Particular Redemption, Part II

By Michael Bunker
editor@lazarusunbound.com
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“Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.”  — John 8:21

June 10, 2002 – This critical verse does horrible violence to the Arminian viewpoint of universal atonement. That Christ Himself made a point of telling the Pharisees that their sins would NOT be forgiven them irks some people. At least it makes them admit to God’s foreknowledge, because even the willfully ignorant must admit that Jesus made this declaration even before the sacrifice for sins was to be offered. Clearly God knew that these men would refuse to accept His offering for sins.

It is the entire context of what Jesus was saying that cements our understanding of Particular Redemption, and deals a death blow to the folly of universal atonement.

First, we must note that Jesus tells the Pharisees “ye shall seek me”. That these reprobates will one day seek redemption is made plain. They WILL seek Him, but they will not find Him. Where He is going (heaven), it is impossible for them to go. Why, you might ask? Because, they “are from beneath” (verse 23), and they originate from their father (verse 38). Jesus is speaking of their origination, not their destination. They cannot hear Him, because they are not His.

Note that Jesus spends most of this chapter outlining the TRUE cause and effect of these men dying in their sins. He affirms the initial cause of every effect. In order of time, Jesus tells us: “Before Abraham was, I am.” Jesus is and always has been the author and finisher of faith. Faith is a gift. Without faith, there is no salvation. The eternal one, Jesus Christ, is the fountain from which faith flows.

Jesus tells the Pharisees that they will die in their sins because they have not believed “that I am” (verse 24). But why have they not believed? Clearly there were others in that very audience who began to believe even as Jesus spake these words (verse 30)? Who then, is sovereign over “belief”?

In this same book, the author John tells us that there are those who CANNOT believe. It is impossible for them to believe. Please pay very close attention to CAUSE and EFFECT:

“That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. (John 12:38-40)

So who was it that could believe the report of Jesus? Only those whose eyes were not blinded and whose hearts were not hardened – for he promised that if they could see with their eyes and understand with their hearts, they would be converted and healed.

Who is it that has had their hearts hardened and their eyes blinded? Jesus said unto the Pharisees, “ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.” (John 10:26)

Did you follow the Cause/Effect throughout these chapters? Those who are not of the sheepfold of Jesus, CAN NOT believe. It is their unbelief which causes them to die in their sins.

Now the universalist might foolishly flip over to John 5:38 and declare that those who suffer in unbelief do so because they do not have His word abiding in them. But once again they confuse Cause and Effect. They ignore that throughout the book of John there are those who believe on Jesus who know nothing of the scriptures. In chapter 9, a blind man is made to see. This man has no opportunity to study and read the scriptures; rather he has sat ignorantly at the temple each day having been blind from his birth. When Jesus asks, “Dost thou believe on the Son of God?” the man says to Jesus, “Who is he, Lord, that I might BELIEVE on him?” Immediately upon Jesus declaring Himself to this blind man, the man declares, “Lord, I believe”.

Was it his in depth knowledge of scripture that saved this blind man? Had he memorized the scripture from birth? I think not. It was the Pharisees who had memorized scripture and the blind mine who was ignorant. The “word” that saved this man was the work of the Holy Spirit separating him apart for God’s purpose. Could it be made any clearer than the direct words of Jesus Christ? Listen to Him:

“This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” (John 6:29)

Does Jesus not declare ultimate responsibility for belief? Does He not plainly state that it is the “work of God” that ye believe? Yet he also plainly declares that those who believe not will perish in their sins! Jesus knows who they are. He knows who are His. He has caused those who are not His elect to have hardened hearts and blinded eyes. “there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not.” (John 6:64)

The universalist will declare: “Yes! Jesus knew who would not believe, so He hardened their hearts!” Oh, foolish men. What need is there of hardening if Jesus knew that they would not believe? Have you really thought about this? Why harden one who will never believe? Does God engage in folly? These same fools will say that God foreknew who would believe, AND THEN He elected them. Really? What need is there of election for those who God foreknows will believe? God foreknew who HE was going to save. He elected those who, from the foundation of the world were predestined to be IN HIM as He performed their redemption on the Cross.

Jesus declares that the Pharisees will die IN THEIR SINS. Note that they are not being condemned for the sin of “unbelief”; rather, they are “concluded in unbelief” (Romans 11:32) so that God’s own manifold wisdom can be made known. Jesus particularly uses the plural term “sins” so that we realize that it is their own sins for which they will be held responsible. The universalist will claim that ALL sins have been forgiven and that only the sin of “unbelief” will be punished. Jesus declares otherwise. These men will be judged and condemned according to their own sins, willfully committed against God and His righteousness. To declare that sinners will only suffer eternally for the sin of unbelief levels a railing accusation against God, because it is God that has concluded them in unbelief. All men are righteously condemned for their own sins. All those who have not been granted an undeserved pardon will perish in their own sins.

1 John 2:2

Regardless of the plain statements of John in his Gospel, the Universalist has by now fled unto 1st John where it is stated: “And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” Slamming shut his bible, the universalist feels redeemed by this one verse – so he stops his ears and hums really loudly in supposed victory. Are we not committed to truth? Are we not constrained to search out all of scripture to find out what JOHN means by this verse?

First we must note that John is speaking to JEWS, that is, his audience is made up of the circumcision. John starts out in chapter 1 speaking of the Jewish apostles, “that which WE have heard, looked upon, etc.” “That which WE have seen and heard declare we unto YOU” (verse 2). So when John says that “he (Jesus) is the propitiation for OUR sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world”, we must make a decision. Do we embrace this verse as a defense of universalism and throw out the WHOLE gospel of John in order to maintain our doctrine? Or are we bound to seek out what John himself desired to teach us in this scripture?

Read John chapter 11, verses 51 and 52. This same writer, JOHN, makes an almost IDENTICAL statement that explains what he was saying in 1 John 2:2.

“And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; and not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.”

Not for that nation only, John says, but for the sins of ALL THE ELECT children of God! It is a direct repeat of what John had written earlier (the epistles were written before John’s gospel) in 1st John.

1 John 2:2 is a statement on God’s elect, NOT a defense scripture for universalists.

2 Peter 3:9

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

The universalist, who by now has abandoned the apostle John as a lost cause, embraces Peter for the salvation of his doctrine. Since 95% of churches preach a doctrine of universal atonement – don’t expect the universalists to fold too easily. Eventually, when they run out of scriptures, they choose to go on believing their foul doctrine anyway – which proves our point all the more. If God has not given it unto them to believe, then mountains of scripture and proper biblical exegesis will not cause them to believe. Our doctrine is proved by the hardening of the universalists heart.

In Peter’s exhortation to THE BRETHREN on steadfastness, he chooses to remind them of the promise. The “promise” is of the coming of the Lord for the His elect, and of the punishment of the ungodly. Specifically, Peter is speaking to believers, who he identifies in verse 8 as “beloved”. Continuing in verse 9, Peter uses the word US-WARD to remind the believers that he is speaking to them particularly. If this verse is a universalist verse, then why would Peter signify US-WARD as a reminder of who the promise is to? God is certainly not slack concerning his promise (who was his promise too?), as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to US-WARD, not willing that any (any of who? Us!) should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Peter is particularly speaking of the longsuffering of God towards his elect. And just so we make sure of the meaning, read on to verse 15. “And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation”! Peter is plainly declaring that the longsuffering mentioned in the earlier verses is SALVATION. Is the Universalist/Arminian foolish enough to declare that ALL men will be saved? Then Peter continues by referencing Paul, who has written about election at length in his epistles. Peter also notes that although Paul speaks of things hard to be understood, it is evident that those who deny the truth and wrest with the scriptures do so to their own destruction!

So, to where will the universalist now flee? John and Peter have rebuked him. Paul will have nothing to do with him. John has gone as far as to declare that the reason that some will not believe, is that they have been condemned already (John 3:18). So the “whosoever” who believes on Him are those who have not had their hearts hardened and their eyes blinded.

Generally, in my experience, the universalist will now leave off of scripture. Because the scripture plainly gives all glory for salvation and redemption unto God and not unto the feeble and corrupted “free will” of man. So the Arminians will either fall back on a baseless accusation that such a God would have to be capricious and evil – OR he will begin to ask silly questions.

WHY PRAY?

If God has pre-determined who will and who will not hear and believe the Gospel – why pray for the lost?

Built in to this question is a false premise which eventually exposes the folly of universalism. The universalist believes that God wouldn’t dare overcome the rebellion and the will of a man. They say, “God is a gentleman, and He will not MAKE you believe!” Really?

So I ask them… Why pray for the lost? What exactly would you be praying for? What exactly would you have God to do? If, as you claim, God refuses to overcome the rebellion of man, and will not thwart a man’s own will – then what exactly are you praying for God to do? If you (as a universalist) pray for the salvation of a lost person – are you not asking God to overcome his will? Are you not asking God to save that person who evidently cannot save himself? Are you not pleading with God to intervene in another man’s self-determination? It is the universalist who prays futile prayers, because he would both have a man saved, while handcuffing God in the doing of it.

As for me, I have no problem in praying for the lost. Since I am well aware that all lost men are in rebellion against God, and that they have an Adamic will that is predisposed against God, then I have no hesitation at all in praying that God will violently overthrow their predispositions! I can pray that God will save them by bringing their “free will” to naught. I can pray that God calls them to Himself, and that He save them because they will NEVER come to Him on their own. God, please save them with or without their permission! Oh what a mighty prayer unto our wonderful God!

God, use us your servants in calling your children to yourself! Since you have not unveiled to us who those people are who you have written in your Book from the foundation of the world – we ask that you use us to boldly declare your gospel unto all of the lost! Oh God, we pray that you VIOLENTLY overthrow the wills of our lost friends and family members. Call them unto yourself Lord. Wrestle them down until they, like us, can declare:

Not our will but yours be done, Lord!

I am your servant in Christ Jesus,

Michael Bunker