Salvation (that is, “being saved”) via a free will production of faith, cannot be found in scripture. It is entirely absent. Instead, throughout the New Testament, the lost are likened to something which cannot find/save itself but must be found/saved by God, through His Son. (This means that the sinner is not also the savior or even responsible for his salvation)
As examples, we have the parable of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and we have the Good Shepherd Who seeks out the lost sheep and a woman who searches for the lost coin.
Further, we have:
“No one can come to Me if ever the Father Who sends Me should not be drawing him. And I shall be raising him in the last day.” (John 6:44)
This means no one can come to Christ Jesus, of himself. It requires God to draw the sinner.
“according as it is written, that "Not one is just- not even one." 11 Not one is understanding. Not one is seeking out God.” (Rom. 3:10)
No one is seeking out God. You have to be drawn.
“For God locks up all together in stubbornness, that He should be merciful to all." (Rom. 11:32)
WHO (God) locks (action verb) up all (every, the whole, none excluded) in stubbornness. Where is the free will in that?! Thankfully, the free will is equallyabsent in the latter clause which speaks of the same “all” (every, the whole, none excluded).
Objection: “Yeah, ok, but what about all the verses that say “to those who believe”, “that all who believe”, and all the other verses that tie salvation to belief?”
The Apostle Paul:
“For in grace, through faith, are you saved, and this is not out of you; it is God's approach present, 9 not of works, lest anyone should be boasting." (Eph. 2:8-9)
Did you offer the belief/faith? Absolutely not. If you did, you could boast (and those who believe in free will based salvation boast knowingly or unknowingly). Faith is the channel through which grace comes. Whomust provide the faith??
God.
If He doesn’t give it,
you don’t have it!!
Now, before you Calvinists get smug; it is time to disabuse you of the myth that only the elect will ultimately be saved.
“Consequently, then, as it was through one offense for all mankind for condemnation, thus also it is through one just award for all mankind for life's justifying." (Rom. 5:18)
Believe it or not, I have yet to see a translation out there which has not gotten the above verse correct. Even the King James Version or The Message has managed to keep the original thought intact. Look it up in whatever translation you prefer and see for yourself.
We have in this verse, a simple equation, delivered in words, rather than numbers. You can’t change the meaning of one clause without changing the meaning of the other.
Adam disobeyed and his disobedience brought “all” (every, the whole, none excluded) under condemnation. You did not have to opt into this by-the-way. I have yet to hear a Christian who will dispute that fact.
Next, we have “thus also” or “even so” (this requires that the second clause to be equal with the first clause). These two words act as a literary equals sign, separating the first clause from the second. In the second clause, we have the obedience of Christ Jesus bringing justification to the same “all” (every, the whole, none excluded).
1st Clause: One act affects all in a negative way.
Connective: equals sign
2nd Clause: One act affects all in a positive way.
It is important to notice that in this incredible verse many (billions, according to population estimates) were bystanders and one brought billions under condemnation and One is bringing billions (not 10% of the billions as your pastor would have you to believe) under justification.
Objection: “Yeah, well, you have to receive the award/gift of justification!”
Romans 5:18: “…even so…”
“(for this we are toiling and being reproached), that we rely on the living God, Who is the Saviour of all mankind, especially of believers. These things be charging and teaching.”
Here, we have Paul declaring that God is the Savior of “all” (every, the whole, none excluded) and especially (not, “exclusively”) of believers (those whom God gave belief).
Many Christians say that they believe that God is “Savior” of all, but when you ask, “So, you believe all people will be saved?”, they immediately respond with “Of course not!!”. This is simply evidence of the degradation of language and comprehension. God cannot be the Savior of anyone who He doesn’t save. It’s that simple. If He doesn’t save you; He isn’t your Savior. Unless Paul was as clumsy with language as most people I see on Facebook, Paul intended to convey that God will indeed save all mankind, especially (not, “exclusively”) believers.
“for this is ideal and welcome in the sight of our Savior, God, Who wills that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth. For there is one God, and one Mediator of God and mankind, a Man, Christ Jesus, Who is giving Himself a correspondent Ransom for all (the testimony in its own eras).” (1 Tim. 2:3-6)
Calvinist Objection #1: “Yeah, well, “all mankind” simply means all types of man. Here, Paul is making clear that Gentiles are included in salvation along with Israel.”
Rebuttal: “There are times when a passage of scripture makes distinction between Israel and the nations. However, in those instances, Israel, or a pronoun for Israel is indicated so that the thought is clear, and the Greek word “ethnon” (“Gentiles” or “nations”G1484) is used, rather than “anthropous” (“man”, “men”, “mankind”, “humans” G444) is used.
Calvinist Objection #2: “Yeah, well, the “all” is restricted to only the elect/believers.”
Rebuttal: “See again, 1 Timothy 4:10, which establishes God as the Savior of all; especially believers.”
Arminian Objection: “Yeah, well, God wants or desires for all to be saved and come to knowledge of the truth, but sadly, most won’t because of free will.”
Rebuttal: “Isaiah 46:10 states emphatically that what God declares will come to pass and that He will do all His good pleasure, and clearly, seeing all be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth is something that He takes pleasure in.”
Most Christians will finally pull the pin and throw the grenade of: “Yeah, well, you have to confess Jesus Christ as Lord, before you die!”
Belief in Christ has had a deadline imposed upon it…not by God…or by the scriptures…but by Christians. You will not find any such “deadline” for one acclaiming Christ Jesus as Lord and for being given knowledge of the truth, which leads to a change of mind for the better (aka “repentance”) in which the sinner can, indeed, declare Christ Jesus, Lord.
Now that the “deadline” myth has been dispelled, we can deal with the question of, “Will everyone declare Christ Jesus as Lord?”
“that in the name of Jesus every knee should be bowing, celestial and terrestrial and subterranean, and every tongue should be acclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord, for the glory of God, the Father.” (Phil. 2:10-11)
Everyone will be making this declaration, whether they are in the heavens, earth, or under the ground. I can’t see how that would leave out anyone. That encompasses everywhere I can think of.
Time is not a problem for God. He will see that all are found/saved and He isn’t under a stop watch to see the fulfillment. Belief in the gospel and the acquaintance with salvation comes to everyone eventually, but in “due time”, God’s timing.
Neither of the two great camps of Christianity actually believes that God is the Savior of all. Arminians believe the Creator’s desire to save all is thwarted by the creature’s stubbornness, even though it is the Creator, Who imposed the stubbornness. Calvinists play word games and as scripture ever broadens the number of those who God loves; they narrow it. Arminians believe in a god who is willing, but not able; while Calvinists believe in a god who is able, but not willing.
Both camps have a commonly held belief. They mistake God’s process for His goal. Judgment exists. Correction exists. But, correctly translated scripture demonstrates that judgment is for correction; not merely punitive, with the betterment of His creatures as the goal. God could have wiped out His chosen nation, but didn’t for His namesake. What would it say about Him? God appointed Christ Jesus to be Firstborn of creation and Firstborn from among the dead. The effect of Christ’s obedience is far further reaching in magnitude than Adam’s disobedience.
Belief is not originated in us. Repentance (a change of mind) goes hand-in-hand with being brought to the Truth. God wills that all (not only the elect) come to the knowledge of the Truth and be saved; but in due time.
No comments:
Post a Comment