The Gospel Is for Christians

By Justin Edwards

My family traveled to Georgia last week and as we were driving through Atlanta, I got a chance to listen  to the Janet Medford Show.  I was tuning in late to an interview with Mitchell Chase, author of The Gospel Is for Christians.  I had never heard of him before, but this interview was excellent and I found myself "amening" throughout the conversation. 

Having listened to the entire show a couple days ago, there's a couple of things I'd like to highlight.

Mitchell succinctly defined the Gospel as a "work of Christ on behalf of sinners to satisfy the wrath of God."  I've also heard it recently said the Gospel is God saving us for Himself, by Himself, from Himself.  Think about that for a moment.  The plan of redemption, as Mitchell said, is not a Plan B for humanity.  There is no Plan B.  The plan of redemption is Plan A and always has been.  It is not a reaction to fallen humanity, it is merely the unfolding of history according to God's eternal plan to save a people for Himself to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever. 

The cross, therefore, is the centerpiece of redemptive history. God's redemptive purposes for mankind are centered on the cross, a work that was foreordained in eternity past according to the counsel of God's own will.  Knowing this, how humbling is it then for His children to be the recipient's of the riches of His divine grace and mercy, to not only partake in the glories of the Kingdom in this life and the next, but to partake in the plan of redemption by being the vessels by which the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is proclaimed to the ends of the earth.  

The primary mission for the church is to proclaim this message of Good News.  This is the responsibility of the hands and feet of the Body of Christ, namely you and I as individuals, to GO out and make disciples.  While the Gospel is surely proclaimed from faithful pulpits preaching the whole counsel of God, the primary purpose of the pulpit is not evangelism.  While it is acceptable to invite the lost to come to church with us (and we should), this is not a substitute for evangelism.  No, Jesus said to GO.  As we are shepherded, equipped, and prepared in the local church for evangelism (as we should be), our mandate is to take the message of Christ and Him crucified to the world.  Church is a time of Christian fellowship, teaching, correction, exhortation, conviction, sanctification, and being stirred unto good works.  But evangelism takes place outside of the church doors, where the darkness hides, the blind walk, and the wanderers navigate the wilderness of the world with no compass.  Our mandate is to take the message of Hope to the hopeless, not depending on the corporate church to bare that responsibility as that is not the corporate church's primary responsibility - it is yours and mine.

How then do we become compelled to be faithful to the Great Commission?  By truly understanding the Gospel in that it not only saves us from the bondage of sin and the wrath of God, but it gives us eternal life and changes us to be conformed to the Lord Jesus Christ.  We are changed from being dead in our trespasses and sins into new creations walking in newness of life.  When we are born again, we are awakened from the spiritual dead and given Life, namely Jesus Himself.  Hopelessness is exchanged for an enduring Hope, condemnation is exchanged for Grace, wrath is exchanged for mercy, and love for the world is exchanged for love of the worthy and glorious Lamb of God.

That is what the world needs, and God has designed His plan of redemption in a manner to utilize His found sheep to call His lost sheep to repentance.  He has blessed us with the mandate to proclaim the mercies of God against the backdrop of the wrath to come.  Such sinners were we who have been showered with grace - how can we not be compelled to tell others the truth and glory of the Gospel of Christ that they would also be recipients of God's love, grace, and mercy?

I'm really looking forward to reading Mitchell Chase's book (you can purchase it here at Amazon and read reviews from Al Mohler, Tim Challies, and Tullian Tchividjian).  In the meantime, I hope you take the time to listen to Janet Medford's interview with Mitchell as they cover other topics including repentance, the attributes of God, and the current condition of the visible church.  The interview is covered in the first 20 minutes of the show's first segment:  Janet Mefferd-7/14/2011-Hour 1-Janet Mefferd Radio Show

The Sovereignty of God Bible Test

By Justin Edwards

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, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. - Ephesians 1:3-6

Thanks to John Samson for posting the following "Sovereignty Bible Test", which cleverly emphasizes the sovereignty of God in all things, most especially our salvation.  The origins of this quiz is unclear, but I'm thankful it is making its rounds across the internet.  Enjoy!

Eph 1:11 – “him (God) who works all things according to the counsel of his will.”

1. If God works all things after the counsel of His will, how much does He work to the will of you, me, Satan, etc.?

A. None.

B. 20%

C. 50%

D. 85%

Isaiah 14:24 The Lord of hosts has sworn: “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand.”

2. How much of what He purposes to come to pass, doesn’t?

A. All of His purposes will come to pass

B. Some of His purposes will not come to pass

C. A few of His purposes will not come to pass

D. A lot of His purposes will not come to pass

Romans 8:29, 30 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.

3. How many do you think have been called, justified, or glorified that He did not first foreknow or predestinate?

A. Write in your answer: ___________________

John 10:14, 15 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.

4. Where does this scripture say that Jesus laid down his life for the sheep and the goats

A. It doesn’t

B. It doesn’t, but I just know He meant the goats, too

John 6:65 “no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

5. How many come to Jesus that were not first given to Him by the Father?

A. 0

B. 5,000

C. 5,000,000

D. 10,000,000

John 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me

6. How many that the Father gave Him will not come to Him?

A. Two

B. A couple of thousand

C. A couple of million

D. Trick question, it says they will all come to Him

John 10:28, 29 I (Jesus) give them (My true sheep) 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.

7. How many sheep do you think have been snatched from either God’s or Jesus’ hands?

A. None

B. 50,000

C. 500,000

D. 1,000,000

Rev. 13:8 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.

Rev. 20:15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

8. Considering this, and other related scripture, God having to blot out a name from the book of life would mean:

A. God makes mistakes.

B. Some have been snatched from Jesus’ hands?

C. God didn’t know that some of His sheep were really goats.

D. None of the above.

Matt 13: 10, 11 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.

9. Jesus himself declared that one of the reasons why He spoke in parables was that the truth might be concealed from whom it was not intended. Is this fair?

A. No.

B. Yes.

C. Who are we to question God?

D. I’m going to pretend I didn’t see that verse.

Romans 8:28 we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

10. How many things do not work for the good of those who love God?

A. 10% of all things

B. 40% of all things

C. 85% of all things

D. Trick question, the Bible says all things work for the good of those who love Him

Mark 14:30 And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you (Peter), this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”

11. (A) Could Peter not have denied Jesus three times before the cock crowed twice?

Answer here: ____________________________

11. (B) Did Jesus coerce Peter to deny him, or did Peter do it of his own heart and will?

Answer here: ____________________________

Exodus 4:11 [God Himself asks the rhetorical question] “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?”

12. Is this fair?

A. Yes.

B. No.

C. Who are we to question God?

D. I’m going to pretend this isn’t in the Bible

OK. the test is over, but in truth, the whole of life is something of a test as we learn just how Sovereign God is in all things and we learn to trust in His loving care.

Did the test make you think about just how Sovereign God truly is? Hope so.

“In Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)

Calvinism: "Salvation Is of the Lord"

From The Grace Community Blog on an excerpt taken from a sermon titled “A Defense of Calvinism” by C. H. Spurgeon

Calvinism: “Salvation is of the Lord”

That is just an epitome of Calvinism; it is the sum and substance of it. If anyone should ask me what I mean by a Calvinist, I should reply, “He is one who says, Salvation is of the Lord.” I cannot find in Scripture any other doctrine than this. It is the essence of the Bible. “He only is my rock and my salvation.” Tell me anything contrary to this truth, and it will be a heresy; tell me a heresy, and I shall find its essence here, that it has departed from this great, this fundamental, this rock-truth, “God is my rock and my salvation.” What is the heresy of Rome, but the addition of something to the perfect merits of Jesus Christ—the bringing in of the works of the flesh, to assist in our justification? And what is the heresy of Arminianism but the addition of something to the work of the Redeemer?

Every heresy, if brought to the touchstone, will discover itself here. I have my own private opinion that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and Him crucified, unless we preach what nowadays is called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else. I do not believe we can preach the gospel, if we do not preach justification by faith, without works; nor unless we preach the sovereignty of God in His dispensation of grace; nor unless we exalt the electing, unchangeable, eternal, immutable, conquering love of Jehovah; nor do I think we can preach the gospel, unless we base it upon the special and particular redemption of His elect and chosen people which Christ wrought out upon the cross; nor can I comprehend a gospel which lets saints fall away after they are called, and suffers the children of God to be burned in the fires of damnation after having once believed in Jesus. Such a gospel I abhor.

Jesus Christ, the Sovereign Savior

By Justin Edwards


From Dr. Steven Lawson's Foundations of Grace, chapter 9 titled The Greatest Expositor of Grace - The Lord Jesus Christ:  Matthew, Mark, and Luke (pg. 244):

(red emphasis added)

Jesus Christ clearly affirmed His absolute sovereignty in all realms of His creation.  This supreme authority is seen especially in matters dealing with the salvation of men.  Christ is sovereign over His workers and their circumstances, for which reason the gospel advances victoriously.  Moreover, He is endowed with authority over fallen men, so that He is able to bring the elect to faith in Himself.  Christ brings to pass all that is necessary for the accomplishment of the Great Commission.  By His authority, the gospel will triumph:

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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 28:18-20

As our Lord issued His Great Commission, He claimed the absolute sovereignty and universal dominion to undergird and ensure the success of the worldwide enterprise of the gospel.  The authority of Christ guarantees that the preaching of God's Word will bear fruit in the hearts of men.  He has the authority to send the Holy Spirit to convict of sin, righteousness, and judgment.  He has the authority to overcome all obstacles and to open hearts.  He has the authority to grant repentance and saving faith.  He has authority to covert His enemies and to build up His church.  As a result, His servants will be raised up and disciples will be made.  Let there be no uncertainty:  Jesus has unlimited authority, especially in the execution of the Great Commission for the saving of the elect.

Affirming this divine annunciation, [James Montgomery] Boice writes, "The declaration of Christ's authority on earth means that he has authority over those who are not yet believers.  That is, his authority extends to the people to whom he sends us with the gospel.  It follows, on the one hand, that Christianity is to be a world religion.  No one is outside the sphere of his authority or es exempt from his call.  On the other hand, this is also a statement of Jesus' ability to bring fruit from our efforts, for it is through the exercise of his authority that men and women actually come to believe and follow him."

Why Are You Saved?

By Justin Edwards

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

A brother recently shared with me the following sermon by Pastor John Weaver, which is part 2 of 6 in his series titled, The Doctrine of Election.  Packed full of Scripture testifying to the sovereign election of God, this message is a must-listen for those embracing the biblical doctrine of election or those eager to learn the truth behind it.

I encourage you to check any preconceived notions about election at the door and dig deep to ask yourself one question -

"Why are you saved?"

Pastor Weaver will help answer that question:

The Doctrine of Election - Part 2

By Grace Alone at God's Expense

By Justin Edwards

I am nearly finished with the short work of Sinclair Ferguson titled, By Grace Alone: How the Grace of God Amazes Me.  The inspiration for the book came from the beautiful hymn written in 1946 by an African pastor, Emmanuel T. Sibomana, titled "O How the Grace of God Amazes Me."  Christians can take the grace of God for granted, often forgetting exactly how costly the price of grace was for sinners.  When we realize just how costly it was for Christ to purchase His sheep for which He died, understanding that God created the heavens and the earth to display His glory and humans to bestow the immeasurable riches of His mercy and grace, we can rest and stand in awe of the wonder and beauty that is in Christ.

The following excerpts are from chapter 3, At God's Expense, and I thought they were fitting and timely for a Good Friday article.  The most amazing part of what today represents is that Christ could have saved Himself from the bloody cross. He could have called forth the armies of heaven to crush His enemies.  He could have escaped the torment of that cross, but He didn't, and He sustained the furious wrath and devastating punishment from God, His own Father.  He refrained from doing any of these things for one reason alone:  in order for Christ to save sinners, He could not save Himself. There is no greater love than this!

I highly recommend Sinclair Ferguson's book, which can be found at a reasonable price at the Ligonier Store.

At God's Expense

"O How the Grace of God Amazes Me" takes us, step by step, through various dimensions of God's saving grace. The third verse brings us to the theme of this chapter - salvation was costly to God. E.T Sibomama writes:

Jesus, God's Son,
Suffered on Calvary's tree -
Crucified with thieves was he -
Great was his grace to me,
His wayward one. 

Into Loneliness

...The whole story of Jesus' passion, His arrest, His trial, His suffering, and His public execution is one of appalling loneliness and isolation voluntarily experienced in order to restore us to fellowship with God.

After the meal in the upper room, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsamane. There He sought consolation from His Father and encouragement from His disciples.  He took Peter, James, and John (His "inner circle") and separated them from the others in the group.  Then He isloated Himself even from them, and was entirely on His own.

In the hours that followed, this movement into isolation continued and intensified.  He was further separated from His disciples, friends, and family members - although they came, bravely, to be with Him at His execution.  This was surely the hour the aged Simeon foresaw when he said to the young Mary, "a sword will pierce through your own soul" (Luke 2:35).

From His arrest until He was helped to carry His cross by Simon of Cyrene, Jesus had no close contact with human help - indeed, His one sighting of Simon Peter was when curses rang out from the disciple's lips (Matt. 26:74; Luke 22:61).  Did Jesus also feel a sword piercing His soul as He heard the words, "I do not know the Man!" Only at Golgotha did He have further contact with those who had known Him best and loved Him most.

But there was much more - and much worse.  Jesus felt Himself to be abandoned by God and cried out on the cross:  "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matt. 27:46)...

The Christ

...Jesus is the Christ:  He fulfills all three of these roles [prophet, priest, and king].  The ultimate role of the prophets, priests, and kings was not merely to minister to their contemporaries but to point them forward to Christ - who Himself would be the very Word of God, who would offer the ultimate sacrifice that would take away sin, namely Himself, and who would be the Monarch whose kingdom would never end.

Such a person had been promised in the Old Testament - a prophet greater than Moses (Deut. 18:15-19), a priest after the order of Melchizedek (Ps. 110:4), a king who would reign forever as the Son of David (Ps. 2:6).  Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Christ...

...Contrary to what those who wanted to destroy Jesus thought they were doing, they were themselves caught up in the purposes of God to bring salvation to sinners through His Son (Acts 2:23).

Before their blinded eyes, Jesus was fulfilling His messianic ministry.

Prophet, Priest, and King

Notice how all of this emerges.  The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating Him.  They blindfolded Him and demanded:  "Prophesy!  Who is the one who struck you?" (Luke 22:64).  They played with Jesus:  "Prophet! Prophet!  If you are a prophet, prophesy!"

Then, as Jesus' passion progressed, Herod and his soldiers also ridiculed and mocked Him.  They dressed Him in elegant, regal robe, then sent Him back to Pilate (Luke 23:6-12).  It was as if they were saying, "If you are a king, you should be dressed like a king."

Then, as people sneered at Him and mocked Him during His crucifixion, one of the criminals crucified beside Jesus said, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us" (Luke 23:29).

That was the specific task of the high priest.  That was his unique and supreme ministry on Yom Kippur, the annual Day of Atonement.  He made sacrifices for the forgiveness of his own sins and then took sacrificial blood into the Holy of Holies - the holiest place of all, so sacred that it was entered only once a year, and then by only one man.  On that sacred day, he would sprinkle the blood of a sacrificed animal on the symbolic throne of God on earth and pray for the forgiveness of the people.  He entered the presence of God that day to "save others," endangering his own life as he did so (Ex. 28:35).

So when the dying thief turned to Jesus and said, "If you are the Christ, then be the Great High Priest - save Yourself and others," he did not realize that saving others was precisely what Jesus was doing.  To do that, He had to lose His own life.

They mocked Him as though He were not a true prophet.  But soon Jesus would turn to the dying thief who said, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom" (Luke 23:42).  He would speak to him with the majesty and authority of the final and true Prophet:  "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

That dying thief saw something that nobody else had eyes to see.  He saw that Jesus was the King, and that His kingdom would extend beyond the death of both of them.

He was indeed the Christ.

In the last hours of Jesus' life, the whole land became dark.  The Gospel writers simply note the fact without comment or explanation.  The event may have reminded them of more than one significant event in the past.  One of them surely would have been the Day of Atonement, when the high priest moved from the outer courts of the temple into the darkness of the hidden, inner room of the Holy of Holies in order to sacrifice and pray for the people.  In that hidden room, the sun never shone.  The great sacrifice was offered to God far from prying eyes.

On the day of Jesus' crucifixion, the whole land was turned into the Holy of Holies where Jesus the High Priest made not the annual but the final sacrifice for sins.  The symbolism was fulfilled in the reality.  Thus, the symbol itself was no longer needed.  The great curtain in the temple was suddenly torn in two - from the top to the bottom (Luke 22:45).  The way to God was now open.  God Himself deconsecrated the temple in this dramatic way.

Jesus really was the High Priest.  All earlier high priests were mere pictures, actors in a lengthy drama communicating a message to those who watched, pointing forward to the One who was to come and revealing Him to those who had eyes to see.  Jesus Himself was the reality.  Unlike the earlier sacrificial dramas, this time the High Priest went into the immediate presence of God.  On the altar of Calvary, He shed His own blood.  Because His was the real sacrifice, God confirmed that it was acceptable to Him by desecrating the temple from heaven.  It was as if He were saying "This is not needed any longer."  He destroyed the old order. It had served its purpose.

At the Cross

...Crucifixion was a horrible death.  It was a slow death.  Men eventually died by asphyxiation.  As they weakened, they could no longer raise their bodies sufficiently to make breathing possible.  Yet we read of Jesus crying out with a loud voice (Luke 23:46).  Was this only a great final effort on His part?

In addition, Jesus appears to have died long before He was expected to (John 19:31:33).  Is Luke drawing our attention to the fact that Jesus chose the moment of His death - that, in a special sense, He died deliberately, sovereignly, and actively?  It seems He chose the moment with regal authority, calling out with a loud voice, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit" (Luke 23:35).  Then He bowed His kingly head and breathed His last.

In Luke's account of the crucifixion, it is fascinating to notice the frequency with which the word save is used. "He saved others; let Him save Himself" (Luke 23:35).  "Save Yourself (Luke 23:36).  "Save Yourself and us" (Luke 23:39).

...At the cross, the word that was most frequently on peoples' lips, even in abusive statements, was the key to everything that was happening.  The One who was being despised as Prophet, as Priest, and as King actually was God's Prophet, Priest, and King - the Christ, the Savior.  He was actually doing what they were cynically calling out for Him to do.  They, however, spoke in ignorance; they did not understand that if He was to save others, He could not save Himself.

Here, then, is the mystery of the cross, its whole secret...

Blasphemy and Treason

...The two charges leveled against Jesus were blasphemy (that He had made Himself equal with God) and treason (that He had rejected lawfully constituted authority).

Why were those two charges so significant?  It was because these are the charges each of us faces before the judgment seat of God.

In that court, I am guilty of blasphemy, because I have made myself rather than God the center of the universe.

I am also guilty of treason, since I have sought to overturn His lawfully and graciously constituted authority over my life.

Blasphemy and treason were also the crimes of Adam.  These are the age-old crimes of which every one of us - old and young, rich and poor, wise and simple, famous and infamous - stands accused.  We are on the same charge sheet.  We are all guilty.

But Jesus has come!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned he stood,
Sealed my pardon with his blood:
Hallelujah!  What a Savior!

How well this is expressed in Christopher Idle's words:

He stood before the court,
On trial instead of us;
He met its power to hurt,
Condemned to face the cross.
Our King, accused of treachery;
Our God, abused for blasphemy!

Jesus came and suffered all this to take our place, to bear our judgment, to deal with our sin, and to save us.

All this we see in the intricate weaving of Luke's tapestry portraying Jesus' passion.  The central motif is now clear:  Jesus Christ died for sinners, the Just for the unjust, to bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18).

The meaning of the cross is this:  "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

He took my place.  I take His grace.  He becomes my Savior.

Is that true for you?

Not for my righteousness,
For I have none,
But for his mercy's sake,
Jesus, God's Son,
Suffered on Calvary's tree -
Crucified with thieves was he - 

Are you able to sing?

Great was his grace to me,
His wayward one.

God Saves Bad People

By Justin Edwards

Did you know that God saves bad people? He saves sinners, that is, He saves sinners who recognize themselves as such. It doesn't matter what you've done, or who you did it with, there's nothing in your past or present that God will not forgive. He calls you to repent and place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and He promises to save all who lay their life down before Him. Call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and submit to His rule and reign in your life, and the gift you receive will be Life Eternal.

Transcript below:

 God Saves Bad People

God loves to save the most despicable kinds of people. And that's certainly true in my case. In getting me God wasn't getting something good. In getting me God wasn't getting anything special, in getting me God wasn't getting anything that would add to Him or benefit Him in any way, shape, or form. Have you forgotten by any chance the sewer out of which God rescued you? Which means, dear friends that our hope, our joy is grounded in this: that our God is absolutely relentless in his passionate pursuit to save sinners, not good people. God doesn't save good people; good people don't need to be saved. God saves bad people! Are you a bad person today? Then I am exceedingly glad that you are here, because that's what this congregation is, a congregation of bad people. Why do you come to this place? So that you can hear of the God Who saves bad people, Who loves bad people, Who rescues and delivers and extends mercy to bad people. Why bad people? Because doing so reveals the glory of His grace and the expansive boundaries of His love. Because doing so exposes the true potency of His saving accomplishments in His Son Jesus Christ. God loves to save bad people.

We raise our fist in God's face and we say, "Why do You save some and not others?" And it makes us mad. In our arrogance it makes us mad. As the pot, we think we have rights to the Potter. "Why do You save some and not others?" And you understand of course the predisposition that's behind all of that: the assumption that we're all innocent. But when you understand as Rahab does that we are all guilty, then suddenly the amazing thing is not that God saves some and not others, the amazing thing is that God saves any! When you understand that we're all guilty, suddenly saving any becomes the most amazing display of the grace of God.

This is the Christian God. The God Who saves bad people. The God Who has revealed Himself to you most fully in Jesus Christ. The gracious God, the generous God, the warm-hearted God, the open-armed God, the God Who is for sinners! Are you a sinner? A sinner like Rahab, dominated by sin because of your enslavement to sin? The God of the Bible is full of power and full of love and eager to save. And He does so, dear friends, by the One Who is now come to us through the redeemed womanhood of Rahab, God's Own Son Jesus Christ. You are not beyond the reach of God's grace. It makes no difference, dear friend, how scandalous your sin may be; even if it's as ugly as that of Rahab's. Like Rahab, ask God to save you from death, and He will in ways far greater than you could ever begin to imagine. Ask God, like Rahab, to save you from death. Because of the One Who has come to us from the lineage of Rahab, because of Jesus Christ, God will give you life.

(HT to Greis Vllahu for transcript)

You SHALL Come!

By Justin Edwards

All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. - John 6:37

In listening to Steven Lawson's five-part series on TULIP, I have been richly blessed in learning more about the sovereign work of the Holy Trinity in my salvation. In his fourth message on the irresistible grace of God (also known as effectual calling or sovereign grace), Lawson quotes (in part, below) from C.H. Spurgeon's sermon, Heaven and Hell. What truth there lies within these words of Spurgeon! Even though some might resist for a time, our omnipotent God will overcome even the fiercest resistance in His stubborn sheep through the regeneration of the Holy  Spirit. Alas, all for whom Christ died, to some extent, resisted the mercy of God until He worked His grace in us. For as Lawson said in this message,

Free will rises no higher than fallen man. 

If left to our own corrupt will, not one of us would choose God. Therefore, it is out of His own sovereign, absolute, and powerful will, derived from His own counsel, to fulfill His own pleasure, to the glory and pleasure of His own Son (Ephesians 1:3-14), that He reaches down from the throne room of heaven to save His sheep, who have all gone astray for a time. But when He calls each of us by name - individually, uniquely, and specifically - we will rise from the dead, having been given ears to hear, and respond to the sweet calling of the grace of our Lord to be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, once and for all (John 5:25).

Hallelujah what a Savior!

C.H. Spurgeon

(Excerpt broken into paragraphs for easier reading)

Oh! I love God's "shalls" and "wills." There is nothing comparable to them. Let a man say "shall," what is it good for? "I will," says man, and he never performs; "I shall," says he, and he breaks his promise.

But it is never so with God's "shalls." If he says "shall," it shall be; when he says "will," it will be. Now he has said here, "many shall come." The devil says "they shall not come;" but "they shall come." Their sins say "you can't come;" God says "you shall come." You, yourselves, say, "you won't come;" God says "you shall come." Yes!

There are some here who are laughing at salvation, who can scoff at Christ and mock at the gospel; but I tell you some of you shall come yet. "What!" you say, "can God make me become a Christian?" I tell you yes, for herein rests the power of the gospel. It does not ask you consent; but it gets it. It does not say, Will you have it? But it makes you willing in the day of God's power. Not against your will, but it makes you willing. It shows you its value, and then you fall in love with it; and straightway you run after it and have it.

Many people have said, "we will not have anything to do with religion." yet they have been converted. I have heard of a man who once went to chapel to hear the singing, and as soon as the minister began to preach, he put his fingers in his ears and would not listen. But by-and-by some tiny insect settled on his face, so that he was obliged to take one finger out of his ears to brush it away. Just then the minister said, "he that hath ears to hear let him hear." The man listened; and God met with him at that moment to his soul's conversion. He went out a new man, a changed character. He who came in to laugh retired to pray; he who came in to mock went out to bend his knee in penitence; he who entered to spend an idle hour went home to spend an hour in devotion with his God. The sinner became a saint; the profligate became a penitent.

Who know that there may not be some like that here? The gospel wants not your consent, it gets it. It knocks the enmity out of your heart. You say, "I do not want to be saved;" Christ says you shall be. He makes your will turn round, and then you cry, "Lord, save, or I perish." "Ah," might Heaven exclaim, "I knew I would make you say that;" and then he rejoices over you because he has changed your will and made you willing in the day of his power.

If Jesus Christ were to stand on the platform to-night, what would many people do with him? "O!" say some, "we would make him a King." I do not believe it. They would crucify him again, if they had the opportunity. If he were to come and say, "Here I am, I love you, will you be saved by me?" not one of you would consent if you were left to your will. If he should look upon you with those eyes, before whose power the lion would have crouched; if he spoke with that voice which poured forth a cataract of eloquence like a stream of nectar rolling down from the cliffs above, not a single person would come to be his disciple. No; it wants the power of the Spirit to make men come to Jesus Christ.

He himself said, "No man can come to me except the Father who hath sent me draw him." Ah! we want that; and here we have it. They shall come! They shall come! Ye may laugh, ye may despise us; but Jesus Christ shall not die for nothing. If some of you reject him, there are some that will not. It there are some that are not saved, others shall be. Christ shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands.

Some think that Christ died, and yet, that some for whom he died will be lost. I never could understand that doctrine. If Jesus, my surety, bore my griefs and carried my sorrows, I believe myself to be as secure as the angels in heaven. God cannot ask payment twice. If Christ paid my debt, shall I have to pay it again? No.

"Free from sin I walk at large

The Saviour's blood's my full discharge;

At his dear feet content I lay,

A sinner saved, and homage pay."

They shall come! They shall come! And naught in heaven, nor on earth, nor in hell, can stop them from coming.

"Why Evangelize If Election Is True?"

By Justin Edwards

This is a common question for those who reject the doctrines of grace, otherwise known at Calvinism with the accompanying acronym TULIP, and also for those who simply do not understand the doctrines and are earnestly seeking to reconcile evangelism and sovereign election. Unfortunately, there are many hypercalvinists who have distorted the biblical teaching of election and thus many an Arminian have run with the over-generalization and untruth that all Calvinists believe sharing the Gospel with the lost is pointless and unnecessary. Of course, this could not be further from the truth as Scripture is clear of our mandate to go out to preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15), and I have never met a bible-believing Calvinist to teach otherwise. 

The simple answer to this question is that we evangelize because God tells us to evangelize. The highest calling on the life of a person is to 1) repent and believe the Gospel and 2) to preach the Gospel. Disobeying the first calling will result in everlasting destruction (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9), while disobeying the second calling is direct and willful disobedience to the Person who purchased you. What's more, disobeying the second calling could possibly be an indication that you continue to disobey the first calling of which the ramifications are evident. Charles Spurgeon once said,

Every Christian is either a missionary or an impostor.

Spurgeon could not have been more truthfully blunt in my opinion.

In Paul's letter to Philemon, he writes:

I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, 5 hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, 6 that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. 7 For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother. - Philemon 1:4-7

Philemon's testimony should be that of every born again believer. As we grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, it will be impossible for us not to share our faith with others.  Paul writes a similar commendation to the Thessalonians:

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, 4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. - 1 Thessalonians 1:2-4

In this passage, the fruit of our election by God becomes clear: saving faith works, saving faith loves, and saving faith manifests the enduring hope of our Lord Jesus Christ. What is the greatest labor of love produced by the Christian? To proclaim the Gospel to the lost so they might be saved. Through word and deed, loving our neighbors and enemies alike, the believer cannot help but to tell the world of the Saving Grace that saved themselves from eternal hellfire.

Because God has decreed the salvation of His sheep before the foundations of the world, we may go to the ends of the earth having confidence there are sheep who have yet to come to Christ. As such, it is our responsibility as chosen vessels to fulfill the purposes of God by proclaiming the Gospel so the sheep will hear and be saved. If salvation was not decreed for the sheep, we could have absolutely no confidence that anyone would respond in saving faith because no man has the ability to do so apart from the grace of God. In fact, if salvation were left to the free will of man, there must be the possibility there will never be another soul saved between today and the coming of Christ.

Salvation is a gift from God whereby He has ordained His found sheep to tell His lost sheep how they can be found. If you struggle in the area of evangelism, don't worry, you're not alone. But there are many wonderful resources out there to help you overcome your fears and equip you to effectively and biblically share your faith with the world. Please see the resources on the page Evangelism - Equip Yourself and also find the list of vodpod videos on the right of the page under The Great Commission. Lastly, check out the links on the left side of the page under The Great Commission and consider following each of these solid evangelical ministries.

As Christ has yet to come for His Bride, let us be vigilant in our obedience to seek and save the lost through the proclamation of the Word of God!

To further elaborate why Calvinism is the only biblical foundation for why we preach the Gospel, please see the following links:

Calvinism is the Only Basis for Evangelizing the Lost

Could Calvinism be a stumbling block to the spread of the Gospel of Christ?

The Dead Will Hear and Live

By Justin Edwards

I am so thankful and humbled that God would continue to reveal His sovereign grace to me. Since surrendering my life to the Lord Jesus Christ in March 2009, He has slowly unraveled the mysteries of His divine providence to me in ways that I could handle, in small bits at a time. As I began reading through the New Testament, realizing God is indeed sovereign over man and if it were not for His sovereign grace no one could be saved, I marveled at the vast distinction between the traditions of men and the clear teaching of the Word of God. As fallen creatures, there is nothing good in us that gives us even the ability to respond to His outward calling for all men everywhere to repent and believe the Gospel. It is impossible.

Spiritually dead. Blind. Deaf. Unrighteous. Depraved. Wicked. Rebellious. Lawbreakers. Hell-bound. That describes every baby born into this world. We are corrupt creatures with corrupt desires, corrupt emotions, and corrupt wills. If one accepts this truth about man's condition, rather than supposing man is not naturally sinful and has the ability to choose God apart from His divine work (which is heresy mind you), then one must accept that apart from God's sovereign and effectual calling on a person, no one could possibly be saved. Why? Because we are dead, blind, deaf, unrighteous, depraved, wicked, rebellious lawbreakers hell-bound on the fast track.

Speaking of being dead, two days ago Al Mohler tweeted the following Scripture from John 5:25:

Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.

I may or may not have recognized the meaning of this verse before, but Tuesday I was astounded by its richness in speaking of the effectual calling of God. I read it several times over, went to the chapter to engage the context, and rejoiced in yet another treasure being revealed to me. There are three "simple" things going on here so let's take a look at them.

The Dead.

Who are the dead Jesus is speaking of here? Going back to John 5:24, we see Christ is speaking of our spiritual condition:

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

Those who believe the words of Christ and God the Father who sent Him will receive eternal life, passing from death into life. Understanding this, every born again believer was once dead in their sin,

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, - Ephesians 2:1

and unable to discern spiritual things:

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.- 2 Corinthians 2:14

These statements are absolute. The natural man cannot receive the things of God and he cannot know them. Christ, therefore, is speaking of spiritually dead people who have absolutely no capacity to understand and accept through saving faith the truth of the Gospel. It is impossible for a dead man to live. Unless!

The Voice of the Son of God.

Unless the dead hear the voice of the Son of God! The Father has given Christ all authority, as we see in John 17:1-2,

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.

Jesus has the power to give eternal life to everyone given to Him by the Father, "for as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself" (John 5:26).

The Dead Will Hear and Live.

Every person who hears the voice of the Son of God will live! Every person. Jesus said the dead will hear, and those who hear will live. What are the implications of this, then? Is it that Christ calls all dead men, and all dead men will hear and be made alive? Or is it that Christ only calls those given to Him by the Father (John 17:2), and those He calls forth will indeed live? I must go with the latter. Furthermore, none who hear the voice of the Son of God are able to resist His voice. Although John 5:25 can support itself in this regard, we can also look to John 6:37, 44 (emphasis added):

All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

The emphases here are critical. Tying in to John 5:24-25, we find that no one can come to Christ unless the Father draws him; and all who are drawn by the Father will indeed come, which is to say every dead man or woman drawn by the Father will hear the voice of Christ and will live and will pass from death to life. Isn't that marvelous!?

Borrowing from a quote I used from John Samson in the post Can Man Choose God?, the story of Lazarus is a primary example illustrating John 5:25:

Lazarus, being a lifeless corpse in the tomb, did not cooperate with Christ with regard to his own resurrection. Jesus simply cried out “Lazarus come forth!” and this call was powerful and sufficient in and of itself to bring dead Lazarus back to life. Christ did not interview the dead man Lazarus and ask if he would like to be resurrected, and once he got the “all clear” went ahead with his plan, now having obtained Lazarus’ permission and assent. Nor did Lazarus, once brought back to life, immediately take Jesus to court in attempt to sue him for violating his free will – his libertarian rights as a dead man to stay dead! No, for the rest of his earthly life, Lazarus was deeply grateful for the unspeakable mercy he had received from the Master.

This is a beautiful picture of what God does in our regeneration from spiritual death. Man, once receiving this grace of regeneration, then infallibly responds in faith to the effectual call of God.

Lazarus was dead, just as we are spiritually dead. While we may seek the god of religion and spirituality, we have no capacity to seek the God of the Bible without He drawing us to Himself. Just as it is impossible for a dead man to resurrect himself to life, so it is it impossible for a spiritually dead man to resurrect himself to spiritual life.

For purposes unknown to us, God has chosen to redeem a people for Himself for His glory alone to the praise of the Lord Jesus Christ alone (Ephesians 1:3-14). Our flesh hates this doctrine, but that does not make it any less true. If you are one who struggles or even detests the absolute sovereignty of God in our salvation, please go before God and plead with Him to reveal these magnificent truths to you. I cannot tell you how blessed I am knowing that God called me forth from death to life, not according to anything I had done (including any such "foreseen faith" I might would have), but according to His divine providence out of the counsel of His own will. Knowing this, I can rest in His grace all the more, being confident of the work He started in me will indeed be finished by Him.

Soli deo Gloria!

For further reading, please see:

Circumcision of the Heart and the Irresistible Call

God's Light Must Shine in Us. First.

According to the Foreknowledge of God

Chosen from the Beginning

Edwards and Spurgeon on Divine Sovereignty and Election

God's Light Must Shine in Us. First.

By Justin Edwards

In studying last night I came across a passage in God's Word that illuminated from the pages. Like a gold nugget glistening from the riverbed, it drew me in with curiosity and excitement. I absolutely love it when something new is revealed to me in Scripture!

As mentioned in Monday's post, Circumcision of the Heart and the Irresistible Call, no man can come to God until God first circumcises the heart. This open-heart surgery must be performed to awaken us from spiritual darkness in order for us to see the Light of our salvation. What struck me last night was yet another testimony to this sovereign truth whereby God must first move upon us before we can, not may, respond to Him by repentant faith. 2 Corinthians 4:6,

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.

In the first work of His creation, it was God who willed the light to shine forth from the darkness. So to does He will for His light to shine forth from the heart of the unbeliever. The graceless soul of man is in darkness and desperately wicked, confused, and conformed to the things of the world. But when God shines through our hearts, doing so out of the counsel of His own will (Ephesians 1:11), He gives us eyes to see the knowledge of the glory of God in Christ Jesus! Yet, why is it necessary for God to first shine through us before we can come to knowledge of the truth? Just prior in 2 Corinthians 4:4 we see,

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.

It is impossible for unbelievers to see and receive the light and truth of the Word of God. The Lord has ordained Satan to blind the minds of the lost, and this statement is absolute for every human. As such, how can a dead man live? How can a blind man see? How can a deaf man hear? None of these can just will themselves to be made alive or be cured. It is only by the miraculous work of God that they may live, see, and hear!

Those rejecting the biblical truth that the Holy Spirit must first make us a new creation before we will believe cannot work themselves around this passage. Because man is dead in his sins (Ephesians 2:1) and blinded by the god of this world, God must circumcise our hearts (Deuteronomy 30:6) and shine in us so we can be spiritually made alive (Ephesians 2:4-5). It is not that He makes salvation possible for all men because in doing so He would have to circumcise every heart, quicken every spirit, and shine through every soul of man. If this were true, it would contradict the omnipotence of Almighty God, thus reducing Him incapable of finishing every work He starts (Philippians 1:6).

Just as God created everything out of nothing, so to does He create repentance and faith out of the emptiness of the soul and the heart of the dead man. On Genesis 1:3-5, Matthew Henry wrote:

God said, Let there be light; he willed it, and at once there was light. Oh, the power of the word of God! And in the new creation, the first thing that is wrought in the soul is light: the blessed Spirit works upon the will and affections by enlightening the understanding. Those who by sin were darkness, by grace become light in the Lord. Darkness would have been always upon fallen man, if the Son of God had not come and given us understanding, 1Jo 5:20. The light which God willed, he approved of. God divided the light from the darkness; for what fellowship has light with darkness? In heaven there is perfect light, and no darkness at all; in hell, utter darkness, and no gleam of light. The day and the night are the Lord's; let us use both to his honour, by working for him every day, and resting in him every night, meditating in his law both day and night.

As I reflect on this sovereign work of God whereby He spoke "Let their be Light" in my own heart, I rejoice and praise Him! For if it were not for His mercy and sovereign will to save me, I would still be a wretch on his way to an eternal hell. I believe it was John MacArthur who I recently heard say that the doctrine of election is the most humbling doctrine of Scripture - I must wholeheartedly agree, and I thank God for His saving grace through my Lord Jesus Christ!

Soli deo Gloria!

Circumcision of the Heart and the Irresistible Call

By Justin Edwards

If not for the sovereign and effectual grace of God, not one person in all the ages of the earth would be saved from the wrath of God, and deservedly so. Each of us has broken the perfect Law of God and no one is righteous before Him in their own regard (Romans 3:10-11). In our fallen, sinful state, we are all unrighteous, unholy, and utterly separated from the goodness of God (Isaiah 59:1-2). It is for this reason each of us are dead men walking along a path of destruction leading to the epitome of God's wrath in a place called hell, but for His mercy and grace!

Because we are all spiritually dead and condemned as natural men and women (Ephesians 2:1, 5; Colossians 2:13), it takes a supernatural act of God to awaken us spiritually. Moreover, all those who are awakened from their natural, dead state will respond by repentant faith and submit their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is essentially what is known as effectual grace in that all those who are called by God will come to Him through His Son. God's saving grace is therefore irresistible and effectual, or consequential, in all those who are called by it (John 6:37).

The Old and New Testament are rife with this truth that God must first perform open-heart surgery on a person before they can respond in saving faith. One such passage is found in Deuteronomy 30:6, which destroys any argument from Pelagians or Semi-Pelagians that man can choose to love and obey God without God first making that possible. Furthermore, it shows God does not circumcise every heart because all men do not love God, obviously. This is a problem for those who reject the doctrines of grace (Calvinism) because they claim that God makes salvation possible for all men, or that He draws all men to repentance but man's autonomy (exercising free will) allows for Him to resist God's drawing or calling. To support their position, they would be forced to say God circumcises all hearts though lacking biblical evidence to support that claim.

I have been thoroughly enjoying Dr. Steven Lawson's Foundations of Grace where he journeys through each book of Scripture showing where the doctrines of grace are clearly thrust forth as eternal truths of our sovereign God. This first installment in a projected 5-book series by Dr. Lawson will be offered in a future gift giveaway here on airō as it has richly blessed me in learning more about the sovereignty of God in our salvation. I therefore invite you to read the following excerpt from chapter 3 titled, "Sovereign Grace in the Wilderness", where Dr. Lawson expands on Deuteronomy 30:6 (pages 97-98):

Doctrine in Focus: Irresistible Call

"In Deuteronomy, Moses also taught the fourth main heading of the doctrines of grace - God's irresistible call. Hundreds of years before Moses, God commanded Abraham to circumcise all the males in his household. For Israel, circumcision was a picture of what God must do to the unconverted heart. In the new birth, God must circumcise the sin-hardened heart if sinful man is to love Him with saving faith. By a sovereign work of the Holy Spirit, God must cut deeply into the unconverted heart and supernaturally set it apart to Himself. This is the omnipotent work of the Spirit in regeneration. Again, then, we see that God is the sole initiating cause of regeneration. Man is passive while God is active in this vital step in the process of salvation:

"And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. - Deuteronomy 30:6

"Moses presented God's sovereign work of grace as a spiritual circumcision, a cutting away of the foreskin of the unbelieving heart. It is a penetrating work of grace that removes man's inability to believe and replaces it with true repentance and faith. Regeneration is open-heart surgery, a soul-reviving work of the Spirit that probes to the deepest level of a person's being. Concerning this work of regeneration, Anthony Hoekema writes, 'What does the Bible teach about regeneration? Already in the Old Testament we are taught that only God can bring about the radical change which is necessary to enable fallen human beings again to do what is pleasing in His sight. In Deuteronomy 30:6 we find our spiritual renewal figuratively described as a circumcision of the heart....Since the heart is the inner core of the person, the passage teaches that God must cleanse us within before we can truly love Him.' Explaining the irresistible nature of this divine work, Craigie writes, 'It is seen rather to be an act of God and thus indicates the new covenant, when God would in His grace deal with man's basic spiritual problem. When God 'operated' on the heart, then indeed the people would be able to love the Lord and live.'"

If you would like to learn more about the doctrines of grace in a controlled and amicable environment, I invite you to join John Samson at Effectual Grace as we go through TULIP over the next several weeks. Click HERE for more details.

Do Not Be Anxious for Anything

By Justin Edwards

As many Christians are going through difficult economic times these days, perhaps some reading this blog, I want to encourage you with the words of Jesus. God will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6), He is sovereign over our lives and our circumstances (Romans 8:28), He is our peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7; John 14:27), He is our great provider (Matthew 6:8), and He will sustain us if we just cast our anxieties before Him (1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 55:22). He is our loving Father who has prepared for us that which no eye has seen nor hear heard nor has entered the heart of man (1 Corinthians 2:9).

This is something my wife and I are really clinging to lately, so be encouraged my brethren. You are not alone in your struggles, and know that God will provide for you everything you need. Live each day as unto the Lord, and trust you will be cared for most abundantly. He is faithful to His promises, and in Christ we are most blessed through the riches of His infinite grace!

Do Not Worry

"Then [Jesus] said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?

29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Luke 12:22-34

Journey Through TULIP with John Samson

By Justin Edwards

John Samson over at Effectual Grace has posted the first of a series inviting you to join him in walking through the doctrines of grace, commonly known as Calvinism. He begins by offering a quote from Dr. James White of Alpha and Omega Ministries:

What are the ‘doctrines of grace’ and why do they matter? Such is like asking, “What does the Bible teach about the very heart of the gospel, and does it matter one way or the other?” The doctrines of grace are the biblical teachings that define the goal and means of God’s perfect work of redemption. They tell us that God is the one who saves, for His own glory, and freely. And they tell us that He does so only through Christ, only on the basis of His grace, only with the perfection that marks everything the Father, Son, and Spirit do. The doctrines of grace separate the Christian faith from the works-based religions of men. They direct us away from ourselves and solely to God’s grace and mercy.

John goes on to say in the article:

Over the next few weeks, I will (God willing) be posting a video session here on the blog every 4 or 5 days or so, hoping that will give you enough time to watch each session. Then, once you have done so, I would invite you to write a comment here to let others know what the video teaching is doing for you in terms of your understanding of the Scriptures and in your walk with the Lord. Would you come with me on this journey?

I love learning more about the Lord, about His Word, and especially about the amazing grace of God. If you feel the same way, I think this could be a lot of fun, especially if we can show kindness and gentleness to one another (even if ultimately we may disagree). We can disagree without being disagreeable. Yet, if this can be a safe place where people can make their comments in the right spirit, showing respect for one another, this can be a richly rewarding adventure of discovery for us all. The idea has exciting potential, I think.

I think John is doing a marvelous thing by providing a safe environment to discuss the sovereignty of God and grow more in love with His effectual grace. Surely this will greatly edify the Body of Christ and help us all grow in the knowledge and grace of our Lord.

I encourage you to join me in this invitation. Check out his first post, TULIP (1), to read the entire article and view the first video installment with Dr. John Piper. And don't forget to tell others. :)

May God be glorified through this endeavor!

Edwards and Spurgeon on Divine Sovereingty and Election

By Justin Edwards

Jonathan Edwards

"From my childhood up, my mind had been full of objections against the doctrine of God's sovereignty. It used to appear like a horrible doctrine to me. But I remember the time very well, when I seemed to be convinced, and fully satisfied, as to this sovereignty of God, and His justice in thus eternally dealing with men, according to His sovereign pleasure. My mind rested in it; and it put an end to all those quibbles and objections. And there has been a wonderful alteration in my mind, with respect to the doctrine of God's sovereignty, from that day to this. God's absolute sovereignty…is what my mind seems to rest assured of, as much as of any thing that I see with my eyes. But I have often, since that first conviction, had quite another kind of sense of God's sovereignty than I had then. I have often since had not only a conviction, but a delightful conviction. The doctrine has appeared exceedingly pleasant, bright, and sweet. Absolute sovereignty is what I love to ascribe to God. But my first conviction was not so."

"When men are fallen, and become sinful, God by His sovereignty has a right to determine about their redemption as He pleases. He has a right to determine whether He will redeem any or not. He might, if he had pleased, have left all to perish, or might have redeemed all. Or, he may redeem some, and leave others; and if He doth so, He may take whom He pleases, and leave whom He pleases. To suppose that all have forfeited his favor, and deserved to perish, and to suppose that he may not leave any one individual of them to perish, implies a contradiction; because it supposes that such a one has a claim to God's favor, and is not justly liable to perish; which is contrary to the supposition. It is meet (right) that God should order all these things according to His own pleasure. By reason of His greatness and glory, by which He is infinitely above all, He is worthy to be Sovereign, and that His pleasure should in all things take place. He is worthy that He should make Himself His end, and that He should make nothing but His own wisdom His rule in pursuing that end, without asking leave or counsel of any, and without giving account of any of His matters. It is fit that He who is absolutely perfect, and infinitely wise, and the Fountain of all wisdom, should determine every thing [that He effects] by His own will, even things of the greatest importance. It is meet that He should be thus Sovereign, because He is the first being, the eternal being, whence all other beings are. He is the Creator of all things; and all are absolutely and universally dependent on Him; and therefore it is meet that He should act as the Sovereign possessor of heaven and earth." (Edwards, The Justice of God in the damnation of sinners)

Charles H. Spurgeon

"There is no attribute of God more comforting to his children than the doctrine of Divine Sovereignty. Under the most adverse circumstances, in the most severe troubles, they believe that Sovereignty hath ordained their afflictions, that Sovereignty overrules them, and that Sovereignty will sanctify them all. There is nothing for which the children of God ought more earnestly to contend than the dominion of their Master over all creation - the kingship of God over all the works of His own hands - the throne of God, and His right to sit upon that throne. On the other hand, there is no doctrine more hated by world-lings, no truth of which they have made such a football, as the great, stupendous, but yet most certain doctrine of the Sovereignty of the infinite Jehovah. Men will allow God to be everywhere except on His throne."

"We give our hand to every man that loves the Lord Jesus Christ, be he what he may or who he may. The doctrine of election, like the great act of election itself, is intended to divide, not between Israel and Israel, but between Israel and the Egyptians, not between saint and saint, but between saints and the children of the world. A man may be evidently of God's chosen family, and yet though elected, may not believe in the doctrine of election. I hold that there are many savingly called, who do not believe in effectual calling, and that there are a great many who persevere to the end, who do not believe the doctrine of final perseverance. We do hope the hearts of many are a great deal better than their heads. We do not set their fallacies down to any willful opposition to the truth as it is in Jesus but simply to an error in their judgments, which we pray God to correct. We hope that if they think us mistaken too, they will reciprocate the same Christian courtesy; and when we meet around the cross, we hope that we shall ever feel that we are one in Christ Jesus."


For two short but excellent articles on God's sovereignty and election in our salvation, please see the following two articles by John Samson:


God is at the Center

What is meant by Divine Election?

According to the Foreknowledge of God

By Justin Edwards

In part 2 of his series Chosen By God, John MacArthur explains the foreknowledge of God in our election according to 1 Peter 1:1-2, which says,

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, ² elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace be multiplied. 

There are some who explain God's election of His children to be according to the choices He knew we would make because He is omniscient, but reading this passage in context and in accordance with other Scriptures, we see that this foreknowledge is in fact God foreordaining, or prearranging, who would respond to His effectual calling. To believe otherwise is to ultimately grant man sovereignty over himself, and ultimately sovereignty over his own salvation thereby giving man a share in the credit and glory in his decision.

This series can be downloaded for free at the following links and I highly recommend them to understand this biblical doctrine more clearly. Traditions have their way of skewing our theological understanding of God's Word, but if we let Scripture speak for itself, we will find God is sovereign in all things, especially our salvation. As the Apostle Paul declares in Ephesians 1:3-14, we have been chosen in accordance with God's pleasure and will, in accordance with the riches of His grace, according to His own good pleasure, in conformity with the purpose of His own will, to the praise of His glory!

Chosen By God - Part 1

Chosen By God - Part 2

Chosen By God - Part 3

Partial Transcript from Part 2 - Chosen By God

(all bold emphasis added)

 So it is God who chose us to be saved. He made the choice. He did the choosing. And, by the way, God does it independently of any person. He does it independently...are you ready for this?...of any circumstances. Now you need to grasp that. There is no person who moves on the will of God to help Him make the choice. There is no circumstance which in any way precipitates God's choice.

In Daniel 4:35 we read, "All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, What have you done?" No one can question it. No one is involved in the process in any way. God singled out certain ones in His own mind both among the angels, the holy and elect angels as they're called in 1 Timothy 5:21 and among men, and He chose them for eternal life and blessedness. Before He created them He decided their destiny. We saw that last time.

I might put it this way. The chosen people is made up of the people chosen. The chosen people is made up of the people chosen. But what was the source of God's choosing? Verse 2, now follow, "According to the foreknowledge of God." Now some people say, "You see, that's it. We're chosen because God knew before what we would do." Have you ever heard that? That's the most common sort of traditional explanation of election. They say, "Well foreknowledge means foresight, or it means...and I've heard it explained many times...God looked down through the eons of history and saw by His future omniscience what you would do and what I would do and when He saw that we would believe, He chose us and when we saw that we wouldn't believe, He didn't choose us." Some people think that's what it means...that God in His omniscience knew what you would do, knew what everyone would do so in some supernatural way He observed history before it was written and by His observation elected those that He foresaw would believe. Men love that doctrine. They love that. They want to believe that. Something in me wants to believe that. Something in you wants to believe that. Yeah, that sounds better.

You know why you want to believe that? Number one, because in your fallenness you desperately want some responsibility for your salvation. And secondly, in your fallenness the other sounds as if it's...what?...unfair. But since our minds are polluted by sin we're not in a position to exalt our own pride and call it virtue or to pull down the justice of God and call it something less than that. That's not what foreknowledge means.

You know what's wrong with that view? I'll tell you. I'll give you a few little reasons, you can jot them down. The first thing, if you were to translate the idea here, foreknowledge, as knowing before and assume that God just looked down history, saw what you'd do and wrote it down cause He saw you were going to do it, the first thing that does is make man sovereign. Right? We're sovereign. We're doing it and God's saying, "I'll see, I'll write that down, he was going to do that." So man is sovereign.

Now you're going to have a problem with that in John 15:16 where Jesus said, "You have not chosen Me, but...what?...I have chosen you." Now who is sovereign? Is man sovereign? Are you sovereign and I'm sovereign and everybody is sovereign? Everybody can choose whatever they want and God's just up there trying to keep it all in line and get the right guy on the right side of the ledger. No. See if you believe that then you've made man sovereign.

Secondly, that view also gives man the credit for his salvation in some way and allows him to share the glory. And as I said, man loves that. I heard a person give a testimony the other night, said, "I'm so glad that I had the sense to receive Christ." And I wanted to get up and say, "No you didn't and I don't even know you, but I know you don't have the sense to receive Christ because no one has the sense to receive Christ." That is not an act of human sense. I'm so glad that I had the sense to give my life to Christ...no you didn't. But we want a little of that glory. God chose us. 1 Corinthians 1:29 says that no man should boast before God. Not of works lest any man should boast, Ephesians 2:9 says the same thing.

So, if you're going to take foreknowledge and make it God knew before what you were going to do, then you have just made man sovereign and secondly, you can give man the credit for being smart enough to come to Christ and therefore he shares in the glory due for the gift of salvation.

The third problem with that, it assumes that man can seek after God...it assumes that man in his fallen state can sort through the available data and seek God. Romans 3:11 says, "No man seeks after God." The reason you're saved is not because you sought God but because God...what?..sought you. And you never responded to seek until God sought you first and moved your heart toward Him.

Fourthly, that view makes salvation a result of a human work. And what is that work? Believing. If you can believe strictly on the basis of your own human ability, then you have appropriated salvation by a human work. You say, "Well now wait a minute, don't you have to believe to be saved?" Yes, but your believing to be saved was also a gift from God. God granted you the faith. If God is sitting back in eternity looking down the road and just waiting to see what you do, then the faith that you exercise is your faith not His, it's therefore a human work. It makes salvation a human work, a work of faith but still a human work...human faith.

And fifthly, that perspective makes God a victim of man's choice. It makes God a victim of man's choice. God is sitting up in heaven saying, "Humph...that's going to make a difference in My plan. Boy, if that guy had only said yes then I could have done this and I could have worked that but now it's just not going to work out." That's hardly short of a blasphemous view of God. God does all things by the counsel of His own will. God does all His good pleasure. God is never in any way frustrated by anything, any time done by anyone. That is so very vital for us to understand.

Isaiah 46:9, "I am God, there is no other. I am God, there's no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done...listen to this...saying, My purpose will be established, I will accomplish all My good pleasure." God is not a victim. 

Now if you take the view that God just looks down the road and sees who's going to believe, you've made man sovereign. You give man the credit for a part of his salvation so he gets some of the glory. You assume that man on his own is going to seek after God, not prompted by God Himself. You have made salvation a human work of faith. And you have just made God a victim of what men do. That is not what this word means.

Now those are theological reasons why that can't be true. Let me go to the text and give you a reason that's inherent in the Word itself. The word here, please notice, "foreknowledge" is the word prognosis, have you heard that word? Prognosis, it's a very important word. Peter also uses it one more time in this same chapter, please notice it, verse 20...verse 19 ends with the word "Christ," then it says of Christ, "For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world." Same word...form of proginosko, same word. Does it mean foresight there? Does it mean God was up in heaven looking down the road and said, "Oh I see what Christ is going to do? Oh, I see...I get it." Is it God looking down the path of history to see what Christ will do? Not hardly. Well whatever prognosis means in verse 2 it means in verse 20, Peter's certainly not going to try to confuse us. And if Christ was foreknown before the foundation of the world and I was foreknown before the foundation of the world, then I was foreknown in the same way Christ was foreknown, right? 

How am I to understand that? Look at Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2 verse 23, speaking of Christ, Peter preaching here. He likes this word. This is Peter on the day of Pentecost. It talks about Jesus of Nazareth. And he says in verse 23 of Acts 2, "This man delivered up...listen to this...by the predetermined plan and...what?...foreknowledge of God." You nailed to a cross by the hands of Godless men and put Him to death. Now wait a minute. Christ was delivered up to die by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God.

Beloved, do you understand it? Foreknowledge is linked to the predetermined plan. Foreknowledge is deliberate choice...deliberate choice. It is a predetermined relationship, a predetermined relationship in the knowledge of God. It doesn't mean He observed before, it means that He planned before. It is knowing not in the sense of observation but is knowing in the sense of bringing into reality.

For example, let me give you some illustrations so you'll not be confused. Jeremiah 1:5, God says of Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb I...what?...I knew you." That's the kind of knowing. What do you mean? I predetermined a relationship with you, that's what it means. I predetermined a relationship with you. You know what it says in Genesis? "Cain knew his wife and she bore a son." What does that mean? He knew who she was? He observed her and said, "Oh, you're my wife." And she had a son? No. Know in the sense he knew her and she had a son, he engaged in an intimate relationship. It was the same thing with Joseph, he had known Mary and yet she was with child. Know there speaks of an intimate bond, an intimate relationship.

Amos 3:2, "Israel only have I known." What does He mean? That Israel's the only people I know anything about? They're the only ones I'm observing? No, they're the only ones with whom I have an intimate predetermined relationship.

I'm thinking of Isaiah, I want you to fully understand this because it confuses so many people. Isaiah 49:1, "Listen to me, O islands, and pay attention you peoples from afar, the Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother He named me and He has made my mouth like a sharp sword," this is the prophet Isaiah saying it all happened before he was ever born, before he was ever born. God had the whole thing planned. The Lord knew me. What do you mean? He knew who he was? No, He predetermined a unique relationship of intimacy with that prophet.

In Exodus 33 the Scripture says, "I have known you by name and you have also found favor in My sight," God speaking to Moses. The Lord spoke to Moses verse 17, "I will also do this thing of which you have spoken for you have found favor in My sight, I have known you by name." In other words, bound up in this knowing is God's predetermined bond, God's predetermined relationship.

You see the same thing in Matthew 7. Do you remember what it says there? "Many shall say, Lord, Lord, and I will declare to them...verse 23...I never...what?...knew you." I didn't know who you were? No, He knew who they were. I never had a predetermined relationship with you. John 10, similar, I think it's about verse 14 or 15. Verse 14, "I am the good shepherd and I know My own," see. I have a bond with them. More than I know who they are, I have a relationship with them bound up in a predetermined choice.

Well that's the idea...