"...the power of God unto salvation..."

[skypair]

What is "...the power of God unto salvation...?"

Is it the "regeneration?" Is it "election?" Is it the Holy Spirit?

Rom 1:16 says that "the gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth..."

There are several lessons here:

1) The GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST converts sinners to saints. It is necessary and sufficient of itself to SAVE the "soul-dead" unbeliever. Why?

2) Because it changes unbelief into belief -- it saves "everyone that believeth." The power is not the Holy Spirit Himself though His primary message -- the holiness and grace of God -- is contained in the gospel. But primarily, the gospel transmits the TRUTH required to enter willingly into the kingdom of Christ IF it is believed.

3) It is to POWER given to "EVERYONE" who will believe. "Election" is NOT a cause of salvation but a result of salvation for those who believe. That is, election is of believers (not unbelievers) and is specifically to the believer's NEW life in Christ.

The non-elect are NOT elected, chosen, predestinated, etc. to hell, though that is their destiny, any more than the elect are chosen, predestinated, etc. to heaven though that is their destiny. God "elects"/predestines a new life for the believer -- He does NOT elect any life for the lost because they are not "yoked" with Him.

Anyway, I just wanted to make it clear what the Bible says about the POWER by which we may believe and receive eternal life.

skypair

 

[skypair]

Then there's this from CHSpurgeon regarding "regeneration precedes faith:"

"No sooner is the soul quickened that is at once discovers its lost estate, is horrified thereat, looks for a refuge, and believing Christ to be a suitable one, flies to Him and reposes in Him. Where there is not this coming to Christ; it is certain there is no quickening;..." *

You know, I don't know that free will believers would object near so much to Cavlinism if their "at once" discovery of "its lost estate" led to repentant conversion rather than to faith for living the Christ life (Gal 5:22, Heb 12:2). We ought all come to the Refuge but we ought to have abandoned self first.

What I see instead is people who come to church, realize that they agree with this gospel, and join the church on the assumption that agreeing, they must be like these --- "elect." And then the theology only confirms it -- regeneration, then faith.

So now they have faith (and fellowship/accountability) for living the Christian life without really having a new life (except that they joined the church). Oh, I know they repent of sins, alright -- that's part of Christian living, isn't it? I know they believe in Christ and what He did. But did they believe the gospel? did they obey the gospel? Did they repent (of self), be baptized, receive the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:39.

Well, of course not! That would make THEM the author of their own salvation. That would be akin to Simon Magus offering Peter money to buy from him the power of the Holy Ghost. That would be "works" salvation. "conditional" salvation.

skypair

*Sermon titled "Human Inability" 7 Mar 1858