By
Randall L. Broad
Read: Ezekiel 23:1-49; Hebrews 10:19-39; Psalm 109:1-31; Proverbs 27:13
In our
reading today we discover one of the foundational passages in the age old
argument of election, predestination, and the nature of salvation. During the
Protestant Reformation (1517-1648), two important reformers developed distinct
and different understandings of whom and how people received salvation. Though
they were not contemporaries of each other the two views and understandings
they developed have been debated for centuries by their followers. Today the
view of salvation in every denomination and by every individual Protestant is
defined by the tenets established by Jacobus Arminius or John Calvin. Both men
made use of different scriptures to define their tenets and support their
conclusions creating one of the greatest uncertainties of the Bible; are we
predestined to salvation or not. Since both views are upheld by scripture every
believer must come to terms with the answer to two questions of eternal
importance–are we the elect and can we lose our salvation?
Today the
reading presupposes we are indeed the elect.
19Therefore,
brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of
Jesus, 20by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain
of His body, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of
God, 22let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of
faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and
our bodies washed with pure water.
23Let
us hold resolutely to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. 24And
let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. 25Let
us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage
one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:19-25
Predestination
and election are crucial to understanding passage like these found in Hebrews.
Nowhere in Scripture does it ever record or suggest a man is lost because he is
not elect or has not been predestined; the emphasis of scripture is always man
becomes lost when he refuses to believe the gospel. In the passage above the
readers of Hebrews are encouraged to persevere in their new faith and not be
drawn back into the practices and protection of their old religion. The above
is an exhortation against apostasy and
to perseverance; because the most important thing to remember is that–the one
who is elect is the one who believes. Both John Calvin and Jacob Arminius would
agree upon that … where they would differ was in how that election was
distributed and the part–if any that man plays–in the process of salvation.
John
Calvin (1509-64) believed the total
depravity of man caused by Adam’s fall left humanity irrevocably dead
in their trespass and sin-thus man
plays no role in his own salvation. By virtue of God’s grace and will, despite
his total depravity man receives unconditional
election in which God chose certain people to receive salvation in eternity
past. Since God’s election and predestination is unconditional God determined
Christ should die for the elect (2 Timothy 1:9). By the process of limited atonement all whom God has
elected and Christ died for will be saved. They will be drawn by irresistible grace where God draws the
people willing to come and respond to His call. And finally Calvin concluded
those elected and drawn by the Holy Spirit would receive the perseverance of the saints whereby they
would endure in the faith and would never be lost–eternally secure in their
salvation (c.f. Ephesians 1:3-14; Romans 9:6-18). Calvin’s doctrine assures us
that if we are elect we will be saved
and that salvation is eternal.
However
in the early stages of the Protestant Reformation not all were satisfied with
the doctrine Calvin and his followers were teaching in Geneva and there arose a
competing view amongst Dutch Protestants. Led by Jacob Arminius (1560-1609),
the five points of the 1610 Remonstrance held election was based on God’s foreknowledge of those He knew would by
Free Will choose to believe in Christ and persevere in the faith. Contrary to
Calvin, the Remonstrates believed in unlimited
atonement by which Christ redeemed all humanity through the cross making
salvation available to anyone who would simply believe. However, man by his own
nature still possessed a natural
inability to save himself without the work of the Holy Spirit to effect the
new birth. Thus the prevenient grace
of God allowed the Holy Spirit to prepare the believer to respond to the gospel
and cooperate with God in salvation. Finally, conditional perseverance empowered believers to live a victorious
life; but they are capable of turning from grace and losing their salvation.
Today’s
reading reflects this idea of conditional perseverance.
26If
we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the
truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains, 27but only a fearful
expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries. 28Anyone
who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or
three witnesses. 29How much more severely do you think one deserves
to be punished who has trampled on the Son of God, profaned the blood of the
covenant that sanctified him, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
Hebrews 10:26-29
Whether you
believe in the doctrine of Calvin or Arminius; the vulnerability of human
nature leaves us at the mercy of the first question. Are we elect? Calvin would
say the answer to that question is known only by God. Theoretically you could
believe you are elect and be wrong; but if you are indeed chosen by God your
salvation is eternally secure. Arminius would argue you and all of humanity are
saved by the work of the Cross and you simply have to believe to be elect and through
the power of the Holy Spirit you will persevere provided you do not turn away
from God. Thus the author of Hebrews is often quoted to support the Arminian
tenet of conditional perseverance whereby deliberate sin after salvation
nullifies the sacrifice (v. 26) that was made for us by Christ and thus all
that remains is a fearful expectation of
judgment and of raging fire (v. 27). This consequence would be easily
understood by Hebrew believers who came from a religious background based on
legalism and ritual behavior in the vain hope of winning the favor of God.
Arminius
would draw from Hebrew’s author the belief a person could lose their salvation
if they trampled on the Son of God,
profaned the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and insulted the Spirit
of grace? Modern supporters of Arminius use this passage to support the
claim for conditional perseverance
over the perseverance of the saints. However, it is important to remember the author’s
warning is about something often overlooked in modern interpretations. The
author is warning the Hebrews against one sin–apostasy–returning to the
traditions in which they came from because of persecution or pressure from
worldly forces--the sin of falling away from the
Savior, the Spirit, and the gospel. In the modern interpretations we often
associate verse twenty-six and particularly the phrase, … If
we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the
truth, to mean any moral deficiency or
evil behavior common to mankind, but it was never intended to mean anything
other than losing faith in God.
Then as now, people can still
turn away from God. But it is important to understand this does not refer to
seasons of life where people suffer from doubt, fear, and uncertainty. Rather
it comes in the form of Christians who lose faith (apostasy) because of extreme
emotional pain or loss which leaves them angry toward God and causes them to hate
Jesus, curse the New Covenant, and reject the Grace of God. While a Calvinist
would have a different understanding, Arminius concluded from this passage that
because of the unlimited nature of atonement and man’s natural inability to
save himself God’s prevenient grace meant mankind could only receive salvation through
faith and his conditional perseverance meant if they lost faith they lost their
salvation.
Walk
with the Lord …
Ephesians
1:17
(RLB231111)
©
Copyright 2019: Randall L. Broad
Disclaimer: This commentary is written by Randall L. Broad. It is in no way affiliated with or represents any denomination, university, church, or pastor. Any errors or omissions are purely my responsibility.
