Morgan asks this great question,
In your article from 9/1/2009, “Benefits of Christ’s Blood: Restricted and Unrestricted” (see here), you mention a very interesting quote from Chafer: “Lewis Sperry Chafer liked to say, ‘Because of Calvary, people no longer have a sin problem. Instead, they have a Son problem.’” Do you know where I can find that quote in written format, or was this a saying he would regularly say in his classes at DTS?
I did not give documentation earlier because I had never seen it. But now that I’ve been asked about it, I did some research.
In his third volume on soteriology in his Systematic Theology, he often speaks of “the problem of sin,” and he always says that because of the cross, the solution is faith in Christ. Chafer wrote, “The solution of the problem of sin has been solved perfectly. In the case of the unsaved, that which remains is the human responsibility of saving faith…” (p. 237). He went on to speak of Christ and His death on the cross.
A bit earlier in volume three, he wrote concerning salvation that two things were needed: “(1) a righteous dealing with the problem of human sin—and this God has consummated in the gift of His Son as the Lamb who took away the sin of the world—and (2) a free choice of salvation on the part of man…they may make an intelligent acceptance of Christ as Savior” (p. 210).
In another place Chafer wrote, “the doctrine of substitution is not only revealed to man by God as His gracious solution to the problem of sin, but is real, leaving but one obligation upon those for whom Christ died, which is that they believe” (p. 66).
In each case Chafer refers to the sin problem and says that faith in Christ is the solution.
I think Morgan is correct that the precise saying, “Because of the cross of Christ, people do not have a sin problem, but a Son problem” was said by the professors at DTS repeatedly. Chafer died in 1952. I began seminary at DTS in 1978. But Chafer’s influence was still very strongly felt with many men whom he taught who were still on the faculty (e.g., Drs. Walvoord, Campbell, Ryrie, Hendricks, Pentecost, Witmer).
If anyone finds a quote closer than the ones I’ve provided above, please let me know.
