Transcript Cross and Grace - Erskine College

THE CROSS AND GRACE
Rubens,
BJU Art Gallery
STARTING POINT
• WCF 3:1, God, from all eternity, did, by
the most wise and holy counsel of His own
will freely, and unchangeably ordain
whatsoever comes to pass: yet so, as
thereby neither is God the author of sin,
nor is violence offered to the will of the
creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency
of second causes taken away, but rather
established.
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STARTING POINT, cont.
• WCF 3:2, Although God knows
whatsoever may or can come to pass
upon all supposed conditions, yet hath
He not decreed anything because He
foresaw it as future, or as that which
would come to pass upon such
conditions.
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STARTING POINT, cont.
• WCF 3:3, By the decree of God,
for the manifestation of His glory,
some men and angels are
predestinated unto everlasting
life, and others foreordained to
everlasting death.
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STARTING POINT, cont.
• WCF 3:4, These angels and men,
thus predestinated and
foreordained, are particularly and
unchangeably designed; and their
number so certain and definite,
that it cannot be either increased
or diminished.
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STARTING POINT, cont.
• WCF 3:5, Those of mankind that are
predestinated unto life, God, before the
foundation of the world was laid, according to His
eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret
counsel and good pleasure of His will, hath
chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of His
mere free grace and love, without any foresight
of faith or good works, or perseverance in either
of them, or any other thing in the creature, as
conditions, or causes moving Him thereunto; and
all to the praise of His glorious grace.
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ELECTION
• Biblical Language
– bachar, rxB, “choose, elect, decide for” 198x; Deut.
7:6,7; Deut. 4:37; Ps. 135:4; 78:68; I Kings 8:16; I
Chr. 28:5; I Sam. 10:24
– eklegomai, “Pick for oneself, choose” 22x, Eph. 1:4
– eklektos, “elected, chosen” 22x, I Peter 1:1, 2:4,6,9
– eklogh, “election, choosing” 7x, Rom. 9:11;
11:5,7,28; I Thess. 1:4
– airew, “take, choose” II Thess. 2:13
– tassw, “appoint, ordain” Acts 13:48
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ELECTION
• Biblical Language
– proginwskw, “foreknow” 5x; Romans 8:29, 11:2
– prognwsij, “foreknowledge” 2x; Acts 2:23, I Peter 1:12
– proorizw, “decide upon beforehand, predestine” 6x of
God’s decree, Romans 8:29-30; I Cor. 2:7; Eph.
1:5; 11
– protiqhmi, “plan, propose, purpose” 3x, (Rom. 1:13;
3:25) Eph. 1:9
– proetoimazw, “prepare before” Rom. 9:23; Eph. 2:10
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FOREKNOWLEDGE
• Knowledge, to know, often means intimate personal
relationship: Gen. 4:1; Jer. 1:5; Amos 3:2; Matt. 1:25;
7:23; I Cor. 8:3; Gal. 4:9; II Tim. 2:19
• Foreknowledge is more than merely “knowing
beforehand”: Acts 2:23; Rom. 8:29, 11:2; I Peter 1:2,
19-20
– In Acts 2:23, “by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge” tou/ton th/| w`risme,nh|
boulh/| kai. prognw,sei tou/ qeou/
– In I Peter 1:1-2, “Chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit unto obedience” and the
sprinkling with the blood of Jesus Christ.
– What is NOT asserted here is the idea that foreknowledge is
foreknowledge of (ek) or on account of (dia) but unto (eij) obedience.
*kata. pro,gnwsin qeou/ patro,j evn a`giasmw/| pneu,matoj eivj u`pakoh.n kai. r`antismo.n ai[matoj VIhsou/
Cristou/(
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ARMINIANISM
– An abstract concept of Justice governs how God may
dispense his grace. “A major part of Christendom has
never been able to accept the concept of the
unconditional election of individuals as biblical. They
declare that Scripture just does not teach such an
idea, which appears to be unjust and arbitrary on
God’s part and seems to lead to pessimism and
quietism on man’s part.” Cottrell, Grace Unlimited, 56.
– Re abstract notions, Calvinists argue we must get our
concepts of justice and freedom of the will from the
biblical data- not from some other philosophical or apriori source. The concrete biblical teaching on this
issue must be determinative for the Calvinist.
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ARMINIANISM
• Based on several concepts
– Some passages appear to teach universal atonement,
John 6:51; II Cor. 5:19; Col. 1:20; I Tim. 2:6, 4:10;
Titus 2:11; Heb. 2:9; II Peter 2:1, 3:9; I John 2:2
– An abstract notion of Free-Will is usually played off
against the notion of Divine sovereignty. “So when a
theory comes along, whether philosophical, theological,
or psychological, which endeavors to deny this intuition
of freedom, it is up against a basic human selfperception that will eventually overwhelm it.” Clark
Pinnock, Grace Unlimited, 96.
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CALVINISM
Calvinism Argues:
– No one is saved except God intends his/her
salvation
– Ultimately, “all” God’s people
(eschatologically) will be saved
– Broad or general passages in Scripture (“all”)
are limited by the more detailed and specific
passages (“his sheep,” “the elect”)
– The practical impact of Arminianism in
evangelism may not be significantly different
from Calvinism; it explains the universal offer
by another, less consistent means
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WORK OF CHRIST
• WCF 8.5, The Lord Jesus, by His perfect
obedience and sacrifice of Himself, which He,
through the eternal Spirit, once offered up unto
God, hath fully satisfied the justice of His Father;
and purchased, not only reconciliation, but an
everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of
heaven, for all those whom the Father hath
given unto Him.
• WCF 8.8, To all those for whom Christ hath
purchased redemption, He doth certainly and
effectually apply and communicate the same . . .
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EXTENT OF ATONEMENT
• Arminian. Christ died for all people equally. It is
Arminian doctrine that “Christ came to save all men; that
he died for all; that he atoned for all, even for those that
finally perish.” Wesley, Works, 10:215
• Calvinistic. Christ died for the elect. The extent of the
atonement is identical with the intent of divine election
• Hypothetical Universalism. Moses Amylraut (15961664) made “a distinction between objective and
subjective grace. The former rendering salvation
objectively available to all men, he held was universal.
The latter, which give the gracious ability to accept the
gospel, he admitted was designed for the elect alone.”
This is often referred to as “4-Point Calvinism.”
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ARMINIANISM
– Arminianism results in a limited atonement
also (as does everyone- except Universalists!)
• All people are “salvable,” since the atonement is not
limited
• Not all people are saved, since not all choose to
believe
• Furthermore, even those who will not believe are
created and allowed to rebel, according to Arminian
doctrine. They are just as certain of damnation as
the reprobate in a Calvinistic construct
• To interpose “foreknowledge” only moves the
problem back one level- it does not remove the
problem!
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EXTENT OF ATONEMENT
• “Did Christ offer himself a sacrifice for the whole human
race, for every individual . . . ?” Boettner, Reformed
Doctrine of Predestination, 150
• Or for the ELECT particularly?
– This question does not involve the nature of Christ’s work; it is a
satisfaction for sin
– It does not involve the value of Christ’s satisfaction which is
deemed by all to be of infinite value
– It does not involve the suitableness of the atonement, for it is
appropriate for and adapted to all
– It does not involve the application of the atonement- which all
(except Universalists) limit!
– “The whole question, therefore, concerns simply the purpose of
God in the mission of His Son.” Hodge, ST, 2:544-5.
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EXTENT OF ATONEMENT
• There are many passages which teach particular or
definite atonement (preferred to “limited”):
–John 10:11, “the good shepherd lays down his life for his
sheep”; 14-15, “I know my sheep”
–Acts 20:28, “the church of God, which he bought with his blood”
–Eph. 5:25, “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her”
• There are passages which limit the extent of the
atonement:
–Matt. 20:28, “give his life a ransom for many”; 26:28, “my blood
of the covenant, which is poured out for many”
–Heb. 9:28, “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of
many”
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EXTENT OF ATONEMENT
• There are additional passages of importance:
–Rom. 8:33-34, “gave him up for us all . . . Whom God
has chosen”
–I Cor. 15:3-4, “Christ died for our sins according to
the Scriptures”
–Eph. 1:4-7, “in him we have redemption”
–Matt. 7:23, “I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew
you’”
– John 10:26, “you do not believe because you are not
my sheep”
–Rom. 9:24-32, “even us, whom he also called, not
only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles”
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OBJECTIONS
• Election violates my free choice to accept or reject
Christ
–I am not a robot!
–What about my free will?
–The Devil votes against you, God votes for you- you cast the
deciding vote!
–BUT, APART FROM THE REGENERATING WORK OF GOD,
YOU WILL ALWAYS VOTE THE WRONG WAY! See Rom.
1:18-25; 3:10-18
• Election is unfair
–This stacks the deck!
–BUT- ISN’T THAT THE WHOLE POINT OF GRACE? IT ISN’T
FAIR OR JUST!
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OBJECTIONS
• God only expects of me what I am able to give him
–But, cf. Ezekiel 37:1-4. Were the bones capable of doing what
God required?
• God loves everyone alike
–BUT, Cf. Luke 22:31 with John 13:27; Cf. John 17:9 and 17:20
• God is no respecter of persons!
–Indeed- Rom. 3:10, 3:23- in reference to sin
• Election removes any reason for evangelizing
–So- God ordains ends without necessary means? Does that make
sense?
• Election means the free offer of the gospel cannot be
sincere
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SINCERETY: FREE OFFER OF GOSPEL
•“The Scriptures clearly teach that the
gospel must be preached to all. Whether
we can square this with particular election is
another question. But the rule for our
preaching must always be the revealed will
of God. In the last analysis, it is God’s
business to bring into harmony the
predetermined outcome of the preaching of
the gospel with the general offer of
salvation.” Hoekema, Saved By Grace, 68.
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THE GOSPEL CALL: Calvin
• Ezekiel 18:23, 33:11, God does not desire the death of
the wicked. “We hold, then, that God wills not the death
of a sinner, since he calls all equally to repentance, and
promises himself prepared to receive them if they only
seriously repent. If anyone should object- then there is
no election of God, by which he has predestinated a fixed
number to salvation, the answer is at hand: the Prophet
does not here speak of God’s secret counsel, but only
recalls miserable men from despair, that they may
apprehend the hope of pardon, and repent and embrace
the offered salvation.” Calvin, Commentaries, ad loc.
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THE GOSPEL CALL: Calvin
• II Peter 3:9, “not willing that any should perish.”
“It could be asked here, if God does not want any
to perish, why do so many in fact perish? My
reply is that no mention is made here of the
secret decree of God by which the wicked are
doomed to their own ruin, but only of His lovingkindness as it is made known to us in the Gospel.
There God stretches out His hand to all alike, but
He only grasps those (in such a way as to lead to
Himself) whom He has chosen before the foundation of the World.” Calvin, Commentaries, ad loc.
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THE GOSPEL CALL: Hodge
• “To all men the presumption is that Christ
died for himself and for each other man until
final reprobation proves the reverse.
Therefore we are all under obligation to carry
ourselves, and to regard and treat all other
men as those for whom Christ died until the
contrary is proved. . . . If the non-elect
believes, he will be nonetheless saved
because of his non-election. If the elect does
not believe and persevere to the end, he will
none the more be saved because of his
election.” A.A. Hodge, The Atonement, 429.
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THE GOSPEL CALL: Murray
• “It must be said without reserve that there is no
limitation or qualification to the overture of grace
in the gospel proclamation. As there is no
restriction to the command that ‘all everywhere’
should repent (Acts 17:30), so there is no
correlative with it. The doctrines of particular
election, differentiating love, limited atonement
do not erect any fence around the offer in the
gospel.” John Murray, Collected Writings, 1:81.
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THE GOSPEL CALL: Its Nature
• The Gospel call must be
understandable
• It must be presented in
a way that is relevant
• It is an invitation that is
a command, Luke 14:23
• Evangelism also occurs
in the covenant context;
the preacher should
invite the Lord’s people
to faith and obedience
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• The gospel call is a
promise of forgiveness
and salvation
• There is a condition
attached to the promise
– Faith and repentance
– The condition is one that
we cannot fulfill
– But, God can do that
which we cannot do
– It is appropriate to ask
him to do that which we
cannot do
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THE GOSPEL CALL and Election
• The Arminian Rationalization:
– God does not desire the death of Any
– God invites All to be saved
– God does not, therefore, determine the eternal
state of Any, but allows the individual’s free will,
aided by prevenient grace, to determine his/her
eternal state.
– “It is indeed his good pleasure that all should be
saved. . . .Yet, if the doctrine of an absolute
sovereignty of grace be true, God cannot wish the
salvation of any who are not efficaciously called.
How, then, can he sincerely utter such words?”
Orton Wiley, Systematic Theology, 2:268.
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THE GOSPEL CALL and Election
• The Hyper-Calvinistic Rationalization:
– God elects some unto salvation, passes by
others unto reprobation.
– God brings about the salvation of the elect
by the efficacious work of the Spirit.
– Therefore, God does not desire the
salvation of the non-elect.
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THE GOSPEL CALL and Election
• “Others speak, sometimes without even defining it very carefully at
all, of a universal gospel offer. Others say, . . . that we must say in
the preaching that Christ desires the salvation of all men, and that
God desires not the death of any but the salvation of all. . . . Often
this disjunction between Christ’s death only for the elect and God’s
purported desire for the salvation of all men is presented as a
mystery. But that is no mystery. If you say that Christ died for
the elect, and for them only, and that God desires the
salvation of all men, that is no mystery, but a flat
contradiction. That is impossible. It is impossible because there is
nothing positive, no benefit, no salvation, no love, no so-called nonsaving benefit,- nothing positive whatsoever,- in that cross for
anyone but the elect.” Herman Hanko, et al. The Five Points of
Calvinism, 62-63.
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THE GOSPEL CALL and Election
ARMINIANISM
God “desires” the salvation of all
x CALVINISM: BOTH x
HYPER-CALVINISM
God “wills,” decrees to save the elect
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THE GOSPEL CALL and Election
• “We must refuse to go into either of these two
rationalistic directions. Since the Scriptures teach both
eternal election and the well-meant gospel call, we must
continue to hold on to both, even though we cannot
reconcile these two teachings with our finite minds. We
should remember that we cannot lock God up in the
prison of human logic. Our theology must maintain the
Scriptural paradox. With Calvin, our theological
concern must be not to build a rationally coherent
system, but to be faithful to all the teachings of
the Bible.” Hoekema, SBG, 79.
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CALVINISM
• Christ did make salvation, as an objective fact,
possible to all men to whom it is offered, if they
will believe
• A purpose to make salvation objectively
available to those for whom it was never
intended (purpose) must not be an
independent purpose in itself
• Rather, this availability of salvation for all is
subsidiary to the main design of entirely
effecting the salvation of those for whom
it was intended
• QUESTIONS???
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THE CROSS AND GRACE
Rubens,
BJU Art Gallery
http://acad.erskine.edu/facultyweb/gore/gore.htm
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