The above question is often
asked in reference to Question and Answer 20 of the Heidelberg Catechism:
"Are all men saved through Christ just as we all were lost through
Adam? No. Only those are saved who by true faith are grafted into
Christ and accept all his blessings." This Q & A seems to
directly contradict the premise of Biblical Universalism: "All
persons are elect in Christ except those who the Bible expressly declares
will be finally lost."
For Biblical Universalism
to contradict Q & A 20 one must assume that it is the purpose
of Q & A 20 is to delineate all those, and only those, who will
be saved. But "Only those are saved who by true faith" cannot
be a delineation of all those, and only those, who will be saved.
The following Q & A (21) defines "true faith" as both
"a knowledge and conviction." If only those who have such
"a knowledge and conviction" are saved, then no mentaly
challened persons and no infant dying in infancy could not be saved.
Then the confession would be that we know that all those who have
never heard the gospel are everlastingly condemned. The Reformed
churches have never made such a confession.
The
Subject Matter of the Catechism
The catechism does not answer the
question regarding the possible salvation of those who have not heard
the gospel, those who die in infancy or those who are mentally incompetent.
The Catechism speaks to accountable adults to whom the gospel has
been made known in a meaningful way. This is obvious from question
Q & A 19: "How do you come to know this? The holy gospel
tells me."
This is also evident in
the very first Q & A: "What is your only comfort [with strength,
assurance] in life and in death? That I am not my own, but belong--body
and soul in life and in death-- to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ."
This foundational question is asked of those who confess Jesus Christ
as their Savior.
The entire Catechism is
an exposition of Question and Answer 2, "What must you know to
live and die in the joy of this comfort? Three things: first, how
great my sin and misery are; second, how I am set free from all my
sins and misery; third, how I am to thank God for such deliverance."
The entire Catechism speaks to the matter of how believers can enjoy
the comfort of knowing that with body and soul they belong to the
Lord Jesus Christ.
By instruction in these three basic
truths those persons, who already know Christ as their Savior,
grow into an intimate, vital, relationship to Christ i.e., they are
"grafted into Christ" accepting "all his blessings."
Thus they are able to live and die in the joy of knowing they are
not their own but belong to their faithful Savior Jesus Christ. In
the context of accountable adults to whom the gospel has been presented
in a meaningful way, the answer to question 20 is correct as it stands.
Misusing
The Catechism
It is a misuse of the Catechism
to view it as an outline of all who will be saved and how they come
to salvation. Question 2 does not ask, "What must you know to
be saved?"
Those who so misapply the teaching
of the Catechism contend that prospective converts must first be taught,
"How great their sin and misery are." Secondly, they must
be told, "How they can be set free from all their sins and misery."
And finally they must learn "How to be thankful for such deliverance."
Such a view presents a "gospel message" comprised of "bad
news," accompanied with a couple of good suggestions.
God's
Wrath Against Sin Is Already Made Known
The message of the Gospel
is not to tell sinners "how great their sin and misery are."
God has already spoken to all prospective converts about their sin
and misery. "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against
all the godlessness and wickedness of men . . ." (Rom. 1:18).
"Their thoughts now accusing them . . ." (Rom. 2:15). "Who
can show us any good?" (Ps. 4:6) Little wonder that Henry David
Thoreau wrote that, "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation."
All human history testifies that in every culture throughout the world
exceedingly costly sacrifices have been offered to "whatever
gods there be" in a futile effort to find peace for the restless
human spirit. Man in sin is not at peace with himself, with his Maker,
or with his neighbor -- no matter how they may attempt to disguise
this fact. "Our souls are restless until they rest in thee,"
St. Augustine.
THE
GOSPEL IS AND MUST BE "GOOD NEWS"
What the masses of mankind need to know is that the same holiness
that accuses them has provided a full and free forgiveness for
their sins. It is only when they are assured of such forgiving
grace that they will dare to admit to themselves, to God and
to others that they are sinners worthy of judgment. John Calvin
says, "We mean to show that a man cannot apply himself
seriously to repentance without knowing himself to belong to
God. But no one is truly persuaded he belongs to God unless
he has first recognized God's grace" (Calvin's Institutes,
III, iii, 2).
Accordingly, of Jesus we read, "He
came and preached peace to you who were far away [Gentiles, non-covenant
people] and peace to those who were near [Jews, the covenant people].
For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit"
(Eph. 2:17, 18). "God's kindness leads you towards repentance"
(Rom. 2:4). Jesus said that the Spirit of the Lord was on him to preach
good news, to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, sight for the blind,
release to the oppressed and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor
(Luke 4:18,19). "'Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.'
All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came
from his lips" (:21b, 22).
Lastly
A Warning
When sinners remain indifferent to
this good news, or harden themselves against it, God remains gracious
as he warns them to flee his wrath that is sure to come upon those
who persist in such unbelief and sin. "As for the person who
hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did
not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for
the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word
which I spoke will condemn him at the last day" (John 12:47,48).
*BIBLICAL
UNIVERSALISM is the teaching that all persons are elect in Christ
except those who the Bible expressly declares will be finally lost,
namely, those who ultimately reject or remain indifferent to whatever
revelation God has given of himself to them whether in nature/conscience
or in gospel presentation.
Biblical Universalism is based upon these three biblical facts:
1) The so-called "universalistic" texts speak of a certain-to-be-realized
salvation as Calvinist have consistently maintained and they do so
in terms of all persons as Arminians have always affirmed (Posting
No. 2).
2) We must accept the so-called "universalistic" texts as
written. We may allow only those exceptions that are necessarily imposed
upon these passages from the broader context of the Scriptures as
a whole (Posting No. 3).
3) All persons, except Jesus Christ, are liable for and polluted by
the imputed sin of Adam (original sin). However, the Scriptures do
not teach or imply that anyone is consigned to eternal damnation solely
on the basis of their sin in Adam APART FROM actual, willful and persistent
sin on the part of the person so consigned (Posting No. 4).
Back
to Frequently Asked Questions
Contact the Author,
Neal Punt at: whenindoubt1@charter.net
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2000 by Northland Books. Box 63, Allendale MI 49401. Unlimited permission
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