Begetting and Parenting

Begetting and Parenting;
Sonship and Discipleship.
They are distinct!

Sonship: a condemned, dead, alien sinner being justified, regenerated and adopted into the family of God - is by God's free grace alone, completely monergistic; it is God's work alone, man being dead in trespasses and sins, is completely passive. It is God's free and sovereign activities of producing His children.

John 1
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Discipleship is by the deliberate choice of God's children in rendering obedience to God's will in Jesus Christ, in response to God's grace working in them. It is synergistic; God's children are actively involved. Their carelessness and negligence can lead to the shipwreck of their faith; God's children can fall from faith, and they can end up barren.

Phl 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Plagiarism and the word of God

I noticed this lovely cup with its unique meme.

There is no fear of plagiarism if you quote and repeat the word of God. Just be careful that you don't add to or subtract from it for the all-knowing Author may show His displeasure upon you; misrepresenting Him and misleading His children are no small evils.

Rightly divide the word of truth, and you shall be commended as good and faithful; otherwise, your fault in twisting and perverting the word of truth should shame you.

1 Cor 4
1 So let a man think of us as the Lord's servants, and stewards of God's mysteries. 2 Here, moreover, it is required of stewards, that they be found faithful.

2 Tim 2
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Job 42
7 And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.
8 Therefore, take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.

"... ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job." Bearing false witness of the LORD God is a grievous sin.

We look for new heavens and a new earth

 2Pet 3:13
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Some questions to assist you to rightly divide the word of truth:

1. What does the adverb 'nevertheless' refer back to?
- what has been set before them?

2. Who does the pronoun 'we' refer to?

3. Concerning the promise:
- Who made the promise?
- To whom was the promise made?
- Where is the promise recorded?

4. What is 'the new heavens and a new earth' that were promised?
- Why is it 'the new heavens and a new earth' to the recipients?
- What were the old heavens and old earth?
- What happened to the old, and when?

5 What does 'look for' imply?
- Are they still looking for it?
- Or what was looked for has since arrived?

6. Why is the new said to be indwelt with righteousness?

7. What was the old indwelt with?
- How and when was it particularly manifested?

8. Why was this promise so relevant to those who looked for it?
- Why was Apostle Peter reminding themselves of this promise?

9. Now read Apostle Paul reminding the Hebrews believers of the same promise: Hebrews 12
25 ¶See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

What is Apostle Paul reminding the Jewish believers of? (Now check 2Pet 3:16).

Let me hear your thoughts if you can keep to the questions.

Thank you most kindly.
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Take a look here:
https://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2009/11/we-look-for-new-heavens-and-new-earth.html

"... were baptized... and were added..."

Matthew 28 KJT
18 ¶And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Some observations:
1. The Apostles were authorized to baptize in the blessed name of the Triune God.

2. They were ALSO authorized to teach those baptized by them all things whatsoever Christ has commanded them.

3. Those baptized are brought under the authority of Christ; they are subject to all the things Christ has commanded.

4. Teaching the baptized all things whatsoever Christ has commanded necessarily requires the baptized to be members of local churches, to be brought under Christ's authority vested in the local churches.

This is what the Apostles did on the day of Pentecost - giving the apostolic example and setting the apostolic precedent for the NT practice.

Acts 2
40 ¶And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Those baptized were added to the church even though most of them were residents of distant cities scattered throughout the vast Roman Empire.

What puzzles me no end is why some good men would reject such an obvious and simple matter, i.e. baptism and membership with a local church belong together, by Christ's authority. Maybe they are disgusted by some churches baptizing young children who are unable to shoulder the responsibilities of membership. Why? Is membership only for the strong and able? Some even insist that being learned and grounded in the faith are prerequisites for membership, too!

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Bill
Amen, Bro. Sing! Baptism and membership in a local assembly are inextricably tied together.

Mark
It seems to me that the crux of the issues herein contained are the issues of whether Scripture is correctly interpreted to support a singular line of authority to baptize and thereby provide a singular line of membership or whether the line of authority exists without a singular such line. Please note that I have not said that the singular line can be historically proved all along the line. I simply am stating that these are the two lines of thought professed and that this is the crux of this issue.

Feeding has to do with the living.

Every mother knows that life precedes the activities of that life!

She nurses only the living! No mother suckles the dead.

However, many preachers seriously think

their preaching is feeding the dead in order to bring life to them.
Feeding has to do with the living.

"Except a man be born again, he cannot see... he cannot enter..."

The Lord Himself REPEATED it because men are so slow to hear: "EXCEPT a man be born again, he CANNOT... "

That's not too hard to understand, is it?

Life must precede all the activities of that life; this is so basic. In the new birth, eternal life is bestowed. The new birth must precede any activity of that eternal life. Regeneration is the bestowal of eternal salvation, fitting a man perfectly for eternal glory.

It is the bestowal of eternal life that enables a man to perform spiritual activities... ability to discern and understand the things of the Spirit of God, to believe the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, to repent towards God, etc.

- "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1Cor 2:14

But so many embrace a SYNERGISTIC view of the doctrine of salvation that they remain hopelessly inconsistent.

1. God purposed eternal salvation for His people.

- He did this without man's help! It is solely and wholly by grace.

2. Christ accomplished that salvation for the same people.

- He did this without man's help! It is solely and wholly by grace.

3. God, by His eternal Word and His Spirit (all the three Persons of the divine Godhead) applies that eternal salvation to each elect in the effectual calling, calling each elect out of his native state of sin and death to that of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ.

- The effectual call of an elect out of the state of sin and death to that of grace and salvation requires, in this logical order and number: justification,  regeneration, and adoption, with the bestowal of the Spirit of adoption to dwell in the regenerated.

The effectually called is completely and perfectly fitted for eternal glory. Nothing else is needed.

God does this effectual call without man's help! It is solely and wholly by grace.

So, man is COMPLETELY passive in this. In fact in his native state of  sin and death, he is completely hostile towards, and in enmity against  God. It has to be completely by the free, and effectual grace of God.

The  gospel ministry is intended for those whom God Himself has effectually called to grace and salvation - calling them to believe the glorious  truth of their salvation by God's free grace. Only such are capable of being called to  believe the truth, because it is ALREADY true of them!!! The gospel is for the conversion of God's children to the truth. But so many are deceived and misguided in believing that their gospel preaching is the necessary and indispensable instrument or means for the regeneration of those dead in sin and trespasses by the Holy Spirit.

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picture:

Every mother knows that life precedes the activities of that life! She nurses only the living! No mother suckles the dead. However, many preachers seriously think their preaching is feeding the dead in order to bring life to them.

Feed My lambs... feed My sheep... feed my sheep..." John 21:15-17.

Feeding has to do with the living.