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.

Thursday, February 11, 2021

What is the state of a man before regeneration???

 

https://www.facebook.com/sing.f.lau/posts/2709800539701

A man inquired, "What is the state of a man before regeneration?"
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You want the simple, glaring truth?
You may not like it. The truth shatters lies. 

Eph  2:1 ¶ And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 ¶ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved...

First, the question presupposed the man to be an elect of God, since only the elect is regenerated. 

1. He is dead in trespasses and sins. This deadness does not consist in inactivity. In fact, he is full of activities but they are all activities of death! In this deadness, he is utterly incapable of any activities that bring himself to God. Instead, he is actively in enmity against God and separated from God.

2. He walks according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air. He is under the power and influence of the spirit that works in him. (so much for the imagined 'free will' of this captive under Satan's power!)

3. He is a child of disobedience... a rebel, in enmity against God. (so much for the fable that man in his native state can believe Christ and get eternal life!)

4. He lives in the lusts of his flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. That's his native state. (so much for the fiction that such a man will believe in order to have eternal life!"

5. He is by nature a child of wrath; the just and righteous wrath of God upon him.

BUT... BUT... BUT... BUT... BUT... this disjunctive is one of the best in the Scriptures!

Without grace... a man will happily remain in his NATIVE states of sin and death, happily serving sin! He is completely helpless, dead in trespasses and sins, captives under the power and influence of the strong man, and in enmity and rebellion against God.

While in such helpless condition, God freely and sovereignly - i.e. by grace, quickened him who was dead in sins.

In quickening him, God VITALLY unite him to Christ and gave him the eternal life that Christ has secured for His people. This is 'by grace ye are saved'! With the quickening that man is saved... yes S. A. V. E. D. - as saved as could be... i.e. perfectly and completely fit for eternal glory. Faith, his act of believing, is completely excluded; faith was an impossibility with a man dead in trespasses and sin; it is only possible as an effect and consequence of having BEEN SAVED FREELY BY GRACE. (So, beware of twisting and perverting "faith" in verse 8!)

God saves and saves by His free and sovereign grace. He quickens the dead, and this enables a man to believe. God does not give faith to a man dead in trespasses and sins, and expects him to believe, in order to be regenerated! That's a fable!

The simple and plain truth is, "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace ye are saved."

Those SAVED by God's free grace are called by the ministry of the word to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling... through their obedience to the will of their FATHER.

The salvation that God freely and sovereignly bestows upon the elect dead in trespasses and sins and which enables them to work out their own salvation, and the salvation that God's children are summoned to work out for themselves are different and distinct salvation.

The biblical distinction is the essence of sound theology.