Featured It's What You Do

But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matt. 6:23 NIV).

Paul declares: For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light (Eph. 5:8).

Also: Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness (1 Thess. 5:5).

And: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son (Col. 1:13).

Peter testifies: But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light (1 Peter 2:9).

These verses are yet further proof of our spiritually blind condition from birth.

To deny this fundamental Christian truth is to embrace a fundamental tenet of Pelagianism.

We were once ruled by the Prince of Darkness, Satan, the ruler of the darkness of this world (Eph. 6:12); the prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2).

We were once among those in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them (2 Cor. 4:4).

The facts are clearly before us:

• All mankind come into this world spiritually blind sinners, bound to slavishly serve sin and Satan.
  
  
  
• As such, mankind cannot see or comprehend that which is spiritual, the Gospel included.
  
  
  
• The impossibility of our overcoming this spiritual inability by any power existing in ourselves is equivalent to the impossibility of a man born blind overcoming his blindness by sheer will power and desire……which is why the Holy Spirit deemed it necessary to include the miracle of John 9 in Christ’s catalogue of miracles.
  
  
  
• It is Christ who gives sight to the spiritually blind.
  
  
  
• Christians have been given the gift of spiritual sight by God’s free grace in Christ, without which they could not believe the Gospel…..even if preached by Christ Himself.

But man’s situation is much more dire and complex than that of spiritual inability alone.

Mankind loves darkness rather than light.

In fact, mankind hates the light and willfully refuses to come to the light (John 3:19-20).

How then is it possible to come to faith in Christ when men not only lack the ability, but lack the desire and will power due to hatred of the Light?

Who then can be saved?

The things which are impossible with men are possible with God (Luke 18:27).

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined (Isaiah 9:2).

But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me (Romans 10:20).

Such is the sovereign, omnipotent power of the Holy Spirit when born of the Spirit.

Spiritual blindness is removed and spiritual sight given.

Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,

3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?

4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:

5 The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me (Matt. 11:2-6).

Is the reader offended in Christ?

Is the reader offended to hear that unless Christ gives spiritual sight to the spiritually blind it is impossible for that sinner to see or believe spiritual truth?

Is the reader offended to hear that no man can come unto Christ by his own strength, power, will, or intellect, except eyes of faith were sovereignly given unto him by His Father? (John 6:65).

Is the reader offended to hear that the spiritual birth necessary to enter the Kingdom of God is graciously given to those of God’s sovereign choosing, independent of anything meritorious in man? (Romans 9:15-16).

If so, you walk in darkness.

It’s what you do.

 

Recently a Baptist pastor Board member argued for a free will in man which has the innate power to create saving faith without the sovereign, omnipotent, efficacious intervention of God:

What this pastor and similar thinking non-Cal disciples neglect to consider is the scriptural truth presented in 2 Timothy 2:25-26:

In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

Also: Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin (John 8:34 ESV).

And let’s not forget Ephesians 2:1-3:

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Prior to regeneration we were the degenerate slaves of Satan, our Puppet Master, whom we willingly served in lust, love and obedience.

The Bible teaches we serve one of two Masters: Jesus or Satan, aka God and mammon.

We are born natural slaves of Satan, the strong man.

We must be reborn by the Spirit before we can serve Christ, the Stronger Man.

Once reborn by the omnipotent power and grace of God we yearn to be subservient to the will of God.

We yearn to be obedient to His precepts.

We yearn that He would mold us, using our lives on earth in such a way that glorifies Him to the utmost.

In short, we yearn that every aspect of our lives be controlled by the Holy Spirit, the All-Wise, Omniscient so-called Divine ‘Puppeteer’ who knows what is best for us, His willing 'puppets'.

Not my will, but thy will be done.

We Christians who gladly admit our gift of faith was of God also gladly admit our slavish devotion to Satan was broken only by the omnipotent power of God’s grace, not by the impotent power of our will.

It’s what God did for us.

It’s what we preach.

 

Romans 9:13: As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. (KJV)

An aging Baptist Board member recently made the following statement: “Jacob I loved, and Esau I loved less” is just as accurate a translation.”

Biblehub.com has compiled 24 Bible versions of this verse:

http://biblehub.com/romans/9-13.htm

Twenty three dare to use the transitive verb ‘hated’, while one version (NLT) prefers ‘rejected.’

No matter. The aging member spins his own authorized version, by his own divine authority.

One can only imagine his translation of such verses as Matt. 25:31:

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye loved less, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.

And then there’s Psalm 5:5:

The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou loveth less all workers of iniquity.

Even the ones Jesus ‘never knew’ would be considered as ‘loved,’ since the Lord ‘loves’ all people, according to his theology :

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I loved you less: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matt. 7:22-23).

In reality the aging Baptist teaches a God who has both a benevolent love and a malevolent love.

The partakers of his benevolent love are those He takes to Heaven where they will experience unspeakable joy forever.

The partakers of his malevolent love are those He sends to Hell where they will experience unspeakable torment forever.

But rest assured…….all are loved by God because God is love.

If you are one who believes such unbiblical twaddle, you, too, are displaying signs of senility.

You can’t help it……….It’s what you do.

 

Context is everything.

The love of God is the issue, not the love of man.

Luke 14:26 concerns the love of man.

Romans 9:13 concerns the love of God in relation to the eternal purpose of God in election.

In other words, salvation is by grace alone, according to the good pleasure of God, not according to the genealogy, will or efforts of man foreseen.

Paul recognizes this OT truth citing the progeny of Abraham and Isaac.

Not all their sons were of the promise. (The promise that YHWH would be their God and they would be His people.)

Paul then uses this same divine truth of God’s sovereign mercy upon whom He will have mercy to teach the Roman Christian Gentiles (as well as all future Gentile converts) that they, too, have nothing for which to boast.

Rather, they have every reason to praise God in all humility and thanksgiving.

For God chose them, drew them, revealed Himself to them and saved them when they were not seeking Him, nor praying for salvation.

But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me (Romans 10:20).

The love of God for His Elect is the motivating factor in God’s will to save.

It is they alone who are the vessels of mercy, recipients of His unfailing saving love.

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved) (Ephesians 2:4-5).

In love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will (Ephesians 1:4-5)

 

A Baptist Board Administrator said:

TRANSLATION: “Spiritually Blind Sinner From Birth, God has provided everything you need to come to Christ on your own volition. Now it’s up to you to make the first move.”

 

Freely I have stolen, so freely thou may steal <grin>

 

Are you a Holy Inquisitor? Then you know what to do and how to do it.

Waterboarding ain’t got nothing on you.

But have you heard the latest?

The cruel and sadistic Spanish Inquisition was a lie spawned by the Protestants!

According to the Roman Catholic website, Tradition in Action, many forms of torture, such as the Wheel and Iron Maiden were never used. http://www.traditioninaction.org/movies/026_BBC.htm

In fact, they say the Catholic tribunal was anything but cruel and sadistic.

For blaspheming criminals it was the preferred place of incarceration; the envy of the land.

This present writer’s prayer is that when Walter and Utilyan’s Holy Inquisitors come to take me away for heresy they not hang me upside down.

It makes me quite queasy. I'll spill more than the 'beans.'

I prefer the rake, thank you very much.

It’s so much more ‘restrained,’ ‘fair,’ and ‘levelheaded.’

Discover what Peter Gabriel, monkeys and the Spanish Inquisition have in common HERE