Gospel regeneration

[BrotherJoseph]

Hi Brother Sovereign,

I am sure it is inadvertent, but you actually never replied to any of my post #s 26, 28, and 29. When you have time, please reply to these posts, then I will reply to your latest post # 39. I do not want to reply to that post at this time as it will just result in you having four posts of mine to reply to, when I am sure 3 will already take a lot of time! Thanks.

God bless,

Brother Joe

 

[SovereignGrace]

Brother Sov,

Thanks for taking time to reply to my points.

Thanks for the civil and bible-backed debate.

I have provided you six examples, three of whom are very key Bible figures- Abraham, John the Baptist, and David. Both Abraham and David are very significant because I believe they are the only two examples Paul gave in Romans 4 to put forth the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Abraham is mentioned in Romans 4:1-3 as an example and David in Romans 4:6. The other examples I provided is Cornelius, Lydia, and Apollos (you never rebutted him). You didn't address my rebuttal to your assertion that Cornelius had heard the gospel prior to Peter's arrival. Please reply to this post # 21 as you have time.

Abram and Paul spoke directly with God with Him speaking an audible voice. None of us can make that claim, so their experience was different than ours, in my opinion. Cornelius(although I already addressed him), Lydia, and Apollos were occurrences that happened in a time of transition. Many were baptized with John's baptism, which was a baptism unto repentance. His baptism was to make ready a peoples for Christ. So, even though they had been baptized, they had not gotten the full 'thrust' of the Spirit. Their baptism was still under the Law. Those who Paul laid hands on received the Holy Spirit, not for the initial time, but His fullness that you and I received the very moment we were saved. During the days of Acts, you had people possessed with evil spirits(I am not saying people are not still possessed by them) who wreaked havoc of the peoples of God. Then there was Simon in Acts 8 who Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”[vss. 9-24] Simon believed and was baptized, but according to this passage, none of them had received the Spirit yet. Personally, I think they had the indwelling of the Spirit, but when the Apostles laid hands on them, they got Him in His plentiude. It was after the Apostles laid their hands on them they received Him. This does not happen now. Then there was Eutychus who fell three stories and Paul brought him back to life. Peter then laid hands on Tabitha(Dorcas) and she came back to life.

John Calvin gives a rather good commentary on Acts 8:16:

But here ariseth a question, for he saith that they were only baptized into the name of Christ, and that therefore they had not as yet received the Holy Ghost; but baptism must either be in vain and without grace, or else it must have all the force which it hath from the Holy Ghost. In baptism we are washed from our sins; but Paul teacheth that our washing is the work of the Holy Ghost, (Titus 3:5.) The water used in baptism is a sign of the blood of Christ; but Peter saith, that it is the Spirit by whom we are washed with the blood of Christ (1Pe 1:2.) Our old man is crucified in baptism, that we may be raised up unto newness of life, (Ro 6:6 and whence cometh all this save only from the sanctification of the Spirit? And, finally, what shall remain in baptism if it be separate from the Spirit? (Ga 3:27.) Therefore, we must not deny but that the Samaritans, who had put on Christ, indeed, in baptism, had also his Spirit given them; and surely Luke speaketh not in this place of the common grace of the Spirit, whereby God doth regenerate us, that we may be his children, but of those singular gifts wherewith God would have certain endued at the beginning of the gospel to beautify Christ’s kingdom. Thus must the words of John be understood, that the disciples had not the Spirit given them as yet, forasmuch as Christ was yet conversant in the world; not that they were altogether destitute of the Spirit, seeing that they had from the same both faith, and a godly desire to follow Christ; but because they were not furnished with those excellent gifts, wherein appeared afterwards greater glory of Christ’s kingdom. To conclude, forasmuch as the Samaritans were already endtied with the Spirit of adoptioni the excellent graces of the Spirit are heaped upon them, in which God showed to his Church, for a time as it were, the visible presence of his Spirit, that he might establish for ever the authority of his gospel, and also testify that his Spirit shall be always the governor and director of the faithful.

http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/calvin/cc36/cc36069.htm

If you concede that Abraham and John the Baptist were regenerated outside the gospel, independent of means, why is it not possible all believers are?

These two spoke directly to God. Abram was a picture, a type of Christ, and later became Abraham, a 'father of many nations'. John the Baptist came to prepare a peoples for Christ, and none of us today can make that claim. I am not saying you or anyone else on here are espousing that, just stating a fact.

Yes, there is still a need for the gospel even though God doesn't use it to regenerate. "...our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Timothy 1:10). Notice what the gospel does, the verse does not say it "brings life and immortality", but rather it brings "life and immortality to light". In other words, these things are already there.

Yes. That is what I am saying. But God does this via the gospel, the word of God. We are For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.[1 Pet. 1:23] No one will be quickened in a place where God has not made His Son manifest unto them. Quickening is done by God, yes, but via His word.

I had to saw this in half. It was too long.

 

[SovereignGrace]

Faith in the gospel is the means God chooses to reveal to his Child that he was justified by blood and thus allows them to rejoice in the knowledge of their legal justification by blood in their experience in this life. This is the purpose of the gospel. This is experiential. In short, when a born again person trusts solely in Christ's power to raise the dead, that faith is "counted unto him" for righteousness. The reality of being redeemed (justified by blood) is understood by the believer. That person, upon believing, experiences peace with God (Romans 5:1).

I really can not say I disagree with you here. It is just that I do not think one is quickened in today's time as Abram & John the Baptist were. I still think David's 22nd Psalms is pointing to Christ. But I am sure we will be at an impasse here. I do not think God quickens anyone outside the gospel. I think regeneration and conversion happen at the same time. But I am not God, so I do not know if He does or not. It is what I glean from the bible as I study it.

This position I am taking in regards to the gospel is also the position that some notable Baptists in the past have taken. Mainly, William Kiffen a signer of The London Baptist Confession of faith of both 1644 and 1689 wrote, "That the Scripture holds forth justification by faith in a sense is very clear, but yet under no other consideration, but by way of evidence, Heb. 11:1, 2. As it respects the taking away of sin from off the Conscience: For indeed the debt is paid by the blood of Christ alone, and we are therefore said to be justified by His blood, Rom. 5:9. For indeed, as Christ Jesus our Lord has paid the debt, "The Lord having laid upon him the iniquities of us all," so does He declare this satisfaction and acceptation of us in Christ by faith. Faith is the eye of the understanding whereby the soul comes to see the great things which God the Father has prepared for them who love Him. " (Quote taken from Article Justification By Christ Alone by Samuel Richardson http://www.mountzionpbc.org/Index/index08.htm ) It is a very good writing if you ever have the time to read it, I would recommend it.

We are saved by grace through faith and justified by faith. This I am quite sure we agree on. We are justified by faith in His blood, which is the same as faith in Christ, Christ being our Pioneer and Perfector of our faith.

Another famous Baptist who held this view of the gospel's purpose toward the end of his life is John Gill (He believed in gospel regeneration early in his life, but switched his view toward the end). Toward the end of his life he wrote,"In his Body of divinity, which was his last work, written a number of years later than his commentary, he says:

“This instrumentality of the word in regeneration seems not so agreeable to the principle of grace implanted in the soul in regeneration and to be understood in respect to that, since it is done by immediate infusion and is represented as a creation; and now as God made no use of any instrument in the first and old creation, so neither does it seem so agreeable that he should use any in. the new creation; wherefore, this is rather to be understood of the EXTERIOR of the principle of grace and the drawing it forth into act and exercise, which is excited and encouraged by the ministry of the word by which it appears that a man is born again. So the three thousand first converts and the jailor were FIRST regenerated, or had the principle of grace wrought in their souls by the Spirit of God, and then were directed and encouraged by the ministry of the Apostles to repent and believe in Christ; whereby it becomes manifest that they were born again.” Volume 2, page 844.

In his Cause of God and Truth, page 180, Dr. Gill says: “There is want of spiritual consideration and attention in every man, until God opens his heart, by his powerful grace, as he did Lydia’s, to attend to the things which are spoken, or which regard his spiritual and eternal welfare. The parable of the seed sown shows that the hearts of unregenerate men are unfit and unprepared to receive the word, and therefore, it becomes unfruitful to them. And that it is only fruitful where it is received in an honest and good heart, made so by the Spirit and grace of God in regeneration; whence it follows, that regeneration is rather a preparation for the right hearing of the word than the hearing of the word is a preparation for regeneration.”

Let me break this down to the 'brass tax' my beliefs on this subject. Our posts are getting quite lengthy. :laugh: A sinner hears the preaching of the gospel. Left in his fallen state, he does not and can not respond. God then quickens this sinner to life while the gospel is preached. These words now come to life because God has quickened him and these words are now Spirit and life. This is how I see it.

How do you reconcile your belief in gospel regeneration (I assume you would equate being justified by faith as the same thing as gospel regeneration) with the fact that scripture says in one place we are justified by His blood, "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." (Romans 5:9), but in another place it says we are justified by faith, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:" (Romans 5:1)"? They can't both be speaking of the same type of justification. If it be by blood that we were legally justified it was on the cross. The legal justification happened at Calvary, experimental justification happens at the time of belief in the gospel.

God bless,

Brother Joe

Both justified by faith and justified by His blood are coming from the same Source, Christ.

 

[savedbymercy]

savedbymercy





Never stated otherwise. I even used that verse in another post in this thread.






Never stated it did. I said God moves through the gospel. God quickens sinners so that they can understand what the preacher is preaching in the gospel message he is presenting.




No disagreement here. He does this via the gospel.




Yes.



Yes. You need to learn to better glean from the posts I, or someone else posts, before you post. I agree with you, yet you say I don't?

We don't agree ! You are unstable in what you believe, I don't believe in Gospel regeneration, you do ! How can you say that you don't believe that the Gospel gives life, when you at the same time teach that God regenerates by the Gospel?

 

[SovereignGrace]

We don't agree !

Hmmmph, you a soothsayer?

You are unstable in what you believe,

You REALLY need to look at your reflection.

I don't believe in Gospel regeneration,

Poor you.

you do !

Yes I do.

How can you say that you don't believe that the Gospel gives life, when you at the same time teach that God regenerates by the Gospel?

God does this via means, and those means are the gospel. You can believe whatever you choose to. Good day sir.

 

[savedbymercy]

You see that folks, we dont believe the same after all, but i already knew that, and stated that !

 

[Don]

You see that folks, we dont believe the same after all, but i already knew that, and stated that !

So the Gospel is of no value?

 

[BrotherJoseph]

Yes he was. However, as Peter preached to him, he made statements such as You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.[Acts 10:36] & also You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. [vss 37,38] Peter stated Cornelius You know the message God sent to the people of Israel and You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, while under the inspiration of the Spirit. Cornelius was already well aware of the gospel. Yet, God sent Peter to 'seal the deal', so-to-speak.

So yes, he was regenerated, but he had heard the gospel already before. .

Brother Sov,

If he had already heard all elements of the gospel, it was pointless for God to send Peter to "seal the deal" if Peter did not tell him anything he did not already know.

It is this For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.[Rom. 1:16] It is given by God to those who believe, those who already have faith. Those who believe, have faith, already show the working of the Spirit's regenerative power. But in all of this, the gospel is presented and the Spirit moves through it. .

I agree with what you say that the gospel is given "to those who believe, those who already have faith". These are characteristics of one who has already been regenerated to which the gospel is sent. Romans 1:16 you quotes proves this, "it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;". The person already believes, notice the verse does not say it is the power of God to every one who "will believe". This is consistent with 1 Corinthians 1:18 that says, "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.". Those that receive it as the "power of God" already are "saved" (i.e. regenerated) not "become saved".

Yes, the gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I agree the gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for sin. The reason I believe Cornelius had not heard the gospel is bolded is because Peter indicates the witnesses of His resurrection was not to all, but rather the apostles, thus they were commanded to preach this. This is seen in the following verses (notice bold, highlighted portions), "40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify..." (Acts 10:40-42)


Brother Joe

 

[BrotherJoseph]

Cornelius(although I already addressed him), Lydia, and Apollos were occurrences that happened in a time of transition. Many were baptized with John's baptism, which was a baptism unto repentance. His baptism was to make ready a peoples for Christ. So, even though they had been baptized, they had not gotten the full 'thrust' of the Spirit. .

Brother Sov,

Thanks for your additional replies to my points.

Laying Cornelius aside as we already discussed him, both Lydia and Apollos if they only knew of the baptism of John had not heard the gospel. If one searches the word "gospel" in the Bible is not mentioned in relation to John the Baptist. Also, as we have already both previously agreed, an important part of the gospel is the declaration of Christ's resurrection. This was not included in John's message, thus both Lydia and Apollos had never heard the gospel, but were already regenerated prior to hearing.

Yes. That is what I am saying. But God does this via the gospel, the word of God. We are For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.[1 Pet. 1:23] No one will be quickened in a place where God has not made His Son manifest unto them. Quickening is done by God, yes, but via His word.

The "word of God" mentioned in 1 Peter by which one is born again is Christ the living word, not the written word of the gospel. We see Christ is the "word" here "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..."(John 1:14), Notice 1 Peter 1:25, "And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.". Now, if the word "word" in this verse means Christ the verse makes perfect sense. I will substitute "word" for "Christ" in the verse to make my case, "And this is the Christ which by the gospel is preached unto you". Makes sense, doesn't it? But, if the word "word'" means the "word of the gospel" it makes no sense, notice, "And this is the word of the gospel which by the gospel is preached unto you".


Brother Joe

 

[BrotherJoseph]

We are saved by grace through faith and justified by faith. This I am quite sure we agree on. We are justified by faith in His blood, which is the same as faith in Christ, Christ being our Pioneer and Perfector of our faith. .

I believe the elect were legally justified by his blood 2,000 years ago, then through faith come to learn of this fact through the gospel.

Let me break this down to the 'brass tax' my beliefs on this subject. Our posts are getting quite lengthy. :laugh: A sinner hears the preaching of the gospel. Left in his fallen state, he does not and can not respond. God then quickens this sinner to life while the gospel is preached. These words now come to life because God has quickened him and these words are now Spirit and life. This is how I see it..

I have tried to "trim down my post size" as I agree they are getting quite long. Do you believe God quickens the sinner through the spoken words of the gospel in that it has some sort of "regenerating power" or just while it is preached, but independent of the spoken words? I agree with what you said that after one is quickened the "words now come to life". This must take place prior to there being a belief in the gospel as life always preceded action/belief. One who is spiritually "dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1) cannot repent and believe the gospel, thus they first must be quickened, then they can and will believe the gospel message when it is preached.

Both justified by faith and justified by His blood are coming from the same Source, Christ.

I agree, but I believe they are two separate things. Justification by blood being the legal reason one is justified, which occurred on Calvary 2,000 years ago. Justification by faith is through belief in the gospel and is how one learns that he was legally justified by the blood. It is experimental and not the legal grounds for justification. This occurs sometime during the regenerated person's lifetime upon faith in the gospel.


Brother Joe

 

[savedbymercy]

bj

I believe the elect were legally justified by his blood 2,000 years ago, then through faith come to learn of this fact through the gospel.

Do you also believe as i do,that the Elect were legally Justified by the Blood before the foundation, since in Purpose Christ was slain before the foundation 1 Pet 1:20

20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

Rev 13:8

8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

 

[BrotherJoseph]

bj



Do you also believe as i do,that the Elect were legally Justified by the Blood before the foundation, since in Purpose Christ was slain before the foundation 1 Pet 1:20

20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

Rev 13:8

8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Hi BrotherSavedbyMercy,

No, I do not believe in eternal justification, but some Primitive Baptists do.

The elect were chosen in Christ before the world was fashioned. They had a vital union with Him as His seed. Even so it follows that they, the elect, could not have been eternally justified; it was a timely justification. Why were the elect justified in time and not eternity? Simply, the elect stood in no need of justification until they fell under the penalties of the law. Did that fall occur in eternity or in time? Of course the whole family of Adam fell in the garden, in time, not in eternity. Being in Christ, before there was a world, the chosen children were as pure as He was pure. It was the fall, in time, that plunged the chosen into a condition that required justification. Mark well, the elect stood in no need of justification until they fell in Adam. The law had no jurisdiction over the elect prior to Adam's fall. Justice had put in no claim against them. God the Judge was well pleased with them in His Son. Justification had no application for the unfallen elect.

"Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4.23-25).

God bless,

Brother Joe

 

[savedbymercy]

bj

No, I do not believe in eternal justification, but some Primitive Baptists do.

I am sorry to hear that, for I consider it a basic fundamental Gospel Doctrine 2 Tim 1:9-10

Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

That Grace given to the Elect in Christ Jesus before the World began, Justified them Titus 3:7

7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

 

[savedbymercy]

bj

Why were the elect justified in time and not eternity? Simply, the elect stood in no need of justification until they fell under the penalties of the law.

They were already Justified from their fall in Adam, before they fell ! With your logic, Christ had no need to be slain from the foundation since they had not yet sinned ! The elect stood in need of Justification when they created in Adam, it just was not yet known by Adam then ,but he found out about it after he sinned !

 

[SovereignGrace]

You see that folks, we dont believe the same after all, but i already knew that, and stated that !

Good sir, I kindly ask you to not engage with me from this point further. I seek no further communcation with you, nor you with I. I have been civil with you, but not you with I.

You do not seek Godly discussions, just to parlay your thoughts and disparage those who disagree with you. Good day sir.

 

[savedbymercy]

Good sir, I kindly ask you to not engage with me from this point further. I seek no further communcation with you, nor you with I. I have been civil with you, but not you with I.

You do not seek Godly discussions, just to parlay your thoughts and disparage those who disagree with you. Good day sir.

No problem, you are double minded in your belief!

 

[SovereignGrace]

Brother Joseph,


I will post this and then I am done in this thread. It is apparent that there is one who is hindering this thread.

Faith, when given, is exercised. Now, if God regenerates someone outside the gospel, without knowing Jesus existed at the time they were regenerated, how can they use that to believe?

Paul stated plainly How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?[Rom. 10:14]

And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? Belief is faith. When God quickens, He also gives faith and repentance. If Abu in deepest, darkest Africa has never heard about Christ, if God quickens him, what does he exercise his faith(given by God,so now it would be his faith) and repentance on? He can not have faith in Him who he has not heard. He can not exercise repentance if he does not know Christ. This is where the gospel is of utmost importance in the conversion of sinners. Yes God regenerates, but when He does, they have to have Someone to repent to and have faith in.

Faith and repentance are never dormant, never idle.

This is why I am pro-gospel regeneration.

I have truly enjoyed our discusion. Good day mon ami.

 

[SovereignGrace]

Brother Joseph,

I pray I have not offended you in any of my postings.

 

[BrotherJoseph]

Brother Joseph,

I pray I have not offended you in any of my postings.

Brother Sovereign,

NO offense! I too have enjoyed our discussion. I will leave you with two verses two consider along with a couple of thoughts.

"He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." (John 8:47)

This verse states those who hear God's words are already "of God", not that they, "become of God" after or through hearing the words.

One last verse that is similar in nature to the previous, "We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error." (1 John 4:6)

Again, this verse says the one that "heareth" the word of God already "knoweth God".

Brother Joe

 

[BrotherJoseph]

bj



They were already Justified from their fall in Adam, before they fell ! With your logic, Christ had no need to be slain from the foundation since they had not yet sinned ! The elect stood in need of Justification when they created in Adam, it just was not yet known by Adam then ,but he found out about it after he sinned !

Brother SavedbyMercy,

You bring up some points. I must confess I have never studied the doctrine of eternal justification, though I have heard of it and am aware some such as John Gill wrote on it. I found a site online that has both pro and con articles on the doctrine. I like to study both sides of a position from scripture before taking a possible dogmatic side on an issue. I will study further. In case your interested, the site is here http://www.theopedia.com/Eternal_justification Some of the external links to the pro and con articles on the site do not work, but I have found if you Google the title and author's names it often pulls them up.

Don Fortner had some good points that are compelling in support of eternal justification that I just read tonight.
I pasted the meat of it below. The article I quote from below is here http://www.donfortner.com/sermon_notes/45_romans/rom%2003v24%20Four%20Facts%20About%20Justification%200533.htm

"A. In the mind and purpose of God, Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8; Isa. 53).

Because God our Father looked upon Christ as one already sacrificed for us before the world was, all the blessings of grace were given to us in him (Eph. 1:3-7; 2 Tim. 1:9).

· Election

· Adoption

· Acceptance

· Redemption

· Forgiveness

· Justification

Thomas Goodwin wrote - “We may say of all spiritual blessings in Christ what is said of Christ himself, that ‘his goings forth are from everlasting.’ In Christ we are blessed with all spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:3). As we are blessed with all others, so with this also, that we were justified then in Christ.”

B. There are two facts which compel us to look upon justification as an eternal act of God.

1. Had it not been for the fact that God looked upon his elect as being righteous and justified in Christ from eternity, he would have destroyed our race as soon as Adam sinned. God spares the wicked for the sake of the righteous. (Illustration: Lot and the men of Sodom.)

2. The Old Testament saints were justified by Christ, just as we are today. And their justification was just as full, complete, and perfect as ours (Heb. 9:15, 22; Rom. 3:25). Every true believer is eternally justified in the purpose of God."