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| Whose book of life? When were the names written? |
https://www.facebook.com/sing.f.lau/posts/10210178877963896
Whose book of life? When were the names
written?
A light conversation...
Timor
This was shared by a friend...so, I have a
question for the sake of discussion....eternal salvation and regeneration, do
they occur at the same time?
So the question stands: is regeneration the
same as eternal salvation, and if not, will it be safe to say that the elect's
eternal salvation happened or occurred in eternity when their names were
written in the Lamb's book of life and the lamb of glory was slain before the
foundation of the earth with the cross here in time and the blood shed here in
time being an affirmation of the work that the triune God finished in eternity
(Hebrews 4:3, d).
Sing
The elect's eternal salvation:
- was purposed in eternity
- is applied to each elect at God's appointed
and approved time
- is based upon the eternal redemption
accomplished by Jesus Christ through His life and death.
The lamb was slain in time, the names of the
elect were written in the Lamb's book of life before the foundation of the
world.
Eternal salvation is APPLIED when the Triune
God effectually calls an elect out of his native state of sin and condemnation
to that of grace and salvation in Christ Jesus.
In the effectual call, the righteousness of
Christ is APPLIED to an elect personally (vital justification takes place), he
is simultaneously regenerated, and adopted into the family of God. Eternal
salvation is applied to an elect at the effectual call when he is
simultaneously justified, regenerated, and adopted; but in that logical order.
Timor
Brother Lau: you said - "The lamb was slain in
time, the names of the elect were written in the Lamb's book of life before the
foundation of the world."
But I believe Revelation 13:8 and Revelation 17:8 are
speaking of two events all done simultaneously...the Lamb was slain FROM the
foundation of the world (which supposes blood was shed) and the names of God's
saints were written from the foundation of the world....now, this may all be,
as far as God's mind is concerned, events that are still to happen in time,
but, to God have already happened...to my finite mind however, I am convinced
that every elect child of God has been redeemed in eternity by the blood of the
lamb slain from the foundation of the world, with that redemption sealed in time
at the cross, by the blood shed therein by Christ, therefore, what remains, is
the work of the Holy Spirit in time of regenerating each and every elect child
of God, the effectual call having been sounded out in eternity (Romans
8:29-30).
Now, I don't mind being called out on this and corrected because
that is what I am looking for....you see, reading your chart of comparison of
regeneration vs conversion, I naturally asked myself, well, regeneration comes
after eternal salvation...so, when did eternal salvation happen?
Sing F Lau
A few thoughts:
- The Lamb was slain from the foundation of the
world, and the Lamb was appointed to be slain from the foundation of the world
are two very different things.
- The eternal redemption has been purposed for
every elect in eternity (i.e. before time) and every elect has been redeemed
from eternity are two different things.
I ain't good at juggling words; English is my
third language.
Regeneration happens when eternal redemption
is applied to an elect personally; IN TIME.
Eternal salvation was PURPOSED for all the
elect in eternity.
Eternal salvation was SECURED for all the
elect at the cross.
Eternal salvation is APPLIED to an elect
personally at God's appointed and approved time, i.e. at effectual calling out
of the native state of sin and condemnation into that state of grace and
salvation in Christ.
Eternal salvation is EXPERIENCED
(consciousness is involved) by an elect at conversion to Jesus Christ, through
repentance and faith.
Effectual calling happens in time, whether it
was sounded (perhaps among the Three Persons of the Godhead?) out in eternity
or not.
Rev 13:8 "And all that dwell upon the
earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the
Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."
Rev 17:8 "The beast that thou sawest
was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into
perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not
written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold
the beast that was, and is not, and yet is."
It is quite simple to me, there are two
separate matters:
1. "From before the foundation of the world" is
associated with the names written in the book of life. It answers the question,
WHEN were the names written? From before the foundation of the world.
2. "The Lamb that was slain" is related to the
book of life. It answers the question, WHOSE book of life? The book of life of
the Lamb slain.
3. To associate the Lamb slain with from before the foundation of the world is to do violence to what is plainly stated in Rev 13:8.
Do you connect the two?
