The Flesh Has No Hand in the Salvation of God's People

[KenH]

That which is born of the flesh is flesh. John 3:6.

To learn the total corruption and desperate wickedness of human nature, is a hard lesson to flesh and blood. To have no confidence in the flesh; to consider ourselves upon a level with the very worst and vilest of sinners; yea, with the very devils, in point of hope of salvation in ourselves, is mortifying to our natural pride, and contrary to our carnal reason. “But the Lord of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.” (Isaiah 23:9.) He hath effectually done this, by appearing in our nature, and by the doctrines which he taught. All flesh has become so totally corrupt and abominable in the sight of God, so hopeless and helpless, that nothing but the coming of the Son of God could bring salvation to us. He became the Son of man, that he might seek and save them that are lost. He seeks us, before we seek him. He saves us, before we look for salvation from him. He comes to us, by his word and Spirit, and says, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh.”—The flesh profiteth nothing to salvation.—They that are in the flesh cannot please God.— There is no good thing in the flesh: therefore, no good thing can proceed from it. No man, unless born again out of corrupt nature; born again of the Spirit, can see the kingdom of God. O soul! consider, in order to raise love and gratitude, (1st.) That salvation is a work quite out of nature: that the flesh has not the least hand in it, nor contributes the least mite towards it: nay, it is totally averse to salvation by the blood and righteousness of the Son of God. (2d.) That the Son of God did not come into the world to purchase grace, and put it into the hands of nature, to make our flesh holy, righteous, and good, (as some foolishly talk) that so we might be saved. But he saves us out of nature. He gives us a new birth, into himself, by his Spirit. He leaves the flesh as he found it, vile and sinful, no good thing in it, that it might be mortified by the Spirit: yea, crucified, as accursed and devoted to death and destruction, because of the sin which dwelleth in it. (3d.) Art thou born again of the Spirit, so as to believe in Christ for salvation? Beware of having the least confidence in the flesh; aim not to make any shew in the flesh: this ministers to the pride and righteousness of the flesh. Know thy flesh, with its corruptions and lusts, as an enemy to thy Saviour, and to the peace and holiness of thy soul. Treat it as such: keep it low daily. Lastly, see all thy righteousness and perfection in the Son of God. Glory only in him and of him. Look on thyself, though ever so vile, yet shining more gloriously in the sight of God, in the glorious robe, and glittering garments of him who is “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

- William Mason, A Spiritual Treasury For The Children of God, Volume 2, August 14

(emphasis mine)

 

[Van]

Your faith has saved you.
You were saved by grace trough faith
chosen for salvation through faith in the truth
Many will seek the narrow path but few will find it.

And the beat goes on.....

 

[KenH]

Your faith has saved you.

Contrary to the man-centered soteriology of people such as Van, the flesh profiteth nothing. Jesus saves!

John 6:63 The flesh profiteth nothing.

Matthew 1:21 Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

 

[Van]

Contrary to the man-centered soteriology of people such as Van, the flesh profiteth nothing. Jesus saves!

John 6:63 The flesh profiteth nothing.

Matthew 1:21 Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Contrary to those who misrepresent others, and do not present a quote to support the false charge, demonic behavior provides no profit for Jesus.

Your faith has saved you.
You were saved by grace trough faith
chosen for salvation through faith in the truth
Many will seek the narrow path but few will find it.

God's word is not man-centered, it is God centered!
And the beat goes on.....

 

[KenH]

Contrary to those who misrepresent others, and do not present a quote to support the false charge, demonic behavior provides no profit for Jesus.

Your faith has saved you.
You were saved by grace trough faith
chosen for salvation through faith in the truth
Many will seek the narrow path but few will find it.

God's word is not man-centered, it is God centered!
And the beat goes on.....

You soteriology is just as false, Van, in your latest post in this thread as the previous one.

 

[Van]

Scripture speaks loud and clear!

Your faith has saved you. (Luke 7:50)
You were saved by grace trough faith (Ephesians 2:8)
chosen for salvation through faith in the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:13)
Many will seek the narrow path but few will find it. (Luke 13:24)

God's word is not man-centered, it is God centered!
And the beat goes on.....

 

[percho]

IMHO the following is when, the faith, came. The following is the, obedience of faith.



Heb 5:7,8 who in the days of his flesh both prayers and supplications unto Him who was able to save him from [out of] death -- with strong crying and tears -- having offered up, and having been heard in respect to that which he feared, through being a Son, did learn by the things which he suffered -- the obedience,

Because of, the obedience of faith, Jesus Christ was, highly exalted, raised out of the dead, and given a name above every name,

and in fashion having been found as a man, he humbled himself, having become obedient unto death -- death even of a cross, wherefore, also, God did highly exalt him, and gave to him a name that is above every name, Phil 2:8,9
Heb 1:4,5 having become so much better than the messengers, as he did inherit a more excellent name than they. For to which of the messengers said He ever, 'My Son thou art -- I to-day have begotten thee?' and again, 'I will be to him for a father, and he shall be to Me for a son?'
Col 1:18 And himself is the head of the body -- the assembly -- who is a beginning, a first-born out of the dead, that he might become in all things -- himself -- first,

Your salvation is all about the faith of Christ. The Anointed.

Anointed, with what, and by Whom?

 

[taisto]

Where does the Bible say that we were chosen for salvation by faith in the truth?

That statement means:
1) We had to exhibit faith in Jesus atonement before God would even consider us.
2) The faith we exhibited had to be theologically correct or God would not consider the idea of choosing us.
3) Only after we had accomplished the proper and accurate type of faith, while we were still dead sinners, did God choose to elect us.

Such a teaching is never once shared in the Bible. How then can anyone declare it to be biblical?

 

[Revmitchell]

Contrary to the man-centered soteriology of people such as Van, the flesh profiteth nothing. Jesus saves!

John 6:63 The flesh profiteth nothing.

Matthew 1:21 Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Are you calling Van lost?

 

[KenH]

Are you calling Van lost?

Not my call to make concerning anyone's standing before God, as I do not know whom God elected unto salvation before the foundation of the world.

 

[Revmitchell]

Not my call to make concerning anyone's standing before God, as I do not know whom God elected unto salvation before the foundation of the world.

If someone holds to a man-centered theology can they be saved? Can they be one of these elect as you personally define it?

 

[KenH]

If someone holds to a man-centered theology can they be saved? Can they be one of these elect as you personally define it?

No mere uninspired human has perfect knowledge about God's Word. When Apollos came to Ephesus in Acts chapter 18, he had already been instructed in the truths of the gospel of Christ, but his knowledge was still lacking, and Aquila and Priscilla "expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly."

Even after God gave me spiritual eyes to see and spiritual ears to understand the gospel of Christ and to look to Him alone as The Lord my RIGHTEOUSNESS, when I read the Bible(which I have been reading since I learned how to read 60 years ago) all of a sudden I would read a passage or a verse, that I had read no telling how many times over the decades, and I would finally understand it and go, "Oh, that is what that means!"

I say all that to make the point that God does not leave His elect in ignorance, but He will instruct them in the doctrines of His wonderful grace and mercy in Christ Jesus.

 

[Alan Gross]

Anointed, with what, and by Whom?

"For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God:
for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him." John 3:34.

Anointed with what? "not the Spirit by measure",
i.e., the Spirit without measure.

By Whom? No trick question there.
"Whom" spelled with a capital"W". Very good.

"God", i.e., the Godhead to be the Godhead, bodily.

Colossians 2:9; "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."

 

[Martin Marprelate]

Contrary to those who misrepresent others, and do not present a quote to support the false charge, demonic behaviour provides no profit for Jesus.

Your faith has saved you.

True, but.....

You were saved by grace through faith

Grace must come before faith.

chosen for salvation through faith in the truth

Chosen first, before the foundation of the world, then brought to belief (Ephesians 1:4; Acts of the Apostles 9:15; Jeremiah 31:3).

Many will seek the narrow path but few will find it.

True. John 6:44 applies. Yet for all that God's house is going to be filled (Luke 14:23. "Compel them to come in").

God's word is not man-centered, it is God centered!

Amen!

And the beat goes on.....

Only because you keep banging on the same cracked drum.[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

 

[Van]

True, but.....
Grace must come before faith.
Chosen first, before the foundation of the world, then brought to belief (Ephesians 1:4; Acts of the Apostles 9:15; Jeremiah 31:3).
True. John 6:44 applies. Yet for all that God's house is going to be filled (Luke 14:23. "Compel them to come in").
Amen!
Only because you keep banging on the same cracked drum.

[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]
1) As I have said for the umpteenth time, no one seeks God before God's revelatory grace makes God know to them. The implication that is not my position is disingenuous.
2) Then the usual list of non-germane verses. All actually support that we were "chosen for salvation through faith in the truth."
3) Christ the Redeemer was chosen as the Lamb of God before the down-casting of humanity. True. Thus the choice of a redeemer corporately chose anyone and everyone that redeemer would redeem. Full Stop
4) Luke 14:23 So the master said to his slave, 'Go out to the highways and country roads and urge people to come in, so that my house will be filled.

I am going to defend truth as long as I can.... and the beat goes on

 

[Martin Marprelate]

@Van,
1. 'We' were chosen before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4; Acts of the Apostles 9:15; Jeremiah 31:3).
2. Luke 14:23, KJV, NKJV, ESV, NKJV, NIV. 'Compel them to come in.'

 

[taisto]

If someone holds to a man-centered theology can they be saved? Can they be one of these elect as you personally define it?

I think the answer is yes.
Paul tells us that others shared the gospel to try hurt him, but he rejoiced that the gospel is preached. Many people, who simply are ignorant of God's sovereignty, think God saved them when they humbled themselves, repented, and said the sinners prayer. They don't know that the Bible says they were drawn in by God, made alive by God's grace, and then responded in faith. From their emotional experience they only see their side of the coin and they only speak of their experience from their perspective. God, for his part, forgives their ignorance and spreads the gospel despite its theological errors and lack of knowing the full sovereignty of God.
Just because humans are ignorant, it does not remove God's sovereign election in their lives.

 

[Alan Gross]

To have no confidence in the flesh; to consider ourselves upon a level with the very worst and vilest of sinners; yea, with the very devils, in point of hope of salvation in ourselves, is mortifying to our natural pride, and contrary to our carnal reason.

Contrary to the man-centered soteriology of people such as Van, the flesh profiteth nothing. Jesus saves!

Are you calling Van lost?

Not tat tal. Not on the Board against the rules, or otherwise, the way I see it.

If someone holds to a man-centered theology can they be saved? Can they be one of these elect as you personally define it?

I was saved as a 10 or so year old and remember all about it, once I learned anything at all about the fact that 'salvation' is something that exists, in my mind twenties. The Holy Spirit had been with me since I was saved, and beating me up side the head teaching me all alone 'right from wrong', however, I didn't know what a Bible was at all hardly and never heard it preached, ever.

I didn't know there was a Book of Genesis or Revelation or that there were two Testaments or 'Four Gospels' until my mid twenties. I entered a good sound Baptist College to 'catch up on what I didn't know and that other people had learned in Sunday School.', etc., and wondered why they were talking about an 'Abraham' person so much and even held my hand up to ask why we were starting our study of Paul in the 8th chapter of Acts, instead of Acts 1.

My theology 'growing up'? I believed when they told me in school about me coming from a monkey. My goal was to be Huge Hefner and have 5 women in one day and told my friends one time that I didn't believe there was a God.

That I do not recommend saying that. Things drastically went down hill from there for me and not as bad as Nebuchadnezzar, but not good. The Lord used it of course, and He eventually sent witnesses to talk to my stupid head and got me into a great church hearing verse compared to verse, etc., from a great pastor and I started learning The Stuff from there.

That's my testimony and I was already a saved Elect, but I would have sounded like I was as lost as a goose flying upsidedown in a 60 mph wind.

In that little country church I learned about salvation and that you could know that you were saved and remembered the experience I had had as a young boy, under the preaching of the Gospel at a Methodist Youth Fellowship Roller Rink where the did a Karate demonstration and then said that they had something they 'wanted to share', which was then my appointed time.

Then, there in that little Baptist church I first heard the Word to base my life upon.

Now I'm here just trying to share what I have learned, for others to know, if they care to.

Like, "Looking unto Jesus the Author.... of our faith". Hebrews 12:2a.

 

[Van]

@Van,
1. 'We' were chosen before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4; Acts of the Apostles 9:15; Jeremiah 31:3).
2. Luke 14:23, KJV, NKJV, ESV, NKJV, NIV. 'Compel them to come in.'

LOL, are you unaware this is a mistranslation??? There is even the notion that this mistranslation gave us the dark ages!

Of course we were chosen corporately before the down-casting of humanity. That is not the issue, as you probably well know.

 

[Martin Marprelate]

LOL, are you unaware this is a mistranslation??? There is even the notion that this mistranslation gave us the dark ages!

Of course we were chosen corporately before the down-casting of humanity. That is not the issue, as you probably well know.

LOL, are you unaware that this is the correct translation??? As well as the KJV, NKJV, ESV, NASB, the CSB has 'make them come in.' But of course, I forgot; you are wiser than all these Bible translators.