Month: October 2006

  • Sick of Doubting? 

    Did Paul say in Colossions 1:23 that believers are

    (a) sometimes moved from the hope

    or does it say

    (b) that believers are grounded and settled and not being moved away from the hope ( i.e. never doubting their salvation)

    “he reconciled [you] … if indeed you continue in the faith GROUNDED and SETTLED and NOT BEING MOVED AWAY from the HOPE of the gospel” (Col 1:21-23)


    What did the Apostle say about those who struggled with assurance of salvation? Were they….

    (a) weaker brethren

    or

    (b) unbelievers

    “Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith, prove your own selves. Do you not know your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you, UNLESS YOU ARE REPROBATES?” (2 Cor 13:5, MKJV)

    “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you–unless indeed you FAIL THE TEST? (NASB)

    Does 2 Corinthians 5:6 say that believers are

    (a) sometimes confident Christ has saved them

    (b) most of the time confident He has saved them

    (c) always confident Christ has saved them


    Answer: “So we are ALWAYS CONFIDENT, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.”


    So WE ARE ALWAYS CONFIDENT, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.” (2 Cor 5:6) … Now, my question is — If believers are always confident, doesn’t that mean they never have doubts about their salvation? The righteousness of Christ is enough to comfort them at all times, right? ”

    “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the service of righteousness shall be ASSURANCE AND HOPE FOREVER.” (Isaiah 32:17)

    The righteousness of Christ gives a man ASSURANCE AND HOPE FOREVER.


    Recently I had lunch with a Reformed family I know and we had some interesting discussions.

    me: If a believer doubted they were saved…would they be thirsty for everlasting life?

    peter: yes

    me: ok, what does John 4:14 say?

    peter: umm that “believers never thirst … for everlasting life”?

    me: ok! thus, believers always know they have everlasting life

    peter: oh …

    me: so believers must never doubt their salvation, right?

    peter: that seems to be the logical conclusion. Otherwise, we would have to say that Christ was wrong, and believers do thirst for everlasting life



    me: so jane what would you say the gospel is?

    jane: the message that God saves His people by Christ’s work

    me: and that is the gospel that all true Christians believe?

    jane: yes!

    me: ok! Now, do Arminians believe God saves His people by Christ’s work?

    jane: umm

    me: they say that Christ shed his blood for those in hell

    jane: no i guess Arminians don’t believe Christ’s blood saves

    me: right! so do they believe the gospel?

    jane: it doesn’t seem like it. I mean, if Arminians did believe the gospel, they would believe that Christ’s blood saves all for whom it was shed.



    me: Can a man be standing in broad daylight and doubt he is in the sun?

    martin: ahh … no way … unless he’s blind !!

    me: ok! so can a believer be in the gospel light…and doubt he is the light?

    martin: no i suppose not

    me: right! So since believers are always in the light of the gospel, they will never doubt they are in the light.

    martin: i see what you mean. If a man came to me and said “I’m not sure if I’m in the light.” Then this man must be in the darkness and not saved.



    me: Arminians say that God gives all men free will right?

    martin: oh yes that’s right

    me: ok … so Arminians believe that man must save himself

    martin: ohh yes…

    me: so the Arminian god can’t save anyone .. man must save himself

    martin: i guess you could say that … if you were really dogmatic …

    me: so Arminians pray to a god that cannot save, since man must save himself?

    martin: right… and now let me guess .. you’re going to read Isaiah 45:20, “the one praying to a god that cannot save, knows nothing”?

    me: Yes!

    martin: So Arminians are not better than idolaters. They pray to a god that cannot save since he gave everyone free will. Their god is not sovereign, but he must wait for man to make the choice. Clearly, Arminians do not believe in the God of the Bible who “works all things according to the counsel of His will” and has “done whatsoever pleased Him”.



    me: Romans 1 says that “in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed”

    martin: correct

    me: now, before meeting me, did you know that Christ’s obedience to the Law is part OF THE GOSPEL?

    martin: no, I didn’t preach that

    me: so you were ignorant of part of the Gospel?

    martin: yes

    me: But now you know that “By the obedience of One shall many be constituted righteous” and that “Christ is the fulfilment of the Law for righteousness” and was “made under the Law”. Now that you know THIS IS PART OF THE GOSPEL, can you see that you were not saved in the past? Remember, God is “well pleased for HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS SAKE” (Isa 42:21). God is only pleased with a man because Christ obeyed in that man’s place. “Their righteousness is OF ME” (Isa 54:17) says the Lord. In other words, what constitutes a man righteous IS OUTSIDE the man. It’s actually the OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST in a man’s place, that constitutes him righteous. Thus, the believer cries out “IN THE LORD I have righteousness” (Isa 45:24). Now, I know you have been a Calvinist for many years. But if you have been IGNORANT of PART OF THE GOSPEL then you have been a unsaved person. If you did NOT KNOW that CHRIST’S OBEDIENCE to the Law is part of the Gospel, then you were “IGNORANT OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD” (Rom 10:3) and you did not understand the work of Christ.

    However, if you NOW REALISE that “in the Gospel the righteousness of God is revealed” then you have been converted. You now believe the SAME GOSPEL as the Apostles ! You have “EQUALLY PRECIOUS FAITH IN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD” (2 Pet 1:1). And because you know that you WERE LOST in your ignorance, you ALSO KNOW that ANYONE ignorant of the righteousness of God is lost too. So all the Arminians and any Calvinist who does not believe THIS GOSPEL — the facts that Christ obeyed the Law and propitiated for His people — they are not saved.

    “For we have become partakers of Christ, if truly we hold the BEGINNING OF THE ASSURANCE FIRM TO THE END” (Heb 3:14) So only those who have the assurance of faith from the beginning til the end, are believers? “but Christ as Son over His house, whose house we are, IF TRULY WE HOLD FAST THE BOLDNESS and rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.” (Heb 3:6) If someone has doubted their salvation, have they had BOLDNESS and FIRM HOPE at all times? Heb 3:6 says that only those who have this hope to the end are saved.

    Paul says,

    == But now a righteousness of God has been revealed … even the righteousness of God through faith of Jesus Christ toward all and UPON ALL THOSE BELIEVING … Then where is the boasting? It was excluded. == Romans 3

    Believers do NOT boast in their own works because they KNOW that the righteousness is UPON ALL those THAT BELIEVE. Boasting is EXCLUDED, right? That means that if someone boasts, they are NOT saved. For example, if you ask someone, “Why are you saved?”. And they say, “Because I made a commitment.”, then this person is boasting in their own works, and is NOT a believer.

    In the True Gospel boasting is EXCLUDED. So anyone who believes the true gospel will NOT boast in their works, right? They will NOT say that they are saved because of their decision, commitment or prayer, will they? That would be boasting! (Something a believer never does). A believer boasts ONLY in the cross of Christ, and that means, that all believers understand that NOTHING is required EXCEPT the imputed righteousness and sacrifice of Christ.

    So someone who says, “I am saved because I made a decision” or “I am saved because I repented”, then they are NOT believers. In the True Gospel boasting is EXCLUDED. So anyone who believes the true gospel will NOT boast in their works, right?

    == Now to one working, the reward is not counted according to grace, but according to debt. But to the one not working, but believing on Him justifying the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. == Romans 4


    The man that is working for his salvation is not saved, is he? Because if a man thinks that God favors him, because of something he has done, then he is not believing in the “gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24), that the Apostles preached.

    Now, supposing you ask someone, “Right now, why are you righteous and perfect in God’s sight?”. To which they responded, “Because I trust in Christ.” Then this person does NOT have THE RIGHTEOUSNESS as the OBJECT of his faith. He has made an IDOL of His faith, making it the GROUNDS OF HIS JUSTIFICATION. He DOES NOT UNDERSTAND the ONE REQUIREMENT OF SALVATION — the work of Christ. Instead, he has substituted his trust for Christ’s work! He doesn’t think Christ’s work is sufficient for salvation.

    On the other hand, the man who believes and knows that nothing is required except the righteousness and sacrifice of Christ, his faith — that is, Christ’s righteousness, the object of his faith — is counted for righteousness.

    == I also count all things to be loss because of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ … not having my own righteousness of Law, but through the faith of Christ, having the righteousness of God on faith, to know Him and the power of His resurrection” Philippians 3 ==

    Paul says that TO “KNOW CHRIST” is to KNOW THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD. And he states that the “KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST” is to know the righteousness of God. So, Christ’s person and work are inseparable!

    After all, can a man know that Christ is a Savior, and not know who he saves (by obeying the Law for His people)?

    Can the True God be revealed in a man’s mind, without the man realising what THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD is?

    Don’t all believers know the power of His resurrection? If yes, then all believers must know that Christ ACCOMPLISHED AND ACHIEVED salvation for His people. Peter says that that is the reason Christ was risen from the dead — because he FINISHED the work perfectly!

    On the other hand, if somebody thinks Christ died for everyone, they do NOT believe in the power of the Resurrection. Their “christ” did NOT accomplish salvation.

    Their christ failed, and would NOT have been risen from the dead. He is an IDOL, an ANTICHRIST and NOT GOD.

    Arminians deny the deity of Christ because they make him a complete failure, and God is not a complete failure, so they do not believe Christ is God.


    Extra….

    Can believers today doubt like the disciples did? http://Godnoliar.com/john_the_baptist.htm

  • John Calvin Writes,


    “Paul…. declares, that all are reprobates, who doubt whether they profess Christ and are a part of His body. Let us, therefore, reckon that     alone to be right faith, which leads us to repose in safety in the favor of God, with no wavering opinion, but with a firm and steadfast assurance.”

    Calvin was commenting on 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Know this not of your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless you indeed be reprobates.

    Here is the context of Calvin’s quote:


    “[2 Corinthians 13:5] serves to prove the assurance of faith, as to which the Sorbonnic sophists have made us stagger, nay more, have altogether rooted out from the minds of men. They charge with rashness all that are persuaded that they are the members of Christ, and have Him remaining in them, for they bid us be satisfied with a “moral conjecture,” 5 as they call it — that is, with a mere opinion 6 so that our consciences remain constantly in suspense, and in a state of perplexity. But what does Paul say here? He declares, that all are REPROBATES, WHO DOUBT WHETHER THEY PROFESS CHRIST AND ARE A PART OF HIS BODY. Let us, therefore, reckon that alone to be right faith, which leads us to repose in safety in the favor of God, with no wavering opinion, but with a firm and steadfast assurance.”


    By the way, Calvin was NOT a saved man (he thought Christ died for those in hell).

    Nevertheless, I thought the above quote was IRONIC — because most Calvinist do doubt there salvation.

    Yet Calvin says to them

    “[Paul] declares, that all are REPROBATES, WHO DOUBT WHETHER THEY PROFESS CHRIST AND ARE A PART OF HIS BODY. Let us, therefore, reckon that alone to be right faith, which leads us to repose in safety in the favor of God, with no wavering opinion, but with a firm and steadfast assurance.”

    Talk about being condemned by their favorite theologian !!

    How ironic!

     

    [By the way, I agree that Christ died only for the elect. However, I think that all believers have full assurance too]

  • John Piper: Popular, but Biblical ?


    Piper is one of the most popular preachers coming in the name of Sovereign Grace. He often says that believers are saved by Christ’s righteousness alone.

    However, a preacher may use words such as “Imputed Righteousness”, but still deny the sufficiency of Chrst’s righteousness. For example, if a man preaches that a believer can doubt their salvation, then isn’t he saying that Christ’s righteousness is NOT enough to comfort believers?

    Why does John Piper think that, “DEMAND FOR A KIND OF ABSOLUTE, mathematical CERTAINTY about [your] right standing with God is ASKING FOR TOO MUCH. (When I Don’t Desire God, p217-218) Read Part 1 of a series analysing Piper’s view of faith.

    If Piper is correct when he says that unbelievers seek/long after God? He writes, “Moses… cried… “I pray thee, show me thy glory”. THIS IS THE HEART-PANG OF EVERY HUMAN BEING … Only a few diagnose the LONGING BENEATH EVERY HUMAN DESIRE — the LONGING TO SEE GOD.” (The Supremacy of God in Preaching, p 108) Look at Part 2

    JP applies Psalms 27,40, 77, etc. to David’s own experiences. But didn’t the apostles apply these Psalms to Christ? Peruse Part 3

    When Piper basing his assurance on his “humble heart”, is it any wonder he has doubts about his salvation? Read Part 4

    Indeed, JP’s view that faith is more than belief, seems to be the reason he writes that assurance is an “agonizing problem” for him. Look at Part 5

    Piper requires unbelievers to believe Christ died for them, when Christ probably did not. Scary, huh? More here: Part 6

    How JP’s view that all men know God by nature, forces him to make saving faith mystical, i.e. more than knowledge. Read Part 7

    Note — I do agree with Piper that Christ died only for the elect, that all believers are sanctified and persevere, and that believers experience godly sorrow and repentance. However, his view that faith in the Gospel is more than believing the facts of the Gospel is troublesome to say the least. If you read the seven-part series, you may, God willing, understand why.