Atonement (Part 3)

This blog post continues our mini-series on the atonement. Even though I firmly hold to the idea of limited atonement or rather definite atonement, I maintain that we should think simply of 'the atonement' because there is only one atonement. It is that which was made and purchased by the Lord Jesus Christ. In this post I would like us to consider the settled wisdom on the matter of the intent and extent of the atonement as laid down by the Synod of Dordrecht (1618-19). This Synod met in The Netherlands (for about 6 months to discuss these matters) as a result of the false teaching being spread by the dutch theologian Jacobus Arminius (he had already died in 1609) and his followers. Arminianism in its various forms argues for the freedom of man's will and that our Lord Jesus made salvation available to all by his death, but that man or indeed woman, must choose Christ if they are to obtain eternal life. These ideas which are dominant in the Western church today, were seen to be a contradiction to the work of reformation, a step back towards popish works-based righteousness and a perversion of the Apostles' doctrine (Acts 2:42).

This Synod according to S. M. Hoghton (Sketches from Church History, Banner of Truth, 2001) states that there were delegates from The Netherlands, England, Scotland, Germany and Switzerland ... and in 93 canons the chief points of the doctrine of the Reformed Churches were made clear (143)'. Therefore we should never neglect church history by arrogantly thinking that we are the first to wrestle with a particular doctrinal or pastoral problem. Woe to the church that rejects a thoroughgoing appreciation of church history. So, what did they conclude on the atonement of our Lord? Below are pasted the articles on the atonement made by this Synod.

The Synod of Dordt: Second Head of Doctrine –The Death of Christ and the Redemption of Man by It

ARTICLE 1—THE JUSTICE OF GOD REQUIRES PUNISHMENT
God is not only supremely merciful but also supremely just. And as He Himself has revealed in His Word, His justice requires that our sins, committed against His infinite majesty, should be punished not only in this age but also in the age to come, both in body and soul. We cannot escape these punishments unless satisfaction is made to the justice of God.

ARTICLE 2—THE SATISFACTION MADE BY CHRIST
We ourselves, however, cannot make this satisfaction and cannot free ourselves from God’s wrath. God, therefore, in His infinite mercy has given His only Son as our Surety. For us or in our place He was made sin and a curse on the cross so that He might make satisfaction on our behalf.

ARTICLE 3—THE INFINITE VALUE OF THE DEATH OF CHRIST
This death of the Son of God is the only and most perfect sacrifice and satisfaction for sins, of infinite value and worth, abundantly sufficient to expiate the sins of the whole world.

ARTICLE 4—WHY HIS DEATH HAS INFINITE VALUE
This death is of such great value and worth because the person who submitted to it is not only a true and perfectly holy man, but also the only-begotten Son of God, of the same eternal and infinite essence with the Father and the Holy Spirit, for these qualifications were necessary for our Saviour. Further, this death is of such great value and worth because it was accompanied by a sense of the wrath and curse of God which we by our sins had deserved.

ARTICLE 5—THE UNIVERSAL PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL
The promise of the gospel is that whoever believes in Christ crucified shall not perish but have eternal life. This promise ought to be announced and proclaimed universally and without discrimination to all peoples and to all men to whom God in His good pleasure sends the gospel, together with the command to repent and believe.

ARTICLE 6—WHY SOME DO NOT BELIEVE
That, however, many who have been called by the gospel neither repent nor believe in Christ but perish in unbelief does not happen because of any defect or insufficiency in the sacrifice of Christ offered on the cross, but through their own fault.

ARTICLE 7—WHY OTHERS DO BELIEVE
But to those who truly believe and are by the death of Christ freed from their sins and saved from perdition, this benefit comes only through God’s grace, given to them from eternity in Christ. God owes this grace to no one.

ARTICLE 8—THE EFFICACY OF THE DEATH OF CHRIST
For this was the most free counsel of God the Father, that the life-giving and saving efficacy of the most precious death of His Son should extend to all the elect. It was His most gracious will and intent to give them alone justifying faith and thereby to bring them unfailingly to salvation. This means: God willed that Christ through the blood of the cross (by which He confirmed the new covenant) should effectually redeem out of every people, tribe, nation, and tongue all those, and those only, who were from eternity chosen to salvation and were given to Him by the Father. God further willed that Christ should give to them faith, which, together with other saving gifts of the Holy Spirit, He acquired for them by His death; that He should cleanse them by His blood from all sins, both original and actual, both those committed after faith and before faith; and that He should guard them faithfully to the end and at last present them to Himself in splendour without any spot or wrinkle.

ARTICLE 9—THE FULFILMENT OF GOD’S COUNSEL
This counsel, proceeding from eternal love for the elect, has from the beginning of the world to the present time been powerfully fulfilled, and will also continue to be fulfilled, though the gates of hell vainly try to frustrate it. In due time the elect will be gathered together into one, and there will always be a Church of believers, founded on the blood of Christ. This Church shall steadfastly love and faithfully serve Him as Her Saviour (who as bridegroom for his bride laid down His life for her on the cross) and celebrate His praises here and through all eternity.

The link to the complete Canons of Dordt is: http://www.reformed.org/documents/index.html?mainframe=http://www.reformed.org/documents/canons_of_dordt.html

Summary by Kevin Bidwell

There are three points I would like to draw in conclusion. Notice that under Article 3 it is asserted that the 'death of Christ has infinite value' The value of the atonement is not limited in any sense, it is of infinite value and worth. In Article 5, the conclusion is therefore, that the gospel should be proclaimed 'universally and without discrimination'. Thirdly, in Article 8, it is made very clear that the atonement is efficacious to extend to all the elect.

While I value the English reformed view of the five points of Calvinism (known as TULIP), I think we need to be aware that this acronym probably misses out some vital points of doctrine made by the Synod of Dordt and a fresh return to these historic canons could invigorate the whole churches worship, evangelism and preaching!

Always be Prepared to Improve your Preaching!

I intend to continue the series on the atonement but I am just catching up on some work following an intense time preaching overseas. We should always be open to constructive criticism for our preaching, at least for those who are set apart by the church for this most important task. While being away, I received some helpful feedback and I evaluated my own style and method for preaching and a number of practical things have emerged that I need to work on. In explaining these things, I hope that it will help some people.

Reading Scripture

I need to work on reading the scripture as part of the public worship service; in a way that it is less hurried, more clear, and with better intonation at the right places. We need to recognise that we are reading God's inerrant word and the public reading of the scriptures is important. The hearing levels of the congregation may vary and it may also include those with hearing impediments. I am working on trying to get eye contact with the congregation at certain parts of my reading also so that I can keep connected with the congregation. A clear, interesting and lively reading style is desirable.

Looking at the Congregation when Making a Main Point

Preaching should include a persuasive element and I have picked up a bad habit which is looking down at my notes when making a main point. A friend who is a lawyer pointed this out to me graciously and I am endeavouring to persuade men with the precious gospel when making an important point. I think that I was more concerned in getting out the information and reading my notes for my next point. Do you also do this? Listen to Paul the apostle:

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others (ESV) and the KJV translates 2 Cor 5: 11 as Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. The fear of God should lead to persuasive preaching. Is your preaching persuasive or is there room for improvement in this area?

Printing my Notes Using Larger Line Spacing

I have just begun to print off my notes on 1.5 spacing rather than single spaced. This means that I can find my place better in the pulpit, rather than straining to get back to where I left off. I may move to double spaced but for now 1.5 space seems to do the job.

These are just a few points that I am currently working on to better my preaching for the glory of God! I value the prayer of people reading this blog for myself, one who genuinely considers himself in great need of the grace of God. As Paul also said: Who is sufficient for these things? (2 Cor 2: 16).

Reformation Christianity for Today Conference: 2011

This is now our fourth conference at Bawtry Hall which is a study conference for men who want to find out more about reformed theology and it's practice. It is held over two days and each year the attendees have expressed their earnest desire for another one each following year.

Reformation Christianity for Today 2011

Conference Programme

Friday 11th November 2011

9:45am Arrival, & Tea and Coffee

10:15am Session 1

Devotion: Andrew Graham

The Three ‘R’s’ of Biblical and Puritan Evangelism (Ruin, Redemption and Regeneration, incorporating a look at some of Toplady’s Hymns): Kevin Bidwell

12:30 Lunch

2:30-5:30pm Session 2

Reformed Worship: Brian Norton

6pm Evening Meal

7:30-9. 30pm Session 3

Preaching: The Analysis of a Sermon by Samuel Davies (Romans 9: 22-23)

Saturday 12th November 2011

9.30-12.30, Session 4 (Coffee Break around 10:45am)

Greek Exegesis: Romans 3: 21-26 (Dominik Frank)
The Lord’s Supper: Brian Norton

1pm Lunch

The Saturday afternoon we will have time to relax and a game of five-a-side football may be organised.

4.00-6.00pm Session 5

Psalm 100: With Some Insights from the Hebrew Text (Kevin Bidwell)

6.00 pm Evening Meal

A Summary of Some of the Men who will be Bringing Papers

Kevin Bidwell is the minister of Sheffield Presbyterian Church.

Andrew Graham is the conference administrator and he is the minister of Wrexham Evangelical Baptist Church.

Dominik Frank is training for the Lutheran ministry at the University of Tübingen, Germany.

Brian Norton is the minister of Durham Presbyterian Church. Brian was a member of Westminster Chapel during the ministry of the late Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones.

If You Would Like More Information

The conference administrator is Andrew Graham. If you are a member of a church and in good standing where you worship, then you are welcome to attend. Please contact Andrew at: andrewmichaelgraham@gmail.com or phone him on 07546 592 435

Atonement (Part 2)

This is the second post which handles some questions regarding the atonement. Following discussion with a fellow-minister, I have called this post 'atonement' and not 'limited atonement' because there is only one truth on the atonement from the scriptures. Let us look further to see what that the Bible's teaching is.

There are three main systems concerning the atonement: 1. Universalism which teaches that all mankind will be saved in the end. 2. Arminianism which holds a type of self-salvation and we may say that it is a halfway house between Pelagius and Augustine. 3. Calvinism which declares that God alone is the author of salvation from beginning to end.
But how do we judge these different systems? The answer has to be the scriptures, not what we feel to be right or what we have been traditionally taught. Every generation needs to return to first principles to understand why we believe certain things.

I intend to deal with the differences between Calvinism and Arminianism regarding salvation and the atonement here, but universalism is gaining some ground, surprisingly, among some evangelicals. However, the Bible condemns this position outright and therefore it must be pseudo-evangelicals who have completely lost their bearings and their grip on scripture to foster such false notions of God and the truth. All will not be saved, but sinners and law-breakers will spend eternity under the wrath of God. Listen to the teaching of the Lord Jesus:

'Then he will say to those on his left [the goats] 'Depart from me, you cursed into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" ' Matthew 25: 41. But, for now, let us contrast the two systems of Arminianism and Calvinism.

The Five Points of Arminianism

1. Free will or human ability
2. Conditional election
3. Universal redemption or a general atonement
4. The Holy Spirit can be effectually resisted
5. Christians can fall from grace and lose their salvation

Arminianism in all its various forms, one which is probably mainstream today, teaches that God has provided salvation through Christ's death for 'all' but we have to choose Jesus in order to be born-again, to be saved. The final deciding factor in salvation is the individual person who chooses Christ by their free will. This in effect leaves God standing on the sidelines, seeing who will be saved but not effectually ordering the events of life. For me personally this is a step towards Atheism. Atheism believes that life is ordered by random events without purpose and while Arminianism does not explicitly teach this, it is a step in that direction. Over many years I have looked at the subject from every angle, having once held Arminian views myself, in ignorance, and my firm conclusion is that the Bible firmly repudiates the Arminian system.

The Five Points of Calvinism

1.Total Depravity or Total Inability
2. Unconditional election
3. Particular redemption or limited atonement
4. The efficacious call of the Spirit or irresistible grace
5. The perseverance of the saints

This was the discussion of the Synod of Dordrecht in 1618-19 and they condemned Arminianism as teaching that is false. Calvinism teaches that man by his fall is dead in in sin and therefore they are incapable of responding to God, unless the Lord by his free grace makes them willing by regenerating that person. Being made alive and being raised from the dead spiritually is God's act of mercy. It is not man's will that chooses but God's will and when God saves, he saves eternally on the basis of the atoning death of his son who redeemed those whom God the Father has chosen.

Here is some homework for those who want answers from the Bible to compare these two systems. Read John 6: 22-71, 10:1-30; Ephesians 1:3-14, 2:1-10; Romans 9: 6-24. Calvinism is taught in the whole Bible and it is not a system based on a few proof texts. Often the big 3 proof texts for Arminians are: John 3:16, 1 Timothy 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9. Compare the Arminian proof texts with the passages I have given you for Calvinism and let us compare scripture with scripture.

Here are two concluding verses for this blog post, ones which defend a calvinistic view of the atonement:

John 10:11 'Jesus said 'I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep'. Note it is for the sheep not sheep and goats!

Ephesians 5: 25 'Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her'.

Ps A good book is Loraine Boettner, The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination.

Limited Atonement (Part 1)

This short series of blog posts is in response to a request made on one of my blog articles. It was a request to explain the doctrine of limited atonement. This doctrine handles the redemption of Christ and it considers the intent of the Triune God in the atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ. Many voices contend today that doctrine is not important but these kind of claims are totally unbiblical. Our view of the atonement impacts the message that we preach, the way we approach worship, evangelism, missions and the methods that people employ to build churches. Therefore let us consider this sobering subject most seriously.

The apostles all considered that God's purpose in the atonement was something central to Christianity and it must not be neglected or usurped by the latest wind of doctrine. Listen to the apostle Paul:

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 1 Cor. 2: 1-2.

There has been much debate concerning the Person of Jesus and also the work of Christ Jesus and we would fully expect sinful men, Satan and the worldview of the inhabitants of this world to 'muddy the waters'. However, the church must be clear minded concerning this subject. In essence, much of the discussion boils down to one simple question, even though there are many threads. The question is this: Who has the casting vote regarding the salvation of a sinner: Is it the sinners free will to choose the gospel or is it God's free grace to choose the sinner? It cannot be both and we need to examine ourselves and ask two further questions: How do I answer the preceding question? and secondly, what does the Bible teach concerning the answer to this question?

The coming blog articles will attempt to cover these topics, Lord willing.

* Two Systems Contrasted: Arminianism and Calvinism.
* The Synod of Dordt's Answer to Limited Atonement.
* The Answer of the Westminster Confession on this Matter.
* How should the biblical doctrine of limited atonement be applied practically?

One final comment is that the doctrine of limited atonement is sometimes called particular redemption or definite atonement. As a taster for the coming weeks, let me suggest that you read the sermon of the Lord Jesus in the synagogue at Capernaum, recorded in John 6: 22- 71. One of the statements made by our Lord was this:

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day (John 6:44).

The Christian Race is a Marathon

Too often people forget that the Christian life is a marathon. Expectations sometimes get shattered, sometimes people view the Christian life with rose-tinted spectacles and disappointment can creep in, but we must never forget that God always remains faithful. Let us listen to the pastoral counsel of the Book of Hebrews (12:1-2):

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

The Christian life is a race, it is a marathon and it requires endurance. Someone once wisely said, that the only way to learn endurance is to endure. Ecclesiastes 9:11 reminds us similarly:

Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.

We need to pray for several things because 'the race is not for the swift'. It is not speed that counts in the Christian race but patience, steadfastness and endurance. We should pray for God's grace to remain faithful and consistent during seasons of disappointment. Attending public worship on the Lord's Day is not an optional extra for Christians, it is the command of God. We should also pray that we would finish our Christian race well and ask the Lord to help us in this. Sadly, one wise minister told me once that 'few men finish well'. This is sobering but let us 'look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith'.

"The Church as the Image of the Trinity": A Critical Evaluation of the Ecclesial Model of Miroslav Volf

After a good number of recent years of theological research, I am thankful to the Lord that a door has opened for my PhD to be converted into a book format for publication. I sincerely desire that this book will be used for the glory of God, but also as a necessary corrective against politically correct, yet often biblically erroneous theologies, ones that all too commonly pervades theological departments in Universities in the Western world. The publishers summary on the back cover reads:

A resurgence of Trinitarian interest gained momentum in the twentieth century and it is showing little sign of abating in the twenty-first century. This research endeavours to critically evaluate Miroslav Volf’s ecclesial model for “the church as the image of the Trinity,” one which he presents with the English title, After Our Likeness. Volf proposes a social doctrine of the Trinity, one that is heavily influenced by the theological writings of Jürgen Moltmann, and he puts forward that this non-hierarchical Trinity should be reflected in the structures and theology of the church. If Volf is correct, then a radical reshaping is needed for the church to conform to an egalitarian pattern, one that is “after the likeness” (Gen 1:26) of an egalitarian God.
In this critical examination, Kevin J. Bidwell begins by stating the theological influences that are pertinent to Volf’s thesis in After Our Likeness and the assumptions that undergird and inform his whole theological paradigm. An important theological excursus is offered to assess the theology of John Smyth, the first English Baptist, who is Volf’s representative figure for the location of his own ecclesiology, the Free Church. A critical analysis follows of Volf’s engagement with his two chosen dialogue partners who represent both Western and Eastern theological traditions: Joseph Ratzinger and John D. Zizioulas.
Volf presents five theses for “the church as the image of the Trinity,” which could be labeled as Volf’s Free Church in the image of Volf’s revised doctrine of the Trinity. This monograph offers extensive insight into the contemporary debate on the doctrine of the Trinity, but it also assesses many aspects of ecclesiology from both Eastern and Western perspectives.

If you would like to get hold of a copy the link on Amazon is: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Church-Image-Trinity-Evaluation-Theological/dp/1610973739/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1

It is available as a book or a kindle format. Another link is the Book Depository which is: http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Church-Image-Trinity-Kevin-Bidwell/9781610973731