Exalt yourself a little higher, then it stinks. 自大一点 >>臭

自大一点
rephrased as "exalt yourself a little higher" then it stinks.
(Thanks, Joe Chin)

A simple lesson on humility.

Today is the new year day of the Chinese lunar calendar. We are spending our reunion with the family of my second Brother in JB. This morning, we went along with them to their SCMC (Skudai Chinese Methodist Church) for the customary new year day thanksgivings service.

The message in Chinese was on 八 福 (Eight Blessedness) taken from the Beatitude from Matthew 5. The Chinese are always fascinated with 福 - an apt subject for the occasion. The preacher's message focused on the first Blessedness, i.e., of being poor in spirit or humility.

One particular illustration is worth sharing.

In the Chinese iconographic language, the word for "stink" 臭, is a compound of three little words - self, big, and a dot. When a man thinks himself one dot bigger than he ought to, then it stinks.

Apostle Paul has warned the same in Romans 12:3 KJV — For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Lesson: 

I stink to the heaven when I think one dot bigger of myself than I ought to think soberly. Thank you Lord for the lesson.

Another lesson: when I think myself humble, then assuredly I'm NOT humble.

Another reminder: if I'm humble, I shall readily admit my wrongs and ask for forgiveness.

Thank you, Lord.

All elect are effectually called but not all are reached by the gospel call.

Bill

Amen! Amen!

Tommy 

I have agreed with a lot of your articles, and much appreciate your willingness to post many good things, but I can’t agree with the last part of your statement this time. I can’t find any context in which God would be glorified by not calling all his children, as he has me and you.

Zivie 

Same as Cornelius... no one told him the good news but how come he was converted?

Sing 

Tommy, it flatters me that a man of your stature reads the thoughts of a simple village preacher. 

Let me see if I understand you correctly:

The last part of my statement reads, "not every elect have the gospel call administered to them." Since you can't agree with this statement, does it mean that you believe that every elect whom God has effectually called will ALSO have the gospel call? Do I understand you correctly?

You said, "I can’t find any context in which God would be glorified by not calling all his children, as he has me and you."

By "his children" I understand you to mean the elect whom He has effectually called to grace and salvation. I do believe each and every one of the elect will be effectually called and become God's children, each at God's appointed and accepted time. All the effectually called shall be glorified; their future glorification is so certain in God's divine purpose that it is considered a past completed action, Romans 8:30.

When you say, "by not calling all his children" I understand you as referring to their gospel call. If I'm right, my question is, how is God any less glorified when some of His children are not called out by the gospel? 

How is God any less glorified when one of His elect is effectually called but died before he has the mental capacity to be called by the gospel? 

If I follow your logic to its conclusion, it would be proper to say that God is not glorified unless all His children are soundly converted and become useful like, say, the apostle Paul. 

There are God's children who lack the ABILITY to be called out by the gospel ministry, being not sentient; others do not have the OPPORTUNITY of the gospel ministry to call them out into the saving knowledge of their salvation by God's free grace in Jesus Christ. That's my feeble understanding.

Bill

And I agree completely with your understanding of the extent of the gospel call, Bro. Sing. God's glory is made full by His gracious redemption of every one of His elect children.

Tommy

Limited for time now, headed to work. In the short run, I will declare my belief in John 10:26-29.

Sing

"Same as Cornelius... no one told him the good news but how come he was converted?"

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Cornelius was REGENERATED before, and without hearing the gospel. 

But he was most certainly CONVERTED through hearing the gospel through Apostle Peter.

Faith cometh by hearing... hearing the gospel preached by God-sent preachers. Room 10. 

Life cometh by quickening... by the direct activity of God.

Marty

The call of regeneration is life; it is administered by the voice of the Son of God alone without additional mediators, it comes to every one of God's elect without exception, and it is always successful.

The call of the gospel is food; it is administered by preachers who are themselves sinners, who sometimes work together with the Holy Spirit, who teach some of God's elect, and have varying degrees of success as described in the parable of the sower. 

Some of God's born-again elect are currently malnourished, for though God has generously provided for the sustenance of their souls, it is sometimes poorly administered, and sometimes poorly received unto fruit-bearing.

The gospel is like your birth certificate

Take a look at these two link on the same matter:

1. https://things-new-and-old.blogspot.my/2010/08/your-birth-your-birth-certificate.html?m=1

2. https://things-new-and-old.blogspot.my/2017/01/the-gospel-informs-even-as-your-birth.html?m=1

"We are not born because we receive a birth certificate. But a birth certificate merely shows the circumstances of when and to whom we were born. The gospel does not have the power to cause us to be born again, but it shows us the circumstances of our new birth. Great truth." ~~ Bill Taylor

Apologists and their misguided hope

Apologists and their misguided hope!

Apologetic - presuppositional, evidential or whatever-getics!

Hello Apologists out there, if I may inquire:
who are the lost souls whom you believe your apologetics will be instrumental in saving? Are the lost souls still in their state of spiritual deadness, or are they God's children who are not soundly converted?
- I believe you meant the former.
- Do you really believe your apologetics can be instrumental to save such lost souls?

Just who are the lost souls that you hope to lead to the soul-saving gospel of Jesus Christ through apologetics? Are the lost souls still in their state of spiritual deadness, or are they God's children who need the initial conversion to Christ.
- I believe you meant the former.
- Do you really believe your apologetics can lead such to the soul-saving gospel of Jesus Christ?

Have you not read?
John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Q. Will your apologetics be perceived and understood by those still dead in trespasses and sins?

1Co 1:14For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
Q. Who will perceive the soul-saving gospel as declaring the power of God in salvation, those that ARE SAVED, or those that are perishing?

1Cor 2:18 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Q. Is your apologetics "things of the Spirit of God" or "things of the wisdom of man"? If the former, then it is irrelevant to the lost souls you are trying to save; it is worse than irrelevant, it is perceived as foolishness, and the peddlers of them foolish.

Why is it so hard to understand that the gospel, the good news of what God HAS DONE to save His people is intended for those who ARE SAVED, i.e. have been saved by God, that they may be converted to the truth of their salvation by God's free and sovereign grace?

Eph 1
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

"The gospel of your salvation" indicates that their salvation has taken place, applied to them by God's free and sovereign grace when they were dead in trespasses and sins, and they are called to believe gospel of their salvation, the truth of what has transpired.

Apologetics is useful to strengthen the faith of Christians.

The SAVED are called to believe the gospel of their salvation; if they have not been saved, there is NO "gospel of your salvation" to preach to them nor any good need for them to believe.

(I was deep into apologetics in my mid-20s to mid-30s. You can't even convince God's children with plain Scriptures; what hope of clever apologists to save those lost souls, i.e., those dead in trespasses and sins?)

The gift of eternal salvation...

I read the statement, captured above from Facebook and it stirred my drowsy mind.

"Christ’s Crucifixion, burial, and Resurrection is the only means by which people can be forgiven of their sins and our only hope for eternal life."

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The life of perfect obedience (thus securing righteousness for His people) and the atoning death (thus bearing the curse of the sins in the stead of His people) of Christ Jesus are the only GROUND by which God saves His elect, bestowing them eternal life. The life and death of Christ ALONE SECURED the eternal redemption of His people, those whom God had given to Him before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4)

The eternal redemption secured by Christ is FREELY and sovereignly applied, (NOT OFFERED as imagined by many) by God to each elect (who is in his native state of sin and condemnation and death) at His appointed and accepted time. In applying the eternal redemption to each elect freely and sovereignly God deals with the issues of sin, condemnation and spiritual deadness of man; He applies Christ's righteousness to him, and declares him righteous and forgiving all his sins, and regenerates him; and He gives His Spirit of adoption to dwell in the elect whom He has born again by His Spirit and adopted into His family.

That's the ONLY MEANS a man is saved from his NATIVE state of sin and condemnation and death. There are no other means.

Those whom God has thus saved are called upon by the gospel ministry to believe the gospel, the truth of their eternal redemption in Christ Jesus, applied to them freely and sovereignly by God.

They are called to believe what is already true; they are not called to believe in order that something may become true. Faith in Jesus Christ manifests that Jesus Christ is already their the Lord and Saviour.

Believing the gospel of Christ saves a child of God from lies, fables, superstitions; the gospel of grace teaches him to deny ungodliness and unrighteousness, to live soberly, godly and righteously, enabling him to experience the manifold blessings of God in this present and brief life.

Just some drowsy thoughts.