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Sound-bytism is not rightly dividing the word of truth.
It obfuscates and abuses the word of truth with sound-byte. |
A popular sound byte: The gospel is the power of God to save sinners.
Heshi wrote:
The only method whereby God saves sinners is the gospel of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, revealed, explained, and opened to us, so that we can see Jesus dying a substitute, putting away sins forever, and rising enthroned, as God’s Commander in Chief - (Rom 10:14-15) “And how shall they hear without preaching? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”
Sing F Lau
Heshi, may be it has something to do with expression.
The only method God saved sinners is the LIFE and WORK of Jesus Christ. Period. So, the work of salvation is FINISHED by Christ.
The gospel is the good news of the salvation that has been accomplished by Jesus for His people. The gospel is to make known what God has done...
The gospel DOES NOT save at all. Good news doesn't save, even though good news most certainly informs, instructs, edifies, and calls God's children (those already regenerated) to believe the truth of their salvation that has taken place by God's free grace!!!
Glad tidings of good things PRESUPPOSES the salvation that has been accomplished and applied to sinners while they were still dead on trespasses and sins!
The gospel of peace presupposes peace that is already true... God has reconciled His people through the finished work of Jesus Christ! Christ saves... and the gospel informs us of the salvation that is completed in Him!
Heshi
Salvation isn't a one time event in past eternity, but at the cross, and in the life of the believer. He chose the "foolishness of preaching to SAVE those who believe". 1 Cor 1:18
Sing F Lau
Heshi,
- God purposed eternal salvation for His people in eternity.
- Christ secured that eternal salvation on the cross for the same people.
- The Holy Spirit applies that eternal salvation to a man dead in trespasses and sins at... God's appointed and approved time.... Once the eternal salvation is applied by the Holy Spirit, a man if perfectly fitted for eternal glory. Nothing more is needed. THIS SALVATION IS MOST DEFINITELY A ONE TIME EVENT - it cannot be repeated, improved upon, etc.
However, they are still here on earth, and God cares for their temporal well being as they journey to their eternal home.
- The gospel ministry is appointed to proclaim what the Triune God HAS DONE... gospel is good news of what HAS HAPPENED... it is not news of a good offer conditioned upon man's acceptance...
- The gospel ministry is appointed for the instruction and edification of those that ARE SAVED by the free and sovereign grace of God.
- The gospel ministry SAVES (simple present tense!) God's children from errors, superstition, lies, worldliness... and delivers them to godly, sober and righteous living. This is a salvation that God's children must work out for themselves throughout their lives here... and it affects their well being here on here.
Heshi
Past, present, and future. He has, will, and is saving, by the gospel, and the Person of God.
Scott
"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." 1Cor 1:18
If the gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Rom1:18) how are you going to save the perishing? How are you going to save if it is foolishness? ‘But unto us which ARE SAVED it is the power of God’ To a saved man whom God has saved when he hears the preaching of the cross, he sees in it a description of God’s wisdom and power in raising up the Lord Jesus Christ, to be the saviour of His elect, and guaranteeing salvation of every single one. It’s fabulous news.
The power is not in the gospel itself, it is in God through Jesus Christ, and the gospel tells us about it. It is the good news of that power. Why doesn’t it say in 1Cor 1:33 ‘unto the Jews the power of God’? because when the Bible says the gospel is the power of God, it means it’s received, it’s perceived, it’s discerned. It’s understood as the power of God by believers. Unless you are saved regenerate believer, you will receive, perceive, discern or consider the gospel foolishness. The gospel is not foolishness literally or in actually: the gospel is the good news about God’s power in Jesus Christ and to the unsaved man, they consider it foolishness, and to the saved, when we hear it, we say Amen I believe that! But unless you are ordained to eternal life you won’t believe (Acts 13:48)
That is why Paul would say in 2Tim1:10 the salvation of 1:9 is made manifest by the appearing of Jesus Christ and life and immortality are BOUGHT TO LIGHT THROUGH THE GOSPEL.
Matthew
Nicely worded Scott. Easy to read.
Sing F Lau
Past, present, and future. He has, will, and is saving, by the gospel, and the Person of God.
=========
Let's reason a little!
Isa 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD.
The PAST is what God HAS DONE in Christ to have you saved...
- He purposed your eternal redemption...
- Christ accomplished your eternal redemption...
- the Holy Spirit applied the eternal redemption to your personally...
- All these are completely by free grace, and completed perfectly. As a result you ARE SAVED...as saved as can be while here on earth, completely and perfectly fit for heaven.
- These are WITHOUT and APART from the gospel.
- There is gospel ONLY BECAUSE these divine acts HAVE TAKEN PLACE. There would be NO GOSPEL if these divine acts of salvation had not taken place. There is gospel because of what God HAS DONE to save His people in Christ Jesus and applied by the Holy Spirit.
Isn't that so simple, obvious, and plain?
The FUTURE is what God WILL DO to consummate your eternal redemption at Christ's return. You await glorification. And this will be completely by free grace too - WITHOUT any aid or cooperation from men!
The PRESENT is what you must do to work out your OWN salvation through your obedience to the Father's will. God works in His children to will and do... but they must will and do the good will of the Father. This salvation is entirely different... this is ongoing, involving your temporal well-being as God's children. This is saving by the gospel ministry, ministered through faithful men.
Mike
Wow, that was some deep stuff
Heshi
Scott, the gospel is the power of God because He says so. It is the instrument that He uses (Rom 1:16). the Greek on 1 Cor 1:18 is "being saved". There are dozens upon dozens of scriptures that speak of salvation in the past, present, an...d future. The Philipian Jailor asked what he must do to be be saved, Paul told him, "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved (future)", and then he preached Christ unto Him. The Father elected, which is salvation. The Son redeemed, and saved us who believe. The Spirit applies the gospel, gives light and knowledge, even faith, so that we are saved in our experience. Then, when this world is ended, and we're in heaven's bliss, that is called in scripture, "salvation", too.
Sing F Lau
Heshi, the gospel is the good news... good news is the message declaring what the power of God has accomplished in Jesus Christ to save His people.
The gospel itself HAS NO POWER, is NOT THE POWER... but sadly it is so commonly misunderstood, and misquoted.
Sing F Lau
Heshi, here is a short article... very helpful to understand the 'past, present and future' issue. It is help you to understand the issue better. It helped me a great deal 10 years ago.
http://letgodbetrue.com/questions/when-was-paul-saved.htm
Read and study it... When Was Paul Saved?
Heshi
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for IT IS THE power of God to salvation for everyone who believes" (Rom 1:16). "For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord SHALL BE SAVED".
One great danger to "systematizing" the bible, is... when we make plain scriptures say what they don't say, and hide and twist others, because they don't fit with our system of interpretation. The bible must speak for itself, and we must bow. It may not fit our system, but that only shows the system is flawed, not the language of God in scripture.
Sing F Lau
No, a real, and worse danger is the prevalent disease call sound-byte-itis. This common disease incapacitates and cripples man's ability discern to the SENSE of what they read. They are addicted to sound-byte.
The gospel is the good news... the news declares something good that has happened... the good that has happened is that God, by His sovereign power HAS SAVED His people from their condemnation and death, through the finished work of His Son.
God's power to save, and the gospel that announces the divine power that HAS SAVED are two different things. It takes just a little twisting to transfer that power from God to the gospel!
The message has no power to save. The message, however, does informs and instructs that God has POWERFULLY saved His people.
Biblical distinction is the essence of sound theology.
Sound-bytism is the mother of all confusion.
You quoted: '"For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord SHALL BE SAVED".
May I ask, who are them that can call upon the name of the Lord? Those still dead in trespasses and sins, or those already SAVED by God, i.e. regenerated with eternal life? Do you believe the former or the latter? If the former, you repudiate Christ plain statement, "Except a man be born again, he CANNOT...' and say that a man in his native state of trespasses and sins CAN. Christ says CANNOT!
And may I ask, "SHALL BE SAVED' - save from what? How does your believing in Jesus Christ save you? Is this the same as God saving you by His free and sovereign grace in Christ Jesus?
There is a good reason for this injunction:
2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
Sound-byitis is a severe disease, crippling the ability to rightly divide the word of truth!
Sound-bytism is not rightly dividing the word of truth.
It obfuscates and abuses the word of truth.
