"Evangelical" Christianity (see our video "ECUMENICAL CHAOS: Going to Bed With Roman Catholic False Prophets & Idolaters" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S76Nvi6p0lw) is awash in bad theology (via Wesley & Finney), bad leadership (like Billy Graham & TBN), & Biblical ignorance (87% don't know the Gospel or what justificaton is) thus it seems to accept anyone who claims to be a Christian (like Romanists, Mormons, Seventh-day Adventists or whoever). For proof of this see the following: "Methodist Founder & Self Proclaimed Heathen John Wesley Said He Never Believed In or Loved God" (short version) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_bz2RyShFI & "JOHN WESLEY, FOUNDER OF METHODISM & AN ARMINIAN, SAID HE DID NOT LOVE GOD & WAS "AN HONEST HEATHEN" (long version) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vo3ljr7ccs; BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS: CHARLES GRANDISON FINNEY – PHONY REVIVALIST & ARCH-HERETIC at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rUbi8AJRw4, "Exclusive Interview with Dave Hunt about the Gospel-less Mother Teresa & Compromiser Billy Graham" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YtX1DirDI4&list=UUQ_EDvOtDAAWfCvGUhd6y3A, Our playlist "Dealing with Phony TV Preachers (TBN) & King James Onlyites" at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2CDA855486B09128 & "SAD STATE OF THE CHURCH: 87% OF EVANGELICAL "CHRISTIANS" DON'T KNOW WHAT GOSPEL JUSTIFICATION IS" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im4ozy_EiR4. See our playlist "Dealing with Roman Catholicism, Idolatry & the Virgin Mary" with 119 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFFA8D69D1B914715, our playlist "Dealing with Mormonism, the Religion of Mitt Romney & Utah" with 20 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL11CD0EE613306BB5 & our playlist "Dealing with Seventh-day Adventism & Their "Prophetess" at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5316CC6F66F24283. Billy Graham's false views on universal salvation & hell distort the Gospel message & is another reason he is so popular with the world (Galatians 1:6-10, see our playlist "Dealing with Hell, Lake of Fire, Unpopular Bible Doctrines" with 30 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE04A1D0DFE95B95E). Please reference the websites: http://www.BereanBeacon & http://www.CWRC-RZ.org. The simple Biblical fact is that few are going to be saved from the wrath of God & hell (Luke 13:23-30, Matthew 7:13-29, etc.); see our video on this: "Unpopular Bible Doctrines #2: Many "Christians" Are Not Real; God Loves Judgment; No Forgiveness" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJIlReP9SFw. All the ecumenical "love" & "harmony" in the world is not going to change the fact that God still hates false religions (Deuteronomy 28:64, 32:17, 21, Leviticus 17:7, Psalm 106:37, Jeremiah 44:3, 1 Corinthians 10:20, see also http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/32-17.htm) & false doctrine (Revelation 2:6,14-15, 2 Peter 2:15, etc.). Thus following the Bible alone is the only safe path to travel (2 Timothy 3:15-17, 4:2-5, 1 Timothy 1:3-11, 6:3-5, etc.; see our video "WITHOUT "SOLA SCRIPTURA" (THE BIBLE ALONE), WHO IS TELLING THE TRUTH?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcMnF6tgya0). 2 Timothy 2:15
For much more on the apostasy of Billy Graham & his ecumenical false gospel (Galatians 1:6-10) based on his redefinition of Christian terminology (the same deceitful semantics employed by the Mormons) hear the following messages: "Billy Graham: The Compromising Prophet, Ecumenism, Romanism, Apostasy, Separation" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=72007134753, "The Gospel According to Billy Graham" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=86111517593, "Dr Billy Graham – The Pope's Cheerleader!" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=5200517315, "Article Calling Mormonism a 'Cult' Removed From Billy Graham Website" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=10181298352, "FPC Position on Those Who Compromise with Apostasy" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=22307164457, "Billy Graham's Compromise with Rome" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=928131931494, "Billy Graham & Rome & Apostates" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=912081236256 & "Billy Graham's Apostasy" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=112413416340. Billy Graham praises the pope, a man who allows himself to be called God (see Blasphemy 101) When Billy Graham was on the Phil Donahue show on 10-11-79, he said that pope John Paul II was someone that he could quote with "some real authority." He also said that the world was looking for a spiritual leader and that the pope didn't pull any punches. Billy Graham receives honorary degree from Catholic college Billy Graham received an honorary doctorate from Catholic priests at Belmont Abbey College in 1967. He called it, "a time when Protestants and Catholics could meet together and greet each other as brothers, whereas 10 years ago they could not". He joked around, "I'm not sure but what this could start me being called "Father Graham". ("Belmont Abbey Confers Honorary Degree," Paul Smith, Gazette staff reporter, The Gastonia Gazette, Gastonia, North Carolina, Nov. 22, 1967). Billy Graham turns Catholic converts back to Catholic religion These poor people come forward to receive Christ but when the Billy Graham counsellors get to 'em they turn them back over to Catholic priests–keeping them in the same system of bondage! In 1957, Graham said, "Anyone who makes a decision at our meetings is seen later and referred to a local clergyman, Protestant, Catholic, or Jewish." (San Francisco News). According to The Florida Catholic (Sept. 1983) 600 people were turned over to the Catholic religion as a result of the Orlando crusade. At Billy Graham's 1984 Vancouver, British Columbia crusade, the vice-chairman of the organizing committee said, "If a Catholic steps forward there will be no attempt to convert them and their names will be given to the Catholic church nearest their homes" (Vancouver Sun, Oct. 5, 1984). [Lord, have mercy!] Billy Graham even had a Catholic priest SUPERVISE the 6,600 counselors for the Denver crusade. Information on the hundreds of Catholics who came forward were sent to a Catholic organization in Denver. (Wilson Ewin, Evangelism: The Trojan Horse of the 1990s). An ecumenical advisor to the Catholic religion noted in 1989 that "Those who come forward for counseling during a mission evening in June, if they are Roman Catholic, will be directed to a Roman Catholic 'nurture-group' under Roman Catholic counselors in their home area" (John Ashbrook, New Neutralism II, Mentor, Ohio: Here I Stand Books, 1992, p. 35). The Catholic archdiocese in Portland, Oregon, set a goal to supply 6,000 of the 10,000 counselors needed for the Graham crusade. All Catholics responding to the altar call were channeled to the Catholic religion. These are just a few examples of many. Billy Graham thinks that infants can become Christian through baptism But the Bible says that by the works of the flesh shall no man be justified. Baptism comes after faith in Jesus Christ. Look what Billy Graham told the Lutheran Standard in October 1967, "I do believe that something happens at the baptism of an infant… we cannot fully understand the mysteries of God, but I believe that a miracle can happen in these children so that they are regenerated, that is, MADE CHRISTIAN, THROUGH INFANT BAPTISM." Billy Graham doesn't believe hell is literal fire or an eternal place of torment (see our playlist "Dealing with Hell, Lake of Fire, Unpopular Bible Doctrines" with 30 videos & 31 hours of teaching material at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE04A1D0DFE95B95E). "…I think people have a hard time believing God is going to allow people to burn in literal fire forever. I think the fire that is mentioned in the Bible is a burning thirst for God that can never be quenched." The Orlando (Florida) Sentinel for April 10, 1983 Hell ain't based on our human reasoning. According to Matthew's gospel, it was created for the devil and his angels, but people that reject Jesus Christ will be up in there too. Billy Graham let apostate Catholic Bishop bless new converts In 1962, a Roman Catholic bishop of Sao Paulo, Brazil, blessed the people that came forward at the invitation. (Daily Journal, International Falls, Minnesota, Oct. 29, 1963, cited by the New York Times, Nov. 9, 1963). Those poor people came to Graham for help and he let an idolator bless them. Has he not read that behind every idol is a devil? Yet he let that man "bless" the people of God. Billy Graham befriends heretics Based on what I've read, this apparently is not an uncommon practice by Billy Graham. In 1959, he had the liberal Bishop James A. Pike lead in prayer at one of his events. Yet Pike said in an episcopal letter: "Religious myth is one of the avenues of faith and has an important place in the communication of the Gospel." He called the garden of Eden a myth and said, "The virgin birth… IS A MYTH which churchmen should be free to accept or reject…" What I've supplied here don't even touch the tip of the iceberg of Billy Graham's cozy relationships with heretics. See also http://www.creationliberty.com/articles/graham.php. For general articles & videos on Billy Graham go to https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=billy+graham%27s+apostasy&fr=ush-mailn_02&hspart=att&hsimp=yhs-att_001&type=yahoo_pc_mail. Matthew 7:15, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."
So what does 1 John 2:2 really mean, "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world"? Does the word "world" in this verse mean every last man, woman & child who was ever born? For more on the word "world" see our video "DEBATE: John 3:16, Does "World" Always Mean Everybody Who Ever Lived or Not?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6duguuzfho. Let me start by affirming that scripture is explicit in saying that Jesus died: for God's people ("He was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of My people" – Isaiah 53:8; "He shall save His people from their sins" – Matt. 1:21); for His sheep ("I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." – John 10:11 – note that Jesus categorically states that some are not His sheep – "but you do not believe because you are not My sheep." – John 10:26) for His friends ("Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you." – John 15:13-14; for the Church ("… the church of God, which He obtained with His own blood." – Acts 20:28; "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her…" – Eph. 5:25, 26). Indeed, as God allows us to gain a glimpse into the future, Revelation 5:9 reveals the song of the throngs of heaven as they sing to the Lamb upon His throne, "And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." Notice that it does not say that He ransomed everybody in every tribe, etc., but that He ransomed people for God from every tribe, tongue, people and nation. Yet at least at first glance, 1 John 2:2 seems to strongly deny this idea that Jesus' death was designed for a particular people. The verse states, "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." I don't believe that scripture contradicts itself. That is in fact why we are told to study the word of God in order that we might rightly divide it (2 Tim. 2:15) rather than simply throw up our hands saying a particular verse contradicts others on the same subject. "All Scripture is God breathed" (2 Tim. 3:16) and because there is one Divine Author of Scripture who does not contradict Himself, I am convinced that hard work and careful study will eliminate apparent contradictions. There are basically twelve principles of biblical interpretation (hermeneutics, see our video "Roman Catholicism Series #11: Scripture Twisting – 20 Ways Religious Cults Misread the Bible" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT_5peLnQoA). We start by affirming that there is only one correct interpretation of scripture. Though there may be many applications of a verse, it only means what it was intended to mean when it was written. With this as a foundation, two more principles would apply here: 1. Consider the Author – who wrote the book? (what was his background, language, culture, vocation, concerns, education, circumstance, what stage of life?) 2. Consider the Audience (why was the book written? who was the audience? what would these words have meant to its original recipients?) My friend, Dr. James White (see our video, "WITHOUT "SOLA SCRIPTURA" (THE BIBLE ALONE), WHO IS TELLING THE TRUTH?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcMnF6tgya0) once wrote, "Remember when you were in school and you had to take a test on a book you were assigned to read? You studied and invested time in learning the background of the author, the context in which he lived and wrote, his purposes in writing, his audience, and the specifics of the text. You did not simply come to class, pop open the book, read a few sentences, and say, "Well, I feel the author here means this." Yet, for some odd reason, this attitude is prevalent in Christian circles. Whether that feeling results in an interpretation that has anything at all to do with what the original author intended to convey is really not considered an important aspect. Everyone, seemingly, has the right to express their "feelings" about what they "think" the Bible is saying, as if those thoughts actually reflect what God inspired in His Word. While we would never let anyone get away with treating our writings like this, we seem to think God is not bothered, and what is worse, that our conclusions are somehow authoritative in their representation of His Word." With this in view, John writes of Jesus Christ being "the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only (Hebrews), but also for the whole world (the Gentiles)." A third principle I mentioned in the article relates to the concept of considering the author's context. This refers to looking at all of a person's writings – John's writings, Paul's writings, Luke's writings, etc. When we look elsewhere in John's writings we notice in his Gospel an exact parallel in John's use of words, which gives us a great deal of insight as to what he (John) was referring to. In John's Gospel, chapter 11, verses 51-52, John wrote these words, "he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad." When we see this in chart form, the parallel with 1 John 2:2 is easy understood: John 11:51-52 "he prophesied that" cf. 1 John 2:2 "And"; John 11:51-52 "Jesus" cf. 1 John 2:2 "He Himself"; John 11:51-52 "would die for" cf. 1 John 2:2 "is the propitiation for"; John 11:51-52 "the nation" cf. 1 John 2:2 "our sins"; John 11:51-52 "and not for the nation only" cf. 1 John 2:2 "and not for our sins only"; John 11:51-52 "but also" cf. 1 John 2:2 "but also"; John 11:51-52 "that he would gather together in one" cf. 1 John 2:2 "for"; John 11:51-52 "the children of God scattered abroad" cf. 1 John 2:2 "the whole world." Dr. Phil Johnson (who provided this helpful chart) writes, "There is little doubt that this is how John's initial audience would have understood this expression. "The whole world" means "people of all kinds, including Jews, Gentiles, Greeks, Romans, and whatnot" as opposed to "ours only" i.e., the Jewish nation. What the apostle John is saying in the John 11 passage is particularly significant: Christ died so that he might gather "the children of God" the elect, from the whole world." I believe therefore that rather than undermining the case for Christ's death for His elect sheep, 1 John 2:2 actually affirms it. When we understand the verse in its Johannine context (the writings of the Apostle John) then the correct interpretation becomes very clear. For a deeper understanding of the sovereignty of God in the understanding of 1 John 2:2 & other Arminian proof texts please see my video "The Sovereignty of God Versus Man-Made Religions, Hollywood Movies & Petty Emotionalism" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UQABR_9gGI&list=PLA932903698A56780. From there see our playlist "Dealing with Predestination, Arminianism & Calvinism" with 79 videos & counting at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA932903698A56780. 2 Timothy 2:15
This is in response to someone's comment on our video about John 3:16. See our video "DEBATE: John 3:16, Does "World" Always Mean Everybody Who Ever Lived or Not?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6duguuzfho&list=PLA932903698A56780&index=47. Your understanding of that verse is out of line with the context of the rest of the Bible. See our video "The God of the Bible Does Not Love Everybody But Actually Hates Many Instead (Romans 9:22)" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zHEJCHgQVg&index=74&list=PLA932903698A56780. Sometimes we hear that God hates the sin but loves the sinner. This is not true. A. H. Strong (“Systematic Theology,” p. 290) observes that God both hates and loves the sinner at the same time: “hates him as he is a living and wilful antagonist of truth and holiness, loves him as he is a creature capable of good and ruined by his transgression.” In other words, God hates the sin, and he also hates the sinner. “You hate all who do iniquity. You destroy those who speak falsehood; the LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit” (Ps. 5:5-6). This and many other passages show that God’s hatred is directed against the PERSON who sins and not just the sin itself. Sometimes just a general category is mentioned. “Everyone who acts unjustly is an abomination to the LORD your God,” says Deuteronomy 25:16. “The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves violence His soul hates” (Ps. 11:5). The seven things that God hates in Proverbs 6:16-19 include “a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.” He also hates “the perverse in heart” (Prov. 11:20), “everyone who is proud in heart” (Prov. 16:5), and whoever justifies the wicked or condemns the righteous (Prov. 17:15). Other passages describe God’s hatred for specific persons. Leviticus 20:23 speaks of God as abhorring or loathing the Canaanites. Sometimes his hatred is directed against Israel. When the Lord saw their idolatry, “He was filled with wrath, and greatly abhorred Israel” (Ps. 78:59). “I have come to hate her,” he says (Jer. 12:8; cf. Hosea 9:15). He also hated Esau (Edom), says Malachi 1:3 (cf. Rom. 9:13). We must not take these passages lightly. To be hated by the holy God is a terrible, terrifying thing. The Old Testament word translated “to hate” expresses “an emotional attitude toward persons and things which are opposed, detested, despised and with which one wishes to have no contact or relationship. It is therefore the opposite of love. Whereas love draws and unites, hate separates and keeps distant. The hated and hating persons are considered foes or enemies and are considered odious, utterly unappealing” (G. Van Gronigen, “Theological Wordbook of the OT,” Moody 1980, II:880). Could anything be more terrifying than to hear God say, “I hate you”? Keep in mind what Jesus said in Matthew 5:45, "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." In this life God shows a general "love" to all men as Matthew 5:45 indicates but the personal, individual love of God is reserved only for His elect (Amos 3:2, Romans 8:27-39, Acts 13:48, 1 Peter 1:2, "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."). Hear how Jonathan Edwards describes this in his sermon "Those Whom God Hates He Is Often Pleased To Give Plenty Of Earthly Things To, Edwards" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=427121150346. See our playlist "Dealing with Predestination, Arminianism & Calvinism" with 81 videos & counting at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA932903698A56780 which may help you understand what the Bible actually teaches on this issue. Amos 3:2, "You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities." Deuteronomy 7:6-10, " For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. 7 The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8 But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; 10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face."
A question has been asked, "Can you please reconcile these verses? If the Lord did not elect these folks whom He is taking vengeance on, how could they do anything but not believe or disobey? Thanks. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." To begin with the apostle Paul already answered a question very similar to this in the Word of God therefore his answer takes top priority. See how he answers it in Romans 9:18-23, " Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. 19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory." Verse 19, "Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?" is basically asking the same question you are asking. Paul's direct answer to that question follows, "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory." Here's how Biblical scholar John Gill analyzes these verses: "Romans 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will These are the express words of the former testimony: it follows, and whom he will he hardeneth; which is the just and natural consequence of what is contained in the latter; for if God could, or he did, without any injustice, raise up Pharaoh, and harden his heart against him and his people, that he might rise up against him and destroy him by his power for his own glory, then he may harden any other person, and even whom he will: now this hardening of men's hearts may be understood in perfect agreement with the justice and holiness of God: men first harden their own hearts by sinning, as Pharaoh did; what God does, is by leaving them to the hardness of their hearts, denying them that grace which only can soften them, and which he is not obliged to give, and therefore does them no injustice in withholding it from them; by sending them both mercies and judgments, which through the corruption of their hearts, are the means of the greater hardening of them; so judgments in the case of Pharaoh, and mercies in the case of others; see ( Isaiah 6:10 ) ( Romans 11:8-10 ) ; by delivering them up into the hands of Satan, and to their own lusts, which they themselves approve of; and by giving them up to a judicial blindness and hardness of heart, as a just punishment for their impieties. Romans 9:19 Thou wilt say then unto me That is, thou wilt object to me; for this is another objection of the adversary, against the doctrine the apostle was advancing: and it is an objection of a mere natural man, of one given up to a reprobate mind, of an insolent hardened sinner; it discovers the enmity of the carnal mind to God; if is one of the high things that exalts itself against the knowledge of him; it is with a witness a stretching out of the hand against God, and strengthening a man's self against the Almighty; it is a running upon him, even upon the thick bosses of his bucklers; it carries in it the marks of ill nature, surliness, and rudeness, to the last degree: why doth he yet find fault? The objector does not think fit to name the name of "God", or "the Lord", but calls him "he"; and a considerable emphasis lies upon the word "yet": what as if he should say, is he not content with the injustice he has already exercised, in passing by some, when he chose others; in leaving them to themselves, and hardening their hearts against him, and to go on in their own ways, which must unavoidably end in destruction; but after all this, is angry with them, finds fault with them, blames, accuses, and condemns them, for that which they cannot help; nay, for that which he himself wills? this is downright cruelty and tyranny. The objector seems to have a particular regard to the case of Pharaoh, the apostle had instanced in, when after God had declared that he had raised him up for this very purpose, to make known his power, and show forth his glory in all the world, still finds fault with him and says, "as yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?" ( Exodus 9:17 ) ; and yet he himself had hardened his heart, and continued to harden his heart, that he might not let them go as yet; and when he had let them go, hardened his heart again to pursue after them, when he drowned him and his host in the Red sea; all which in this objection, is represented as unparalleled cruelty and unmercifulness; though it is not restrained to this particular case, but is designed to be applied to all other hardened persons; and to expose the unreasonableness of the divine proceedings, in hardening men at his pleasure; and then blaming them for acting as hardened ones, when he himself has made them so, and wills they should act in this manner: for who hath resisted his will? This is said in support of the former, and means not God's will of command, which is always resisted more or less, by wicked men and devils; but his will of purpose, his counsels and decrees, which stand firm and sure, and can never be resisted, so as to be frustrated and made void. This the objector takes up, and improves against God; that since he hardens whom he will, and there is no resisting his will, the fault then can never lie in them who are hardened, and who act as such, but in God; and therefore it must be unreasonable in him to be angry with, blame, accuse, and condemn persons for being and doing that, which he himself wills them to be and do. Let the disputers of this world, the reasoners of the present age, come and see their own faces, and read the whole strength of their objections, in this wicked man's; and from whence we may be assured, that since the objections are the same, the doctrine must be the same that is objected to: and this we gain however by it, that the doctrines of particular and personal election and reprobation, were the doctrines of the apostle; since against no other, with any face, or under any pretence, could such an objection be formed: next follows the apostle's answer. Romans 9:20 Nay, but O man, who art thou that repliest against God? &c.] Or "answerest again to God": some have been so weak and wicked as to suggest, that the apostle met with an objection he could not answer, or give a fair solution of, and therefore takes the method he does: but when the several things returned in answer by the apostle are considered, it will appear that he has taken the wisest method to silence such an audacious objector, and that he abundantly clears God from the charge of cruelty and unmercifulness. And he answers "first", by putting the insolent creature in mind of what he was; "nay, but O man, who art thou?" &c. Thou art man, and not God; a creature, and not the Creator; and must not expect that he, thy Creator, will give an account of his matters to thee, or a reason why he does, this or the other thing. Thou art but a man, who in his best estate was vanity, being mutable; thou art a fallen sinful creature, and obnoxious to the wrath and displeasure of God for thy sins, and darest thou to open thy mouth against him? thou art a poor, foolish, and ignorant man, born like a wild ass's colt, without understanding, and wilt thou take upon thee to confront, direct, or counsel the Most High, or tell him what is fitting to be done, or not done? "next" the apostle answers, by pointing out his folly and madness, in replying to God. To speak to God in behalf of a man's self at the throne of grace, in the most submissive manner, for any mercy or favour wanted, is an high privilege, and it is a wonderful condescension in God to admit of; and when a man, a good man takes upon him to plead with God on the behalf of others, of a wicked people, a sinful nation, he ought to set before him the example and conduct of Abraham, who in a like case acknowledged himself to be but dust and ashes, and more than once entreated, that the Lord would not be angry at his importunity; but for a man to answer again to God, which a servant ought not to do to his master, to litigate a point with God, to dispute a matter with him, is the highest instance of arrogance and impudence: "woe unto him that striveth with his Maker, let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth", ( Isaiah 45:9 ) : with their equals, with men like themselves, but let no man dare to "contend with God"; if he should, "he cannot answer him one of a thousand", ( Job 9:3 ) ; for "he is wise in heart", in forming all his counsels, purposes, and decrees; "and mighty in strength", to execute them; "who hath hardened himself against him and hath prospered?" ( Job 9:4 ) . Another way the apostle takes in answering the objection is, by showing the absurdity of a creature's wrangling with God about his make, and the circumstances in which he is made: shall the thing formed, say unto him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? reference is had to ( Isaiah 45:9 Isaiah 45:10 ) ; Now as it would be a most absurd thing for the clay, was it capable of speaking, to say to the fashioner of it, why dost thou put me into such or such a shape and form? or for any piece of workmanship to say to the maker of it, he has no hands, no head, no judgment and skill; or for a child to say to its parents, what begettest thou, or what hast thou brought forth? so absurd and unreasonable is it, for any to say to God, why hast thou appointed me to such and such ends and purposes, and has brought me into being in such a manner, and under such circumstances? There is a story in the Talmud F14, which may be pertinently produced here; “it happened to R. Eleazar ben Simeon, of Migdal Gedur, that he went from his master's house, and he was riding on an ass, and travelling by the sea side, and as he rejoiced exceedingly, and his heart was lifted up because he had learnt much of the law, there was joined to him a certain man that was very much deformed, and says to him, peace be upon thee Rabbi; but he did not return the salutation to him, but says to him "Raca", how deformed is that man! perhaps all thy townsmen are as deformed as thee; he replied to him, I do not know, but go and say, (ynavev) (Nmwal) , "to the workman that made me", how ugly is this vessel thou hast made, when he knew in himself that he has sinned; upon this the Rabbi dismounted his ass, and fell down before him, and said unto him, I entreat of thee forgive me; he said unto him, I cannot forgive thee, till thou goest "to the workman that made me", and say, how ugly is this vessel which thou hast made.'' FOOTNOTES: F14 T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 20. 2. Massechet Derech Eretz, c. 4. fol. 18. 1. Romans 9:21 Hath not the potter power over the clay By the power the potter has over the clay, to shape it in what form he pleases, and out of it to make what vessels he pleases, and for what purposes he thinks fit, which will be most to his own advantage, the apostle expresses the sovereign and unlimited power which God has over his creatures; the passages referred to, are ( Isaiah 64:8 ) ( Jeremiah 18:1-6 ) , in which God is represented as the potter, and men as clay in his hands; now if the potter has such power over the clay which he did not make, only has made a purchase of, or has it in his possession, much more has God a power, who has created the clay, to appoint out of it persons to different uses and purposes, for his own glory, as he sees fit; even of the same lump, to make one vessel to honour, and another to dishonour. The apostle seems to design hereby, to point out to us the object of predestination to be man, as yet not made, but as lying in the mere mass of creatureship, signified by the unformed clay, before put into any shape; and is an allusion to the first creation of man, out of the clay, or dust of the earth, ( Genesis 2:7 ) ; for such a consideration of man best agrees with the clay, lump, or mass, not yet formed, than as already made, and much less as fallen and corrupted: for if men, in predestination, were considered in the corrupt mass, or as fallen creatures, they could not be so well said to be made out of it, both to honour and dishonour; but rather since they were all dishonourable, that some were left in that dishonour, and others removed from it unto honour: besides, if this is not the case, God must create man without an end, which is contrary to the principle of reason and wisdom; the end is the cause, for which a thing is what it is; and it is a known rule, that what is first in intention, is last in execution, and "vice versa": the end is first fixed, and then the means; for God to create man, and then to fix the end of his creation, is to do what no wise potter would do, first make his pots, and then think of the end of making them, and the use they are to be put unto. To make one vessel to honour, and another to dishonour, is for God to appoint creatures, which are to be made out of the same mass and lump, for his own glory; which end, his own glory, he determines to bring about by different means, as these following: with respect to the vessels of honour, whom he appoints for his glory, he determines to create them; to suffer them to fall into sin, whereby they become polluted and guilty; to raise and recover them, by the obedience, sufferings, and death of his Son; to regenerate, renew, and sanctify them, by his Spirit and grace, and to bring them to eternal happiness; and hereby compass the aforesaid end, his own glory, the glorifying of his grace and mercy, in a way consistent with justice and holiness: with respect to the vessels of dishonour, whom he also appoints for the glorifying of himself, he determines to create them out of the same lump; to suffer them to fall into sin; to leave them in their sins, in the pollution and guilt of them, and to condemn them for them; and hereby gain his ultimate end, his own glory, glorifying the perfections of his power, justice, and holiness, without the least blemish to his goodness and mercy: now if a potter has power, for his own advantage and secular interest, to make out of the same clay what vessels he pleases; much more has God a power, out of the same mass and lump of creatureship, to appoint creatures he determines to make to his own glory; which he brings about by different methods, consistent with the perfections of his nature. Romans 9:22 What if God, willing to show his wrath The apostle proceeds to clear God from any charge of cruelty and unmercifulness, by observing his conduct in time, both towards those he passes by, and towards those he chooses; for in this and the following verse, nothing is said relating to any act of God before time, everything of that kind being considered already. In this verse, the apostle considers the conduct of God towards the vessels of dishonour; and let it be observed, that these are called vessels of wrath fitted for destruction; they are said to be vessels, and so no longer considered in the clay, in the mass and heap of creatureship, but as creatures formed and made, and brought into being; and so to be used as instruments in God's hands, to subserve his ends and purposes, and therefore called "vessels"; and not only so, but "vessels of wrath", fallen sinful creatures, and so deserving of the wrath of God, and objects of his vindictive justice, in whom he may righteously display his wrath and vengeance: hence they may be so called, being as vessels filled with his wrath; as such who are the instruments and executioners of his wrath are called, in ( Isaiah 13:5 ) , (wmez ylk) , "vessels of his wrath"; and in ( Jeremiah 50:25 ) ; where the Septuagint use the same phrase as here: and they are moreover said to be "fitted for destruction", as Haman is said to be by the Jews F15; whom they affirm to be the same with Memucan, and ask why is his name called Memucan? and answer, (twnerwpl Nkwmv) , "because he was fitted for punishment": so these are said to be "fitted for destruction", that is, eternal damnation; not by God, for this does not respect God's act of ordination to punishment; but by Satan, the god of this world, that blinds them, who works effectually in them, and leads them captive at his will; and by themselves, by their own wickedness, hardness of heart, and impenitence, do they treasure up to themselves wrath, against the day of wrath, so that their destruction is of themselves: a phrase somewhat like this is used in ( Psalms 31:12 ) , where the Psalmist, under some dismal apprehensions of himself, says, that he was like (dba ylk) , "a perishing vessel", or "a vessel of perdition"; the Septuagint render it, (skeuov apolwlov) , "a lost vessel". Now what is the method of the divine conduct towards such persons? he endures [them] with much longsuffering; as he did the old world, before he destroyed it; and as he did Pharaoh, before he cut him off: God not only supports such persons in their beings, amidst all their impieties and iniquities, but follows and fills them with his providential goodness, insomuch that many of them have more than heart can wish; nay, to many he affords the outward means of grace, which they slight and despise; externally calls them, but they refuse, loving darkness rather than light, and therefore are inexcusable: now if after all this patience, indulgence, and forbearance, when he could in justice have sent them to hell long ago, he is "willing to show his wrath"; his displicency at sin and sinners, his vindictive justice, his righteous vengeance: and to make his power known; what it is he can do, by the utter destruction and damnation of such persons; what man in his senses can ever find fault with such a procedure, or charge it with tyranny, cruelty, and unmercifulness? Romans 9:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory That is, his glorious riches, the perfections of his nature, his love, grace, and mercy, his wisdom, power, faithfulness, justice, and holiness; all which are most evidently displayed in the salvation of his people, here called vessels of mercy, which he hath afore prepared unto glory. They are said to be vessels, and so considered as creatures, made and brought into being; "vessels of mercy", and so fallen creatures, and by sin become miserable, for only such are objects of mercy: they are not called so, because deserving of mercy more than others, they are in no wise better than others, and are by nature children of wrath, even as others; but because God of his infinite goodness fills them with his mercy, displays it in them, in the redemption of them by his Son, in the regeneration of them by his Spirit, and in their eternal salvation: and these are by him "afore prepared unto glory"; to everlasting happiness, which he has chosen them to before time, and calls them to in time; to this glory he does not take them, until he has prepared them for it; which act of preparation does not regard the eternal predestination of them to eternal life, but an act of his grace towards them in time; and which lies in putting upon them the righteousness of his Son, and in putting his grace in them; or in other words, in justifying them by the imputation and application of the righteousness of his Son unto them, and by the regeneration, renovation, and sanctification of their hearts, by his Spirit. Now what if God willing to make known his glorious perfections, by displaying his mercy to such sinners, and by preparing them for heaven in a way consistent with his holiness and justice, what can any man that has the exercise of his reason object to this? The whole of his conduct is free from blame and censure; the vessels of wrath he shows his wrath upon, are such as fit themselves for destruction, and whom he endures with much longsuffering and patience, and therefore he cannot be chargeable with cruelty; the vessels of mercy he brings to glory, none of them are taken thither, until they are prepared for it, in a way of righteousness and holiness, and therefore he cannot be charged with acting contrary to the perfections of his nature. FOOTNOTES: F15 T. Bab. Megilia, fol. 12. 2. Since there is no better answer to the question than that was given by the apostle Paul then we must rest in it. For further study along the lines of the free will of man, the sovereignty of God & human responsibility please see my videos "The Sovereignty of God Versus Man-Made Religions, Hollywood Movies & Petty Emotionalism" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UQABR_9gGI & "God's Foreordaination & Sovereignty Over the Actions of Men But Humans Are Still Held Responsible" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ-ZCgZBi1s&index=71&list=PLA932903698A56780" along with our video "Biblical Election: Do Sin Loving Evil Doers Choose a Holy God or Does a Holy God Choose Sinners?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R4Dqhguweg&index=5&list=PLA932903698A56780. Additional helpful resources are: "THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD, Chapter 8, GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY AND HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY – "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God" – Romans 14:12" at http://www.pbministries.org/books/pink/Sovereignty/sov_08.htm, "How can God be sovereign and man still be free?" at http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/qna/sovereignfree.html, "The Sovereignty of God" by A. W. Pink at http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?seriesOnly=true&currSection=sermonstopic&sourceid=swrb&keyword=Calvinism+and+Predestination&keyworddesc=Calvinism+and+Predestination, "The Sovereignty of God" by Dr. James White (question & answer session) at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=630091023484. See also our playlist "Dealing with Predestination, Arminianism & Calvinism" with 81 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA932903698A56780. A helpful website is http://reformationtheology.com/. 2 Timothy 2:15
Does Calvinism Mean We Are Robots? Some have suggested that Calvinism suggests that we are merely robots. Shakespeare commented “all the world’s a stage and we are merely players.” Is this an accurate depiction of Calvinism, (or Reformed Theology)? This question hits a few points in Reformed doctrine, one being Total Depravity (or Moral Inability), God’s Sovereignty/Human Responsibility (or culpability), God’s Providence, and God’s Decrees. That is an awful lot of ground to cover theologically. It causes the human mind (especially the critics of Calvinism) to contemplate such questions as “Is man responsible for sin?,” “Is God the author of evil?,” “Aren’t we mere puppets on a string?,” “Does God drag people to heaven against their will?” These are all viable questions, and although the intent of this article is not to address all of the questions, I am certain it will clear up some of them. One of the most elementary teachings of Scripture is that God is in Sovereign (in control), and that man is responsible for all of his actions (Culpability). Immediately the question arises, “Well if God is in Control of everything, how is man still responsible for sin?” Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility has received more than fair treatment by theologians such as J.I. Packer, D.A. Carson, and John Frame and others. I am firmly convinced that Scripture addresses this question. A familiar story to all of us is how Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Joseph’s brothers clearly acted willfully, and sinfully when they mistreated Joseph. This is not in question, they meant to harm him, tried to cover their sin, and disobeyed God. They were acting out the evil intentions of their hearts. Notice Genesis 50:20, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant in for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” Here we witness evil intentions of men acting freely but “God meant it for good.” God was clearly orchestrating this whole plot here. This is termed as God’s Providence. Does this excuse the brothers’ sin? By no means, as Joseph cast blame on his brothers.” The emphasis is placed on God orchestrating the events! We see God using the evil intentions of men for HIS purposes. This is illustrated by a familiar passage ,Romans 8:28 “For God works all things together for them that LOVE him, and are CALLED according to his purpose.” This verse is only applicable to believers! And a mighty assurance that whatever a believer encounters, God looks after his own. Why? Paul continues in verse 29 “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…” Here we see God’s intention in ALL believers lives, ultimately to conform us to the image of His Son, and He will do whatever it takes. Paul doesn’t hesitate to use the word predestine here, and we ought not shrink back from it. In the Westminster Confession of Faith under Chapter 3 under the heading “God’s Eternal Decree.” We read the following in paragraphs one and two: “God from all eternity did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass: yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures, nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established. II “Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions; yet hat he not decreed any thing because he foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.” (emphasis mine). Here we notice God controls all things according to his good pleasure, nor does God force people into committing sin. We also read that His Control (predetermining) isn’t based on God looking into the future and basing his predestination on foreknowledge. Another excellent N.T. passage illustrating Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility is Peter’s sermon in Acts 2:23 “Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.” Here Peter clearly states that it was God’s intention that Christ die. John the Baptist declared, “Behold the lamb of God who was slain from the foundation of the world.” Christ death on the cross was predetermined, preordained by God the Father, but yet he cast all blame on them for their sin. This is almost identically parallel to the story of Joseph. Does this mean that Judas can stand up on the final day of judgement and declare that he was the one who made redemption for the church possible? Absolutely not, Christ Declared, “For the Son of man goes as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom hes is betrayed!” Luke 22:22 John Calvin stated, “thieves and murderers and other evildoers are the instruments of divine providence, and the Lord himself uses these to carry out the judgements that he has determined with himself. Yet I deny that they can derive form this any excuse for their evil deeds. Why? Will they either involve God in the same iniquity with themselves, or will they cloak their own depravity with his justice? They can do neither.” Calvin’s Institutes 1:217 Many have come to false conclusions regarding Calvinism stating it makes God the author of sin. Calvin and the Reformers clearly denied this, and more importantly so does Scripture deny this teaching. Scripture affirms both God’s Sovereignty and Human Responsibility. J.I. Packer in Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God discusses this. He mentions that it is called an antinomy. An antinomy is where we find two principles lying side by side, both of them irreconcilable, yet both undeniable. The Bible teaches both concepts, and neither one should be emphasized more than the other. We need to present them as Scripture does. We cannot reconcile them, and we cannot comprehend how both square up logically with our finite minds. Most importantly we do NOT need to reconcile these two truths. Scripture affirms them and so should we in obedience to His Word. This is in response to someone's comment on our video about John 3:16. See our video "DEBATE: John 3:16, Does "World" Always Mean Everybody Who Ever Lived or Not?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6duguuzfho&list=PLA932903698A56780&index=47. Your understanding of that verse is out of line with the context of the rest of the Bible. See our video "The God of the Bible Does Not Love Everybody But Actually Hates Many Instead (Romans 9:22)" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zHEJCHgQVg&index=74&list=PLA932903698A56780. Sometimes we hear that God hates the sin but loves the sinner. This is not true. A. H. Strong (“Systematic Theology,” p. 290) observes that God both hates and loves the sinner at the same time: “hates him as he is a living and wilful antagonist of truth and holiness, loves him as he is a creature capable of good and ruined by his transgression.” In other words, God hates the sin, and he also hates the sinner. “You hate all who do iniquity. You destroy those who speak falsehood; the LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit” (Ps. 5:5-6). This and many other passages show that God’s hatred is directed against the PERSON who sins and not just the sin itself. Sometimes just a general category is mentioned. “Everyone who acts unjustly is an abomination to the LORD your God,” says Deuteronomy 25:16. “The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves violence His soul hates” (Ps. 11:5). The seven things that God hates in Proverbs 6:16-19 include “a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.” He also hates “the perverse in heart” (Prov. 11:20), “everyone who is proud in heart” (Prov. 16:5), and whoever justifies the wicked or condemns the righteous (Prov. 17:15). Other passages describe God’s hatred for specific persons. Leviticus 20:23 speaks of God as abhorring or loathing the Canaanites. Sometimes his hatred is directed against Israel. When the Lord saw their idolatry, “He was filled with wrath, and greatly abhorred Israel” (Ps. 78:59). “I have come to hate her,” he says (Jer. 12:8; cf. Hosea 9:15). He also hated Esau (Edom), says Malachi 1:3 (cf. Rom. 9:13). We must not take these passages lightly. To be hated by the holy God is a terrible, terrifying thing. The Old Testament word translated “to hate” expresses “an emotional attitude toward persons and things which are opposed, detested, despised and with which one wishes to have no contact or relationship. It is therefore the opposite of love. Whereas love draws and unites, hate separates and keeps distant. The hated and hating persons are considered foes or enemies and are considered odious, utterly unappealing” (G. Van Gronigen, “Theological Wordbook of the OT,” Moody 1980, II:880). Could anything be more terrifying than to hear God say, “I hate you”? Keep in mind what Jesus said in Matthew 5:45, "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." In this life God shows a general "love" to all men as Matthew 5:45 indicates but the personal, individual love of God is reserved only for His elect (Amos 3:2, Romans 8:27-39, Acts 13:48, 1 Peter 1:2, "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."). Hear how Jonathan Edwards describes this in his sermon "Those Whom God Hates He Is Often Pleased To Give Plenty Of Earthly Things To, Edwards" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=427121150346. See our playlist "Dealing with Predestination, Arminianism & Calvinism" with 81 videos & counting at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA932903698A56780 which may help you understand what the Bible actually teaches on this issue. Amos 3:2, "You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities." Deuteronomy 7:6-10, " For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. 7 The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8 But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; 10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face."
Question: "How can I be saved?" Answer: True Biblical salvation is a sovereign act of God in the heart of the believer (Acts 13:48, "And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." & John 1:12-13, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."). You cannot even repent of your sins against God unless God first grants you the power to turn away from your sins (2 Timothy 2:24-26, "And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will."). For an in depth Biblical discussion of God's power in the salvation of wicked sinners who cannot save themselves see our video "The Sovereignty of God Versus Man-Made Religions, Hollywood Movies & Petty Emotionalism" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UQABR_9gGI. A free transcript of this message is available at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=52015125752. Once there scroll down to "Sermon Transcription" where you have the following options: 1. View transcript, 2. Download PDF, 3. Send to Kindle, or 4. Google Translation making this message transcription available in 27 foreign languages. Everything is free with nothing to buy. 2 Timothy 2:15
This simple, yet profound, question is the most important question that can be asked. "How can I be saved?" deals with where we will spend eternity after our lives in this world are over. There is no more important issue than our eternal destiny. Thankfully, the Bible is abundantly clear on how a person can be saved. The Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30) Paul and Silas responded, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).
How can I be saved? Why do I need to be saved? We are all infected with sin (Romans 3:23). We are born with sin (Psalm 51:5), and we all personally choose to sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8). Sin is what makes us unsaved. Sin is what separates us from God. Sin is what has us on the path to eternal destruction.
How can I be saved? Saved from what? Because of our sin, we all deserve death (Romans 6:23). While the physical consequence of sin is physical death, that is not the only kind of death that results from sin. All sin is ultimately committed against an eternal and infinite God (Psalm 51:4). Because of that, the just penalty for our sin is also eternal and infinite. What we need to be saved from is eternal destruction (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:15).
How can I be saved? How did God provide salvation? Because the just penalty for sin is infinite and eternal, only God could pay the penalty, because only He is infinite and eternal. But God, in His divine nature, could not die. So God became a human being in the person of Jesus Christ. God took on human flesh, lived among us, and taught us. When the people rejected Him and His message, and sought to kill Him, He willingly sacrificed Himself for us, allowing Himself to be crucified (John 10:15). Because Jesus Christ was human, He could die; and because Jesus Christ was God, His death had an eternal and infinite value. Jesus’ death on the cross was the perfect and complete payment for our sin (1 John 2:2). He took the consequences we deserved. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead demonstrated that His death was indeed the perfectly sufficient sacrifice for sin.
How can I be saved? What do I need to do? “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). God has already done all of the work. All you must do is receive, in faith through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-17), the salvation God grants to His elect (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 9:10-33). A full trust in Jesus alone as the payment for your sins is supernatural because a person's faith is empowered by God the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-8, John 6:37, 39, 44, 63,65). Thus believing in Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity (Matthew 28:19), the true believer will not perish (John 3:16-21) but this can only be done by the supernatural sovereign power of God's Holy Spirit & not a person's own "free will" by itself (see our video "DEBATE: Luke 1:15, Did John the Baptist Make a "Free Will" Decision for Christ in the Womb?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krXBDYPlXV0 & Charles Haddon Spurgeon's Biblically insightful sermon "Free Will — A Slave" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=8160293628. Therefore, in reality, the lost sinner, realizing that there is nothing he can do by his own efforts to attain salvation from the wrath of a Holy God must simply cry out to that Holy God for salvation through His Son Jesus Christ constantly. In other words the lost sinner must beg & plead with God to save him or her each day until God supernaturally responds to that request which may or may not happen immediately. In many cases lost sinners are finally redeemed by God after a long period of begging & pleading with God (consider the cases of the Pharisee & the Publican in Luke 18:9-14 & the Unjust Judge in Like 18:1-8).
Saved by Grace Alone or Saved by Grace Plus Free Will? You cannot consistently assert that we are saved by "grace alone" and then in the same breath declare that the natural man has a free will to come to Christ (John 6:65). Man needs salvation precisely because his will is in bondage to sin. And that which is in bondage is not free. For the need for grace does away with free will altogether. Its not Christ plus our good will that saves us but Christ alone who grants us everything we need for salvation, including a new heart to believe. Visitor: What is salvation? Response: The short answer is salvation is deliverance from God's wrath and salvation from sin….Saved from the just consequences of our rebellion against God, it was accomplished when God took those consequences upon Himself when Jesus was nailed to the cross.The wrath of God abides on all men apart from the grace of Jesus Christ, who alone lived the life we should have lived and died the death we justly deserve. Visitor: Okay, what is free will? Response: Free will is something that exists only in people's imagination. Fallen man does not have a free will. He is NOT able NOT to sin. All people except Jesus Christ have broken God's law and have sinned. Therefore none can save themselves or lift a finger toward their own salvation. God must intervene if man is to have any hope at all. And He has done it in the Person of Jesus Christ. Visitor: How does a person know if they are saved then? Response: By grace you look to Christ's Righteousness and not your own. The Scriptures indicate that we are saved if the Word of God has come in divine power into our soul such that our self-complacency is shattered and our self-righteousness is renounced. Second, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our woeful, guilty, and lost condition. Third, God reveals to us the sufficiency of Jesus Christ alone to meet our desperate case and by a divinely given faith causes us to lay hold of and rest upon Him as our only hope. Fourth, when the Spirit changes our heart He gives us a love for God, a love for His word and an appetite for spiritual things; a longing for holiness; a seeking after conformity to Christ. This does not mean that you are sinless, but that you desire to obey Christ and feel anguish when you disobey Him. (A.W. Pink) Visitor: What if I've felt this my whole life? Response: Then it is likely that the Holy Spirit opened your heart to the gospel at an early age. Quotes: "…he who in his soul believes that man does of his own free-will turn to God, cannot have been taught of God, for that is one of the first principles taught us when God begins with us, that we have neither will nor power, but that he gives both; that he is "Alpha and Omega" in the salvation of men. – C. H. Spurgeon (Free Will, a Slave)
"In vain people busy themselves with finding any good of man's own in his will. For any mixture of the power of free will that men strive to mingle with God's grace is nothing but a corruption of grace. It is just as if one were to dilute wine with muddy, bitter water. But even if there is something good in the will, it comes from the pure prompting of the Spirit." -John Calvin, "Institutes of the Christian Religion."
John 6:65, "And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father." John 6:39, "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day."
QUOTES FROM CHARLES FINNEY “Neither is the atonement nor anything in the mediatorial work of Christ, the foundation of our justification, in the sense of the source, moving or procuring cause.” Charles Finney, Lecture 8, “Obedience to the Moral Law” p. 375-76“It is not founded in Christ’s literally suffering the exact penalty of the law for them, and in this sense literally purchasing their justification and eternal salvation.” Charles Finney, Lecture 8, “Obedience to the Moral Law” p. 373“There can be no justification in a legal or forensic sense, but upon the ground of universal, perfect, and uninterrupted obedience to law. This is of course denied by those who hold that gospel justification, or the justification of penitent sinners, is of the nature of a forensic or judicial justification. They hold to the legal maxim, that what a man does by another he does by himself, and therefore the law regards Christ’s obedience as ours, on the ground that He obeyed for us.” [Systematic Theology, 362]. Charles Finney“These and similar passages are relied upon, as teaching the doctrine of an imputed righteousness; and such as these: “The Lord our righteousness” (Phil. 3:9). . . . “Christ our righteousness” is Christ the author or procurer of our justification. But this does not imply that He procures our justification by imputing His obedience to us. . .” [Charles Finney, Systematic Theology (Minneapolis: Bethany), 372-73].“All who deny this, call it original sin or by any other title, are but heathens still in the fundamental point which differentiates heathenism from Christianity. . . . Or, to come back to the text, is ‘every imagination of the thoughts of his heart evil continually’? Allow this, and you are so far a Christian. Deny it, and you are but a heathen still.”— John Wesley, Works, Vol. V, p. 195.“Moral depravity cannot consist in any attribute of nature or constitution, nor in any lapsed or fallen state of nature. . . . Moral depravity, as I use the term, does not consist in, nor imply a sinful nature, in the sense that the human soul is sinful in itself. It is not a constitutional sinfulness” [Finney, Systematic Theology, 245].Charles Finney established a deadly falsehood when he denied imputed righteousness taught in Romans 4. Finney erred by denying the biblical doctrine of imputation or transference of Christ’s righteousness. The word impute simply means to reckon or to account Christ’s righteousness to the account of all who repent and place their faith in Christ, the one Redeemer.Now these same street preachers are telling people that justification is NOT by the imputed righteousness of Christ which is rank heresy (Romans 4; 2 Corinthians 5:21, etc.). In other words, Jesus came in vain and man can merit his own righteousness by his own “natural ability.” Beware. This is as antichrist as it gets. These guys are novices who are regurgitating the error of men like Finney from the past. They are not getting these evil, Christ-denying falsehoods from God’s Word.In Finney’s Christ-denying, demonic theology, the individual’s own personal morality earns his own merit from God. Christ’s atoning sacrifice is brazenly denied.In light of this, if you have read and espoused or taught others these errors, I want to encourage you to confess them in repentance before the LORD.You, me, and Finney are all mere men. God’s written Word alone is “a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path” or else we are off His narrow path (Psalms 119:105; Matthew 7:13-29).One writer expresses the following concerning Finney:“Yet Satan’s plot against the organized church actually took shape under the ministry of a preacher called Charles Finney. A fiery New York preacher, Finney’s impact on church traditions and practices has been so profound, that his influence is still spreading globally almost two centuries later. Finney’s notoriety is that he is the one who brought the entire church the “make a decision for Christ” through repeating the sinner’s prayer and the altar call. Anyway, in a nutshell, Finney believed that human beings were capable of choosing whether they would be corrupt by nature or redeemed, referring to original sin as an “anti-scriptural and nonsensical dogma.” In clear terms, Finney denied the notion that human beings possess a sinful nature. Therefore, if Adam leads us into sin, he does so not by our inheriting his guilt and corruption, but by our following his poor example. This position leads logically to the view of Christ as not having died for sins but for some lofty, moralistic reason.Specifically, what were Finney’s most serious errors? At the top of the list stands his rejection of the doctrine of justification by faith. Finney denied that the righteousness of Christ is the sole ground of our justification, teaching instead that sinners must reform their own hearts in order to be acceptable to God. (His emphasis on self-reformation apart from divine enablement is again a strong echo of Pelagianism.)He derided the concept of imputation as unjust: “I could not but regard and treat this whole question of imputation as a theological fiction, somewhat related to our legal fiction of John Doe and Richard Roe” [Finney, Memoirs, 60].Having decided that the doctrine of imputation was a “theological fiction,” he was forced to deny not only the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to believers, but also the imputation of the sinner’s guilt to Christ on the cross. Under Finney’s system, Christ could not have actually borne anyone else’s sin or suffered sin’s full penalty in their place and in their stead (contra Isaiah 53:6; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:2). Finney therefore rejected the doctrine of substitutionary atonement.There can be no justification in a legal or forensic sense, but upon the ground of universal, perfect, and uninterrupted obedience to law. …” [Systematic Theology, 362].”Yet another author notes the following of Finney:“In his Memoirs, his Lectures on Revival, and his Systematic Theology, what comes through, frankly, is not a man with a high regard for Scripture, but a man with an inflated view of himself. Where Scripture does not suit him, Finney resorts to sophistry to explain it away. Whole sections of his Systematic Theology contain paragraph after paragraph of philosophizing and moralizing—sometimes without a single reference to Scripture for many pages.”Well, this was the man who started the altar call, invitation to Christian discipleship, “I accept Jesus,” practice that has led to the greatest falling away making people think they are saved when they are not. Matthew 7:15
To those who wish to discuss issues brought up in our video posted here to a greater extent please know that you can email one of our ministry volunteers at certainandsecure@gmail.com. Also realize that we may have an entire playlist of videos on this subject on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/CAnswersTV. Besides that know that we have three websites to answer additional questions at http://www.BibleQuery.org (answers over 8500 questions on the Bible & refutes critics of the Bible), http://www.HistoryCart.com (this website deals with an in depth analysis of early Christian church history) and http://www.MuslimHope.com (this website is a documented refutation of Islam, a false religious & political ideology of warlike jihad against all unbelievers invented by Muhammad while he was in Medina for the last 9 years of his life where he averaged one offensive military jihad of pillage, rape & slavery every month to six weeks against his neighbors which eventually led to conquering all of Saudi Arabia- see also http://www.politicalislam.com/, http://www.answeringmuslims.com/, http://answering-islam.org/, http://www.jihadwatch.org/ & our playlist "Dealing with Islam, Muslims: Sunni, Shi'ite, Alawites, Sufis" with 71 videos & counting at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1C7F68B548009FDD). 1 Peter 3:15
Did Christ die for the Eskimos who lived 500 years before Jesus lived? How about the Eskimos that lived 500 years after Jesus lived yet no one ever came & told them the gospel during that time? Did Jesus die for Esau in Romans 9:13? Did Jesus die for Pharoah who opposed Moses in Romans 9:16-23? Jesus told parables so people would not understand so they would be condemned by God instead (Mark 4:11-12; see our video "Did Jesus Die for Everybody Who Ever Lived or Not? Debate #4: WHY DOES JESUS SPEAK IN PARABLES?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPHCMHCqubg). Jesus does not even pray for the "world" (John 17:9 cf 1 John 2:15). Turning now to John 3:16, it should be evident from the passages just quoted that this verse will not bear the construction usually put upon it. ‘God so loved the world.’ Many suppose that this means, The entire human race. But ‘the entire human race’ includes all mankind from Adam till the close of earth’s history: it reaches backward as well as forward! Consider, then, the history of mankind before Christ was born. Unnumbered millions lived and died before the Savior came to the earth, lived here ‘having no hope and without God in the world,’ and therefore passed out into eternity of woe. If God ‘loved’ them, where is the slightest proof thereof? Scripture declares ‘Who (God) in times past (from the tower of Babel till after Pentecost) suffered all nations to walk in their own ways’ (Acts 14:16). Scripture declares that ‘And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient’ (Rom. 1:28). To Israel God said, ‘You only have I known of all the families of the earth’ (Amos 3:2). In view of these plain passages who will be so foolish as to insist that God in the past loved all mankind! The same applies with equal force to the future . . . But the objector comes back to John 3:16 and says, ‘World means world. ‘True, but we have shown that ‘the world’ does not mean the whole human family. The fact is that ‘the world’ is used in a general way.. . Now the first thing to note in connection with John 3:16 is that our Lord was there speaking to Nicodemus, a man who believed that God’s mercies were confined to his own nation. Christ there announced that God’s love in giving His Son had a larger object in view, that it flowed beyond the boundary of Palestine, reaching out to ‘regions beyond.’ In other words, this was Christ’s announcement that God had a purpose of grace toward Gentiles as well as Jews. ‘God so loved the world,’ then, signifies, God’s love is international in its scope. But does this mean that God loves every individual among the Gentiles? Not necessarily, for as we have seen the term ‘world’ is general rather than specific, relative rather than absolute. . . the ‘world’ in John 3:16 must, in the final analysis refer to the world of God’s people. Must we say, for there is no other alternative solution. It cannot mean the whole human race, for one half of the race was already in hell when Christ came to earth. It is unfair to insist that it means every human being now living, for every other passage in the New Testament where God’s love is mentioned limits it to His own people — search and see! The objects of God’s love in John 3:16 are precisely the same as the objects of Christ’s love in John 13:1: ‘Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His time was come, that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end.’ We may admit that our interpretation of John 3:16 is no novel one invented by us, but one almost uniformly given by the Reformers and Puritans, and many others since them. See our video "DEBATE: John 3:16, Does "World" Always Mean Everybody Who Ever Lived or Not?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6duguuzfho. Romans 9:15-18
We also have channels on Sermon Audio at http://www.sermonaudio.com/source_detail.asp?sourceid=christiananswers & http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Larry_Wessels. Although the 30 plus videos we have posted on http://www.SermonAudio.com are also on YouTube the thing that makes these particular videos of interest is that we have produced written transcripts of many of them which has helped quite a few people. Once you click on one of the transcribed videos scroll down to "Sermon Transcription" & choose your options: "View Transcript!," "Download PDF," or "Send to Kindle." Viewers also have the option of over 20 different languages to get the transcription in by going to the "Google Translation" option. Everything is free with nothing to buy. Here are just a few examples of some of our videos that have free transcriptions available:
There are many more but this is just a small sampling of what is available at no charge. Blessings to all. 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
Just remember that grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldy lusts and to live soberly, righteously, and godly…Titus 2:12. His nemesis, Augustine, took 4 tries before he got the pope and emperor to declair Pelagious a heretic. The nicest thing that Augustine said about him was that Pelagious had an impeccable character.
starts at 2:28
ca i love your page awesome. but if its not too much could you possibly make time markers for those who would like to watch the vid.
again just a minor grip ive learned so much from your page.
What dies ***** think of Jerry Falwell. I heard him speak many times, but I never saw him fall into Pelagianism or any other works based system.
The wicked hate the wrath, justice & judgment of a Holy God. Get an in-depth study of the Biblical Doctrine of Hell besides videos on our playlist "Dealing with Hell, Lake of Fire, Unpopular Bible Doctrines" at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE04A1D0DFE95B95E by going to "Eternal Punishment, Part 1" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=12607145320 & "Eternal Punishment, Part 2" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=12607143539 by A.W. Pink. Great preaching on this subject can be found at "Heaven & Hell" by Charles Haddon Spurgeon at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=8702112616 & "The Sinner's End, Hell Opens Wide Her Jaws, the Sinner Falls To Destruction, Spurgeon" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1014131452290; "A Few Sighs From Hell" by John Bunyan at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=112903233617; "The Eternity of Hell Torments" by George Whitefield at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=11307232342; Men Don't Regard Warnings of Future Punishment As Hell Doesn't Seem Real – Edwards" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1031121125362, "The Torments of Hell Are Exceeding Great, A Rich Man Went to Hell and Was Tormented" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=51513154140, "They That Are Gone to Hell Are All of Them in Despair, Eternal Damnation by Edwards" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=219131311338 & "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=113003134610 by Jonathan Edwards, "God's Hell" by John Wagner at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=6501212239; "A Tour of Hell" by E.A. Johnston at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=7251216250; other great Biblical messages about the doctrine of Hell can be found at http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?currSection=sermonstopic&keyworddesc=Hell&keyword=hell.
See our newsletter on Hell with plenty of Biblical references on our website http://www.biblequery.org/ (once on the homepage click on the "experience" box to the left then scroll down to the newsletter section & click on "Turn or Burn."
The wicked hate the Biblical doctrine of Hell & will create any myth to pretend it is not real or eternal in the conscious divine punishment of the damned. "Be not deceived, GOD IS NOT MOCKED: For whatsover a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Galations 6:7). "VENGEANCE IS MINE; I WILL REPAY SAITH THE LORD" (Rom. 12:19). "Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and THAT WILL BY NO MEANS CLEAR THE GUILTY" (Exodus 34:7). Jesus said, "It would have been good for that man if he had not been born" (Matthew 26:24). Why would Jesus say this if there wasn't something far worse waiting for that man after this life is over? Interestingly enough, over the years many atheists have flocked to our YouTube hell videos with unusual curiosity. Why do they bother if they don't think it is real?
2 Timothy 2:15
"Evangelical" Christianity (see our video "ECUMENICAL CHAOS: Going to Bed With Roman Catholic False Prophets & Idolaters" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S76Nvi6p0lw) is awash in bad theology (via Wesley & Finney), bad leadership (like Billy Graham & TBN), & Biblical ignorance (87% don't know the Gospel or what justificaton is) thus it seems to accept anyone who claims to be a Christian (like Romanists, Mormons, Seventh-day Adventists or whoever). For proof of this see the following: "Methodist Founder & Self Proclaimed Heathen John Wesley Said He Never Believed In or Loved God" (short version) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_bz2RyShFI & "JOHN WESLEY, FOUNDER OF METHODISM & AN ARMINIAN, SAID HE DID NOT LOVE GOD & WAS "AN HONEST HEATHEN" (long version) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vo3ljr7ccs; BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS: CHARLES GRANDISON FINNEY – PHONY REVIVALIST & ARCH-HERETIC at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rUbi8AJRw4, "Exclusive Interview with Dave Hunt about the Gospel-less Mother Teresa & Compromiser Billy Graham" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YtX1DirDI4&list=UUQ_EDvOtDAAWfCvGUhd6y3A, Our playlist "Dealing with Phony TV Preachers (TBN) & King James Onlyites" at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2CDA855486B09128 & "SAD STATE OF THE CHURCH: 87% OF EVANGELICAL "CHRISTIANS" DON'T KNOW WHAT GOSPEL JUSTIFICATION IS" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im4ozy_EiR4. See our playlist "Dealing with Roman Catholicism, Idolatry & the Virgin Mary" with 119 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFFA8D69D1B914715, our playlist "Dealing with Mormonism, the Religion of Mitt Romney & Utah" with 20 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL11CD0EE613306BB5 & our playlist "Dealing with Seventh-day Adventism & Their "Prophetess" at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5316CC6F66F24283. Billy Graham's false views on universal salvation & hell distort the Gospel message & is another reason he is so popular with the world (Galatians 1:6-10, see our playlist "Dealing with Hell, Lake of Fire, Unpopular Bible Doctrines" with 30 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE04A1D0DFE95B95E). Please reference the websites: http://www.BereanBeacon & http://www.CWRC-RZ.org. The simple Biblical fact is that few are going to be saved from the wrath of God & hell (Luke 13:23-30, Matthew 7:13-29, etc.); see our video on this: "Unpopular Bible Doctrines #2: Many "Christians" Are Not Real; God Loves Judgment; No Forgiveness" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJIlReP9SFw. All the ecumenical "love" & "harmony" in the world is not going to change the fact that God still hates false religions (Deuteronomy 28:64, 32:17, 21, Leviticus 17:7, Psalm 106:37, Jeremiah 44:3, 1 Corinthians 10:20, see also http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/32-17.htm) & false doctrine (Revelation 2:6,14-15, 2 Peter 2:15, etc.). Thus following the Bible alone is the only safe path to travel (2 Timothy 3:15-17, 4:2-5, 1 Timothy 1:3-11, 6:3-5, etc.; see our video "WITHOUT "SOLA SCRIPTURA" (THE BIBLE ALONE), WHO IS TELLING THE TRUTH?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcMnF6tgya0). 2 Timothy 2:15
For much more on the apostasy of Billy Graham & his ecumenical false gospel (Galatians 1:6-10) based on his redefinition of Christian terminology (the same deceitful semantics employed by the Mormons) hear the following messages: "Billy Graham: The Compromising Prophet, Ecumenism, Romanism, Apostasy, Separation" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=72007134753, "The Gospel According to Billy Graham" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=86111517593, "Dr Billy Graham – The Pope's Cheerleader!" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=5200517315, "Article Calling Mormonism a 'Cult' Removed From Billy Graham Website" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=10181298352, "FPC Position on Those Who Compromise with Apostasy" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=22307164457, "Billy Graham's Compromise with Rome" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=928131931494, "Billy Graham & Rome & Apostates" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=912081236256 & "Billy Graham's Apostasy" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=112413416340. Billy Graham praises the pope, a man who allows himself to be called God (see Blasphemy 101)
When Billy Graham was on the Phil Donahue show on 10-11-79, he said that pope John Paul II was someone that he could quote with "some real authority." He also said that the world was looking for a spiritual leader and that the pope didn't pull any punches.
Billy Graham receives honorary degree from Catholic college
Billy Graham received an honorary doctorate from Catholic priests at Belmont Abbey College in 1967. He called it, "a time when Protestants and Catholics could meet together and greet each other as brothers, whereas 10 years ago they could not". He joked around, "I'm not sure but what this could start me being called "Father Graham".
("Belmont Abbey Confers Honorary Degree," Paul Smith, Gazette staff reporter, The Gastonia Gazette, Gastonia, North Carolina, Nov. 22, 1967).
Billy Graham turns Catholic converts back to Catholic religion
These poor people come forward to receive Christ but when the Billy Graham counsellors get to 'em they turn them back over to Catholic priests–keeping them in the same system of bondage!
In 1957, Graham said, "Anyone who makes a decision at our meetings is seen later and referred to a local clergyman, Protestant, Catholic, or Jewish." (San Francisco News).
According to The Florida Catholic (Sept. 1983) 600 people were turned over to the Catholic religion as a result of the Orlando crusade.
At Billy Graham's 1984 Vancouver, British Columbia crusade, the vice-chairman of the organizing committee said, "If a Catholic steps forward there will be no attempt to convert them and their names will be given to the Catholic church nearest their homes" (Vancouver Sun, Oct. 5, 1984). [Lord, have mercy!]
Billy Graham even had a Catholic priest SUPERVISE the 6,600 counselors for the Denver crusade. Information on the hundreds of Catholics who came forward were sent to a Catholic organization in Denver. (Wilson Ewin, Evangelism: The Trojan Horse of the 1990s).
An ecumenical advisor to the Catholic religion noted in 1989 that "Those who come forward for counseling during a mission evening in June, if they are Roman Catholic, will be directed to a Roman Catholic 'nurture-group' under Roman Catholic counselors in their home area" (John Ashbrook, New Neutralism II, Mentor, Ohio: Here I Stand Books, 1992, p. 35).
The Catholic archdiocese in Portland, Oregon, set a goal to supply 6,000 of the 10,000 counselors needed for the Graham crusade. All Catholics responding to the altar call were channeled to the Catholic religion. These are just a few examples of many.
Billy Graham thinks that infants can become Christian through baptism
But the Bible says that by the works of the flesh shall no man be justified. Baptism comes after faith in Jesus Christ. Look what Billy Graham told the Lutheran Standard in October 1967,
"I do believe that something happens at the baptism of an infant… we cannot fully understand the mysteries of God, but I believe that a miracle can happen in these children so that they are regenerated, that is, MADE CHRISTIAN, THROUGH INFANT BAPTISM."
Billy Graham doesn't believe hell is literal fire or an eternal place of torment (see our playlist "Dealing with Hell, Lake of Fire, Unpopular Bible Doctrines" with 30 videos & 31 hours of teaching material at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE04A1D0DFE95B95E).
"…I think people have a hard time believing God is going to allow people to burn in literal fire forever. I think the fire that is mentioned in the Bible is a burning thirst for God that can never be quenched."
The Orlando (Florida) Sentinel for April 10, 1983
Hell ain't based on our human reasoning. According to Matthew's gospel, it was created for the devil and his angels, but people that reject Jesus Christ will be up in there too.
Billy Graham let apostate Catholic Bishop bless new converts
In 1962, a Roman Catholic bishop of Sao Paulo, Brazil, blessed the people that came forward at the invitation. (Daily Journal, International Falls, Minnesota, Oct. 29, 1963, cited by the New York Times, Nov. 9, 1963).
Those poor people came to Graham for help and he let an idolator bless them. Has he not read that behind every idol is a devil? Yet he let that man "bless" the people of God.
Billy Graham befriends heretics
Based on what I've read, this apparently is not an uncommon practice by Billy Graham. In 1959, he had the liberal Bishop James A. Pike lead in prayer at one of his events. Yet Pike said in an episcopal letter: "Religious myth is one of the avenues of faith and has an important place in the communication of the Gospel." He called the garden of Eden a myth and said, "The virgin birth… IS A MYTH which churchmen should be free to accept or reject…"
What I've supplied here don't even touch the tip of the iceberg of Billy Graham's cozy relationships with heretics.
See also http://www.creationliberty.com/articles/graham.php. For general articles & videos on Billy Graham go to https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=billy+graham%27s+apostasy&fr=ush-mailn_02&hspart=att&hsimp=yhs-att_001&type=yahoo_pc_mail.
Matthew 7:15, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."
It's always exciting to see the Sovereignty of God in action during true evangelism activities. You don't need fake "sales techniques" to get "converts." Recently SermonAudio put a testimony of a French lady who came to the Lord out of Roman Catholicism through our videos on YouTube in their "Staff Picks" section. You can hear "Testimony: Camille Jolly" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonID=6414192554 (or on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oXfZEP6hL4). Glory to God alone for this.
Larry Wessels, Director, Christian Answers of Austin, Texas / Christian Debater
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/CAnswersTV
Home Church: Dayspring Fellowship, Austin, Texas http://www.dsf.org/, Reformed Baptist
Pastor: Greg Van Court at http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Greg_Van_Court
2 Timothy 4:2-5
So what does 1 John 2:2 really mean, "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world"? Does the word "world" in this verse mean every last man, woman & child who was ever born? For more on the word "world" see our video "DEBATE: John 3:16, Does "World" Always Mean Everybody Who Ever Lived or Not?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6duguuzfho. Let me start by affirming that scripture is explicit in saying that Jesus died: for God's people ("He was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of My people" – Isaiah 53:8; "He shall save His people from their sins" – Matt. 1:21); for His sheep ("I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." – John 10:11 – note that Jesus categorically states that some are not His sheep – "but you do not believe because you are not My sheep." – John 10:26) for His friends ("Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you." – John 15:13-14; for the Church ("… the church of God, which He obtained with His own blood." – Acts 20:28; "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her…" – Eph. 5:25, 26). Indeed, as God allows us to gain a glimpse into the future, Revelation 5:9 reveals the song of the throngs of heaven as they sing to the Lamb upon His throne, "And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." Notice that it does not say that He ransomed everybody in every tribe, etc., but that He ransomed people for God from every tribe, tongue, people and nation. Yet at least at first glance, 1 John 2:2 seems to strongly deny this idea that Jesus' death was designed for a particular people. The verse states, "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." I don't believe that scripture contradicts itself. That is in fact why we are told to study the word of God in order that we might rightly divide it (2 Tim. 2:15) rather than simply throw up our hands saying a particular verse contradicts others on the same subject. "All Scripture is God breathed" (2 Tim. 3:16) and because there is one Divine Author of Scripture who does not contradict Himself, I am convinced that hard work and careful study will eliminate apparent contradictions. There are basically twelve principles of biblical interpretation (hermeneutics, see our video "Roman Catholicism Series #11: Scripture Twisting – 20 Ways Religious Cults Misread the Bible" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT_5peLnQoA). We start by affirming that there is only one correct interpretation of scripture. Though there may be many applications of a verse, it only means what it was intended to mean when it was written. With this as a foundation, two more principles would apply here: 1. Consider the Author – who wrote the book? (what was his background, language, culture, vocation, concerns, education, circumstance, what stage of life?) 2. Consider the Audience (why was the book written? who was the audience? what would these words have meant to its original recipients?) My friend, Dr. James White (see our video, "WITHOUT "SOLA SCRIPTURA" (THE BIBLE ALONE), WHO IS TELLING THE TRUTH?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcMnF6tgya0) once wrote, "Remember when you were in school and you had to take a test on a book you were assigned to read? You studied and invested time in learning the background of the author, the context in which he lived and wrote, his purposes in writing, his audience, and the specifics of the text. You did not simply come to class, pop open the book, read a few sentences, and say, "Well, I feel the author here means this." Yet, for some odd reason, this attitude is prevalent in Christian circles. Whether that feeling results in an interpretation that has anything at all to do with what the original author intended to convey is really not considered an important aspect. Everyone, seemingly, has the right to express their "feelings" about what they "think" the Bible is saying, as if those thoughts actually reflect what God inspired in His Word. While we would never let anyone get away with treating our writings like this, we seem to think God is not bothered, and what is worse, that our conclusions are somehow authoritative in their representation of His Word." With this in view, John writes of Jesus Christ being "the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only (Hebrews), but also for the whole world (the Gentiles)." A third principle I mentioned in the article relates to the concept of considering the author's context. This refers to looking at all of a person's writings – John's writings, Paul's writings, Luke's writings, etc. When we look elsewhere in John's writings we notice in his Gospel an exact parallel in John's use of words, which gives us a great deal of insight as to what he (John) was referring to. In John's Gospel, chapter 11, verses 51-52, John wrote these words, "he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad." When we see this in chart form, the parallel with 1 John 2:2 is easy understood: John 11:51-52 "he prophesied that" cf. 1 John 2:2 "And"; John 11:51-52 "Jesus" cf. 1 John 2:2 "He Himself"; John 11:51-52 "would die for" cf. 1 John 2:2 "is the propitiation for"; John 11:51-52 "the nation" cf. 1 John 2:2 "our sins"; John 11:51-52 "and not for the nation only" cf. 1 John 2:2 "and not for our sins only"; John 11:51-52 "but also" cf. 1 John 2:2 "but also"; John 11:51-52 "that he would gather together in one" cf. 1 John 2:2 "for"; John 11:51-52 "the children of God scattered abroad" cf. 1 John 2:2 "the whole world." Dr. Phil Johnson (who provided this helpful chart) writes, "There is little doubt that this is how John's initial audience would have understood this expression. "The whole world" means "people of all kinds, including Jews, Gentiles, Greeks, Romans, and whatnot" as opposed to "ours only" i.e., the Jewish nation. What the apostle John is saying in the John 11 passage is particularly significant: Christ died so that he might gather "the children of God" the elect, from the whole world." I believe therefore that rather than undermining the case for Christ's death for His elect sheep, 1 John 2:2 actually affirms it. When we understand the verse in its Johannine context (the writings of the Apostle John) then the correct interpretation becomes very clear. For a deeper understanding of the sovereignty of God in the understanding of 1 John 2:2 & other Arminian proof texts please see my video "The Sovereignty of God Versus Man-Made Religions, Hollywood Movies & Petty Emotionalism" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UQABR_9gGI&list=PLA932903698A56780. From there see our playlist "Dealing with Predestination, Arminianism & Calvinism" with 79 videos & counting at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA932903698A56780. 2 Timothy 2:15
To see the entire 4 hour debate on whether Jesus died for everyone who ever lived on the earth or only for the "elect" who were chosen by God the Father before the world was created please see the following links: "Did Jesus Die for Everybody Who Ever Lived or Not? Debate #1: IS JESUS' DEATH MAINLY A FAILURE?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOD-IwS3fW4&list=PLA932903698A56780&index=21, "Did Jesus Die for Everybody Who Ever Lived or Not? Debate #2: LIMITED ATONEMENT-FOR ELECT/NONELECT?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCygb86ios4, "Did Jesus Die for Everybody Who Ever Lived or Not? Debate #3: DID CHRIST KNOWINGLY DIE FOR JUDAS?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKxqvU0Gzc0 & "Did Jesus Die for Everybody Who Ever Lived or Not? Debate #4: WHY DOES JESUS SPEAK IN PARABLES?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPHCMHCqubg. For more information on the Arminian versus Calvinism issue see our playlist "Dealing with Predestination, Arminianism & Calvinism" with 81 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA932903698A56780. Particularly notice the following three videos: "True Christians Cannot Lose Their Salvation But Fake & Deluded "Christians" Never Had It At All" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meUD2vCv3oo&index=2&list=PLA932903698A56780, "The Sovereignty of God Versus Man-Made Religions, Hollywood Movies & Petty Emotionalism" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UQABR_9gGI&list=PLA932903698A56780&index=4 & "Biblical Election: Do Sin Loving Evil Doers Choose a Holy God or Does a Holy God Choose Sinners?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R4Dqhguweg&list=PLA932903698A56780&index=5. Acts 13:48, "And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed."
This is in response to someone's comment on our video about John 3:16. See our video "DEBATE: John 3:16, Does "World" Always Mean Everybody Who Ever Lived or Not?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6duguuzfho&list=PLA932903698A56780&index=47. Your understanding of that verse is out of line with the context of the rest of the Bible. See our video "The God of the Bible Does Not Love Everybody But Actually Hates Many Instead (Romans 9:22)" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zHEJCHgQVg&index=74&list=PLA932903698A56780. Sometimes we hear that God hates the sin but loves the sinner. This is not true. A. H. Strong (“Systematic Theology,” p. 290) observes that God both hates and loves the sinner at the same time: “hates him as he is a living and wilful antagonist of truth and holiness, loves him as he is a creature capable of good and ruined by his transgression.” In other words, God hates the sin, and he also hates the sinner. “You hate all who do iniquity. You destroy those who speak falsehood; the LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit” (Ps. 5:5-6). This and many other passages show that God’s hatred is directed against the PERSON who sins and not just the sin itself. Sometimes just a general category is mentioned. “Everyone who acts unjustly is an abomination to the LORD your God,” says Deuteronomy 25:16. “The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves violence His soul hates” (Ps. 11:5). The seven things that God hates in Proverbs 6:16-19 include “a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.” He also hates “the perverse in heart” (Prov. 11:20), “everyone who is proud in heart” (Prov. 16:5), and whoever justifies the wicked or condemns the righteous (Prov. 17:15). Other passages describe God’s hatred for specific persons. Leviticus 20:23 speaks of God as abhorring or loathing the Canaanites. Sometimes his hatred is directed against Israel. When the Lord saw their idolatry, “He was filled with wrath, and greatly abhorred Israel” (Ps. 78:59). “I have come to hate her,” he says (Jer. 12:8; cf. Hosea 9:15). He also hated Esau (Edom), says Malachi 1:3 (cf. Rom. 9:13). We must not take these passages lightly. To be hated by the holy God is a terrible, terrifying thing. The Old Testament word translated “to hate” expresses “an emotional attitude toward persons and things which are opposed, detested, despised and with which one wishes to have no contact or relationship. It is therefore the opposite of love. Whereas love draws and unites, hate separates and keeps distant. The hated and hating persons are considered foes or enemies and are considered odious, utterly unappealing” (G. Van Gronigen, “Theological Wordbook of the OT,” Moody 1980, II:880). Could anything be more terrifying than to hear God say, “I hate you”? Keep in mind what Jesus said in Matthew 5:45, "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." In this life God shows a general "love" to all men as Matthew 5:45 indicates but the personal, individual love of God is reserved only for His elect (Amos 3:2, Romans 8:27-39, Acts 13:48, 1 Peter 1:2, "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."). Hear how Jonathan Edwards describes this in his sermon "Those Whom God Hates He Is Often Pleased To Give Plenty Of Earthly Things To, Edwards" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=427121150346. See our playlist "Dealing with Predestination, Arminianism & Calvinism" with 81 videos & counting at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA932903698A56780 which may help you understand what the Bible actually teaches on this issue. Amos 3:2, "You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities." Deuteronomy 7:6-10, " For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
7 The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
8 But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face."
A question has been asked, "Can you please reconcile these verses? If the Lord did not elect these folks whom He is taking vengeance on, how could they do anything but not believe or disobey? Thanks. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." To begin with the apostle Paul already answered a question very similar to this in the Word of God therefore his answer takes top priority. See how he answers it in Romans 9:18-23, " Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. 19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory." Verse 19, "Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?" is basically asking the same question you are asking. Paul's direct answer to that question follows, "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory." Here's how Biblical scholar John Gill analyzes these verses: "Romans 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will These are the express words of the former testimony: it follows, and whom he will he hardeneth; which is the just and natural consequence of what is contained in the latter; for if God could, or he did, without any injustice, raise up Pharaoh, and harden his heart against him and his people, that he might rise up against him and destroy him by his power for his own glory, then he may harden any other person, and even whom he will: now this hardening of men's hearts may be understood in perfect agreement with the justice and holiness of God: men first harden their own hearts by sinning, as Pharaoh did; what God does, is by leaving them to the hardness of their hearts, denying them that grace which only can soften them, and which he is not obliged to give, and therefore does them no injustice in withholding it from them; by sending them both mercies and judgments, which through the corruption of their hearts, are the means of the greater hardening of them; so judgments in the case of Pharaoh, and mercies in the case of others; see ( Isaiah 6:10 ) ( Romans 11:8-10 ) ; by delivering them up into the hands of Satan, and to their own lusts, which they themselves approve of; and by giving them up to a judicial blindness and hardness of heart, as a just punishment for their impieties. Romans 9:19 Thou wilt say then unto me That is, thou wilt object to me; for this is another objection of the adversary, against the doctrine the apostle was advancing: and it is an objection of a mere natural man, of one given up to a reprobate mind, of an insolent hardened sinner; it discovers the enmity of the carnal mind to God; if is one of the high things that exalts itself against the knowledge of him; it is with a witness a stretching out of the hand against God, and strengthening a man's self against the Almighty; it is a running upon him, even upon the thick bosses of his bucklers; it carries in it the marks of ill nature, surliness, and rudeness, to the last degree: why doth he yet find fault? The objector does not think fit to name the name of "God", or "the Lord", but calls him "he"; and a considerable emphasis lies upon the word "yet": what as if he should say, is he not content with the injustice he has already exercised, in passing by some, when he chose others; in leaving them to themselves, and hardening their hearts against him, and to go on in their own ways, which must unavoidably end in destruction; but after all this, is angry with them, finds fault with them, blames, accuses, and condemns them, for that which they cannot help; nay, for that which he himself wills? this is downright cruelty and tyranny. The objector seems to have a particular regard to the case of Pharaoh, the apostle had instanced in, when after God had declared that he had raised him up for this very purpose, to make known his power, and show forth his glory in all the world, still finds fault with him and says, "as yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?" ( Exodus 9:17 ) ; and yet he himself had hardened his heart, and continued to harden his heart, that he might not let them go as yet; and when he had let them go, hardened his heart again to pursue after them, when he drowned him and his host in the Red sea; all which in this objection, is represented as unparalleled cruelty and unmercifulness; though it is not restrained to this particular case, but is designed to be applied to all other hardened persons; and to expose the unreasonableness of the divine proceedings, in hardening men at his pleasure; and then blaming them for acting as hardened ones, when he himself has made them so, and wills they should act in this manner: for who hath resisted his will? This is said in support of the former, and means not God's will of command, which is always resisted more or less, by wicked men and devils; but his will of purpose, his counsels and decrees, which stand firm and sure, and can never be resisted, so as to be frustrated and made void. This the objector takes up, and improves against God; that since he hardens whom he will, and there is no resisting his will, the fault then can never lie in them who are hardened, and who act as such, but in God; and therefore it must be unreasonable in him to be angry with, blame, accuse, and condemn persons for being and doing that, which he himself wills them to be and do. Let the disputers of this world, the reasoners of the present age, come and see their own faces, and read the whole strength of their objections, in this wicked man's; and from whence we may be assured, that since the objections are the same, the doctrine must be the same that is objected to: and this we gain however by it, that the doctrines of particular and personal election and reprobation, were the doctrines of the apostle; since against no other, with any face, or under any pretence, could such an objection be formed: next follows the apostle's answer. Romans 9:20 Nay, but O man, who art thou that repliest against God? &c.] Or "answerest again to God": some have been so weak and wicked as to suggest, that the apostle met with an objection he could not answer, or give a fair solution of, and therefore takes the method he does: but when the several things returned in answer by the apostle are considered, it will appear that he has taken the wisest method to silence such an audacious objector, and that he abundantly clears God from the charge of cruelty and unmercifulness. And he answers "first", by putting the insolent creature in mind of what he was; "nay, but O man, who art thou?" &c. Thou art man, and not God; a creature, and not the Creator; and must not expect that he, thy Creator, will give an account of his matters to thee, or a reason why he does, this or the other thing. Thou art but a man, who in his best estate was vanity, being mutable; thou art a fallen sinful creature, and obnoxious to the wrath and displeasure of God for thy sins, and darest thou to open thy mouth against him? thou art a poor, foolish, and ignorant man, born like a wild ass's colt, without understanding, and wilt thou take upon thee to confront, direct, or counsel the Most High, or tell him what is fitting to be done, or not done? "next" the apostle answers, by pointing out his folly and madness, in replying to God. To speak to God in behalf of a man's self at the throne of grace, in the most submissive manner, for any mercy or favour wanted, is an high privilege, and it is a wonderful condescension in God to admit of; and when a man, a good man takes upon him to plead with God on the behalf of others, of a wicked people, a sinful nation, he ought to set before him the example and conduct of Abraham, who in a like case acknowledged himself to be but dust and ashes, and more than once entreated, that the Lord would not be angry at his importunity; but for a man to answer again to God, which a servant ought not to do to his master, to litigate a point with God, to dispute a matter with him, is the highest instance of arrogance and impudence: "woe unto him that striveth with his Maker, let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth", ( Isaiah 45:9 ) : with their equals, with men like themselves, but let no man dare to "contend with God"; if he should, "he cannot answer him one of a thousand", ( Job 9:3 ) ; for "he is wise in heart", in forming all his counsels, purposes, and decrees; "and mighty in strength", to execute them; "who hath hardened himself against him and hath prospered?" ( Job 9:4 ) . Another way the apostle takes in answering the objection is, by showing the absurdity of a creature's wrangling with God about his make, and the circumstances in which he is made: shall the thing formed, say unto him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? reference is had to ( Isaiah 45:9 Isaiah 45:10 ) ; Now as it would be a most absurd thing for the clay, was it capable of speaking, to say to the fashioner of it, why dost thou put me into such or such a shape and form? or for any piece of workmanship to say to the maker of it, he has no hands, no head, no judgment and skill; or for a child to say to its parents, what begettest thou, or what hast thou brought forth? so absurd and unreasonable is it, for any to say to God, why hast thou appointed me to such and such ends and purposes, and has brought me into being in such a manner, and under such circumstances? There is a story in the Talmud F14, which may be pertinently produced here; “it happened to R. Eleazar ben Simeon, of Migdal Gedur, that he went from his master's house, and he was riding on an ass, and travelling by the sea side, and as he rejoiced exceedingly, and his heart was lifted up because he had learnt much of the law, there was joined to him a certain man that was very much deformed, and says to him, peace be upon thee Rabbi; but he did not return the salutation to him, but says to him "Raca", how deformed is that man! perhaps all thy townsmen are as deformed as thee; he replied to him, I do not know, but go and say, (ynavev) (Nmwal) , "to the workman that made me", how ugly is this vessel thou hast made, when he knew in himself that he has sinned; upon this the Rabbi dismounted his ass, and fell down before him, and said unto him, I entreat of thee forgive me; he said unto him, I cannot forgive thee, till thou goest "to the workman that made me", and say, how ugly is this vessel which thou hast made.'' FOOTNOTES: F14 T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 20. 2. Massechet Derech Eretz, c. 4. fol. 18. 1. Romans 9:21 Hath not the potter power over the clay By the power the potter has over the clay, to shape it in what form he pleases, and out of it to make what vessels he pleases, and for what purposes he thinks fit, which will be most to his own advantage, the apostle expresses the sovereign and unlimited power which God has over his creatures; the passages referred to, are ( Isaiah 64:8 ) ( Jeremiah 18:1-6 ) , in which God is represented as the potter, and men as clay in his hands; now if the potter has such power over the clay which he did not make, only has made a purchase of, or has it in his possession, much more has God a power, who has created the clay, to appoint out of it persons to different uses and purposes, for his own glory, as he sees fit; even of the same lump, to make one vessel to honour, and another to dishonour. The apostle seems to design hereby, to point out to us the object of predestination to be man, as yet not made, but as lying in the mere mass of creatureship, signified by the unformed clay, before put into any shape; and is an allusion to the first creation of man, out of the clay, or dust of the earth, ( Genesis 2:7 ) ; for such a consideration of man best agrees with the clay, lump, or mass, not yet formed, than as already made, and much less as fallen and corrupted: for if men, in predestination, were considered in the corrupt mass, or as fallen creatures, they could not be so well said to be made out of it, both to honour and dishonour; but rather since they were all dishonourable, that some were left in that dishonour, and others removed from it unto honour: besides, if this is not the case, God must create man without an end, which is contrary to the principle of reason and wisdom; the end is the cause, for which a thing is what it is; and it is a known rule, that what is first in intention, is last in execution, and "vice versa": the end is first fixed, and then the means; for God to create man, and then to fix the end of his creation, is to do what no wise potter would do, first make his pots, and then think of the end of making them, and the use they are to be put unto. To make one vessel to honour, and another to dishonour, is for God to appoint creatures, which are to be made out of the same mass and lump, for his own glory; which end, his own glory, he determines to bring about by different means, as these following: with respect to the vessels of honour, whom he appoints for his glory, he determines to create them; to suffer them to fall into sin, whereby they become polluted and guilty; to raise and recover them, by the obedience, sufferings, and death of his Son; to regenerate, renew, and sanctify them, by his Spirit and grace, and to bring them to eternal happiness; and hereby compass the aforesaid end, his own glory, the glorifying of his grace and mercy, in a way consistent with justice and holiness: with respect to the vessels of dishonour, whom he also appoints for the glorifying of himself, he determines to create them out of the same lump; to suffer them to fall into sin; to leave them in their sins, in the pollution and guilt of them, and to condemn them for them; and hereby gain his ultimate end, his own glory, glorifying the perfections of his power, justice, and holiness, without the least blemish to his goodness and mercy: now if a potter has power, for his own advantage and secular interest, to make out of the same clay what vessels he pleases; much more has God a power, out of the same mass and lump of creatureship, to appoint creatures he determines to make to his own glory; which he brings about by different methods, consistent with the perfections of his nature. Romans 9:22 What if God, willing to show his wrath The apostle proceeds to clear God from any charge of cruelty and unmercifulness, by observing his conduct in time, both towards those he passes by, and towards those he chooses; for in this and the following verse, nothing is said relating to any act of God before time, everything of that kind being considered already. In this verse, the apostle considers the conduct of God towards the vessels of dishonour; and let it be observed, that these are called vessels of wrath fitted for destruction; they are said to be vessels, and so no longer considered in the clay, in the mass and heap of creatureship, but as creatures formed and made, and brought into being; and so to be used as instruments in God's hands, to subserve his ends and purposes, and therefore called "vessels"; and not only so, but "vessels of wrath", fallen sinful creatures, and so deserving of the wrath of God, and objects of his vindictive justice, in whom he may righteously display his wrath and vengeance: hence they may be so called, being as vessels filled with his wrath; as such who are the instruments and executioners of his wrath are called, in ( Isaiah 13:5 ) , (wmez ylk) , "vessels of his wrath"; and in ( Jeremiah 50:25 ) ; where the Septuagint use the same phrase as here: and they are moreover said to be "fitted for destruction", as Haman is said to be by the Jews F15; whom they affirm to be the same with Memucan, and ask why is his name called Memucan? and answer, (twnerwpl Nkwmv) , "because he was fitted for punishment": so these are said to be "fitted for destruction", that is, eternal damnation; not by God, for this does not respect God's act of ordination to punishment; but by Satan, the god of this world, that blinds them, who works effectually in them, and leads them captive at his will; and by themselves, by their own wickedness, hardness of heart, and impenitence, do they treasure up to themselves wrath, against the day of wrath, so that their destruction is of themselves: a phrase somewhat like this is used in ( Psalms 31:12 ) , where the Psalmist, under some dismal apprehensions of himself, says, that he was like (dba ylk) , "a perishing vessel", or "a vessel of perdition"; the Septuagint render it, (skeuov apolwlov) , "a lost vessel". Now what is the method of the divine conduct towards such persons? he endures [them] with much longsuffering; as he did the old world, before he destroyed it; and as he did Pharaoh, before he cut him off: God not only supports such persons in their beings, amidst all their impieties and iniquities, but follows and fills them with his providential goodness, insomuch that many of them have more than heart can wish; nay, to many he affords the outward means of grace, which they slight and despise; externally calls them, but they refuse, loving darkness rather than light, and therefore are inexcusable: now if after all this patience, indulgence, and forbearance, when he could in justice have sent them to hell long ago, he is "willing to show his wrath"; his displicency at sin and sinners, his vindictive justice, his righteous vengeance: and to make his power known; what it is he can do, by the utter destruction and damnation of such persons; what man in his senses can ever find fault with such a procedure, or charge it with tyranny, cruelty, and unmercifulness? Romans 9:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory That is, his glorious riches, the perfections of his nature, his love, grace, and mercy, his wisdom, power, faithfulness, justice, and holiness; all which are most evidently displayed in the salvation of his people, here called vessels of mercy, which he hath afore prepared unto glory. They are said to be vessels, and so considered as creatures, made and brought into being; "vessels of mercy", and so fallen creatures, and by sin become miserable, for only such are objects of mercy: they are not called so, because deserving of mercy more than others, they are in no wise better than others, and are by nature children of wrath, even as others; but because God of his infinite goodness fills them with his mercy, displays it in them, in the redemption of them by his Son, in the regeneration of them by his Spirit, and in their eternal salvation: and these are by him "afore prepared unto glory"; to everlasting happiness, which he has chosen them to before time, and calls them to in time; to this glory he does not take them, until he has prepared them for it; which act of preparation does not regard the eternal predestination of them to eternal life, but an act of his grace towards them in time; and which lies in putting upon them the righteousness of his Son, and in putting his grace in them; or in other words, in justifying them by the imputation and application of the righteousness of his Son unto them, and by the regeneration, renovation, and sanctification of their hearts, by his Spirit. Now what if God willing to make known his glorious perfections, by displaying his mercy to such sinners, and by preparing them for heaven in a way consistent with his holiness and justice, what can any man that has the exercise of his reason object to this? The whole of his conduct is free from blame and censure; the vessels of wrath he shows his wrath upon, are such as fit themselves for destruction, and whom he endures with much longsuffering and patience, and therefore he cannot be chargeable with cruelty; the vessels of mercy he brings to glory, none of them are taken thither, until they are prepared for it, in a way of righteousness and holiness, and therefore he cannot be charged with acting contrary to the perfections of his nature. FOOTNOTES: F15 T. Bab. Megilia, fol. 12. 2. Since there is no better answer to the question than that was given by the apostle Paul then we must rest in it. For further study along the lines of the free will of man, the sovereignty of God & human responsibility please see my videos "The Sovereignty of God Versus Man-Made Religions, Hollywood Movies & Petty Emotionalism" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UQABR_9gGI & "God's Foreordaination & Sovereignty Over the Actions of Men But Humans Are Still Held Responsible" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ-ZCgZBi1s&index=71&list=PLA932903698A56780" along with our video "Biblical Election: Do Sin Loving Evil Doers Choose a Holy God or Does a Holy God Choose Sinners?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R4Dqhguweg&index=5&list=PLA932903698A56780. Additional helpful resources are: "THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD, Chapter 8, GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY AND HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY – "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God" – Romans 14:12" at http://www.pbministries.org/books/pink/Sovereignty/sov_08.htm, "How can God be sovereign and man still be free?" at http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/qna/sovereignfree.html, "The Sovereignty of God" by A. W. Pink at http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?seriesOnly=true&currSection=sermonstopic&sourceid=swrb&keyword=Calvinism+and+Predestination&keyworddesc=Calvinism+and+Predestination, "The Sovereignty of God" by Dr. James White (question & answer session) at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=630091023484. See also our playlist "Dealing with Predestination, Arminianism & Calvinism" with 81 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA932903698A56780. A helpful website is http://reformationtheology.com/. 2 Timothy 2:15
Does Calvinism Mean We Are Robots? Some have suggested that Calvinism suggests that we are merely robots. Shakespeare commented “all the world’s a stage and we are merely players.” Is this an accurate depiction of Calvinism, (or Reformed Theology)? This question hits a few points in Reformed doctrine, one being Total Depravity (or Moral Inability), God’s Sovereignty/Human Responsibility (or culpability), God’s Providence, and God’s Decrees. That is an awful lot of ground to cover theologically. It causes the human mind (especially the critics of Calvinism) to contemplate such questions as “Is man responsible for sin?,” “Is God the author of evil?,” “Aren’t we mere puppets on a string?,” “Does God drag people to heaven against their will?” These are all viable questions, and although the intent of this article is not to address all of the questions, I am certain it will clear up some of them.
One of the most elementary teachings of Scripture is that God is in Sovereign (in control), and that man is responsible for all of his actions (Culpability). Immediately the question arises, “Well if God is in Control of everything, how is man still responsible for sin?” Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility has received more than fair treatment by theologians such as J.I. Packer, D.A. Carson, and John Frame and others. I am firmly convinced that Scripture addresses this question. A familiar story to all of us is how Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Joseph’s brothers clearly acted willfully, and sinfully when they mistreated Joseph. This is not in question, they meant to harm him, tried to cover their sin, and disobeyed God. They were acting out the evil intentions of their hearts. Notice Genesis 50:20, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant in for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” Here we witness evil intentions of men acting freely but “God meant it for good.” God was clearly orchestrating this whole plot here. This is termed as God’s Providence. Does this excuse the brothers’ sin? By no means, as Joseph cast blame on his brothers.” The emphasis is placed on God orchestrating the events! We see God using the evil intentions of men for HIS purposes. This is illustrated by a familiar passage ,Romans 8:28 “For God works all things together for them that LOVE him, and are CALLED according to his purpose.” This verse is only applicable to believers! And a mighty assurance that whatever a believer encounters, God looks after his own. Why? Paul continues in verse 29 “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…” Here we see God’s intention in ALL believers lives, ultimately to conform us to the image of His Son, and He will do whatever it takes.
Paul doesn’t hesitate to use the word predestine here, and we ought not shrink back from it.
In the Westminster Confession of Faith under Chapter 3 under the heading “God’s Eternal Decree.” We read the following in paragraphs one and two: “God from all eternity did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass: yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures, nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established. II “Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions; yet hat he not decreed any thing because he foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.” (emphasis mine). Here we notice God controls all things according to his good pleasure, nor does God force people into committing sin. We also read that His Control (predetermining) isn’t based on God looking into the future and basing his predestination on foreknowledge.
Another excellent N.T. passage illustrating Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility is Peter’s sermon in Acts 2:23 “Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.” Here Peter clearly states that it was God’s intention that Christ die. John the Baptist declared, “Behold the lamb of God who was slain from the foundation of the world.” Christ death on the cross was predetermined, preordained by God the Father, but yet he cast all blame on them for their sin. This is almost identically parallel to the story of Joseph. Does this mean that Judas can stand up on the final day of judgement and declare that he was the one who made redemption for the church possible? Absolutely not, Christ Declared, “For the Son of man goes as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom hes is betrayed!” Luke 22:22
John Calvin stated, “thieves and murderers and other evildoers are the instruments of divine providence, and the Lord himself uses these to carry out the judgements that he has determined with himself. Yet I deny that they can derive form this any excuse for their evil deeds. Why? Will they either involve God in the same iniquity with themselves, or will they cloak their own depravity with his justice? They can do neither.” Calvin’s Institutes 1:217
Many have come to false conclusions regarding Calvinism stating it makes God the author of sin. Calvin and the Reformers clearly denied this, and more importantly so does Scripture deny this teaching. Scripture affirms both God’s Sovereignty and Human Responsibility. J.I. Packer in Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God discusses this. He mentions that it is called an antinomy. An antinomy is where we find two principles lying side by side, both of them irreconcilable, yet both undeniable.
The Bible teaches both concepts, and neither one should be emphasized more than the other. We need to present them as Scripture does. We cannot reconcile them, and we cannot comprehend how both square up logically with our finite minds. Most importantly we do NOT need to reconcile these two truths. Scripture affirms them and so should we in obedience to His Word.
This is in response to someone's comment on our video about John 3:16. See our video "DEBATE: John 3:16, Does "World" Always Mean Everybody Who Ever Lived or Not?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6duguuzfho&list=PLA932903698A56780&index=47. Your understanding of that verse is out of line with the context of the rest of the Bible. See our video "The God of the Bible Does Not Love Everybody But Actually Hates Many Instead (Romans 9:22)" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zHEJCHgQVg&index=74&list=PLA932903698A56780. Sometimes we hear that God hates the sin but loves the sinner. This is not true. A. H. Strong (“Systematic Theology,” p. 290) observes that God both hates and loves the sinner at the same time: “hates him as he is a living and wilful antagonist of truth and holiness, loves him as he is a creature capable of good and ruined by his transgression.” In other words, God hates the sin, and he also hates the sinner. “You hate all who do iniquity. You destroy those who speak falsehood; the LORD abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit” (Ps. 5:5-6). This and many other passages show that God’s hatred is directed against the PERSON who sins and not just the sin itself. Sometimes just a general category is mentioned. “Everyone who acts unjustly is an abomination to the LORD your God,” says Deuteronomy 25:16. “The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves violence His soul hates” (Ps. 11:5). The seven things that God hates in Proverbs 6:16-19 include “a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.” He also hates “the perverse in heart” (Prov. 11:20), “everyone who is proud in heart” (Prov. 16:5), and whoever justifies the wicked or condemns the righteous (Prov. 17:15). Other passages describe God’s hatred for specific persons. Leviticus 20:23 speaks of God as abhorring or loathing the Canaanites. Sometimes his hatred is directed against Israel. When the Lord saw their idolatry, “He was filled with wrath, and greatly abhorred Israel” (Ps. 78:59). “I have come to hate her,” he says (Jer. 12:8; cf. Hosea 9:15). He also hated Esau (Edom), says Malachi 1:3 (cf. Rom. 9:13). We must not take these passages lightly. To be hated by the holy God is a terrible, terrifying thing. The Old Testament word translated “to hate” expresses “an emotional attitude toward persons and things which are opposed, detested, despised and with which one wishes to have no contact or relationship. It is therefore the opposite of love. Whereas love draws and unites, hate separates and keeps distant. The hated and hating persons are considered foes or enemies and are considered odious, utterly unappealing” (G. Van Gronigen, “Theological Wordbook of the OT,” Moody 1980, II:880). Could anything be more terrifying than to hear God say, “I hate you”? Keep in mind what Jesus said in Matthew 5:45, "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." In this life God shows a general "love" to all men as Matthew 5:45 indicates but the personal, individual love of God is reserved only for His elect (Amos 3:2, Romans 8:27-39, Acts 13:48, 1 Peter 1:2, "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."). Hear how Jonathan Edwards describes this in his sermon "Those Whom God Hates He Is Often Pleased To Give Plenty Of Earthly Things To, Edwards" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=427121150346. See our playlist "Dealing with Predestination, Arminianism & Calvinism" with 81 videos & counting at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA932903698A56780 which may help you understand what the Bible actually teaches on this issue. Amos 3:2, "You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities." Deuteronomy 7:6-10, " For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. 7 The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8 But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; 10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face."
Question: "How can I be saved?" Answer: True Biblical salvation is a sovereign act of God in the heart of the believer (Acts 13:48, "And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." & John 1:12-13, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."). You cannot even repent of your sins against God unless God first grants you the power to turn away from your sins (2 Timothy 2:24-26, "And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will."). For an in depth Biblical discussion of God's power in the salvation of wicked sinners who cannot save themselves see our video "The Sovereignty of God Versus Man-Made Religions, Hollywood Movies & Petty Emotionalism" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UQABR_9gGI. A free transcript of this message is available at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=52015125752. Once there scroll down to "Sermon Transcription" where you have the following options: 1. View transcript, 2. Download PDF, 3. Send to Kindle, or 4. Google Translation making this message transcription available in 27 foreign languages. Everything is free with nothing to buy. 2 Timothy 2:15
This simple, yet profound, question is the most important question that can be asked. "How can I be saved?" deals with where we will spend eternity after our lives in this world are over. There is no more important issue than our eternal destiny. Thankfully, the Bible is abundantly clear on how a person can be saved. The Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30)
Paul and Silas responded, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).
How can I be saved? Why do I need to be saved?
We are all infected with sin (Romans 3:23). We are born with sin (Psalm 51:5), and we all personally choose to sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8). Sin is what makes us unsaved. Sin is what separates us from God. Sin is what has us on the path to eternal destruction.
How can I be saved? Saved from what?
Because of our sin, we all deserve death (Romans 6:23). While the physical consequence of sin is physical death, that is not the only kind of death that results from sin. All sin is ultimately committed against an eternal and infinite God (Psalm 51:4). Because of that, the just penalty for our sin is also eternal and infinite. What we need to be saved from is eternal destruction (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:15).
How can I be saved? How did God provide salvation?
Because the just penalty for sin is infinite and eternal, only God could pay the penalty, because only He is infinite and eternal. But God, in His divine nature, could not die. So God became a human being in the person of Jesus Christ. God took on human flesh, lived among us, and taught us. When the people rejected Him and His message, and sought to kill Him, He willingly sacrificed Himself for us, allowing Himself to be crucified (John 10:15). Because Jesus Christ was human, He could die; and because Jesus Christ was God, His death had an eternal and infinite value. Jesus’ death on the cross was the perfect and complete payment for our sin (1 John 2:2). He took the consequences we deserved. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead demonstrated that His death was indeed the perfectly sufficient sacrifice for sin.
How can I be saved? What do I need to do?
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). God has already done all of the work. All you must do is receive, in faith through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-17), the salvation God grants to His elect (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 9:10-33). A full trust in Jesus alone as the payment for your sins is supernatural because a person's faith is empowered by God the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-8, John 6:37, 39, 44, 63,65). Thus believing in Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity (Matthew 28:19), the true believer will not perish (John 3:16-21) but this can only be done by the supernatural sovereign power of God's Holy Spirit & not a person's own "free will" by itself
(see our video "DEBATE: Luke 1:15, Did John the Baptist Make a "Free Will" Decision for Christ in the Womb?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krXBDYPlXV0 & Charles Haddon Spurgeon's Biblically insightful sermon "Free Will — A Slave" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=8160293628. Therefore, in reality, the lost sinner, realizing that there is nothing he can do by his own efforts to attain salvation from the wrath of a Holy God must simply cry out to that Holy God for salvation through His Son Jesus Christ constantly. In other words the lost sinner must beg & plead with God to save him or her each day until God supernaturally responds to that request which may or may not happen immediately. In many cases lost sinners are finally redeemed by God after a long period of begging & pleading with God (consider the cases of the Pharisee & the Publican in Luke 18:9-14 & the Unjust Judge in Like 18:1-8).
Saved by Grace Alone or Saved by Grace Plus Free Will?
You cannot consistently assert that we are saved by "grace alone" and then in the same breath declare that the natural man has a free will to come to Christ (John 6:65). Man needs salvation precisely because his will is in bondage to sin. And that which is in bondage is not free. For the need for grace does away with free will altogether. Its not Christ plus our good will that saves us but Christ alone who grants us everything we need for salvation, including a new heart to believe.
Visitor: What is salvation?
Response: The short answer is salvation is deliverance from God's wrath and salvation from sin….Saved from the just consequences of our rebellion against God, it was accomplished when God took those consequences upon Himself when Jesus was nailed to the cross.The wrath of God abides on all men apart from the grace of Jesus Christ, who alone lived the life we should have lived and died the death we justly deserve.
Visitor: Okay, what is free will?
Response: Free will is something that exists only in people's imagination. Fallen man does not have a free will. He is NOT able NOT to sin. All people except Jesus Christ have broken God's law and have sinned. Therefore none can save themselves or lift a finger toward their own salvation. God must intervene if man is to have any hope at all. And He has done it in the Person of Jesus Christ.
Visitor: How does a person know if they are saved then?
Response: By grace you look to Christ's Righteousness and not your own. The Scriptures indicate that we are saved if the Word of God has come in divine power into our soul such that our self-complacency is shattered and our self-righteousness is renounced. Second, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our woeful, guilty, and lost condition. Third, God reveals to us the sufficiency of Jesus Christ alone to meet our desperate case and by a divinely given faith causes us to lay hold of and rest upon Him as our only hope. Fourth, when the Spirit changes our heart He gives us a love for God, a love for His word and an appetite for spiritual things; a longing for holiness; a seeking after conformity to Christ. This does not mean that you are sinless, but that you desire to obey Christ and feel anguish when you disobey Him. (A.W. Pink)
Visitor: What if I've felt this my whole life?
Response: Then it is likely that the Holy Spirit opened your heart to the gospel at an early age.
Quotes: "…he who in his soul believes that man does of his own free-will turn to God, cannot have been taught of God, for that is one of the first principles taught us when God begins with us, that we have neither will nor power, but that he gives both; that he is "Alpha and Omega" in the salvation of men. – C. H. Spurgeon (Free Will, a Slave)
"In vain people busy themselves with finding any good of man's own in his will. For any mixture of the power of free will that men strive to mingle with God's grace is nothing but a corruption of grace. It is just as if one were to dilute wine with muddy, bitter water. But even if there is something good in the will, it comes from the pure prompting of the Spirit." -John Calvin, "Institutes of the Christian Religion."
For more of the sovereignty of God in the salvation of sinners see our playlist "Dealing with Predestination, Arminianism & Calvinism" with 81 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA932903698A56780. Particularly note the video "Biblical Election: Do Sin Loving Evil Doers Choose a Holy God or Does a Holy God Choose Sinners?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R4Dqhguweg&list=PLA932903698A56780&index=5.
John 6:65, "And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father." John 6:39, "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day."
QUOTES FROM CHARLES FINNEY “Neither is the atonement nor anything in the mediatorial work of Christ, the foundation of our justification, in the sense of the source, moving or procuring cause.” Charles Finney, Lecture 8, “Obedience to the Moral Law” p. 375-76“It is not founded in Christ’s literally suffering the exact penalty of the law for them, and in this sense literally purchasing their justification and eternal salvation.” Charles Finney, Lecture 8, “Obedience to the Moral Law” p. 373“There can be no justification in a legal or forensic sense, but upon the ground of universal, perfect, and uninterrupted obedience to law. This is of course denied by those who hold that gospel justification, or the justification of penitent sinners, is of the nature of a forensic or judicial justification. They hold to the legal maxim, that what a man does by another he does by himself, and therefore the law regards Christ’s obedience as ours, on the ground that He obeyed for us.” [Systematic Theology, 362]. Charles Finney“These and similar passages are relied upon, as teaching the doctrine of an imputed righteousness; and such as these: “The Lord our righteousness” (Phil. 3:9). . . . “Christ our righteousness” is Christ the author or procurer of our justification. But this does not imply that He procures our justification by imputing His obedience to us. . .” [Charles Finney, Systematic Theology (Minneapolis: Bethany), 372-73].“All who deny this, call it original sin or by any other title, are but heathens still in the fundamental point which differentiates heathenism from Christianity. . . . Or, to come back to the text, is ‘every imagination of the thoughts of his heart evil continually’? Allow this, and you are so far a Christian. Deny it, and you are but a heathen still.”— John Wesley, Works, Vol. V, p. 195.“Moral depravity cannot consist in any attribute of nature or constitution, nor in any lapsed or fallen state of nature. . . . Moral depravity, as I use the term, does not consist in, nor imply a sinful nature, in the sense that the human soul is sinful in itself. It is not a constitutional sinfulness” [Finney, Systematic Theology, 245].Charles Finney established a deadly falsehood when he denied imputed righteousness taught in Romans 4. Finney erred by denying the biblical doctrine of imputation or transference of Christ’s righteousness. The word impute simply means to reckon or to account Christ’s righteousness to the account of all who repent and place their faith in Christ, the one Redeemer.Now these same street preachers are telling people that justification is NOT by the imputed righteousness of Christ which is rank heresy (Romans 4; 2 Corinthians 5:21, etc.). In other words, Jesus came in vain and man can merit his own righteousness by his own “natural ability.” Beware. This is as antichrist as it gets. These guys are novices who are regurgitating the error of men like Finney from the past. They are not getting these evil, Christ-denying falsehoods from God’s Word.In Finney’s Christ-denying, demonic theology, the individual’s own personal morality earns his own merit from God. Christ’s atoning sacrifice is brazenly denied.In light of this, if you have read and espoused or taught others these errors, I want to encourage you to confess them in repentance before the LORD.You, me, and Finney are all mere men. God’s written Word alone is “a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path” or else we are off His narrow path (Psalms 119:105; Matthew 7:13-29).One writer expresses the following concerning Finney:“Yet Satan’s plot against the organized church actually took shape under the ministry of a preacher called Charles Finney. A fiery New York preacher, Finney’s impact on church traditions and practices has been so profound, that his influence is still spreading globally almost two centuries later. Finney’s notoriety is that he is the one who brought the entire church the “make a decision for Christ” through repeating the sinner’s prayer and the altar call. Anyway, in a nutshell, Finney believed that human beings were capable of choosing whether they would be corrupt by nature or redeemed, referring to original sin as an “anti-scriptural and nonsensical dogma.” In clear terms, Finney denied the notion that human beings possess a sinful nature. Therefore, if Adam leads us into sin, he does so not by our inheriting his guilt and corruption, but by our following his poor example. This position leads logically to the view of Christ as not having died for sins but for some lofty, moralistic reason.Specifically, what were Finney’s most serious errors? At the top of the list stands his rejection of the doctrine of justification by faith. Finney denied that the righteousness of Christ is the sole ground of our justification, teaching instead that sinners must reform their own hearts in order to be acceptable to God. (His emphasis on self-reformation apart from divine enablement is again a strong echo of Pelagianism.)He derided the concept of imputation as unjust: “I could not but regard and treat this whole question of imputation as a theological fiction, somewhat related to our legal fiction of John Doe and Richard Roe” [Finney, Memoirs, 60].Having decided that the doctrine of imputation was a “theological fiction,” he was forced to deny not only the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to believers, but also the imputation of the sinner’s guilt to Christ on the cross. Under Finney’s system, Christ could not have actually borne anyone else’s sin or suffered sin’s full penalty in their place and in their stead (contra Isaiah 53:6; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:2). Finney therefore rejected the doctrine of substitutionary atonement.There can be no justification in a legal or forensic sense, but upon the ground of universal, perfect, and uninterrupted obedience to law. …” [Systematic Theology, 362].”Yet another author notes the following of Finney:“In his Memoirs, his Lectures on Revival, and his Systematic Theology, what comes through, frankly, is not a man with a high regard for Scripture, but a man with an inflated view of himself. Where Scripture does not suit him, Finney resorts to sophistry to explain it away. Whole sections of his Systematic Theology contain paragraph after paragraph of philosophizing and moralizing—sometimes without a single reference to Scripture for many pages.”Well, this was the man who started the altar call, invitation to Christian discipleship, “I accept Jesus,” practice that has led to the greatest falling away making people think they are saved when they are not. Matthew 7:15
To those who wish to discuss issues brought up in our video posted here to a greater extent please know that you can email one of our ministry volunteers at certainandsecure@gmail.com. Also realize that we may have an entire playlist of videos on this subject on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/CAnswersTV. Besides that know that we have three websites to answer additional questions at http://www.BibleQuery.org (answers over 8500 questions on the Bible & refutes critics of the Bible), http://www.HistoryCart.com (this website deals with an in depth analysis of early Christian church history) and http://www.MuslimHope.com (this website is a documented refutation of Islam, a false religious & political ideology of warlike jihad against all unbelievers invented by Muhammad while he was in Medina for the last 9 years of his life where he averaged one offensive military jihad of pillage, rape & slavery every month to six weeks against his neighbors which eventually led to conquering all of Saudi Arabia- see also http://www.politicalislam.com/, http://www.answeringmuslims.com/, http://answering-islam.org/, http://www.jihadwatch.org/ & our playlist "Dealing with Islam, Muslims: Sunni, Shi'ite, Alawites, Sufis" with 71 videos & counting at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1C7F68B548009FDD). 1 Peter 3:15
Did Christ die for the Eskimos who lived 500 years before Jesus lived? How about the Eskimos that lived 500 years after Jesus lived yet no one ever came & told them the gospel during that time? Did Jesus die for Esau in Romans 9:13? Did Jesus die for Pharoah who opposed Moses in Romans 9:16-23? Jesus told parables so people would not understand so they would be condemned by God instead (Mark 4:11-12; see our video "Did Jesus Die for Everybody Who Ever Lived or Not? Debate #4: WHY DOES JESUS SPEAK IN PARABLES?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPHCMHCqubg). Jesus does not even pray for the "world" (John 17:9 cf 1 John 2:15).
Turning now to John 3:16, it should be evident from the passages just quoted that this verse will not bear the construction usually put upon it. ‘God so loved the world.’ Many suppose that this means, The entire human race. But ‘the entire human race’ includes all mankind from Adam till the close of earth’s history: it reaches backward as well as forward! Consider, then, the history of mankind before Christ was born. Unnumbered millions lived and died before the Savior came to the earth, lived here ‘having no hope and without God in the world,’ and therefore passed out into eternity of woe. If God ‘loved’ them, where is the slightest proof thereof? Scripture declares ‘Who (God) in times past (from the tower of Babel till after Pentecost) suffered all nations to walk in their own ways’ (Acts 14:16). Scripture declares that ‘And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient’ (Rom. 1:28). To Israel God said, ‘You only have I known of all the families of the earth’ (Amos 3:2). In view of these plain passages who will be so foolish as to insist that God in the past loved all mankind! The same applies with equal force to the future . . . But the objector comes back to John 3:16 and says, ‘World means world. ‘True, but we have shown that ‘the world’ does not mean the whole human family. The fact is that ‘the world’ is used in a general way.. . Now the first thing to note in connection with John 3:16 is that our Lord was there speaking to Nicodemus, a man who believed that God’s mercies were confined to his own nation. Christ there announced that God’s love in giving His Son had a larger object in view, that it flowed beyond the boundary of Palestine, reaching out to ‘regions beyond.’ In other words, this was Christ’s announcement that God had a purpose of grace toward Gentiles as well as Jews. ‘God so loved the world,’ then, signifies, God’s love is international in its scope. But does this mean that God loves every individual among the Gentiles? Not necessarily, for as we have seen the term ‘world’ is general rather than specific, relative rather than absolute. . . the ‘world’ in John 3:16 must, in the final analysis refer to the world of God’s people. Must we say, for there is no other alternative solution. It cannot mean the whole human race, for one half of the race was already in hell when Christ came to earth. It is unfair to insist that it means every human being now living, for every other passage in the New Testament where God’s love is mentioned limits it to His own people — search and see! The objects of God’s love in John 3:16 are precisely the same as the objects of Christ’s love in John 13:1: ‘Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His time was come, that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end.’ We may admit that our interpretation of John 3:16 is no novel one invented by us, but one almost uniformly given by the Reformers and Puritans, and many others since them. See our video "DEBATE: John 3:16, Does "World" Always Mean Everybody Who Ever Lived or Not?" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6duguuzfho. Romans 9:15-18
Our YouTube channel CAnswersTV (which stands for Christian Answers Television) features over 639 videos from a Biblical worldview organized according to topics. Our main channel can be accessed at https://www.youtube.com/user/CAnswersTV where all our videos & playlists are on display. Here are our available playlists:
1. "Popular Uploads" at https://www.youtube.com/user/CAnswersTV/videos?shelf_id=2&view=0&sort=p.
2. "Dealing with Jehovah's Witnesses, Watchtower Society" with 25 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCF0ADB29C0EB8C40.
3. "Dealing with Islam, Muslims: Sunni, Shi'ite, Alawites, Sufis" with 73 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1C7F68B548009FDD.
4. "Dealing with Roman Catholicism, Idolatry & the Virgin Mary" with 140 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFFA8D69D1B914715.
5. "Dealing with Darwin's Metaphysical Evolution Religion" with 21 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0703E78058346A52.
6. "Dealing with Seventh-day Adventism & Their "Prophetess" with 26 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5316CC6F66F24283.
7. "Dealing with Anti Trinitarians (UPC) & Early Church History" with 53 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9931642C7C8FFEAB.
8. "Dealing with "God Hating" Atheists, Agnostics, Know-It-Alls" with 21 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL640E505B96CD6B39.
9. "Dealing with Phony TV Preachers (TBN) & King James Onlyites" with 30 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2CDA855486B09128.
10. "Dealing with UFOs, Ghosts, Magic, Spiritual Warfare, Satan" with 19 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2CF1129D311BF9A6.
11. "Radio Shows with National Christian Authors & Music Vids" with 52 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF01B4264276D2990.
12. "Dealing with Black Muslims, Louis Farrakhan, Nation of Islam" with 25 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD3B79AA00CCF21B7.
13. "Dealing with Mormonism, The Con Man Religion of Joseph Smith, Jr." with 23 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL11CD0EE613306BB5.
14. "Dealing with Hell, Lake of Fire, Unpopular Bible Doctrines" with 33 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE04A1D0DFE95B95E.
15. "Dealing with AntiChrist Cults, "New Age" & World Religions" with 45 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL69A3047B3497590A.
16. "Dealing with "Saved by Works & Baptism", "Church of Christ" with 75 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBD55090718DA6D3D.
17. "Charles H. Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, Our Spanish Videos" with 26 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE91032ED05E42487.
18. "End Times, Supernatural Prophecies, Tough Bible Questions" with 49 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL141F261EEFCFD536.
19. "Dealing with Predestination, Arminianism & Calvinism" with 82 videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA932903698A56780.
We also have channels on Sermon Audio at http://www.sermonaudio.com/source_detail.asp?sourceid=christiananswers & http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Larry_Wessels. Although the 30 plus videos we have posted on http://www.SermonAudio.com are also on YouTube the thing that makes these particular videos of interest is that we have produced written transcripts of many of them which has helped quite a few people. Once you click on one of the transcribed videos scroll down to "Sermon Transcription" & choose your options: "View Transcript!," "Download PDF," or "Send to Kindle." Viewers also have the option of over 20 different languages to get the transcription in by going to the "Google Translation" option. Everything is free with nothing to buy. Here are just a few examples of some of our videos that have free transcriptions available:
"Early Christian Church History Proves Roman Catholicism False" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=113161415591,
"Divine Curse of the Hebrew Roots Movement – Replacing Jesus with the Old Testament" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=108151527437,
"Debate: Larry Wessels Versus Two Jehovah's Witnesses at a University Study Center" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=108141526191,
"Spiritual Counterfeit: ONENESS PENTECOSTALISM DENIES THE BIBLICAL DOCTRINE OF TRINITY" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=52015115043,
"Unpopular Bible Doctrines #1: The God No One Wants To Know" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=311141259524,
"Islam's 1400 Year History of Violent Jihad For Sex Slaves, Money & Jew Hatred" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=324161224286,
"The Sovereignty of God Versus Man-Made Religions, Petty Emotionalism" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=52015125752,
"The Biblical Doctrine of the Trinity- Part 3 (Answering Common Attacks Against the Trinity)" at http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=32416129330.
There are many more but this is just a small sampling of what is available at no charge.
Blessings to all. 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
I have been asked about great preachers to listen to or read . Here are my recommendations of which all can be found at http://www.sermonaudio.com/ (Larry Wessels, director of Christian Answers of Austin, Texas speaking, YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/CAnswersTV):
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=C._H._Spurgeon),
John Bunyan (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=John_Bunyan),
A.W. Pink (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=A._W._Pink),
Martyn Lloyd-Jones (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Martyn_Lloyd-Jones),
John Calvin (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=John_Calvin),
George Whitefield (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=George_Whitefield),
Jonathan Edwards ( http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Jonathan_Edwards),
Richard Baxter (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Richard_Baxter),
Isaac Ambrose (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Isaac_Ambrose),
Stephen Charnock (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Stephen_Charnock),
Cotton Mather (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Cotton_Mather),
John Knox (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=John_Knox),
John Foxe (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=John_Foxe),
Martin Luther (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Martin_Luther),
John Owen (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=John_Owen),
John Gill (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=John_Gill),
Augustus Montague Toplady (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Augustus_Toplady)
Present day preachers:
John MacArthur (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Pastor_John_MacArthur),
Phil Johnson (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Phil_Johnson),
Ian Brown (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Rev_Ian_Brown),
James White (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Dr._James_White),
R.C. Sproul (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Dr._R._C._Sproul),
Albert Mohler, Jr. (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Dr._R._Albert_Mohler,_Jr.),
Voddie Baucham (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Voddie_Baucham),
John Reisinger (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=John_Reisinger),
Paul Washer (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Paul_Washer),
Matthew McMahon (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Matthew_McMahon),
Steven J. Lawson (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Dr._Steven_J._Lawson),
Sinclair Ferguson (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Dr._Sinclair_B._Ferguson),
Tom Nettles (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Professor_Tom_Nettles),
Iain Murray (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?currpage=1&keyword=Pastor%5FIain%5FMurray&SpeakerOnly=true&currSection=sermonsspeaker&AudioOnly=false&sortby=added)
Curt Daniel (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?currpage=1&keyword=Dr%2E%5FCurt%5FD%2E%5FDaniel&SpeakerOnly=true&currSection=sermonsspeaker&AudioOnly=false&sortby=added).
For in depth church history/ historical theology lectures hear William Cunningham (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=William_Cunningham).
For a Biblical refutation of the heretical Word-Faith Movement of the
phony TV preachers, the fraudulent modern day tales of trips to heaven
& hell, & the spiritual delusion of the Charismatic &
Pentecostal movement hear Justin Peters (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Justin_Peters).
For Biblical creation lectures contrasted to Darwin's metaphysical theory of evolution hear Ken Ham (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Ken_Ham).
For the most famous sermon ever preached on North American soil hear
Jonathan's Edward's "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" (http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=113003134610).
Death can come suddenly & unexpectedly. Hear deathbed testimonies of
the damned during their last days, hours & moments before going
into eternity: "Horrifying & Terrifying Death Bed Scenes Of
Atheists, Apostates & Reprobates" (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?keyword=horrifying&selectsearch=).
For deception in the news media hear Peter Hammond (http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=5131365140).
For the importance of the local church fellowship hear Mark Dever – which includes a free transcript (http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=912071916550).
Sermon Audio featured a talk in their "Staff Picks" section of a French
lady who gave her testimony about coming to faith in Christ through
watching our "CAnswersTV" YouTube videos there in France – "Testimony:
Camille Jolly" (http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=6414192554).
Hear my own pastor Greg Van Court (http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Greg_Van_Court)
who took the place of my original pastor for 30 years Jackson Boyett
who was called home to be with the Lord (hear Pastor Boyett at http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?speakeronly=true&currsection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Jackson_Boyett).
There are many other great preachers listed in the "Classic Speakers"
& "Reformers & Puritans" section found in the "Sermons by
Speaker" section of http://www.sermonaudio.com/.
I hope that this list of outstanding Christian preachers may be of help
to you in your Christian walk. 2 Timothy 4:2-5, " Preach the word; be
instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long
suffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but
after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having
itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be
turned unto fables.
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an
evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry."
Just remember that grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldy lusts and to live soberly, righteously, and godly…Titus 2:12. His nemesis, Augustine, took 4 tries before he got the pope and emperor to declair Pelagious a heretic. The nicest thing that Augustine said about him was that Pelagious had an impeccable character.
Yes, He did!
“just as Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"?”
Galatians 3:6 ESV
https://www.bible.com/59/gal.3.6.esv