Things New and Old

Ancient truths revealed in the Scriptures are often forgotten, disbelieved or distorted, and therefore lost in the passage of time. Such ancient truths when rediscovered and relearned are 'new' additions to the treasury of ancient truths.

Christ showed many new things to the disciples, things prophesied by the prophets of old but hijacked and perverted by the elders and their traditions, but which Christ reclaimed and returned to His people.

Many things taught by the Apostles of Christ have been perverted or substituted over the centuries. Such fundamental doctrines like salvation by grace and justification have been hijacked and perverted and repudiated by sincere Christians. These doctrines need to be reclaimed and restored to God's people.

There are things both new and old here. "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things"
2Ti 2:7.

Monday, May 18, 2020

Begetting vs Nurturing

Conception results in a Being:
Parenting ensures the wellness of Being.


May 17, 2015


#Begetting_vs_Nurturing

The begetting of Being, and Parenting for Wellbeing

A friend said:
It is mind-boggling to hear men talk of salvation by grace and in the same breath speak of progressive sanctification. The two are contradictory and cannot be joined together. Ye are complete in Christ. We are completely saved, made completely holy, sanctified, and made righteous by imputation.
Are you trying to add to Christ's completed work?

I commented:
With all due respect Esquire, it is equally mind-boggling that you fail to understand the biblical distinction between the Definitive Sanctification, and the Ongoing Sanctification, both of which are plainly taught in the Scriptures.

The Definitive Sanctification is by the Divine activities of the Triune God once for all, effectually calling an elect out of his native state of sin and death to that state of grace and salvation. This sanctification is definitive, once for all, complete and eternal, unrepeatable, and un-improvable. This is the point you have stated correctly.

The Scriptures most certainly speaks of another distinct sanctification that is CONDITIONED upon the activities of those already definitively sanctified, and this is often termed as progressive/ongoing/farther sanctification. The 1689 CoF uses the last term, 13:1 "They who are united to Christ, effectually called, and regenerated, having a new heart and a new spirit created in them through the virtue of Christ's death and resurrection, are also farther sanctified..." It is on-going until a man breathes his last.

There is the ETERNAL salvation which is purposed by God, completed by Christ, and applied by the Holy Spirit to each individual elect personally.

There is the TEMPORAL salvation that God's children (those already bestowed with eternal salvation by God's free grace) must work out for themselves, in obedience to the will of their Father for them.

The two are not contradictory, they are distinct; the former being the cause, and the latter being effect and evidence of the former.

The biblical distinction is the essence of sound theology.