Grand Statement of Fact, or
Fable-ous Conditional Promise?
(I can almost hear some say, "who
cares anyway?")
Canons of Dort, Head 2, Article 5.
"Moreover, the promise of the gospel is
that whosoever believeth in Christ crucified shall not perish, but have
everlasting life. This promise, together with the command to repent and
believe, ought to be declared and published to all nations, and to all persons
promiscuously and without distinction, to whom God out of His good pleasure
sends the gospel."
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The above article stirs a few thoughts:
1. What is the promise of the gospel?
- "Whosoever believeth in Christ... but have everlasting life" is not a
promise. It is a declaration, a plain and simple statement of fact about the
"whosoever believeth"; such have/possess everlasting life.
- Believing
is evidence of everlasting life.
It is a subtle deception to give the idea that everlasting life is promised to whosoever will believe in Christ crucified.
2. "This promise (which is not a
promise), TOGETHER with the command to repent and believe..."
- Let's assume that there is indeed this
promise of everlasting life; it is now stated that the promise is conditioned
upon man's preaching, and the repentance and faith of the hearers.
- It necessarily implies that the promise,
without the preaching, and the hearing with repentance and faith, would be
void.
- There needs to be preaching, and the
hearing with repentance and faith in order to realize the promise of
everlasting life.
3. "... all persons promiscuously and
without distinction..."
- In the nature of the case, in the public
proclamation of the gospel, the preacher of God necessarily addresses the
audience - promiscuously and without distinction and declares the good news of
what God has done to save His people, calling them to believe the truth of the
salvation in Jesus Christ.
- In any audience, under normal
circumstances, there will be those who ARE SAVED and those who are perishing.
The believing ones, whosoever believeth, do
so because they have everlasting life; they have been effectually called out of
their native state of spiritual death to grace and salvation, and eternal life,
thus enabling them to believe the truth of their salvation by God's free grace
in Christ Jesus. Only those ALREADY SAVED by God are capable of hearing and
perceiving the gospel of Jesus Christ, and believing it as declaring the power
of God in saving them.
1 Corinthians 1:18 KJV — For the preaching of
the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved it is
the power of God.
If I have misread the article, I tender my sincere apologies.
Christ said, "Feed my lambs... feed my
sheep... feed my sheep..." John 21:15-17.
- Feeding is a business dealing with the
living, those who are capable of being fed. I know, I know, the superstitious
Chinese offer roast pigs to the dead.
The gospel ministry is relevant to and deals
with the children of God, those elect whom God has regenerated, those who
possess eternal life by God's free and sovereign grace.
Sadly, great and sincere men twist and
pervert a grand statement of fact into a fable-ous promise. If this statement
makes sense to you, you have understood grace somewhat.
Amen.
