http://www.fulfillingyourvows.com/the-4-meanings-of-faithfulness/
Interesting items from the Interwebs, from all over the world.
Friday, July 31, 2015
Imperfect Preachers
"Take heart, for our Sovereign God doesn't use perfect preachers and sermons. God uses imperfect, broken jars of clay to proclaim his perfect word, and the Spirit uniquely works through this design."
Thursday, July 30, 2015
No More Apostles
"Paul says the church is "built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets" (Eph. 2:20). I conclude that all we need to know for salvation and sanctification has been given to us through the teaching of the apostles and prophets, and that this teaching is now found in the Scriptures. Now that God has spoken in the last days through his Son (Heb. 1:2), we don't need further words from him to explain what Jesus Christ has accomplished in his ministry, death, and resurrection. Instead, we are "to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all" through the apostles and prophets (Jude 3).

To put it another way, we don't have apostles like Paul and Peter and John anymore. They gave us the authoritative teaching by which the church continues to live to this day, and that is the only teaching we will need until Jesus returns. We know that new apostles won't appear since Paul specifically says he was the last apostle (1 Cor. 15:8). And when James the brother of John died (Acts 12:2), he wasn't replaced. Apostles, in the technical sense, are restricted to those who have seen the risen Lord and have been commissioned by him, and no one since apostolic times fits such criteria. The apostles were uniquely appointed for the early days of the church to establish orthodox doctrine. There is no warrant, then, for saying there are still apostles today. Indeed, if anyone claims to be an apostle today we should be concerned, for such a claim opens the door to false teaching and to abuse of authority."
Above quotes are from...
Thomas Schreiner is the James Buchanan Harrison professor of New Testament interpretation and associate dean for Scripture and interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. You can follow him on Twitter.
No Prophecies Today
"What some people today call "prophecies" are actually impressions from God. He can use impressions to guide and lead us, but they aren't infallible and must always be tested by Scripture. We should also consult with wise counselors before acting on such impressions. I love my charismatic brothers and sisters, but what they call "prophecy" today isn't actually the biblical gift of prophecy. God-given impressions aren't the same thing as prophecies."
No More Apostles
"Paul says the church is "built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets" (Eph. 2:20). I conclude that all we need to know for salvation and sanctification has been given to us through the teaching of the apostles and prophets, and that this teaching is now found in the Scriptures. Now that God has spoken in the last days through his Son (Heb. 1:2), we don't need further words from him to explain what Jesus Christ has accomplished in his ministry, death, and resurrection. Instead, we are "to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all" through the apostles and prophets (Jude 3).

To put it another way, we don't have apostles like Paul and Peter and John anymore. They gave us the authoritative teaching by which the church continues to live to this day, and that is the only teaching we will need until Jesus returns. We know that new apostles won't appear since Paul specifically says he was the last apostle (1 Cor. 15:8). And when James the brother of John died (Acts 12:2), he wasn't replaced. Apostles, in the technical sense, are restricted to those who have seen the risen Lord and have been commissioned by him, and no one since apostolic times fits such criteria. The apostles were uniquely appointed for the early days of the church to establish orthodox doctrine. There is no warrant, then, for saying there are still apostles today. Indeed, if anyone claims to be an apostle today we should be concerned, for such a claim opens the door to false teaching and to abuse of authority."
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Say thanks
Recently I have felt the need to thank people who have influenced me in the past. Those people who made me who I am today. There was a church that I went to when I was a single man of 26, a long time ago. The pastor and his wife, were a great influence on my life. They had me over for meals and hospitality as a single guy for a good home cooked meal and great conversation. When I got married, I invited him and his wife to my wedding, because I wanted them to be there. I look back on those times with fond memories.
The pastor has retired and moved across the country. I asked for his address and recently wrote to him just to say thanks, and to let him know what his ministry meant to me. I will not mention his name, because I know he would not want any credit given to him, that's just the way he is. But I wrote t them just to tell him I am striving to pass it on to the next generation, and on past that.
I want to encourage anyone who has influenced you in the past to write to them, cal them, or email.
I am sure they will want to know they are not forgotten, and it would be a blessing to hear about it.
- T. Meiers
The pastor has retired and moved across the country. I asked for his address and recently wrote to him just to say thanks, and to let him know what his ministry meant to me. I will not mention his name, because I know he would not want any credit given to him, that's just the way he is. But I wrote t them just to tell him I am striving to pass it on to the next generation, and on past that.
I want to encourage anyone who has influenced you in the past to write to them, cal them, or email.
I am sure they will want to know they are not forgotten, and it would be a blessing to hear about it.
- T. Meiers
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
John Newton
"I readily believe that the leading points of Arminianism spring from and are nourished by the pride of the human heart! But I would be glad if the reverse were always true; and that to embrace what are called the Calvinistic doctrines was an infallible token of a humble mind! I think I have known some Arminians, that is, people who for lack of a clearer light, have been afraid of receiving the doctrines of free grace, who yet have given evidence that their hearts were in a degree humbled before the Lord. And I am afraid there are Calvinists, who, while they account it a proof of their humility, that they are willing in words to debase the creature and to give all the glory of salvation to the Lord—yet are of a prideful, harsh and bitter spirit. Whatever it is that makes us trust in ourselves, that we are comparatively wise or good, so as to treat those with contempt who do not subscribe to our doctrines, or follow our party—is a proof and fruit of a self-righteous spirit!"
- John Newton
Monday, July 27, 2015
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Friday, July 24, 2015
Open Opposition
Open Opposition to Biblical Truth
"Another issue giving rise to the resurgence of apologetics is the open opposition to biblical truth prevalent in Western society. Gone are the days when the truths of the Bible were assumed and men held accountable to them. Today, Christianity is seen as a threat to freedom, or even a pathological condition. Schools accept the "theory" of evolution, but view the idea of creation as a dangerous myth. Judges see the biblical view of sodomy as hate speech. In fact, various state departments of child protective services have at times listed regular church attendance as one of the hallmarks of abusive parenting.
In this landscape, Christians must have a ready answer for those who believe that we are not just wrong—we are evil. Expository apologetics can be a powerful tool in the midst of such opposition. I am not proposing that apologetics will necessarily shut the mouths of our detractors. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. However, we can most certainly expose their hypocrisy and point them to the truth using the powerful, active, two-edged sword of God's sword at our disposal."
About this Article
From Tabletalk Magazine
Date July 1st, 2015
Topics Scripture, Philosophy, Education
Keywords
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Your Biggest Problem
"The world: Your biggest problem is without. The solution is within.
The Bible: Your biggest problem is within. The solution is without." (Matt Smethurst)
Monday, July 20, 2015
The Alter Call
"The Reformed faith condemns, indeed despises, the altar call. It has bad parentage: Finney. It is bad theology: universal grace dependent upon the free will of the sinner. It is bad practice: the transforming of the inner, spiritual activity of the heart into an outward, carnal activity of the body. The Scriptures nowhere present repentance or believing as a matter of "coming to the front." Besides, no Reformed church has an altar. But opposition to the altar call does not in any way imply opposition to the call of the gospel to the spiritually laboring and laden sinner to come to Christ for rest. God forbid!
The Reformed church rejects hyper-Calvinism, not because she hedges on her Calvinism at the last moment but exactly because of her Calvinism. Knowing her salvation as the sovereign, free, gracious calling of God in Christ, she burns the zeal for the glory of her God. In the love of her thankful heart, she desires that His great Name, Jesus, be published to the ends of the earth and that His good commandments be obeyed. God's grace in Jesus Christ has its sovereign way with her so that God's purpose in the calling of her is realized: "that ye should show forth the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light" (2 Pet. 2:9)."
David J. Engelsma
Hyper-Calvinism and the Call of the Gospel, pp. 209-210, 212
Creative Means to the Gospel
STL churches staying young through creative means
From ksdk.com,
"Next time you attend church, you might want to take a look around. You may see fewer young faces in the pews. A recent Pew research poll finds that in the last decade, 8% of Christians dropped out of their faith. Most of those that left, were young adults.
But, some St. Louis congregations are hoping they can stop those statistics in their tracks by using an unusual and creative approach.
Live bands are among the tools some of the churches use.
The Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis launched a program called "Theology on Tap."
Once a month, adults ages 21 to 35 gather at the Kirkwood Station Brewing Company to talk about faith and have some beers.
"Have a beer, listen to some talks, it's a good time," said 26-year-old nursing student, Andreanna Chrismer.
The archdiocese event has a raffle to win an iPad at this event.
"This is an age group the church is missing. The traditional wisdom has been that when young adults need the sacraments they'll come back to the church. I think as we look at statistics, that's not actually happening," said Brian Miller, Director of Young Adult Ministry.
But other churches are using other approaches to keep the millennials they have. Modern mega church, Faith Church, has three locations in Sunset Hills, Weldon Spring, and Earth City. Each facility is equipped with huge flat screen televisions, live bands, and full production teams. The services are not only at the church campuses but are also offered on t.v. and online. It's a big plus for the busy young adult.
Thirty-five-year-old attorney, Danielle Adler, says "I travel a fair amount for work. It's great to have the online option. Information is a click away so it's great that that's true for church too."
Other pastors are modernizing by getting rid of the traditional church altogether. Pastor Matt Bartig of the North Road Baptist Church in Moscow Mills bought a 125 acre field and an old car dealership in which to hold services.
"We really wanted to stay relevant… and the cool thing is it's got a ton of parking," said Bartig.
North Road Church can definitely use all the space. Of the 600 members, almost all of them are between the ages of 21 and 45 years old.
"You see a lot of churches trying to pour truth exactly like they did in 1950, we don't do anything else like we did in 1950," Bartig explained.
Bartig has started movie nights in the 125-acre field. Plus, poker nights, even flag football, paintball, and volleyball leagues. It's what Bartig calls the key to keeping the Baptist faith alive.
"We're as biblical or more biblical than we ever were, just biblical that meets the cultural relevancy of the people we encounter. Because if we don't meet the ones that are 20 or 30, the church will be dead in a few years," Bartig said."
The Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis launched a program called "Theology on Tap."
Once a month, adults ages 21 to 35 gather at the Kirkwood Station Brewing Company to talk about faith and have some beers.
"Have a beer, listen to some talks, it's a good time," said 26-year-old nursing student, Andreanna Chrismer.
The archdiocese event has a raffle to win an iPad at this event.
"This is an age group the church is missing. The traditional wisdom has been that when young adults need the sacraments they'll come back to the church. I think as we look at statistics, that's not actually happening," said Brian Miller, Director of Young Adult Ministry.
But other churches are using other approaches to keep the millennials they have. Modern mega church, Faith Church, has three locations in Sunset Hills, Weldon Spring, and Earth City. Each facility is equipped with huge flat screen televisions, live bands, and full production teams. The services are not only at the church campuses but are also offered on t.v. and online. It's a big plus for the busy young adult.
Thirty-five-year-old attorney, Danielle Adler, says "I travel a fair amount for work. It's great to have the online option. Information is a click away so it's great that that's true for church too."
Other pastors are modernizing by getting rid of the traditional church altogether. Pastor Matt Bartig of the North Road Baptist Church in Moscow Mills bought a 125 acre field and an old car dealership in which to hold services.
"We really wanted to stay relevant… and the cool thing is it's got a ton of parking," said Bartig.
North Road Church can definitely use all the space. Of the 600 members, almost all of them are between the ages of 21 and 45 years old.
"You see a lot of churches trying to pour truth exactly like they did in 1950, we don't do anything else like we did in 1950," Bartig explained.
Bartig has started movie nights in the 125-acre field. Plus, poker nights, even flag football, paintball, and volleyball leagues. It's what Bartig calls the key to keeping the Baptist faith alive.
"We're as biblical or more biblical than we ever were, just biblical that meets the cultural relevancy of the people we encounter. Because if we don't meet the ones that are 20 or 30, the church will be dead in a few years," Bartig said."
My comments:
The telling lines are "we really wanted to stay relevant" and "biblical that meets the cultural relevancy of the people we encounter." This two statements alone tell me a lot. If by staying relevant we are watering down the Gospel message so we don't offend anyone, then this is the wrong approach. Jesus never said "meet the culture of the people." He DID say go out and make disciples. Tell the truth. Preach the Gospel. Talk about how depraved and sinful we are, and how we are in desperate need of a savior. Also he is saying if we don't do this the church "will be dead in a couple of years." That's not really what I read in the Bible when Jesus talks about the gates of hell not prevailing. God is sovereign and His church will not die, even if we don't meet the people on their own terms. And why not preach the gospel like they did in 1950? We don't need to modernize God's message. Churches need to tell the truth about the Christian life, and get out of the way, and the Holy Spirit will do the work in man's heart.
- T. Meiers
The telling lines are "we really wanted to stay relevant" and "biblical that meets the cultural relevancy of the people we encounter." This two statements alone tell me a lot. If by staying relevant we are watering down the Gospel message so we don't offend anyone, then this is the wrong approach. Jesus never said "meet the culture of the people." He DID say go out and make disciples. Tell the truth. Preach the Gospel. Talk about how depraved and sinful we are, and how we are in desperate need of a savior. Also he is saying if we don't do this the church "will be dead in a couple of years." That's not really what I read in the Bible when Jesus talks about the gates of hell not prevailing. God is sovereign and His church will not die, even if we don't meet the people on their own terms. And why not preach the gospel like they did in 1950? We don't need to modernize God's message. Churches need to tell the truth about the Christian life, and get out of the way, and the Holy Spirit will do the work in man's heart.
- T. Meiers
God is Aware
"God is minutely and acutely aware of every skeleton in every closet, and He loves us."
From Depraved Wretch on Facebook
He is intimately aware of every skeleton in every closet, and yet He loves us anyway. Every secret, every thought, every unspoken and spoken word. And yet, even while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. For all of our sins, past, present, and future. He knows about every action or non-action we have taken, every dark road we have gone down, every trial and every temptation we have faced and yielded to, and yet, He still loves us. What an incredible perfect, Agape love, beyond comprehension. Thank you Lord, for your unfailing love.
- T. Meiers
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Modesty
"Modesty veils physical beauty in a world obsessed with it, in order to reveal the inner beauty that is often overlooked. It prevents lust, harmful comparisons, and insecurity and gives rise to confidence and a greater capacity to love yourself and others by recognizing your own worth without needing the affirmation of each person that sees you.
Wherever you are at in this journey ask yourself this: What beauty am I revealing to the world, and is it leading me to the love my heart yearns for? But beware! You may be starting down a path of no return."
Kaylin Koslosky
Hard to Believe
"It's not just holding up your hand or walking down the aisle and saying " I love Jesus." It's not easy, it is not user-friendly or seeker-sensitive."
- John Macarthur
Following and believing in Jesus may cost you everything. We need to proclaim the true Gospel, and tell people what is required as a Christian. It requires giving up one's self. Totally and completely. It goes against everything that is human in us. It goes against human logic and comprehension. Give up my life to save it? It doesn't make sense to me, they say. But this gospel is foolishness to the world. They are blinded to it, and slaves to sin. Unless God does a work in their lives, and turns their heart of stone to a heart of flesh, they will never understand.
- T. Meiers
- John Macarthur
Following and believing in Jesus may cost you everything. We need to proclaim the true Gospel, and tell people what is required as a Christian. It requires giving up one's self. Totally and completely. It goes against everything that is human in us. It goes against human logic and comprehension. Give up my life to save it? It doesn't make sense to me, they say. But this gospel is foolishness to the world. They are blinded to it, and slaves to sin. Unless God does a work in their lives, and turns their heart of stone to a heart of flesh, they will never understand.
- T. Meiers
Wycliffe
The mainspring of [John] Wycliffe's work was that the Scriptures are the foundation of all doctrine. His 1378 work De veritate Sacrae Scripturae (On the Truth of Sacred Scripture) describes the Bible as being directly from God Himself, timeless, unchanging, free from error and contradictions, containing only truth, accepting no addition, suffering no subtraction. All must be taken equally, absolutely, without qualification. Scripture is the law of Christ, the truth, and must be placed above all human writings. Without knowledge of the Bible there can be no peace, no real and abiding good; it contains all that is necessary for the salvation of men. It alone is infallible, and therefore is the one authority for the faith. Just as a true Christian will be one who finds his faith in the light of Scripture, so a true shepherd of Christians will be one who feeds his flock on the Word of God." The Authorised Version- A Wonderful and Unfinished History, C.P. Hallihan
Godliness
"It is godliness. Godliness is God-consciousness, an all pervasive sense of God's presence, of his judgment, of our relation to him and his relation to us, of our responsibility to him and dependence upon him." ~ John Murray
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Christians
"When you become a Christian you do not become immune to life. You will have questions, you will have bad days, you will lose hope and you will need answers. Enter apologetics. To outsiders this discipline answers objections, to insiders it builds faith and promotes intellectual inquiry. If you are a Christian and feel guilty about having questions, please don't. Ask away, build your faith, learn whatever you can. First from Scripture, then from the teachers whom God gifted his church with. If you have lost sight of hope, do not get discouraged." —Glenn Hendrickson (from, Apologetics for Christians: Hope for Believers)
John MacArthur tells the Truth
"Joel Osteen is a pagan religionist, a legalist, and a quasi-pantheist...He is a mouthpiece for Satan, he's an agent for Satan. How do I know that?
Because he offers all the things that the unregenerate heart already wants...this is a false Christianity from Hell."
~ Pastor John MacArthur
John MacArthur on Marriage
"Christians are not to mimic the world's cavalier attitude toward marriage. The collapse of marriages in the church isn't just a black eye for the gospel—it has given license to those who want to redefine marriage to suit their own sinful choices and wicked lifestyles."
- John MacArthur
Friday, July 17, 2015
Perseverance Of the Saints
Perseverance of the Saints
by Loraine Boettner
1. Statement of the Doctrine.
2. Perseverance Does Not Depend Upon the Person's Good Works But Upon God's Grace.
3. Though Truly Saved the Christian May Temporarily Backslide and Commit Sin.
4. An Outward Profession of Righteousness Not a Guarantee That the Person Is a True Christian.
5. Arminian Sense of Insecurity.
6. Purpose of the Scripture Warnings Against Apostasy.
7. Scripture Proof.
by Loraine Boettner
1. Statement of the Doctrine.
2. Perseverance Does Not Depend Upon the Person's Good Works But Upon God's Grace.
3. Though Truly Saved the Christian May Temporarily Backslide and Commit Sin.
4. An Outward Profession of Righteousness Not a Guarantee That the Person Is a True Christian.
5. Arminian Sense of Insecurity.
6. Purpose of the Scripture Warnings Against Apostasy.
7. Scripture Proof.
1. STATEMENT OF THE DOCTRINE
THE doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints is stated in the Westminster Confession in the following words: "They whom God hath accepted In His Beloved, effectually called and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace; but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved."1 Or in other words we believe that those who once become true Christians cannot totally fall away and be lost, — that while they may fall into sin temporarily, they will eventually return and be saved.
This doctrine does not stand alone but is a necessary part of the Calvinistic system of theology. The doctrines of Election and Efficacious Grace logically imply the certain salvation of those who receive these blessings. If God has chosen men absolutely and unconditionally to eternal life, and if His Spirit effectively applies to them the benefits of redemption, the inescapable conclusion is that these persons shall be saved. And, historically, this doctrine has been held by all Calvinists, and denied by practically all Arminians.
Those who have fled to Jesus for refuge have a firm foundation upon which to build. Though floods of error deluge the land, though Satan raise all the powers of earth and all the iniquities of their own hearts against them, they shall never fail; but, persevering to the end, they shall inherit those mansions which have been prepared for them from the foundation of the world. The saints in heaven are happier but no more secure than are true believers here in this world. Since faith and repentance are gifts of God, the bestowing of these gifts is a revelation of God's purpose to save those to whom they are given. It is an evidence that God has predestinated the recipients of these gifts to be conformed to the image of His Son, i.e., to be like Him in character, destiny, and glory, and that He will infallibly carry out His purpose. No one can pluck them out of His hands. Those who once become true Christians have within themselves the principle of eternal life, which principle is the Holy Spirit; and since the Holy Spirit dwells within them they are already potentially holy. True, they are still exercised by many trials, and they do not yet see what they shall be, but they should know that that which is begun in them shall be completed to the end, and that the very presence of strife within them is the sign of life and the promise of victory.
In regard to those who become true Christians, but who, as the Arminians allege, fall away, why does God not take them out of the world while they are in the saved state? Surely no one will say that it is because He cannot, or that it is because He does not foresee their future apostasy. Why, then, does He leave these objects of His affection here to fall back into sin and perish? His gift of continued life to these Christians amounts to an infinite curse placed upon them. But who can really believe that the heavenly Father takes no better care of His children than that? This mistaken doctrine of the Arminians teaches that a person may be a son of God today and a son of the Devil tomorrow, that he may change from one state to another as rapidly as he changes his mind. It teaches that he may be born of the Spirit, justified, sanctified, all but glorified, and that even then he may become reprobate and perish eternally, his own will and course of conduct being the determining factor. Certainly a sovereign loving God would not permit His ransomed children to thus fall away and perish.
In addition to this, if God knows that a certain Christian is going to rebel and perish, can He love him with any deep affection even before his apostasy? If we knew that some one who is our friend today would be led to become our enemy and betray us tomorrow, we could not receive him with the intimacy and trust which otherwise would be natural. Our knowledge of his future acts would in large measure destroy our present love for him.
No one denies that the redeemed in heaven will be preserved in holiness. Yet if God is able to preserve His saints in heaven without violating their free agency, may He not also preserve His saints on earth without violating their free agency?
The nature of the change which occurs in regeneration is a sufficient guarantee that the life imparted shall be permanent. Regeneration is a radical and supernatural change of the inner nature, through which the soul is made spiritually alive, and the new life which is implanted is immortal. And since it is a change in the inner nature, it is in a sphere in which man does not have control. No creature is at liberty to change the fundamental principles of its nature, for that is the prerogative of God as Creator. Hence nothing short of another supernatural act of God could reverse this change and cause the new life to be lost. The born-again Christian can no more lose his sonship to the heavenly Father than an earthly son can lose his sonship to an earthly father. The idea that a Christian may fall away and perish arises from a wrong conception of the principle of spiritual life which is imparted to the soul in regeneration.
2. OUR PERSEVERANCE NOT DEPENDENT ON OUR OWN GOOD WORKS BUT ON GOD'S GRACE
Paul teaches that believers are not under law, but under grace, and that since they are not under the law they cannot be condemned for having violated the law. "Ye are not under law but under grace," Rom. 6:14. Further sin cannot possibly cause their downfall, for they are under a system of grace and are not treated according to their deserts. "If it is by grace, it is no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace," Rom. 11: 6. "The law worketh wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression," Rom. 4:15. "Apart from the law sin is dead" (that is, where the law is abolished sin can no longer subject the person to punishment), Rom. 7:8. "Ye were made dead to the law through the body of Christ," Rom. 7:4. The one who attempts to earn even the smallest part of his salvation by works becomes "a debtor to do the whole law" (that is, to render perfect obedience in his own strength and thus earn his salvation), Gal. 5:8. We are here dealing with two radically different systems of salvation, two systems which, in fact, are diametrically opposed to each other.
The infinite, mysterious, eternal love of God for His people is a guarantee that they can never be lost. This love is not subject to fluctuations but is as unchangeable as His being. It is also gratuitous, and keeps faster hold of us than we of it. It is not founded on the attractiveness of its objects. "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins," I John 4:10. "God commendeth His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, shall we be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by His life," Rom. 5:8-10. Here the very point stressed is that our standing with God is not based on our deserts. It was "while we were enemies" that we were brought into spiritual life through sovereign grace; and if He has done the greater, will He not do the lesser? The writer of the book of Hebrews also teaches that it is impossible for one of God's chosen to be lost when he says that Christ is both "the Author and Perfecter of our faith." We are there taught that the whole course of our salvation is divinely planned and divinely guided. Neither the grace of God nor its continuance is given according to our merits. Hence if any Christian fell away, it would be because God had withdrawn His grace and changed His method of procedure — or, in other words, because He had put the person back under a system of law.
Robert L. Dabney has expressed this truth very ably in the following paragraph:
The sovereign and unmerited love is the cause of the believer's effectual calling. Jer. 31:3; Rom. 8:30. Now, as the cause is unchangeable, the effect is unchangeable. That effect Is, the constant communication of grace to the believer in whom God hath begun a good work. God was not induced to bestow His renewing grace in the first instance, by anything which He saw, meritorious or attractive, in the repenting sinner; and therefore the subsequent absence of everything good in him would be no new motive to God for withdrawing His grace. When He first bestowed that grace, He knew that the sinner on whom He bestowed it was totally depraved, and wholly and only hateful in himself to the divine holiness; and therefore no new instance of ingratitude or unfaithfulness, of which the sinner may become guilty after his conversion, can be any provocation to God, to change His mind, and wholly withdraw His sustaining grace. God knew all this ingratitude before. He will chastise it, by temporarily withdrawing His Holy Spirit, or His providential mercies; but if He had not intended from the first to bear with it, and to forgive it in Christ, He would not have called the sinner by His grace at first. In a word, the causes for which God determined to bestow His electing love on the sinner are wholly in God, and not at all in the believer; and hence, nothing in the believer's heart or conduct can finally change that purpose of love. Is. 54:10; Rom. 11:29. Compare carefully Rom. 5:8-10; 8:32, with the whole scope of Rom. 8:28-end. This illustrious passage is but an argument for our proposition; 'What shall separate us from the love of Christ?'"2
Dr. Charles Hodge says,
God's love in this respect, says is compared to parental love. A mother does not love her child because it is lovely. Her love leads her to do all she can to render it attractive and to keep it so. So the love of God, being in like manner mysterious, unaccountable by anything in its objects, secures His adorning His children with the graces of His Spirit, and arraying them in all the beauty of holiness. It is only the lamentable mistake that God loves us for our goodness, that can lead any one to suppose that His love is dependent on our self-sustained attractiveness.3
Concerning the salvation of the elect, Luther says, "God's decree of predestination is firm and certain; and the necessity resulting from it is, in like manner, immovable, and cannot but take place. For we ourselves are so feeble, that if the matter were left in our hands, very few, or rather none, would be saved; but Satan would overcome us all."
The more we think of these matters, the more thankful we are that our perseverance in holiness and assurance of salvation is not dependent on our own weak nature, but upon God's constant sustaining power. We can say with Isaiah, "Except Jehovah of hosts had left us a very small remnant, we should have become as Sodom, we should have been like unto Gomorrah." Arminianism denies this doctrine of Perseverance, because it is a system, not of pure grace, but of grace and works; and in any such system the person must prove himself at least partially worthy.
3. THOUGH TRULY SAVED THE CHRISTIAN MAY TEMPORARILY
BACKSLIDE AND COMMIT SIN
This doctrine of Perseverance does not mean that Christians do not temporarily fall the victims of sin, for alas, this is all too common. Even the best of men backslide temporarily. But they are never completely defeated; for God, by the exercise of His grace on their hearts infallibly prevents even the weakest saint from final apostasy. As yet we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power (or the glory) may be of God, and not from ourselves (II Cor. 4:7).
Concerning his own personal experience even the great apostle Paul could write: "The good which I would I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I practice. But if what I would not, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. . . . I find then the law, that, to me who would do good, evil is present. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man; but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I of myself with the mind, indeed, serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." Rom. 7:19-25. In these lines every true Christian reads his own experience.
It is, of course, inconsistent for the Christian to commit sin, and the writer of the book of Hebrews says that those who do sin "crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put Him to an open shame" (6:6). After David had committed sin and had repented he was told by the prophet Nathan that his sin would be forgiven, but that nevertheless through it he had "given great occasion to the enemies of Israel to blaspheme," II Sam. 12:14. David and Peter fell away temporarily, but the basic principles of their natures called them back. Judas fell away permanently because he lacked those basic principles.
As long as the believer remains in this world his state is one of warfare. He suffers temporary reverses and may for a time appear to have lost all faith; yet if he has been once truly saved, he cannot fall away completely from grace. If once he has experienced the inner change which comes through regeneration he will sooner or later return to the fold and be saved. When he comes to himself he confesses his sins and asks forgiveness, never doubting that he is saved. His lapse into sin may have injured him severely and may have brought destruction to others; but so far as he is personally concerned it is only temporary. Paul taught that the life work of many people should be burned since it is constructed of wrong materials, though they themselves shall be saved "so as by fire," I Cor. 3:12-15; and it was this teaching which Jesus brought out in the parable of the lost sheep which the shepherd sought and brought back to the fold.
If true believers fell away, then their bodies, which are called "temples of the Holy Spirit," would become the habitations of the Devil, which of course would make the Devil rejoice and insult over God (I Cor. 6:19). "The Christian is like a man making his way up hill, who occasionally slips back, yet always has his face set toward the summit. The unregenerate man has his face turned downwards, and he is slipping all the way," — A. H. Strong. "The believer, like a man on shipboard, may fall again and again on the deck, but he will never fall overboard." — C. H. Spurgeon.
Each one of the elect is like the prodigal son in this, that for a time he is deluded by the world and is led astray by his own carnal appetite. He tries to feed on the husks, but they do not satisfy. And sooner or later he is obliged to say, "I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight." And he meets with the same reception, tokens of unchanging love; and a father's welcome voice echoes through the soul, and melts the heart of the poor returning backslider, "This my son was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found." Let it be noticed that this is a thoroughly Calvinistic parable in that the prodigal was a son, and could not lose that relationship. Those who are not sons never have the desire to arise and go to the Father.
Our judgments may at times be wrong, as was that of the bewitched Galatians (3:1); and our affections may cool, as in the Ephesian Church (Rev. 2:4). The Church may become drowsy, yet her heart awakes (Song 5:2). Grace may at times seem to be lost to a child of God when it is indeed not so. The sun is eclipsed, but regains its former splendor. The trees lose all their leaves and fruit in winter, but has fresh buddings with the spring. Israel flees once, or even twice, before her enemies, and yet they conquer the land of promise. The Christian, too, falls many times, but is finally saved. It is unthinkable that God's elect should fail of salvation. "There is no possibility of their escaping the omnipotent power of God, so that, like Jonah, who fled from the will of God, which was to carry the message to Nineveh, yet was pursued even into the belly of the fish by the power of God until he willingly obeyed God's command, so they will eventually return to the Saviour, and after confession receive pardon for their sins and be saved."
4. AN OUTWARD PROFESSION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS NOT ALWAYS
A PROOF THAT THE PERSON IS A TRUE CHRISTIAN
We have no great difficulty in disposing of those cases where apparently true believers have gone into final apostasy. Both Scripture and experience teach us that we are often mistaken in our judgment of our fellow men, that sometimes it is practically impossible for us to know for certain that they are true Christians. The tares were never wheat, and the bad fish were never good, in spite of the fact that their true nature was not at first recognized. Since Satan can so alter his appearance that he is mistaken for an angel of light (II Cor. 11:14), it is no marvel that sometimes his ministers also fashion themselves as doers of righteousness, with the most deceptive appearances of holiness, devotion, piety and zeal. Certainly an outward profession is not always a guarantee that the soul is saved. Like the Pharisees of old, they may only desire to "make a fair show in the flesh," and deceive many. Jesus warned His disciples, "there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect," Matt. 24:24; and He quoted the prophet Isaiah to the effect that, "This people honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men," Mark 7:6, 7. Paul warned against those who were "false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ," II Cor. 11:13. And to the Romans he wrote, "They are not all Israel, that are of Israel: neither, because they are Abraham's seed are they all children," Rom. 9:6, 7. John mentions those who "call themselves apostles, and they are not," Rev. 2:2; and a little later he adds, "I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead," Rev. 3:1.
But however effectively these may deceive men, God all the time knows "the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan," Rev. 2:9. We live in a day when multitudes claim the name of "Christian," who are destitute of Christian knowledge, experience, and character, — in a day when, in many quarters, the distinction between the Church and the world has been wiped out. Like Samuel, we are often deceived by the outward appearance, and say, "Surely the Lord's anointed is before us," when if we really knew the motives behind their works we would conclude otherwise. We are often mistaken in our judgment of others, in spite of the best precautions that we can take. John gave the true solution for these cases when he wrote: "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us," I John 2:19. All of those who fall away permanently come under this class.
Some persons make a great profession of religion although they know nothing of the Lord Jesus in sincerity and in truth. These persons may outstrip many a humble follower in head-knowledge, and for a season they may quite deceive the very elect; yet all the time their hearts have never been touched. In the judgment day many of those who at some time in their lives have been externally associated with the Church will say, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works?" And then He will reply to them, "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity," Matt. 7:22,23; which, of course, would not be true if at some time He had known them as real Christians. When every man shall appear in his own colors, when the secrets of all hearts shall be manifest, many who at times appeared to be true Christians will be seen never to have been among God's people. Some fall away from a profession of faith, but none fall away from the saving grace of God. Those who do fall have never known the latter. They are the stony-ground hearers, who have no root in. themselves, but who endure for a while; and when tribulation or persecution arises, straightway they stumble. They are then said to have given up or to have made shipwreck of that faith which they never possessed except in appearance. Some of these become sufficiently enlightened in the scheme of the doctrines of the Gospel that they are able to preach or to teach them to others, and yet are themselves entirely destitute of real saving grace. When such fall away they are no proofs nor instances of the final apostasy of real saints.
Mere church membership, of course, is no guarantee that the persons are real Christians. Not every member of the Church militant will be a member of the Church triumphant. To answer certain purposes, they make an outward profession of the Gospel, which obliges them for a time to be outwardly moral and to associate themselves with the people of God. They appear to have true faith and continue thus for a while. Then either their sheep's clothing is stripped off, or they throw it off themselves, and return again to the world. If we could see the real motives of their hearts, we would discover that at no time were they ever actuated by a true love of God. They were all this while goats, and not sheep, ravening wolves, and not gentle lambs. Hence Peter says of them, "It has happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog turning to his own vomit again, and the sow that had been washed to wallowing in the mire," II Peter 2:22. They thereby show that they never belonged to the number of the elect.
Many of the unconverted listen to the preaching of the Gospel as Herod listened to John the Baptist. We are told that "Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. And when he heard him he was much perplexed; and he heard him gladly," Mark 6:20. Yet no one who knows of Herod's decree to put John the Baptist to death, and of his life in general, will say that he was ever a Christian.
In addition to what has been said it is to be admitted that often times the common operations of the Spirit on the enlightened conscience lead to reformation and to an externally religious life. Those so influenced are often very strict in their conduct and diligent in their religious duties. To the awakened sinner the promises of the Gospel and the exhibition of the plan of salvation contained In the Scriptures appear not only as true but as suited to his condition. He receives them with joy, and believes with a faith founded on the moral force of truth. This faith continues as long as the state of mind by which it is produced continues. When that changes, he relapses into his usual state of insensibility, and his faith disappears. It is to this class of persons that Christ referred when He spoke of those who receive the Word in stony places or among thorns. Numerous examples of this temporary faith are found in the Scriptures and are often seen in every day life. These experiences often precede or accompany genuine conversion; but in many cases they are not followed by a real change of heart. They may occur repeatedly, and yet those who experience them return to their normal state of unconcern and worldliness. Often times it is impossible for an observer or even the person himself to distinguish these experiences from those of the truly regenerated. "By their fruits ye shall know them," is the test given by our Lord. Only when these experiences issue in a consistently holy life can their distinctive character be known.
5. ARMINIAN SENSE OF INSECURITY
A consistent Arminian, with his doctrines of free will and of falling from grace, can never in this life be certain of his eternal salvation. He may, indeed, have the assurance of his present salvation, but he can have only a hope of his final salvation He may regard his final salvation as highly probable, but he cannot know it as a certainty. He has seen many of his fellow Christians backslide and perish after making a good start. Why may not he do the same thing? So long as men remain in this world they have the remnants of the old sinful nature clinging to them; they are surrounded by the most alluring and deceptive pleasures of the world and the most subtle temptations of the Devil. In many of the supposedly Christian churches they hear the false teaching of modernistic, and therefore unchristian, ministers. If Arminianism were true, Christians would still be in very dangerous positions, with their eternal destiny suspended upon the probability that their weak, creaturely wills would continue to choose right. Furthermore, Arminianism would logically hold that no confirmation in holiness is possible, not even in heaven; for even there the person would still retain his free will and might commit sin any time he chose.
By comparison the Arminian is like the person who has inherited a fortune of, say, $100,000. He knows that many others who have inherited such fortunes have lost them through poor judgment, fraud, calamity, etc., but he has enough confidence in his own ability to handle money wisely that he does not doubt but that he will keep his. His assurance is based largely on self-confidence. Others have failed, but he is confident that he will not fail. But what a delusion is this when applied to the spiritual realm! What a pity that any one who is at all acquainted with his own tendency to sin should base his assurance of salvation upon such grounds! His system places the cause of his perseverance, not in the hands of an all-powerful, never-changing God, but in the hands of weak sinful man.
And does not the logic of the Arminian system tell us that the wise thing for the Christian to do is to die as soon as possible and thus confirm the inheritance which to him is of infinite value? In view of the fact that so many have fallen away, is it worth while for him to remain here and risk his eternal salvation for the sake of a little more life in this world? What would be thought of a business man who, in order to gain a few more dollars, would risk his entire fortune in some admittedly questionable venture? In fact, does it not at least suggest that the Lord has made many mistakes in not removing these people while they were true Christians? The writer, at least, is convinced that if he held the Arminian view and knew himself to be a saved Christian he would want to die as soon as possible and thus place his salvation beyond all possible doubt.
In regard to spiritual matters, a state of doubt is a state of misery. The assurance that Christians can never be separated from the love of God is one of the greatest comforts of the Christian life. To deny this doctrine is to destroy the grounds for any rejoicing among the saints on earth; for what kind of rejoicing can those have who believe that they may at any time be deceived and led astray? If our sense of security is based only on our changeable and wavering natures, we can never know the inward calm and peace which should characterize the Christian. Says McFetridge, in his very illuminating little book, Calvinism In History,
I can well conceive of the terror to a sensitive soul of dark uncertainty as to salvation, and of that ever-abiding consciousness of the awful possibility of falling away from grace after a long and painful Christian life, which is taught by Arminianism. To me such a doctrine has terrors which would cause me to shrink away from it forever, and which would fill me with constant and unspeakable perplexities.
To feel that I were crossing the troubled and dangerous sea of life dependent for my final security upon the actings of my own treacherous nature were enough to fill me with a perpetual alarm. If it is possible, I want to know that the vessel to which I commit my life is seaworthy, and that, having once embarked, I shall arrive in safety at my destination. (P. 112.)
It is not until we duly appreciate this wonderful truth, that our salvation is not suspended on our weak and wavering love to God, but rather upon His eternal and unchangeable love to us, that we can have peace and certainty in the Christian life. And only the Calvinist, who knows himself to be absolutely safe in the hands of God, can have that inward sense of peace and security, knowing that in the eternal counsels of God he has been chosen to be cleansed and glorified and that nothing can thwart that purpose. He knows himself to be held to righteousness by a spiritual power which is as exhaustless and unvarying as the force of gravitation, and as necessary to the development of the spirit as sunshine and vitamins are to the body.
6. PURPOSE OF THE SCRIPTURE WARNINGS AGAINST APOSTASY
Arminians sometimes bring forth from the Scriptures the warnings against apostasy or falling away, which are addressed to believers, and which, it is argued, imply a possibility of their falling away. There is, of course, a sense in which it is possible for believers to fall away, — when they are viewed simply in themselves, with reference to their own powers and capacities, and apart from God's purpose or design with respect to them. And it is admitted by all that believers can fall into sin temporarily. The primary purpose of these passages, however, is to induce men to co-operate willingly with God for the accomplishment of His purposes. They are inducements which produce constant humility, watchfulness, and diligence. In the same way a parent, in order to get the willing co-operation of a child, may tell it to stay out of the way of an approaching automobile, when all the time the parent has no intention of ever letting the child get into a position where it would be injured. When God plies a soul with fears of falling it is by no means a proof that God in His secret purpose intends to permit him to fall. These fears may be the very means which God has designed to keep him from falling. Secondly, God's exhortations to duty are perfectly consistent with His purpose to give sufficient grace for the performance of these duties. In one place we are commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart; in another, God says, "I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes." Now either these must be consistent with each other, or the Holy Spirit must contradict Himself. Plainly it is not the latter. Thirdly, these warnings are, even for believers, incitements to greater faith and prayer. Fourthly, they are designed to show man his duty rather than his ability, and his weakness rather than his strength. Fifthly, they convince men o their want of holiness and of their dependence upon God. And, sixthly, they serve as restraints on unbelievers, and leave them without excuse.
Nor is any more proven by the passages, "Destroy not with thy meat him for whom Christ died," Rom. 14:15; and, "For through thy knowledge he that is weak perisheth, the brother for whose sake Christ died," I Cor. 8:11. In the same manner the influence of a particular person, when looked at merely in itself, might be said to be destroying our American civilization; yet America goes ahead and prospers, because other influences more than offset that one. In these passages the principle asserted is simply this: Whatever their divine security, the responsibility of the one who casts a stumbling block in the path of his brother is not decreased; and that anyone who does cast a stumbling block in the way of his brother is doing all he can towards his brother's destruction.
7. SCRIPTURE PROOF
The Scripture proof for this doctrine is abundant and clear.
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord," Rom. 8:35-39.
"Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under law, but under grace," Rom. 6:14. "He that believeth bath eternal life," John 6:47. "He that heareth my word, and believeth Him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life," John 5:24. The moment one believes, eternal life becomes a reality, a present possession, and not merely a conditional gift of the future. "I am the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever," John 6:51. He does not say that we have to eat many times, but that if we eat at all, we shall live forever. "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up unto eternal life," John 4:14.
"Being confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ," Phil. 1:6. "Jehovah will perfect that which concerneth me," Ps. 138:8. "The gifts and calling of God are not repented of," Rom. 11:29. "The witness is this, that God gave unto us eternal life," I John 5:11. "These things have I written unto you that ye may know that ye have eternal life," I John 5:13. "For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified," Heb. 10:14. "The Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will save me unto His heavenly kingdom," II Tim. 4:18. "For whom He foreknew, He also foreordained. . . . and whom He foreordained, them He also called; and whom He called, them He also justified; and whom He justified, them He also glorified," Rom. 8:29. "Having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will," Eph. 1:5.
Jesus declared, "I give unto them (the true followers, or 'sheep') eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who hath given them unto me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand," John 10:28. Here we find that our security and God's omnipotence are equal; for the former is founded on the latter. God is mightier than the whole world, and neither men nor Devil can rob Him of one of His precious jewels. It would be as easy to pluck a star out of the heavens as to pluck a saint out of the Father's hand. Their salvation stands in His invincible might and they are placed beyond the peril of destruction. We have Christ's promise that the gates of hell shall not prevail against His Church; yet if the Devil could snatch one here and another there and large numbers in some congregations, the gates of hell would to a great extent prevail against it. In principle, if one could be lost, all might be lost, and thus Christ's assurance would be reduced to idle words.
When we are told that "There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, who shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, If possible, even the elect," Matt. 24:24, the unprejudiced believing mind readily understands that it is impossible to lead astray the elect.
The mystic union which exists between Christ and believers is a guarantee that they shall continue steadfast. "Because I live, ye shall live also," John 14:19. The effect of this union is that believers participate in His life. Christ is in us, Romans 8:10. It is not we that live, but Christ that liveth in us, Gal. 2:20. Christ and the believers have a common life such as that which exists in the vine and the branches. The Holy Spirit so dwells in the redeemed that every Christian is supplied with an inexhaustible reservoir of strength.
Paul warned the Ephesians, "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption," Eph. 4:30. He had no fear of apostasy for he could confidently say, "Thanks be to God who always leadeth us in triumph in Christ," II Cor. 2:14. The Lord, speaking through the prophet Jeremiah said, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love," 31:3, — one of the best proofs that God's love shall have no end is that it has no beginning, but is eternal. In the parable of the two houses, the very point stressed was that the house which was founded on the rock (Christ) did not fall when the storms of life came. Arminianism sets up another system in which some of those who are founded on the rock do fall. In the twenty-third Psalm we read, "And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." The true Christian is no temporary visitor, but a permanent dweller in the house of the Lord. How those rob this psalm of its deeper and richer meaning who teach that the grace of God is a temporary thing!
Christ makes intercession for His people (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25), and we are told that the Father hears Him always (John 11:42). Hence the Arminian, holding that Christians may fall away, must deny either the passages which declare that Christ does make intercession for His people, or he must deny those which declare that His prayers are always heard. Let us consider here how well protected we are: Christ is at the right hand of God pleading for us, and in addition to that, the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered, Rom. 8:26.
In the wonderful promise of Jer. 32:40, God has promised to preserve believers from their own backslidings: "And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, and I will not turn away from following them, to do them good; and I will put my fear in their hearts, that they may not depart from me." And in Ezek. 11:19, 20, He promises to take from them the "stony heart," and to give them a "heart of flesh," so that they shall walk in his statutes and keep his ordinances, and so that they shall be His people and He their God. Peter tells us that Christians cannot fall away, for they "by the power of God are guarded through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed at the last time," I Peter 1:5. Paul says, "God is able to make all grace to abound unto you; that ye, having always all sufficiency in everything, may abound unto every good work," II Cor. 9:8. He declares that the Lord's servant "shall be made to stand; for the Lord hath power to make him stand," Rom. 14:4.
And Christians have the further promise, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, and will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it," I Cor. 10:13. Their removal from certain temptations which would be too strong for them is an absolute and free gift from God, since it is entirely an arrangement of His providence as to what temptations they encounter in the course of their lives, and what ones they escape. "The Lord is faithful and will establish you and guard you from the evil one," II Thess. 3:3. And again, "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him and delivereth them," Ps. 34:7. Amid all his trials and hardships Paul could say, 'We are pressed on every side, yet not straightened; perplexed, yet not unto despair; pursued, yet not forsaken; smitten down, yet not destroyed; . . . knowing that He that raised up the Lord Jesus Christ shall raise us also with Jesus," II Cor. 4:8,9,14.
The saints, even in this world, are compared to a tree that does not wither, Ps. 1:3; to the cedars which flourish on Mount Lebanon, Ps. 92:12; to Mount Zion which cannot be moved, but which abideth forever, Ps. 125:1; and to a house built on a rock. Matt. 7:24. The Lord is with them in their old age, Is. 46:4, and is their guide even unto death, Ps 48:14, so that they cannot be totally and finally lost.
Another strong argument is to be noticed concerning the Lamb's book of life. The disciples were told to rejoice, not so much over the fact that the demons were subject to them, but that their names were written in the Lamb's book of life. This book is a catalogue of the elect, determined by the unalterable counsel of God, and can neither be increased nor diminished. The names of the righteous are found there; but the names of those who perish have never been written there from the foundation of the world. God does not make the mistake of writing in the book of life a name which He will later have to blot out. Hence none of the Lord's own ever perish. Jesus told His disciples to find their chief joy in the fact that their names were written in heaven, Luke 10:20; yet there would have been small grounds for joy in this respect if their names written in heaven one day could have been blotted out the next. Paul wrote to the Philippians, "Our citizenship is in heaven," 3:20; and to Timothy he wrote, "The Lord knoweth them that are His," II Tim. 2:19. For the Scripture teaching concerning the book of life, see Luke 10:20; Phil 4:3; Rev. 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12-15; 21:27.
Here, then, are very simple and plain statements that the Christian shall continue in grace, the reason being that the Lord takes it upon Himself to preserve him in that state. In these promises the elect are secured on both sides. Not only will God not depart from them, but He will so put His fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from him. Surely no Spirit-taught Christian can doubt that this doctrine is taught in the Bible. It seems that man, poor, wretched and impotent as he is, would welcome a doctrine which secures for him the possessions of eternal happiness despite all attacks from without and all evil tendencies from within. But it is not so. He refuses it, and argues against it. And the causes are not far to seek. In the first place he has more confidence in himself than he has any right to have. Secondly, the scheme is so contrary to what he is used to in the natural world that he persuades himself that it cannot be true. Thirdly, he perceives that if this doctrine be admitted, the other doctrines of free grace will logically follow. Hence he twists and explains away the Scripture passages which teach it, and clings to some which appear on the surface to favor his preconceived views. In fact, a system of salvation by grace is so utterly at variance with his everyday experience, in which he sees every thing and person treated according to works and merits, that he has great difficulty in bringing himself to believe that it can be true. He wishes to earn his own salvation, though certainly he expects very high wanes for very sorry work.
Notes
Chapter XVII, Section 1.
Theology, p. 690.
Systematic Theology, III, p. 112.
F. E. Hamilton, Article, "The Reformed Faith in the Modern World."
Errors of Arminianism
"Arminianism reverses the order of salvation. It has faith preceding regeneration. The sinner, who is dead in sin and in bondage to sin, must somehow shed his chains, revive his spiritual vitality, and exercise faith so that he or she may be born again. In a very real sense regeneration is not so much a gift in this schema as it is a reward for responding to the offer of grace."
R. C. Sproul - What is Reformed Theology? 2005 p. 186
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Predestination
The Doctrine of Predestination
By Michael Houke
Words closely associated with God's sovereignty are, foreknowledge, election, and predestination. Together they represent a trinity in unison.
Foreknowledge determines the election or choice is clear from 1 Peter 1:2 and predestination is the bringing to pass of the election. Election looks back to foreknowledge and predestination looks forward to the destiny. The foreknown are elected and the elect are predestined and this election is certain to every believer by the mere fact that he believes (1 Thessolonians 1:4,5).
1. Foreknowledge: Means God knows beforehand what the future holds. Because of his omniscience He knows the end from the beginning. There is no contradiction between's God's foreknowledge and mans freedom of choice. But God knows in advance how man will act. Foreknowledge, then means to define and determine beforehand, to mark out boundaries in advance.
2. Election: Is the scriptural term that represents the sovereign and eternal choice of persons (Ephesians 1:4), infallibly secure all God's election and is a fact which believers now know (1 Thessolonians 1:4).
A. Election is according to God's foreknowledge (1Peter 1:2)
B. Election is of grace, apart from man's merit (Romans 9:11 and 11:5,6)
C. Election is the sovereign act of God, where certain persons are chosen from among mankind for himself (John 15:19) and His distinctive service (Luke 6:13, Acts 9:15 and 1 Corinthians 1:17,18)
With God, election is always inclusive, never exclusive. He chooses a few in order that all may be blessed (1Timothy 2: 1-7)
3. Predestination: Because of who He is God is free to do as He likes. He is a God of infinite wisdom, with a plan. Predestination is will of God by which things determined by Him are brought to pass (Ephesians 1:5). Predestination is linked to God's love, therefore, He can never be guilty of anything capricious. God never acts contrary to His nature.
Predestination is the act of divine sovereignty in the accomplishment of God's ultimate purpose. It is God's love that draws salvations plan. The church existed in God's mind, eternally, before it existed in time.
Predestination refers to that special character of blessing to which we are set apart. Thus we are predestined to adoption (Ephesians 1:5), to have a part in Christ's glorious inheritance, and to be perfectly conformed to god's Son 9Romans 8:29-30).
We must keep in mind that the fact that predestination is not God's predetermining from ages past who should and who should not be saved. This is not what scripture teaches us. It teaches us the future of believers. Predestination is the divine determining the glorious consummation of all who through faith surrender and come to Jesus. It has been determined beforehand that all who are truly Christ's shall be conformed to His Image (Romans 8:29 and Ephesians 1:5).
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Trusting God
"I readily admit it is difficult to believe God is in control when we are in the midst of anxiety, heartache, or grief. I have struggled with this many times myself. Because of my schedule, most of my writing is done on an intermittent basis, a "few hours here and a few hours there." Because of that, this particular chapter was written and rewritten over a period of six weeks or more. During that time I had to work through God's sovereignty on two occasions myself. In each instance I realized I knew the truth regarding God's sovereignty. What I had to do was to decide if I would trust Him, even when my heart ached.
I realized anew that, just as we must learn to obey God one choice at a time, we must also learn to trust God one circumstance at a time. Trusting God is not a matter of my feelings but of my will. I never feel like trusting God when adversity strikes, but I can choose to do so even when I don't feel like it. That act of the will, though, must be based on belief, and belief must be based on truth."
~ Jerry Bridges, Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts
The Five Solas of the Reformation
The Five Solas of the Reformation
A Brief Statement
Gregg Strawbridge, Ph.D.
This document was originally written for the 1993 Reformation Celebration at Audubon Drive Bible Church in Laurel, MS, as part of a worship service.
Sola Scriptura: The Scripture Alone is the Standard
The doctrine that the Bible alone is the ultimate authority was the "Formal Principle" of the Reformation. In 1521 at the historic interrogation of Luther at the Diet of Worms, he declared his conscience to be captive to the Word of God saying, "Unless I am overcome with testimonies from Scripture or with evident reasons -- for I believe neither the Pope nor the Councils, since they have often erred and contradicted one another -- I am overcome by the Scripture texts which I have adduced, and my conscience is bound by God's Word." Similarly, the Belgic Confession stated, "We believe that [the] holy Scriptures fully contain the will of God, and that whatsoever man ought to believe unto salvation is sufficiently taught therein...Neither may we consider any writings of men, however holy these men may have been, of equal value with those divine Scriptures nor ought we to consider custom or the great multitude, or antiquity, or succession of times and persons, or councils, decrees or statutes, as of equal value with the truth of God... Therefore, we reject with all our hearts whatsoever does not agree with this infallible rule" (VII).
As the Scripture says,
Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Thy law....I will bow down toward Thy holy temple, And give thanks to Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth; For Thou hast magnified Thy word according to all Thy name....You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them; and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (Psalm 119:18; Psalm 138:2; II Tim. 3:14-17)
�
Soli Deo Gloria! For the Glory of God Alone
The Reformation reclaimed the Scriptural teaching of the sovereignty of God over every aspect of the believer's life. All of life is to be lived to the glory of God. As the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, "What is the chief end of man? Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever." This great and all consuming purpose was emphasized by those in the 16th and 17th Centuries who sought to reform the church according to the Word of God. In contrast to the monastic division of life into sacred versus secular perpetuated by Roman Church, the reformers saw all of life to be lived under the Lordship of Christ. Every activity of the Christian is to be sanctified unto the glory of God.
As the Scripture says,
Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God; Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. (1CO 10:31; 1PE 4:11; REV 1:6; 2PE 3:1; EPH 3:21; REV 7:12; ROM 11:36)
�
Solo Christo! By Christ's Work Alone are We Saved
The Reformation called the church back to faith in Christ as the sole mediator between God and man. While the Roman church held that "there is a purgatory and that the souls there detained are helped by the intercessions of the faithful" and that "Saints are to be venerated and invoked;" "that their relics are to be venerated" -- the reformers taught that salvation was by Christ's work alone. As John Calvin said in the Institutes of the Christian Religion, "Christ stepped in, took the punishment upon himself and bore the judgment due to sinners. With his own blood he expiated the sins which made them enemies of God and thereby satisfied him...we look to Christ alone for divine favour and fatherly love!" Likewise the Heidelberg Catechism, Question 30 asks, "Do such then believe in Jesus the only Saviour who seek their salvation and happiness in saints, in themselves, or anywhere else? They do not; for though they boast of him in words yet in deeds they deny Jesus the only deliverer and Saviour: for one of these two things must be true that either Jesus is not a complete Saviour or that they who by a true faith receive this Saviour must find all things in him necessary to their salvation."
As the Scripture says,
There is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony borne at the proper time...For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. (1TI 2:5-6; COL 1:13-18)
Sola Gratia: Salvation by Grace Alone
A central cry of the Reformation was salvation by grace. Though the Roman church taught that Mass is a "sacrifice [which] is truly propitiatory" and that by the Mass "God...grant[s] us grace and the gift of penitence, remits our faults and even our enormous sins" -- the reformers returned to the biblical doctrine of salvation by grace through faith. Our righteous standing before God is imputed to us by grace because of the work of Christ Jesus our Lord. In contrast to the doctrines of self-merit taught by Rome, sola gratia and the accompanying doctrines of grace -- total depravity, unconditional election, particular redemption, and perseverance of the saints -- were preached by all the reformers throughout the Protestant movement. As the Baptist Confession of 1689 says, "Christ, by his obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are justified; and did, by the sacrifice of himself in the blood of his cross, undergoing in their stead the penalty due unto them, make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God's justice in their behalf;...their justification is only of free grace, that both the exact justice and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners."
As the Scripture says,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us. (Ephesians 1:3-8)
Sola Fide: Justification by Faith Alone
The "Material Principle" of the Reformation was justification by faith alone. As the Westminster Confession of Faith says, "Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification: yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love." The Genevan Confession likewise pointed out the necessity of those justified living by faith saying, "We confess that the entrance which we have to the great treasures and riches of the goodness of God that is vouchsafed us is by faith; inasmuch as, in certain confidence and assurance of heart, we believe in the promises of the gospel, and receive Jesus Christ as he is offered to us by the Father and described to us by the Word of God (Genevan 11).
As the Scripture says,
Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "All the nations shall be blessed in you." So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them." Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, "The righteous man shall live by faith." (Galatians 3:6-11)
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A Brief Statement
Gregg Strawbridge, Ph.D.
This document was originally written for the 1993 Reformation Celebration at Audubon Drive Bible Church in Laurel, MS, as part of a worship service.
Sola Scriptura: The Scripture Alone is the Standard
The doctrine that the Bible alone is the ultimate authority was the "Formal Principle" of the Reformation. In 1521 at the historic interrogation of Luther at the Diet of Worms, he declared his conscience to be captive to the Word of God saying, "Unless I am overcome with testimonies from Scripture or with evident reasons -- for I believe neither the Pope nor the Councils, since they have often erred and contradicted one another -- I am overcome by the Scripture texts which I have adduced, and my conscience is bound by God's Word." Similarly, the Belgic Confession stated, "We believe that [the] holy Scriptures fully contain the will of God, and that whatsoever man ought to believe unto salvation is sufficiently taught therein...Neither may we consider any writings of men, however holy these men may have been, of equal value with those divine Scriptures nor ought we to consider custom or the great multitude, or antiquity, or succession of times and persons, or councils, decrees or statutes, as of equal value with the truth of God... Therefore, we reject with all our hearts whatsoever does not agree with this infallible rule" (VII).
As the Scripture says,
Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Thy law....I will bow down toward Thy holy temple, And give thanks to Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth; For Thou hast magnified Thy word according to all Thy name....You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them; and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (Psalm 119:18; Psalm 138:2; II Tim. 3:14-17)
�
Soli Deo Gloria! For the Glory of God Alone
The Reformation reclaimed the Scriptural teaching of the sovereignty of God over every aspect of the believer's life. All of life is to be lived to the glory of God. As the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, "What is the chief end of man? Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever." This great and all consuming purpose was emphasized by those in the 16th and 17th Centuries who sought to reform the church according to the Word of God. In contrast to the monastic division of life into sacred versus secular perpetuated by Roman Church, the reformers saw all of life to be lived under the Lordship of Christ. Every activity of the Christian is to be sanctified unto the glory of God.
As the Scripture says,
Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God; Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. (1CO 10:31; 1PE 4:11; REV 1:6; 2PE 3:1; EPH 3:21; REV 7:12; ROM 11:36)
�
Solo Christo! By Christ's Work Alone are We Saved
The Reformation called the church back to faith in Christ as the sole mediator between God and man. While the Roman church held that "there is a purgatory and that the souls there detained are helped by the intercessions of the faithful" and that "Saints are to be venerated and invoked;" "that their relics are to be venerated" -- the reformers taught that salvation was by Christ's work alone. As John Calvin said in the Institutes of the Christian Religion, "Christ stepped in, took the punishment upon himself and bore the judgment due to sinners. With his own blood he expiated the sins which made them enemies of God and thereby satisfied him...we look to Christ alone for divine favour and fatherly love!" Likewise the Heidelberg Catechism, Question 30 asks, "Do such then believe in Jesus the only Saviour who seek their salvation and happiness in saints, in themselves, or anywhere else? They do not; for though they boast of him in words yet in deeds they deny Jesus the only deliverer and Saviour: for one of these two things must be true that either Jesus is not a complete Saviour or that they who by a true faith receive this Saviour must find all things in him necessary to their salvation."
As the Scripture says,
There is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony borne at the proper time...For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. (1TI 2:5-6; COL 1:13-18)
Sola Gratia: Salvation by Grace Alone
A central cry of the Reformation was salvation by grace. Though the Roman church taught that Mass is a "sacrifice [which] is truly propitiatory" and that by the Mass "God...grant[s] us grace and the gift of penitence, remits our faults and even our enormous sins" -- the reformers returned to the biblical doctrine of salvation by grace through faith. Our righteous standing before God is imputed to us by grace because of the work of Christ Jesus our Lord. In contrast to the doctrines of self-merit taught by Rome, sola gratia and the accompanying doctrines of grace -- total depravity, unconditional election, particular redemption, and perseverance of the saints -- were preached by all the reformers throughout the Protestant movement. As the Baptist Confession of 1689 says, "Christ, by his obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are justified; and did, by the sacrifice of himself in the blood of his cross, undergoing in their stead the penalty due unto them, make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God's justice in their behalf;...their justification is only of free grace, that both the exact justice and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners."
As the Scripture says,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us. (Ephesians 1:3-8)
Sola Fide: Justification by Faith Alone
The "Material Principle" of the Reformation was justification by faith alone. As the Westminster Confession of Faith says, "Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification: yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love." The Genevan Confession likewise pointed out the necessity of those justified living by faith saying, "We confess that the entrance which we have to the great treasures and riches of the goodness of God that is vouchsafed us is by faith; inasmuch as, in certain confidence and assurance of heart, we believe in the promises of the gospel, and receive Jesus Christ as he is offered to us by the Father and described to us by the Word of God (Genevan 11).
As the Scripture says,
Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "All the nations shall be blessed in you." So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them." Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, "The righteous man shall live by faith." (Galatians 3:6-11)
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Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Monday, July 13, 2015
My Attitude Toward an Enemy
"My great attitude toward an enemy is to love them and to pray God would save him. And if God doesn't save him, that God would judge him so that he can bring Christ to be the rightful ruler of this world and set righteousness in its proper place again. God punished Adam, but He loved him. God loved Cain, but He punished him. God loved the whole world, but He drowned them.
God loved Sodom and Gomorrah, but He burned them to ashes. God loved the nation of Israel, but He set them aside for a time. God loved His only begotten Son, but He let Him bear sin and die. And God loves the world today, but He promises that it's going to go up in a flame some day. God loves you, but you'll spend an eternity in Hell-fire if you don't know His Son." -John MacArthur
A Wife of Noble Character
Proverbs 31:10-12, 23
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life…
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Election
"Calvin preached in a sermon on 1 Timothy 2:3–5: "Thus we see how profitable this doctrine of election is to us: it serveth to humble us, knowing that our salvation hangeth not upon our deserts, neither upon the virtue which God might have found in us: but upon the election that was made before we were born, before we could do either good or evil."
- Calvin
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Fallen Pastors
"Fallen pastor, keep a low profile. In the name of all that is decent, get off social media. We do not need your triumphal tweets about the great things you are learning about grace since violating your most sacred vows. You are no longer a brand. You should never have been a brand in the first place. You have given mockers a greater reason to profane the name of Jesus. You have heaped scorn upon the church. Quit acting as though you still have a legitimate platform from which to teach. You can demonstrate the genuineness of your repentance by quietly placing yourself under the authority of a church where you can humbly learn in anonymity."
- Todd Pruitt
Don't Continue In Sin
"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" (vv. 1-2).
"Yes we are forgiven in Christ. Yes we are justified wholly by the living, dying, and rising of Jesus. No, there is nothing we can do to lose our justification. We must preach these truths. We must live in these truths. But these blessed realities must never be used as a license to sin or to minimize the need for repentance when we do sin.
The same man who wrote Romans 8 also wrote Romans 6. The same Jesus who canceled the curse of sin has also broken the power of sin. Sin is no longer our commander-in-chief. In Christ we are no longer totally depraved. Our brokenness is, by the power of Christ, being mended."
- Todd Pruitt
Fallen Pastors
"Fallen pastor, keep a low profile. In the name of all that is decent, get off social media. We do not need your triumphal tweets about the great things you are learning about grace since violating your most sacred vows. You are no longer a brand. You should never have been a brand in the first place. You have given mockers a greater reason to profane the name of Jesus. You have heaped scorn upon the church. Quit acting as though you still have a legitimate platform from which to teach. You can demonstrate the genuineness of your repentance by quietly placing yourself under the authority of a church where you can humbly learn in anonymity."
- Todd Pruitt
Friday, July 10, 2015
Jellyfish Christianity
"Jellyfish Christianity -- A Christianity without bone, muscle, or sinew, -- without any distinct teaching about the atonement, the work of the Spirit, justification, or the way of peace with God -- a vague, foggy, misty Christianity, of which the only watchwords seem to be, "You must be liberal and kind. You must condemn no man's doctrinal views. You must consider everybody is right & nobody is wrong." -J.C. Ryle
No backbone, no conviction, no repentance, and no right or wrong. This is what some people see as being a Christian. This is far from the Christianity that Jesus spoke about in the Bible.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Spiritual Growth
"Spiritual growth is no less real simply because it comes slowly and is difficult to measure. God is at work" - Tim Challies
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Total Depravity
"Without a knowledge of our unfaithfulness and rebellion we will never come to know God as the God of truth and grace. Without a knowledge of our pride we will never know Him in His greatness. Nor will we come to Him for the healing we need. When we are sick physically and know that we are sick, we seek out a doctor and follow his prescription for a cure. But if we did not know we were sick, we would not seek help and might well perish from the illness. It is the same spiritually. If we think we are well, we will never accept God's cure; we think we do not need it. Instead, if by God's grace we become aware of our sickness—actually, of something worse than sickness, of spiritual death so far as any meaningful response to God is concerned—then we have a basis for understanding the meaning of Christ's work on our behalf, and can embrace Him as Savior and be transformed by Him."
– James Montgomery Boice –
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Direction of Your Life
"It is not the perfection of one's life but the direction of a life that provides evidence of regeneration." (John MacArthur)
Trusting in God
Do we really know what it means to trust in God? I mean when it really matters. It's very easy to trust God for all of our needs when the bills are all up to date, your marriage is great, and the kids are all angels.
But what about when you are behind in your bills, your marriage is on the rocks, and your children are far from God? Can we trust in the sovereignty of God then? Do we really believe He holds the future in His hands?
The promise of Philippians 4:13 holds true in any situation. In context, it calls us to be content whatever the circumstances. Our contentment and satisfaction comes from our identity in Christ, not from our circumstances in this world. "I can do all things through Christ" how? through His strength. Not through any way of me trying harder, or working harder, or leaning in my own understanding. Many times in the Bible we are told to trust. Abraham, Moses, and David are just a few of the people in the Bible that are told to trust. Are we any better than these giants if the faith? We also need to trust in the same God that rescued the Israelites, and raised David up to be king. The same God who sent His son to die on the cross for all of our sins, past, present and future.
Regardless of our own feelings of anxiety, we need to trust in the sovereignty of God, and know that He is still on the throne. If He is indeed Lord of our life, then we have nothing to fear, and everything to look forward to. - T. Meiers
Music Good or Evil?
"God created and designed our brains, our ears, and our spirits. He created all of us in such a way that "vibrations" could enter our physical ears and have an impact on our spirit. Wow! What an awesome God we serve. So, music has a spiritual dimension and power to it. Beyond that, I truly believe that the spirit of the artist creating the music has a great impact on the overall affect it carries. This is a very subjective thing, and it is really difficult to put into words, but generally speaking; dark hearts produce dark music and vise versa. Hearts that are filled with God's grace and love produce music that reflects God's goodness. It is amazing to me, especially in the Metal genre that I'm most familiar with, how there are only a handful of chords and scales that most artists use. Whether they love Jesus or not, Metal artists use the same power chords, and scales to produce their music. Vocalists also use the vocal chords they have, that are neither secular or sacred, to belt out their vocal parts. There is nothing inherently good or evil about any of that. What makes the significant difference is the faith, the spirit, and the attitude out of which the music is produced. The lyrics will then reflect those things as well. So music is a powerful tool and an awesome gift of God, one that without question possesses spiritual power. My hope and prayer is that every note I play and sing will bless those who listen, and bring glory, honor, and praise to our great God"
- Pastor Brad, interview from www.xtrememusic.com
Monday, July 6, 2015
"God is minutely and acutely aware of every
"God is minutely and acutely aware of every skeleton in every closet, and He loves us."
From Depraved Wretch on Facebook
He is intimately aware of every skeleton in every closet, and yet He loves us anyway. Every secret, every thought, every unspoken and spoken word. And yet, even while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. For all of our sins, past, present, and future. He knows about every action or non-action we have taken, every dark road we have gone down, every trial and every temptation we have faced, and yet, He still loves us. What an incredible perfect, Agape love, beyond comprehension. Thank you Lord, for your unfailing love.
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Packer
"If we do not preach about sin and God's judgment on it, we cannot present Christ as Saviour from sin and the wrath of God. And if we are silent about these things, and preach a Christ who saves only from self and the sorrows of this world, we are not preaching the Christ of the Bible . . . Such preaching may soothe some, but it will help nobody; for a Christ who is not seen and sought as a Saviour from sin will not be found to save from self or from anything else."
J. I. Packer
Fallen Man
"Fallen man is free to choose what he desires, but because his desires are only wicked he lacks the moral ability to come to Christ. As long as he remains in the flesh, unregenerate, he will never choose Christ. He cannot choose Christ precisely because he cannot act against his own will. His fall is so great that only the effectual grace of God working in his heart can bring him to faith." - R.C. Sproul.
Saturday, July 4, 2015
4th of July
: "Whatever form your patriotism takes today, let it be with a deep sense that we are more closely bound to brothers and sisters in Christ in other countries and other cultures than we are to our closest unbelieving compatriot in the fatherland. God is our King and his kingdom is our final allegiance. But under that banner, it is right to be thankful that God gave us our land freely, and thankful that people paid a high price to preserve it."
- John Piper
Friday, July 3, 2015
Arminian vs. Calvinism
The Arminian believes that God knocks on the door to man's heart and man decides to answer or not. The Calvinist believes that anyone whom the Holy Spirit regenerates is saved. This is because God's grace works effectually only on the elect. He never wastes His effort or is frustrated in His design. If you are one of God's elect, He will bring you to Himself sometime in your life. His desire for you will never be quenched until you are one of His.
~ Craig R. Brown, The Five Dilemmas of Calvinism
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Total Depravity
"Sin is really a rejection of the rights of the Creator. Its language is, 'I am. I am my own, and therefore have I the right to live unto myself." ~ Arthur Pink, "The Doctrine of Human Depravity"
Martin Luther
"all our experience with history should teach us, when we look back, how badly human wisdom is betrayed when it relies on itself."
–– martin luther
