Things New and Old

Ancient truths revealed in the Scriptures are often forgotten, disbelieved or distorted, and therefore lost in the passage of time. Such ancient truths when rediscovered and relearned are 'new' additions to the treasury of ancient truths.

Christ showed many new things to the disciples, things prophesied by the prophets of old but hijacked and perverted by the elders and their traditions, but which Christ reclaimed and returned to His people.

Many things taught by the Apostles of Christ have been perverted or substituted over the centuries. Such fundamental doctrines like salvation by grace and justification have been hijacked and perverted and repudiated by sincere Christians. These doctrines need to be reclaimed and restored to God's people.

There are things both new and old here. "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things" 2Ti 2:7.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Some questions on effectual call and the gospel call

So start asking lots of questions. Challenge the popular notions and shibboleth. Refuse inconsistencies and reject contradictions. Demand answers that are consistent!


Some study questions on:

- The Effectual Call out of the state of sin and death to that of grace and salvation, and
- The Gospel Call out of darkness into the knowledge of the gospel of their salvation:   

A. THE EFFECTUAL CALL

1. Concerning 1689.10.1 - Divine calling out of the STATE sin and death to that STATE of grace and salvation
- Who is the Author of effectual call?
- Is Christ involved in the effectual call? Why?
- Who are the objects of the effectual call?
- What is the effectual call?
- What does God do at effectual calling?
- What is the spiritual condition of the mind before/after effectual call?
- What is the spiritual condition of the heart before/after effectual call?
- What is the spiritual condition of the will before/after effectual call?
- In the effectual calling, what is the state of the sinner who is drawn to Christ and united with Him?
- What does it mean to be drawn and united to Christ?


2. Concerning 1689.10.2 – the effectual call enables a saved man to answer to gospel call to believe the truth of his salvation by God's free grace
- How is the effectual call executed?
- Is the execution of the effectual call dependent or conditioned upon God's free and special grace alone?
- Is the execution of the effectual call dependent or conditioned upon anything in the person called?
- Is the execution of the effectual call dependent upon any power or agency of the person called?
- Why is the person entirely passive in the effectual call?
- In what call is a man dead in sins and trespasses made alive, in the effectual call or gospel call?
- In what call is the grace offered and conveyed, in the effectual call or gospel call?
- Is a man dead in sins and trespasses able to embrace the grace offered and conveyed?
- What call enables a man dead in sins and trespasses to embrace the grace offered and conveyed?
- In what call are the grace offered and conveyed embraced by a man, in the effectual or gospel call?
- What does quickening and renewing by the Spirit enable a man to answer, effectual or the gospel call?
- Why is the power that enables the embrace of the grace offered and conveyed no less powerful than that which raised up Christ from the dead?
- Is the effectual call by God in any way dependent or conditioned upon the gospel call by man?
- How are the effectual call and the gospel call related? What about Abraham? What about Cornelius?


3. Concerning 1689.10.3 – The effectually called who do not have the gospel call
- Are the statements in 1689.10.1 concerning 'those whom God has predestinated to life' true of the elect mentioned in this 3rd paragraph?
- Are the elect mentioned in para. 3 included in the elect predestinated unto life in paragraph 1?
- Is ‘by His Word and Spirit’ in para 1 and ‘by Christ through the Spirit’ in para 3 refer to the same persons?
- Are the elect in para. 3 effectually called to life and salvation in a different manner than those mentioned in para. 1?
- What are the differences between the elect mentioned in para 2 and those mention in para 3?
- What does the 'ministry of the word' mean? (Acts 6:4)
- To whom is the ministry of the word intended: those who have the mental capacity to hear or those who are without?
- What is the relationship between 'grace offered and conveyed by it' in para 2 and the 'outwardly call by the ministry of the word' in para 3? What is the 'it' by which grace is offered and conveyed?
- What is the difference between the 'elect infants dying in infancy' and 'all elect persons who are incapable of being outwardly call by the ministry of the word'?
- What is the similarity [indicated by 'so also'] between the 'elect infants dying in infancy' and 'all elect persons who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the word'?
- Why are the elect infant dying in infancy incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the word? No mental capability, or the gospel call never reached them?
- Why are all other elect person in paragraph 3 incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the word? No mental capability, or the gospel call never reached them?
- What are two chief reasons that the elect mentioned in para 3 are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the word?
- Are there God's elect who, for are various reasons, DO NOT receive the gospel call?
- Will these be justified by God? How?
- Will these be justified by their faith? How?
- Will these be found in heaven? Why?


B. THE GOSPEL CALL

4. Concerning 1689.14.1 – The ministry of the word/gospel call and faith
- Which particular person of the Godhead is the author of the gospel call to faith?
- In effectual call, God and His Word and Spirit call to life and salvation one who is in the state of sin and death. In the gospel call, the Spirit of Christ works faith in the hearts of those already regenerated. Are the two acts of grace the same? How are they related?
- Who are those who are enabled to believe?
- How is 'enabled to answer the call and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed by it' in 1689.1.2 related to 'is enabled to believe' in 1689.14.1?
- Who are able to response to the gospel call, those already effectually called to life or those still in the state of sin and death?
- Who is able to exercise faith in response to the gospel call, those already effectually called to life or those still in the state of sin and death?
- What role does an elect play in the gospel call?
- What role does an elect play in the effectual call?
- What is the divine work in the gospel call to faith?
- What is the divine work in the effectual call to life and salvation?
- How is an elect ORDINARILY brought to faith?
- How is an elect ALWAYS WITHOUT EXCEPTION brought to life and salvation?
- What does 'ordinarily brought into being by the Word' imply?
- Is bringing a spiritual dead person to life in the effectual call, and calling an effectually called person to life to believe the truth of his salvation the same thing?


5. 1689.20.3-4 - The function of the gospel preaching and faith
"... And therefore in all ages, the preaching of the Gospel has been granted unto persons and nations, as to the extent or straitening [limitation] of it, in great variety, according to the counsel of the will of God."

"Although the gospel be the only outward means of revealing Christ and saving grace, and is, as such, abundantly sufficient thereunto; yet that men who are dead in trespasses may be born again, quickened or regenerated, there is moreover necessary an effectual insuperable work of the Holy Spirit upon the whole soul, for the producing in them a new spiritual life; without which no other means will effect their conversion unto God."

 - What does “in all preaching of the Gospel has been granted unto persons and nations… as to the extent or limitation of it…according to the counsel of the will of God." tells us about the sovereignty of God?
- What is the divinely ordained purpose of the preaching of the gospel?
- What does 'the preaching of the gospel is the only outward means of revealing Christ and saving grace' mean?
- Why is the gospel is the only outward means of revealing Christ and saving grace?
- How does 'the preaching of the gospel reveals Christ and saving grace'?
- What is absolutely necessary for the preaching of the gospel to reveal Christ and saving grace?
- Can the preaching of the gospel reveal Christ and saving grace when there is no PRIOR work of effectual calling to life?
- Can the preaching of the gospel reveal Christ and saving grace that are not already present?
- In whom alone will the preaching of the gospel reveal Christ and saving grace?
- How is the preaching of the gospel related to the conversion of sinners unto God?
- Who can be converted to God by the preaching of the gospel?


- WHY IS THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL MOST NECESSARY?

If you wish to try to answers the question to find out how much you misunderstand the subject, send them to me, and  will let you find out . Save your time if you want to debate!




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