Our Glorious Gospel

Answers For Today ^ | Chuck Smith

[Corin Stormhands]

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[nobdysfool]

We have a glorious Gospel, but there's only one difficulty. To be effective it has to be applied. A fellow once asked a minister, "If your Gospel is so great, why isn't everyone a Christian?" The pastor responded, "If soap is so good, why isn't everyone clean?" Does the fact of dirty people testify against the value of soap? No. It works, but you have to apply it.

Pretty poor analogy, I'd say. One can clean one's self up with soap, but one cannot apply the Gospel to one's self. No man can clean himself up to come to God. No man can apply the Gospel to himself by himself, and thereby save himself. Unless God enlightens the heart, man cannot understand the Gospel. God must first resuscitate the dead heart of sin, because a spiritually dead man cannot perform the actions of one spiritually alive, i.e. believe the Gospel savingly, repent savingly and receive forgiveness of sins savingly. Only a spiritually alive man can do that. God must act on his heart first, monoergistically, or the man will not believe the Gospel, or receive Christ. God does not consult the man's will to do so, He does so Sovereignly. Spiritually dead men cannot perform God-pleasing acts. They not only cannot, they would not even if they could. Spiritually alive men do perfom God-pleasing acts. They believe the Gospel, they receive the Word and understand it, they repent of their sins, they receive justification by faith, because only spiritually alive men can be justified.

Man must be made spiritually alive before he can receive Christ. That is a sovereign action of God, apart from the man's will or desire. Once made spiritually alive, the man will desire Christ, receive Him, and be justified in Him through faith, which is given him by God when God resuscitates his dead, cold, stony heart of sin and corruption, by the hearing of the Word, which brings Faith. Until God resuscitates that heart, the man has no spiritual ears, no receptive heart, no capacity to believe savingly.

Comparing the Gospel to soap is a poor analogy, and even poorer theology.

[Gamecock]

If soap is so good, why isn't everyone clean?" Does the fact of dirty people testify against the value of soap? No. It works, but you have to apply it.

Marlowe, it's a good thing for you that drstevej isn't here right now. Because if he were, he would ask you "How is a dead man is gonna wash his own tush?"

[Gamecock]

BTW,

"Our Glorious Gospel"

I thought it was the Gospel of Christ. What's up with that?

[nobdysfool]

We often use the term "free moral agent," but it's almost a misnomer. To say that a man is a free moral agent when he cannot help but do the things he does is a contradiction. If some compelling force is driving you to do things even when you don't want to do them, you're not free. You're a captive.

Almost a misnomer? It IS a misnomer! Unsaved men are captives to sin. As such, they CANNOT free themselves. That's why God must act first. Man does not hold the key to his jail cell. God does. God must FIRST turn the key in the lock (resuscitate the dead, cold, stony heart of sin), Pull open the door (impart Faith by means of the hearing of the Word (the Gospel), and THEN the man can walk out of his jail cell (repent for his sins, believe on Christ, and receive justification).

[PFKEY]

Spiritually alive men do perfom God-pleasing acts. They believe the Gospel, they receive the Word and understand it, they repent of their sins, they receive justification by faith, because only spiritually alive men can be justified.

Are these God-pleasing acts necessary?

Is salvation dependant on them?

[PFKEY]

Another way to ask the question: is a man spiritually alive because he has been justified or has he been justified because he is spiritually alive?

[RnMomof7]

***"Our Glorious Gospel"

I thought it was the Gospel of Christ. What's up with that?**


Thats for all the folks that save themselves .

[PFKEY]

Maybe we can start with a few definitions?

What does it mean to be justified?

What does it mean to be spiritually alive?

Does a justified man have salvation?

Does a spiritually alive man have salvation?

[Gamecock]

I keep forgeting the "Man alone be the glory" perspective.

[Corin Stormhands]

The "Calvinist" Paul didn't seem to have a problem saying "my" gospel.

Romans 16:25
Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began...

I'd prolly point that out, but that would be picking at nits.

[PFKEY]

Would God cause a man to be spiritually alive that was not already predestine for salvation i.e elect?

Would God justify a man that was not already predestine for salvation i.e elect?

[RnMomof7]

The "Calvinist" Paul didn't seem to have a problem saying "my" gospel.

But then he was teaching predestination and election so it was the true gospel :>))

[Gamecock]

Paul wrote it. When the writings of Chuck Smith are made part of the canon of Scripture he can call it my Gospel.

[P-Marlowe]

"Our Glorious Gospel" I thought it was the Gospel of Christ. What's up with that?

2Co 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

1Th 1:5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

2Th 2:14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Yeah, what's up with that?

Its funny you post a simple gospel message and a lot of people just come unglued. Rather than look to the power of the gospel message itself, they look for heresies in every word nit picking every jot and tittle looking for something that they can point to as a hidden theological error and then miss the glorious picture that surrounds them.

BTW Gamecock: Have you?

[RnMomof7]

Marlowe once said that Calvinists worship the devil , so I guess he is giving you the four spiritual laws/ Come as you are test

[xzins]

Excellent article by one of America's premier pastor/teachers.

The soap analogy is spot on!

[lockeliberty]

Its funny you post a simple gospel message and a lot of people just come unglued. Rather than look to the power of the gospel message itself, they look for heresies in every word nit picking every jot and tittle looking for something that they can point to as a hidden theological error and then miss the glorious picture that surrounds them.

I recall someone nit picking the Puritan's evangelical program as if the Great Awakening was the working of the Anti-Christ himself. Funny how we seem to miss our own beams. I'm sure God can use this type of evangelism. Personally, I think this would be effective for children.

The best way to understand the word "meek" is to separate it: me...ek. When I realize how "eeky" I am, I know what meek is all about.
(While he didn't go through a lot of effort to discover the etymology of the word...I think children can relate.)