Category Archives: Calvinism

The Divine Intention of the Cross (Part 3)

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…namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”

“Taste death for everyone….” Surely “everyone” means everyone, right?

Well usually, yes, but not always. This in fact has to be determined by the context in which the words are spoken. For example, if a teacher asks his class of students, “Is everyone present?” he is not asking if everyone on the planet is present in the room, but rather all the students enrolled in the class. Context is key. That’s how the word “everyone” is used. Context determines what is meant by the words.

The question in Hebrews 2:9 is whether “everyone” refers to all human beings without distinction, or whether it refers to everyone within a certain group (as in the above illustration, “everyone” of the students enrolled in the class).

To determine the answer to that question, lets now read Hebrews 2: verses 9 -10 together: Continue reading →

The Divine Intention of the Cross (Part 2)

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offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.
14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

Did Christ’s sacrifice perfect for all time everybody on the planet (past, present and future)? Surely not, unless we believe in universalism (that everyone will be saved).

In John 15, Jesus taught us that true love can be seen in laying a life down for friends:
13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.
14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.
15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you…

In Galatians 2:20, Paul wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Can a non Christian affirm that like Paul, he was crucified with Christ? Surely not! Continue reading →

Assuming Grace

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Dr. R. C. Sproul: “I wonder if we really are amazed by grace? I think we express more amazement at God’s wrath than at His mercy. We’ve come to the place, I think, in our religious thinking where we assume that God will be merciful, that God will be kind, that God will be gracious, and so we’re not surprised whenever we experience His kindness. . .

One of my favorite illustrations about the dilemma that we face with respect to understanding God’s mercy goes back to the early days of my career as a teacher in college and seminary. One of my first teaching assignments was to teach 250 freshmen a required course on “Introduction to the Old Testament.”

Here I had 250 students assembled in a large lecture hall, very uncomfortable, trying to communicate with so many students at one time. I had to print up in advance the requirements for the course because I’d already learned, very quickly, that college students are all budding Philadelphia lawyers. You have to “dot your i’s and cross your t’s” to make sure that the assignments are clearly set forth. I gave them a published syllabus and told them what their requirements would be. Continue reading →