An oft repeated concern non-Calvinists mention to Calvinists pertains to the sincerity of preaching a Gospel message universally when Christ’s death, according to the Calvinist, was designed only for the Elect. That is, if the Calvinist is correct that Christ’s death was designed for the Elect and only the Elect, then the universal offer of salvation based on the merits of Christ’s death is, in the end, a questionable offer.
How can it be considered sincere, the non-Calvinist rightly asks, if the benefits of the Cross, designed only for the Elect according to the Calvinist, remain forever unavailable to the non-Elect? Personally, I think that is a valid concern and should not be brushed aside so easily. Perhaps the following little fiction may shed a ray of light on this subject.
The Ambassador to Mexico was commissioned to the southern border to gather three hundred want-a-be U.S. citizens from the Mexican masses. They were assembled and seated in a special room designed by a sophisticated high-tech team. These three hundred men, women, and children possessed absolutely no English speaking skills. The only way they could possibly understand the Ambassador was through translation to their language.
The three hundred Mexican persons sat patiently awaiting the Ambassador’s words. Unknown to the masses on the inside, five large buses, each of which could hold exactly sixty persons, were parked outside, fueled and ready to take all three hundred Mexicans across the border resulting in full U.S. citizenship.
The Ambassador rose and stood before the people. On the podium before him were two buttons. One button was colored green with a corresponding number beside it marked “60”. The other was colored red with the number “300” beside it.
As the Ambassador began speaking, obvious bewilderment displayed on everyone’s face. He spoke English, thus, not a soul of the three hundred could understand a word he said. Though his first words were of little importance, the people did not know such and thus the bewilderment continued.
Once the Ambassador finished his preliminary words, and after scanning the hopeless faces of the three hundred Mexicans, his countenance became aglow with warmth and concern. He really desired to assist those poor people. He wanted them to know that Washington really did love them all—each one of them.
So, he reached down and pushed the green button. Unknown to any of the three hundred, sixty of them had been placed in a special location where a high-tech speaker could be heard by the one person—and only the one person–seated in the specially located seat.
And from the special speakers a perfect Spanish translation of the Ambassador’s words came through loud and crystal clear such that all sixty persons could hear and fully understand every word he spoke. The Ambassador told them just how much Washington supported them and desired them to be a part of America. In fact, he said that all Mexicans were loved by Washington and because of that, Washington desired all Mexicans to benefit from that love. His role was to see that help was offered to all Mexicans, each and every one who wanted it. Indeed outside at the very moment he spoke, buses awaited that could carry all three hundred Mexicans across the border and make them citizens just as they desired to be.
The sixty were very pleased with what they heard. But as some turned to the person seated beside them, they were astonished that such confusion appeared on their faces. While it puzzled the sixty to see such confusion, in their excitement about the good news from Washington, the sixty kept their ears attuned to the Ambassador’s words.
Finally, the Ambassador ended his great message of encouragement with clear instructions: all those who desired to go across the border would need to immediately rise, walk through the door on their right, whisper in the guard’s ear, “gracias” and take a seat on the bus. The bus is perfectly capable of carrying all who go.
Upon hearing the instructions, all sixty Mexicans who had been placed in the specially equipped seats rose, went through the door, spoke “gracias” to the guard and took their place on the first bus–one sixty-passenger bus holding all sixty Mexicans who came. The bus with the sixty Mexicans crossed the border just as was promised. The remaining two hundred and forty Mexicans wandered away never understanding just what had taken place.
It
must be asked if the scenario above constitutes a valid, genuine offer by Washington to provide help
for all three hundred Mexicans. Granted all three hundred Mexicans heard the
message but only a selected sixty detected the message. Indeed it was not only
impossible for all to understand, it was planned at
Washington that all would not understand.
In addition, the Ambassador was fully aware that only sixty could hear and respond. Thus, even though there were four empty buses available to carry the other two hundred and forty across the border, thus demonstrating his message about Washington’s love for all Mexicans, the Ambassador chose still to push the green button to take sixty rather than the red one to take all three hundred.
Consequently, could it honestly be suggested that either Washington or the Ambassador possessed genuine sincerity in offering all three hundred Mexicans citizenship when their full intent was designed to actually help only sixty? Further, could it be said that the Ambassador or Washington was sincere when they said they’d be perfectly willing to take all three hundred if they came, when the scheme they devised actually prohibited two hundred and forty from coming for lack of a simple translation?
After all, the Ambassador could have just as easily pushed the red button guaranteeing all would come rather than the sixty. The buses were waiting. Washington said it wanted to help all. But all were not helped. In fact, two hundred and forty were prohibited from coming because they did not understand what to do.
Somehow, it seems to me, that were a possible scenario like this actually implemented on the southern border, most observers would be outraged that we would implement a plan publicized as open to all Mexicans but internally rigged so that only a few could respond.
And I am not so sure that the perplexing scenario above is not unlike what Calvinists must face when they proclaim a message for all but actually limit it to a few because the Cross was not designed to atone for all. Is, then, the Gospel message, as preached by the consistent Calvinist, insincere?
With that, I am…
Peter
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