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| How many? AS MANY AS; not one more and not one less. |
December 6, 2010 ·
John
17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal
life to AS MANY AS thou hast given him.
Note
the wonderful phrase, "as many as" - it means not one more and not
one less!
Please note also that it is Christ Himself who freely and sovereignly gives eternal life, without any help from any man, to as many as has been given to Him.
THEREFORE,
no amount of human endeavor will add one extra soul into heaven; and no human
negligence will increase one soul in hell. If you don't agree with this, pick a
quarrel with Christ's "as many as".
Rom
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.
As many as the Father predestinated unto eternal glory, the exact same number was given to Jesus Christ; and as many as was given to Jesus Christ, the exact same number was legally redeemed and justified on the cross; and as many as were legally redeemed and justified on the cross, the Spirit of Christ regenerates unto eternal life!
In
saying the above, there will always be WILFULLY ignorant people who would
accuse me of denying the place and usefulness of the gospel ministry.
But
human endeavour will GREATLY affect the WELL BEING of God's children here on
earth... Being grounded in the faith and walking in obedience to the Lord is
HEAVEN on earth. Human endeavour is very important... but very important only in
the sphere God has ordained it.
Negligence
of duty will bring much misery, grief, and destruction here on earth.
Negligence and carelessness leave God's children as babes, ignorant, tossed to
and fro, in darkness... ah that is hell on earth!
Look
at Lot... and those who made shipwreck of their faith!
Jerry
Chapin
Bro.
Sing, John 17:2 has been a favorite of mine since we came into the church, and
the way you explained it makes it very plain. Not one more, not one less will
be in heaven to the Glory of God. Some talk of a limited atonement, truly, the
manufactured religious way of "salvation" is much more 'limited' than
the true way. Bow you head,and say this 'prayer' after me, all you have to do
is 'accept' Christ. These are man's inventions, but this is what
"mainstream" religion preaches.
Glenda
Conner
Dont
leave out the work of the Holy Spirit. He has to do the work.
Sing
F Lau
Thanks
for the apt reminder, Glenda.
God
purposed eternal redemption for all elect.
Christ
secured that eternal redemption for all elect.
The
Holy Spirit applied that eternal redemption to each elect. Only applied, the
child of God is fit for eternal glory.
Nothing
else is needed for eternal glory.
The
Holy Spirit dwells within each child of God, working in them to will and to do
God's good pleasures.
But
each child of God must respond obediently TO DO God's good pleasures for his
timely well-being here in this present life, as he waits to enter his
eternal inheritance.
His
doing so will ensure his happiness and usefulness here.
His failure to do so will ensure his misery and fruitlessness and disgrace to the Triune who has redeemed him. And there are not a few like that among God's children!
