John 3;1-21
As we draw near to the close of our studies on Regeneration and Conversion, from John 3;1-21,
we want to emphasize two great truths;
Number 1-The Purpose of Christ's First Advent, found in verse 17.
Number 2-The Faith of those Whom God ordained to believe, found in verse 18.
Now, The Purpose of Christ's First Advent, was not to judge, but to save those, whom The Father gave Him, in The Covenant of Redemption-John 17;2-3-[TURN].
Those, Who believe in and emphasize Free Will say; ''Christ came, that the world of lost sinners might be saved,'' NOT SAYING, IT SHALL BE SAVED.
''MIGHT'' expresses a possibility, while ''SHALL'' speaks of certainty.
If The World, for which, Christ died, is the so-called Elect only, that The Elect might be saved--not shall be saved,
this would indicate that The Elect might not be saved, hence, eventually lost in Hell.
Now, Get this truth; The Word ''Might'' used in John 3;17, when used relatively, denotes inherent ability;
when used absolutely, it denotes the power, to carry something into effect.
Does Our Lord leave any doubt, about The Bible being fulfilled/
Matthew 1;22-''Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord by the prophets, saying. . .''
Matthew 4;14-''That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying. . .''
Is there any possibility of Christ, failing to give life to those, whom the Father gave him/
John 10;10-''The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.''
Is there any possibility of Christ failing in His Resurrection/
John 10;17-''Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.''
Is there any possibility of Christ, failing to be glorified/
John 11;4-''When Jesus heard this, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.''
There is no uncertainty of God's Purpose for Christ being fulfilled-
I Peter 3;18-[Turn].
John 6;37-[Turn].
Now, Get this truth; According to The Bible, no person can give himself to Jesus Christ, TO
BE SAVED.
Therefore, We must conclude that, the person given to Jesus Christ, by The Father, to be redeemed, shall be redeemed.
Faith in Jesus Christ is the fruit of God's Ordination-Acts 13;48-[Turn].
True Faith is The Faith of God's Elect-Titus 1;1-[Turn].
John 6;37 states that all the Father gave to the Son, shall come to the Son-NOT ''If They will
come.''
This promise is so related to God's Purpose, that it cannot fail--Isaiah 46;10-11-[Turn].
Coming finds it cause in being given and drawn-John 6;37, 44--[Turn].
We said previously, that the word, ''World'' in John 3;16-17, must be understood to refer to
the elect Jews and elect Gentiles, For whose salvation, Christ came, into this world.
He came to save His Own;
yet He, actually saves only, those to whom, He gives faith.
Today Many proclaim free will, as though it alone, had escaped the damage of The Fall, and as
if Adam had not sinned, with his will.
WHAT AN IDOL, ARMINIANS MAKE OF FREE WILL.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
LOVE IS THE CAUSE OF CONVERSION-Part 6
John 3;16
Number 3-Who are the ''whosoevers''/
Those who believe in Free Will'' say, ''It refers to every individual, in The World, and can never be restricted in intention to some.''
Those of us, who believe in ''Free Grace'' say, ''This Love is restricted to believers''-Love is the
unchangeable intention, of The Sovereign God.
Number 4-What is The Fruit of This Love/
Those who nelieve in ''Free Will'' say, ''Eternal Life is the fruit, obtained by faith;
But this was not the end, intended by God, because He loved and died for all mankind;
and many hate, and do reject Him''.
All Who believe in ''Free Grace'' say, ''The Love of God is not, in vain''.
The General Ransom is an empty sound, because Jesus Christ did not die in vain.
Isaiah said, ''He shall see his seed and be satisfied,'' which means, He shall be satisfied with the accomplishment of his intention.
Next, We see that, the channel of God's Eternal Love, is The Eternal Son.
It has been said, that love may be where there is no office, and so, has no power to do us good;
but in Jesus Christ, Love and Office meet.
They are combined in The Lord Jesus Christ, to do good for those, whom The Father gave Him.
The Love of Jesus Christ, was the sole compelling cause of His Assumption of The Office of Mediator-
Galatians 2;20-[Quote].
Revelation 1;5-''And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.''
The eternal disposing cause of The Whole Earth, wherein The Lord Jesus Christ, was engaged, for The Redemption and Salvation of His people, is The Eternal Love of God The Father.
This Love of The Father, acted in His Eternal Decree, before The Foundation of The World, and was afterwards, manifested in sending His Son, to make it effectual.
All, who believe in Christ's Divine Person, profess the valuation of The Love of The Son of God I John 3;16-[Turn].
It was Wrath, not Love, that all, mankind deserved.
This fills the souls of men with self-abasement.
Jesus Christ is Glorious in This Love. No creature, angel, or man, could have the least conception of it, before its effects are manifested.
Even after its manifestation, in Christ's Death, it is incomprehensible in this World.
Ephesians 3;19-''And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.''
An unseen Glory accompanied The Lord Jesus in all that He did, during His personal ministry, and in what, He suffered on The Cross.
His Glory was unseen by the eyes of the world in general, but not, by His Own sheep, which He came to save.
If Men, in general, had seen it, they wouldn't have crucified The Lord of Glory-
I Corinthians 2;8-''Which none of the princes of this world knew; for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.''
Now, did God, simply open up a way of salvation, through Jesus Christ/
Could Sinners only walk in a way, that was opened to them/
Such a meager provision would be operative in no case.
The Fact that everyone, Who does evil, hates the light;
and doesn't come to the light, is proved by the context of John 3;19-20.
How can a way, that has simply been opened, do anything for men, Who will not come to the light, because they hate it/
Now, all unbelievers, in their hearts, really do call Jesus Christ ''Ichabod,'' which means, ''Where is The Glory/''
They see neither ''form nor comeliness'' in Him, that He should be desired.
While many don't call Jesus, ''Anathema,'' yet they cry, ''Hail, Master,'' and then crucify Him.
Now, to say, that Jesus Christ only opened a way of salvation, leads to a Deistic Soteriology,
which is a concept, that God has done all that He can do, and the rest, is left up to the sinner, to do, to be saved.
But, The Love of God, is a saving love, not a love, tending toward salvation.
The Almighty, All Conquering Love of God, therefore, doesn't pour itself equally, and with the same intent, upon every man, in The World.
You see, God visits whom He Will with it.
Thus The Father gives in Time, His Son, to those whom He gave to Christ, in The Covenant of
Redemption, in Eternity.
The Son, by The Holy Spirit, gives eternal life, to all, that the Father gave Him-
John 17;3-''And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.''
--END--
Number 3-Who are the ''whosoevers''/
Those who believe in Free Will'' say, ''It refers to every individual, in The World, and can never be restricted in intention to some.''
Those of us, who believe in ''Free Grace'' say, ''This Love is restricted to believers''-Love is the
unchangeable intention, of The Sovereign God.
Number 4-What is The Fruit of This Love/
Those who nelieve in ''Free Will'' say, ''Eternal Life is the fruit, obtained by faith;
But this was not the end, intended by God, because He loved and died for all mankind;
and many hate, and do reject Him''.
All Who believe in ''Free Grace'' say, ''The Love of God is not, in vain''.
The General Ransom is an empty sound, because Jesus Christ did not die in vain.
Isaiah said, ''He shall see his seed and be satisfied,'' which means, He shall be satisfied with the accomplishment of his intention.
Next, We see that, the channel of God's Eternal Love, is The Eternal Son.
It has been said, that love may be where there is no office, and so, has no power to do us good;
but in Jesus Christ, Love and Office meet.
They are combined in The Lord Jesus Christ, to do good for those, whom The Father gave Him.
The Love of Jesus Christ, was the sole compelling cause of His Assumption of The Office of Mediator-
Galatians 2;20-[Quote].
Revelation 1;5-''And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.''
The eternal disposing cause of The Whole Earth, wherein The Lord Jesus Christ, was engaged, for The Redemption and Salvation of His people, is The Eternal Love of God The Father.
This Love of The Father, acted in His Eternal Decree, before The Foundation of The World, and was afterwards, manifested in sending His Son, to make it effectual.
All, who believe in Christ's Divine Person, profess the valuation of The Love of The Son of God I John 3;16-[Turn].
It was Wrath, not Love, that all, mankind deserved.
This fills the souls of men with self-abasement.
Jesus Christ is Glorious in This Love. No creature, angel, or man, could have the least conception of it, before its effects are manifested.
Even after its manifestation, in Christ's Death, it is incomprehensible in this World.
Ephesians 3;19-''And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.''
An unseen Glory accompanied The Lord Jesus in all that He did, during His personal ministry, and in what, He suffered on The Cross.
His Glory was unseen by the eyes of the world in general, but not, by His Own sheep, which He came to save.
If Men, in general, had seen it, they wouldn't have crucified The Lord of Glory-
I Corinthians 2;8-''Which none of the princes of this world knew; for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.''
Now, did God, simply open up a way of salvation, through Jesus Christ/
Could Sinners only walk in a way, that was opened to them/
Such a meager provision would be operative in no case.
The Fact that everyone, Who does evil, hates the light;
and doesn't come to the light, is proved by the context of John 3;19-20.
How can a way, that has simply been opened, do anything for men, Who will not come to the light, because they hate it/
Now, all unbelievers, in their hearts, really do call Jesus Christ ''Ichabod,'' which means, ''Where is The Glory/''
They see neither ''form nor comeliness'' in Him, that He should be desired.
While many don't call Jesus, ''Anathema,'' yet they cry, ''Hail, Master,'' and then crucify Him.
Now, to say, that Jesus Christ only opened a way of salvation, leads to a Deistic Soteriology,
which is a concept, that God has done all that He can do, and the rest, is left up to the sinner, to do, to be saved.
But, The Love of God, is a saving love, not a love, tending toward salvation.
The Almighty, All Conquering Love of God, therefore, doesn't pour itself equally, and with the same intent, upon every man, in The World.
You see, God visits whom He Will with it.
Thus The Father gives in Time, His Son, to those whom He gave to Christ, in The Covenant of
Redemption, in Eternity.
The Son, by The Holy Spirit, gives eternal life, to all, that the Father gave Him-
John 17;3-''And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.''
--END--
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