Protestant
Well-Known Member
The Justification of God – Part 10
Had the author opened her Bible rather than her imagination she would have found within its first few pages a TRUE story of a ship, a preacher of righteousness and a multitude of lost sinners.
Of all the people on Earth, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
Noah did not ‘earn’ or ‘deserve’ grace. Otherwise grace would no more be grace.
Grace was sovereignly bestowed upon Noah according to the Lord’s will of good pleasure.
I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy.
Our Anabaptist author assumes grace is owed all men --- enabling grace--- to at least give men the capacity to respond favorably to a Gospel invitation if they so will.
But grace is owed no man because grace is not a debt. Furthermore, God is in debt to no man.
Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
It is man who is in debt to God. He owes his Creator obedience, service and worship.
He also owes God a serious sin debt which he cannot pay.
Because He is righteous, just and holy the Lord has warned Noah that He will destroy the human race by water.
Noah had a two-fold commission: build an Ark and preach to the sinners that judgment is coming. Escape will be found only in the Ark, a type of Jesus Christ, the only Savior.
For 120 years men ignored and ridiculed Noah until it was too late. The door to the Ark was shut by God. Once shut, no one could enter.
There is a day coming, perhaps sooner than later, when God will shut the door to salvation, at which time Judgment will fall.
Our Anabaptist author would have us believe that all men earnestly desire entrance into the Ark, Jesus Christ.
They strive with all their heart and soul to seek salvation through Jesus Christ, yet the ‘Calvinist God’ denies them salvation, she postulates.
However, Scripture clearly states:
There is none that seeketh after God.
Only 8 humans entered the Ark.
Man is blind and blissfully unaware of his distressing spiritual condition without Christ.
Enabling Grace Not Sufficient
In her parable the author views enabling grace as a life preserver which the drowning sinner can, of his own free will, take hold of and be pulled aboard to safety.
But Scripture gives numerous proofs that man is dead in his sins and trespasses.
Jesus even equates the spiritually dead man to the literally dead man when He replies, Follow me and let the dead bury their dead.
Spiritually dead sinners need more than enabling grace, they need effectual saving grace – grace which quickens and makes alive: the regenerating grace of the Spirit.
Once spiritually alive they can see King Jesus and His Kingdom.
Once spiritually alive they can discern their need for Jesus.
They can now hear the Gospel with ears that hear.
They can now willingly respond because their hearts have been spiritually circumcised.
What was once abhorrent and detestable is now perceived as sweet soul satisfying blessed truth.
The 'Calvinist God' a Deceiver
Our Anabaptist author accuses the ‘Calvinist God’ of deception. According to her He does not really intend the salvation of all who hear the Gospel. He only intends the salvation of the Elect to whom He gives the graces necessary to respond favorably, leaving the others unable to do that which He commands.
Once again, our Parable writer is in unbelief as to the severity of man’s sin nature.
The true God is man’s natural enemy while Satan is his god whom he willingly obeys and serves.
The fault and sin of unbelief lies within man, not God.
God does not owe hateful, sinful men saving grace.
Rather He owes all men justice --- just punishment for their sins which they willingly and knowingly committed.
Merciful and compassionate grace is that which is given or withheld according to the wise, holy and sovereign will of God.
It is this glorious right which God revealed to Moses in Exodus 33:
And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
Does a sinner acknowledge he cannot believe in Christ without God’s Spirit working in Him?
Jesus encourages all such sinners to ask for Him when He promises:
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
The God of the Bible keeps no man out of His Kingdom who acknowledges his spiritual poverty, asking for that which only God can give him.
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
But no man will come unless drawn by the Father.
No man will hear with understanding unless given ears to receive the truth.
No man thirsts for the true God unless the Lord reveals how destitute and dry his soul is without Him.
God is not evil for preaching the Gospel which He knows man, of his own fallen will, will most assuredly reject.
Man is evil for rejecting the Gospel which is most assuredly holy, righteous and completely true.
TO BE CONTINUED
Had the author opened her Bible rather than her imagination she would have found within its first few pages a TRUE story of a ship, a preacher of righteousness and a multitude of lost sinners.
Of all the people on Earth, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
Noah did not ‘earn’ or ‘deserve’ grace. Otherwise grace would no more be grace.
Grace was sovereignly bestowed upon Noah according to the Lord’s will of good pleasure.
I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy.
Our Anabaptist author assumes grace is owed all men --- enabling grace--- to at least give men the capacity to respond favorably to a Gospel invitation if they so will.
But grace is owed no man because grace is not a debt. Furthermore, God is in debt to no man.
Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
It is man who is in debt to God. He owes his Creator obedience, service and worship.
He also owes God a serious sin debt which he cannot pay.
Because He is righteous, just and holy the Lord has warned Noah that He will destroy the human race by water.
Noah had a two-fold commission: build an Ark and preach to the sinners that judgment is coming. Escape will be found only in the Ark, a type of Jesus Christ, the only Savior.
For 120 years men ignored and ridiculed Noah until it was too late. The door to the Ark was shut by God. Once shut, no one could enter.
There is a day coming, perhaps sooner than later, when God will shut the door to salvation, at which time Judgment will fall.
Our Anabaptist author would have us believe that all men earnestly desire entrance into the Ark, Jesus Christ.
They strive with all their heart and soul to seek salvation through Jesus Christ, yet the ‘Calvinist God’ denies them salvation, she postulates.
However, Scripture clearly states:
There is none that seeketh after God.
Only 8 humans entered the Ark.
Man is blind and blissfully unaware of his distressing spiritual condition without Christ.
Enabling Grace Not Sufficient
In her parable the author views enabling grace as a life preserver which the drowning sinner can, of his own free will, take hold of and be pulled aboard to safety.
But Scripture gives numerous proofs that man is dead in his sins and trespasses.
Jesus even equates the spiritually dead man to the literally dead man when He replies, Follow me and let the dead bury their dead.
Spiritually dead sinners need more than enabling grace, they need effectual saving grace – grace which quickens and makes alive: the regenerating grace of the Spirit.
Once spiritually alive they can see King Jesus and His Kingdom.
Once spiritually alive they can discern their need for Jesus.
They can now hear the Gospel with ears that hear.
They can now willingly respond because their hearts have been spiritually circumcised.
What was once abhorrent and detestable is now perceived as sweet soul satisfying blessed truth.
The 'Calvinist God' a Deceiver
Our Anabaptist author accuses the ‘Calvinist God’ of deception. According to her He does not really intend the salvation of all who hear the Gospel. He only intends the salvation of the Elect to whom He gives the graces necessary to respond favorably, leaving the others unable to do that which He commands.
Once again, our Parable writer is in unbelief as to the severity of man’s sin nature.
The true God is man’s natural enemy while Satan is his god whom he willingly obeys and serves.
The fault and sin of unbelief lies within man, not God.
God does not owe hateful, sinful men saving grace.
Rather He owes all men justice --- just punishment for their sins which they willingly and knowingly committed.
Merciful and compassionate grace is that which is given or withheld according to the wise, holy and sovereign will of God.
It is this glorious right which God revealed to Moses in Exodus 33:
And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
Does a sinner acknowledge he cannot believe in Christ without God’s Spirit working in Him?
Jesus encourages all such sinners to ask for Him when He promises:
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
The God of the Bible keeps no man out of His Kingdom who acknowledges his spiritual poverty, asking for that which only God can give him.
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
But no man will come unless drawn by the Father.
No man will hear with understanding unless given ears to receive the truth.
No man thirsts for the true God unless the Lord reveals how destitute and dry his soul is without Him.
God is not evil for preaching the Gospel which He knows man, of his own fallen will, will most assuredly reject.
Man is evil for rejecting the Gospel which is most assuredly holy, righteous and completely true.
TO BE CONTINUED
Last edited by a moderator: