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, October 5, 2020

Who are you in fellowship with, the Reformers or the Apostles?

Many are in fellowship with the Reformers,
Few are in fellowship with the Apostles!

October 4, 2011
https://www.facebook.com/sing.f.lau/posts/2076340623599

A Calvinist stated magisterially:
"To say that God regenerates man before belief and to say God works without any help from man is not calvinism but more like hyper-calvinism. God ordains the means said Calvin. Look at the Bible. God does not need man but He chose to use man in His plan of redemption. Why? "
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I commented:
What confused gibberish! Can you tell us why?

Brendon Ward
Who wrote that? We are regenerated through the operation of the Holy Spirit and the implanted Word as preached/heard/read through the gospel.

Sing F Lau
I copied that from Gregory Trowse wall... Go and read it... it is so sad. So much confusion.

Sing F Lau
O yes, look at the Bible... and not Calvin and his confused followers <LOL>

1. "God does not need man..." Amen and amen.
- When God purposed eternal redemption for the elect, He did it without their help.
- When Christ secured that eternal redemption for His elect, He did it without their help whatsoever.
- When the Holy Spirit applied that eternal redemption to each elect, He did it without their help.
- So, the Triune God purposed, accomplished, and applied that eternal redemption to the elect without needing them to do anything. There is no place for man in the purposing, accomplishment and application of eternal redemption for His elect.

No man helps God in His act of electing to save many out of the fallen race of Adam.

No man helps God in His act of predestinating the elect to eternal glory... NONE... ZILCH

No man helps God in His work of effectually calling an elect out of his native state of sin and death to that of grace and eternal life... NONE... ZILCH!

Did any man help God in any of the activity stated here - Romans 8:
29 ¶ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

I DID NOT ask, 'Does God use men to proclaim what He HAS DONE?'
The means ordained for proclaiming what God HAS DONE is not the same as the means used by God in accomplishing what He has done.

If you are not able to make this distinction, you have not begun to rightly divide the word of truth.

A biblical distinction is the essence of sound theology.

Antonio Maglinte
So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. Rom.9:16

Sing F Lau
"To say that God regenerates man before belief... is not calvinism but more like hyper-calvinism."
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So, what is the alternative? Is it God regenerates AFTER belief? or may be AT the moment of belief? So whether AT or AFTER, the statement declares that the act of believing is LOGICALLY prior to regeneration. Is that a fair conclusion?

 A man is conceived in sin, born in sin... and his native spiritual state is one of death and condemnation. He is dead in trespasses and sins - dead not in the sense of in-activities, for a man dead in trespasses and sins is in active enmity and rebellion against God. He is thus dead in any ability to draw himself unto God. All his ways are death... driving him away from God, as was in the garden of Eden.

In his native state of sin and death, he is utterly unable to perform any act to bring himself to God.

Christ declares this basic and fundamental fact plainly: 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.
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Christ declares that except a man in his native state of sin and death be born again, he CANNOT - CANNOT - CANNOT even see, nor much less enter the kingdom of God...

Both seeing and entering are activities of life... and seeing the kingdom of God and entering the kingdom of God are spiritual activities... and spiritual life must precede any spiritual activities!

Both Calvinists (represented by the statements made above) as well as Arminians insist otherwise - activities of life first, then get life!
By their definition, the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God teaches hyper-calvinism.

The simple truth that life must precede the any activity of that life and its implications are not recognized or admitted by such is already a grievous tragedy!

Antonio Maglinte
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. John 3:8

Sing F Lau
"God does not need man but He chose to use man in His plan of redemption. Why? As God"
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This is a most confused statement there is.
And the elitist Calvinist brethren will continue to remain in confusion... always messing up the sovereignty of God and responsibility of men in redemption because they are ignorant of the distinction between eternal salvation of His elect (sinners dead in trespasses and sins) by the free and sovereign grace of God, and the temporal salvation for His people conditioned upon their responsibility to use the means He has ordained.

There is an eternal redemption that God has purposed, accomplished, and applied to each elect, fitting them for eternal glory.

There is a temporal salvation that God has commanded that His children must work out for themselves through the means appointed towards that end. His children are held responsible to work out their own salvation through the means appointed for them.

In the decree, execution, and application of eternal redemption, the Triune God did it all by Himself... without the need of man.

But He appointed men to announce what He HAS DONE... that His redeemed may know the truth of their redemption, "Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

God DID NOT USE man for the work of eternal redemption.

God USES man for the proclamation of that finished work of redemption.

Sing F Lau
"...so is every one that is born of the Spirit." John 3:8
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So is EVERY ONE... without exception.
Calvinists CANNOT affirm this. They invent 'exception' - the normal way is regeneration through the gospel preaching; the exceptional way is without gospel preaching!

An error must invent more errors to cover up the first error.
Only those they slander as 'hyper-calvinists' hold the plain truth declared by our Lord Jesus Christ... 'regeneration WITHOUT the gospel means.'

Richard Tilton
So what are you Sing? Partial 5 pointer or what....please forgive just not understanding you correctly.

Sing F Lau
What is a 5 pointer?
What are the 5 points? 

Richard Tilton
Come on Sing, you know what is meant by a 5 point Calvinist, are you or are you not, yes or no? 

Sing F Lau
Richard, I am serious. That is why I ask! Your question is a wee bit NAIVE. No offense intended! So, don't ask a vague and nebulous Q like that! Simplistic. Different calvinists meant different things by those 5 points! Many like to call themselves calvinists - very trendy and scholarly.

5 points according to which calvinists' understanding?
Do you and I have a COMMON understanding of the 5 points?
You see some calvinists foam from one side of their mouth that they believe total depravity of man... and rant from the other side of the same mouth that man, in his state of total depravity, is able to believe in order to be regenerated. The quote at the head of this thread above... is a case in point... and they insist that they are calvinists.

Many calvinists believe that effectual call is the gospel call blessed to the regeneration of dead sinners? Is that your understanding of that point?

Many calvinists believe that the perseverance of that saints teaches that believers will persevere in a life of faith and holiness. Is that your understanding of that point?

I care little what Calvin said. 

Richard Tilton
Yea sorry I dove into this, just don't have the time. I simply beleive God does it all period or we will do nothing. All of grace period, like the wind moves and we have no control. God does it all, He is the potter we are the clay. Grace to you!

Sing F Lau
No apology needed. You need to ask specific questions. Vague questions are misleading!

Gregory Trowse
Sing has his own brand of Hyper-Calvinism and he does not even care what Calvin taught. Go figure.

 Sing F Lau
Gregory, there is no need to use label... what is Calvinism to you? Some calvinists insist that regeneration precede faith... but calvinist like you say 'regeneration precede faith' constitutes hyper-calvinism. So which calvinists are right?

You have said, ""To say that God regenerates man before belief and to say God works without any help from man is not calvinism but more like hyper-calvinism. God ordains the means, said Calvin. Look at the Bible. God does not need man but He chose to use man in His plan of redemption. Why? "

Teach yourself - go to the Bible.
Following Calvin has confused his followers.

You don't need to be a calvinist to know that life must precede the activities of that life. Even a heathen drunkard Ossie can tell you that! - I know because I was in Sydney for well over 7 years <LOL>

Antonio Maglinte
Dear Brother Sing, Thank you so much for your plain, clear, simple and understandable comparative explanation about the doctrine of Eternal Salvation and Temporal Salvation. I have nothing to say, but; AMEN and AMEN. May the Lord bless you richly is my prayer.

Your Small Servant in Christ,
Antonio