a doctrinal study by Jim McClarty
© 2007 James T. McClarty
* Unless otherwise indicated, all
scripture references are from
the King James Version of scripture. All
rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America1
Also by this author
BOOKS OF THEOLOGY
A Guide to New Covenant
Giving
A Brief History of the
Future
Is The Church Israel?
SCRIPTURAL COMMENTARY
Commentary on Paul 's
Epistle to the Church at Galatia
Commentary on the
Hebrews Epistle
About the author
Jim McClarty is senior pastor of Grace Christian
Assembly
in Smyrna, Tennessee. He has been teaching the Word of God
for fifteen
years. He devotes his time to reading and learning
so he can tell
others the Good News of Christ.
You can read more of Jim's writing
online at the Grace Christian
Assembly website:
http://www.salvationbygrace.org.
This book is dedicated, with
no small
amount
of affection, to
the members of Grace Christian Assembly.
Your patience, support,
dedication and faithfulness are
a testimony and witness to the grace of
God.
A friend once told me,
“The proof that God has called a man to
preach
is that He has also called people to hear him.”
Or, as the
Apostle Paul put it,
"Ye are our epistle written in our hearts…"
Thank
you for putting up with my rants,
encouraging my teaching, and being
the dearest friends
I have on this earth.
I am privileged to be your pastor.
It is no novelty, then, that I am
preaching. No new
doctrine. I love to proclaim these strong old doctrines, that are
called by the 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 confess or, martyr after martyr, standing up to shake
hands
with me. Were I a Pelagian, or a believer in the doctrine
of free-will, I should have to walk for centuries all alone. Here and
there a heretic of no very honorable character might rise up and call
me brother. But, 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.
Charles H. Spurgeon, Metropolitan
Tabernacle (1834-1892)
Spurgeon, C.H. September 2, 1855
http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/spurgeon2.
| Contents | |
| OPENING COMMENTS | |
| INTRODUCTION | |
| 1 | TOTAL DEPRAVITY |
| 2 | UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION |
| 3 | LIMITED ATONEMENT |
| 4 | IRRESISTIBLE GRACE |
| 5 | PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS |
OPENING
COMMENTS
BY GRACE ALONE
As a Bible teacher, I am often asked, "What does your church believe?" It hardly suffices to answer, "We believe the Bible." Most Christian churches would say the same. So, the purpose of this book is to clarify what we at Grace Christian Assembly believe and why we believe it.
I am not the first writer to attempt presenting these doctrines in the contemporary forum. But these are weighty subjects. So, far too often, this material is presented in a manner so full of theological jargon that the average layman is left as perplexed at the last page as he was at the first. Therefore, it is my hope and intention that this presentation is clear and concise and fully accessible to every reader "with eyes to see."
The first rule of Bible interpretation has always been: The Bible says what it means and means what it says. The second rule is like the first: Scripture interprets Scripture.
It is not at all uncommon for preachers to "hunt and peck" through Scripture, searching for out-of-context verses that appear to support the particular theology, tradition, or "philosophical presupposition" the man or his denomination holds dear. But, the Apostle Paul warned –
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ (Colossians 2:8).
For this reason, we have supported each of these doctrines with a variety of Scripture references. But, we are quick to point out that this is far from an exhaustive study. When it comes to considering the work and nature of Christ, even the apostle John had to conclude "...if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written" (John 21:25).
The sovereignty and grace of God are interwoven through every verse of Scripture. As we come to know the Lord of Scripture, we will more readily recognize his Lordship in Scripture. This book is merely the tip of the iceberg, meant to stimulate thought and discussion, and to aid us on our search for the truth of salvation in Christ our lord.
May God bless you as you read.
INTRODUCTION
THE DOCTRINES OF GRACE
This book is about Biblical soteriology. That's just theological jargon for the study of the divine accomplishment of salvation. The world's great religions all agree that men (used in this book to denote humanity of both sexes) are spiritual beings wrapped in human flesh. Most of them agree that when the flesh dies, the spirit lives on in one form or another. Biblical Christianity teaches that the author, or creator, of that spiritual life is God. However, the Bible also states plainly that not every person who dies will stand forgiven and accepted in the presence of the Holy God. How it happens that some are saved and some are eternally lost is the focus of our study.
Do not be put off by this word "doctrine." It simply refers to anything taught as a principle or creed of religion. That's all. What we are studying here are the principles of Biblical Christianity, systematized into a cohesive theology, so that we can better understand the underlying tenets, principles and concepts of the Bible. The Apostle Paul was a great advocate of proper doctrine.
Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine (1 Timothy 4:13).
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 3:16-17).
...be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; (Ephesians 4:14)
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
It is vital that the Church be well furnished in the doctrines of Christ, because they are the very foundation stones on which genuine Christianity is built.
For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But, a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers (Titus 1:7-9).
But, speak thou the things which become sound doctrine (Titus 2:1).
The History
Calvinism, as it is commonly called, has a rich European history, but it finds its most striking influence during the foundation of these United States. Owing to Martin Luther's commitment to reform, the church that bears his name was founded on the teaching of God's election and determinate predestination. John Knox, the founder of the Presbyterian Church, held these doctrines. Early American history reveals that the vast majority of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth rock were Calvinistic Presbyterians. The Congregationalist Churches of early America were once bound by these doctrines. And the original Baptists were avid predestinarians, which is why their modern counterparts advertise themselves as "Free-Will Baptists" to distinguish themselves from their ancestors.
This English Calvinist strain was strengthened by the dutch Calvinists of New York and New Jersey, the German reformed of Pennsylvania and Maryland, and the Scots-Irish Presbyterians who settled in the mid-Atlantic and southern colonies. While not all settlers in the New World were Protestant and not all Protestants were Calvinist, nevertheless there was from the very beginning a strongly Calvinist influence on American thought and institutions. Calvinists founded universities, pioneered the New England town meeting, insisted on the separation of powers in the federal government, played a prominent role in the movement for the abolition of slavery, and even promoted such characteristic institutions of frontier revivalism as 'the anxious bench' and the 'camp-meeting' … In short, although Calvinism is not the only ingredient in American intellectual and religious history, it is such an important ingredient that no one can claim to understand American history and culture without some appreciation of its Calvinist heritage.2
These are not new truths or recent innovations we are considering. These are the old truths; the foundations of the faith. So, it is necessary that we get a quick overview of reformation history in order to understand where we came from and how we got here. However, inasmuch as this is not a book dedicated to the history of the Church, and considering the enormous, sweeping scope of the Reformation, there are a great many details and important personages we could recount who will be passed over. In this book we are only going to become familiar with those particular names and historic events that directly relate to the doctrinal presentation that follows.
For the first 300 years of the Church's existence, theologians and writers concentrated primarily on the nature of Christ, His deity and His humanity. Consequently, we do not find much in the way of what we would call Grace Doctrine up until the 5th century – which is not to say that the doctrines were not clearly spelled out within the Biblical text. But, we need to remember that the Bible was not canonized, in the version we now have, for several hundred years.
From the beginning, Christianity was embroiled in a struggle between the Jewish converts, who were steeped in the traditions of their history, and the Gentile converts who followed the Pauline theology of justification by grace without the works of the Law.
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified (Galatians 2:16).
Naturally, factions arose in the Church, defending either side of the Law/Grace controversy. While one side argued in favor of Paul's stance, Jewish converts were often unable to release themselves from the traditions of their forefathers and religious leaders, promoting the notion of salvation by works and individual righteousness earned by keeping the Sinaitic law.
It was Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) who reintroduced into the collective public knowledge the fact that the Bible emphasizes man's fallen state, election without conditions and salvation by grace.
Augustine began systematizing Biblical theology to refute the teaching of Pelagius (360?-420?), who left Rome permanently in 411 AD and disappears from the historic record around 418. Pelagius taught that, contrary to the Biblical record, the fall of Adam was an individual failure that had no bearing on mankind as a whole. He taught that Christ's death was merely an example of martyrdom and that a man in his natural state had the ability to work out his own personal salvation by force of will and determination.
So, Augustine developed systematic teaching of the very opposite. He taught:
Augustine was the first true interpreter of the Apostle Paul and was successful in securing the acceptance of this teaching by the early Church. Soon after that, however, the Roman Catholic Church increased in power and prominence. Over time, Rome promoted a reliance on superstition and increased Scriptural ignorance. The Popes gained tremendous political and ecclesiastical power and eventually most of Europe fell under Rome's dominion. The morals of the church leadership grew increasingly wicked, as the priesthood became more corrupt, culminating in the selling of indulgences: payments made to reduce temporal punishment for sin, either in this life or on behalf of souls in Purgatory. The Church at Rome basked in practices derived from the mysterious religions of ancient Babylon, preferring ecclesiastical tradition over Christian doctrine. The Scriptures were effectively hidden from common people, being considered too "holy" and difficult for any but the high initiates of the clergy to read.
To understand our renaissance roots, we must recall that in the fifth century the barbarians of northern Europe shattered the Roman Empire – its political institutions, its learning, and it arts. This wholesale destruction of Roman culture plunged Europe into a thousand year period sometimes known as "The Dark Ages." That period was "dark" because the light of learning, for the most part, had gone out. Ignorance prevailed on almost every hand.
Spiritual life for most Europeans in that period was dominated by two themes: superstition and dependence. With learning almost eclipsed, and with reliable instruction in Scripture and theology almost non-existent, the common people indulged their imaginations in countless superstitions. The average person envisioned the world as filled with angels, devils, and other supernatural beings which controlled life and determined destiny. The Roman Catholic Church came to dominate both European politics and culture, and virtually every person depended on the church for eternal salvation. On the one hand, the church controlled and administered the seven sacraments which, it maintained, were the only means by which the saving grace of God might be dispensed. On the other hand, the church held the immense power of excommunication, which barred heretics and sinners from the saving grace of the sacraments, and the power of the interdict by which the Pope might bar from the sacraments an entire nation or people. These powerful tools rendered an entire European populace dependent on a wrathful God who expressed the divine will solely through the Roman church.3
It was out of this morass that Martin Luther (1483-1546), an Augustinian monk, led the German reformation of the Church. Luther was a full-fledged predestinarian. In his writing Bondage of the Will, he states the doctrine of predestination clearly.
John Calvin (1509-1564) built on the foundations laid by Martin Luther. The followers of men such as John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli (1484-1531), and John Knox (1513-1572) became known as "the Reformers." Their goal was the denial of Rome's dogma and tradition while defining and restoring Biblical doctrine. The Church of Rome, determined to stop this outgrowth of anti-Catholic theology, created "articles of faith" granting themselves the right to hang or burn anyone with whom they disagreed. So, the church of the Reformation, the Protestants, who protested against the heresy of the Catholic Church, often risked life and limb in order to profess what they believed.
"Arminianism"
Jacob (or John) Arminius (1560-1609) was a student of John Calvin's successor, Theodore Beza, who taught at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. In 1588, Arminius read the writings of the Pelagian theologian Dorch Coornhert (1522-1591) and he found the argument to be stronger than his own conviction. He became a convert to the doctrines of universal grace and freedom of the will.
Arminius applied to the government of Holland to organize a synod, or meeting of churches, to establish the official position of the Church in respect to doctrine. He had two primary disagreements with the wide- spread Augustinian/Calvinistic view:
On November 13, 1618, a national Synod was held at Dort, Holland. In attendance were representatives from nearly all the reformed Churches of Europe, including the Church of England. The Synod lasted until May 9, 1619. The Arminian contingency argued their claim for the following five points as the basis of Biblical doctrine:
The synod of Dort compared the Arminian doctrines but failed to reconcile them with the clear word of Scripture. As a result, they were wholly rejected. Because they advance the superiority of man's will over God's rulership, these theories appeal to man's desire to rule his own destiny, and continue to be taught in churches all over the world. Over the years, Arminian teaching has become characterized by increasing differences from the orthodox and historical Pauline faith. For instance, here are some of the theological tenets currently held by churches that espouse Arminian doctrine:
The "Doctrines of Grace"
As a result of the determination that the five points of Arminianism were wholly unscriptural, the Synod developed a system of theology that has ever since been known as "The Five Points of Calvinism." This system is built upon the foundation of the Sovereignty of God in all things. These are the fundamental doctrines of salvation taught by Paul and handed down to us in Scripture.
Now this is probably a good juncture at which to define a few particulars. While the doctrines presented in this study go by the nickname of "Calvinism," I am not strictly a Calvinist, per se. I do not worship John Calvin. In fact, Calvin believed many things I do not. For instance, he believed that we could usher in the millennial kingdom by living righteously enough. I disagree. I contend that the Bible teaches that God has "set times" and the course of human history will come to its conclusion at precisely the moment that God ordained from the foundations of the world.
John Calvin was a Sabbath-keeper. I am not. Paul clearly teaches that resting in the finished work of Christ is the fulfillment of the type and shadow of Old Testament Sabbaths (Colossians 2:16-17).
John Calvin was a "sacrilist" who believed in using the power of the State to quell the Anabaptist rebellion against the increasingly Constantinian/Catholic tendencies in the Reformed Church, even to the burning of "heretics."
Even the most adamant defenders of Reformation theology agree that Calvinism has changed and grown through the years, leaving some of its early errors behind. That is why the Reformers' credo of "always reforming" continues to ring true in our ears.
Men are fallible; even the wisest of men. That is why we follow Christ - not men. Nevertheless, God has granted certain men wonderful insight into His Word and the wisdom to systematize a theology that we can clearly comprehend and which will help us understand Scripture as we read it. So, while John Calvin and I part company occasionally, the system of doctrine that grew out of the Synod of Dort remains Biblically sound and valid.
Over time, these doctrines have come to be known as the Doctrines of Grace, differentiating them from John Calvin, the person, and putting the emphasis where it belongs - on God, Himself. Some people like to remember the five points by using an acrostic, utilizing the word TULIP:
T . . . . Total depravity or Total Inability
U . . . . Unconditional election
L . . . . Limited Atonement
I . . . . Irresistible Grace
P . . . . Perseverance of the Saints
These doctrines have also been represented in an acrostic using the word GRACE:
G . . . . Gracious Election
R . . . . Ruined Sinners
A . . . . Accomplished Redemption
C . . . . Compelling Love
E . . . . Everlasting Life
Here is one more presentation of the five doctrines, emphasizing the stages of Grace and Salvation:
The Necessity
of Grace
........Total depravity ................................ Salvation
required
The Fountain
of Grace .........Unconditional election
....................Salvation Planned
The Provision
of Grace
........Particular redemption ................. Salvation Purchased
The
Revelation
of Grace .....Effectual
Calling..................................Salvation Applied
The Victory
of Grace ...........Perseverance of the Saints ............. Salvation
Perfected
The Differences
Now, just about every church that hangs the name "Christian" above their door will agree that human beings are sinners. The debate centers on the degree to which men are sinners and the extent of the damage done as a result of the fall. So question one is:
Are men simply less good than they once
were?
or
Are
humans utterly ruined because of Adam's rebellion?
Then, the Bible speaks constantly of God choosing certain people for certain tasks and particular destinies. So, question two is:
Does God choose on the basis
of earned merit?
or
Does God choose according to His own private
purposes and good pleasure?
Then, all Christian churches agree that Jesus died on a cross though He was personally innocent. So, He died as a substitute for someone other than Himself. The debate arises over who the recipients of this atonement are. So, question three is:
Did Christ
die for each and every human individual who ever lived?
or
Did Christ
die specifically for those elect individuals whom God sovereignly chose
to give eternal life?
The Bible is also replete with references to man's need of the Holy Spirit in order to be saved. So, question four is:
Can a person resist the calling of the
Holy Spirit?
or
Once
God chooses a ruined sinner and Christ dies for Him, must that man or
woman give in to the call of God and be saved?
Lastly, inasmuch as a person may be saved at any point in their life-time on earth and yet remain here for many more years, question five is:
Can a person be
chosen, paid for, and accept the call of God and then lose their
salvation, either by active choice or ignorant neglect?
or
Does the
sureness of the choosing, the completeness of the payment, the
certainty of the call, and the application of the Spirit guarantee that
the power of God will carry that saved person all the way to their
predetermined destiny in Heaven?
These are the questions we seek to answer in this study of the doctrines of Grace. And once you have come to understand them, you will find that they permeate Scripture. They are not hidden in isolated verses that need to be pulled out-of-context and "privately interpreted" in order to substantiate them. They are the very "heart" of Scripture.
CHAPTER ONE
TOTAL DEPRAVITY
As with any subject we must begin at the beginning and start at the start. Total Depravity means that every part of a natural man, the whole and total being, is corrupt and incapable of doing any good thing that would please God. Simply stated, this first doctrine says, "Man is a sinner."
Some theologians prefer the phrase Total Inability to emphasize the point that men are totally unable to help themselves, although they are not as bad as they could be, which Total Depravity seems to imply. But, it is simply a matter of preference. The Biblical fact of the matter is that humans are in a desperate condition.
It all started in the Garden of Eden. After Adam and Eve's disobedience, the nature of men changed from being "in God's own image and likeness" to the image of their father Adam; corrupted and sinful. That change of character and nature was passed down to every one of Adam's descendants.
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed unto all men, for that all have sinned; (Romans 5:12)
This new state was not simply one of occasional misdeeds, but an utter overhaul of the intrinsic make-up of humanity.
And, 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 (Genesis 6:5).
Notice that even among the earliest of Adam's descendants, their wickedness was great and every thought of their imagination and every desire of their heart was only wickedness - nothing else. And it was wickedness continually! No short periods of some good crept in. That is the way God views men and women after their own nature.
Now, according to Paul, once the sin nature entered mankind, each and every human individual was born into this state. We are fallen creatures. Still, people resist this notion. So questions arise. At what point does a person become this wicked sinner? Is he born this way or does he learn it? Are babies born innocent and do they reach an "age of accountability" when they must take responsibility for their actions?
Much to most people's surprise, the Bible claims that humans are born with these evil tendencies. They are not culturally inherited or learned. The evil imagination is intact and operative even before birth.
And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done (Genesis 8:21).
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me (Psalm 51:5).
The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies (Psalm 58:3).
This estrangement from God begins at conception. The sins of the fathers are passed down to the sons and daughters by the blood of the parents. Children are guilty and come forth from the womb speaking lies, proving their sinfulness.
This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead (Ecclesiastes 9:3).
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)
Sin hits at the very core of our personalities and character. Sin does not begin with an external action, such as drunkenness, sexual misconduct, murder, or the like. Sin begins in our hearts and those deeds are simply the manifestation of the rebellion that already thrives within.
This ruinous nature does not simply render a man unwilling to do good, it renders him utterly incapable of doing anything that would be considered pleasing in God's sight. That is the extent of his depravity. He not only enjoys his rebellion, he is unable to do anything on his own behalf in order to please or attract God.
Now, there is an important theological reality inherent in this fact. If this is true that men and women possess a fundamental incapability to do good or to please God, then despite modern traditions to the contrary, it is pointless, futile, illogical and obviously unscriptural to tell such totally depraved people to "believe and have faith," or to "make a decision for Christ." Fleshly creatures have no ability to muster up faith or think such good things. Their hearts and thoughts are "only evil continually." So, how can they suddenly decide to choose eternal life and have faith in God?
Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil (Jeremiah 13:23).
The obvious answer is - "No, the Ethiopian and the leopard are powerless to change themselves. They are products of their nature. They were born that way and they are without choice." So likewise, the person born into a state of wickedness and ruin is powerless to act against his or her own nature and do something —anything—that is good.
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 (Psalm 14:2).
As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one (romans 3:10-12).
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way… (Isaiah 53:6)
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death (Proverbs 14:12).
Clearly, God views people—all people—as evil, corrupt beings. And we read in both the Old and New Testament that not one single person ever chose to seek God or to follow after Him. There are none that understand spiritual things and there are none that are spiritually profitable.
"No, not one."
Total Inability
Jesus spoke of men not being able to follow Him. He declared that they would not only follow their natural inclination to rebel and misunderstand, but they were incapable of doing any differently! He spoke of them having eyes, but they could not see. He spoke of them having ears but they could not hear. He said that the reason they would not come to Him was because they could not come to Him!
"Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word" (John 8:43).
"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).
"A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit" (Matthew 7:18).
"Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come" (John 7:34).
Jesus answered and said unto him, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).
Notice how emphatic Jesus' statements are. He did not say that men would be responsible to view Him and then decide for themselves. He did not open up the possibility of choice or decision. He stated unequivocally that men would react in accordance with their complete inability.
Then Paul, the great interpreter of the Old Testament, carried this theme over into his epistles:
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be (Romans 8:7).
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8).
This is the crux of the whole discussion. The Bible tells us that humans were not simply bruised by the fall of Adam; they did not receive a mere flesh wound that will heal. God told Adam that the day he ate of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and evil that he would die!
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die (Genesis 2:16-17).
Yet, Adam lived for hundreds of years after the fatal choice. Was God mistaken? No. Adam died spiritually at that very instant. He was not just bruised spiritually; he was dead in sin. Then he began dying physically as a result of his spiritual decay.
Let's look closer at the events that led to our current state of total depravity. Adam and his wife were the sole occupants of the glorious garden God had given them to oversee. Originally, they had only one prohibition against their freedom of choice. Prior to the fall, Adam and Eve had the "free-est" wills of anyone who ever lived. Their options were completely unencumbered, with the exception of that one, single regulation. But, the serpent, Satan, entered the garden and approached the woman with the intent of causing her to act against God's rule.
Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:1-5).
Despite Eve's awareness of the command of God not to touch or eat from the tree, she was persuaded that partaking of its fruit would make her "like God" in that she would decide for herself what was good and what was bad. In short, Eve would make up her own mind and form her own rules as regarding her life and her eternal state. eve then would be the first person to truly exercise "free will" despite the clear dictates of God's word.
This concept of choice and "free will" stands as a staple of most Arminian teaching. The underlying assumption of such teaching is that if men simply knew the difference between right and wrong they would most naturally choose the good and avoid the bad. But, what was the outcome of Eve's decision? did she, in fact, become like God? did her new-found wisdom improve her spiritual standing?
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself (Genesis 3:6-10).
The disobedience of Adam and Eve resulted in shame and fear. The ability to think for themselves and act according to their own determination drove them further from God, not closer to Him.
Now, according to the Apostle John, sin is inspired by these three worldly factors: The lust of the flesh; the lust of the eyes; and the pride of life.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world (1 John 2:16).
Eve saw that the fruit was good for food (the lust of the flesh), it was pleasant to the eyes (the lust of the eyes) and it was desired to make one wise (the pride of life). But, the outcome was not that she and Adam became God-like in any sense. Just the opposite took place. The first thing they realized was that they were naked and they suffered shame. They were exposed as sinners, rebels against the command of God, and they tried to cover their guilt and hide.
And, adding to their humiliation, rather than becoming on an equal par with God, sharing in His power, they fell from His good graces and were punished by the One who retained all power. They were defenseless against His judgment. God cursed each of them, the serpent included, and they were helplessly incapable to stand against the decree of the Most High God. rather than becoming Godlike in their self-will, they became cursed sinners, slaves to their shame, and in bondage to their rebellion. They were cast out of eden and mankind was cut off from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life.
Adam is spoken of in theological circles as being the "federal head" of all mankind. What that means is that God holds every man and woman guilty of Adam's offense. We are all born into Adam's bloodline and we are all his descendants. Hence, we are all the fallen children of the first rebels. Their fall, and the resulting change of spiritual nature, is imputed to each of us. We are not born spiritually neutral. We are born rebels against the command of God, and like our parents, we are helpless to resist the judgment of the Almighty.
Our Nature
To drive home the point of our helpless estate, Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus and emphatically declared our fallen nature:
And, you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others (Ephesians 2:1-3).
Despite the fact that in these verses Paul was exhorting believers who have "passed from death unto life," notice his description of men in their natural state:
Men are born dead in trespasses and sins. Not wounded. Not staggering. Not doing the best they can – just stone, cold dead. A dead man is totally incapable of helping himself. Consider Lazarus. Could he help himself get up from the grave? Or, could Ezekiel's valley of dry bones help themselves to recover? Absolutely not! They were utterly incapable.
Not only are we born into this depraved state and incapable of changing our lot, we are not able to resist sin! Scripture calls us "bond slaves" to sin. We are sold out to it! It owns us. And as slaves, we will certainly do our master's bidding.
Jesus answered them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin" (John 8:34).
But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O, wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (Romans 7:23)
Paul declared that the individual members of his body were under bondage to a natural law from which he was unable to deliver himself. even though Paul knew the law of God in his mind, the law of sin that pervaded his being brought him into captivity. He called his body a body of death because it was corrupted by sin, and he cried out over his inability to deliver himself from that impending death.
A man is no more capable of using his will to resist the law of sin in his body than he is of utilizing his will to release himself from the law of gravity.
"But We Do Nice Things!"
The doctrine of Total Depravity does not rule out the possibility that people may do relatively good things. We are not what theologians call "absolutely depraved." We are capable of doing good works, as compared to other more evil works. It all depends on what we use as our measuring rod. Compared to the works of Hitler, the works of Mother Teresa look very good. However, compared to the works of Christ, in His perfect obedience and willing sacrifice, we all fall woefully short. And beyond that, when we are compared to the perfect holiness and righteousness of God—well, let's let Job respond:
How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in His sight. How much less man, that is a worm? And the son of man, which is a worm? (Job 25:4-6)
It is true that mankind does not rave about in unrestrained madness. God rules over every facet of His kingdom and restrains men from being wholly and completely taken over by their evil natures and running hog-wild.
Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain (Psalm 76:10).
In other words, men are not as bad as we could be. We are capable of doing charitable or kind acts. We may recognize that murder is wrong and therefore avoid killing. We may be loyal husbands and wives, generous providers, civil servants or socially conscious citizens. However, these acts do not change our basic nature and they remain insufficient to please the high standard of a righteous, holy God. It takes more than fleshly works to please Him. It takes spiritual attributes, like faith.
Without faith it is impossible to please Him. For he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6).
The natural man has no faith in God whatsoever. And his actions, however well intended, are not sufficient to make up for that lack of faith. Consequently, every fleshly activity of the natural man – regardless of its relative merit – is viewed by God as sin.
An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wick- ed is sin (Proverbs 21:4).
This proverb teaches us that arrogance and pride are sinful. That's easy to grasp. But, it also declares that just plowing a field, doing everyday chores and going about our natural lives, is sin in God's eyes. Therefore, the relative merit or harm of individual actions does not determine sinfulness. Sin is not just doing bad things. Sin is being how we are - sinful by nature.
We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners.
One of the Greek words translated sin in the Bible is hamartia. It means falling short of God 's perfection; missing the mark. Simply being less than God, in terms of perfection, holiness and righteousness is defined as sin. But, we are far beyond merely "missing the mark."
… verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity (Psalm 39:5).
At our best, we all come far short of perfection.
Destruction and misery are in their ways: and the way of peace have they not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes (romans 3:16-18).
That's the natural state of man. There is no fear of God before their eyes. And, according to Psalm 111:10, "the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom." And, to make matters worse, even our best works and righteous behavior amounts to nothing:
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities (Isaiah 64:6-7).
The Endurance of Sin
An inherent characteristic of sin is that once it began, it became a force so powerful that only God Himself could control or eradicate it. Once Satan rebelled in Heaven and was cast down (Luke 10:18), he was powerless to turn from his wicked ways. Ultimately, God will bind him and cast him into the Lake of Fire in order to stop his perniciousness (Matthew 25:41, Revelation 19:20). Likewise, children of devil will do exactly as their father does, refusing to turn from their rebellion and succumbing to condemnation.
"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And, because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not" (John 8:44-45).
Even at the end of time, when God executes judgment on the world, the inhabitants of earth will not cry out for mercy or "choose" to have faith and be saved. In the midst of terror and woe, men will exhibit their absolute inability to turn from their wickedness and will instead seek refuge from the face of God.
And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" (Revelation 6 :15-17)
Now certainly, if all a man needs in order to "choose to believe" or to "repent and have faith" is an adequate inducement, these men have plenty! But, they are completely unable to repent, so they run from the lamb.
For any man to be relieved from the pervasive pressure and guilt of sinfulness, God must perform a miraculous act of change. The fallen nature must be converted to an eternal, spiritual nature. left to themselves, an individual is incapable of changing or even recognizing the desperation of his condition.
So, God must make the first move. Man is incapable. Thus, conversion and the activity of salvation rest in the hands of God.
Conclusion
To review, the doctrine of Total depravity tells us:
We cannot understand the Bible, or "the love that drew salvation's plan" until we understand this point. And, we cannot understand anything about the other doctrines of Grace until we understand this one. We will never truly appreciate the humility of Christ and how far down he reached to save us until we "look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged" (Isaiah 51:1).
When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Mark 2:17).
It all stands or falls right here. Healthy men do not need a physician (Luke 5:31). Quickened men do not need a resurrection. Alive men do not need to be "born again." Jesus came to seek and to save them that were lost. He came to heal the sick and raise the dead - not reward the good and encourage the well able.
And, if you recognize yourself in this description of depraved humans, then there is a good likelihood Christ came to save you. It is only by the grace of God that a man will realize and admit that he is utterly helpless and desperately in need of a Savior.
"Okay, Jim," you reply, "I'm pretty much convinced. But, given that humans are utterly evil and depraved in God's Holy sight and we are completely unable to help ourselves, how can any person be saved? We know the Bible says some will be."
Yes, exactly! That's why these are called doctrines of Grace. If there is nothing in men that would attract God and yet someone does get saved, it must be for God's own sovereign purpose according to His own good pleasure and absolutely cannot be because of the actions of men or because of any value in men.
Nothing! Not one thing!
It must be God, in His grace, doing the choosing, since we are incapable of choosing God. And that realization leads us into the second of the Doctrines of Grace: Unconditional Election.
CHAPTER TWO
UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION
The words elect and election appear some 27 times in the Bible, in both the Old and New Testament. There are over 100 references to God's chosen and God choosing. Yet "election" is one of the most misunderstood doctrinal concepts in all of Christendom. The primary question we must answer is, "Who chooses who?"
The easiest way to comprehend the basic premise of election is with a few simple questions and answers. Whenever I am discussing the issue with anyone, I start with this conversation:
Do you believe you are saved?
Yes.
Okay, then
who saved you?
God.
Very good. And did God save you on purpose or by
accident?
Well, on purpose!
That's election.
God saves some people and
He does it on purpose.
For a more theological explanation, Pastor David Morris defines election this way:
"Because of man's Total depravity and inability, salvation from sin and its penalty is completely of the Lord, our Triune God. In eternity past, before the worlds were created, God chose in Christ a great multitude that no man could number. The election of this number out of the mass of damnation of ruined mankind as they stood in Adam was based on God's grace and good pleasure and on nothing in man by way of condition or foreseen quality. God purposed this election for His own glory."4
That's quite a mouthful. But it is utterly Biblical. Given that Scripture condemns men as depraved, evil, sinful, ruined, incapable, dead worms, while also knowing that some of them obtain eternal salvation from a Just and Holy God, we are forced to ask how such a thing is possible.
As stated earlier, most every Christian church admits that God does some choosing in Scripture. The debate is over the conditions that inspire those choices and the extent of His creation over which God exercises His right to choose.
The Doctrines of Grace contend that God's election is unconditional. After all, there can be nothing in the ruined sinner that God finds either attractive or good enough to obligate God to save him. Consider these reasons:
Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And, if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But, if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work (Romans 11:5-6).
The Vocabulary of Election
We cannot consider Biblical election without including several other terms and principles, such as foreordination, foreknowledge, and predestination. It is not true, as some would have us believe, that election is strictly a New Testament doctrine or that the Apostle Paul introduced it into the Scripture. God's right and ability to choose the destiny of His creation is intrinsic to all of Scripture. For instance, the Bible speaks of God sovereignly choosing:
It is characteristic of a King that he rule over his kingdom. God is Lord over His creation and He is actively involved in every facet of His domain. As such, He decrees or chooses from His infinite options:
Theologians call that foreordination—decreeing that events will take place prior to their actual occurrence. Also, in describing the qualities of God, the Christian Church has for centuries used these terms:
Now, if God is all-powerful, there is nothing in His kingdom that can occur without Him empowering it; otherwise there is some power independent of Him and He is not truly all-powerful.
Secondly, if He is everywhere at once, His participation in the events of His kingdom must extend to the minutest details; otherwise He is absent from somewhere.
And thirdly, if He is all-knowing, no event could escape His grasp. Nothing happens independent of Him or which surprises Him, and He is completely aware of every option and the consequences of every action.
Given these attributes, we must conclude that:
But, the Bible goes one step further and also declares that God has decided every event that takes place in His domain and that nothing takes place that He did not foreordain. From the largest—
Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God (Romans 13:1),
to the smallest detail—
The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the lord (Proverbs 16:33).
From the seemingly inconsequential—
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and, one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father (Matthew 10:29),
to the most intimate—
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off (Psalm 139:2).
In God's response to Job in Chapters 38 through 41, God lists the extent and completeness of His control over His creation. He includes everything from measuring and constructing the universe, to feeding every baby animal, to binding and controlling Satan himself.
When we speak of Unconditional Election it is necessary to realize that God has the right as Lord and King, and has the power as the Almighty, to do whatever He chooses with what He has created.
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? (Daniel 4:35)
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible; whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him; and he is before all things, and by him all things consist (Colossians 1:16-17).
Whatever God does, He does it for His greatest glory. All things exist because He chose to create them and decreed that they would exist. Nothing exists outside of His sovereign rule and all things bow to the will of Him who created them. He does what He does in accordance with His own will. And that includes saving people.
Predestination
Now with that foundation we can understand predestination. The word simply means what it looks like—God determines the destination of men in advance and He has the power to complete that determination. That is the only way anyone would end up in Heaven. Just as He had the power to expel the first rebels from the Garden, He has the power to return any or all of their offspring to His presence.
Ruined by Adam's rebellion, the mass of humanity continues marching toward Hell like lemmings off a cliff. It is their nature and their desire to go their own way, which way will certainly lead to destruction:
"enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat" (Matthew 7:13).
But God, willing to show His mercy and demonstrate his grace, elected certain individuals—guilty sinners—and determined that they would go another way, which way would lead to salvation:
"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matthew 7:14).
Paul was adept at utilizing this language of election. He put it all together for us in the following passage, often referred to as the "golden chain of redemption."
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first born among many brethren. 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 (romans 8:29-30).
As we move through the five individual doctrines of Grace, you will notice how beautifully this one verse encapsulates them:
We'll revisit this passage later and you will understand how all the pieces fit. But for the moment, notice Paul's very specific language. "Whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate … whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified." There is only one group of people in this process. The people who start out "foreknown" are the very same people who end up "glorified." Also notice that there isn't a single hint of these people adding their own participation to the process. They are not the actors; they are the recipients of God's gracious action.
What God Knows
Romans 8:29, however, is also a favorite verse of Arminian theologians. They typically pounce on the word "foreknow" and use it as their proof-text that God knew something favorable or admirable about these people, which knowledge encouraged Him to call, justify and glorify them. But, given what we understand about Total Depravity, God could have known nothing but evil about them. So, He could not have based his ordination on their merit. God could not have foreknown that they would have good works, because Scripture argues that good works are the result of predestination, not the cause:
We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).
Likewise, God could not have foreknown that they would have faith since faith, itself, is a gift of God, given to those whom He has already chosen.
As many as were ordained to eternal life believed (Acts 13:48).
Notice that Acts 13:48 does not say, "as many as believed were ordained to eternal life." First eternal life was foreordained and then God gave them the ability to believe.
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 (Ephesians 2:8-9).
This verse clearly tells us that the gift of faith was an act of grace and we are saved by means of that gracious gift. Inasmuch as it is a gift of grace, we are neither saved, nor do we receive the gift, based on our works because it is the nature of sinful men to become arrogant and boastful if they had any part in securing their redemption.
Plus, to iterate the point, grace by definition is an act of unmerited favor by God. If God gave faith to a man based on some quality within the man, that would be merited, or earned, favor—not grace.
As well, when Paul listed the gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:9, among the more popularly touted gifts like healings, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits and divers kinds of tongues, he included: "To another, faith by the same Spirit." Now, if it is the Holy Spirit of God that imbues men with faith, how could God count any man's faith as a positive merit that deserved salvation?
Neither did God see in advance that certain men would join the Church in order to merit God's favor. Rather, God added to the body of Christ those He had chosen for salvation:
… And the lord added to the church daily such as should be saved (Acts 2:47).
Note carefully that Acts 2:47 does not say, "Certain people decided to join the church and as a consequence God saved them." Nope. It says just the opposite! God added to the body of Christ those whom He intended to save.
And God did not see in advance that certain men—certain dead, wicked, incapable men—would choose Him.
You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you … (John 15:16)
… no man can come unto me, except it be given unto him of the Father (John 6:65).
In other words, election is not ratification. God did not ratify our choice of Him, or our faith in Him, by choosing us in return. He did not say, "I approve of your choice of me, so I elect you."
Likewise, election is not selection. Selection comes into play when we compare several different choices and pick the best one. We grab the ripest tomatoes or the best deal on a new car. God did not select. There were no good choices! But, God chose graciously.
Finally, to lay any misinterpretation to rest, if Paul had indeed intended to say what the Arminian interpreters claim romans 8:29-30 says, then he has utterly contradicted himself, given the context of the verse. Follow Paul's logic:
Now, after Paul has taken pains to describe mankind in its natural state, how could he have argued in Romans 8:29-30 that God foresaw that some men would have faith, choose God or do works righteous enough to obligate God to elect them to salvation? Paul would be turning his own argument upside down, completely contradicting himself. He would certainly not be the logician or theologian the church has reputed him to be. And, the Holy Spirit was certainly not inspiring him as he wrote, since he was obviously prone to blatant error. What should be immediately plain is that the Arminian interpretation of Paul's writing leads to conundrums and confusion.
The apparent confusion on the part of the Arminian contingency is based on a misunderstanding of the scope of the Greek word proginsosko, translated foreknow. Proginosko is derived from two words: pro, or "before," and ginosko, "to know." It is that word ginosko that requires closer inspection. In Scripture, it speaks of an intimate relationship. It is an experiential knowing that only comes from deep, personal love. We find this relationship defined throughout the Bible:
And Adam knew eve his wife; and she conceived ... (Genesis 4:1)
Adam did not just meet his wife, know her as a person, and she became instantaneously pregnant. They had a deep, personal, experiential union.
[Lot said] Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man... (Genesis 19:8)
The girls knew lot, so they knew what men were. They had brothers, so they were familiar with the species. But, they had never had a sexual union with a man—they were virgins.
[God said] You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities (Amos 3:2).
God, being omniscient, was familiar with other people on the planet. But He only had an intimate relationship, which God likened to a marriage, with the children of Israel.
And, [Joseph] knew her not till she had brought forth her first-born son; and he called his name JESUS (Matthew 1:25).
Rather obviously, Joseph was familiar with Mary; they were betrothed to marry. But he refrained from having a sexual union with her until after she delivered the Christ child.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 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? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matthew 7:21-23).
Jesus is saying this to men who believed that their righteous works ought to merit salvation. But He cast them off due to the fact that He never had an intimate, experiential, love relationship with them. Notice, by the way, that if God chose to save simply on the basis of foreseen works and actions, these men would certainly have been worthy of election!
However, whom God loved and began an intimate relationship with, them "he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son."
When Did the Election Take Place?
Does God place people into a state of "election" at the moment of their conversion? do sinners decide to follow God and earn this "election" as a consequence of their decision? Or, do we even participate in this process at all?
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: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will (Ephesians 1:4).
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will (Ephesians 1:11).
Prior to creating the first molecule of the universe, God determined the recipients of His love and gracious election. Then, to make the whole thing sure and certain, He wrote their names in the lamb's Book of Life. The names of all the elect are written in the book.
This concept of an eternal book of names appears several places in Scripture. For instance, Jesus told His disciples in Luke 10:20 to rejoice because their names were "written in Heaven." Daniel 12:1 speaks of a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time. But, he promised that "every one that shall be found written in the book" would be delivered. Or, in Revelation 20:15 we read, "And, whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
So, it's a fair question to ask, when was this infinitely important book written?
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, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is (Revelation 17:8).
This unconditional election took place before God created the earth. When He decreed to create men, He authored a book of names, determining the people He would gift to His Son. Then He set about the work of keeping His word.
From the Beginning
As already stated, it is characteristic of God to pick and choose. So we ought to find evidence of God's election all through Scripture, starting at the beginning. And, we do!
After Adam and Eve rebelled and realized their shame and nakedness, "they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day" and they hid. God was fully aware of their disobedience and was certainly under no obligation to seek them out. He could just as easily have passed them by. But, He chose to confront them. And He mercifully made animal skins to clothe them, foreshadowing the ultimate sacrificial lamb who would die to cover sin.
As He confronted the serpent, God said, "…I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed…" (Genesis 3:15) God divided all of humanity into two camps—the seed of the woman and the seed of Satan—and He put hostility between them. He blessed the seed of the woman, which is Christ singularly and the heritage of Christ in the larger sense. And He cursed the devil and all of the descendants of wickedness. But, importantly, God drew the dividing line before Adam and Eve had borne their first child.
Then the two sons of Adam, Cain and Abel, raised by the same parents in the same environment, each sacrificed to God. Cain brought the fruit of the ground, the product of his own labor. Abel brought the firstling of his flock, a sacrifice with blood in it.
…And, the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: but unto Cain and to his offering He had no respect. And, Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell (Genesis 4:4-5).
So Cain slew Abel. Why did God not respect both offerings? Why had God not revealed to both brothers what type of sacrifice was acceptable?
Answer: Sovereign election.
In the chapter on Total Depravity we looked at Genesis 6:5 - "And, 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." As a result, God chose to destroy the world with a flood. But…!
But, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8).
Noah received unmerited favor from God! The Hebrew word translated "found" means "became the recipient of." It does not imply that Noah was even looking for it! Out of the legions of ruined sinners and wicked rebels God elected one man and his seven relatives before He destroyed the whole world. He did it by grace.
Now, some will argue that Genesis 6:9 states that Noah was "a just man and perfect in his generations." That, they claim, is the basis for God's choice. Not only would that negate the "grace" that Noah received, but even if we were to conclude that Noah was spared because he was just or perfect, the same could not be said of his sons and daughters, as proven by the curse Noah would later place on Ham…to say nothing of Noah's later bout of drunkenness.
Later in Genesis we read that God chose Abram and gave him Isaac long after he and his wife were too old to bear children. God told Abram:
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 of families of the earth be blessed (Genesis 12:2-3).
When God declared this to Abram, he was an idol worshipper! (Joshua 24:2) But, God elected him. Genesis 15:6 states, "And he (Abraham) believed in the Lord; and he [God] counted it to him for righteousness." Abraham had faith (an unmerited gift) and God imputed righteousness to him, because He had chosen Abraham to be the father of the faithful.
Prior to the birth of Isaac, Abraham produced a son with his wife's handmaid. The boy's name was Ishmael. But, God refused to give the promised inheritance to that boy. Rather, God insisted that a true son, a miraculous son, would be counted as the seed. But, the other was rejected. The Apostle Paul inculcated that bit of history into his theology.
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 (Romans 9:8).
God chooses and God rejects, according to His good pleasure and purpose. Meanwhile, Isaac had twin sons, Jacob and Esau. God chose Jacob and rejected Esau while they were yet in the womb. Paul saw this as clear and exacting evidence of God's work of election.
And, not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (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;) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated (Romans 9:10-13).
God did not elect Jacob on the basis of personal merit. He was still in the womb and had not yet done anything. And, to ward off any debate that the choice was made on the basis of any foreseen acts by the twins, Paul added "not of works, but of Him that calls." Notice, as well, that God spoke of His love and hatred in the past tense. These things were predetermined and foreordained.
After Jacob's name had been changed to Israel, he had twelve sons. Joseph was one of the youngest and his brethren were jealous of him. But, God gave Joseph a dream that his brothers would bow to him. His brothers sought to kill him and they sold him into slavery. God ordered the events of their lives until Joseph became the most powerful man in Egypt. Meanwhile, his brothers nearly perished in the famine God brought. Certainly enough, the brothers bowed to Joseph and they found mercy in his sight. Why was this younger son raised to prominence? Sovereign election.
These twelve sons of Jacob became the namesakes of the twelve tribes of Israel. And, of all the nations and tribes and families of the earth, God bestowed His favor on them.
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 (Deuteronomy 7:6).
Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou Jeshurun, whom I have chosen (Isaiah 44:1-2).
God chose one tribe, the Levites, to be His ministers among the Israelites.
For the Lord thy God hath chosen him [Levi] out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons forever (Deuteronomy 18:5).
God chose King Saul for Israel, even telling them that he would be a ruinous king over them (1 Samuel 10:24). Then God chose King David.
… thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly (Psalm 22:9-10).
He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheep-folds (Psalm 78:70).
These two verses confirm that David was not chosen because he was God's servant; he was chosen to be God's servant while he was still in the womb.
God chose prophets. God chose kings. God chose the winners in battle. Would any argue that when the Egyptian Pharaoh ordered the death of every Hebrew baby, it was the electing grace of God that floated Moses right into Pharaoh's household?
During His earthly ministry, Jesus also exercised his right to pick and choose. For instance, He handpicked each of His twelve apostles, including the one who was ordained to betray Him.
Jesus answered them, "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve" (John 6:70-71).
When Jesus was at the pool of Bethesda, hundreds of sick, blind and lame people were gathered, superstitiously waiting for an angel to "trouble the water" in hopes of being healed (John 5). But Jesus went to one particular man who had been sick for 38 years and healed him. Jesus left that crowd in the same wretched condition He had found them and chose to heal one man.
On another occasion, Jesus' disciples asked Him why He taught in parables.
And, he said unto them, "Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the Kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them" (Mark 4:11-12).
We can conclude nothing else from these passages than that Jesus was not predisposed to reveal Himself to every individual person with deference to all. Just the opposite is true. God gave understanding to the elect and Jesus cloaked the truths of Heaven in parables to guarantee that the non-elect would not be converted by their wills or intellects and try to obligate Jesus to forgive them.
Why did Jesus raise Lazarus from the grave? He chose to. There were plenty of other dead people around. Why did He cleanse the ten lepers when the disease ravaged hundreds of other people? He chose to. When Jesus came upon the demoniac of the Gadarenes, the demons who called themselves "legion" requested that Jesus allow them to go into a herd of pigs. "And, forthwith, Jesus gave them leave" (Mark 5:13). Why? He chose to.
Even as the call of God to follow Christ and believe on Him is heralded to the world, only the elect answer.
"So, the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen" (Matthew 20:16).
Christocentricity
The most magnificent demonstration of God's election came to us in the gracious person of His Son. This is the beauty that lies at the heart of this doctrine. It is a completely Christocentric doctrine. It has Christ at its center and it revolves around the Son of God. Christ is the "elect of God."
Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded (1 Peter 2:6).
And, I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it and my servants shall dwell there (Isaiah 65:9).
Isaiah 42 is one of the most beautiful Messianic passages in the Old Testament. It begins:
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
Even as Christ is designated to be "the lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8), He was the "firstfruit" of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20,21), elected of God to be the Messiah and the Christ (the anointed one). And, we believers who are the "elect of God" find the basis of our election in Christ, Himself. When writing to the church, Peter addresses them thusly:
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 Peter 1:2).
The blood of the elect servant of God purchased our redemption and sanctification, completing the plan of election.
The Attributes of Election
So, if all the foregoing is true, there certainly ought to be both evidence and benefits associated with being among "the elect of God." And, sure enough, Scripture is jam-packed with them. Below are ten examples:
1. Once the concept of God's electing grace is understood, we are no longer burdened with the crushing weight of our own vain attempts to earn salvation by our works. Now, election does not preclude good works. That's important to know. But, we do not accomplish our salvation via our work and effort. Rather, we do good works in response to the fact that we have been chosen by God. And, just as we are not the cause of God's election, we are not the ultimate cause of our own good works. Salvation, in every aspect, is God's enterprise, starting with His choice of us as His people, ordained to perform works that glorify and reflect Him. Election by God is to good works, for His glory and our benefit:
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you" (John 15:16).
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).
2. God controls the course of history and has promised that when He judges the world in His anger, He will limit the duration of His wrath for the sake of His elect people:
"And, except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened" (Matthew 24:22).
3. God protects the elect so that false prophets will not misguide them:
"For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Matthew 24:24).
4. The elect will be found in Heaven and accompany Christ when he returns to execute judgment on the earth:
"And, he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" (Matthew 24:31).
These shall make war with the lamb and the lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful (revelation 17:14).
5. God fights for His elect and executes justice for their sakes:
"And, shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?" (Luke 18:7)
They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are, the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord and their offspring with them. And, it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear (Isaiah 65:22-24).
6. God justifies His elect and no one can judge them:
Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth (Romans 8:33).
7. The very nature and character of God's elect is changed, reflecting the attributes of God, rather than the sinful world:
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye (Colossians 3:12-13).
8. God sends ministers to teach the elect in order to lead them to salvation:
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 (2 Timothy 2 :10).
9. Even the angels in Heaven who did not join Lucifer in his rebellion against God were kept by gracious election:
I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality (1 Timothy 5:21).
10. Faith in Jesus Christ, understanding of the truth of the Gospel, and the hope of eternal life are given to the elect:
Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began (Titus 1:1-2).
The hope of eternal life was promised by God to whom? To the elect!
Reprobation
Though it is not directly our subject, we must also consider one of the most misunderstood implications of this doctrine of Unconditional Election: Reprobation. If humanity is willfully marching toward certain damnation and God chooses to "pluck some brands from the fire," is He, by omission, committing the rest to destruction?
This is a favorite argument by the critics of this doctrine. The core of their objection is: "If God has the power to save sinners from their fate, why doesn't He save them all? Election of only some is unfair!" The critics of historic Calvinism call this idea "double predestination" in order to create a paradigm where God destines people to hell in some cruel or capricious way. Then, they argue that Calvinistic theology makes God out to be a monster, and must therefore be rejected.
But, such emotional appeals aside, the simple and direct answer is: Yes, in saving only a remnant, God is reprobating the remainder. But, we must be cautious not to lay blame to God. The apostle Paul argued convincingly on this point.
Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will He hardeneth. 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 honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering 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, even us whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? (Romans 9:18-24)
Follow Paul's argument closely. In the first three chapters of his epistles to the Romans, Paul took pains to prove that Gentiles were guilty before God, then Jews and Israelites were guilty before God, concluding that all mankind stands guilty, sinful and deserving of judgment and punishment. However, God will have mercy, sparing some people from the judgment they deserve. How does God decide which people will be treated mercifully? We're not told. We simply know that God will be merciful to whoever He chooses.
Now, the rest God will leave in their sins. So, the gainsayer will reply, "But how can God blame anyone if everyone is just doing what God ordained them to do?" Paul immediately declared the sovereignty of God and reminded the questioner that we are simply dust in the hands of the Creator. Will the dust rise up and ask the Omnipotent why He does what He does? The implied answer is, "Of course not!" God owns everything. He is the Master of His creation. Who can question His decisions?
Then Paul reminded his readers of a lesson learned in Jeremiah 18. A potter has the power to do whatever he pleases with a lump of clay. From that same lump he may fashion beautiful works of art, worthy to be praised. Or, he may make vessels that are unpleasing to him, or for common use, which he has the right to destroy according to his own pleasure. God has the same power to make choices and distinctions that the potter has. Both the chosen and judged have their place in the ongoing revelation of God. He is perfectly willing to show His wrath on the vessels He is reserving for the time of judgment. But, He is patient and longsuffering, waiting for the time when He will show His glorious grace and mercy on those He has foreordained to salvation.
The argument that such reprobation is unfair or unjust misses the point. Justice and fairness would have demanded that all men be cast into Hell in accordance with their evil, rebellious character. But, God is not the root cause of any man's destruction. Men are willingly following the inclinations of their wicked hearts and, as such, are completely responsible for their actions. And, God will get glory for Himself, both in demonstrating His mercy to His elect and in demonstrating His holy justice and righteous power to the sinners.
Here's an important concept, not to be missed: God does whatever He does for His glory. Salvation redounds to God's glorious grace. Judgment redounds to God's glorious righteousness and holiness. But, it all redounds to Him and His glorification of Himself. The humanistic view that God must treat everyone equally and give every man a chance to be saved is foreign to Scripture. It can be very difficult for us, in our limited understanding of truly eternal principles, to wrap our minds around a God of such limitless self-determination. But that is the only God we find in the Bible. Rather than kick against God's revelation of Himself, we would be much wiser to worship Him and bow humbly before His sovereign decrees. But, natural men, like brute beasts, refuse to accept the authority of God.
Meanwhile, Paul continued his treatise on God's electing grace by recounting Isaac's twin boys:
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 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. So, then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy (Romans 9:13-16).
To me, it is not at all amazing that God would say, "Esau have I hated." God abhors sin in every form and instance. It is amazing, however, that the grace of God would announce "Jacob have I loved." Jacob was a heel-catcher, a supplanter. But, he was the recipient of "unmerited favor." What we stated at the beginning of this chapter is born out in this verse—God's loving foreknowledge is the basis of his gracious, unconditional election and He is not swayed by men who exercise their will or run hard to compete in the marathon of good works. Election is truly the activity of God, who shows mercy as He wills. According to Jesus, God graciously elects some, bringing them to faith, while His wrath abides on others.
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him (John 3:36).
Does that make God unrighteous? No! It makes Him gracious. Righteousness is defined by what God does. God does not answer to some ethical standard above Himself. It is up to God whom He will be merciful to and who receives His compassion.
The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil (Proverbs 16 :4).
"I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things … Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!'' (Isaiah 45:7-9)
God is not overthrown, or limited in the slightest, by the evil workings of men or devils. God created all things for one purpose - His own Glory. God is not eternally frustrated in His divine plan of redemption by those who fail to believe. He foreordained their unbelief and they are every wit constrained by that Sovereign will. The truth is cloaked and hidden from them; their eyes are blinded, their ears are deafened and they cannot come to Christ. Jesus Christ is the dividing line of all human history by which all men are assigned to their appointed pre-destiny.
[Christ is] a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed (1 Peter 2:8).
For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation; ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only lord God, and our lord Jesus Christ (Jude 4).
And, for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12).
Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you (Acts 13:41).
Conclusion
Even if we did not have the abundance of Scriptural proofs to declare this doctrine of Unconditional Election, logic would force us to conclude that:
If—
—Man is completely ruined and dead in trespasses and sins;
— Man has no desire for a relationship with God and is rebellious against God;
— Man is incapable of understanding anything about God or doing any meritorious work which would obligate God;
— Yet, some men do learn of God, worship God, and are rewarded with eternal life in God's presence;
Then, the only way this would be possible is for God to initiate the action for no reason other than His own will and good pleasure. Is this mysterious? Yes, absolutely. But, does the fact that it is mysterious mean that we should avoid it? No. This is the truth of God's own revealed religion, ordained before the world began.
Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory (1 Corinthians 2:6-7).
So, out of the mass of ruined humanity, God chose to set His love on some people and determined to save them. What was the method of that salvation? What motivated it? Well, it was motivated by God's love, which He chose to set upon His elect people.
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 4:10).
So, what was the method? The propitiation secured by His Son. And, that is the subject of the third of the doctrines of Grace—the doctrine of Limited Atonement.
CHAPTER THREE
LIMITED ATONEMENT
Some theologians prefer to use the term Particular Redemption when considering this doctrinal concept. It deals with the fundamental question, "For whom did Christ die?" Did He hang on the cross for every man who ever lived, without exception? Or, did Jesus die for the elect of God exclusively?
The debate centers on the necessary consequences of either position. The Bible clearly states that not everyone will be saved. So, if Christ died for everyone without exception, then He merely made salvation possible. He arranged for everyone to have the means of salvation if they would just take advantage of it. However, if Christ actually finished the work of redemption - if His death was completely sufficient and effective in securing salvation for guilty sinners - then the very fact that not everyone is saved forces us to conclude that Christ died only for His elect people.
In order to establish our theology on this issue, we have to know what actually took place on Calvary. All of Christianity revolves around this central event – the crucifixion of Jesus. Orthodox Christianity has always taught that Jesus Christ was (and is) the Son of God, a member of the Triune Godhead.
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power (Colossians 2:8-10).
When pressed for proof of His deity, however, Jesus declared that the "sign of Jonah"—who spent three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish—was the only sign God would give as proof that Jesus was who He said He was (Matthew 12:39-40). likewise, said Christ, He would spend three days and nights in the "heart of the earth."
The earliest eyewitnesses testified that Christ actually died on the cross, was in the grave three days and nights and rose again, "according to the Scriptures." Without this amazing fact of history, Christianity is just another religious freak show brought into the world by liars and kept alive by "false witnesses of God" (1 Corinthians 15:15). These events are the very core of Christianity.
The crucifixion of Jesus is a verifiable historic fact. Even Tacitus, the Roman historian, recorded that the person, Jesus of Nazareth, lived and was crucified.
He wrote:
"But all human effort, all the lavish gifts of the emperor, and the propitiations of the gods did not banish the sinister belief that the conflagration (the burning of Rome) was the result of an order (from Nero, himself). Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, (Christ Jesus) from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and the most mischievous superstition [Christianity] thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination when daylight had expired. Nero offered his gardens for the spectacle, and was exhibiting a show in the circus, while he mingled with the people in the dress of a charioteer or stood aloft on a car. Hence, even for criminals who deserve extreme and exemplary punishment, there arose a feeling of compassion; for it was not, as it seemed, for the public good, but to glut one man's cruelty, that they (the Christians) were being destroyed."5
Both Biblical and secular historic sources agree that the man called Christ was crucified under the jurisdiction of Pilate and that his followers died under extreme torture holding to the conviction that Jesus both died and rose again. But, to the man searching for truth and redemption, it is vital to know more than just the physical facts of the event. We must know the eternal, spiritual implications of this cataclysmic moment.
What Was Christ Accomplishing on that Cross?
Immediately after Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, we read of the brothers Cain and Abel. Abel offered a sacrifice to God; "the firstling of his flock and the fat thereof." The phrase "and the fat thereof " indicates that Abel slew the lamb as a sacrifice. Why was that necessary? Because Abel was seeking God's forgiveness for sin. And, he found it. The Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering (Genesis 4:4).
That concept of sacrificially shedding blood for the remission of sin continued through the time of Noah, who took clean animals, appropriate for sacrifice, into the ark by sevens, and unclean by twos (Genesis 7:2). No sooner were Noah and his family on dry ground than he built an altar and sacrificed from among the clean animals (Genesis 8:20).
Sacrifice to God continued through the time of Abraham, the progenitor of the Hebrews. When He was told to sacrifice his only son, He assured the boy, "My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering." (Genesis 22:8) As Abraham lifted the knife, an angel of the Lord stopped his hand and immediately a goat was found with his horns caught in a thicket. God supplied a substitute sacrifice to die in Isaac's stead, a ram with a head of thorns (Genesis 22:9-13).
Sacrifice for sin carried over into the Levitical law and God required blood at the hands of the high priests to temporarily alleviate His wrath and punishment:
And, almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission (Hebrews 9:22).
But, this continuous slaughter of animals was never sufficient to actually atone for the guilt of the men who offered those sacrifices:
For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices, which they offered year by year continually, make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? Because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But, in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins (Hebrews 10:1-4).
Animal sacrifice was commanded by God to remind men of their sinful estate. The shed blood was a testimony to the fact that sin requires death. The Hebrews' author goes on to declare that only the single, vicarious death of Jesus on the cross was effective in actually removing the guilt and punishment that sin demands. Historically, God has always commanded blood sacrifice. But, the ultimate sacrifice, which spilled the precious blood of God Himself, brought the bloodshed to an end.
Scripture tells us that Jesus accomplished several things when He willingly gave Himself to be crucified. An overview of those eight accomplishments sheds a great deal of light on the question at hand – for whom did Christ die?
1. He became the ultimate and final substitutionary sacrifice for sin.
For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but, now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself (Hebrews 9:24-26).
Christ sacrificed Himself one time for the purpose of putting away sin, fulfilling the "type" of all the animal sacrifices that could not satisfy the debt of sin.
And, every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, [Christ] after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God (Hebrews 10:11-12).
Why was Christ able to sit down after sacrificing Himself? Because He finished the work He had come to earth to accomplish - He put away sin forever. And, He was seated at God's right hand, a position of power and authority, testifying that God accepted the sacrifice and the completion thereof.
2. In describing the death of Christ, Paul borrowed a heathen word, propitiation. The ancient heathens believed that the hardships in their lives were the result of angry gods. So, they set out to appease that anger. For instance, they would sacrifice their children to the "fires of Molech" (Leviticus 18:21), into the red-hot hands of metal gods who had furnaces burning within. They believed that the screams and eventual death of the babies would "propitiate," or put-off, the wrath of their gods.
Jesus Christ was a propitiatory sacrifice who offered Himself up to appease the wrath of God Almighty.
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God (romans 3:25).
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 4:10).
3. Christ redeemed fallen sinners in His death. The Greek word translated redemption is exagorazo meaning to buy out. It had the particular implication of buying a slave in order to set him free. The Greek word lutro translated to redeem means to release in receipt of ransom with the emphasis on the actual release of the slave, since his price was paid.
Christ referred to sinners as "servant (or bond slave) to sin" (John 8:34). And, Paul declared "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Meanwhile, God's holy justice, which demanded the sinner's penalty, had to be satisfied. Our sins needed to be remitted. But, "without the shedding of blood there is no remission" (Hebrews 9:22).
The picture is clear. Sinners are bond slaves on the market of sin. And only the sacrifice of one whose blood is worth enough can purchase sinners and set them free! So, with the price of His own blood in His hand, Christ stood before the justice and righteousness of God and bought the guilty slaves—redeeming them:
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:23-24).
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 (Hebrews 9:12).
Notice that Christ only had to enter into God's presence once to complete the transaction, and the redemption Christ purchased was eternal redemption. Therefore, the redeemed one is fully paid for and can never again be enslaved.
4. In the same manner, Christ was the ransom for guilty sinners. The ransom was the price actually paid to release someone from a debt. dead sinners owed a debt they were incapable of paying. But, Christ was the sufficient price to pay that debt and buy back the property that was seized in the debt foreclosure.
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 20:28)
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time (1 Timothy 2:5-6).
5. Christ was on the cross making reconciliation between God and men. He was bringing together two sides that had previously been at odds with each other. Not that God needed to be reconciled to man, but men were doomed to destruction if they were not reconciled to God.
Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people (Hebrews 2:17).
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).
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 (Romans 5:10).
Paul said that if, while we were rebels who hated God, Jesus brought us back together by His death on the cross, then we know for certain that, since we have been reconciled, we will most certainly be saved by His resurrection. Our reconciliation to God was achieved when Christ paid for our sin debt and removed our trespasses. Thus, reconciliation through the shed blood of Christ is our guarantee of safe standing before the Judge of eternity.
6. Christ's death justified guilty sinners. That is a legal, or judicial, term used to indicate that a person has been declared righteous. It does not mean that the elect are necessarily made perfect in and of themselves.
In other words, sinners are not made personally holy and righteous in order to be accepted before God. Rather, they are declared to be sinless despite their lives and obvious guilt. God looks on them as though they had never sinned because Christ bore their sins for them. Then, they are judicially "imputed" a righteousness they gained from Christ's own perfection and finished work.
The Bible teaches three great imputations:
But, the point for the moment is that Christ actually, wholly and completely justified those for whom He died.
He [God] shall see of the travail of his [Christ's] soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities (Isaiah 53:11).
"Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:38-39).
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:23-24).
He [Abraham] staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification (Romans 4:20-25).
7. Christ sanctified these justified ones; meaning that He set them apart for God's private use. The Greek term translated sanctified is hagiazo, from the root hagios, which is usually translated holy. They both have the same root meaning, which is to be set apart or separated by God for His exclusive purpose.
By the which will [God's will] we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (Hebrews 10:10).
For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren (Hebrews 2:11).
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:11).
8. In sanctifying His people, Christ perfected them, or made them complete, enabling them to stand before a Righteous, Holy God.
For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified (Hebrews 10:14).
And if they are perfected forever, then they can never again be held guilty.
To iterate, this is an imputed perfection. God held Chr