CALVINISM
The Chaff & The Wheat
L
Here we come to
the ‘L’ or ‘Limited Atonement’ also referred to as ‘Particular Redemption’.
This is the claim that Jesus death was not for every person and not even for most people, but only for the elect.
They also point out that non-Calvinists also limit the atonement in efficacy –
that Christ did not die to cause the effect of salvation, or cause certain men to be saved but only
make it possible for all men to be
saved. Let us consider Spurgeon again- “We differ as to the nature
of Atonement and as to the design of Redemption. For instance, the Arminian
holds that Christ, when He died, did not die with an intent to save any
particular person. And they teach that Christ’s death does not, in itself,
secure beyond doubt the salvation of any man living. They believe that Christ
died to make the salvation of all men possible,
or that by the doing of something
else, any man who pleases may attain unto eternal life! Consequently, they are
obliged to hold that if man’s will would not give way and voluntarily surrender to Divine Grace,
then Christ’s Atonement would be worthless! They hold that there was no
particularity and specialty in the death of Christ. Christ died, according to
them, as much for Judas in Hell as for Peter who mounted to Heaven!” (Sermon
#181)
Still present and
unanswered is why God causes the regeneration of all the elect by Christ’s
death and resurrection but not their spiritual maturity. Why does his death not
cause the elect to be perfect and complete in all the will of God? Why are
there believers who ought to be mature as provided for by Christ, but yet are
carnal (Heb.5:11-14, 1 Cor.3:1-3)? It appears the Calvinist also has a limited
efficacy in addition to a limited scope in the death of Christ. “Christ
Jesus “gave His life a ransom for many” Spurgeon continues in the same sermon “noticing
the vast number for whom this Redemption is made, who in our text are described
as “many”. He continues here:”All Christians hold that Christ died to redeem,
but all Christians do not teach the same Redemption!” Basically they deny that he
died for everyone in general and no one in particular. But let us consider this
claim and the verses they point to as evidence.
Calvinists
reason thus; that Christ either died for:
1) All the sins of
all men; in which case all men are free from the damnation of hell. If you
say- they are not saved because of unbelief, well unbelief is a sin for which
Christ died and so all men should be saved.
2) Some of the
sins of all men. And so all men have some sins to answer for, and so none
are saved.
3) All the sins of
some men; or Christ, in their stead suffered for all the sins of the elect
in the whole world.
We agree Christ
did not die for some sins and so we consider the other points. We will see
shortly that Christ died for particular people and for all people, but consider #1 briefly. For we before showed
the operation of faith how faith is the will of a man in response to and in
union with God’s will. The folly assumed with their thought here, that they are
importing the idea that Christ’s death causes
the elimination of some of the sins of the elect- firstly unbelief, at least
the degree of it prohibiting salvation. And not even immediately when all the
elect reach the ‘stage or age of accountability’ or necessarily when they first
hear the gospel. Consider Saul who kicked against the pricks and once destroyed
the faith (Ac.9:5, Gal.1:23). Basically they would have to remove any cause and
effect nature of the death of Christ- that it causes belief in the elect- because they really hold that God
sovereignly causes the faith of the elect at a chosen time in their lives. They
also assume a certain definition for the meaning of ‘his death for sins’ namely
that it causes particular behavior in the elect at unspecific times in their
lives. But only a limited effect since they are not all spiritual (Gal.1:6,
3:1, 4:6-11 etc.). So to imagine, as they do, his death as causing the elect to
be saved in a sort of law-like fashion is to exceed what is reasonable. Even in
Calvinism God causes the elects salvation at a certain moment in their life; it
does not occur as if his death triggers a force which activates the will of the
elect as soon as they are able to understand the gospel and the first time they
hear it; or even in the womb as a John Baptist (Lk.1:44, 7:20). John 12:24
would infer that the springing forth of fruit is from the resurrection- “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die,
it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”
At #3 is it not a
folly to say (as they do indeed) Christ died to cause men to be saved and
believe and endure to the end but not cause them to be holy in their lives in all
manner of conversation (Heb.5:11-12)? Or claim that Christ causes the elect to
be steadfast in their faith but not in their obedience? While faith without
works is evidently vain! (Ja.2:17, 26) Or claim that his death doesn’t cause
the elect to receive a full reward (2 Jn.8, 1 Cor.3:15). That His particular
redemption makes the elect have faith to endure and yet only generates little
faith and wavering faith when it comes to daily struggles? His death didn’t
keep Peter or Barnabbas from dissimulation (Gal.2:11-13) or the Galatians from
being so soon removed from the grace of Christ (Gal.1:6, 3:1). What a
perplexity they undoubtedly attribute to some mystery in God; a response which
certainly mimics the Romish apologists and their innumerable mysteries (2
Thes.2:7)!
Jonathon
Edwards reasoned (-1722, The “Miscellanies” Ed. Harry S. Stout, page 1
74) that Christ could not have died with the intent of benefitting “such
and such men that would never be the better for his death. And therefore, it
was impossible that he should die with an intent to make them (particular
persons) happy” because he is omniscient and would have known that
his death would not have helped them. Could not the same be cast in their
teeth? If God has made every spiritual blessing available to his saints and yet
foreknew that they many times would not avail themselves of exceeding great and
precious promises and manifold grace- are we to conclude “Christ could not have
died with the intent of benefitting” them? For he would have known they would
many times fail of his grace and frustrate his grace. Nay brethren this is also
an equal folly.
The Calvinist declares ‘Indeed God knoweth the
hearts and that there is none good, thus he maketh men upright by particular
redemption in Christ’. John Calvin in his institutes points to a number of
verses to support the doctrine of limited atonement (Book II Chp.XVI &
XVII). Although his conclusion is an error the truth Calvin catches a glimpse
of is that God will not try to save
or attempt to save but that the Lord
God Omnipotent will save and is
mighty to save! So let us consider this truth.
Do these verses for example teach that Christ’s death
causes the elect to become righteous by making them believe? Could we not easily understand the efficacy to be for those after they believed (Eph.1:13)?
Isa.53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his
knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Rom.5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the
obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Tit.2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and
purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Heb. 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for
all.
1 Pet.3:18 For Christ also hath once
suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
Christ justifies those that believe
(Rom.3:28). Those made righteous are so made by faith (Rom.9:30, Phil.3:9);
their faith- “the just
shall live by his faith” (Hab.2:4). Christ’s
death specially benefits those that believe. So he gave himself for “us” who “by
him do believe in God” (1
Pt.1:21, Eph.1:19, Ac.11:17). Rom.4:24 But for us
also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up
Jesus our Lord from the dead;” Notice that it saith not ‘many shall be made to
have faith’ but shall ‘be made righteous’
(Ro.5:19) Of course the Calvinist will try and block up the exits claiming that
faith is only a grace God gives to the elect; we examined the biblical
definition of faith at the beginning. This is really where the debate hinges.
We know that “of him and through him and to
him are all things” (Rom.11:36) and “God was in Christ reconciling the world
unto himself” (2 Cor.5:19). God reached into existence from eternity through
the express image of his very person Jesus Christ (Heb.1:3) and pulled upon all
men to bring them to Christ to greater and lesser degrees according to his own
will. John 12:32-3 “And I, if I be lifted up
from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said,
signifying what death he should die.” But he laid hold upon
some men (remnant) with the intent of not letting go but causing certain to
believe and certain to endure. The Calvinist would identify these men as ‘the
elect’. We have seen already that the elect are those who are in Christ ‘the
elect’. Our thesis is bringing forward the point that your calling and election
must be made secure and certain (2 Pt.1:10) by abiding in Christ the elect by
faith in his saving grace (1 Pt.1:5). And so the present truth that all men can
be saved but that some men will be saved, does not imply a contradiction to our
thesis that men can depart from the faith and not abide in Christ the elect. But
succinctly anyone in Christ is elect because Christ
is elect. Some will depart from their faith and no longer be elect as they did
not abide or remain in Christ. However there will be in the end men that are
saved whom we can call the ‘remnant’ that will be saved by way of ‘election’ in
Christ; that is they will be saved in Christ by faith that it might be by grace
(Rom.4:16). We are not aware of who these will be for even Paul acknowledged
that he could be a castaway (1 Cor.9:27 w/ Lk.9:25, Phil.3:11-14). Even though
John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb
(Lk.1:15) and could not have done other than what he was called to do (Lk.1:76,
Jn.1:23, Mt.3:3), after his mission was complete he was warned of Christ not to
be offended in him (Mt.11:1-6, 11). So we are not lead to be high minded by thinking
‘we are the elect and thus OSAS’ but fear him who is able to destroy both body
and soul in hell (Mt.10:28). Remember Judas. We will consider ‘the remnant’
further under ‘perseverence’.
Even if
we grant that these verses (above) teach his death causes the salvation of few
(Mt.7:13, 20:16, Lk.12:32) does it by necessity infer that provision wasn’t
made for the rest? Is this a logical conclusion? Christ’s death causes and
makes possible many things. We know Christ died for the “sins of the whole
world” (1 Jn.2:2, Jn.1:29 w/ 1:9-10), including those ‘he bought’ that deny him
(2 Pt.2:1). Calling all men everywhere to repent (Ac.17:30), giving himself as
a ransom for all (1 Tim.2:6) tasting death for every man (Heb.2:9). The
shedding of his blood (Rev.7:14) makes possible escaping every spot of corruption
in the world (Gal.6:14, 2 Pt.1:4, Ja.1:27, Eph.5:2). It makes possible the
deliverance from the influence of sin. Consider Romans 6:4-7 (and the entire
chapter) “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism
into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of
his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him,
that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve
sin. For he that is dead is freed
from sin.” This makes it possible for us to walk in the Spirit by faith and not
fulfill the lusts of the flesh being provided every spiritual blessing in
heavenly places in Christ so that we can be holy and without blame before him.
And so we have no excuse not to stand perfect and complete in all the will of
God. And yet many will be ashamed at his coming whose works will be burned up (1
Cor.3:9-15) and lose those things which they have wrought (2 Jn.8).
Christ
died for the church as a body of individuals (Eph.5:25-7), and for Paul himself
as a single individual (Gal.2:20). And of course Christ died for the unknown
“weak brother” (1 Cor.8:11) besides the well known apostle. Would we not be silly
and superficial to argue that since Christ died for the weaker brother that he
therefore didn’t die for Paul? Or since Christ died for Paul he must not
therefore have died for the whole church! And yet here is the Calvinist arguing
that because Christ died for the church he must not have died for the whole
world (Jn.1:29).
They point to a ‘limited
scope’ of the redeemed in verses like “Christ died for our sins” “for our
offences” “for the transgression of my
people” “for the sheep”. But it is equally true that he died for the whole
world and also for believers in the gospel. As Paul states “we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially
of those that believe.” (1 Tim.4:10)
1 Jn.2:1 My little children, these
things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an
advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is
the propitiation for our sins: and not
for ours only, but also for the sins
of the whole world. In one way
Christ died for the whole world that they all might be justified and also his
death provides for the sanctifying of the elect (Eph.5:26-7). Our contention is
that both are true after a different sense. Through his death and resurrection God
reconciles sinners to himself (Rom.5:8-10, 2 Cor.5:19) and sanctifies the
saints from the corruption that is in the world through lust (2 Pt.1:4,
Heb.12:10). Through his death he brings the unjust to believe to God (1
Pt.3:18) and causes the just, by faith to bring forth fruit unto holiness
(Rom.6:22). He draws upon all men in general through Christ but with more mercy
upon others in particular (Rom.9:14-25).
The
benefits are available unto all men, but the ones that believe will be the ones
specially benefitted. Through his death he grants believers deliverance “from
this present evil world” (Gal.1:4), and draws all men unto him (Jn.12:32). He
takes away the sin of the world (Jn.1:29, Heb.9:26) making propitiation for the
whole world (1 Jn.2:2) and brings forth much fruit (Jn.12:24) making many
righteous (Rom.5:19). The spiritual blessings available to the believers
through the death and resurrection of Christ are sufficient to make them
perfect in every good work (Heb.13:20-1); holy and without blame before him in
love (Eph.1:4); standing perfect and complete in all the will of God
(Col.4:12); unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work (Col.1:10); and
not ashamed before him at his coming (1 Jn.2:28). And yet many will be ashamed
and their works will be consumed before the flaming eyes of him with whom we
have to do. When he searcheth the hearts and minds in that day, shall not he
know (Psa.94:10)? Shall not
God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart (Psa.44:21). Shall not he that pondereth the heart
consider it? and he that keepeth
thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works? (Prv.24:12)
Next we will be
dragged into one of the more ridiculous and tedious discussion in Calvinism about
who are “all” and who are the “world”. The Calvinist will assert that phrase in
scripture ‘all men’ does not mean every man everywhere without exception but sometimes means every man
in an area without distinction. Such
as these instances- Mk. 1:37 And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee. Mk. 11:32 But if we shall say, Of men; they
feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a
prophet indeed. John 3:26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he
that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same
baptizeth, and all men come to him. These would be
instances of the phrase ‘all men’ meaning a limited number relative to a region
or locality in a certain time period; thus ‘all men without distinction’. Sometimes
‘all men’ means all without exception. For example Jn.5:29 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father.
Ac.17:30-31 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the
which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath
ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he
hath raised him from the dead. Rom.5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered
into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Likewise the word world can mean all men of a certain
geographic region at a particular time- ‘the public’. As in these instances:
Lk.2:1- And it came to
pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all
the world should be taxed.
Jn.7:4- For there is
no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known
openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.
8:26- I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.
12:19- The Pharisees therefore said among themselves,
Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.
14:19- Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me:
because I live, ye shall live also. (v22) …Lord, how is it that thou wilt
manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
18:20 Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue,
and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said
nothing.
Acts11:28- …signified
by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days
of Claudius Caesar.
Acts 17:6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason
and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have
turned the world upside down are
come hither also;
Acts 19:27 …the great goddess Diana should be despised,
and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.
Rom.1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for
you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
1 Cor.4:9 For I think that God hath set forth us the
apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto
the world, and to angels, and to
men.
We agree the context dictates the meaning. And
so with occurrences as John 1:7 “The same came for a witness, to bear witness
of the Light, that all men through him might believe”; we
must ask what this means in context. We read in John 1:9-12 “That was the true
Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the
world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the
sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” ‘All men’ is ‘every man’
and would include those that receive him and those that received him not.
Christ was sent in the body of his flesh to
testify unto the house of Israel, his own (Mt.15:24, Rom.15:8), and yet his own
received him not. John the Baptist was only sent to Israel to bear record of
the true Light. Would the context dictate that his intention and purpose was
that all men of Israel without exception might believe or that all men of
Israel without distinction might believe? It would seem both. But yet the vast majority of ‘his own received him not’ and
were blinded unto this day (Rom.11). Should we conclude something so absurd as
that Christ intended ‘all men of Israel without distinction’ to believe on him
and by “all men” mean a very small remnant (Isa.1:6 w/ Rom.9:29 also “little
flock” Lk.12:32 “few” Mt.7:14, 20:16)? I trow not.
Tit.2:11 “For the grace of God that
bringeth salvation hath appeared to all
men,”- This thing was not done in a corner (Ac.26:26). 1 Tim.2:4 God “Who
will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the
knowledge of the truth”, “Who gave himself a ransom for all”
(v6), “lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (Jn.1:9).
Again he spoke these things to the Jews that they might be saved (Jn.5:34) but
still they will not come to him that they might be saved (v40). Rom.11:32 For
God hath concluded them all (Israel-
context) in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all (Jew & Gentile- context).
Consider the Day of Atonement in
Leviticus 16- would this not be the most revealing on the question of the scope
of the Atonement. For whom was the atonement made- all Israel without exception
or distinction or both? v17 “And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the
congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he
come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and
for all the congregation of Israel.”
v21-2 “And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and
confess over him all the iniquities
of the children of Israel, and all their
transgressions in all their sins,
putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of
a fit man into the wilderness: And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not
inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.” v33-4 “And he shall
make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for
the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an
atonement for the priests, and for all
the people of the congregation. And this shall be
an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel
for all their sins once a year. And he did as the Lord commanded Moses.” This atonement was made every year “in the
seventh month, on the tenth day of the month” (v29) for all the congregation of
Israel without exception from when it was instituted until Christ came and the
veil of the temple was rent in twain. But all the congregation of Israel was
not effectually caused to be the elect. The atonement was only effectual for
those “that believed” (1 Thes.2:13).
‘This cannot be’ declares the Calvinist.
For in their paralogy Christ will make intercession only for those for whom he
died causing them and only them to believe. In their thinking Christ would only
be half of a priest unless all and only those for whom he died were the only
ones for whom he makes intercession. Let everyone who nameth the name of Calvin
depart from sophistry. The work of the priest is revealed in the law. Have ye
not read Leviticus 16? Atonement was made for all Israel- but not all Israel
believed. As we stated above- he is able also to save them to the
uttermost that come unto God by him,
seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. He saves those for whom he
intercedes, and they are those that come unto God by him. Again we know their
feverish reply that only those that are drawn come, and again we already
silenced this folly. All that come are drawn but not all that are drawn come.
And as we stated above he ever liveth to make intercession- which cannot mean forever
prays for them to stay saved, otherwise the blood atonement did not secure
their salvation. But rather he effectually appears in God’s presence for those
that believe the gospel.
Sometimes all and
many are used interchangeably- and while we know ‘all’ may or may not be many (give me all the marbles in your hand-
may not be many); ‘many’ likewise may or may not be all (there are many marbles in the bag- may or may not be all). In
these cases ‘many’ would mean ‘not a few’ (2 Ki.4:3, Isa.10:7, Jer.30:19,
Ac.17:4, 12).
Consider these passages:
Rom.5:15 But not as the offence, so also
is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the
grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath
abounded unto many. (v19) For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners,
so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Rom.11:32 For
God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
(Where all is Jew & Gentile- v11-12, 25)
Some think these passages teach universal
salvation; but the only ones that are made righteous are the ones in Christ as 1 Cor. 15:21-23 show- For
since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For
as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in
his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his
coming.
While we
acknowledge that the word world in scripture can mean all men of a certain
geographic region at a particular time - ‘the public’, we cannot find it ever
meaning ‘the elect’. This interpretation is imported by Calvinist into a number
of places because of theological bias; but cannot be extracted from a specific
context in scripture. Imagine concluding that because one passage of scripture does mean ‘all men of a certain geographic
region at a particular time’ that another passage can mean ‘few men from all geographic regions throughout all time’!
This is very obviously illogical. But the Calvinist cannot blush when reading this definition into the word ‘world’ in
key passages of scripture, for their heart is hardened by their error.
Here are passages
where world means all men:
Mt.24:14- And this gospel of the kingdom shall be
preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations…
Mark 16:15- And he said unto them, Go ye into all the
world, and preach the gospel to every
creature.
Luke 12:30- For all these things do the nations of the world seek after:
Luke 16:8- for the children of this world are in their
generation wiser than the children of light.
Luke 20:34- And Jesus
answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in
marriage:
John 1:9-10 That was the true Light, which lighteth every
man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by
him, and the world knew him not.
John 3:16-17- 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. [17] For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn
the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
John 3:19- And this is the condemnation, that light is
come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their
deeds were evil.
9:39- And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this
world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made
blind.
12:46-7- I am come a light into the world, that whosoever
believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and
believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save
the world.
15:18-19- If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me
before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but
because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world,
therefore the world hateth you. (compare with Lk 21:17 And ye shall be hated of
all men for my name's sake. Also
Mt.10:22, Mk.13:13)
17:21 …that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Also when contrasted with Israel, it means all the
Gentiles
Rom.11:11-12 I say then, Have they
stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall
salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them
the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? (v30-32) For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained
mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these also now not believed, that
through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have
mercy upon all.
Gal.6:14- But
God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by
whom the world is crucified unto
me, and I unto the world.
This passage has
particular significance when considering Noah’s flood and the like figure of
baptism (1 Pet.3:20-21). In the cross of Christ the wrath of God flooded his
soul (Ps.69:1) while his soul was made an offering for sin (Isa.53:10) and in
the travail of his soul it was poured out unto death (v11-12). As the sign of
Jonah (Mt.12:39) “all thy waves and thy billows are
gone over me” (Ps.42:7, Jon.2:3). Again “Thy wrath lieth hard
upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves.” (Ps.88:7) “Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off” (v16)
“I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.” (69:2)
Clearly God’s great and just recompense swept
over the Lord Jesus as the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all
(Isa.53:6). The figure of this wrath is seen in the flood in the days of Noah.
How was this flood described? “All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of
all that was in the dry land, died.”(Gen.7:22) This was without distinction or
exception. Even as it pleased God for “God looked upon the earth, and, behold,
it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God
said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled
with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.”
(Gen.6:12-13) “And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the
earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven;
and every thing that is in the earth shall die.” (v17). If this figure is to
have any meaning or signification then everything that is in the earth; all
flesh would include “all men everywhere”. God himself chose this manner of
judgment to help us understand the nature of the cross whereby “the world is crucified unto me, and I unto
the world”. All
of the world died in Christ. And holding the figure consistently “all flesh
died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and
of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man” (7:22)-
where the animals figure Gentiles (Ac.10:11-12, 28).
Some will declare that if Christ took their
judgment then they should not also or this is some form of injustice or ‘double
jeopardy’. But beloved in that Christ bore the sins of the unbelievers he will
dispense their judgment and be the conduit through whom God shall condemn them.
John 5: 22- For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto
the Son v27 And hath given him
authority to execute judgment also, because
he is the Son of man. The man Christ Jesus will execute God’s wrath upon
them; which will be called “the wrath of the Lamb” (Rv.6:16). He was tempted in
all points like as we are yet without sin, and he will judge from that position
(Heb.4:15-6). Acts 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will
judge the world in righteousness by that
man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in
that he hath raised him from the dead. Rom.14:9 For to this end Christ both
died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
Acts 10:40-2 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; Not to all
the people, but unto witnesses chosen before God, even to us, who did eat and
drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto
the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the
Judge of quick and dead.
What praise springs forth from this thought-
that God so loved the whole world that Christ drank the cup of the wine of God’s
wrath for all men. “Love so amazing so divine demands my soul my life my all”.
This love confounds the angels and is manifest in the church (Eph.3:10,21, 1
Pt.1:12). It causes us to meditate in awe as the beloved hymn:
Could we with ink
the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
Beloved behold what manner of love has the Father
bestowed upon us! Can we not see in the flood the totality of his fierceness,
the severity of his wrath? Who can stand before him? Consider what great anger
so pure and just, was satisfied by that man of sorrows. And sorrow beyond all
sorrows “wherewith the Lord hath
afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger” who “From
above hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them”
(Lam.1:12-13). Eternity waits for us to consider and meditate that we “May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and
length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth
knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” (Eph.3:18-19)
But what incorruptible glory of God is changed
in the mind overthrown by the gainsaying of Calvin? God cannot received the
fullness of praise of which he is worthy in this most wicked slander of the
Calvinist. For they have taken what is to be “to the praise of the glory of his
grace” and removed the splendor and covered as with a veil only to have a form
‘to the praise of the glory of his sovereign will’. And surely his will is
supreme- but his will is to magnify his grace; to exalt his everlasting mercy.
Truly God is righteous and will not acquit the wicked but even more profound is
that God is love and will justify the ungodly through the cross. Unto him be
glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.
Amen. (Eph.3:21)
Double Jeopardy & PSA (added 2/19/26)
Controversy around penal substitutionary atonement (PSA) comes, for its part, from the ideas of the legality of the atonement with respect to God’s justice and the idea of double jeopardy. The internal consistency with PSA, it is argued, would require that payment or penalty for sins would only be possible in one instance without trespassing into injustice, that is the injustice of double jeopardy. It is an ancient concept that is codified in the U.S. Constitution in the 5th Amendment as: “nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb”.
Applying it to PSA, it should be understood most strongly that a person cannot be punished or fulfil legal obligations twice for the same offence. It would be an act of injustice to punish me for a crime; I satisfy my debt to society for that crime and then I am repunished for the same crime. The biblical standard of just weights and measures would apply in that if justice was satisfied the first time, then definitionally the exact measure was meted out and to double the punishment would be an imbalance and thus unjust. God is Just (Dt.32:4, Isa.45:21, Zep.3:5) therefore all of God’s judgments are just Heb.2:2, Isa.59:18, Jer.51:56, Rev.16:7, 19:2, Jer.9:24, Hab.1:13, Nah.1:3, Psa.18:20,24, Prv.17:13, 1 Ki.8:32, Rom.2:5-6, Job 8:4, Psa.89:14, Zep.3:5. God is exact or precise in all his judgments- Ex. 21:23-5, Lev. 24:19-21, Lev. 19:34-6, Deut. 17:8, 19:21, 21:5, Deut. 25:14-16, Prov. 20:10,23, 11:1, 16:11, Micah 6:11. In other words, “every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward” (Heb.2:2) God’s justice is exacted with indiscriminate mathematical precision. It is useful to think of sin as a monetary debt with exact numerical value. (Mt.6:12, 5:25-6, Lk.7:41-3, 11:4, 12:59, Mt 18:23-35) This idea is expressed in the law regarding redemption and atonement money- Ex.30:11-16, 1 Pt.1:18, Lv.25:25, 31, 51, Num.18:15-16, Ex.21:30. The popular verse, "For the wages of sin is death..."(Rom.6:23) has a debt transaction framing. We accumulate sin debt, thus, Rom.2:5 “after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath”.
Our Calvinist brethren will take these truths and apply it to PSA and conclude with a limited atonement. That if Christ paid in full the exact penalty for sinners, then for those sinners for whom he was substituted to go to hell and be punished for exactly what he was punished for, would be itself an injustice of double jeopardy. Thus, Christ either died for all men in which case all will be saved, or he died for a limited number of men in which case only they will be saved. Others agree with this assessment but reject the tenets of Calvinism and conclude that PSA is itself false.
Limits in use of Human Analogy with God
This at first glance appears like a valid argument either for limited atonement or against PSA. But is this precisely what the cross expresses? If we consider the analogy between human application of justice with the divine application, we see limits. If analogies weren’t limited, they would be the thing itself and not analogies of the thing. Calvinists for instance don’t believe that the full effectual nature of PSA automatically cancels the elect's sins upon their historical natural birth. But they are indeed born the enemies of God and under divine wrath (Eph.2:1-3). How are they enemies of God under the exact same threat of wrath that Christ bore for them and this not itself be a form of double jeopardy? Again, they and we limit it based on other revelations in scripture. The atonement exceeds the normal complexity of human legal challenges. For example, limits of judicial analogy can be seen in the idea of a just substitute for punishment. In human limitations, one person cannot endure a retribution designed for another person. The third person substitute makes it unjust. (Prv.17:15, Ezk.18:4,20, 2 Chr.25:4, Ex.32:32-3, Dt.24:16) This human limit is satisfied in the divine economy by the persons of the Godhead and the full incarnation of Christ. Another human limitation with a judicial analogy is with debt forgiveness. The debt is never paid only eliminated, and the loss remains. If the lender forgives a debt he himself endures the loss. (Mt.6:12, 5:25-6, Lk.7:41-3, 11:4, 12:59, Mt 18:23-35) Thus, the debt is never ‘paid in full’ it is arbitrarily absolved with the lender coming up short. In the divine economy however full payment on one hand is made by Christ thus God does not deny Himself in absolving and omitting justice. And that Christ is God he assumes responsibility for the debt and not an unrelated independent 3rd party. Another human limitation with the debt analogy would be seen in Matt.18:23-5. The lender forgives the debt of the poor man himself taking the loss, only to reimpose and re-obligate and yoke the debt back upon man due to his brazen insolence. Calvinists would not apply this part of the analogy to forgiveness because they would assert it has limits. Other questions arise against PSA regarding the Father punishing the Son or the Trinity punishing the Son and how this is sensible. Nevertheless, if there is mystery regarding the incarnation (1 Tim.3:9,16, Col.2:2, 4:3) the same mystery applies to the crucifixion and therefore the atonement. So, to force limited human analogies too far would lead to error as they must also admit. It is thus reasonable to suggest that if human analogies regarding the atonement are limited, that the double jeopardy analogy does not map precisely onto the divine economy either. And since the atonement is not only for a few (1 John 2:2, 4:14, Jn.1:9-10,29,12:32, Rom.11:32, 1 Tim.2:4,6, Heb.2:9, Ac.17:30-31, Tit.2:11, etc.), the forcing of a double jeopardy contention to this conclusion is unwarranted. Both analogies (double jeopardy or debt purchase) are secondary to conclusions for or against limited atonement established in biblical texts.
So, would a double jeopardy analogy apply to the cross? If Christ fully bore God’s precise, unfiltered just wrath for someone’s sins, and therefore it would be unjust for God to pour out that same wrath on that person in hell then it likewise would be unjust to have the real threat of that wrath upon the ‘elect’. Something Calvinists would reject. Thus, pressing double jeopardy into PSA to acquire or support limited atonement is untenable.
Instead of thinking of it in these terms we ought to analogize it as Christ purchasing the debt by satisfying the just demands and now is the owner of and enforcer of the debt obligations. He takes responsibility for the debt. In this analogy the man Jesus Christ will be the one executing the wrath (Mt.3:11-12, Jn.5:22,27, Ac.17:31, Rv.5:5-6) because he absorbed this wrath on the cross. (Rom.14:9, Phil.2:6-11) The legal obligation now is involving the man Christ Jesus. (1 Tim.2:5, Rom.5:15, Ac.2:22) In other words, the infinite person of the Son in the days of his flesh in the economic Trinity must be factored in. The nature of the atonement is related to the persons of God not God and the sinner directly.
Consider briefly the economic nature of the incarnation:
Mt. 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Lk.10:22 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.
Jn.3:35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
Jn.5:19-20 … The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
Jn.8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
Jn.17:1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
He.1:5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
2 Pt.1:17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
1 Jn.4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
God glorified his Son, highly exalted him giving him a name which above every name, received him up into glory at his own right hand, put all things under his feet, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool (Jn.17:1, Ac.3:13, Phil.2:9, 1 Tim.3:16, Eph.1:20-21, Heb.10:13). And this Son of man (Jn.5:27) shall come again in the glory of his Father (Mt.16:27, Mk.8:38) and receive for himself a kingdom. Phil.2:5-11 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
When the incarnation is fully considered, the double jeopardy criticism does not apply. Christ on the cross drank the cup of wrath (Mt.26:39, 42, Mark 14:36, Luke 22:42. Psa.75:8, Job 21:20, Isa.51:17, 22, Jer.25:15,17, 28, Rev.14:10) after having our sins imputed unto him. Imputation in figure is seen through the laying on of hands. Lev.1:4 “he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.” This happens all through Leviticus, and we see it in Ex.29:10,15,19, as in Num.8:12.
But now after the cross, that terrible and infinite and perfect justice of God is manifested in the man Christ Jesus. That eternal and infinite person; that perfect fulness of the Godhead dwelling bodily in that one who came from everlasting in the days of his flesh; Jesus Christ the righteous. Now your covenantal relationship to Him determines your eternal status. The penalty is paid in full and exhausted in Him and there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. For there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? (Heb.10:26-9)
