March 3, 2022 - Brent Hartford
Now on to (L) for the acronym TULIP, which makes up the five pillars, or should I simply say points of modern-day Calvinism.
When wading into the waters of Limited Atonement there is much to consider. Subjects such as - For who is forgiveness applied, or applicable? Is it for the WHOLE world as it says repeatedly, or is it only the "elect" according to Calvinism? Then once the Calvinistic mind set of “The Elect” comes into the discussion one can end up discussing the nuances of “Prevenient Grace” which is more of an Armenian** position. Now I personally, believe in some form of Prevenient Grace due to the biblical fact that God is Omnipresent, Omniscient, and all-knowing. He knows the beginning from the end. However, He recognizes man’s free will in that He knows the ending of all things, yet God does not determine the future, but He does know it. God's certainty and human contingency are compatible.[07] With God’s Omnipresent existence along with man’s depravity (Roman 3:1-12) how then will man, who is utterly separated from God due to sin, be drawn, called, or in any way seeking of God if it were not for Grace. Grace that I do believe to be in some way Prevenient. It is in the basis of the above mentioned that I wrote of Corporate Election in Part 2 of Drooping Tulip.
**Side Note: Arminianism is a tangled web of doctrine and dogma that can easily be troublesome with scripture as well. It cannot be better articulated than that written by author Lorraine Boettner:
Let there be no misunderstanding at this point. The Arminian limits the atonement as certainly as does the Calvinist. The Calvinist limits the extent of it in that he says it does not apply to all persons…while the Arminian limits the power of it, for he says that in itself it does not actually save anybody. The Calvinist limits it quantitatively, but not qualitatively; the Arminian limits it qualitatively, but not quantitatively. For the Calvinist it is like a narrow bridge that goes all the way across the stream; for the Arminian it is like a great wide bridge that goes only half-way across. As a matter of fact, the Arminian places more severe limitations on the work of Christ than does the Calvinist. (Lorraine Boettner, The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination (Phillipsburg, New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1932) p. 153.)
For the sake of this blog post, I have intended to make the focus that of Limited Atonement, and is it for ALL or just the Elect? Is it truly Limited, or is it actually Unlimited?
(However, I do encourage readers to delve into some of the above mentioned such as Arminianism and Prevenient Grace.)
One of the waves that swamps the boat is the subject of man's free will. The subject of man's free will and God recognizing it creates waves for Limited Atonement and Unconditional Election (UE). It can be seen in scripture that God recognizes and acknowledges the free will of man. Therefore, reconciling oneself with man’s free will, Limited Atonement, as well as UE is an issue.
How does a Calvinist, like John MacArthur reconcile with the following verses if God only predestines, yet also recognizes man's free will? Ignoring the previous statement as if it is of no consequence? Well… you really don’t reconcile with it, yet Reformed thinkers go along with the flawed Calvinistic thinking regardless.
Talk about misguided blind faith!
Here are the verses that one needs to deal with if you are a Calvinist and ignore man’s free will while leaning into Limited Atonement. >>>>>
Deuteronomy 30:15-19 (NKJV)
"See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil,
in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.
BUT IF your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them,
I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
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Joshua 24:15 (NKJV)
And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
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Joshua 24: 20-24 (NKJV)
IF you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good.”
And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the Lord!”
So Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you haves chosen the Lord for yourselves, to serve Him.”
And they said, “We are witnesses!”
"Now therefore,” he said, “put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord God of Israel.”
And the people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!”
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There are other instances in scripture where “free will” was recognized by God. It happened in Genesis 31 when Laban was chasing down Jacob to recover his stolen false idol.
The night before catching Jacob, the God of Jacob speaks to Laban the following:
Gen. 31:24 And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. Then Gen. 31:29 It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
Here we have a pagan worshipper that could have killed Jacob but chose not to. He could have spoken bad, but he chose not to. (Read the rest of Gen. 31 to get the additional context that they made a covenant with each other.)
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Let's Sink the Boat
Now to further swamp the boat of Limited Atonement (L) I will list the many verses that support that Limited Atonement is (actually) UNLIMITED ATONEMENT. That God the Father chose ALL in the form of Corporate Election that none would perish and may come to eternal life.
(There may be many other verses that I may have missed, but this will clearly make the point)
Psalm 86:5
For thou, O Lord, art good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call on thee.
Isaiah 55:1
"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?. . . (cf. 45:22; Joel 2:32)
Matthew 9:13
. . . For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.
Mark 2:17
And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Luke 5:31-32
And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; [32] I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Luke 19:10
For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.
1 John 2:2
and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 4:14
And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 1:29
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
(The following verses need to be considered together*)
*John 6:44
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 3:14-17
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, [15] that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” [16] For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
*John 12:32
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
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John 4:42
And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
John 10:16
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
John 6:51
I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
John 3:18
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 12:46
If any one hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world . (cf. 12:46: “light into the world”)
John 17:21
that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (cf. 17:23)
Acts 2:21
And it shall be that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (cf. Rom 10:13)
Titus 2:11
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Hebrews 2:9
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.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2 Corinthians 5:15-15
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
1 Timothy 1:15
The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the foremost of sinners;
1 Timothy 4:10
For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
1 Timothy 2:4
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:6
Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
2 Corinthians 5:19
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.
1 Corinthians 15:22
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Romans 5:6
While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Romans 8:32
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
1 Timothy 2:5-6
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.
2 Corinthians 5:14
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
1 Timothy 2:1-5
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Colossians 1:20
And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
Romans 5:18
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
Romans 11:32
For God has consigned all men to disobedience, that he may have mercy upon all .
Revelations 5:9
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
(These last few verses should be considered together*)
*1 Timothy 1:15
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
*Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
*Romans 3:1–12
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 11:32
For God has consigned all men to disobedience, that he may have mercy upon all .
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As it can be seen above… the many verses written by several different authors, two of which are the most prolific writers of the New Testament (John and Paul) declare that Jesus did not just die for an arbitrary unknown number of elect according to Calvinism, but He died for the sins and redemption of ALL that would come, based on man’s free will via the Grace of God, to believe upon him as the risen Savior, the Christ, spoken of by Moses and the Prophets.
God’s Word LOUDLY AND DEFINITIVELY declares UNLIMITED ATONEMENT FOR ALL.
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All verses are: King James Version (KJV)
(07) Picirilli, Robert (2002). Grace, Faith, Free Will: Contrasting Views of Salvation. Nashville: Randall House. ISBN 0-89265-648-4.
Last Edited 3/13/22
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