Monday, October 21, 2013
Two Views of Election and Redemption
ARMINIANISM (FREE WILL) VS CALVINISM (SOVEREIGN GRACE)
(I believe the Calvinist/Reformed theology is biblically correct).
From In My Place Condemned He Stood:
Celebrating the Atonement, by J.I. Packer
ELECTION
Arminianism
"God's act of election was defined by the Arminians (free will)
as a resolve to receive to sonship and glory a duly qualified class of people:
believers in Christ.
This becomes a resolve to receive individual persons only in virtue
of God's forseeing the contingent fact that they will of their own accord believe.
There is nothing in the decree of election to ensure that the class of believers will
ever have any members; God does not determine to make any man believe.
Calvinism
Calvinists define election as a choice of particular undeserving
persons to be saved from sin and brought to glory, and to that end to be redeemed
by the death of Christ and given faith by the Spirit's effectual calling.
Conclusion
Where the Arminian says: 'I owe my election to my faith,'
the Calvinist says: 'I owe my faith to my election.' Clearly, these two concepts
of election are very far apart."
REDEMPTION
Arminianism
"Christ's work of redemption was defined by the Arminians as the
removing of an obstacle (the unsatisfied claims of justice) that stood in the way
of God's offering pardon to sinners, as he desired to do, on condition that they
believe.
Redemption, according to Arminianism, secured for God a right to
make this offer but did not of itself ensure that anyone would ever accept it;
for faith, being a work of man's own, is not a gift that comes to him from Calvary.
Christ's death created an opportunity for the exercise of saving faith,
but that is all it did.
Calvinism
Calvinists, however, define redemption as Christ's actual substitutionary
endurance of the penalty of sin in the place of certain specified sinners, through which
God was reconciled to them, their liability to punishment was for ever destroyed,
and a title to eternal life was secured for them.
In consequence of this, they now have in God's sight a right to the gift
of faith, as the means of entry into the enjoyment of their inheritance.
Calvary, in other words, not merely made possible the salvation of those
for whom Christ died; it ensured that they would be brought to faith and their salvation
made actual. The cross saves.
Conclusion
Where the Arminian will say only: 'I could not have gained my
salvation without Calvary,' the Calvinist will say: 'Christ gained my salvation
for me at Calvary.'
The former makes the cross the sine qua non (something indispensable
or essential) of salvation; the latter sees it as the actual procuring cause of salvation,
and traces the source of every spiritual blessing, faith included, back to the great
transaction between God and his Son carried through on Calvary's hill.
Clearly, these two concepts of redemption are quite at variance."
***************
(The main point is that Arminianism insists that salvation is a joint, cooperative
effort between God and man, while Calvinism believes that salvation is a miracle
wrought by God's grace that requires no cooperation on man's part.
In fact, man is unable to respond positively to God without being born again first).
Thursday, October 17, 2013
God Saves Sinners
"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves
full acceptance:
Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners -- of whom I am
the worst."
1 Timothy 1:15
****************
From In My Place Condemned He Stood: Celebrating the Glory of Atonement,
by J.I. Packer
"For to Calvinism (Reformed Theology) there is really only one point
to be made in the field of soteriology: the point that God saves sinners.
GOD: the triune Jehovah-Father, Son, and Spirit; three Persons
working together in sovereign wisdom, power, and love to achieve the salvation
of a chosen people, the Father electing, the Son fulfilling the Father's will by
redeeming, the Spirit executing the purpose of Father and Son by renewing
(1 Peter 1:1-2).
SAVES: does everything, first to last, that is involved in bringing
man from death in sin to life in glory: plans, achieves, and communicates
redemption, calls and keeps, justifies, sanctifies, glorifies (Ephesians 1:3-14).
SINNERS: men as God finds them, guilty, vile, helpless, powerless,
blind, unable to lift a finger to do God's will or better their spiritual lot (Romans 8:5-8).
GOD SAVES SINNERS - and the force of this confession may not be
weakened by disrupting the unity of the work of the Trinity, or dividing the
achievement of salvation between God and man and making the decisive part man's
own, or by soft-pedaling the sinner's inability so as to allow him to share the praise
of his salvation with his Savior.
This is the one point of Calvinistic (Reformed) soteriology that the 'five points'
are concerned to establish and Arminianism in all its forms to deny: namely, that
sinners do not save themselves in any sense at all, but that salvation, first and last,
whole and entire, past, present, and future, is of the Lord, to whom be glory for ever,
amen!"
full acceptance:
Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners -- of whom I am
the worst."
1 Timothy 1:15
****************
From In My Place Condemned He Stood: Celebrating the Glory of Atonement,
by J.I. Packer
"For to Calvinism (Reformed Theology) there is really only one point
to be made in the field of soteriology: the point that God saves sinners.
GOD: the triune Jehovah-Father, Son, and Spirit; three Persons
working together in sovereign wisdom, power, and love to achieve the salvation
of a chosen people, the Father electing, the Son fulfilling the Father's will by
redeeming, the Spirit executing the purpose of Father and Son by renewing
(1 Peter 1:1-2).
SAVES: does everything, first to last, that is involved in bringing
man from death in sin to life in glory: plans, achieves, and communicates
redemption, calls and keeps, justifies, sanctifies, glorifies (Ephesians 1:3-14).
SINNERS: men as God finds them, guilty, vile, helpless, powerless,
blind, unable to lift a finger to do God's will or better their spiritual lot (Romans 8:5-8).
GOD SAVES SINNERS - and the force of this confession may not be
weakened by disrupting the unity of the work of the Trinity, or dividing the
achievement of salvation between God and man and making the decisive part man's
own, or by soft-pedaling the sinner's inability so as to allow him to share the praise
of his salvation with his Savior.
This is the one point of Calvinistic (Reformed) soteriology that the 'five points'
are concerned to establish and Arminianism in all its forms to deny: namely, that
sinners do not save themselves in any sense at all, but that salvation, first and last,
whole and entire, past, present, and future, is of the Lord, to whom be glory for ever,
amen!"
Monday, October 14, 2013
Jesus Saves Everyone He Purchased
"And they sang a new song:
'You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals, because you
were slain, and with your blood
you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and
people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom
and priests to serve our God, and they
will reign on the earth.' "
Revelation 5:9-10
Who did Jesus purchase with His blood?
Jesus purchased with His blood, people who were in bondage to sin, from every tribe and
language and people and nation. People from all over the world.
He paid their ransom, freeing them to escape Satan's control (Ephesians 2:2).
Did Jesus purchase EVERYONE in the world, or only some?
Only some. He bought those the Father had given Him, paying for them with the
sacrifice of His life. Every one of them will come to Him to be saved, and He will never
lose any of them.
"Everyone that that Father gives me
will come to me, and everyone who
comes to me I will never drive away."
" ... I shall lose none of those He has given me,
but raise them up at the last day."
John 6:37,39
Jesus perfectly saves everyone He purchased through His death on the cross.
After His resurrection He sat down at right hand of God, signifying that His mission
to save His people was accomplished, and He was taking His rightful place in heaven.
" Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,
the author and perfecter of our faith,
who for the joy set before Him
endured the cross, scorning its shame,
and sat down at the right hand of the throne
of God."
Hebrews 12:2
'You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals, because you
were slain, and with your blood
you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and
people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom
and priests to serve our God, and they
will reign on the earth.' "
Revelation 5:9-10
Who did Jesus purchase with His blood?
Jesus purchased with His blood, people who were in bondage to sin, from every tribe and
language and people and nation. People from all over the world.
He paid their ransom, freeing them to escape Satan's control (Ephesians 2:2).
Did Jesus purchase EVERYONE in the world, or only some?
Only some. He bought those the Father had given Him, paying for them with the
sacrifice of His life. Every one of them will come to Him to be saved, and He will never
lose any of them.
"Everyone that that Father gives me
will come to me, and everyone who
comes to me I will never drive away."
" ... I shall lose none of those He has given me,
but raise them up at the last day."
John 6:37,39
Jesus perfectly saves everyone He purchased through His death on the cross.
After His resurrection He sat down at right hand of God, signifying that His mission
to save His people was accomplished, and He was taking His rightful place in heaven.
" Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,
the author and perfecter of our faith,
who for the joy set before Him
endured the cross, scorning its shame,
and sat down at the right hand of the throne
of God."
Hebrews 12:2
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
God Changes Hearts
"Unless God stoops in His grace to change
our hearts, we will not love Him."
R.C. Sproul
*************
Before conversion, Christians are enemies of God, who are reconciled
with Him through the death of His Son, and saved through His life.
"For if when we were God's enemies,
we were reconciled to Him through
the death of His Son, how much more
having been reconciled, shall we be saved
through His life!"
Romans 5:10
We were dead in our sins and therefore objects of God's wrath.
Our sins nature prevented us from having a right relationship with God.
"... you were dead in your transgressions
and sins. Like the rest, we were by nature
objects of wrath."
Ephesians 2:1,3
We were unable to love Him or do anything else to please Him.
"... 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
Our hearts are deceitful, and can be changed only by God's power.
He changes our hardened hearts, which can respond only in rebellion against God,
so that we will follow and obey Him. We receive the Holy Spirit and become His people,
and He becomes our God, solely through His power and grace.
"The heart is deceitful above all things,
and beyond cure."
Jeremiah 17:9
"I will give them an undivided heart
and put a new spirit in them;
I will remove from them their heart
of stone and give them a heart of flesh.
Then they will follow my decrees and
be careful to keep my laws. They will
be my people, and I will be their God."
Ezekiel 11:19-20
Because of His great love for His people, God, who is merciful and gracious,
regenerates spiritually dead, rebel sinners, and saves them through His Son, Jesus Christ.
"But because of His great love for us,
God, who is rich in mercy, made us
alive with Christ even when we were
dead in transgressions -- it is by grace
you have been saved."
Ephesians 2:4-5
Jesus was the Substitute for everyone who will ever believe in Him.
We, in turn, now love Him and others, because He first loved us.
"This is how God showed love among us:
He sent His one and only Son into the world
that we might live through Him.
This is love; not that we loved God, but that He
loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice
for our sins.
We love because He first loved us."
1 John 4:9-10,19
Friday, September 27, 2013
"Our Salvation is Protected by the Power of God!"
"This is the good news:
our salvation is protected by the
power of God (a)!
The power that spoke the cosmos into
existence (b), cracked the earth open
in the great flood (c), brought Jesus from
heaven to earth (d), and then from the grave
to heaven (e), the power that forgives sin (f)
and causes grown up people to be born again (g),
also keeps us safe in Jesus (h).
I do not hold onto Jesus' hand - that would be
a perilous way to live.
Jesus holds me with His hand (i), and nothing can
undo His grip of love, grace, and forgiveness (j)."
Bob Adams
Baptist Message
September 12, 2013
***********
"PROTECTED BY THE POWER OF GOD"
(a) " ... into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade -
kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by
God's power until the coming salvation that is ready to be
revealed in the last time."
1 Peter 1:4-5
"SPOKE THE COSMOS INTO EXISTANCE"
(b) "And God said, 'Let there be light and there was light."
"And God said, 'Let there be an expanse between the waters ...'
"And God said, 'Let the water under the sky be gathered to
one place, and let dry ground appear.'"
"And God said, 'Let the land produce vegetation ...'"
"And God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky
to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as
signs to mark seasons and days and years ...'"
"And God said, 'Let the land produce living creatures according
to their kinds ...'"
"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness ...'"
Genesis 1:3,6,9,14,20,24,26
"CRACKED THE EARTH OPEN"
(c) " ... on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth,
and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.
And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights."
Genesis 7:11-12
"BROUGHT JESUS FROM HEAVEN TO EARTH"
(d) "While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,
and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son."
Luke 2:6-7
"FROM THE GRAVE TO HEAVEN"
(e) "... He has risen! He is not here."
Mark 16:6
"FORGIVES SIN"
(f) "For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought
us into the kingdom of the Son He loves -- in whom we have
redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
Colossians 1:13-14
"CAUSED US TO BE BORN AGAIN"
(g) "According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again ..."
1 Peter 1:3
"KEEPS US SAFE"
(h) " ... our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless ..."
1 Corinthians 1:7-8
"HOLDS ME WITH HIS HAND"
(i) "... no one will snatch them out of my hand ..."
John 10:28
"NOTHING CAN UNDO HIS GRIP OF
LOVE, GRACE, AND FORGIVENESS"
(j) "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers,
nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height
nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8:38-39
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Adam Brought Death, Jesus Brings Life
"Christ is much more powerful to save than Adam was to destroy."
John Calvin
*************
"Therefore just as sin came into the world
through one man (Adam), 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.
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 (Jesus) who was to come."
Romans 5:12-14
From John MacArthur's (J.M.) ESV Commentary:
EVERYONE HAS A SINFUL NATURE
"Adam passed to all his descendants the inherent sinful nature
he possessed because of his disobedience.
That nature is present from the moment of conception,
making it impossible for man to live in a way that pleases God.
'Behold I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.'
Psalm 51:5
When Adam sinned, all mankind sinned in his loins.
Since his sin transformed his inner nature and brought
spiritual death and depravity, that sinful nature would be
passed on seminally to his posterity as well.
Adam was not originally subject to death, but through his
sin it became a grim certainty for him and his posterity.
Death has three distinct manifestations:
1. Spiritual death and separation from God
'And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
in which you once walked ...'
Ephesians 2:1-2a
2. Physical death
'And just as it is appointed for man to die once ...'
Hebrews 9:27
3. Eternal death (also called the second death), which
includes not only eternal separation from God, but
eternal torment in 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.'
Revelation 20:15
Because all humanity existed in the loins of Adam,
and have through procreation inherited his fallenness
and depravity, it can be said that all sinned in him.
Therefore, humans are not sinners because they sin,
but rather they sin because they are sinners.'
SIN WAS NOT COUNTED WHERE THERE WAS NO LAW
'Though all were regarded as sinners, because there was no
explicit list of commands, there was no strict accounting of
their specific points of violation.
The phrase 'where there is no law' refers to the period from
Adam to Moses, when God had not yet given the Mosaic law.
But even without the law, death was universal. All men from
Adam to Moses were subject to death, not because of their
sinful acts against the Mosaic law (which they did not yet have),
but because of their own inherited sinful nature.
Both Adam and Christ were similar in that their acts affected many
others." (J.M.)
***************
'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.
And the free gift is not like the result of that
one man's sin. For the judgment following
one trespass brought condemnation, but the
free gift following many trespasses brought
justification.
For if, because of one man's trespass, death
reigned through that one man, much more
will those who receive the abundance of grace
and the free gift of righteousness reign in life
through the one man Jesus Christ.'
Romans 5:15-17
CONDEMNATION AND JUSTIFICATION
J.M. continues:
'Paul used the word 'many' with two distinct meanings.
He has already established that all men, without exception,
bear the guilt of sin and are therefore subject to death.
So the 'many' who die must refer to all Adam's descendants.
The words 'much more' refers to the fact that Christ's one act
of redemption was immeasurably greater than Adam's one act
of condemnation.
Adam brought upon all men the condemnation for only one
offense -- his sinful act of disobedience.
Christ, however, delivers the elect from the condemnation of
many offenses.
Adam's sin brought universal death, while Christ's sacrifice
brought salvation to those who believe.
Unlike Adam's act, Christ's act has - and will - accomplish
exactly what He intended, i.e. spiritual life.'
'And I am sure of this, that He who began
a good work in you will bring it to completion
at the day of Jesus Christ.'
Philippians 1:6
'But God, being rich in mercy, because of
the great love with which He loved us,
even when we were dead in our trespasses,
made us alive together with Christ - by grace
you have saved ... through faith, and this is
not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
not a result of works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:4-5,8-9
RIGHTEOUSNESS ONLY THROUGH JESUS CHRIST
'Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation
for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to
justification and life for all men.
For as by the one man's disobedience the many
were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience
the many will be made righteous.
Now the law came in to increase the trespass,
but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might
reign though righteousness leading to eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.'
Romans 5:18-21
J.M. continues:
'The phrase 'one act of righteousness' is not a reference to a
single event, but generally to Christ's obedience, culminating
in the greatest demonstration of that obedience, death on a cross.
'And being found in human form,
He humbled Himself by becoming
obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.'
Philippians 2:8
'The phrase, 'justification and life for all men,' cannot mean
that all men will be saved; salvation is only for those who
exercise faith in Jesus Christ.
'But now the righteousness of God
has been manifested apart from the law,
although the Law and Prophets bear
witness to it -- the righteousness of God
through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.'
Romans 3:21-22
Rather, like the word 'many' in verse 15, Paul is using 'all'
with two different meanings for the sake of parallelism,
a common practice in the Hebrew Old Testament.'
(As in the earlier passage, the word 'many' has two meanings,
that Adam's sin brought death for all who aren't in Jesus Christ,
and Christ's obedience brought life for all who ARE in Him.
So also, the word, 'all' here (Romans 5:18) has two meanings.
The one trespass of Adam brought condemnation for all who
aren't in Jesus Christ, Christ's act of obedience brings life for
all who ARE in Him).
'Although the Mosaic law is not flawed,
('So the law is holy, and the commandment
is holy and righteous and good.' Romans 7:12),
its presence caused man's sin to increase. Thus it made men more
aware of their own sinfulness and inability to keep God's perfect
standard, and it served as a tutor to drive them to Christ.'
'So then, the law was our guardian until Christ
came, in order that we might be justified by faith.'
Galatians 3:24
******************
Adam's transgression brought condemnation and death for all
who are not in Christ, while Jesus' act of obedient sacrifice brought justification
and life for all who believe.
'God the Father entered into an eternal covenant with God
the Son; He made Christ the head, the representative of the
elect, as Adam was the head, the representative of all his seed.
For these, Jesus Christ, died a painful, cursed, ignominious death;
and by His obedience, and by His death, wrought out an ever-
lasting righteousness for them.'
George Whitefield
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