Posted on 07/23/2002 7:40:31 AM PDT by xzins
The Cross-Work of Christ
Is It Limited or Unlimited?
What Does the Bible Teach?
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SALVATION |
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Unlimited Salvation |
Limited Salvation |
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"For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men..." (1 Tim. 4:10a). "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son... "The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world" (1 John 4:14; compare John 12:47). "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:17; and compare Matt. 18:11; Luke 9:56; 19:10; 1 Tim. 1:15). "We know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world" (John 4:42). "That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (John 1:9). "For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world" (John 6:33). "...if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world" (John 6:51). "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men..." (Tit. 2:11a). Also compare Acts 4:12 and Acts 5:31. |
"...specially (especially, particularly) of those that believe" (1 Tim. 4:10b). "...that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16b). "God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him" (1 John 4:9). "And thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people (Israel) from their sins" (Matt. 1:21). "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). "And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed" (Acts 13:48). "I have much people in this city" (Acts 18:10). "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Rom. 10:9). "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47). "For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:13). "...teaching us...looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ" (Tit. 2:12b-13). "but unto us which are saved" (1 Cor. 1:18). "And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him" (Heb. 5:9). "He that hath the Son hath life" (1 John 5:12). |
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REDEMPTION |
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Unlimited Redemption (Universal Redemption) |
Limited Redemption (Particular Redemption) |
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"Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). "Who gave Himself a ransom for all" (1 Tim. 2:6 and compare verse 1-"all men," and verse 4-"all men"). "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man" (Hebrews 2:9). "There shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction" (2 Peter 2:1). "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6). Compare John 12:32-33 (John 3:14) |
"He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us" (Heb. 9:12). "In whom we have redemption through His blood" (Col. 1:14). "For ye are bought with a price" (1 Pet. 1:18-19). "Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity" (Tit. 2:14). "But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us...redemption" (1 Cor. 1:30). "Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24). See also Romans 4:25; 14:15; 1 Corinthians 8:11; John 10:11; Acts 20:28; Revelation 1:5; Galatians 1:4; 3:13; Ephesians 5:25; 1 Thess. 5:10; Hebrews 1:3; 1 Peter 2:24. |
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RECONCILIATION |
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Unlimited Reconciliation (Universal Reconciliation) |
Limited Reconciliation (Particular Reconciliation) |
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"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 Cor. 5:19) |
"And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:18) "We pray (beg) you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5:20) |
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PROPITIATION |
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Unlimited Propitiation (Universal Propitiation) |
Limited Propitiation (Particular Propitiation) |
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"...and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:2). |
"And He is the propitiation for our sins..." (1 John 2:2a). |
FIVE INDISPUTABLE FACTS
1. Without question, the Bible teaches that not all men shall be saved:
Matthew 7:13-14; 25:41,46; 2 Thess. 1:8-9; Rev. 20:11-15; 21:11,15; etc.
2. The Bible teaches that God desires all men to be saved and to come to a full-knowledge of the truth:
1 Timothy 2:4 (cf. Matthew 18:14; 2 Peter 3:9; Ezekiel 18:23,32; 33:11) and see our study called, God's Willingness and Man's Unwillingness.
3. The gospel is to be preached to every creature and all men everywhere are commanded to repent:
Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38 "every one of you"; Acts 3:26 "every one of you"; Acts 13:38; 17:30; 20:21; 26:17-20; Romans 16:26; 1 Cor. 1:23.
4. Salvation is offered to all men and "whosoever will" may take of the water of life freely.
Matthew 11:28-30; John 1:12; 3:15-17; 4:13-14; 6:35-37,47,51,54,58; 7:37-38; 10:9; 11:25-26; 20:31; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 10:43; 13:38-39; Romans 1:16; 6:23; 10:11-13; Revelation 3:20; 22:17.
5. It is the responsibility of all men to obey the gospel by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 3:18; 3:36; Acts 16:30-31; 17:30; 2 Thess. 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17.
Sir Robert Anderson, in the preface to his book Forgotten Truths, said this: "In the early years of my Christian life I was greatly perplexed and distressed by the supposition that the plain and simple words of such Scriptures as John 3:16; 1 John 2:2; 1 Timothy 2:6 were not true, save in a cryptic sense understood only by the initiated. For, I was told, the over-shadowing truth of Divine sovereignty in election barred our taking them literally. But half a century ago a friend of those days—the late Dr. Horatius Bonar—delivered me from this strangely prevalent error. He taught me that truths may seem to us irreconcilable only because our finite minds cannot understand the Infinite; and we must never allow our faulty apprehension of the eternal counsels of God to hinder unquestioning faith in the words of Holy Scripture."
Life is offered unto you, Hallelujah!
Eternal life thy soul shall have,
If you'll only look to Him, Hallelujah!
Look to Jesus who alone can save!
Look and live, O sinner live!
Look to Jesus now and live!
'Tis recorded in His Word, Hallelujah!
It is only that you "look and live."
--William A. Ogden (John 3:14-16)
Thats ok ma, "Come as you are" ;-D
I like this one too
Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling
Calling for you and for me
See, on your portals He's waiting and watching
Watching for you and for me
Come home, come home
Ye who are weary come home
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling
Calling O sinner come home
Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies
Mercies for you and for me?
Come home, come home
Ye who are weary come home
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling
Calling O sinner come home
Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing
Passing from you and from me
Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming
Coming for you and for me.
Come home, come home
Ye who are weary come home
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling
Calling O sinner come home
Oh! for the wonderful love He has promised
Promised for you and for me
Tho' we have sinned He has mercy and pardon
Pardon for you and for me
Come home, come home
Ye who are weary come home
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling
Calling O sinner come home
I was raised RC.
We used to summer in Canada. We attended a very small RC chruch in the town. Now those were pre Vat. II days . The mass was in Latin..the only singing in our "home parish" was the Latin High Mass.
BUT in this little small town Canadian Catholic Church the folks like to sing..and they liked to sing in ENGLISH.....so they used a Protestant Hymnal.
I would stand on Sundays next to my 80 year old grandma and together we world sing that song
One day she told me that was her very favorite song
I realized I would not have my grandma much longer....
So you have given me a few memories and tears with that .....Thank You
You will find it here: http://www.creeds.net/Westminster/wstmnstr.htm Are you familiar with the calvinist acronym: TULIP?
#1 It has to be sung with no instrumentation
or
#2 an upright piano (ever so slightly out of tune)
Amen! It is the only system in which Scriptures do not have to be wrenched out of context (2Pet.3:16)
Amen and Amen!
We are?! How did that happen? Because he was against eternal security and for infant baptism?
The Presbyterians are for infant baptism as well.
This was a post I made regarding Arminius, but the same could be said for Wesley as well,
For my part when I reflect on the disputes which have produced such a lamentable division in Holland, I can hardly comprhend how men of genius could persuade themselves, that the dogmas of St. Augustine on Predestination and Grace are essential to the Reformation of Christianity; For there were many holy men, in the purest ages of the Church,who thought directly the reverse of the Father.
Cannot we renounce the monstrous and ridiculous doctrine of Purgatory, the Indulgances, the false Traditions of the Church of Rome, and the Tyranny of the Pope, without believing in Absolute Predestination, and Irresistable Grace?
What was thought of the hypothesis of the Bishop of Hippo, by all those respectable individuals who, struck with the absurdity and falsehood of the doctrines I have just enumerated, embraced the Reformation of the last century?
Did they give themselves the trouble of examining whether it was true or false? Those difficult and abstract questions occupied the sole attention of the divines, who took it into their heads to form a completed system of Divinity; and among them who chose that employment, there were many who have more carefully examined the Holy Scripture, and Ecclesiastical Antiquity,preferred the moderate sentiments of the Greek Fathers.
Even Calvin himself was not persuaded that his own notions respecting Predestination and Grace were essential to Religion; For he took the trouble of translating into French the Common Places of Melenchthon-who thought very differently from him on those controverted subjects, -and in the preface which he prefixed in that work, he bestows on the author all imaginable praise.
Could he conscientiously have acted thus, if he had been persuaded that the sentiments of Melanchthon sapped the foundations of the Reformation?
Many eminent Reformed Divines have openly maintained, that the doctrines of Universal Grace, of the Power to resist its operation and of Conditional Predestination, are in the number of those Articles which every one may believe without renouncing the principles of Religion.
Some learned Hollanders had boldy defended this doctrine, before Arminius became a minister at Amsterdam and a Professor at Leyden, and likewise before Gomarus had risen up against him.
Their writings are still extent; although it is true, that certain ministers who were too hasty, exerted themselves to bring those authors and their productions into dispute; But the States of Holland uniformly checked this impetous zeal.
The Professors of Leyden were allowed a perfect liberty of teaching conformably to the sentiments of Melanchthon; and when Arminius was called to that University, his opinions were generally known; For he had declared them in the Church of Amsterdam, from which he had received very honourable testimonals.
Gomarius, and many others of the same opinion, having entered into conversation with Arminius, made no scruple of acknowledging, immediately that the difference between the sentiments which existed between them, did not at all concern the foundations of the Reformation.
True it is, that Gomarus did not remain long on good terms with Arminius. Whether he had taken umbrage at the reputation of his new collegue, or the enemies of Arminius had found means to provoke the anger of Gomarus by some artful insinuation or other; he violently set his face against a man, some time before, he looked upon as orthodox.
(Le Vassor's History of the Reign of Louis XIII, cited in the Works of Arminius,(3Vol) Testimonies,p.liv)
Now, none of that has to do with the Gospel of Christ which is believing in His death, burial and Resurrection and trusting in that alone for your salvation.
All the above that I had listed first is related on how one lives as a Christian, not whether one is one or not! Only the second view on faith is relevant to whether one is saved.
Amen!
Well, Amen! That is what we have been saying all along!
unbelivers 'desire' to be ignorant, 'love' not the truth.
By the way I did not see Rom.3:23 listed in the 'all' list. Nor did I see Rom.5:18 listed either?
Strange oversight to overlook the comparsion of the sin of the first Adam with the grace of the Second.
Therefore, as by the the offense of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation (without exception),even so by the righteousness of one came the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
Is that 'all' now switched to all 'without distinction', no, it cannot be because of 'even so' it remains all without exception
Amen. Your usual insightful post.
So Ma, I approached him privately, per your suggestion - now I wont hesistate to humiliate this young believer - My best friend has a downs syndrome child (thats a "retard" AJ)
I know for a fact many of the calvinists around here are for the most part reasonably pleasant & would never use the term - perhaps you could seek thier counsel and repent to one of the online pastors here.
I know as a calvinist, you say such things and remain "elect" however - what end is served by such hostility? - good or evil?
There are really only three views. Two deny that God created moral beings, that is, beings capable of making rational choices. They are the Calvinists and the Universalists.
The third view believes like the Universalists, that God is able and willing to save everyone, and, like the Calvinists, that He provided for for the reconciliation of all men through the blood of Christ. So heaven is available to all, yet many will choose hell.
So you believe one of these things, God created the human race with the sole purpose of saving them all, (Universalist) God created the human race with the sole purpose of condemning the majority to eternal torment (Calvinist) or God create the human race with ability to choose to be saved or not to be saved by providing everything required for either choice.
I'm guessing you believe God created the human race for the sole purpose of condemning the majority of mankind to eternal torment. Is that right?
Hank
The problem is, if men are born dead, meaning they can do nothing, they cannot sin either. The verse quoted says specifically, "being dead in your sins," not Adam's sins, not inherited sin, but your own sins." Of course, if they born dead (still-born), they wouldn't be able to sin.
Wonderful argument, except you've done that silly Calvinist mixing of metaphors again.
Hank
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