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5 This is what the Lord says:
“What fault did your ancestors find in me,
that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols
and became worthless themselves.
6 They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord,
who brought us up out of Egypt
and led us through the barren wilderness,
through a land of deserts and ravines,
a land of drought and utter darkness,
a land where no one travels and no one lives?’
7 I brought you into a fertile land
to eat its fruit and rich produce.
But you came and defiled my land
and made my inheritance detestable.
8 The priests did not ask,
‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who deal with the law did not know me;
the leaders rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,
following worthless idols.
These
Israelites where bringing their daily sacrifices. They were going to
the temple to worship. But look what the verdict is about the nation of
Israel. Why was their religious lives so detestable to the Lord? Because
salvation is an understanding and confession of trusting in the word of
the Lord. Not in the things themselves. In fact God says all those
sacrifices that your bringing ... those animals i created. All the
transference of monies ... "I own the cattle on a thousand hills." What
was God bringing a charge for if they obeyed these outward means of
grace? Because fundamentally they were going through the motions. They
were trusting in Abraham.. in their circumcision. They really had never
been converted.
But this way of salvation was not a mystery. They
were given the oracles of God. They were given the laws and decrees.
.the statutes and the commands. But they never believed in their own sin
and the need for righteousness. They worshiped a God that was so
exalted they did not believe He could be known.
You know you cant be
as orthodox as they were in the ot and never understand real grace.
Thats why grace is described in detail in the doctrinal and worship
sections. But its so easy to add to the gospel. Its so easy to bring in
another teaching that is equal. Its so easy to leave the road and go on
side roads. Unconverted people do not see the difficulty it is to hold
to the doctrines of grace. They just assume because they are going
through the motions.. confessing a creed ..taking part in the organized
religious functions that these things are the fundemental means of
grace.
But this is not true. What does the bible say? These
things are very simple. There is only one Gospel. Its Word and Spirit.
Its justification by faith. And so we become difficult in order that we
may defend this very simple gospel.
But this is not the purpose
of unregenerate people. They make things difficult so they might make
the sacrifices themselves added to grace. They might create a way to God
for acceptance through their particular moral teaching. But God says
that man is born to think that he can be righteous as an example for all
men to follow.
But the generation of the righteous teach the
works of God. A righteous generation has been saved by the word and
Spirit of God. So they have a desire to please God. What is this desire?
Its a focus on the ways of the Lord throughout all history. But it is
impossible for man to delight in the former ways of the Lord unless the
Lord causes them to find all of their happiness in Gods works. This is
what we call being redeemed by God.
In redemption God causes men
to see that He alone provides them with all that they need. He
regenerates man... He causes men to delight in His ways... to reform to
the old ways of worship.. so that his elect glorify Him because they
have a desire that gives them spiritual sight to see Him as all
glorious. Because they seek to glorify God then they begin to see that
all of life is Gods gracious privileging them with gifts. These gifts
are His promise that He will do according to who He is. This means that a
regenerate man cannot help but seek this God. If someone gave you all
that you needed to live.. be happy.. find satisfaction in HIm.. then you
would be His special servant. You would carry on this relationship in
experiencing salvation through His substitution. Why are you happy?
Because He is the fountain of all joy... In His light you see light...He
is the answer to all of lifes difficulties.
Why is He all in
all? Because He provides not only the ability for the saint to
experience His care but He actually goes out before the saint and walks
that perfect road. That path of completed acceptance and righteousness.
Christ did all the work and provides the blessing freely.
But
how does a person miss all of this partaking of Christ spiritual gifts?
He remains in an unregenerate state. He lives by His moral principles.
He demands that every man follow his way of success. He threatens anyone
who opposes his high position. This man has no desire to see grace.
This man lives by his own righteousness. He does not even think thoughts
after God. This man acts all religious but in his heart he really has
never been drawn out of himself to see the value of Gods gifts. He
believes that the success he has was because he worked hard for it. This
man is full of idols because he is barren in his understanding Gods word and Spirit.
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Forums / Theology Forum / Re: Reformed Doctrine
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on: July 20, 2012, 08:49:46 PM
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Legalism: Legalism could be definied as any
attempt to rely on self-effort to either attain or maintain our
justification before God. In Paul's Epistle to the Galatians he warned
them sternly about such false understandings of the gospel when he asked
the offenders: "After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to
attain your goal by human effort?" (Gal.3:3). Legalism always seems to
have one thing in common: it's theology denies that Christ is completely sufficient for salvation.
That some additional element of self-effort, merit or faithfulness on
our part is necessary to maintain a just standing before God. As an
example, those who erroneously teach that a Christian can lose his or
her salvation are, in essence, denying the sufficiency of Christ to save
to the utmost. They believe their sin to be greater than Christ's
grace. But we affirm that Christ's righteousness, which he counts toward us, is not only efficient for our salvation, but sufficient.
His once for all sacrifice put away sin for all time in those He has
united to Himself. His salvation also means that he not only saves at
the beginning but preserves us to the end, sealing us in His perfect
righteousness whose blood "reminds the covenant God" not to treat us as our sins deserve. Any attempt to add our covenant faithfulness as part of the price of redemption after
regeneration is an "attempt to attain our goal by human effort" and
thus a complete misapprehension of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus
Christ. We must, therefore, reject any and all attempts to maintain a
judicial standing before God by any act on our part. Salvation is of the
Lord. - J. Hendryx
A Definition of Legalism
1. Using the Mosaic covenant as though it is the covenant between you and God.
2. Attempting to be justified by one's own works.
3. Attempting to be sanctified by one's own works
4. Suggesting that our worth or worthlessness, our self-esteem and self-satisfaction or lack thereof, rest on our own works.
5.
Any attempt to please God judicially, or any supposition that our sin
as believers has resulted in his judicial displeasure. [Any
post-salvation attempt to maintain our judicial standing before God
through good works, covenant faithfulness, merit etc..]
6. Teaching that we conform ourselves to our judicial standing in Christ (righteous and perfect) by our own works.
7. Attempting to attain godliness by a systematic change of behavior
8. Obedience that does not spring from a renewed heart
a. As of an unbeliever who has no renewed heart
b. As of a believer who has a renewed heart but whose righteous behavior does not spring therefrom.
9. Any supposition that externally righteous acts have any value on their own, even as conduct that prepares the way for either
a. A renewed heart (preparationism as regards justification),
b.
The softening or further renewing of an already renewed heart
(preparationism as regards sanctification. Note Romans
12:2-Transformation occurs through the renewing of the mind), or
c. Any other work of the Spirit.
10. Suggesting that faith is irrelevant in the accomplishment of some (or all) good works.
11. Trying to be justified by works that are created and inspired by the Holy Spirit.
12. Attempting to gain assurance of salvation solely or primarily on the basis of the sign of outward works.
- Bill Baldwin
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1010
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Forums / Theology Forum / Jeremiah the Psalmist Prophet
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on: July 19, 2012, 08:44:36 PM
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Jeremiah 1
4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew[a] you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. ”
6 “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
This is a reference to Psalms 139 and this is a call to declare judgment.
"If
only You would slay the wicked ..away from me you blood thirsty
men".....This is God setting apart His elect from the corruption of a
society. The principle is that men in rejecting Gods word devise wicked
schemes against the poor and helpless. Because they do not believe that
Gods word is purified seven times. And so they speak as if they own
their lips. But what does the righteous man do? If these foundations are
being destroyed where can the righteous get protection from these
wicked schemes? God is in His temple ..He hears the cries of His poor
ones. The call of the elect is to appeal to God on behalf of those who
are abused.
So this is a man who acts as a high priest fills his
mouth with the word of God in prayer. Who does he appeal to? The Lord
Most High. This is rising up of passion with arguments of Gods word and
in extolling the Lord it becomes a face to face
appeal. The Lord Most High rules over all the kings of the earth. This
is the Sovereign Lord or the Lord who decrees victory in the time of
trouble. The elect have only one place to go. Here Jeremiah has been
appealing to the Sovereign Lord to judge the nations and those who are
traitors to the covenant.
This appeal is for the protection of
the vital parts of the saint. The Sovereign Lord controls the desires of
all men. Now this prophet is very dangerous because the Sovereign Lord
has responded. And this means that heads are gonna role.. but the
actions are strictly from the Lord Himself. This is like spiritual hand
to hand combat when the Sovereign Lord is appealed to. In his appeal
the saint is drawn into a kind of anguish as tho he feels the evils of
the society that has lost its foundations.
When we see this
title we understand that this man is acting as prosecutor and has been
daily going before the tribunal of God to set things in order.
The
Lord knew Jeremiah... that is a covenant statement. Which is the Lord
declaring to the prophet that God will be faithful to the prophets
appeals.
7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say,
‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say
whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you
and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.
We see first the Lord
declares His word as sure and faithful because it is a covenant word.
The only sure word is Gods word in our seeking Gods favor. No other word
is acceptable. Its a command. To seek salvation is also personal. Its
not just to find refuge in God in a national sense. And so we see that
God is promising that He will be faithful to Jeremiah in reminding him
that God always hears the cries of the saint and the promise is to
rescue him. So the saint wants to hear the word of salvation spoken loud
and clear. When we roll the troubles over to the Lord we receive
assurance that we will be saved. We may not see it for awhile but one
assurance and rest leads to more confidence and focus. The day of
victory will come if we do not give up.
9 Then the Lord
reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my
words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and
kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and
to plant.”
Now this is interesting because as i have been
saying that filling our mouths with legitimate curses is the words that
are put in the prophets mouth. This prophet is not receiving new
revelation but he is applying himself to these promises of the covenant.
The only way to have peace is to reduce wicked man to knowing they are
just men.
This hand of God is the hand of success. This is the
same thing as seeking salvation from God alone. It is an appeal for the
Lord to reach down His right hand and deliver the prophet. This is a
promise to be exact in judgment according to the prophets words from
wisdom of applying these arguments of Gods word.
11 The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?”
“I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied.
12 The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.”
The
branch is God reestablishing order and justice after judgement. This is
God ruling over generations. God is the eternal judge who has existed
through all generations.He is reminding Jeremiah that He will
reestablish a righteous generation. So we see that Gods word is as
successful as God existing through all generations. He will establish
Himself as the ruler because there is no man who has the power to thwart
Gods purposes.
13 The word of the Lord came to me again: “What do you see?”
“I see a pot that is boiling,” I answered. “It is tilting toward us from the north.”
14
The Lord said to me, “From the north disaster will be poured out on all
who live in the land. 15 I am about to summon all the peoples of the
northern kingdoms,” declares the Lord.
“Their kings will come and set up their thrones
in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem;
they will come against all her surrounding walls
and against all the towns of Judah.
16 I will pronounce my judgments on my people
because of their wickedness in forsaking me,
in burning incense to other gods
and in worshiping what their hands have made.
God
says that He has a cup. This cup of the Sovereign Lord gets filled up
with the wickedness of evil rulers. In the cup is a self inflicted
judgment. God says that He pours it out and all these evil rulers drink
it down to its very dregs. In other words they are personally involved
as if their desires to overthrow God will succeed. But in drinking down
that wicked abuse they actually are drinking their own judgement.
17
“Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you.
Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them.
This
is our call. Tho an army besiege the elect they will not stand. Tho war
break out against the elect even then will we be confident. Because God
in His covenant proves Himself faithful to us.
18 Today I
have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to
stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials,
its priests and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you
but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,”
declares the Lord. This i believe is a response to Psalm 144 in verse 9 also
Now
this is interesting again. God promise the elect to surround them on
every side. The walls are a spiritual refuge as if the city was
prospering and there was not a cry in the streets.. there were no
breaching of the walls. Here the prophet is protected in being given
confidence to go before God and continue to bring his appeal waiting for
the word of deliverance.
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1020
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Forums / Theology Forum / Re: TT.UU.LL.II.PP.s still bloom
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on: July 17, 2012, 04:42:35 PM
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Sproul
has been talking about t.u.l.i.p. recently on his radio show. Today
was about the "u" for unconditional election. What he misses is that
God doesn't look "down the tunnel of time" (as he says arminianism
teaches) but as Creator of time is both beyond and within time. Thus He
sees all time simultaneously, and thus can select "before the
Beginning" those who will freely come to Him given His loving efforts,
without force or coercion.
And He keeps intact our ability to
rebel against Him as long as we can hold out against His love, and He
foreknows what all our choices will be, yet allows/empowers us to make
the final decision of whether or not we want to live in intimate union
with Him forever or would rather be destroyed as mortals than be with
Him eternally.
One of the errors theology often makes is assuming
regeneration happens as soon as we become attracted to or interested in
religious things, and start to "seek God". But regeneration, the
making of an new Creature, does not take place until Christ is alive in
the person at our request. Jesus doesn't "bust into our hearts"
uninvited. Still, the Spirit prepares us in many ways (convicting,
empowering, enlightening, attracting), while allowing us to suppress the
drawing as long as we so choose.
But when He comes into us at
our sincere request, to be the Lord and Savior He is, then we are His
forever, children reborn for the Kingdom. Until then we may be
increasingly enlightened, and inspired and convicted, but without our
deep desire for Christ He does not enter us.
Revelation 3:20
"Behold,
I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the
door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."
He
doesn't break down the door to make us new creatures (as He well
could), but humbly knocks and gives us the opportunity to invite Him in.
Of course, we couldn't even ask Him to save us without His providing
everything we need to trust and depend on Him for salvation, so we can
never be proud of our decision to receive His unending Life, since the
glory and honor go to Him.
As we have seen in the above posts on
the suggested expansion of "t.u.l.i.p.", "election" is unforced as well
as being unconditional on any good thing in us, rather it is based on
our choice to become "as little children" toward our Dad instead of
trying to be righteous on our own, thus rejecting real righteousness
(His). He will never refuse our coming to Him in a childlike trust and
dependence on His love for us, but won't "make us" do even that against
our wills.
Matthew 18:2-4
"Then Jesus called a little child to
Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you,
unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no
means enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as
this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven."
K_k:
We are to humble ourselves by recognizing how we are nothing apart
from Him, and need Him desperately for all the love He is. He doesn't
"beat us into submission" but calls and attracts us to Truth.
"Thus
He sees all time simultaneously, and thus can select "before the
Beginning" those who will freely come to Him given His loving efforts,
without force or coercion."
Kk you need to study why even the
Armininist did not accept what you are saying. Because it doesnt even
pass the test of your simple philosopher. God cannot choose do not
choose. To choose to not choose is to choose to not allow. No one in
history would acknowledge this as a true statement. This is a
contradiction. Study it yourself.
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