September 25, 2018
Simple biblical
truth:
- God purposed
eternal salvation for His chosen people,
- Christ
accomplished that eternal salvation for the same,
- The Holy Spirit
freely and sovereignly applies that eternal salvation to each of the chosen
people in God's own appointed time when they were still in their native state
of sin and death, and in enmity against God.
The preaching of the
gospel is God's ordained means of calling out His redeemed people, those to
whom He has freely bestowed the eternal salvation, calling them to believe the
truth of their salvation in Jesus Christ, make disciples of them, gathering
them into the churches of Jesus Christ, teaching them that, denying ungodliness
and worldly lusts, they should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this
present world.
The free offer of
salvation is just stupid (i.e. lacking common sense); in the offer, salvation
is obviously and necessarily offered to those without salvation, even those
dead in trespasses and sins; it is as superstitious as offering food to the
dead.
There is no offer in
the preaching of the gospel; there is the proclamation of the good news of what
God HAS DONE to save His people in Jesus Christ, calling the hearers to believe
the truth of their salvation. Those that ARE SAVED among the hearers perceive
the gospel as the good news of God's mighty power in saving them. To the rest,
the same gospel is foolishness.
1Co 1:18 For the
preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which
are saved, it is the power of God.
The preaching of the
gospel is brought to them that are saved, that have been saved - to whom the
Holy Spirit has freely and sovereignly applied that eternal salvation when they
were still in their native state of sin and death, and in enmity against God -
calling them to believe the truth of their salvation by the free and sovereign
grace of God.
Eph 1:13
In whom ye also
trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation:
in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of
promise.
Their salvation by
God's free and sovereign grace is PRIOR and DISTINCT to their act of hearing and
believing the truth of their salvation; otherwise, there would be no truth of
their salvation to believe. They are called
to believe what is ALREADY TRUE, not in order to make something come true.
That's Arminianism as well as Calvinism.
This is simple and
plain to minds that have not been poisoned by lies and soundbytes.
