October 1 at 1:47pm"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is EVERY ONE that is born of the Spirit."
Please note carefully, won't you: "so is EVERY ONE that is born of the Spirit."
Can someone with sound mind spell out the implications.
Sing F Lau
"...so is EVERY ONE that is born of the Spirit" means to say, either EVERY ONE is regenerated through the instrumentality of the preached word, or EVERY ONE is regenerated immediately and directly by the Spirit, i.e. WITHOUT that instrumentality.
The new school calvinists with their cousins, both the old and new arminians, insist that their preaching is a necessary instrument to the Spirit's work of regeneration.
The old school baptists believe that every regenerated elect is regenerated directly and immediately by the free and sovereign act of the Spirit of God, without means.
Of the two alternative, one has fatal implications, the other is wholly logical, and consistent with the word of God.
Sing F Lau
Many new school calvinists - unless they embrace the plain truth that EVERY ELECT, without exception, is regenerated in exactly the same manner by the Holy Spirit, as declared by Christ Himself - embrace the popular notions that there are TWO different manners of regeneration:
1. The NORMAL manner: the sentient elect are regenerated by the Spirit through the instrument of the gospel preaching, BUT
2. The EXCEPTIONAL manner: the non-sentient elect, those elect that died in infancy and others that are mentally challenged, are regenerated directly.
They reject the plain truth declared by Christ Himself - "so is EVERY ONE that is born of the Spirit."
They choose to believe a LIE. And to cover that obvious lie, they invent an exception to cover their ERROR. Very wise in their own eyes!
An error always leads to another more serious error! Flesh begets flesh. Lies beget more lies!
They just won't receive and accept the simple and glorious truth: "so is every one that is born of the Spirit" - i.e. by the free and sovereign activity of the Spirit of Christ, "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
Sing F Lau
There are other new school calvinists that say, "Yes, we do indeed believe that there ONLY ONE WAY of regeneration: "EVERY ONE is regenerated by the Spirit through the instrumentality of the preached word ALONE. Therefore, no preaching of the gospel, no regeneration. None will go to heaven unless they hear the gospel preached and believe in Jesus Christ. There is none in heaven who have not heard the gospel and believe in Jesus Christ when they were on earth... one must hear and believe the gospel in order to be given eternal life...blah... blah...blah."
These new school calvinists would have to conclude these, if they are consistent (which they hardly are!)
- there is absolutely no elect of God among all those who did not hear the gospel... why? Because every elect of God will HEAR the gospel... there is no elect of God who will not have the opportunity to hear the gospel...
- there is absolute no elect of God among all those who did not BELIEVE the gospel... why? every elect of God will hear the gospel AND BELIEVE the gospel too.
Are they prepared to own those inevitable implications of their notion?
And they invent the 'WHOLE PACKAGE' fiction that hearing the gospel and believing and persevering in a life of faith and obedience to the end of their life is part of the 'WHOLE PACKAGE' of the eternal salvation God secured for His elect. The phrase, 'whole package' thingy is so popular, like a magic mantra throw about to obfuscate the issue!
Sing F Lau
The old school baptists, who stood upon the truth of the Scriptures, condemn the new school calvinists for their blatant lies.
The old school baptists believe that EVERY ELECT is regenerated in EXACTLY the ONE same way, based exactly upon the ONE same ground, the redemption of Jesus Christ, by the same Agent.
The old school baptists declared, in conformity to the Scriptures that they are God's children (elect regenerated freely and sovereignly by the direct and immediate activity of God) who are incapable of hearing and believing, and there are others who are incapable of being outwardly called by the gospel, i.e. they have no opportunity to hear the gospel in their life time on earth.
The new school calvinists are not the children or descendants of the old school baptists, despite all their claim to hold to the same ancient confession framed by them (1689 LBCF), which faithfully summarized the truth of the Scriptures.
Regeneration by the direct and immediate activity of the Spirit of God ALONE, without any human instrumentality whatsoever, is the truth that salvation is indeed "by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed."
ONLY one way of regeneration will GUARANTEE that the promised salvation in Jesus Christ be SURE TO ALL THE SEED.
Introduce any human instrumentality, and many God's elect shall be excluded from their eternal inheritance!
But thank God that will not be the case, despite the LIES embraced, preached and defended by the new school calvinists.
God will still do His holy will despite the fact that His children (of the new school calvinist label) believe and preach LIES about their regeneration! The KJT word for such is 'BASTARD'!
Chapin
@Sing, Isaiah had a word for them..."And in that day, seven women will take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel, ONLY LET US BE CALLED BY THY NAME, to take away our reproach." Isiah 4:1
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October 1 at 9:35pm
Sing F Lau
Saving faith is distinguished from the historical faith.
Historical faith accept the bare historical facts of a great man named Jesus. Saving faith receives and rests in Christ and His righteousness alone for salvation. Saving faith is a fruit and effect of the salvation that has been applied personally to an elect. Historical faith is a fruit of the rational mind of a natural man, devils' too!
October 2 at 1:26am
Sing F Lau
Ro 4:16 "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end THE PROMISE MIGHT BE SURE TO ALL THE SEED; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all."
Does your understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ meet this acid test: that the promised redemption might be sure to all the seed?
Sing F Lau
If it does, then you have done your duty to believe rightly.
If it doesn't, then let your idea [sic: yes, your idea, not you; you are precious, your idea is not] be damned, instead of having some of the precious seed harmed or injured or insulted and mocked by your idea.
Gal 1: 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Sing F Lau
"Therefore it is of faith, that it might be of grace..."
Therefore it is of whose/what/which faith, that it might be of grace, that the promise MIGHT BE SURE TO ALL THE SEED? Is it the faith exercised by the seed?
If it is the faith (...worked in the seed by the indwelling Spirit) exercised by the seed, then IS IT still grace, and will the promise be sure to all the seed?
Whose or what or which faith is spoken of such that it might be of grace, and that the promise MIGHT BE SURE TO ALL THE SEED?
Ro 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
The promise to Abraham and his seed was through the righteousness of faith, not through the law. What is the righteousness of faith?
Ro 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
Note: the righteousness which is by faith OF Jesus Christ...
Ro 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe,
Note: righteousness of the faith [of Jesus Christ] : the righteousness that comes from Christ's faithfulness to His work of redeeming His people.
