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.
This scripture seems to take the guts out of the doctrines of grace, especially the efficacy of Jesus Christ’s atoning work on the cross. If he actually died for the whole world then the fact is inescapable that He and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit have failed in what they intended to accomplish. Also, if His atoning work was for the whole world, if He died for the whole world, none would go to the hell which Jesus speaks of 11 times in scripture.
The classical arminian view is that Christ only suffered for our sins, He actually died for no one, He only made salvation possible. In this view it could be entirely possible that no one would ever benefit from Christ’s sufferings. This view is called the “Governmental Theory”, and according to governmental theory, Christ’s death applies not to individuals directly, but to the Church as a corporate entity. Individuals then partake of the atonement by being attached to the Church through faith. It is also, therefore, possible to fall out of the scope of atonement through loss of faith.
It important for us to understand what Scripture says about Christ’s intent. Let’s look at Matthew 1:21 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” The angel when speaking to Mary the mother of Jesus does not mention the whole world, he speaks of a specific people, and a definitive effect of Christ coming. Further study can be found in John 10:11/14-16/26-29, Acts 20:28, Eph 5:25-27, and finally if Christ actually died for everyone then Romans 8:31-33 cannot be true.
It’s important to note as well, that if Christ died for everyone, which is not the arminian view, if he suffered or was punished for all our sins, if the wrath of God against sin was poured out on Him, and then you as part of the world choose not in this life to make a decision with your “free-will” to accept this offer and are sent to an eternal hell. God has required double payment for your rebellion. He paid it in full in His Son and requires the payment of you as well, how unjust.
So what does this passage mean?
You have to know a little history about the nation of Israel; God’s chosen people, the “elect” nation. For all of recorded history He/God had been the God of one nation, all others were outside the covenant. This is best represented by the story of Jonah, who when God told him to go to the city of Nineveh and preach the gospel he fled instead, not because he was afraid, but because of his prejudice. He knew God was a merciful God and would show mercy to these brutes who had brought much misery on the nation of Israel. You know the story, he finally gets there and yes God shows mercy. How does Jonah respond, or rather how would you respond if sent to a city to preach the gospel and the whole city came to Christ? You would rejoice… right? What does Jonah do? He gets mad Jonah 4:1 but it displeased Jonah exceedingly and he got very angry, and in 4:3 he wants to die, he requests that God take his life. This is the world the Apostle John is speaking to, a world that felt a person must become a Jew before they can truly become a Christian, an extraordinarily prejudiced people.
In John 10:16 Jesus says, “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”. The world therefore is “every nation”, He has chosen a people for Himself out of every nation, and His atoning work is efficacious for them.
He beckons us to join Him in this mission with the chief aim… God’s Glory!
Showing posts with label Atonement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Atonement. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The Atonement
Recently God has blessed my life through the ministry of Derek Thomas of Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson MS. I was able to download a (25) part series of lectures given at RTS in Jackson from www.monergism.com. I would like to share a little excerpt from one of those lectures on the atonement that was especially enlightening to me.
“Does the death of Jesus make salvation possible or does it actually guarantee our salvation… What did it set out to achieve? Did it set out to achieve the accomplishment of our salvation, or did it set out to achieve something hypothetical? Did the death of Christ make something possible if something is added to it, namely “human faith”? Or did the death of Christ guarantee that salvation would be actual, because those for whom Christ died would be given faith according to the plan and purpose of God? That is the issue and the scripture that we heard in John 10 (John 10:14-15, & 27-28) would seem to point in the direction of the second rather than the first namely, that the death of Christ sets out to actually achieve salvation not simply to make salvation possible… but if the death of Jesus was only something hypothetical, that He only died to make salvation possible, then the fact that He died gives us no cause for assurance, if at the end of the day it is wholly dependant on something we do, or wholly dependant on the effectiveness of our response. Then assurance becomes impossible.”
The Arminian who believes that Christ actually died for everyone makes God out to be entirely unjust, in fact more so than they lead others to believe that we, the Calvinists do. If God punished Christ for the sins of everyone, and then punishes again those who with their supposed “free will” do not chose Him by sending them to an eternity in Hell, He is a monster. He has judged and punished the sins of mankind twice, once in Christ, and once again in the reprobate, …unthinkable.
Do we receive this gift by faith? Yes, by the faith that God gives us, a faith that is the first breath of the new born child of God. Do we choose Him with this faith? Yes, because we are made willing, we are made able. Our eyes are opened by Him to see the horror of our condition and the only way of escape in the glorious beauty of His Son and the price He paid for our sins; first to appease the wrath of God, then to purchase our salvation. He didn’t die for people in general, He died for you in particular, He had you specifically in mind. How glorious is this! How wonderful! How marvelous! How much glory does God get when these things are taught rightly! It’s these truths that set men’s hearts on fire, that sends them to the outer edges of this planet to minister the gospel, enduring unbelievable suffering, and giving up all that our “precious” America has to offer.
The Arminian in his attempt to open wide the gate of salvation actually gravely diminishes the work of Christ, and cast water on the fire of the Christian’s heart, stripping them of their assurance and removing any guarantee of success in ministry.
“Does the death of Jesus make salvation possible or does it actually guarantee our salvation… What did it set out to achieve? Did it set out to achieve the accomplishment of our salvation, or did it set out to achieve something hypothetical? Did the death of Christ make something possible if something is added to it, namely “human faith”? Or did the death of Christ guarantee that salvation would be actual, because those for whom Christ died would be given faith according to the plan and purpose of God? That is the issue and the scripture that we heard in John 10 (John 10:14-15, & 27-28) would seem to point in the direction of the second rather than the first namely, that the death of Christ sets out to actually achieve salvation not simply to make salvation possible… but if the death of Jesus was only something hypothetical, that He only died to make salvation possible, then the fact that He died gives us no cause for assurance, if at the end of the day it is wholly dependant on something we do, or wholly dependant on the effectiveness of our response. Then assurance becomes impossible.”
The Arminian who believes that Christ actually died for everyone makes God out to be entirely unjust, in fact more so than they lead others to believe that we, the Calvinists do. If God punished Christ for the sins of everyone, and then punishes again those who with their supposed “free will” do not chose Him by sending them to an eternity in Hell, He is a monster. He has judged and punished the sins of mankind twice, once in Christ, and once again in the reprobate, …unthinkable.
Do we receive this gift by faith? Yes, by the faith that God gives us, a faith that is the first breath of the new born child of God. Do we choose Him with this faith? Yes, because we are made willing, we are made able. Our eyes are opened by Him to see the horror of our condition and the only way of escape in the glorious beauty of His Son and the price He paid for our sins; first to appease the wrath of God, then to purchase our salvation. He didn’t die for people in general, He died for you in particular, He had you specifically in mind. How glorious is this! How wonderful! How marvelous! How much glory does God get when these things are taught rightly! It’s these truths that set men’s hearts on fire, that sends them to the outer edges of this planet to minister the gospel, enduring unbelievable suffering, and giving up all that our “precious” America has to offer.
The Arminian in his attempt to open wide the gate of salvation actually gravely diminishes the work of Christ, and cast water on the fire of the Christian’s heart, stripping them of their assurance and removing any guarantee of success in ministry.
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