Things New and Old: "Going to heaven DOES NOT depend on your hearing and believing the gospel."

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.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

"Going to heaven DOES NOT depend on your hearing and believing the gospel."

You are SHOCKED to read the title, aren't you?????

Now, read the truth to de-shock yourself!

"Going to heaven DOES NOT depend on your hearing and believing the gospel."

If you don't know this, you don't know the gospel of God yet!

A friend 'humbly' posed a rhetorical question:...
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Sing, I do have a more important question for you. In light of what you said how do you interpret Romans 10:13-15?

You said: "Going to heaven DOES NOT depend on your hearing and believing the gospel. "

Scripture says: "13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent?

This seems to place the premium on preaching to those who need to hear of Christ - so that - they can believe and be saved. I think you and I agree on the order of salvation... regeneration precedes faith, which is a must for dead men.

Please let me know what your thoughts are.
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Here is my reply:

Dennis, thanks for inquiring. It is an excellent way to learn the Scriptures together.

Romans 10
"13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? ... "

This is a favourite passage abused and perverted by the gospel regenerationists like you!

Put on the thinking cap and we will reason a wee bit.

Pray tell, from the passage:
- who are they that shall call upon the name of the Lord: those already effectually called to grace and salvation, or those still dead in trespasses and sins?
- who are they that shall believe: those already effectually called to grace and salvation, or those still dead in trespasses and sins?...
- who are they that shall hear and discern the gospel: those already effectually called to grace and salvation, or those still dead in trespasses and sins?

The same Apostle said, "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which ARE SAVED it is the power of God."

The preaching of the gospel comes to two categories of people: those that are perishing, and those that ARE SAVED.

The gospel is brought to those that ARE SAVED - already saved by God's free and sovereign grace with ETERNAL salvation. Them that ARE SAVED are there first, i.e. EXIST FIRST before the gospel arrives... the gospel comes to them that ARE SAVED. Get the point?

Hearing and believing the gospel ALSO saves - but saves in an ENTIRELY different sense... the gospel saves them that ARE SAVED (by God) - saves from ignorance and error and darkness, and enlightens them and makes them wise unto their eternal salvation (already a fact) by God's free and sovereign grace.

The gospel truth instructs them to live godly, soberly, and righteously, saving them from the temporal effects of sins in this life. The gospel truth arms and equips THEM THAT ARE SAVED to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling.

The salvation by God's free and sovereign grace is ETERNAL SALVATION. This ALONE makes a man fit for eternal glory; for heaven.

The salvation that is conditioned upon the action of God's children (i.e. regenerated elect) is TEMPORAL SALVATION, that which pertains to their spiritual well-being here and now. There is ABSOLUTELY nothing they can do or fail to do concerning their ETERNAL SALVATION. That's by free and sovereign grace alone.

The gospel ministry is ordained for the WELL-BEING of God's children. Hearing and believing the gospel truth is very essential to the well-being of God's children here in this present life. Christ's work alone, applied to them by grace alone, fit them for eternal glory in heaven. That's the good news.

A biblical distinction is the essence of sound theology; it preserves the gospel.

Only those whom God has made fit for heaven by His free and sovereign grace are ABLE to hear and believe the gospel BECAUSE the gospel is ALREADY TRUE of them... and such are commanded to believe the word of truth of their salvation.

You have been made perfectly fit for heaven by God's free and sovereign grace; this enables you to hear and believe the gospel.

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