 |
Hear well, this is your job function.
This is the ordained purpose of the ministry of the word:
He
saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
He
saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
Jesus
saith unto him, Feed my sheep. |
January
2, 2011
I
noticed a strange phenomenon:
When
a preacher insists that his Christ's ordained ministry is only intended for the
living, and not the dead, rhetorical questions like, "Just how do you know
who are the dead, and who are the living in your audience" are
contemptuously hurled at him.
The
smart-alecky questions betray serious misunderstanding and unbelief concerning
the purpose of the gospel ministry.
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31
comments
(Some have deleted their comments!)
Sing
F Lau
How
would the apostles answer those questions?
Would
an answer like this reflect their ministry?
Oh,
WE DON'T NEED to know who are the dead. WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY no interest in the
dead. When we go out seeking lambs and sheep, we have an interest in the lambs and
sheep only. They are those whom God Himself has regenerated. The dead are
OUTSIDE the scope of our calling and is NONE of our business.
So,
the question 'how do you know... blah blah blah' is IRRELEVANT to us. For that
matter, we ALSO don't know who are the regenerated among the hearers.
We
DON'T NEED to know either to discharge our ministry faithfully in accordance with
Christ's will.
We
ALREADY KNOW full well that our ministry has NOTHING to do with the dead, but
for the living only - Christ's lambs and sheep. Christ sent us to FEED...
FEED... FEED... the lambs and the sheep. He sends us to make disciples... and
disciples can ONLY be made out of God's children.
We
have nothing to do with those still dead in sins .. they hate what we bring in
Christ's name in any case!
Dave
Bugbee
Well
said.
Michael
D. Green Jr.
(KJV)
2 Timothy 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus
Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to
light through the gospel:
Amen!
The key to the purpose of the gospel is contained in the last part of this
verse. The gospel is a light for those who can see. What use is a flashlight to
a blind (or dead) man?
Sing
F Lau
Salvation
is by Grace alone by Faith alone, and ALL glory is for God (not self).
======
(the commenter has deleted his comments.)
You
are very fascinated by 'faith alone.'
Whose
faith? And how by faith alone?
James
said this: Jas 2:24 "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and
not by faith only."
You,
with SO VERY MANY OTHERS, say, "... by faith alone..."
James
said, ""Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by
faith only."
Read
here: https://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2008/01/by-faith-alone-vs-not-by-faith-alone.html
Sing
F Lau
jp
@ " In Protestant theology, however, the Faith of the individual is
absolutely necessary and is itself the efficient and sufficient response of the
individual that effects Justification."
(jp has deleted all his comments!)
=============
Whose
faith effects justification?
And
what justification is that?
Is
the justification by God's free grace the same as the justification effected by
the believing acts of the justified?
How
could faith, an effect and evidence of justification by God's free grace be the
means to effect the same justification at the same time?
Think
before spewing forth shibboleth again. Just a brotherly reminder. No offence
intended.
Kindly
answer the questions. Thanks.
Sing
F Lau
Jp,
It is faith alone... without context, this is a heretical shibboleth.
I
am asking, "faith alone" in what CONTEXT?
You
obviously did not read the link I suggested. I expect you to interact
intelligently, otherwise please hold your peace.
Justification
by grace ALONE, and justification received by faith ALONE are two SEPARATE and
DISTINCT acts... the former is the MONERGISTIC CAUSE, and the latter is the
SYNERGISTIC EFFECT and EVIDENCE.
The
former is LOGICALLY and CHRONOLOGICALLY PRIOR to the latter.
Can
you tell me whether Abraham was justified before Gen 15:1-6? Or was he still an
un-justified man be God before Gen 15:1-6.
Sing
F Lau
Rome
is COMPLETELY mistaken that forensic justification is by both faith (man's act
of believing) and works.
The
daughters of Rome, i.e. Protestants, amputated one of those gangrenous limbs and insisted that forensic justification is by faith alone.
Both
are equally wrong. The old-school Baptists were right when they insisted:
"The reason why any are justified IS NOT because they have faith; but the
reason why they have faith IS because they are justified."
Forensic
justification is by the free grace of God alone based on the finished work of
Christ alone - "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus:".
God
justifies FORENSICALLY the UNGODLY, i.e. the elect still in the state of sin
and death.
Faith
justifies EVIDENTIALLY the children of God, those already justified by God's
free grace.
ONLY
children of God (regenerated elect) are capable of believing. Their act of believing
evidences the prior justification by God's free grace and regeneration.
An
unjustified man, i.e. still under the condemnation of sin and death, is
incapable of believing.
Faith
(believing) justifies a man EVIDENTIALLY, i.e. believing evidences the
justified state of the believer by the free grace of God. Works also evidence
the justified state of a man.
Believing
and works of righteousness JUSTIFY evidentially... that they have been
justified (forensically) by God.
Read
here: https://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2008/01/by-faith-alone-vs-not-by-faith-alone.html
Sing
F Lau
Thanks!
Perhaps
yours is truly reflective of Arminians theology!
They
believe the EXACT things you said above, not one bit different.
Some
label me as hyper, you are the first to say that I have ""free
will" or Arminianism theology." You do love throwing around labels,
don't you?
Either
you are the most obtuse man or the most enlightened man. Either way, you deserve
a medal <LOL>
I
see that you are a man who loves shibboleth... regurgitating all those
religious cliches without understanding them.
Sing
F Lau
"Believe
and seek may be the only thing one can do to receive the reward of Faith."
=====
Jp,
why don't you slow down, and think about what you write. Do they make sense...
or are they just religious gibberish fed to you.
Faith
is a saving grace (as a fruit of salvation) worked within the heart of a
child of God, enabling him to seek and believe.
But
you have put the cart before the horse in your statement above. Please write
some sense. I can tolerate ignorance, but I expect you to be sensible and
rational.
Sing
F Lau
"Discerning
you and your knowledge of God is not throwing around labels.
=========
Judging
by that, you have VERY LITTLE discernment.
I
have helped many to flee from the deception and bondage of Arminianism.
Sing
F Lau
Thanks
for all the Scriptures.
Please
at least explain them... otherwise, how do I know what you want to teach me? And
if you need to quote further, please quote the KJV. That's the one I am
familiar with.
So,
in what way have I put the cart before the horse. At least when I say you did
so, I demonstrate that. Don't abuse your privilege here.
Sing
F Lau
Thanks.
Thanks for your amazing gift... you even have access to the SECRET and
HIDDEN wisdom of God.
I
know nothing of the SECRET and HIDDEN wisdom of God.
I
know something of the REVEALED wisdom of God in Christ Jesus.
You
do understand a whole lot of things. That's wonderful.
Sing
F Lau
Thanks
for all your wisdom...
Sing
F Lau
That's
a good short sermon.
