Men hate God; or put another way, the flesh, even the flesh of the regenerate, hates God for the carnal mind is enmity (at war) against God. For the flesh is just like the proverbial child that will do whatever it has to in order to get its way. Cry, scream, kick, yell, pout, hold its breath, not eat, whatever, all to get what it wants, when it wants it and how it wants it.

And this nature of man, that is his flesh, never changes for the better as it gets older. Rather it matures like a rotting corpse and becomes more refined as it learns new ways to get what it wants. Manipulation, deceit, lying, guile, self pity and a host of other tools are employed by the flesh to have its way and to enjoy the fruits of unrighteousness. All the while rebelling against God and his ways, hating the light, and loving the darkness.

I state this because that which is flesh is flesh; always was and always will be (until for the elect it is changed at the last trump). Because flesh loves the darkness and hates the light and will not come to the light (i.e. Jesus) lest its evil be exposed. Likewise, it will never desire to be crucified for Christ, it will never desire to submit to God, and it will never desire to be dethroned and have Christ as Lord over its will.

Blessings to you.

She is supposed to email some scriptures that refute the doctines. It will be nice to talk with someone about it. I believe it will help both of us come to what is true.

She did make the statement that it would be unfair for God to choose some and not give everyone a chance at salvation. Which I told her that conscidering that we all deserve hell, God is merciful that He has chose some.

I am going to direct her to a sermon series from John Macarthur on the doctrines of Grace. I have already pointed her to monergism.com.

Thanks all

Merry Christmas!

You’re correct about the sin of unbelief, and this is among the many reasons why Arminianism is a failed, and unbiblical system of soteriology.

Christ’s atonement was for all the sins of His people, those whom the Father gave unto Him in eternity past, and for whose sins He endured His Father’s wrath upon the cross, which includes the sin of unbelief.

If Christ’s atoning work on the cross was for everyone in general, and no one in particular, then either universalism is true (it isn’t), or else Christ failed to complete his substitutionary work on the cross (He didn’t).

This leaves the Arminian with a bit of a quandary, for if Christ died for all people alike, and He paid for all sins alike, except for the sin of unbelief, then how is that one remaining “unpaid for” sin atoned for? If Christ Himself couldn’t expiate that singular sin on the cross, then what sacrifice remains? What’s left to remove this one sin? In reality there’s no sacrifice left, which means either everyone is doomed to hell (they aren’t), or else somehow “believing in faith”, that little, tiny, teensy-weensy, itty-bitty act that sinful man must take all by himself – this is the difference between heaven and hell; it’s all up to man!

Sinful man’s decision is all that lies between eternal life and eternal perdition.

Man saves man!

Hallelu-me!

This is known as decisionism.

But we’ve still not solved the riddle of what actually expiated the sin of unbelief…Christ didn’t do it, or else it would be forgiven and everyone would be headed to heaven, so what paid for it? The world will never know because it’s a lie from the pit of hell.

A wicked falsehood.

A demonic charade.

Believing faith doesn’t expiate sin, in fact our faith itself is the gift of God: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” (Eph. 2:8)

The Biblical truth is that Christ fully paid for all the sins of those whom the Father gave to Him in eternity past, the elect, and all the elect will infallibly come unto Christ, in time, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Him alone, to the eternal praise and glory of God alone.

Not one of His people will be lost, because Jesus Christ’s atonement was fully satisfactory to reconcile the elect unto God, those whom He has loved with an everlasting love, those whose names were written in the Lamb’s Book of Life from before the foundations of the world, those whom Christ will raise up at the last day.

This is what’s known as particular redemption.

Particular redemption is clearly taught in the scriptures:

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:37-40)

“But there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. And He was saying, For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father. (John 6:64-65)

So then we can see, all will come to Christ for whom He died, and none will come to Christ for whom He did not die. He knows who belongs to Him, and they know His voice and follow Him, and He knows who doesn’t belong to Him, just as He has always known all things, even from before the foundations of the world.

As corrupted sinners, fallen humanity has no desire in or of themselves for the things of God:

“But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised” (1 Cor. 2:14)

This is among the passages which teach us about man’s natural inability to approach, or desire the things of God.

Therefore something must happen first that takes away a sinful man’s heart of stone, changing it into heart of flesh which is the primary (and only) cause for a fallen, rebellious, naturally unable sinner to turn to Christ. In theology this is known as monergistic regeneration, which is the gift of God bestowed upon His elect. We can therefore see that regeneration precedes faith.

Why would an utterly corrupt, sin loving, God hating rebellious fallen creature turn to His Creator in love? The Bible tells us:

We love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

But not everyone is the object of this special saving love, so is God somehow unjust? Is He capricious with His love, keeping people out who are trying to make it into heaven? In a word, no. Everyone who ever lived since Adam, apart from Jesus Christ Himself, has lived a life of rebellion against God, fleeing from Him towards hell as fast as they can run, yet out of His infinite oceans of mercy, grace, and love He chose to save some unworthy sinners, through no merit of their own, to the eternal praise of His majestic glory alone.

But if everyone isn’t going to be saved, and if everyone isn’t elect, then isn’t God somehow being unfair? I mean, after all, some people (the non-elect) aren’t being given a chance, right? Isn’t that unfair?

Well, the Biblical response to that inquiry is that as guilty sinners we don’t want a “fair” God, we want a merciful God because if we want fairness, then we’re asking for justice, and if we get justice, then everybody goes to hell on their own merits. However no one deserves mercy. Mercy is God’s unmerited and gracious gift to bestow as He sees fit upon unworthy, wretched, vile, hopelessly lost sinners.

Amazing grace!

Listen to how the Apostle Paul responded to the anticipated question of God’s “fairness” when it came to the subject of divine election and reprobation:

“What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be!

And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.” (Romans 9:14-24)

When these amazing truths are unpacked from the inspired Word of God our place is but to fall on our faces and marvel at His unspeakable and perfect majesty, wrath, justice, grace, compassion, and love.

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! (Romans 11:33)

I hope this helps.

In Christ,
CD

- The Pilgrim

Actually, it would not do away with the double payment argument. The fact is that until the Holy Spirit draws us through His power and brings us to the point where we become a new creation in Christ Jesus, we always blaspheme the Holy Spirit. We constantly, continuously, and deliberately trample upon the mercy and love of God. We scorn the Saviour and flaunt our sin in the face of the wrath of a holy, righteous God.

Secondly, to say that to “blaspheme the Holy Spirit” is a sin that is completely and forever unforgiveable would have to exclude Pharisees who we know placed their faith in Christ such as Nicodemus and the apostle Paul. This would then make the power of God unto salvation powerless in the face of this one particular sin. To state it another way, we would have to say that if such blasphemy is not forgiveable, then Jesus Christ took upon Himself all sin EXCEPT this one on the Cross. I believe the only sin that is ultimately unforgiveable and the sin that sends people to hell is the sin of unbelief, and that line in the sand is crossed at the moment of death.

I hope this clarifies, but if not, feel free to comment again.

The Desert Pastor

I was talking to one of my cousins tonight about doctrines of grace. I made the point where that if Jesus died for everyone and all of their sin, then they should be saved even if they reject Jesus because rejection in itself is sin. She then made the point that the only sin to not be forgiven would be blaspheming the Holy Spirit which Jesus talked about in Matthew 12. Which some people interpret as rejection because the Pharisees seen the Holy Spirit working and still rejected Jesus.

So what do you guy’s and gal’s think, if rejection is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, would that do away with the double payment argument?
I hope I was able to clearly express what I am trying to ask.

On a side note, I did get to share the Gospel with several lost family members tonight.

May I also recommend the resources of Monergism.com and Reformation Theology as you and your brother learn and grow in God’s Word?

Soli Deo Gloria!
CD

Thanks for posting this excellent article by John Samson. Another “newly Reformed brother” and myself have been discussing this question over the last few weeks. This article has answered some of our questions.