A New Creature

[KenH]

A NEW CREATURE

Those who claim that they know they are saved based on some change in their life and their "obedience" are judging salvation by a wrong standard. Their standard could not be more wrong, for they are looking inwardly, for strength, merit, and righteousness within themselves to commend themselves before God. Lip service is given unto God for working in and through them, but when pressed, the praise belongs to them alone.

Luke 18:11-12
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

Like the Pharisee of old, the modern Pharisee is no different. It is a common question among this religious world to ask, What have you done for God today? It is standard pulpit fare to demand that you must be progressively sanctified, becoming holier and holier as the days and years roll by.

The gospel of God's free and sovereign grace is far different. The gospel focuses exclusively on the righteousness of another. The gospel that saves knows only of one sanctification, whereby sinners are set apart by God and fully sanctified in the Son. The child of God never seeks to find merit in the flesh, but ever and always looks to Christ and His obedience unto death as their representative substitute.

Philippians 3:3
For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Christ alone is all righteousness, all holiness, all faithfulness and all sanctification to sinners who, by God's grace find themselves poor, miserable, naked and blind before their God. There is NOTHING they can add to His eternal righteous perfections. To attempt such idolatry would only serve to pollute that which is eternally holy.

The glorious salvation of God is found not in the comparative lack of sin between the former sinner and the religious convert. Regardless of how well you clean the outside of this cup, we all remain sinners by birth, by practice, and even by choice. This is abhorrent language to this religious world, for they simply must find merit within themselves to commend themselves to their god.

The great good news for sinners, redeemed by Christ, is that what they could never do, He has done. He alone has satisfied God's law and justice in the stead of every soul He represented. His eternal righteousness has been imputed, or charged to them, so that His righteousness is literally decreed to be their righteousness. While His elect know, that even now they remain sinners according to the flesh, they are ever and eternally decreed to be the righteousness of God in Christ.

Romans 4:6-8
Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

This and this alone is the glorious salvation of God, through the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is an eternal haven of rest for the Lord's sheep.

Psalms 23:1-6
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

- written by Kenny Dyess, via his Facebook page

 

[Darrell C]

It is standard pulpit fare to demand that you must be progressively sanctified, becoming holier and holier as the days and years roll by.

The gospel of God's free and sovereign grace is far different. The gospel focuses exclusively on the righteousness of another. The gospel that saves knows only of one sanctification, whereby sinners are set apart by God and fully sanctified in the Son.

Sorry, no. Progressive Sanctification is not a teaching of men, or modern Pharisees, it is the Doctrine of God's Word.

You are trying to merge doctrines and make them one. While I agree that Positional Sanctification does not lend itself to the righteousness of men, one would have to be woefully ignorant of Scripture to state believers are not in a continual state of growth, and further, that God demands holiness of His children:

1 Peter 1

13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Peter's (and thus God's) call to holiness in no way detracts from God's sovereignty in salvation as made clear in the beginning of this book:


3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.


Efforts to combat the erroneous teachings of the L.O.S.T (loss of salvation teachers) will never be accomplished with greasy grace teachings ignoring very basic doctrines. This is why false teachings abound.

And I can tell you now, one evidence in my heart concerning my salvation is that the Lord removed both drugs and alcohol from my life when I was saved. You would seek to deny this as a "proof?" I wouldn't. I view it as a supernatural act of God that occurred when I was saved.

Concerning the Pharisee, modern or not, their reliance is centered on works they do. For a believer to note the changes God has made in their lives should not be equated to such a religious mindset. If one views those changes as part of salvation, then we find error. But if it is viewed as the work of God, well, I see nothing unusual about that.


God bless.

 

[37818]

Romans 8:16, The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: . . .

1 John 5:10, . . . He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: . . .

2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

 

[KenH]

Changes in behavior are not an evidence of having been sovereignly regenerated by the Holy Spirit and given spiritual life in Christ. If changes in behavior was the standard, then anyone who gave up a bad habit could claim that they have been regenerated.

The holiness of God's elect is solely and totally in the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed to them, just as all of their sins have been imputed to Christ and He paid the penalty for them on their behalf on the cross as their Surety.

Do God's elect grow in grace and the knowledge of Christ ( 2 Peter 3:18 )? Yes, as God ordained before the world began - Ephesians 2:10.

 

[percho]

1 Peter 1

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

? hope? Rom 8:24,25 for in hope we were saved, and hope beheld is not hope; for what any one doth behold, why also doth he hope for it? and if what we do not behold we hope for, through continuance we expect.

4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

?incorruptible? Rom 8:23,11 And not only so, but also we ourselves, having the first-fruit of the Spirit, we also ourselves in ourselves do groan, adoption expecting -- the redemption of our body;
and if the Spirit of Him who did raise up Jesus out of the dead doth dwell in you, He who did raise up the Christ out of the dead shall quicken also your dying bodies, through His Spirit dwelling in you.

5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

? Is the power of God the above spoken of Spirit of God?
? through faith ? ? Whose faith ? Gal 3:22 but the Writing did shut up the whole under sin, that the promise [of the Spirit, see V14] by faith of Jesus Christ may be given to those believing.
? those believing ? John 10:26,27 but ye do not believe, for ye are not of my sheep, according as I said to you: My sheep my voice do hear, and I know them, and they follow me,

From whom did Jesus receive the Holy Spirit in order to give it to you?

 

[KenH]

? Is the power of God the above spoken of Spirit of God?

All three members of the Godhead work in perfect, complete unison.

From whom did Jesus receive the Holy Spirit in order to give it to you?

John 14:16-17 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

 

[Judith]

In reading the OP my conclusion is that Mr. Kenny Dyess goes too far. We are clearly told that we will know them by their fruits. So yes, a change in lifestyle can and should be an indicator of salvation. I do agree that we should not claim the change as if we did it but that it was done in us. The issue is IF we continue. Those who do not simply reformed and those who continue and grow were renewed.

 

[percho]

In reading the OP my conclusion is that Mr. Kenny Dyess goes too far. We are clearly told that we will know them by their fruits. So yes, a change in lifestyle can and should be an indicator of salvation. I do agree that we should not claim the change as if we did it but that it was done in us. The issue is IF we continue. Those who do not simply reformed and those who continue and grow were renewed.

How does the following fit?

Not good is your glorying; have ye not known that a little leaven the whole lump doth leaven? cleanse out, therefore, the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, according as ye are unleavened, for also our passover for us was sacrificed -- Christ, so that we may keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of evil and wickedness, but with unleavened food of sincerity and truth. 1 Cor 5:6-8

I have wondered, why is the feast of unleavened bread a seven day feast with an opening and closing day of holy convocation rest. Is it because it is continual?

Methinks it was the death of Christ which unleavened, cleansed, us and it appears to be continual.

and if in the light we may walk, as He is in the light -- we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son doth cleanse us from every sin; if we may say -- 'we have not sin,' ourselves we lead astray, and the truth is not in us; if we may confess our sins, stedfast He is and righteous that He may forgive us the sins, and may cleanse us from every unrighteousness; if we may say -- 'we have not sinned,' a liar we make Him, and His word is not in us. 1 John 1:7-10