I’m Fallen and I Can’t Get Up: Humanity’s Radical Corruption by Brian Montgomery

Let’s face the facts here. We are born with a disease . This isn’t just any old normal disease. No, this disease is forming and dwelling in the center of our hearts even before we are born. The infection has already taken place, and from the moment it entered into the world all things in existence were radically altered due to it’s devastating effects. Life became shorter, the world began to literally decay, and pain and suffering became common to all. What is it? What is this disease that has plagued creation more than any cancer or fatal virus? It’s been called many things, but the best description I have found is “Humanity’s Radical Corruption.” There is something about the human nature that is at the core of it’s existence, evil and corrupt. From the moment that Adam and Eve rebelled against God (Genesis 3), a wave of erosion has swept across all of creation. The result from this catastrophe was that every child from birth would have only one passion and pleasure: Sin (Ecclesiastes 9:3). John Macarthur says it like this;

“It means children do not come into the world seeking God and righteousness. They do not even come into the world with a neutral innocence. They come into the world seeking the fulfillment of sinful and selfish desires.”

Where is this doctrine rooted Biblically, and how could anyone say something so terrible about one of the most precious and innocent gifts that is given by God?

Psalm 51:3-5

(3) For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is always before me.

(4) Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight,

so that you are proved right when you speak

and justified when you judge.

(5) Surely I was sinful at birth,

sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

Although children are one of the greatest gifts given by God, maybe they are not as innocent as we think. I remember at the age of two when I first came into contact with Pepsi-cola. My mom had given it to me in a baby bottle and it wasn’t but a matter of minutes before I had guzzled down every last drop. The following day my mother gave my baby brother an identical baby bottle. From previous experience, I was inclined to believe that Pepsi-cola was in that bottle. Therefore, being driven by my sinful and selfish nature, I stole my brother’s baby bottle only to find that the beverage inside was baby formula and NOT Pepsi-cola. Not only did my sin surface in the act of stealing, but I also expressed a very nerve wrecking temper-tantrum after discovering that my loot did not consist of Pepsi-cola. The uniqueness of this story is that no one had taught me to be selfish, it came as natural to me as breathing and blinking.

Scripture goes on to even further say that we are spiritually dead in our sins. This is consistently seen through out scripture.

- Colossians 2:13

(13) When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sin,

- Ephesians 2:1-3

(1) As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, (2) in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. (3) All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

Imagery of this spiritual death is seen in Ezekiel 37:1-14. Ezekiel the prophet comes across a valley of dry bones in which the “Sovereign LORD” commands him to prophesy to the bones declaring, “’Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’” (vv. 4b-6). After prophesying to the dry bones, they come to life. The Sovereign LORD then speaks to Ezekiel, “”Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’ ” (vv. 11-14).

In light of these scriptures, especially Ezekiel 37:1-14 where God claims “I have done it, declares the LORD,” man is unable to save himself or choose life solely upon his own ability. A dead man cannot bring himself back to life, nor can a spiritually dead man make himself spiritually alive; for a spiritually dead man is nothing more than dry bones. Rather, it is “God who made you alive with Christ.” (Colossians 2:13).

If we are indeed sinful from the time of birth, radically corrupted in the inner-most parts of our being, and spiritually dead in our sins; does this mean we can do no good? This is a tough question to answer. The answer is actually yes, and no. In and of ourselves, we are capable to do some good but it will ultimately be a rebellion against God. Let me explain. If you are looking at it in relation to the perspective of man, yes we are able to perform acts of civil virtue. Meaning, we can do “good” things from the perspective of man. This means that a non-believer can donate to a charity, care for the sick, or feed the hungry. However, in relation to the perspective of God, man can do no good apart from Christ. In and of ourselves (meaning apart from Christ), every deed performed by man is a violation of God’s law because it was not done in submission to Him. Romans 14:23 says, “Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” In addition, even our greatest works are considered to be filthy rags before the righteousness of God (Isaiah 64:6). Therefore, man is capable of civil virtues but completely incapable of doing good in the sight of God, apart from the work of Christ.

What significance does this doctrine of Humanity’s Radical Corruption have for us? To start, we are a completely defiled and evil people. There is not an ounce of good in us apart from the saving grace of God (Romans 3:9-26). From the moment of birth, sin is just as present in our veins as blood. At the core of who we are, we love darkness (John 3:19) and are hostile toward God (Romans 8:7-8). Unless God cures a man’s blindness to sin and draws him to Christ, he will never find in his own desires to repent (turn away) from sin and devote his life to supremely valuing and following Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:3-7); for we are slaves to sin (John 8:34). For the unrepentant heart there will sadly be nothing but eternal, just, and holy punishment (Romans 2:5). Those who the Father draw unto Him, believe in the name of Jesus Christ, and repent of their sins will have eternal life (John 6:44, Mark 1:15, John 3:16).

Mark Driscoll on Predestination

Who Really Limits the Atonement?

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10 (ESV)

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 (ESV)

I’ve been thinking about the atonement lately.  And as I was pondering the great work of Christ on the cross, I soon found myself amazed as to what Christ actually did.  What was he doing on the cross?  He was seeking and saving the lost (Luke 19:10).

In regards to what has been labeled “Calvinism,” this is one area that gets a lot of people hung up.  Most four-point Calvinists are “four-pointers” since they reject the doctrine of Limited Atonement.  It’s just too hard to swallow, they say.  What I would like to do today is shed some light upon this precious doctrine, namely, Limited Atonement, and see if I could at least try to make some things a bit clearer.

James White points out in his article Was Anyone Saved at the Cross? that Arminians as well as Calvinists limit the atonement. [1]  That is to say, the Calvinist may limit the extent, or scope, of the atonement.  But the Arminian limits the atonement’s power or efficacy.  It is true that we Calvinists believe that Christ’s death was only efficacious for the elect, but it is also equally true that Christ’s death, for the Arminian, didn’t really save anybody; it only made salvation possible.

White quotes Lorraine Boettner:

“Let there be no misunderstanding at this point. The Arminian limits the atonement as certainly as does the Calvinist. The Calvinist limits the extent of it in that he says it does not apply to all persons…while the Arminian limits the power of it, for he says that in itself it does not actually save anybody. The Calvinist limits it quantitatively, but not qualitatively; the Arminian limits it qualitatively, but not quantitatively. For the Calvinist it is like a narrow bridge that goes all the way across the stream; for the Arminian it is like a great wide bridge that goes only half-way across. As a matter of fact, the Arminian places more severe limitations on the work of Christ than does the Calvinist.” [2]

John Piper and the elders at Bethlehem Baptist Church did a great job in summing up the possible positions one can take in regards to the Atonement.  Says Piper,

“Which of these statements is true?

1. Christ died for some of the sins of all men.
2. Christ died for all the sins of some men.
3. Christ died for all the sins of all men.

No one says that the first is true, for then all would be lost because of the sins that Christ did not die for. The only way to be saved from sin is for Christ to cover it with his blood.

The third statement is what the Arminians would say. Christ died for all the sins of all men. But then why are not all saved? They answer, Because some do not believe. But is this unbelief not one of the sins for which Christ died? If they say yes, then why is it not covered by the blood of Jesus and all unbelievers saved? If they say no (unbelief is not a sin that Christ has died for) then they must say that men can be saved without having all their sins atoned for by Jesus, or they must join us in affirming statement number two: Christ died for all the sins of some men. That is, he died for the unbelief of the elect so that God’s punitive wrath is appeased toward them and his grace is free to draw them irresistibly out of darkness into his marvelous light.” [3]

The question that needs to be asked is this:  Did Christ’s death actually do anything?  Did it actually take away sins, or did it merely make salvation possible?  If it really did take away sins, then the question we next need to ask is, Whose sins did it take away?  If you say, “Everyone’s,” then you must necessarily conclude that everyone will go to heaven.  For God could not—indeed, would not—send anyone to hell if their sins were paid for.  But we know that some do go to hell.  So, then it follows that not everyone’s sins have been paid for.

Of course, we could revert here for a second and say that Christ’s death only made salvation “possible” in that it really did not save anybody.  However, to do that would be to severely limit the atonement’s power.  That is, we would have to conclude that it just wasn’t quite “good enough to save”—something else was necessary.  But that can’t be.  Christ said that it was “finished” on the cross, not at the point of our good deeds.

So, is the Atonement “limited”?  To be an evangelical, you would have to say, Yes.  But the question is not “Is the atonement limited?”  No, the question should be, “In what way is the atonement limited?”  You either have to say in power or in scope.

Either Christ died for everyone in the same way, or he only died for the elect in a salvific way.  If he died for everyone in the same manner, then everyone would go to heaven.  I leave you with a word from James White:

“Some object to the doctrine of limited atonement on very pragmatic grounds. “The doctrine destroys evangelism, because you cannot tell people that Christ died for them, because you don’t know!” Yet, we ask, is there an advantage in presenting to men an atonement that is theoretical, a Savior whose work is incomplete, and a gospel that is but a possibility? What kind of proclamation will God honor with His Spirit: one that is tailored to seek “success,” or one that is bound to the truth of the Word of God? When the Apostles preached the Gospel, they did not say, “Christ died for all men everywhere, and it is up to you to make His work effective.” They taught that Christ died for sinners, and that it was the duty of every man to repent and believe. They knew that only God’s grace could bring about repentance and faith in the human heart. And far from that being a *hindrance* to their evangelistic work, it was the power behind it! They proclaimed a *powerful* Savior, whose work is all sufficient, and who saves men totally and completely! They knew that God was about bringing men to Himself, and, since He is the sovereign of the universe, there is no power on earth that will stay His hand! Now there is a solid basis for evangelism! And what could be more of a comfort to the heart that is racked with guilt than to know that Christ has died for sinners, and that His work is not just theoretical, but is real?

The Church needs to challenge the world again with the daring proclamation of a gospel that is offensive—offensive because it speaks of God saving those whom He will, offensive because it proclaims a sovereign Savior who redeems His people.”[4]

In the end, may it always be soli Deo gloria!

Notes

1. White, James. Was Anyone Saved at the Cross? http://reformedbaptistfellowship.wordpress.com/2009/04/10/was-anyone-saved-at-the-cross/.  Date accessed: 4/16/09 at 11:18 a.m.
2. Ibid.
3. Piper, John.  What We Believe About the Five Points of Calvinism
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/1985/1487_What_We_Believe_About_the_Five_Points_of_Calvinism/#Atonement.
Date Accessed: 4/16/09 at 11:27 a.m.
4. White, James. Was Anyone Saved at the Cross? http://reformedbaptistfellowship.wordpress.com/2009/04/10/was-anyone-saved-at-the-cross/.  Date accessed: 4/16/09 at 11:42 a.m.

John Piper on “Evangelistic Sacramentalism”

Here’s something that I ran by that I thought I would share on the blog.  John Piper critiques the pragmatic ways of American Christianity. It’s a good read.  Click here to find the article.

soli Deo gloria!

Matthew

Welcome a new contributor!

Ladies and gentlemen, crossthought has a brand new contributor to help with postings and responses. His name is Brian Montgomery from good ‘ole Oklahoma. So, join me in giving Brian a hearty welcome!

As always, soli Deo gloria!

Matthew