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Divine Sovereignty in eternal salvation; |
https://www.facebook.com/sing.f.lau/posts/2080757534019
October 6, 2011
Why are so many so confused about divine
sovereignty and human responsibility (means) in the context of salvation? Why
do they find it so hard to understand? There is no paradox; there is perfect
harmony when the word of truth is rightly divided.
The means appointed to announce the eternal
salvation ALREADY purposed and accomplished for, and applied to, His people is
NOT THE SAME as the means needed by God to accomplish and apply that eternal
salvation to His people.
Since so many cannot distinguish the
two, let me giving you an example. When a man fathers a child in his wife, his
maidservant is not a means to assist him in his act of fathering a child into
BEING, is she? But once the child is born, the maidservant is an important
means to minister to the WELL-BEING of the child.
Ministering to the WELL-BEING of the child is
distinct and separate from the acts of bringing that child into BEING! God's
sovereign activities bring His children into BEING, securing eternal
salvation. God's appointed means for the WELL-BEING of His children, when
faithfully administered and attended to, secure temporal salvation for them
here and now.
Preaching the gospel is feeding the child
that has already been born. Feeding the child is not a means in the conception
and birth of the child. But so many insist that feeding is necessary to the
conception and birth of the child.
Some so-called calvinists are now saying that
believing precedes regeneration! They label those who say that regeneration
precedes faith, and that without the means of the preaching of the gospel, as
hyper-calvinists!
(someone commented and quoted the Romans 10 passage - but deleted it)
Sing F Lau
14 How then shall they call on him in whom
they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not
heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
==========
Who are the 'they' under consideration?
- those who have been enabled to call on
Christ...
- those who have been enabled to hear
spiritual thing...
- those who have been enabled to believe in
Christ...
The preachers are sent to minister to such...
The preachers are less than relevance to all
others.
The gospel ministry is a means appointed by
God to minister to His children [produced by His own sovereign activities
WITHOUT means] for their temporal salvation.
How does the gospel - the good news of what
God has done in Jesus Christ to save His people - save?
What does the gospel save you from, save you
to what?
Good night.
Mikal Smith
I keep saying it on forum after forum, by
today's standard, just call me a hyper Calvinist I'm fine with that! Who made
Calvin the standard? I believe more than Calvin on the church, on baptism, on
the lord supper, on church state, on means.... I distance myself from a
preacher who lingered in and did not reform a harlot church!
That said, Sing, again the problem is folks don't see the difference in regeneration and conversion! Protestant error has diluted the gospel! Justification by faith alone has replaced salvation is of the lord and justification by Christ alone!
Marty Hoskins
Mikal, AMEN!
Sing F Lau
'For the preaching of the cross is to them
that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.'
Preaching comes to two distinct groups of
people:
- unto 'them that PERISH': those who are
still in their native state of sin and death.
- unto 'us which ARE SAVED': those already
effectually called out of their native state of sin and death to that of grace
and eternal life.
The SAVED are there first - by God's free and
sovereign act of effectually calling a man out of his native state of sin and
death to that of righteousness and life, and without human means - and the
gospel is brought to them. These and these alone are able to perceive and
receive the gospel (the good news) as the message declaring the power of God
that saved sinners by Jesus Christ. The preaching of the gospel is for the
conversion of those whom God Himself, directly and immediately (i.e. human
means are excluded) has effectually called to grace and salvation.
To them that perish, the same gospel - the good news of God's power of salvation by Jesus Christ - is foolishness.
Sing F Lau
¶ 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;
to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.17 For therein is the righteousness of God
revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
=========
For 'therein' - i.e. in the gospel of Christ
- is the righteousness of God revealed. The gospel is the good news declaring
God's provision of righteousness in His Son Jesus Christ for His people to save
them from their just condemnation.
In the preaching of the gospel, the
righteousness of God is revealed FROM FAITH I FAITH...
Please note, it is from FAITH to FAITH!
In the preaching of the gospel, the
righteousness of God is revealed, made known, preached by one who has the grace
of faith worked in him by the Holy Spirit to another person who also has the
grace of faith worked within him by the same Holy Spirit. This divine work
enable him to believe the gospel.
The preaching of the gospel is the means to
reveal, disclose, make known, herald the righteousness of God to those who
ALREADY have the grace of faith worked in them, to God's children, those
ALREADY effectually called to grace and salvation. These are able to perceive
the gospel as the message that declares the power of God in saving them.
It is revealed from FAITH to FAITH - Pauline.
It is revealed NOT from faith to those still dead in trespasses and sins - the belief and practices of the gospel regenerationists, both of Arminian as well as the Calvinist stripes!!!
Mikal Smith
Amen Bro. Lau!
