May 27, 2006

  • Christie asks, “What about Psalm 51?”

    G’day Christie!

    I’m going to paste two verses of Scripture. And you’re going to notice something interesting…

    Hebrews
    10:5-6, “coming into the world, He [Jesus Christ] says, “Sacrifice and
    offering You did not desire, but You prepared a body for Me. You did
    not delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices concerning sins.”

    Psalm 51:16 “For you do not desire sacrifice, or I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering.”

    That
    strange!! These verses are almost exactly the same! It this a
    coincidence?? Why, of course not. The author to the Hebrews is making
    something very clear — Psalm 51 is about Christ.

    For a quick illustration — If someone 2000 years ago had asked the author to the Hebrews, “Mr Apostle. Who was the famous person who said, “You did
    not delight in burnt offerings.”??” The author to the Hebrews would have answered, “Jesus Christ…. Those are His Words”.

    And since these words are found in Psalm 51, then Psalm 51 is about Christ. Christ says, “You did not delight in burnt offering”. The Psalmist says, “You do not delight in burnt offering.” Therefore, Christ is the Psalmist!! By that I mean, Christ was speaking through the mouth of David.

    David was merely a secretary. That’s what the
    Apostle Peter says in Acts 1:15. “the Holy Spirit spoke before THROUGH
    DAVID’S MOUTH”. Also, God spoke “THROUGH THE MOUTH of Your servant
    David” (Acts 4:25), God was “saying in David” (Heb 4:7), “David IN
    SPIRIT [calls]” (Mt 22:43), “David himself said BY THE HOLY SPIRIT” (Mk
    13:36).

    OBJECTION: Was Christ a sinner?

    Now, here’s comes the tricky bit. What about Psalm 51:3?? It says, “For I know my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me.

    Could Christ say, “I know MY transgressions”?? Maybe He’s not talking about sin He himself committed but IMPUTED sin (the sins of His people).

    Hmmmm
    … Do you really believe the sins of the elect were imputed to Christ
    on the cross? The New Testament says, “HE WAS MADE A CURSE” and “He who
    knew no sin WAS MADE SIN FOR US”. Yes, Christ was a lamb without
    blemish. He was perfect. He never sinned. He was never stained within.

    But
    when the sins of the elect were imputed, Christ TOOK THE DEBT upon
    himself. Let me explain. Suppose you owe your parents $50. Kindly, a
    friend of yours takes the debt from you, so that your friend is now in
    debt to your parents for $50. Of course, your friend never accumulated
    the debt himself.

    In the same way, Christ never sinned. But
    He did take the debt/sins of the elect to be his own. In other words,
    He “owned” their sins, so to speak, whilst on the cross. Thus, he can
    refer to them as “my iniquities” because the sins were in His account.

    Hope that helps!

    Andrew Bain

May 25, 2006


  • Jeremy writes, “I also do not think that all of the Psalms are about Jesus.”

    My response: How do you know this? Where does the New Testament say any of the Psalms are about David’s own experience? Let’s assume for a moment that some of the Psalms are actually David’s experiences. How would we know which ones they are? It’s not obvious. Could you ever say you are *certain* about which Psalms are David’s experiences? Anyways, you’re simply not using the New Testament at all. You might as well be living 2100 years ago, before we had the Apostles. After all, you think they’re useless.

    You won’t listen to a thing the Apostles have to say about the Psalms. I mean, aren’t you *privately* interpreting the Psalms? Aren’t you trying to make yourself into an Apostle? Isn’t it the Apostle’s job alone, to interprete prophecy?


    Next up….

    Travis writes,

    “Unless … the spirit of God possessed someone in a zombie-like fashion to hammer out the psalms with no other factors, that seems like the only way your theory holds up. “

    My response: Yes, David was merely a secretary. That’s what the Apostle Peter says in Acts 1:15. “the Holy Spirit spoke before THROUGH DAVID’S MOUTH”. Also, God spoke “THROUGH THE MOUTH of Your servant David” (Acts 4:25), God was “saying in David” (Heb 4:7), “David IN SPIRIT [calls]” (Mt 22:43), “David himself said BY THE HOLY SPIRIT” (Mk 13:36).

    I wouldn’t call David a “zombie”. But he was merely a mouth-piece of God.

  • I challenge you NOT to be a Jew. Stop reading the Psalms like the Jews.

    Maybe you apply more Psalms to Christ than they do. But essentially, you both say the Psalms are David’s. Something the Apostles never say.

    For centuries Jews have read the Psalms. But almost all of them have died seeing only David in the Psalms. It’s sad isn’t it? As with all prophecy, the meaning of the passages MUST BE REVEALED. You can’t just open a passage of the Psalms and go, “oh that’s talking about David.” Anymore, than you can open up Isaiah 53 (the chapter about the Suffering Servant) and say, “oh that’s talking about the nation Israel”. Prophecy — by the Apostle Peter’s definition — cannot be privately interpreted. “No prophecy is of any private interpretation.”

    We can learn something from Christ’s parables in the New Testament. The disciples simply couldn’t work out what Christ was on about in his parables. They were flabbergasted. ”And His disciples came to Him, saying, Explain to us the parable of the darnel of the field.” (Mt 13:36). The Lord had to sit ‘em down and explain the EXACT meaning of the parable of darnel of the field. It’s the same with prophecy. You’ve got to sit down with the Apostles and they’ll tell you the meaning. Otherwise, you’ll be in the dark just like the disciples were before Christ interpreted the prophecy.

    Sadly, most Presbyterians and Reformed Baptists privately interprete the Psalms. By that, I mean they interprete the Psalms according to their own fancies. This is incredible. Are they  wiser than God? I’m not kidding. This is a question all you doubting Calvinists out there should consider. God says over and over again that the Psalms are about Christ. And He also says David was merely “a prophet” and that “the Holy Spirit spoke before THROUGH DAVID’S MOUTH” (Acts 1:15) and that “David himself said BY THE HOLY SPIRIT” (Mk 12:36). Yet, you doubting Calvinists think your interpretation of the Psalms is better than God’s. You apply them to David. Something God never does, and he continually warns us that it was the “Holy spirit speaking by the mouth of David.”

    David was merely God’s secretary. As Peter says, “…the patriarch David … BEING A PROPHET, … spoke about the resurrection of the Christ.” (Acts 2:29-31). And what do prophets write about? Do they write about their own personal experiences? No. Peter says, the prophets were “testifying beforehand of the sufferings belonging to Christ” (1 Pet 1:11).

    Paul says, — “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered the heart of man.” Indeed, God revealed the meaning of prophecy only to the Apostles, “But God revealed them TO US by His Spirit” (1 Cor 2:10).

    Two facts need to be understood:

    1) David was a prophet.

    and

    2) Prophets do not write about their own experiences.

    Christians listen to the Apostles! Only they know the meaning of prophecy! They alone can reveal to you the meaning of the Psalms! These Divine Ambassadors say, “We are of God; the one knowing God hears us. Whoever is not of God does not hear us. FROM THIS WE KNOW THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH AND THE SPIRIT OF ERROR.”

    Don’t be like the authors of the Westminster Confession, who twisted many of the Psalms. Boy, they tried desperately to find a Biblical example of a believer doubting their salvation.

    For example, see Chapter 18 Part III of the Confession. Here the “Divines” wrote that, “… infallible assurance does not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties, before he be partaker of it.”

    If you check the footnote on this page of the Confession you’ll see that as “proof texts” Psalm 88 and 77 are used. In other words, the Westminster “Divines” thought that in Psalm 88 Heman is doubting his salvation and in Psalm 77 Asaph is doubting his salvation. They thought this proved believers could doubt their salvation.

    But weren’t Heman and Asaph prophets? And do prophets speak of their own experiences? Peter says, the prophets were “testifying beforehand of the sufferings belonging to CHRIST,” (1 Peter 1:12). Hmmm….

    In fact, Psalm 88 contains the lament: “why do You hide Your face from me?”. This lament is commonly used by Christ throughout the Psalms. Psalm 69, for example, contains this lament. And the New Testament says that Psalm 69 is about Christ. Paul in Romans 15:3 applies Psalm 69 to Christ. And Christ applies this Psalm to himself in John 2:17, John 15:25, John 19:29 etc etc.

    So, you should realise that Christ himself claimed the prophecy was speaking about Himself. But you say the Psalms are about David. You are not better than a blaspheming Jew, Whit! Maybe you apply less of the Psalms to David than they do. But, at the end of the day, you are not looking at what the Apostles have to say. You are privately interpreting the Psalms according to your own fancies. But Peter said that, “NO PROPHECY OF SCRIPTURE IS OF ANY PRIVATE INTERPRETATION.” Look to the New Testament, and find that the Psalms speak of Christ, and the Church. Not David, who was a prophet.

    Hey… and remember that there is NOT a single New Testament passage saying the Psalms are about David.

    OBJECTION: WHAT ABOUT PSALM 51

    God says that Psalm 51 is about Christ. Read Hebrews 10:5-6.

    “5 For this reason, coming into the world, He [Jesus Christ] says, “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but You prepared a body for Me. 6 You did not delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices concerning sins.

    “Here we see that it is JESUS CHRIST who says: “YOU DO NOT DELIGHT IN BURNT OFFERINGS”.

    These are the words of the God-man Jesus Christ. Will you steal the words of His mouth and give them to David?

    Because in Psalm 51 these EXACT words are found!! Read verse 16. “For you do not desire sacrifice, or I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering.”

    Clearly, it is Christ who says “YOU DO NOT DELIGHT IN BURNT OFFERING”. Psalm 51 are the words of Jesus Christ to His Father. It is was Christ “says”, according to Hebrews 10:6.

    Regarding this Psalm, Jeremy wrote me, === “I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. (Psalm 51:1-5) …. Do enlighten me as to how this applies to our Savior who “in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin”===

    In response: Jeremy, do you really believe the sins of the elect were imputed to Christ on the cross? The New Testament says, “HE WAS MADE A CURSE” and “He who knew no sin WAS MADE SIN FOR US”. Yes, Christ was a lamb without blemish. He was perfect. He never sinned. He was never stained within.

    But when the sins of the elect were imputed, Christ TOOK THE DEBT upon himself. Let me explain. Suppose you owe your parents $50. Kindly, a friend of yours takes the debt from you, so that your friend is now in debt to your parents for $50. Of course, your friend never accumulated the debt himself.

    In the same way, Christ never sinned. But He did take the debt/sins of the elect to be his own. In other words, He “owned” their sins, so to speak, whilst on the cross. Thus, he can refer to them as “my iniquities” because the sins were in His account.

    A FINAL CHALLENGE

    I challenge you NOT to be a Jew. Stop reading the Psalms like the Jews. Maybe you apply more Psalms to Christ than they do. But essentially, you both say the Psalms are David’s. Something the Apostles never say.

May 23, 2006

  • Psalms are NOT David’s experiences

    All sects — from Roman Catholics to Presbyterians — assume that the Psalms are David’s/Heman’s/Asaph’s private experiences.


    But where does the Scripture say this??


    Nowhere.


    The Apostles never say that the Psalms describe David’s private experiences. In fact, the Apostles apply and identify about 1/3 of the Psalms as speaking of Christ. The other 2/3rds are essentially the same in content, and must also be Messianic.


    Yet, every Sunday “Pastors” around the world PRIVATELY interpret the Psalms . By “private interpretation” I mean the practice of taking passages from the Psalms and interpreting them as ya-feel-like-it.


    For instance, it is often assumed that Psalm 69 is descriptive of David’s own experience. People think that these verses describe David doubting his salvation….








    Psalm 69:17,20,21: “And do not hide Your face from Your servant; for it is distressing to Me; answer Me quickly. draw near My soul; redeem it; ransom Me because of My enemies. Reproach has broken My heart, and I am faint; and I waited for one to show pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. They also gave Me gall in My food; and in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink.”


    Now, there’s a problem with saying this is David’s own experience. A big problem.

    It’s actually Christ speaking in this Psalm! Not David. In John 19:29, the Holy Spirit records the fact that Christ was offered vinegar to drink.

    “Then a vessel full of vinegar was set, and having filled a sponge with vinegar, and putting hyssop around, they brought it to His mouth.”


    The Apostles never say that the Psalms are descriptive of David’s private experiences. They limit David to the role of a mere secretary and prophet concerning Christ. “David being a prophet says…”, “David in the Spirit says…”, “God says in David…”, “Christ says in David…”, “The Holy Spirit spoke by the mouth of David…”.

May 18, 2006

  • DEREK WEBB: A WARNING

    Many lost Calvinists love Derek Webb. They need to be warned. One of Derek’s “great friends” and mentors is Don Miller. Indeed, Webb says “Don Miller is a friend and has written some pretty extraordinary books lately as well (blue like jazz, searching for God knows what).”

    Webb also writes,

    “…I definitely recommend Don Miller. Don is a good friend and a tremendous writer. Blue Like Jazz certainly struck a chord with a lot of people and he’s definitely a guy you want to keep your eye on. He’s going to be dangerous in a few years because he’s getting so popular and people are really taken with his books. I’ve talked to Don recently about ideas about his future books he’s going to write and he is just going to turn things upside-down. He is going to have the power to do it because he’s really doing well, he’s sold a lot of books, and the Christian bookstores are going to have to carry them. I appreciate people who are willing to risk platforms they’re on in order to say things that might get them knocked off and he’s certainly going to do that. And he’s going to be doing a lot of that over the next few years.” [http://www.challies.com/archives/001457.php]


    Don Miller is indeed dangerous, but not in the sense that Webb means. Don Miller is not a Christian. Here’s why:

    DON MILLER IS A MYSTIC

    “I don’t think you can explain how Christian faith works either. It is a mystery.” (p. 57)

    “. . . I wasn’t experiencing Christianity.  It didn’t do anything for me at all.  It felt like math, like a system of rights and wrongs and political beliefs, but it wasn’t mysterious.” (p. 115-116)

    “I only say this to illustrate that we, as Christians, believe things we cannot explain.  And so does everybody else.” (p. 202)

    “I think Laura was looking for something rational, because she believed that all things that were true were rational. But that isn’t the case. Love, for example is a true emotion, but it is not rational.  What I mean is, people actually feel it.  I have been in love, plenty of people have been in love, yet love cannot be proved scientifically. . . There are plenty of things that are true that don’t make sense.” (p54)

    “Christianity . . . isn’t a religious system, it is people following Christ . .” (p118)

    DON MILLER DENIES TOTAL DEPRAVITY

    “I have always agreed with the idea that we have a sin nature.  I don’t think it looks exactly like the fundamentalists say it does, because I know so many people who do great things, but I do buy the idea that we are flawed …” (p17)

    “I wondered whether any human being could be an enemy of God” (p216)

    DON MILLER LIKES ISLAM

    “I don’t have so many problems with Muhammad, but I have problems with middle-aged white guys who grew up in America claiming Muhammad as a hero, not because Muhammad never did anything good (he did)…” (p 90)

    All quotes from Miller’s Blue Like Jazz


    Derek Webb considers heretic Don Miller to be a Christian leader.
    That’s the problem here. Webb can’t see the difference between truth
    and heresy. If he could, he wouldn’t consider Blue Like Jazz “a
    tremendous book”.

    Here are some quotes from Derek Webb:

    DEREK WEBB ADMITS HE IS AN UNBELIEVER

    Webb: “well, as
    i’ve said before, i think the church’s greatest problem is unbelief. we
    must learn to believe the Gospel. we can’t do that until we understand
    the Gospel. and we can’t do that until we’re hearing it. so i suppose
    it starts with our pulpits. but our pews are a close second…”
    [http://www.derekwebb.net/chat/20030617-DW-chat.txt]

    – Wow.
    So Webb thinks he needs to “learn to believe the gospel”. I thought
    Christ said “HE THAT BELIEVES NOT IS CONDEMNED.” (Mk 16:16). So Webb
    admits he doesn’t believe the gospel?


    WEBB THINKS WESLEY WAS BRILLIANT

    Webb: “[John
    Wesley's] a brilliant man, and I like a lot of what Wesley has taught,
    just with the exception of his
    soteriology.”[http://www.blogspy.com/contend/interviewWebb.html]

    – So someone can be a “brilliant man” and believe a false gospel?? Webb says “yes”.


    WEBB SAYS ROMANISTS ARE KINDGOM-BUILDERS

    Webb:
    “There are a lot of people who feel in their heart that it’s right to
    do right by the poor, to help people who are less fortunate and to help
    make right injustices in our world. To me, THAT’S CALLED KINGDOM
    BUILDING. That’s how you put your hands to it. That’s a huge point of
    connection. The Episcopals, the Catholic Church, the Mennonites, the
    Methodists—there are a lot of folks who have done a pretty fair job of
    saying, “These are the priorities of Jesus. So if we’re going to
    communicate to use who He is and what He’s about, then coming with that
    is a heart for issues of justice.” That’s a huge point.”
    [http://www.relevantmagazine.com/beta/issue_20_webb.php]

    – So Webb thinks Romanists are “kingdom building” ??

    What
    more would he have to say to expose himself as an unbeliever in
    fellowship with Wesley, Miller and Romanists? And Webb also admits he
    “must learn to believe the Gospel”.

    Well, Webb is certainly
    right about that. He needs to have a change of mind and see Christ’s
    Imputed Righteousness and Atoning Blood as THE ONE AND ONLY GOSPEL.

March 15, 2006

  • Matt from Canada writes,


     
    Arminianism teaches “faith by one super-work, so to speak.  [Arminians say] you get into heaven if you can attain the faith-level to go through with this one leap of faith.  Because God isn’t forcing you to do this, it is really YOU that is taking this leap of faith, so it really is a work.  Hence I say faith by a super-work. This doesn’t fit in with what I know.    Ephesians 2:8-9 say, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”  If you’re lining up at the pearly gates, and you’ve accepted God through your own free will while the guy beside you hasn’t, don’t you have reason to boast?  How does this line up? Yet again, this is why I say that I must count myself a Calvinist.  It must be God that shows me how to believe.  Only by God’s will do I believe in him.  There is no “free will” involved here.  God has predestined us all.  And so, I have nothing to boast about.  Rather, I can only remain eternally grateful that the Lord has decided to save me!”


     
    My response:
     
    G’day Matt,
     
    You say that,

    “If you’re lining up at the pearly gates, and you’ve accepted God through your own free will while the guy beside you hasn’t, don’t you have reason to boast?”

    That’s exactly right!! ALL Arminians believe they are saved by their own will. They are trusting in their own righteousness. They are all unbelievers.
     
    10 BIBLICAL ARGUMENTS PROVING THAT ALL ARMINIANS ARE UNREGENERATE.

    1) John 10:5 says that believers will NEVER follow a false shepherd. But Arminians follow false shepherds. Therefore, Arminians are not believers.

    “the sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will not follow a stranger, never! But they will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of the strangers.” (Jn 10:4-5).

    2) Isaiah 45:20 says that those who pray to a God that cannot save know nothing. Arminians believe that men have free will and the god they pray to cannot save. Arminians know nothing of the Just God and Savior.

    “Gather yourselves and come; draw near together, escaped ones of the nations; the ones who set up the wood of their carved image, and the ones who pray to a god who cannot save; they know nothing. Declare and bring near; yea, let them consult together. Who has revealed this of old; who has told it from then? Is it not I, Jehovah? And there is no God other than Me; a just God and a Savior; there is none except Me.” (Isa 45:20-21)

    3) 2 John 9 says that those who do not abide in the doctrine of Christ have not God. No Arminian is abiding in the doctrine of Christ since all Arminians believe in a false gospel of salvation by works. Arminians have not God. Of course, if God later converts an Arminian to the true Gospel of salvation SOLELY by Christ’s BARE WORK then it would mean that this Arminian is not reprobate. However, all Arminians who die believing in any of the five points of Arminianism go to hell.

    “Everyone transgressing and not abiding in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. The one abiding in the doctrine of Christ, this one has the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bear this doctrine, do not receive him into the house, and do not speak a greeting to him. For the one speaking a greeting shares in his evil works.” (2 Jn 9-11).

    4) Romans 10 says that the Jews were ignorant of the righteousness of God and went about to establish their own righteousness. Likewise, no Arminian is submitted to the righteousness of God because they do NOT believe the gospel of imputed righteousness. If Paul was alive today he would pray for Arminians to be saved for they have a zeal for God but not according to knowledge.

    “Brothers, truly my heart’s pleasure and supplication to God on behalf of Israel is for it to be saved. For I testify to them that they have zeal to God, but not according to knowledge. For being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to the righteousness of God.” (Rom 10:1-3)

    5) In Acts 8:20 Peter judged Simon Magnus to be unregenerate because Simon thought salvation could come by human efforts. Arminians are no better than Simon in their beliefs concerning salvation. Both Simon and Arminians believe that man has a role to play in justification. Therefore, Arminians are in perdition, a bond of iniquity and a gall of bitterness.

    “But Simon having seen that the Holy Spirit is given through the laying on of the hands of the apostles, he offered them money, saying, Give to me also this authority that to whomever I may lay on the hands he may receive the Holy Spirit. But Peter said to him, May your silver be with you into perdition, because you thought to get the gift of God through money. There is neither part nor lot to you in this matter, for your heart is not upright before the face of God. Repent, then, from this wickedness of yours, and petition God if perhaps you will be forgiven the thought of your heart. For I see you being in the gall of bitterness and a bundle of unrighteousness.” (Acts 8:18-23)

    6) John 4:14 says that believers never thirst for the waters of eternal life. Now, Arminians find their assurance not in the finished work of Christ but Arminians drink from the well of salvation by works (e.g. saving yourself by the work of their “free will”). Therefore, Arminians are not believers.

    “but whoever may drink of the water which I will give him will not thirst, never! But the water which I will give to him will become a fountain of water in him, springing up into everlasting life.” (Jn 4:14)

    7) 1 John 5:10-12 says those not believing God’s testimony have called Him a liar. It also says that those who call God a liar have not the Son and have not life. Arminians do not believe God’s testimony, i.e. that the Father is perfectly well pleased with the work of the Son and that all believers have been given everlasting life. Arminians say that God is a liar and effectively treat Satan as a truth-teller.

    “The one believing in the Son of God has the witness in himself. The one not believing God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness which God has witnessed concerning His Son. And this is the witness: that God gave us everlasting life, and this life is in His Son. The one having the Son has life. The one not having the Son of God does not have life.” (1 Jn 5:10-12)

    8) James 1:6-7 says that those who “pray” doubting can expect nothing from God. Arminians do not believe that God controls everything, therefore they cannot pray with faith. Arminians can therefore expect nothing from God (this includes salvation).

    “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask from God, who gives to all freely and with no reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, doubting nothing. For the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, being driven by wind and being tossed; for do not let that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double_soiled man, not dependable in all his ways.” (Jam 1:5-8)

    9) (a) 2 Corinthians 13:5 says that people who are not sure whether or not Christ is in them are unregenerate. Arminians cannot know that Christ is in them (by believing in a false christ they are ignorant of who the real Christ is). Arminians base their assurance on their works and are unregenerate. Of course, if God converts an Arminian to believe that Christ lay down His life for the sheep and fulfilled the Law, then that Arminian is no longer an Arminian. He is now a Christian and will deduce his election from his belief in the bare truth of the gospel.

    “Or do you not yourselves perceive that Jesus Christ is in you, unless you are disapproved?” (2 Cor 13:5)

    (b) Paul addressed his letter to the Ephesians with “to the saints and faithful at Ephesus”. Paul assumed that the Ephesians knew they were saints and faithful (otherwise, they would not have known the epistle was for them). Arminians do not have the assurance of salvation of the Ephesians because Arminians do not know that the work of salvation is finished. Arminians are ignorant of the fact that NOTHING is required for justification but the imputed righteousness and atoning blood of Christ. By thinking that man has to contribute to justification, Arminians can NEVER be assured of salvation by Christ’s bare work alone. Only those who believe that man is TOTALLY PASSIVE in justification can be assured that Christ COMPLETELY FULFILLED THE LAW. All who believe in the true gospel of imputed righteousness will deduce that they are elect from their assent to the propositions of the gospel.

    “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, to the saints being in Ephesus and faithful in Christ Jesus.” (Eph 1:1)

    (c) Peter wrote only to those of “EQUALLY PRECIOUS” to the Apostles (2 Peter 1:1). Arminians do not have the faith of the Apostles, however, because they deny “IT IS FINISHED”. By believing that man must do x, y or z to be justified Christ profits them nothing. Of course, if God later on converts an Arminian to the True Gospel (the doctrines of the Finished Atonement and Imputed Righteousness) then that Arminian has BECOME a Christian (the moment he believed the True Gospel) and must be elect.

    “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like equally precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Pet 1:1)

    10) 2 John 9-11 says that those who speak peace to outward heretics share in the heretic’s evil deeds. Tolerant Calvinists speak peace to Arminians. To all you TCs out there: You are unregenerate.

    “Everyone transgressing and not abiding in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. The one abiding in the doctrine of Christ, this one has the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bear this doctrine, do not receive him into the house, and do not speak a greeting to him. For the one speaking a greeting shares in his evil works.” (2 Jn 9-11).

    I challenge every tolerant and doubting Calvinist out there to refute the 10 Biblical arguments above.

March 13, 2006

  • Christ says, “Come to Me, all those laboring and being burdened, and I will give you rest. … learn from Me … For MY YOKE IS EASY, and My burden is light.” Mt 11:28f
     
    Jesus Christ is saying that His burden — commands — are easy. John also says, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are NOT HEAVY.”
     
    Yet Christ also says, “If your righteousness shall not exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of God, never! … BE PERFECT even as your Father in Heaven is perfect.” Mt 5:18,48
     
    Christ requires a man to be PERFECT to enter the Kingdom of heaven. And then He says that this requirement of His is easy?? How can this be?? Since when is it easy to obey all God’s laws flawlessly in thought and action?? And how in the world can Christ give someone “rest” but at the same time require of them a perfect righteousness?
     
    The answer is IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS. Galatians 4:6 says that God the Son took upon Himself a human nature and came “under Law, that He might redeem the ones under the Law”. 

    No one will enter heaven without a perfect righteousness. God is Holy and will not fellowship with anyone who does not have an equal holiness to Himself. THANKFULLY Christ Himself choose to obey the Law in the place of the Elect. “Through the obedience of the One the many shall be constituted righteous.” Rom 5:19

    This all sounds like good news. Christ has lived and died for a group of people. God the Father is perfectly pleased with His work. This way God remains Just in that He punishes Christ for the sins of the Elect and imputes His righteousness to their accounts. He remains Just while He “justifies the ungodly” (Rom 4:5) by giving “the righteousness of God … [to] all who believe” (Rom 3:22).

    Now, it’s all good and well that Christ has lived and died for His people. But how does God tell a sinner like me that I am NOT GUILTY because of Christ? How do I know that I am one of the redeemed?

     

    I certainly would find His commandments easy if I knew that my obedience was merely a way of thanking God. And, yes, I could rest if I knew that Christ has already obeyed the Law for me and died for my sins. If I knew that God loved me in particular — with an everlasting love — then I would certainly have the MOST POWERFUL INCENTIVE to love Him as a thank you for predestining me.
     
    Paul was persuaded that God would save him from his sins. He says, ”I am not ashamed, for I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED, and I am persuaded that He is able to guard my deposit until that Day.” 2 Tim 1:12. Paul thought that 1) all who believe will be saved, 2) I believe, 3) therefore, I am saved. The evidence to Paul that he was saved was simply his belief. “I know Whom I have believed,” he says.

     

    2 Peter 1:1 says that all believers have EQUALLY PRECIOUS FAITH as the Apostles. All believers have the same certainly that the Apostles had about the gospel and their salvation. God MUST give ALL believers TODAY an undoubted knowledge of their justification OTHERWISE they would not have ”equally precious faith” with the Apostles. Indeed, there are no believer every has or ever will doubt their salvation.

     

    Paul says ”He saved us through … the renewal of the Holy Spirit whom He POURED OUT RICHLY; that being justified by His grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Tit 3:7 Is the Holy Spirit poured out richly to give all believers the hope of eternal life? Or does he fail to give them that hope? He does NOT fail. Those who do not know they are saved are disapproved (without the Holy Spirit). For KNOW NOT JESUS CHRIST IS IN YOU, UNLESS YOU ARE DISAPPROVED? 2 Cor 13:5

    All believers have a “common faith” which is ”the faith of the Elect”. They assent to the “proclamation of God’s Word” about Christ. And since God does not lie, believers have no grounds for doubting His promise to save them. They continually have the “hope of eternal life”. See Titus 1:
     
    “Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ ACCORDING TO THE FAITH OF THE ELECT of God and full knowledge of the truth according to godliness, on hope of eternal life which the GOD WHO DOES NOT LIE promised before the eternal times, but revealed in its own times in a PROCLAMATION of His Word, with which I was entrusted by the command of our Savior God; to Titus, a true child according to our COMMON FAITH”

    All believers know they are saved.

March 12, 2006

  • Most Calvinists seem to have had very different conversions.
    Some think they were initially converted to believe that Christ died for everyone without exception. Other Calvinists have told me that: “when I was saved, I believed that Christ died for His people alone and obeyed the Law for them.”

    There is something seriously wrong here.

    When these Calvinists were converted they believed completely different things. One believed 1) in a “christ” who could not save everyone for whom He died whilst the other believed 2) in The Christ who PERFECTLY redeems ALL for whom He lived and died.

    The Scripture says that there is “ONE faith” and One Gospel. The gospel is the initial knowledge a believer is given, and these two Calvinists believed COMPLETELY DIFFERENT gospels when they were converted. Both these Calvinists CANNOT be saved. One of these Calvinists thinks that God used the FALSE GOSPEL of ARMINIANISM to convert him. This Calvinist is NOT saved and is IGNORANT of what the True Gospel is. If he knew that the Gospel IS Particular Redemption and Imputed righteousness then he would know that he was LOST when he believed Arminianism.

    Romans 1:16-17 says that in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed. Thus, everyone who believes the gospel will understand IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS. They will know that the God-man Christ was “made under the Law to redeem those under the Law”, and that He “magnified the Law and made it honourable” so that He would become “the end [fulfillment] of the Law for righteousness for all who believe.”


    1 Corinthians 5:13 says that the gospel included the truth that “Christ died according to the Scriptures”. Therefore, all who believe the gospel will know that “He laid upon Him the iniquity of us” and that Christ “lay down His life for the sheep”. Believers affirm that Christ “will save HIS PEOPLE from their sins”, that is, EVERYONE for whom Christ died WILL BE SAVED.


    Logically, if IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS and PARTICULAR REDEMPTION are the gospel, then NO Arminians are saved.

March 11, 2006

  • ASSURANCE OR SANTIFICATION: WHICH COMES FIRST?

    Joshua from SC writes, ===”I’m certainly a reformed baptist that will NOT teach that you must look
    at your works. I dunno where you’re reading from, but last I read in
    Scripture it’s by GRACE. I’m sure if you talk to a true Reformed
    Baptist they’ll hold to the 5 Solas as well. Isn’t one of them Sola
    Gratia? SOLELY GRACE.”===

    My reponse: The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith teaches assurance by works. And so do all the American revisions.

    Chapter 18 section 4 says that by “love of Christ and the brethren,
    that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty out of which, by the
    operation of the Spirit … assurance may in due time be revived, and
    by the which, in the meantime, they are preserved from utter despair. “

    The 1689 Confession says assurance is to be based on good works!! The good works are to be loving Christ and the brethren.

    Jonathan from SC wrote me, ===”faith without works is dead faith. works without faith are dead works. we are saved by faith alone. but faith is not alone.”===

    My reponse: Yes, faith is NOT alone. Belief in the gospel ALWAYS gives a believer FULL ASSURANCE of salvation. And anyone who KNOWS without doubt that they are justified by Christ’s work WILL love God. It is IMPOSSIBLE for a man to know that He is Elect and hate God. To know that God choose ME and reprobated billions of others  makes me VERY GRATEFUL INDEED! Thus, thinking God has done me a eternal favor I  HATE sin (transgressing God’s commands).

    Jonathan, the issue is NOT whether or not Christians love God by striving to keep His commandments.

    In reality, you disagree with me because I think that ALL believers have full assurance of salvation BEFORE they do their first good work. Allow me to summarise:

    BIBLICAL               UNBIBLICAL
    1) Justification           1) Justification
    2) Assurance             2) Good works
    3) Good works          3) Assurance

    Proving that Assurance PRECEDES good works is very easy. Turn to any page of the New Testament and you will find God telling believers to obey Him because He redeemed them. Now this must mean that the basis for all a man’s good works is the knowledge that Christ has redeemed him.

    “KNOWING THAT not with incorruptible things … WERE YOU REDEEMED  … pass the time of your sojourning in fear.” 1 Pet 1:18

    Peter doesn’t tell believers to be sanctified in order to find out they are redeemed. To Christians, Peter states: YOU KNOW THAT YOU WERE REDEEMED.

    Peter says believers KNOW they are redeemed. And because they are fully persuaded of their justification they pass the time fearing (in awe of) God.

    “AS YOU RECEIVED CHRIST Jesus the Lord, WALK in Him,” Col 2:6

    Which comes first — assurance or santification? Paul says assurance.

    Writing to the NT Christians he ASSUMES they know they are saved. In this passage, Paul assumes the Colossians know they had received the doctrine of Christ. They had received Christ by receiving the TRUTH. Paul says that they were also to walk in the TRUTH.  You believe the truth — You’ve received Christ/The Truth — NOW, walk in the Truth/Christ.

    ” For your SIN SHALL NOT LORD IT over you, for YOU ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW, but under grace.” Rom 6:14

    All who assent to the truth are not under the curse of the Law. Christ has been punished for their disobedience to it. He also obeyed it perfectly and the Father imputes that obedience to the assenter’s account.

    Paul assumes the Romans knew they were not under the curse of the Law. Sin shall not torment you, for you are not under the curse of the Law! Christ has redeemed you from the Law!

    “do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom YOU WERE SEALED to the day of redemption.”

    Believers do not want to grieve the Holy Spirit because they know they are sealed by Him.

    Presbyterians and
    Reformed Baptists teach that Christians should look at their works in
    order to know whether or not they are saved. They assume that someone
    can do good works prior to having the knowledge of their salvation.
    Their order is 1) do good works and 2) find out you are saved.

    But
    how can someone even begin to love God if they don’t know He loves
    them? Can someone even pray “Our Father” and cry “Abba, Father” unless
    they know He is their father? Or can you walk “worthy as a child of
    God” if you don’t know you are a child of God?

    Read the book of
    Acts. Converts were IMMEDIATELY assured of their salvation. They based
    their evidence of salvation on their belief in the truth, not on their
    works. Then they loved God AFTER they believed, and knew they were
    saved. “We love Him because He first loved us.” Believers love God
    BECAUSE they know they are justified from all things.

March 10, 2006

  • How many now deny Your grace,

     Your sov’reign grace and free?

     
    ARMINIANS
    They say, that Jesus died for all,

     For both the sav’d and damn’d,

    For Judas equally as Paul—

     To make Your Sheep asham’d!

     

    They say, Your imputed right’ousness

     Was forg’d and hatch’d in hell,

    Your chosen Spouse’s royal dress

     Whom you have lov’d so well!

     

    They say, Your own electing love,

     Before the world began,

    Would make you, like the Devil, prove

     The enemy of man!

     

    They say, Your own preserving grace,

     By which we persevere,

    Would lead us to licentiousness,

     If we believed it were!

    Accursed are all Arminians!

    Now, forever God-deserted!

    Unless they are coverted!

    DOUBTING CALVINISTS

    Some Calvinists cry ‘gainst Arminians

     And hold them very vile,

    While they themselves Your truth deny

     By feigned words and guile.

    They preach, A man may be in Christ

     Unconscious of the same,

    And pray the Spirit to assist

     Such sermons when they frame.

     

    What You have join’d they cut in two,

     And lies for truth suborn,

    They say, Your Resurrection’s true,

     Yet pray to be new born;

     

    “Lord please can you justify,

    And save me by Your blood,”

     With feigned lips they cry,

    And call this trusting God!

     

    The people flock by hundreds round,

     And think they fly to God,

    While they are grov’ling o’er the ground,

     Which Antichrist has trod!

     

    How Antichrist prevails o’er all,

     Save only Your Elect!

    Your own Election quickly call,

     Your purpose, Lord, respect!

andrew_c_bain

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