Things New and Old: Is it right to freely offer Christ to all men?

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.

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Is it right to freely offer Christ to all men?

Someone asked: Is it right to freely offer Christ to all men?

A reply:
Your question PRESUPPOSES that the preaching of the gospel constitutes a free offer of Christ, and to all men. I question whether the preaching of the gospel constitutes a free offer of Christ at all? I do believe the preaching of the gospel is the heralding and proclamation of the good news of salvation already accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ. There IS NOT an offer of anything to any one. The hearers are called to believe the good news... and tell you what... ONLY those that ARE SAVED by God - i.e. already justified, regenerated and adopted, with the indwelling Spirit of God working faith in them - will receive the gospel. Why? Because the gospel of salvation is ALREADY TRUE of them by God's free grace through the effectual call.

As a preacher, I have nothing to offer to sinners. I am not sent to offer anything. I am sent to preach the gospel, to announce the glad tidings of salvation already accomplished and applied, and call the hearers to believe the gospel. I have good news of salvation to announce to my hearers. I call the hearers to believe the good news... ALL THE TIME conscious that only God's children (i.e. elect already effectually called out of their state of sin and death to that of grace and salvation) among the hearers are capable of believing. All others will perceive the gospel as foolishness, and the preachers of the gospel as foolish babblers.

And I perceive the gospel preachers who offer Christ to all men, including those dead in sins as sincere BUT foolish preachers. They act like men who try to offer a loaf of whole-meal bread to a dead man... which is really a great insult and mockery to the dead... unless they are as superstitious as the heathens. So to offer Christ to sinners dead in trespasses and sins is foolishness, nothing less.

And offering Christ to the children of God is redundant. They are already brought into union with Christ through God's sovereign work of effectual call. Christ already sought and found them! Your offer is presumptuous, and comes TOO LATE, thus superfluous.

To proclaim the gospel (the good news of what God HAS DONE in Jesus Christ to save His people) and call the hearers to believe the good news is wise. Hold forth the good news of salvation and invite the hearers to believe it... and ONLY those who have eternal life among the hearers shall believe.

WHOEVER BELIEVES HAS - HAS - HAS ETERNAL LIFE - is a declarative statement of fact about the believing ones, and not a conditional statement of offer - how the dead may have life. Bread is for the nourishing of the living!!! Whoever eats has life. Foolish preachers think bread is for the dead to eat, and that when the dead eats, they may have life.