.  A great example of this desire is especially found in Matthew 18:14, “In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.”  Other passages which are supportive of this truth are Luke 19:10; John 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:14-15; 1 Timothy 2:4; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:4 and Hebrews 2:9.”[10]
    5. Grace Insures ETERNAL Life.   Those who truly repent and trust Jesus as Lord and Savior have eternal life and will persevere to the end.  But please understand that it is true believers, not superficial ones, who will persevere.  Many who call Jesus Lord will not be in heaven because they worked but had no personal relationship with Jesus Christ  (Matthew 7:21-23).

 

  1. Why Have Prominent Calvinists (of the “Reformed Tradition”) and Prominent Evangelists and Teachers of Evangelism opted for free will to choose Christ and also to resist Him?

 

  1. Billy Graham – “…Repentance is first absolutely necessary if we are to be born again.  It involves simple recognition of what we are but for God – sinners who fall short of His glory.  Second, it involves genuine  sorrow for sin; Third, it means our willingness to turn from sin.”[11]  Note:  Billy Graham grew up in a Reformed Church.” (his mother told me) but left it to become a Southern Baptist.
  2. Dr. James Kennedy – (Cal.) graduate of a Reform Seminary and later became a pastor, but had no idea on how to win a soul.  However, he, in desperation, turned to the Scriptures and devised the Model of EE, which clearly calls for repentance and faith to be saved.  I, a Baptist, worked closely with him for 18 years and we were in total agreement on God’s Plan of Salvation.  Though retaining his membership in a Reformed Denomination, he never used their approach to evangelism.
  3. Dr. Hershell Hobb, great theologian, said, “To violate man’s free will would make him less than a person, only a puppet dangled on the string of fate.  The Bible never teaches that.  Man is free to choose, but is responsible to God  for his choices.  Otherwise God Himself is responsible for man’s sin.  This is unthinkable.” (Hobbs, Christian Index).  “Regeneration is the experience of being born again from above (John 3:3; Titus 3:5).  It is an instantaneous work of God’s grace wrought by the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ.  Note that to create is a work of God, not of man” (Ephesians 2:10)[12]
  4. Dr. Roy Fish, dean of professors of Evangelism:  “Adam and Eve sinned against God and became spiritually dead.  Yet, when God spoke to them in the Garden, they heard him.  People who are dead in trespasses and sin can hear the voice of God.”
  5. Dr. Paige Patterson, President SWBTS, “Any system that diminishes one’s concern and responsibility for the lost is to be avoided.”
  6. George Whitfield,  (Cal) foremost evangelist of the Great Awakening – weeping prophet calling men to repentance and surrender to Jesus.
  7. Charles Spurgeon, (Cal) prince of evangelistic preachers. (See pp. 8-9).
  8. Jonathan Edwards (Cal)- preached famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God,” calling sinners to repent or go to hell.

 III. Definition of Key Words: 

  1. Predestination –  is a divine act of God whereby he promises redemption or adoption as absolutely certain for the true believer.  The purpose of Predestination is clearly stated in Romans 8:29, namely, that we might be conformed to the image of His son.  Predestination is the pledge of certainty that this will occur. “Herschel Hobbs is right when he says, “Unfortunately many tend to interpret the English word predestination rather than the Greek word proorisas.”  As he says, the basic verb is horizo, which means among other things to set a boundary.  From it comes our English word “horizon,” which is the limit or boundary of your vision from where you stand.  The prefix pro means beforehand.  So it means to set a boundary beforehand.  Hobbs likens it to building a fence around a piece of land.  “The fence is Christ.”  In Ephesians 1:3-13 Paul uses “in Christ” and its equivalent eleven times (in the Greek text).[13]
  2. Election – is God’s way of selecting His servants to do His bidding.  The issue is service not salvation.  “One of the most often used verses to portray a false view of election is Romans 9:13.  Please realize that God did not say this before Jacob and Esau were born.  This statement was recorded in the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi 1:2-3 (long after their birth).  Notice the phrase in Romans 9:13, “as it is written.”  It is recorded as being written back in the book of Malachi.  What was recorded?  God’s hatred toward Esau and his descendants is the subject of that writing.  Why would God “hate” Esau and his descendants?  It was because of their continued wickedness and idolatry.  This does not refer to individual persons (Jacob and Esau), but to the nations they represent.  God was better able to use Jacob’s line to carry out His wishes.”[14]  “The word “hate” should not be taken to mean that God had the human emotional sense of disgust, disdain, and a desire for revenge against Esau.  God did not have a negative psychological emotion that burned against Esau.  Rather the word should be understood as the Hebrew idiom it is – a word that means “to love less.”  (see Genesis 29:30-33; Luke 14:26).  We might loosely paraphrase Romans 9:13, “In comparison to my great love for Jacob, my feeling for Esau, whom I ‘love less’ may seem like hatred, even though I don’t really emotionally hate him.”[15]
  3. Foreknowledge:  “Election involves God choosing certain individuals for salvation.  This is the question:  Did God base this election on foreknowledge or His sovereign will?

Many believe God used His foreknowledge to look down the corridors of time to see who would respond favorably to His gospel message, and on that basis He elected certain persons to salvation.  Those who favor this view say that Scripture teaches that God’s salvation has appeared to all people, not merely the elect (Titus 2:11).  Also, the Bible teaches that Christ died for all (1 Timothy 2:6; 4:10; Hebrews 2:9; 1 John 2:2).  There are numerous exhortations in Scripture to turn to God (Isaiah 31:6; Joel 2:13; Acts 3:19), to repent (Matthew 3:2; Luke 13:3,5; Acts 2:38; 17:30), and to believe (John 6:29; Acts 16:31; 1 John 3:23).

Scripture seems to indicate that election is based on God’s foreknowledge of who would respond positively to such exhortations (Romans 8:28-30; 1 Peter 1:1).

  “Simply put, the Bible teaches that God elected a plan of salvation (Ephesians 1-2).  He predestined that all who receive Jesus Christ would be a part of His elect family.  He knew in advance exactly who would make that decision and who would not.  Please know that just because He knew in advance did not mean that He controlled the outcome of the decision.  Foreknowledge does not imply control!  Again, an acceptance of such belief leads to a perversion of the true picture of  God.  Such a belief would make our wonderful, perfect heavenly Father responsible for sin.”[16]

[1] Dwayne Spencer, Tulip, p. 32

[2] Frank S. Page, Trouble with the Tulip, Riverside Group Publishing, Canton, Georgia, 2006, p. 22.

[3] Ibid.  Dwayne Spencer in Trouble with the Tulip, p. 24.

[4] Ibid. p. 25. (WT Seaton)

[5] Ibid. S. Michael Houdmann, Got Questions? Pleasant Word:  Enumclaw, WA,

[6] Ibid. Page,  p. 29.2009,p.282.

[7] Ibid. Page, pp. 28-29

[8] Ibid. Page, pp. 30-31.

[9] Ibid. Page. P. 32.

[10] Ibid. Page, p. 34.

[11] Graham, How to be Born Again, 1977, p. 160.

[12] Ibid.,Page, 48.

[13] Ibid. Page, p. 59

[14] Ibid. Page, p. 66.

[15] Ron Rhodes, The Big Book of Bible Answers, p. 173.

[16] Ibid. Page, p. 44.

[17] Page, p. 40.

[18] Ibid. Rhodes, p. 169

[19] Quoted in  Dr. Daniel Akin’s sermon, “Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility:  How Should Southern Baptists Respond to this Divine Mystery?”