This blog will be brief, and informational as opposed to long and painful….
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I have taken a bold leap into the 1990’s and figured out how to post the audio of my sermons on the blog site. If you look on the right side of the homepage towards the bottom you will see a new heading called, “My Audio Sermons.” Under that you’ll see the title and the text. You can click on the arrow for “play” (you may have to click twice)….give it a couple of seconds….and then listen to me “rant and rave” for 35-45 minutes. I currently have the first few sermons from my 1 John series on there, including the controversial sermon on Limited Atonement (similar to the blog, but longer…and a little louder).
This leap into the 1990’s also means I now have the capability to burn CDs of my sermons instead of only cassette tapes. I still haven’t figured out how to record them onto 8-track tapes yet (sorry Clark)….nor how to copy them onto “33” records (sorry Tom)……So you’re stuck with cassette tapes, CDs, or the internet files. It actually took me quite a while to figure this out…but remember, I’m now 33 years old…which makes me quite an antique in “computer years.” Any 8 year old kid in the church could have probably showed me how to burn CDs and upload them to my website in a matter of minutes….but us dinosaurs have to figure things out slowly.
I also now have a box on the blog site for people to “sign up” to be on my e-mail list. You simply type in your e-mail and hit “go.” Then when it asks for what list you want to be on click “blog list.” And the e-mail address will be automatically added to my list. You can also remove your e-mail address from my list. The next time you get one of my e-mails announcing a new blog, simply go to the bottom of the e-mail and click on “unsubscribe” (I know it’s the day some of you have dreamed of). You can take your e-mail address off of my blog list…and I’ll never even know it….That way my fragile, little feelings won’t get hurt. So, if you’re one of those people that get numerous e-mails from “Shane Kastler” that you never open (like my wife Erin). Then you can unsubscribe……(sorry Erin, you CAN’T unsubscribe….you remember what you said about “for better or worse?”.....well, this is the “worse” part…you HAVE TO endure my mass e-mails and blogs).
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OK, enough of the fun, NEW stuff….now for some more thoughts on some fun, OLD stuff: Limited Atonement. First of all, let me say that I’m happy to see such an interest in this deeply theological topic. I was surprised so many people even read the blog, and more surprised at all the comments….that’s a good sign. The people who read my blogs are deep thinkers (or maybe you’re just REALLY bored). Either way, I’m thankful for you.
I’ve come across a couple of quotes from Charles Spurgeon regarding Limited Atonement. Those of you who know me well----know that I’m a great admirer of the 19th century Baptist preacher from England. In fact, I named my only son after Charles Spurgeon (Andrew Charles Kastler)…..incidentally he’s also named after my dad and brother (both named Charles)…and Andrew Fuller (the 18th century Baptist preacher from England). Spurgeon fascinates me. He was a spiritual “freak of nature.” He knew 7 languages and was reading John Owen by the time he was 10 years old. He could have debated deep points of theology with anyone….and yet his sermons were so understandable that the illiterate common laborers of England could comprehend them. By the time he was 21 years old he was one of the most well-known preachers on earth. He pastored the largest church in the world (Metropolitan Tabernacle). He founded an orphanage. He started a Pastor’s college (though he never attended college himself). He printed a monthly magazine. He started a “gospel tract” ministry. And he launched dozens of other ministries from his church. God used him in fascinating ways….and the world HATED him for it. The London press (believe it or not they were godless and cruel even then) frequently blasted him in the newspapers for being an uneducated, and unsophisticated buffoon, who was too loud and too old fashioned. The educated elite, the liberals, and the press despised him….The common laborers and the members of his church adored him. So you might say, the wolves couldn’t stand him….The goats were intrigued by him. And the sheep were crazy about him. And, I believe, the Lord was very pleased with him. (For more information on “wolves, goats, and sheep” see my blog on “Animals in the Church” under “Living the Faith” in my Archives)
Spurgeon unashamedly preached the whole gospel…..He preached about Heaven AND Hell. He preached Divine Sovereignty in election AND man’s responsibility to repent and believe. He pleaded with sinners to turn to Christ, while reminding them that they never would without God’s intervention. And…..Spurgeon preached and strongly believed in the doctrine known as Limited Atonement. I encourage you to read some of Spurgeon’s sermons when you get a chance. He’s easy to understand and he’s easy to find. He is the most published author in the English language, and many of his sermons are on the internet. I’ll close this blog with a couple of quotes from Spurgeon…..and a couple of links to where you can read these sermons on Limited Atonement in their entirety. Keep studying….and God Bless. Until next time…
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From a sermon by Charles Spurgeon entitled “Particular Redemption”---
“Now, beloved, when you hear any one laughing or jeering at a limited atonement, you may tell him this. General atonement is like a great wide bridge with only half an arch; it does not go across the stream: it only professes to go half way; it does not secure the salvation of anybody. Now, I had rather put my foot upon a bridge as narrow as Hungerford, which went all the way across, than on a bridge that was as wide as the world, if it did not go all the way across the stream.”
“We cannot so belie our reason as to think that the intention of Almighty God could be frustrated, or that the design of so great a thing as the atonement, can by any way whatever, be missed of. We hold—we are not afraid to say that we believe—that Christ came into this world with the intention of saving "a multitude which no man can number;" and we believe that as the result of this, every person for whom He died must, beyond the shadow of a doubt, be cleansed from sin, and stand, washed in blood, before the Father's throne. We do not believe that Christ made any effectual atonement for those who are forever damned; we dare not think that the blood of Christ was ever shed with the intention of saving those whom God foreknew never could be saved, and some of whom were even in Hell when Christ, according to some men's account, died to save them.”
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(To read entire sermon click here: http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0181.htm)
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From a sermon by Charles Spurgeon entitled “The Death of Christ”---
“Some believe in an atonement made for everybody; but then, their atonement is just this. They believe that Judas was atoned for just as much as Peter; they believe that the damned in hell were as much an object of Jesus Christ's satisfaction as the saved in heaven; and though they do not say it in proper words, yet they must mean it, for it is a fair inference, that in the case of multitudes, Christ died in vain, for he died for them all, they say; and yet so ineffectual was his dying for them, that though he died for them they are damned afterward. Now, such an atonement I despise—I reject it. I may be called Antinomian or Calvinist for preaching a limited atonement; but I had rather believe a limited atonement that is efficacious for all men for whom it was intended, than a universal atonement that is not efficacious for anybody, except the will of man be joined with it”.
(To read entire sermon click here: http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0173.htm)
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For more information on the amazing life and ministry of Charles Spurgeon go to http://www.spurgeon.org/ This is a wonderful website that is run by Phil Johnson, a native Oklahoman (so he must be OK, right?) who is the Executive Director of John Macarthur’s Grace To You ministries in California.
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One more quote (this one from John Piper) on this topic:
"The grammatical parallel between John 11:51-52 and 1 John 2:2 is so close it is difficult to escape the conviction that the same thing is intended by John in both verses. John 11:51-52, "He prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad." 1 John 2:2, "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." The "whole world" refers to the children of God scattered throughout the whole world. If "the whole world" referred to every individual in the world, we would be forced to say that John is teaching that all people will be saved, which he does not believe (Revelation 14:9-11). The reason we would be forced to say this is that the term propitiation refers to a real removal of wrath from sinners. When God's wrath against a sinner is propitiated, it is removed from that sinner. And the result is that all God's power now flows in the service of his mercy, with the result that nothing can stop him from saving that sinner. Propitiated sins cannot be punished. Otherwise propitiation loses its meaning. Therefore if Christ is the propitiation for all the sins of every individual in the world, they cannot be punished, and must be saved. But John does not believe in such universalism (John 5:29). Therefore it is very unlikely that 1 John 2:2 teaches that Jesus is the propitiation of every person in the world."
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To read this entire article, click here: http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByTopic/105/1487_What_We_Believe_About_the_Five_Points_of_Calvinism/
OK, sorry….I was wrong…this blog wasn’t “short and informational”…it ended up being “long and painful”….but still informational…
Pastor Shane, God has given you wisdom and insight. I am very thankful for a man of God like yourself, who is willing to put himself out there,and teach the truth. Btw, I proof read my last response after I posted it.(stupid) I am not Armenian. Never been outside of England,as far as Europe is concerned. However, after coming from a background of freewill, grasping these truths of grace has been such a great gift. Spurgeon had as big a hand in pointing me in this direction as did Dr.Sproll, and GTY. Phil Johnson has a large archive of Charles Spurgeons messages and they are all relevant. I believe the biggest stumbling block for people to accept the doctrines of grace is the first point. If you do not believe that man is totally incapable of responding to God because of his total ddepravity, then there is no way you will believe that salvation is all of the grace of God. Anything else does not put enough emphasis on man's responsibility. After all, how could God hold us responsible for something we can not do for ourselves. Despite all the evidence in the bible that we are dead in our sins, it seems we just can"t see it. I do find it interesting,though, that we live our everyday lives to the contrary. If you don't pay your gas bill because there is no money in the account, they still turn you off, regardless of inability to pay. Btw, try that argument with the IRS. Let me know if that works. Anyway, if you don't believe in your total inability to respond to God , then of course you have to believe that God needs your help to save you.(Your cooperation) And if atonement is for everyone then it really isn't atonement. All it does is bring you back to even and then it requires of you to make the right choice. However, atonement, implies a complete work all of it's own. If the work was not complete, then Christ would not be raised. His sacrifice was just as good as the bulls and goats of the old testament. None of them raised from the dead. But God raised Christ from the dead showing us that he accepted the sacrifice, and that it stands alone,complete, and finished.(1Cor.15:12-19) Yes we have to respond to the call, but if it were not for the regenerating work of God on our dead spirit man, we would not be able to respond. that is the pivot point of the whole doctrine. Anything less is a man made,man obtained, and man, maintaned gospel. One thats was never spoken of in the word and never preached by the apostles or the church fathers. Keep up the good work Pastor Shane. You are spreading the truth.
Posted by: snowman | November 23, 2006 at 08:40 AM