Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | May 29, 2009
“Power in the Blood”
Arminians hang on to the false doctrine that Jesus died for everyone (“Universal Atonement” – The Third Point of Arminianism) and they love to speak and sing about the power in Christ’s blood. But, Arminians realize that their doctrine forces them to conclude that Christ’s blood (as they claim, shed for everyone) by itself did not save, “purchase”, or “redeem” anyone, because they admit that most people are not saved. Arminians claim that it is up to man to generate his own faith through his own free will in order to make Christ’s blood effective to save. They claim that the only difference between the saved and the unsaved is not Christ’s blood, because everyone gets the blood, but rather the only difference is whether or not a certain individual will generate his own faith through his own free will to make the blood effective. According to this logic of these Arminians, man’s faith, not Christ’s blood, is the determining factor and as to whether or not one will be saved. Thus, Arminians really focus and give the real credit and praise to those people who believe through their own free will.
Today’s post shows that for the Calvinist, there truly is “Power in the Blood”. The Third Point of Calvinism is “Limited Atonement”, the “L” in “TULIP”. This point teaches that Christ died only for the Elect, not for everyone. But, all for whom he died, namely the Elect, will be saved. Christ gets the credit and procures faith for those for whom he died (namely, the Elect) among the saving benefits of his blood. The following quote from the
Canons of Dordt comes from Daily Confessions web site linked here –
Click here: Daily Confession
Here is the Daily Confession for today –
May 29, 2009
The Second Head of Doctrine: Christ’s Death and Human Redemption Through It
“Having set forth the orthodox teaching, the Synod rejects the errors of those
III
Who teach that Christ, by the satisfaction which he gave, did not certainly merit for anyone salvation itself and the faith by which this satisfaction of Christ is effectively applied to salvation, but only acquired for the Father the authority or plenary will to relate in a new way with men and to impose such new conditions as he chose, and that the satisfying of these conditions depends on the free choice of man; consequently, that it was possible that either all or none would fulfill them.
For they have too low an opinion of the death of Christ, do not at all acknowledge the foremost fruit or benefit which it brings forth, and summon back from hell the Pelagian error.
Having set forth the orthodox teaching, the Synod rejects the errors of those
IV
Who teach that what is involved in the new covenant of grace which God the Father made with men through the intervening of Christ’s death is not that we are justified before God and saved through faith, insofar as it accepts Christ’s merit, but rather that God, having withdrawn his demand for perfect obedience to the law, counts faith itself, and the imperfect obedience of faith, as perfect obedience to the law, and graciously looks upon this as worthy of the reward of eternal life.
For they contradict Scripture: They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ, whom God presented as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood (Rom. 3:24-25). And along with the ungodly Socinus, they introduce a new and foreign justification of man before God, against the consensus of the whole church.” (Emphasis added).
For a more detailed description of “Limited Atonement”, you can see the link “TULIP” in the right margin under Links”. If you want to read more of the Canons of Dordt, you can see the link “Reformed Creeds”. The Canons of Dordt focus on these Five Points of Calvinism also known as “TULIP” also known as “the doctrines of grace” (which I also call the “doctrine of salvation”), The Canons of Dordt is much shorter than the other Reformed Creeds and is an easy read. Thank you.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 