GOD'S OPERATIONS OF GRACE BUT NO OFFERS OF HIS GRACE

[37818]

If the paper makes the case that Calvinism actually makes no offers of His grace. What else is there to say?

On page 26, ". . . The doctrine alone preached is a home- act, even against such as God hath not chosen in Christ; for such vessels there are, Rom.9:22, as appear, I Jn.2:19, Matt.20:16, Jn.8:47, Jn.10:26, Matt.7:23, &c., and these are two sorts, where the Gospel comes; namely, open rejecters of the mystery and open receivers of the literal doctrine. The doctrine preached, when the mystery comes to be laid . . . ."
For me two passages come to mind, Matthew 22:14, ". . . For many are called, but few are chosen. . . ." And Matthew 20:28, ". . . Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. . . ."
Bear in mind I am not Calvinist in this. I believe the same Scriptures, but from a different view.

 

[37818]

396 pages.

Is a lot of material to cover. Thirteen Chapters.

 

[Iconoclast]

Preaching the Gospel is bringing the blessing of the Gospel to be of experimental virtue, in standing of the purpose of God according to election. {“For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth.” Rom.9:11.} A man by experience knows something of the Gospel, and both hears and feels how it enters his soul, Rom.10:17, under 42 the preaching of it.

For my own part I declare, I can give no account of any good I ever got by men's offers of Grace; but through Grace I can speak somewhat to the praise of the Gospel of Christ, concerning what I have got by the preaching of Grace. Oh! when a minister comes, while under the taste of the blessing in his own soul, to preach Christ, he may be sure that when he comes thus to preach Christ, he shall approach to God's chosen ones, in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ. Rom.15:29.

He will not then tantalize the people of God with offers, nor talk to them of Grace that waits their acceptance, but cannot enter them; whereas Grace preached comes with a blessing, and entered as well as draws near. But offers prevail with no benefit on the hearers, for the more they are examined, the less they prevail. Thus I have proved that offers of Christ are not preaching of Christ

 

[Iconoclast]

Is a lot of material to cover. Thirteen Chapters.

I do this often.
I find it helpful.
To get beyond a superficial understanding if someone claims I am holding error I will investigate. If they offer biblical correction, I will welcome it.
If not, I enjoy working through the verses once again.

 

[JonC]

William Rushton expressed the truth, that to be clear on the doctrine of election and the atonement, is more important than preaching the Gospel . . .

The so-called Free-offer system was another by-product of the doctrine of universal atonement.


The burden of Mr. Hussey's arguments is primarily to refute the unscriptural and Christ-dishonouring system of “Free offers” indiscriminately addressed to all alike . . .

The reader will note that Mr. Hussey's arguments against Free-offers . . . of

The problem here is the author seeks not to understand Scripture but to refute what he sees as error. In so doing he holds a false doctrine at least equal to the false doctrine he seeks to refute.

A Christian should dismiss the article as a whole upon reading that the author holds Rushton's heresy, namely that the doctrine of election and atonement is more important than preaching the Gospel.

 

[37818]

Without an understanding the general redemption being true, no one today can even know from Holy Scripture that Christ had died for them or anyone in particular.

That is not the direction this person is going in....the atonement is not what he is discussing.
To follow his train of thought, you would need to put yourself in the position and belief system of a mainstream Calvinist, as it looks as if he is out to launch a major attack on that position.

This issue of a general redemption is important to me. Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8. Without that perception I would have not accepted Christ as my Savior. [Summer of '62.]

For me two passages come to mind, Matthew 22:14, ". . . For many are called, but few are chosen. . . ." And Matthew 20:28, ". . . Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. . . ."
Bear in mind I am not Calvinist in this. I believe the same Scriptures, but from a different view.

This understanding I came to in '68 long before I knew of or studied the 5 points.

 

[Iconoclast]

Argument 1. Offers of Grace and tenders of Salvation are no means of a saving ability to close in with Christ5 , because they are neither means of Christ's Institution, nor of the Holy Spirit's Operation. God hath appointed the preaching of the Gospel, and Christ hath commanded it, II Tim.4:2, to preach the Word, and to bear his name, Acts 9:15, but neither hath God appointed, nor Christ commanded, the propounding of the Gospel, as the means to work his Grace.
And however God the Spirit works upon the preaching, yet he works not upon a proposal, nor fills up an offer of Grace with any of his own presence of Grace, to accompany such a pretended offer to the saving change of a sinner.

The Gospel is no means of working by a proposal, but it is a means of working in the Spirit's hand by the Spirit's foreoperation on the Gospel, Jn.5:4, in order to work with it an internal ability in the Sinner. The Spirit works by ForeOperation on the Gospel, as the Gospel is a Revelation and an Institution of Christ according to the ForeOrdination of God the Father. Also, that fore-operation of the Spirit on the Gospel, according to God's foreordination is performed by him in an act of Christ's Minister's Evangelizing, or in their preaching the Gospel, they having a taste of it in their own souls by the Spirit pre-operatively, while they are delivering it. {"That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” I Jn.1:3.} And that before it is followed

 

[Iconoclast]

. Preaching is a home-act or inward testimony to elect and non-elect, making manifest the savour of the knowledge of Christ in every place, II Cor.2:14-16, both in them that are saved, and in them that perish. offers convey no savour of Christ, because they do not reach home, neither a savour in the Doctrine, nor a savour in the Salvation; nor a savour of death unto death, in formality, to the ungrenerate formalist that perishes without the savour of Christ; nor a savour of life in the Principle unto life in the possession thereof, and home to Eternal Life in those whose heart the Lord opens, Acts 16:14, to attend unto Christ; for the Principle and Profession of the lively believer is destitute of the savour, as soon as preaching 25 degenerates into offering and proffering, for then a saint quickly loses his sweet words, Prov.23:8, and will have to vomit that morsel which spoils the rest. {“A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” Gal.5:9.} An offer doth not bring comfort home. Grace offers may move, but it is at a distance from the proper object. The doctrine alone preached is a home-act or inward testimony, even to the very non-elect; and the Doctrine and Salvation both together, are home-acts to the elect of God. The doctrine alone preached is a home- act, even against such as God hath not chosen in Christ; for such vessels there are, Rom.9:22, as appear, I Jn.2:19, Matt.20:16, Jn.8:47, Jn.10:26, Matt.7:23, &c., and these are two sorts, where the Gospel comes; namely,

open rejecters of the mystery

and open receivers of the literal doctrine.

The doctrine preached, when the mystery comes to be laid open, is a testimony against all rejecters of Christ.

For they soon begin to snuff at it, to stumble at the word, and be disobedient, I Pet.2:7-8; whereas an offer of Grace is so plausible to nature, that any man may face it without offence; nor will it touch them to the quick to drive about tossing around invitations and offers, but to preach Free Grace will be an offence to all who perish in the way. Psal.2:12. For, the preaching of Grace, as the Mystery of the doctrine is laid open, makes them presently reply against God, Rom.9:20, and quarrel with the Most High, saying, “why doth he yet find fault; for who hath resisted his will,” Rom.9:19, as they did in the ninth of Romans. It soon touched them, especially when the points of Sovereignty or Absolute Grace, Irresistibleness, Discrimination, Passiveness, &c., are preached in the power and unction of the Holy Ghost, for men cannot pretend to offer a sinner these vital Operations, for they being, indeed, matters of Divine Operation, bear no resemblance to this debilitated system of offers and invitations. Nevertheless, ministers of Christ are necessitated to preach these Operations of Grace, II Cor.3:6, and to be sure, the preaching of them may as directed by the LORD, be a home-act and vital testimony, even to them that God hath passed by, as to their being chosen in Christ. These doctrines are inimical to carnal wisdom, so 26 carnal wisdom must of necessity be hostile to these truths. {“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Rom.8:7.}

The doctrine of Christ preached is an enemy to their self-love, carnal interests, carnal ease, &c., insomuch that preaching the true Gospel frets wicked men, and irritates their minds, eats into the frame of their spirits, gnaws upon their inward pride, and fills them with rage. {“And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath.” Lk.4:28. “When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.” Acts 5:33.} Stephen's hearers gnashed upon them with their teeth, to hear the doctrine of Truth preached. Acts 7:54. He certainly did not offer them Christ, for they might perhaps have laughed at that, but he preached Christ notably, and this preaching enraged them.

Such preaching either kills or makes alive, Acts 24:25, if it be delivered in the unction of the Spirit, and makes a noble discrimination in the auditory. Acts 28:24. So that all nonelect rejecters of the Father's Christ, or open rejecters of the Doctrine of Free Grace preached according to the Spirit's Revelation of it in the Word, cannot stand before Preaching. offers I know will leave them to debate upon it, but of all that profess to be dispensers of the Word, I have observed that professors of the Grace of God who compromise in this point, with their Free offer, as they call it, are all too thwarted and confounded in their way; but preaching Christ will cheer, II Cor.1:12, the testimony of their conscience by the Grace of God.

Oh, how did it enrage the Jews at Antioch to contradict and blaspheme; for when the apostles preached, it vexed them immediately. {“But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.” Acts 13:45.} So when Paul preached Jesus and the resurrection it presently touched the philosophers of Epicurus and the Stoics to the quick, and stirred up their wisdom to encounter him. {“Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, what will this babbler say? Other some, he seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods; because he preached unto them Jesus, and the Resurrection.”

 

[JonC]

'Offers of Grace and tenders of Salvation are no means of a saving ability to close in with Christ because they are neither means of Christ's Institution, nor of the Holy Spirit's Operation. God hath appointed the preaching of the Gospel, and Christ hath commanded it, II Tim.4:2, to preach the Word, and to bear his name, Acts 9:15, but neither hath God appointed, nor Christ commanded, the propounding of the Gospel, as the means to work his Grace."

There are many assumptions here, unfortunately assumptions that run contrary to Scripture. The author is attempting to extract the preaching of the gospel from the work of the Spirit. This is a mistake.

The preaching of the gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us it is the power of God.

Scripture does not say the work of the Spirit is foolishness to those perishing and to us the power of God, but the exact same gospel to each.

This is the means of grace, but not this alone.

 

[Iconoclast]

'Offers of Grace and tenders of Salvation are no means of a saving ability to close in with Christ because they are neither means of Christ's Institution, nor of the Holy Spirit's Operation. God hath appointed the preaching of the Gospel, and Christ hath commanded it, II Tim.4:2, to preach the Word, and to bear his name, Acts 9:15, but neither hath God appointed, nor Christ commanded, the propounding of the Gospel, as the means to work his Grace."

There are many assumptions here, unfortunately assumptions that run contrary to Scripture. The author is attempting to extract the preaching of the gospel from the work of the Spirit. This is a mistake.

The preaching of the gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us it is the power of God.

Scripture does not say the work of the Spirit is foolishness to those perishing and to us the power of God, but the exact same gospel to each.

This is the means of grace, but not this alone.

Yes.....this;
The author is attempting to extract the preaching of the gospel from the work of the Spirit. This is a mistake.

This is how they keep the ways and means of grace separate .

 

[JonC]

Yes.....this;
The author is attempting to extract the preaching of the gospel from the work of the Spirit. This is a mistake.

This is how they keep the ways and means of grace separate .

Too often we feel a need to break everything down in isolation (to make micro-doctrines).

A preacher preaches the gospel, the gospel is delivered, a man believes. All of this is grace - not just the Spirit working in the life of a sinner, not just the preacher preaching the gospel, and not just the gospel message.

We are Christ to the other person, the gospel is the power of God unto salvation, and God works actively in the heart of a sinner to believe.

 

[Iconoclast]

The Spirit, who is the Author of an internal ability to close with Christ, is shed forth, Acts 2:33, "therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.” He is shed on, Tit.3:4-6, "but after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.” {"They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life; in thy light shall we see light.” Psal.36:8-9.} He is, as this Divine Agent and Worker of all inward strength, faith, love, and joy, shed abroad, "because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Rom.5:5.

 

[Iconoclast]

The rest of this chapter gives verses that describe the work of the Spirit of God that everyone shares.

 

[Iconoclast]

I Pet.2:24, as a porter bears away a load, as the word sebalam, Isa.53:4, signifies. {“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.”} That is, gave himself to come under the imputation of them. Here was not an offer of Grace, but rather an Operation of Grace.

So Gal.2:20, the Son of God “loved me, and gave himself for me,” says Paul. He gave himself for me to be above the reach and power of my own sins in particular.

And withal, Eph.5:25, Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it, even for the church, to sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water, Heb.10:22, {or with the abundant gift of the Holy Ghost,} by the word, verse 26.

Likewise, Tit.2:14, “who gave Himself for us,” to wit, for this end, “that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works,”

and Jn.10:11, “the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep;” for this end, that the sheep may be saved into the life of Grace here, and into Everlasting Life and Glory hereafter. {“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isa.53:6.} “Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,” saith that scripture,
I Tim.2:6, for all who have their election of God. {“Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.” I Thes.1:4.} In point of Substitution and Suretyship, as the preposition, or that sort of “for” signifies. See Matthew 20:28, “even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many,” in the stead of many, or in the room and place of many. To give his life for many; not to propound the offer of his life for many.


2. Gifts are “unto;” the meaning is, gifts in Scripture {touching the Gospel, or the good news about the Kingdom of God} are home, effectual and discriminate. They come so “unto” and on the behalf of some one person, as that he is by special Grace singled out from every other person. The elect are given “unto” Christ by an Act of God within himself, purposed from eternity. {“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.” Eph.1:4.}


This section makes a strong and valid point.
The language and purpose of the giving is very focused.

 

[JonC]

Ok.....I am going to ask a question some of us are thinking.

We all agree the author has strayed from Christian doctrine. He has replaced the gospel with philosophy, insisting it is of more import. What he has presented is false doctrine.

So why are we continuing down a false path to see if there are trails we might agree with?

This is like working through a Kenneth Copeland sermon to find points we like.

 

[SovereignGrace]

Ok.....I am going to ask a question some of us are thinking.

We all agree the author has strayed from Christian doctrine. He has replaced the gospel with philosophy, insisting it is of more import. What he has presented is false doctrine.

So why are we continuing down a false path to see if there are trails we might agree with?

This is like working through a Kenneth Copeland sermon to find points we like.

But this also a way of exposing false doctrine, too.

 

[Iconoclast]

Ok.....I am going to ask a question some of us are thinking.

We all agree the author has strayed from Christian doctrine. He has replaced the gospel with philosophy, insisting it is of more import. What he has presented is false doctrine.

So why are we continuing down a false path to see if there are trails we might agree with?

This is like working through a Kenneth Copeland sermon to find points we like.

This article was offered to me by a BB member.
He was reacting to some of my book reviews/discussions and was trying to see if I would work through this as it is 396 pages,
I do not mind doing it, as time permits.
I will work through things I believe are in error to see why they drifted into error so I do not follow it.
I suspect 3 or 4 members believe something along these lines of thought.

I am not sure he has gone into philosophy. He is using many verses, however he has offered some troubling conclusions so far.

 

[Iconoclast]

Chapter 5
A solution of the grand question; how must we preach the Gospel, if we do not offer the Gospel?
Or, how must we preach Christ to sinners, if we do not offer Christ to sinners?

Objection: Sir, we are sorry you have struck at the ministry of wise, great, and learned men, far beyond yourself. Pray, if we are not to follow them in this method of the ministry, how must we preach? And for my part, says one, I cannot preach the Gospel if I do not propound the offer of the Gospel to sinners; nor can I reckon that I do preach the Gospel, unless I tender Salvation to all whom I am called to preach; nor dare I do otherwise.

Answer: I might take notice that this is poor arguing, when set in the face of the three former chapters, the strength of which is founded on God's Word and Spirit. Heb.4:12 - Psal.33:6 - Jn.1:1 - Rev.19:13. Nevertheless, if men are at a loss how to preach, unless they go on in the old road, let me solve the inquiry more fully. I must divide my answers into one general resolution of the case, how preaching the Gospel must be, and to what end without offers of Salvation; and thereupon enter into many particulars to resolve this point.

The one general solution to the question is this, we must preach the doctrine of Salvation to all sinners openly within the hearing; and must preach Salvation included in the doctrine, which is the gift of God, to the elect alone, who are hid among them. But as to propounding an offer, either of the Doctrine or Salvation, it is a form of man's devising; and because of the evil nature of it, as I shall show hereafter, we must do it in no respect. This in the general, men must preach the Word of God, and the testimony held; that is, they must so preach as to fulfil the Scriptures, Rev.6:9, which everywhere speaks of evangelizing, or of preaching the Gospel, or, what is in its own nature good news and glad tidings, which, likewise, in the whole analogy of faith do give us light to expound the preaching of the Gospel according to the above distinctions, but do nowhere speak of propounding an offer, or tendering either Doctrine or Salvation. As to preaching the doctrine of the Gospel to all, though the Salvation of it reach but to the elect alone, the advantage, so far as intended in the Scripture, is much every way, as the apostle says; chiefly, because the wisdom of God, the government of Christ, the interest of the Church, and the sword of Justice, are all magnified, by the preaching of the doctrine of the Gospel to all sinners, without offers of Grace, or proposals of Salvation made. From the wisdom of God I argue the solution of the question, how must we preach the Gospel to sinners, if we do not offer the Gospel to sinners? We must preach the Gospel in the doctrine.

This is to be made known in the letter, or external revelation to all, because of the wisdom of God in that doctrine, Deut.32:2, hath engaged to confound the wisdom of this world. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” I Cor.1:18. The doctrine of the cross of Christ then, or the doctrine of Salvation, in which that Salvation is brought to the elect alone, is a doctrine that must be preached for condemnation even to them that perish; or else how will the wisdom of God in preaching it appear to be foolishness to them that perish?

{“For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish; to the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life.” II Cor.2:15- 16.} Especially while they follow man's wisdom, I Cor.2:4, which aims to alter God's way of wisdom, and forsakes his wisdom in their own way of preaching. So verse 21, “for after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching {and pray what was then, is now, the foolishness of preaching, which contradicted, and still contradicts, the method and wisdom the times have contrived} to save them that believe.” And albeit there be many ways of deviating from the pattern, some far more gross than others, as I have plentifully insisted upon in my last book about the Glory of Christ Unveiled; yet this more refined device of offering Christ, where we should keep to the pattern of Preaching, Exod.25:40, {especially while one generation hath mellowed it for another generation to gather it,} makes the true pattern to be accounted 88 foolishness; while men have learned and found more wisdom to change the form of preaching Christ into the modish form of an offer. God's wisdom in his Grace hath contrived a way of saving His elect, which the world must hear of, even the efficacy of what they account to be foolishness of preaching, to the end their own wisdom may be baffled, and God's wisdom glorified. So, Acts 9:22, Paul, in preaching the doctrine of Christ to the very enemies of Christ in their synagogues, increased the more in strength, and confounded, {by the wisdom of God in the Old Testament,} the Jews who dwelt at Damascus, “proving that this is very Christ.” You may be sure he did not carry himself in the matter with what men now-a-days call temper or candour, which is a new phrase got up, calculated only to make the Gospel beg for its entertainment in the world. The synagogues opposed him, but he had strength from Heaven to confound them all. We read of none converted there at Damascus. What then? The Gospel nevertheless is preached, and the end of it there is attained; namely, God's wisdom glorified, while the faith is preached which once Paul destroyed. Gal.1:23. The wisdom of God must be preached to sinners, and the report made, though not one soul be converted by the Grace of God in all that synagogue. The net must be let down into the waters, though the fish may not lie where the net comes, and a man may toil all night and take nothing. Lk.5:5. This is a mighty argument for preaching the Doctrine of Christ, where the Salvation in the doctrine, or the power thereof, may not be applied to one single person.

 

[JonC]

But this also a way of exposing false doctrine, too.

I guess my question is why, after exposing something as false doctrine, do we remain there?

It is a more complicated question than it may appear. While it is interesting that learn where error takes a man (we do this all the time), there is a danger in advocating (or praising) false teachers as others may come to accept that doctrine.

 

[JonC]

This article was offered to me by a BB member.
He was reacting to some of my book reviews/discussions and was trying to see if I would work through this as it is 396 pages,
I do not mind doing it, as time permits.
I will work through things I believe are in error to see why they drifted into error so I do not follow it.
I suspect 3 or 4 members believe something along these lines of thought.

I am not sure he has gone into philosophy. He is using many verses, however he has offered some troubling conclusions so far.

The premise that our understanding of election and the atonement goes into philosophy.

Think of it this way - can you be saved with faith like a child, with simple faith in the gospel?

I believe so.

Can you be saved through an understanding of election and the atonement?

Nothing in Scripture indicates this to be the case.

So which is more important?

Any "theology" that seeks to know God apart from Christ is philosophy. We don't look at election, or even atonement through the Father's eyes. We look to Christ.

In the end you are posting what you believe to be false doctrine on this board. I see more praise and little complaint. So I get concerned about people who may wander by, that they be inadvertently led astray.