DEFINITION: Atonement refers to the forgiving or pardoning of sin in general and original sin in particular through the death and resurrection of Jesus, enabling the reconciliation between God and his creation. INTRODUCTION Previously we looked at the L (Limited Atonement) in TULIP vs the Arminian concept of Unlimited Atonement. CALVINISM - Limited atonement: Only the sins of the elect were atoned for by Jesus’ death. The sins of the unsaved were never paid for. ARMINIANISM - Unlimited atonement: The sins of the whole world were atoned for by Jesus’ death, but some refuse to accept the provision for their salvation and thus remain lost. UNIVERSALISM: The sins of the whole world were atoned for by Jesus’ death, and therefore whether they believe or not, every human being will ultimately be saved. 4-POINT CALVINISM We saw that not all Calvinists are 5-point Calvinists. Many 4-point Calvinists reject the error of Limited Atonement. In fact this is the single point of TULIP theology that professing Calvinists are most likely to reject – or to redefine or soften. Calvinism Arminianism Total Depravity Prevenient Grace Unconditional Election Conditional Election Limited Atonement Unlimited Atonement Irresistible Grace Resistible Grace Perseverance of the Falling from grace Saints WHO LIMITS? GOD LIMITED ATONEMENT PREDESTINED FOR DAMNATION THE ELECT WHO LIMITS? GOD UNLIMITED ATONEMENT THE UNREGENERATE WORLD (KOSMOS) WHO LIMITS? GOD UNLIMITED UNBELIEF ATONEMENT THE UNBELIEVING WORLD “WHOSOEVER WILL…” WHO LIMITS? Limited atonement says that the atonement is God-limited Unlimited atonement says that the atonement is unlimited by God but it’s effect is human-limited LIMITED UNLIMITED UNIVERSALISM ATONEMENT ATONEMENT ATONEMENT LIMITED UNLIMITED UNLIMITED APPLICATION LIMITED LIMITED UNLIMITED LIMITED BY GOD MAN NO ONE IRRESISTIBLE GRACE This time we will look at the Calvinist doctrine of Irresistible Grace. Calvinism Arminianism Total Depravity Prevenient Grace Unconditional Election Conditional Election Limited Atonement Unlimited Atonement Irresistible Grace Resistible Grace Perseverance of the Falling from grace Saints THE GOSPEL THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ACCORDING TO CALVINISM: JESUS: For God so loved the For God so loved the Elect that he gave his world that he gave his only begotten Son, that one and only Son, that whosoever was whoever believes in unconditionally elected him shall not perish should not perish but but have eternal life. have eternal life, for For God did not send God sent his Son into his Son into the world the world to condemn to condemn the world, the world and to save but to save the world the Elect through him. through him. (John 3:16-17) DEFINITION: It is the love and mercy given to us by God because he desires us to have it, not because of anything we have done to earn it. IRRESISTIBLE GRACE We continue our look at the I (Irresistible Grace) in TULIP vs the Arminian concept of Resistible Grace. CALVINISM - Irresistible Grace: when God decides to save someone, they certainly will be saved and the Holy Spirit cannot be resisted. ARMINIANISM - Resistible Grace: No person is forced against their will to become a Christian. God allows his grace to be resisted by those unwilling to believe. PREVENIENT GRACE Irresistible grace: the notion that when God extends grace to a person, they cannot reject it. Like unconditional election, the person has no choice over the matter. Resistible grace: John Wesley in 18th-century language taught that God extends prevenient (preceding in time) grace to all. While Calvinists hold that grace cannot be resisted, Wesleyan Arminians believe that it enables, but does not ensure, personal acceptance of the gift of salvation. Contrary to what some Calvinists claim, Arminianism is not the equivalent of Pelagianism or salvation by good works. Prevenient grace precedes human decision, existing prior to and without reference to anything humans may have done. God takes initiative in the salvation process and his grace is available to all people. PREVENIENT GRACE As humans are corrupted by the effects of sin, PREVENIENT GRACE allows persons to engage their God-given free will to choose the salvation offered by God in Jesus Christ or to reject that offer. PREVENIENT GRACE God opens the doors to heaven but a person chooses for themselves to walk through or not. If God did not open the door, the person could not get in, but just because the door is open does not mean the person will walk through it. We still have free will, this grace allows the person to choose God when otherwise the option would not be available. The offer of salvation through grace does not act irresistibly in a purely cause-effect, deterministic method but rather in an influence-and-response fashion that can be both freely accepted and freely denied. 1 1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arminianism PREVENIENT GRACE Jesus said, “I… will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32). “Drawing” people to him, implies a persuasion: John 12:32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw (Greek: helkō) all people to myself.” So if Jesus draws “all people” then all should be saved, which is clearly not the case – reinforcing the fact that the draw is resistible. The Greek verb helkō does not mean that God irresistibly drags the elect into faith. YOU CAN TAKE A HORSE TO WATER BUT YOU CAN’T MAKE IT DRINK RESISTIBLE GRACE Arminians believe that, while God sometimes intervenes in order to bring about some particular plan of mercy or judgment, his providential actions do not YOU CAN determine an BRING THE individual’s TRUTH TO ultimate destiny. SINNERS BUT See NOTE 3 God never YOU CAN’T forces humans MAKE THEM into salvation BELIEVE or damnation. RESISTIBLE GRACE The Scripture plainly teaches that: 1. The Holy Spirit can be resisted Acts 7:51 “You stiff- necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You See NOTE 1 always resist the Holy Spirit!” RESISTIBLE GRACE 2. The truth can be rejected Rom 2:8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. RESISTIBLE GRACE 3. You can reject God’s purpose for you. Luke 7:30 But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John. See NOTE 1 RESISTIBLE GRACE 4. You can reject God’s covenant. Psalm 78:10 they did not keep God’s covenant and refused to live by his law. 5. You can refuse to come to Jesus for life, despite reading the Scriptures. John 5:39-40 You diligently study the Scriptures… These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. See NOTE 2 RESISTIBLE GRACE 6. You can Heb 12:25 See to refuse to it that you do not respond to refuse him who or listen speaks. If they did to God, not escape when they choosing refused him who warned to turn them on earth, how much away less will we, if we turn instead. away from him who warns us from heaven? RESISTIBLE GRACE 7. God’s wisdom can be disregarded. Prov 1:23-26 Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings. But since you refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand, since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes you… RESISTIBLE GRACE 8. A great salvation can be ignored. Heb 2:3a How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? RESISTIBLE GRACE 9. You can refuse to believe, despite seeing God’s miracles. Num 14:11 The LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?” See NOTE 1 RESISTIBLE GRACE 10. You can refuse to repent, despite experiencing judgement. Jer 32:33 They turned their backs to me and not their faces; though I taught them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline. After experiencing God’s bowl judgment they “refused to repent and glorify him” (Rev 16:9) and they “cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done” (Rev 16:11). RESISTIBLE GRACE See 11. You can walk away even NOTE 1 when Jesus loves you. Jesus instructs the young ruler on what he needs to do “to inherit eternal life”, but he refuses to follow Jesus because he loves his money more than God. Mark 10:21-23 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” RESISTIBLE GRACE 12. God’s love can be spurned. You can refuse to repent despite God’s love, despite him calling you and healing you: Hosea 11:3-7 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. But the more they were called, the more they went away from me.