It is not in the least surprising to realise that some reformed preachers emphasise the particularity of atonement to the point where it becomes suffocating. These men are so tied in to confessional Christianity that they are hampered in what they can offer to a sinful humanity, or more specifically what they have to offer to sinful men. If the only thing they have to offer sinners is the offer of salvation through faith in Christ alone, then the mere offer is useless. These dear brothers are so hampered and restricted in their preaching of the Gospel.
But when these same men only quote those verses of Scripture in part in order to support a particularly philosophical interpretation of the Bible, then they have plunged to a new depth. Christ did not only "taste death," which is how the verse was quoted recently; He tasted death "for every man," (Heb.2:9). The latter part of the verse does not suit those who hold to scholastically restricted atonement teaching, so they leave out that part of the verse that teaches that!
Or again, another preacher quoted, "God was in Christ reconciling to Himself." The big problem is that Paul did not say that in 2 Cor.5:19. What he said was "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself." But this extremely reformed preacher deliberately omitted the words the world, clearly because he held to limited atonement.
It is so sad that men are prepared to squeeze the Gospel to fit a human template just because they are working to a particular agenda. Adherence to some confessional dogma is much more important to these men than adhering to Scriptural data, which is the correct methodology.
Now when reformed men resort to that kind of unfaithfulness, there is little hope of any change within the church, certainly not so far as reform is concerned.
If you are of a reforming disposition and conviction, please covenant with me to work for the reform of the church so that we might see again times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.
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