L
Ladodgers6
Guest
Free willers think they can overpower God, by their own power, and choices. Their Pelagian view has been condemned by more church councils in history than any other. There cannot provide any Scriptural teaching on the Fall of man or sin, they think this is absurd and false. They do not believe man is totally depraved and corrupted by sin. Though any John Wesley teaches this, oddly enough. They believe fallen man doesn't need to be regenerated by the Spirit to believe, instead sinful rebellious man can believe on his own.
I will provide Scripture to teach that God's Grace is effectual and has a purpose of saving, because without it no one would be saved. We believe and teach in the external call to everyone and internal spiritual call. What, then, is the difference between the external call and this call which has become effectual? And the answer must be that this call is an internal, a spiritual call. It is not merely something that comes to a person from the outside---it does that, of course, but in addition to that external which comes to all, there is an internal call which comes to those who are going to be Christians or Saints, and it is effectual, internal and spiritual.
What is it that establishes the differences between the two groups? And the way to answer this question is that the call of the gospel, which has been given to all (external call), is effectual only in His elect. Now there is a portion of Scripture which is perfect illustration of this. The followers of Christ who were even described as 'disciples' were divided up into two groups (goats/sheep). One group decided that they would never listen to Him again. They left Him and went home. And when He turned to the others and said, 'Will ye also go away?' Peter said, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the word of eternal life (John 6:67-68). The one group did not believe and went home, the others, who had heard exactly the same things, stayed with Him, wanted to hear more, and rejoiced in it. What makes the difference? It is that the word was effectual in the case of those who are called (internally) and was not effectual in the case of the those who did not believe.
1 Peter 2:9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
1 Cor. 1:2To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints
It is not simply that they are called Saints, they are called to be Saints...an Effectual calling, an internal Spiritual calling.
1 Cor. 1: 23but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Now there are people to whom the preaching of Christ is foolishness; they are the unsaved. But the saved he again describes as those who are called.
Romans 8:28And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Well, the word church translates the Greek word, ecclesia; and ecclesia means the 'called forth ones'. A church is a gathering of people who have been called forth, called out, separated out as the result of this effectual internal call. As Peter puts it: 'Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light'.
I'll end this with John 6:44-45, 63-65. Those who are called shall be taught by God himself, not taught by men only but by God and the Spirit.
John 6: 44No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’
John 6: 64But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
This is God's doing in His Divine Act of Grace that He Promised that he swore he would fulfill in Christ for His people. And this is marvelous good news that God calls sinners out of the darkness into His light, by His sheer mercy and Grace, according to his purpose and will.
Know what you believe and why you believe it!
I will provide Scripture to teach that God's Grace is effectual and has a purpose of saving, because without it no one would be saved. We believe and teach in the external call to everyone and internal spiritual call. What, then, is the difference between the external call and this call which has become effectual? And the answer must be that this call is an internal, a spiritual call. It is not merely something that comes to a person from the outside---it does that, of course, but in addition to that external which comes to all, there is an internal call which comes to those who are going to be Christians or Saints, and it is effectual, internal and spiritual.
What is it that establishes the differences between the two groups? And the way to answer this question is that the call of the gospel, which has been given to all (external call), is effectual only in His elect. Now there is a portion of Scripture which is perfect illustration of this. The followers of Christ who were even described as 'disciples' were divided up into two groups (goats/sheep). One group decided that they would never listen to Him again. They left Him and went home. And when He turned to the others and said, 'Will ye also go away?' Peter said, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the word of eternal life (John 6:67-68). The one group did not believe and went home, the others, who had heard exactly the same things, stayed with Him, wanted to hear more, and rejoiced in it. What makes the difference? It is that the word was effectual in the case of those who are called (internally) and was not effectual in the case of the those who did not believe.
1 Peter 2:9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
1 Cor. 1:2To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints
It is not simply that they are called Saints, they are called to be Saints...an Effectual calling, an internal Spiritual calling.
1 Cor. 1: 23but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Now there are people to whom the preaching of Christ is foolishness; they are the unsaved. But the saved he again describes as those who are called.
Romans 8:28And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Well, the word church translates the Greek word, ecclesia; and ecclesia means the 'called forth ones'. A church is a gathering of people who have been called forth, called out, separated out as the result of this effectual internal call. As Peter puts it: 'Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light'.
I'll end this with John 6:44-45, 63-65. Those who are called shall be taught by God himself, not taught by men only but by God and the Spirit.
John 6: 44No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’
John 6: 64But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
This is God's doing in His Divine Act of Grace that He Promised that he swore he would fulfill in Christ for His people. And this is marvelous good news that God calls sinners out of the darkness into His light, by His sheer mercy and Grace, according to his purpose and will.
Know what you believe and why you believe it!
7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
