Sermon Tone Analysis

! Introduction

!! A.                  calvinist position

 

!!! 1.                  Calvinist argument for Limited atonement.

!!!! ·                     Logically, since Calvinists believe that God only intended to save the elect, only the elect would need Christ to die for them.

·                     God never intended many in the world (i.e. the unelect) to be saved, they see no reason or purpose for Christ to die for them.

·                     Therefore, what Christ did for the elect—providing the basis for salvation, including the propitiation for and forgiveness of sins—He did not do for the unelect; nor did He ever intend to.

!! B.                  arminian view

 

!! C.                  extreme calvinist view

 

!!! 1.                  Supralapsarianism.

This term comes from the Latin words /supra/, “above” and /lapsus/, “fall,” hence, the view that God decreed election and reprobation prior to the Fall.

The order of the decree is: elect some to eternal life, permit the Fall, give Christ to redeem the elect, give the Spirit to save the redeemed, and sanctify all the redeemed.

This view teaches limited atonement.

Arminius also argued against /supralapsarianism/—the Calvinistic view that God decreed the salvation and reprobation of certain people prior to the Fall.

He believed that supralapsarianism made God the author of sin.

! II.

arguments for limited atonement

 

!! A.                  passages limiting christs death

 

!!! 1.

The Logical Fallacy

!!!! a)                  *First of all*, it should be observed that there is a logical fallacy in arguing that:

!!!!! (1)                 Because Christ died for believers,

!!!!! (2)                 He did not also die for unbelievers.

Both could be true.

!!!! b)                  *Second*, to put it another way, while the text declares that:

!!!!! (1)                 Christ died for those in the church, it does not say that

!!!!! (2)                 Christ died for */only/* those in the church.

For example, for me to say that I love my friend Pastor Bryan, does not mean that I do love my friend Pastor Robert.

The fact that I have affirmed my love for Pastor Bryan in no way presumes that I do not also love Pastor Robert.

!!!!! (3)                 While only some are actually saved by the cross (those who believe), Christ died for all;

!!!!! (4)                 Simply because a text declares that Christ died for believers (the Church, etc.) does not mean He did not also die for unbelievers too, as other texts affirm that He did (1Jn.2:2).

!!!!! (5)                 Further, if affirming Christ died for His “sheep” (John 10:15) means only the elect, then Jesus would not have said there were “other sheep” (v.16) that were also saved (for this would mean more that the elect will be saved).

!!!! c)                  *John 17:2,6,9, 24*

The “them” is plainly a reference to His disciples (v.6).

Extreme Calvinists point out that Jesus explicitly denied praying for the “world” of unbelievers.

If true, this would support that the Atonement is limited to the elect, the only ones for whom Christ prayed.

It is argued that this fits with a limited view of atonement.

The fact that Christ prayed for the elect in this passage does not in itself prove that He never prayer for the non-elect.

Note some important points:

!!!!! (1)                 Christ did pray for non-elect persons (Luke 23:34) undoubtedly included non-elect.

!!!!!! (a)                 There is no evidence that the other thief on the cross, all the Roman soldiers, or the mockers present ever were saved.

!!!!!! (b)                Furthermore, Jesus indirectly prayed for the world by asking us to “pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest’” (Luke 10:2).

!!!!!! (c)                 In fact, He wept for unbelievers (Matt.23:37)

and prayed that unbelievers would be saved *(John 11:42)*.

(i)                   John 11:15 “that you may believe” is His disciples.

(ii)                 John 11:42 “that those who are standing by may believe”

(iii)                John 12:1-2, 9-11 “on account of Lazarus many believed”

!!!!! (2)                 Even if Jesus had not prayed for the non-elect, still other passages of the New Testament reveal that the apostle Paul did, and he exhorts us to do the same

"/Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved./"

(Romans 10:1, NKJV) even though he knew only a remnant would be saved (Rom.11:1-5).

/He adds elsewhere "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men," (1 Timothy 2:1, NKJV) /

!!!!! (3)                 Even if it could be demonstrated that Christ did not pray for the non-elect, it would not mean He does not love them and did not die for their sins.

!!!!!! (a)                 A special prayer for those who would become believers is understandable (John 17:20).

But this no more proves He does not love the world than my saying, “I pray daily for my children” proved I do not love all the children of the world.

My children have a special place in my prayers, just as Christ’s disciples had a special place in His prayers.

!!!!!! (b)                The important thing is that Jesus wanted everyone to be His children (Matt.23:37;

1Tim.2:4-6;

2Pet.3:9).

!!!! d)                  *Romans 4:25; 1Cor.15:3;

John 10:11*

!!!!! (1)                 When the Bible uses terms like “we,” “our,” or “us” of the Atonement if speaks of those to whom is has been */applied/* not for all those whom it was */provided/*.

In doing so it does not thereby limit the Atonement in its possible application to all people.

It speaks, rather, of some to whom it has bee already applied.

!!!!! (2)                 The fact that Jesus loves His bride and died for her (Eph.5:25)

does not mean that God does not love the whole world and does not desire all to be part of His bride, the church.

!!!!! (3)                 This reasoning overlooks the fact that there are many passages declaring that Jesus died for more than the elect (John 3:16; Rom.5:6; 2Cor.5:19).

!!!! e)                  *Ephesians 1:3-7*

Moderate Calvinists agree that there are no strings attached to the gift of salvation—it is unconditional.

When election occurred—before the foundation of the world (Eph.1:4)—the

elect were not even created yet.

God elected on His won, without any conditions hat needed to be performed on the part of the elect.

However, the question is not whether there are any conditions for God */giving/* salvation; the question is whether there are any conditions for man */receiving /*salvation.

The Bible seems to ve very emphatic that faith is the condition for receiving God’s gift of salvation.

!!!!! (1)                 We are “justified by faith” (Rom.5:1)

!!!!! (2)                 We must “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” in order to be saved (Acts 16:31)

!!!!! (3)                 “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him */must believe/* that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him (Heb.11:6).

!! B.                  god’s love

In grappling with the hard questions about God’s love it is crucial to bear in mind that human tendency to see things from the wrong perspective.

We cannot comprehend an infinite God with our finite minds.

If we attempt to measure God from a human perspective, all our thinking about Him will be out of whack.

And we sin against God when we think things of Him that are unbefitting of His glory.

God Himself rebukes those who underestimate Him by thinking of Him in human terms: /“You thought that I was just like you; I will reprove you, and state the case in order before your eyes” (Ps.

50:21)./

We need to bear in mind as we ponder the love and the wrath of God that in many ways these things touch on knowledge “too wonderful” for us.

“It is too high, [we] cannot attain to it” (Ps.

139:6)… “Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?”

(Rom.

11:34)… “Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has informed Him?

With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding?

And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge, and informed Him of the way of understanding?” (Isa.

40:13–14).

“Who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct Him?” (1 Cor.

2:16).

Those are the same kinds of questions with which God confronted Job.

 

!!! 1.                  God does not love everyone with the same love.

“A woman once said to Mr. Spurgeon, ‘I cannot understand why God should say that He hated Esau.’  ’Spurgeon replied, ‘is not my difficulty, madam.

My trouble is to understand how God could love Jacob.’”

(Newell)

!!!! a)                  Rom.9:10-13

!!!!! (1)                 God’s hatred for Esau and the nation of Edom does not prove that He had no love, no compassion, and no charity whatsoever to Esau or his descendants.

!!!!! (2)                 In fact, we know from Scripture that God was kind to this nation.

When the Israelites  left Egypt on their way to Canaan, they passed through the land of Edom.

God firmly instructed Moses, “Do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land, even as little as a footstep because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession” (Deut.

2:5).

!!!!! (3)                 This holy hatred combined with lovingkindness implies no inconsistency or equivocation on God’s part.

Both love and wrath are reflections of His nature; He is loving, yet holy.