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| 4:1 ¶ I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. |
Those that God has predestinated to eternal salvation, God himself will bring them to eternal salvation, without any assistance or cooperation from finite man.
As a result some conclude that there is therefore no need of the preaching ministry!
But that's a foolish conclusion!
Where then is the place of the ministry of the word? Good question.
It is very necessary for God's children - elect already regenerated by God - to hear the word of truth, the gospel of their salvation (Eph 1:13). They need to hear and to know the truth of their glorious salvation by grace. God has appointed the ministry of the word to bring temporal blessings to His children here on earth.
The ministry of the word is MOST NECESSARY - but only for the purpose it is ordained by God, not what man has VAINLY imagined. Preachers have been called to feed the lambs... but many have vainly and foolishly think that God have called and commissioned them to HELP God birth His children. The command is, "God, and make disciples..." Too many think it is, "Go and make children of God." God's children must be discipled... instructed and taught the truth of their eternal salvation by God's free grace, taught to observe all the commands of Christ - this will bring them the temporal salvation in this life. The command is, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations..." Only those whom God has already effectually called to eternal life, eternally saved, are capable of receiving teaching from God-sent preachers. Too many foolishly think, "Go ye therefore, and assist God to bring forth His children."
The ministry of the word is MOST UN-NECESSARY for the BEING of God's children.
The ministry of the word is MOST NECESSARY for the WELL-BEING of God's children.
It was never ordained for that purpose. Deluded man has perverted it. I have not heard of a father who ever claim that diapers and baby clothing has anything to do with the BEING, the conception and birth of a child. But there are too many deluded preachers and believers that the ministry of the word and faith has something to do with their BEING as children of God
Without the ministry of the word, not one jot of the eternal salvation of one elect is ever lost. Without the ministry of the word, a child of God is deprived of the temporal salvation which comes from the ministry of the word. That explains the urgency of 'preach the word, be instant in season, and out of season...' That explains the command, 'take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou BOTH SAVE THYSELF, AND THEM that hear thee.'
Would the eternally wise God risk the eternal salvation of His elect by conditioning it upon something finite man must cooperate and assist? God forbids. That's about all I know - and it is a fraction of a drop in the south china sea.
God is sovereign, and I am an optimist.
Now, you may tell me the difference between what I believe and what a Muslim believes about predestination.
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excerpt taken from here:
http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2008/02/many-christians-on-broad-way.html
