#soundbyte_on_condition
The
woefully blind buy the Pearl with their own money!
I
was looking for some information from old emails and came upon this mail.
=======
Date:
Sun, 21 Jan 2007 22:45:29 +0800
Subject:
Keach, quiche and peach?
Brother
Tony and members of Ipoh East Church,
This
is one last attempt to show you that you have gravely misunderstood Benjamin
Keach, and remain in error.
You
quoted Keach thus, and INSIST that Keach teaches that faith is the condition of
justification and eternal life.
-----------
Quest.
But doth not the gospel require faith as a condition of justification and
eternal life?
1.
Yea as a condition of connexion by way of order, as one thing dependeth on
another (as our author observes) in logic, if a creature be a man, he is a
rational creature; or if God be the first cause, he is the Creator of all
things. and in this sense (saith he) creation is a condition of salvation, if a
man be saved, he must be created; so if a man believe, he shall be saved;
believing is a condition of connexion, a state of grace, is thus a condition
of a state of glory, by way of connexion in the promise, but one is not the
federal condition of another, but both come in as the gift of grace. In this
sense the covenant contains all the conditions of order and dependence in the
exhibition and performance; the hearing the word is the condition of faith, but
hearing is not a federal condition; so the giving the Spirit is the condition
of our union with Christ and of faith, and faith the condition of our receiving
of pardon, and living a holy life - and holiness the condition of seeing God,
and of having eternal life; but these kinds of conditions are federal entitling
conditions to the promise, but are contained in the promise, and denote the
connexion and dependence of one promise benefit with another.
2.
Though faith be required of them that are saved, yea, and repentance,
regeneration, holiness, and a new heart also; yet these blessings are all
promised in the covenant, as part thereof. but faith itself is no federal
condition, but only serves to show what God will do for, and work in such that
he as an act of free grace will save.
From
hence we may see how woefully blind they are, who assert faith, repentance, and
sincere obedience are not only federal conditions of justification, but also
are the matter or material cause thereof. And this is to buy the pearl indeed
with our own money.
------------
From
Keach's words, you INSISTED and RESOLVED as a Reformed Baptist church that
believing (faith) is the condition of both justification and eternal life.
First,
let me say that I don't claim to understand everything Keach said in the quote
above. However, certain things are quite plain and without controversy.
Let
me make one final attempt to reason with you concerning what Keach said is the
biblical relationship between faith and actual justification and eternal life.
Keach
mentioned at least THREE ways in which faith is seen as related to
Justification.
1.
Faith is understood by some as the "matter or material cause" of
Justification. Simply stated, this view elevates faith to the same level as the
righteousness of Jesus Christ. Of course, you are wise enough to reject this as
an error. Those who see faith in this manner is described by Keach as 'woefully
blind' concerning the gospel truth of Justification.
This
view may be represented as:
Righteousness
of Christ/Faith>> Justification
2.
Faith is seen by others as the "federal condition" of Justification.
Faith is a necessary condition that the unjustified condemned dead sinner must
have in order to be Justified. This view does distinguish faith from the
righteousness of Christ, but this view insists that there must be faith first
before the righteousness of Christ is imputed to the condemned. From all that you
have written, I understand that you hold to this view.
Keach
plainly declares, "faith itself is
no federal condition." Those who see faith in this manner is described by
Keach as 'woefully blind' concerning the gospel truth of Justification. How
woefully blind they are who assert that faith is a federal condition of
justification - only the woefully blind believes that the unjustified condemned
can meet this federal condition.
This
view may be represented as:
Faith
>> Righteousness of Christ imputed >> Justification (Faith is the
federal condition of Justification).
All
your reading of Keach has not led you to the truth. Instead, you have
misrepresented Keach in many ways.
3.
Faith is seen by Keach as the "condition of connexion by way of
order" of Justification. Put simply, faith is a condition, but a condition
of connection by way of order to declare and attest the Justification that has
taken place by God's free grace. In exactly the same SENSE, faith is the
condition of connection by way of order to declare and attest to the eternal
life that has been born by God's free grace.
This
view may be represented as:
The
righteousness of Christ APPLIED >> Justification + Eternal Life >>
Faith (the instrument to declare and attest the Justification and Eternal life
already bestowed by God's free grace.)
Sungai Dua Church holds to this third view.
God,
by His grace, freely justifying the elect when in their state of condemnation
and death IS THE CAUSE.
They,
the justified ones, receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness by
faith IS THE EFFECT.
The
CAUSE is distinct and separate and prior to the EFFECT.
Read
1689.11.1 and it is abundantly clear.
Brother,
unless and until you get these basic and fundamental points into your head, you
will keep going on in your confusion.
1.
God imputing the righteousness of Christ to a person under the condemnation of
death is Actual Justification. (an elect under the condemnation of death, i.e.
unjustified, is dead and cannot possibly believe.)
2.
God imputing the faith of a believer to him for righteousness is Declarative
Justification. (An elect person who believes Declares and Attests that he is
already in the state of grace and salvation - justified, regenerated and
adopted. Faith declares and attests to that fact)
If
your faith is before justification (Actual), you have made faith a federal
condition of justification (Actual), the error of which is roundly condemned
and censured by Keach.
A
representative of the early Particular Baptist and respected by Calvinistic men
of other denominations declared, "... no man is evidentially and
declaratively justified until he believes." And this is nothing about
Actual Justification by grace. This is
all about Declarative Justification by faith.
Thanks
for listening. I have discharged my duty.
sing
"And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not" Acts 28:24
====
The Ipoh East RB Church disbanded not long after it decided to reject me as overseeing
pastor. The candlestick was removed.
