Here is an article from a statement of faith:
"We believe in the free offer of salvation to all men and the necessity of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved."
What do you think of
the above statement?
Consider a few
questions to get you thinking!
Q1. Is the gospel
ministry a ministry of offering salvation to the hearers?
Q2. Is the salvation
secured by Jesus Christ intended for 'all men', thus offered to all men?
Q3. Is the salvation
secured by Jesus Christ to be offered to all men by the gospel preacher?
Q4. Is the gospel
preacher the necessary instrument to apply the salvation secured by Jesus
Christ to the intended beneficiaries?
Q5. Who are the intended beneficiaries?
Q6. Just how is the
salvation secured by Jesus Christ applied to the intended beneficiaries? Does
the application require a preacher/offeror? Just what is the biblical function
of the gospel preacher?
Q7. What is the
spiritual state of the 'all men' to whom the salvation is freely offered?
Q8. The 'all men' to
whom salvation is offered, are they capable of faith if they have not been saved
yet?
Some simple
questions to start the discussions. There are many more related questions,
no doubt.
Please keep to the
subject! If you can't, hold thy peace and observe.
----------
Mikal Smith
I humbly disagree
with the statement! How can someone offer something that's not theirs to give?
Scriptures says that eternal life has been given to the Son to give to whomever
HE chooses!
Sing
How can someone
offer something that's not theirs to give?
=====
Good question!
Usurpers and con men
do that all the time!
And there are many
preachers who are hirelings.
And too many
politicians give away what belongs to the tax payers!!!
Zack Young
By nature, man wants
to believe that salvation was offered to "all men" and this salvation
is contingent on man to believe. This is the most common doctrine in today's
society because it appeals to man's nature, but it is not what is taught in the
Bible. Yes, there are places in the Bible that say "whole world" and
other statements similar to that that are taken out of context to get this idea.
I can
assure you of this: if Christ shed His blood for all, then all would inhabit
heaven, and we would be forced to be a universalist (all go to heaven) because
our God does not know failure and His arms are not too short. Also, if Christ shed
His blood for you, then "it is finished". Man cannot add anything to
the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ's sacrifice alone abolished the sin
debt of His people. We also know there is a heaven and a hell and both will be
inhabited. Therefore we cannot be universalist and some people go to heaven and
some go to hell. So what determines who goes where? Does man choose or does God
choose? Who has the right to choose? Who is sovereign and who is a sinner? The
Bible teaches that God chose before the foundation of the world (His elect
children) by His sovereign grace (unmerited favor). God had a purpose (not a
plan) and He fulfilled that purpose by shedding His blood on the cross for His
elect to paid the sin debt in full. He finished the work by Himself. He sends
His Spirit into His chosen people, borns them again, and makes them believe
(irresistible grace). So belief is evidence of your salvation but not the cause
of your salvation. If you believe it is because God made you willing through
His power. God did it all. We cannot add one thing to His work. Therefore we
should serve Him and rightfully praise Him for grace that He has given us. Let
us put glory where glory belongs.... To God be the glory!
Michael Lim
That's a sick
doctrine, if salvation is offered to us and when we are dead in sin and
trespasses, we are NOT capable of receiving it at all! God wouldn't have saved
us in this case and Christ have died in vain.
Where is the power of God working
if it still depends on us offering? Only self-glory to man and not dependent on
God.
Michael Lim
What about the Old Testament? They didn't have the gospel then, so they will be in the lake of
fire for not hearing the gospel? How about special cases where people can't hear
the gospel (lack of hearing or places in countries where bible aren't allowed)?
Are they destined to die just coz of that? No way!
Sing F Lau
There is a great
distinction between salvation by grace alone, and salvation for the able and
privileged - a whole world of difference.
Salvation by grace
alone - none is excluded by virtue of their inability to hear/believe, and no
opportunity to hear the gospel.
Salvation by the necessity of faith in Jesus Christ is limited to those that are able to hear/believe and have the opportunity to hear the gospel.
Michael Lim
There is the eternal
salvation and the temporal salvation in place, correct?
Sing F Lau
You are correct.
But the people who
put out that article of faith KNOW NOTHING about the distinction between
eternal salvation by grace and temporal salvation through faith.
They are speaking of
eternal salvation through the necessity of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is like saying a
dead man must eat in order to become alive!
It is a living man
that must eat in order to maintain health and usefulness.
