Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Happy Reformation Day!
Today is Halloween, and many folks will be celebrating by dressing up in
costumes, and partying, while the kids are trick or treating.
However, there's another reason, a much more important reason, for Christians
around the world to celebrate this day -- it's Reformation Day.
495 years ago, Martin Luther, a German monk, posted his 95 Theses onto a
Wittenberg church door, protesting some of the beliefs and practices of the Roman
Catholic church. It served as an invitation to debate these issues, and it helped
lead to the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
Huldreich Zwingli, a Swiss religious leader, and John Calvin, a French theo-
logian, also had major influences, along with many others, on starting the Protestant
Reformation.
********************
There were three major principles of the Reformation:
1. Sola Scriptura (by Scripture alone)
Scripture is considered the sole, infallible rule of faith for the Christian,
and is "the only authority for the Christian in the matters of faith, life, and conduct."
Theopedia
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful
for teaching, rebuking, correcting and train-
ing in righteousness, so that the man of God
may be thoroughly equipped for every good
work."
2 Timothy 3:16-17
"Paul affirms God's active involvement in the writing of Scripture,
an involvement so powerful and pervasive that what is written is the
infallible word of God."
NIV Commentary
"Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of
Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpre-
tation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will
of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried
along by the Holy Spirit."
2 Peter 1:20-21
"In the production of Scripture both God and man were active partici-
pants. God was the source of the content of Scripture, so that what it says is
what God has said. But the human author also actively spoke; he was more
than a recorder. Yet what he said came from God. Although actively speak-
ing, he was carried along by the Holy Spirit."
NIV Commentary
2. Sola Fide (by faith alone)
This is the view that "we are justified before God (and thus saved) by faith alone,
not by anything we do, not by anything the church does for us, and not by faith
plus anything else. It is anchored by the broader principle of Sola Gratia (by grace
alone)."
Theopedia
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith --
and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not
by works, so that no one can boast."
Ephesians 2:8-9
"For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart
from observing the law."
Romans 3:28
"So we too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may
be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law,
because by observing the law no one will be justified."
Galatians 2:16b
"You who are trying to be justified by law have been
alienated from Christ, you have fallen away from
grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the
Spirit the righteousness for which we hope."
Galatians 5:4-5
"Clearly no one is justified before God by the law,
because, 'The righteous will live by faith.' "
Galatians 3:11
3. The Priesthood of all believers
"Scripture teaches that believers are a 'holy priesthood.'
"As you come to him, the living Stone -- rejected
by men but chosen by God and precious to Him --
you also, like living stones, are being built into a
spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering
spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through
Jesus Christ."
1 Peter 2:4-5
"All believers are priests before God through our great High Priest
Jesus Christ. As believers, we alll have direct access to God through
Christ, so there is no necessity for an earthly mediator."
Theopedia
" ... You have come to God, the judge of all men,
to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to
Jesus the mediator of a new covenant ..."
Hebrews 12:23b-24a
"But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior
to theirs (earthly high priests) as the covenant of
which He is mediator, is superior to the old one,
and it is founded on better promises."
Hebrews 8:6
Jesus interceded for His people only, and not for the rest of the world.
(Jesus said), "For I gave them the words you gave me
and they accepted them. They knew with certainty
that I came from you, and they believed that you sent
me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world,
but for those you have given me, for they are yours.
All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And
glory has come to me through them."
John 17:8-10
Jesus interceded for those who would believe in Him.
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those
who will believe in me through their message, that all
of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and
I am in you."
John 17:10-21a
"Evangelical Protestants see the Reformation as simply a call back to
biblical Christianity."
Theopedia
Reformation Day -- a day to remember what God has done for those
who love Him.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Why It Matters
On one side -- Universal Atonement.
This is the view that Jesus died for all the sins of every single person in the
world. His death made it POSSIBLE for a person to be saved through faith in
Him.
On the other side -- Definite Atonement (or Particular Redemption).
This is the view that Jesus's death atoned for all the sins of a particular people --
that is, His chosen or elect people. Salvation was accomplished at the cross, and
nothing needs to be added to what Jesus has done in His death for His people.
Christians are divided on this subject, with some believing in universal atone-
ment and others holding to a definite or particular atonement.
Obviously, both can't be correct.
Does it matter? I believe it does.
The Thirsty Theologian writes this about the doctrine of definite atonement or
particular redemption:
"I need this doctrine to assure me that when Jesus said, 'It is finished,'
'it' meant everything. 'It' meant MY salvation. I need to know that when Jesus made
atonement for sin on the cross, it was an actual atonement for specific sin -- mine--
and not just a theoretical atonement that I, if I was so inclined, could join, like a
class-action lawsuit."
"The point is not to say that Jesus didn't die for So-and so. The point
is to say that Jesus died for actual people, individuals, and did so intentionally. He
didn't take the general category of sin upon Him, He took my sins, each and every
one of them, and made full satisfaction for them."
"On the cross, He actually saved me. That is what this doctrine means.
The moment Jesus died, my salvation was accomplished. Though I had not been
born, though I had not yet come to faith in Christ, my salvation was a fait accompli.
There was nothing left for me to do. It was finished."
"How else could I sing
I need no other argument, I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died, and that He died for me."
********************
Jesus' death actually accomplished salvation for His people.
[Caiphas the high priest said to the Sanhedrin], "You do not
realize that it is better for you that one man die for the
people than that the whole nation perish.
He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he
prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and
not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of
God, to bring them together and make them one."
John 11:50b-52
[Paul said to the Ephesian believers] "Be shepherds of the church
of God, which He bought with His own blood."
Acts 20:28b
Jesus' death ransomed His people and set them free from sin.
"How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the
eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our
consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the
living God.
For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those
who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance -- now
that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins com-
mitted under the first covenant."
Hebrews 9:14-15
Jesus bore the sins of His people on the cross.
"He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree,
so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness ..."
1 Peter 2:24a
1 Peter 1:1-2 tells us who "our" refers to in verse 24 above -- the people to whom
he sent this letter.
"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God's elect, strangers in the world, ...
who have been chosen according to the
foreknowledge of God the Father, through
the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for o-
bedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by
His blood:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance."
Jesus' death wasn't just a theoretical atonement that makes salvation possible,
but was a definite, effective, particular atonement for His people, that actually
brought them salvation.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
God Acts, Man Responds
"In the matter of salvation, God acts, man responds,
never the other way around."
James White
God chooses His people (1 Thessalonians 1:4), gives them to Jesus as a gift
(John 6:37), draws them to Himself and they come to Him for salvation, and He
will raise them up to eternal life (John 6:44).
God regenerates them, because they are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1),
replacing their heart of stone with a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26-27).
God grants them the gifts of faith and repentance (Ephesians 2:8-9; Philippians
1:29; 2 Peter 1:1; Acts 5:31; 2 Corinthians 7:10; Romans 2:4), and they repent and
trust in Him for salvation (Acts 3:19; Romans 10:9-10).
"It (salvation) does not depend on man's desire
or effort, but on God's mercy."
Romans 9:16
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
By the Grace of God
"If the final decision for the salvation of fallen sinners
were left in the hands of fallen sinners, we would
despair all hope that anyone would be saved."
R.C. Sproul
Salvation comes by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. No one
can work or earn his way into heaven. Only God's grace can lead anyone to
eternal life with Him.
Grace has been defined as unmerited favor. When we trust in Him, God gives
us sinners what we don't deserve -- salvation and everlasting life, when we de-
serve condemnation and death because of our sins.
Those who have not been changed by God's grace through the Holy Spirit are
unable to do anything to please Him, and have fleshly desires, not spiritual ones.
" ... the sinful mind is hostile to God.
It does not submit to God's law, nor
can it do so. Those controlled by the
sinful nature cannot please God."
Romans 8:7-8
Those who don't belong to God are unable to hear God because they belong to
the devil and want only to please him.
(Jesus said), "You belong to your father, the
devil, and you want to carry out your father's
desire. ...
He who belongs to God hears what God says.
The reason you do not hear is that you do not
belong to God."
John 8:44a, 47
Salvation does not depend on man's birthright, or his decision, or anyone else's
decision, but on God's grace.
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed
in his name, he gave the right to become children of
God -- children born not of natural descent, nor of
human decision, or a husband's will, but born of God."
John 1:12-13
Grace is a gift from God, and salvation comes only through faith in Jesus.
"But the gift is not like the trespass. For
if the many died by the trespass of the one
man, how much more did God's grace and
the gift that came by the grace of the one
man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!"
Romans 5:15
God's grace is sufficient for all our needs.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power
is made perfect in weakness."
2 Corinthians 12:9a
God's grace brings redemption and forgiveness of sins for those who trust
in Him.
"In Him, we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the
riches of God's grace that He lavished on us with
all wisdom and understanding."
Ephesians 1:7-8
Believers receive justification by God's grace.
" ... so that, having been justified by His grace,
we might become heirs having the hope of
eternal life."
Titus 3:7
Ultimately, God's grace brings salvation to His people.
"For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith -- and this not from your-
selves, it is the gift of God ..."
Ephesians 2:8
Monday, October 22, 2012
No Reason to Boast
"God intentionally designed salvation so that no man can
boast of it. He didn't merely arrange it so that boasting
would be discouraged or kept to a minimum -- He planned
it so that boasting would be absolutely excluded. Election
does precisely that."
Mark Webb
**********
Salvation has nothing to do with the person or anything good in him, but totally
on God's sovereign love and grace for His people.
The Bible tells us, that from the beginning, God chose certain people for
salvation, not because they were smarter, better, more spiritual, or more faithful,
or enlightened, but according to His purpose and will.
This is the Christian doctrine of Election.
Theopedia defines election as:
"In eternity, God chose some individual persons
from the mass of fallen humanity unto salvation
without regard to any merit or foreseen faith in
them, but solely based on His sovereign intentions."
The people chosen or "elected" are called "the elect" (Matthew 24:22, 31;
Mark 13:20, 27; Romans 22:27; 1 Timothy 5:21; 2 Timothy 2:10; Titus 1:1; etc.).
Every believer is part of this body of people, God's chosen.
God chose every believer from eternity according to His pleasure and will,
not because of anything good in them.
"For He chose us (His people, not everyone) in Him
(Jesus) before the creation of the world to be holy
and blameless in His sight. In love he predestined us
to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in
accordance with His pleasure and will."
Ephesians 1:3-4
Since salvation is based on God's sovereign will, then those chosen have no
reason for boasting. Salvation, faith, and grace are all gifts from God.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith --
and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not
by works, so that no one can boast."
Ephesians 2:8-9
All the good works we do were planned by God from the beginning.
"For we are God's workmanship ("work of art),
created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which
God prepared in advance for us to do."
Ephesians 2:10
God's election is based on His purpose and not on anything good the elect do.
"Yet, before the twins were born or had done
anything good or bad -- in order that God's
purpose in election might stand: not by works
but by Him who calls -- she (Rebekah) was told,
'The older will serve the younger.' Just as it is
written: Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.' "
Romans 9:11-13
Salvation depends on God and not man.
"It (salvation) does not, therefore depend on man's
desire or effort, but on God's mercy.
... Therefore, God has mercy on whom He wants
to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to
harden."
Romans 9:16, 18
There is no reason for a person to boast about any virtue in himself that led
God to save him. God chose and saved him because of His own sovereign in-
tentions.
"But God chose the foolish things of the world to
shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the
world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly
things of the world and the despised things -- and
the things that are not -- to nullify the things that
are, so that no one may boast before Him.
"It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus,
who has become for us wisdom from God -- that
is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.
Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts
boast in the Lord."
1 Corinthians 1:27-31
Saturday, October 20, 2012
1689 LBCF: Of God's Decree
Faithful Baptists from the seventeenth century proved that they believed the Bible's
declaration of the sovereignty of God over everything. He didn't just create the
world and sit back and watch His creation, stepping in only when things went wrong.
God is in control of whatever comes to pass, according to His glory and purpose.
1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith
Chapter 3: Of God's Decree
1. God hath decreed in himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel
of his own will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever comes to pass; yet so
as thereby is God neither the author of sin nor hath fellowship with any therein; nor is
violence offered to the will of the creature, nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second
causes taken away, but rather established; in which appears his wisdom in disposing all
things, and power and faithfulness in accomplishing his decree.
(Isaiah 46:10; Ephesians 1:11; Romans 9:15; Acts 4:27,28; John 19:11; Numbers 23:19)
2. Although God knoweth whatsoever may or can come to pass, upon all supposed
conditions, yet hath he not decreed anything, because he foresaw it as future, or as that
which would come to pass upon such conditions.
(Acts 15:18; Romans 9:11, 13, 16, 18)
3. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are
predestinated, or foreordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ, to the praise of his
glorious grace; others being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation, to the praise
of his glorious justice.
(1 Timothy 5:21; Matthew 25:34; Ephesians 1:5,6; Romans 9:22, 23; Jude 4)
4. These angels and men thus predestinated and foreordained, are particulary and un-
changeably designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either
increased or diminished.
(2 Timothy 2:19; John 13:18)
5. Those of mankind that are predestinated to life, God, before the foundation of the
world was laid, according to his eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel
and good pleasure of his will, hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of
his mere free grace and love, without any other thing in the creature as a condition or
cause moving him thereunto.
(Ephesians 1:4, 9, 11; Romans 8:30; 2 Timothy 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; Romans 9:13;
16; Ephesians 2:5, 12)
Sunday, October 14, 2012
God's Decree
"God's decree is His purpose or determination with
respect to all that shall come to pass. The divine
decree is singular. There is no series of decrees in
God, but simply one comprehensive plan, embracing
all that comes to pass."
James Montgomery Boice
**********
God decreed the creation of the world. He deserves the praise of
all of it.
"He set them in place for ever and ever;
He gave a decree that will never pass away."
Psalm 148:6
*****
God determined to make known the mystery of the gospel's being
made known to not only the Jews, but also Gentiles, according to His eternal
purpose.
"His intent was that now, through the church,
the manifold wisdom of God should be made
known to the rulers and authorities in the
heavenly realms, according to His eternal
purpose which He accomplished in Christ
Jesus our Lord."
Ephesians 3:11
*****
God determined to make known His will according to His good
pleasure, through Christ, at the proper time, to put all things under Christ.
"And He made known to us the mystery of His will
according to His good pleasure which He purposed
in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will
have reached their fulfillment -- to bring all things
in heaven and on earth together under one head,
even Christ."
Ephesians 1:9
*****
God chose his people for salvation according to His plan, in
conformity with the purpose of His will.
"In Him (Jesus) we were also chosen,
having been predestined according to
the plan of Him who works out every-
thing in conformity with the purpose
of His will."
Ephesians 1:11
*****
Those whom God foreknew He also predestined and called
and justified and glorified.
"For those God foreknew He also predestined
to be conformed to the likeness of His Son,
that He might be the firstborn among many
brothers. And those He predestined, He also
called; those He called, He also justified;
those He justified, He also glorified."
Romans 8:29-30
*****
From the beginning God called His people to a holy life because
of His own purpose and and through His grace.
"[He] has saved us and called us to a holy life --
not because of anything we have done but be-
cause of His own purpose and grace. This grace
was given in Christ Jesus before the beginning
of time, but it has now been revealed through the
appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has
destroyed death and has brought life and im-
mortality to light through the gospel."
2 Timothy 1:9-10
*****
God chose Jesus from the beginning to redeem His people through
His death on the cross.
"He was chosen before the creation of the world,
but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him
from the dead and glorified Him, and so your faith
and hope are in God."
1 Peter 1:20-21
*****
"Every detail of the crucifixion of Christ was under the sovereign
control of God and in accord with His eternal purposes. The fact that Judas'
betrayal was part of God's plan does not free him from the guilt of a crime
he entered into willfully. God's sovereignty is never a legitimate excuse for
human guilt."
John MacArthur
ESV Commentary
(Jesus said),"For the Son of Man will go as it has
been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays him."
Luke 22:22
*****
Jesus was handed over for crucifixion to wicked men through God's
set purpose and foreknowledge.
"... this Jesus, delivered up according to the
definite plan and foreknowledge of God,
you crucified and killed by the hands of
lawlessness men."
Acts 2:23
*****
The LORD decreed whatever may come to pass. Nothing takes God
by surprise.
"Who can speak and have it happen
if the Lord has not decreed it? Is
it not from the mouth of the Most
High that both calamities and good
things come?"
Lamentations 3:37
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