Cowinism - the deformed version of the old school calvinism

A creature of the new school Cowinism!

 Cowinism on Justification

Cowinism's (new school calvinism) understanding of justification repudiates the biblical doctrine of justification as understood and summarized by the old school calvinists.

Robert Basham  quoted the following:

Faith justifies a sinner in the sight of God, not because of those other graces which do always accompany it, nor of good works that are the fruits of it, nor as if the grace of faith, or any act thereof, were imputed to him for justification; but only as it is an instrument by which he receiveth and applieth Christ and His righteousness" (Westminster Confession of Faith). Though this definition was framed upwards of two hundred and fifty years ago, it is far superior to almost anything found in current literature on the subject. It is more accurate to speak of faith as the "instrument" rather than as the condition, for a "condition" is generally used to signify that for the sake whereof a benefit is conferred. Faith is neither the ground nor the substance of our justification, but simply the hand which receives the divine gift proffered to us in the Gospel...A W Pink http://www.pbministries.org/books/pink/Justification/just_08.htm

Consider the statement from the quote above:
"... Faith is... simply the hand which receives the divine gift proffered to us in the gospel..."
This reformed shibboleth is full of nonsense and contradictions:

1. The hand that is capable of receiving is the hand of the living!!!
The hand that is capable of receiving the divine gift proffered must be the hand of a child of God, an elect already effectually called out of his native state of sin and death to that of grace and salvation in Christ Jesus (THAT IS, justified, regenerated, adopted, and having the Spirit of adoption dwelling in him!).  One still dead in trespasses and sin, still under the condemnation of sin (i.e. unjustified) and death HAS NO SUCH capability whatsoever!!!

Only a quickened child of God - an elect that has been effectually called out of his native state of sin and death, THAT IS, he is already justified freely by God's grace, regenerated, and adopted, and have the Spirit of God indwelling him, working in him all saving grace - is capable of believing.

2. Nothing is proffered in the gospel.
- proffer |ˈpräfər| verb [ trans. ] hold out (something) to someone for acceptance; offer: he proffered his resignation.
- The gift of salvation is not proffered. God does not proffer salvation to the dead in trespasses and sins. THANK GOD! The gift of salvation is freely applied to an elect personally in the effectual call by God while the elect was still in his native state of sin and death.  The spiritually dead are in enmity against God. No offer will do the dead in trespasses and sins any good. It is repugnant to even think that God would proffer anything to the elect dead in trespasses and sins! Deluded preachers do!
- The preaching of the gospel announces the good news of the salvation already accomplished and applied by God's free grace in Jesus Christ, and God's children (those elect already effectually called) are called to believe the truth of their salvation. They are called to believe what is already true of them - and believing the truth of their salvation SAVES them from lies, errors, fables, and superstitions, etc, and the temporal consequences of such evils.
- "... in whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation..." Eph 1:13.

3. Faith DOES NOT justify a sinner; God alone justifies a sinner, a man still under the just condemnation of sin.

Faith justifies a believer - believing vindicates, demonstrates, evidences, certifies, etc) that he has been justified by God freely based solely on the finished work of Christ.
Heartbeats certify, demonstrate, vindicate the presence of life, that the dead has been resuscitated!
"The hand that receives ..." evidences that SALVATION HAS BEEN BESTOWED, FREELY when there was deadness and enmity and rebellion! Otherwise, it is a fist in defiance against God!

Faith is an effect of justification, an effect of justification evidences the cause, justification by God's free grace. That's what WCF clearly states. Take off your coloured glasses, and read it again.

4. An old baptist (John Gill) said this of faith and its relation to justification:
"Faith is not the cause, but an effect of justification; it is not the cause of it in any sense; it is not the moving cause, that is the free grace of God; "Being justified freely by his grace", (Rom. 3:24) nor the efficient cause of it; "It is God that justifies", (Rom. 8:33) nor the meritorious cause, as some express it; or the matter of it, that is the obedience and blood of Christ, (Rom. 5:9, 19) or the righteousness of Christ, consisting of his active and passive obedience; nor even the instrumental cause... it is not in any class of causes whatever; but it is the effect of justification..."

He said, "... faith is not the cause of it in any sense... nor EVEN the instrumental cause... it is not in any class of causes whatever; BUT it is the effect of justification..."

Faith is NOT the cause of justification in any sense: all possibilities are painstaking EXCLUDED: whether moving cause, efficient cause, meritorious cause, or the popular instrumental cause invented by degenerated and diseased Cowinism!!!

See the unbridgeable difference between Cowinism and the historic gospel of salvation by grace?

Take a look here for the doctrine of justification summarized by old school baptists!!!
http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-doctrine-of-justification-as.html