Some looooooose religious shibboleths abound... and preferred!

Isa 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD...

Ac 17:2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
Ac 18:4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
Ac 18:19 And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.

I received this c.c. mail in my inbox, addressed to a Mawrence by a Divad Theo.

Bro. Mawrence,
My  belief is GOD the ALMIGHTY CREATOR WHO create "heaven and earth" and mankind is the same yesterday, today and thereafter. GOD create every race on earth and every human being ultimately if not subconsciously reconise their Creator, except the atheists.

Of course GOD ultimately revealed to mankind through the PERSON of the SON and thereafter, the PERSON of the HOLY SPIRIT in the BIBLE. GOD create every being and GOD is not exclusive to the Jews nor the Body of CHRIST. When JESUS, SON of GOD proclaims HE is the truth , the life , and that whosoever believeth in HIM (and follow HIM) will have eternal life, JESUS as the second PERSON of GOD the FATHER refers not exclusively to the doctrines of the Christian faith alone, nor to Jews, nor to the Muslims, but to GOD's laws given to man in every race, throughout the creation of HIS world.

JESUS came for every living human being to turn them back to the ways of the FATHER-GOD, called by different names in different race and historical time-frame for there is ONLY ONE CREATOR.

GOD's LAWS of GOODNESS and RIGHTEOUSNESS are  INCLUSIVE AND UNIVERSAL.

As a follower of JESUS CHRIST, SON of GOD, the difference as i tell peoples of other faiths is that:
1) I have this personal relationship with THE FATHER through THE SON,
2) I have the power ot THE HOLY SPIRIT of GOD in me- promised in John 14:26,
and
3) Assurance of salvation through the redemptive blood of JESUS, ( the analogy of having the special rights of passing through the Customs "green lane" through relationship with the SON of GOD).

JESUS LAST GREAT COMMANDMENT is that i tell the world who HE really is, SON of GOD, sent by THE FATHER for tha salvation of ALL GOD's creations, baptising them in the NAME of THE FATHER, THE SON, and THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Ultimately, judgement belongs to GOD the CREATOR.

HALLELUJAH!

========== end of mail ==========

I responded to Divad's mail above:

Dear Brother Divad,
Below, kindly see some comments to some erroneous ideas expressed in your mail above...

James 5:19-20 "Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."

"Who hath ears to hear, let him hear!"
See red comments within your post...
sing
===

My  belief is GOD the ALMIGHTY CREATOR WHO create "heaven and earth" and mankind is the same yesterday, today and thereafter. GOD create every race on earth and every human being ultimately if not subconsciously reconise their Creator, except the atheists.
## Mankind is NOT "the same yesterday, today and thereafter."
This statement is a serious error.
Yesterday, man was VERY GOOD. Ge 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Today, after the fall, man is dead in trespasses and sins. Ge 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Thereafter: without eternal redemption freely bestowed by God in Jesus Christ, it is lake of fire.

ONLY "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." Heb 13:8

Of course GOD ultimately revealed to mankind through the PERSON of the SON and thereafter, the PERSON of the HOLY SPIRIT in the BIBLE. GOD create every being and GOD is not exclusive to the Jews nor the Body of CHRIST. When JESUS, SON of GOD proclaims HE is the truth , the life , and that whosoever believeth in HIM (and follow HIM) will have eternal life, JESUS as the second PERSON of GOD the FATHER refers not exclusively to the doctrines of the Christian faith alone, nor to Jews, nor to the Muslims, but to GOD's laws given to man in every race, throughout the creation of HIS world.

## GOD ultimately revealed to HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE in all the ethnic groups, not mankind, through the PERSON of the SON.  You are entertaining UNIVERSALISTIC notions.

Heb 1:1 ¶ God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Note: the "unto the FATHERS... unto US... by His Son."

Serious error here:
"... whosoever believeth in HIM (and follow HIM) will have eternal life..."
This is an offer of salvation to those who are dead in trespasses and sin... that if they believe HIM (and follow HIM), they WILL have eternal life. I challenge you to find one shred of proof for this SATANIC life, and NONSENSE!

The Scriptures declares:
John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

These verses are MAKING A DECLARATION OF FACTS - the believing ones HAVE/POSSESS eternal life. They believe because they have eternal life. They believe NOT in order to get eternal life.... for the simple reason that those WITHOUT eternal life by God's free gift are INCAPABLE of believing, being dead in trespasses and sins and in enmity against God! These verses are not offering eternal life to the dead in trespasses and sins, that if they believe in Jesus Christ, they WILL get eternal life.

If I say to you, "whoever eats has life," would you understand me as making an offer to the dead, that if the dead will eat, they will have life? Or would you understand me as making a statement of truth about the eating ones, i.e. they have life??? Common sense, Brother!!!

JESUS came for every living human being to turn them back to the ways of the FATHER-GOD, called by different names in different race and historical time-frame for there is ONLY ONE CREATOR.

## This is another lie!
Jesus came and give Himself for His people, those whom God the Father gave to Him....
John 17:1 ¶ These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
 2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

John 6:39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

Jesus said he came came to do His Father's will, not the imaginations of man, like yours above!

GOD's LAWS of GOODNESS and RIGHTEOUSNESS are  INCLUSIVE AND UNIVERSAL.

## Inclusive only in the sense that God has His CHOSEN people in every ethnic group of every religious background.
Re 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.

Yes, God has His children among the MUSLIMS, Buddhists, Taoists, Monkeyists, Animists, etc, etc. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the divinely appointed means to CONVERT them to the truth of their salvation. 

As a follower of JESUS CHRIST, SON of GOD, the difference as i tell peoples of other faiths is that:
1) I have this personal relationship with THE FATHER through THE SON,
2) I have the power ot THE HOLY SPIRIT of GOD in me- promised in John 14:26,
and
3) Assurance of salvation through the redemptive blood of JESUS, ( the analogy of having the special rights of passing through the Customs "green lane" through relationship with the SON of GOD).

JESUS LAST GREAT COMMANDMENT is that i tell the world who HE really is, SON of GOD, sent by THE FATHER for tha salvation of ALL GOD's creations, baptising them in the NAME of THE FATHER, THE SON, and THE HOLY SPIRIT.

## God the Father sent His Son to save all those whom He has given to Jesus Christ... AS MANY AS... i.e. not one more and not one less. That's Christ's own word. Be careful of man's imagination. Jesus came to do His Father's will... not the fictions and fables of modern preachers.

Concerning Christ's Great Commandment, take a peep here:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=10200745534256199&set=a.10200745533176172.1073742147.1097484914&type=1&theater

and here http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2010/06/great-commission-or-grand-delusion.html

## Ultimately, eternal salvation is of the Lord God Jehovah, the covenant keeping God. Amen.

your little brother in Christ.
sing / penang

========== end of mail ==========

Dear Bro. Sing,

Thanks for your points for which I respect. I do not dispute them nor change my own understanding of what i believe in.

We trust it to our Sovereign LORD and GOD, YAHWEY-ELOHIM, SHANGDI, ALLAH, WHO alone has the truth as CREATOR. HE will know the fruits of our spirit and judge us  accordingly, irrespective of what we proclaim.

Shalom,
divad.

========== end of mail ==========

Conclusion:
Looooooose religious shibboleths abound, and men are not interested to get their beliefs in line with the truth of God, who alone has the truth as CREATOR. On the one hand, Divad respects the points raised, points which he would not dispute, points which show his beliefs are contrary to the truth of God the CREATOR...

Some loooooose religious shibboleths are much preferred to the precious truth of God the Creator. Such is the prevailing spirit in christendom

Apostle Paul did warn pastor Timothy:
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

So, I'm not surprised at all. Such is to be expected!

How Free is Free? Is your idea of 'Free' REALLY Free?

How Free is Free? Is your idea of 'Free' REALLY Free?

Is Your Idea of Free Justification by Faith really FREE?
Is it as free as in "Buy One, Free One" slogan?

====

Brainy Seal sent me a newsletter which contains an article on Justification.
I responded, and a few mails were exchanged. Names of real men have been altered.

On Dec 17, 2009, at 5:54 AM, Brainy Seal wrote:
Dear Friends of TCS,
I've attached the latest CS newsletter. Inside:
Article on Justification by Stevie Fernez
Feel free to pass it on!

Brainy Seal
Dean of the CS
====

Wed, December 16, 2009 10:01:45 PM
Hi Brainy, thanks for the newsletter.

"Why is free justification by faith alone so vitally important? " begins the article on Justification by Stevie Fernez

We have corresponded before...
IF the justification of the guilty condemned criminal before God is by faith (the act of believing in Jesus Christ), THEN...
- it is NO LONGER free justification. It is no longer free justification because it is conditioned upon faith, man's act of believing. It is conditioned upon something man must do.
- it is IMPLIED that a guilty condemned spiritually dead criminal (an un-justified man is under the condemnation of death) is able to believe in order to be justified before God.
- It is IMPLIED that a guilty condemned dead sinner is already regenerated by God (having ability to believe, in order to be justified by God), i.e. regeneration precedes justification!
- It is IMPLIED that a sinner who is under the condemnation of death (being un-justified) is AT THE SAME TIME/SIMULTANEOUSLY already regenerated, and is able to believe in order to be justified by God!

It is like a condemned criminal that is FREED first, and then upon his act of believing his freedom, that the Supreme Court declares him not guilty, but innocent. What lawlessness and insanity!

No, free justification is by God's free grace through the righteousness of Christ alone, and nothing on the part of man, not even his believing.

In free justification, God freely pardons all the sin of a guilty sinner under the condemnation of death, and accepts him as righteous by imputing to him the righteousness of Jesus Christ alone. This is free justification unto LIFE, thus providing divine warrant for the Spirit of God to regenerate. This is FREE justification indeed - conditioned upon NOTHING in man.

A justification is that conditioned upon the believing act of man is NO LONGER free justification. If it requires man's act of believing, then it is no longer of free grace! To say otherwise is to abuse, and to confuse, the word 'free' - the word is emptied of its meaning.

This free justification is to be experienced, and evidenced by faith in Christ, and works of righteousness. This is made possible through the gospel ministry.

Sin, the transgression of God's law, brought condemnation unto death.
Acts of sin EVIDENCE that state of condemnation, they do not bring a man into a state of condemnation. Sins do bring the experiences of guilt and condemnation.

Righteousness, obedience to the law of God, alone brings justification unto life.
Acts of righteousness, like faith, EVIDENCE the justification unto life that has taken place by free grace. They do not instrumentally obtain justification unto life.

Faith is one of the many graces found in a justified man... and that grace of faith worked in them by the Holy Spirit ENABLES a justified man to believe the gospel.

Take a look at the thoughts in the follow short articles in my blog at http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/

"THEREFORE AS the Arminians..., EVEN SO the Calvinists..."

"By faith alone' vs. 'Not by faith alone."

"Saved by grace through faith – whose faith?"

your friend in the far east,
sing
======

On Dec 17, 2009, at 3:32 PM, Brainy Seal wrote:
Your argument is with the clear statements of Scripture, not with me.
You allow your logic (not biblical logic) to overturn Scripture.

======

Thu, December 17, 2009 12:39:24 AM
Hi Brainy,

Which clear statements of Scripture say that free justification before God is by faith, man's act of believing? The Scriptures does say that free justification is by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ, his faithfulness that secured the righteousness needed for justification unto life.

It is funny you dismissed logic just like that when it doesn't suit you.

When your logic insists that regeneration must precede faith (the act of believing), it is affirmed as biblical. When the same logic insists that justification unto life must precede faith (the act of believing), it is denounced as unbiblical!

Without justification unto life, how could the condemnation of death be reversed? Without the condemnation of death removed by God the Father based on the finished work of God the Son, where is the ground for regeneration by God the Spirit, the new birth with eternal life?

The Scriptures plainly declares that God justifies the ungodly, those under the condemnation of death, imputing to him the righteousness of Jesus Christ unto JUSTIFICATION OF LIFE.

Such a one then have life to believe... and in believing his FAITH justifies him, vindicates him, declares him, evidences his justified state by the free grace of God.

Confused men insist that God justifies the believing!

Scriptures declares that believing vindicates, demonstrates, certifies the justified states of a man by the free grace of God through the righteousness of God. Similarly, the good works. "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only."

Breathing justifies that a man is a living man; believing justifies that a man is a justified man. Breathing testifies that a man is a living man; believing vindicates that a man possesses eternal life, that he has the justification unto life!

your friend in the far east,
sing
=====

On December 17, 2009 10:31:15 PM GMT+08:00 Brainy Seal wrote:
Your flaw is that you think that "ungodly" means "unbelieving."

=====

December 18, 2009 10:33:20 AM GMT+08:00
Brainy Seal,
With all due respect, you are quite mistaken about the flaw you have imagined!

The 'ungodly' that stands in need of justification by God the Judge is necessarily one that is still UN-justified, i.e. under the condemnation of death, dead in trespasses and sin, and one who is in enmity against God by nature. The ungodly is far more than unbelieving!

God's children may often be shamefully "unbelieving", but they are not the "ungodly."
They are God's children, and are saints in status. Believing will justify God's children that they have the justification of life.

Your wee flaw is that you don't see your own plain inconsistency and irrationality.

Justification of life to remove the condemnation of death must PRECEDE faith is as logical as regeneration to newness of life must precede faith.

Your wee flaw is that you cannot differentiate the various distinct aspects of justification:
- justification decreed before time
- justification accomplished at the cross
- justification applied at effectual call
- justification experienced at faith
- justification vindicated in glorification.

sing
====
p/s
Here is the statement from 1689.11.1 - doctrinal statement of the Old School Baptists:

"Those whom God effectually calleth, He also FREELY justifieth,(1) not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous;(2) not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone;(3) not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing Christ's active obedience unto the whole law, and passive obedience in His death for their whole and sole righteousness,(4) they receiving and resting on Him and His righteousness by faith, which faith they have not of themselves; it is the gift of God.(5)"

1. God also FREELY justifies:
- NOT BY infusing righteousness into them
- NOT FOR anything wrought in them, or done by them
- NOT BY imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness

(Man's act of believing is PLAINLY excluded in his justification by God's free grace. Faith is a grace wrought in them, and believing is something done by them - both are emphatically excluded in their justification. Absolutely nothing is required of man in his free justification by God. That is what the Old School Baptists had believed, and stated. Now the new school Baptists insist otherwise - that believing is required in free justification. They are guilty of double talk - free justification conditioned upon their faith. Justification that is conditioned upon some acts of man is no longer FREE justification. Let God be true, but every man a liar!)

2. He also FREELY justifies:
- BUT BY pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous
- BUT FOR Christ's sake alone
- BUT BY imputing Christ's active obedience unto the whole law, and passive obedience in His death for their whole and sole righteousness.

3. The justified receive and rest on Christ and His righteousness by faith:
- God's act of freely justifying those guilty and under the condemnation of death is DISTINCT FROM and PRIOR TO their act of receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness by faith.
- A benefactor's act of freely crediting a $1b into your account is DISTINCT and PRIOR to your believing the good news of that free and gracious act, and going to the bank to draw on that gift.
- It is SCANDALOUS and SHAMELESS to insist that it was conditioned upon your believing that the gift was credited to your account!

Only those justified by God, delivered from the just condemnation of death, and regenerated, are able to exercise faith. The grace of faith is found in those that are already justified and regenerated, not in those that are still under the condemnation of death that needed to be justified by God.

"The reason why any are justified is not because they have faith; but the reason why they have faith is because they are justified." - from the Circular Letter issued by the Philadelphia Baptist Association, October 4, 1785. The 1689 BCoF was the doctrinal statement of PBA.

Some Primitive Baptists think the Signatories of the 1689 CoF were morons!

"My son, hear the instruction of thy father,
and forsake not the law of thy mother."

A Primitive Baptist wrote an article on Chapter 10 of the 1689 CoF, and insisted that the Framers were gospel regenerationists. A certain Julius S pestered and challenged me to read it. So I did, and this is what I have to say. Let me say upfront that the author is prejudiced, and has been poisoned by the RBs who perverted what the Framers say. I paste below a section of what the author stated, and interact with it.

His article can be found here:
http://www.zionslamp.org/article_10_of_the_london_confession_of_1689_examined_1106.doc
(I don't know if the article has been removed after my critique)

1689 London Confession with Fulton Footnotes Chapter 10 Of Effectual  Calling.
1. Those whom God hath predestined unto life, He is pleased in His appointed and accepted time, effectually to call,(1) by His Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ; (2) enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God; (3) taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them a heart of flesh: (4) renewing their wills, and by His almighty power determining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ; (5) yet so as they come most freely being made willing by His grace. (6).

[Note, this says the effectual calling is by the His Word and Spirit. It is vital to the understanding of this article to discern exactly what they mean by the use of "Word". The Fulton brethren correctly insist that on the Living Word, i.e. Christ, is the source of the Effectual Call. Unfortunately, they would like us to believe that is what this article says. I contend that this is wishful thinking. They are imposing what we know to be the truth on what other men have said in an effort to white wash something that would have to be otherwise rejected if taken for what it says. I contend the authors of this confession were consistent in their use of "Word". Below we will see what that means.]

1. Ro 8:30; 11:7; Eph 1:10-11, 2Th 2:13-14.    2. Eph 2:1-6.   3. Ac 26:18; Eph 1:17-18.   4. Eze 36:26.   5. Dt 30:6; Eze 36:27; Eph 1:19.   6. Ps 110:3; SS 1:4.
The Note above is by the author. In it, he attacks the Framers are erroneous, he censures the Fulton brethren as whitewashing an obvious error of gospel regeneration of the Framers! 

==================

[I may deal with the other sections of his article later, Lord willing.]

My Comment:
The idea that the "His Word" refers to the gospel ministry, thus concluding that the Framers believe in gospel regeneration is very preposterous, contradicting everything else said by the Framer in the same chapter. Such an idea would make the Framers look inconsistent and illogical. But they are far more logical and consistent than so many today. Taking "His Word" as referring to the Second Person of the eternal Godhead, the Life-giving Word would be consistent with the rest of the chapter.

When I read the 1689 CoF, I assume the Signatories were sound and logical men, who knew what they were saying, and capable of saying them consistently and coherently. And that's what we see in 1689.10. But some take them as confused and illogical and self-contradicting, who can't state what they believe consistently. What impudence!

So, where does the author get the idea from? He got it from those Reformed Baptists who are gospel regenerationists, and who have perverted what the Confession has stated, and said consistently. His mind is poisoned by the Deformed's take on 1689.10

The idea that "His Word" refers to the gospel ministry is simply preposterous:
- |priˈpäst(ə)rəs| adjective, contrary to reason or common sense; utterly absurd or ridiculous.

And here is plain common sense... unless one takes the Framers as stupid -
- ˈst(y)oōpid| adjective, lacking intelligence or common sense.

Let me outline here the logical order and the relationship between the 4 paragraphs:

Para 1:
1689.10.1 describes the effectual calling of ALL the elect.
- All the elect are effectually called to eternal life in exactly the same manner at God’s appointed and accepted time, by His Word and Spirit – whether they are infants or adults, sound mind or idiots, capable or incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the word.

Para 2:
1689.10.2 describes all those effectually called elect in Para 1 who do have the outward gospel call.
- [i.e. the outward gospel call comes to these effectually called elect.] These are capable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the word.

Para 3:
1689.10.3 describes all those effectually called elect in Para 1 who do not have the outward gospel call. [i.e. the outward gospel call fails to come to these elect.] For various reasons, they are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the word.

Para 4:
1689.10.4 describes all those not in Para 1, i.e., those who are not predestinated, and therefore not effectually called to eternal life, but who do have the outward gospel call.

(See the 4 paragraphs of Chapter 10 in full at the bottom of this article.)

Let us reason together a wee bit.
In paragraph 1, the Signatories state that God effectually calls ALL His elect by His Word and Spirit

In paragraph 3, the Framers say that some elect effectually called by His Word are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the word.

Those - RBs, and some PBs included - who make "His Word" as referring to the ministry of the word, make the Framers as stupid men who say "God effectually calls ALL His elect by the ministry of the word" and then OPENLY contradicted themselves a few lines later by saying the opposite, "God is UNABLE to effectually call some of His elect by the ministry of the word since they can't be called by the ministry of the word."

Also, please note carefully the parallel between the phrases ‘by His Word and Spirit’ in paragraph 1 and ‘by Christ through His Spirit’ in paragraph 3. Paragraph 1 speaks of the effectual calling unto eternal life of all the elect, including those mentioned in paragraph 3, by or through ‘His Word and Spirit.’ Paragraph 3 speaks of the effectual call unto eternal life by ‘Christ through His Spirit.’ The context of these two phrases is exactly the same – effectual calling unto eternal life. This is conclusive proof that ‘by His Word and Spirit’ and ‘by Christ through His Spirit’ refer to the same persons of the Godhead.

See here http://pruning-deformed-branches.blogspot.com/2008/01/christ-is-word-fo-god.html

God’s Word was actively involved in creation (read John 1:1ff, and is ALSO actively involved in the new creation - see here: http://pruning-deformed-branches.blogspot.com/2008/01/christ-is-life-giving-word-of-god_21.html

The Framers were logical and consistent men. No, no, no - they were not infallible, but they were sound and logical! Give them the due respect! They can express themselves clearly. Let them speak for themselves!  Don't let the RBs speak for them.

But some smart alecks make the Signatories appear stupid...
Especially the RBs, and an increasing number of PBs too!!!

 Here is an excerpt from the Pruning book:
"It is a fundamental and serious error to think that paragraph 1 speaks of effectual calling through the instrumentality of the preached word, and paragraph 3 speaks of effectual calling without the instrumentality of the preached word, and therefore is an exception to what paragraph 1 is saying.

"If you want to make paragraph 1 to mean that effectual calling is through the preached word, then you must be consistent and say that ALL and EVERY single elect of God is effectually called through the instrumentality of the preached word. Paragraph 1 embraces the whole and the complete number of God’s elect, including those imuddled-headedn paragraph 3.

"Then, to remain consistent, you must make paragraph 3 a plain contradiction of paragraph 1. One moment you insist EVERY elect is effectually called through the instrumentality of the preached word, the next moment you say there are some who are not. This would make the Framers of the Confession appear as morons, making paragraph 3 contradict what they have just declared in paragraph 1. But they were not muddled headed like their modern stepchildren [i.e. the RBs].

"They were clear-minded and logical and consistent, as shown in the outline above. Paragraph 3 is not an exception. It describes those who are equally effectually called unto eternal life in exactly the same way but who are not called by the gospel through man. Gospel call plays no part whatsoever in the effectual call unto eternal life."

The above excerpt from here: http://pruning-deformed-branches.blogspot.com/2008/01/effectual-calling-is-immediate.html

The rest of the author's scruples and fables may be answered in this old study: http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-effectual-call-as-summarized-in.html]

Here is Chapter 10 Of Effectual Calling
1. Those whom God hath predestined unto life, He is pleased in His appointed and accepted time, effectually to call,(1) by His Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ;(2) enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God;(3) taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them a heart of flesh:(4) renewing their wills, and by His almighty power determining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ;(5) yet so as they come most freely, being made willing by His grace.(6)      1. Ro 8:30; 11:7; Eph 1:10-11, 2Th 2:13-14.  2. Eph 2:1-6.  3. Ac 26:18; Eph 1:17-18.  4. Eze 36:26.  5. Dt 30:6; Eze 36:27; Eph 1:19.  6. Ps 110:3; SS 1:4.

2. This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not from anything at all forseen in man, nor from any power or agency in the creature,(7) being wholly passive therein, being dead in sins and trespasses, until being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit;(8) he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it, and that by no less power than that which raised up Christ from the dead.(9)     7. 2Ti 1:9; Eph 2:8.  8. 1Co 2:14; Eph 2:5; Jn 5:25.  9. Eph 1:19-20.

3. Infants dying in infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit;(10) who worketh when, and where, and how He pleaseth;(11) so also are all elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the word.   10. Jn 3:3,5-6. 11. Jn 3:8.

4. Others not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit,(12) yet not being effectually drawn by the Father, they neither will nor can truly come to Christ, and therefore cannot be saved:(13) much less can men that receive not the Christian religion be saved, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature and the law of that religion they do profess.(14)   12. Mt 22:14; 13:20-21; Heb 6:4-5.  13. Jn 6:44-45,65; 1Jn 2:24-25. 14. Ac 4:12; Jn 4:22; 17:3.

Here is a study on Chapter 10 of the 1689 CoF:
http://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-effectual-call-as-summarized-in.html

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations...

1Co 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness;
but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

To whom are you sent to teach?

Matt 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

The Lord said, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations..."

The Lord DID NOT say, "Go ye therefore, and preach to all nations, that I may do My work of regenerating the dead through your preaching." But this is what so many preachers and their followers believe the Lord is saying!

Who did Jesus send out the Apostles to TEACH?
- God's children (elect already regenerated by the sovereign activity of God apart from any activities of preachers) among the nations? or
- Sinners of all nations who are still dead in their trespasses and sins, who are not only devoid of any ability to discern spiritual things but are positively hostile towards spiritual things?

Who are capable of being taught the things of the Spirit of God?
Who were the Apostles sent out to teach?
To whom does the Lord Jesus Christ give His servants pastor/teacher to teach, to feed, to gather into the NT churches?

And while you considering that,
- how was the Lord Jesus Christ with His Apostles to the end?
- what is the end of the world spoken of?
- Has the "end of the world" spoken of already occurred, or is it still a future event?

Give us your considered judgments. Thanks.
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Strive to enter in at the strait gate...

Strive to enter in at the strait gate...

"How much striving have you observed dead people doing?
The requirement of conscious, deliberate, and specific effort
presumes the pre-existence of life, in this case, spiritual life."

Luke 13
 24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
 25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
 28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

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A brother wrote: (verbatim)

I write seeking some clarification on the above passage.
a) who are the ones striving to enter the narrow gate?
b) if they are the non- elects, dead without any life to response to the word of God then why are they still coming forward to knock seeking to enter the narrow gate?
c) obviously these are non elects because they are casted out - but surely they have already made alive spiritually when they knock seeking to enter the narrow gate.
d) who are the target audience The Lord preached to?

Hopeful we will get some enlightenment on the subject.

Thanks

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Dear Brother,

Thanks for opportunity to study the Scriptures together!

Here is the Scriptures we are inquiring...
Luke 13
 24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
 25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
 28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

This is a wonderful subject for study to learn some important biblical truth.

a. Who are the ones EXHORTED to strive to enter in the narrow gate?
- I believe our Lord Jesus Christ is addressing specifically God's children among the Jews... that's the immediate context.
- Such are called to enter in at the strait gate. Such alone are ever called upon by the Lord Jesus Christ to perform any spiritual activity. Striving to enter at the strait gate is a spiritual activity that only God's children can do.
- "Strive to enter in at the strait gate" indicates the URGENCY of doing so. Why the urgency? A time will come WHEN it will be too late for these people to do so. They shall suffer destruction when the old covenant order would be destroyed... i.e. 70AD.
- A time will come when many WILL SEEK (future when Jesus spoke those words) to enter the kingdom of God but will be too late. Destruction would be at the door!!!
- This lesson is powerfully illustrated and brought home with the story of the master of the house rising up to shut the door, ending their access into his house, his kingdom.

b. The details of the story give us clear indications of the identity of the people under consideration:
- when they realized that the door was already closed and that they were locked out, they strove in earnest to get in the master's house! These were those referred to: "for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." These can only be God's children among the Jews who realized their folly of not taking heed of entering the strait gate. They panicked!!!  Many were unbelieving that Jesus was the Christ and has come to establish the kingdom of heaven and urged God's children among the Jews to leave the old earthly geriatric theocratic kingdom of Israel.
- They experienced so much privileges... "We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets." Yet they did not heed Christ's exhortation to "Strive to enter in at the strait gate." They did not leave the old earthly kingdom of Israel in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, the NEW and BETTER covenant. In this unbelief and disobedience, they are workers of iniquity.
- Not entering the strait gate is to remain in the familiar status quo... not forsaking the old covenant that was destined to b abolished.
- To enter the strait gate is leave the old earthly geriatric theocratic kingdom of Israel in order to enter the kingdom of heaven established by the Lord Jesus Christ. To remain in the old earthly geriatric theocratic kingdom of Israel means destruction along with it in 70AD by the Roman armies.
- That destruction together with the destruction of Jerusalem is indicated by "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth..." instead of being safe and secure in the master's house.
- The clause "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth..." is used 5 times in the NT, and each time the context is about the CHILDREN of the kingdom!!!  Mt 8:12 "But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  See also Mt 22:13, 24:51, 25:30, and Lk 13:28.

c. Verse 28 gives a clear indication of what the house of the master refers to... it is the kingdom of heaven.
- It is NOT HEAVEN itself. TOO many cannot make the necessary distinction. Entrance into heaven is NEVER NEVER NEVER conditioned upon any activity of men!!! That's the basic and fundamental implication of salvation by grace alone when that truth is truly and correctly understood.But very few preachers do!!!
- No amount of obedience of a man can gain him entrance into heaven. No amount of unbelief can exclude a man from heaven. A man's place in heaven is based solely upon the finished work of Christ in his stead.
- The unbelief of God children, and unbelief is a work of iniquity, will bring upon him grievous judgment in this life. For those who did not heed Christ's exhortation to enter the kingdom of heaven, they suffered terrible destruction in the hand of the Romans armies.
- Entrance into the kingdom of heaven requires great effort on the part of God's children to leave their old cherished baggage. Those among the Jews were very reluctant to forsake the old covenant religion. They suffered for immensely for their work of iniquity.

May our Lord give us grace to strive to enter His house... willingness to leave the old baggage that will hinder us from doing so.

The same timeless lesson applies to God's children in every generation to forsake the ways of the wide gate and broad way that lead to destruction...

I hope the above give some light, as well as warmth.

Thank you for the honor of studying the word of God.

sing