Alana L.: 2e (sufficient/efficient)

This series is based on this 14-minute video from Alana L.: 5 Signs Your Loved One is Becoming a Calvinist  

Point #2: 

E. Alana then pointed out how Calvinists say that Jesus's work on the cross was "sufficient for all of humanity, but it's not efficient [for all]."   It's only "efficient" for some, for the elect.

I love it when she said this about "sufficient and efficient": "Okay, huh, new words, not in Scripture."  Priceless!  

I think these bogus terms - which are not in the Bible - are merely a way for Calvinists to sound like they're saying one thing when they really mean another, to sound like they're saying Jesus died for all when they're really not.  They know that if they outright said Jesus didn't die for all, it would contradict certain verses and set off people's alarm bells - and so they speak on multiple levels to obscure what they're teaching, to buy them time to slowly, strategically manipulate people into Calvinism without resistance or pushback.  

But "sufficient for all but only efficient for some" really just means that Jesus's death is of no benefit whatsoever to the "non-elect."  It would be like me saying that I have sufficient money in my bank account to feed all starving people in the world, but I choose to only feed some (it's only efficient for some), while I choose to let the rest of the people starve to death.  Even though I had more than enough to cover them too.  

It's sick.  Truly sick.  (And personally, I think Calvinism's idea that Jesus could've saved all but deliberately didn't is worse than saying that Jesus's death was not sufficient for all but only for some and that He saved all the people He could.  At least that Jesus would be saving all the people that He was able to, instead of being able to save more but choosing not to.  Both ideas are wrong, of course, but at least the second hypothetical Jesus is better than Calvi-Jesus.  Because the second Jesus saved all He possibly could.)

 

"Sufficient for all, efficient for some" is really just Calvinist doublespeak - contradictory hogwash - for "Yes, Jesus's death was for all... but, no, Jesus's death was not for all.  It wasn't for the non-elect."

And false doctrine thrives on confusion, deception, and doublespeak.

As the article "The Subtle Secrets of the Gospel Project" points out: "[Calvinists] are prolific writers who are masters in propagating their doctrine without using recognizable Calvinist terms.  Try asking one of these guys if they’re a Calvinist and you will probably get a 15-page essay about God’s sovereignty.... You most certainly will not get a direct answer to your question though and that is because they realize how unpopular it is to answer 'yes.'  They’re banking on one thing: Given enough time and enough trust, they can sprinkle in the right amount of Calvinism to infect your brain and make you comfortable with their terms.  Then it’s simply a matter of putting all the pieces together in their deranged puzzle... So don’t be surprised when you look around and discover a generation whose faith is built on the TULIP but they got there without ever hearing the label 'Calvinism.'  We know what they’re doing.  The evidence is undeniable."

I believe God clearly tells us what His Will is - His desire - for people's eternities:

"... [God is] not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."  (2 Peter 3:9, KJV)

“For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord.  Repent and live!” (Ezekiel 18:32)

"Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live..." (Ezekiel 33:11) 

"This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of truth."  (1 Timothy 2:3-4)

God wants everyone to be saved, and no one to perish.  And a God who wants everyone to be saved will make it possible for everyone to be saved.  And I believe He has emphasized this over and over again in Scripture, in addition to the above verses (emphasis added):

"And he died for all ..." (2 Cor. 5:15)

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men." (Titus 2:11)

“but now [God] commands all people everywhere to repent.” (Acts 17:30)

“But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” (John 12:32)

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men..." (1 Timothy 2:5)

“Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.” (Romans 5:18. Life has been bought for all, paid for by Jesus's blood, but we decide to accept it or reject it.)

“Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29. Everyone's sins have been already paid for by Jesus, but if we reject Jesus's payment, then we choose to pay for them ourselves.)

"But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people." (Luke 2:10. The true gospel is good news for all, but Calvinism's gospel is only good news for the elect.) 

"... that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe." (1 Timothy 4:10. Calvinists wrongly assume that if Jesus died for you, then you will be, must be, saved.  And so if you're not saved, then Jesus didn't die for you.  This is an overflow of their incorrect doctrines of unlimited atonement and irresistible grace.  But as this verse shows, Jesus died to be the Savior of all men, not just those who believe.  But people can decide to reject Him as Savior, even though He died for them too.)  

"For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all." (Romans 11:32)

"... Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."  (Acts 2:38) 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

And yet despite these clear verses and the repeated theme of "all, all, all," Calvinists are still so eager to hoard salvation all for themselves for some reason, convinced that they're honoring God to think like that.  (But I think what would be more honoring to God is if we take Him at His word, His clear, plainly-revealed word.)

Where Calvinists go wrong - besides not taking Scripture at face-value and building one bad idea on another - is that they assume that God always gets what He wants, that His Will always happens.  They think His Will is always about what He preplanned to happen, and so He will definitely cause it to happen.  

And so to explain why everyone doesn't get saved, they came up with the idea of "two Wills": God's spoken Will is that He wants everyone to be saved, but His secondary, hidden, contradictory Will is that He wants most people in hell for His glory.  Likewise, His spoken Will is that He wants people to not sin, but His secondary, hidden, contradictory Will is that He wants/preplans/causes every sin that happens.  And "it's a mystery that we can't understand anyway, so just accept it."   

In order to accommodate their bad presuppositions and definitions, Calvinists turn Him into a schizophrenic, duplicitous, lying, self-opposing God.

[And what does Scripture say about double-minded men and divided cities?

James 1:8: "A double-minded man [is] unstable in all he does."

Matthew 12:25: "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand."

And 1 Cor. 14:33 (KJV) says that "God is not the author of confusion."

And yet that is the Calvinist god.  But if God says one thing but means another, how can He be trusted?  If He works against Himself, how can He stand?]

But biblically, when it comes to our lives and choices, God's Will isn't about preplanning/causing what happens.  (Yes, God has some overarching plans for mankind that He will work out one way or another, but He does this by incorporating our choices, not preplanning/causing them.  He causes all things to work together - not preplans/causes all things - to fulfill His overarching plans.)  

But according to Strong's Concordance/HELPS Word-studies, "God's Will" - especially in verses talking about what He wants for us - is about His “desire/preferred Will; His 'best offer' to people which can be accepted or rejected; the result hoped for with the particular desire/wish.”  It's about what God desires to have happen in our lives and what He desires us to do, not about a pre-set plan that must happen.  

This means that we - through our obedience or disobedience - decide if we are in His Will or not, if His Will for us gets done or not.  Therefore, what He wants doesn’t always happen and things happen that He doesn’t want (yet He can still work it all for good, into His plans – He’s just that wise and powerful and sovereign).  

This helps make sense of the times when the Bible talks about things God wills that don't happen, such as that all men are saved.  That's what He prefers to have happen, what He made possible, but He leaves the choice up to us.  

Calvinism's misunderstanding of what "God's Will" means has led to massive errors in their theology (such as their idea that "Jesus's death was sufficient for all but only efficient for some"), massive errors in their understanding of why things happen, how things get done, what God's role/responsibility is, what our role/responsibility is, who Jesus died for, and how we get to heaven.

His Will is not as mysterious as Calvinists make it out to be.  He tells us clearly in His Word what His Will for us is, what He wants for us and wants us to do - and He gave us the ability/choice to do it.  It's not that "mysterious."  It only becomes "mysterious" in Calvinism because they claim that we have no ability to do the things God tells us to do and that God has two opposing Wills. 

[If Calvinists can find one verse, just one, that clearly says God wills/wants people to perish for His glory and pleasure - as clearly as the verses that say He doesn't will that people perish and doesn't take pleasure in the death of the wicked and that He wants all people to be saved - then maybe I'll start to believe them.]

And furthermore, it's worth noting that in Acts 20:27 Paul says "For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God."  The whole Will of God!  Paul's consistent message was "God wants you to be saved: to repent and believe in Jesus."  And he calls that the whole Will of God.

And so I wonder: If this is the whole Will of God, where is there any room for a secret, secondary, contradictory Will where God really does want most people to perish for His glory?

[The posts in this series will be added to the "Alana L." label as they get published.]