Free Grace theology teaches that sinners receive eternal life the instant that they are certain of Christ's promise that guarantees their eternal security the moment they take Him at His word. Saving faith is taking Christ at His word wherein He guarantees the eternal well-being of all who simply believe Him to do so. Taking Christ at His word is certainty of one's eternal salvation, no matter what.
Saving faith is not accomplished by walking an aisle, raising a hand, filling out a card, praying a prayer, or confessing or saying something with the mouth. Eternal life comes the moment someone is certain that they possess eternal life through Jesus Christ in His promise, IOW, the moment they believe Christ.
There is such a thing as a false professor in Christianity. But it lies in only 2 areas:
a) One who lies and says that they believe in Jesus alone for eternal life (for purpose of infiltrating, or wishing to be accepted, etc)
b) One who believes a message that is not the saving message of Christ (the true gospel), and believes that he has believed the true gospel, and thus confesses that he has "faith in Jesus", which he does. But NOT in Jesus' promise that guarantees eternal life to the one who merely has bare faith alone in Him for it. He may have faith that Jesus is only one of many other necessities for final salvation.
There is no such thing as a spurious faith in Christ alone that has for its purpose the reception of eternal life. The modifiers, such as "head" faith, "false" faith, "spurious" faith, "temporary" faith, etc., are the machinations of those who oppose the idea that eternal life is, in reality, an absolutely free gift. No such modifiers to faith exist in the Bible. The Bible knows nothing of any such thing as a “substandard” faith in Jesus Christ for eternal life (not even in the Epistle of James or parable of the sower!).
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Men May Boast about Anything! (But can they do so legitimately?)
A man is hit in the face by a much larger and stronger man's fist in full force.
He falls back and down on the ground.
How can the man who has been hit boast?
He did what anyone who was hit in the face by a much stronger and larger man would have done: fall back and on the ground.
Correspondences:
being hit in the face by a much larger and stronger man
equals
being open to the powerful and convicting, Holy Spirit persuading gospel message
--
falling back and to the ground
equals
the passive response of faith that comes as a result of being persuaded/convinced of the gospel message
The question is:
How can someone legitamately boast about a passive act that would be the universal reaction of anyone found in the same circumstance? And the answer is clear: he cannot do so.
The question is not if someone can boast.
Boasting can come from anywhere, at anytime, in any circumstance, no matter what.
Cases in point:
Cannot the insane man boast that by his power the world revolves around the sun?
Cannot the liberal boast that the great state of the American economy is due to the fiscal policies and taxation of the Democratic Party?
Sure they can boast! So the question does not have to do with boasting, per se.
The question precisely has to do with "legitimate" boasting. The above two examples are not cases of legitimate boasting.
God, in the infinite and wise counsel of His own will and desire, has determined that all who believe that they are eternally secure :) by trusting Christ through His gospel promise will receive His grace, justification, and eternal life.
There cannot be any legitimate boasting on the part of one who is completely helpless relying solely upon the grace of another.
God has prescribed the way in which one is to completely rely upon Him for eternal :) life.
By taking Him at His word.
Antonio
He falls back and down on the ground.
How can the man who has been hit boast?
He did what anyone who was hit in the face by a much stronger and larger man would have done: fall back and on the ground.
Correspondences:
being hit in the face by a much larger and stronger man
equals
being open to the powerful and convicting, Holy Spirit persuading gospel message
--
falling back and to the ground
equals
the passive response of faith that comes as a result of being persuaded/convinced of the gospel message
The question is:
How can someone legitamately boast about a passive act that would be the universal reaction of anyone found in the same circumstance? And the answer is clear: he cannot do so.
The question is not if someone can boast.
Boasting can come from anywhere, at anytime, in any circumstance, no matter what.
Cases in point:
Cannot the insane man boast that by his power the world revolves around the sun?
Cannot the liberal boast that the great state of the American economy is due to the fiscal policies and taxation of the Democratic Party?
Sure they can boast! So the question does not have to do with boasting, per se.
The question precisely has to do with "legitimate" boasting. The above two examples are not cases of legitimate boasting.
God, in the infinite and wise counsel of His own will and desire, has determined that all who believe that they are eternally secure :) by trusting Christ through His gospel promise will receive His grace, justification, and eternal life.
There cannot be any legitimate boasting on the part of one who is completely helpless relying solely upon the grace of another.
God has prescribed the way in which one is to completely rely upon Him for eternal :) life.
By taking Him at His word.
Antonio
God, the Author of Abomination?
I agree that God can do whatever He pleases, that is, what ever pleases Him.
But we must understand that any such "whatever" is tempered by His essential nature and attributes.
God is holy, rightoues, true. God is love, just, and impartial. He is a God of equity, mercy, and grace.
Nothing that He would desire could impinge on His essential nature and attributes.
Is God sovereign? You bet. Is God capricious, arbitrary, and partial? To be so in any sense would violate His essence.
Let me ask you a question. Would it impinge on God's sovereignty to create humans in His likeness and image?
Would it violate His sovereignty to give man latitude and freedom to rebel from Him or respond to His wooing and drawing?
Can you consider, rationally and logically, that if God has "ordained" all things "that has ever happened or will happen" as some have suggested, this must include all forms of sin and evil: adulteries, murders, incest, rape, pedaphilia, homosexuality, brutality, matricide and patricide, genocide, etc?
Such a thought is only feasible to someone who has bought into a heavily-stacked, lop-sided, and unbalanced understanding of the bible. God forbid that He ordain pedaphilia!
To consider God ordaining that which He finds abominable may be in vogue in various theological circles, but it offends the God given conscious and Scriptural witness that God is Holy, good, righteous, and light (not to mention love!).
Any view of God's sovereignty that has God necessitating men's abominations by His "fore-ordination" and "predestination" should be obviously rejected.
But what has happened is that some theologies have become like secret societies where the initiated slowly become indoctrinated to the point that they will believe things that go against all reason. Such attitudes are taught and not formed.
But we must understand that any such "whatever" is tempered by His essential nature and attributes.
God is holy, rightoues, true. God is love, just, and impartial. He is a God of equity, mercy, and grace.
Nothing that He would desire could impinge on His essential nature and attributes.
Is God sovereign? You bet. Is God capricious, arbitrary, and partial? To be so in any sense would violate His essence.
Let me ask you a question. Would it impinge on God's sovereignty to create humans in His likeness and image?
Would it violate His sovereignty to give man latitude and freedom to rebel from Him or respond to His wooing and drawing?
Can you consider, rationally and logically, that if God has "ordained" all things "that has ever happened or will happen" as some have suggested, this must include all forms of sin and evil: adulteries, murders, incest, rape, pedaphilia, homosexuality, brutality, matricide and patricide, genocide, etc?
Such a thought is only feasible to someone who has bought into a heavily-stacked, lop-sided, and unbalanced understanding of the bible. God forbid that He ordain pedaphilia!
To consider God ordaining that which He finds abominable may be in vogue in various theological circles, but it offends the God given conscious and Scriptural witness that God is Holy, good, righteous, and light (not to mention love!).
Any view of God's sovereignty that has God necessitating men's abominations by His "fore-ordination" and "predestination" should be obviously rejected.
But what has happened is that some theologies have become like secret societies where the initiated slowly become indoctrinated to the point that they will believe things that go against all reason. Such attitudes are taught and not formed.
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