So far, we've learned that we are all sinners in need of a Savior, and that God gives to us (His people) the repentance and faith we need, to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation.
In addition, we've seen that God elects or chooses His people for salvation, according to His good pleasure, not because of anything we might do.
The ultimate purpose of election to salvation is the glory of God.
Is God totally sovereign in regard to salvation, or is it up to each person to "decide" to "accept" Jesus as Savior? "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).
Therefore, salvation is not our choice, will or decision. It is God's!
This passage also makes clear that only those who have RECEIVED Jesus and BELIEVED IN HIS NAME, are called "children of God." Remember that the next time you hear someone say, "well, we're all God's children." That's not true!
Why do some believe and others do not? Is it because some are more intelligent or quicker to discern their need for salvation? Romans 3:9-12 : "What shall we (saints) conclude then? Are we any better?
Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin."
"As it is written, 'There is no one righteous, not even one; there is NO ONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, NO ONE WHO SEEKS GOD. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; THERE IS NO ONE WHO DOES GOOD, NOT EVEN ONE.'"
Romans 8:6-8 : "The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 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."
A.W. Pink, theologian and prolific author wrote, "It is God Himself who makes the difference between the elect and non-elect, for of His own it is written - 'We know also that the Son of God has come and HAS GIVEN US UNDERSTANDING, so that we may know him who is true'" (1 John 5:20).
God has given unbelievers over to the "sinful desires of their hearts" (Romans 1:24), and "shameful lusts" (Romans 1:26). "Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth" (Romans 2:2).
Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1:3-5 : "According to His great mercy, He has CAUSED US TO BE BORN AGAIN to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who BY GOD'S POWER are being guarded through faith FOR A SALVATION ready to be revealed in the last time."
In verse two of the same chapter, Peter informs us to whom he is writing this letter: "To those who are elect exiles ... according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ ..." .
Many hold to the traditional belief that God "foreknew" who would believe in Him, and as a result, God "chose" that person for salvation, for that reason. But whenever God's "foreknowledge" is mentioned in the Bible, it is referring to God's foreknowledge of someONE, not someTHING (although God certainly knows everything that will ever happen before it happens).
God's foreknowledge means that He has an intimate relationship with a person. John 10:14-15 : (Jesus said), "I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep." Jesus is speaking of His children (believers) here.
On the other hand, Jesus tells unbelievers, "I never knew you, depart from me you workers of lawlessness" (Matthew 7:23). Of course, Jesus "knows" who everyone is - He created them - but He doesn't have a close, intimate relationship with unbelievers. He has that only with believers.
********************************************************************************
In part four we will look at the "fairness" of God's divine election.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Does Jesus Need My Permission To Save Me? Part 2
In part one, we noted that man needs repentance and faith to be saved, and we established that both are gifts from God. Faith and repentance are not something that comes from within us, but are granted to us by God.
Giving us these things is not all God has done for us, of course. Let's go back to the beginning - before the foundation of the world.
Ephesians 1:4-14 - "For He CHOSE US IN HIM 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 - to the praise of HIS GLORIOUS GRACE, which HE HAS FREELY GIVEN US in the ONE he loves."
"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."
"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."
"IN HIM WE WERE ALSO CHOSEN, HAVING BEEN PREDESTINED ACCORDING TO THE PLAN OF HIM WHO WORKS OUT EVERYTING IN CONFORMITY WITH THE PURPOSE OF HIS WILL, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory."
"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
HAVING BELIEVED, YOU WERE MARKED IN HIM WITH A SEAL, THE PROMISED HOLY SPIRIT, WHO IS A DEPOSIT GUARANTEEING OUR INHERITANCE UNTIL THE REDEMPTION OF THOSE WHO ARE GOD'S POSSESSION - TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY."
John MacArthur writes, "The doctrine of election is emphasized throughout Scripture (Deut. 7:6; Isa 45:4; John 6:44; Acts 13:48; Rom. 8:29; 9:11; 1 Thess. 1:3-4; 2 Thess 2:13; 2 Tim. 2:10; 1 Pet. 1:2). The form of the Greek verb behind "chose" indicates that God not only chose by Himself but for Himself to the praise of His own glory" (Eph. 1:6, 12, 14).
"God's election or predestination does not operate apart from or nullify man's responsibility to believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior" (Matt. 3:1-2; 4:17; John 5:40).
(To be declared holy and blameless) means "unrighteous persons are declared righteous, unworthy sinners are declared worthy of salvation, all because they are chosen "in Him" (Christ). This refers to Christ's imputed righteousness to us (2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9), a perfect righteousness which places believers in a holy and blameless positon before God."
(Adoption) means "God miraculously give His own nature to those whom He has elected and who have trusted in Christ. He makes them His children in the image of His Son, giving them not just Christ's riches and blessings but also His very nature" (John 15:15; Rom. 8:15).
"THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF ELECTION TO SALVATION IS THE GLORY OF GOD" (Eph. 1:12, 14; Phil. 2:13; 2 Thess. 1:11-12).
(Sealed with the Holy Spirit) means "God's own Spirit comes to indwell the believer and secures and preserves His eternal salvation. The Holy Spirit is given by God as His pledge of the believer's future inheritance in glory" (2 Cor. 1:21).
********************************************************************************
In Ephesians 1:1, Paul tells us to whom he is writing this letter: The SAINTS (Christians, believers, elect, the chosen ones of God). When he uses the words "us," "we," and also "you," he is referring to the saints or elect, not to everyone in the world.
Unbelievers are not "chosen," "predestined," "adopted," or "marked" in Him. Those words apply only to God's people.
So, as you can see from all the above, God is the one who does the choosing and deciding in regards to salvation.
The answer to the question in the title of this series is "No, Jesus does not need our permission to save us." Yes, we do need to repent and trust in Him, but as we've shown, repentance and faith are gifts from God, that he "lavishes upon us," because He loves us.
If He didn't give them to us, we would never come to Him and believe (more about this in parts six and seven).
Repentance and faith and salvation, all come TOTALLY from God, not from within us.
What a wonderful God He is to choose, predestine, adopt, and mark US, His people, for salvation!!!
************************************************************************************
In part three, we'll look even more closely at God's sovereignty in salvation.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Does Jesus Need My Permission To Save Me?
INTRODUCTION
Have you ever thought about the answer to that question? Are we in charge of our salvation, or is God? Or is it a combination of the two?
Can we as pitiful, weak, sinful human beings thwart God's plan to save us, even if He decreed our salvation before the world was created?
Who is the "ultimate decider" of our final destiny? Is it our "choice," or is it God's?
Is God sovereign (in control) over EVERYTHING, including salvation, or is that the one thing God leaves in our own hands?
Just this morning, I heard a conversation on the radio. They were talking about Tim Tebow, quarterback for the Denver Broncos, who is an outspoken Christian, and a target of some for being so open with his faith.
The caller said that maybe God was the reason for Tebow's success this year, although he then added, "not that I think God decides the outcomes of football games."
I thought to myself, "why not?" If God is sovereign, then He is in control of everything, right? Is God just a passive observer, who sits back and watches over things in the universe, and steps in only when He feels He is really needed?
Or is He actively involved in every little detail of people's lives? If God is not in control of a football game, then He's not really sovereign, is He? What else is He not in control of?
It's been said that, "There's not a leaf that falls, that God does not have His hand in it."
The writer of Proverbs 16:9 tells us, "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps." John MacArthur explains, "Sovereign God overrules the plans of man to fulfill His purposes."
I've asked a lot of questions, and now I hope to answer to them in this series.
Here's part one.
*********************************************************************************
The Savior is waiting to enter your heart.
Why don't you let him come in?
There's nothing in this world to keep you apart,
What is your answer to him?
Time after time he has waited before.
And now he is waiting again,
To see if you're willing to open the door,
Oh, how he wants to come in.
- The Savior Is Waiting
This is the first verse of a popular hymn, written I'm sure with wonderful sentiment, but is the theology behind it biblical? Is God waiting for us to let Him come into our hearts, or will His people be saved as God decrees it?
This song is about salvation, but from what do we need to be saved? The answer: God's wrath!
Romans 2:5 - "But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed."
Because God is holy, righteous, perfect, and just, we (sinners) must pay for the sins we commit against Him. The major theme throughout the Bible (Old and New Testaments) is that sinners need to repent of their sins and trust in God.
Jesus said, "I tell you; unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3).
"Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31).
We need repentance and faith to be saved, but from where do these things come? They are gifts from God!
Ephesians 2:8-9 - "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."
Faith, along with grace and salvation, is a gift from God.
Repentance is also a gift from God.
"God exalted Him to His own right hand as Prince and Savior that He might GIVE REPENTANCE and forgiveness of sins to Israel" (Acts 5:31).
Another verse that shows God grants repentance as a gift is Acts 3:26 ("When God raised up His Servant, He sent Him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways").
Therefore, faith and repentance do not come from within us, but are given to us by God.
We deserve no credit for either.
God provides faith, grace, repentance, and salvation.
I know I haven't answered the question, "Does God need my permission to save me?" but I will, later in this series.
*********************************************************************************
God did something wonderful "before the creation of the world."
Do you know what He did?
I'll tell you about it in part two.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Sovereignty of God and Man's Responsibility in Salvation
Christians, in general, subscribe to one of two belief systems in regards to God's sovereignty and man's responsibility in salvation.
1. SYNERGISM - The belief that salvation involves some form of cooperation between God's divine grace and man's freedom to choose. The emphasis is on TWO subjects (in this case, God and man) ,
working together, leading to the man's salvation.
This theory holds that the soul has not lost in the fall, all inclination toward holiness, nor all power to seek for it under the influence of ordinary motives.
Also, that Jesus died on the cross to make salvation POSSIBLE for anyone who, through faith, "decides" to "accept" Jesus as his personal Savior.
In this system of beliefs, God provides something called "prevenient grace" to a person. This grace
precedes any human decision, and allows a person to use his God-given free will to choose the salvation
offered by God in Jesus Christ, or to reject the offer.
In other words, God leaves it up to man to make the final decision.
In effect, man is the "ultimate decider" in this belief system.
2.MONERGISM - The belief that regeneration (being born again) is the work of Jesus Christ alone
(as applied by the Holy Spirit), not the cooperation of God and man, and not the result of unregenerate man meeting a condition (such as faith) before regeneration takes place.
The prefix "mono" means "one," "single," or "alone," while ergon means "to work." Together, it means "the work of one" (in this case, God).
This system teaches that because of the sinful condition passed on from Adam, man is unable to please God, and CANNOT come to Him for salvation on his own. God provides everything man needs for salvation, including a new heart to believe and understand the gospel.
Repentance and faith on the man's part are necessary, but they are gifts from God, not something man does on his own.
God is the "Ultimate Decider" in this belief system.
This system also holds that Jesus' death was an "actual" or "effectual" atonement for those who believe, not one that makes salvation "possible."
***************************************************************************
I was a synergist most of my life, even though I was unfamiliar with the term until about three years ago.
That's when I began studying "reformed theology."
Almost immediately, it was as if a light was turned on in a dimly lit room, and I could see clearly.
Now, I have better understanding of the gospel, salvation, repentance, and faith, and how God has sovereignty over all of it.
******************************************************************************
In my next blog post, I'll take a closer look at God's sovereignty and man's responsibility in salvation, in a series entitled, "Does Jesus Need My Permission To Save Me?"
1. SYNERGISM - The belief that salvation involves some form of cooperation between God's divine grace and man's freedom to choose. The emphasis is on TWO subjects (in this case, God and man) ,
working together, leading to the man's salvation.
This theory holds that the soul has not lost in the fall, all inclination toward holiness, nor all power to seek for it under the influence of ordinary motives.
Also, that Jesus died on the cross to make salvation POSSIBLE for anyone who, through faith, "decides" to "accept" Jesus as his personal Savior.
In this system of beliefs, God provides something called "prevenient grace" to a person. This grace
precedes any human decision, and allows a person to use his God-given free will to choose the salvation
offered by God in Jesus Christ, or to reject the offer.
In other words, God leaves it up to man to make the final decision.
In effect, man is the "ultimate decider" in this belief system.
2.MONERGISM - The belief that regeneration (being born again) is the work of Jesus Christ alone
(as applied by the Holy Spirit), not the cooperation of God and man, and not the result of unregenerate man meeting a condition (such as faith) before regeneration takes place.
The prefix "mono" means "one," "single," or "alone," while ergon means "to work." Together, it means "the work of one" (in this case, God).
This system teaches that because of the sinful condition passed on from Adam, man is unable to please God, and CANNOT come to Him for salvation on his own. God provides everything man needs for salvation, including a new heart to believe and understand the gospel.
Repentance and faith on the man's part are necessary, but they are gifts from God, not something man does on his own.
God is the "Ultimate Decider" in this belief system.
This system also holds that Jesus' death was an "actual" or "effectual" atonement for those who believe, not one that makes salvation "possible."
***************************************************************************
I was a synergist most of my life, even though I was unfamiliar with the term until about three years ago.
That's when I began studying "reformed theology."
Almost immediately, it was as if a light was turned on in a dimly lit room, and I could see clearly.
Now, I have better understanding of the gospel, salvation, repentance, and faith, and how God has sovereignty over all of it.
******************************************************************************
In my next blog post, I'll take a closer look at God's sovereignty and man's responsibility in salvation, in a series entitled, "Does Jesus Need My Permission To Save Me?"
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Does Jesus Draw Everybody To Himself?
(Jesus said), "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." John 12:32
Does the word "all" in John 12:32, mean every person in the world will be drawn to Jesus?
Before we dive into that particular verse, let's look at what other passages in the Bible have to say about God's drawing people to Himself. I'll use some deductive reasoning, examine the context of the verse, and also take a close look at how the word "all" is used in the Bible.
First, I'll define two terms: deduction and logic.
Deduction- The deriving of a conclusion by reasoning.
Logic- Sound reasoning.
(Jesus said), "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day." John 6:44
In case you missed how profound this verse is regarding salvation, I'll repeat it.
"NO ONE CAN COME TO ME unless the Father who sent me DRAWS HIM. And I WILL RAISE HIM UP on the last day."
These words of Jesus lead us to some conclusions:
1. Only those the Father draws to Jesus will come to Him. This is a limited number.
2. On the last day, Jesus will raise the ones the Father draws to Him.
3. God does not draw EVERYONE, because many will not be raised (because of their unbelief).
(Jesus said), "...unless you believe I AM you will die in your sins" (John 8:24b). In other words you will not be raised.
(Jesus also said), "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out." John 6:37
Once again, some conclusions can be drawn from this verse:
1. God does NOT give EVERYONE to Jesus. He gives only SOME people to Jesus (this is
called ELECTION - Ephesians 1:3-14).
2. Everyone will NOT come to Jesus. Only the limited number of people God gives to Jesus
will come to Him, because we know many will be cast into the lake of fire ("And if anyone's
name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire"- Rev.
20:15).
3. Jesus will cast out many and not raise them up.
4. EVERYONE the Father gives (or draws) to Jesus, WILL come to Him, and He will not
cast them out, and will raise them up on the last day.
THE WORD ALL
We tend to assume that Jesus is referring to every person in the world when He refers to drawing
"all men," but the context defines the meaning of the word "all."
For example, in a meeting of department heads, called by a manager, he may ask, "Are we ALL here?" or "Is EVERYONE here?" Obviously, he is referring to department heads, not every person in the world. The word "all" is used within a context.
The manager is not referring to all major league baseball players, or all doctors in the country. To take the word "all" out of context and say the manager was referring to every person on earth, would be a total misinterpretation of the word's usage. Context defines the interpretation.
Let's look at some other passages of scripture and see how the word "all" is used in context.
1. Isaiah 25:8a- (Referring to the end times) "The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from ALL faces." Will God wipe away the tears of those who have been cast into hell because of their unbelief? No! Only believers will have their tears wiped away.
2. Luke 2:1- "A decree went out from Caesar Augustus that ALL THE WORLD should be registered "(or taxed). The whole world? The Roman Empire was vast, but even it did not cover the entire planet.
3. Colossians 3:11- "Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is "ALL' and is in "ALL." The NIV commentary says, "Christ transcends all barriers and unifies people from all cultures, races, and nations. Such distinctions are no longer significant. Christ alone matters."
4. 1 Corinthians 15:22- "For as in Adam "ALL" die, so in Christ "ALL" will be made alive." NIV commentary says, "All who are in Adam - his descendants - suffer death. All who are in Christ - related to Him by faith - will be made alive at the resurrection" (John 5:25).
The Greek word for "all" is "pas," which according to the universally accepted, respected, and used
Strong's Greek Lexicon means: 1. Individually
1a) each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything
2. Collectively
2a) SOME OF ALL TYPES
The lexicon makes the point that "all" usually does not mean "all" as we often use it in English. In fact, it rarely does. Christ has redeemed "some of all sorts" (Some Jews, some Gentiles, some rich, some poor, and has not restricted His redemption to Jews or Gentiles only).
Revelation 5:9b - "With your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation."
CONTEXT
John 12:20-22 reveals the context of verse 32. Some Greeks had come to Philip, seeking Jesus.
Dr. James White, in his book 'The Potter's Freedom,' describes the setting: "John 12 narrates the final events of Jesus' public ministry. After this particular incident, the Lord will go into a period of private ministry to His disciples right before He goes to the cross. The final words of Jesus' public teachings are prompted by the arrival of Greeks who are seeking Jesus."
"This important turn of events prompts the teaching that follows. Jesus is now being sought by non- Jews, Gentiles. It is when Jesus is informed of this that He says, 'The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.'" THIS IS THE CONTEXT which leads to Jesus' words in verse 32: 'And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.'"
"Lifted up" refers to Jesus' death on the cross, through which Jesus will draw all kinds of men, all kinds of people to Himself, including Jews and non-Jews. We should understand that the Jews were astonished that Jesus would say that He would draw people who were not Jews to Himself. Jesus wanted to make it clear to the Jews that even some Gentiles would be saved.
So does the Bible teach that everyone is drawn to the cross? 1 Corinthians 1:22-24 says, "For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God."
Dr. James White continues, " Christ is the power and wisdom to "the called," while the cross of Christ is foolishness to the world. These considerations along with the immediate context of the Gentiles seeking Christ, make it clear that if He is lifted up in crucifixion, He will draw all men, Jews and Gentiles, to Himself. This is exactly the same as saying that he has sheep not of this fold (John 10:16), the Gentiles, who become one body in Christ" (Ephesians 2:13-16).
If we assume that God draws every single person to Himself, then we end up with the unbiblical doctrine of universalism (everyone will be saved). Of course scripture teaches that not all will inherit eternal life (Revelation 20:11-15).
God has a Sovereign purpose for drawing His people to Himself, from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation!
Sources: John Samson
James White
Mark Kielar
Does the word "all" in John 12:32, mean every person in the world will be drawn to Jesus?
Before we dive into that particular verse, let's look at what other passages in the Bible have to say about God's drawing people to Himself. I'll use some deductive reasoning, examine the context of the verse, and also take a close look at how the word "all" is used in the Bible.
First, I'll define two terms: deduction and logic.
Deduction- The deriving of a conclusion by reasoning.
Logic- Sound reasoning.
(Jesus said), "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day." John 6:44
In case you missed how profound this verse is regarding salvation, I'll repeat it.
"NO ONE CAN COME TO ME unless the Father who sent me DRAWS HIM. And I WILL RAISE HIM UP on the last day."
These words of Jesus lead us to some conclusions:
1. Only those the Father draws to Jesus will come to Him. This is a limited number.
2. On the last day, Jesus will raise the ones the Father draws to Him.
3. God does not draw EVERYONE, because many will not be raised (because of their unbelief).
(Jesus said), "...unless you believe I AM you will die in your sins" (John 8:24b). In other words you will not be raised.
(Jesus also said), "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out." John 6:37
Once again, some conclusions can be drawn from this verse:
1. God does NOT give EVERYONE to Jesus. He gives only SOME people to Jesus (this is
called ELECTION - Ephesians 1:3-14).
2. Everyone will NOT come to Jesus. Only the limited number of people God gives to Jesus
will come to Him, because we know many will be cast into the lake of fire ("And if anyone's
name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire"- Rev.
20:15).
3. Jesus will cast out many and not raise them up.
4. EVERYONE the Father gives (or draws) to Jesus, WILL come to Him, and He will not
cast them out, and will raise them up on the last day.
THE WORD ALL
We tend to assume that Jesus is referring to every person in the world when He refers to drawing
"all men," but the context defines the meaning of the word "all."
For example, in a meeting of department heads, called by a manager, he may ask, "Are we ALL here?" or "Is EVERYONE here?" Obviously, he is referring to department heads, not every person in the world. The word "all" is used within a context.
The manager is not referring to all major league baseball players, or all doctors in the country. To take the word "all" out of context and say the manager was referring to every person on earth, would be a total misinterpretation of the word's usage. Context defines the interpretation.
Let's look at some other passages of scripture and see how the word "all" is used in context.
1. Isaiah 25:8a- (Referring to the end times) "The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from ALL faces." Will God wipe away the tears of those who have been cast into hell because of their unbelief? No! Only believers will have their tears wiped away.
2. Luke 2:1- "A decree went out from Caesar Augustus that ALL THE WORLD should be registered "(or taxed). The whole world? The Roman Empire was vast, but even it did not cover the entire planet.
3. Colossians 3:11- "Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is "ALL' and is in "ALL." The NIV commentary says, "Christ transcends all barriers and unifies people from all cultures, races, and nations. Such distinctions are no longer significant. Christ alone matters."
4. 1 Corinthians 15:22- "For as in Adam "ALL" die, so in Christ "ALL" will be made alive." NIV commentary says, "All who are in Adam - his descendants - suffer death. All who are in Christ - related to Him by faith - will be made alive at the resurrection" (John 5:25).
The Greek word for "all" is "pas," which according to the universally accepted, respected, and used
Strong's Greek Lexicon means: 1. Individually
1a) each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything
2. Collectively
2a) SOME OF ALL TYPES
The lexicon makes the point that "all" usually does not mean "all" as we often use it in English. In fact, it rarely does. Christ has redeemed "some of all sorts" (Some Jews, some Gentiles, some rich, some poor, and has not restricted His redemption to Jews or Gentiles only).
Revelation 5:9b - "With your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation."
CONTEXT
John 12:20-22 reveals the context of verse 32. Some Greeks had come to Philip, seeking Jesus.
Dr. James White, in his book 'The Potter's Freedom,' describes the setting: "John 12 narrates the final events of Jesus' public ministry. After this particular incident, the Lord will go into a period of private ministry to His disciples right before He goes to the cross. The final words of Jesus' public teachings are prompted by the arrival of Greeks who are seeking Jesus."
"This important turn of events prompts the teaching that follows. Jesus is now being sought by non- Jews, Gentiles. It is when Jesus is informed of this that He says, 'The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.'" THIS IS THE CONTEXT which leads to Jesus' words in verse 32: 'And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.'"
"Lifted up" refers to Jesus' death on the cross, through which Jesus will draw all kinds of men, all kinds of people to Himself, including Jews and non-Jews. We should understand that the Jews were astonished that Jesus would say that He would draw people who were not Jews to Himself. Jesus wanted to make it clear to the Jews that even some Gentiles would be saved.
So does the Bible teach that everyone is drawn to the cross? 1 Corinthians 1:22-24 says, "For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God."
Dr. James White continues, " Christ is the power and wisdom to "the called," while the cross of Christ is foolishness to the world. These considerations along with the immediate context of the Gentiles seeking Christ, make it clear that if He is lifted up in crucifixion, He will draw all men, Jews and Gentiles, to Himself. This is exactly the same as saying that he has sheep not of this fold (John 10:16), the Gentiles, who become one body in Christ" (Ephesians 2:13-16).
If we assume that God draws every single person to Himself, then we end up with the unbiblical doctrine of universalism (everyone will be saved). Of course scripture teaches that not all will inherit eternal life (Revelation 20:11-15).
God has a Sovereign purpose for drawing His people to Himself, from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation!
Sources: John Samson
James White
Mark Kielar
Friday, November 11, 2011
Was Adam Real?
There's a movement gaining momentum throughout the church today, even in conservative evangelical circles, that promotes the concept that Adam represented mankind, and was not a literal, single, individual, person.
This idea comes about primarily to accomodate the advocates' belief in theistic evolution (that God is the creator of all life and biological evolution is simply a natural process within the creation). Let's look at evidence from the Old and New testaments, to see if this thinking is compatible with the Biblical story of creation, and the theme of the Bible, that God will save His people.
Old Testament
1. Genesis chapters 1-4 are written as prose or historical narrative and Adam is presented as a real person in a real place and time.
Genesis chapters 1-11 contain 64 geographical terms, 88 personal names, 48 generic names, and at least 21 identifiable cultural items, such as wood, metals, buildings, musical instruments, etc.
2. Dates for events in Adam's life: He begat a son in his own image at the age of 130 years named Seth, and lived 800 more years after that and died at the age of 930 years (these are specific numbers).
3. Genesis is seamless history without an obvious transition from non-historical to historical (Abraham, Jacob, etc). The phrase, "These are the generations of" includes Adam along with Noah, Abraham, etc.
4. All biblical geneologies trace the human race back to one man-Adam. The geneology of the first chapter of 1 Chronicles presents Adam with numerous other undisputed historic individual people. There are gaps, but there is no hint that some parts of it are historical and others are not.
New Testament
1. In Matthew 19:3-9, Jesus answered a question on divorce by referring to God's institution of marriage with Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:21-25). His point would have no point if neither ever existed.
2. Luke, a historian, wanted to show that Jesus was the savior of Jews and Gentiles. Christ's geneology (Luke 2:23-38) can be traced back to the first man, and father of all humanity-Adam. It would undermine Luke's argument to be using a mythical figure to make a theological point.
3. Paul refers to Adam in Acts 17:26, when he says "God made from one man every nation of mankind," so we should trust one another, as made in God's image, and obey Him. A few verses later, v.31, Paul preaches the resurrection of Christ.
If Paul begins his presentation of the gospel with a myth why should he be believed when he presents the resurrection in the same sermon?
To teach that one (creation of man) is a myth and other (resurrection of Jesus) is true, is illogical and arbitrary.
4. In Romans 5:12-21, Paul parallels Adam's representative role with Christ's. One acted for many. He underlines the historicity of Adam by speaking of a period when death reigned, as being from Adam to Moses. "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned- - for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law (Romans 5:12-13)."How could sin spread to all men if Adam is generalized humanity?
Adam is described as a "type" of one to come (Christ). "Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many (Romans 5:14-15)."
In the Bible, a "type" is always an historical person, action or event appointed by God to be a foreshadowing, a pointer, to the fulfillment, yet to come in Christ. It is a redemptive history. A type is not merely an allegory, but an historical reality.
John MacArthur illustrates the importance of Jesus' redemption of His people, because of the sin that Adam committed. He writes, "Adam passed to all his descendants the inherent sinful nature he possessed because of his first disobedience. When Adam sinned, all mankind sinned in his loins.
Because all humanity existed in the loins of Adam, and have through procreation inherited his falleness and depravity, it can be said that all sinned in him." Thus the need for Jesus to come as Savior.
Al Mohler explains, " This is Paul's way of telling the story of the Bible and the meaning of the Gospel. If Adam was not a historical figure, and thus if there was no Fall into sin, and all humanity did not thus sin in Adam, then Paul's telling of the Gospel is wrong. Furthermore, Paul was simply mistaken to believe that Adam had been a real human being."
5. Paul contrasts Adam and Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:20-22, 44-49. While the death of Adam causes the death of his descendants, the resurrection of Christ causes the resurrection of His people. If Adam is mythical, perhaps Jesus is too.
Al Mohler writes, "The denial of a Adam and Eve as the first human pair severes the link between Adam and Christ which is so crucial to the gospel. If we do not know how the story of the Gospel begins, then we do not know what that story means. Make no mistake: a false start to the story produces a false grasp of the Gospel."
Mohler continues, "Adam acts, speaks, marries, reproduces, dies, and is listed in the geneolgy of Jesus."
The Bible makes clear that sin entered the world through one man, Adam, and redemption comes through one man, Jesus!
Jesus was real and so was Adam!
Sources: Reformation Theology
John MacArthur
Al Mohler
The Bible
This idea comes about primarily to accomodate the advocates' belief in theistic evolution (that God is the creator of all life and biological evolution is simply a natural process within the creation). Let's look at evidence from the Old and New testaments, to see if this thinking is compatible with the Biblical story of creation, and the theme of the Bible, that God will save His people.
Old Testament
1. Genesis chapters 1-4 are written as prose or historical narrative and Adam is presented as a real person in a real place and time.
Genesis chapters 1-11 contain 64 geographical terms, 88 personal names, 48 generic names, and at least 21 identifiable cultural items, such as wood, metals, buildings, musical instruments, etc.
2. Dates for events in Adam's life: He begat a son in his own image at the age of 130 years named Seth, and lived 800 more years after that and died at the age of 930 years (these are specific numbers).
3. Genesis is seamless history without an obvious transition from non-historical to historical (Abraham, Jacob, etc). The phrase, "These are the generations of" includes Adam along with Noah, Abraham, etc.
4. All biblical geneologies trace the human race back to one man-Adam. The geneology of the first chapter of 1 Chronicles presents Adam with numerous other undisputed historic individual people. There are gaps, but there is no hint that some parts of it are historical and others are not.
New Testament
1. In Matthew 19:3-9, Jesus answered a question on divorce by referring to God's institution of marriage with Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:21-25). His point would have no point if neither ever existed.
2. Luke, a historian, wanted to show that Jesus was the savior of Jews and Gentiles. Christ's geneology (Luke 2:23-38) can be traced back to the first man, and father of all humanity-Adam. It would undermine Luke's argument to be using a mythical figure to make a theological point.
3. Paul refers to Adam in Acts 17:26, when he says "God made from one man every nation of mankind," so we should trust one another, as made in God's image, and obey Him. A few verses later, v.31, Paul preaches the resurrection of Christ.
If Paul begins his presentation of the gospel with a myth why should he be believed when he presents the resurrection in the same sermon?
To teach that one (creation of man) is a myth and other (resurrection of Jesus) is true, is illogical and arbitrary.
4. In Romans 5:12-21, Paul parallels Adam's representative role with Christ's. One acted for many. He underlines the historicity of Adam by speaking of a period when death reigned, as being from Adam to Moses. "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned- - for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law (Romans 5:12-13)."How could sin spread to all men if Adam is generalized humanity?
Adam is described as a "type" of one to come (Christ). "Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many (Romans 5:14-15)."
In the Bible, a "type" is always an historical person, action or event appointed by God to be a foreshadowing, a pointer, to the fulfillment, yet to come in Christ. It is a redemptive history. A type is not merely an allegory, but an historical reality.
John MacArthur illustrates the importance of Jesus' redemption of His people, because of the sin that Adam committed. He writes, "Adam passed to all his descendants the inherent sinful nature he possessed because of his first disobedience. When Adam sinned, all mankind sinned in his loins.
Because all humanity existed in the loins of Adam, and have through procreation inherited his falleness and depravity, it can be said that all sinned in him." Thus the need for Jesus to come as Savior.
Al Mohler explains, " This is Paul's way of telling the story of the Bible and the meaning of the Gospel. If Adam was not a historical figure, and thus if there was no Fall into sin, and all humanity did not thus sin in Adam, then Paul's telling of the Gospel is wrong. Furthermore, Paul was simply mistaken to believe that Adam had been a real human being."
5. Paul contrasts Adam and Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:20-22, 44-49. While the death of Adam causes the death of his descendants, the resurrection of Christ causes the resurrection of His people. If Adam is mythical, perhaps Jesus is too.
Al Mohler writes, "The denial of a Adam and Eve as the first human pair severes the link between Adam and Christ which is so crucial to the gospel. If we do not know how the story of the Gospel begins, then we do not know what that story means. Make no mistake: a false start to the story produces a false grasp of the Gospel."
Mohler continues, "Adam acts, speaks, marries, reproduces, dies, and is listed in the geneolgy of Jesus."
The Bible makes clear that sin entered the world through one man, Adam, and redemption comes through one man, Jesus!
Jesus was real and so was Adam!
Sources: Reformation Theology
John MacArthur
Al Mohler
The Bible
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Tigers and Lions and Saints....Oh My!
What a week it's been in the world of football!
LSU wins its biggest regular season game in... well, maybe ever, beating Alabama 9-6, in overtime.
The Saints continued their up and down season with an up note, beating Tampa Bay, a team they lost to three weeks earlier.
Of course, the last few days, the biggest story has been the child sexual abuse and perjury charges coming out of Penn St.
Starting in Baton Rouge, things have been relatively quiet compared to the unbelievable hype of the previous two weeks leading up to the Bama game. LSU's defense deserves most of the credit for the hard fought victory.
Both offenses struggled against the other team's superior defense, but the Tigers' kicking game (field goals and punting) was the difference.
Looking ahead for LSU: 1) Jarrett Lee struggled at QB, throwing two straight interceptions, after having only one passed intercepted through the first games, so who is the #1 QB now?
Jordan Jefferson ran the offense pretty well, making no major blunders, but leading the team to only two field goals in regulation.
I hope Lee gets a chance to redeem himself against Western Kentucky, because the team is going to need him if it is going to win the national championship.
Sticking strictly with Jefferson, means going back to the offense that struggled mightily the last two seasons, especially throwing the ball. More Jefferson means less Rueben Randle, because Lee and Randle have better chemistry.
Lee will be needed without a doubt when the offense can't move the ball in upcoming games.
2)The upcoming schedule: LSU should win the next two games (West. Kentucky and Ole Miss), but then comes probably the greatest chance for a loss the rest of the way for the Tigers.
If the Razorbacks are able to come into Baton Rouge and win, then there would most likely be a three way tie for first in the west (LSU, Arkansas, and Alabama). I don't know what the tiebreaker would be, but most likely the highest ranked team would play in the conference championship against Georgia or South Carolina.
Georgia has won seven in a row, after dropping its first two games of the season. They will not be easy to beat in the Georgia Dome if they win the east. If LSU just plays the way it's been playing, then the Tigers WILL play for the national championship against OK St., Stanford, or Boise St.
*************************************************************************
Staying in Louisiana, the Saints are really hard to figure out this season. They lost the close one to Green Bay on the road, then won four in a row, but have gone 2-2 since then.
They lost to Tampa Bay in a game that they should have won, then destroyed the Colts, and looked like the best team in the league.
They then followed up that game with their worst outing of the year, losing to the previously winless Rams in St. Louis.
Continuing their up and down ways, they beat the Bucs last Sunday to avenge the earlier loss in Tampa Bay.
Looking ahead: The Saints travel to Atlanta on Sunday and can take a 1 1/2 game lead over the Falcons with a win, but a loss will put them 1/2 game behind Atlanta. New Orleans needs to improve its defense, especially in the red zone, where it is dead last in the league, and run the ball better if it wants to go any where in the playoffs.
The bottom line is that the Saints probably will have to beat Green Bay at Lambeau Field in January to make it to the Super Bowl. That will be a tough task.
***********************************************************************
The scandal at Penn St. is getting worse by the day, as victim after victim comes forward to implicate former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.
That the alleged sexual abuse of little boys by Sandusky went on for so many years with some strong evidence that something was terribly wrong, is almost unbelievable. Of course, the coverup only made things even worse, costing the president, head coach Joe Paterno, and two other officials their jobs.
The rioting that happened yesterday after the announcement of Paterno's firing was completely uncalled for. It may be nothing more than an excuse for young people to get drunk and vandalize property, more than outrage over what happened to Paterno.
It's a shame that Paterno's career had to end this way, but he should have done more when he was informed about the abuse that was happening right under his nose.
What if one of those little boys had been his grandchild ( I understand he has 17 grandkids)? I bet he would have done a lot more if that had been the case.
What happened to those boys is much more important than Joe Paterno's job and a football game on Saturday against Nebraska.
LSU wins its biggest regular season game in... well, maybe ever, beating Alabama 9-6, in overtime.
The Saints continued their up and down season with an up note, beating Tampa Bay, a team they lost to three weeks earlier.
Of course, the last few days, the biggest story has been the child sexual abuse and perjury charges coming out of Penn St.
Starting in Baton Rouge, things have been relatively quiet compared to the unbelievable hype of the previous two weeks leading up to the Bama game. LSU's defense deserves most of the credit for the hard fought victory.
Both offenses struggled against the other team's superior defense, but the Tigers' kicking game (field goals and punting) was the difference.
Looking ahead for LSU: 1) Jarrett Lee struggled at QB, throwing two straight interceptions, after having only one passed intercepted through the first games, so who is the #1 QB now?
Jordan Jefferson ran the offense pretty well, making no major blunders, but leading the team to only two field goals in regulation.
I hope Lee gets a chance to redeem himself against Western Kentucky, because the team is going to need him if it is going to win the national championship.
Sticking strictly with Jefferson, means going back to the offense that struggled mightily the last two seasons, especially throwing the ball. More Jefferson means less Rueben Randle, because Lee and Randle have better chemistry.
Lee will be needed without a doubt when the offense can't move the ball in upcoming games.
2)The upcoming schedule: LSU should win the next two games (West. Kentucky and Ole Miss), but then comes probably the greatest chance for a loss the rest of the way for the Tigers.
If the Razorbacks are able to come into Baton Rouge and win, then there would most likely be a three way tie for first in the west (LSU, Arkansas, and Alabama). I don't know what the tiebreaker would be, but most likely the highest ranked team would play in the conference championship against Georgia or South Carolina.
Georgia has won seven in a row, after dropping its first two games of the season. They will not be easy to beat in the Georgia Dome if they win the east. If LSU just plays the way it's been playing, then the Tigers WILL play for the national championship against OK St., Stanford, or Boise St.
*************************************************************************
Staying in Louisiana, the Saints are really hard to figure out this season. They lost the close one to Green Bay on the road, then won four in a row, but have gone 2-2 since then.
They lost to Tampa Bay in a game that they should have won, then destroyed the Colts, and looked like the best team in the league.
They then followed up that game with their worst outing of the year, losing to the previously winless Rams in St. Louis.
Continuing their up and down ways, they beat the Bucs last Sunday to avenge the earlier loss in Tampa Bay.
Looking ahead: The Saints travel to Atlanta on Sunday and can take a 1 1/2 game lead over the Falcons with a win, but a loss will put them 1/2 game behind Atlanta. New Orleans needs to improve its defense, especially in the red zone, where it is dead last in the league, and run the ball better if it wants to go any where in the playoffs.
The bottom line is that the Saints probably will have to beat Green Bay at Lambeau Field in January to make it to the Super Bowl. That will be a tough task.
***********************************************************************
The scandal at Penn St. is getting worse by the day, as victim after victim comes forward to implicate former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.
That the alleged sexual abuse of little boys by Sandusky went on for so many years with some strong evidence that something was terribly wrong, is almost unbelievable. Of course, the coverup only made things even worse, costing the president, head coach Joe Paterno, and two other officials their jobs.
The rioting that happened yesterday after the announcement of Paterno's firing was completely uncalled for. It may be nothing more than an excuse for young people to get drunk and vandalize property, more than outrage over what happened to Paterno.
It's a shame that Paterno's career had to end this way, but he should have done more when he was informed about the abuse that was happening right under his nose.
What if one of those little boys had been his grandchild ( I understand he has 17 grandkids)? I bet he would have done a lot more if that had been the case.
What happened to those boys is much more important than Joe Paterno's job and a football game on Saturday against Nebraska.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)