Who is carrying who? Which is kept in the state of flight by which?A tiny twist, an enormous error! How so? Here it is.
At the source is this: "Those whom God hath accepted in the beloved, effectually called and sanctified by His Spirit, and given the precious faith of His elect unto, can neither totally nor finally fall from the STATE OF GRACE, but shall certainly persevere THEREIN to the end, and be eternally saved." ('Therein', i.e in the state of grace.)
This is given a tiny twist by the RBs, and Calvinists of other shades. Do you discern the enormous error?
Twisted away from the origin is this:
Every true child of God will persevere in a life of faith and obedience to the end of their life to be saved. Those who don't are never children of God to begin with."
Page
Little twist that evolves into a web and a maze! so true. I absolutely reject that belief as destructive!
Hart '.. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith; ..' <>
'.. Jesus is the author, and ritchie is the finisher of his faith; ..'
<>
Sing F Lau
What did the Framers of the 1689 LBCF actually summarized the teaching of Scripture. I will paste the three paragraphs here, and leave some comments.
YOU BE THE JUDGE whether what they summarized has been sincerely [sic] perverted and twist...ed into something else.
1689.17 Of The Perseverance Of The Saints
1. Those whom God hath accepted in the beloved, effectually called and sanctified by His Spirit, and given the precious faith of His elect unto, can neither totally nor finally fall from THE STATE OF GRACE, but shall certainly persevere THEREIN to the end, and be eternally saved, seeing the gifts and callings of God are without repentance, whence He still begets and nourisheth in them faith, repentance, love, joy, hope, and all the graces of the Spirit unto immortality;(1) and though many storms and floods arise and beat against them, yet they shall never be able to take them off that foundation and rock which by faith they are fastened upon; notwithstanding, through unbelief and the temptations of Satan, the sensible sight of the light and love of God may for a time be clouded and obscured from them,(2) yet He is still the same, and they shall be sure to be kept by the power of God unto salvation, where they shall enjoy their purchased possession, they being engraven upon the palm of His hands, and their names having been written in the book of life from all eternity.(3)
1. Jn 10:28-29; Php 1:6; 2Ti 2:19; 1Jn 2:19.
2. Ps 89:31-32; 1Co 11:32.
3. Mal 3:6.
=========
What is the essence of the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints?
It is saints remaining and continuing in THE STATE OF GRACE into which God has brought them freely by His free and sovereign grace.
This has been twisted and replaced with "it is saints will persevere [continue in a course of action] in a life of faith and obedience to the end of their life to be saved. Those who don't were never children of God to begin with."
God has, by His free and sovereign grace, brought His elect out of the state of sin and death and into the state of grace and salvation. By the very same free and sovereign grace, these children of God will remain and continue in the STATE OF GRACE unto eternal salvation. The same free and sovereign grace will PRESERVE them in the STATE OF GRACE.
Every thing else in this paragraph elaborates and expounds on that one point - why will God's children remain and continue in the state of grace?
Reason 1: "seeing the gifts and callings of God are without repentance."
Reason 2: "He still begets and nourisheth in them faith, repentance, love, joy, hope, and all the graces of the Spirit unto immortality."
Reason 3: And despite all "hell" on earth, "yet they shall never be able to take them off that foundation and rock which by faith they are fastened upon." [The faith by which they are fastened is NOT their believing acts, it is the precious faith of the elect that was given them at effectual calling].
Reason 4: Despite all the changes and uncertainties in the children of God, "He is still the same, and they shall be sure to be kept by the power of God unto salvation, where they shall enjoy their purchased possession.
Reason 5: "They being engraven upon the palm of His hands, and their names having been written in the book of life from all eternity."
For these reasons, they will most certainly remain and continue in the state of grace into which they have been effectually called, COME what may!
Does this remaining and continuance in the STATE OF GRACE depend in any way whatsoever upon the faith and obedience of God's children?
A very valid, and a necessary question.
Who is kept in the state of flight by which by who?Sing F Lau
Does this remaining and continuance in the STATE OF GRACE depend in any way whatsover upon anything in the children of God, or anything done by them, like a life of faith and obedience? A very valid, and a necessary question. The Framers anticipated such a good question. And provided plain answers.
=============
2. This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election,(4) flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father, upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ and union with Him,(5) the oath of God,(6) the abiding of His Spirit, and the seed of God within them,(7) and the nature of the covenant of grace;(8) from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility
thereof.
4. Ro 8:30; 9:11,16.
5. Ro 5:9-10; Jn 14:19.
6. Heb 6:17-18.
7. 1Jn 3:9.
8. Jer 32:40.
=============
What does the absolute certainty and infallibility of God's children remaining and continuing in the STATE OF GRACE depend on?
The Framers provided both NEGATIVE and AFFIRMATIVE answers.
1. Negatively, it does not depend on:
- Saints' free will in willing and doing anything, i.e. not even their life of faith and obedience even if that were possible.
2. Affirmatively, it depends on:
- the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father.
- the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ and union with Him.
- the oath of God,
- the abiding of His Spirit.
- the seed of God within them,
- and the nature of the covenant of grace.
3. The absolute certainty and infallibility of the children of God remaining and continuing in the STATE OF GRACE arise from these God-centred factors, and DOES NOT arise from anything in or of the children of God.
Isn't that plain enough? But you bellow, what about the 3rd paragraph? What is the point of paragraph 3?
The point of paragraph 3 is just this: this certainty and infallibility is not in doubt in the least despite all the HELL and FURY that God's children have to face as they go though this life on earth. Nothing will shake them out of the STATE OF GRACE, even though many things may cause them to make shipwreck of their faith.
Let's look at paragraph 3 then.
Sing F Lau
Would this certainty and infallibility of God's children remaining and continuing in the STATE OF GRACE be undermined by these real and grievous onslaughts? No, not in the least. They shall persevere, i.e. remain and continue, in the STATE ...OF GRACE, even though they suffer so badly that they made shipwreck of their faith, even though their earthly lives may be terminated prematurely (the Corinthians saints who fell asleep.
God's children may be dislodged from their faith, yet they shall most certainly and infallibly remain and continue in the STATE OF GRACE.
==========
Here is paragraph 3. Read its plain message.
3. And though they may, through the temptation of Satan and of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of means of their preservation, fall into grievous sins, and for a time continue therein,(9) whereby they incur God's displeasure and grieve His Holy Spirit,(10) come to have their graces and comforts impaired,(11) have their hearts hardened, and their consciences wounded,(12) hurt and scandalize others, and bring temporal judgements upon themselves,(13) yet shall they renew their repentance and be preserved through faith in Christ Jesus to the end.(14)
9. Mt 26:70,72,74. 10. Isa 64:5,9; Eph 4:30. 11. Ps 51:10,12. 12. Ps 32:3-4. 13. 2Sa 12:14. 14. Lk 22:32,61-62.
==========
Can anything dislodge God's children from their STATE OF GRACE? Consider all these things mentioned:
- the temptation of Satan and of the world,
- the prevalency of corruption remaining in them,
- and the neglect of means of their preservation,
- fall into grievous sins, and for a time continue therein,
- they incur God's displeasure and grieve His Holy Spirit,
- come to have their graces and comforts impaired,
- have their hearts hardened,
- and their consciences wounded,(12)
- hurt and scandalize others,
- and bring temporal judgments upon themselves,(13)
Are all these saying:
"All God's children will persevere [i.e. continue in a course of action] in a life of faith and obedience till the end of their life,"
or are they saying:
"Despite all these hell and fury God's children may have to go through life, they shall be PRESERVED in the STATE OF GRACE, i.e. remain and continue in the STATE OF GRACE to the end."
You would retort, isn't "yet shall they renew their repentance and be PRESERVED through faith in Christ Jesus to the end" the first?
I say, No! The whole chapter is about the latter - persevering in the STATE OF GRACE. The saints persevere in the state of grace because God preserve them THEREIN.
The subject matter of the chapter has been twisted and perverted into something else.
The chapter has NOTHING TO SAY about "all true children of God will persevere in a life of faith and obedience to the end of their lives."
That is just a FICTION and FABLE. It is a popular Calvinistic LIE!
Sing F Lau
Some INSIST that there is no difference between remaining in state of grace and remaining in a life of faith and obedience; that they are synonymous. They insist that remaining in the state of grace, and continuance in a life of faith and o...bedience refer to the same matter.
There is a basic and serious misunderstanding to equate the two. A simple illustration will suffice.
A STATE OF GRACE refers the our BEING as God's children. And absolutely nothing can alter that status established by the sovereign and free grace of God. It is wholly by the gracious act of God when were dead in trespasses and sin, in enmity and rebellion, were slaves of sin, and children of wrath. Our BEING as God's children is a fixed and settle matter, all by the grace of God. We were absolutely passive.
Faith and obedience refers to our conduct related to our WELL BEING as God's children. Our well being as God's children involves, and requires our active participation as God's children in our discipleship to ensure our well being. A great human factor is involved in the well being of God's children. This explains why some of God's children fare better than the others, and why some make shipwreck of their faith.
Some are strong and robust, some healthy and average many are weak and sickly, some are very sick and bed ridden... some are completely misled and fall away from the faith...
Hart
IT Rule: First know what IT says, before understanding what IT means.
King James Translation <> But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
English Standard Version<> But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
KJT = 'Preservation of the saints' (power of God)
ESV = Contemporary man prefers an adjusted curriculum invected by wilted TULIP (P): 'Preseverance of the saints' (power of man)
We must of contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints.
Only old path provides light for our path.
IMO, the popular new trail is laced by toxicology.
Hart
INVECT is to inveigh or give vent to angry disapproval, protest vehemently, to attack with words. Contemporary man insists upon a modified curriculum crediting man with his own eternal destiny, thus denying the power of Jesus Christ alone is sufficient in preserving the saints.
