A ‘Standard Reformed’ View of John 3:16

Let's examine the case and move beyond shibboleth and sound-byte

Appendix 1: A ‘Standard Reformed’ View of John 3:16

Peter Kek Wen Jen (formerly the pastor of Puchong Grace Church [now known as Grace Reformed Church) quoted a well-known theologian supporting his ‘standard reformed position.’ After quoting many others, he said: “Let me quote one more man – W. Hendriksen. In commenting on John 3:16 he says: “In order to receive this everlasting life one must believe in God’s only begotten Son. It is important, however, to take note of the fact that Jesus mentions the necessity of regeneration before he speaks about faith. The work of God within the soul ever precedes the work of God in which the soul cooperates. And because faith is, accordingly, the gift of God, its fruit, everlasting life, is also God’s gift. God gave his Son; he gives us the faith to embrace the Son; he gives us everlasting life as a reward for the exercise of this faith. To him be the glory forever and ever!”

“What do you say? Do you disagree with him also? I think bro. Lam has said some excellent things in his posts. Now you may like to reply to him. Sing, it is time-consuming to interact like this. But love constrains me! “[End quote]

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I replied: “I am thankful that your love constrained you to interact… You asked me for my opinion of Hendriksen’s commentary on John 3:16. Do I agree with him? You decide! Here it goes. See some brief comments. I hope you will read carefully my reply to Brother Lam’s Theological Paper. 
[note: Mr Lam was the theological spokesman for the group of RB pastors; he has since returned to his Methodist church.] 

Let's deal with the great theologian you have quoted:

H: In order to receive this everlasting life one must believe in God’s only begotten Son…

SL: The first statement is already wrong and inconsistent! Belief in God’s only begotten Son is evidence that the believing person is already regenerated and possesses eternal life. The author admits as much when he acknowledges the necessity of regeneration before faith! How does one without life (spiritual and eternal) ever believe? If it is one who has been regenerated with eternal life that can believe, then it is plainly wrong and inconsistent to say that one must believe in order to receive eternal life. It is one who is already in the kingdom of God by virtue of the sovereign regeneration that is able to believe.
[It is discovered later that the ‘standard reformed’ position holds that regeneration is the birth of spiritual abilities, not the birth of spiritual life!]

H: It is important, however, to take note of the fact that Jesus mentions the necessity of regeneration before he speaks about faith.

SL: Hendriksen made a correct qualification here… but failed to see the implication of his own qualification. He went on to speak as though he had NOT made any qualification at all! What happens at regeneration? It is the begetting of life that is spiritual and eternal, and not some spiritual abilities. Life – spiritual and eternal - is given to make believing possible. How could life be a reward for the exercise of this faith when it is the eternal life that makes the exercise of faith possible! Spiritual abilities without spiritual life are just plain nonsensical. “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Who does the Holy Spirit regenerate? How does the Holy Spirit regenerate? "Regeneration is a creative, a hyper-physical operation of the Holy Spirit, by which man is brought from a condition of spiritual death into a condition of spiritual life,” says Berkhof. And what is the outward evidence of regeneration? Faith in Jesus Christ!

H: The work of God within the soul ever precedes the work of God in which the soul cooperates.

SL: There is much truth in this statement. The work of God in giving life to the dead soul precedes the work of God in which the soul responds. The soul can only cooperate after it has been made alive! But the statement is a deficient and potentially MISLEADING statement. I would say it is very unfortunate that the author uses the word co-operates. I believe the correct and biblical word is "respond". In what way does a man ‘CO-OPERATE’ in the work of God of saving him? In what way does a man cooperate to receive eternal life? Did he cooperate by believing??? The word co-operates means ‘to work or act together, to be of assistance or to be willing to assist.’ It speaks of the contribution on the part of man in his salvation. Man does not co-operate in his salvation. A man responds to the salvation imparted to him by pure grace alone. You can dismiss this as semantics if you like. But you have asked me for my opinion. But Hendriksen’s deliberate and judicious choice of the word ‘co-operates’ only reflects the inherent inconsistency and deficiency of the standard reformed theology. It is the soul in which God has given life, quickened from being dead in trespasses and sins that can respond to God’s work of regeneration to produce fruit in the life of a believer. The responses are the saving graces that accompanied the salvation bestowed by free grace.

H: And because faith is, accordingly, the gift of God…, its fruit, everlasting life, is also God’s gift.

SL: He correctly says that bot faith in Christ and eternal life are the gifts of God. But please note carefully what standard reformed theology is saying now: your everlasting life is the fruit of your personal faith!!! If this is indeed standard reformed theology, then, to me, it is a lie, a big lie, and a very serious lie – plain and simple. Brothers, if you want to hold on to the standard reformed position, please go ahead. That’s your liberty. We have to part ways on this one. I have nothing more to say but this: an elect believes because he has been given eternal life. An elect does not believe in order to obtain eternal life. He believes because he has been given eternal life. Concerning faith as the gift of God, many are deceived to imagine that God gives this spiritual gift to those who are still under condemnation, i.e. not justified. They are also misled that the gift of faith is given to those who are still spiritually dead, i.e. not regenerated and adopted as sons. What is the use of giving a spiritual gift to one under condemnation and spiritually dead? They are ignorant of the simple truth that the gift of faith is given to justified living sons. The Scriptures says, “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” Gal 4:6.

H: God gave his Son; he gives us the faith to embrace the Son; he gives us everlasting life as a reward for the exercise of this faith.

SL: So, this is the standard reformed position – God gives everlasting life as a reward for the exercise of this faith. IF (a very big ‘if’) this is the standard reformed position, then I have rejected it and left it for good. I have left this standard reformed view on this. In case any man misunderstands, let me say that I still believe the teaching of Scriptures as summarized in the 1689 – and believe that the eternal life bestowed by free grace enabled an elect to believe in Christ. A reward is no more of grace. A reward is of work. “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt” Romans 4:4. I believe salvation is wholly by grace, evidenced through faith. God gave His Son for all His elect. Christ died to redeem them. His righteousness is legally imputed to all the elect – retrospectively, currently and prospectively at the cross. At God’s appointed and approved time, He is pleased to effectually call them individually out of that state of sin and death which they are in by nature, to grace and salvation in Christ. Those whom the Father called, the Holy Spirit regenerated unto spiritual and eternal life. And that eternal life manifests itself in personal faith in Christ Jesus through the ministry of the gospel.

H: To him be the glory forever and ever!

SL: This is just a pious ‘standard reformed’ shibboleth and an inconsistent one! The truth is, half of the glory rightly belongs to him who cooperated with God to obtain his reward of eternal life.

Love you all, and with all due respect to Hendriksen. Sorry, he is not around to defend himself. Perhaps Peter Kek or Lam Chin Kaw would like to put up a defence on Hendriksen’s behalf. 

Sing.

copied from here:
https://pruning-deformed-branches.blogspot.com/2008/01/standard-reformed-view-of-john-316.html

An error does not become truth because the majority share in it

An error does not become truth because...

27 December 2022

Initially posted here: 
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10221667060721285&set=a.10204411521703594

An error does not become truth because...
- your favourite Reverends, Elders, Pastors or some D.D. Reformed Theologians believe it...
- you have always believed it...
- you have defended it with your life
- etc.

For example, the popular sola fide, your justification before God by your faith alone, is simply and plainly wrong even though Luther and a host of revered Protestant Reformed theologians and their devout followers believe the same.

Romans 3:24 KJT
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

The BASIS of justification is the redemption of Christ Jesus; Christ secured the righteousness necessary for the justification of justly condemned sinners. Sin brought condemnation; righteousness is the prerequisite for justification.

The MANNER that righteousness, of God's own provision in Jesus Christ, is applied to an elect personally, when still dead in trespasses and sins, is freely by the grace of God alone. Why? An elect can't meet any condition while in his unjustified condemned state.

The INSTRUMENT/means to experience the blessedness of that justified state, freely by God's grace, is through faith in Jesus Christ; it's not through observing any ceremonial laws. Ask Father Abraham!

It's "the just (those freely justified by God) shall live by faith"; it's not by faith the unjustified (i.e. still under condemnation) is justified; they are not the same.
Move beyond soundbite, please.

2 Timothy 2:15 KJT
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

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Comments:

Brenda
Agree

Fred
Is there a reformed Bible teacher that didn’t teach a… Grace plus works gospel?

Sing
I don't know because I don't know EVERY "reformed Bible teacher."

Of the few I have known, none can distinguish eternal salvation by grace and temporal salvation through obedience to the Father's will.

Fred
Thanks, brother!

Roger
AMEN !!!!! EXACTLY !!!!! 🙏🙏🙏🙏💖💖💖🙏🙏🙏🙏

Ann
Truth is not a matter of (human) authority nor majority will. I was taught this as a tenet of logical thought when I was 13. It stands in the study of doctrine as well as so many other fields of thought.

  

Ephesians 2:1-9 “By grace… through faith”

 

Ephesians 2:1-9 “By grace… through faith”

Whose and what faith?

"8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 not of works, lest any man should boast."

v8 is so often quoted to mean that a man is saved by grace through faith, i.e. his act of believing.

Read the passage with a dose of common sense, and you will see some obvious reasons why such understanding plainly contradicts the passage.

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Some preliminary observations:

a. “by grace” speaks of the MANNER God saves. It is God who saves in and through His Son Jesus Christ.
- God saves by grace, His free and sovereign grace; “by grace” excludes activities/works of man by man.
- Rom 11:6 grace and works are mutually exclusive in the salvation of sinners.

b. “through faith” speaks of the MEANS through/by which salvation is freely bestowed, i.e. by grace.

c. Quickening one dead in trespasses and sins is the bestowal of eternal salvation… saved by grace, v1.5,8.

Let us unpack the passage by asking some relevant questions:

Q1. What state were you in when were you saved by grace through faith?
- v5 “we were dead in sins…”
- v1 “who were dead in trespasses and sins”
- Dead concerning any ability to bring himself to God; hostile and in enmity against Him. “by nature the children of wrath.” Under the dominion of the prince of the power of the air

Q2. When you were dead in sins, were you able to exercise faith to believe in Christ?
- No.   
- John 3:3,6; 1Cor 2:14

Q3. Supposing faith is the gift of God, is the gift of faith to a spiritually dead man of any use to him?  
- No.

Q4. Do you believe in a God who would give the gift of faith to a spiritually dead man so that he could exercise that faith in order to be saved by His grace?
- No.
- Faith is NOT the gift; Salvation by Jesus Christ is the gift.
- A gift comes to you from without; Faith is a fruit of the Spirit, worked within a child of God. Gal 5:22.

Q5. What then is the gift of God? What is by grace?
- Eternal salvation is by grace; the context speaks of salvation by God's grace.
- Salvation is freely bestowed, applied to an elect when he was dead in trespasses and sins, incapable of faith.

Q6. What is the ground and basis of this gift of God?
- It is the finished work of Christ in redeeming His people.
- It is by His life (active obedience to secure righteousness) and death (passive obedience to secure the forgiveness of sins). Heb 9:12, 15

Q7 "... through faith..."
- is a man's act of believing in Christ performed by him?  Yes.
- is an act performed by a man his work? Yes.
- if a man is saved by grace through his act of believing, then isn't he saved by grace through his own work? Yes
- “NOT of works" :- John 6:28-9    - 1 John 3:23    

Q8. Why does "by grace" necessarily remove "through faith" from any association with man's exercise of faith?
- Rom 11:6 grace and works are mutually exclusive in the eternal salvation of sinners.
- So, “through faith” can have NOTHING to do with the believing act of man.

Q9. If a man is saved by grace through his act of believing, then he has at least some valid ground to boast, hasn't he?
- Yes, indeed.
- Then “through faith” CANNOT be associated with any activities of man. Otherwise, contradicts “lest any man…”

Q10. If he did not perform his act of believing, would he be saved by grace through his faith?
- No.
- Therefore “through faith” CANNOT be associated with any activities of man; otherwise, it’s through his works.

Q11. Since it's not through your act of faith, then you are saved through WHOSE faith, and WHAT is that faith?
- The faith OF Christ
- The faithfulness of Jesus Christ in his fulfilling all the conditions in saving/redeeming His people.

Q12. Have you read of the “faith of Christ," i.e. His faithfulness in executing the work of redeeming those given to Him by the Father?
- Romans 3:22 
- Galatians 2:16; 2:20; 3:22 
- Philippians 3:9

This is the gospel truth that has been repudiated in almost all modern translations. Check for yourself.

We are on a battlefield!

Ephesians 6:11
Put on the whole armour of God,
that ye may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil.

Dec 5, 2013
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10201108197162545&set=a.10201108195522504

This is no picnic ground... We are on a battlefield!

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12

We are in a war. If you are a spiritually minded child of God, you have enemies that you must be prepared to deal with.

Forget men in black or smoke-filled rooms of human conspirators that Hollywood portrays. These are angelic beings of great power and might. Read the book of Daniel and you will see their involvement in guiding the affairs of nations. Read the first few chapters of Job and you will see their leader, Satan, working in the life of a great saint of The Lord.

No Sig Sauer, AR15, or body armour of human construction means anything in this combat. This is a spiritual battle that is fought using different weapons. Those weapons and defences are not our concern today. The reality of the war and the nature of the opponents is.

Do you live with this is mind, that you have enemies that are actively seeking your spiritual destruction? If you were in Iraq or Afghanistan you would take precautions each day to protect your life against a determined enemy. Do you take the precautions to protect your spiritual life each day?

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8

We have a wise and powerful opponent, the Devil. He seduced our uncorrupted parents into sin in minutes (Gen 3). He is active today. Are you taking appropriate precautions against him?

Peter tells us that the Devil is active in the world. He is like a ravenous lion on the prowl. He is looking for easy prey to attack. Because of this, we must be ready.

Our first thought should be to recognize the serious nature of our adversary. This is not a time to rest, relax or play games. Sober thought needs to be a characteristic of our lives to face a serious, life-threatening enemy. Without careful, serious planning we can easily fall into his hands.

As in any warfare, we must be on guard. A clever enemy will attack with stealth, disguising his appearance and movements. So we must be ever vigilant, alert, and actively looking for him and his influence. Soldiers in combat know to never let their attention waver, so we must keep up our watch against Satan's attacks.

By Newell Eastland
============

Charles Page
"These are angelic beings of great power and might. Read the book of Daniel and you will see their involvement in guiding the affairs of nations. Read the first few chapters of Job and you will see their leader, Satan, working in the life of a great saint of The Lord."

Sing, please elaborate on this in an A-Mil context. Is Satan on the loose today and involved in guiding the affairs of the nations? asking as a disciple and not a discipler!

Bruce Hatcher
All those listed are obviously for defence...and then some might point out the sword. But, it is further described as, "the word of God," and as such, we use it as a defensive weapon, as well. When Christ is being tempted by satan he defends each attack with scripture. How often do we see the Lord attacking offensively with the Word? Spiritual Wickedness in High Places is not far removed...it is within me and is that the battle this is all about?

Sing F Lau
The specific end Satan was bound for "1000 years" is stated very clearly and precisely - "that he should deceive the nations no more." In that specific sense, Satan is bound.

Prior to the binding of Satan by Christ, nations (gentiles of all ethnic groups) were in darkness, under the deception of the Devil. After the binding, nations are liberated and enlightened by the gospel. People groups represented by you and me are proof of that.

That does not exclude Satan's continued mischief in the affairs of man!

Do you have the gospel without the righteousness of Christ?

(Read some notions spouted on a reformed group on Facebook)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/775537956487669/posts/1492075451500579/ 

Sing F Lau
No righteousness of Christ, no gospel.

Romans 1
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Jeff Thomas
Righteousness of God is the imputed (charged to the account) righteousness in the remission of sins.

God declares the account is no longer unrighteous in the matter that was forgiven.

The Gospel is the good news regarding the remission of sins.

Sing F Lau
The good news regarding the remission of sins is based solely and wholly on Christ's perfect obedience (securing the righteousness for our justification) and death (enduring the wrath of God for our forgiveness.).

No righteousness of Christ, no gospel.

Romans 1
16 ¶For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

For THEREIN (i.e. in the gospel) is the righteousness OF God's provision in Jesus Christ revealed from faith (that of the preacher who is not ashamed to preach the gospel) to faith (that of an effectually called elect who needs to be converted through the hearing of the gospel).

Jeff Thomas
You're inventing theosophy there. And you preached heresy...

Jesus's obedience to accomplish the sin offering is righteousness, but the righteousness imputed to men by God is not his righteousness in obedience.

God recompenses unto every man according to his deeds (Romans 2:6). The righteousness and or unrighteousness of men is according to their own deeds.

Ezekiel 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

The forgiveness of sins results in unrighteousness being cleansed or washed away and, the sentence due for sin is remitted. When unrighteousness is washed away, it leaves the person righteous or cleansed in the matter. This is imputed righteousness. God doesn't give someone else's good deeds to you, he forgives sins. Remission is via Christ. Hence it's the righteousness of God... God charges the account which was in sin no longer unrighteous in the matter that's forgiven.

Jesus never suffered any wrath, what a moronic anti-Christ ideology.

To suffer wrath the person must be imputed unrighteousness (charged with doing iniquity). Jesus was never charged with iniquity. Wrath is "the just punishment for a crime" (sin). God, who Jesus is, can't execute wrath on an innocent, that would make God, who Jesus is, unjust and himself, full of iniquity. And since Jesus is God, your imbecilic doctrine is teaching God executed wrath on himself... and that again would mean Jesus is wicked for doing injustice.

Christ is the sin offering and scapegoat offering. By his death, which was not punishment for he laid his life down, God conciliated mercy, a propitious disposition. God tasted death of the flesh or body and it moved him to be pitious to sinners who are condemned to immediate execution of death and therefore to be put to death in the flesh. He is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. A propitiation is required to make propitious (gracious and merciful). So all that sin are preserved from destruction because of the mercies of God which he, God, conciliated in and through Christ. The death of Christ wasn't punishment (wrath) any more than the death of Stephen or Paul..

Because sinners have mercy, they continue to live. Because they continue to live, they CAN seek the remission of sins and by the remission of sins, the sentence of death is remitted... God surrenders his right to punish (remittance).

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news that the Saviour, taught to Adam and mankind, has come according to the scriptures. He was provided to be the propitiation for sins. Through Christ, sinners can obtain the remission of sins.

The righteousness of God is the remission of sins, God declares the forgiven sinner is no longer unrighteous.

Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

And there is no "effectual called elect" (smh). Your invented religiosity is nauseating.

Election in scripture refers to serving and servants called to some serving purpose. The Biblical elect are the Jews.

Sing F Lau
Sin is the transgression of God's law and brings condemnation and death.

Righteousness is obedience to God's law, and secured justification and life.

Romans 5:18 KJV — Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Jeff Thomas
You're an unlearned man.

The word "justify" and its variants mean to show or prove to be conformed to something.

JUSTIFY, v.t. [L. justus, just, and facio, to make.]

1. To prove or show to be just, or conformable to...

JUSTIFY, v.i. to suit; to conform exactly; in printing to form an even surface or true line with something else.

God wants all men without exception to be without blame... without sin. In the forgiveness of sins a person is declared without blame, without sin, without unrighteousness in that matter of forgiveness. They are therefore 'justified' or made or shown to be conformed exactly to what God wants for them I'm that matter.

In Romans 5:18 the phrase "justification unto life" is referring to be made conformed to live since the wages of sin is death (put to death in the flesh) and requires mercy in order to not be destroyed (Lamentations 3:22).

The free gift is the grace and mercy of God. This propitious disposition was won, gained or conciliated by the death of the sin offering. Christ's obedience in laying down his life to be the sin offering and atone for the Omnipresence of God, is what obtained the very mercy that every human being without exception enjoys all the days of their lives.

The free gift is grace. Grace is common to all men. All men, without exception, are by the grace of God, justified unto life.

"When I see the blood I will pass over you"

If a man is drawing the breath of life, it's because the Destroyer is passing over them for all have sinned and the wages of sin is death.

No Calvinist has ever had a clue what Romans 5 is teaching...

Sing F Lau
Thank you for demonstrating that you are a learned man.

"The free gift is grace. Grace is common to all men. All men without exception are by the grace of God, justified unto life...'

These are learned statements indeed!

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p/s 
"The free gift is grace."
The free gift is eternal salvation; grace speaks of the manner eternal salvation is bestowed to justly condemned sinners, i.e. freely without any condition.

"Grace is common to all men."
Grace is particular; God elected to save a particular people; Christ secured eternal salvation for the same particular people; the Spirit of God applies eternal salvation to the same particular people individually who were dead in trespasses and sin. 

"All men without exception are by the grace of God, justified unto life." If this were true, then hell and the Lake of fire is a big lie.