How the gospel is perceived by two distinct groups of hearers

"For the preaching of the cross is
them that perish foolishness;
but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God."
1 Cor 1:18 

How the same gospel is perceived by two distinct groups of people: "them that perish" and "us which are saved."

1 Cor 1:18 "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."

The gospel ministry comes to two distinct groups of people.

One group is designated as 'them that perish' (present participle, i.e. the perishing ones, a verbal noun).  To this group, the glorious gospel - the good news that declares God's power in saving condemned sinners - is perceived as foolishness.

The other is described as 'us which are saved' (present participle, i.e. the saved ones, a verbal noun). To this group, the glorious gospel - the good news that declares God's power in saving condemned sinners - is perceived as what it is: the message declaring the power of God is saving them!

God HAS SAVED them (applied eternal salvation to them, i.e. effectually called them out of their native state of sin and death to that of grace and salvation) independent of, and apart from the gospel ministry.

This passage repudiates the common fable of gospel regeneration, i.e. that the gospel ministry comes to those who are perishing, and through the preaching and hearing of the gospel, the Holy Spirit regenerates those who are still dead in trespasses and sins, to enable them to believe the gospel, in order to be saved.

The gospel comes to those that ARE SAVED, the SAVED ONES. Can anything be plainer? Only those who ARE SAVED are able to perceive the gospel for what it is, a message declaring the power of God in having saved His chosen ones.

The gospel is NOT the power of God; the gospel is the message declaring the power of God in saving His people. So many can't even distinguish the two!!!

Jesus is the power of God in salvation. The gospel is the good news which declares that power.

1Co 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Romans 3:11 "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God" -- that's the condition of a man by nature, if he is not saved by God's free and sovereign grace!!!

"Let us go on unto perfection..."

"Let us go on unto perfection*..."

1. Stuck, not going on...

Hebrews 5
12 ¶For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Note: we can be stuck in so many ways; stuck in erroneous teaching, in traditions, etc.

2. Call to Go On...
Hebrews 6:1a "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection..."

a. Who are called to go on unto perfection?
- those who were once enlightened,
- those who have tasted of the heavenly gift,
- those who were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
- those who have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come.  (Hebrews 6:4-5.)

Some of these, according to their works, receive blessing: others, according to their works too, are nigh unto cursing, whose temporal end is to be burned.

The solemn truth is illustrated thus...

3. Two Responses and their Consequences

Hebrews 6
7 ¶For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

Verses 7-8 speak of those mentioned in verses 4-5, those who have been so blessed.

*perfection: maturity, 

So many Speak of Rescuing the Perishing.

So many speak of rescuing the Perishing.

LET'S ASK SOME QUESTIONS:
- Who are the perishing?
- And just what is the perishing spoken of?
- And how do they want to rescue the perishing?

It all depends on what is meant by 'perishing' and rescuing?

Whatever, these few things are fixed and non-negotiable.

Jesus Christ ALONE, and ALREADY HAS, rescued His elect in the eternal sense, having secured their eternal redemption from eternal damnation. These can never and will never perish in the eternal sense. God will, in His approved and appointed time, apply the accomplished eternal redemption to each elect personally, effectually calling them to grace and salvation, thus immutably fitting them for eternal glory.

But these effectually called elect can and will perish in the temporal sense. And the gospel ministry is intended to rescue them, and ONLY THEM, from perishing in the temporal sense... converting them to the truth of their eternal redemption and teaching them 'that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.'

The rescuing that the gospel ministry can achieve is RESTRICTED to rescuing God's children from perishing in the temporal sense... from ungodliness and worldly lusts that will harm their spiritual well-being as God's redeemed people.

The gospel ministry is intended SOLELY for God's children, to rescue them from perishing in the temporal sense. The gospel ministry CANNOT rescue the non-elect in any sense! The gospel has no rescuing efficacy for those dead in trespasses and sins. Food has no rescuing capacity for the dead - it is that basic!

Heb 5:12 "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat."

It is a wee presumptuous of the deformed neo-calvinists to think that they are involved in rescuing those that are dead in trespasses and sins. They believe in particular redemption, and yet won't see its necessary implications, and they want to think themselves of rescuing those of whom God had NO redemptive interest or purpose at all. 

==========

Mark Thomas
None need rescuing that Christ hath saved. None can be rescued that Christ hath not saved. I am content therein. ·

- Not eternally.
- His work ALONE therein suffices. None other can.
- Not collaborative. Not jointly. Not synergistic. Eternally, Christ alone saves.
- Utter and alone monergism by the Triune Godhead alone. No other eternal salvation exists.

Max Witherington
Amen. period

Elaine Housley
Those perishing from the influence of a godless culture. Witnessing of the liberty found in Christ. Most prefer license to liberty. There is much that can be done to rescue those from false thoughts!

Those perishing from the lack of the Grace of Christ. I could add other "perishings" to the list, but am short on time right now. Just think about it . . .

Jerry Chapin
"And of some, have compassion, making a difference: And others, save with fear, pulling them out of the fire: hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." Jude 22, 23

Charles Page
"None need rescuing that Christ hath saved. None can be rescued that Christ hath not saved." ????

Doesn't the temporal life extend beyond death and cease at the resurrection of the body? Does time cease at death or at the resurrection? Glorification is not at death but at the resurrection and is a massive change of every elect person. Massive, I say, massive!

sing
Christ's works of eternal redemption saved His people from the eternal wrath of the Lake of Fire. 
The gospel ministry is capable of saving God's children from hell during the disembodied state after death and before resurrection. Man continues in the temporal realm after death; God's redeemed shall enter the eternal realm after the resurrection and glorification. Time ends at glorification; the state of eternity for the redeemed shall begin at the resurrection and glorification. 

Hell and paradise are temporal; the lake of fire and heaven are eternal. 

The Impressive Church has Left its First Love!

#firstlove

🙋🙋
Sir, I have a few questions on this passage, Rev 2:1-4.

1 ¶Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Q1.  Who is the recipient of the rebuke "thou hast left thy first love"?
Q2.  Why is there such a stern rebuke despite having so many praises and commendations?
Q3.  How do we know whether we have left the First Love?  Please illustrate with examples.

Thanks so much.

------------
sing
Thanks for the good questions
Q1.  Who is the recipient of the rebuke "thou hast left thy first love"?

A1. "unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write..."
- the angel of the church is the messenger (angelos), an envoy, one who is sent by God.
- the pronoun "thou" (1st person singular) refers back to the angel of the church.
- what is shown to him as the messenger of the church is intended for the whole church, collectively viewed as a singular entity.
- so, the message is directed to the church as one singular body and not to any specific or particular individual.
- all the things said about the church, whether commendations or censures, are true of the majority, not all, that made up the church of Ephesus when the message was delivered.
- As a whole, the church HAS LEFT her first love even though there might have been a few individuals who can, with clear conscience, claim otherwise. Nevertheless, the church has left her first love unto the Lord and Husband and Head of the church.
- this evil has happened, is happening, and shall happen to churches throughout church history.

The same message is directed to each child of God in churches in every generation;

v7 ¶He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Three things to note here:
- He who has an ear to hear these spiritual things is necessarily a child of God.
- Such are expected to be associated with the churches of Jesus Christ; they are to be members of local churches.
- These things the Spirit of Christ said to the church in Ephesus are also directed to other churches.

Q2. Why is there such a stern rebuke despite having so many praises and commendations?

A2. To understand why there is such a rebuke, we need to ask a more basic question: what is meant by the first love?

What is the first love?
- first (protos): adjective, indicating first in rank, in honour; not first in time or earliest.
- love (agape): NT speaks of 4 kinds of love; the love spoken of here is love as the fruit/effect of divine grace, a love as a product of God's love shown towards us. See 1John 4:19 "We love him, because he first loved us"

The first love is the love reserved for God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ - love that is first in honour and rank is properly due to Them, and His people.

Mark 12:30 KJV — And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

It was this first love that INITIALLY animated/empowered/enabled the church (a body of saints) to do those things that Christ commended them for.

The church must have exhibited that first love at the beginning; otherwise how can it be said that she has left it? See Eph 1:

The first love is NO LONGER in the activities commended by Christ; those activities are no longer ANIMATED by that first love.

Without that first love animating these activities, they shall soon degenerate into outward customs and traditions.

Those things were NO LONGER done out of that first love unto God; they were for a host of other reasons.

It's like a marriage with the first love intact but later the first love has left same marriage even though it keeps up the nice appearances.

But only Christ can see beyond those impressive outward appearances of commendable things.

Q3.  How do we know whether we have left the First Love?  Please illustrate with examples.

A3. How does a church know whether she has NOT left the first love?

How do I know whether I have NOT left the first love?

Let us first remind ourselves of one important truth:

1Co 2:11a "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?"

Only the spirit of the man knows the things within him; others cannot truly know the things within a man - his thoughts, his motives for action, etc. BUT, God sees and knows all things; nothing is hidden from Him.

Despite the many commendable things done by the church in Ephesus, the all-seeing Lord sees and knows the rot within. Man sees outwardly only but only the spirit of a man sees the things in his own heart; even then, the heart is so inclined to self-deceit. See Jer 7:9. So, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." Pro 4:23

ONLY a man's own spirit knows whether the things he does is done out of that first love to God, or out of other reasons: e.g. a sense of duty, a rote routine, to maintain reputation, to impress others, to find favour, etc.

Without the first love, all those right and commendable good works shall soon degenerate into joyless burdensome chores... that was what has happened in the church in Ephesus. That's what has happened in many marriages too.

The ONLY remedy prescribed by the all-seeing Lord is:

v5: Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works.

The first works and the first love are related: the first works are works that manifest our first love to God. WithOUT the first love, our services and works are like DEAD sacrifices instead of living sacrifices.

Rom 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 

Chinese words confirm the biblical truths

#先 - first
#生 - born
#先生 - firstborn

~~ by Brother Joe Chin

先生？(xian sheng)

Ever wonder why Chinese women call their husband 先生 (read as xian sheng)? This is worth pondering.

Wife addresses her husband as 先生。

When addressing a gentleman in Chinese, the salutation 先生 is used.

When visiting a traditional medicine doctor, he would be addressed as  先生 or Sin Seh (pronounced in Hokkien dialect), especially in Penang. This is true for teachers as well.

Japanese and Korean used the same honorific title to address their teacher or master as SenSei (先生）。

The word 先生 literally meant first-born or born first. Traditional Chinese words have meanings derived from the bible, ie. Blessedness 福 (One man in the garden with God)

Righteousness 義 （A lamb over me - a sacrificial lamb over me)

Boat 船 (A vessel with 8 people on board - referring to Noah's ark in Gen 6)

It crossed my mind when Pastor spoke of firstborn, just like Adam was 'formed' before Eve.

"For Adam was first formed, then Eve." 1 Timothy 2:13

Henceforth, women since ancient times would esteem their husbands as 先生 (first-born).

It also makes sense that a person who is born first, would have attained higher knowledge and mastery, that the firstborn should be called a teacher.

Perhaps Adam taught Eve the names of the animals and plants. However, he did not stop his wife from entertaining the devil; well that's another topic for another day.

I hope the word 先生 is more meaningful to you.