Chapter 4: On sanctification and faith as fruits of Christ's death, and how He secured them
others only for some. His mediatorial work—sacrifice, intercession, and the application of redemption—is always done for the same group: His people.
This argument has already been demonstrated earlier and stands firm.
Book III, Chapter 4 Of sanctification, and of the cause of faith, and the procurement thereof by the death of Christ.
Argument VIII: The Death of Christ Produces Sanctification If the blood of Christ actually cleanses, purifies, and sanctifies those for whom it was shed—if it effectively produces holiness in those for whom He was a sacrifice—then it follows that Christ died only for those who are in fact cleansed and sanctified. But clearly, not everyone is sanctified, as faith is the beginning of sanctification (Acts 15:9), and "not all have faith" (2 Thess. 3:2).
Faith belongs to "God's elect" (Titus 1:1). Therefore, Christ did not die for every single person.
This conclusion is unavoidable. And we'll prove the premise in two ways: first, from the Old Testament types (or symbols) of Christ's sacrifice, and second, from direct statements in Scripture about the power and purpose of His death.
1. The Typology: Old Testament Sacrifices Point to the Reality The ceremonial sacrifices for sin under the old covenant prefigured the true sacrifice of Christ. In Hebrews 9:13, the apostle says, "If the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctifies them so that their flesh is purified…" This means that even the symbolic sacrifices truly accomplished outward cleansing under the law.
Now, the antitype—the reality pointed to by the type—is Christ's sacrifice. And so, verse 14 continues, "How much more will the blood of Christ… cleanse our consciences from dead works to serve the living God?" In other words, if the symbol had real, though limited, effect, then the true sacrifice must have a far greater spiritual effect.
Some, like the Arminians, attempt to evade this by saying that it's not the offering itself, but the application of the blood that sanctifies. But that's no answer. Our whole point is that Christ's death and its benefits are inseparable for those for whom He died. His blood is applied to all those for whom it was shed. The type and the antitype must correspond: just as the ceremonial offering sanctified, so the sacrifice of Christ sanctifies in reality.
2. Direct Teaching: The Death of Christ Sanctifies Scripture plainly teaches that Christ's death actually produces holiness in those for whom He died. For example:
Romans 6:5–6: "If we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin."
This passage says that if we share in Christ's death, we also share in His resurrection life—and why? Because our sinful nature ("the old man") was crucified with Him. His death effectively destroys the dominion of sin in our lives. That is sanctification.
So, to be united with Christ in His death is not merely to have an opportunity for salvation, but to be actually freed from the power of sin, which is the essence of sanctification. And this freedom is not given to all, but only to those who are truly united to Christ. Therefore, Christ's death cannot have been intended for everyone, but only for those who are in fact sanctified.
Argument VIII (continued):
Sanctification and the Effects of Christ's Death The apostle Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 1:20 that "all the promises of God are in him [Christ] yes, and in him Amen, to the glory of God by us." That is, all of God's promises are made firm, confirmed, and irrevocably established in Christ. And when were they confirmed? In His death—through the shedding of His blood, which ratified the New Covenant. As the author of Hebrews 9:16 says, the testament (or covenant) is confirmed by the death of the testator. Christ, as the guarantor (Heb. 7:22) of this better
covenant, established it by being "cut off" for many, as Daniel 9:26–27 foretold.
Now, what are these promises that were secured by the blood of Christ? The essence of them is found in Jeremiah 31:33–34, and restated in Hebrews 8:10–12—promises that include both sanctification (vv. 10–11) and justification (v. 12). Among these are the promises of God to give new hearts, to circumcise our hearts, and to put His Spirit within us (cf. Deut. 30:6; Ezek. 36:26). All of this is the direct result of Christ's death—our sanctification, justification, and reconciliation with God are secured by His blood.
Indeed, Hebrews 9:23 says that the heavenly things are purified by Christ's sacrifice. We have "redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Col. 1:14). By His death, He "destroyed him who had the power of death, that is, the devil," and freed those who were in lifelong slavery due to fear of death (Heb. 2:14–15).
Two especially clear passages support this:
Titus 2:14 – "[He] gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession."
Ephesians 5:25–26 – "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her."
In both texts, the purpose of Christ's death is stated to be sanctification—therefore it must certainly accomplish that end.
One more place worth mentioning: 1 Corinthians 1:30, where it says Christ has become for us "wisdom from God—righteousness and sanctification and redemption." He was made all this for us by
God, because God presented Him as a propitiation through faith in His blood (Rom. 3:25). So our sanctification, along with every other blessing of free grace, is the direct and guaranteed result of Christ's death.
To summarize: Sanctification and holiness are the certain effects of Christ's death for all those for whom He died. But not everyone is sanctified—not all are made holy or cleansed.
Therefore, Christ did not die for all.
Objection Answered: Isn't the Spirit and Faith Also Involved?
Some object: "Christ's death is not the only cause of sanctification.
The Spirit's work and our faith are also involved." We reply:
1. Yes, many kinds of causes can work together, each in its own way. The Spirit is the efficient cause—He actually produces holiness in us. Faith is the instrumental cause, receiving Christ's righteousness. But these do not exclude
Christ's death as the meritorious cause—the legal ground and moral cause of all these blessings. In fact, both the Spirit's work and our faith depend entirely on the death of Christ. They wouldn't exist at all without it.
2. Think of it like this: A man is held captive. Another pays a ransom to free him. Then a judge issues an order that the prisoner be released, his chains removed, and new clothes given to him. Can anyone say the ransom wasn't the cause of his release? Of course not. Though other steps followed, they all resulted from the ransom being paid.
So too with sanctification. Yes, the Spirit works in us. Yes, we must believe. But these are themselves fruits of Christ's death.
Preview of Next Argument To completely refute the objection, we add one more vital point:
Faith itself is a direct and certain result of Christ's death, given to all for whom He died.
If that is true (which I will prove in the next argument), then the idea of Christ dying for all people—many of whom never believe—must be false. If it's not true, I'll abandon the whole debate.
Let me know when you're ready to continue to Argument IX, which focuses specifically on Christ's death procuring faith itself.
Argument IX: Faith Is a Fruit of Christ's Death—Therefore, Not All Are Redeemed Before stating the argument itself, I must lay down a few necessary points:
1. Everything given to us in and through Christ—especially spiritual blessings—is entirely the result of His death.
Nothing is bestowed on Christ's people except what He purchased by His blood, as Peter teaches: "You were ransomed…with the precious blood of Christ" (1 Pet. 1:18–19). The covenant between the Father and the Son, in which all spiritual blessings were promised to Christ's people, rested on the condition that "he shall make his soul an offering for sin" (Isa. 53:10). Thus, everything given to us through Christ flows from His merit—especially faith.
2. Faith is absolutely essential for salvation.
This is universally admitted: without faith, no one can be saved under the new covenant. Whatever God has done in sending His Son, and whatever Christ has done in His death and intercession, if not joined with faith in us, it brings no benefit, but rather aggravates our
condemnation. For as Scripture says: "He who does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:16).
Now, if faith comes from our own power, and if our act of faith makes the love of God and the death of Christ effective for us, then it follows that it lies in our power to make Christ's redemption apply to us. That is an astonishing claim—yet many of our opponents have openly admitted it. But if faith is truly so necessary, then the cause of faith must also be the primary cause of salvation, because it brings salvation to pass.
3. Let our opponents answer this question clearly and honestly:
Did Christ, by His death and intercession (which are inseparable), purchase or procure faith for us or not?
That is the heart of the matter. And I ask them to give a plain, straightforward answer—no obscure terms, no evasive distinctions.
Now, if they answer yes—that Christ did indeed procure faith by His death—then let them tell us:
Did Christ procure faith absolutely for those He died for, or only on condition?
If absolutely, then all for whom He died must believe, without fail. For what is absolutely obtained is certainly applied. Yet this cannot be: Scripture says plainly, "Not all have faith" (2 Thess. 3:2), and that faith is for "the elect of God" (Titus 1:1).
But if they say He procured faith conditionally, then let them clearly identify this condition. This is a matter of eternal importance—souls hang in the balance. What is this condition upon which faith depends?
Some say, "If they do not resist the grace of God."
But what does that mean? Not resisting is obeying, and what does it mean to obey the gospel? To believe. So the condition of faith is… faith! Christ procured faith for them, on the condition that they believe? That is circular reasoning—and absurd.
Others try to suggest a different condition. Fine—then let them clearly state what it is. If it's something Christ did not procure, then we're back to square one: the cause of faith lies in ourselves, not Christ. He is not the author and finisher of our faith. If they say Christ did procure this condition, then we ask again: was that condition purchased absolutely or conditionally?
And the questioning continues.
In the end, they are trapped in a hopeless cycle—unable to identify a condition that avoids placing the ultimate cause of salvation in man himself. Until they can clearly tell us what this condition is, and whether it too was purchased by Christ, their argument collapses.
Let them draw a line where they can stop and stand: depinge ubi sistam—draw the line, show us where to stand. But until then, their case cannot hold.
But second, if they answer no—that is, they deny that Christ procured faith by His death (which, if they are consistent with their own principles, they must do)—then the following consequences are unavoidable:
1. They must affirm that faith is purely an act of our own will.
They must say it is something we produce from ourselves—not something graciously worked in us by God. And yet we have already shown that nothing is freely given to us in Christ unless it was purchased by His death. So if faith was not purchased, then faith is not a gift. But this directly contradicts:
The clear teaching of Scripture, repeated in many places, which we won't list again here; The very nature of the new covenant, which does not merely call for obedience, but works it in those who are part of it (see Jer. 31:33–34; Ezek. 36:26; Heb. 8:10–11);
The doctrine of free grace, which they now replace with free will in a fallen state—a position that diminishes grace and exalts man; The doctrine of original sin, which teaches that we are naturally unable to do any spiritual good. To say that fallen man can believe without grace is to overthrow this fundamental truth; And even right reason, which clearly sees that a natural power cannot produce a spiritual act without being elevated and enabled. As Paul says, "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him" (1 Cor.
2:14).
2. They must admit that the ultimate cause of salvation lies in man, not in God.
Everything that the Father has done—His love, His sending of the Son—and all that Christ has done in offering Himself as a sacrifice, has no saving effect unless we believe. But since, according to them, Christ did not procure faith, nor does God necessarily grant it, then whether or not we believe is entirely up to us.
So it all comes down to this: we have the final, decisive say in our salvation. God and Christ may do everything else, but we make it effective—or we don't. That is, we decide whether God's love and Christ's death are of any use to us.
Now let the reader judge: does this not make us the authors of our own salvation? Does this not put the crown of our glory on our own heads, rather than on Christ's?
With these things in mind, I now proceed to briefly prove the point that has been denied—namely, that faith is a gift purchased by the death of Christ, and therefore, Christ did not die for all people, since "all men do not have faith" (2 Thess. 3:2). The proof comes by way of several reasons:
1. Christ's death purchased sanctification —and faith is part of sanctification.
As shown in Argument VIII, Christ's blood purchased holiness and sanctification for us. But faith is one of the chief graces of the Spirit, and therefore part of that sanctification. It follows, then, that faith too was purchased by Christ.
If anyone objects and claims that Christ only purchased some of the Spirit's graces—like love, hope, or meekness—but not faith, then I ask:
What biblical warrant do they have for such a distinction between the graces of the Spirit?
Are we more able by nature to believe than to love or hope? What ground do they have for that?
There is no reason to divide the graces of sanctification this way.
2. All the fruits of election were purchased by Christ—and faith is one of them.
We are chosen in Christ (Eph. 1:4), and all the blessings that flow from election come to us through Him, the one in whom the Father blesses us for the praise of His glorious grace. Now, faith is a fruit of election. It is by God's purpose and calling that any believe
(Rom. 8:30), and it is the elect who obtain faith, while the rest are hardened (Rom. 11:7). As Acts 13:48 puts it: "As many as were ordained to eternal life believed."
Clearly, then, faith flows from election, and all that election intends is secured by Christ's death. Therefore, faith must also be included in the purchase of His cross.
3. All blessings of the new covenant were procured by Christ—and faith is one of them.
The blessings of the new covenant are granted to us in Christ, in whom the promises are "Yes" and "Amen" (2 Cor. 1:20). These promises were ratified by His blood, as the "death of the testator"
(Heb. 9:16), and Christ is the surety of that covenant (Heb. 7:22).
But what are the promises of this covenant? In short: justification, sanctification, and a new heart (Jer. 31:33–34; Heb. 8:10–12; Ezek.
36:25–27). These include faith itself, which is the very first act of a renewed heart. Therefore, if Christ's blood confirmed these covenant promises, and faith is one of them, then faith is surely among the blessings purchased by His death.
4. Whatever is necessary for salvation must be procured by Christ.
If something is absolutely necessary for our salvation, then Christ must have purchased it, since He is said to save us completely
(Heb. 7:25). But faith is absolutely necessary for salvation (Heb.
11:6; Mark 16:16). Therefore, if Christ saves to the uttermost, He must have also secured faith for His people.
Otherwise, He would be said to accomplish full salvation, while leaving out the one thing that makes all the rest effective—an absurdity.
5. Scripture explicitly says that faith is God's gift—for Christ's sake.
Look at Philippians 1:29: "It has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him but also to suffer for His sake."
Faith is a gift, and it is given for Christ's sake—therefore, it was
purchased by His death. Also consider Ephesians 1:3: "God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ." If faith is a spiritual blessing—and it surely is—then it is ours in Christ, and because of Christ.
And if it is not a spiritual blessing, then it is not even worth debating in this context.
For my part, I look to Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2). I have no reason to look elsewhere.
Many more arguments could be added, but these should suffice. The summary is this:
If Christ's death truly purchased all the saving graces given to believers—and if faith is one of those graces, which it is— and if not all people have faith, then Christ did not die for all.
Argument X From the Old Testament types to Christ's antitype: proving Christ died only for the elect.
We now argue from the type to the antitype—that is, from what was symbolized in the Old Testament to its fulfillment in Christ. This connection clearly limits Christ's atoning work to God's elect.
In the Old Testament, the people of Israel were, in all their major historical events, a type or figure of the true church. As the apostle
Paul teaches plainly in 1 Corinthians 10:11, the things that happened to them were examples, written down for our instruction. Their ordinances—priests, sacrifices, temple worship—were all shadows of gospel realities, pointing forward to Christ.
Their priests, altar, and sacrifices foreshadowed Christ's priesthood and sacrifice.
Their Canaan, the promised land, symbolized heaven (Heb.
4:3, 9).
Jerusalem and Mount Zion pointed to the heavenly Jerusalem, the church (Gal. 4:26; Heb. 12:22).
The entire nation of Israel, especially as delivered from Egypt and brought into Canaan, was a type of God's chosen people, the elect church.
This is why Israel is often called God's "holy people" and "royal priesthood," terms that Peter directly applies to believers in 1 Peter
2:5, 9. God's elect, throughout the New Testament, are referred to as "Israel"—not according to the flesh, but spiritually (Heb. 8:8; Rom.
9:6). A "true Israelite" is a true believer (John 1:47), and the real Jew is one inwardly (Rom. 2:29).
So then, the people of Israel—delivered from bondage, drawn near to God, brought into the promised land—typify the spiritual redemption of the church, the elect of God.
From this we reason:
Only those are truly redeemed by Christ—those for whom His atonement is spiritually effective—who were represented and prefigured by the people of Israel in their redemption from Egypt.
Why? Because there is no reasonable basis for believing that Israel's deliverance was a type of salvation for the entire world, including those who perish. The types and figures in Scripture always