 |
| Duty Faith and Free Offer - they're Siamese twins |
A man asserted about his denomination: "The PRC consider a denial of faith being the duty of the reprobate classic hyper-Calvinism, in accordance with historic Calvinism as defined in the Canons of Dordt."
But I understand that the same PRC denomination also rejects (rightly) the free offer of the gospel to all.
But isn't his affirmation of "faith being the duty of the reprobate" so much part and parcel of the free offer of salvation to all, including the reprobates? Can one separate the Siamese twins: duty faith of all and the free offer?
The reprobate can't possibly be duty bound to repent and believe for salvation, can they, unless that salvation is also freely offered to them at the same time?
Have I misunderstood?
Here are some common questions people asked. Let me give brief answers to each of them.
Question 1
"Do you believe that the command to repent and believe, ought to be declared and published to all nations, and to all persons promiscuously and without distinction"?"
Answer:
Yes, I do. There is no other way the gospel is to be preached publicly to all nations, and to all persons promiscuously and without distinction... for God's children [i.e. elect ALREADY regenerated] are found among them. And the gospel, the good news of what God has done to save His people, is obviously for His people only. It is irrelevant and not good news to others.
Question 2:
How do you evangelize a crowd of unknown people?
[The question presupposes the fictional fable that in the public proclaiming the gospel of God, it is possible to address only the "sensible sinners" or only to the elect. Such is possible only when the human preacher becomes divine and knows the exact identity of his hearers.]
Answer:
How? Just like the apostles did, and with the same understanding they had of what they were doing.
Men are called to believe WHAT IS ALREADY TRUE OF THEM... the gospel of THEIR salvation. Such men are ALREADY saved by God... already effectually called to grace and salvation, which is why there is THE GOSPEL OF THEIR SALVATION for them to believe.
Though they DO NOT know who are God's children in the midst of the crowd, they know full well that the gospel message is for God's children among the hearers. Such are called to believe the word of truth... because it is ALREADY true of them... such are called to believe the gospel of their salvation, because they are already SAVED BY GOD. If they had not been saved by God, there is NO NO NO gospel of their salvation to preach to them!!!
It is as elementary as that, Brother .
I do not need to know who are God's children in the crowd to know EXACTLY and DEFINITELY that the gospel ministry is relevant ONLY to such, and that it is irrelevant to all others!
Food is for the living, and not the dead. Jesus said to Peter, "Feed..... feed... feed... "
Feeding has to do with the living only. You know that don't you? When food is brought to a crowd of living and dead people, the living among the crowd will manifest themselves - they would want to receive and partake of the food!
Question 3
Is it right to freely offer salvation in Christ to all men?
Answer:
Your question PRESUPPOSES that the preaching of the gospel constitutes a free offer of salvation in Christ, and to all men. I dispute whether the preaching of the gospel constitutes a free offer of salvation in Christ at all?
I do believe the preaching of the gospel is the heralding and proclamation of the good news of the salvation already accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ, and applied by the Holy Spirit to individual elect personally.
There IS NOT an offer of anything to any one. The hearers are called to believe the good news... and tell you what... ONLY those that ARE SAVED by God - i.e. already justified, regenerated and adopted, with the indwelling Spirit of God working faith in them - will receive the gospel. Why? Because the gospel of salvation is ALREADY TRUE of them by God's free grace through the effectual call. It is the gospel of THEIR salvation - Eph 1:13 "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation..."
As a preacher, I have no salvation to offer to sinners. I am not sent to offer anything. I am send to preach the gospel, to announce the glad tidings of salvation already accomplished and applied, and call the hearers to believe the gospel, and those hearers that are made partakers of such salvationare able to believe.
I have good news of salvation to announce to my hearers. I call the hearers to believe the good news... ALL THE TIME conscious that only God's children (i.e. elect already effectually called out of their state of sin and death to that of grace and salvation) among them is capable of believing. All others will perceive the gospel as foolishness, and the preachers of the gospel as fools.
Question 4:
What do you think of the gospel preachers who offer salvation to sinners?
Answer:
I perceive the gospel preachers who offer salvation in Christ to those dead in trespasses and sins as sincere BUT foolish preachers. Why?To offer salvation in Christ to the dead is foolishness. Not even you are stupid enough to offer something to the dead expecting the dead to accept! (I know the superstitious Chinese offer roast pig and hell banknotes to the dead!)
To offer salvation in Christ to the children of God is redundant.
To proclaim the gospel of salvation in Christ and call the hearers to believe the good news is wise. Hold forth the good news of salvation and call the hearers to believe it. And those that ARE SAVED, those who have eternal life among the hearers shall believe and believe.They shall perceive the gospel as the message declaring God's power in saving them!
WHOEVER BELIEVES HAS - HAS - HAS ETERNAL LIFE - is a declarative statement of fact; believing evidences eternal life. It is not a conditional statement of offer to the dead to believe so that he may have life.
Bread is for the nourishing of the living!!! Foolish preachers think bread is for the dead to eat, so that they may have life.
Question 5:
Do you freely offer Christ in your preaching?
Answer:
The gospel is the good news of what God HAS DONE in Christ and His Spirit to save His people. It is NOT some news with the offer that God WILL DO something on the condition that man accept that offer.
Preaching the gospel is the proclamation of the good news and calling the hearers to believe the gospel. It is ONLY THOSE ALREADY IN UNION WITH CHRIST by the free and sovereign grace [and not free offer!] of God in their effectual calling to grace and salvation that will respond to the gospel call. These are ALREADY IN POSSESSION OF salvation. Such are called to believe the gospel of their salvation. They are called to believe what is ALREADY true.
It is REDUNDANT to OFFER Christ to those already in possession of Christ by God's free grace. It is such a simple truth. Why is it so difficult to accept? You would offer Christ to those ALREADY in possession of Christ by God's free grace. Your sincere offer is far TOO LATE, and PRESUMPTUOUS too! Why offer Christ to someone already in possession of Christ?
I have nothing to offer. I have a good news to tell the hearers, and urging them to believe the truth of what God has done in them... and those in whom God has done the work of grace, have the grace of faith to enable them to believe.
Question 6:
Do all men have an obligation to believe in Christ, placed on them by God?
Answer:
All men being sinners are under obligation to repent towards God His creator. NO sinner has any right to remain in sin. Every single sinner is under divine obligation to repent and turn from his sin. And none would repent but those whom God has sovereignly and freely and effectually called to grace and salvation.
I do believe the question sound stupid to me... now please know that I am not being rude. I am not. God is my witness. Just think why I do think the question is stupid. [stupid means lacking intelligence and common sense!]
Why are all men under the divine obligation to believe Christ as Saviour when Christ was not even given by God to be the Saviour of all men? Why are all men to believe Christ as their Saviour when Christ insisted that He came to be the Saviour of His own people, to save His own people from their sin? That would amount to God putting some men under divine obligation to believe a big fat lie! Let God be true but every man a liar who contradict Him!
It is contrary to God's character for God to put any man under divine obligation to believe a lie - i.e. to believe that Christ is their Saviour when He had assuredly not given Christ is not their Saviour.
I do believe all God's children are under divine obligation to repent and believe in their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He IS ALREADY their Lord and Saviour. Upon the basis of His life and death, they have been justified, regenerated and adopted. They are children first by God's free grace, then they are called to believe the word of truth, the gospel of their salvation, Eph 1:13.
Question 7:
Aren't all men, without exception, duty bound to repent.
Answer:
- All sinners are duty bound to repent. They are God's creatures bound by the terms of the covenant of creation. God's creatures are duty bound by the terms of the covenant of creation to repent of their sins and obey God as their Creator. God's creatures have no right to remain in sin.
- All the children of God are duty bound to repent and believe in the gospel of their salvation. They are God's redeemed bound by the terms of the covenant of redemption. God's redeemed are duty bound by the terms of the covenant of redemption to repent and believe in their Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ . He is their Lord and Saviour. They are duty bound to believe the truth.
- A man's duties are defined by terms of the covenant to which he is a party!
Charles
it seems to me that if men hold to penal substitutionary atonement, as most say they do, then there should not be an argument as to the duty of thoes Christ died for to repent. Repentance is nullified by the substitution. Substitution is essential due to the inability that ALL men have. If they redefine PSA then the door opens to the discussion of duty and demand.
Sing F Lau
Repentance is not nullified by substitution.
Condemnation is voided by substitution.
Perfect righteousness is met by substitution.
Repentance from the sin of believing lies and fables and fiction, to believe the gospel of one's salvation in Jesus Christ by God's free and sovereign grace.
Substitution DOES NOT relieve the duty and responsibility of anyone - elect or otherwise - to believe the truth.
All of God's creatures are bound by the terms of the covenant of creation.
All of God's elect are bound by the terms of the covenant of redemption!
Substitution by Christ relieved God's elect from the deserved eternal damnation due to their sins, and relieved them of the demand to meet perfect righteousness.
The rest is not nullified!!!
Charles
Repentance for the elect unregenerate does not do any good. The only thing that does any good is the substitutionary death of Christ. The grace of new life makes it possible for the new born to obtain mercy via repentance. Perhaps my choice of wording was confusing.
Sing F Lau
Elect unregenerate remains God's creatures... his repentance from sexual promiscuity or stealing, or false witness, sins will do him much good as God's creatures!
Jonas NOg
why?? .. r the creeds n doctrines/theological distinctive of these respective so called denominations /congregation trustworthy n more true than the bible?the Lord Jesus did not institute organized religion .. He established Himself!..is Christ divided??.. r Lord Jesus teaches on true spirituality. man invents religion.now that's paradoxical! :( :(
Sing F Lau
Q1. . r the creeds n doctrines/theological distinctive of these respective so called denominations /congregation trustworthy n more true than the bible?
=======
No, such are intended to summarize what they believe. Whether they are trustworthy or not is YOUR duty to examine it in the pure light of Holy Scriptures. The liberty to state what they believe is theirs. The duty to study whether they are trustworthy is yours.
Nothing can be more true than Bible. The Bible is the only authority for doctrine and practice. So, study it well, and you will begin to know whether those creed and theological distinctive a biblical!!!
Sing F Lau
Q2. the Lord Jesus did not institute organized religion .. He established Himself!..is Christ divided??.. r Lord Jesus teaches on true spirituality. man invents religion.now that's paradoxical!
===========
What do you mean by 'organized religion'?
Jesus did establish Himself as the Redeemer and Head of His church. He did leave specific teachings and commands through His apostles to be observed by His followers. Isn't that the basis of the ORGANIZED nature of the religion of Jesus Christ. Did Christ lay down specific rules and commands all the areas of His church? If He did, then He instituted something very organized for His people to observe.
Yes, Christ teaches true spirituality. You need to read the Scriptures and tell us what constitutes that true spirituality taught by Jesus Christ... then we can learn together and be more truly spiritual as follower of Jesus Christ. Please do that...
There are no paradoxes... there are different understandings and opinions.
Jonas NOg
..bro. most of d tyime in the back of my mind i m referring to the apostate roman religion .. n most arminians/man centereed denominations ..darts wat i an referring to. bro. sing. hope we coud personally converse face to face m not a good typist pls. xcuse bro. sing :)
Sing F Lau
Know the Bible well, for that's the sole and only authority by which everything MUST be judged! Know the Bible well and we will be able to set God's people free from the bondage they are under man centred religion.
Come and visit Penang... if you like to take a short holiday!
Malcolm
Brother Sing, Jon Foreman wrote an excellent booklet against duty faith. Have you read this?
Sing F Lau
No, not heard of him. Please tell more.
Dellis
Sing F Lau, you give the impression that you are more calvinistic than calvin was. Referring to the link to John 3:16, I never would have thought John Calvin would have said such a thing...He actually implied that all(the whole human race) have the capability to be saved...I never dreamed I would hear that from him.
I'm trying to follow your teaching and have learned a lot,but I'm confused when you rebuke calvinism and yet quote and explain scripture the way I learned calvinism to be.
I strongly believe that the gospel should be preached to every creature,but I dont believe it to be the power of God unto salvation to every living person...That power is reserved and directed towards the elect/chosen of God only...How does know if they are of the chosen? They are part of the whosoever that believeth. No one but God knows who they are until it happens to them.
Can one resist the call if they are chosen? yes,but not forever. "God always gets His man."
Sing F Lau
Dellis, in the nature of the case, the public preaching of the gospel HAS TO BE ADDRESSED to all the hearers indiscriminately. It can't be done any other way - unless the preacher become divine and can distinguish the elect from the others.
However a preacher DOES NOT need to know who are the children of God (regenerated elect) in the midst of the audience) to know most assuredly that the gospel ministry is intended for God's children. The gospel is the good news concerning what God has done through His Son Jesus Christ and His Spirit to save His people.
The gospel is NOT the power. The gospel declares the power of God that has been asserted to save. The gospel is the good news of what HAS TAKEN PLACE by God's free and sovereign grace. And the recipient of such saving grace are called upon to believe the truth of the gospel of their salvation.
Dellis
Thanxs for clarifying that Sing,But I looked at like only the believers know of the power of grace that comes from believing the gospel,right? grace that comes through faith and the renewing of the spirit is definitely a powerful experience that only a believer can know.
Sing F Lau
Believing in Jesus Christ is the ONLY means ordained by God for His children to actually EXPERIENCE personally what God has done for them... look at the eunuch and Cornelius... the gospel informs and instructs them what God HAS DONE for them... believing the truth of the gospel of their salvation brings them great joy!
