 |
| 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.
