Posted on 02/01/2002 5:26:40 AM PST by CCWoody
All men are by nature the children of wrath, and are under the power of darkness. In this state men are not the subjects of Christ's kingdom and have no fitness for heaven. From this terrible state they are unable to deliver themselves. (I John 5:19; Romans 5:6) Out of this state they must be supernaturally called.(I Peter 2:9; Colossians 1:13) This divine "call" or work of grace is called in Scriptures as: REGENERATION (Titus 3:5); TRANSFORMATION (II Cor.3:18); THE NEW BIRTH, ILLUMINATION (II Cor. 4:6); SPIRITUAL RESURRECTION (John 5:24). This inward call is attended with justification and adoption and conversion,(which includes faith and repentance). (Romans 8:30; Eph. 1:5; Eph.2:1-10) Thus leading us to the EFFECTS OF REGENERATION.
Jesus in John 3:8 tells us of this matter, speaking of the blowing of the wind. Man is unable to originate, order or regulate the wind. Man knows very little of the cause which controls the wind, yet the presence of the wind is unmistakable; and its EFFECTS are plainly evidenced, "SO IS EVERY ONE THAT IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT." BUT THE TRANSFORMING RESULTS BECOME PLAIN.
The illumination of the understanding Gen. 1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Then:" the earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep." Next: "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters," and God said: "Let there be light."
So it is when God begins to restore fallen man: "For God who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (II Cor. 4:6)
This Divine illumination is not by dreams, visions, or mere feelings, but the revelation of things to his mind and soul which have been all along in sacred Scriptures. Now the blessed Holy Spirit removes the blindfold from his eyes and opens his heart to receive the written Word. (Acts 16:14) Then He begins to powerfully apply to the mind and conscience some portion of it. The result is that the one renewed is able to say, "One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see." (John 9:25)
To be more particular, The sinner is now enlightened in the knowledge of his own terrible condition. He may earlier have known many Bible facts, even doctrinal statements, received much instruction; BUT NOW, the solemn declarations of God's Word concerning his fallen state are brought home in piercing power to him. He no longer justifies himself by comparison with his fellow man, he measures himself by the law of God. He is now terribly convicted by his own uncleanness and wickedness before a thrice holy God. ( Isaiah 1:6; 64:6)
By this new spiritual light which God communicates in REGENERATION he now sees that the "wages" he has earned by sin deserve eternal death. That he has placed himself under the awful wrath of God. He now realizes that he has lived his whole life in utter independence of God, having no regard for His glory, what pleased and displeased a holy God. He is thus brought to cry out "WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?"
He now understands truly the awful malignity of sin, as being not only contrary to the whole law of God, but contrary to the true nature of God Himself. He is convinced of the absolute impossibility of contributing anything to obtain his own deliverance. He no longer has any confidence in himself; he has been brought to the end of himself. As Paul wrote "He is without Christ and without hope in this world." (Eph.2)
Thus his mouth is stopped and he confesses himself GUILTY BEFORE GOD, and justly liable to His awful vengeance, both because of the plague of his own heart and his numerous transgressions.
HE NOW SEES THE SUITABILITY OF CHRIST
By means of this illumination the renewed soul, under the Holy Spirit through the Word, now perceives (comprehends) how WELL SUITED Christ Jesus is to his poor wretched condition. The only hope he clings to is the prospect of obtaining deliverance from the "wrath to come" through the vicarious life and death of the Lord Jesus (i.e. Jesus Christ lived for and died right in the very place of a people). This keeps his soul from being overwhelmed with grief and from sinking into complete despondency because of the SIGHT of his sins.
As the Holy Spirit (through the Word) presents to him the infinite merits of Christ's obedience and righteousness, His tender compassion for repentant sinners, His great power to save, desires to share in that work now possess his heart. He is now resolved to look for salvation in no other. (person, working, or church) Under the gracious influences of the Holy Spirit, the soul is drawn by such words as these: "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." or "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out,"and he is led to apply to Him for pardon, cleansing, peace, righteousness, strength.
REPENTANCE
Other acts besides turning to Christ, such as REPENTANCE, which is a godly sorrow for sin, a hating of sin as sin, and an earnest desire to forsake and be completely delivered from its pollution. In the light of God, the renewed soul now perceives the utter vanity of the world, and the worthlessness of those former worthless toys and perishing trifles which the godless strive so hard to acquire. He has been awakened from the dream-sleep of death, and things are now seen in their true nature. Time is precious, not to be frittered away. God in His awesome Majesty is an object of godly fear and reverence. His holy law is accepted as just and good. All of these perceptions (new sight, or new way of seeing what the Word has stated) and actions are included in that holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. In some these actions are more vigorous than in others, and consequently, are more seen by the man himself. But the fruits of them are visible to others in external acts.
THE WILL FREED FROM BONDAGE
By nature,(the state into which all men are born), the will of man is free in only one direction: AWAY FROM GOD. Sin has enslaved the will, therefore, do we need to be "made free" (John 8:36). The two states are contrasted in Romans 6: "free from righteousness" v20 and "free from sin" v 18, when we have been made alive unto God. At the new birth the will is liberated from the "bondage of corruption" (Rom. 8:21 cf II Peter 2:19), and rendered conformable to the will of God (Psalm 119:97). In our unregenerate state the will was naturally rebellious, and its language was, "Who is the Lord that I should obey Him?" (Exodus 5:2) But the Father promised the Son, "Thy people shall BE WILLING in the day of thy power" (Ps.110:3), and this is accomplished when God "worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Phil 2:13; Heb.13:21)
"A new heart, a new spirit...I will take out your stony heart...and I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes." (Heb.8:10; Ezek.36:26-27) The regenerated freely consent to and gladly choose to walk in subjection to Christ, being anxious now to obey Him in all things, even though imperfectly. His authority is his only rule, His love the constraining power: "If a man love me, he WILL KEEP my words." (John 14:23)
The will is so emancipated from the power of sin to be enabled to answer the Divine Command.
ELEVATION OF THE HEART
Rightly does the Lord claim first place as Creator, Owner, and Redeemer. "My son give Me thine heart" (Prov.23:26) expresses God's claim. They "first gave their own selves to the Lord" (II Cor.8:5) is the response of the regenerate. For before they were born anew, by natural birth they are "lovers of their own selves" and "lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God" (II Tim.3:2,4). When a sinner is renewed, his affections are taken off his idols and fixed on his Lord (I Thess. 1:9). Hence it is written "with the HEART man believeth unto righteousness" (Rom.10:10).And hence, also it is written, "If any man LOVE NOT the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed" (I Cor.16:22).
In Deut. 30:6 we read: "And the Lord God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to LOVE the Lord thy God WITH ALL THY HEART." This is the renewing of the heart, severing its love from all illicit objects. None can truly love God supremely till this miracle of grace has been worked in him. Then, and only then, is it that the affections are refined and directed to their proper objects, He who once was despised by the soul, is now the "altogether lovely" One. He who was hated (John 15:18) is now loved above all others. "Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides Thee." is now their joyous confession.
The love of God is now become the governing principle of their life. (II Cor.5:13) What before was drudgery is now a delight. The approval of His Saviour is now his concern. Gratitude moves his will to glad obedience. Then his heart goes out to members of Christ's family, no matter their nationality, social position, or church connections: "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren" (I John 3:14).
"A NEW HEART ALSO WILL I GIVE YOU..."
A CHANGE OF CONDUCT
A tree is known by its fruits. Faith is evidenced by works. The principle of holiness manifests itself in a godly walk. "If ye know that He is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him" (I John 2:29). The deep longing of every child of God is to please his heavenly Father in all things, and though this longing is never fully realized in this life-"NOT as though I had ALREADY attained, either were already perfect" (Phil.3:12)- nevertheless he continues "reaching forth unto those things which are before."
A change will take place in the conduct of the most oral unconverted man as soon as he is born from above. Not only will he be far less eager in his pursuit of the world, more careful in his selections of companions, but he now realizes that the holy eye of God is ever upon him, marking not only his actions, but weighing his motives. He now bears the sacred name of Christ, and his deepest concern is to be kept from everything which would bring a reproach upon it. His aim is to let his light so shine before men that they may see his good works and glorify his Father which is in heaven. That which gives him concern and distress is not the sneers and taunts of the ungodly, but that he fails to measure up to the standard God has set before him, and that conformity to it after which he so yearns. BUT ought not the Christian to "grow in grace"? Yes, indeed. Yet it must be emphatically said that growing in grace most certainly does not mean an increasing satisfaction with myself. No, it is the very opposite. The more I walk in the light of God, the more plainly I see the vileness within me. The only relief from this distressing discovery and the only peace for the renewed heart is to look away from self to Christ and His perfect work for us. Faith empties of all self-complacency and gives an exalted estimate of God in Christ.
OCCUPIED WITH CHRIST
A growth in grace is defined, in great part, by the words that immediately follow: "...and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (II Peter 3:18). It is the GROWING realization of the perfect suitability of Christ to a poor sinner, the deepening conviction of His fitness to be the Saviour of such a vile wretch as the Spirit shows me I am. It is the apprehension of how much I need His precious blood to cleans me, His righteousness to clothe me, His arm to support me, His advocacy to answer me on high, His grace to deliver me from all my enemies, both inward and outward.
The more the heart is occupied with Christ, the more the mind is stayed on Him by trusting in Him (just camped right there, JCS) (Isaiah 26:3), the more will faith, hope, love, patience, meekness, and all spiritual graces be strengthened and drawn forth into exercise and action to the glory of God. The MANIFESTATION of growth in grace and in the knowledge of Christ is another thing. The actual process of growing is not perceptible either in the natural or in the spiritual sphere; but the results of it are, mainly so to others. The chief EVIDENCES of spiritual growth in the Christian are a deepening hatred of sin and a higher value put on spiritual things, a yearning after them, and a fuller recognition of our deep need and dependency on God to supply it.
"The Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Ps.84:11). Grace and glory are not to be separated. Grace is glory begun. Glory is grace elevated to its perfection in the eternal state. In I John 3:2, we are told that we shall be like Him, reason? "WE SHALL SEE HIM AS HE IS." The immediate vision of the Lord of glory will be a transforming one, the bright reflections of God's purity and holiness cast upon the glorified will make them perfectly holy and blessed. BUT there is to be a resemblance of that here in the lives of His people. And too comes from BEHOLDING HIM. (II Cor.3:18)
"But we all...beholding...the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."
(Excerpts from A.W. Pink on Regeneration and the new birth)
So God is a helpless observer to the things on this earth? Because He must wait on you to decide He must hold off on future plans untill you make up your mind?
If you could support your criticisms of Calvinism with the actual writings of the Reformers, I might be inclined to take you seriously.
As it is, your slanders against "Calvinists" on this forum are repugnant. You need to repent of your ignorant falsehoods.
Your comprehension of the doctrines of Calvinism is shallow.
Did Saint Paul have a "robotic conversion" on the road to Damascus?
Did Saint Paul "choose" to be saved?
Or did the blood of Jesus Christ "regenerate" him by irresistible grace?
Can you admit something right up front: You do not believe you are totally incapable without Christ. You really believe that you are fully capable without Christ to reach up and grab hold of God.
As a Calvinist I am brought to my face in the realization that I truly am totally incapable without Christ. I was a dead man heading for my grave until God was pleased to shine the light of His son in my heart.
"A" list indeed:
Ephesians 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.I would submit that your refusal to simply accept what the Scriptures plainly teach is "fleshy" pride on your part. My faith totally excludes pride in anything to do with my salvation. It is excluded.
:>) Sure lots ..Bible believing Christians all believe that one is saved by the blood of Christ on the cross,and that there is nothing to add to it. We have died with Him and we will rise with Him.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Philippians 3 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Blaming God will not help. You and you alone are responsible. Scripture has been presented to you to show that God really does "harden hearts and blind eyes." It is interesting that the very free will of man himself serves God in that it both says of Pharoah that he hardened his own heart and that God hardened His heart. You can simply accept that what the Bible says is true and try to understand it or you can freely "harden your heart and blind your eyes" to what the Bible does say. :)
As a Calvinist I am brought to my face in the realization that I truly am totally incapable without Christ. I was a dead man heading for my grave until God was pleased to shine the light of His son in my heart.
I would submit that your refusal to simply accept what the Scriptures plainly teach is "fleshy" pride on your part. My faith totally excludes pride in anything to do with my salvation. It is excluded.
As prideful as I may be I do not presume to look into another man's heart.
Christ is my savior. He offered salvation to me, as he does all men. Believing I cannot obtain salvation any other way, I accepted. That doesn't make me any better or worse, just saved.
His posts caused me no interest whatsoever and if you call me away from woolgathering again, I shall have no recourse but to hit the abuse button!
So, what is different about you and someone who hears the Gospel and doesn't accept Christ? Are you smarter or more spiritual?
You're not alone. Most Christian denominations assert some variation of that belief. The arrogance of this is that it takes the power of salvation out of God's hands and puts it into the hands of the individual, making the creation more powerful than the Creator. God does not offer; He provides.
Additionally, this also gives the church more power than it should have by saying the church (Catholic, Mormon, Evangelical) is necessary for you to attain salvation. Reformed theology sees church as a glorious opportunity to praise God's bounty, and a time to be reminded of scripture's everlasting truth. But the church is not responsible for anyone's salvation.
There are those who say Calvinism preaches elitism, but those people miss the point completely. A Reformed perspective is the most egalitarian. We are all fallen. We can do nothing to save ourselves because we are all sinners. So no matter what prayers we invoke, no matter how much money we make or give to others, no matter how high or low our station in life, we are all the same in our sinful nature. Only God knows who will sit beside Him. And He's known this from before time. But there is nothing human beings can do to thwart God's plan.
Thus when a person finally realizes that God's grace has been bestowed upon him, that person is filled with gratitude and awe, and will live a life according to God's word because it pleases God and it prospers man.
Many proudly proclaim "I felt God's hand and I accepted it."
How much truer it is to say "I felt God's hand, and gave thanks."
Regeneration precedes faith.
I expect that your Calvinist buddies gave you high praise and high fives.
I just can't sit by and watch Holy Scripture be misinterpreted the way you Calvinists do.
Woody did not use those exact words. Why do you presume then that I claim Calvin did? Is all your scholarship (and doc's ill-advised endorsement of it) this flawed? This is what I said:
My #335 to Woody: This is contrary to the love, mercy, and justice of God. You, like Calvin, are saying that God is the author of evil.
Neither Woody nor Calvin would dare to use those exact words, or there would never have been any Calvinists. But any time you claim that God does not just foreknow, but has predetermined all of our choices and actions from before the foundation of the world, created the unregenerate totally unable to choose good or to choose God, and withheld the grace to repent from Tyre and Sidon and others so they will go to hell, you are saying, though you may vigorously deny it, that God is the author of evil as well as good and is punishing man for the choices God made.
Is it not fair to say that Calvin took those positions, which fall in the areas of Predestination, Total Depravity and Limited Atonement? Or have the Calvinists posting here grossly misrepresented his views?
Many Calvinists try to get around this by saying, for example, that you have to believe both free will and (Calvinist) predestination, even though they contradict each other, because the Bible teaches both. Thus God is not the author of evil because men sin of their own free will. But this is a cop-out. When two ideas contradict each other so royally, the Bible cannot be said to teach them both.
Free will is found throughout the Bible. It is Calvinist predestination (and TULIP) that is incorrect and unBiblical.
Your #341: The common mistake that you make is to assume that Regeneration is an effect of your choosing.
That is not what I assume. When we are born again, it is God's doing. He looks for those who have faith and repentance in them. He does not bestow this blessing on the evil, the unbelieving, or the unrepentant.
No, we don't, Terry! Go back and reread my recent discussion with you and Woody.
Perhaps I need to edit and repost my commentary on Romans 9, pulling the posts together that I link to. Romans 9 doesn't help you guys at all when it is properly understood.
We mortals cannot manipulate God's actions. Period.
When a wise, loving, perfect, and all-powerful Father has a plan, He figures out all kinds of ways for His children who are willing to help with the work to be done, so they can learn and grow and gain experience. He also keeps the rebellious from ruining His plan, try as they might, while He labors to reclaim them, like a shepherd seeking the lost sheep.
It always helps to show the application of any religious teaching to our daily walk. Christ did that, expertly of course. He does not call us to be control-freaks, but to be loving under-shepherds and good neighbors.
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