Limited Atonement - Election Does Not Teach It Free Will Does; Rolfe Barnard 1960's [Original]
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Free will or election. Only one can be true. And which one of these 'gospels' actually limits atonement? This is the subject of this classic sermon from widely regarded evangelist of days past, Rolfe Barnard (1904-1969). This audio clip is about 24 minutes long. Well worth 24 minutes of close attention...if not 48 minutes or even 72 minutes. The audio is an original recording from a radio broadcast date unknown but that had to have been pre-1969 so is somewhat raspy - have to listen closely. A portion is transcribed below:
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[13:32] "...we have to go on and explain that after all, nothing that God and Christ have done can save us...unless we add something to it. Now my friends if I'm not telling the truth about what's called the gospel today I want you to write me and straighten me out. We thus preach that the 'decisive factor' which [......?] ...what we really say is the Christ saves us with our help...and if you think that out what that really means is we save ourselves...with Christ's help. But my friends, if we start, as is done now, by affirming that God has a saving love for everybody, and that Christ died a saving death for everybody...and yet we do not preach that everybody will be saved, we just show how foolish we are. The man who preaches that Christ died in a saving way for everybody...has got to preach that everybody must be saved. The man who preaches that God has a saving love for everybody...has got to preach...that everybody must be saved. But we say brother Barnard we don't believe that. I know but that's what you preach.
You get in an awful stew...ohhhh...how I will [...?] about it...these folks running around here limiting the purpose and love of God:
[who say] "Wait just a minute we are simply saying that the old gospel limited the work and love of Christ simply this way...that the love of God accomplished all it was sent to do. And that the love of Christ dying for our sins means that those whom it was meant for are to be saved"
Now we need to be clear here. In this kind of preaching is the popular preaching of the day, instead of exalting the grace of God and magnifying the cross of Christ...we cheapen them. And people who preach that way limit the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ. People say to me brother Barnard...you believe in the limited atonement? And I say no but most of all the preachers in this country do...for they preach that Christ didn't actually accomplish what he set out to do...he just made possible something he hoped might accidentally take place. My friends the old gospel says of Christ...that Christ's death saves...aaall whom it was meant to save. The new gospel says that Christ's death, as such, actually saves nobody - what's good news about that?
What's good news about that? No wonder my friends you can go into most any church in this section today, and in three or four nights you enter the line, 95% of the people in the congregation will be saying that that fellow is preaching the truth.
Then I'm not saved. No wonder my friends that Baptists who've always said we believe in the eternal security of the believer...it's hard to find the Baptist now who feels any security - WHY? Well they've believed a gospel about a God who's made salvation possible...not a gospel about a God who actually saves. Dear old brother Spurgeon whom the preachers quote today but hate his gospel...they accused him of preaching the limited atonement and he answered in this way and I quote him. Brother Spurgeon said we are often told that we limit the atonement of Christ because we say that Christ has not made a satisfaction for all men...or all men would be saved.
Now our reply to this is, brother Spurgeon says, that on the other hand, our opponents limit the work of Christ...we do not. Our opponents say Christ died for all men. Ask them what they mean by him dying for all men. Ask them did Christ die so as to secure the salvation of all men..and they say noooo...certainly not. We ask them the next question...did Christ die so as to secure the salvation of any man in particular...they answer no. They are obliged to admit this if they are consistent...they say no...Christ has died in order that any man may be saved...if...and then follow certain conditions of salvation. Now, says Mr. Spurgeon, who is it that limits the death of Christ? Why it's you...you say that Christ did not die so as infallibly to secure the salvation of anybody. We beg your pardon...when you say we limit Christ's death we say nooo my dear sir...it is you that limits it. We say Christ so died that he infallibly secured the salvation of a multitude that no man can number, who through Christ's death not only may be saved...but are saved. Must be saved and cannot by any possibility run the hazard of being anything but saved. You are welcome to your atonement, says Mr. Spurgeon, you may keep it...we will never renounce ours for the sake of it. - [20:18]
https://anothervoicerev184.blogspot.com/2019/07/classic-sermon-limited-atonement.html
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[13:32] "...we have to go on and explain that after all, nothing that God and Christ have done can save us...unless we add something to it. Now my friends if I'm not telling the truth about what's called the gospel today I want you to write me and straighten me out. We thus preach that the 'decisive factor' which [......?] ...what we really say is the Christ saves us with our help...and if you think that out what that really means is we save ourselves...with Christ's help. But my friends, if we start, as is done now, by affirming that God has a saving love for everybody, and that Christ died a saving death for everybody...and yet we do not preach that everybody will be saved, we just show how foolish we are. The man who preaches that Christ died in a saving way for everybody...has got to preach that everybody must be saved. The man who preaches that God has a saving love for everybody...has got to preach...that everybody must be saved. But we say brother Barnard we don't believe that. I know but that's what you preach.
You get in an awful stew...ohhhh...how I will [...?] about it...these folks running around here limiting the purpose and love of God:
[who say] "Wait just a minute we are simply saying that the old gospel limited the work and love of Christ simply this way...that the love of God accomplished all it was sent to do. And that the love of Christ dying for our sins means that those whom it was meant for are to be saved"
Now we need to be clear here. In this kind of preaching is the popular preaching of the day, instead of exalting the grace of God and magnifying the cross of Christ...we cheapen them. And people who preach that way limit the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ. People say to me brother Barnard...you believe in the limited atonement? And I say no but most of all the preachers in this country do...for they preach that Christ didn't actually accomplish what he set out to do...he just made possible something he hoped might accidentally take place. My friends the old gospel says of Christ...that Christ's death saves...aaall whom it was meant to save. The new gospel says that Christ's death, as such, actually saves nobody - what's good news about that?
What's good news about that? No wonder my friends you can go into most any church in this section today, and in three or four nights you enter the line, 95% of the people in the congregation will be saying that that fellow is preaching the truth.
Then I'm not saved. No wonder my friends that Baptists who've always said we believe in the eternal security of the believer...it's hard to find the Baptist now who feels any security - WHY? Well they've believed a gospel about a God who's made salvation possible...not a gospel about a God who actually saves. Dear old brother Spurgeon whom the preachers quote today but hate his gospel...they accused him of preaching the limited atonement and he answered in this way and I quote him. Brother Spurgeon said we are often told that we limit the atonement of Christ because we say that Christ has not made a satisfaction for all men...or all men would be saved.
Now our reply to this is, brother Spurgeon says, that on the other hand, our opponents limit the work of Christ...we do not. Our opponents say Christ died for all men. Ask them what they mean by him dying for all men. Ask them did Christ die so as to secure the salvation of all men..and they say noooo...certainly not. We ask them the next question...did Christ die so as to secure the salvation of any man in particular...they answer no. They are obliged to admit this if they are consistent...they say no...Christ has died in order that any man may be saved...if...and then follow certain conditions of salvation. Now, says Mr. Spurgeon, who is it that limits the death of Christ? Why it's you...you say that Christ did not die so as infallibly to secure the salvation of anybody. We beg your pardon...when you say we limit Christ's death we say nooo my dear sir...it is you that limits it. We say Christ so died that he infallibly secured the salvation of a multitude that no man can number, who through Christ's death not only may be saved...but are saved. Must be saved and cannot by any possibility run the hazard of being anything but saved. You are welcome to your atonement, says Mr. Spurgeon, you may keep it...we will never renounce ours for the sake of it. - [20:18]
https://anothervoicerev184.blogspot.com/2019/07/classic-sermon-limited-atonement.html