The First Man: Adam
Scripture is so united that to deny or twist one part will have sad consequences in regard to the interpretation of the rest of Scripture. This is notably true with respect to the creation of man as recorded in Genesis 1 and 2.
Many would maintain a “theistic” evolution—uniting the evolutionary theories of the unbeliever with their own understanding of Genesis 1. “Adam” becomes rather a mythical presentation of man’s formation from lower forms of life.
We maintain that whosoever truly believes in the full inspiration and infallibility of Scripture, must maintain that Genesis 1 and 2 present a literal and factual account of the creation of a real man—Adam. New Testament Scripture identifies Adam as a real man (Rom. 5:12; I Cor. 15:45). Literally, God formed Adam from the dust of the ground (Gen. 2:7). God breathed into him the breath of life (2:7). This represents a wonderful and special act of God which distinguishes Adam and his descendants from all the rest of earthly creation.
This formation of Adam was such that he was made capable of bearing the very image of God. God made Adam with a mind and will so that he could reflect the perfections of God. God had determined that Adam would bear God’s image (Gen. 1:26) consisting of true knowledge, righteousness and holiness. A more noble, glorious position cannot be imagined for mere earthly creatures!
Adam was formed also to be the first father of all mankind. The peoples of the earth cannot be traced to multiple sources, but directly back to Adam. This explains Scripture’s teaching that all are born polluted, and are sinners from their mother’s womb (Ps. 51:5).
Adam was created as representative head over all those who would be born from him. For this reason, Romans 5:12 teaches that sin entered the world by one man, through whom all sinned and are under the sentence of death.
To deny the existence of a literal Adam is to deny the clear teaching of Scripture. Paul writes in Romans 5:14 that Adam “was the figure of him that was to come.” If Adam was not a real man, then “him that was to come” must not have been real either; His atonement must not have paid for the sins of His own; there would then be no salvation.
To believe all of this is the evidence and fruit of true faith (Heb. 11:3). He who claims to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ must also believe all of His word! Rev. Hanko
Propitiation for the Sins of the World: I John 2:2
“For he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (I John 2:2)
Perhaps no other text in Scripture has been cited as often as this one for proof that Christ shed His blood on Calvary for every man in the whole world. It cannot be denied, so the argument goes, that the death of Christ is for everyone; the text says, “for the whole world.”
For countless thousands, the one great stumbling block to a firm commitment to Calvinism is the truth of particular redemption—or, as it is sometimes called, limited atonement. There are many “four-point Calvinists” around. The point they reject is limited atonement.
If one would ask: How is it that some go to hell even though Christ died for them? the answer is: Only when one accepts Christ by faith does the atonement of Christ become his. And so salvation turns on the hinge of man’s acceptance of Christ. God has done all He can; now man must accept what God has done.
Apart from the fact that such a misconception is a blasphemy of God’s sovereignty, the text itself does not say that.
The text says that Christ is the propitiation for our sins. That is important to notice first of all.
The word “propitiation” is not used very much in the New Testament. It is found in I John 4:10 where propitiation is said to be the manifestation of the great love of God to us. A similar word is found in Romans 3:25 where again Christ is said to be a propitiation. A verb form of this word is found in Luke 18:13, the parable of the publican in the temple, and is translated “Be merciful.” The publican prays: “Be propitious to me a sinner” (cf. Heb. 2:17).
Christ does not make propitiation; He is propitiation. That is, Christ does not shed His blood to appease an angry God and make God love us. As Dr. Shedd has said so well: “The offended party [God] (1) permits a substitution; (2) provides a substitute; (3) substitutes Himself.” God gives Christ as a propitiation.
The word means, therefore, that God gives His only Son Jesus Christ to be a substitute for us. He went to hell and died in our place in order to pay the price that must be paid for our sins. Everyone for whom He died has no more sin. How then can Christ have died for everyone without everyone going also to Heaven?
Does this text teach that Christ died for everyone? Let Calvin speak (and, by the way, this quotation from Calvin’s commentary on this very verse puts forever to rest the silly notion held by so many people in our country that Calvin taught universal atonement):
Here a question may be raised, how have the sins of the whole world been expiated? I pass by the dotages of the fanatics, who under this pretence extend salvation to all the reprobate, and therefore to Satan himself. Such a monstrous thing deserves no refutation. They who seek to avoid this absurdity, have said that Christ suffered sufficiently for the whole world, but efficiently only for the elect. This solution has commonly prevailed in the schools. Though then I allow that what has been said is true, yet I deny that it is suitable to this passage; for the design of John was no other than to make this benefit common to the whole Church. Then under the word all or whole, he does not include the reprobate, but designates those who should believe as well as those who were then scattered through various parts of the world. For then is really made evident, as it is meet, the grace of Christ, when it is declared to be the only true salvation of the world. Prof. Hanko
Dragged Kicking and Screaming to Heaven?
Is the faith of our fathers living in your life? In your church? We sing the song: “Faith of our fathers living still …” and no doubt the faith is living. But the question is, “Where is that faith living and confessed?” And, “What is the faith of our fathers?” It was expressed over 350 years ago by our church fathers at the Synod of Dordt (in the Netherlands). We use the familiar acrostic: TULIP to help us remember what our fathers said the Bible teaches:
T – Total Depravity
U – Unconditional Election
L – Limited Atonement
I – Irresistible Grace
The fourth biblical truth in the five points of Calvinism teaches that God’s grace to save a person cannot be resisted. Grace is God’s free and unmerited power to save a person from his sins which would otherwise lead us to hell. Grace brings him to heaven who naturally would end in eternal hell.
That grace is irresistible. That means that if God gives grace to you, there is nothing in the world that you can do to resist it and thwart God’s intention to take you to heaven. The certainty of salvation for God’s elect is seen in John 6:37 where Jesus says: “All that the Father hath given me shall come to me…” There is no doubt that they will be saved. Verse 44 says that those who come to God come because God draws them. Not our will, but God’s will is first and powerful.
Now, some ridicule this truth of the Bible and say that it makes man go to heaven against his will. “He kicks and screams all the way to heaven.” But that is not how the Bible presents God’s grace. God makes His people “willing in the day of His power” (Ps. 110:3). For a wonderful illustration of that truth, just consider the converted apostle Paul: “By the grace of God” he was what he was (I Cor. 15:10); and immediately after his conversion he said willingly, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6). That surely was not “against his will.”
God’s grace is sweet and irresistible. He makes us love it and want nothing else. (to be continued …)
