Message of the Latter Rain - Kelvin M. Duncan

Article 2 emphasizes that Christ died for every soul. However, according
to the Arminian position, the death of Christ alone is not sufficient to justify
or save anyone. In the Arminian view, the sinner must respond to the
sacrifice of Christ by believing in Christ, then repenting of and confessing
his or her sins, in order to be saved.
If the appropriate response is lacking, there is, in the Arminian view, no
atonement for unconfessed sins. Thus (according to Arminianism) the death
of Christ does the ignorant or unresponsive person no good at all. The
Arminian believes that the death of Christ for the sins of the world is merely
provisional or potential, not actual. This understanding has been referred to
as "conditional atonement." Although Adventism differs with most
Arminians on various points of doctrine, Seventh-day Adventists
nevertheless affirm Arminianism.[2]
Articles 2 and 5 are problematic. We will examine Article 2 again later.
That which Article 5 teaches is true, but the resulting position is false
because of what it denies. Unfortunately, Article 5 does not recognize the
different phases of the "in Christ" idea. It presents only the second phase
(i.e., being "incorporated into Christ by genuine faith").
The universal application of the "in Christ" idea maintains the scriptural
position that Christ died for all (2 Corinthians 5:14, 15). He could not have
died for all, unless all were "incorporated into Christ" at the incarnation. In
other words, He had to be the Representative of all in order to die for the sins
of all.
Another major problem with the Arminian proposal is that it does not
resolve the "double jeopardy" dilemma. It actually complicates it. While the
Arminian Christian may sing as fervently as anyone else, "Jesus paid it all,"
his or her understanding of the gospel says, "Nothing was paid at all." The
payment was simply put into an "escrow" account--available, but not applied
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