God's Children Were Never "Heirs of Hell"

[KenH]

Romans 10:17, ". . . faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. . . ."

Psalms 110:3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.

(emphasis mine)

 

[37818]

Psalms 110:3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.

(emphasis mine)

Romans 1:16," . . . the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; . . ."

 

[Van]

Ephesians 2:1-6 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: 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. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, ( by grace ye are saved; ) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

I beg, however, to detain the Reader one moment longer, just to call his attention to the expression of the Apostle, when speaking of the former state of the Church, before being quickened by the Spirit; he saith, that they were by nature children of wrath even as others. By which we may suppose, he could not possibly mean, that they were children of God's wrath, when he had before, in the preceding Chapter, said so many blessed things, of their being chosen of God, to be holy, and without blame before him in love; being, predestinated to the adoption of children, by Jesus Christ to himself, and accepted in the Beloved. See Ephesians 1:4-6. It is impossible that such could have ever been the children of God's wrath; though when born in the Adam-nature of a fallen state, were justly exposed to God's wrath, and but for their sonship in Christ, and acceptation in him, must have suffered the punishment due to sin, But it should seem, that the Apostle's meaning is, they were by nature, children deserving wrath, even as others. And, moreover, by the fall, were also of wrathful, tempers, and dispositions; and, as Paul elsewhere said of himself, and all others like himself, while in a state of unregeneracy, were living in malice and envy; hateful, and hating one another. Titus 3:3. I thought it proper to state this to the Reader, for some, for want of attention to this grand feature of our holy faith, in our grace-union with Christ, by GOD's choice from all eternity; have been led away with the too common phrase of calling God's children as if once heirs of hell, and children of the devil. Blessed, be God! they never were so, though children deserving wrath; yet in Christ, saved with an everlasting salvation. And the gift of the Spirit is, because they are sons, and not to make them so. See Galatians 4:6.

- excerpt from Robert Hawker's The Poor Man's Commentary on Ephesians 2:1-6

I see once again a complete denial of God's word, claiming Ephesians 2:1-6 does not mean what it says, because errant man-made doctrine falsely proclaims something else!

What if being predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ was conditioned on our individual election for salvation which in turn is conditioned on God crediting our faith in the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:13, Romans 4:23-25.

Does scripture say anyone was "predestined to adoption" before creation? Nope

Ephesianhs 1:5 says He predestined US to adoption THROUGH Jesus Christ. That means God utilized the sacrifice of Jesus to adopt "us." Thus all those predestined were predestined after Christ and not before His sacrifice.

Of course we were "made sinners" (Romans 5:19) so we were children of wrath from conception and only made children of God after we believed, John 1:12.

Pay no attention to the unstudied twaddle from the dark ages.