Here is the introduction to a study I wrote today on the issue of Sovereign grace. This does not have anything to do with Sovereign Grace Ministries or the Sovereign Grace Bible Conference. Some may have heard me refer to these at other times. This study simply has to do with my thoughts and notes on some verses that deal with the topic. However, it is worth your investigation, and please look only to Jesus for all the answers. Now, here is the intro:
The Sovereign Grace of God in Believing
Due to many questions and discussions about Sovereign grace, I decided to write a short study on a few notable passages that deal with the subject. This study is by no means all that could be said. It may or may not satisfy you. However, I hope you will not only be convinced, but also blessed with the joy that comes with understanding God's wonderful grace. We will begin our study looking at one of the many profound Bible verses that deal with the Sovereign grace of God in salvation. Our subject is the Sovereign grace of God in believing. Look with us into a tiny keyhole of this glorious topic as we examine a few verses. We also will conclude our study with some serious observations and exhortations to rest in the Lord Jesus Christ alone by the Sovereign grace and mercy of God. When I began to understand this verse, it was like a light bulb flashed bright light into my eyes. First, I had to squint at it, then my eyes adjusted and I could see all the beautiful colors as the light began to illuminate everything around me. May this study bring joy, awe, delight and reverence to you, and also point you to the One true Light and the Rock on which we stand, our Lord and Savior. Before we begin, allow me to define what I mean by "Sovereign grace." The word "Sovereign" means supreme in power and authority when addressed to God. The word "grace" means God's free and undeserved gift. Therefore, "Sovereign grace in believing" refers to God's authority and power to freely give salvation through faith in Christ to any undeserving person whom He chooses. We begin with a passage in its immediate context to get the picture. Then we will focus on one particular verse in a variety of different translations in order to test the meaning and word order, and to get a clear apprehension of how it should be understood. Let us now turn to Acts 13:48. Here it is in its immediate context:
(Acts 13:44-52, ESV) - The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,
“‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
(Please read the full study here)
4 comments:
Penn,
The one thing missing in Calvanism is the ability for man to edify God.
There is no reason to preach, teach, witnes or post blogs for the purpose of ad-ministering the Word of God.
Some Calvanist will back down on the issue as if they are saying all along that God planned to have a back up for when men "sinned". Sin is not any one thing a man does. It is more an identifier of what man does to disown God. That is sin. When a man chooses to believe he exist for self. This gives no glory to God.
Calvanism takes from what God promised Abraham. It takes the blessing that Shem would be to God.
Why would God be blessed by Shem. Because, in chapter eleven of Genesis, the road to what people would bring Christ to the world is revealed to have come from Shem to Abraham to Israel and from within the line of Judah. The sacrifice of the Jews is shown to have been the alotment to the Gentiles and the Jews.
Predestination (in the way a calvanist would describe) is not a thing that would be worthy of worshipping God for. Predestination makes fools out of people and does not create a sense of security for anyone. Because everyone is subject to have to aske, what Barak Obama said he would want to ask Jesus if Jesus were alive today (Senetorial debate between he and Allen Keys). That would be, "Am I going up? Or, am I going down".
The scriptures you pointed out can be more accurately understood if you look at the language they were first presented in.
Penn, were you not once a sinner 'unsaved' by Grace? Of course. Because, at one time you denied the power of Christ to save you. So, how do you know that Calvanism holds you as one of the privleged. I can tell you, that from my position of not believeing in Calvanism, I am not at risk of not going to Heaven if calvanism is real and (hypothetically) I am one of the "Calvanistic" chosen. I have no need to believe in Calvanism than you do. If you are a chosen one before Calvin defined his theory, does this mean that you will not go to Heaven because Calvin had not yet defined his ideas?
I looked at the many different scriptures you attempt to point people to and found all kinds of holes. Hermanutics is a study of the Bible that allows the scripture to interpret itself. Even in such unperfect definitions as we have for the many translations, there is still a consistency in the message of Salvation and eternal life by Free will. God's free will to offer salvation and a relationship, and ours to accept free will and a relationship.
I'm not certain that I covered everything I needed to. Calvanist still have a ton of questions that seem to never have a bottom line because every answer gets another question. It is by the very desire to not fully study what the calvanist says he is studying, The Bible. So, I accept my response as sufficient for me. For you, you have to be accountable for your desire to side step perfectly sound doctrine on the principals of Grace. Your "Grace" doesn't involve God's desire to be edified. Why create and invest so much into a world that will parish anyway, except for the chosen few that will be in Heaven whether they know it, like it or not? That world has the same resolve as the items I build with my tools if the tools remain in the box and on the bench. It ammounts to nothing significant. The items I made brought a sense of pleasure in making them. But now, if I were to have to list the things I have made, I would not remember them all. Why? They serve their purpose only when I need them. They give nothing to me on their own to remind me that I made it until it should be useful. Human beings are not like this. We are able to interact and surprise spontaniously.
It does not matter to me if you will not believe. If you continue to preach Calvanism, you are doing this in your will. And what will it get you if you are wrong?
If I preach free will to accept Grace, what will it get me if I'm wrong? The same thing it would if I were not preaching free will to accept God's Grace.
If you want to know what it is to shake the dust from your heels, here it is: Seek your own salvation with fear and trembling.
For God so loved the World that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever should believe in Him should not parish but have ever lasting life.
Jeleasure,
Your critique of calvinism is a misunderstanding of what is really being taught. Besides, John Calvin
is not the Pope of calvinism. A person can believe in "Sovereign Grace" without reading John Calvin. You don't have to be an expert in Hermanutics to understand that the Bible speaks so often of election and God's will verses man's will (problems with free will ideas - Rom. 9:16, "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy."). I'm not denying the need for hermanutics, but just saying it is so obvious that you have to be extremely biased to deny the many verses that speak on this subject. I only wrote on a few of them. Your comments do not represent what Calvin believed or what you say Calvinists believe. I think you should find out from those you are opposing first before trying to refute.
I appreciate you taking the time to read what I have written. I only ask that you at least also take a little time to read what others have written about this or listen to them on the links I have provided on my sidebars? Then you will better understand what they believe and teach, and you can try to refute based on right judgments.
Thanks,
Penn
If God were to be fair, no one would be saved.
That reminds me of a cool way that was put in "Be My Escape", a song by Relient K: "The beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair."
I think you explained all this really well. I want to just sit and think about it now, especially the wondrous privilege of being chosen by God to be His before the whole wide world existed. He chose me. ME. I can't get over that.
Thank you for taking the time to write and post this.
In Christ
Meshaay
Meshaay,
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I appreciate your comment and am glad you were blessed by the study.
I also can't get over the fact that God would choose me. The only reason I can think of, is that He chose to be glorified by taking the least and calling them to Himself (1 Cor. chapter 1).
God bless you.
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