The theological roots of this concept of “vocation” are found in the biblical doctrine of creation and divine sovereignty. We are by God’s creative decree shaped in His image and thus designed to reflect in all our endeavors the purposeful activity of God Himself. All Christians, therefore, should ideally embrace their “work”, however secular and uneventful it may appear, as a calling of God, a responsibility for which they have been uniquely endowed that is designed in its own way to glorify God. One’s “job” or “career” or “occupation” thus has a meaning beyond mere personal fulfillment. “Ministry” is therefore not what the majority of Christians perform as “a discretionary time activity – something done with the few hours that can be squeezed out of the week’s schedule after working, sleeping, homemaking, neighbouring, washing and doing the chores” (Stevens, The Other Six Days, 132). It is, rather, all of life when discharged in faith.
Sam Storms

An Introduction To The Doctrine

An Introduction To The Doctrine

An introduction to the Doctrines of Calvinism

by Mark S. Camp

Copyright 1985 by Mark S. Camp

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the author except for portions used in articles, reviews, sermons, or Bible studies.

  • CONTENTS –
    1. INTRODUCTION
    2. STARTING POINTS
    3. TOTAL DEPRAVITY
    4. UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION
    5. LIMITED ATONEMENT
    6. IRRESISTIBLE GRACE
    7. PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS
    8. SOME OBJECTIONS AND ANSWERS
    9. CONCLUSION
    10. SUGGESTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
    11. CHARTS
    12. A PLAN FOR WITNESSING
    13. A SERMON ON ELECTION
    14. A SERMON ON CHRISTIAN LIBERTY

PRELIMINARY REMARKS

The following small work is an effort to help you come to a better understanding of the glorious grace of our sovereign God. It is hoped that you will carefully and prayerfully consider what is written herein, keeping in mind that all men are liable to error and varieties of opinion. My only request is that as you read this you will do so with an open Bible, and, that you will have the spirit of the Bereans, who diligently searched the Scriptures to see if what the Apostle Paul taught them was indeed true.

I am deeply indebted to many others who have written on this subject before me. I have not made footnotes but I feel that my sources will be given proper credit within the text. After the initial mention of another’s work, it will simply be noted thereafter by an abbreviation in parentheses.

I would like to dedicate this work to my God-given helpmate, my wife, Angie. She has faithfully stood by me through many trials. Not only is she continually growing in the grace of God, she is also a continual example of his love and grace.

Mark S. Camp

1985

INTRODUCTION

GRACE. What a glorious and humbling word. It is a word that encompasses all of the magnificent attributes of a Holy God. The definition of grace is simple, and yet, at the same time it is the deepest of all the doctrines taught in God’s divinely inspired Word. Grace is the unmerited favor and spiritual blessing bestowed upon frail creatures of dust by a sovereign God.

Throughout church history, many attempts have been made to define the acts of God in connection with this divine bestowal of grace upon sinful, fallen man. The system of thought which this work shall attempt to set forth is commonly known as “The Doctrines of Grace” or “Calvinism.” John Calvin was one of the first men to write a comprehensive systematic theology, thus his name is attached to this area of Biblical thought as a simple means of identification. Do not be alarmed because his

name is set in conjunction with these truths of grace. These truths are not true because some man thought them up. They are true because God penned them into the pages of sacred Scripture.

One of the most famous Baptist preachers who has held to these doctrines was Charles Haddon Spurgeon. In his short work entitled “A Defense of Calvinism,” he writes, “It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else.”

The doctrines of grace relate to the Biblical teaching concerning salvation. It is the clear teaching of Scripture that God saves sinners! The whole theme of the Bible is redemption. A person who believes these truths is one who believes that salvation is of the Lord. Paul, in writing to the Ephesians says, “Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12).

What a bleak picture of despair! No hope! Without God! But thanks be to God, for in 2:13 Paul continues, “But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” The teaching of Scripture then, is the plan by which God has purposed to save sinners like you and I. The heart of the gospel message is God’s sovereign grace.

The purpose of this work is to introduce you to these doctrines of grace. Many profound volumes have been written upon grace, and it is not my intention to duplicate them. It is, however, my attempt to give some basic definitions and introductions to those who do not possess a great theological background, and who are not acquainted with the workings of grace. My prayer is that you will pursue these pages with an open Bible and an open mind. Some of these things may sound strange to you. Some may sound as though they contradict things which you may have heard preached and taught before. I simply ask you to read what is before you, search the Scriptures diligently to see if they are right or wrong, and then decide by the aid of the Holy Spirit if this is truth or error.

The doctrines of grace can be set forth as five main points. These are:

  1. TOTAL DEPRAVITY – This is the total spiritual inability of man to save himself.
  2. UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION – This means that man is not saved because of his own merits or good works.
  3. LIMITED ATONEMENT – This means that Christ died to redeem or save his chosen people, and for them only.
  4. IRRESISTIBLE GRACE – This means that God’s grace is able to overcome man’s rebellious will to draw the sinner unto himself.
  5. PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS – This means that those who are saved will be kept saved by God’s grace.

A very simple way to remember these five points is to think of the word “TULIP,” each letter representing one of the five points.

In the following pages these five points will be discussed. A word of caution is due here lest you be tempted to think that grace consists only of these five points. In his “Introductory Essay to John Owen’s Death of Death in the Death of Christ,” J. I. Packer writes:

Calvinism is something much broader than the five points” indicate. . . . Calvinism is the consistent endeavor to acknowledge the Creator as Lord, working all things after the counsel of His will. Calvinism is a. . . way of thinking about all life under the direction and control of God’s own Word. Calvinism . . . sees the Creator as the source, and means, and end, of everything that is, both in nature and in grace (p. 5).

Packer goes on to say:

Sinners do not save themselves in any sense at all, but that salvation, first and last, whole and entire, past, present, and future, is of the Lord, to whom be glory for ever; amen (p. 6).

Please, dear reader, do not think that I feel that only Calvinists are ever saved. In a sermon preached on December 11, 1864, Spurgeon said:

You know, brethren, that there is no living soul who holds more firmly to the doctrines of grace than I do, and if any man asks me whether I am ashamed to be called a Calvinist, I answer, I wish to be called nothing but a Christian. . . .

But, my dear friends, far be it from me even to imagine that Zion contains none within her walls but Calvinistic Christians, or that there are none saved who do not hold our views (Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, 1864).

The following pages are written out of a concern for sound doctrine. May God be glorified by this endeavor and may it spur you on to grow in grace, engage in a deeper search of Scripture, and impress upon your heart and mind a greater awareness of the glory, holiness, and majesty of our heavenly Father. In closing this introductory section, a few words by Mr. Spurgeon are appropriate:

I do not believe we can preach the gospel, if we do not preach justification by faith, without works; nor unless we preach the sovereignty of God in his dispensation of grace; nor unless we exalt the electing, unchangeable, eternal, immutable, conquering love of Jehovah; nor do I think we can preach the

gospel, unless we base it upon the special and particular redemption of his elect and chosen people which Christ wrought out upon the cross; nor can I comprehend a gospel which lets saints fall away after they are called, and suffers the children of God to be burned in the fires of damnation after having once believed in Jesus. Such a gospel I abhor. (Defense, p. 6)

STUDY AND REVIEW

  1. A famous English Baptist pastor who believed and preached the doctrines of grace was .
  2. What do the following letters stand for?

T –

U –

L –

I –

P –

3. Using a Bible and concordance, look up and read passages which contain the following words:

Elect (Election)

Redeem (Redemption)

Justified (Justification)

4. Read Daniel 4:28-37. In your own words, what do verses

34 and 35 have to say about God?

STARTING POINTS

In order to begin this short look into the doctrines of grace, there needs to be a foundation of some basic presuppositions or approaches concerning God and the Scriptures. It is necessary to have these starting points firmly implanted upon the mind since each point of our study builds upon the previous one.

First of all, one must believe that God is sovereign.

What does this mean? It means, very simply, that God must be acknowledged as the Supreme Ruler, Creator, and Judge of all things (Isaiah 46:8-11). God alone is God, there is none other like him at all. As human beings, created in the image of God, we are subject to his sovereign rule. As his creation, we have only those rights and privileges which he, as our Governor, allows. Encompassed in God’s sovereignty is his attribute or characteristic of holiness. God is perfectly pure and without sin. Therefore, as a sovereign holy God, he must by nature react against sin. In the prophet Nahum we read, “The Lord is avenging and wrathful. The Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserves wrath for his enemies” (Nahum 1:2).

Secondly, like the Apostle Paul, one must believe that there is no injustice with God (Romans 9:14). Whatever God in his sovereignty decides to purpose or do must be just. God is not bound to ask our opinion concerning what is right or what is wrong. Remember, he is sovereign and holy. There is no sin in him that he should act wrongly. That which from eternity he purposes to do will always be just, although man, with his limited understanding, may not always be able to comprehend it. God has written through Isaiah, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways. . . . For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8,9). Thirdly, God’s Word must be approached with a spirit and attitude of humility. One must be willing to be taught by God and his Spirit. It is a sign of pride and arrogance to open the Bible with the idea of “I already know most of what is in here,” or “Let’s see if God’s Word agrees with my ideas which are steadfast and unchangeable.” On the contrary, we must always seek to see if our ideas and traditional beliefs agree with what is clearly taught in the Scriptures. Jesus said,

“Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me” (Matthew 11:29). Pray for the attitude which says, “I do not know everything there is in Scripture. I am desirous to learn deeper truths in God’s Word.”

Finally, one must believe that this righteous, sovereign God is working out an eternal purpose. God is at this very moment actively at work carrying out his will and purpose and decrees (Ephesians 1:11). He is glorifying himself through his creation (Isaiah 43:7). God did not create this world like a giant pocket-watch, wind it up, throw it into space, and then sit back waiting patiently for it to run down. In the book of Proverbs we find a very interesting verse which reads, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord” (Proverbs 16:33). Things do not happen by chance, luck, accident, or coincidence. God’s eternal plan will not be hindered by the whims and fancies of mere mortal man (Job 42:2, Daniel 4:35).

These then, are our four starting points:

  1. God is a sovereign and holy God who must react against sin.
  2. There is no injustice with God.
  3. One must have a teachable spirit when approaching God’s Word.
  4. God is actively engaged in working out an eternal purpose.

At this point, before continuing on in this study, it would be advisable to read the following passages as background:

Ephesians 1:1-14 Romans 8:28-30

Romans, chapters 9, 10, 11

STUDY AND REVIEW

  1. God must be acknowledged as the Supreme and of all things.
  2. One must believe that there is no with God.
  3. God’s word must always be approached with a spirit and attitude of .
  4. God is working out an eternal .
  5. In your own words, write the meaning of Romans 9:14-16.

TOTAL DEPRAVITY

The first point in our survey of the doctrines of grace centers around man’s total inability to save himself. When Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree, which God had commanded them not to eat, they died. Their death was an immediate spiritual death and then a physical death would follow years later. What does it mean when we say they died spiritually? It means that they became separated from God in fellowship and communion. It means that they lost their created sinless glory. J. P. Boyce, founder of Southern Seminary, says that “this spiritual death was not only the death of the soul as seen in the various aspects of alienation, loss of God’s

favor and of acceptance with him. . . but it also consisted in a corrupt nature” (Abstract of Systematic Theology, p. 242). The wills of Adam and Eve became under Satan’s dominion. They put themselves into bondage. When Adam sinned he did so willingly and under no compulsion. Before the fall his will was totally free. However, when he sinned and fell, his will lost its freedom in the area of spiritual matters. Adam, although no longer free, was still responsible for his actions. Thus, because Adam was the representative of all men, men and women today do not have a free will (in spiritual matters), but they are still responsible for their actions and sins. With Adam as our representative we all share in the curse brought upon the creation by his sin. That curse has made us sinners. The responsibility for our sins now lies within us (Romans

5:12).

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day had the notion that they were free, but notice what Jesus said to them – “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of

your father” (John 8:44).

The teaching in most circles today is that man is a free moral agent with a free will. There is a bit of truth in

this. Scripturally however, man is a responsible moral agent with a will that is bound. Man’s will is in the bondage of

slavery to one of two masters. Either Satan is the owner of the will, or the person has been set free from the law of sin and death and is now a bond-slave of Jesus Christ. John 8:32 tells us that a knowledge of the truth will set us free. This implies that unless a man has come to a knowledge of the saving truth of the gospel he is not free.

You see, the real question is not “Does man have a free will?” The real question is “Why does a person choose what he chooses?” (Keep in mind that we are talking about spiritual matters and spiritual choices, not choices about such things as which car to buy or which dress to wear.) The simple answer to the real question is that a man chooses to do the desires of his master.

The doctrine of Total Depravity does not mean that every sinner is a ungodly as he can be. Indeed, there are many unsaved people who are fine upstanding moral people. Loraine

Boettner, when writing in his book “The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination,” explains total depravity as follows:

Because of the fall, man is unable of himself to savingly believe the gospel. The sinner is dead, blind, and deaf to the things of God; his heart is deceitful and desperately corrupt. His will is not free, it is in bondage to his evil nature, therefore, he will not – indeed he cannot – choose good over evil in the spiritual realm. Consequently, it takes much more than the Spirit’s assistance to bring a sinner to Christ – it takes regeneration by which the Spirit makes the sinner alive and gives him a new nature. Faith is not something man contributes to salvation but is itself a part of God’s gift of salvation – it is God’s gift to the sinner, not the sinner’s gift to God (TRDP, p. 433)

In his lost condition man is dead and helpless. He cannot do anything to reconcile himself unto God. This doctrine can be well illustrated by using the example of a corpse lying in a casket. Someone approaches the corpse and invites it to church. Will the corpse get up and go? Can the corpse get up and go? Of course not, it cannot for it is dead! A brass band could come in and play loud march music but the corpse will not be aroused. Before the corpse can respond to the invitation it must first be made alive. Can the corpse give itself life? Can the corpse take the first step and then trust God to take him the rest of the way? No! Only a power greater than the corpse can give it life. Once the corpse is given life it can under its own power get up and go.

This illustration is a perfect picture of the condition of sinful fallen man. Someone may preach or witness to him a thousand sermons or testimonies about the tortures of hell, but he cannot and will not respond until a power greater than himself bestows spiritual life, making his dead soul alive and giving him the desire and ability to trust Christ as Lord and Savior. In Ephesians 2:1-5 we read, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins. . . But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”

Does the Ephesian passage (read it all in your own Bible) mention anything about a sinner having to exercise his own faith or power in order to be made alive? No. Does it tell a sinner, as many modern preachers do, that he must take the first step and then God will bring him the rest of the way? No. When man was dead God made him alive! God must first reach down to the spiritually dead sinner and breathe new life into him.

Since man is blinded to spiritual goodness, the only thing he can do, spiritually, is evil. He is never forced by God to commit sin. He sins because his heart, mind, and will are in bondage and he is blind to anything better. In fact, the Bible tells us in John 3:19 that men love darkness. In 1 Corinthians 2:14, Paul writes that the “natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, every one who commits sin is the slave of sin” (John 8:34).

Boettner writes pointedly when he says, “This doctrine of the total inability of man is terribly stern, severe, and forbidding” (TRDP, p. 80). He also states that an examination of the fall of man proves to everyone that man cannot lay claims to goodness. Man’s only hope of salvation lies in “the sovereign grace of Almighty God” (TRDP, p. 79).

The following passages of Scripture will be helpful in understanding the doctrine of total depravity:

Romans 3:10-12, 5:12

Jeremiah 13:23

John 3:3, 5:21

STUDY AND REVIEW

  1. In your own words define “Total Depravity.”
  2. Man’s only hope of salvation lies in the sovereign

of Almighty God.

3. How would you reply to the person who says that man is basically good?

4. Explain the statement – “Man is a responsible moral agent with a will that is bound.”

5. Read John 6:44. What does it mean that “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. . .?”

UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION

Having seen the doctrine of total depravity, it will be realized that if spiritually fallen man is to be saved, God must take the initiative. This initiative is set forth in the doctrine of Unconditional Election. In Boettner’s book (TRDP), the doctrine is explained as this:

God’s choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the world rested solely in His own sovereign will. His choice of particular sinners was not based on any foreseen response or obedience on their part, such as faith, repentance, etc. On the contrary, God gives faith and repentance to each individual whom he selected. These acts are the result, not the cause of God’s choice. Election therefore was not determined by or conditional upon any virtuous quality or act forseen in man. Those whom God sovereignly elected He brings through the power of the Spirit to a willing acceptance of Christ. Thus God’s choice of the sinner, not the sinner’s choice of Christ, is the ultimate cause of salvation (p. 434).

In a sermon on election, Elder C. D. Cole quotes John A. Broadus as saying, “From the divine side, we see that the Scriptures teach an eternal election of men to eternal life simply out of God’s good pleasure.” Cole goes on to quote James P. Boyce as saying, “God, of His own purpose, has from eternity determined to save a definite number of mankind. . . not for or because of any merit or works of theirs, nor of any value of them to Him; but of His own good pleasure.” Going further in the sermon, Cole quotes from Dr. W. T. Conner, former professor of theology at Southwestern Seminary:

The doctrine of election means that God saves in pursuance of an eternal purpose. This includes all the gospel influences, work of the Spirit and so on, that leads a man to repent of his sins and accept Christ. So far as man’s freedom is concerned, the doctrine of election does not mean that God decrees to save a man irrespective of his will. It rather means that God purposes to lead a man in such a way that he will freely accept the gospel and be saved.

First of all, election is not salvation, but is unto salvation. Romans 11:7 says, “What then? That which Israel is seeking for, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened.” Therefore, if the elect obtain salvation, and election is unto salvation, then it follows that election must come before salvation can occur.

Election then, is that act (Ephesians 1:4) whereby God chooses a people for himself out of the mass of fallen humanity. Notice in Ephesians 1:4 that Paul says, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.” Men and women, boys and girls, are saved when they believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, but they were elected unto salvation before time began. The word used in the Greek text for “chose” is a word that means “to choose out for Himself” (Expositor’s Greek New Testament, Vol. 3, p. 247-48). If God chose a people out of fallen mankind, it follows that there were some who were not chosen. Look at Romans 11:7 again. It says that the elect obtained what Israel was looking for and that the rest were hardened. Friend, if God has elected all men to be saved then he has failed miserably in his purpose because everyone has not been saved. Once the election of certain sinners takes place, God through the agency of the Holy Spirit calls the elect and as Jesus said in John 6:37, “All that the Father gives Me shall come unto Me.”

Some will object and say that God is unfair and unjust. What did Paul say in Romans 9? He said that there was no injustice with God. (You may wish to re-read Romans 9.) If God owed all men salvation, it would be grossly unfair not to give it to everyone. But, God does not owe man anything except eternal damnation in the torments of the outer darkness! However, God in his love and grace decided to choose to deliver some from that punishment and give unto them eternal life. The others he passed by and left them to suffer the just reward for their sins and iniquities. God was merciful to those chosen and just to those passed by. If this sounds harsh, review Romans 9:10-24. That passage clearly illustrates the doctrine of unconditional election. In 9:15 God says that he will have mercy and compassion upon whom he wants. He does not ask men for their advice! In 9:13 God says, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated” and this even before they were born! Concerning the ninth chapter of Romans, Spurgeon says:

As long as that remains in the Bible no man shall be able to prove Arminianism; so long as that is written there, not the most violent contortions of the passage will ever be able to exterminate the doctrine of election from the Scriptures (from a sermon on Election, Great Commission Pub., p. 10).

Some would rail at God and call him a tyrant because he hated Esau. What ought to amaze us even more is how God could love a scheming sinner such as Jacob! The answer to this railing can be found in 9:21 where it says, “Does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use, and another for common use?”

Election does not harm anyone. Sinful man was already on his way to hell and destruction. Election is God’s gracious choice by which he enables some to escape the coming doom. The governor of a state has the sovereign right to pardon whom he chooses. Picture two men sitting on “death row.” Both men, by willful sinning, are now awaiting the wrath of the government. They deserve their pending punishment. But, the governor, for reasons known only to himself, decides to pardon one of the criminals. The other is left to await his sentence. To the one pardoned the governor was gracious and merciful. To the one not pardoned the governor was fair and just. When the condemned man is put to death he will have no reason to cry out, “Injustice!” because he is receiving exactly what he deserves. But, the man pardoned will forever be indebted to the kindness and mercy of the one who controlled his destiny. He will be humbled by the grace (the unmerited favor) which he received.

It should be realized that election does not prohibit anyone from being saved who truly wants to be. This may seem like a contradiction at first glance, but look further. The great difference needs to be seen between those who merely want to be saved from hell and those who truly want to be saved from sin. A dead sinner will only want to be truly saved from sin after he has been given life by the Holy Spirit. The “whosoever” of the gospel means just what it says. But, the ones who come will only be those who have first been given life by the Spirit of God. A young woman once asked this writer, “What if I want to be saved but God has not chosen me?” The answer to her question is found in the words of the Savior. Jesus said in John 6:37, “And the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” Do you want to be saved? Do you want to repent and receive Christ? Then flee to him. He will not cast you out! Remember, the desire to be saved comes from God, not from within your bound will.

The key lies in this: Where does the desire to be saved come from – sinful man or sovereign God? It is a sign of God’s grace upon you if you truly have the desire to repent of sins, ask forgiveness, acknowledge Christ as Lord, and show forth your faith by your deeds and words.

The aspect of unconditional election should have been seen by now. God elects, or chooses, out of his mere good pleasure and not because he saw anything good or bad on the part of the one chosen. Some would say that God looked out into the future and saw who would believe if they heard the gospel, then, on that basis, he elected them. Paul writes that men are saved by grace, not by works (Ephesians 2:8,9). If God looked out into time and saw who would believe, then is that not salvation by merit? Man did something good so God chose to save him, right? Absolutely wrong! Salvation is all of grace. Man has nothing to boast about except the cross of Jesus Christ his Redeemer (Galatians 6:14).

Another prominent argument against unconditional election is this: God has elected all men to be saved but it depends upon man’s choice whether or not he is saved. Jesus said, “You did not chose Me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). Examine Revelation 13:8. “And all who dwell on the earth will worship him (the beast), every one whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.” The names of the elect were written in the book of life in eternity past!

Turn to Acts 13. Paul is preaching to the Gentiles. Look at verse 48. “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.” See the grammatical construction here? They were not appointed (ordained) to eternal life because they believed, but they believed because they had been appointed. Sinners are not elected because they repent and believe; they repent and believe because they were elected! R. C. Reed, in “The Gospel as Taught by Calvin,” writes:

There is scarcely a hint in the Bible that election is based on God’s foresight of faith and repentance. It is a theory of human invention to get around supposed difficulties (p. 70).

Man will never fully understand the justice of God or the grace of God in having elected some and having passed by others. As Spurgeon said in a sermon on election many years ago, “I will not attempt to prove the justice of God in having thus elected some and left others. It is not for me to vindicate my Master” (Great Commission Pub., p. 11).

Election is a humbling doctrine when understood properly. It should not lead to laziness. It calls the elect to the task of living a devout and holy life, always indebted to the sovereign Governor of the Universe. In the words of two great hymns of the faith:

‘Nothing in my hand I bring,

Simply to Thy cross I cling;

Naked, flee to Thee for dress,

Helpless, look to Thee for grace.’

‘O to grace how great a debtor,

Daily I’m constrained to be.’

In closing this section, I would like to include some of Spurgeon’s thoughts from the devotional book “Morning and Evening” (Baker Books). This is from the evening of November 25 (p. 661) and concerns the verse, “For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ ” Hear Spurgeon:

In these words the Lord in the plainest manner claims the right to give or to withhold His mercy according to His own sovereign will. As the prerogative of life and death is vested in the monarch, so the Judge of all the earth has a right to spare or condemn the guilty, as may seem best in His sight. Men by their sins have forfeited all claim upon God; they deserve to perish for their sins – and if they all do so, they have no ground for complaint. If the Lord steps in to save any, He may do so if the ends of justice are not thwarted; but if He judges it best to leave the condemned to suffer the righteous sentence, none may arraign Him at the bar. Foolish and impudent are all those discourses about the rights of men to be placed on the same footing; ignorant, if not worse, are those contentions against discriminating grace, which are but the rebellions of proud human nature against the crown and sceptre of Jehovah. When we are brought to see our own utter ruin and ill desert, and the justice of the divine verdict against sin, we no longer cavil at the truth that the Lord is not bound to save us; we do not murmur if He chooses to save others, as though He were doing us an injury, but feel that if He deigns to look upon us, it will be His own free act of undeserved goodness, for which we shall ever bless His name. How shall those who are the subjects of divine election sufficiently adore the grace of God? They have no room for boasting, for sovereignty most effectually excludes it. The Lord’s will alone is glorified, and the very notion of human merit is cast out to everlasting contempt. There is no more humbling doctrine in Scripture than that of election, none more promotive of gratitude, and, consequently, none more sanctifying. Believers should not be afraid of it, but adoringly rejoice in it.

Some other passages that you might wish to look at for further study are:

1 Thessalonians 1:4, 5:9

2 Thessalonians 2:13,14

Matthew 24:31

Mark 13:20

John 6:65, 17:9

Romans 11:5

STUDY AND REVIEW

  1. In your own words define “Unconditional Election.”
  2. Does election harm anyone? Why not?
  3. Where does the desire to be saved come from?
  4. Explain Acts 13:48 and tell how it describes the doctrine of unconditional election.
  5. List some ways that this doctrine should be precious to the believer.

LIMITED ATONEMENT

It naturally follows from God’s election of certain persons unto salvation, that before salvation can take place, a price must somehow be paid for the crimes of the chosen ones. It has already been stated that a holy God must punish sin. By rights, the guilty party should offer restitution to the offended party. But sinful man has nothing to offer God. So, God in his grace provided a sacrifice, or means of restitution, for man. In due time God sent forth his Son to redeem the elect from the bondage of sin, and at the same time to appease God’s wrath and vindicate his holiness. This doctrine, known as Limited Atonement, is set forth by Boettner as follows:

Christ’s redeeming work was intended to save the elect only and actually secured salvation for them. His death was a substitutionary endurance of the penalty of sin in the place of certain specified sinners. In addition to putting away the sins of His people, Christ’s redemption secured everything necessary for their salvation, including faith which unites them to Him. The gift of faith is infallibly applied by the Spirit to all for whom Christ died, therefore guaranteeing their salvation (TRDP, p. 43435).

The argument against this doctrine is that Christ had to die for all men and made salvation possible for everyone. John Owen, one of the great Puritans, saw a dilemma in that argument. In “Death of Death in the Death of Christ,” (volume 10 of Owen’s works), he says:

Christ died for:

  1. All the sins of all men, or
  2. All the sins of some men, or
  3. Some of the sins of all men.

Explaining Owen’s logic, we see that if statement (3) is true, then all men have some sins for which they cannot be forgiven and, therefore, none will be saved. If statement (2) is true, then Christ actually died and paid the penalty for the elect, or those whom God had chosen unto salvation. (Remember Christ’s words, “All that the Father has given to me will come unto me.”) If statement (1) is true, that Christ died for all the sins of all men, then why are not all saved? Most will answer, “Because they rejected Christ and by their free will chose not to believe in him.” I would ask then, is not rejection of Christ a sin? Is not unbelief a sin? Obviously, the answer is yes. Well then, if Christ paid the penalty for all sins then he must have paid the price for the sins of rejection and unbelief. Therefore, why are men punished for sins that have already been paid for?

Spurgeon penned these words concerning the intent and extent of the atonement:

If Christ on His cross intended to save every man, then He intended to save those who were lost before He died. If the doctrine be true, that He died for all men, then He died for some who were in Hell before He came into this world. . . . If it was

Christ’s intention to save all men, how deplorably has He been disappointed (Defense of Calvinism, p. 10).

Another point to consider is this: it was only the extent of the atonement that was limited, not its value. It was Christ, the Son of God, who hung on Calvary’s cruel cross in the stead of sinners. The sacrifice on the cross was not a cheap one. Boettner writes:

The atonement, therefore, was infinitely meritorious and might have saved every member of the human race had that been God’s plan. It was limited only in the sense that it was intended for, and is applied to, particular persons; namely for those who are actually saved (TRDP, p. 151).

Instead of thinking of a limited atonement, you might feel more comfortable using the phrase “Particular Redemption,” since the atonement was intended for particular people, the elect.

The Scriptures attest to the fact that when Christ died on the cross he actually did something, more than just making something possible. Revelation 5:9 says that the Lamb pur chased; 1 Corinthians 6:20 speaks of being bought with a price. As J. I. Packer has written, it is obvious that “The cross secured the full salvation of all for whom Christ died” (Essay, p. 13). Packer further states:

Our minds have been conditioned to think of the Cross as a redemption which does less than redeem, and of a Christ as a Saviour who does less than save, and of God’s love as a weak affection which cannot keep anyone from hell without help, and of faith as the human help which God needs for this purpose (Essay, p. 13).

Dear friend, the Lord Jesus Christ is not a beggar! He is not standing at the door of sinners’ hearts begging, pleading, and crying his eyes out hoping that someone will accept him and let him in. He is a sovereign almighty KING, not a helpless street urchin. Instead of preaching a Christ that has actually redeemed and who is actively at work drawing the elect unto himself, most preach a poor, little, bleeding-heart Jesus who has done all that he can do, and now stands by biting his fingernails, hoping that someone will exercise their free will and choose him. To quote Packer once again:

No wonder that our preaching begets so little reverence and humility, and that our professed converts are so self-confident and so deficient in self knowledge, and in the good works which Scripture regards as the fruit of true repentance (Essay, p. 15).

Examine the “High Priestly Prayer” found in John 17.

Jesus will be going to the cross shortly, to be crucified and to atone for the sins of his people (Matthew 1:21). He is praying for strength and guidance for the events which will soon come to pass. In 17:2 he prays, “Even as Thou gavest Him authority over all mankind, that to all whom Thou hast given Him, He may give eternal life.” Whom did God give to Christ? He gave him the elect. What is Christ going to do for the elect? He is going to die for them, and by doing so, give them eternal life. He is not just going to make it possible for them to have eternal life, he is actually going to secure it for them and give it to them. Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, is going to lay down his life for the sheep (John 10:14,15).

There are several passages in which it speaks of God wanting all to be saved or that Christ died for all men. One classic example that is always brought up is 2 Peter 3:9. It reads, “The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” This verse is often used to “prove” that God wants every single person to be saved. But, a closer examination of the context will show who are referred to by Peter’s use of the word “all.” Peter says that God is patient “toward you” (some translations use “us”), and then says that God wishes for all to repent. Who is the “all?” It is the same ones referred to by the word “you.”

Context must be stressed. For example, in Colossians 1:28, Paul speaks of “admonishing every man and teaching every man.” Surely we are not to take this to mean that Paul admonished and taught every single man who was alive at that time upon the face of the earth! He means every man that he came into contact with. We must examine context very carefully.

Another familiar verse is John 3:16. It reads, “For God so loved the world…”. What does the word “world” mean here? It can mean every single person without exception if we take it out of context, but in context with the preceding verses it takes on a different meaning. Jesus is talking to Nicodemus the Pharisee, a man who believed that salvation belonged solely to the Jews. Jesus is explaining to him that God loved the whole world, meaning all classes and races of people, not just the Jews. Therefore, not only can the Jew be saved, but anyone from any race, nation, and class of people can also be saved. One mistake which is made by a majority of Christians is to pull verses out of context and make them stand alone. This can be very dangerous and can lead to gross misinterpretations of the Bible and its doctrines.

I am fully aware that this point of the five points is probably the most difficult to understand. I know of many who have grasped four points but disliked this one. However, a careful and indepth study of the Scriptures has led them to accept this point also. If you are having difficulty here, I would suggest you study the Old Testament function of the High Priest. When he entered the Holy of Holies, it was to make atonement for the twelve tribes of Israel, not for the Amalekites, Jebusites, Hittites, and other nations. He atoned for God’s chosen people and this is precisely a foreshadowing of the work which Christ would do on Calvary – an atonement for God’s chosen people, the elect.

Alas, and did my Savior bleed,

And did my sovereign die?

Would He devote that sacred head

For such a worm as I?

Was it for crimes that I have done,

He groaned upon the tree?

Amazing Pity! grace unknown!

And love beyond degree!

Isaac Watts

STUDY AND REVIEW

  1. In your own words define “Limited Atonement.”
  2. Another phrase for limited atonement is .
  3. Did Christ’s death on Calvary just make salvation possible, or did it actually secure salvation?
  4. Read 2 Corinthians 5:17-21. What does this passage mean in your own life? Where do you fit in?
  5. What are some “invitations” which you have heard that show a misunderstanding of Christ’s work? (example – “Christ died for all of you here tonight.”)

IRRESISTIBLE GRACE

The depraved sinner, having been elected and purchased, must somehow be brought to that point in his life where he will repent and receive the salvation to which he was elected. This brings in the next point of the doctrines of grace, which is Irresistible Grace. Other titles for this fourth point are

“Effectual Calling” or “Efficacious Grace.” Here is the doctrine as quoted from Boettner:

In addition to the outward general call to salvation which is made to everyone who hears the gospel, the Holy Spirit extends to the elect a special inward call that inevitably brings them to salvation. The external call (which is to all without distinction) can be, and often is, rejected; whereas the internal call (which is made only to the elect) cannot be rejected; it always results in conversion. By means of this special call the Spirit irresistibly draws sinners to Christ. He is not limited in His work of applying salvation to man’s will, nor is He dependent upon man’s cooperation for success. The Spirit graciously causes the elect sinner to cooperate, to believe, to repent, to come freely and willingly to Christ. God’s grace, therefore, is invincible; it never fails to result in the salvation of those to whom it is extended (TRDP, p. 435).

Those who hold to the doctrines of grace as being taught in Scripture, believe that sinful man, left in his dead condition, would continue in his sins and never come to Christ. The Scriptures state that there is no one who seeks after righteousness (Romans 3:12). Therefore, if acceptance of salvation was left up to man, Christ would have died in vain because no one would come to him on their own. As we said in the last section, natural man is a slave to sin and desires to do the will of his master, Satan. In order to ensure that Christ’s death would not be fruitless, God, by the agency or means of the Holy Spirit, effectively calls the chosen ones to salvation. Jesus told Nicodemus that in order to gain entrance into the kingdom he would have to be “born again” or “born from above” (John 3:3). Paul writes that the dead sinner must receive quickening life (Eph. 2:4,5). It is the work of the Holy Spirit to effectively implant the truth of the gospel in such a way so as to set the sinner free from slavery (John 8:32).

Only then can the sinner respond. The elect are saved when they trust in the manifold mercies of Christ. A strong objection to this doctrine is that if God’s grace is irresistible then it makes man a robot or puppet, being manipulated by God without any volitional acts of his own. In answer to this objection, listen to Boettner writing about the raising of Lazarus:

When Jesus said, “Lazarus, come forth,” a mighty power went along with the command and gave effect to it. Lazarus, of course, was not conscious of any other than his own power working in him; but when he later understood the situation he undoubtedly saw that he had been called into life wholly by divine power. God’s power was primary, his was secondary, and would never have been exerted except in response to the divine. It is in this manner that every redeemed soul is brought from spiritual death to spiritual life. And just as the dead Lazarus was first called back into life and then breathed and ate, so the soul dead in sin is first transferred to spiritual life and then exercises faith and repentance and does good works (TRDP, p. 166-67).

This illustration graphically depicts the doctrine of irresistible grace or effectual calling. Christ was standing by the entrance to the tomb, not as a beggar pleading with Lazarus to exercise his free will and come alive, but as the sovereign Lord issuing forth a mighty and powerful command. Had Christ used the techniques of modern evangelism, His call might have been something like this: “Lazarus, please come out of the tomb! If you will just take the first step I’ll give you the power to come the rest of the way. God has done all that he can do. Now, Lazarus, it’s up to you.” Sound familiar? If Christ had waited for dead Lazarus to take the first step, he would still be standing by the tomb today!

God is so gracious that he does not force people to act against their will. But he does so move upon a person that the will is changed. Think of your own salvation. When you came to Christ you came freely and willingly, did you not? You were not forced at gun-point by an angel to go to Christ. There were no strings attached to your arms and legs which lifted you up and placed you at the foot of the cross. You exercised you will. But! Unless God in his grace and mercy had not acted upon your will first, you would have never found rest in Christ. Once the Spirit gave you spiritual life and regenerated your soul, you wanted to come to Christ, and you did!

Most objections to this glorious truth stem from the sin of man’s pride. It hurts one’s ego to think that he cannot be in charge of his own salvation. But, when pride is cast aside and one sees the great expanse of God’s grace, one is humbled at Jesus’ feet with praise and thanksgiving.

It is the responsibility of every christian to freely offer the gospel message to all men. It is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit to quicken the sinner so that he may be able to respond to the invitations and commands of the gospel. Man is the instrument of the outward call, but, the Spirit is the administrator of the inward call. “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with loving kindness” (Jer. 31:3).

“But!” you say, “There are many who reject the gospel. There are many who will not choose to come to Christ!” This is quite true. But remember, it is the outward call which these people are rejecting. They may be weeping because of a guilty conscience or because the preacher or evangelist told a sad story which worked up their emotions. There is a vast difference between wanting to ease a guilty conscience and wanting to be freed from the power and penalty of sin. The Holy Spirit works upon each one in a particular way, and in conjunction with God’s timetable. Even the elect may reject the outward call for a season, but in God’s appointed time (Acts 13:48) they will come. As Spurgeon sweetly writes:

‘The time of figs is not yet.’ The predestined moment has not struck; but, when it comes, they shall obey, for God will have his own; they must, for the Spirit is not to be withstood when he cometh forth with fulness of power – they must become the willing servants of the living God (Morning and Evening, December 4).

Listen to Spurgeon as he tells of his own conversion experience:

Then in the fulness of time He purchased me with His blood; He let His heart run out in one deep groaning wound for me long ere I loved Him. Yea, when He first came to me, did I not spurn Him? When He knocked at the door, and asked for entrance, did I not drive Him away, and do despite to His grace? Ah! I can remember that I full often did so until, at last, by the power of His effectual grace, He said, “I must, I will come in”; and then He turned my heart, and made me love Him. But even till now I should have resisted Him, had it not been for His grace (Defense, p. 5).

God and Christ are sovereign in salvation. The evangelism of today has this fact clouded over by the preaching of man’s will as the deciding factor. Friend, if God had waited for you to decide for Christ on your own, He would be waiting still! This cannot be stressed enough. It is a disgrace to the almighty power of God for preachers and pastors to stand in the pulpit and proclaim, “God and Jesus have done all they can do, now it’s up to you to exercise your free will and choose Christ. God has cast his vote for you, the devil has cast his vote for you, and now you must cast the deciding vote!” First of all, the devil is not a registered voter in God’s kingdom, and secondly, when the election took place you were not old enough to vote! Packer has well described the plight that modern evangelism puts one in. He says, concerning the belief that everything ultimately rests upon man’s choice:

This position has two unhappy results. The first is that it compels us to misunderstand the significance of the gracious invitations of Christ in the gospel. . . for we now have to read them, not as expressions of the tender patience of a mighty sovereign, but as the pathetic pleadings of impotent desire; and so the enthroned Lord is suddenly metamorphosed into a weak, futile figure tapping forlornly at the door of the human heart, which He is powerless to open. This is a shameful dishonor to the Christ of the New Testament. The second implication is equally serious: for this view in effect denies our dependence on God when it comes to vital decisions, takes us out of His hand, tells us that we are, after all, what sin taught us to think we were – masters of our fate, captain of our souls – and so undermines the very foundation of man’s religious relationship with his Maker (Essay, p. 20).

It is a comfort to be able to preach with freedom from the pressure of trying to get results, knowing that God does not measure effective evangelism by numbers, but by the degree of faithfulness of his servants to preach, teach, and witness to all men, offering forgiveness, mercy, and life to all who will come; but then trusting in the effective power of Almighty God to draw the elect unto himself.

I once was given a book to read, authored by a professor at a well known Baptist Seminary. The book listed several ways to give a “good invitation.” It contained nothing but man centered techniques such as playing on the emotions of people, singing the invitation hymn several times until someone came forward, etc. One went something like this – Suppose a young child comes forward to receive Christ. The preacher should then appeal to the parents to come forward by saying that it would be terrible to spend eternity in hell while their daughter was in heaven. Dad, be a good example to your child and show her that you can be a Christian also. Now, I ask you, dear reader, where is there any mention of the fact that the parents must first acknowledge their sins? Where is the command to repent? Do you see what I mean? When a person be lieves that the deciding factor is man’s free will, he will do everything he can to appeal to that will to make the choice. But, when a person believes that God must first make the sinner able to choose Christ, he will earnestly speak the commands of Christ to repent and believe the gospel, to flee from sin and repent, and to flee the wrath of God to come. Then, he must rely upon the work of the Spirit.

A dear friend of mine was once accused of not believing in the Great Commission. He was accused of believing that it was only necessary to preach or witness to a person one time, and if the person did not accept Christ then he was obviously not one of the elect. What a ridiculous and ignorant accusation! It is hoped that this work will help clear up some of these false ideas and misunderstandings.

Let us close this chapter with a quote from Dr. Boyce, and a poem by the poet John Donne. Concerning the outward and inward calls, Boyce writes:

The first step here is to make known to man the gospel, which contains the glad tidings of this salvation, under such influences as ought to lead to its acceptance. . . . The Gospel is, therefore, commanded to be proclaimed to every creature. . . . This is the external call of the Gospel. This proclamation, however, meets no success because of the willful sinfulness of man, although, in itself, it has all the elements which should secure its acceptance. God knowing that this is true, not only of all mankind in general, but even of the elect whom he purposes to save in Christ, gives to these such influences of the Spirit as will lead to their acceptance of the call. This is called Effectual Calling (Abstract, p. 36768).

It should be noted from Boyce’s statement that there is no deficiency in the gospel message when men do not believe. As he says, they reject the call because of willful sinfulness. Boyce would consider the inward call by the Spirit as additional grace applied to some people, namely, the elect. This does not mean that God is insincere in offering the outward gospel call to everyone even though he knows that many will reject it. The outward call is grace enough for men to believe, but because they are prone to follow the evil nature of their hearts they spurn even this “common grace.” The inward call is simply more grace applied to some that sets their hearts, minds, and wills free, thereby enabling them to accept the offer of salvation. Remember, God could have simply made the external call and left all men to perish because of their rejection of it. But God, who is more gracious than finite man can imagine, sends the Spirit to work inwardly on some. There is no way around it: SALVATION IS ALL OF GRACE.

And now, listen to this doctrine as echoed in the words of the poet:

Batter my heart, three-personed God; for You

As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and

seek to mend;

That I may rise, and stand, o’erthrow me,

and bend

Your force, to break, blow, burn, and make me new.

I, like an usurped town to another due,

Labor to admit You, but oh! to no end;

Reason, Your viceroy in me, should defend,

But is captived and proves weak or untrue.

Yet dearly I love You, and would be loved fain,

But am betrothed unto your enemy.

Divorce me, untie, or break that knot again,

Take me to You, imprison me, for I

Except You enthrall me, never shall be free;

Nor ever chaste, except You ravish me.

John Donne (1572-1631)

STUDY AND REVIEW

  1. In your own words define “Irresistible Grace.”
  2. Another term for irresistible grace is .
  3. In a brief paragraph, discuss the difference between the outward call of the gospel and the inward call.
  4. What lesson about irresistible grace can be learned from the raising of Lazarus?
  5. Read Jeremiah 31:3. What does this verse mean to you?
  6. Read Psalm 110:3 and John 5:40. How can you reconcile these two verses?

PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS

The concluding point of this study is that which concerns the continuation of the believer in grace. This is known as the doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints. This truth is as follows:

All who are chosen by God, redeemed by Christ, and given faith by the Spirit are eternally saved. They are kept in faith by the power of Almighty God and thus persevere to the end (Boettner, TRDP, p. 435).

One’s continuance in the faith is not dependent upon good works or legalistic rule following. It, like all other points, is dependent solely upon God’s grace. It is true that a christian may “backslide” (to use a familiar term) and commit sin, but the persevering saint does not continually practice sin (1 John 5:18). He, like Paul, is ever conscious of his sin and of his need for forgiveness (Romans 7:19-25). In the midst of conflict with the evil one the believer can say, “For I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day” (2 Tim. 1:12).

This doctrine has often been labeled “eternal security” or, “once saved, always saved.” Emphasis is placed on the fact that God’s grace is sufficient and strong enough to keep a person saved. The notion that a person can lose his salvation is unscriptural. Paul writes, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6).

Unfortunately, those who usually proclaim “once saved, always saved” have placed too much emphasis upon preservation rather than upon perseverance. Because of this, many have the idea that they can be saved yet live a life of sin. If a person is truly saved or born again, he will continue in the process of bearing fruit and will live a life that is proof of his confession (Eph. 1:4, 1 Thess. 1:1-4).

A believer who is sinning can be sure that he will come under the correction and discipline of Christ (Hebrews 12:113). So, this doctrine is more than just “eternal securi ty.” It entails a perseverance and growth in holiness and righteousness.

Questions arise, and rightly so, when a person professes to be a Christian, but his life gives no evidence of that profession. Many people confuse church membership with being saved. They have a false security which allows them to attend church on Sunday, but live like the devil himself during the week. I once pastored a rural country church. The church was a meeting place, a central part of the small crossroads community. People would show up on Sunday, sing the hymns, and some would even “amen.” But, some of those same people gave no evidence of having a desire to grow in a knowledge of the Word, of ridding themselves of sin, of seeing others converted and so on. Once again, and I cannot stress it enough, this truth encompasses much more than what is usually preached today.

Let me take a moment and relate a very personal experience to you. In December of 1980, I was called to pastor a small Baptist church. I told the church very plainly what I believed and what I would preach if they called me to that place. After being there about a month, I began to preach what I have written in these pages. The people would express to me their joy at hearing these truths. They would weep when hearing about God’s sovereignty. One woman said to me one night, “We’ve waited for years for someone to come and preach the Bible in such depth.” The church began to grow as others found out that I was preaching these truths. But, this growth made the older members feel threatened. By May of 1981, less than six months later, the same people who had praised me, turned against me. I looked out the parsonage window one Saturday and saw two men putting a huge padlock on the front door of the church to keep me out. One of my deacons, the husband of the woman I just mentioned and who had been carrying out deceitful business dealings in the name of the church, called me at 11:30 P.M. one evening and began to scream, curse, and call me names. He even theatened to steal some of my personal property. In the course of events I was threatened with a lawsuit. The treasurer would not pay my salary for six weeks. Finally, these folks called a business meeting to vote me out. They called all their friends who were on the roll of the church to come out and vote. I had never seen most of them and most of them had not been in any church in years. During the meeting, one of these “church members” became violent and raised her hand ready to slap me in the face.

Why am I saying all this? Because there was no continuing evidence in their lives that they were in fact saved.

Their entire existence as a church was centered not upon Christ and growing in grace and truth, but upon keeping a building, an institution functioning. They made verbal professions, but their faith was not shown by their words and deeds. As long as what was preached did not threaten their position or status they would put up with it. But when truth began to hit home, when sin was confronted as sin, rebellion broke out. Now, please do not misunderstand me. I am not setting myself up as judge and jury over people like this. However, if you profess to be a disciple of Christ, I ought to be able to tell by your life that you are. You should be able to examine me and see whether or not I am persevering in grace.

Jesus said that we would know his disciples by their fruit (Jn. 15:8, Matt. 7:16). John the Baptist told the Pharisees and Sadducees to bring forth fruit in keeping with their repentance (Matt. 3:8). In the parable of the vineyard (Lk. 13: 1-9), Jesus issued a call for immediate and continued repentance (seen by the use of the Greek verb forms), and then a call for fruitfulness as a result of repentance.

We all know the story of King David. David was a godly man. But, one day he fell into adultery and murder. He went for some time without repenting of these sins. But, eventually, he did repent and seek forgiveness from the Lord. God’s grace caused him to persevere. Had grace not been with him he would have never repented. What the Spirit of God begins, the Spirit of God finishes!

In Romans 8:30, Paul says that those whom God predestined, “these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” There is absolutely no uncertainty whatsoever as to whether or not the elect will ever reach their predetermined destination! (By the way, all of the Greek verbs in 8:30 denote completed action in past time! In God’s mind, the elect are already glorified!) As Paul stated in Philippians 1:6, when God begins a good work he also finishes it.

When man is converted, the Spirit re-creates and restores him so that he is able to reflect the glory of God which was lost in the fall. Part of that glory consists of having a desire to grow in truth, righteousness and holiness. Where that desire does not exist neither does salvation. One of the

Puritans has written, “In the first creation, God made man after His own image. So in the second creation or regeneration, God doth create men after His own image, in knowledge, righteousness, true holiness, and love” (Vavasor Powell).

Here then is the fifth point to our TULIP. When sinful man was estranged from God and unable to save himself, God chose to have mercy on whom he would; he sent his Son to redeem the chosen ones; in due time he sends the Spirit to open the heart, liberate the will, and give life; and then, by the Spirit and the Word, he enables the re-created man to persevere in a life of progressive holiness, being changed from one degree of glory to another, until the day when time ceases to be, and eternity with Christ is ushered in.

My friend, I have been writing under the assumption that you are a Christian. But, perhaps, I have assumed incorrectly. For some reason, God has providentially placed this material into your hands. If you are without Christ, why not take this moment to seriously consider what you have read. You owe loyalty to your Creator. But, in and of yourself you cannot please him. You cannot save yourself. You are fastbound in your sins. Your only hope is in the shed blood of Christ. You must trust in Christ and in him alone or else be prepared to face the wrath and judgement of God which you deserve. The door of mercy is wide open. If you will come to Christ, repenting of your sins and seeking his forgiveness, you will find a haven of refuge. For, as he has said, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”

STUDY AND REVIEW

  1. In your own words define “Perseverance of the Saints.”
  2. Do a study of Philippians 2:12,13. How does this relate to perseverance?
  3. Read some of the following passages and meditate upon them, looking for personal applications:

1 Peter 2:1-25

Galatians 5:16-26

Ephesians 5:1-21

Hebrews 12:1-13

1 Corinthians 10:13

Romans 8:18-39

SOME OBJECTIONS AND ANSWERS

Naturally, there are bound to be many objections to the doctrines of grace. Some have already been discussed but I will attempt to a few more.

Some will simply say that they do not believe that the Bible teaches predestination. This is a very shallow objection since the Scripture uses the very words, such as election and predestination. Is not all Scripture given by inspiration of God? I would encourage you to take a Bible and a concordance and look up all the references where such wording occurs. If the Bible does not teach predestination, how then can the prophets predict a future event? If it was not predestined there is the possibility that it would not come to pass. A prophet of God was known by the fact that his prophecies came true just as predicted. Let us take a practical example. Suppose you were to get sick tomorrow. Did God know that you would? Yes, because he knows all things. Could he have prevented it? Yes, he well could have. The fact that he did not prevent it means that it was sure to happen. This is predestination.

You should keep in mind that God is not the author or cause of sin. God often allows Satan to work, just as he did in the case of Job. God may allow sin to take place, but he is not the cause of it.

Another objection is this, “Well, if God has elected, and since only certain people will be saved, then why witness or preach?” To this I say, look at Matthew 28:19,20. Christians have been commanded to witness and preach. Love ought to compel us to witness and share the gospel. If sinful man cannot decide for Christ on his own, then we had better pray to the Lord to intervene and make people willing. Keep in mind that God has predestined not only the ends (salvation), but he has also predestined the means (the way in which the elect are called). Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to every one who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). “How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Rom. 10:14).

Witnessing would be very easy if God had seen fit to give us the names and addresses of those whom he chose to save.

But, he has not considered it fit to do so. He has simply commanded us to be faithful; to be diligent in being the means of the outward call. Therefore, we offer the gospel freely to all and allow the Spirit to do his work of the inward call. Remember, to some the gospel will be a word of judgement.

Ezekiel was commanded to go to the people and preach to them. God told him in advance that they would not listen, yet, because of Ezekiel’s message the rebellious people would be without excuse.

Again, concerning prayers for the lost, if man is the one who is ultimately responsible for a decision about salvation, why even bother to pray to God? I have had many people tell me that God does not force anyone to be saved. He does not make a person willing to be saved. It is, they say, up to man’s free will. Yet, when these same people are praying they will say things like, “Dear Lord, please save so and so. Please convict her of sin and make her come to Christ.” How inconsistent! If man is the deciding factor, and God has done all that he can do, then why pray to God for any further help? Why not go to the person and pray to them? Someone has said that men may disagree in theology while standing, but on their knees in prayer all are Calvinists!

Finally, as has been previously covered, there are those who say, “But what about the ‘whosoever will’ passages?” There is no contradiction here. It is quite true, whosoever will may come! If any man thirsts, let him go to Christ and drink.

Once again, the question is – why do the ones who come do so? It is because God makes them able to respond. “As many as had been ordained to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48).

CONCLUSION

I have not covered every point which I would like to in this study. My purpose in it has been to spark a desire within you to study the Word of God at a deeper level. I hope I have raised some questions in your mind. It is my earnest prayer that each one who has read these pages will pray for much grace and guidance from the Holy Spirit.

All the intricacies of God’s will cannot be discerned by finite man. Some things are known only to God (Deut. 29:29). The Calvinist is simply determined, as Iain Murray writes, “to resolve all by Scripture alone and where Scripture offers no resolution of difficulties to be silent and worship a great God” (The Forgotten Spurgeon, Banner of Truth, p. 8).

A final quote from Boettner will serve as an adequate summary statement:

Salvation is accomplished by the Almighty power of the Triune God. The Father chose a people, the Son died for them, the Holy Spirit makes Christ’s death effective by bringing the elect to faith and re pentance, thereby causing them to willingly obey the gospel. The entire process (election, redemption, regeneration) is the work of God and is by grace alone. Thus God, not man, determines who will be the recipient of the gift of salvation (TRDP, p. 436).

SUGGESTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

As I said in my preliminary remarks, volumes have been written on the subject of the doctrines of grace. Here is a brief listing of some of them should you want to do further and more indepth reading. I have simply listed the title, author, and publisher.

For First Readings

“The Practical Implications of Calvinism” by Albert N. Martin (Banner of Truth)

“God’s Gracious Purpose” by Kenneth Good (Baker)

“TULIP” by Duane Spencer (Baker)

“Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God” by J. I. Packer (Inter Varsity Press)

“Knowing God” by J. I. Packer (InterVarsity Press)

“The Five Points of Calvinism” by W. J. Smeaton (Banner of Truth)

“The Sovereign God” by James M. Boice (InterVarsity Press)

For Advanced Reading

“The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination” by Loraine Boettner (Presbyterian & Reformed)

“The Sovereignty of God” by A. W. Pink (Baker)

“The Sovereignty of Grace” by Arthur C. Custance (Baker)

“Definite Atonement” by Gary Long (Presbyterian & Reformed)

NOTE: At the writing of this manuscript, a good place to order sound literature and tracts is the Berean Bible Bookstore, P.O. Box B, Gravette, Arkansas, 72736.

CHARTS

The following two charts were very helpful to me when I came to understand the doctrines of grace. I cannot recall where I first saw them, but I am indebted to the one who showed them to me.

This first chart shows both man’s responsibility to God and also his inability to perform his responsibility. True

Calvinism sees God’s grace as making man able to be responsible.

-Responsibility- -Inability
“Seek and find” “None seek”

Jeremiah 29:15 Romans 3:11

“Come unto Me” “No man can come”

Matthew 11:28 John 6:44

“Choose you this day” “Ye have not chosen Me”

Joshua 24:13 John 15:16

“Whosoever will” “Ye will not”

Revelation 22:17 John 5:40

“Believe and be saved” “They could not believe” Acts 16:31 John 12:31-40

This second chart shows the various stages of grace in relation to a believer’s life.

-Doctrine- -Stage

Total Depravity Grace NEEDED

Unconditional Election Grace PLANNED

Limited Atonement Grace SECURED

Irresistible Grace Grace APPLIED

Perseverance of the Saints Grace VICTORIOUS

I believe you can see from these charts, and from your

previous reading that – SALVATION IS ALL OF GRACE.

A PLAN FOR WITNESSING

Most people who accept the doctrines of grace as Scriptural truth will turn away from man-centered methods of evangelism. They see the shallowness of a gospel presentation which does not call for repentance. They see how easily people can be deceived and given a false sense of security. Yet, they may be perplexed as to how they should present a short, Biblically sound witness which shows both God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. One of the finest books I have read on the subject of evangelism is Will Metzger’s book “Tell the Truth,” published by InterVarsity Press. Metzger’s doctrinal foundation is basically just what I have presented to you in this study. I would encourage you to acquire a copy.

What I wish to present here is formulated largely upon principles which Metzger sets forth. It is also based upon a very excellent tract which someone gave to me. What I have learned from others I wish to pass on to you. As your conversation with someone turns to spiritual matters you can simply take them through the steps below.

I. God is a holy and just Creator.

  1. God is infinite and sovereign; man is finite and dependent. Out of his good pleasure he creates and sustains. We are totally dependent upon him for our every need. Since he is the creator he sets the standards of right and wrong.
  2. We were created in God’s image, to bear his likeness and to reflect his glory. Our absolute loyalty is due unto him. We are to honor and respect him.

Some key verses: Psalm 100:3, Matthew 5:48, Exodus 15:1

Question: Since God’s wonderful character, his rights as creator, his blessings and his warnings are all designed to remind us of his loving ownership of us, why don’t we love him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength?

II. Man is a sinful creature.

  1. Man has willfully rebelled against God and his standards. We are self-sufficient, ignoring God, and wanting to decide for ourselves what is right and wrong.
  2. This rebellion is sin. This sin forms a barrier which separates us from God. In order to be right with God this barrier must be overcome. Since man is a sinner by nature, he cannot do anything that would make God want to overlook his sins.
  3. The result of sin is death. Since God is holy, he must react against sin. He cannot tolerate it. And, unless sin is dealt with, we must one day face his judgement and condemnation.

Some key verses: Romans 3:23, Jeremiah 17:9, Hebrews 9:27

Question: If this is the case, that sinful man is helpless in regards to being reconciled to God, what is the solution?

III. Christ is the merciful Redeemer.

  1. Jesus Christ reveals, by his words and life, the nature of God to us. He communicates to our conscience by his Word and Spirit.
  2. Jesus Christ, who was sinless and without guilt, became a substitute for sinful man. He became the sacrifice that would appease God’s wrath. His blood poured out on Calvary is able to cleanse us from our sin.
  3. Jesus Christ is also a King. He arose from the grave and ascended to the Father’s presence where he now reigns as Lord. As a King, he commands us to repent of our sins and trust in him for salvation. He gives his grace and mercy to whomever he wills.
  4. When we trust Christ as our Lord and Savior, God looks at us through Christ and declares us not guilty.

Some key verses: Isaiah 53:5, Mark 10:45, John 14:6

Question: If this is true, what must our response be?

IV. We are to be united to Christ by faith in him.

  1. We must agree that we are sinful and helpless. We must acknowledge that Christ is our only hope.
  2. We must repent (turn away from) our sins and despise them. We must recognize Christ as the necessary payment for the sin penalty.
  3. We must acknowledge Christ as Lord and turn every area of our lives over to him. We are to confess him with our hearts and mouths as Lord and Savior.

Some key verses: Romans 10:10, Acts 3:19, John 3:16-18

Friend, read Psalm 51:1-17, asking God to create a clean heart within you. Ask him for forgiveness and ask Christ to save you and give you eternal life. Remember, Jesus said that whoever would come to him, he would not drive away.

There you have it. I am sure that you will agree that this short plan presents both God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. It is simple and straightforward. There are no gimmicks or sad stories.

Plans such as this are not set in concrete. It is flexible. Having a plan in mind helps you keep a train of thought. It keeps you from being flustered and from being a poor representative of the King. You need to be able to use the Scriptures in dealing with lost people, for the Word is a two-edged sword that is able to cut to the heart.

May the Lord give you all boldness to speak for him and to freely offer the gospel.

A SERMON ON ELECTION

I have included for your reference and use, notes of a sermon on the doctrine of election. These are notes and not the entire text of the message, thus they are left in the original format. Feel free to use this for study, or in presenting a sermon or lesson. I have provided the skeleton, you may provide the clothing for the bare bones. Forgive my lack of grammatical correctness as to the form of outlines.

The Doctrine of Election

Text: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-4

Introduction: The passage before us brings us to consider the doctrine of Divine election. This is not a new doctrine to the church, but it is one that has been overlooked and put on the back shelf by many. For believers, it is a doctrine that should cause gratitude and thanksgiving to arise in our hearts. Election also gives us hope; hope that unsaved friends and loved ones can be saved. Most of all, it is a precious truth which should humble us before the throne of the Almighty Sovereign of the universe. In examining out text let us see three aspects of election, or as Pastor C. H. Spurgeon has so aptly named it, the Doctrine of Distinguishing Grace. We shall endeavor to see:

I. The DEFINITION of election

II. The EXPLANATION of election

III. The ATTESTATION (proof) of election

I. The DEFINITION of election

  1. The Greek word used in verse 4 is “ekloge”. It means to chose out; to make a selection; to pick out.
  2. Various definitions of election by other men of God and documents.

Boyce (founder of Southern Seminary) — “Election is God’s eternal choice of some persons unto everlasting life, not because of forseen merit in them, but of his mere mercy in Christ – in consequence of which choice they are called, justified, and glorified.”

Kent (President of Grace Theological Seminary) “God’s sovereign choice of certain individuals…prior to Adam’s appearance on the earth.”

Ryrie (Dallas Theological Seminary) – “God’s unconditioned and pretemporal choice of those individuals whom he would save.”

Scofield (Scofield Reference Bible) – “The sovereign act of God in grace whereby certain persons are chosen from among mankind for Himself.”

1st London Confession (Baptist, 1644) – “God hath before the foundation of the world, foreordained some men to eternal life.”

Broadus (early Southern Baptist Convention president) – “From the divine side, we see that the Scriptures teach an election of men to eternal life simply out of God’s good pleasure.”

Articles of Religion (Church of England) “Predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby (before the foundations of the world were laid) he hath constantly decreed by his secret counsel to us, to deliver from the curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind, and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation.”

C. These quotes are from a wide spectrum of the church, and are given to show that this is not a new or strange teaching.

II. The EXPLANATION of election

  1. Election is God’s choice of man, not man’s choice of God.
  2. God chose whom he would save before the foundation of the world.
  3. Man’s choice of God through repentance and faith is a secondary response to the initial choice by God.
  4. Notice verse 4 of the text – “His choice of you” (NASV). The “you” represents the object of the choice.
  5. We cannot contort the passage to mean “your choice of God.”
  6. Other Scripture references
  7. John 15:16 – “You did not choose Me, but I chose you.”
  8. Ephesians 1:4 – “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.”
  9. Romans 9:11 – “God’s purpose according to His choice.”
  10. John 13:18 – “I know the ones I have chosen.”
  11. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 – “God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation.”
  12. There can be no doubt then, that in the realm of salvation, no man can be saved unless he has first been chosen by God to be saved.
  13. The election took place in eternity past (Eph. 1:4, 2 Thess. 2:13).
  14. It took place before man had done anything to merit salvation (Romans 9:11).

Spurgeon – “As long as that [Rom. 9] remains in the Bible. . . not the most violent contortions of the passage will ever be able to exterminate the doctrine of election from the Scriptures.”

Josiah Conder, the hymnwriter has penned these words:

‘Tis not that I did choose Thee,

For, Lord, that could not be;

This heart would still refuse Thee,

Hadst Thou not chosen me.

Thou from the sin that stained me

Hadst cleansed and set me free;

Of old Thou hast ordained me,

That I should live to Thee.

My heart owns none before Thee,

For Thy rich grace I thirst;

This knowing, if I love Thee,

Thou must have loved me first.

B. Some other aspects of election.

  1. For God’s glory (Eph. 1:6, Rom. 9:21-24)
  2. It is not actual salvation, it ensures or is unto salvation (Rom. 11:7, 2 Thess. 2:13)

III. The ATTESTATION (proof) of election

  1. The elect are not known unto man prior to salvation. God has not provided us with a listing of their names.
  2. All the elect will come to salvation in God’s ap pointed time (Acts 13:48, John 6:37, John 10:14,

2 Peter 3:9).

C. A person’s election will be proven by outward, visible manifestations (verse 3 of our text).

  1. Work of faith – literally, “work produced by faith.” This work refers to general deeds and activities.

Geoffrey Wilson – “Theirs was no barren assent to a dogma…but the dynamic outworking of a life-transforming principle.”

  1. James 2:17
  2. Ephesians 2:10

NOTE: When properly understood, the doctrine of election is a life changing doctrine. Those whose verbal profession of faith is a genuine heart-faith, will be characterized by evangelism, missionary efforts, deeds of kindness to both saved and lost, and by a visible manifestation of the fruits of the Spirit.

2. Labor of love – literally, “labor prompted by love.” The labor spoken of here refers to hard, toilsome, exhausting labor. The love mentioned is a sacrificing love that gives itself unselfishly in the service of others.

Findlay – “Work may be easy and delightful; labor is toilsome; no selfish man will endure it for another’s good. Hence labor is the test of love.”

  1. Love will prompt the elect to “go the second mile” just as Christ did on behalf of his people.
  2. The elect will have a love that labors to see others come to Christ.

Spurgeon has said concerning the man who properly understands election:

“Such a man will become kind to others. He will hold his opinions, but he will not hold them savagely, nor will he teach them bitterly, because he will say, ‘If I have light and others have not, my light was given me from God, therefore I have no cause to plume myself upon it. I will try to spread that light, but not by anger and abuse. For why should I blame those who cannot see, for could I have seen if God had not opened my blind eyes?”

NOTE: Some of the most caustic believers are those who claim to understand God’s workings of grace, yet are not gracious themselves. Instead of being patient and considerate of those who do not hold to these great truths, they often ignore them or jokingly ridicule them. We often expect others to understand in five minutes what may have taken us months or years to comprehend.

3. Steadfastness of hope – literally, “steadfastness that is inspired by hope.”

  1. This is a hope of final victory in the Lord.
  2. Calvin – “Intent on the hope of the mani festation of Christ they are to despise all other things, and armed with patience are to rise superior both to wearisome delay and all the temptations of the world.”

Conclusion:

We have defined and explained election, that pretemporal choice by God of those whom he would save in Christ. We have also seen that the only way to recognize the elect is by the outward display of their lives. 2 Peter 1:10 tells us to be all the more diligent to make certain about his calling and choosing us. Let those who claim to believe the doctrine of election hold an examination of their lives. Are we gracious?

As I stated, I have given you these notes just as I originally wrote them. Each preacher has his own style when presenting the Word. I do not ask anyone to copy mine. But, I trust this outline is helpful and that you are able to use it to enrich yourself and others.

CHRISTIAN LIBERTY

“Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil” 1 Peter 2:16 (NIV)

We have before us in this verse from the pen of Peter, another explanation of the preceding verses. In verse 15, he has said, “For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.” Verse 16 is an explanation of one way believers can so silence ignorant talk. The Christian is a person who has been set at liberty and thus is expected and commanded to use this freedom. However, while being at liberty, the believer is at the same time under bondage. He is a bond-servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. By using this freedom properly, under the authority of God, the christian will bear proper witness to the foolish.

In our day and age, the subject of Christian liberty is much discussed. On the positive side, many have come to see that in Christ they have been set free from following the commandments and traditions of men, and are bound solely to the Scriptures. On the negative side, some of these same people have used their liberty as a license to sin. There are also those who, while professing to believe in Christian liberty, nevertheless will be very forceful in pushing their opinions upon the consciences of other believers.

I believe that we must seek to maintain a constant balance in our lives regarding this doctrine of liberty. We must learn to speak where the Bible speaks and to be silent where the Bible is silent. Only in so doing can we avoid extremism in our daily walk and in our communion with other Christians. Let us examine Peter’s words (the Holy Spirit’s words), considering these two elements:

  1. The Christian as a free man
  2. The Christian as a slave of Christ

Let us consider the Christian as a free man. In what respects is he free? First of all, he is free in respect to God. The Bible tells us that all men are sinners, and in their sinful condition are under the wrath of God. The wages of sin is death. But, in Christ, men and women are set free from this punishment. Christ has paid the price for sin and has set his people free.

The Christian is free from “works” as a means of salvation. The natural man feels the need to do good works in order to maintain favor with God. He is convinced that his good works will save him and make him acceptable in God’s sight. But this “good works religion” is in reality a form of bondage, for how can a person know when he has done enough good works to please God? In Christ, however, we find that salvation is all of grace, that we can do nothing to merit God’s favor. Christ sets us free and allows us to live by faith, and to have the assurance that we are acceptable in God’s sight because of Christ’s work on the cross. The believer is able, because of his freedom, to rejoice in Christ.

Secondly, the Christian is free in respect to man. The Apostle Paul wrote, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ” (Col. 2:8). He goes on to say, “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ” (Col. 2:16,17).

It is the natural tendancy of man to dominate others. We feel that our opinions, our beliefs, our feelings, and our traditions should be practiced and believed by others. This is especially true in regards to spiritual matters. The old commentator, John Brown, wrote:

There is a natural tendancy in man to usurp spiritual authority over man; and there is a natural tendancy, too, to submit to this usurpation. By far the greater part of mankind have no better reason for their religious opinions, ordinances, and usages, than that they have ‘received them by tradition from their fathers.’ What is taught and received, as re ligious truth and duty, is nothing more than ‘the commandments of men.’

Are not Brown’s words quite true? How much of what goes on in our churches is nothing more than the traditions of men? How much of what is forced onto believers from pulpits and classrooms is nothing more than the personal like or dislike of the speaker? Christians are told what to eat and what not to eat; what to wear and what not to wear; what to drink and what not to drink; what to watch on television and what not to watch. Paul spoke to this very issue. In Colossians 2:20-23 we read:

Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not han dle! Do not taste! Do not touch!?” These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false hu mility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indul gence.

The Judaizers were trying to impose human bondage upon the believers in Galatia. In Galatians 5:1, Paul says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” The issue at hand here was that the Judaizers were trying to put the Galatians back under the law as a means of completing their salvation. Many pastors and churches today do something very similar, only in the realm of holiness or sanctification. We hear such things as, “No long hair for men! No pants or make-up for ladies! No card playing! No rock music! No alcohol or tobacco! No coffee! No dancing! No bathing suits! No television on Sunday!” The list could go on forever. Why? Because each of these condemnations is not based upon specific Biblical commandment, but upon opinions and cultural circumstances. PLEASE! Do not misunderstand me. I am by no means encouraging you to take up drinking alcohol or smoking tobacco or to start playing poker. I am simply stating that such things are not SPECIFICALLY spoken against in the

Bible. Neutral or amoral things have no sin in them. Sin lies in man’s heart. The Scripture does not condemn alcohol, BUT it does forbid drunkeness. The Scripture also tells us that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. My other point is that the do’s and don’t’s heard from our pulpits vary from one man to the next. John Eadie has written:

Men attach a higher sanctity to abstinence from certain kinds of food and physical refreshment, than to abstinence from sin.

We are duty bound to listen to God’s men expound the Word and we are obligated to heed and practice it. But we are not bound by their opinions and personal likes or dislikes. Freedom allows a believer to walk by his own conscience and not by the conscience of some other human being. Freedom allows each believer to make applicable use of Scriptural principles. Concerning the right use of liberty, Paul wrote, “For why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience?” (1 Corinthians 10:29b).

The believer’s conscience is to be bound by the Word and Spirit. He is to be filled (continually) with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18), he is to walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16), and he is to be led by the Spirit (Gal. 5:18,25). And, he writes elsewhere, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Cor. 3:17). Brown writes once again:

Christians should act as free, not only in refusing to submit to human authority in religion themselves, but also in carefully abstaining from imposing the yoke of human authority on others. Their freedom should be manifested, not only in maintaining their own privileges as free, but in respecting the privileges of others.

One might say, “I don’t force anything you have mentioned upon others” or “Our church doesn’t condemn the things you mentioned.” This may well be true. But what about some things I did not mention. How many divisions have occurred in churches over whether one cup or many cups should be used in the Lord’s Supper? Is the Scripture clear and commanding on this? What about Bible translations? To hear some Christians talk you would think that anyone who does not read from the King James Version is a heretic. What about the subject of sending children to private Christian schools? Does the Scripture clearly forbid the use of the public school system? Some churches believe that unless you were baptized in running water you were not really baptized at all! Does the Scripture mandate a running water baptism?

The practical matter here is this – it is alright for each individual to have opinions and likes or dislikes pertaining to matters not clearly forbidden or commanded in Scripture. But, it becomes sin when others are pressured into believing likewise. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, writes:

One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. . . . One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. . . . You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgement seat. . . . So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgement on one another.

I encourage you to read the entirety of Romans 14 and meditate upon the practical implications of it. Christians are free in respect to God, and in respect to man.

Having looked at the Christian as a free man, the second thing I should like to consider is the Christian as a slave to Jesus Christ. The frequent Greek word for slave is “doulos.” It pictures a permanent relationship of servitude to another. The will of the slave is swallowed up by the will of the lord or master.

As a slave to Christ, it is the believer’s constant duty to guard against abusing his freedom. The word used for “cover-up” (1 Peter 2:16 NIV) is a Greek word which means a covering or veil. In the Septuagint, the word is used in reference to the badger skins which covered the tabernacle (Ex. 26:14). It is very easy for a Christian to abuse his liberty and “cover it up” by saying, “I’m not sinning! I’m just enjoying my liberty in Christ.”

Freedom necessitates discernment and moderation. Paul tells Timothy to use a little wine for his stomach, but tells the Ephesians not to be drunk with wine. Christian women are never told in the Scriptures that they cannot wear make-up or pretty clothes, but they are told to “adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly” (1 Tim. 2:9).

As slaves we will want to be pleasing to our Master, and we should ask ourselves, as the hymn asks, “Is my master satisfied with me?” Paul says that all things are lawful, but all things are not necessarily expedient or proper for the moment. Therefore it might be right for you to enjoy a game of cards. But suppose a brother or sister comes to visit whose conscience does not permit him or her to play. The Scriptural position is that you refrain from looking down on him or her, and that you have an understanding that they are acting as they feel pleases their Master. And, while the cards are not sinful in and of themselves, you would be abusing your liberty to foolishly lose all of your money in a gambling game, and then not be able to pay your bills and provide for the needs of your family.

The right use of Christian liberty is sometimes like walking a tightrope. We must maintain a proper balance or we will quickly fall into danger.

We have examined the Christian as a free man and as a slave to Christ. Recognize your freedom in Christ today. But always be mindful that you are to please your Master and you must be prepared to one day give an account. Paul’s exhortation should be ever present in our ears, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).

Let us understand what true holiness is and what it is not. Let us stop immediately our judgements of others who do not follow our particular tastes and enjoyments. Let us get away from binding ourselves to a man-made “checklist” of do’s and don’t’s. Let us realize our responsibility to keep from being a stumbling block to someone else, yet let us also be responsible in showing others the true freedom that they can have in Christ. Let us learn that sin does not exist in created things, but rather that sin exists in human beings. Human beings can quickly pervert the good things which God has made for man’s enjoyment.

And, finally, let us have firmly implanted in our minds that we ought to speak boldly and declare what the Bible teaches, but where the Bible is silent on a matter we must let each brother and sister stand or fall before God in his or her own conscience. We are our brother’s keeper, but we are not his conscience.