"Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard." Jeremiah 50:2


Thursday, June 18, 2009

The Believer's Standard

    According to Webster's 1828 Dictionary, holiness means, "The state of being holy; purity or integrity of moral character; freedom from sin; sanctity." Furthermore, Webster states, "Applied to human beings, holiness is purity of heart or dispositions; sanctified affections; piety; moral goodness, but not perfect." The above definitions are in complete agreement with the use of the word holy or holiness throughout both the Old and New Testaments.

    In the Old Testament the Hebrew word most commonly translated as holiness or holy is qodesh, which means apartness, holiness, sacredness, or separateness. Qodesh comes from the root word qadash, which means to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, or be separate. Other English translations of qadash include sanctify, hallow, dedicate, and consecrate. Some derivative of these two Hebrew words is used in the Old Testament some 640 times.

    In the New Testament the Greek word most frequently translated as holiness or holy is hagios, which means most holy thing or a saint. This word is translated as holy 161 times and as saints 61 times. The root word from which hagios is derived and where it gets its meaning is hagnos, which is defined as pure from every fault, immaculate. Thus, hagnos is translated as pure, chaste, or clear throughout the New Testament. It is interesting to note that in the Septuagint the Greek word hagios stands for the Hebrew word qodosh. Other translations of this Greek word group include sanctification, godliness, sanctuary, and holy place.

    To fully comprehend and understand what holiness means, it is imperative to know what the Bible teaches regarding the holiness of God, because it is His standard of holiness by which all men shall be judged. While there is not space to fully develop the concept of the holiness of God, R.A. Torrey writes that the holiness of God is manifested in His hatred for sin, His delight in righteousness and holiness, His never doing wickedness or iniquity, the separation of the sinner from Himself, the punishment of the sinner, and His making an infinite sacrifice to save others from sin and unto holiness (Torrey 38-40).

There are numerous passages of Scripture that testify to the holiness of God. For instance, Exodus 15:11 states, "Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praise, doing wonders?'' Or consider Deuteronomy 32:4, where it is written, "He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." Perhaps Habakkuk 1:13 sums it up best, "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?" This is the standard God has set for all men to live by.

When it comes to the human perspective of holiness there are two areas that must be dealt with. First, one must be deemed holy to enter into the presence of God. If a person is found to be unholy they are destined to an eternity in the lake of fire. In God's grace He has provided the means necessary by which to be declared holy. When a person places their faith in Jesus Christ as their savior they are immediately cleansed of all unrighteousness and are clothed with the righteousness of Christ Himself. This is instantaneous at salvation and cleanses a person forever of the guilt of sin.

However, there is a second area that must be considered. 1 Peter 1:15, 16 says, "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." Elsewhere, Paul writes, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1). It is this perfecting of holiness that must be dealt with after salvation.

W.E. Vine writes concerning holiness, "This sainthood is not an attainment, it is a state into which God in grace calls men; yet believers are called to sanctify themselves, cleansing themselves from all defilement, forsaking sin, living a 'holy' manner of life, and experiencing fellowship with God in His holiness" (Vine 308).

R.A. Torrey states it best when he writes, "We perfect holiness by cleansing ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit. To this end we are to come out from among unbelievers, refusing all alliances with them and touching no unclean thing" (346). This is attained through presenting the members of our bodies as slaves to righteousness and becoming willing servants to God. Holiness is something the Christian must pursue with all earnestness if they hope to attain it. Becoming a person of holiness is accomplished only by God, but requires the diligent effort of the believer. Charles Ryrie sums up,

"The holiness of God becomes the standard for the believer's life and conduct. This should put to end the often useless discussions over what is permitted and what is not in the Christian life. Proper conduct can be tested by the simple question, Is it holy? This is the believer's standard. Although he does not always measure up to it, he must never compromise it (Ryrie 43).

For the minister of the Word of God, this is not an option, but an absolute necessity. Paul commands Titus that a pastor is to be "a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate" (Titus 1:8). Furthermore, he instructed Timothy to be an "example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12). Truly, if the pursuit of holiness was ever required it is required of those who shepherd the flock of God. He is to model a life of holiness to the congregation he is entrusted with. It involves hard work and it necessitates discipline, but it is to be sought after like a treasure to be gained. For the pastor, there is no alternative.


 

Works Cited

Ryrie, Charles Caldwell. Basic theology a popular systemic guide to understanding biblical truth. Chicago, Ill: Moody P, 1999.

Torrey, R. A. What the Bible teaches. New Kensington, Pa: Whitaker House, 1996.

Vine, W. E. Vine's complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words with topical index. Nashville: T. Nelson, 1996.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

The Biblical Case for an Unlimited Atonement

Oliver B. Greene writes regarding the atonement made by the Lord Jesus Christ, "It is the true foundation of Christianity, the richest treasure of the Christian faith. If the atonement were removed from the Word of God, the Bible would be like a body without a spirit, like a tree without a taproot; and the Gospel would be void of the message of salvation" (45). The atonement is at the heart and soul of the doctrine of salvation. Without a proper understanding of it, then all the other aspects of salvation are subject to distortion, as well. The purpose of this document is not to discuss the nature of the atonement, but will examine rather the extent of the atonement.

As Robert Lightner has stated, "Whether Christ died for all men or for only those who will believe has been an issue much debated since the days of the Reformation" (11). I believe that the atonement made by the Lord Jesus Christ extends to all of mankind throughout all time. I believe this for two very simple reasons. First, I believe there are adequate passages of Scripture that use universal terms when referring to the atonement. Second, the few

passages that seem to limit the atonement to distinct groups or persons are not grounds to nullify those universal passages. At the center of these two arguments lies the use of proper hermeneutics, because without proper exegesis one has the ability to make the Bible say anything they would like for it to say.

First, I must say that I believe that the very nature of the Scriptures are to reveal God to man. Therefore, a proper system of hermeneutics must be employed when studying the Bible. Furthermore, I believe we must base our doctrines on well-defined passages of Scripture, rather than on those passages which are not so clearly defined. In his book Protestant Biblical Interpretation, Bernard Ramm writes, "The theologian must basically rest his theology on those passages that are clear and not upon those that are obscure. . . . Everything essential to salvation and Christian living is clearly revealed in Scripture" (104-105). I rest my belief in an unlimited atonement on the above statements, because, if they are true, we can be sure that God has clearly communicated in His Word the truth about who Christ died for.

When describing the extent of the atonement made by the Lord Jesus Christ, the Bible uses several universal terms. Such terms employed in the Scriptures include the words 'world,' 'whosoever,' and 'all.' In the discussion to follow, I will examine particular passages which use these terms regarding the atonement. As it will be seen, these terms do not place any restrictions to whom the atonement pertains and is applicable to.

One of the most well-known passages found in the written Word of God

states, "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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3:16-17). The most prolific demonstration of love this earth has ever known was on a hill called Calvary nearly 2,000 years ago. Albert Barnes sums up this love so well:

This is the highest expression of love of which we can conceive. A parent who should give up his only son to die for others who are guilty if this could or might be done - would show higher love than could be manifested in any other way. So it shows the depth of the love of God, that he was willing. to give his only Son into the hands of sinful men that he might be slain, and thus redeem them from eternal sorrow. (207)

This love of God was not for a select few only, but for the entire world. According to A. T. Robertson, the phrase 'the world' is translated from the Greek phrase ton kosmon, which means, "The whole cosmos of men, including Gentiles, the whole human race" (Robertson). This text does not say that God gave His son for His own people, the Jews, exclusively. Nor was Christ given only for His friends, the disciples. God gave His Son to "the world." The only limitation placed upon the extent of this demonstration of the love of God is that it was for the human race. Lewis Sperry Chafer writes:

In this passage, as almost no other, a restricted use of the term cosmos is presented; not restricted, as the Limited Redemptionist demands, to the elect of this age, but restricted to humanity itself apart from its evil institutions, practices, and relationships. God loved the lost people who make up the cosmos and this love was great enough to move Him to give His only begotten Son, in providing a way of salvation through Him so complete that by believing on the Son as Savior the lost of this cosmos might not perish but have everlasting life. (Vol. 2, 78)

A second passage in which the universal term 'world' is used regarding the atonement of Christ is 1 John 2:2 which states, "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world." This particular passage deals with the placating sacrifice of Jesus Christ in which God's wrath towards sinful humans was appeased. According to this verse, Jesus' sacrifice appeased God's righteous wrath toward the whole world, not the elect only. As has already been noted, the phrase 'world' refers to the entire human race as a whole. Vine states regarding this verse, "What is indicated is that provision is made for the whole world, so that no one is, by divine predetermination, excluded from the scope of God's mercy; the efficacy of the 'propitiation,' however, is made actual for those who believe" (494).

The Greek word that is translated as 'propitiation' in the King James Version is hilasmos. In non-Biblical usage this word was used when a human would offer a sacrifice to one of the many Greek gods in order to pacify the god's anger. Dr. Greg Christopher writes:

In biblical Greek, the meaning of the word has not changed. What is different is the character of God. While the Greek deities were unpredictable and arbitrary toward humans, God is consistent in that His expression of wrath is a consequence of His righteous character. Because humans are sinful, God does direct his wrath against His creation. But God is also gracious who sent His son to die in the place of sinful humans. In His death, Jesus died a propitious death averting God's wrath. (9)

The death suffered by the Lord Jesus Christ alone was the sacrifice that was acceptable to God to appease His wrath. There is no other way to avert the anger of God other than through His only Son. As stated in 1 John 2:2, the propitiation of Christ, and of Him alone, was for the sins of the whole world, not only for those who choose to accept His sacrifice on their behalf.

Other Scriptures which speak of an unlimited atonement using the term 'world' include John 1:29; John 4:42; 2 Corinthians 5:19; and 1 John 4:14.

Another word used in the Bible in reference to the extent of the atonement is 'whosoever.' According to theologian Lewis Sperry Chafer, "The word whosoever is used at least 110 times in the New Testament, and always with the unrestricted meaning" (Vol. 3, 204). In addition to John 3:16, passages such as Acts 2:21; Acts 10:43; Romans 10:13; and Revelation 22:17 use the term 'whosoever' when speaking of salvation and the extent of the atonement.

Romans 10:13 clearly states, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." As pointed out by Chafer previously, of all the many times the word 'whosoever' is used it is never used in a restricted manner. In his commentary Exploring Romans, John Phillips writes, "Anyone can call.

Jew or Gentile can call. The young and the old, the bond and the free, the rich and the poor, the cultured and the crude - anyone can call" (162). While certainly not all will call, the offer is made to anyone who will call. 'Whosoever' simply means "whosoever."

A final term used in describing the extent of the atonement is 'all.' As Dr. Terry Wallace says, "'All' means all and that is all 'all' means." In John 12:32 Jesus states, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." The cross upon which Jesus was lifted up opened the way so that all may come to God and be reconciled with Him. Not everyone will be reconciled, but the cross is the means by which all may restore their relationship with God. The cross of Christ is a dividing line and all people are drawn to it in the sense that everyone must decide on which side of the cross they will choose to stand. Upon Christ's death, the veil of the temple was torn in two, so that all may come freely to God.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 says, "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again." This passage clearly divides those for whom Christ died from those who have received eternal life. Robert Lightner sums up this verse as thus:

The verses under consideration (2 Cor. 5:14, 15) provide strong argument for the universality of the atonement. Making the word "all" in these verses refer to the elect only, which is what the limited redemptionist is forced to do, leads to a meaningless interpretation. What would happen to the elect in verse 15 who did not "live"? (65)

The only way this verse does not refer to an unlimited extent of the atonement of Christ is if one deliberately chooses to distort the clear meaning of it. The proper interpretation of this verse says that Christ died for all men, but those who are the recipients of eternal life through Him should live for Him and not themselves.

Another passage of Scripture that uses the term 'all' and distinctly distinguishes those whom Christ died for and those who are saved is 1 Timothy 4:10. Here, Paul writes, "For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe." In the 2 Corinthians passage noted above, the distinction between for whom the atonement was made potentially and for whom it was made effectually was eternal life. In this verse, the distinction is found in those who believe, or those who place their faith in Christ. Jesus is the Saviour of all men, because there is no other. He is Saviour especially, though, to those who have had His righteousness imputed unto them through faith alone.

John Phillips adequately comments on this verse in Exploring the Pastoral Epistles:

In other words, the sacrifice of Calvary is sufficient for all men; and all are brought provisionally under its umbrella until they reach the point of decision and accountability. . . . The sacrifice of Calvary becomes efficient to save fully and forever when people respond properly to it. (126)

Other passages which employ the term 'all' in reference to the atonement include 1 Timothy 2:6; Titus 2:11; and 2 Peter 3:9.

It should be noted that there are certain passages found in the Word of God which, on the surface, appear to limit the atonement to certain people or groups of people. To overlook these passages and fail to discuss them would be remiss. In order to fully understand the atonement made by Jesus Christ we must look at both sides of the picture.

One such reference is found in John 10:15, in which Jesus states, "As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep." Also, Ephesians 5:25 says, ". . .Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it." While both these verses go far in pointing out the special relationship Christ has with His Church, it does not necessarily limit the atonement He made to the Church only. To say that He gave His life for the sheep or for the Church, does not say that Christ gave His life only for them and them alone. To say that the atonement was strictly for this particular group requires one to make some unnecessary assumptions.

Matthew 20:28 and 26:28 both use the phrase "for many" when speaking of the atonement. To say that Christ gave His life as a ransom or that His blood was shed "for many" in no way disqualifies an unlimited atonement. One commentator translates Matthew 20:28 as, "a ransom instead of many,-one ransom, or atonement, instead of the many prescribed in the Jewish law" (Clarke). Even if this is not the case, "many" may be included in "all".

One final passage which appears to speak of a limited atonement is Matthew 1:21 which says, Jesus "shall save his people from their sins." While Jesus did come to specifically save His people, the Jews, His sacrifice was not limited to them alone. Lightner writes:

That Christ would relate His salvation to "his people" is very clear. It seems equally clear in the context that Christ was coming to save His own race - the Jewish race. . . . However, even the most ardent limited redemptionist surely would not want to extend the benefits of Christ's death to the Jews only. Even this "limited" passage must then be broadened to include at least some Gentiles. (60)

There are some other passages which also speak of an apparent limited atonement, but I believe they also fall into the same situations as discussed. To say that Christ died for some particular group or individuals does not in any way, shape, or form negate those clear passages that say that He died for all and that anyone may call out in belief.

Why do I believe in an unlimited atonement? Because, as previously stated, I believe there are adequate passages of Scripture that use universal terms when referring to the atonement, and the fact that these few passages that seem to limit the atonement to distinct groups or persons are not grounds to nullify those universal passages. In some of the very last verses recorded in the Bible the best evidence for an unlimited atonement is found:

I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:16-17)


Works Cited

Barnes, Albert. "Luke and John." Notes on the New Testament. Ed. Robert Frew. London: Blackie & Son, 1847. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2005.

Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Systematic Theology. 8 Vols. Dallas, TX: Dallas Seminary Press, 1947-1948.

Christopher, Greg. "Unlimited Atonement and 1 John 2:2." The Baptist Preacher's Journal 15 (2005): 21-24.

Clarke, Adam. From Adam Clarke's Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1996, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc.

Greene, Oliver B. "The Heart of all Bible Doctrine." The Atonement of Christ. Greenville, SC: The Gospel Hour, 1968. 43-80.

Lightner, Robert P. The Death of Christ: A Biblical Case for Unlimited Atonement. 2nd Ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 1998.

Phillips, John. Exploring Romans. Chicago: Moody, 1969. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 2002.

---. Exploring the Pastoral Epistles. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 2004.

Ramm, Bernard. Protestant Biblical Interpretation. 3rd Rev. Ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2003.

Robertson, Archibald Thomas. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1997, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament. 1985. Broadman Press.

Vine, W E. "Propitiation." Def. 2. An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words. One Volume ed. 1 vols. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1952.