Salvation and the Nature of Man

By Gordon Cardell

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Salvation and the Nature of Man

By: Gordon Cardell

2304 West D Street
Anniston, Alabama 36201
(256) 444-8318
gordoncardell@hotmail.com

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 Contents

Introduction

What is Salvation?

Mans Nature

How is Man Judged?

Gods Glory

Gods Will

Covenants

Gods Chosen People

For God So Loved the World

The Remnant

The Church

Children of God

The Blood of Christ

Gods Sovereignty

Can Man Choose His Own Destiny?

All Power Belongs to God

The Roman Road

Our Salvation Has Been Appointed

We Are Born Spiritually Blind

Christ is the Light

We Are Born Spiritually Dead

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Coming to Christ

Who Is Able to Love God

The Righteousness of Christ

Eternal Security

The Two Natures of the Believer

The Message of the Bible

What Is Truth?

Who Then Can Be Saved

To Those Who Are Coming to Christ

What of Evangelism?

False Doctrine

Stay Close to God and Go Where He Leads

Where Are We At?

Postscript

Resources

Postscript

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 Introduction

The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are

revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words

of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:29)

And we know that the Son of God is come, and given us an understanding, that

we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son

Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. (1John 5:20) (All scripture

verses have been taken from the ESV (English Standard Version). Although this

authors preference is to use the KJV, the ESV is used so that this work may be

translated more easily into other languages. Where the KJV is more useful, it will

be used and noted.)

We explore this subject of man's salvation because we wish to know the truth; the

truth about God, and the truth about man. It is our desire that through this study, God will

be glorified and given the honor that He is worthy of. The subject of man's salvation must

be considered in the context of his own nature, God's nature, God's purpose, and God's

will. It is a subject that has indeed caused much division in the church; however, and

some great writers have suggested that for this reason it should not be investigated. In

the early sixteenth century, Martin Luther and Erasmus argued most bitterly over what

they and their contemporaries thought was the characteristic difference between the

evolving Catholic and Protestant views concerning human nature, namely, the question

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of free will. Luther concluded that truth is to be found in the Holy Scriptures and not in the

teaching of the Church. Protestants emphasized the doctrine of justification by faith

alone, while Catholics believed that man's salvation was dependent not only on faith, but

also on good works.

This was only one of the differences between these two groups at the time. Erasmus

argued from the position referred to as Christian Humanism. Luther was concerned with

error in the Church at that time, and with exposing the Christianity of the Church as a

dogmatic religion. But in his efforts to do this, he discovered much about the truth

regarding God and Man. His relating of this to men of his time resulted in what is called,

The Reformation. It is the basis of Protestant and Puritan views of God's relationship to

man. Martin Luthers successor, John Calvin (1509-64), developed the most

comprehensive theological system regarding the Protestant views. It was a system which

emphasized God's sovereignty.

Erasmus in his great debate with Martin Luther stated in his discourse 'On Free Will'

that, It is more devout to adore the unknown than to investigate the unexplorable. This

writer contends that it is a subject which is not only possible to explore, but that in

exploring it, we both come to know God more, and we adore God more. Since the

Reformation, the Church has splintered into countless factions, and these varied belief

systems can be traced to differences in fundamental beliefs regarding the conception of

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the nature of man, and the nature of God. Most all Christians agree that salvation is

rooted in Gods love for them. They also agree that one must have faith in Jesus Christ

and His shed blood as payment for our sins. They agree that their salvation also entails

repentance of their sins. Yet many Christians believe that their salvation is a result of

their faith and repentance. However; as we shall demonstrate later, faith and repentance

are the result of salvation, not a requisite. Perhaps the most well-known verses from the

Bible are found in the Gospel of John:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in

him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he

cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3)

How many Christians ever reflect on how they became saved? Perhaps one says,

one day I realized that I had been living in sin, and I decided to change my life, or I

wanted to do the right thing and give my life to the Lord? Nearly all Christians will agree

that God is in control of everything in the universe, and yet sometimes think that things

do not always turn out the way God wants them to. Some say that God has a plan for

their life, but they also say that they may choose not to participate in that plan, and

simply do as they wish. When loved ones seem to have died in a lost condition, we do

not want to think that God could possibly have decided to save some, and not save

others. Not wanting to believe that God is unfair by our judgment, we can end up

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thinking it is simply up to us whether we want to be saved or not. But we err when we

formulate our own ideas of how God acts, and the results of this thinking is not only

confusion and false conclusions, but this leads us to a wrong understanding of God, and

undermines His sovereignty. Where can we learn the right understanding of God? Of

course it is found in the bible, and we must agree together that the truth is in the bible, or

we have no way of finding the truth at all.

In this volume we will not attempt to refute every argument of Erasmus, Origen,

Arminius and others. We may, however, use occasional reference to them to illustrate

the errors which lead to false teaching. After examining what is presented here, the

reader should have an understanding of some of these errors. We have no interest in

personal attacks, and simply wish to present the truth as it is written in the Holy

Scriptures. Lewis Sperry Chafer in his book Salvation: a Clear Doctrinal Analysis says:

The death of Christ is explained in the Scriptures and the personal acceptance or

rejection of that divine explanation is declared to be the point which determines the

destiny of each individual. Men are said to stand, or fall, not by their moral, or religious

standards, but by their personal choice in relation to the death and saving grace of

Christ. The question is as important, therefore, as the destiny of man. He goes on to say

that God in Christ has redeemed the whole world and every person in it and now is

waiting for them to be thoroughly changed by the message of the Cross in reconciliation

toward Him. Furthermore he says,

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 He has redeemed them by the blood of Christ who was 'the Lamb of God that

taketh away the sin of the world,' but is now awaiting their act of faith toward the

Christ that He might with power of the Spirit transform them into the very sons of

God. He has propitiated toward 'the whole world,' but must await the willingness of

the individual to stand only on the fact that the righteous judgments for sin have

already been accomplished in the cross of Christ.

Now, this is a very popular view of the salvation of sinners. It is popular because, as

we see, man's salvation is dependent on himself. It puts man's destiny in his own hands.

It puts man in control of the future, and thereby attributes to himself godlike power. Does

this sound familiar? It was satan himself who said:

You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set

my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the

north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the

Most High.' (Isaiah 14:13-14)

Adam and Eve made the choice to do their own will, and by their pride, they thought

to make themselves higher than God by choosing to do as they pleased. We hear such

things today as you can be anything you want to be, just go for it, or as a once popular

song goes, I believe I can fly. I don't think any of us would like to test that imagination

by jumping out of an airplane with no parachute. We all have limitations to what we can

do or achieve, due to the manner in which we are made. We are certainly limited by our

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genetic makeup as to what we may expect to be able to perform. All things have

properties due to their form, composition, and attributes. We learn from physics that all

objects can only behave, or act, within the scope of a set of properties which is their

nature. The behavior they exhibit reflects their nature, or makeup. So it is with man. But

what are the properties of man? What is the nature of man?

Much of what is presented here is not new, however to believe these views today is

still considered by many to be heresy. Actually, it is precisely what the early Church

believed. (We urge the reader to review the appendix C where documents from the Early

Church Fathers are presented.) We must approach our pursuit of the truth with the

common understanding that the Scriptures are indeed inspired by the Holy Spirit, and

are written in order that we may come to understand the truth. We must also agree that

for there to be truth at all, there must be only one absolute truth. If we cannot agree on

this, we can go no further, since we then would have no source of truth at all. As the

alternative, we must each then devise our own truth. Of course that would mean that

indeed there would be no truth at all; no absolute truth. We certainly do not claim to

present here the complete truth, but only facets of it as they are revealed to us in the

Scriptures. So, if we can agree that the Bible is indeed written for our understanding, why

is it that we find so many different interpretations? The problem is not with the bible, but

with us. It is because we have a mind which is tainted by sin and corruption. It is man's

pride which tries to twist, hide, or cover the truth. By nature we tend to hide the truth that

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man is not a god. We tend to refuse the truth is that God is in control, not man. It is

indeed possible to know the truth, but instead of trying to make the rest of the Bible

conform to our own ideas about these verses, we must take the verses which we present

here in the context of the chapter and verse where they are presented, and also in the

context of the rest of the Bible. This is the only way to properly study and understand the

Bible.

The verses which are presented here can teach us much about salvation, and about

the nature of man. But we are not so much concerned about learning facts. Learning

facts is not our ultimate goal or purpose. Our pride warps and twists the things we read

in the Scriptures. Our minds wrestle with the truth, and our corruption stands in the way

of everything except divine revelation. Arguments will not suffice. We want to learn about

and to know the One who IS the Truth. God must reveal Himself to us that we may

discover Him. It is sincerely hoped that through the reading of God's word presented in

the following chapters, one may experience such a revelation.

But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man

imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"-- these things God has

revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the

depths of God. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah

29:13)

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Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. (John 17:17)

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 Chapter One

What is Salvation?

We will first look at words in the Bible which convey the meaning of salvation. We will

also include their Greek and Hebrew derivatives given with their corresponding Strong's

Concordance reference numbers. This is given so that the reader may gain a greater

insight to the depth of meaning of the verses which we are about to encounter in our

search.

Salvation is an act of God, a decree by which those being saved are made whole,

delivered from the guilt and penalty for their sins, and eternally preserved. Strong's

concordance provides us with definitions for both the Greek and the Hebrew words used

in the Bible. Each word also has a cross reference number which can be used with other

reference works.

Salvation (G4991) so-tay-ree'-ah

rescue or safety (physically or morally): - deliver, health, salvation, save, saving.

(All definitions are taken from Strong's Concordance. Those marked with G are Greek

words from the New Testament. Those marked H are Hebrew words from the Old

Testament). Many of words we have chosen to use in our English language, have many

different words to represent them in the original languages. The verses chosen will use

the definitions that we present here).

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 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord,

because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the

Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you

may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14)

Deliver (H5337) naw-tsal'

to snatch away, whether in a good or a bad sense: - X at all, defend, deliver (self),

escape, X without fail, part, pluck, preserve, recover, rescue, rid, save, spoil, strip, X

surely, take (out).

I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of

the ruthless. (Jeremiah 15:21)

Save (H3467) yaw-shah'

properly to be open, wide or free, that is, (by implication) to be safe; causatively to free or

succor: - X at all, avenging, defend, deliver (-er), help, preserve, rescue, be safe, bring

(having) salvation, save (-iour), get victory.

And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against

you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver

you, declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 15:20)

(It should be noted that the Hebrew word for Jesus is Yehshua and it is derived from

this word.)

Jesus (G2424) ee-ay-sooce'

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Jesus (that is, Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Israelites: - Jesus.

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people

from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)

Saved (G4982) sode'-zo

to save, that is, deliver or protect (literally or figuratively): - heal, preserve, save (self), do

well, be (make) whole.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing;

it is the gift of God, (Ephesians 2:8)

Now, we will go into further depth by looking at words which are not only related to

salvation, but can be said to be elements of salvation. As it appears to us, they may

seem to be in some sequence but our own perception is of course, limited. We simply

say here that it is evident that there are different elements which can be distinguished.

We do not say that this is a complete set but only those which are easily identified. It is

fascinating to see that these elements are often combined, in the verses in which we find

them. Listed here are some of the elements, or facets of salvation:

Predestination (Election)

Grace

Faith

Repentance

The forgiveness of sins

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The imputation of righteousness

Justification

Sanctification

Redemption

Glorification

Inheritance

Predestinate (G4309) pro-or-id'-zo

to limit in advance, that is, (figuratively) predetermine: determine before, ordain,

predestinate.

even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be

holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons

through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, (Ephesians 1:4-5)

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to

the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

(Ephesians 1:11)

Note the meaning of predestine, from Thayer's Lexicon of Greek words:

1) to predetermine, decide beforehand

2) in the NT of God decreeing from eternity

3) to foreordain, appoint beforehand

Election (G1589) ek-log-ay'

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(divine) selection (abstractly or concretely): - chosen, election.

according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the

Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace

and peace be multiplied to you. (1 Peter 1:2)

So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by

grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be

grace. (Romans 11:5-6)

Grace (H2580) khane

graciousness, that is, subjectively (kindness, favor) or objectively (beauty): - favour,

grace (-ious), pleasant, precious, [well-] favoured.

The first mention of the word grace (KJV) in the Bible is in Genesis:

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. (Genesis 6:8)

Grace (G5485) khar'-ece

graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or

spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life;

including gratitude): - acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace (-ious), joy liberality,

pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy).

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was

given you in Christ Jesus, (1 Corinthians 1:4)

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 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing;

it is the gift of God, (Ephesians 2:8)

Faith (H 530) em-oo-naw', em-oo-naw'

literally firmness; figuratively security; moral fidelity: - faith (-ful, -ly, -ness, [man]), set

office, stability, steady, truly, truth, verily.

There are only two verses in the Old Testament which contain the word faith

"Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall

live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2:4)

Faith (G4102) pis'-tis

persuasion, that is, credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of

God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly,

constancy in such profession; by extension the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself: -

assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.

So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be

justified by faith. (Galatians 3:24)

We see in the verse that follows that faith is a gift:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing;

it is the gift of God, (Ephesians 2:8)

While Paul was speaking to fellow Christians he says:

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 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself

more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each

according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. (Romans 12:3)

and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith.

(2 Thessalonians 3:2)

We see that faith is a fruit of the Spirit, and so one cannot have faith apart from

having been given the Holy Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, (Galatians 5:22)

and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the

law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that

depends on faith (Philippians 3:9)

Repentance (H5164) no'-kham

ruefulness, that is, desistance: - repentance.

Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from Death?

O Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is

hidden from my eyes. (Hosea 13:14)

Repentance (G3341) met-an'-oy-ah

compunction (for guilt, including reformation); by implication reversal (of [another's]

decision): - repentance.

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 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to

Israel and forgiveness of sins. (Acts 5:31)

When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying,

"Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life." (Acts

11:18)

correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them

repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, (2 Timothy 2:25)

God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning

every one of you from your wickedness. (Acts 3:26)

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience,

not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

(Romans 2:4)

Repentance or turning away from sin, is commonly thought of as a requirement

preceding salvation, however, we find here that it is also something that is given along

with the forgiveness of sins.

Forgiveness (G859) af'-es-is

pardon: - deliverance, forgiveness, liberty, remission.

Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of

sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from

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 everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:38-

39)

to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the

power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place

among those who are sanctified by faith in me. (Acts 26:18)

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,

according to the riches of his grace, (Ephesians 1:7)

Impute (G3049) log-id'-zom-ahee

to take an inventory, that is, estimate (literally or figuratively): - conclude, (ac-) count (of),

+ despise, esteem, impute, lay, number, reason, reckon, suppose, think (on).

No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong

in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what

he had promised. That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness." But

the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone, but for ours

also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus

our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

(Romans 4:20-25)

and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was

counted to him as righteousness"--and he was called a friend of God. (James

2:23)

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Justification (G1345) dik-ah'-yo-sis

From G1344; acquittal (for Christ's sake): - justification.

And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment

following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many

trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man's trespass, death

reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance

of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus

Christ. (Romans 5:16-17)

Justification (G1347) dik-ah'-yo-sis

From G1344; acquittal (for Christ's sake): - justification.

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of

righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. (Romans 5:18)

Justify (H6663) tsaw-dak'

A primitive root; to be (causatively make) right (in a moral or forensic sense): - cleanse,

clear self, (be, do) just (-ice, -ify, -ify self), (be, turn to) righteous (-ness).

Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge

shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and

he shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:11)

Justify G1344 dik-ah-yo'-o

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From G1342; to render (that is, show or regard as) just or innocent: - free, justify (-ier),

be righteous.

And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith,

preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all the nations

be blessed." (Galatians 3:8)

To justify is to be made righteous. Some like to say that justification is God seeing us

just as if wed never sinned. The definition of righteous from the World English

Dictionary is as follows: characterized by, proceeding from, or in accordance with

accepted standards of morality, justice, or uprightness; virtuous: a righteous man

Sanctify (G37) hag-ee-ad'-zo

to make holy, that is, (ceremonially) purify or consecrate; (mentally) to venerate: - hallow,

be holy, sanctify.

And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from

God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, (1 Corinthians 1:30)

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord,

because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the

Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you

may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and

hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by

our letter. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved

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 us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, (2 Thessalonians

2:13-16)

to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the

power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place

among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' (Acts 26:18)

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. (John 17:17)

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called,

beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: (Jude 1:1)

From this last verse, we see that the sanctification which the believer has received

and is receiving, comes from God Himself. This writer's definition of sanctification would

be that sanctification is a process by which the Holy Spirit acts upon the human will that

causes that will to submit more and more to God's will and less and less to the forces of

the world, the flesh, and the devil, thereby producing holiness in the believer.

Redeem (H6299) paw-daw'

to sever, that is, ransom; generally to release, preserve: - X at all, deliver, X by any

means, ransom, (that are to be, let be) redeem (-ed), rescue, X surely

I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of

the ruthless." (Jeremiah 15:21)

Redeem (G1805) exagorazo

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to buy up, that is, ransom; figuratively to rescue from loss (improve opportunity): -

redeem.

to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as

sons. (Galatians 4:5)

Redeemed (G3085) loo-tro'-o

a ransoming (figuratively): redeemed, redemption.

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people

(Luke 1:68)

And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to

open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for

God from every tribe and language and people and nation, (Revelation 5:9)

Redemption (G629) ap-ol-oo'-tro-sis

(the act) ransom in full, that is, (figuratively) riddance, or (specifically) Christian salvation:

- deliverance, redemption.

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,

according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7)

Glorification - Glorified (G1392) dox-ad'-zo

to render (or esteem) glorious (in a wide application): (make) glorify (-ious), full of (have)

glory, honour, magnify.

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 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that

we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:17)

Inheritance (H5159) nakh-al-aw'

properly something inherited, that is, (abstractly) occupancy, or (concretely) an heirloom;

generally an estate, patrimony or portion: - heritage, to inherit, inheritance, possession.

Compare H5158.

And he said, "If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord

go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our

sin, and take us for your inheritance." (Exodus 34:9)

then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel,

when you teach them the good way in which they should walk, and grant rain

upon your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance. (2

Chronicles 6:27)

Inheritance (G2817) klay-ron-om-ee'-ah

heirship, that is, (concretely) a patrimony or (generally) a possession: - inheritance.

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that

we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:17)

Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my

Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

(Matthew 25:34)

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 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to

build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

(Acts 20:32)

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to

the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

(Ephesians 1:11)

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation,

and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the

guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his

glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14)

to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for

you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to

be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:4-5)

so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope

of eternal life. (Titus 3:7)

We have seen in these scriptures that those who are the elect, are predestined to

receive the gifts of grace and faith. Likewise, repentance and forgiveness of sins, are

gifts given by God. Justification, which is also a gift, can be defined as one's standing or

position in Christ, once we are saved. It is an act of God, in which the righteousness of

Christ is imputed to His elect by means of His shed blood, and thereby making the

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payment for their sins. Sanctification is an act of God through the Holy Spirit which sets

us apart as holy. It begins at regeneration, or the new birth, and is a process of

cleansing, separation from the world, and becoming more and more holy. Redemption is

an act of God through which the elect are purchased with the blood of Christ. Although

the purchase of the elect was planned in eternity, the transaction was completed when

Christ shed His blood on the cross. Glorification is a transformation of the body of the

believer, which occurs at the resurrection of the elect. Those who have been saved

inherit promises which are contained in the covenants which God has made with Man.

These promises include the inheritance of land, blessings on earth, and resurrection to

eternal life in heaven with God. We would ask at this point, which of these elements is

not completely God's doing, and not completely in His control? (See a wonderful

synopsis by Matthew Henry in Appendix E ) When studying the bible, look carefully at

the verbs that are used in each clause. We can see when we read these verses that it is

God doing the action. He is the one who initiates our salvation, maintains it and who

ultimately perfects it.

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 Chapter Two

Man's Nature

We can only properly investigate and understand the Holy Scriptures when there is a

right understanding of the nature of man. The improper understanding of man's nature is

a major source of error and confusion, which is prevalent in many of the pulpits in our

churches today. It has been well said that false doctrine is a result of either too high of a

view of man, or too low of a view of God. But what is the nature of man, and what are

man's properties? We use the word nature to mean a set of principles out of which

actions arise. We will begin by looking first at the nature of man before his sin, or before

what is commonly referred to as The Fall. The Bible says that man was made in the

image of God:

And God said, Let us make man in our image after our likeness: (Genesis 1:26a)

This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made

him in the likeness of God. (Genesis 5:1)

We do not assert that man was created in Gods image with respect to his having a

soul, or to his rational or moral attributes. The scriptures tell us that God is a Spirit. A

wrong view regarding mans likeness to God would surely lead to error in doctrine. Man

was created to display Gods own character, by ruling righteously over creation. We

assert that Man was created with two natures; a human nature that was neither

corrupted, nor inclined toward evil, and a divine nature (See also, the further reading

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section - from The Works of Jonathan Edwards). Adam was not born, he was created.

Adam had the capacity to do either good or evil and he could be seen to act from either

nature. Man also displays Gods own nature regarding His fellowship with the other

members of the Holy Trinity; the Son and the Holy Spirit as Man was created also to

have fellowship with others of his own kind. God made Eve, the first woman, to be with

Adam as his helper, and charged them that they not eat of the tree of good and evil,

which stood in the midst of the garden:

And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill

the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the

birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

(Genesis 1:28)

But Man was not yet at his highest level. He was created with the ability to sin, to

choose to act out of his human nature, and with the ability to do evil.

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every

tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not

eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17)

Before Adam and Eve's sin in the Garden of Eden, God walked with them, and had

fellowship with them. God had revealed Himself to man, and was in communion with

him. We would assume that for some period of time before the Fall, man worshiped God

with all his heart, and gave glory to God in all things. But that would change.

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 Eve was tempted by Satan, and believed his lies. She ate of the fruit, and she

offered it to Adam who also ate of the fruit. What were the effects of God's judgment

which resulted from Man's sin? How did sin affect man's nature? How did it affect man's

ability and capacity to love God, and to do God's will? Certainly, our view of the effects of

Gods judgment on man has impact on our understanding of man's relationship with

God. It also shapes the beliefs that we form about that relationship, and what we believe

about the rest of what the Bible teaches us. It affects our understanding of the person of

God himself. Man's sin was disobedience, but the basis of Adam's sin was pride. The

primary result of man's pride is his choice to do his own will, instead of God's will for him.

Man was tempted by Satan according to God's will and purpose, but man chose to

believe Satan's lie regarding the benefits of choosing to do his own will instead of God's

will for him. When Satan tempted man, he offered him godlike power through perfect

knowledge of the truth. Regarding Satan's relationship with God, this was Satan's

attempt to prove to God that Man would rather follow his advice than God's, thereby

elevating him above God. It is interesting to note that regarding Man's relationship to

God, the goal is the same. By disobeying God, Man was in effect saying that he did not

need God, and that he would rather choose to act on his own. Since his promised reward

was perfect knowledge of the truth, he would then be elevated to a position above God.

Pride, in all forms, is actually the exaltation of oneself.

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 But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that

when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing

good and evil." (Genesis 3:4-5)

It may be that the opening of Man's eyes was not a reward. Perhaps, ironically, his

eyes were open to the corruption of his nature which was a result of his sin. Instead of

gaining perfect knowledge of the truth, he now had no knowledge of the real Truth which

is God Himself. Instead of being constantly in Gods presence, and walking with Him in

the garden, now God would have to reveal Himself in order to be seen at all. Their eyes

were open only to their own shame, but they were blind to see God.

Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And

they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. (Genesis 3:7)

Although Adam and Eve's nakedness is referred to as physical, we should not

overlook the obvious symbolic reference to their awareness that their sin was now

exposed. The bible says that there is no remission of sins without the shedding of blood.

Perhaps Adam and Eve repented and made their coverings for themselves out of plants,

but their thinking was already corrupted. We see that this attempt by man to absolve

himself of his sin did not involve sacrifice, and was in contrast to Christ's shed blood

which was to be the only efficacious sacrifice given for man's sin:

Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the

shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.. (Hebrews 9:22)

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 We conclude then that man's thinking was distorted by his pride, exhibited in his

belief that his own remedy for his sin was sufficient. Far from knowing good and evil, as

Satan had falsely suggested, man now could not properly comprehend, or discover

spiritual truth, without divine intervention. He had totally lost the image of God. He had

lost his Father-son relationship.

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are

folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually

discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14)

The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be

born, speaking lies. (Psalms 58:3)

We have all heard the verse:

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus

our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

The wages of sin is death. What does that mean? It means that when Adam and

Eve chose to disobey God they were punished with separation from God, and lost his

divine nature.

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through

sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned (Romans 5:12)

Adams sin alienated all of mankind from God. Fellowship between man and God

was broken. He was no longer a son. Man came under the penalty of sin which is death.

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Adam and Eve were driven from the presence of the LORD and no longer had direct

access to God in the Garden of Eden. Adams spiritual death was immediate while the

physical death came later. He was now, created in the image, of satan himself. When

Adam was banished from the presence of God, all of mankind was banished. In

theological terms, this is called federal headship, which means that as our

representative, the consequences of Adams choices are passed on to us as his

descendants. When Adam was driven away, a block was put at the Garden so no one

could enter. Adam was blocked so he could not obtain eternal life in the Garden, and

thus he would have eternal life in a sinful state. This would mean eternal separation

from God for him and for all mankind.

And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good

and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and

eat, and live for ever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of

Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and

he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword

which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. (Genesis 3:22-24)

When Adam disobeyed God, Adam was punished and his human nature became

corrupted. Man became subject to physical death; but more tragic, he also became

spiritually dead, and he was left having only one nature, and that nature was evil.

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 Death, we should know, is not a partial state. It is total. Man's nature was evil as the

Bible so clearly says:

And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every

imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5)

The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had

corrupted his way upon the earth. (Genesis 6:11-12)

And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not

again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's

heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living,

as I have done. (Genesis 8:21)

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done

abominable works, there is none that doeth good. (Psalms 14:1)

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good

fruit. (Matthew 7:18)

Among whom also we had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh,

fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children

of wrath, even as others. (Ephesians 2:3)

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 as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one

seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no

one does good, not even one. (Romans 3:10-12)

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked who can know it?

(Jeremiah 17:9) KJV

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to

God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

(Romans 8:7-8)

for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as

children of light (Ephesians 5:8)

This is man's condition even today. Although through salvation by God's grace many

shall be delivered, they are still under the bondage of corruption:

that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain

the freedom of the glory of the children of God. (Romans 8:21)

Natural Man is hopeless and helpless, and does not have the ability to love God, or

to even approach Him. All of mankind has inherited this condition through the very genes

of Adam with the exception of Jesus Christ, who did not have an earthly father. In

theological terms, this is referred to as the seminal headship of Adam, since the whole

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human race inherited Adams genes. This is referred to as original sin, due to having its

origins with Adam and Eve.

Regarding original sin, George Whitefied (pronounced WHIT - field), the father of the

Great Awakening in England and America, says in this sermon The Method of Grace:

When the sinner is first awakened, he begins to wonder, How came I to be so wicked?

The Spirit of God then strikes in, and shows that he has no good thing in him by nature;

then he sees that he is altogether gone out of the way, that he is altogether become

abominable, and the poor creature is made to live down at the foot of the throne of God,

and to acknowledge that God would be just to damn him, just to cut him off, though he

never had committed one actual sin in his life. Did you ever feel and experience this, any

of you _ to justify God in your damnation _ to own that you are by nature children of

wrath, and that God may justly cut you off, though you never actually had offended him

in all your life? If you were ever truly convicted, if your hearts were ever truly cut, if self

were truly taken out of you, you would be made to see and feel this. And if you have

never felt the weight of original sin, do not call yourselves Christians. I am verily

persuaded original sin is the greatest burden of a true convert; this ever grieves the

regenerate soul, the sanctified soul. The indwelling of sin in the heart is the burden of a

converted person; it is the burden of a true Christian. He continually cries out, O! who

will deliver me from this body of death,' this indwelling corruption in my heart? This is that

which disturbs a poor soul most. And, therefore, if you never felt this inward corruption, if

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you never saw that God might justly curse you for it, indeed, my dear friends, you may

speak peace to your hearts, but I fear, nay, I know, there is no true peace.

Man's will conforms to, or is limited, by his nature. One definition of the will is given

by Jonathan Edwards in his work, Edwards-On Freedom of the Will, as follows: And

therefore I observe, that the Will (without any metaphysical refining) is that by which the

mind chooses anything. The faculty of the Will, is that power, or principle of mind, by

which it is capable of choosing: an act of the Will is the same as an act of choosing or

choice.

In order to have free will, man must have both desire for a certain outcome, and

also the ability to affect that outcome. Man is able to make choices, but cannot

necessarily control the outcome of those choices. As we know, there are many things we

cannot control. The real question is not whether man can choose, but can he, by this

choices, control his environment, himself; or his destiny? As we have seen in the

Scriptures, Adam (Man) was created with a desire to be with God, to fellowship with Him,

and he was created with a nature that had love towards God. But as a result of his sin,

God took away divine nature which was first abiding in him. Man can no longer act from

that nature, because it is dead. The choices he makes now are only within the scope of

his corrupt nature, and he has no desire for things outside of that nature. He no longer

has a desire to be with God or to know Him. Furthermore his nature now does not allow

him to act independently to do good. Of course man can do that which is morally good

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from the viewpoint of society. He can give money to charity, help restore health to

people, and contribute in a meaningful way to many worthwhile causes, but he now has

neither the desire nor ability to love God. Dear reader, how will you recover that which

God Himself has taken away?

Again from George Whitefield: Nature cannot act above itself - It is impossible that a

man that is unconverted can act for the glory of God, he cannot do anything in faith, for

whatsoever is not of faith is sin. Indeed our deists tell us, that man now has a free will to

do well, to love God, and to repent when he will: but indeed there is no free will in any of

you, but to sin, nay, your free will leads you so far, that you would if possible, pull God

from his throne. We are no freer to love God and fellowship with him than a prisoner in

maximum security is free to roam the streets. We are prisoners of our corrupt nature;

bound by our evil desires. When divine intervention is absent, Man's will is directed to

serve himself exclusively. The desire of man is self-centered, not God-centered. Mans

love for God is blocked, much like the entrance to the Garden of Eden is blocked by a

flaming sword.

He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the

cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree

of life. (Genesis 3:24)

Real life, eternal life, is knowing God, and loving him.

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 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ

whom you have sent. (John 17:3)

It is of utmost importance that we realize that man's nature is not partially evil and

corrupt, but totally corrupt, lacking any capacity to do good, to please God, or to love

God. Without accepting this premise, we are unable to truly understand the Bible, or to

make sense of it. If man at this point has some capacity to do good, or to love God, then

there would be hope for man. He would be without the need of a Redeemer. He would

just have to work harder, do better, and basically never sin to receive eternal life. We will

never eat the fruit of tree of life without Gods permission, and without a new nature.

Reader, do you not see the hopelessness and helplessness of your condition? God have

mercy on us. Please Lord let us know you. Reveal yourself to us and give us a new

nature, that we may love you, worship you, serve, and give you glory. Forgive us for the

sin which has separated us from you. Amen

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 Chapter Three

How is Man Judged?

Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the

Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all

your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this:

'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment

greater than these. (Mark 12:29-31)

God judges man according to the law. Very simply, man is judged by these two

things; his lack of love for God, and by his evil deeds toward his fellow man.

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were

opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead

were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.

And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead

who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what

they had done. (Revelation 20:12-13)

"So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is

the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12)

Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' O house of Israel, I will judge each

of you according to his ways." (Ezekiel 33:20)

He will render to each one according to his works: (Romans 2:6)

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so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that

perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and

honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:7)

And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's

deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, (1 Peter

1:17)

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the

law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held

accountable to God. (Romans 3:19)

For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the

one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:19)

Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are

worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

(Romans 1:32)

We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such

things. (Romans 2:2)

But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for

yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. He

will render to each one according to his works: (Romans 2:5-6)

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 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the

darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. (John 3:19)

Christ has been given the authority to judge fallen man. He says that man will be

resurrected to judgment based on whether they have done good or bad. This is judgment

according to the law of Moses.

For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life

in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the

Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the

tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the

resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

(John 5:26-29)

Yet God says that no one is good;

They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none

who does good, not even one. (Psalms 14:3)

And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God

alone. (Luke 18:19)

Chafer and others say that we are condemned to hell by rejecting Christ, and not for

sins committed, because those sins are already forgiven. However, as we have

discovered, man is indeed judged by his sins. And if rejecting Christ is the only sin for

which we are judged as he contends, then we are not truly forgiven of all of our sins; we

39
would be forgiven of all except the one which would damn us. That would not be true

forgiveness. And as we have already seen, Man by nature cannot accept Christ without

divine intervention, so that none would be saved by this rule; for we would all reject Him.

Man is condemned by his very nature, and in his conscience he knows this. The

sentence of death was passed upon all men, even before the Mosaic Law. There are

some even now, that have no knowledge of that Law which was once written on tables of

stone, yet the law of God is written in the hearts of all men.

For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of

the law who will be justified. For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by

nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they

do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts,

while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or

even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the

secrets of men by Christ Jesus. (Romans 2:13-16)

We see in chapter twenty-five of Matthew from the Olivet Discourse that Jesus

speaks of judgment upon Man not for what they believed about Christ, but because of

the way they treated fellow Jews:

Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty

or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he

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 will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the

least of these, you did not do it to me.' (Matthew 25:44-45)

In John chapter 6 we see a discourse regarding the works and testimony of Jesus,

and a focus on judgment regarding those who did not believe on him:

On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that

there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with

his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. (John 6:22)

Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not

because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor

for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the

Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal." (John

6:26-27)

What does this link between the Father and the Son have to do with judgment? Of

course; it is more than a link, it is equality. The Jews understood judgment as pertaining

to the Law of Moses and the Ten Commandments. Not to honor the Father, would be

breaking the first commandment. While it is certainly true that to reject Christ would be to

reject the Father and dishonor Him, therefore breaking the law, this is quite different from

saying that breaking the first commandment, is the only sin which condemns us and

separates us from God. Man is already condemned.

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 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is

condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of

God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved

the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone

who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his

works should be exposed. (John 3:18-20)

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall

I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do

you read it?" And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your

heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and

your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do

this, and you will live." (Luke 10:25-28)

Now, you might say that this verse proves that we are condemned because we

dont believe in the person and work of Christ as God in the flesh, as if its because we

choose not to believe. But first of all, the Greek word here for because, can also be

translated, in that. It is our condition not by choice but by nature, and our choice is

simply governed by that nature. In other words, we chose not to believe simply because

we cannot believe. Our nature condemns us because we are born with a nature which

does NOT believe, and CANNOT believe, and we act out of that nature always and only

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in an evil way! Secondly, Jesus goes on to say that this condemnation also based on our

deeds.

And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment

following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many

trespasses brought justification. (Romans 5:16)

and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could

not be freed by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:39)

For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable

for all of it. (James 2:10)

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the

law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held

accountable to God. (Romans 3:19)

yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in

Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by

faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will

be justified. (Galatians 2:16)

Here we also see that to believe is to have faith. We know that faith is a gift, and so

believing is likewise a gift. Only those who are chosen by God to be saved are forgiven

of all of their sins, and this includes even the sin of hating and rejecting God. Only Jesus

Himself can make a man free, and when He does so, He does it completely. Note for the

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sake of future reference, that while not keeping the law condemns us, keeping the law

does not save us!

For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

(Hebrews 10:4)

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36)

yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. (John 5:40)

I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. (John 5:43)

We see this again in the following verse:

Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you:

Moses, on whom you have set your hope. (John 5:45)

Jesus is saying that even though man will not receive Him, He will not accuse them

before the Father because of it. Man already stands accused. It is the law of Moses

which condemns man. It is free, sovereign grace, which justifies. If Jesus is not God in

the flesh, then it would not be a sin to not believe in Him. It would not break the

commandment that there shall not be any other gods before Him. Yet Jesus refers to the

judgment associated with not believing on Him.

I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you

will die in your sins." (John 8:24)

Jesus equates Himself with God the Father by saying:

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 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light,

so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my

words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the

world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my

words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

(John 12:45-48)

What word is Jesus referring to? Jesus refers here to His deity, His equality with the

Father. While in the previous verses, and in the first use of the word in the phrase, If

anyone hears my words, the word word refers to something spoken, while its use here

in the next phrase, The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a

judge, is the same as that in John 1:1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was

God. (John 1:1)

Jesus is saying that their disbelief in Him belies their disbelief in God, which violates

the Mosaic Law, and the Natural Law that existed before the Mosaic Law. But there is

nothing in the verse here, that forces the interpretation that their belief or disbelief is by

their own choice. Note that Jesus did not come into the world to judge the world. He

came into the world to die. But He will indeed come back again to judge the world in, or

based on, righteousness.

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 Chapter Four

Gods Glory

God's will naturally follows His purpose

It can be said that on the most basic level, Gods will is to glorify Himself in all things.

God made all things for Himself.

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,

whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created

through him and for him. (Colossians 1:16)

the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise. Yet you

did not call upon me.. (Isaiah 43:21-22)

that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord

Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for

the glory of God. (Romans 15:6-7)

All people are commanded to glorify God

for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians

6:20)

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1

Corinthians 10:31)

There are many scriptures in the bible which give us knowledge of how God is

glorified. Let us look at some of these verses.

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God is glorified in setting up an eternal kingdom on the earth

Most of us are familiar with the Lords prayer, found in Matthew chapter six. It

shows us that Gods will to be glorified (as associated with His name), is manifested in

His setting up an eternal kingdom on earth so that all His people will worship and glorify

Him forever. Jesus says regarding prayer:

Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom

come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:9-10)

God is glorified by revealing Himself to Man

God's will is for His people to know His name, that He might be glorified.

I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to

carved idols. (Isaiah 42:8)

Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know

that it is I who speak; here am I. (Isaiah 52:6)

Then Moses said to God, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The

God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?'

what shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said,

"Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you. (Exodus 3:13-14)

For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the

nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure

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 offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts.

(Malachi 1:11)

For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be

profaned? My glory I will not give to another. (Isaiah 48:11)

Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it,

and I will glorify it again." (John 12:28)

God is glorified in His People

the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise. (Isaiah

43:21)

Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD has said, 'Among those who

are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.'" And

Aaron held his peace. (Leviticus 10:3)

everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I

formed and made. (Isaiah 43:7)

And he said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.(Isaiah

49:3)

to grant to those who mourn in Zion-- to give them a beautiful headdress instead

of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of

a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the

LORD, that he may be glorified. (Isaiah 61:3)

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 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at

among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. (2

Thessalonians 1:10)

Gods' will in choosing a people for Himself is indicated to us in the Bible as I will be

their God and they shall be My people. It is perhaps the single phrase which underlies

all of God's dealings with man. It is eye opening to take note of the passages in the bible

which contain God's awesome, I will. It is the central element of the blessing of the

covenant of grace. It clearly testifies to God's sovereignty, and gives the reader much on

which to joyfully meditate. It clearly shows that it is God who is doing the action, not man.

I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings

shall come from you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and

your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant,

to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you and to your

offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an

everlasting possession, and I will be their God. (Genesis 17:6-8)

And for the house of Israel there shall be no more a brier to prick or a thorn to

hurt them among all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then

they will know that I am the Lord GOD. "Thus says the Lord GOD: When I gather

the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and

manifest my holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell in

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 their own land that I gave to my servant Jacob. And they shall dwell securely in it,

and they shall build houses and plant vineyards. They shall dwell securely, when I

execute judgments upon all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt.

Then they will know that I am the LORD their God. (Ezekiel 28:24-26)

For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this

land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not

pluck them up. And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and

they shall be my people and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with

their whole heart. (Jeremiah 24:6-7)

Thus says the LORD of hosts: behold, I will save my people from the east country

and from the west country, and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.

And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in

righteousness. (Zechariah 8:7-8)

And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying,

Know the LORD, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the

greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember

their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:34)

By eternal decree in His discriminating love, God has says that He will give His

people a new heart and a new nature, a nature that will love and obey him.

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And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart

and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of

their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will

not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their

hearts, that they may not turn from me. (Jeremiah 32:38-40)

I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring

you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean

from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will

give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the

heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit

within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people,

and I will be your God. (Ezekiel 36:24-28)

Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their

detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of

all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall

they be my people, and I will be their God. (Ezekiel 37:23)

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,

saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and

they shall be to me a people: (Hebrews 8:10)

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 and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my

people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness. (Zechariah

8:8)

It is quite interesting here to see the word selection where it says, I will when

referring to God but they shall when referring to man. When God wills something it shall

be done. Here, in the verses we have just examined, we see that the forgiveness,

obedience, and destiny of God's people are of His own will and purpose. The rest of

mankind will go the way of its nature. It is certainly difficult to comprehend that this is

also within God's will and purpose. But what God allows is indeed God's will, and God is

to be glorified in all He does and all He allows.

God is glorified in miracles of physical healing

God's healing of certain ones is symbolic of the spiritual healing that He gives by His

grace through the faith which He bestows on those He chooses.

But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive

sins"--he then said to the paralytic--"Rise, pick up your bed and go home." And he

rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified

God, who had given such authority to men. (Matthew 9:6-8)

But when Jesus heard it he said, "This illness does not lead to death. It is for the

glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it. (John 11:4)

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 so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled

healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of

Israel. (Matthew 15:31)

And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she

glorified God. (Luke 13:13)

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud

voice glorified God (Luke 17:15) KJV uses praised God, in ESV

Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly

this was a righteous man. (Luke 23:47) KJV KJV uses praised God, in ESV

And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: "Men of Israel, why do you

wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we

have made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of

Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered

over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him.

(Acts 3:12-13)

God is glorified in the fulfillment of His promises

Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch

of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified. (Isaiah 60:21)

God is glorified in the judgment of the wicked

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 and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against you, O Sidon, and I will

manifest my glory in your midst. And they shall know that I am the LORD when I

execute judgments in her and manifest my holiness in her; (Ezekiel 28:22)

With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him, and I will rain

upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him torrential rains

and hailstones, fire and sulfur. So I will show my greatness and my holiness and

make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the

LORD. (Ezekiel 38:22-23)

All the people of the land will bury them, and it will bring them renown on the day

that I show my glory, declares the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 39:13)

God is glorified when His people live in harmony and welcome one another

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony

with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one

voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one

another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (Romans 15:5-7)

God is glorified when we sing His praises together as the body of Christ

and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

"Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name." And

again it is said, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people." And again, "Praise the

Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him." (Romans 15:9-11)

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God is glorified in the fruitfulness of His people

By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my

disciples. (John 15:8)

God is glorified in the fulfillment of His promises

Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch

of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified. (Isaiah 60:21)

God is glorified in the suffering of His children

If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of

glory and of God rests upon you. (1 Peter 4:14)

Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify

God in that name. (1 Peter 4:16)

God is glorified in the death of His children

(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after

saying this he said to him, "Follow me. (John 21:19)

God is glorified in the prayers of His people

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in

the Son. (John 14:13)

God is glorified in His Son

..the fullest expression of God and His glory come in the person and work of the Lord

Jesus Christ .. (Rev Dan McManigal)

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 And he said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified. (Isaiah

49:3)

Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not

know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One

of Israel, for he has glorified you. (Isaiah 55:5)

And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. (Luke 4:15)

Jesus says in the verses that follow:

...When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said,

"Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, (John

17:1)

whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one

who serves by the strength that God supplies--in order that in everything God may

be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and

ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:11)

When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is

glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and

glorify him at once. (John 13:31-32)

Jesus is glorified as God the Son

And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be

glorified. (John 12:23)

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I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.

And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with

you before the world existed. (John 17:4-5)

I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.

And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with

you before the world existed. (John 17:4-5)

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 Chapter Five

Gods will

God's will is to bless man on earth

And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the

earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds

of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (Genesis

1:28)

One cult in particular focuses on this last verse as the primary or sole purpose of

man however; it is more accurately what man is meant to do while fulfilling God's

purpose. They are actually blessings bestowed on man while he is in service to God.

The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and

keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of

every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you

shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:15-

17)

God's will is to give eternal life to the elect through the blood of Christ

For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes

in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." (John 6:40)

God's will is to purify and sanctify the church

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 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle

or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:27)

The church is the body of Christ which is made up of those who God has called to

believe in Him. It should be noted that the verses which refer to the called, the elect,

etc., speak to God's will for the church, however we will present here verses which deal

directly with God's will for the church.

And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from

the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. (Colossians 1:18)

God's will is for His church to bring forth fruit which is the evidence of faith

Gods people love each other and all people in general because of the love they

have for Christ.

Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ,

so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in

order that we may bear fruit for God. (Romans 7:4)

Ultimately, the church is to be conformed to the image and likeness of Christ,

reflecting His glory.

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image

of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And

those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also

justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:29-30)

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God's will is that His children will pray to Him, and thank Him for everything

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is

the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best

use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but

understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is

debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and

hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your

heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of

our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

(Ephesians 5:15-21)

Man cannot resist God's will

In spite of man's inability to choose Him, God has chosen a people for Himself and in

doing so He glorifies Himself. God has said:

Why, when I came, was there no man; why, when I called, was there no one to

answer? Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to

deliver? Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a desert; their

fish stink for lack of water and die of thirst. (Isaiah 50:2)

How then can man resist God's will, if He chooses to save? And if God chooses to

destroy, is man able to prevent Him? You may say rightly, that all men resist God's will.

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Yes, by nature they do. But God's will prevails over those who He intends to save. For

the others, God allows their own sinful will to prevail.

For it was the LORD's doing to harden their hearts that they should come against

Israel in battle, in order that they should be devoted to destruction and should

receive no mercy but be destroyed, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

(Joshua 11:20)

At a lodging place on the way the LORD met him and sought to put him to

death. (Exodus 4:24)

I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the

LORD, who does all these things. (Isaiah 45:7)

We do not assert that God is the author of sin. This verse is perhaps best

understood by examining the last clause, which says, I the LORD do all these things.

God directs the affairs and hence, the destiny of every man. Perhaps the most prominent

example of God choosing to destroy man, is given in Genesis when He caused the Flood

to destroy all but eight persons on earth.

So the LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the

land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am

sorry that I have made them. (Genesis 6:7)

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 For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and

every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.

(Genesis 7:4)

We present these verses here to help us understand the true nature of the God of

the Bible. Many cannot believe this side of the nature of God, and are led by their own

error into confusion and false religion.

The LORD has done what he purposed; he has carried out his word, which he

commanded long ago; he has thrown down without pity; he has made the enemy

rejoice over you and exalted the might of your foes. (Lamentations 2:17)

Look, O LORD, and see! With whom have you dealt thus? Should women eat

the fruit of their womb, the children of their tender care? Should priest and prophet

be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord? In the dust of the streets lie the young and

the old; my young women and my young men have fallen by the sword; you have

killed them in the day of your anger, slaughtering without pity. (Lamentations

2:20-21)

It could be supposed that God allowed even those who believed on Him to die with

those who didn't, but the writer the book of Lamentations knew that God was justified in

allowing this.

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 The LORD is in the right, for I have rebelled against his word; but hear, all you

peoples, and see my suffering; my young women and my young men have gone

into captivity. (Lamentations 1:18)

Some will surely say, I cannot believe in a God that would do that to His own

people. There are some that think, I would never do this to my own children. This is

perhaps the beginning of man creating his own god, a god created in his own image. No

dear reader, we must not do that. We must accept what God has revealed about

Himself. God loves His own far more than we, as humans, can love each other. And do

we not as parents, correct our children out of love, in order to teach them to obey and to

respect us? We must not be hasty to form a personal opinion about God. It is the root of

false teaching. Of course it is pride which is the root of all false teaching, but our pride

would cause us to imagine that we know more about what God should be like, than that

which He has revealed to us.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares

the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher

than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

We must empty ourselves of our preconceived notions and beliefs. Let the Holy

Spirit guide us in our reading of His word, and we will come to know the God of the Bible

better. Even if we cannot always understand why God acts in a certain way, we must

simply stand it awe and know that God is indeed righteous and just in all He does.

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 Chapter Six

Covenants

While Christ and His work of redemption is the center of the bible, and the fullest

expression of Gods glory, God has chosen to relate to the people He has created

through covenants. The covenants are the vehicle by which God takes man from a state

of sinfulness, and brings him into a state of grace. Covenants in the bible, are divinely

sanctioned commitments, where God has either made the commitment, or has

witnessed it. These commitments are a type of legal arrangement, which have a binding

nature; a transaction which is ratified by an oath, and which comes with blessings for

mans continuation in the covenant agreement, and curses for breaking the covenant

conditions. Broadly speaking, all of Scripture is covered by three God initiated

covenants; the covenant of works, the covenant of grace, and the covenant of

redemption (Some theologians consider only two covenants; the covenant of works, and

the covenant of grace).

Regarding the covenant of works, let us return to the Garden of Eden and examine

the state of man there. Man was not in a state of eternal bliss but may attain to it by his

works; acting out of his good (divine) nature, through his obedience to God. And yet he

could sin and thereby bring death upon himself and all his descendants. His freedom

was mutable. He was not at his highest state, which would be to do good only, as Christ

Himself. The first, or Old, covenant was made with Adam, the first man, and the New

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covenant was made with the second God-man, Jesus Christ. The first covenant was

broken by mans disobedience in the Garden of Eden. The New Covenant was kept

through the perfect, sinless life of Jesus Christ, and His death gave His elect, the church,

the reward of eternal life, and everlasting fellowship with the church, to the glory of God.

These covenants, the Old Covenant, and the New Covenant, should not be confused

with the Old, and the New, Testaments in the bible. Under the covenant of grace, both

the Old and the New Testament of the Bible have to do with salvation by grace alone,

good works as the fruit of a real and living faith, and the expansion of the kingdom of

God.

You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your

fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth

be blessed.' God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you

by turning every one of you from your wickedness. (Acts 3:25-26)

"and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins." (Romans

11:27)

The covenant of redemption is different from the others in that it was not made with

man. It was made between the members of the Godhead; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It

therefore could not be broken by man. In establishing the covenant of redemption with

His Son, Jesus Christ, God accomplished His will of choosing a people for Himself (See

appendix F). The covenant of redemption was planned by God from eternity past, and

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was not an afterthought or an alternative to the broken covenant of works. Christ

Himself would represent Gods chosen ones (and even more, be in union with them),

and would be the one to perfectly keep the covenant that God made with Adam, since

He alone was unable to sin. Hence eternal life for man (His elect) would be achieved,

giving glory to God.

The covenant of grace was made after sin entered the world, and is the progressive

historical account of the administration of the Gospel in the history of redemption. It can

be thought of as an overflow of the Covenant of Redemption into the life of man after the

Fall. Thought the covenant was made with man, Christ is said to be the mediator of the

covenant. By His sinless life and sacrificial death, He fulfilled the terms of covenant in

our place. The Covenant of Grace is a covenant that put into force by the death of Christ

and the shedding of His blood, which was the seal of the covenant. While the covenant

of redemption has to do with the acquiring of salvation, the covenant of grace has to do

with imparting of salvation. Woven into the fabric of the covenant of grace, God made

several covenants with His people Israel and with man in general. They may be

considered the historical development or unfolding of Gods plan to redeem His people,

the elect, and to establish His kingdom on earth, to His glory. God made three

unconditional covenants with His people, Israel: the Abrahamic, Palestinian, and Davidic

covenants. They were to be fulfilled regardless of Israel's obedience or disobedience.

God made the Mosaic Covenant with Israel through Moses, and it is conditional in

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nature. There are associated blessings or curses, depending on Israel's obedience or

disobedience. The relationship between the Mosaic Covenant and the Covenant of

Works itself is one that bible scholars are still exploring. The Noahic Covenant, and the

New Covenant, God made with mankind in general, and are not limited to the nation of

Israel. The New Covenant was a further unfolding of the covenant that God made with

Abraham.

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new

covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant

that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring

them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their

husband, declares the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the

house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them,

and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my

people. (Jeremiah 31:31-33)

And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among

them. I am the LORD; I have spoken. "I will make with them a covenant of peace

and banish wild beasts from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the

wilderness and sleep in the woods. (Ezekiel 34:24-25)

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my

reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him

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who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom

endures from generation to generation; (Daniel 4:34)

Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my

anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place,

and I will make them dwell in safety. And they shall be my people, and I will be

their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever,

for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make with them

an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I

will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice

in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my

heart and all my soul. "For thus says the LORD: Just as I have brought all this

great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I

promise them. (Jeremiah 32:37-42)

"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the

Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds," then he

adds, "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more." (Hebrews

10:16-17)

But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than

the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better

promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no

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 occasion to look for a second. For he finds fault with them when he says: "Behold,

the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with

the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made

with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the

land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no

concern for them, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with

the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their

minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be

my people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his

brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them

to the greatest. For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember

their sins no more." In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one

obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish

away. (Hebrews 8:6-13)

One of the primary features of God's covenant with His people is the forgiveness of

their sins. Those who have their sins taken away are those whom God has chosen to be

in covenant with Him.

to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the

power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place

among those who are sanctified by faith in me. (Acts 26:18)

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 The forgiveness of sins is not universal. It is only for those in covenant with God by

His own eternal decree. It comes about when God implants a new nature in those He

saves. The new nature is a divine nature and with it comes faith in Christ as Redeemer.

And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly,

his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of

the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: "Blessed are those

whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; (Romans 4:5-7)

The New Covenant not only includes the forgiveness of sins, but promises eternal

life in fellowship with God. It is a covenant of redemption.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us--for it is

written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"-- so that in Christ Jesus the

blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the

promised Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:13-14)

Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called

may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that

redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

(Hebrews 9:15)

This verse contains in it a description of salvation. According to the terms of the New

Covenant, Christ died for those which are called, and they are to receive the promise of

eternal inheritance, or eternal life. We tend to think that the Old Testament, and the

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New Testament, refer to specific time periods. As a result, we see the chosen people of

God, Israel, as being different than the church of today. Actually, the law of Moses is the

only covenant referred to as old, in the New Testament (2 Cor. 3:14; cf. Heb. 8:6, 13).

Robert L. Reymond says in his paper called Five Arguments for the Unity of the

Covenant of Grace (See reference in Appendix of Resources), These passages of

Scripture make it clear that the promises of God, covenantally given to Abraham, that he

would be the God of Abraham and of his (spiritual) descendants after him forever (Gen.

17:7-8) extend temporally to the farthest reaches of the future and include within their

compass the entire community of the redeemed. This is just to say that the Abrahamic

covenant, in the specific prospect it holds forth of the salvation of the entire church of

God, is identical with the soteric program of the covenant of grace, indeed, is identical

with the covenant of grace itself. It also means specifically that the blessings of the

covenant of grace which believers enjoy today under the sanctions of the New

Testament economy are founded upon the covenant which God made with Abraham.

Said another way, the new covenant itself is simply the administrative extension and

unfolding of the Abrahamic covenant. Thus the temporal and spiritual reach of the

Abrahamic covenant establishes and secures the organic unity and continuity of the one

church of God composed of the people of God living both before and after the cross.

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 Redemption is the imputed righteousness of Christ. In this way, Christ lives in the

believer; the one who has faith in Him, and faith in what He did on the cross. Before

Christ went to die on the cross, He said this to his disciples:

Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because

I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in

me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who

loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and

manifest myself to him." (John 14:19-21)

that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they

also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory

that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we

are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the

world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I

desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to

see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation

of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I

know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your

name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have

loved me may be in them, and I in them." (John 17:21-26)

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 Christ lives supernaturally in every believer, and with respect to our sinful nature,

God only sees His righteous son when He looks upon His children. Before we leave the

discussion of covenants, it should be noted that there is a unity of the covenants with

regard to the sacraments; every covenant having a sign, which is the sacrament

associated with it. John Calvin, who we will mention later, contributed much in his works,

to this. For example, he suggested that the tree in the Garden of Eden was a sign of the

covenant of works, not that the tree of life actually gave eternal life, but that it was a sign

and seal of a covenant promise. Please see in further reading, J. Ligon Duncan, III - 12

Lectures on the biblical, theological, and historical study of Gods Covenants, and What

is Covenant Theology.

The study of covenants is complex, yet of utmost importance in dealing with the

study of the bible and Gods plan for the redemption of His people. In the 1640s the

early church put together a statements of its beliefs, (The Westminster Shorter

Catechism, The Westminster Confession of Faith, and the Westminster Larger

Catechism), which were built on covenant theology. Please do not be discouraged by

the depth of some of these discussions. Always rely on the Holy Spirit to guide you in

your own studies, and to teach you what you are meant to know. We have already said

that we dont know all the answers, and although some teachings are plainly taught,

others are still being revealed to those who explore the riches of Gods word further.

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 Chapter Seven

God's Chosen People

When we hear the phrase God's chosen people, we immediately think of the Jewish

nation. But God took the kingdom away from them because of their idolatry, and gave it

to another people. True Israel, the church, is the body of Christ; the temple, or tabernacle

of God.

Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to

a people producing its fruits. (Matthew 21:43)

I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be

found by those who did not seek me. I said, "Here am I, here am I," to a nation

that was not called by my name. (Isaiah 65:1)

For it is written, "Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry

aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more

than those of the one who has a husband." Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are

children of promise. (Galatians 4:27-28)

God explains it here:

But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended

from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are

his offspring, but "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." This means that

it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of

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 the promise are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said: "About

this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son." And not only so, but

also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac,

though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad--in order

that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because

of him who calls (Romans 9:6-11)

Let us take a moment to examine some of the words which refer to Gods people.

Chosen (H972) baw-khar'

A primitive root; properly to try, that is, (by implication) select: - acceptable, appoint,

choose (choice), excellent, join, be rather, require.

You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse, and the Lord GOD will put

you to death, but his servants he will call by another name. (Isaiah 65:15)

In the New Testament, the first mention of the word elect, comes from Matthew

24:22:

And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But

for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. (Matthew 24:22)

The Bible says that man does not choose God, but God chooses man.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go

and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father

in my name, he may give it to you. (John 15:16)

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 They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord

of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful."

(Revelation 17:14)

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord,

because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the

Spirit and belief in the truth. (2 Thessalonians 2:13)

God has chosen those to whom He wishes to be revealed. To those, He imparts an

understanding of Himself and His ways. They know Him because it is the divine nature

which is given them.

All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who

the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to

whom the Son chooses to reveal him. (Luke 10:22)

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of

wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts

enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what

are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, (Ephesians 1:17-18)

and he said to Korah and all his company, "In the morning the LORD will show

who is his, and who is holy, and will bring him near to him. The one whom he

chooses he will bring near to him. (Numbers 16:5)

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 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall

be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!

(Psalms 65:4)

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to

worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God

chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in

the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world,

even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, (1 Corinthians 1:26-

28)

The inheritance is in the covenant, and the God of the covenant determines the

destiny of His people. Did God make a covenant with everyone? Does everyone have an

inheritance that, all he has to do is claim? This is certainly a popular belief and teaching

found in many of our churches today. But we find that in the bible, God's covenants are

always with a special and specific group of people. He refers to this group throughout the

bible by names such as, elect, sheep, the Church, the Bride, my people, the

remnant, the called, the chosen, and others.

Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens

vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it

will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will

never be dismayed. (Isaiah 51:6)

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 So the last will be first, and the first last. (Matthew 20:16)

They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord

of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.

(Revelation 17:14)

including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, To all those in Rome who

are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our

Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:6-7)

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for

those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he

also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might

be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also

called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he

also glorified. (Romans 8:28-30)

In a sense, our decision for Christ was made for us, before we were born; and it

was made by GOD, before the world existed, without even consulting us! We were

adopted according to God's will, not our own will.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in

Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, (Ephesians 1:3)

Paul acknowledges that God set him apart for salvation, and chose him before he

was born:

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 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his

grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him

among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; (Galatians 1:15-

16)

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen

and precious, (1 Peter 2:4)

And again, God chooses us, we do not choose Him.

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord,

because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the

Spirit and belief in the truth. (2 Thessalonians 2:13)

Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my

Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

(Matthew 25:34)

and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been

written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was

slain. (Revelation 13:8)

The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless

pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been

written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the

beast, because it was and is not and is to come. (Revelation 17:8)

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 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but

because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before

the ages began, (2 Timothy 1:9)

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for

those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

We stop there but look at the verses which follow.

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image

of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And

those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also

justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:29-30)

The ASV translation has the first verse:

For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his

Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren: (Romans 8:29)

Remember that from our previous study, the meaning of predestine, from Thayer's

Lexicon of Greek words:

1) to predetermine, decide beforehand

2) in the NT of God decreeing from eternity

3) to foreordain, appoint beforehand

The following verse uses the same word to tell us that Christ was foreordained to

come to earth as a man, to lead a sinless life, and to die for the salvation of Gods elect.

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 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in

the last times for the sake of you (1 Peter 1:19-20)

Did God just look down the corridors of time and see what we would do, what

choices we would make, and what Christ would do? Or did He cause it? How could God

predestine something to happen, without foreordaining it? Christs death was planned,

and likewise our salvation was planned.

Elect (H972) - Chosen (H972) baw-khar'

A primitive root; properly to try, that is, (by implication) select: - acceptable, appoint,

choose (choice), excellent, join, be rather, require.

We see that the same Hebrew word is used for both elect, and chosen.

The first instance in the Bible of the word elect as it applies to man, is in Isaiah

45:4:

For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name,

I name you, though you do not know me. (Isaiah 45:4)

"Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am he; I am the first, and I

am the last. (Isaiah 48:12)

I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah possessors of my

mountains; my chosen shall possess it, and my servants shall dwell there.

(Isaiah 65:9)

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 I, even I, have spoken and called him; I have brought him, and he will prosper in

his way. (Isaiah 48:15)

He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah

(Psalms 47:4)

Elect (G1588) ek-lek-tos'

select; by implication favorite: - chosen, elect.

It is the same in the Greek of the New Testament:

So the last will be first, and the first last. (Matthew 20:16)

The elect, the ones who God has made the New Covenant with, the ones

purchased, the called, are known and chosen in Christ before the world was made. They

are to receive the gift of eternal life, not as a result of anything good in them, or as a

result of a decision that they will make. It is God's choice to save them. Everything

which is manifested in them regarding salvation is a result of God's will, and His choice.

We often think that x, y, and z, equals salvation. If we do this, this, and this, we can be

saved. But it is not so. It is the gift of salvation which produces all these things in a

person.

Sheep (G4263) prob'-at-on

something that walks forward (a quadraped)

It is true that Christ was sent first to the people of the nation of Israel.

He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

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 (Matthew 15:24)

But when the Jews rejected Jesus, he turned to teach and preach the gospel to the

whole world and to people of every nation and tribe. The lost sheep refer to His sheep;

the ones that hear His voice and know Him. Christ goes to get His sheep, and not any

others.

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father

knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have

other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to

my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. (John 10:14-16)

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the

great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant,

(Hebrews 13:20)

We clearly see that the word sheep, cannot refer to all the world as to mean, each

and every one, since the sheep are separated when Christ returns; some to heaven and

some to everlasting separation from God.

Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from

another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the

sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his

right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for

you from the foundation of the world. (Matthew 25:32-34)

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 Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal

fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matthew 25:41)

People (H5971) am

a people (as a congregated unit); specifically a tribe (as those of Israel); hence

(collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively a flock: - folk, men, nation, people.

The first instance of the phrase, my people, referring to Gods people, is found in

Exodus Chapter three, verse seven:

Then the LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in

Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their

sufferings, (Exodus 3:7)

He struck down every firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their strength in the tents

of Ham. Then he led out his people like sheep and guided them in the wilderness

like a flock. (Psalms 78:51-52)

For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will

seek them out. (Ezekiel 34:11)

And they shall know that I am the LORD their God with them, and that they, the

house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 34:30)

Friend (G5384) fee'-los

Properly dear, that is, a friend; actively fond, that is, friendly (still as a noun, an

associate, neighbor, etc.): - friend.

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 Christ gave his life for his friends:

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

You are my friends if you do what I command you. (John 15:13-14)

Perhaps you think that this means that you can be a friend of Jesus if you do

whatever Jesus commands. But Jesus is speaking to ones that have already been

chosen, and are already His friends. In the verses that follow this is very clear. If Jesus

has revealed Himself to you, and made known to you the things of God, then you are

indeed His friend. Jesus is not saying that in order to be His friend, you must do what He

commands, but rather He is saying that their willingness to obey Him will reveal their true

identity. His friends will naturally obey.

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is

doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have

made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you

that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever

you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command

you, so that you will love one another. (John 15:15-17)

I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be

found by those who did not seek me. I said, "Here am I, here am I," to a nation

that was not called by my name. (Isaiah 65:1)

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 Chapter Eight

For God so loved the world

Nearly everyone is familiar with this verse, which is found written in the book of John:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in

him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Two words in this verse are found throughout the New Testament, and they can be,

and are, translated various ways. One, is the word, world, and the other is,

whosoever, which have been put in italics. The word used here whosoever, is the

same Greek word that is translated, all, in English, and it is quite useful to study the

definitions and uses of these Greek words. Perhaps this type of study seems tedious, or

even boring, but it is absolutely necessary if we are to understand what the text is

conveying to us. If we simply apply our own meaning to a text, we will certainly end up

with doctrines that are heretical, and not in line with what the bible really says.

World (G2889) kos'-mos

orderly arrangement, that is, decoration; by implication the world (in a wide or narrow

sense, including its inhabitants, literally or figuratively [morally]): - adorning, world.

There are many definitions for the word world in the Greek, and its use is different in

the passages in which the word is found. We examine Thayers Definition:

1) an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government

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 2) ornament, decoration, adornment, i.e., the arrangement of the stars, 'the

heavenly hosts', as the ornament of the heavens. 1Peter 3:3

3) the world, the universe

4) the circle of the earth, the earth

5) the inhabitants of the earth, men, the human family

6) the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and

therefore hostile to the cause of Christ

7) world affairs, the aggregate of things earthly

7a) the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments, riches, advantages, pleasures,

etc, which although they are hollow and frail and fleeting, they stir desire, seduce

men away from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ

8) any aggregate or general collection of particulars of any sort

8a) the Gentiles as contrasted to the Jews (Romans 11:12 etc)

8b) of believers only, John 1:29; John 3:16; John 3:17; John 6:33; John 12:47

1Corinthians 4:9; 2Corinthians 5:19

God certainly loves what He created. He loves man, the human family. God loves all

kinds of people of the world, both Jews and Gentiles. This is the good news; that Christ

the Messiah has come, not only for the Jews who were chosen to be God's servants and

spokesmen on earth, but also to the Gentiles, the body of believers also called, the

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church. We find Jesus in John Chapter 17, not praying for the world, but for those given

to him by God the Father:

I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have

given me, for they are yours. (John 17:9)

And in other verses:

"For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has

chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples

who are on the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy 7:6)

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen

as his heritage! (Psalms 33:12)

But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of

Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from

its farthest corners, saying to you, You are my servant, I have chosen you and

not cast you off (Isaiah 41:8-9)

"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have

chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before

me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. (Isaiah 43:10)

God's elect are no longer, of the world, since they are chosen out of the world, and

separated unto Himself.

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 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you

are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates

you. (John 15:19)

These verses in John which mention the world indicate that only those chosen out of

the world will be saved. Jesus is saying that eternal life is to know Christ, and that this

knowledge Jesus gives specifically to those that the Father gives Him. God has chosen

to reveal Himself to His elect, those chosen out of the world system.

"I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world.

Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. (John

17:6)

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said,

"Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since

you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you

have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and

Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished

the work that you gave me to do. (John 17:1-4)

All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the

Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone

to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. (Matthew 11:27)

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And he answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the

kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. (Matthew 13:11)

And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom

of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

(Mark 4:11)

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 The world will never know God as His chosen people do.

even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees

him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

(John 14:17)

Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.

(John 12:31)

Certainly, in the following verse the word, world cannot mean each and every

person.

So the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you are gaining nothing.

Look, the world has gone after him." (John 12:19)

In the same sense, Jesus did not mean each and every person would be drawn to

Him.

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."

(John 12:32)

On your own, do a study of the word world, and you will discover that when taken in

context, its scope is varied, and we must not force it's meaning to fit our own thinking. If

God loved each and every one with a saving love, then they would all love Him. For who

can resist God's love?

We love him, because he first loved us (I John 4:19)

All (Whosoever) (G3956) pas

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Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the

whole: - all (manner of, means) alway (-s), any (one), X daily, + ever, every (one, way),

as many as, + no (-thing), X throughly, whatsoever, whole, whosoever.

The Greek word for all, is the same Greek word used for the word, whosoever, and

the translations of both of these words has caused much confusion. Consider the verse

in 1Timothy 2:4.

who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

(1 Timothy 2:4)

We see that while it is true that the word all in this context could be interpreted as

whosover, or every one, it can also be interpreted as all manner of and as many as.

In the second chapter of Timothy, Paul uses the word all, frequently. It almost seems as

if Paul is trying to say something to us by using the word in so many different ways,

sometimes in the same verse. He says in verse one, first of all, which probably means

foremost. In the same verse he says all men, referring to giving thanks for them i.e. for

their salvation so, in this case it is a limited, or specific group. In verse two he again uses

the word twice, and with two different meanings. When he says, all that are in authority,

he means each and every one of course. (Please see the excellent article 1 Timothy 2:4

- An Exegesis by Alan Kurschner listed in the section on resources ) But also in the

verse he uses a phrase which he uses often such as in all godliness. This phrase surely

means all manner of, or in all kinds of (ways or means). But in general, Paul is

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speaking to Christians and later in the chapter becomes much more specific, dealing

with codes of apparel and behavior in the church. In this case he may have used the

word all in the sense of all these, i.e. of whom he is speaking to. He uses the word

again in verse twenty of chapter five when he is clearly talking about the church as a

specific group.

As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest

may stand in fear. (1Timothy 5:20)

In the case where this Greek word is used to refer to the actions or qualities of a

group of people, such as sinners, or believers, or those who possess faith, this author

believes it is quite proper and quite appropriate to interpret the word, whosoever, as

those who, or, those that. For example with the phrase whosoever believes, it would

be more accurate to interpret this as those who believe, those that believe, all those

who believe, everyone who believes, or even better simply, those believing. This

interpretation gives a more consistent meaning across its use in scripture. This is in

contrast with the interpretation, all those who chose to believe, since there is no reason

to imply this. It is also interesting to examine verses such as John 3:18 which says;

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is

condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of

God. (John 3:18)

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 In the Greek, there is no words for the phrase, he that. It means those who

believe, or as we suggested, those believing, and cannot rightfully be interpreted as,

those who choose to believe. It really goes back to the question, Why do we believe?,

or How do we come to believe?. And this is exactly what Jesus is discussing in the third

chapter of John, when He says that we don't know where the Spirit (salvation) comes

from. It's like the wind. He means it doesn't come from within us. It comes from

somewhere external. It is supernatural, and doesnt fit into a formula. It is from God.

(Please take time to read the excellent and detailed article by Jim McClarty and Grace

Christian Assembly regarding the interpretation of these Greek phrases, On John 3:16,

which is located in the resources section)

So now, in our verse in John 3:16, The whosoevers who believe, are the ones in

whom the Holy Spirit dwells by God's grace, and in His discriminating love. And our

verse may be properly and correctly translated, For God loved the world (people of

every race) in this way; that all those (who are believing), (as many as believe), (the

ones who believe) on Him will never die, but they will have everlasting life. Does this

mean that Christ did not die to save the whole world? Again Chafer says: Almost every

passage related to the cross could be called into evidence in determining the divine

reason for the sacrifice on the part of the Son of God. In these divine records two great

truths are evident: He died as a substitute for someone else, and that someone else is

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each and every individual in all the lost world of mankind. Let us look at a much larger

number of verses which tell us that God chose, many, to save not, all.

for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the

forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:28)

even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life

as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28)

For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off,

everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." (Acts 2:39)

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (Romans 8:14)

since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom

you have given him. (John 17:2)

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to

become children of God, (John 1:12)

But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's

trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that

one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. (Romans 5:15)

For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the

obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (Romans 8:19) KJV

And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the

Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. (Acts 13:48)

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 From the previous verse we see that one must be ordained to eternal life before

believing.

And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for

many. (Mark 14:24)

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for

him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:28)

We know that the Bible does not contradict itself, and our best interpretation of

difficult passages is often found by considering the truths that are presented in light of

other passages which relate to it. Of course, this requires a lot of effort and study. It is

certainly not a good practice to simply pick one verse out of the Bible, and use it as a

foundation for our interpretation of the rest of scripture. Yet this is exactly what many

cults do. God would not be God if His will did not prevail. If God means to save

everyone, then they would surely be saved. We have also seen in the scriptures that due

to man's corrupt nature, man does not, and cannot choose to be saved, without God's

intervention. In order to support the notion that God does want everyone to be saved,

there must surely be other verses which convey the same thought. We have been

searching the scriptures together, and the verses we have found show us that it is God

who has made His choice, and it is God who has made His selection.

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 Chapter Nine

The Remnant

The subject of the remnant is one of the most prominent topics of the Bible.

Therefore, the reader is urged to further study this theme in detail. The account of the

remnant in the bible begins with the Assyrian captivity of the ten tribes of Israel, in

approximately 740 BCE.

To put things in perspective, we note that God is not responsible for Israel's sin. It

was Israel's choice to disobey God. This was in their nature, as it is with all people. But

as we shall see, it was God's choice to bring about their salvation.

The king of Assyria carried the Israelites away to Assyria and put them in Halah,

and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, because they

did not obey the voice of the LORD their God but transgressed his covenant, even

all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded. They neither listened nor

obeyed. (2 Kings 18:11-12)

Because you have raged against me and your complacency has come into my

ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will turn you

back on the way by which you came. (2 Kings 19:28)

Remnant (H7604) shaw-ar'

A primitive root; properly to swell up, that is, be (causatively make) redundant: -

leave, (be) left, let, remain, remnant, reserve, the rest.

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Remnant (H7611) sheh-ay-reeth'

From H7604; a remainder or residual (surviving, final) portion: - that had escaped, be

left, posterity, remain (-der), remnant, residue, rest.

And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward

and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount

Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD will do this. (2 Kings 19:30-31)

Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have

been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. (Isaiah 1:9) KJV

In Chapters nine and ten of Isaiah, we find the awesome description of the

punishment of God's people, and their destruction at His hand. Let us note here, that

God's people, is the nation of Israel. The remnant, are those of the nation of Israel,

who are believers.

For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them

will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness. (Isaiah 10:22)

God's sovereignty with respect to the remnant is expressed in the verses which

follow:

For he says: "By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I

have understanding; I remove the boundaries of peoples, and plunder their

treasures; like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones. My hand has found

like a nest the wealth of the peoples; and as one gathers eggs that have been

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 forsaken, so I have gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved a wing

or opened the mouth or chirped." Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it,

or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it? As if a rod should wield him

who lifts it, or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood! Therefore the Lord GOD

of hosts will send wasting sickness among his stout warriors, and under his glory

a burning will be kindled, like the burning of fire. (Isaiah 10:13-16)

We can see in the verses above, that God Himself underscores the fact that He is

directing His people's destiny, and that they have no reason to even question His power

and authority to do so.

For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of

survivors. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. (Isaiah 37:32)

Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have

driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and

multiply. (Jeremiah 23:3)

They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and

Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the

Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:24)

And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall

be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape,

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 as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD

calls. (Joel 2:32)

It is noted that in Hebrew, the use of the word and, is often used in a form of poetry,

in which the initial phrase is followed by a second phrase, which refers to the first,

sometimes expanding on it. In this case the whosoever in the first phrase, may very well

be the remnant, of the second phrase. The word of God is so rich, and doesnt waste

any words; notice also, that it says that the Lord shall call this remnant. They are not the

remnant without the call of God. Only those who have been called by the Lord, will be in

the remnant of Gods people.

Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath

brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of

Israel. (Micah 5:3) KJV

And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the sons of Israel

be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, (Romans 9:27)

So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by

grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be

grace. (Romans 11:5-6)

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 Chapter Ten

The Church

The first use of the word church is found is Matthew 16:18.

Church (G1577) ek-klay-see'-ah

a calling out, that is, (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation

(Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or

both): - assembly, church.

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates

of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)

You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your

fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth

be blessed.' (Acts 3:25)

In Romans Chapter nine, we see that the children of the covenant are those whom

God has chosen, and called out from both the Jews and the Gentiles.

and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but "Through

Isaac shall your offspring be named." This means that it is not the children of the

flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as

offspring. (Romans 9:7-8)

how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly.

When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which

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 was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been

revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the

Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the

promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (Ephesians 3:3-6)

The church is referred to as the body of Christ.

and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing

the hostility. (Ephesians 2:16)

And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from

the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. (Colossians 1:18)

The church is the bride of Christ:

For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church,

his body, and is himself its Savior. (Ephesians 5:23)

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth

had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new

Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned

for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the

dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his

people, and God himself will be with them as their God. (Revelation 21:1-3)

The temple of God:

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 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are

no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and

members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and

prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, (Ephesians 2:18-20)

But he looked directly at them and said, "What then is this that is written: "'The stone

that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'? (Luke 20:17)

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 Chapter Eleven

Children of God

We often hear it said that we are all God's children, but that is not what the bible

teaches us.

This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but

the children of the promise are counted as offspring. (Romans 9:8)

among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the

desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the

rest of mankind. (Ephesians 2:3)

The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the

tares are the children of the wicked one; (Matthew 13:38) KJV

From our study of the law, we found that the law has condemned man. But now

Christ has come to fulfill the law.

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not

come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (Matthew 5:17)

But who did He fulfill the law for? Since everyone is judged by the law, if Christ

fulfilled the law for everyone, then everyone would be saved.

and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could

not be freed by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:39)

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 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk

not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:4)

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

(Romans 10:4)

These verses tell us that Christ only fulfilled the law for those who are predestined to

believe, and who are born again by Gods grace.

to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever; to

him who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures

forever; to him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his steadfast love

endures forever; (Psalms 136:4-6)

and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but "Through

Isaac shall your offspring be named." (Romans 9:7)

because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of

Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons,

were brought safely through water. (1 Peter 3:20)

We are told in the Bible that Christ died for people, and that he paid for their sins.

What people did He die for? He certainly died for the elect, the ones chosen before the

foundation of the world.

even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be

holy and blameless before him. In love (Ephesians 1:4)

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 Chapter Twelve

The Blood of Christ

Let us now look at some of the verses which show us what the death and blood of

Christ accomplished for the elect.

Justified, saved from wrath

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be

saved by him from the wrath of God. (Romans 5:9)

Redeemed from the curse of the law

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us--for it is

written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree" (Galatians 3:13)

he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats

and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.

(Hebrews 9:12)

Forgiveness of sins

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,

according to the riches of his grace, (Ephesians 1:7)

But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at

the right hand of God, (Hebrews 10:12)

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 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and

upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our

sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:3)

Brought near

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the

blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13)

Made alive

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh,

God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

(Colossians 2:13)

Canceled our debt

by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This

he set aside, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:14)

Ransomed

who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper

time. (1Timothy 2:6)

The power of death is destroyed

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook

of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the

power of death, that is, the devil, (Hebrews 2:14)

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Reconciled to God

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,

much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Romans

5:10)

Sanctified

And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus

Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:10)

Healed

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live

to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

Perfected forever

For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being

sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14)

First of all, many of these verses come from letters (Ephesians, Colossians,

Romans, Galatians), written to the churches by Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ. He is

writing to believers, using the terms, we, and, us. We have already discussed the

verses in 1 Timothy, where the word, all, refers to, all kinds of. The book of Hebrews

may have also been written by Paul, and it speaks to Hebrew Christians. Where are the

verses that say that Christ died for each and every one? If all these verses are true and

in effect for all those for whom Christ died for, and if He died for everyone, then none

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would perish. Everyone would be justified, forgiven, reconciled to God, ransomed,

cleansed of sin, sanctified, healed, and all would be perfected forever. These blessings

of the covenant certainly cannot pertain to those whose are to be forever in hell, and

eternally separated from God. If Christ shed His blood for those in hell, then how can the

same blood be of such little effect that it could not keep them out of hell, while at the

same time being efficacious for those in heaven? The thinking that Gods blood cannot

overcome mans unrighteousness is the heart of blasphemy, and would pull God from

His very throne. God's people are not under the law and therefore not judged under the

law.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free, from the law of

sin and death. (Romans 8:2)

When God's people fail to keep his commandments, they do not loose salvation;

however they may lose blessings, and experience broken fellowship with God.

if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, then I will punish

their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, but I will not remove

from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness. I will not violate my

covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips. (Psalms 89:31-34)

The following verses from the Chapter of John associate abiding in Christ with

keeping the commandments.

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 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it

abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are

the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for

apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown

away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the

fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you

wish, and it will be done for you. (John 15:4-7)

To abide in Christ is to be fruitful and to have strength and power to do God's will.

Those who are free from the law, have power to bring forth fruit unto God, instead of fruit

unto death. They do not however, always choose to use it. Failing to abide in Christ does

not result in loss of salvation, but as being useless and therefore figuratively withered,

they are burned by men (not angels). Failure to bear fruit unto God may result in

chastening though not punishment, or even death in the physical sense.

Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ,

so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in

order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our

sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for

death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us

captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the

written code. (Romans 7:4-6)

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God has purchased a people with the blood of Christ

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit

has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with

his own blood. (Acts 20:28)

The purchase of the church by Christ is a finished act, and has been made for all

those who are in the body; past, present, and future. We are never told in the scriptures

that Christ continues to purchase His elect whenever they believe in Him. For those of us

living in the present, Christ purchased us before we were born!

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom

you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So

glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you,

O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are

mine. (Isaiah 43:1)

who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the

praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:14)

Those who are the purchased possession are in covenant with God in Christ, and

are His people by the faith that they are given by God.

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 Chapter Thirteen

God's Sovereignty

In the Bible, we are told that the blessings of the New Covenant are of effect for us

by the will of God, not the will of man. God has chosen His people in accordance with

His own desires. This is evidence of His discriminating love.

he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the

purpose of his will, (Ephesians 1:5)

making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he

set forth in Christ (Ephesians 1:9)

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to

the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

(Ephesians 1:11)

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for

those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but

of God. (John 1:13)

Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind

of firstfruits of his creatures. (James 1:18)

Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the

Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh,

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 and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You

must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but

you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who

is born of the Spirit." (John 3:5-8)

Did we have a decision to make to be born physically into this world? Was it of our

own will? Of course not! Jesus is saying plainly that the new birth is from God, and it has

no origination in us. We get to meet and know our parents after we are born, not before!

The new birth then, is the fruit and effect of the will and purpose of God. Spurgeon once

said that God not only is sovereign, but he exerts His sovereignty over man and His

creation.

O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as

the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

(Jeremiah 18:6)

Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it, or the saw magnify itself against

him who wields it? As if a rod should wield him who lifts it, or as if a staff should lift

him who is not wood! (Isaiah 10:15)

"Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots!

Does the clay say to him who forms it, 'What are you making?' or 'Your work has

no handles'? (Isaiah 45:9)

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 You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the

thing made should say of its maker, "He did not make me"; or the thing formed

say of him who formed it, "He has no understanding"? (Isaiah 29:16)

And he said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim

before you my name 'The LORD.' And I will be gracious to whom I will be

gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. (Exodus 33:19)

Paul commenting on this passage while in the Spirit says this:

For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have

compassion on whom I have compassion." So then it depends not on human will

or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For

this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and

that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." So then he has mercy on

whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. You will say to me then,

"Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" But who are you, O

man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have

you made me like this?" Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the

same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What

if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured

with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make

known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared

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 beforehand for glory-- even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but

also from the Gentiles? As indeed he says in Hosea, "Those who were not my

people I will call 'my people,' and her who was not beloved I will call 'beloved.'"

"And in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' there

they will be called 'sons of the living God.'" (Romans 9:15-26)

We see here, God's will prevailing over man. We see God's sovereignty in choosing

only some to have mercy on, and preparing those predestined for salvation. We see that

Gods purpose lies in glorifying Himself by choosing a people for Himself, and making

known to them His glory. We also see that we have not the right to ask Him why or why

not, nor to question his motives. We see that man cannot resist Gods will. Yet Erasmus

here says regarding the above verse in Romans chapter nine: In this case we are

obliged to submit to God, like moist clay to the potter's hands. Truly, our free will is

thereby not completely cancelled out, because it is not impossible for our will to work

together with the divine will for our salvation. But does clay has a life of its own, and

must act to help the potter make something? The thought behind this statement is

diametrically opposed to the truth of what this passage asserts. Erasmus gives us a

picture of man earning his own salvation. It suggests that God must have man's

cooperation in order to exert His will up on him. A well-known cult, the Mormon church,

teaches that God must have mans cooperation in order to save him: The LDS Bible

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Dictionary tells us that the grace unto "eternal life and exaltation" is insufficient "without

total effort on the part of the recipient":

"This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal

life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts. Divine grace is

needed by every soul in consequence of the fall of Adam and also because of man's

weaknesses and shortcomings. However, grace cannot suffice without total effort on

the part of the recipient. Hence the explanation, 'It is by grace that we are saved,

after all we can do' (2 Ne. 25:23)" (p. 697).

Erasmus also turns to a similar verse in second Timothy chapter two

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of

wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 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. (2Timothy

2:20-21)

He then reasons that if man is able to purge himself, then he can take credit for

being the clean vessel. But the fault of Erasmus' thinking here is that this verse applies

only to the Christian, not the unsaved. The second chapter of Timothy is clearly written

by Paul to encourage Timothy and other fellow Christians, to persevere. Christians are

already a vessel of honor by God's design. But Christians should strive to rid

themselves of false teaching and youthful lusts etc., so that they are sanctified, or

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separated for God's use. Many use the argument that God is unfair if He makes a

vessel unto wrath without having found fault in that vessel beforehand. But they fail to

see that God also makes vessels unto honor without having found good in them

beforehand.

though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad--in order

that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because

of him who calls-- she was told, "The older will serve the younger." As it is written,

"Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." (Romans 9:11-13)

Erasmus says regarding these verses; ...one should not accept it literally, for God

does not love the way we love, nor does he hate anyone. Such passions are not of

God's essence. Moreover, what I really want to say, the prophet speaks in this passage

obviously not of a hatred which damns man eternally, but of a temporal difficulty.. Since

God hates and loves only with righteous justification, hatred and love are no more

standing in the way of free will, whether happening before or after the birth of man. When

He already hates a man before his birth, it is because He knows for sure that he will do

something odious; when after his birth, it is because he is actually doing something

hateful.

God makes a vessel to dishonor only in the sense that he allows mans corrupt

nature to produce what it naturally does. Therefore, He makes the vessel to dishonor by

His permissive will, not His active will. In regard to doing something, odious, we are all

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sinners from birth, so this includes everyone. This writer has heard from the pulpit in one

of the largest churches in the world regarding Romans 9:13, this does not mean that

God arbitrarily loved Jacob and hated Esau. Yet, that is exactly what this verse says!

The pastor seems to imply God's injustice if the verse were to be interpreted literally. We

tend to think that doing something without reason is not justified. But God does not need

to be justified by reason. Man's pride would use reasoning to become God's judge. What

could be more blasphemous? Yet this is always where man's reasoning leads him. It is

interesting that every time in the bible where the word, reason, is used, it has to do with

an attribute, mostly in a negative sense, of man and never of God.

Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, "Why

does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God

alone?" And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned

within themselves, said to them, "Why do you question these things in your

hearts? (Mark 2:6-8)

One easily gets tangled in his own thinking when trying to re-write scripture.

Erasmus had just said that God does not hate anyone. He presumes to know what

passions are, of God's essence. We have verses from the scriptures which do use the

word hate, and we certainly also have verses in the Bible speaking of God killing people,

and they are taken literally. Erasmus forgets that God is just to hate us, and to damn

every one of us to eternal hell if He chose to. The verse in Romans 9:11 is all about

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election and grace as opposed to works, and it is about God's choice. It had nothing at

all to do with what the Jacob and Esau may or may not have done, or would or would not

do, and that is clearly stated. They were both born sinners. We would not only have to

change this verse, but so many others if we were to think otherwise.

See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make

alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.

(Deuteronomy 32:39)

Behold, he snatches away; who can turn him back? Who will say to him, 'What

are you doing?' (Job 9:12)

The bible says that we are born spiritually dead, and by nature have Gods wrath

abiding on us:

among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the

desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the

rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with

which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive

together with Christ--by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:3-5)

On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked,

when you were living in them. (Colossians 3:6-7)

In what sense then does God love the objects of His wrath? Man's pride will hardly

tolerate the knowledge that we are born sinners, even before committing any sin. It is

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easy enough to envision some group of very wicked people as those whom God hates,

but not so easy when we apply these verses to ourselves. We have the mark of Adam,

the mark of corruption. We try to make God fit into our own reasoning of what He should

be like. We call God unfair, as if we are above God, and in doing so pass judgment upon

Him. We end up exalting ourselves.

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 Chapter Fourteen

Can man choose his own destiny?

Lewis Sperry Chafer, in his book Salvation a Clear Doctrinal Analysis says, The

death of Christ is explained in the Scriptures and the personal acceptance or rejection of

that divine explanation is declared to be the point which determines the destiny of each

individual. Men are said to stand, or fall, not by their moral, or religious standards, but by

their personal choice in relation to the death and saving grace of Christ. The question is

as important, therefore, as the destiny of man. He goes on to say that God in Christ has

redeemed the whole world and every person in it and now is waiting for them to be

thoroughly changed by the message of the Cross, in reconciliation toward Him.

Furthermore he says, He has redeemed them by the blood of Christ who was the Lamb

of God that taketh away the sin of the world, but is now awaiting their act of faith toward

the Christ that He might with power of the Spirit transform them into the very sons of

God. He has propitiated toward the whole world, but must await the willingness of the

individual to stand only on the fact that the righteous judgments for sin have already

been accomplished in the cross of Christ. But as we have seen, Christ has redeemed a

people out of the totality of mankind, not each and every one:

And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open

its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from

every tribe and language and people and nation, (Revelation 5:9)

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 God has power of all of creation, and His will prevails over all things.

I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who

walks to direct his steps. (Jeremiah 10:23)

If man would have power to deny God's purposes, then he would be more powerful

than God Himself. This is the very sin with which Satan tempted Adam and Eve in the

Garden; that they would become as gods, and therefore have power equal to God. It has

always been Satan's desire to be above God in controlling and ruling the universe.

You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set

my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the

north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the

Most High.' (Isaiah 14:13-14)

Does man have a nature that will allow him to control his own destiny?

Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he

cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3)

Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man

will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve

thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Matthew 19:28)

Again we see from the scriptures that the salvation of man is supernatural,

something totally from God, and something that man cannot effect. The famous Silver

Tongued Orator, Charles H. Spurgeon, says of this:

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 You must have destiny somewhere; it must me either as God wills or as man wills. If

it be as God wills, then Jehovah sits as sovereign upon his throne of glory, and all hosts

obey him, and the world is safe; if not God, then you put man there, to say, I will, or I

will not; if I will it I will enter heaven; if I will it I will despise the grace of God; if I will it I

will conquer the Holy Spirit, for I am stronger than God, and stronger than omnipotence;

if I will it I will make the blood of Christ of no effect, for I am mightier than that blood,

mightier than the blood of the Son of God himself; though God make his purpose, yet I

will laugh at his purpose; it shall be my purpose that shall make his purpose stand, or

make it fall.

We would probably all agree that God intervened in a supernatural way to bring His

people out of Egypt, that He intervened supernaturally to save the Jews through the

waters of the Red Sea, and that He also intervened supernaturally to destroy the

Egyptians that pursued them. The Jews did not bring upon themselves the events that

happened. God brought about those events to accomplish His own purpose. Look at the

way that God intervened in the lives of the Hebrew people as they wandered in the

desert:

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the

Philistines, although that was near. For God said, "Lest the people change their

minds when they see war and return to Egypt." But God led the people around by

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 the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up

out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. (Exodus 13:17-18)

And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along

the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by

day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not

depart from before the people. (Exodus 13:21-22)

The Hebrew people would never have even left Egypt had not God not only directed

them, but empowered them to leave, and more; He constrained them to leave. God

could have let them all die in the wilderness, but He controlled the events in their lives in

an obviously supernatural way. He controls our lives and the lives of all, even though it is

not so apparently supernatural. In Jeremiah we find a clear example of how God would

not let His people have their own will:

"What is in your mind shall never happen--the thought, 'Let us be like the nations,

like the tribes of the countries, and worship wood and stone.' (Ezekiel 20:32)

A common argument, one that is presented by Erasmus, in his famous, Discourse

on Free Will, is centered on this verse found in the book of Deuteronomy:

"See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the

commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the

LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and

his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your

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 God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. But if

your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other

gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You

shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and

possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set

before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and

your offspring may live, (Deuteronomy 30:15-19)

Now Erasmus's argument is, God shows what is good and do what is evil. He offers

as recompense death, or life. He relinquishes to man the freedom of choice. It would be

ridiculous to command one to make a choice, if he were incapable of turning in either

direction. That's like saying to someone who stands at the crossroads choose either

one, when only one is passable. But simply saying that something is ridiculous, and

thereby hoping to prove a point, is not an argument. We are talking about God, and we

know that His ways are above ours. They really do not have to make sense to us. To the

unsaved, all things spiritual are foolishness.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares

the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher

than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

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 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are

folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually

discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14)

Consider the giving of the law to the Hebrews. They were commanded to obey these

laws, were they not? Was anyone able to fulfill the law? No, they were not! Jesus also

commands us to repent, but who is able? Man is indeed responsible and accountable for

his own repentance, but unless he is given a new nature, he cannot repent. Did the

Israelites choose life? No, they did not. They did worship other gods, and if not for Gods

mercy all would have perished.

I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came

alive and I died. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to

me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and

through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and

righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no

means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin

might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful

beyond measure. (Romans 7:9-13)

The law was given that sin might become more serious in that we find that we are

unable to obey the law. Paul says in Romans:

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 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. (Romans

3:28)

So then, far from being ridiculous, it is in God's plan and will to command man to

obey a law which cannot be obeyed in his sinful state and nature. Jesus was speaking to

his disciples, and was comparing keeping the law with a rich man giving up his treasure.

The rich man found it impossible to do that. Jesus gave a clear answer when the

disciples asked Him how they could be saved if they cannot do what is required:

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then

can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible,

but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:25-26)

We are told in the book of Galatians that the law was not given so that by keeping

the law, one could earn salvation.

So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be

justified by faith. (Galatians 3:24)

The law was given so in the failure to obey the law, man must see that he is

hopeless and destined for hell would it not be for the faith in Christ and His sacrifice,

which is given by God through His grace to those to whom He wishes to give it. We give

God glory for this. Is God responsible for the destiny of fallen man? No! God is not

responsible in the sense of that He is to be held in judgment, or to be declared guilty.

God is in control of every mans destiny however, and allowed mans fallen nature to

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take its course. Adam made the choice to sin, and to reap his own destiny. Adam made

the choice for us as our representative. We would have done the same and so reap the

same condemnation. God does all this for His own glory. Can we give glory to God for

this? Or, do we hate God for this? Do we wish to judge God, and to rob Him of His glory

in allowing fallen man to be punished for his own transgression? Let us now examine our

hearts. Yes, we have all tasted the sin of hatred for God. It is our nature. Those who now

love God, do so only because God has willed it to be. Do you now think that you can

overpower your sin nature and make yourself willing to obey? Only God the Holy Spirit

can defeat the sin that we have. We must constantly and continually depend on Him for

our holiness. (Please see John Hendryxs excellent work, Jesus Christ the Fount of

Every Blessing, found in the resources.)

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 Chapter Fifteen

All Power Belongs to God

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for

which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)

"The former things I declared of old; they went out from my mouth, and I

announced them; then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass. (Isaiah 48:3)

I declared them to you from of old, before they came to pass I announced them

to you, lest you should say, 'My idol did them, my carved image and my metal

image commanded them.' (Isaiah 48:5)

"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall

not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that

which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a

gladness. (Isaiah 65:17-18)

Just as God created the heavens and the earth, and just as they will one day

dissolve and be no more, God has said that He will create a new heavens and a new

earth. He will also create man new and different. He is even now (as we perceive it),

creating a people who have a heart designed to serve Him, and to love Him.

For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to

whom he will. (John 5:21)

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 Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God,

(Psalms 62:11)

Some may have the notion, or desire that they can control their own destiny, but they

have no power to do so. Just think, if you could change your own destiny, it would

change everything else in the world, and everyone elses destiny. If there is even one

thing over which God had no control, God would have no control at all. Yet Christ said to

Pilate:

Jesus answered him, "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had

been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the

greater sin. (John 19:11)

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority

except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

(Romans 13:1)

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has

been given to me. (Matthew 28:18)

God Himself is the very cause of our salvation!

And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your

own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it,

declares the LORD. (Ezekiel 37:14)

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 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great

mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the

resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (1 Peter 1:3)

Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will

open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring

you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open

your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit

within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall

know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.

(Ezekiel 37:12-14)

Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply

despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers: "Kings shall see and arise;

princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the LORD, who is

faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you." Thus says the LORD: "In a

time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you; I will

keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to

apportion the desolate heritages, (Isaiah 49:7-8)

But in seeming ignorance of these scriptures, Origen in the third book of his

Commentary on St. John, says:

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 God shows mercy to him who remembers his goodness and betters himself.

However He hardens him who, though obtaining a respite for change of mind,

does not care for God's goodness and becomes worse

This sounds like a common expression heard from the self-righteous: God helps

those who help themselves. We have already seen in our discussion of man's nature,

that unsaved man cannot know God or His God's goodness, let alone better himself,

whatever that really means.

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 Chapter Sixteen

The Roman Road

The book of Romans has long been thought to contain the road to salvation, and so

it does. In Romans chapters three and four, we see clearly that man is judged by the law,

but justified by faith in Christ.

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the

law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held

accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his

sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness

of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the

Prophets bear witness to it-- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus

Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: (Romans 3:19-22)

This is the gospel. In spite of man's hopeless condition, there is hope which both

Jews and Gentiles have through faith in Christ and his shed blood. But who are they

which have this faith? Notice in chapter four the mention of promise.

For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world

did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the

adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.

For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. That

is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be

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 guaranteed to all his offspring--not only to the adherent of the law but also to the

one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (Romans 4:13-

16)

Why is this? As we saw before, God through his covenant with man, made a promise

to save men in spite of their rebellion. He made a decree that He would have a people

that would love Him, and that would be His own. Whitefield says:

The truth is this: God, as a reward of Christ's sufferings, promised to give the elect

faith and repentance in order to give the elect faith and repentance and in order to bring

them to eternal life...

Charles Spurgeon in his sermons on grace says regarding faith:

Remember this; or you may fall into error by fixing your minds so much upon the

faith which is the channel of salvation as to forget the grace which is the fountain and

source even of faith itself. Faith is the work of God's grace in us. No man can say that

Jesus is the Christ but by the Holy Ghost. No man cometh unto me, saith Jesus, except

the Father which hath sent me draw him. So that faith, which is coming to Christ, is the

result of divine drawing. Grace is the first and last moving cause of salvation; and faith,

essential as it is, is only an important part of the machinery which grace employs. We are

saved through faith, but salvation is by grace. Sound forth those words as with the

archangel's trumpet: By grace are ye saved. What glad tidings for the undeserving!

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 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world

did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. (Romans

4:13)

And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to

promise. (Galatians 3:29)

In Galatians chapter three we are told of the two covenants:

Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One

is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. (Galatians 4:24)

But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. (Galatians 4:26)

Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. (Galatians 4:28)

Now, clearly not everyone is of the covenant of faith, not everyone has been turned

away from their sins. This is God's choice and God's doing. He said Abraham would be a

father of many nations, not all nations. Abraham's belief in God's promise was counted

as righteousness to him by God and was written that we might also have faith in God

and His promises.

But the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone, but for

ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our

Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. (Romans

4:23-25)

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 This is the Gospel. In chapter five, we see that while they were without strength, and

were sinners and enemies, Christ died for them. The Greek word for, without strength,

means impotent, or, powerless.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

(Romans 5:6)

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for

us. (Romans 5:8)

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,

much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Romans

5:10)

In chapter nine, the discussion of the promise picks back up, speaking of those who

are the heirs of the promise. We are shown that Christ came for certain ones; the seed,

the children of God.

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if

children, then heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer

with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:16-17)

They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants,

the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. (Romans 9:4)

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 The notion of a distinction, a choice originating solely in the heart of God, is evident.

In the following verses, we see one of the most awesome testimonies to God's

sovereignty in the entire Bible:

As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." What shall we say then? Is

there injustice on God's part? By no means! For he says to Moses, "I will have

mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have

compassion." So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who

has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, For this very purpose I have

raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be

proclaimed in all the earth. So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he

hardens whomever he wills. You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault?

For who can resist his will? But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will

what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?" Has the

potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for

honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show

his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels

of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory

for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory (Romans 9:13-

23)

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 Many use the following two verses, in an attempt to prove that anyone has the ability

to choose to be saved.

And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord

shall be saved.' (Acts 2:21)

For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:13)

But do you know what verse in the Old Testament they refer too? Acts Chapter two,

actually tells us that they refer to the verse found in Joel, Chapter two:

And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall

be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape,

as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD

calls. (Joel 2:32)

So, what are we getting at? Well, some take these verses to mean that anyone is

able, and can, at their own whim, call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. But, in the

verse in Joel chapter two, we see that this refers to the remnant, or the elect, those

whom the LORD shall call. The Open Bible has among the remnant. We can see then,

that these verses have to do with those already chosen by God for salvation. Yes, they

will call upon His name and be saved, those who are called according to His will.

Remember that we have already learned that the word, whosoever, is better translated,

those who. It is those who the Lord has chosen, that will call on Him. Let's look further

at the verse in Romans chapter ten and the context of verse thirteen:

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 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they

to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear

without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?

As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"

But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed

what he has heard from us?" So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through

the word of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for "Their

voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world."

(Romans 10:14-18)

What do we see? We all know the verse, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by

the word of God, right? But does that mean that everyone who hears God's word,

believes? We know this is not true, otherwise everyone in every church would be saved.

Furthermore, the above verses clearly say that they were told, and did NOT believe!

What then, makes the difference? We have to look at the remaining verses in Romans,

Chapter ten:

But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, "I will make you jealous of

those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry." Then

Isaiah is so bold as to say, "I have been found by those who did not seek me; I

have shown myself to those who did not ask for me." (Romans 10:19-20)

This is also stated in Romans Chapter nine.as we have previously seen:

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As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." What shall we say then? Is

there injustice on God's part? By no means! For he says to Moses, "I will have

mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have

compassion." So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who

has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have

raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be

proclaimed in all the earth." So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he

hardens whomever he wills. You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault?

For who can resist his will?" But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will

what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?" Has the

potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for

honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show

his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels

of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory

for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory-- even us whom

he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? As indeed he

says in Hosea, "Those who were not my people I will call 'my people,' and her

who was not beloved I will call 'beloved.'" "And in the very place where it was said

to them, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called 'sons of the living God.'"

And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the sons of Israel

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 be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, (Romans 9:13-

27)

God says that He manifested Himself to those who were NOT seeking for Him; NOT

asking for Him! What does this mean? It means that God chose to gather a remnant from

a different people, the Gentiles, or from all peoples of the world. But He reveals Himself

to only those whom He has specifically chosen. The whosoevers, are those who God

elects! They were afore prepared, or as the ESV says, prepared beforehand. And we

know from our previous study, that this was before God created the world, or in eternity.

They will seek and they will ask when God draws them by His Holy Spirit, and puts in

them a new heart and a new nature.

All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son

except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to

whom the Son chooses to reveal him. (Matthew 11:27)

Clearly, God is not waiting for us to ask to be saved, for by nature, we would never

ask. God must manifest Himself to those He wishes to save. Only then, are they able to

hear His voice, and come to Him. Spend a moment thinking about this. Do we not feel

the pain of knowing that we are not as powerful as we imagined? We may deny the

pain, yet we must indeed know that we are helpless and hopeless to devise our own

salvation, or our own destiny.

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 Chapter Seventeen

Our Salvation has been appointed

For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord

Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might

live with him. (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10)

But God has also appointed some to wrath. God has purposely blinded the Jews as

a nation so that they cannot understand His word and be able to come to Him.

For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this

condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality

and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:4)

And he said, "Go, and say to this people: "'Keep on hearing, but do not

understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' Make the heart of this people

dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and

hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."

(Isaiah 6:9-10)

What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but

the rest were hardened, as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes

that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day." And

David says, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a

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 retribution for them; let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend

their backs forever." (Romans 11:7-10)

And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, "To you it

has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are

in parables, so that 'seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not

understand.' (Luke 8:9-10)

So we see that God predestines some to eternal life and some to eternal

punishment. In theological terms, this is called double predestination.

Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of

wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. (2 Timothy 2:20)

Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of

wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. (Romans 11:25)

But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant,

that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes,

to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. (2 Corinthians

3:14-15)

God allows satan to blind some. Has God allowed them to be blinded because they

don't believe? No, He has blinded them so that they cannot believe.

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 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to

keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the

image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:4)

Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path

are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from

their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. (Luke 8:11-12)

God also may Himself blind some Himself, so that they may not believe.

Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may

see, and those who see may become blind." (John 9:39)

Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, "He has blinded their

eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with

their heart, and turn, and I would heal them." (John 12:39-40)

Paul contrasts the wicked and the elect in these verses from II Thessalonians:

Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is

false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had

pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12)

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord,

because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the

Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you

may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14)

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 Notice how Peter contrasts the wicked and the elect in the following verses:

and "A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense." They stumble because they

disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal

priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim

the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

(1 Peter 2:8-9)

Also using contrast, Paul says in his letter to the church at Thessolonica, that the

believers there were not appointed to wrath as the unbelievers are.

For God has not destined (appointed KJV) us for wrath, but to obtain salvation

through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or

asleep we might live with him. (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10)

He says that they were appointed, or destined, to obtain salvation through Jesus

Christ. So some indeed have been appointed, or destined, to receive God's wrath. Those

people that found God, did so because God manifested Himself to them. In the

seventeenth chapter of John, we see that Christ did not manifest Himself to everyone:

"I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world.

Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. (John

17:6)

After we are saved, God cleanses us with the washing of his word, and continues his

work of grace in our hearts, by His Holy Spirit, to bring us towards perfection:

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 Then I bathed you with water and washed off your blood from you and anointed

you with oil. I clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shod you with fine

leather. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk. (Ezekiel 16:9-10)

In Ezekiel chapter twenty, God is dealing with a sinful people, and declares to save

them in spite of their sinfulness:

I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the

covenant. I will purge out the rebels from among you, and those who transgress

against me. I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they shall not

enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD. (Ezekiel 20:37-

38)

As we see, God Himself is the cause of their acceptance:

As a pleasing aroma I will accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples and

gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered. And I will manifest

my holiness among you in the sight of the nations. And you shall know that I am

the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the country that I swore to give

to your fathers. (Ezekiel 20:41-42)

Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy

garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours.

(Psalms 110:3)

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 God did not say to them I will accept you when you stop sinning and come to me.

No, they would not come to Him, ever. Neither would we have.

Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent

unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye

would not hear, saith the LORD. (Jeremiah 29:19)

And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for my

name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt

doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 20:44)

You may ask, why then does Jesus command repentance? Notice that both John

the Baptist and Christ, when they began their ministries, commanded repentance. Jesus

is calling His sheep. His sheep hear His voice. He is speaking to those who have ears to

hear.

But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. (John

10:26)

Notice that Jesus does not say, You are not my sheep because you don't believe.

This is because His sheep only believe because they have been chosen by God and

been born again by His Spirit, born to be His sheep. John Calvin has said regarding

repentance:

...we cannot perform it until God have changed our hearts to cause us to submit

ourselves unto him and have made us new creatures in our Lord Jesus Christ

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148
 Chapter Eighteen

We Are Born Spiritually Blind

It certainly doesn't appear that Paul's salvation on the road to Damascus involved

him making a decision to come to Christ. Paul was spiritually blind. Paul gives the glory

to God in Galatians Chapter One where he says:

But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his

grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him

among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; (Galatians 1:15-

16)

Paul did not know who Christ really was until God revealed Christ to him. Note that

the verse says when it pleased God, not, when it pleased Paul. It is God performing

the actions here: He separated, He called, and He revealed, His Son to Paul. It is

significant that Paul's mission was, as God's instrument, to open the eyes of other blind

men:

to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the

power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place

among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' (Acts 26:18)

Jesus doesn't speak of asking men to make a decision. His sheep must be led -

turned away from Satan unto God, by a supernatural will and force. Only then can they

receive Him, and obtain forgiveness of their sins. Without divine intervention, no one can

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truly know who Jesus is. Chafer says that the Gospel is plain. Yes, it is made plain to

those who are being saved:

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us

which are saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)

And in the account of Jesus giving sight to the blind man, in John chapter nine:

Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, "Do you

believe in the Son of Man?" He answered, "And who is he, sir, that I may believe

in him?" Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to

you." He said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him. (John 9:35-38)

It was impossible for the blind man, born blind, a man also born spiritually blind, to

know who Christ was. Christ opened his eyes, and revealed Himself to the blind man.

Only then could he believe.

For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes

in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. (John 6:40)

Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God;

whoever does evil has not seen God. (3 John 1:11)

One can only see Christ as God, as God chooses to reveal Him to man.

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the

Father except through me. (John 14:6)

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If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you

do know him and have seen him. (John 14:7)

Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me,

Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us

the Father'? (John 14:9)

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 Chapter Nineteen

Christ is the Light

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to

give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2

Corinthians 4:6)

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his

own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you

out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)

Thus says the LORD: "In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of

salvation I have helped you; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the

people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages, (Isaiah 49:8)

And Jesus cried out and said, "Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in

him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into

the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.

(John 12:44-46)

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order

that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not

condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he

has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the

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 light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light

because their works were evil. (John 3:17-19)

This applies to everyone. Christ is the light. In Christ's light, man's sinfulness is

revealed. Man is judged as sinful, because their deeds were evil. So then, it is not

possible that all are forgiven of their sins. Christ refers to man's very nature. Man's

nature will not permit him to love the Light.

For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the

light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to

the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in

God. (John 3:20-21)

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 Chapter Twenty

We Are Born Spiritually Dead

Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus has died, (John 11:14)

In Ezekiel Chapter 16 we have wonderful parallel with how God chooses and saves

Israel as a nation, and how God saves the lost sinner. First in verse 2 we see the Holy

Spirit convicting a sinner.

"Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations, (Ezekiel 16:2)

And then we see the condition that the sinner is in before salvation:

And as for your birth, on the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were

you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in

swaddling cloths. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you out of

compassion for you, but you were cast out on the open field, for you were

abhorred, on the day that you were born. (Ezekiel 16:4-5)

"And when I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you in

your blood, 'Live!' I said to you in your blood, 'Live!' (Ezekiel 16:6)

This is the same condition we were in when God saved us. And now again we see

the mention of the covenant which God has made with His elect:

"When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love,

and I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I

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 made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord

GOD, and you became mine. (Ezekiel 16:8)

Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will

open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring

you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open

your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit

within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall

know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.

(Ezekiel 37:12-14)

But God in His grace gives that glorious command which gives Him all the glory.

When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come

out. (John 11:43)

This is a clear and stunning description of a lost soul. How can a dead man raise

himself? He cannot! He cannot respond at all. But when Jesus commands him he

becomes alive just as when He speaks into existence the salvation of His elect. Jesus

Christ calls forth those who are spiritually dead. Man is unable to come to Christ and to

believe in Him as his Savior. Just as Jesus raised Lazarus when he said come forth,

God decrees eternal life for those whom He has chosen as His own. Those who are

dead spiritually have no desire toward God. Remember that without desire, we can make

no choice.

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 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1)

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me,

though he die, yet shall he live, (John 11:2)

If man was able to believe, why would Jesus need to use a dead man as an

example. He could have easily said the same thing regarding a living man, if He only

referred here, to the absence of spiritual life. It stresses the fact that man is totally unable

to initiate his own spiritual life, just as he is totally unable to give himself physical life

when he is dead. Jesus did not ask Lazarus if he wanted to live or not. It was not a

question, it was a command! It was an eternal decree. Why would one even ask, was it

against his will or not? Could it be that Lazarus was unhappy with God's choice to give

him life again? Was it unjust not to ask him first whether he wished to have his life back

again?

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for

us. (Romans 5:8)

remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the

commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no

hope and without God in the world. (Ephesians 2:12)

Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of

affliction. (Isaiah 48:10)

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 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,

much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Romans

5:10)

Yes, we were saved while we were enemies. Does an enemy show love toward

someone? God saved us in spite of our hatred toward Him.

He who has ears, let him hear. (Matthew 13:9)

Many think this means that anyone who wishes to is able to hear, but as we examine

the verses which follow, we see that this isn't so.

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are

folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually

discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14)

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will

raise him up on the last day. (John 6:44)

And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is

granted him by the Father." (John 6:65)

Some say that all we need to do is receive Christ. But think back if you will on the

verses that we have covered which contain the word receive.

John answered, "A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him

from heaven. (John 3:27)

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 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who

the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to

whom the Son chooses to reveal him. (Luke 10:22)

The only ones who are able to know who God is, are those to whom Jesus choses to

reveal Him to.

but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. My sheep hear my

voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will

never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has

given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the

Father's hand. (John 10:26-29)

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me

has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to

life. "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead

will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. (John 5:24-25)

Jesus was telling them not only of the life to come, but He said, and is now here.

Those that are dead in their sins will hear. How can the dead hear? How can only some

hear His voice, (they that hear), and have everlasting life? It is obvious that God

speaks life only to certain ones. They are enabled to hear His voice and live.

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Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in

parables?" And he answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets

of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. (Matthew 13:10-11)

To them it has not been given. It is according to God's will that some should not

come to a saving knowledge of Christ.

Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,

so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: "Lord, who has

believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been

revealed?" Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, "He has

blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and

understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them." (John 12:37-40)

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 Chapter Twenty One

Coming to Christ

The world is spiritually dead and blind. A man cannot be saved unless Christ reveals

Himself to him.

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will

raise him up on the last day. (John 6:44)

even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees

him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. (John

14:17)

as it is written: None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one

seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no

one does good, not even one. (Romans 3:10-12)

Lewis Sperry Chaffer again says, This one word believe represents all a sinner can

do, and all a sinner must do, to be saved. It is believing the record God has given of His

Son. In this record it is stated that He has entered into all the needs of our lost condition

and is alive from the dead to be a living Savior to all who put their trust in Him. But as

we have seen, it is not in the corrupt human nature to believe in God, and to put trust in

God. If we accept the truth in the Bible that man is indeed totally depraved, then it is

beyond his ability to come to Christ, without divine intervention. Believing is the one

thing we absolutely cannot, and will not do without God opening our eyes and our ears,

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that we may see Him and hear His voice, and receive the gift of eternal life. Ken Talbot

and Gary Crampton in their book, Calvanism, Hyper-Calvanism and Arminianism say,

How then does God call me to Christ? The answer is simple - biblically! This means that

we do not adopt humanistic methodology in our evangelism. For example, altar calls are

unbiblical. There is not a single altar call in the whole of Scripture. The idea that one

must 'come forward' to be saved cheapens the doctrines of grace, and presents a

truncated gospel. Neither do we present unbiblical doctrines to the non-believer in our

evangelistic endeavors. Pithy saying such as: 'God loves you and has a wonderful plan

for your life,' or, 'Christ died for you,' are improper. We have already seen that Christ did

not die to save all men, and that God does not have a wonderful plan for those who

reject the gospel

Charles Spurgeon in his sermon on Human Inability says regarding the following

verse,

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will

raise him up on the last day. (John 6:44)

Coming to Christ, though described by some people as being the very easiest thing

in the world, is in our text (John 6:44) declared to be a thing utterly and entirely

impossible to any man, unless the Father shall draw him to ChristThere is in man, not

only unwillingness to be saved, but there is a spiritual powerlessness to come to Christ

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 Chafer uses the terms, yield yourself to Him and we hear many others such as,

give your life to Christ, or make a decision for Christ. What decision will the natural

man make? Without supernatural implantation of a new nature, man is unable to even

understand the Gospel. We know now that saving faith, is the gift of God. Paul speaking

to brothers in Christ in the twelfth Chapter of Romans says,

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself

more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each

according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. (Romans 12:3)

In the Greek, the word used for assigned here, is merizo, to part, that is, (literally)

to apportion, bestow, share, or (figuratively) to disunite, differ: - deal, be difference

between, distribute, divide, give part.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing;

it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his

workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared

beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

It could not be made any clearer when the word says, this is not your own doing.

Faith does not come from within us. It can only be given as a gift from God. So then we

cannot have faith on our own, or apart from Gods will to give it to us.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

(Hebrews 11:1)

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163
 Chapter Twenty Two

Who is Able to Love God?

Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world

to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who

love him? (James 2:5)

Who is it that is able to love God? Only those who are chosen of God, and to whom

God has given the faith to believe in Him are able to love God.

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son

to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10)

The verses which precede this, tell us that John is speaking to fellow Christians.

We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God

does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has

been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know

God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us,

that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. (1

John 4:6-9)

John is saying through the Spirit, that man cannot even truly love, without knowing

God, and being born of God. The Bible clearly says that all are condemned to spend

eternity in hell, but that some are to be saved. It cannot be found in the Bible that Jesus

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came to save everyone, as some false religions believe. Jesus is the cause of man's

salvation, not the cause of their judgment. Man is both responsible and guilty, with or

without a redeemer. Man has been condemned to eternal separation from God ever

since Adam and Eve's disobedience in the Garden of Eden. Yes, without Jesus there

would be no hope. No one can be saved apart from faith in Christ. Christ's death on the

cross paid the price of redemption for those who were once dead in trespasses and sins.

Even though man is judged according to his deeds, he cannot earn salvation by doing

good works.

Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The righteous

shall live by faith." (Galatians 3:11)

We have seen that man is condemned by his deeds, but man is condemned from

birth, even without committing any sins.

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. (Psalms

51:5)

The great Puritan theologian John Owen has said: To suppose that whatever God

requireth of us that we have power of ourselves to do, is to make the cross and grace of

Jesus Christ of none effect. John Hendryx says: Christ calls all men everywhere to

repent and believe the gospel but the elect alone are they whose eyes God opens. To

deny this is to deny that salvation is by Christ alone. Either Christ secures all blessings

for His people that they might believe, or we erroneously introduce something of nature

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into the work of redemption. Can we thank God even for our faith or is the one thing

reserved for ourselves? Let us thank Christ for all things, even the new birth that gives

rise to our hope in Christ:

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 Chapter Twenty Three

The Righteousness of Christ

but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my

commandments. (Exodus 20:6)

Does this mean that one must keep the commandments in order to receive mercy?

Yes, according to the law. But we have seen that no one is able to keep the

commandments.

Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches

others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever

does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I

tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you

will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:19-20)

And as we have read before:

as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; (Romans 3:10)

How then is it possible for man's righteousness to exceed that of the very people

who were the most strict in keeping the law? Jesus says that it is not possible. Man by

nature does not love God, and is judged according to the law, as a result. This is first

commandment in the law of Moses:

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the

house of slavery. "You shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:2-3)

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 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And he said to him,

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and

with all your mind. (Matthew 22:36-37)

If man could simply decide to love God, and believe in Christ, then that would be to

obey this all-encompassing commandment. If this were possible without God's

intervention, then man would not need a savior. Man would have achieved his own

righteousness through following the law. But man, in his sinful fallen state, is not able to

obey these laws. Unaided by the Holy Spirt, man will never think to love God. It is

against his nature. He cannot follow the laws of God. Instead, he is condemned by them.

He is no less responsible to obey them however, because this is the just requirement of

a Holy God. Because man is incapable to do this, he needs mercy and forgiveness. He

needs the righteousness of Christ, in which the law is fulfilled for him.

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

(Romans 10:4)

And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from

God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, (1 Corinthians 1:30)

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law,

although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it (Romans 3:21)

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 Christ came to earth as a man and representing us, He lived a sinless life, and

thereby fulfilled the Law for us. Jesus Christ is our righteousness. His own righteousness

was imparted, or imputed to us.

Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a

faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus

Christ: (2 Peter 1:1)

The power to obey the law comes from God, in the form of being given a new nature,

one that is capable of obedience, and love toward God.

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 Chapter Twenty Four

Eternal Security

God's chosen ones will never be lost. Christ's blood covers their past, present and

future sins.

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will

never cast out. (John 6:37)

And this is the will of him who sent me that I should lose nothing of all that he has

given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that

everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I

will raise him up on the last day.' (John 6:39-40)

And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and

who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a

guarantee. (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto

them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them

out of my hand (John 10:27-28)

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image

of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And

those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also

justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to

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these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his

own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give

us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who

justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that,

who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or

persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For

your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be

slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him

who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor

things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything

else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus

our Lord. (Romans 8:29-39)

which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have

believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been

entrusted to me. (2 Timothy 1:12)

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 Chapter Twenty Five

The Two Natures of the Believer

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom

you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So

glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

The believer has been given a new, divine nature.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away;

behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

We have discussed the nature of man, and now with joy we turn to the new nature

that God, by His infinite grace, in his majestic sovereignty, has planted in the

hearts of His chosen ones.

And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you

were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1

Corinthians 6:11)

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by

these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption

that is in the world through lust. (1 Peter 1:4)

But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. (1 Corinthians

6:17)

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 Man's spirit now is clean, and appears righteous before God through Christ and His

atoning blood. But the body of man, his flesh, his mind, is still corrupt.

and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness

and holiness. (Ephesians 4:24)

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its

practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge

after the image of its creator. (Colossians 3:9-10)

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have

received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"

(Romans 8:15)

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,

through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by

which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through

them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the

corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you

forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither

sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

(John 14:16-17)

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 God no longer sees sin in us because Christ lives in us, and our sins were nailed to

the cross.

yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in

Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by

faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will

be justified. But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to

be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore

down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law,

so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who

live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in

the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace

of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

(Galatians 2:16-21)

We will to refer back to our definition of will: And therefore I observe, that the Will

(without any metaphysical refining) is, That by which the mind chooses anything. The

faculty of the Will, is that power, or principle of mind, by which it is capable of choosing:

an act of the Will is the same as an act of choosing or choice. So we see that in

salvation, the will is acted upon by the Holy Spirit in such a way, that it submits more and

more to the will of God, and less and less to the world, the corrupt nature (the flesh), and

the devil. We also see that a person saved by God's grace inherits a new nature, one

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which knows God, loves God and obeys God. Man still has the old nature however, and

is capable of sin. It becomes the choice of a true believer then, to act out of the old

nature of corruption or out of the new divine nature which is God in Christ living through

us by His Holy Spirit.

"All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful

for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything. (1 Corinthians 6:12)

The two natures of the believer are clearly seen in the following verses:

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised

Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his

Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11)

So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that

nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is

right, but not the ability to carry it out. (Romans 7:17-18)

Paul conveys the conflict of his two natures as being that of mind, and flesh; his

mind being renewed by the Spirit of Christ in him.

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law

of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. (Romans 7:25)

"For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we

have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16)

He also speaks of the inner and outer man:

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 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with

power through his Spirit in your inner being, (Ephesians 3:16)

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is

being renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16)

In his argument asserting the free will of man, Erasmus in his Discourse on Free

Will uses a quote from Romans 13:12:

The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of

darkness and put on the armor of light. (Romans 13:12)

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its

practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge

after the image of its creator. (Colossians 3:9-10)

He then says How can we be commanded to lay aside something, if we are

incapable?

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the

desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. (Romans 7:18)

He says, Paul obviously admits here that it is in the power of man to want to do

good.

To this we say that even the casual reader of this work may resolve this by realizing

that these verses pertain to the saved, not the unsaved. The saved having two natures,

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may act out of either nature. Paul himself in this very chapter of Romans Seven

concludes thus:

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be

to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with

my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. (Romans 7:24-25)

The following verses not only portray the basic nature of man, but also the dual

nature of the saved man.

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life

and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not

submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please

God. (Romans 8:6-8)

So then we see that the fruits of the natural man are unto death, and the fruits of the

Spirit of God are unto life.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

(Galatians 5:22-23)

(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

(Ephesians 5:9) KJV

Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ,

so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in

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 order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our

sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for

death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us

captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the

written code. (Romans 7:4-6)

As we can see then, the regenerated man who is born of the Spirit and saved by

God's grace, has a choice now whether to act out of the old nature or the new nature.

Does that mean that such a one could now sin without punishment? Yes, it does. But of

course God's blessing would not be upon that one, but the more important consequence

would be that he would not be serving God, or glorifying Him by his actions. He would be

serving himself and dishonoring God. We also see from the Bible that his actions may

bring chastisement (KJV), or discipline (ESV).

And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do

not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.

For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he

receives." It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons.

For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without

discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not

sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we

respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and

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 live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he

disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all

discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of

righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:5-11)

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By

no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? (Romans 6:1-2)

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the

members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! (1

Corinthians 6:15)

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every

defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

(2 Corinthians 7:1)

The words let us, show us that man has this choice. While God commands this of

us, we still cannot do this by our own strength. We must ask God and let Him act through

us by the power of the Holy Spirit, in order to obey Him. And yet, if we are simply not

able to choose to act out of the new nature in order to serve and glorify God, then we

must believe that we have not yet inherited a new nature. We then are still wandering in

darkness, and can only pray for God to save us. If God has willed it, it will be so that we

are able to pray this way.

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 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do

not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor

men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor

revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of

you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of

the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also

reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption,

but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians

6:7-8)

From Matthew Henry's commentary on 1Corinthians 6:9-11:

Here he takes occasion to warn them against many heinous evils, to which they had

been formerly addicted.

I. He puts it to them as a plain truth, of which they could not be ignorant, that such

sinners should not inherit the kingdom of God. The meanest among them must know

thus much, that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God (1Co_6:9), shall not

be owned as true members of his church on earth, nor admitted as glorious members of

the church in heaven. All unrighteousness is sin; and all reigning sin, nay, every actual

sin committed deliberately, and not repented of, shuts out of the kingdom of heaven. He

specifies several sorts of sins: against the first and second commandments, as idolaters;

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against the seventh, as adulterers, fornicators, effeminate, and Sodomites; against the

eighth, as thieves and extortioners, that by force or fraud wrong their neighbours; against

the ninth, as revilers; and against the tenth, as covetous and drunkards, as those who

are in a fair way to break all the rest. Those who knew any thing of religion must know

that heaven could never be intended for these. The scum of the earth are no ways fit to

fill the heavenly mansions. Those who do the devil's work can never receive God's

wages, at least no other than death, the just wages of sin,Rom_6:23.

II. Yet he warns them against deceiving themselves: Be not deceived. Those who

cannot but know the fore-mentioned truth are but too apt not to attend to it. Men are very

much inclined to flatter themselves that God is such a one as themselves, and that they

may live in sin and yet die in Christ, may lead the life of the devil's children and yet go to

heaven with the children of God. But this is all a gross cheat. Note, It is very much the

concern of mankind that they do not cheat themselves in the matters of their souls. We

cannot hope to sow to the flesh and yet reap everlasting life.

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 Chapter Twenty Six

The Message of the Bible

In the Bible we see that God, according to His own purpose, has chosen to reveal

Himself to a specific group of people, and has chosen those people to receive the gifts of

grace and faith, and to inherit eternal life, by way of a covenant with this specific group.

The ones He has chosen are made to receive a new nature, and a special calling. God

does this and all things, for His own glory. The salvation of His elect is made possible

through purpose of God in election, the forgiveness of sins by the blood of Christ, and by

the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. God gave man the covenant of works, which if

man had kept all would have been fine for Man, and yet it could not give eternal life. The

bible tells us that man broke that covenant. The bible tells us that God made a new

covenant, the covenant of grace, which is independent of man, and which cannot be

broken. It is a covenant by which God chooses a people to be His own. It is a covenant

effected by God sending a redeemer to man. That redeemer is Gods own Son Jesus

Christ, who is God in the flesh. It is by God's will and power that the covenant exists. It is

His decree. Just as the universe was spoken into existence, God speaks, or wills, that

there will be a people of His own; a people with a new nature, which He gives them

Himself. The covenant which God has made is unchangeable, and will continue forever.

Man cannot change it.

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 The Bible contains the story of the Jewish people, the Hebrews. God chose the

Jewish nation to be His people, and to be witnesses to the world. Because of their choice

to disobey God in their worship of other gods and their lack of faith, they were punished

by God, and blinded, so that they could not, as a nation, be saved. Individual Jews and

Gentiles alike are, and always have been, saved by God's grace. Prior to the sacrifice of

Jesus, their salvation was based on their God given faith in His promise to send a

redeemer. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was necessary provide atonement, or

payment, for the sin of God's elect, and to justify His people through the righteousness of

Christ. The blood of Jesus is payment for the sins of both Jews and Gentiles, who have

been chosen by God to receive the gift of His grace. The mystery of the church has

been revealed, and the body of Christ, the temple, is made up of Jew and Gentile; all

those who have been made partakers of the new birth, according to the purpose of God.

The Kingdom is indeed at hand, and all Christians have been given the charge :

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the

Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I

have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

(Matthew 28:19-20)

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 Chapter Twenty Seven

What is Truth?

Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am

a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the

world--to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my

voice." Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" After he had said this, he went back

outside to the Jews and told them, "I find no guilt in him. (John 18:37-38)

We have searched for the truth, and certainly the verses contained in this work are

indeed truth. Yet two distinct systems of belief exist in the church today. Only one of

them is of God. Only one is the correct view of salvation. And only one gives us the truth

about the nature of man, and the nature of God. Truth is absolute, and there cannot exist

two contradictory systems, both of which are true. Salvation is either of man, or of God.

One system has come to be referred to as Arminianism, named after Arminius, who was

one of the remonstrants of the Reformation period. He proposed five points, which

would explain his beliefs. These five points were refuted at the Synod of Dort, by a man

perhaps you are familiar with. A man named John Calvin.

Calvin and his Basic Principals

John Calvin was the most influential protestant of the sixteenth century (150964).

The following is excerpted from The Reformation by Stephen P. Thompson published

1999:

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 Calvin took the absolute sovereignty of God as his basic principle. God is

omnipotent, free, holy, glorious, just, and good. Human beings are weak, sinful,

depraved, corrupt. They are unable to do any works of merit. All deserve to perish.

However, through the Incarnation God reestablished contact with humanity, gratuitously

granting justification by faith and belief in Christ as the divine Word, Creator, Redeemer,

Prophet, Priest, and King. Not all are justified. Only the elect truly hear and believe the

Gospel. Election is the work and will fo God, from all eternity, and one's realization of

election in justification by faith is an act of God and the Holy Spirit. Election is the reason

why people respond differently to the preached Word. All are sinners and justly

condemned by god, who in his inscrutable wisdom and mercy nevertheless eternally

elected to save some through the merits and grace of his Son-Salvation for some,

reprobation for all others. Why did God elect as he did? Because it pleased him to do so.

Election precedes faith: it does not depend on faith; faith, the disciplined life, and one's

calling are but manifestations of it. We are saved by God's gratuitous mercy; we are

damned by our own depravity. Yet everything is as God ordains. 'He governs heaven

and earth by his providence, and regulates all things in such a manner that nothing

happens but according to his counsel....Predestination we call the eternal decree of God,

by which he has determined in himself, what he would have to become of every

individual of mankind.... Nevertheless God cannot be called the cause of sin, nor the

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author of evil, nor subject to any guilt....Man falls as God's providence ordains, but he

falls by his own fault.

Calvin presented his own five points which are remembered using the anagram

TULIP

T -Total Depravity Man is TOTALLY depraved (man has no capacity to choose good;

his nature totally corrupt)

U -Unconditional Election God loves His elect for nothing good in them, but only for His

own glory

L -Limited Atonement Christ shed His blood for the elect only, atoning for their sins and

saving them. He paid the price for the redeemed

I - Irresistible Grace Man's will is not stronger than God's will. If God chooses to save

someone, they will be saved.

P - Perseverance of the Saints The one's God has chosen and are truly saved, will

never be lost, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, will continue to be more and

more holy

Unfortunately, John Calvin, who had great power in Geneva, believed the secular

power should cooperate with, and protect the church. The result was an extensive and

intensive system of social control. The instrument of control was a Consistory of twelve

elders. In the attempts to legislate morality, many were executed. Adulterers, witches,

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blasphemers, and traitors were sentenced to death, a child beheaded for striking his

parents. Other infractions included profanity, fighting, dancing, playing cards, carousing,

laughter or loud noises in church, promiscuous bathing, gambling, theatrical

performances, not attending or coming late to services, obstinacy and others. Houses

were checked at random. Many were executed. One cannot help but think that this is

some of the basis of the ease with which some justify their rejection of Calvin's view of

God.

Martin Luther, author of The Bondage of the Will, also espoused very similar views

as did George Whitefield (The father of The Great Awakening in England and America),

Charles H. Spurgeon (the most prolific of all Christian writers), John Knox, and countless

others who are well respected in most churches. Yet when reading their sermons, most

readers are not willing to acknowledge what they are really saying. Remember however,

that we are searching for the truth, and we do not treat men's works as inspired by God,

or as a complete description of the truth. That is why we search the scriptures so

diligently. A.W. Pink in his work A Fourfold Salvation says:

The radical difference between Arminianism and Calvinism is that the system of the

former revolves about the creature, whereas the system of the latter has the Creator for

its centre of orbit. The Arminian allots to man the first place, the Calvinist gives God that

position of honor. Thus the Arminian begins his discussion of salvation with justification,

for the sinner must believe before he can be forgiven; further back he will not go, for he

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is unwilling that man should be made nothing of. But the instructed Calvinist begins with

election, descends to regeneration, and then shows that being born again (by the

sovereign act of God, in which the creature has no part) the sinner is made capable of

savingly believing the Gospel.

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 Chapter Twenty Eight

Who Then Can Be Saved?

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then

can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible,

but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:25-26)

Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they

said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."

(Acts 16:30-31)

How does this all affect the reader? To the unsaved, it could be said that if you are

even at all interested in knowing God, and wondering if God has chosen you; If you feel

sorry for your sins, and wish you could be clean from them, then you have reason for

great joy. For God is speaking to your heart, and planting faith in you. If salvation seems

like a choice to you, fine. We cannot have the perspective that God does. The human

mind cannot fully comprehend this thinking any more that we can fully comprehend the

concept of the Trinity. To be sure, we will try to take credit for the decision in our corrupt

nature. It matters not now. Let God do His work. If God has chosen you, He will reveal

Himself to you. Ask Him to do that. If you can ask Him to reveal Himself to you, it is a

sure bet that God has already begun a work in your heart, because remember a dead

man cannot ask to live. Why don't you find out now?

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 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you

have not known. (Jeremiah 33:3)

The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills

the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them. (Psalms

145:18-19)

And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord

shall be saved.' (Acts 2:21)

You have called upon Him because He first called you.

Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. (Isaiah

65:24)

Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not

know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One

of Israel, for he has glorified you. "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call

upon him while he is near; (Isaiah 55:5-6)

Is God speaking to your heart?

Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make

with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. (Isaiah 55:3)

We love Him because He loves us, and calls us first:

He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

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 Reader, if you hear His voice, you are one of His sheep and have been called by

Him:

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them

eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my

hand. (John 10:27-28)

If God has made Himself known to you through divine revelation, then He has given

you of His Son Jesus Christ, and you have been chosen by Him to be His own, and to

receive the blessing and promise of eternal life.

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so

that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son

Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20)

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 Chapter Twenty Nine

To Those Who Are Coming To Christ

Even when God gives one the will to be saved, one is still faced with inability to

come to Christ. Yet this is a mystery which is not comprehensible to man. From man's

perspective it is indeed impossible. We may ask, Why does God require that which we

cannot do?

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my

presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear

and trembling, (Philippians 2:12)

If you are saved you have two natures, and you have the choice to act out of either

nature. As Christians, our purpose is to die that we may live. We must die to self. Acting

out of the old nature, acting from and for self, is to rebel against God and His will. While

speaking to fellow Christians, Paul says in his letter to the Galatians:

For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the

one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:8)

We are dead to the flesh, only when everything we have in Christ, is all we will ever

need. It is only pride that makes us want control of our lives. We are to instead ask God

to control our lives. We must thank Him, and ask Him to keep us from ourselves. We are

to give up on ourselves. We are to lay in total submission at His feet. If you have your

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own agenda, it is evil. Ask God to give you grace to give it up. Ask Him to perform His

will in and through you. Give Him all the glory for it.

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 Chapter Thirty

What of Evangelism?

You may ask that since God controls everything, why should we bother to share the

Gospel to anyone? We know from the Bible, that we as Christians are commanded and

ordained, to go out into the world, and share the Gospel. The Great Commission, is

found in Matthew, chapter twenty eight:

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the

Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I

have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

(Matthew 28:19-20)

and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to

all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. (Luke

24:47-48)

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans

10:17)

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go

and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father

in my name, he may give it to you. (John 15:16)

In John chapter twenty one, Jesus says to Peter: Feed My lambs, Feed my sheep,

Feed my sheep.

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 And so God has chosen this method of using His children as vessels of His will, to

touch other lives, and thereby awaken from the dead those whom He has ordained to

eternal life. This gives glory to God, which is beyond our understanding.

Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we

hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand? (Job 26:14)

He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth

and without iniquity, just and right is he. (Deuteronomy 32:4) KJV

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your

ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9)

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 Chapter Thirty One

False Doctrine

False doctrine comes from a either a wrong view of God, or a wrong view of Man. It

comes from either too low an estimate of God, or too high an estimate of man. A religion

that has error in one of these fundamental beliefs, or articles of faith, should be

considered a cult.

The person of Christ - Jesus, is God in the flesh

The work of Christ - Jesus paid the complete price for the salvation of His chosen,

and that man can add nothing to earn his own salvation, grace being unmerited favor.

Salvation is by grace through faith, not works. (This point includes the understanding that

man's nature is totally corrupt and that man has no goodness of his own by nature.) The

requirement that Man must chose God, is considered a work. Repentance is a work.

Faith is a work. Where one or more of these doctrinal errors are to be found, we will most

certainly find a man-centered religion, as opposed to a God-centered salvation, which is

by grace through God given faith. One should closely examine the articles of faith of the

church one has chosen to attend. Many churches on the other hand, do not follow their

own articles of faith in practice, or falsely interpret them. For example, we present a

quote from Erasmus:

...I like to appeal to the authority of the Church Fathers who teach that certain

germinal concepts of the ethical good are within man by his nature, and that he

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consequently recognizes and follows in some way the ethical good, although coarser

inclinations are added, enticing him to do the opposite.

Now notice that there is more error, present in his thinking:

...the fact that we can obtain grace pleasing to God through our tears, almsgiving

and prayers, comes from heaven.

And finally, using again Erasmus as an example;

We oppose those who conclude like this: 'Man is unable to accomplish anything

unless God's grace helps him. Therefore there are no good works of man'. We propose

the rather more acceptable conclusion: Man is able to accomplish all things, if God's

grace aids him. Therefore is it is possible that all works of man be good.

We certainly agree that this is a more acceptable conclusion. One which is

acceptable to many who wish to have credit for their salvation, by the works they do. So

we see that not only does Erasmus does not believe that man is totally corrupt, but he

also does not believe that Christ's blood is sufficient as atonement for our sin, thereby

making possible our salvation. In essence, he denies the grace of God, and makes God

merely our helper. With these beliefs, one could never intelligently even discuss

scripture. It may be one's particular calling however, to minister to such, asking the Holy

Spirit to guide a discussion which may prove fruitful for the Lord's purpose.

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 Chapter Thirty Two

Stay Close to God and Go where He Leads

It is common for Christians, while born again of the Holy Spirit, to forget that God is

in control of everything in the universe and that He will direct the life of His children.

Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him will he instruct in the way that he

should choose. (Psalms 25:12)

The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way;

(Psalms 37:23)

As we ask the Lord in faith, He will open doors for us where He wants us to enter. In

the flesh, we are still unable to go where we want, expecting any good outcome. Acting

from the divine nature is allowing God to act through you. Even this is not by our own

will, but His. Jesus Himself has two natures, fully human, and fully divine, and He always

chooses to be a vessel for God's will to be done. He always submits to the Father's will.

For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who

sent me. (John 6:38)

Doing God's will should please us. This is total fulfillment. John Piper says, God is

most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. But it is only through God's grace

and by His Spirit that we, in the spirit, can be satisfied in Him. How many times have

Christians tried and tried to overcome some area of sin in their lives, only to find that they

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are unable to change themselves? We are not able to do this with the old nature. We are

not able to do this at all. But God acting through the new and divine nature, can.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

This new nature is not something that we use. We cannot use it really. It is

something that we ask God to work His will through; and that is because it is His nature

acting in us. We ask God to perform in us the things which are in accordance with His

will. The Holy Spirit acting in our spirit, causes us to submit ourselves to God. As a child

of God, born again by His sovereign grace, our focus should be on Jesus. Stay close to

God by reading His word, and by praying regularly. Remember that the new nature is not

designed to act on its own. Jesus demonstrated this for us. He did not act out of His own

human will, but as the will of the Father directed. Be responsive to His will, and in

obedience go wherever He leads, regardless of the difficulties or hardships that you may

encounter.

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 Postscript

The study of this subject is, and has been, an awesome task in many aspects. One

must be ruthless to seek the truth at all costs. And there are costs. It requires the total

emptying of oneself. One often feels naked and helpless before God. Attempts to

communicate these truths will certainly be unwelcome, and will be received by few. Many

will cry heresy. Many assent to the truths as they read them, but go off and forget, or

dismiss what they have learned. Most of those who do understand already have been

taught by God as they have traveled along with Him. Only a few seem to be truly

awakened by the revelation of God, and see things fit together for the first time. This is

discouraging, but God's sovereign will is being done, even in that.

We believe that the Bible is for our learning, and as we study the scriptures we must

allow God, the Spirit of Truth, to work in us. In our search for the truth, we have learned

that God is in control of everything that exists. Even our own salvation is beyond our

control. But we cannot however, assume that we now know everything. There is no place

for self-righteousness. God has revealed only what He has to us for a reason. His ways

are higher than ours, and we can only see, through a glass darkly. While what we have

learned here is completely true, we also know that it is not the complete truth. There is

much that exists that is not yet revealed. God continues to reveal truth through His word

to His people everywhere. Our prayer for you is:

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that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of

wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts

enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what

are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the

immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the

working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the

dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule

and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not

only in this age but also in the one to come. (Ephesians 1:17-21)

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 Resources

Christian Classics Ethereal Library

Sermons of George Whitefield

Trinity Foundation

The Doctrine of the Covenant in Reformed Theology by Geerhardus Vos

Sermons of Charles Spurgeon

The works of A.W. Pink

Bible computer program, e-Sword

Reformation Theology

Calvinism vs. Arminianism - A Comparison Chart

The Works of Jonathan Edwards (Vol. 1, p. 218)

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 Further Reading

Lorraine Boettner , The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination,

John Calvin, The Bondage and Liberation of the Will, and Treatises on the Eternal

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, III, XXII, 2, 3.

J. Ligon Duncan, III - 12 Lectures on the biblical, theological, and historical study of

Gods Covenants, online at

http://www.fpcjackson.org/resources/apologetics/Covenant%20Theology%20&%20Justifi

cation/Ligons_covtheology/02.htm

Jonathan Edwards, The Works of Jonathan Edwards

G.A. Chan (from the Trinity Foundation), Five Points

John Hendryx, Jesus Christ the Fount of Every Blessing

Homer Hoeksema, The Voices of Our Fathers: An Exposition of the Canons of

Dordrecht

Kenneth S. Latourette, A History of Christianity, II, 765.

Martin Luther, The Bondage of the Will

Matthew Henrys, Commentary on Genesis 3:6-8

Matthew Henrys, Commentary on Romans 8:29-30

Jim McClarty, On John3:16 online at

http://www.reformedonline.com/view/reformedonline/Total%20Depravity%20revised.htm

I Timothy 2:4 An Exegesis, at www.aomin.org/aoblog/index.php?itemid=3018

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J.I. Packer, Introduction: On Covenant Theology

A.W. Pink, The Sovereignty of God

A.W. Pink, The Holy Spirit's Work in Salvation

A.W. Pink, A Fourfould Salvation

Robert L. Reymond, Five Arguments for the Unity of the Covenant of Grace

R. C. Sproul, Video, All Christians Believe in Predestination.

R. C. Sproul, Willing to Believe: The Controversy Over Free Will, 140.

Philip Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom, Predestination of God & The Secret

Providence of God. 509.

Thomas Scott, The Articles of the Synod of Dort.

Brian Schwertley, Man's Need of Salvation: Total Depravity and Man's Inability, at

http://www.reformedonline.com/view/reformedonline/Total%20Depravity%20revised.htm

Charles H. Spurgeon, All of Grace

What is Covenant Theology, online at http://www.gotquestions.org/covenant-

theology.html

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