Chapter 5 – The Contrast
Here are two men I’d like to contrast:
1) Isaac Watts was a famous hymn writer. He wrote what has
become my favorite hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” He believed
in the doctrine of the “restitution of all things.”
When I survey the wondrous
cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small:
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
It’s amazing to many that a man who believed in universal reconciliation
could have written such a beautiful and powerful hymn on the cross of Christ
(one argument against universal salvation is that it invalidates the need
for Jesus to die). To me, this is no surprise. The doctrine of
universal reconciliation magnifies the cross of Christ. Eternal torment
limits the work on the cross to only the few who accept His free gift.
The salvation of all will make all things right through the cross of Jesus
Christ. While we must preach repentance and God’s judgment, we must
be very careful to preach the Good News the way God intends for it to be
preached and not malign God’s character as this next man does.
2) Here is an excerpt from Jonathon Edward’s famous sermon, “Sinners
in the Hands of an Angry God.”
The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider,
or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked:
his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing
else, but to be cast into the fire; he is of purer eyes than to bear to have
you in his sight; you are ten thousand times more abominable in his eyes,
than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours.
Remember when Jesus’ disciples asked Him to call fire down from heaven
and consume those who did not receive him. Jesus’ response was, “You
know not what spirit you are of (Luke 9:55).”
Unfortunately, Jonathon Edwards is an example of what many preachers preach
today. There is a vindictive spirit in many of our sermons. I
believe it is based on a prideful and lofty view of oneself. Whenever
I hear one of these messages, I can’t help to see a lack of humility in the
man who preaches such a “gospel.” And I would say to him, “You know
not what spirit you are of.” I see men standing across the street from
a bar yelling at those who go in and out, “You’re going to hell. You
need to repent!” Is this the Spirit of Christ? Did not Christ
eat with sinners, tax collectors, and whores? I’m afraid both Christ
and Paul would be cast out of most of our churches today.
You see, the gospel is the good news or glad-tidings of the kingdom.
Remember what the angel said to the shepherds in Luke 2? “Behold!
I bring you tidings of great joy which shall be for all the people.”
The message of the cross is for all people. Eternal torment is not
good news (particularly if you’re a Calvinist because God chooses you for
it). I’ve heard it said, “It’s their choice to go there. God doesn’t
send anyone to hell--they go there by their own free choice.” Can man’s
will actually usurp the will of God? Let’s be honest with the Scriptures:
if eternal torment is true, then it’s God who is sending them there.
Let’s not try to water down this message we’re preaching. If eternal
torment is true, it’s a sovereign God who indicts, judges, sentences, and
executes the penalty.
We must understand how God’s will and man’s choices work together.
The next two chapters should help you to understand this relationship.
It is absolutely critical for us to understand the issue of free will, for
I believe this is the “golden calf” (the great idol) of the Church today.