On Sep 11, 2011, at 8:32 PM,(that was nine eleven!!!)
Jo-Hanan Lau wrote:
The man I told you about - his name is Dr. M...... I guess it is good that he realizes that God is sovereign in salvation but describes it as, "the way the two (man's works + God's effectual call) fit together is a mystery." Much better than some reformed people, anyway. Maybe you can mail him, or send him the relevant links on Let God Be True
So I wrote a few words to Dr M.
Dear Brother M...,My son Jo-Hanan attended xyz-EFC last Sunday morning.
He shared what he learned at the bible study in your group.
I take liberty to write a few words.
He noted that you said there is an unresolved 'mystery' between God's sovereignty and man's responsibility in salvation... or the relationship between God's effectual call and man's response in salvation. There is perfect unity and harmony between these two seemingly contradictory teachings of Scriptures. And there is no contradiction or inconsistency at all. And there is no mystery either... All the Scriptures of God is profitable... and if so, it presupposes that they can all be understood when rightly divided, else they would not be profitable.
That is why there is this injunction: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
For many years I was in a fearful and mind-boggling dilemma too, wanting to reconcile the two truths - as though there was any reconciling to do!!! The Lord of our salvation has delivered me from such dilemma, and has taught me the truth from the Holy Scriptures. It was such a great deliverance for me... my mind could not tolerate inconsistencies or contradiction - because one of the basic and fundamental premise of our presupposition is that the word of God is perfect, and completely harmonious and consistent, and free from inconsistencies or contradiction.
I have thought through and written extensively on this so misunderstood subject. My son has heard the truth on the matter on many occasions. He has a distinct impression that you are sincerely wrestling with the matter and seeking for some answer. So, he dropped me the mail above.
Let me put the subject matter in the simplest and briefest manner:
God's sovereign redemptive acts secured our ETERNAL salvation. This is the salvation that:
God has sovereignly purposed in eternity,
Christ has sovereignly accomplished on the cross, and the
Holy Spirit has sovereignly applied it to a sinner dead in trespasses and sins in the effectual call
One fundamental premise all sane men must agree: life must precede the activities of that life. This is true in the physical realm, as well as in the spiritual realm. Physical life precedes physical activities of that life; EVEN SO, eternal life through the divine and sovereign act of effectual calling must precede any spiritual activities like believing and repenting, etc. If we are agreed on this maxim, we have one common ground to discourse. If not, we are too far apart for any further discourse!
Man's responsive acts will obtain for him his TEMPORAL salvation, thus affecting his spiritual well-being in the life here and now. And man can act spiritually ONLY because, and after God has acted upon him and given him ETERNAL salvation.
There is a salvation which God alone has sovereignly purposed for His people, and which Christ alone has sovereignly accomplished for them, and the Holy Spirit sovereignly applies it to each one personally at effectual calling (when God freely and sovereign acts to call a man out of his native state of sin and death, to that of grace and salvation). This is eternal salvation; God's redemptive acts ALONE save a man from eternal condemnation and bring him eternal redemption. This is ETERNAL salvation; God alone actively works out this salvation for His people.
Men are completely passive in this eternal salvation. God is wholly sovereign, effectually calling those who are in enmity and rebellion against Him to grace and salvation. God sovereignly worked out this eternal salvation for His people by His Son Jesus Christ. He declared, 'It is finished.' What Christ has finished and accomplished is applied to individual sinners by the sovereign acts of the Holy Spirit
There is a salvation that God's children (those whom God has sovereignly bestowed eternal salvation by His free grace) are held responsible for working out for themselves with fear and trembling. This is the true and right context of the latter part of the couplet "divine sovereignty and human responsibility". This salvation that God's children must work out for themselves pertains to their spiritual WELL-BEING as God's children here on earth. Php 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," 1Ti 4:16 "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."
There is a salvation that the Triune God has sovereignly worked out for His people. This is eternal salvation, dealing with the eternal well-being of His people... delivering them from eternal condemnation, securing for them eternal redemption; this He had purposed in eternity, accomplished at the cross, and is applied to each of God's elect personally, all by God's free and sovereign grace.
There is a salvation that God's children are held responsible for working out for themselves - that they may experience the blessings of God their Father as their journey through this world to their eternal inheritance. God's children are ACTIVELY involved in their temporal salvation - they must WORK... and work with fear and trembling... to ensure their well-being as God's children. They have nothing to do with their BEING as God's children; they were brought into BEING. God's free and sovereign grace alone made them His children. But they are responsible for working out they own salvation, which is temporal - i.e. dealing with their well-being in their redeemed lives here and now.
Men are WHOLLY passive in this eternal salvation. To say men are passive in his eternal salvation is a great understatement. Men in his native state are actually in ACTIVE enmity and rebellion against God. In such state, he can't possible aids or participates in his eternal salvation. Rom 5:10 "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." Rom 8:7 "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."
When we are able to distinguish these two distinct and separate salvation taught in the Scriptures, we will be able to distinguish the salvation that is by God's free and sovereign grace, and the salvation that is conditioned upon the responsibility of God's children. Otherwise, we will always be confused, and end up with inconsistent and contradictory notions... i.e failing to rightly divide the word of truth.
That's a brief and concise explanation. I don't know if you grasp this simple and fundamental truth - rightly divided and gives perfect harmony and unity to the sovereignty of God in eternal salvation, and man's responsibility in his own temporal salvation.
God holds His children responsible for working out their own salvation with fear and trembling!
your fellow student of God's precious word,
sing
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[I didn't get a reply...]
Here are some links that you may be interested. They may cause you to wrestle with several biblical truth.
The order of Salvation
http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2011/05/order-of-salvation.html
Effectual Calling - what is it?
http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2010/09/effectual-calling-what-is-it.html
Divine Sovereignty, Human Responsibility and Prayers
http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2009/03/divine-sovereignty-human-responsibility.html
Begetting, and Parenting - do you know the vast difference?
http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2010/12/begetting-and-parenting-do-you-know.html
Monergism and Synergism Confused and Confounded
http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2010/05/monergism-and-synergism-confused-and.html
