The Church of Christ Jesus, and the local churches

2 Tim 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, 
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

The Church of Christ Jesus, and the local church of which you are a member...

An elect is united to THE ONE glorious church of Jesus Christ, in time, by the grace of God alone, through the effectual calling out of the state of sin and death, in which he is in by nature, to grace and salvation, without his meeting any condition (obviously one in the state of sin and death can't possibly meet any condition, can he?). This is eternal salvation by God's free grace ALONE. And ALONE means ALONE.

A child of God (an elect that has been effectually called) becomes a member of a local church through obeying the command of Christ to 'repent and be baptized.' And he maintains his membership by his walking in the ways of the Lord - daily entering the strait gate, and walking the narrow way. This is working out his own salvation with fear and trembling. This is temporal salvation conditioned on the obedience of God's children.

1689.26.5 -
"In the execution of this power wherewith He is so intrusted, the Lord Jesus calleth out of the world unto Himself, through the ministry of His Word, by His Spirit, those that are given unto Him by His Father,(9) that they may walk before Him in all the ways of obedience, which He prescribeth to them in His Word.(10) Those thus called, He commandeth to walk together in particular societies, or churches, for their mutual edification, and the due performance of that public worship, which He requireth of them in the world.(11)"

The Lord God CALLS out of the world unto Himself, through the ministry of His Word, and by His Spirit (this is the same as the effectual calling stated in 1689.10.1 - "Those whom God hath predestined unto life, He is pleased in His appointed and accepted time, effectually to call,(1) by His Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ...) ...

Those that are thus called out of the world into His one church by His sovereign grace, He commands to walk together in particular churches through the gospel ministry.

There is one general church of Jesus Christ...
and...
there are many particular churches of Jesus Christ, a partial manifestation of that one Church in time.

"An elect is united to THE glorious church of Jesus Christ, in time" - i.e. at God's own appointed and accepted time. The time an elect is united with the ONE glorious church of Jesus Christ is determined by the Triune God alone.

The time a child of God united himself with a particular church is co-determined by himself and that particular church.

Put Christ back into your Christmas, you say?

This is a feast to the LORD who brought us out of Egypt! 

Aaron sincerely put the LORD God into his idolatry of the golden calf, and the people happily declared, "These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt... To morrow is a feast to the LORD."

Like so many are clamouring to put Christ back into Christmas (they realized there was no Christ in the pagan Christmas); they sincerely dedicate a festival of pagan origin to Christ Jesus, claiming that it is all for His glory and honour.

Exodus 32
2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.
3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.
4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD.
6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

It was a feast dedicated to the LORD, unto His honour and glory; they sincerely intended that. How pious of! But what was the LORD's response?

Ecc 1:9
The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

Sonship and Discipleship...

Enjoying a picnic dinner by the FTZ coastal park.
Picture was taken by Brother Ban YS.

Here are two questions.

"What must I do to be born again?"

"What must I do to be saved?"

Do you know the difference? Many don't have a clue! They see them as synonymous!

"What must I do to be born again?" - Before having been born again, a man is dead in trespasses and sins... such a man is actively in enmity and rebellion against God, and loves wallowing in this state of sin and death. There is nothing he can or will do to be born again. It is absolutely a nonsensical question. It is like a dead man asking what he must do in order to be raised from the dead!

"What must I do to be saved?" - ONLY an elect whom the Lord God has bestowed eternal salvation through the effectual call [whereby a man is called out of his native state of sin and condemnation to that of grace and salvation in Christ Jesus] is able to ask a question like that. And the salvation such a person is inquiring is the temporal salvation... there are lots of things a child of God must do, in obedience to God's will for him, in order to work out HIS OWN salvation with fear and trembling.

Our four children were conceived and born without them making any decision or doing anything. That's begetting and sonship.

They were nurtured and trained to grow up (with the help and involvement of not a few others); these require their active obedience. That's parenting and discipleship.

Get it?

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Great Mama so often prepared picnic dinners and got the family out to the beach along the FTZ. She makes the "bestest of the worlderest" pizzas and garlic bread. With roast chicking, steamed corn cobs, and cucumber, what great time we so often had along that stretch, with nice cycling path for children.
Blessed be the Lord for all His great kindness and mercies.

(Photo was taken by Brother BYS who was visiting us then. We thank the Lord for every remembrance of that kind Brother.)

By Grace Alone - is this what you mean?

The LONE bird perches on a branch ALONE

God ALONE purposed eternal redemption for all the elect.

Christ ALONE accomplished the eternal redemption for all the elect.

The Spirit ALONE applied that eternal redemption to each individual elect personally.

All these are the free and sovereign acts of God... without man playing any part whatsoever.

When the eternal redemption has been applied to each elect, he is perfectly and completely fitted for eternal glory.

Nothing further is needed for their entrance unto their eternal glory.

God ALONE will consummate that eternal redemption for all His children at the return of Christ for His redeemed.

And ALONE means ALONE... not alone plus some effort or contribution of man.

This is the truth of salvation by God's free grace alone.

The ministry of the gospel is ordained for the well-being of God's children as they journey through this world unto their eternal glory.

The gospel ministry does not add anything to their BEING as God's children immutably destined for eternal glory.

The gospel ministry has been ordained for the spiritual well-being of God's redeemed elect; for their instruction, to make them wise concerning eternal their salvation by the free and sovereign grace of God in Jesus Christ.

Titus 2
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD.

"Come now, and let us reason together, 

saith the LORD...." Isa 1:18a

"Produce your cause, saith the LORD; 

bring forth your strong reasons, 

saith the King of Jacob." Isa 41:21

"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." 

1Th 5:21

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: 

and be ready always to give an answer 

to every man that asketh you

 a reason of the hope that is in you 

with meekness and fear."1Pet 3:15

Go to link and download this 138-slide on the subject:
The Logic of Faith. 
http://www.letgodbetrue.com/pdf/reasoning-in-the-scriptures.pdf

"As many as..."

Can you count as many as 10?

'As many as...' the exact number, not one more and not one less.

John 1:12 "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

This popular passage is misunderstood by many. They understand 'received' Christ' as referring to new birth, instead of conversion to the gospel of Christ. This is obviously an error.

It is very clear that three distinct and specific things are mentioned in the two verses:

- 'received him' : man's act of believing and receiving Christ...

- 'given the power to become the sons of God'...

- 'born of God' the new birth.

And the logical and chronological order of these three actions are obvious: 

- new birth : 'born of God', 

- conversion : 'received Him', 

- experiencing the right and authority to claim divine sonship - given 'power to become the sons of God.'

A man who believes in Jesus Christ gives evidence that he has eternal life, for 'whosoever believes have eternal life.' Whosoever believes is born of God, and has the right and authority to claim divine sonship. It is obvious that one must be born of God first, which enables him to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, and in believing he is given the power to become, to claim himself as a son of God.

It is a common error to equate being given power to become the sons of God as the new birth! It is the new birth by the sovereign activity of God that enables a man to believe. And it is believing the gospel truth that enables a man to experience the power to become a son of God.

Believing that the unregenerate sinner, i,e, dead in trespasses and sins, can so 'receive Christ' to be born again, is so contrary to Christ's own declaration, 'Except a man be born again, he CANNOT...' This common notion repudiates the declaration of Christ, and that is no light matter!

John 1:11 'as many as' has also be perverted in another way, that is, that God has effectually and irresistibly predestinated that all the elect shall so receive Christ (through hearing the gospel, and believing it). This is plainly contrary to Scriptures, as well as historical facts. Such notion also erroneously conditioned regeneration on the preaching and the hearing and believing of the gospel.

It is typical of even the Calvinists to confuse the preacher's gospel call blessed to the conversion of God's children as the divine effectual call, calling an elect OUT of his native state of sin and death to that of grace and salvation in Christ Jesus. But the effectual call is God's direct and immediate activity in calling an elect out of his native state of sin and death to that of righteousness and eternal life in Christ.

Such understanding of salvation is no longer by God's free grace alone, but tainted and adulterated with man's activities, both the preachers' and the hearers' activities. It is based on the fable that the activities of life can precede that life itself.

Life must precede any activity of that life! The difference is fundamental!

Read a related article here...
http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.my/2012/07/to-them-gave-he-power-to-become-sons-of.html

A prayer for the once upright and great USA

08 Nov 2016
Yes, LORD God of heaven, please send a brave servant to Drain the Stinking Swamp, so infested with two-legged crocodiles, that is not only poisoning and killing the once beautiful and great nation but also stirring up troubles around the globe.
O Lord, frustrate the abominable schemings of the globalist cabal.
Amen!

06 Nov 2012
A prayer for USA...
Our Father in heaven, the Governor and Ruler of all that exist, please let good sense prevail in that great country call USA... as her people go to the ballot box to choose their President and all sorts of civil officers! And do strike fear into those who would commit fraud! Turn the nation back from the path unto destruction! Heal the sick and suicidal nation. For the sake of thy precious people, restore to her common sense and righteousness once again. Do not destroy her as her madness deserves! Spare her Lord... but do banish the wickedly corrupt from their office.

I ask these in the blessed name of thy only begotten Son, Amen!

The crippling effect of the dreaded disease "soundbytitis"

The same is an apt description of what happens in bible colleges and theological seminaries too; students are indoctrinated in a set of teachings held by such institutions. They are not taught to be students of the Scriptures like the Bereans.

Have you ever heard of one such institution teaching its students to ask,
How can a UN-justified man ever believe in order to be justified by God?" What is the spiritual state of a UN-justified man?

or asking,
How on earth can the repeated biblical statement "the just shall live by faith" ever be read to mean sola fidei, i.e.,"the UN-justified believes in order to be justified through his faith?"

or asking,
How does - Gen 15:6 "And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness" teach that when Abraham believed, righteousness was imputed to him by God? WHAT did God account to Abraham for righteousness? And what does that mean?

or asking,
If Abraham was justified by God in Gen 15:6, then he had been a UN-justified man before that point, hadn't he? Do you know what is the spiritual state of a man in his native UN-justified state?
Do Genesis 12-14 give you a picture of Abraham as a man still in his native state of CONDEMNATION and DEATH? Do they?

It was said of the Bereans that they put on their God-given BRAIN, and they search the Scriptures. They were not given to sound-bytes! What about you? "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with ALL READINESS OF MIND, and SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES daily, whether those things were so." Act 17:11.

No, such institutions don't teach the students to think and reason, and ask questions; instead, they indoctrinate them. Students are indoctrinated with sound bytes, without thinking and reasoning, that "the just shall live by faith" means the UN-justified shall be justified by God through their act of believing, the fable and fiction of "sola fidei."

Just a whole load of sound bytes!

But what says the Scriptures?
2Ti 2:2 "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also."

===================

Go here, and read some exchanges.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10207598142327118&set=a.1182086067794.2026451.1097484914&type=3&theater

Are you the kind of worshippers whom God seeks?

"But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. John 4:23

Are you the kind of worshippers whom God seeks?

============

(Notes below by Pastor Jonathan R Crosby, Greenville Church, South Carolina)

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).
Jesus revealed truth to the woman of Samaria that no one else in the world knew at that time. Glory!

He condemned Samaritan worship as not having any proper basis in revelation from God or even knowledge (4:22). He prophesied that Jewish worship in Jerusalem would soon come to an end as well, though it was from God (4:21-22).

This great change from the Old Testament form of worship to the New Testament form is called the reformation (Heb 9:10). This change was started by John the Baptist, continued by Jesus Christ, and then completed by the apostles, especially Paul (Luke 16:16).

God has always wanted true worshippers, and neither the false worship of the Samaritans or the outdated worship of the Jews was sufficient.

Do you remember what it means to worship in spirit and in truth? We want to fully understand this important description that we use in prayer and speech.

Worship in spirit means New Testament worship is internal by our spirits, hearts, and minds rather than outward worship of things perceived by senses.

The Old Testament worship of the Jews was in a certain place, with an altar, with many animal sacrifices, and lots of other physical rituals and ceremonies. This came to end with New Testament worship done in simplicity with nothing for the senses but preaching, praying, singing, etc. with the understanding.

Worship in truth means that clear and specific revelation from God is necessary for every point of doctrine believed and every ordinance practised.

The worship of the Samaritans on Mt. Gerizim, thirty miles north of Jerusalem, was something they had made up and was totally a vain tradition of theirs.

Paul condemned any worship or gospel, even if he preached it, that was not exactly the inspired gospel and worship of the N.T. (Gal 1:6-9; Heb 12:28-29).

Therefore, our church has very simple worship with nothing for the senses religiously, and we want a tsunami of Bible evidence for any doctrine or practice.

The Samaritan woman knew that Messiah (or Christ) was coming and would reveal the will of God. Jesus told her that He was the Messiah (or Christ). When the apostles interrupted their conversation, she returned to the city and brought most or all of them out to meet Jesus. Very many were converted.

Read the rest of the encounter between Jesus and these Samaritans and follow the lessons that He taught by use of metaphors of meat and harvest.

Do you care about the souls of others as much as Jesus did ... as much as the Samaritan woman did? Who have you tried to convert to truth this week?

Rejoice and give thanks that God sent Jesus to despised Samaritans ... for it fulfilled prophecies He would also come after us (Gen 49:10; John 10:16).

Satan's strategy: cripple you gradually with freebies!

"Do you know how to catch wild pigs?"

An article by Debra Johnsen Baer
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10210382712669834&set=a.1194773515170.2030514.1403402571&type=3&theater

[The strategy to catch wild pigs reminds me of the similar strategy of Satan's in ensnaring God's children. sing]

CRITICAL LIFE LESSON

"Do you know how to catch wild pigs?"

There was a chemistry professor in a large college that had some exchange students in the class. One day while the class was in the lab, the professor noticed one young man, an exchange student, who kept rubbing his back and stretching as if his back hurt.

The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country's government and install a new communist regime. In the midst of his story, he looked at the professor and asked a strange question. He asked: "Do you know how to catch wild pigs?"

The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said that it was no joke. "You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come every day to eat the free food".

"When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence". "They get used to that and start to eat again.

You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in the last side". "The pigs, which are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat that free corn again. You then slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd".

"Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity."

The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening in America . The government keeps pushing us toward Communism/Socialism and keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned income, tax exemptions, tobacco subsidies, dairy subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP), welfare entitlements, medicine, drugs, etc., while we continually lose our freedoms, just a little at a time as the government forces us to participate in many of these programs whether or not we want to.

One should always remember two truths: There is no such thing as a free lunch, and you can never hire someone to provide a service for you cheaper than you can do it yourself. If you see that all of this wonderful government "help" is a problem confronting the future of democracy in America, you might want to share this with your friends.

God help us all when the gate slams shut!

Quote for today: "The problems we face today are there because the people who work for a living are now outnumbered by those that vote for a living."

Righteousness Imputed Legally, and Applied Personally

Siberian Tigers - majestic creatures that declares the glory of their Creator
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/culture/art/2016-10/18/content_27085672_5.htm#Content

The Multifaceted Jewel of Justification

Decreed eternally,

Imputed legally, 

Applied personally, 

Experienced practically.

Do you know the distinction?
Not knowing it is like being colour blind. We fail to see the multifaceted dazzling colours of the doctrine of justification. May the Lord grant us eyes to see them. Amen.

"God did, from all eternity, decree to justify all the elect, and Christ did, in the fulness of time, die for their sins, and rise again for their justification: nevertheless, they are not justified, until the Holy Spirit doth, in due time, actually apply Christ unto them." That's WCF 11.4.

Here is the 1689 version, it has a very significant word 'personally' which greatly emphasize the distinction further.

"God did from all eternity decree to justify all the elect, and Christ did in the fullness of time die for their sins, and rise again for their justification; nevertheless, they are not justified PERSONALLY, until the Holy Spirit doth in time due actually apply Christ unto them."  LCF 11.4

(Please don't make the silly statement that the 1689 CoF is just a mere copy of the WCF. The above instant tells you otherwise. That's an insult to the Framers. They were cheapskate copycats!)

This paragraph on the doctrine of Justification states plainly 3 distinct aspects of Justification:
1. Justification DECREED in eternity.
2. Justification ACCOMPLISHED in the fulness of time.
3. Justification APPLIED in DUE time to each elect.

Then the 2nd paragraph (11.2) describes another aspect of Justification:
4. Justification EXPERIENCED through faith/believing in Christ.

Putting them in other words, we have:
Righteousness PURPOSED for all the elect by God in eternity.
Righteousness IMPUTED LEGALLY to all the elect at the cross.
Righteousness APPLIED to each elect PERSONALLY at effectual calling.
Righteousness EXPERIENCED by a child of God at initial conversion.

These are DISTINCT and separate aspects/facets of justification.

Very many Reformed Baptists and others who claim to hold to the 1689 CoF are completely ignorant of this multifaceted jewel.

'They are not justified PERSONALLY...' even though they are justified LEGALLY. When Christ died on the cross, LEGAL justification of all His people took place; all their sins were imputed to Him, and His righteousness was imputed to them. The DOUBLE IMPUTATION took place on the cross. [Listen, if your sins were not imputed to Christ when He died on the cross, I am very sorry for you. You don't expect Christ to die one more time just for your sins! Take care of them yourself! Good luck to you,  ;-) ] They are LEGALLY justified... but they are not PERSONALLY justified... because though righteousness was imputed legally, it is not yet APPLIED personally to each one; therefore they are not YET justified personally...

UNTIL the Holy Spirit does in due time, i.e., in God's appointed and approved time, actually apply Christ to them - that is, UNTIL their effectual calling out of their native state of sin and death to that of grace and salvation at God's appointed and approved time, freely by God's grace. That's when the righteousness of Christ is APPLIED personally. (See 1689.10.1)

A reformed man insisted, 'That personal application is by faith.'
His notion is taken from here: "Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification; yet it is not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love." WCF 11.2 .

I commented:
No no no. Personal application ENABLES faith...
No, no, no. Faith does not effect personal application!

Before personal application, a man is still personally in the state of death and condemnation, utterly incapable of believing.

Faith is a SAVING GRACE..... did you read that?
Faith is a fruit and effect when salvation is already APPLIED personally. All saving graces are fruit and effect of the personal application of justification; faith is ONE of among all other saving graces. Read it again without glasses.

"Faith ... is not alone in THE person justified..." Faith is one of the saving graces worked within a child of God by the Holy Spirit. This faith is manifested and drawn out by the preaching of the gospel.

Faith can only be found in a person whom the Spirit of God has applied Christ and His righteousness.

Faith evidences the justified state of a man.

And faith is the means to EXPERIENCE the blessedness of the justified state... faith in contrast to observing the ceremonial laws. That was Paul's message to the children of God among the Jews. And Abraham was marshaled as the classic example.

That's where ALL new school calvinists get it wrong - making faith as the instrumental means of justification before God.

'Faith alone' - believing in Jesus Christ, IN CONTRAST to Jewish believers' insistence of observing the ceremonial laws of the OT - is the ONLY means appointed by God for God's children to EXPERIENCE the blessedness of their justified state by God's free grace based on the righteousness of Jesus Christ alone. Abraham is the classic example marshaled to demonstrate that simple truth to the Jews.

Three distinct sets of contrast in three distinct aspects of justification.

1. The ground of justification:
- Christ's righteousness vs. your own.- No righteousness, no justification of life; a man remains in the condemnation of death!
- Justification by faith alone' is a heresy in this context... for it militates against legal justification by the righteousness of Christ ALONE.
- And righteousness is obtained through perfect obedience to all the laws of God.

2. The manner of justification:
- God's free grace vs. your compliant with some conditions.
- No free grace, no righteousness APPLIED; unjustified man REMAINS in sin, under the condemnation of death, and incapable of meeting any condition.
- 'Justification by faith alone' is a heresy in this context... for it militates against vital justification applied FREELY by the grace of God ALONE. The one in need of justification (in his un-justified state is still in the state of condemnation and death) IS INCAPABLE of meeting any condition to be justified by God.

3. The means to experience the blessedness of justification
- Believing in Christ alone vs. observance of ceremonial laws.
- Abraham experienced the blessedness of his justified state without keeping the ceremonial laws. He believed and his believing was blessed unto him to experience that blessedness.
- Justification by faith alone' is true in this limited and particular context only... for it is the only means appointed for the justified (by God's free grace based on the righteousness of Christ) to experience the blessedness of his justified state.


A biblical distinction is the essence of sound theology.

The new-school reformed people have muddled the three distinct aspects of justification, turning a multi-faceted jewel into a spherical glass marble!

Scriptures repeatedly declare, 'The just shall live by faith.'

It is the just - those already justified by God when they were still in their native state of condemnation and death - that have the grace of faith worked in them by the Holy Spirit, thus they shall live by faith.

The natural state of a man is death and condemnation, before God, by His free and sovereign grace, justifies him. Before his justification by God's free and sovereign grace, he is spiritually dead, in enmity and rebellion against God and wholly incapable of believing.

When the justification of life takes place, a man is enabled to believe the truth of the gospel.

It is 'the just shall live by faith.' But so many read this declaration and make it to say, 'the unjustified (therefore in the state of death and condemnation) shall believe and be justified.'

That's sola fideism - a grave perversion of the gospel truth.

Now it was not written for his sake alone... but for us also!

Now it was not written for his sake alone... but for us also!

A dear Brother wrote:
I will appreciate if you can me help me to understand this verse:
Rom 4:24  "But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead..."

It seems to me that the "if" in the verse implies that  righteousness imputed is conditional upon our believing, which doesn't sound right.

Thanks.
=====

 Dear Brother,

Concerning the question on Rom 4:24, "But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead."

The apparent contradiction is resolved simply by remembering that there are several distinct aspects of justification taught in the Scriptures
- Decretal justification of all elect in eternity by God's decree, (Justification purposed in eternity)
- Legal justification of all the elect at the cross by the redemption of Christ, (Justification Accomplished at the Cross)
- Vital justification of each individual elect personally at effectual calling at God's own appointed time, and freely by the grace of God (Justification Applied at the Effectual Calling)
- Practical justification when a child of God (vitally justified, regenerated, adopted) believe God's word concerning His Son Jesus Christ, (Justification Experienced at Conversion)
- Final justification when the children of God are publicly vindicated and glorified on the great judgment day

The whole of Romans 4 deals with the practical aspect of justification. Apostle Paul marshalled the classic example of Abraham, to demonstrate how the blessedness of one's justified state by God's free grace is to be experienced personally. What was Abraham's experience; what did he find? How did he experience the blessedness of his righteous standing before God? Abraham had been justified (vitally, the righteousness of Christ applied to him personally) when was still an ungodly man in the Ur of the Chaldean, prior to his calling to leave.

The APPLICATION (VITAL justification) of Christ's righteousness to God's elect in their native state of condemnation and death has been dealt with in chapter 3. The LEGAL justification took place at the cross. What took place at the cross is APPLIED to each individual elect PERSONALLY when God effectually calls them out of their native state of sin, condemnation, and death.

3:24 describes that vital justification in these words, "being justified FREELY by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." The redemption that is in Christ Jesus has been stated in verse 22 in a very specific manner, "even the righteousness of God (i.e. of God's own provision) which is by the faith of Jesus Christ (i.e. through the faithfulness of Christ in His redemptive work as the Saviour of His people). The righteousness of Christ deals with our LEGAL and VITAL justification before God. The believing act of God's children (i.e. justified and regenerated elect) deals with their PRACTICAL/experiential justification.

4:1 "What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

How did Abraham, who had been freely justified by God's grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus - which had happened way back when he was still in Ur, experience the blessedness of that righteous standing before God by His free grace? By believing the word of God concerning the promised seed.

Chapter 4 takes up answering that question, and the CLASSIC incident recorded in Gen 15:1-6 was marshaled.
Abraham experienced the blessedness of his justified state, freely by God's grace based on the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, simply through believing, and not through any work of observing ceremonial laws.

His believing in God's promise concerning the seed - the  "it" - was accounted to him for righteousness.

So verse 5 reiterates, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."

(God justifies the UNGODLY, i.e. those under the just condemnation because of sins. Believing in Jesus Christ is an act blessed by God to the believer to experience the blessedness of his righteous standing before God, i.e God has freely justified him by His grace PRIOR to his believing.)

This verse speaks of practical justification CONDITIONED UPON believing on Him that justifies the UNGODLY. Him that justifies the UNGODLY is a distinct aspect of justification from Him that justifies the BELIEVING ONE, the former is the VITAL aspect, the latter is the PRACTICAL aspect.

4:22 draws the conclusion:
"And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness."
The pronoun "it" refers to Abraham's act of believing," the act of believing is accounted unto the believing one for righteousness, THAT IS, to experience the blessedness of his righteous standing before God through the righteousness of Christ alone, FREELY imputed to him when he was in the state of condemnation and death.

So many read "it" to mean the righteousness of Jesus Christ, i.e. the righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed on the condition of faith. This is wholly irrational. Without the righteousness of Christ, a man is still under the just condemnation and death; such a man can't possibly believe!

4:23 "Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;"
That incident in Gen 15 was written not only for Abraham's sake, to testify that his act of believing was accounted to him to experience that blessedness of having been justified freely by the grace of God through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

"Not for his sake alone" implies for the sake of others ALSO, as the next verse shows.

4:24 "But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead..."

Please note that the pronoun "it" does not refer to the righteousness of Jesus Christ but the believing act of a child of God. It is his believing that is imputed/accounted/blessed by God for him to experience the blessedness of his just and righteous status before God by God's own free and gracious act of justifying him when he was in his native state of sin, death, and condemnation.

So, the subject in this verse is still the same subject that has been considered in the previous verses concerning the experience of Abraham. "But for us ALSO" means the exact same truth applies to us too. Our believing in the gospel of God concerning the promised Seed is the means/instrument to experience the blessedness of our righteous standing before God by His freely justifying us based the righteousness of Christ.

The condition is implied even though the word ei, which expresses a condition, is not in the Greek text. That explains the conditional "if" in the kjv text. It SHALL be imputed when a condition is met. It is a blessing that can only be attained or experienced by God's children if they believe God's word concerning His Son.

Apostle Paul was laying the ground to call upon the recipients of his epistle to BELIEVE in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Apostle Paul wrote to those who were ALREADY the "called of Jesus Christ" (1:6), the "called "beloved of God" and the "called to be saints" (1:7).

Eternal salvation has been freely applied to them. They needed to hear the gospel of that salvation. And believing in the gospel of Jesus Christ is the condition for God's children to experience that blessedness of their righteousness before in Jesus Christ. That was the case with Abraham, and that is the case with all the others. There is no exception.

I hope the above help to clarify your question.
I thank you for inquiring. Please feel very free to do so.
I love you in the Lord, Brother.

your brother and servant,
sing

The "Elijah is the LORD" heresy.

The "Elijah is the LORD" heresy.

I came across an article, "IS JESUS THE LAST TO COME,OR HE SPOKE OF ANOTHER. THE TEACHINGS OF BISHOP DAVID HILL/THE LORD ELIJAH. by one Dawn Whinfield of Georgetown Guyana - that teaches that Elijah is LORD. (https://www.facebook.com/dawn.whinfield/)

In part, the article reads:
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"Elias is he [sic] Greek spelling for ELIJAH. The word ELIJAH mean Eli – God –Jah. Eli- is – Jah....

"ELIJAH is God, could he have saved Jesus. ELIJAH is Jehovah, but by this name he was not known to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."

After copious quotes of Scriptures (which does not impress me at all because the Devil can quote much better than he does!) the author claims, "We only need one scripture to prove that the Lord Elijah is the divine one. Matt 17:11. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come and restore all things."

======

The whole post is a classic example of the dreaded disease called sound-bytitis. I left a comment but it was deleted promptly.

Let me comment again:

The Elias in the Matt 17:10-12 passage is a reference to John the Baptist who was prophesied by Malachi. You have perverted and twisted a plain Scriptures to suit your imagination.

Matt 17:

10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?

11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.

12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.

Didn't you read the plain words in verse 13?

"Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist."

Jesus was speaking of John the Baptist, but you are SO BLIND that you picked this passage to prove that Elijah is Lord and is divine.

Elias is indeed Greek for Elijah. But to say that "the word ELIJAH mean Eli – God –Jah. Eli- is – Jah", it is not only nonsensical but also erroneous.

The name Elijah means "my God is LORD."

"Eli" is "my God" and "jah" is "Jehovah," i.e. LORD.

See here: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm…

To your question, "IS JESUS THE LAST TO COME OR HE SPOKE OF ANOTHER", the simple answer is here:

Hebrews 1

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Beware of those who teach fables for sound doctrine!

The Most Dangerous Lies are...

There are fake ones but they appear so much like the genuine ones

“The most dangerous lies are those that most resemble the truth!” 

~Helen Ann Hulse

How very true; and here is a CLASSIC illustration. Take a look at these two statements: one is the gospel truth, the latter looks and sounds so much like the former; one is cherished by a few but loathe by many, the other embraced and loved by a vast multitude.

Here they are; the old versus the new, free grace versus conditional grace:

"The reason why any are justified IS NOT because they have faith; but the reason why they have faith IS because they are justified." 

"The reason why any are justified IS because they have faith; but the reason why they have faith IS NOT because they are justified."

The two statements are EXACTLY the same, word for word, and even the number of words is the same. The only difference is the position of a little word “NOT” in the two statements! 

The former is the truth of the Scriptures expressed by the old particular baptists who framed the 1689 CoF. The latter is the belief of the reformed baptists who claim to subscribe to the same Confession!  A whole host of their Calvinistic and Arminian cousins believe the same!

The former declares that faith is the effect of God's free grace justification. The latter declares that faith is the instrument to secure justification before God. Blessed is he who can distinguish the two, and knows and preach the gospel truth.

However, very many calvinists - whether paedo and credo sort - insist that man's act of believing is the instrument to OBTAIN/SECURE his justification before God, and insist that that justification is still by God's FREE GRACE. Why? Because the faith that enables a man to obtain his justification before God is a gift of God! This idea presupposes the fable that an Unjustified man, therefore still in his native state of condemnation, is capable of utilizing the imaginary gift of faith given to him by God!

Another classic example, John 3:16 

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." "Whosoever believeth...  have everlasting life" is a STATEMENT OF FACT; a statement declaring the fact that the believing one possesses eternal life; the possession of eternal life enables him to believe. 

Believing is an activity of the eternal life already bestowed FREELY by God's great love through His Son Jesus Christ. HOWEVER, "whosoever believeth... have everlasting life" is so often understood as a STATEMENT of CONDITIONAL OFFER, that is, if a man who is dead in trespasses and sins will believe, then he will get eternal life. Believing of a man dead in trespasses and sins will secure for him the eternal life which God has made available for all through His Son Jesus Christ. This idea presupposes the fable that a man dead in trespasses and sins, therefore still in his native state of spiritual deadness, is capable of spiritual activities like believing the gospel truth. 

These confused folks don’t seem to understand the basic fundamental maxim, “life must precede the activities of that life.” Spiritual life is prerequisite to any spiritual activities.

Saving faith

Saving Faith

Luke 7:50" And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace also in Luke 18:40 "42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee" Based on your understanding of theology are the salvations under consideration eternal? Secondly were the salvations illustrated here by grace? Right division is critical to right understanding!

A brother wrote the above post on "Saving faith", and some exchanges took place.
If you wish to read the complete exchanges, you can find them here. 

https://www.facebook.com/robert.cook.73700136/posts/10157269570345451comment_id=10157277023975451&reply_comment_id=10157285073800451&notif_t=feed_comment_reply&notif_id=1470211073802698

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The Old School Baptists summarized their understanding of “saving faith” thus:

Faith thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification; yet it is not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love. ( Romans 3:28; Galatians 5:6; James 2:17, 22, 26 ) 
[If faith is a gift, then all other saving graces worked in a child of God are also gifts. However, the Scriptures DO NOT speak like that. Faith as a gift is a misguided, but popular notion. Faith is a saving grace WORKED by the Spirit of God in the hearts of God's children, those regenerated elect. - sing]

The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word; by which also, and by the administration of baptism and the Lord's supper, prayer, and other means appointed of God, it is increased and strengthened. (2 Corinthians 4:13; Ephesians 2:8; Romans 10:14, 17; Luke 17:5; 1 Peter 2:2; Acts 20:32 )

By this faith a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word for the authority of God himself, and also apprehendeth an excellency therein above all other writings and all things in the world, as it bears forth the glory of God in his attributes, the excellency of Christ in his nature and offices, and the power and fullness of the Holy Spirit in his workings and operations: and so is enabled to cast his soul upon the truth thus believed; and also acteth differently upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth; yielding obedience to the commands, trembling at the threatenings, and embracing the promises of God for this life and that which is to come; but the principal acts of saving faith have immediate relation to Christ, accepting, receiving, and resting upon him alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace.  (Acts 24:14; Psalms 27:7-10; Psalms 119:72; 2 Timothy 1:12; John 14:14; Isaiah 66:2; Hebrews 11:13; John 1:12; Acts 16:31; Galatians 2:20; Acts 15:11 )

[The term "saving faith" is used to distinguish it from "historical faith"; saving faith is an effect/fruit of the eternal salvation already bestowed freely by God's grace; saving faith receives and rests in Jesus Christ and His righteousness as the sole ground of one's salvation. Historical faith also believes that there was such a Jewish man named Jesus who lived in the first century. -- sing]

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Sing

"Thy faith hath saved thee... Thy faith hath saved thee..."

Contrast these with these: "by grace ye are saved. ... by grace are ye saved.. ."

Biblical distinction is the essence of sound theology.

Robert

So they were not saved by grace very interesting perspective! :(

Sing

If you wish to draw that conclusion from the PLAIN Scriptures I presented to you, then that is your liberty. Only remember, I did not make such conclusion.

Robert

Your post seems to imply that!

Sing

My post makes the biblical distinction between grace withOUT works in eternal salvation and grace conditioned on works in temporal salvation.

Biblical distinction is the essence of sound theology.

Robert

Sing can you demonstrate from Scripture that faith is a work?

Sing

Man's act of believing is WORK, his action. Read Christ's own reply to those who inquired what works God requires of them.John 6:28- 29.

28Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?28Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”29Jesus answered and said unto them,This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Robert

Under consideration Ephesians 2:8 is what kind of salvation either eternal or temporal. Entrance into the Kingdom for a gentile just like Abraham in Romans 4, is justification in the conscience faith in God's faithfulness. Is not a work of man that saves in time that is exactly what Paul is teaching in Romans 4. works are when we use faith and DO something with it like James teaches in James 2:17, true faith trusts God and does something, but faith that justifies the conscience only trusts like Abraham did and it is not a work, as Paul stated in Romans and is repeating in Ephesians 2:8-10. Somehow you imagine that point of view is "Calvinistic" you may be right if I said that is how the creature was eternally saved and that is quite the opposite of what I am saying. Faith is verse 8 of Ephesian 2 is NOT a work.

[sing: If faith in Eph 2:8 is NOT work, then it can’t be the believing act of man! If it is not a work, then the salvation spoken of CANNOT be temporal salvation. Temporal salvation is conditioned upon God’s children working out their OWN salvation through their work of obeying the Father’s will.  Phi 2:12 --- sing]

Sing

Man's act of believing is WORK, his action. Read Christ's own reply to those who inquired what works God requires of them.

John 6: 28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

They wish to know the work$ God requires of them... Christ points them to the first and foremost work (singular) God requires them to do, THAT IS, believe on Him whom God hath sent, even Christ Himself.

Stephan L

Believing is the manifestation of faith and faith is a gift of God. If it is a gift It can't be a work...so in the passage you quoted the people to whom Jesus was speaking where not born again and couldn't believe see verse 36. They weren't among the people given to Him as He said in verse 37.

Sing

Believing in Jesus Christ is an activity of man, therefore his works.

You chose to believe that those death in trespasses and sins are capable of desiring to do the works of God. I choose to believe otherwise, that is, only God's children can have such desire.

Stephan L

Their desires was not sincere see verse 36, Jesus is saying "But I said unto you, that he also have seen me, and believe not."! The desire or the will is not sufficient in Romans 9 v 16 we read " so then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." The reaction of those Jews proved that there weren't children of God verse 41,42,52,66. I even guess that those people are the same in John 8 from verse 13 to 59. In verse 44 Jesus is calling them children of the devil!...

Sing

You claim to know more than Christ himself. Christ took their inquiry as sincere, and answered accordingly. You are even implying that the Omniscient Jesus would tell those hypocrites, insincere pretenders - still dead in their trespasses and sins - to do the impossible - to believe on Him!

I would leave alone a man with such view of Jesus Christ.

Good bye, sir.

Stephan L

You said those people were children of God and sincere in their request, now you say they are pretenders hypocrites death in sins and trespasses...I don't understand. Good bye man.

Sing

I' m just describing them in the way you wanted - you said they are no less than children of the devil – to show you the absurdity and foolishness of your idea!

Robert

Sing, said this earlier actually biblical quote "29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." notice Christ did not say this is the work you must do? He said this is the work of God not the work God expects of you! There is a difference.

Sing

Robert, please tell, what were the men inquiring, and did Jesus answer their question. Thank you.

Robert

They were asking about the working the works of God this was a question to the prior statement in verse 27 they DID not understand. Jesus was contrasting laboring for literal bread and that meat or food which is knowing Christ that allows us to have that life by experience. That response of Christ was perfectly in line with this is the work of God, The design, purpose and plan is of God alone to the intent His people might believe and rest in Christ without working for that rest.

Sing

Brother Robert, just read these words from the KJV... the question of those inquirer:

"What works shall WE DO, that we might WORK the works of God?"

Is it that hard to ascertain what their inquiry was?

Robert

Sing they were asking about what Jesus had said in the previous verse.

The work of God ie the design purpose and plan is of God that they believe just as Abraham did, that is not a work.

Are you teaching that Paul contradicted Jesus? Paul said trust God for righteousness was NOT a work and yet you say Jesus says it is?

Sing

Jesus Christ said...  LABOUR LABOUR LABOUR... WORK WORK WORK...

So, the men wanted to know what works they should do.

What are the workS that God require them to do?

Robert

Paul was using Abraham as an example BEFORE Moses was given the law.

Okay so you are saying Paul was wrong in Romans 4, I now understand! :)

The Labor and work Jesus is contrasting is the seeking not the believing. Read the context.

Sing

Paul was using Abraham as an example to teach the Gentiles believers who were affected by Judaizers that Abraham simply believed - AND did not observe the ceremonial laws BECAUSE there were no ceremonial laws YET - to EXPERIENCE the blessedness of the justification by God's free grace.

Apostle Paul's point: there is NO NEED to observe the ceremonial laws - Abraham is the classic example.

There is no need of you to draw PERVERSE conclusions on my behalf. ;-)

Sing

"The Labor and work Jesus is contrasting is the seeking not the believing.  Read the context."

==============

I think it is quite desperate to make the distinction! Labour is work, and work is some form of labour.

Christ's own word:

"This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."

They LABOURED - went to great length - to seek for Jesus because of their belly, and not for who He is, the Son of God.

Seek him as the Son of God, the One God has sent, that's the work they should be doing... this work is meat that endures unto everlasting life... even when the belly has rotted.

Robert

Right. The seeking He was not contrasting Laboring with believing.

Let's be real clear I am NOT talking about getting eternally saved I am talking about getting saved from a bad or guilty conscience by faith in the finished work of Christ the promised seed, this is not work Romans 4.

Sing

Don't worry, I'm not so unfair to insinuate, and impute such horrid things to you. If I did, I would have stated it in plain words! ;-)

It is NOT about getting saved from a bad or guilty conscience by faith!!! IT IS about EXPERIENCING, by faith, the blessedness of the justified state by God's free grace.... THAT IS the subject.

QUESTION: What did our father Abraham find, Rom 4:1.

ANSWER: The blessedness was experienced by Abraham through faith in the promised seed, WITHOUT the works of the ceremonial law. 4:9

Robert

1 Peter 3:21, it certainly is being saved from a guilty conscience, and the fear of death etc. I think your remark about is unjustified. :(

Sing

You were at Rom 4! Whatever happened!

How is my remark about what is unjustified?

Robert

:) lol. Sing, the unjustified remark is as follows "It is NOT about getting saved from a bad or guilty conscience by faith!!!" as if this is not experiencing the initial aspect of our justified state , You contrast made my remark appear irrelevant. That was unjustified that is what I meant!

Sing

Your remark was made in the context of Romans 4.

No bad or evil conscience there. So, quite out of place.

Robert

Sing, I brought your post over here because I find no fault is what you say: http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/.../three-distinct... That is not where our disagreement ls, it is whether the salvation in verse 8 of Ephesians 2 is temporal, us...See more

Things New and Old: Three Distinct Sets of Contrast in the Biblical Doctrine of Justification

THINGS-NEW-AND-OLD.BLOGSPOT.COM|BY SING LAU

Sing

Then you have not understood the implications of the three sets of distinction!

Robert

:) okay!  Romans 4:4 defines work it is the expectation of payment due because of your efforts. As opposed to simply trusting what has been done for you. There is a world of difference between trusting the finished work of Christ and doing anything expecting a paycheck. I suggest you reconsider your position my brother. So used to fighting Calvinist's and arminians you can't even consider the war has been fought with the wrong weapons and now you are fighting the wrong opponent ! ;)

Sing

In Romans 4, apostle Paul is dealing with the HOW a child of God experiences the blessedness of his justified state by God's free grace - is it through the WORK of obeying the ceremonial laws, or through simply believing in the Lord Jesus Christ? How was it with Abraham? What was his experience?

Judaizers were a thorn in the eyes of the infant church from the very beginning.

Three sets of distinction:

1. Obedience of Christ to the law vs. dead man's own obedience to the law : LEGAL justification

2. God's free and sovereign act vs. dead man's act : VITAL justification

3. God's children work of believing in Christ vs. their works of keeping the ceremonial laws : EXPERIENTIAL justification.

GOOD NIGHT.