It’s Your Turn — What Do You Want to Address?

This blog site has showcased major themes of the Bible: man’s sinfulness; God’s holiness and justice; God’s punishment for sin; our inability to save ourselves; God’s solution to our sin problem; Jesus Christ as mankind’s only sin-bearer; the necessity of being born again; and the believer’s eternal security.  In a nutshell, the major theme of all of Scripture is Jesus Christ — from Genesis to Revelation. 

We pray that some of the visitors to this site have been edified by what they’ve seen here.  Maybe there was a verse presented one day that provided comfort for someone; perhaps there was a biblical truth examined on another day that was especially useful for an individual. 

We do try to acknowledge all correspondence…and while we’ve received some emails that are quite antagonistic toward God in general and toward us specifically, the vast majority of the emails & posted comments have been focused on a topic from the Bible — and that’s always a good thing.

IT’S YOUR TURN.

We’re asking you (our visitors) to tell US what other topics you want to see addressed.  There’s no guarantee we’ll have the answers…but if we don’t, then it’s likely other visitors may.  We’ll take your request and turn that into a posting along with our response — and hopefully with comments from others as well.    

You can email us at watkinsclan@comcast.net with your concern and/or question.  We pledge to maintain your anonymity. 

To God Be The Glory!

Requested Topic #2: Limited Atonement

The major tenets of reformed doctrine are often categorized by the acronym TULIP.  The respective letters stand for: Total Depravity; Unconditional Election; Limited Atonement; Irresistible Grace; and Perseverance of the Saints.  We’ve been asked to amplify the doctrine of Limited Atonement by a visitor…and so that’s the topic for today’s posting.  The principle issue here is the reason why the cross of Christ does not save everyone. Those who do not become saved will suffer eternal punishment and will never be reconciled to God.

Why doesn’t the cross save everybody? It’s not because God has limited power in the cross or that He has a limited purpose for the cross.  Neither is it because God intended to save everyone but then failed.  God had a specific purpose in the atonement and the cross of Christ saves every single individual that God intended.

We can say this firmly because not once did God ever fail to carry out His plans. If God had intended for the cross to save everyone, then everyone would indeed be saved through it.  What God has planned, He will do as we find in Isaiah 46:9-11; Isaiah 55:11; Daniel 4:35; and Ephesians 1:11.

Scripture teaches that Jesus came to accomplish a real salvation for His people. He did far more than merely provide a possibility of salvation.  That would mean that Christ actually saved no one on the cross…just that He just made salvation possible.  If you don’t agree with this or are in any way unsure of this fact, then please read the following passages: Matthew 1:21; Matthew 26:28; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:25-26; Titus 2:14; Hebrews 2:17; and Revelation 5:9.

God’s Word tells us in Romans 8:32 that God will give everything (including saving faith) to those for whom He delivered up His Son to die.  If we were reconciled to God at the cross, then we will most definitely be saved (check out Romans 5:10). The Bible also declares that the Good Shepherd laid down His life for His sheep in John 10:11.  However, nowhere does Scripture teach that the Good Shepherd laid down His life for those who are not His sheep (see John 10:26).  Who are Christ’s sheep?  According to John 10:29 they are those whom the Father has given Him and they manifest themselves through their faith and obedience.  This means they recognize Jesus as their only hope for salvation (i.e., they see Him as their Good Shepherd) and they listen to His voice and obediently follow Him (John 10:3-4; John 10:27). Christ died for the sheep — and all the sheep will believe.  Christ died for those whom the Father gave Him — and all these will come to Christ and none of them will be lost (John 6:37,39). Those who are not Christ’s sheep manifest themselves through their failure to trust in Christ alone for their salvation, as we see in John 10:26.

As our great High Priest in John 17:9, Christ prayed only for those whom the Father had given Him.  If, as the universal atonement crowd believes, Christ offered up His life as a priestly sacrifice for everybody, then why did He not also offer up His priestly prayer for everybody? That’s being inconsistent…and our LORD is anything but inconsistent.

If, as the universal atonement crowd believes, Christ died equally for the sins of all men, then those who end up in hell will be paying the penalty for their sins even though their sins have already been paid for through the sufferings of Christ.  It would be unjust for God to require double payment for sin.  In fact, if Christ died for the sins of every single individual in the world, God could condemn no one to hell since their sins would have already been covered/paid by Christ.

Additionally, the Bible speaks of individuals whose sins would never be atoned for by any type of sacrifice. (1 Samuel 3:14; Isaiah 22:14; and Hebrews 10:26).

The biblical doctrine of limited atonement (personally, I prefer the term Specific Atonement) in no way denies that the cross has infinite saving potential.  Christ’s atonement on the cross could have saved everyone if it would have been God’s sovereign choice to do that.  Christ’s atonement on Calvary provides a sure, secure and real salvation for every single person God intended it to save — and only for them.

But, you ask, what about passages that mention the world and use the universal term all?  In the same way that Paul’s statement that the gospel “was preached to every creature under heaven” in Colossians 1:23 doesn’t mean that even the slugs and snails were evangelized, so too these passages do not teach that God planned for the atonement to save every sinner that ever lived. 

Passages with universal terms must be interpreted very carefully. For example, what did Paul mean in Romans 5:18 when he said the free gift came “upon all men unto justification of life?”  He cannot be referring to all men without exception because the Bible clearly teaches that not all men will be saved.  The context of “all men” in Romans 5 indicates all men who are under the covenant headship of Christ. 

The message of other passages with universal terms is that Christ has saved the world in the sense that His people are now from every tribe, nation and tongue of the world — not from only one nation (i.e., Israel).   Christ also will take away the sin of the world in the sense that He will totally remove sin and the curse from the world at His second coming on the Last Day. Some will argue that if Christ did not die for all men without exception, then we can’t go up to the lost and say, “Christ died for you!”  And you know what?  They’re absolutely right.  That’s not the sort of message we should be sending out in the first place.  We should follow the example of the Apostle Paul and say to the lost, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” That message is the gospel truth and in no way contradicts the doctrine of limited atonement.  All are commanded to come to Christ, and none who come will be cast out.  All whom the Father has given to Christ (i.e., the elect for whom Christ died) will come as we see in John 6:37.

God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked and that’s why He exhorts them to turn from their wicked ways and live.  

Romans 9:14-16: What shall we say then? [Is there] unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then [it is] not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Romans 9:21-23: Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? [What] if God, willing to shew [his] wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory

There is here admittedly a degree of mystery beyond our understanding, for we cannot fully comprehend the inner workings of the secret and the revealed aspects of God’s will (Deuteronomy 29:29), nor the relationship between divine sovereignty and human responsibility. All we know is that when someone rejects the gospel message, the fault is theirs and God is grieved; and when someone believes the gospel, the reason is God’s sovereign gift of undeserved grace and God alone deserves the glory and the praise.  And to that we say…

To God Be The Glory!

 

Requested Topic #1: Unconditional Election

We’ve been asked to try to break down the biblical concepts of unconditional election and limited atonement.  Over the next two days, we’ll attempt to do this – today with a posting addressing unconditional election and tomorrow with one focusing on Christ’s atonement. 

In the Bible, to elect means to choose.  God’s people are His chosen people according to 1 Peter 2:9.  But why did God choose the people He did?  Was it because they met some condition, passed some test, were better or wiser than others? Or is God’s choice entirely one of grace and completely a matter of God’s mercy being bestowed upon the undeserving? The Bible teaches the latter.  

Ephesians 1:4 tells us God elected His people before time began.  Think about the ramifications of that truth for a moment. This means God made His choices before the people involved had done anything good or evil.  From this fact, Paul declares in Romans 9:10-16 that God’s election is based not on human will or works but on God’s sovereign choice to have mercy on whomever He will have mercy upon.  

Perhaps another way of saying this is that the Christian chooses God but only after he or she comes to saving faith.  God still makes the primary and deciding choice.  

It’s very important to note that God did not choose His people because He foresaw that they would believe or live holy lives.  In fact, according to Acts 13:48, Acts 18:27 and Ephesians 1 just the opposite is true: God’s people believe and live holy lives because in eternity past God freely chose to give them grace in Christ Jesus.   

God’s choice of a people was not the result of their faith and holiness; but rather it’s the cause of their faith and holiness.  This is evidenced in Ephesians 1:4, Ephesians 2:10 and 2 Thessalonians 2:13.  Jesus Himself said in John 15:16, “You did not choose Me but I chose you and appointed you to bear fruit.”  

If God has saved us then we shouldn’t think that He chose us because we’re somehow better than anyone else.  God’s choice is not because of human merit but according to His own purpose and grace as we see in 2 Timothy 1:9 and Ephesians 1:5.  Scripture gives us the analogy of sinful humanity as one common lump of clay while God is the divine Potter choosing from this common lump to make some vessels unto mercy and some unto wrath (Romans 9:20-23).   

For some, this idea of God’s complete sovereignty in choosing a people for Himself is very difficult to swallow.  “That’s not fair!” is a common refrain.  And I have to agree – God is not fair. If God were fair then He would make sure we all receive the punishment we fairly deserve – and that’s an eternity in hell paying for our sins.  That would be fair.  The God described for us in the Bible is a God who is merciful and gracious, not fair. 

Some will use Romans 8:29 as a proof text that before the foundation of the world God looked ahead into history to see who would believe and obey and then chose them to be His people.   If this verse were isolated from the rest of Scripture, then yes it would be easy to arrive at this position.  But think what this conclusion really means…  

This would mean that faith and obedience are causes or conditions of God’s election. This would mean that in eternity past God did not plan out history but merely passively observed history to see what would happen. But these conclusions are clearly contrary to what Scripture teaches; therefore, this interpretation cannot be correct.   

Scripture (Acts 13:48, Ephesians 2:10, John 15:16 and many others) is clear that our faith and good works are the result of God’s election rather than the cause or reason for it.  According to Isaiah 46:8-11, the reason God is able to know the future is because He is in total control of it.  This idea that God knows the future without having planned it and without actively controlling it is entirely foreign to Scripture.  

Romans 8 isn’t really talking about God’s foresight at all; it’s speaking of God’s foreknowledge.  Foreknowledge refers to God’s setting His heart and affections upon those whom He has chosen to freely give salvation. The foreknowledge of Romans 8:29 is God saying in effect “Yea, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I will draw you.”   

Perhaps this picture will help demonstrate this concept: imagine God in eternity past, standing above time and history, looking in love upon all mankind.  All of them merit only God’s wrath, but amazingly He chose to give some mercy and grace in Christ Jesus.  He personally foreknew certain people – a personal acquaintance and friendship.  

Scripture speaks of this intimate, personal sort of knowledge:  

Psalm 1:6: The Lord KNOWS the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked shall perish.  

Amos 3:2, with God speaking to the children of Israel: You only have I KNOWN of all the families of the earth.  

Genesis 18:19, with the LORD speaking of Abraham: For I have KNOWN him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.  

The biblical doctrine of unconditional election is a part of the larger scriptural teaching that God is in sovereign control of every detail of history.  He isn’t simply one influence among others (like fate, chance and human whims). God is in absolute and total control of everything that happens.  This knowledge should be the greatest of comforts to all of us who love and trust Him.  

Another frequent objection to unconditional election is that people are just robots and history is just a cosmic computer printout.  But that logic would then mean that God is morally responsible for evil.  

However, the Bible declares the following: God is not the responsible author of evil; man is a free moral agent who is not forced to sin; we are responsible for what we do; and history is a meaningful and dynamic process.  Now, I freely admit (no pun intended)  that I can’t entirely comprehend how man can be a responsible moral agent while God is totally sovereign.  But I do know that Isaiah 55:8-9 says “For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” I also know that Romans 11:33 declares “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable [are] his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” 

The sovereignty of God means that there are no real chance happenings.  To be sure, from our human perspective, many events appear to be accidental.  In Luke 10:31, the parable of the good Samaritan speaks of a certain priest’s coming down a road by chance.  Ruth just happened to glean in the field of Boaz in Ruth 2:3.   

From our human perspective, the arrow in 1 Kings 22:34 that killed King Ahab was fired at random. Yet the death of King Ahab in that battle had been planned by God and prophesied by God’s prophet.   

God is in control of all things, even the fall of a sparrow and the number of hairs on our heads (Matthew 10:29-30). There are no exceptions in Scripture to this rule.  

When there are calamities, God is in control (Isaiah 45:7; Ecclesiastes 7:14).  

When there are physical handicaps, God is in control (Exodus 4:11).  

When evil men come to power, God is in control (Exodus 9:16; 4:21; Romans 9:18).  

And when someone believes or rejects the gospel message, God is in control (Acts 13:48; 1 Peter 2:8; Romans 9:16).  

Yes, our LORD and Savior is in control of all things…and how we ought to praise Him for that!! 

Ephesians 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him [i.e., God] who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. 

Daniel 4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth [are] reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and [among] the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? 

Isaiah 14:24 The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, [so] shall it stand: Isaiah 46:9-11 Remember the former things of old: for I [am] God, and [there is] none else; [I am] God, and [there is] none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times [the things] that are not [yet] done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken [it], I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed [it], I will also do it. 

In closing, I readily admit that the doctrine of election is difficult.  God hasn’t answered all our questions. But, as believers, we should respond to this teaching not with an arrogant curiosity into the unrevealed secrets of God but with a humble gratitude to God for His unmerited favor and mercy.  Likewise, non-believers ought to respond to this teaching not with useless worry as to whether their name is on God’s secret list but with a prayerful desire to obey the Gospel command to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Please weigh in with your thoughts on this topic. 

To God Be The Glory!

Topic #62: The Sabbath

Recently there was a article appearing in our local newspaper written by the pastor of a Seventh Day Adventist church.  The column made the case for the seventh day sabbath (Saturday) as observed by members of this pastor’s denomination.  The pastor noted that his denomination has “offered rewards of money if someone can prove that God ever changed His law to another day.”

While our purpose isn’t to seek any reward, we do offer today’s posting as biblical proof that God indeed has changed the sabbath day from the seventh day to the first day.   But before proceeding, we want to praise God for the privilege of being able to live in a nation where we can all worship according to our own beliefs.  The purpose of this blog site and its companion website is to be faithful to what the Bible teaches.  We’re less concerned with loyalty to a particular evangelist or denomination.  

We regard the Bible to be its own interpreter; therefore, on any given subject, we seek to examine everything Scripture offers relating to that topic.   While the following certainly is not exhaustive, we feel it more than makes the case that the Lord has indeed revealed in Scripture that we are to worship Him on Sunday rather than Saturday.

In Exodus 20, God’s reason for honoring the seventh day is that in six days He created everything. This ties back to Genesis 2.  However, in Deuteronomy 5, God doesn’t give this as the reason for observing the Sabbath Day.

In Deut 5:15 God says, “And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm. Therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath Day.”   It’s quite interesting that this is an entirely different reason. Most Bible believing Christians (a redundant statement if ever there was one) would regard the following comments as true:

- Israel’s exodus from Egypt was a picture of man leaving bondage to sin and going into the blessedness that is the Lord Jesus Christ.

- Israel went out of Egypt at the time the Passover was instituted.

- Egypt was called the house of bondage, a picture of our own enslavement to sin.So, spiritually speaking, to leave Egypt means that we have left the bondage of sin and have entered into the freedom of being with the Lord Jesus Christ.

We believe Deut 5:15 is teaching that, even as the Passover points to the Lord Jesus Christ, so too the seventh day is pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ and to the fact that we are saved in Him. This interpretation seems to be on the right track as it’s reinforced in Ezekiel 20:12 where God says, “Moreover, also I gave them My Sabbath, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.”

Scripture appears to support a conclusion that the seventh day Sabbath was a sign pointing to the fact that Christ would be the Redeemer.  This is also buttressed in Leviticus 23 when God is outlining various feast days — and the first feast day emphasized was the seventh day Sabbath.

Based upon these Scriptural references, while the Fourth Commandment is part of the moral law, nevertheless it also appears to have distinct ceremonial implications.

This reasoning is supported by Colossians 2:16 where God declares, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy day or of the new moon or of the Sabbath, which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ.”

One is left to conclude since all the other feast days had been completed in Christ and we’re not to observe them any longer, then we are not to observe the Old Testament seventh day Sabbath any longer as it would in effect be a negation of the fact that Christ has gone to the cross to pay for our sins.

Jesus went to the temple on the seventh day Sabbath day and the Jews all worshipped on the seventh day Sabbath. But now, on the New Testament side of the cross, what is the church to do?

The New Testament church was faced with this same problem.  In Acts 20:7 we find the church at Troas is meeting together on the first day of the week, and it was at that time they broke bread.  This was when Paul preached to them until midnight.  Sunday was also the day when the Holy Spirit was poured out on Pentecost.

In closing there’s Matthew 28:1.  We’ve reflected on this verse closely and we believe it too supports a Sunday Sabbath observance.  Please correct us if you see flaws in our reasoning – the only thing we desire is to be as faithful to Scripture as possible.

In its original Greek, Matt 28:1 indicates the Old Testament Saturday Sabbaths have ended and that the New Testament Sunday Sabbaths have begun.  We don’t claim to be Greek experts, but thanks to Strong’s Concordance, we don’t need to be in order to see the significance of this verse.

It has been poorly translated in nearly every Bible version.  Here’s the KJV:  “In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first [day] of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.”

In the original Greek, the same word is used twice in this verse; however, it’s translated as “sabbath” first and then as “[day] of the week”.  Why did the translators use a different word the second time?  The same Greek work used is used — sabbaton.

Sabbaton is plural.   A more literal rendering would be:  “In the end of the sabbaths, as it began to dawn toward the first of the sabbaths, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.”

This interpretation is consistent with others in Scripture teaching that our Lord’s resurrection on Sunday morning was ushering in the New Testament Sunday Sabbath.What thinkest thee?   Please let us know.  We’re not pastors – just sinners saved by Christ’s grace and mercy who desire to be as faithful to His Word as possible…like the Bereans of old searching the Scriptures.To God Be The Glory!

Topic #60: Are There Carnal Christians?

Is there such a thing as a carnal Christian?  Does Scripture support such a characterization?   

The idea of a carnal Christian comes from I Corinthians 3:1 “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, [even] as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able [to bear it], neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas [there is] among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I [am] of Apollos; are ye not carnal?” 

It may surprise some to know that in these verses God is not saying these men are true believers.  God is saying (through the apostle Paul) that as babes in Christ they have very little showing of spirituality – if they were indeed babes in Christ. A careful reading of these verses reveals these people were not yet saved; they’re still of the flesh; they’re not really of Christ. 

Personally, I’ve never liked the term “carnal Christian”.  It’s a contradiction – an oxymoron.  We can’t be carnal minded Christians.  The Bible declares in I John 3:9, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” 

If we are a child of God, then we have experienced the new birth in our soul; we have been born of God.  From this moment on, in our soul essence we will not want to sin. Unfortunately, we still have bodies that lust after sin.  The result of this is that in our body we’ll think in terms of the flesh. In this sense, we’ll be carnal.   

CASE A:

What happens in our life if we’re not truly born again?  Let’s say we’re just a member of a congregation and while others probably think we’re saved, we know in our heart of hearts that we’re not.    

If that describes us, then when we begin to live in the flesh, in both our body and soul we like that sin because we’re not born of God. There’s nothing in us saying, ‘you can’t live that way.’  Maybe our conscience will bother us a bit, but it doesn’t take long for us to sear our conscience.   As long as we can get away with that sin we’re going to continue in it because it isn’t at odds with our old nature.    

Consider the unsaved man in I Corinthians 5 who was living with his father’s wife.  Someone involved in this gross fornication within the church (remember, his actions were public knowledge and the church elders undoubtedly were warning him about this, yet he continued with his grievous sin) is giving evidence that he’s not saved. Clearly, this man was carnal minded — but he was not a Christian.   

Our churches today have many people who believe they’re Christians because they’ve joined a church or been baptized.  But they’ve never been born from above, so they live very much like the world.  On Sunday they can be sweet and light and happy and wonderful believers — but during the week, you can’t distinguish them from the world. They’re carnal minded, but they’re not born again. They’re not really Christians. 

CASE B:

What happens in your life if you’re truly born again and you commit a grievous sin?  Not only will your conscience be troubling you, but you’ll feel violated in your soul too.  Even if you’re struggling with a besetting sin over a number of years, nevertheless every time you become involved in that sin it’s not a happy proposition at all.  Regardless of whether or not others know you’re dealing with that sin (maybe you’re “getting away” with that sin every time you commit it), it’s still a sore point in your life.   

Every time you commit it, there’s the after taste of remorse, unhappiness and distress in your soul.  To continue to live this way is antagonistic toward your resurrected soul. God will chastise you because He indwells born again believers.  Finally the truth will dawn on you – one way or another.  Maybe a family member will “catch you”…maybe you’ll have something taken away…but one way or another you’ll come to the realization that “I’ve got to repent and I’ve got to turn away from this sin. I can’t go on.” 

CASE A (Revisited):

What would happen if a true believer were committing a gross sin like the man in I Corinthians 5?  We can rest assured that if the Pastor or an elder approached him and said, “We understand you’ve been living with your father’s wife in a sexual relationship,” the reaction would be absolutely predictable.  

The true believer’s reaction would be akin to David’s when Nathan the prophet confronted him.  Nathan said “Thou art the man!” after David had been guilty of adultery and murder.  The repentance would come pouring out.  “Oh God, against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned.” That’s what would happen in the life of the born again believer. 

When believers sin they are grievously troubled by their sin. And this is what separates so-called carnal Christians from true believers. 

To God Be The Glory!