How a precious Scriptures is twisted and perverted by additions!
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| How
easy it is to contaminate the word of God by adding to it! Didn't the Lord warn us not to add to His Scriptures? Read Rev 22:18! |
Rom 8:29-30
"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."
Sadly, this glorious passage is so often understood as though it says this - note all the additions that involve human actions and responses.
For example, an intelligent and informed reformed man boldly asserted: [verbatim]
-- All the historic reformed believe that regeneration precedes faith. The ordo salutis is 1) election, 2) predestination, 3) gospel call 4) inward call 5) regeneration, 6) conversion (faith & repentance), 7) justification, 8) sanctification, and 9) glorification. (Rom 8:29-30) --
So all the historic reformed [or rather the DEFORMED!] have cut the divine chain and add other links (with some minor variations) to the divine chain, thus making the passage to say this:
"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover whom he did predestinate, to them he also send the gospel preacher:
and to whom he sent the gospel preacher, them he also inwardly call:
and whom he inwardly call, them he also regenerated:
and whom he regenerated, them he also effectually called to faith:
and whom he effectually called to faith, they also believed and repented:
and they who believed and repented, them he also justified:
and whom he justified, them he also adopted:
and whom he adopted, them he also sanctified:
and whom he sanctified, they also persevered in faith and holiness of life:
and they who persevered in faith and holiness of life, them he also glorified."
That's how they (i.e. "all the historic reformed") have contaminated the pure word of God!!!
Some observations:
The passage in its pristine state, undefiled by human additions, applies to every elect without exception, from the elect infants who die in infancy to the greatest saints one wish to name, all the rest in between; from the elect in the remotest corner of the world to the elect in the 'reformed' bastion of the world, Grand Rapids. With the human additions the passage no longer applies to every one predestinated unto eternal glory. It can only be true of some elect.
This is a serious, as well as grievous error. The reasons...
1. The chief problem is mixing the two distinct aspects of salvation together: the eternal salvation by divine activities alone, and the temporal salvation [i.e pertaining to this present life alone] through human activities in response to the divine grace already worked in them.
- The objective divine aspect is wholly monergistic and is divinely applied to each and every elect in exactly the same and precise manner, without any human aid or instrumentality.
- Each elect is equally effectually called to grace and salvation, i.e. justified by God, regenerated by the Spirit, and adopted as sons of God. There is no exception in any sense at all.
However, the gospel blessings and benefits, quantitatively and qualitatively, that a regenerated elect (a child of God) may enjoy in this brief life is dependent upon many human factors. Some enjoy none... others to a greatly varying measures, depending on such factors as the purity of the gospel preached to them, availability of the various means of grace, the quality of the ministry of the word, the quality of pastoral oversight and care, etc, etc.
Only those who have been eternally saved IS CAPABLE OF BEING SAVED in the temporal sense... of benefiting from the means of grace.
I hope you begin to see a vast and distinct difference between eternal salvation which is wholly God's work, and the temporal salvation which is dependent upon the responses of those who ARE ALREADY SAVED to the means of grace that they may be saved in the here and now.
Eternal salvation is purely and solely by the effectual calling of God unto eternal salvation. Gospel ministry is to inform and announce the good news of that eternal salvation which God Himself has purposed, Christ Himself has accomplished and the Holy Spirit Himself has applied to the elect personally and individually at God's approved and appointed time. The gospel ministry is UTTER foolishness to all except those to whom the eternal salvation has been applied by the Holy Spirit.
The subjective or experiential aspect is wholly synergistic and is applied to some of the elect, and those to whom it is applied, experience through human means and instrumentality.Rom 8:29-30 deals solely and purely with eternal salvation by the saving activities of God... He brings those under the condemnation of death to that justification and eternal life, making them fit for eternal glory!!! Anything that involves human activities deals with the temporal salvation of God's children.
If you wish to read a biblical order of salvation, please read this article here:
http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2011/05/order-of-salvation.html
"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."
Sadly, this glorious passage is so often understood as though it says this - note all the additions that involve human actions and responses.
For example, an intelligent and informed reformed man boldly asserted: [verbatim]
-- All the historic reformed believe that regeneration precedes faith. The ordo salutis is 1) election, 2) predestination, 3) gospel call 4) inward call 5) regeneration, 6) conversion (faith & repentance), 7) justification, 8) sanctification, and 9) glorification. (Rom 8:29-30) --
So all the historic reformed [or rather the DEFORMED!] have cut the divine chain and add other links (with some minor variations) to the divine chain, thus making the passage to say this:
"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover whom he did predestinate, to them he also send the gospel preacher:
and to whom he sent the gospel preacher, them he also inwardly call:
and whom he inwardly call, them he also regenerated:
and whom he regenerated, them he also effectually called to faith:
and whom he effectually called to faith, they also believed and repented:
and they who believed and repented, them he also justified:
and whom he justified, them he also adopted:
and whom he adopted, them he also sanctified:
and whom he sanctified, they also persevered in faith and holiness of life:
and they who persevered in faith and holiness of life, them he also glorified."
That's how they (i.e. "all the historic reformed") have contaminated the pure word of God!!!
Some observations:
The passage in its pristine state, undefiled by human additions, applies to every elect without exception, from the elect infants who die in infancy to the greatest saints one wish to name, all the rest in between; from the elect in the remotest corner of the world to the elect in the 'reformed' bastion of the world, Grand Rapids. With the human additions the passage no longer applies to every one predestinated unto eternal glory. It can only be true of some elect.
This is a serious, as well as grievous error. The reasons...
1. The chief problem is mixing the two distinct aspects of salvation together: the eternal salvation by divine activities alone, and the temporal salvation [i.e pertaining to this present life alone] through human activities in response to the divine grace already worked in them.
- The objective divine aspect is wholly monergistic and is divinely applied to each and every elect in exactly the same and precise manner, without any human aid or instrumentality.
- Each elect is equally effectually called to grace and salvation, i.e. justified by God, regenerated by the Spirit, and adopted as sons of God. There is no exception in any sense at all.
However, the gospel blessings and benefits, quantitatively and qualitatively, that a regenerated elect (a child of God) may enjoy in this brief life is dependent upon many human factors. Some enjoy none... others to a greatly varying measures, depending on such factors as the purity of the gospel preached to them, availability of the various means of grace, the quality of the ministry of the word, the quality of pastoral oversight and care, etc, etc.
Only those who have been eternally saved IS CAPABLE OF BEING SAVED in the temporal sense... of benefiting from the means of grace.
I hope you begin to see a vast and distinct difference between eternal salvation which is wholly God's work, and the temporal salvation which is dependent upon the responses of those who ARE ALREADY SAVED to the means of grace that they may be saved in the here and now.
Eternal salvation is purely and solely by the effectual calling of God unto eternal salvation. Gospel ministry is to inform and announce the good news of that eternal salvation which God Himself has purposed, Christ Himself has accomplished and the Holy Spirit Himself has applied to the elect personally and individually at God's approved and appointed time. The gospel ministry is UTTER foolishness to all except those to whom the eternal salvation has been applied by the Holy Spirit.
The subjective or experiential aspect is wholly synergistic and is applied to some of the elect, and those to whom it is applied, experience through human means and instrumentality.Rom 8:29-30 deals solely and purely with eternal salvation by the saving activities of God... He brings those under the condemnation of death to that justification and eternal life, making them fit for eternal glory!!! Anything that involves human activities deals with the temporal salvation of God's children.
If you wish to read a biblical order of salvation, please read this article here:
http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2011/05/order-of-salvation.html
