Everlasting and forever - both have starting and ending points

That which was declared
 as everlasting and forever by God Himself
was brought to an end by God Himself too.

A searching soul inquired:
Thank you, pastor, for the explanation. The word everlasting, does it really mean last only until a time frame? And if the goats are the elect who are disobedient, does that mean God died for the goats too? Can I make that conclusion?
===========

An answer:
Let me commend your humble spirit of inquiring to understand the subject matter. May our gracious Lord bless you with understanding. Amen

"The word everlasting, does it really means last only until the appointed time by God" - phrased this way would be clearer; it has a time frame indeed, i.e. it began and will end at specific times appointed by God.

Everlasting ≠ eternal

Both "everlasting" and "for ever" are in the realm of time; there are beginning/ending points appointed by God.

Here are simple examples:

Genesis 17:8 KJT
And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

Genesis 48:4 KJT
And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.

The "everlasting possession" began at a specific point in time, and lasted as long as the LORD had ordained and willed it; until then, the gates of hell (e.g. the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Medeo-Persians, etc) shall not prevail against it; and then, at the appointed time, the end came; theocratic Israel was long gone, formally ended in 70AD.

"For ever" ≠ eternal

Gen 13:15 KJT
For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.

Exo 12:24 KJT
And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.

Even so, the "forever" ordinance was made obsolete and ended by the same LORD at the appointed time. Christ came and the old covenant ordinance was abolished.

That which was declared as everlasting and forever by God Himself was brought to an end by God Himself too.

May the Lord grant you, my dear ...,  understanding.

Keep asking questions. All I wish is that you UNDERSTAND what I'm saying - that's my role. Only the Spirit of God will show you the truth and enable you to embrace it for the good of your own soul.

Hell is real; God's children can avoid it during the intermediate state. Our blessed Redeemer declared so. I don't want to end up there by my failure of not warning Christ's little ones.

AMEN.

====== 

Thank you... And if the goats are the elect who are disobedient, does that mean God died for the goats too? Can I make that conclusion?

======

Christ Jesus, the blessed Redeemer, died to save all the elect from the eternal lake of fire. So, if the goats are the elect who are disobedient, then obviously they are also among those redeemed by the Saviour.

It is strange that many cannot and refuse to believe the obvious truth that there are disobedient ones among God's children. It's just so convenient to say the goats represent the non-elect! To do that, the necessary implications are:
- (i) that all the redeemed are obedient, and there are no disobedient among the redeemed by Christ;
- (ii) that the Lord REQUIRED the non-elect, dead in trespasses and sins (i.e. the goats), to do works of kindness to the His redeemed people (i.e. the sheep).

Each view has its necessary implications; take care of them.

The Scriptures speak of the disobedient people of God frequently. They are warned against the intermediate hell - they can end up there if they are disobedient.  BUT they are never warned against the eternal lake of fire, why? Christ has immutably saved them with eternal salvation from the lake of fire. Rev 20.15

All the elect whom Christ HAS SAVED with eternal salvation, they are effectually called by God, one by one at God's own appointed time, out of their native state of condemnation, death, and alienation INTO the state of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ. This alone makes them perfectly fit to be transformed/resurrected unto eternal glory.

Of all the effectually called, some are converted through the ministry of the word to various extents, while others are not.

Of those that are converted through the gospel ministry, some become good and obedient disciples - fruitful disciples represented by the sheep in the parable; others are not obedient, represented by the goats.

See Mt 13 on the parable of the 4 types of grounds.

Christ solemnly warned His own disciples of the danger of ending up in hell, exhorting them to take drastic actions to guard against sins, Mk 9.

The paragraph on the solemn warnings to His own disciples ( Mark 9:42-48) opens with these words -
42 ¶And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

Mt 25:45 reads
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

Read the two verses slowly and you will notice they are closely related, and in the same context. 

May the Spirit of Christ give you understanding. Amen.

========

Preston
Matthew 7 seems to negate the goats being elect also. What say ye?
V23. I never knew you……

Sing F Lau
Preston, The 3-verse paragraph read thus:

Matthew 7
21 ¶Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Some observations:
It's about entering the kingdom of heaven, not heaven. God's children among the Jews were still in the earthly theocratic kingdom of Israel. Christ came to usher in the kingdom of heaven, and calling them to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Doing the will of the Father is the requirement... believing the One whom He has sent, even the Lord Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah.

God's children who are unbelieving in Christ turn their wonderful works into work of iniquity.

Matthew 17:5 KJT
While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

God's will is, "Hear ye Him." But many of God's children among the Jews were unbelieving in Jesus Christ; He didn't fit their expectations of the promised Messiah.

Even so, today, many of God's children believe a christ not according to the Scriptures but various christs of man's imaginations and hallucinations.

In that sense Jesus never knew them: since they didn't believe Him as the Sent One; He acknowledged them not... though He knew them inside out.

Preston
Interesting thoughts, but I’m not making that theological jump.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Sing F Lau
Preston - Don't jump; avoid fractures!!

Bill Taylor
Sing - AMEN!

 

The Great Exchange - Double Imputation

In the Great Exchange, God executed the Double Imputation
God alone imputed Christ's righteousness to the elect;
He alone also imputed all the sins of the elect to Christ;
The elect is NOT INVOLVED in giving their sins to Christ;
this is a fable, a deformed fiction.

#the_great_exchange
#double_imputation
https://www.facebook.com/sing.f.lau/posts/pfbid02jQv3h73rBtD82XKKtse3zNM55pmDhYANR4yxwPpMYDMriNEDNiSvBoykHtUTdxB2l

[3/15/2021, 7:43 AM]

One Brother commented:
"One Great Exchange" indeed. It isn't an exchange at all when only one party decides to give as a Gift. When both parties willingly give then we would consider it as an exchange! The exchanges may not commensurate the same values; they do not matter as we are willing & happy in that exchange. In this One Great Exchange, only our God gives willingly. He imputed Christ's righteousness unto us AND takes all our sins away willingly on the cross of Calvary.

Yet, can it be an exchange when we struggle to hold on to the sins of our old self or even serving two masters? Do we struggle to give our parts when we exchange many things? Examples for services rendered in servicing our vehicles, paying doctors for consulted diagnoses or opinions or working for wages. Even with the tender love and care (TLC) of our parents towards us would they (hopefully) yearned for our love, obedience & many other positive responses to them.

Yet in the One Great Exchange I would reckon a hardly exchange at all. God imputed all Christ's righteousness unto us without waiting for us to give up all our sins willingly or otherwise. As thoughts run through mind, this is 'One Great Gift or Righteous Imputation'. We will still be glorified at the final judgement day even at our last breath we are still holding on to the last of our remnant sins. Our God guarantees! What a blessed assurance we have indeed!

-----------

[3/16/2021, 1:51 AM]
Sing Lau:

THANK YOU for aptly reminding us that our activities are indeed involved when we speak of our practical discipleship; our discipleship requires our ACTIVE participation – working out our own salvation with fear and trembling.

In this, we are dealing with God our Father…

Ps 51:1 "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities."

2Cor 7:1 “Having, therefore, these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

2Ti 2:21 "If a man, therefore, purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work."

1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Though none of these passages equates to us putting our sins to Christ, yet they all exhort us to deal with our sins as God’s children and Christ’s redeemed.

So, we must guard ourselves against thinking of the double imputation involving any human activities. That’s where the Reformed brethren are all messed up; they introduce human roles and activities in the double imputation. They have no clue about the distinct facets of salvation - eternal, legal, vital, practical, and final.

Sadly, of those who know the distinct facets of salvation, few know how to apply them to rightly divide the word of truth.

Let us rehearse a few things:

1. The double imputation is executed by the LORD God, the Father of Jesus Christ, at the cross
a.  It is termed double-imputation because it involved God’s free and sovereign acts of LEGALLY imputing/accounting/reckoning the righteousness of Jesus Christ to all the elect represented by Him as well as imputing all the sins of all the elect to Christ. Theologians sometimes called this double imputation the Great Exchange.

b. There is only ONE active party in this legal transaction, the LORD God the Judge; He alone is the active subject in executing the Great Exchange, – a legal transaction; He alone, as the Judge, executed this legal act of exchange. God alone imputed Christ's righteousness to the elect; He alone also imputed all the sins of the elect to Christ. The elect is NOT INVOLVE in giving their sins to Christ; this is a fable, a fiction. 

c. In this Great Exchange, though the whole elect of God is involved, yet none of them played any role whatsoever; all are completely passive. It was a legal transaction that happened without any one of them personally involved; many had no personal existence yet.

d. In this Great Exchange, Christ Jesus is personally involved. It was His righteousness – His life of active and perfect obedience to all the laws of God, even unto death - therefore, He would have concurred perfectly with God’s act of imputing His righteousness to His people. The three Persons of the Godhead are perfectly in harmony with their purpose of redemption.

I hope this helps to put the double imputation in its proper legal context.

Check here to read the fable that "we give Christ our sin...  
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10218480783386343&id=1097484914&mibextid=Nif5oz 

Treacherous Abners in the kingdom

Treacherous Abners in the kingdom
2 Samuel 2-3

https://www.facebook.com/notes/10217726027557919/

Treacherous Abners in the kingdom
2 Samuel 2-3.

1. Abner opposing the kingdom through defiance
a. Look at Abner’s action! Abner knew very well that the Lord had promised the kingship to David. Saul his master had also declared, 1 Sam 24:10, and Abner being Saul’s captain would have heard the truth with his own ears. But he had great self-interest to safeguard, and instead of giving up and bowing to the Lord’s anointed king, he opposed David’s kingship.
- Abner’s defiance of installing Ishbosheth as king was an open act of rebellion against the Lord's anointed, who had plainly rejected Saul and chosen David king over Israel. Even Saul himself was fully aware and admitted to it in the presence of his own army, and Abner had heard with his own ears.
- In opposing the Lord’s anointed king, Abner was opposing the Lord’s kingship and will. He knew the Lord's will but chose to fly in the face of it. Beware of enthroning your own Ishbosheths… to maintain your own interest in defiance of the Lord’s king!

b. In 2Sam 2, the kingdom of the Lord’s chosen king has met with rebellion and opposition. And this kingdom conflict will continue in one form or another until Jesus comes in power and great glory… when all shall be put under His feet. And please note that this conflict comes or arises from WITHIN the nation of Israel!
- Opposition to God's truth comes from within the church! Who are the champions of the false gospel? Who advocates the lies of free will? Who pushes the lies of sola fideism, justification before God by man’s faith alone? Calvinists and Arminians alike. Who spread the lies of gospel regeneration – that a man must hear the gospel to be regenerated? Calvinists and Arminians alike! Enemies are from within! Not the godless heathen.
- If we are among God’s faithful, we must not allow or tolerate the present-day Abners to deter or depress or discourage us. We would remain loyal and faithful to Christ even if we are among the minority. Our allegiance is to Christ, even if His kingdom appears small and insignificant. Let us remain steadfast.
-  Abners’ defiance can certainly deter and discourage the faint-hearted. Let us be found loyal to Christ and His truth, let us resist them, and fight the good fight of faith. Don’t walk away from the good fight of faith. Let us not become or behave like Abners. His self-interests are high – captain of Saul’s army and all the prestige and power and privileges that come with it. So Abners would not give up nor submit to Christ

c. Let us be among those who loyally follow the Son of David, the Lord’s anointed… even if the rest of Israel rebel against the Lord’s anointed king. That’s our place and calling, no matter what the circumstances may be.
- Let us not surrender or compromise the crown right of Jesus Christ for some conveniences or selfish consideration. There is every reason to insist upon it and fight against those who would oppose it.
- Any opposition to the Lord’s anointed will eventually be crushed… see Ps 2!

2. Abner resisting the kingdom by force  (v12-32)
a. Please note that Abner is the aggressor in the whole affair. We read his aggressor’s move in verse 12.  They were marching to Hebron, but was intercepted at Gibeon by Joab and his soldiers.
- The conflict we see in Gibeon was not a chance encounter and civil conflict between Saul’s and David’s armies, but Abner’s deliberate attempt to assert Saul’s rule on David’s kingdom! Abner was on the attack!
- He came on the offensive, and as an aggressor… he instigated the fight – v14,27. He resisted the kingdom by force!  We must not be diverted by his civility, i.e. warning to Asahel. He came to resist and to kill!
- And Abner’s action is all that more condemnable because Abner was clearly aware that the Lord Jehovah had promised the kingship to David. Even his own words condemned him, 3:9-10, 17-18.

b. How often many in the church behave like Abner – trying to impose their own will and their own ways… despite God’s plain words, despite their own testimony of God’s words, despite the testimony and exhortation of others.
- Like Abner, it is possible to know the truth but reject the truth, to quote the truth but not embrace the truth, to claim to hold the truth but yet attack the truth! Abners are everywhere, and that same spirit is found right within each one of us too.  Let us banish any trace of the spirit of Abner within us.

3. Abner seeking the kingdom for self-interest (3:1-12)
a. These verses highlight a contrast. Both verses 1 & 6 note the ongoing war between the house of David and the house of Saul. V1 indicates that David waxed stronger and stronger, and Saul’s house weaker and weaker.  Verses 2-5 give an example of the progress of David’s house during the Hebron days.

Abner too was making himself strong in the house of Saul, manifested in his taking one of Saul's concubines as his own! In the culture of those days, the man who took over the concubines of the deceased king thereby asserted his claim to succeed to the throne. We don’t how far Abner intended to go in usurping Ishbosheth for the kingdom.

Ishbosheth may have been a puppet and a weakling, but he was not stupid. He raised a big fuss over Abner’s ploy (v7) that Abner’s purpose was frustrated and hindered. Abner was made to appear treasonous! Being frustrated in his ambition, Abner out of spite and logic decided to switch allegiance and pull the army under his charge into the kingdom of David… read his own words in 3:9-10. And there was nothing Ishbosheth could do about it.

b. What explains Abner’s move or turnaround?
Abner was not driven to this act by the truth of God but by selfish motive. He did not seek to expand David’s kingdom because he believed the truth and submit to the authority of the Lord’s promise BUT because he sought his own advantage and advancement.

If Ishbosheth was not going to toe his line and dance to his tune, then his next best option was to swing his support to David and use his powerful influence over Saul’s army as a bargaining chip with David, and thus securing for himself a powerful spot in David’s kingdom. Ah, how very self-serving!
- Abner quotes Scriptures only when it promotes and support pro-Abner’s move. Abner seeks the kingdom not because it is a matter of obedience to God but because it is a political move that is advantageous to him. It is not love for the Lord who redeemed him, but concern over his own benefits is all that matters to him!

c. And there are Abners in the church in every age. Abner’s syndrome is ever lurking within each one of us. Even faithful preachers, for example, who desire to proclaim and make plain God’s truth, know the temptation when they seem more concerned with whether God’s people will be impressed with them, like them, congratulate and praise them. The self-serving spirit of Abner is lurking within each one of us. Do we seek God’s kingdom for self-interest? To make a name for yourself? Or to elevate Christ? 

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Comments

Charles Page
Sing F Lau, I have had a lot of association with the US Military in a civilian capacity with all branches of service. And the war-like elements of Saul and David and their captains are in the military. Even in the best of military men, I seemed to sense almost a demonic spirit disguised as loyalty. Military people think differently than civilians. I remained a civilian in my work with the military and I saw things differently than most. Military loyalty is I suppose a necessary evil but in the final analysis, has to be disbanded. That is IMO why God choose Solomon over David to build His temple.

Uniformity and loyalty are a volatile mix! LOL, I am a barbaric Baptist soldier...what am I talking about!

Sing F Lau
Captain Charles, loyalty to Christ. Nothing more and nothing less. It is the spiritual warfare that we are engaged in.

It is the GOOD fight of faith. Shun all other fights!

Sing F Lau
By God's grace, I was instrumental in gathering the Ipoh East Church. The church was covenanted in Nov 2001, with the 1689 BCoF as its Doctrinal Standard. I ministered to the church for several years and taught the church the gospel of FREE grace. Towards the end of 2006, the church invited a certain RB Rev. from Sydney to minister for a month. After that, I was informed that the church had decided to reject my pastoral oversight because of doctrinal differences. I respected their choice.

The IEC called the pastor of another RB church to provide spiritual oversight.

I heard today that not long after he introduced the Ipoh East Church to the oversight of an Anglican pastor. The Anglican pastor advised the church to close shop and join with the Anglicans. And those RBs agreed!!!

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.
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry

Charles Page
treacherous indeed - we all have a warlike spirit within us (James 4) and it can be for the regenerate good or the bad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ujBjUriUjI

from a PB to a RB to Anglaking to a toe kisser how high can you go?

Sing F Lau
Actually, many RBs are only baptized Presbies.... they drink deeply from Hodges, Berkhof, Murray, etc.
They are ignorant of the far richer heritage of the great old Baptists.

Sing F Lau
PB - Particular Baptist >>>> RB - Reformed Baptist >>>> UB - Undone Baptist.

Charles Page
Sing, aren't Hodges, Berkhof, and Murray moderated Calvinist - free moral offer to all instead of a particular atonement?

Charles Page
BTW what about Joab's treachery?

Sing F Lau
Joab has his own problems... and is dealt with accordingly.

Sing F Lau
Yes, they are new school Presbies... and RBs love them so.
The RBs slander the old-school Baptists as hyper... how convenient!

Charles Page
Sing, give me some names of old-school non-Calvinist Baptist preachers prior to Gill. Is there a historical continuity of Sovereign Grace Baptist preachers from the first century?

Is Augustine a part of that lineage?

Charles Page
Do you subscribe to the London confessions of the Particular Baptist? Some of the RBs believe they support their new school thought.

Sing F Lau
I do, and the new school are entirely deceived.

I have conclusively proven that the RBs are bastards, that is, they are not the true offspring of the Particular Baptists who framed that Confession.

Charles Page
Abner’s syndrome is ever lurking within each one of us. Sing, your post makes me feel sorry for Abner because I see myself in him. Zealous pride and loyalty, always subservient to greater personalities, torn between powers. He is a lot like the Saul of Tarsus concerned about being the greater of Pharisees than his own peers.

Sing F Lau
Triple like your comment above... Abner is ever lurking within this heart - this DECEITFUL heart.

Charles Page
Are you familiar with the Philadelphia Confession and in your opinion is it different than the 1689 London Confession?

Charles Page
looking forward to what you have to say about Joab. Joab is the regenerate person who will kill you thinking he is doing God a service.

Sing F Lau
I have heard of PC... but have never seen one.
I am quite familiar with the 1689 BCoF... having gone through it several times with the church on Wednesday evenings in the last 18 years.

Saul of Tarsus is the regenerate person who will kill you thinking he is doing God a service!

Charles Page
What about the games men play to demonstrate domination?
I've seen this in the ministry. dominion!!!

Sing F Lau
@ What about the games men play to demonstrate domination?
=======
SICKOS games... and ANTI Christ too!
It is a natural instinct to dominate.
It takes divine grace for this rotten heart to serve the saints!

Matt 23:
8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

In Christ's kingdom, true greatness is measured by one's servanthood to His redeemed.
I have personally known two men who practice ecclesiastical domination, whose empire now has collapsed! I am an eyewitness! Known them personally... cross swords with them two... their dream empire has collapsed.

God's meek children know how to rebel and fight to be Christ's free men too. Let the sickos be reminded!

Charles Page
"In Christ's kingdom, true greatness is measured by one's servanthood to His redeemed." ...his precious redeemed!

Sing F Lau
Seven Amen to "...his precious redeemed!"

Are you rich toward God?

Succulent longan!

 

Are you rich toward God?

Luke 12:21 "So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

 A Brother introduced our first service and read and exhorted us from Luke 12:13-34.

Verse 15 reads, "And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth."

When a child of God is deceived into thinking that his life consists of the possession of an abundance of the things in this brief life, he ends up laying up treasures for himself; he makes himself a pauper toward God.

"He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful." Matt 13:22.

"So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God" - this is dealing with  God's children. He expects His children to be rich towards Him; this is a reasonable and just expectation since in Jesus Christ He has blessed with all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places.

It warns His children against the prevalent danger - the deceitfulness of earthly riches, and the foolishness of labouring for and the propensity of even God's children trusting in earthly riches, making them poor towards God - unfruitful, barren.

"The life is more than meat, and the body more than raiment."

How to be rich toward God?

"But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you." Luke 12:31.

As we seek to be rich toward God, He shall make us rich with our needs; as we seek the kingdom of God, He shall add to us all these things that we have need of.,

NO MAN IS POOR WHO SEEKS TO BE RICH TOWARD GOD; God has given His words, "all these things shall be added unto you."

That should settle the matter.

1689.11.1 - Justification by free grace stated and defined

1689.11.1 - Justification by free grace stated and defined

"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. Ro 3:24; 8:30. 2. Ro 4:5-8; Eph 1:7. 3. 1Co 1:30-31; Ro 5:17-19. 4. Php 3:8-9; Eph 2:8-10. 5. Jn 1:12; Ro 5:17.

 1. The Context of Justification

a. Effectual call to grace and salvation: ‘those whom God effectually called, He ALSO…’

- Therefore, they are never separated! Effectual call to grace and salvation involves the free and sovereign Divine activities of justification, regeneration, and adoption, in that number and order.

b. ALL these THREE divine activities are necessary to bring an elect out of his native state of condemnation, death, and alienation to that of grace and salvation in Christ Jesus.

- These divine activities of justification, regeneration and adoption are necessary to UNDO the condemnation, death, and alienation respectively, bringing a man into a state of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ.

2. The Subject of Justification

a. It is God the Father: ‘He also…’ Whom He effectually calls, He ALSO justifies.

- He effectual calls those dead in trespasses and sins; He ALSO justifies such.  God justifies the ungodly who are INCAPABLE of faith

- So the particular aspect of justification here is the applied/vital justification at effectual calling by God the Father.

3. The Manner of Justification

a. It is freely by God’s grace: ‘He also freely justifieth.’

- Freely means without man meeting any condition… for an unjustified man, still in his native condemned state, can’t meet any! This is simple and plain enough.

- Freely means just that... without any condition on man's part.

- The fiction of justification by faith alone is repudiated! Do you get it?

4. The Essence of Justification

a. Errors negated: It is...
- ‘not by infusing righteousness into them…’

b. Truth affirmed:
: ‘but by pardoning their sins
:  and accounting (a legal transaction)
:  and accepting their persons as righteous…’
- God FREELY APPLIES the righteousness of Jesus Christ to them personally when they were dead in trespasses and sins, and forgiving them of all their sins; on this ground alone He accept them as righteous.

5. The Ground of Justification:

a. Errors negated:
i. 'not for anything wrought in them, or done by them…’
- The grace of faith is a fruit wrought in them.
- Faith (their act of believing) is something done by them.
- Both are excluded from justification by God.
- Sola fidei is repudiated. Do you read it? Is that too hard to understand, or is it of wilful unbelief???

ii. ‘not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing…’
- Therefore, in Gen 15:6, where faith is imputed, it is NOT NOT NOT talking about the justification of Abraham BEFORE God.

iii. ‘or by any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness…”
- Faith, believing in Christ IS an evangelical obedience. Isn't that simple and plain enough?
- The "justification before God by faith alone" (man's act of believing - an act of evangelical obedience) is fiction and fable plainly repudiated! Do you read it? Is that too hard to understand, or is it of wilful unbelief???

b. Truth affirmed:
i. ‘but by imputing Christ's active obedience unto the whole law …’
- Christ's active obedience to the whole law is the righteousness of God's own provision; justification before God requires the imputation of Christ's righteousness to the condemned.
- Imputation of the faith to the believing one, as in Gen 15:1-6, is NOT justification per se. That's a fable.

ii. ‘and passive obedience in His death …’
- In His death, Christ suffered and endured the curse and condemnation of sins in the place of His people, securing full forgiveness for all their sins.

iii.  ‘for their whole and sole righteousness.’
- The righteousness of Christ (by His active and passive obedience is the whole (complete, nothing lacking) and sole (alone, only) righteousness of the justified.
- Man's faith is NOT, NOT, NOT in the equation of God's act of justifying the condemned; it is so carefully excluded. Isn't that simple and plain enough?

6. The Evidence of Justification
a. The pronoun "they receiving and resting..." speaks of those whom God has ALREADY freely justified. This is obvious.
- Those still in their native state of condemnation, dead, and alienated are INCAPABLE  of receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness by faith. To say otherwise is just stupid, i.e. lacking common sense.

b. Faith in the context is defined as ‘receiving and resting on Him [Christ] and His righteousness.’
- The application of righteousness by free grace precedes, both logically and chronologically, the reception of the same by faith in Christ.
- Justification by free grace is completed before believing its truth is possible!

c. Both the Calvinists and the Arminians fail to recognise this BASIC fact, and end up conditioning their justification before God upon their faith!   What a gross and grievous error!
- Faith is the work of grace by the Spirit of Christ in the hearts of those already freely justified by God; it is not a native ability in an unjustified condemned man, exercised by the unjustified in order to be justified!

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Don't jump and say what about the next paragraph!

Just stay with Para 1 first. Any questions?

Wait for the exposition on 1689.11.2