A
DIFFICULT
DOCTRINE
Joe
W. bell, Pastor
A
WORD OF EXPLANATION
This
pamphlet is composed of a series of comments that were written for the
Central Baptist Church Bulletin. They were intended to be though-provoking
and I trust helpful toward understanding the "difficult doctrine."
At
the beginning of their writings I had no intentions of them appearing in
other form than the bulletin. Requests have been made that we put them
in pamphlet form. Thus they appear and are commended to the Glory of God
and for a help to His people.
They
are separated from each other by the dates on which they appeared in the
bulletins. Since a week lapsed between each, sometimes a "tie-in" with
the previous bulletin was given. Some of these "tie-ins" will appear, others
have been eliminated. Apart from some sentence structure changes the are
unaltered.
Central
Baptist Church has authorized this as a missionary endeavor and adds her
prayers to those of the writer.
God bless you, and thank you for read it.
Joe
W. Bell, Pastor
UNDERSTANDING
A DIFFICULT DOCTRINE
Lord's day July 22, 1973
If
one is looking for something really difficult to believe in the Bible,
Genesis 1:1 should be the starting point. There is no other truth any more
staggering to the human mind than these facts: an eternal all powerful
Being has always existed, uncreated absolutely complete in Himself and
as far as needing anything, we have no knowledge that He does. This Eternal,
all powerful and all wise God has brought into being by a CREATIVE ACT
all things that exist from absolutely nothing! So baffling to the human
mind is this miracle that the natural mind utterly rejects It.
Another
difficult thing to believe by one who is not a child of God is:
1
Timothy 3:16- "God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the
spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the
world, received up into glory."
Now
the child of God has no difficulty in believing these two great basic truths,
plus all the others. Yet countless thousands of professing believers say,
"I don't belie ve the doctrine of election" Why not? the same Bible that
teaches the things that we do believe, such as: salvation, eternal life,
forgiveness of sins, justification, heaven and hell, etc., teaches that
there is some kind of an election of God
There
seems to be various reasons WHY this ONE doctrine with its satellite doctrines
IS SO vigorously rejected, opposed and slandered. Can these reasons be
justified by the Scriptures? If not, then is it not a sin to maintain an
adverse attitude towards this doctrine?
We
concede the point that the Biblical doctrine of election is repulsive to
the pride, carnality and logic of the natural man. So is the doctrine of
Redemption by Blood. On this basis if the one is rejected the other must
be also. It all comes down to this: Do I want to understand and believe
what the Bible teaches about this doctrine that is so wrongfully held in
Ill-repute by so many, or do I not? If your answer is sincerely, "Yes",
then you have swung the door to knowledge wide open and truth from God
will flow in! If your answer is "NO" (and on this issue one cannot remain
neutral because by nature sides have already been taken) you have as far
as you are concerned closed the door to truth and unless God grants you
repentance you will become bitter, calloused and rebellious against this
doctrine and towards those who love and teach it. These two camps of theology,
(that salvation is by man's choice versus salvation by God's choice) are
irreconcilable. We must endeavor to love each other, if we are truly covered
in His Blood, though we hold these conflicting views.
Why
did Noah find GRACE in the eyes of the Lord? If grace excludes man's works,
and it does (Ephesians
2:8,9),
then there is only one answer, "and
I will be GRACIOUS to whom I will be gracious and I will show mercy to
whom I will show mercy", Exodus
32:19b.
If it were because of Noah's merit then God was indebted to him. If it
were of God's gracious choice to show him mercy then God gets the honor;
you be the judge which is right.
Why
did God call Abraham out of Ur? Was it because of Abraham's personal piety?
If he had any personal righteousness it was in God's sight as "filth rags."
No, the answer is found in:
Nehemiah
9:7 - "Thou art the LORD THE GOD, WHO DIDST CHOOSE ABRAM, and broughest
him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees and gavest him the name of Abraham."
It
is God's choice to call or not to call, whether it is Abraham or some other.
May He give us a heart to bow to the truth.
LORD'S DAY JULY 29, 1973
Last
week we closed our article by discussing some persons whom God singled
out from amongst all the rest of earth's people to bestow upon them His
favor. Let us begin today's article with another Old testament illustration.
Deuteronomy
7:6 - "For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God; The LORD
thy God hath CHOSEN
thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all the people that are
upon the face of the earth (7) The Lord did not SET HIS LOVE upon you nor
choose you, because ye were more in number than any people, for ye were
the fewest of all people: (8a) But because Jehovah loved you ..."
From
this passage it is clear that God made choice of one people and not of
another. This is confirmed in:
Acts
13:17 - "The God of this people of Israel CHOSE our fathers...".
By
way of parenthesis may I state: I have continuously taught and urged God's
people to bear this in mind: you cannot refute Scripture with Scripture.
That there is an improper quotation and improper use of scripture is shown
by this fact: God's Word does not and cannot contradict itself. When an
interpretation or application goes contrary to another verse - something
is wrong with our use of the Scripture. Again, we must interpret an apparently
obscure passage in the light of a clear passage. The way the evangelists
of our day handleEzekiel
3:20, 21
in the light of John
5:24,
these improper interpretations become outstandingly clear. InEzekiel
the reference is to physical life - see verse 21, "He shall surely live."
In John
5:24
the point of reference is ETERNAL LIFE. In the behalf of careful examination
to ascertain the truth why not re-examine2
Peter 3:9?
You will find God's not willing that the "any should perish" refers to
those to whom He is longsuffering.
The
Psalmist summed up the doctrine of God's choice in these words.
Psalm
65:4 - "Blessed is the man whom THOU CHOOSETH and causeth to
approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: .."
Our
Lord said in another way the same thing:
John
6:44 - "No man CAN come unto me EXCEPT the Father who hath
sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day."
He
had many of His disciples turn away from Him when he re-emphasized THIS
truth:
John
6:65 - "And He said, therefore said I unto you that no man can come
unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that (saying)
many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him."
If
I can discern any one thing, it is this: those who do not accept and believe
this TRUTH go back and are not walking any more with Him, for:
Amos
3:3 - "Can two WALK TOGETHER except they be agreed?"
Thank
God when our Lord comes and changes us to be like Himself we can all walk
together for we shall then see and know as He knows and agree. Until then
we must humbly search our hearts for the wickedness of pride and self-conceit
that will keep us from abandoning error and admitting that we want the
truth at all costs and shall not sell it!
God
willing next week we will discuss with you some New Testament teachings
on this difficult subject.
Lord's
Day August 12, 1973
The
grounds for God's deliverance of His people from the guilt and penalty
incurred upon them by their sins is the Door for all His gracious dealings
with them. That the knowledge of this salvation brings great joy to its
recipients is beyond question. In the light of the three-fold parable of Luke
15 we know that this same experience causes joy in heaven in the presence
of the angels. It is most certain that whatever detracts from God's glory
so as to transfer it to a creature, however minute it may seem, does not
cause joy and is displeasing to God. It is equally true that what-ever
brings glory to God is displeasing to the pride and reasoning of our carnal
mind. Our pride and carnal reasoning coupled with an improper knowledge
of the facts that center in God's distinguishing choice of some and not
of all has been the root of all agitation concerning the doctrine of God's
eternal choice.
Does
the new Testament teach this Doctrine?
Let
us see some things that the Bible teaches about the whole human family
without exception that leaves us no choice (if we truly accept God's view
of man) but to believe in His distinguishing favor.
First.
By nature we are dead in trespasses and sins. Nowhere in our Bible is death
used as a relative term, but in the absolute. When one seeks to modify
the state of death the way is thereby opened to serious consequences. If
man is by nature NOT absolutely "dead in trespasses and sins", then he
must have SOME life in him. Comparable to this then, Jesus, when He was
put to death in the flesh, still had some physical life left in Him, which
He did not! In like manner we might assume that neither Jairus' daughter,
the widow's son nor Lazarus were really dead, they only needed assistance
not the restoration of life. We know this that they were DEAD according
to Divine revelation!
What
does it mean TO BE DEAD? It means to cease to exist in response to ones
physical environment. To be totally disconnected to all means of life-support.
In the Biblical sense in physical death the spirit or breath leaves the
body. Breathing ceases. God breathed into his nostrils the BREATH of life
- when that is breathed OUT one is dead - life is GONE? See Geneses
6:17 & 7:15-22.
When
the son of the widow in whose house Elijah resided died this is what the
Holy Scriptures say about what happened.
1
Kings 17:17 - "And it came to pass after these things, that the
son of the woman, the mistress of the house fell sick; and this sickness
was so sore, that there was NO BREATH LEFT IN HIM."
Now
that SOUL i.e. life and BREATH are inseparable (maybe one and the same)
can be seen from Elijah's prayer:
1
Kings 17:21-22 - "O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child"s SOUL
come INTO him again. And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the soul
of the child came into him again and he revived."
I
take it that the BREATH returned. See 2
Kings 4:32-35.
In verse 35, the child SNEEZED seven times, breathing had been returned.
What
I am stressing is this, having physical life is connected with possessing
breath or wind. In like manner SPIRITUAL life consists of having the life
or the Breath of the Spirit of God flow into the dead SPIRIT of man. This
is called quickening or regeneration. Now just as it was impossible for
the deceased mentioned above to get or bring their breath back - so is
it impossible for those dead in trespasses and sins to infuse life into
their spirit. It MUST BE the work of ANOTHER.
LORD'S
DAY AUGUST 19, 1973
Under
installment three we considered man's spiritual condition by nature. Scripture
reveals it to be "dead in trespasses and sins." This condition assures
us that by nature we are outside the pale of self-help or self-recovery
or self-resurrection. None but those who have been quickened by the Spirit
of God can know now what their condition was before quickening. Those not
yet made alive (and some shall never be) have no knowledge of this spiritual
status.
We must bear these important facts in mind. (1) None of us deserve anything from God by nature but His wrath.
(2) None of us can so IMPROVE OURSELVES so as to court His favor, for even as it is impossible for the Ethiopian to change his skin or the leopard his spots, so is it impossible for us to do good.
(3) No one can DESIRE the new or spiritual birth any more than he or she can desire their natural birth, because "to desire" is the results of a birth (having life) not the cause of a birth.
(4) No one SEEKS the New Birth any more than one sought physical birth.
(5) Birth lies outside the power of, and is independent of, the help of one being born.
(6) It is evident that the work of regeneration CANNOT BE RESISTED any more than can the physical birth. Anyone who thinks that it can has a confused mind about what regeneration is.
(7)
since none can resist or refuse regerneration, i.e. the New Birth or the
Quickening of the Spirit, this one thing is evident: This quickening work
is performed wholly upon the prerogative or will of the Triune God. See
John 3:8 & 5:21.
This
perhaps raises the question "Why does God do it this way?" Our answer is
found in the words of Lord Jesus Christ -
Matthew
11:26-27
- "Even
so, Father: for so IT SEEMED GOOD IN THY SIGHT. All things are delivered
unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son but the Father: neither
knoweth any man the Father save the Son and HE TO WHOMEVER THE SON WILL
(WILLETH) REVEAL HiM."
Thus
it stands firm that there is not true knowledge of either God the Father
or God the Son apart from a direct revelation. This revelation is declared
to be God's work.
To
try to receive this revelation according to our old nature, which is all
we have until we receive the new nature in the New Birth, is as useless
as to try to take a picture without either film or negative or camera.
The
lens or shutter of a camera allow the light which bears the image to enter
the box. Now the camera without a film can be snapped a thousand times,
and the light will be admitted each time, but all to no avail. Why? Because
there is nothing there to receive the image! So it is with the unregenerate.
A thousand sermons may be heard, but unless that new and God-given nature
is there, Christ is not FORMED in us. His Son will not be revealed in us
unless that light which shines out of darkness shine in our hearts to give
us the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Christ Jesus. 2
Corinthians 4:6.
Beloved, as far as our old nature is concerned, there has been no change
wrought in it, but in God's work, a new creation has been wrought experientially
in our spirit and soul. Have you experienced this?
LORD'S DAY August 26, 1973
We
have now see that in the New Birth God alone is the sole agent. This act
of God puts into man's dead spirit life from God so that there is imparted
to us a capacity (which capacity we before had absolutely none) for all
to be performed in and by him that God required.
We
further observed that this work of God was irresistible, since there is
no power to resist a birth. This, then, eliminates all human element pro-or-con
and "makes one wholly passive." Our Lord said, "Except a man BE born again."
This is the passive voice, where the subject IS ACTED UPON and not the
actor. Thus we are driven with no alternative but to admit God's choice
in this matter. Note this verse --
Romans
9:18 - "Therefore hath He mercy on whom He will, and whom He
will he hardeneth."
In
support of this prerogative of God let us see some verses which tell us
clearly that God IS the Chooser - not man.
Romans
8:32 - "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?"
Colossians
3:12 - "Put on therefore as the ELECT OF GOD holy and beloved....
1
Thessalonians 1:4 - "knowing, brethren beloved, your ELECTION OF
GOD".
1
Peter 1:2 - "ELECT ACCORDING to the foreknowledge of God and
the Father".
Luke
18:7 - "...according to the faith of GOD'S ELECT."
Titus
1:1 - ...according to the faith of GOD" ELECT."
To
my deep sorrow, I know, as intimated before, many people who react most
violently towards the doctrine of election. The light of the above declarative
statement that there IS an ELECTION and that God is the elector, is there
one good reason why this attitude is still maintained? Sinful pride will
keep one from abandoning the doctrines that human hearts have devised ( See
Kings 12:33)
and coming over to God's side of the matter.
There
is no part of the doctrine of salvation more "deflating" to our pride,
exposing the errors of the methods of modern evangelism, and over all God
Glorifying than a proper conception of the doctrine of God's eternal choice!
The
last few verses of Romans
8, hold no more comfort and assurance for God's people than do verses 28-29-30,
for apart from these three there would be no clear reason WHY there could
be NO separation.
Romans
8:28-30 - "And we know that all things work together for good to
THEM that love God, to Them who are called according to purpose. For WHOM
He did foreknow He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of
His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover WHOM
He did predistinate THEM He also called, and WHOM He called THEM He also
justified, and WHOM He justified THEM He also glorified."
It
will be observed in the above use of the pronouns that the same group and
number God began with He concluded with. He doesn't gain or lose any. The
same EIGHT that went into the ark are the same eight souls that came out
of the ark: not one more, nor one less. Is this not a solemn and convincing
truth to us that God is the God who chooses. May our God keep us humble
with this truth.
LORD'S
DAY SEPTEMBER 2, 1973
Remember
in our last article we pointed out that in Romans 8:28-30 there were two
personal pronouns used, "them" and "whom." Just as God began with eight
souls in the ark, so He brought the same exact number out of the ark. He
neither gained nor lost any. So those whom God begins with in eternity
past them He concludes with in eternity to come.
To
further aid us in our understanding of this apparently difficult to believe
and understand doctrine of God's distinguishing favor we shall consider
three passages of Scripture, Acts
15:14, 18 and 13:48.
Acts
15:14 - "Simeon hath declared how God at the first did VISIT
the Gentiles to TAKE OUT of them a PEOPLE for His name."
If,
as is commonly taught, Christ died to make it possible for every person
to be saved, and the responsibility for this salvation is up to the individual's
personal acceptance or rejection of Christ, James' statement is NOT TRUE!
In the light of common teaching (if it were true teaching, which it is
not) - James should have said - "Simeon hath declared unto us how that
God hath offered salvation to the Gentiles and all who will believe in
Him He will then recognize them as His people.
He
says NO SUCH! Two THINGS ARE CLEAR - God does the VISITING and God does
the TAKING OUT. If He doesn't then there are no saved Gentiles. Why?
Here
are the answers. John
3:27 - A man can receive nothing except it be given him from above."
Acts
20:21 - "Repentance and faith"
- are essential in experiental salvation. These two come only from God's
work in the soul by the regenerating Spirit of God. "New Hampshire Confession
Article VIII Repentance and faith."
Note
these supporting passages:Acts
11:1-17 - "When they heard these things they held their peace, and
glorified God saying, then hath GOD also to the Gentiles GRANTED repentance
unto life." Acts
11:18.
Acts
14:27 - "And when they, (Barnabas and Paul) were come, and
had gathered the CHURCH together, they rehearsed all that God had done
with them and how HE HAD OPENED THE DOOR of faith to the Gentiles."
Since
people are not saved en masse (while it is true that God's mode of operation
had at that time shifted to the Gentiles) this grant of repentance and
faith must be on the personal basis. John
3:27. If God be but a PASSIVE onlooker as some make Him and not the
sovereign Chooser and Executor of His purposes then a man who is saved
has, in the final analysis, to thank either himself or Satan. How utterly
abhorrent and repulsive any such idea. James
1:17
Verses
15-16 in Acts 15 have both an application for that day as having been
done in the first advent of Christ, and to be completed at the second advent,
something must follow verse
14. It includes a time element. This time element embraces those who
are to be "taken from among the Gentiles." If God didn't not know WHO they
were, HOW many and WHEN they shall be taken out, then how shall He know
WHEN to return?
We
shall reserve Acts
13:48 for
our next study and conclude today's article with this verse that sets
forth the omniscience of God.
"Known unto God are ALL His works from the beginning of the world." (Acts
13:18)
LORD'S
DAY SEPTEMBER 16, 1973
God
has designed of His own will and purpose to do certain things. Therefore,
time, sequence and mode ARE essential. That which we indicated was that
God had visited (and is still visiting) the Gentiles to TAKE OUT OF THEM
a people for His name After this was done He would then proceed to the
next event. Now unless He knew the following things - 1) How many. 2) Who
they are 3) When they will all be gathered out, He will not be able to
efficiently run His business. The way He has designed to work is to choose
those whom He is to take out and when to take them out.
Acts
13:48
tells us so clearly that this is "it"! - "And
when the Gentiles heard this, (vs.47) they were glad, and glorified the
Word of the Lord. And AS MANY AS WERE ORDAINED TO ETERNAL LIFE BELIEVED."
How
the last part of this verse has suffered at the hands of those who are
enemies to the Sovereignty of His Grace! Let me explain: First, they make
it to read the very opposite to the way that it does read. They actually
make it read thus: "as many as believed were therefore ordained to eternal
life." But this is not the way it reads. They even change the word "ordained"
to "disposed". This however, weakens their argument. In the light of Romans
3:10-18,
which excepts none of Adam's race, if any are "disposed" to eternal life
it must be solely and completely the WORK of the Lord alone!
What
the last part of verse 8 tells us is:
1. SOME - but not all were ordained. "AS MANY AS."
2. THESE who were ordained were ordained to "have something" - i.e. ETERNAL LIFE, NOT DO SOMETHING
3. TO BE "ORDAINED" is the WORK of ANOTHER, NAMELY of God. See Hebrews 5:1-4; Jeremiah 1:5; John 15:16; Acts 14:23.
4.
BELIEVING was the results of being ORDAINED, not the cause.
May
I present two or perhaps three passages that will help those of us who
desire light upon this subject in regards to the use of the word "many."
Matthew
26:28 - For this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed
for MANY for the remission of sins."
If
Christ died for all people without exception as some teach, then our Lord's
use of the word, "many" is without meaning. They know more about the scope
of His death than He knew.
Our
second passage is
- Acts
2:39
- "For
the promise is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar
off, even AS MANY AS the Lord our God SHALL CALL."
If
God calls everyone, as some believe, then the passage should be extended
to conclude thus: "if they respond to the call." There is a "preachers's
call" and the Holy Spirit's call. The first is non effectual unless coupled
with the latter, that is the Holy spirit's call, which is ALWAYS EFFECTUAL!
Our
third from among MANY passages is -- Isaiah
53:11b. - "..by
His knowledge Shall my righteous servant justify MANY FOR HE SHALL BEAR
THEIR INIQUITY.." Vs 12 ".. . AND HE BARE THE SINS OF MANY."
Unless
all of these Scriptures are accepted as they are, at face value without
modification or alteration, why accept any? These passages are not difficult
to receive when the "transformed" and "renewed" mind is "put in gear" and
not the CARNAL mind.
LORD'S
DAY SEPTEMBER 23, 1973
We
quoted in our last bulletin Matthew
26:28, where Christ said that the cup represented His blood which was
"shed for many."
Please
bear with me a further suggestion as to the importance of His use of the
word "many". We pointed out despite His use of the word "many" that the
overwhelming majority of professing believers affirm that Christ died to
everyone without exception. Now if He died for everyone without exception
this would include all who have ever lived or will live on the earth. Therefore
those who died before Christ, all of them must have a "chance" to hear
the Gospel and either reject it or receive it. This would include Cain,
Nimrod, Belshazzar, Pharoah, etc., men destined to perdition, also Judas
Iscariot, the son of perdition of whom our
Lord said that it were better for that man had he never been born,
must be included.
Since
Christ had infinite wisdom, knowledge, foresight, why would He die for
those whom He knew were NOT destined to salvation? The death of Christ
was infinite in its accomplishment, but limited in its coverage. "I lay
down my life FOR THE SHEEP" not "goats" nor "tares" nor "dogs" nor "swine",
all which terms allude to kinds of people.
This
brings us to consider the next word that seems to afford so many much difficulty.
It is the word "ALL". How is it used in the Scriptures? Needless to say
if ones mind is made up that there is only one use of the word "all" and
not three, the avenue of enlightenment is closed.
The
word "all" IS used three ways in the Bible. There are places where it does
mean "everyone without exception" and places where it means "everyone without
distinction." Then again in some places it means both, as we shall see.
These passages will help us to see that there IS a limited use of the word "all."
John
3:5-6 - "Then went out to him (John the Baptist) Jerusalem and All
the regions round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan confessing
their sins."
No
one would dare assert that this use of the word "all" means everyone without
exception. If it does, then everyone without exception was baptized of
John. This would have included Demoniacs, the lame, paralytic, blind, to
say nothing infants in arms who could not confess their sins.
Now verse
7, shows us that of two certain groups some from Jerusalem DID NOT
come to John's baptism, but SOME DID. Even those of these groups who came
some did not submit to John's baptism: Note - John
3:7 - "But when he saw MANY of the Pharasees and Saducees come to
his baptism" ....
He
called them a generation of vipers. In - Luke
7:30
we read - "But
the Pharasees and lawyers rejected the council of God against themselves,
NOT BEING BAPTIZED OF HIM."
Thus
we see that the word "all" in Matthew 3:6,7 does not mean everyone without
exception. What it does mean will appear in our next bulletin.
LORD'S
DAY OCTOBER 7, 1973
TWO outstanding passages that are "bones of contentions" to many are 1 Timothy 2:6, and 2 Peter 3:9. It is almost universally accepted that these two passages teach
1. That Christ died for every person without exception and,
2.
Therefore he is not willing that any should perish, not, not one.
Before
approaching a study of these two passages, our attention has already been
turned to the word "MANY" and we are now considering the uses of the word
"ALL". Thus in the bulletin of September 23, we introduced our study by
considering the "alls" in Matthew 3:5,6.
What
I am writing may in a sense seem paradoxical, but please follow me through.
"All" DOES MEAN ALL-John
6:37 - first part of the verse says - "All that the Father giveth
me SHALL COME TO Me... " This
means without one single exception, no more nor no less. Blessed assurance
that there are some who SHALL come? "For
all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." - Romans
3:23,
And verse
19 - "all the world guilty before God." No doubt that these and others
like them do mean ALL, without exception, but only "all" of the descendants
of Adam, for Christ and many angels are excepted.
In
the two passages, 1
Timothy 2:6 and 2
Peter 3:9, the word "all" does NOT mean "everyone without exception"
as we shall try to show. We can no more say that it means everyone without
exception than we could say that everyone who heard John the Baptist preach
was baptized by him.
There
is a sense in which "all" is used as a classification of persons. Those
identified under the "ALL" in the1
Timothy 2 and 2
Peter 3, are set forth in John
6:37, - "ALL GIVEN HIM", see verses 38,
45. Please, if you will, note carefully in John
12:32 the word "men" is italicized. This indicates that "men" was supplied
by the translators to help make clear the meaning. Sometimes interpolations
help, sometimes they don't. If the words supplied are consistent with the
context of the passage it will help.
If
our Lord's own words, "I will draw all ( )" needs something added by the
translators to make clear its meaning why did the translators not borrow
His OWN words from John
6:37 - "ALL that the Father giveth me" And use them italicizing them?
This would have been absolutely harmonious with John
10 and John
17, whereas the word "men" is inconsistent. Those who are DRAWN are
those who were eternally His by the bestowment of the Father.
It
was a sheep that was lost, not a goat, a coin not a tare, a son, not a
reprobate. If ever we move beyond the boundaries of God's circumscribed
Grace, and those upon whom this grace is bestowed, we violate the truth.
LORD'S
DAY OCTOBER 14, 1973
The
generosity of man in dispensing the goodness of God would have Him to expand
the bounds of grace beyond scriptural scope. Lest God should seem to be
"unfair" He has been made to promise what he never has. God's actions,
since He is soveriegn are incapable of being wrong and HIS WAYS PAST FINDING
OUT. They need neither apology nor defense for His dealings with men or
angels.
What
God does is right because He does it. No one can raise a standard whereby
God's actions can be weighted. His foolishness far exceeds the combined
wisdom of all men, and His weakness is greater than all man"s power. Who
then is like unto our God? None - He is God, He answereth by fire!
God
can do no injustice. Injustice would be to punish one who is innocent for
a crime he didn't do. Had God consigned the whole of Adam's race to eternal
destruction, He would be but administering justice - "For
all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Romans
3:23
And - "The
wages of sin is death" ...Romans
6:23a
The
lake of fire shall be an eternal monument of the Holy wrath of God upon
sin and His rightious judgment thereof. The prints of the nails in our
savior's hands and the spear-pierced side will stand as an eternal reminder
of God's mercy and grace towards some who deserved only the lake of fire!
If 2
Peter 3:9,
as some claim, includes every single person of Adam's race past, present
and future, then it is blasphemy against heaven to say that one singe person
does perish.
1)
If such a claim if one should perish affirms that man, not God, is sovereign.
2)
Such a claim has God acting contradictory to His own will in that He deals
differently with two persons. Observe how God humbled Nebuchadnezzar by
way of a miracle. Was He not able to have done the same with his grandson,
belshazzar? If He was able to do for Belshazzar what He did for Nebuchadnezzar
but didn't, isn't this indicative of the fact that it was not God's will
for him to be humbled?
3)
To assert that God is not willing for one single person to perish by referring
to the "all" in 2
Peter 3:9, is flatly contradicted by God's final dealing with Pharoah.
Israel
had been let go. Doubtless Pharoah in himself would never have reversed
his decision, but we read what God purposed:Exodus
14:4 - "And I will harden Pharoah's heart, that he shall follow
after them, and I will be honored upon Pharoah, and upon all his host (i.e.
army) that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD."
on down to verse 22, 23 - "and the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left. And the Egyptians went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharoah's horses, his chariots and his horsemen."
Why
did they follow Israel? It was of the Lord! Now what next?
The
Lord caused the wheels of all the chariots to run off the axle and then
said to Moses. Verse
26 -- "Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may
come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and upon the horsemen." Verse
30
- Thus
the Lord SAVED Israel that day out of the hands of the Egyptians: and Israel
saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore."
If 2
Peter is used indiscriminately the above action on the part of the
Lord is HARD to explain. When we keep in mind Isaiah
55:8,9
with
Romans 11:33-36
(PLEASE READ) we receive the answers to the reason for God's actions
- Matthew
11:26 - "Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in Thy sight.
LORD'S
DAY OCTOBER 21, 1973
Thanks
be unto God for this truth - 1
Chronicles 16:31
- "Let
the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice and let men say among the
nation, THE LORD REIGNETH."
ALL
the truth of the Bible stands or falls in the sovereignty of God.
Our Lord made two specific promises to His church -
1) The gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Unless God is sovereign this promise has no comfort for us when we are in the "furnace of affliction" as were the three Hebrew children.
2. He promised His abiding presence with His church until the full end of this age.
But
alas, what GOOD is His presence unless HE REIGNS, unless He IS sovereign?
Every promise of the Bible, every prophesy of the Bible, yea the very integrity
of God depends upon Him BEING GOD, and He cannot be God unless He is the
ALMIGHTY.
"God
created the heavens and the earth." For
this reason "The
earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof, the world, and THEY that
dwell therein." Now, "Hath not the POTTER power over the clay of the same
lump to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor?" These verses
tell us that man is NOT the master nor the shaper of destinies, but God."
See now that I AM and there is no god with me:
Deuteronomy
32:39-42 - I KILL and I MAKE ALIVE; I wound and I heal: neither
is there any that can deliver out of my hand. For I lift up my hand to
heaven and say, I live forever. If I whet my glittering sword, and my hand
take hold of judgement; I will render vengeance to my enemies, and will
reward them that hate me. I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and
my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain of the
captives, from the beginning of revengers upon the enemy."
By
our physical birth we are all alike in nature and attitude towards God.
If we do not continue in the attitudes described in Ephesians
2:1-3; Colossians
1:21;
and Romans
8:7,8 it is because of the transforming power of god, for He alone
can make us to differ. (1
Corinthians 4:7)
This
brings us to conclude that those referred to in 2
Peter 3:9,
to whom the Lord is long suffering and "not willing that any should perish",
are the objects of HIS distinguishing and selecting Grace as He has said:
"I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy."
All objections to this truth should be forever silenced by our Lord's words:
"At
that time Jesus answered ans said, I thank thee O Father, Lord of Heaven
and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent,
and has revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so IT SEEMED GOOD
IN THY SIGHT. ALL things are delivered unto me of my Father, and no man
knoweth the Son, but the Father, neither knoweth any man the Father save
the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him."Matthew
11:25-27
There
is absolutely NO knowledge of the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He
has sent apart from a revelation of Him. This fact Peter learned (Matthew
16).
Beloved,
if you and I have been the recipients of this wonderful grace and not of
our just merits, let us not murmur against the Judge of the earth who can
do only what is right. Let us thank and praise Him for loving us and delivering
us from the wrath to come.
LORD'S
DAY OCTOBER 28, 1973
1
Timothy 2:5,6 - "For
there is one God and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus;
who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."
The
difficulty attending this passage is, for whom is Christ mediator, and
for whom is He the ransom? Is the scope of His ransom work and His ransom
price universal, without exception or are they limited in scope? The answer
cannot be derived from man's wisdom nor logic but the Word of God.
Granted
that the foreknowledge of God means only that God had merely prescience
of everything that would happen and of everything that one would do, would
this not mean that He knew who would be saved and who would be lost? Yes
it does! This being true it is not Scriptural to include in the redemptive
work of Christ those whom He KNEW would definitely perish! How could He
meditate for those who perish? What would be the value of such meditation?
See carefully Hebrews
7:25.
Isaiah
53:6
tells us that God the Father "hath (has) laid on Him the iniquity of us
all." If one single person whose iniquities have been laid on Christ perishes,
then God exacts twice payment for the same iniquities. The verb tense of
"hath" is, as you know, plu perfect, which is past the perfect tense. The
perfect tense denoting an action or state as having ben already completed
at the time of speaking.
Isaiah
tells us that at the time of his writings the sins of "us all? Were already
transferred to Christ, an action of purpose completed in eternity past.
Remember this passage was written approximately 700 years BEFORE Christ
was born. It included those who were already dead, living at his time of
writing and those who were yet to be born.
We
know that countless millions perished in the flood of Noah's day. Peter
classifies them as the "world of the ungodly." If the ransom price of Christ
included these, to what avail was it? God does not always design for the
preaching righteousness, as Noah did, to save, but rather to reveal by
contrast those who are unrighteous. Moses said all that he said to Pharoah
and his people, not to convert them but to manifest the inherent wickedness
of their hearts. For NONE of these wicked ones did Christ die!
The
word "Ransom" means to pay the price demanded for the freedom of one held
captive. It also means the price paid for this freedom. There is no such
thing as an indefinite or GENERAL ransom. Redemption and Ransom are of
the same origin. The law of Old Testament redeeming was specific. The price
was paid for a particular person and it was not just SUFFICIENT but was
always "efficient." There is a vast difference between "sufficient" and
"efficient." A thing may be "sufficient" without being "efficient", but
it CANNOT BE "efficient" without being "sufficient." Christ 's death is
efficient for all that God intended it to do.
In the words of one who has passed on, we say, Christ died for the sins of one of these three groups.
1) All the sins of all people - (if so all are saved and this is not true)
2) Some of the sins for all of the people - (then none are saved).
3)
All of the sins of some people - these only are SAVED!
LORDS
DAY NOVEMBER 4, 1973
Before we consider the mediatorial office and work of Christ suffer a couple of further remarks concerning the "all" who are ransomed.
1. We have notice that there IS a limited use of the word "all." Without expanded comment we quote one more verse - John 12:19 - "The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? Behold the WORLD is gone after him."
Certainly they did not mean every person without exception. (See our article on the Biblical use of the word "world"). If this meant the whole world, every person without exception, then we might say the "all" of 1 Timothy 2:5,6 does mean a universal redemption.
2. We have our Lord's own words as to the scope of every "all" that us used in association with His redemptive work. John 6:37 -- "ALL that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."
Why
not let HIS words settle for us the use of the word "all" when used in
association with what is mentioned above?
The
mediatorial work of Christ is a final answer to the scope of redemption.
One Mediator between God and men", as I see it, the word "men" is used
here in the generic sense - (See Hebrews
2:16)
showing those in whose behalf He did minister.
A
mediator is one who undertakes to bring together two or more parties that
were at variance with each other upon grounds satisfactory to all so that
peace reigns.
We
know that earthly mediatorial work is something flimsy and a shaky thing,
and is many times a misnomer.
The mediatorial work of Christ is GODWARD in the behalf of man. It falls under His High Priestly ministry. It is NOT God's attmept to PLACATE the animosity that man feels towards God, but God satisfying Himself in regards to those whom He loves.
Romans
5:21
- "GRACE
REIGNS THROUGH RIGHTEOUSNESS."
Under
the Levitical priesthood, services were rendered for Israel, it was not
extended to the Canaanites, etc. They had neither part nor lot in the matter.
Why? Because they were not the Lord's people. Even as it is today - 2
Timothy 2:19
-- "The
foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal. The Lord knoweth THEM
THAT ARE HIS. And, let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from
iniquity (i.e. crookedness.")
Christ
is the mediator for His sheep - He calls them "my sheep". The proof that
they are His is, "they hear His voice." Another proof is - they will not
follow strangers, that is , those who teach doctrine and behavior contrary
to Christ's teaching. Continuing in John
10,
our Lord tells us plainly WHY some DON"T BELIEVE. "But y believe not BECAUSE
ye are NOT of my sheep, as I said unto you."
Christ
is therefore NOT mediator for those who are not His. He is mediator ONLY
for the sheep. For this cause He is a SUCCESSFUL mediator. If He were mediator
for all without exception His mediatorial work would be forever, yea for
all eternity, clouded with the miserable memory that He attempted to do
something and failed.
The
kind of Jesus that tries and fails may be the Jesus of the religionist
and the new evangelicalism, or the neo-evangelist but not the Lord, the
Christ Jesus of the Word of God! "The Lord God omnipotent reigneth - Let
us rejoice and be glad." He is our Mediator!
LORD'S
DAY NOVEMBER 18, 1973
Almost
every professing Christian "tunes out", at least to some degree, any teaching
about "predestination." Very few, if any, who oppose this doctrine can
tell you why they are adverse towards it, i.e. beyond this; "I just don't
believe it."
Predestination
and prophesy are ONE and the SAME. Predestination of necessity involves
details and must include everything relative to the decreed incident. It
demands absolute control of everything, for example, the verse that we
as God's people depend so much upon for comfort is Romans
8:28.
How can we have any hope in this verse unless we believe that God has PREDESTINATED
that all things DO work together for our good, because we love Him and
we are called according to His purpose? Unless God does control every person
or thing as to TIME and ACTION what assurance have we that the falling
of a leaf at an improper time may blur the vision of one and this may result
in disaster? You see we who are God's people live in enemy territory.
(1
Peter 5:8) He
would destroy us if he could, and could were it not for God's controlling
power. Neither do we have any assurance that those things which are "good"
will come our way unless He sends them,James
1:17,
for they will not.
There
are millions of believers scattered over the world and if Romans
8:28
is to work for them, God must extend His absolute control over every detail
of their lives and every thing and every one that touches their lives.
This makes God's predestinating power from this angle world-wide, or our
hopes in Romans
8:28
shall be dashed to pieces.
Another
way of thinking about predestination is that it is what God wills. Our
Lord said, "For
I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that
sent me."John
6:38
In the light of this verse we know that the life, ministry, suffering and
death as well as His resurrection were according to prophesy - i.e. predestinatingly
spoken. Only the Infinite One can know the infinite. Thus each of the above
facets of our Lord's life was controlled by His own mighty power so that
He erred not from His Father's will in thought, word or deed. Just as surely
as He alone could guide Himself into the course of His own eternity decreed
path, so He and He alone can guide the course of those who are eternally
decreed with Him to their destiny (Romans
8:29,30)
Beloved, let us realize that whatever exists or comes to pass does so because God wills it. (Praying "Thy will be done" brings US into harmony with God)
1. Creation, "Thou has created all things, and FOR Thy pleasure they are and were created - Psalm 4:11.
2.
All things that He doth:
"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?"
Daniel 4:35
Psalm
115:3 - "Our God is in the heavens: He HATH DONE whatsoever He PLEASED."
Psalm
135:6 - "Whatsoever the Lord pleased, THAT DID HE in heaven, and
in earth, in the seas, and in all deep places."
In
our next study we shall see some of the functions of predestination.
LORD'S
DAY NOVEMBER 25, 1973
In
our last article we considered the necessity of predestination in the light
of Romans
8:28,
and the mission of Christ into the world. We also learned that predestination
and prophesy are one and the same. The DECREES of God and predestination
are the same. Predestination is the unerring writing of history in advance,
for it is God's purpose for all persons, places or things being brought
to pass.
Unless
we approach life from the standpoint that God IS the only one who controls
directs the destinies of all, then we have an admixture of Deity-actions
and sheer fatalism, which all believers in astrology etc. confess to. The
child of God can never, because of loyalty to Him who saves, bow to any
other than this: "it is God that doeth it." The Scripture we are now to
quote is the answer to what we can and cannot know:
Romans
11:33-36 - "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 For who hath known the
mind of the Lord? Or who hath been His counselor? Or who hath first given
to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of Him, and through
Him, and to Him are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen." See
also Deuteronomy
29:29.
To
question God's actions as if they were wrong, unfair or unjust is to dishonor
God, not to honor Him, for even His errors are past finding out, if there
were any. (Psalm
19:12)
Thus
predestination, though not understood, must let be stand as it is. Maybe
someday God will make it plain.
One
of the amazing things about so many who rely so heavily on Romans
8:28,
is that they don't rely as equally heavily upon Romans
8:29,30.
In verse
29
the word "foreknow", and "foreknowledge" is not merely a pre-science as
to WHAT will come to pass. But a Knowledge of "what He is going to bring
to pass." In this world filled with people who are by nature rebels against
His will and holiness, and a world of people energized by the prince of
the power of the air, how can any desire be found by nature in any to do
the will of God even if His will were known? See
Isaiah 55:8,9.
On the other hand HOW can it be known unless it be revealed?
No
more forceful presentation of the truth of predestination can be found
anywhere than these words: "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of
my mouth (i.e. prophesy): It SHALL NOT return unto me void, but it SHALL
accomplish that which I PLEASE and it shall prosper whereunto I SENT IT."
Two outstanding things are necessary for this. One is KNOWLEDGE about HOW
to do it and the other is POWER to do it. These two God has, and in reserve.
"Power
belongs to God." Weakness and inability belong to man. Thus we must return
to a statement already made, "It is God that doth it." Therefore, we who
are the Lord"s and who truly bow to the authority of God's word can confess
to nothing less than His electing love and grace, His effectual call, His
ir-resistable drawing power, His particular redemption and His eternal
keeping power. If we do not confess to these then we confess to nothing.
If
one be God's undershepherd and responsible for feeding the flock and he
does not faithfully teach these things to the Lord's people, that undershepherd
has stolen the WORD from the Lord's flock and God is against such.
LORD'S
DAY DECEMBER 2, 1973
REPROBATION
"Therefore
hath He mercy on whom He will have mercy and whom He will, He hardeneth." Romans
9:18
These
acts of God are clear and stand without modification, moderation or alteration.
Both acts, that of showing mercy and that of hardening, are the actions
of God and expressions of His will.
If
one compares the actions of Pharoah, king of Egypt, with those of Saul
of Tarsus before his conversion there is one point at which they are identical.
They were both bent on the destruction of God's people, though for different
reasons.
The
God who changed Saul, the persecutor of His people, so that he became Paul
the Preacher and the persecuted could have as easily transformed Pharoah
into a benevolent benefactor of His people. But He didn't. The reason why
He did not, resides not in God's inability to do so, but in His purpose.
Before
Moses spoke one word to Pharoah the course of Pharoah's actions were already
cast by God. God said to Moses, "I
am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty
hand." Exodus
3:19.
God did not say this upon the basis of what He knew Pharoah would or would
not do, but upon the basis of what He, God, knew that He would cause him
to do.
Listen: "And
the Lord said unto Moses, when thou goest to return into Egypt, see that
thou do all those wonders before Pharoah, which I have put in thine hand:
but I WILL HARDEN HIS HEART THAT HE SHALL NOT LET THE PEOPLE GO. Exodus
4:19.
Psalm105:25
tells us that the attitude of Egypt towards His people was instigated of
the Lord Himself:
Psalm 105:24,25
-
"he increased His people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies.
He turned THEIR heart to hate His people and to deal subtly with His servants.
Rulers
are but agents in God's hands -
Proverbs 21:1
- "The
king's heart is in the hand of Jehovah, as the rivers of water: He turneth
it whithersoever He will."
All
plagues and destructions that fall upon men, nations, cities, etc., God
is the primary CAUSE though they may come through secondary causes. "Shall
a trumpet be blown in the city and the people not be afraid? Shall there
be evil in the city, and the Lord hath not done it?"
Amos 3:6
We
can find no clearer illustration of the truth of our above text, Romans
9:18;
than in our pursual of God's dealing with Pharoah of Egypt and Saul of
Tarsus. As stated avove, the difference in God's dealings lay not in ability
or inability (of this latter God has none) but in His purpose. Unto what
purpose serves these contrasting actions of God? The act of mercy towards
Paul (Saul of Tarsus) and the hardening of Pharoah are unto the manifestation
of certain views of His name.
To
Pharoah He said -- "For
I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy
servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none
like me in all the earth. For now I will stretch out my hand that I may
smite thee and thy people with pestilence, and thou shalt be cut off from
the earth. And in very deed FOR THIS CAUSE have I RAISED THEE UP, for to
show in thee MY POWER and that MY NAME may be declared throughout all the
earth.
Exodus 9:14-16
When
one who reads the Bible, associates the name of Jehovah with Pharoah, a
conception of God's JUSTICE, wrath and power is called to mind, and that
is the way God intends that it should be.
LORD'S
DAY DECEMBER 9, 1973
In
our last bulletin we saw that Pharoah was raised up to declare one aspect
of God's name - namely the Power and Justice of God. These are the things
that the name of Pharoah is designed to call to mind.
Saul
of Tarsus has been chosen of Go to present another and a different aspect
of God's name. He is to show forth the mercy, grace and goodness of God.
Remember, the actions and hatred of Saul of Tarsus towards God's saints
would, if merit were considered, put him beyond any hope or dessert of
mercy or grace. Again, bear in mind that it was God who turned the hearts
of the Egyptians AGAINST His own people. It was the Lord, the Jehovah,
who turned the heart of Saul Tarsus TOWARDS His Son and His people - "But
the Lord said unto him (Ananias of Damascus) go thy way for he is a CHOSEN
VESSEL unto me, to bear MY NAME before the Gentiles, and kings, and the
children of Israel: for I will show him how great things he must suffer
for my NAME'S sake." - Acts
9:15-16 ----- The
message of Saul - who is also called Paul, was one of redemption and deliverance
through the crucified and risen Saviour. Thus when one thinks of Pharoah
and Paul two conceptions of God are apparent. Both of
these, when kept in their proper perspective, are true and used of
Him as intended.
In
respect to Pharoah what God did to him was but to bring into action all
the base Adamic capacities for evil that were there and restrain those
that would do violence to His will. In the apostle Paul He wrought first
the work of regeneration and then the simultaneous work of transformation.
HE DID NOT EXTEND GRACE TO PHAROAH - nor work grace in his heart. He could
have but He didn't. Paul was the object of His grace. By NATURE and ACTIONS
and demerit he should NOT have been, but he was.
Pharoah
was reprobate of the Lord, as were his people. Saul of Tarsus was an elect
of God. See Galatians
1:15,16.
Thus to reprobate one, all God has to do is to leave that one alone.
To further pursue this thought of God's dealings with the elect and the non-elect we will revert back to Israel and Egypt.
1)
The pillar of cloud and fire - "And
the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them the
way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day
and night."Exodus
13:21
To
the Egyptians the same pillar of cloud and fire assumed another aspect.
Note -- "And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed
and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their
face, and stood behind them; And it came between the camp of the Egyptians
and the camp of Israel; and it was a CLOUD and DARKNESS to them (i.e. Egyptians),
but it gave LIGHT by night to these (the children of Israel) so that the
one came not near the other all that night."Exodus
14:19-21
We readily see that the same thing has diametrically opposite bearings
upon the elect and the NON-ELECT.
The
apostles and their message (these two are inseparable) had opposite effects
upon some. -
"Now thanks be unto God, who always causeth us to triumph in Christ and
maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place. For we
are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in THEM that ARE SAVED, and in them
that PERISH: TO the ONE we are the savour of death unto death, and to the
OTHER the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things." 2
Corinthians 2:14-16
LORD'S
DAY DECEMBER 16, 1973
In
last week's bulletin in the last quotation we saw that God uses the Gospel-carriers
as a means of blessing or as a means of weightier judgment upon those condemned.
In ANTICIPATION of the rebellious nature of man against God's Sovereign
right to do as He pleases, whose ways are perfect, the Holy Spirit through
His penmen says - "Nay,
but O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed
say to Him that formed it, why has thou made me thus? Hath not the potter
power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and
another unto dishonor? If God, willing (determined) to show His wrath and
to make His power known, endured with much long-suffering 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 (i.e. before hand)
prepared unto glory, even US, whom He hath called, not of the Jews only,
but alsof the Gentiles?"
Romans 9:20-24
In
humble
meek inquiry, as Mary of Nazareth said when she asked -
"How can these things be?" The trusting child of God may ask, "Why,
Lord, is it this way?" Again our answer comes back - "I
thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these
things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes (born
again ones). Even so Father: FOR SO IT SEEMED GOOD IN THE SIGHT."
Matthew 11:25-26 - Verse 25
makes us humbly grateful and verse
26 satisfies us! But satisfying to the mere religionist, "No"!
God
does not want all people to understand things of a "pearl" nature, and
they are not to be cast before swine." Let
us set forth two passages of scripture which tell us plainly that God
has reprobated
some from the truth. (Before we quote them I say this: If we know anything
it is because God hath revealed it to us, and we have been capacitated
from HEAVEN to receive it. John
3:27.
As long as we're in the flesh we know nothing as we ought to know it. This
strips an elect of all pride, pomp and self conceit. But now for our passage
of Scripture - Matthew
13)
-- "And the disciples came, and said unto Him, why speakest thou unto them
in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is GIVEN unto YOU
to KNOW the mysteries of the kingdom of heave, but to THEM IT IS NOT GIVEN.
Therefore, speak I to them in parables, because they seeing see not, and
hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. (See verses14,15)
But bless are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear. Matthew
13:11-16
Then
- John
12:37 - "But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet
they believed not on Him. (38)
That the saying of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake,
Lord, who hath believe our report? And to whom hath the arm of the Lord
been reveal? (39)
Therefore they COULD NOT BELIEVE, BECAUSE THAT Isaiah said again, (40)
HE HATH BLINDED their eyes, and harden their heart: that they should not
see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart and be converted and
I should heal them."
AS
to why God reprobated some, and not all lies buried in the Lord's words
as quoted in the Psalms: "Our
God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever He pleased." Psalms
115:3
Beloved,
these facts do not disturb the humble child of God for he knows that all
things and everything that God does IS RIGHT. Our testimony and praise
is directed to Him who hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the
world, and that to the praise of the glory of His grace wherein HE hath
made US accepted in the Beloved."
LORDS'S
DAY DECEMBER 23, 1973
In
our bulletin today we shall endeavor to bring to a close our discussion
the subject "REPROBATION", commending it and the readers to God's care
and use.
Today
we shall use as our text-passage for what we have to say - Psalms135:6
- For what-so-ever the Lord pleased that did He in heaven, and in earth,
in the seas and in all deep places. (See
Daniel 2:19-22)
In
the light of our text passage we are correct in saying that the only reason
God did not do a thing is because it did not please Him to do it. He knew
the results that would come from it, and did not desire them to be. Let
us consider some passages from Matthew
11.
They are solemn and deal with the doctrine of reprobation.
That
is what Christ KNEW: "Woe
unto thee Chorazin! Woe unto the Bethsaida, for IF the might works which
were done in you had been done in TYRE and SIDON they would have repented
long ago in sackcloth and ashes."
- Matthew 11: 21.
Beloved, observe what they would have done.
"And
thou Capernaum which art exhalted to heaven, shalt be brought down to hell,
for IF the might works which have been done in thee, had been done in SODOM
it would have remained until this day -
Matthew 11:23
Christ
Knew what would have been the reactions of these three cities that perished
under His judgment would have been towards such a ministry as He had done
in Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum in His day. It was, as we've sen in Psalm
135:6
not a matter of ability to have had these might works done in these cities
but it pleased Him not to spare them.
So
far as we know God did not send into Tyre, Sidon, nor Sodom a person to
cry against their sin, perform one single miracle or bear one testimony
of Grace.
This
may stand in contrast with His pity upon Ninevah. He sent His messenger
to this wicked city, and warned them. Truly Ninevah was over thrown. Notice
the might moral upheaval that rocked the city to the last man - See Matthew
12:40
. No miracles were done in it, but it was spared as a city. The
answer to all this is, "Even so Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight."
We
fail to see the God of the Bible in one of His true aspects of Power unless
we realize that His power restrains (and He restrains His power) as well
as does things. He kept Pharoah from sinning with Sara; Abimelech from
doing the same thing. He restrained Laban from injuring Jacob, the sons
of Jacob from slaying Joseph, Saul from slaying David, Jeroboam from laying
hands on the prophet of God. He restrained the consuming of the flames
against the three Hebrew children, the devouring power of the lions, etc.
Could not God restrain all evil? Yes, but He retrains only such as will
not ultimately praise Him. This explains why the following attain.
"The
Lord hath made all things for His own purpose, yea even the wicked for
the day of evil."
Proverbs 16:4.
"And
a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence even to them which stumble at
the Word, being disobedient: whereunto also THEY WERE APPOINTED."
"But
these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil
of the things that they understand not, and shall utterly perish in their
own corruption" -- 2
Peter 2:12
Thus is the way of the reprobate and the doctrine concerning reprobation.
If
there is any one verse of Scripture that we can leave with you as a personal
testimony of my deep conviction it is this one - "I
know that what-so-ever God doth, it shall be forever. Nothing can be put
to it, nor anything taken form it: and God doth it, that men should fear
before Him" - Ecclesiastic 3:14
Original booklet written by:
Pastor Joe W. Bell
402 Maverick Dr
Dothan Al. 36301
Senior Pastor of Grace Baptist Church
Typed for this site by:
David
A. Shortt