Why Some People are Not Saved Despite the Infinite Value of Christ’s Death
The measure of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross of Calvary is infinite in value. There is only one acceptable sacrifice for sins that God ever approved. This unique payment for sins was God’s design from before the foundation of the world. If there were hundreds, thousands, or millions of worlds filled with people, there would remain one atoning death sufficient to expiate sins.
The Arminian presents this infinite value, as a general or universal atonement, sufficient for every person head for head. Christ died to make the payment for every single person’s sins. Under the Arminian scheme, every single sin ever committed by all humanity has been covered by the blood of Christ. The Universalist rejoices that the Arminian has finally seen the light that everyone is saved!
The Arminian hesitates to join the Universalist, despite the inconsistency of the Arminian position. He senses that everyone is not saved, so there must be something amiss that needs a remedy.
The Arminian muses, “If I say that Christ died for the sins of the whole world, and the death of Christ is a demonstration of God’s love, then God loves absolutely everyone.” He continues, “There must be a disconnect, however, because love never fails. So why are some people not saved? It must be that Christ’s death is sufficient for everyone; and because God has given man free will, and then offered him salvation under the condition of faith, to exercised by each person, that man simply fails to self-generate faith. This is why some are not saved.
This erroneous Arminian view imports two invented elements and rejects one other legitimate one.
First, Reformed Christians agree to the infinite value of Christ’s blood atonement. They acknowledge the sufficiency to cover untold numbers of sins. The neglected element of the Arminians is the doctrine of God’s certain election of a definite number of people, a number known only to God. Election, in God’s predestined plan to save some, but to reprobate others, is the sole reason for some people receiving salvation in Christ and some people not receiving salvation, being apart from Christ. God uses His free will to decide, and then He heralds the news through faithful preachers, offering nothing for man to decide on.
The Arminian is grossly offended by the biblical doctrines of predestination, election and reprobation. They think that if God is sovereign, and He does not save everyone head for head, or at least make it possible, then He is an unloving tyrant. Arminians all but ignore Romans 9 in their presentation of their false gospel.
Second, Arminians refuse to acknowledge the severity of the fall of humanity at the Garden of Eden. Man is sick with sin, but he is hardly dead in his trespasses and sins. Thus, he just needs to take the medicine, set before him on his hospital bed stand. The Arminian doctor says, “Friend, I have set your medicine (gospel) here, and all you must do is take it, that is, self-administer it, receive it, accept it by your self-generated faith, using your own free will.
Is a slave free? The Arminian answers affirmatively, despite the inconsistent logic. Hence, the third point of error in the Arminian gospel is the well meant offer of the gospel (which is no gospel at all because it effectually saves absolutely no one). Salvation is like a huge grocery store, and man must decide to work to earn what is necessary to secure the food of salvation for himself. Arminian salvation is not a gift of God. It is a mere, albeit ample, supply of salvation demanding human will and work of action (faith) to become effectual.
In summary, God is love, and therefore, He has to love everyone head for head (ie. Cain, Nimrod, the would-be swimmers of Noah’s deluge, Esau, and of course, everyone in hell for eternity). Christ died for everyone in hell, so the fault, creating the failure in God’s plan of salvation must be man; hence, the invention of free will, easy believism/decisionalism. The Arminian preacher, in order to be found faithful must do anything and everything to coax dead men to use free will, employing the condition of self-generated faith, in order to save themselves, by their faithful, excellent choice.
In conclusion, and in contrast to the Arminian scheme: God chose to love some people before creation, by His own good pleasure. He elected them unto salvation, and He gave them to Christ, who knows each of God’s elect by name. He came into the world to die for this particular group He calls, “My church.” He does not make salvation possible, nor does He hand salvation to chance and nor subject to any man’s decision. Rather, Christ sends the Holy Spirit to exactly the select group, and the Spirit causes them to be born again. They are saved by the Father’s selection, Christ’s redemption, and the Spirit’s apprehension. This is the true Gospel, and it is gloriously all of God!
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
August 4, 2021
