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| Who are they that can love God's word? Are they not those whom God has ALREADY SAVED? So, in what sense does their loving God's word save them? |
Temporal salvation is obtained by God's children through their "denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, living soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world." Their spiritual well being and usefulness depend on it.
A biblical distinction is the essence of sound theology; without it, even the theologians most revered by the reformed folks end up talking gibberish nonsense.
The idea expressed in the meme above is a classic case of the mess up when one fails to distinguish the eternal salvation (freely bestowed upon the sinners while dead in trespasses and sins) from the temporal salvation that they (those whom God has already bestowed with eternal salvation, freely by His grace alone) must work out for themselves with fear and trembling.
The former makes the latter possible; the latter is in the context of the former. Only those whom the Lord has freely bestowed eternal salvation are capable of "loving God's word;" natural man is in enmity against God and incapable of perceiving God's word, much less loving God's word.
Temporal salvation is conditional; it is conditioned upon God's children loving His word through believing and obeying it; this will secure for them much blessings promised to them. God's children can make shipwreck of their faith through negligence and indifference to God's word; they will "find themselves salvation-less in affliction."
Temporal salvation is conditioned upon God's children loving His word, "teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world." Titus 2:12 KJV. Temporal salvation is obtained through "denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, living soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world."
2 Timothy 2:15 KJV — Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
