Featured The nature of Quickening

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved

Paul uses an Aorist tense (quickened) and a Perfect tense (saved) verbs to describe regeneration. Both are found in the passive voices which demands that man is the object of the action rather than participating in the action.

The completed action verbs demand it is a PAST tense completed punctillar action that stands complete and is not progressive or incompleted action. We are not "being quickened."

Third, this is an action that counters a past condition "were dead in sins" and this past condition is further explained by Paul in this very same epistle in these words:

Eph. 4:18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

They are "dead IN RESPECT TO sins". The Greek text does not use any preposition ("in") in Ephesians 2:1,5. Instead, it only uses a definite noun that is found in the dative case (within the five case system) and because of the overall context of scripture must be interpreted as a Dative of Reference/Respect. God says in Isaiah 59:1 that sin separates people from God and this separation is precisely what Paul continues to describe the unregenerated state in Ephesians 4:18 "alienated from the life of God" which means they are "dead" due to "darkened" and "blindness" and "ignorance" which are all descriptives of the condition of sin (Jn. 3:19-20).

Quickening is the REVERSAL of this "dead" or being "alienated from the life of God" due to sin. Sin is not described as deeds or actions in Ephesians 4:18 but as a CONDITION or STATE of heart. The heart is the unseen internal man and the SEAT of desire, thoughts and volition. In regard to the mind, the condition is "darkened" and in "ignorance." In regard to the heart or seat of desires, the heart is in "blindness" (lit. hardened, caloused).

Hence, the condition that quickening reverses is a "darkened....ignorance....blinded" state of the heart. Hence, Quickening must be inclusive of LIGHT, KNOWLEGE and SENSIBILITY as the very inherent characteristis of quickening, regeneration or new birth.

This is why Jesus said that eternal life "IS" REVELATION of the true God and HIs Son Jesus Christ - Jn. 17:3. This is why Jesus told Peter that the substance of his confession of faith was not obtained from "flesh and blood" but was REVEALED to Him by the Father. This is why Paul told the Corinthians that salvation is by direct revelation as a creative act of God (2 Cor. 4:6). This is why Paul told the Thessalonians the gospel must not come merely in word only but "in power and in the Spirit and in much assurance."

Human instruments can only bring the gospel TO sinners but God alone can REVEAL it WITHIN sinners. It is this REVELATION within that is regeneration/quickening/new birth. This act of God is limited to only "as many as the Father has given me" - Jn. 17:2-3 and that is precisely why "all that the Father giveth me shall come to me" as the very substance of faith is the content of this direct revelation in the heart by a creative act of God:

2 Cor. 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Thus the darkened, ignorant, blinded condition of the depraved heart is transformed by the "command" of God using the gospel that has been brought TO the sinner but within whom only God uses it to speak into existence a new heart and new spirit creating light where darkness, ignorance and hardness had been.

This creative work of God is according to particular redemption as:

26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Arminians cannot say this because they beleive ALL who are under the sound of the gospel are EQUALLY called. Here "called' means "quickened" or born again by the creative word of God as it does in Romans 8:29.

 

There are many more on this forum that understand what I said than you realize. Don't measure their abilities by your lack of ability. Don't merely read what I said, study it carefully and study requires more work on your part.

 

First, you need to recognize the CONTRAST he is making between them as SAVED persons and THE LOST. Verses 17-19 refers to the LOST man.

17 Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their thoughts. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts. 19 They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.

Verses 20-32 refers to the SAVED man. His argument is that a Saved man has been given a new man and the Holy Spirit and so they should not "walk" like a lost man who has not been given these things and is in a state of total inability. You have proven nothing.

 

Let me state it in simple clear terms and later I will defend it, ok?

Simply put quickening is being made alive by being brought into spiritual union with God. It is the reversal of those characteristics spelled out in Ephesians 4:17-19.

1. The object of quickening is the spirit - Jn. 3:6
2. The nature of quickening is Revelatory
a. Life is light - Jn. 1:4
b. Life is the light of knowledge - Jn. 17:3
3. The means of quickening is by Divine fiat/command - 2 Cor. 4:6/Jm 1:17; 1
Thes. 1:5
4. The source is God - Mt. 16:17; Gal. 1:15-16; 2 Cor. 4:6
5. The nature of quickening is transformative
1. Transformation of the heart and spirit - Ezek. 36:26; Deut. 29:4
2. Transforms the "hardened" condition of the heart - Eph. 5:18 "blindness" (lit. hardness) or resistant condition (Rom. 8:7) to a submissive condition (2 Cor. 3:3.

The gospel is brought TO sinners by external means (Rom. 10:14-16) but the gospel is wrought WITHIN sinners by divine fiat (2 Cor. 4:6; 1 Thes. 1:5) as it becomes the creative command of God.

 

That is correct, they are not chosen on the basis of foreseen good or evil (Rom. 9:11). However, it is God's arbritary purpose to choose from among men that which even according to men's standard of good and evil, those who would seem the most unlikely while sovereignly passing over those whom men would believe should be the more likely and deserving.

 

It says no such thing. Their former lost state was that of blindness not sight (vv. 17-19).

It says no such thing. He is talking about their current saved state in verses 20-32 between the old and new man. He never suggests or infers that they had anything to do with transition of the blind state of their lost condition to the sight of their saved condition. Indeed, they were "saved" which necessarily demands they were PASSIVE rather than active in coming out of darkness into light.

How many times do I have to explain this to you????? They not only existed and acted as one human nature in the person of one man but Adam was the best possible REPRESENTATIVE man - Rom. 5:12-19.

Yes, they were born "dead" in Adam as no child comes into the world spiritually alive.

Yes, They were born in the state of "blindness" as no child comes into the world seeing spiritual truth.

Yes, They were born in the state of "ignorance" as no child comes into the world with saving knowledge.

So why? Because all sinned in Adam. Because they existed as one indivisible human nature which acted in unison as one man.

He is addressing them IN THEIR SAVED STATE in connection with the spiritual warefare between the new and old man. He is not referring to their transition from the kingdom of darkness to light.

As saints, we are commanded to put on and to put off but that is not possible by sheer will power (Rom. 7:18) but only by acknowledging TOTAL INABILITY in ourselves (Rom. 7:24)and submission to the Spirit.

 

Romans 9:11 deals with the CAUSE for election and denies any foreseen actions were determinate factors.

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 deals with the CONSEQUENCES of election that confirms God's purpose of election is not consistent with the wisdom of men who would choose on the basis of apparent merit.

Paul did not say that God chose NONE wise but "not many" or NONE mighty but rather the majority are exactly of that sort human wisdom would not have chosen. The purpose of God is to "confound" the wisdom of the world.

However, as usual you ignore the dilemma I put before your face.

 

Do you understand the difference between "condition" and "consequences"?

Second, good and evil are only PERCEIVED differences in the eyes of men as God sees NONE GOOD and there is NONE THAT DOETH GOOD! Hence, these are simply human perceptions of good and evil. They don't exist from God's perspective as the fruits cannot be any better than the tree and he sees the tree as evil.

Third, since it is a level playing field, it does not contradict that playing field to select the majority from among those whom THE WORLD PERCEIVES as good over bad because no such distinction actually exists from God's perspective.

Fourth, Paul is asking the Corinthians to consider God's purpose of election from THEIR PERSPECTIVE not from God's perspective.

Fifth, the only contradiction possible is YOUR OWN MAKING by confusing man's perspective with God's perspective.

 

Look at your next response and the light will come on!

A lost man cannot "put on the new man" because the "new man" is a work of creation (Eph. 4:24). He is addressing saved persons who are in the Romans 7:14-25 struggle. Lost people cannot put on or put off. The old nature, indwelling sin, they are to put off characterizes the lost condition and that is why they should put it off and put on the new man. Ephesians 4:17-20 has NOTHING to do with a saved man and Ephesians 4:21-32 has NOTHING to do with a lost man. You are jerking scriptures out of context and confusing them.