What was accounted to him who believed?

What was accounted to him?

“Abraham believed God, and it was accounted unto him for righteousness.”

Sin, the transgression of God’s law, brought condemnation and death.

Righteousness, the obedience to God’s law, is prerequisite unto justification and life. Sin brought death; righteousness is prerequisite unto life. Justification is the justification of life, read Romans 5:18;"Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life."

This requisite righteousness must either be by your own perfect obedience to the law of God or by the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ to the law of God in your stead.

A man's believing act plays absolutely no role in his justification before God.

“Abraham believed God, and it was accounted unto him for righteousness.” What was accounted unto him for righteousness? His act of believing was accounted to him for righteousness. This is tragically mistaken by so many as the righteousness of Christ accounted to him for his justification before God.

The Protestants’ sola fidei centres on the believing act of man in his justification before God.

The Scriptures’ sola fidei is centred on the faith of Christ in man’s justification before God; it is Christ's faithfulness in rendering perfect obedience to the law of God in His work of redemption, thus securing the necessary righteousness for the justification of condemned men by God.

The devil has hijacked this Christ-centred truth and substituted it with a cheap man-centred lie.

The sola fideists stubbornly insist that Abraham was justified by God only in Gen 15; this necessarily implies that Abraham was still a man in his native unjustified state of condemnation in Gen 12-14. They just ignore or are oblivious to, this monumental problem.

In Gen 15, Abraham's faith was blessed unto him to experience the blessedness of his righteousness before God; his justification of life, by God's free grace, had already taken place way back when he was in the Ur of the Chaldean.

It is a monumental doctrinal disaster to confound the justification of life by the free grace of God and the experience of that justification through one's faith.

===========

Take a look at this article debunking a popular fable.
https://pruning-deformed-branches.blogspot.my/2008/01/massive-theological-blunder.html

I endure all things for the elect's sakes

Take good care of my child.

In all of his ministry, Apostle Paul was ACUTELY conscious that his ministry is specifically intended for and is relevant to the children of God alone.

The proof is in Paul's own words: "Therefore I endure all things... for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." 2Ti 2:10

He endured all things for the ELECT'S sake, and no one else. ...Period. He is plain enough! He was acutely conscious that he is of no service to them that are perishing. His ministry is relevant ONLY to them that ARE SAVED already. Here are his words, "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." 1Co 1:18.

God's divine acts in saving His elect bestows 'eternal glory' to the elect!

Paul's ministerial acts of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ bring temporal salvation, blessings in the life here and now, to God's children, in addition to the eternal glory already bestowed upon them by God's free grace.

God purposed eternal redemption for His elect.

Christ secured eternal redemption for the elect.

The Holy Spirit applies eternal redemption to each elect personally.

The preacher is sent to announce the good news of what God has done to, and for the beneficiaries above.

Paul understood his calling and office well - minister to the children of God. Peter knew his calling to feed the sheep - gather them in, not make sheep! The laborers know their specific work, gather in the harvest. All the works needed to produce the harvest, such as plowing, seeding, etc. the Lord of the harvest has done them all Himself. He has produced the harvest... He sends the laborers to gather in the harvest into the NT churches.

 =======================

Here is a good commentary by Scott: 

THANKS, Scott! Amen and Amen.

======

"Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."

There are two things Paul wanted the elect to have, one of which God was going to give them, and one of them which he could give them. God was going to give them eternal glory; Paul was going to give them the salvation that was in the gospel.

Note the ‘may also’ There is two things along with eternal glory here. Paul was not trying to make the elect equal to him, Paul is trying to help the elect get a 2nd thing along with eternal glory. The word ‘with’ – you can understand the verse better if you say it ‘along with’ It’s like James 2:1 ‘…have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons’- don’t have the religion of Jesus Christ along with respect of persons, as those things don’t belong together. 

Eternal glory is guaranteed by God Rom 8:29-30. God makes sure of eternal glory.’ If God can be for us, who can be against us?’ But there is another salvation; that’s the salvation we get when we hear the gospel: that salvation is one in our minds, in our understanding, in our obedience, in our assurance, in the increase of our faith: when we hear the message of salvation, tells us about it.

This is a division of words in the NT that is essential that we don’t end up believing in gospel regeneration. The apostle Paul was not out to get names in the book of life (they have been there since the foundation of the world), nor was he trying to get anyone to have eternal glory like himself: God had already guaranteed that. What he was seeking to do was bring them gospel salvation- knowing the good news about what God has done for you and what you can do for Him. It’s the salvation, if you forget the gospel or stray from it, you are lost again 1Tim 4:16. 

There is a salvation in having the truth to be saved from error. That’s the salvation of 2Thel 2:13 and 1Cor 15:2 If you forget about the resurrection of the dead, how saved are you going to be on your deathbed? If you let a false teacher to teach you there is no resurrection of the dead, you will lose your salvation: you will lose your understanding that gives you hope. And if you lose your understanding that gives you hope, then you are going to face death without hope.

That is why Paul said in 1Cor 15:2 ‘By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain’ You are not going to lose your eternal glory, because something leaves our memory. It’s not that you know and remember God, it’s that He knows and remembers you. And if you think God has a bad memory, He wrote it down: in the book of life. There is a written document, and it’s in a better safety deposit box than yours is in. It’s in heaven and it’s sealed with 7 seals, and no man or angel in heaven or earth can open it, except the Lord Jesus Christ.

Effectual calling to grace and salvation

Without justification by God (not by faith),
regeneration and adoption,
a man is not called to grace and salvation.

Ante 
Sola fide is refuted by the fact that man MUST also be born again. So, even before works are introduced it is not sola fide.

sing
Sola fidei = sola ergon.
John 6
28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

sing
(Brett Noll quoted a passage from Rm 4:1ff and insisted that faith is not work..... He has since deleted his three comments after my reply below.)
Brett, we have gone through this before. Study the article below and learn the three distinct sets of contrasts related to justification stated in the Scripture.

1. Faith of Christ for Brett vs Faith of Brett in Christ
2. Grace of God vs. Faith of Brett.
3. Faith of Brett vs Works of Brett observing some ceremonial laws like circumcision.

No. 1 deals with the GROUND of justification. By faith OF Christ
No. 2 deals with the MANNER of justification. Freely by grace.
No. 3 deals with the PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE of justification. Through faith.

Be cured of your sound-bytitis disease, putting it most kindly.

https://things-new-and-old.blogspot.my/2011/05/three-distinct-sets-of-contrast-in.html
Three Distinct Sets of Contrast in the Biblical Doctrine of Justification.

Brett
"free grace"? Scripture itself makes sola fide the only alternative to a damning system of works-righteousness: "Now to the one who works, his wage is not reckoned as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness" (Romans 4:4-5.)

I don’t know what happened to comments from yesterday.

In other words, those who trust Jesus Christ for justification by faith alone receive a perfect righteousness that is reckoned to them. Those who attempt to establish their own righteousness or mix faith with works only receive the terrible wage that is due all who fall short of perfection. So the individual as well as the church stands or falls with the principle of sola fide. Israel's apostasy was rooted in their abandonment of justification by faith alone: "For not knowing about God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God" (Romans 10:3).

sing
Your problem: in your obsession with justification by faith alone, you are blinded to simple declaration of justification by the free grace of God - the MANNER of justification.
Romans 3:24 KJV — "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

Your problem: in your obtuseness, you willfully ignore justification by Christ - the GROUND of justification.

Your problem: you refused to see the distinct aspects of justification declared in the Scripture.

The problem of God's children among the Jews: they held on to their old covenant, works of observing the ceremonies INSTEAD of simply believing in Christ who has fulfilled them all.
Abraham was set before them to show that he experienced the blessings of his justified state WITHOUT observing any ceremonial laws.

Brett 
"This is what all modern translations HAVE DONE!!! KJB alone retains the truth."   Is the King James Bible the Only Inspired Scripture on Earth Today?

sing
No translation is inspired. Irrelevant question.
Stick to the subject.

Brett
Do you believe that a work of the Holy Spirit is necessary to believe the gospel?

sing
Justification by God, based upon the righteousness of Christ and the regeneration by the Spirit of God, and the grace of faith worked in the child of God is necessary to make it possible for him to hear and understand the gospel. Hearing and understanding the gospel are necessary before believing is possible. Faith cometh by hearing, Room 10.

Be cured of sound-bytitis, a crippling disease.

Abraham experienced the blessedness of his justified state, freely by God's grace, through simply believing on the words of God (Gen 15) and not through some works of observing some ceremonial laws.

That was the point the Apostle Paul wanted to demonstrate by marshaling the example of Abraham.

Brett
It is not enough to believe in Jesus in a general sense. You must believe in His promise of eternal life.

sing
Salvation freely bestowed, when Brett was dead in trespasses and sins, makes believing possible. Stop putting the cart before the horse.
Your "it is not enough" betrays a repudiation of the biblical doctrine "for by grace are ye saved".

Brett
When are you justified? Is it when you believed in Jesus in general, or when you believed in Jesus’ promise?

sing
Which aspect of justification are you inquiring?
- God decreed and purposed in eternity my justification in Christ;
- Christ secured my legal justification at the cross even as Adam secured my condemnation in the garden;
- God freely justified me personally when He effectually called me out of my native state of condemnation and death. This effectual calling enabled me to answer/response to the gospel call to faith in Jesus Christ.
- I experienced the blessedness of my justification by God's free grace in Jesus Christ when I believe the gospel of my salvation.
When were you justified by God?
Which of the many promises of Jesus did you believe?

sing
Brett, are you done with justification yet?
(I deleted your last 3 comments on faith and works necessary for salvation).
I have no time to deal with all your problems. We have gone through them several times, only in circles.

sing
Buy the truth: the effectual calling to grace and salvation embraces justification, regeneration and adoption, thus fitting a man for eternal glory. Amen.
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Justification, regeneration, and adoption - the three distinct Divine activities in the effectual calling - are chronologically simultaneous but logically in that order.
Justification of life by God the Father based on the righteousness of Christ gives Divine warrant for God the Spirit to regenerate the one whom God the Father has applied personally the righteousness of Christ. The regenerated is adopted into the Divine family - made fit for eternal glory, given access to all the benefits and privileges of sonship.

Exalt yourself a little higher, then it stinks. 自大一点 >>臭

自大一点
rephrased as "exalt yourself a little higher" then it stinks.
(Thanks, Joe Chin)

A simple lesson on humility.

Today is the new year day of the Chinese lunar calendar. We are spending our reunion with the family of my second Brother in JB. This morning, we went along with them to their SCMC (Skudai Chinese Methodist Church) for the customary new year day thanksgivings service.

The message in Chinese was on 八 福 (Eight Blessedness) taken from the Beatitude from Matthew 5. The Chinese are always fascinated with 福 - an apt subject for the occasion. The preacher's message focused on the first Blessedness, i.e., of being poor in spirit or humility.

One particular illustration is worth sharing.

In the Chinese iconographic language, the word for "stink" 臭, is a compound of three little words - self, big, and a dot. When a man thinks himself one dot bigger than he ought to, then it stinks.

Apostle Paul has warned the same in Romans 12:3 KJV — For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Lesson: 

I stink to the heaven when I think one dot bigger of myself than I ought to think soberly. Thank you Lord for the lesson.

Another lesson: when I think myself humble, then assuredly I'm NOT humble.

Another reminder: if I'm humble, I shall readily admit my wrongs and ask for forgiveness.

Thank you, Lord.

All elect are effectually called but not all are reached by the gospel call.

Bill

Amen! Amen!

Tommy 

I have agreed with a lot of your articles, and much appreciate your willingness to post many good things, but I can’t agree with the last part of your statement this time. I can’t find any context in which God would be glorified by not calling all his children, as he has me and you.

Zivie 

Same as Cornelius... no one told him the good news but how come he was converted?

Sing 

Tommy, it flatters me that a man of your stature reads the thoughts of a simple village preacher. 

Let me see if I understand you correctly:

The last part of my statement reads, "not every elect have the gospel call administered to them." Since you can't agree with this statement, does it mean that you believe that every elect whom God has effectually called will ALSO have the gospel call? Do I understand you correctly?

You said, "I can’t find any context in which God would be glorified by not calling all his children, as he has me and you."

By "his children" I understand you to mean the elect whom He has effectually called to grace and salvation. I do believe each and every one of the elect will be effectually called and become God's children, each at God's appointed and accepted time. All the effectually called shall be glorified; their future glorification is so certain in God's divine purpose that it is considered a past completed action, Romans 8:30.

When you say, "by not calling all his children" I understand you as referring to their gospel call. If I'm right, my question is, how is God any less glorified when some of His children are not called out by the gospel? 

How is God any less glorified when one of His elect is effectually called but died before he has the mental capacity to be called by the gospel? 

If I follow your logic to its conclusion, it would be proper to say that God is not glorified unless all His children are soundly converted and become useful like, say, the apostle Paul. 

There are God's children who lack the ABILITY to be called out by the gospel ministry, being not sentient; others do not have the OPPORTUNITY of the gospel ministry to call them out into the saving knowledge of their salvation by God's free grace in Jesus Christ. That's my feeble understanding.

Bill

And I agree completely with your understanding of the extent of the gospel call, Bro. Sing. God's glory is made full by His gracious redemption of every one of His elect children.

Tommy

Limited for time now, headed to work. In the short run, I will declare my belief in John 10:26-29.

Sing

"Same as Cornelius... no one told him the good news but how come he was converted?"

--------------

Cornelius was REGENERATED before, and without hearing the gospel. 

But he was most certainly CONVERTED through hearing the gospel through Apostle Peter.

Faith cometh by hearing... hearing the gospel preached by God-sent preachers. Room 10. 

Life cometh by quickening... by the direct activity of God.

Marty

The call of regeneration is life; it is administered by the voice of the Son of God alone without additional mediators, it comes to every one of God's elect without exception, and it is always successful.

The call of the gospel is food; it is administered by preachers who are themselves sinners, who sometimes work together with the Holy Spirit, who teach some of God's elect, and have varying degrees of success as described in the parable of the sower. 

Some of God's born-again elect are currently malnourished, for though God has generously provided for the sustenance of their souls, it is sometimes poorly administered, and sometimes poorly received unto fruit-bearing.

The gospel is like your birth certificate

Take a look at these two link on the same matter:

1. https://things-new-and-old.blogspot.my/2010/08/your-birth-your-birth-certificate.html?m=1

2. https://things-new-and-old.blogspot.my/2017/01/the-gospel-informs-even-as-your-birth.html?m=1

"We are not born because we receive a birth certificate. But a birth certificate merely shows the circumstances of when and to whom we were born. The gospel does not have the power to cause us to be born again, but it shows us the circumstances of our new birth. Great truth." ~~ Bill Taylor

Apologists and their misguided hope

Apologists and their misguided hope!

Apologetic - presuppositional, evidential or whatever-getics!

Hello Apologists out there, if I may inquire:
who are the lost souls whom you believe your apologetics will be instrumental in saving? Are the lost souls still in their state of spiritual deadness, or are they God's children who are not soundly converted?
- I believe you meant the former.
- Do you really believe your apologetics can be instrumental to save such lost souls?

Just who are the lost souls that you hope to lead to the soul-saving gospel of Jesus Christ through apologetics? Are the lost souls still in their state of spiritual deadness, or are they God's children who need the initial conversion to Christ.
- I believe you meant the former.
- Do you really believe your apologetics can lead such to the soul-saving gospel of Jesus Christ?

Have you not read?
John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Q. Will your apologetics be perceived and understood by those still dead in trespasses and sins?

1Co 1:14For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
Q. Who will perceive the soul-saving gospel as declaring the power of God in salvation, those that ARE SAVED, or those that are perishing?

1Cor 2:18 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Q. Is your apologetics "things of the Spirit of God" or "things of the wisdom of man"? If the former, then it is irrelevant to the lost souls you are trying to save; it is worse than irrelevant, it is perceived as foolishness, and the peddlers of them foolish.

Why is it so hard to understand that the gospel, the good news of what God HAS DONE to save His people is intended for those who ARE SAVED, i.e. have been saved by God, that they may be converted to the truth of their salvation by God's free and sovereign grace?

Eph 1
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

"The gospel of your salvation" indicates that their salvation has taken place, applied to them by God's free and sovereign grace when they were dead in trespasses and sins, and they are called to believe gospel of their salvation, the truth of what has transpired.

Apologetics is useful to strengthen the faith of Christians.

The SAVED are called to believe the gospel of their salvation; if they have not been saved, there is NO "gospel of your salvation" to preach to them nor any good need for them to believe.

(I was deep into apologetics in my mid-20s to mid-30s. You can't even convince God's children with plain Scriptures; what hope of clever apologists to save those lost souls, i.e., those dead in trespasses and sins?)

The gift of eternal salvation...

I read the statement, captured above from Facebook and it stirred my drowsy mind.

"Christ’s Crucifixion, burial, and Resurrection is the only means by which people can be forgiven of their sins and our only hope for eternal life."

-----------

The life of perfect obedience (thus securing righteousness for His people) and the atoning death (thus bearing the curse of the sins in the stead of His people) of Christ Jesus are the only GROUND by which God saves His elect, bestowing them eternal life. The life and death of Christ ALONE SECURED the eternal redemption of His people, those whom God had given to Him before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4)

The eternal redemption secured by Christ is FREELY and sovereignly applied, (NOT OFFERED as imagined by many) by God to each elect (who is in his native state of sin and condemnation and death) at His appointed and accepted time. In applying the eternal redemption to each elect freely and sovereignly God deals with the issues of sin, condemnation and spiritual deadness of man; He applies Christ's righteousness to him, and declares him righteous and forgiving all his sins, and regenerates him; and He gives His Spirit of adoption to dwell in the elect whom He has born again by His Spirit and adopted into His family.

That's the ONLY MEANS a man is saved from his NATIVE state of sin and condemnation and death. There are no other means.

Those whom God has thus saved are called upon by the gospel ministry to believe the gospel, the truth of their eternal redemption in Christ Jesus, applied to them freely and sovereignly by God.

They are called to believe what is already true; they are not called to believe in order that something may become true. Faith in Jesus Christ manifests that Jesus Christ is already their the Lord and Saviour.

Believing the gospel of Christ saves a child of God from lies, fables, superstitions; the gospel of grace teaches him to deny ungodliness and unrighteousness, to live soberly, godly and righteously, enabling him to experience the manifold blessings of God in this present and brief life.

Just some drowsy thoughts.