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The Question: Why do we pray for the salvation of certain people?
A dear Brother inquired:
Another few questions that came from Xyz:
Q1. Why pray to God for salvation of certain people especially family members knowing very well God in His good pleasure has predetermined His elect?
Q2. Would earnest prayer including prayer and fasting move the heart of God to commute the death sentence to that of life eternally? Are we capable to move God's heart and change His mind?
Q3. If not, why should we pray for the salvation of many? We know only one thing: we are not deserving to be saved at all. His choosing some for Himself is the testimony of His grace. Oh! How we should be humble in the sight of His greatness.
In Him...
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Dear Brother,
Thanks for asking, and exercising my mind to search the Scriptures. Read patiently. Feel free to ask further if I am not clear or in error. Rightly dividing the word of truth will deliver us from inconsistency and contradiction.
Your questions deal with the issue of divine sovereignty and human responsibilities. The standard explanation of the relationship between divine sovereignty and human responsibility is very inadequate and misses the whole point because it fails to make the crucial distinction between eternal salvation that is monergistic, and temporal salvation which is synergistic. The human responsibility spoken of RELATES solely and specifically to God's children only, and NOT to natural man in general. It is only God's children who are directed with those spiritual responsibilities. It is biblical and logical that God requires SPIRITUAL responsibilities of His children only, and not those natural men dead in trespasses and sin.
Of course MORAL responsibilities is a duty of all moral creatures made in the image of God. Man as God's creatures are bound to God in the covenant of creation.
Any way, read on. A bit long... so that you may be grounded in the truth.
You asked:
Q1. Why pray to God for salvation of certain people especially family members know very well God in His good pleasure has predetermined His elect?
1. Let me first state some basic biblical facts, before dealing with the question directly. It is no harm rehearsing or repeating the wonderful truth of salvation.
a. We know very well these things:
- God in His good pleasure has chosen a certain people for Himself, and has predestinated His elect to eternal salvation before the foundation of the world, Romans 8:29-30, Eph 1:3-6.
- No prayers can alter that. No activities of man can alter anything.
- All their names have been written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, Rev 13:8. No prayers, and absolutely nothing else can alter that fixed number, and persons.
- 1689.3.4 summarizes the matter this way: "These angels and men thus predestined and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished.” (2Ti 2:19; Jn 13:18.)
Please note: the number is fixed by divine decree before the foundation of the world.
No prayers and ABSOLUTELY nothing can add or reduce the number of names already written in the Book of Life from before the foundation of the world. Prayers cannot alter what God has already settled in eternity. No missionary endeavor or lack thereof will ever increase or decrease the number elect entering eternal glory in heaven. Why?
- It is plainly stated what God has decreed that He Himself will do ALL THESE without fail for each of His elect: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."
God has decreed to do ALL these divine and sovereign acts for each and every one of His elect... and He did ALL these acts absolutely without any external/human influence or aids or cooperation. ALL these acts for each and ALL elect shall come to pass in God's own appointed and approved time. No amount of prayers can change or alter any thing in all these eternal and sovereign acts stated here. O what comfort... sovereign grace and wisdom determine the certainty of the eternal salvation of each of all His elect.
- 1689.10.1 puts it this way: ". Those whom God hath predestined unto life, He is pleased in His appointed and accepted time, effectually to call,(1) by His Word [Christ, the Life-giving Logos, sing] and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ [the sole basis and ground of the grace and eternal salvation bestowed]."
Please note: the time of each elect's effectual calling - whether still in the womb or at deathbed, or somewhere in between - from sin and death to grace and salvation is all in God's own appointed and accepted time. It is God's sole prerogative as to WHEN He apply eternal salvation to each of His elect personally in time. No amount of prayers will affect or change the time of an elect's effectual call to life. Not human acts can SPEED UP or SLOW DOWN when God effectually call each elect to grace and eternal life.
SO, there are certain things that are clearly BEYOND the realm and sphere of any activity or prayer of God's children. You don't see any example of prayers on those things that concern the eternal aspect of the salvation of God's elect. You don't see any instruction to pray on such things either.
b. Why pray to God for the salvation of certain people, then?
- What do people mean when they pray for the salvation of people? Go ask the Arminians and the RBs, and all others in between, what they mean?
- They probably mean that by their prayers the things mentioned above are made to happen. They think their prayers and their witness and good works are the means God appointed to secure the things mentioned above. They pray to God to regenerate those that are dead... but God without fail always effectually call His elect, and ONLY at His own appointed and accepted time... WITHOUT any one's prayer or preaching, etc.
- They pray that the dead may believe to receive eternal life... may believe that they may be justified by God... that by means of their zeal and activities, they think by their activities, will get more people into heaven. How deceived and deluded!!!
- The Bible gives many instances where prayers are requested and made for the salvation of CERTAIN people. The 'salvation' where our prayers and activities are involved is not the eternal aspect of salvation; it is the temporal aspect of salvation...
- All these prayers HAVE TO DO with the gathering into the NT church and shepherding of God's children (the elect already effectually called to grace and eternal salvation... all by God's free grace in justification, regeneration, adoption, gift of the Holy Spirit to dwell in them).
- "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest." Matt 9:38. The 'harvest' are those that God has already effectually called... these alone are able to be 'harvested' - to be gathered by the laborers into the NT church to be nurtured... "teaching them that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" Titus 2:12-13.
- "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 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."
- In carrying out this work of making disciples we need to pray that the Lord will bless our effort to bring God's children to the gospel truth, and gospel living. Disciples can only be made out of God's children... those elect whom God has effectually called to eternal life, i.e. bestowed with eternal salvation. Only children of God can be taught to observe all things whatsoever Christ their Lord and Saviour have commanded them. To all others, Christ and the gospel is utter foolishness. Spiritual things are spiritually discern. Spiritual things are foolishness to them without eternal life.
- This is the apostolic example set before us... "Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you." (II Thessalonians 3:1)
c. There is a salvation which can only comes through the gospel ministry.
- This is distinct from the eternal salvation that is by free and sovereign grace alone... applied to an elect personally through the sovereign effectual call to grace and eternal salvation.
– This is a salvation that God's children must work out for themselves. The gospel ministry is the means. To be taught to observe all things that the Lord Jesus has commanded through His apostles bring much salvation/deliverance from ignorance, ungodliness, timely consequences of sin, etc.
- To be taught to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and taught to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world is a salvation which we must pray and work for God's children.
No amount of prayers will turn a goat into a sheep. Our prayers and gospel ministry can turn ignorant and untaught and uninformed children of God... into men of God that they may be thoroughly equipped for every good work God has appointed them.
We ought to pray to God to bless our labours to those around us - whether among the family members, or whoever - that His children may be found and gathered into the NT church. We labour because we know there ARE God's children out there, NOT because God's children WILL BE made through our ministry, and they need to be gathered into the NT church.
Apostle Paul is very specific in his mind... his ministry is for the elect regenerate alone. As he labours for the temporal salvation (in contrast to eternal salvation which God bestows freely and sovereign without man's aid whatsoever) of God's children, he asks God to bless the labours of his hands... there may be conversion. That's the apostolic model for us.
You asked
Q2. Would earnest prayer including prayer and fasting moves the heart of God to commute the death sentence to that of life eternity? Are we capable to move God's heart and change His mind?
2. Some facts stated above in Q1 will give a definitive answer to your question above.
a. Christ and His merits (His life of perfect and sinless obedience unto God for His people, and His substitutionary death for His people) ALONE is the SOLITARY cause and instrument for the commutation of the condemnation of death to that of justification unto eternal life.
- And the MANNER/METHOD of this commutation is by the FREE and sovereign grace alone... conditioned ON absolutely nothing in or of man. If it is conditioned on anything, the man under the condemnation of death is ABSOLUTELY unable to meet that condition. It is Christ alone PLUS
NOTHING - not prayers, not preaching, not believing, not repentance, etc.
- Christ Himself prayed for those whom God the Father has given Him... and none other. "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them." John 17:9-10.
- Remember too that God is eternal and immutable, working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will for His own glory. The Triune God has decreed and determined in eternity the exact people whom He has predestinated to eternal life, and God is immutable in His decree.
You asked:
b. Are we, God's children, capable to move God's heart and change His mind?
- In the eternal aspect of salvation, certainly not... see Romans 8:29-30. In this eternal aspect of salvation, it is entirely MONERGISTIC, by His free and sovereign will and purpose...- In temporal matters, certainly yes. There are ample examples in the Scriptures. In temporal matters, it is SYNERGISTIC. God's children are commanded to observe and obey God through the grace working in them. They must work out their own salvation – ONLY those already bestowed with eternal salvation is able to do something to work out their own temporal salvation in this life. In this sense, those who labour and work hard will enjoy more salvation.
- God hears the prayers of His children and intervene in the temporal affairs in their lives. Human involvement - whether prayers or gospel witness, brotherly kindness, charity is limited to the temporal aspect of salvation alone. In this aspect alone, God's children have an ACTIVE role to play. If we don't pray and labour, not only our own spiritual well being is adversely affected, the well being of other children of God are also adversely affected... leaving God's children to remain in ignorance and in bondage to traditions and superstitions. For a child of God to be tossed about by every wind of doctrine and fables is heart breaking.
- Every effort must be expanded to gather them into the spiritual home... that each may be nourished and instructed and grounded in the truth of Jesus Christ, and thoroughly equipped for every good work that the Father has appointed for His children.
You asked:
Q3. If not, why should we pray for the salvation of many?
The Sungai Dua Church has been praying for the salvation of God's children in the community around us... that we may meet them in our daily life and teach them the gospel. We pray for the salvation of the RBs folks too that they may be delivered and saved from their ignorance and blindness to the gospel of eternal salvation by pure and free grace.I labour and pray for their salvation - not from their eternal condemnation... God takes care of that all by Himself in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ and applied by the Holy Spirit – but that they may know the glorious gospel of free and sovereign grace of God in their salvation from eternal condemnation, that the truth may set them free from falsehood and lies and superstitions!
Apostle Paul speak of his salvation through the prayers of the Philippian saints: "For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ." Php 1:19.
Apostle Paul reminds Timothy of saving himself and his flock, "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." 1Ti 4:16
You wrote:
We know only one thing: we are not deserving to be saved at all. His choosing some for
Himself is the testimony of His grace. Oh! How we should be humble in the sight of His greatness.
And that one thing is enough to humble us to the dust. All glory and praise be to His alone.
Your brother and servant in Christ,
sing
