Doctrines of Grace : IV Part Irresistible Grace

. IRRESISTIBLE GRACE

A. Arminian Position:

 

• The Holy Spirit cannot regenerate fallen man until he believes. The Holy Spirit does all He can to bring every fallen man to salvation, but until fallen man responds in faith, of his own free will, the Spirit cannot give life. Faith preceded and makes possible the New Birth. Faith gives Life.

B. Reformed Position: or Doctrine of Grace, or  Calvinist.

 

• The Holy Spirit regenerates every one of God's chosen people, enabling them to believe. The Holy Spirit graciously regenerates every one of God's chosen people, creating within them a new heart and enabling them to freely and willingly believe in Christ as Savior and Lord. The New Birth precedes and makes possible Saving Faith. Life gives Faith.

C. Scriptural Support for the Reformed Position:

1. Every one whom the Father has chosen and for whom Christ died, will certainly experience the application of that salvation by the Holy Spirit.

 

1. John.6:37All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.
2. John 6:44 -"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
3. \John 10:16 - "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
4. Rom.8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
5. \Rom.8:32 - He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
6. 1Cor.6:11 - And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. 
   
   
7. 1Cor.12:3 -Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
   
   
8. 
   2Cor.3:6- who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
   
9. 
   \2Cor.3:17 -Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
   
10. Eph.1:3 - Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
    





11. Eph.1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
    
    • Eph.1:13 -In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
    
    1Pet.1:2 - elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
    
    
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    Spiritual Regeneration is an inward change in man performed solely by the Holy Spirit and is not dependent upon man's help or cooperation.

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    A New Birth
    
    
    John 1:12 - as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
     
    Rom.9:16 - then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.
     
    John 3:3 -8 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.7 "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'8 "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
     
    1Pet.1:3 -Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
     
    1Pet.1:23 - having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
     
    1John 5:4 -For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world our faith.
     
    Titus 3:5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
    
    
    

A New Heart

 
Deut.30:6 - "And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

Ezek.36:26 - "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.27 "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

 

A New Creation

 

2Cor.5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,

 

Gal.6:15 - For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.

Eph.2:10 -For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforeh

A Resurrection

Jn.5:21 -"For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to14,  them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.

Jn.11:15, 25, 38-44 Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.15 "And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him."

 

 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live

 

 38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"

 

41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.42 "And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"

44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

 

Eph.2:1 - And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

 

Eph.2:5 - when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with

Christ (by grace you have been saved),

 

Col.2:13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,

 
A Gift

Jn.17:2 "as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.

1Cor.4:7 For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

 

Eph.2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

3. Repentance and Faith are divine gifts which are the result, not the cause, of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.

Acts.5:31 - Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

 

Acts.11:18 - When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life."

 

Acts.13:48 - Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

 

Acts.16:14 - a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.

 

Acts.18:27 -And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace;

 

Eph.2:8 - by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

 

Phil.1:29 - For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,

 

2Tim.2:25 - in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

 

111 Limited Atonement Part 3a

 

III. LIMITED ATONEMENT

A. Arminian Position: Christ's death was designed to make salvation possible for all people. Christ's death made salvation possible for everyone, but it did not actually secure or guarantee the salvation of anyone. Fallen man determines whether or not Christ's work will be effective by his faith.

 

B. Reformed Position: Or Scripture Position Christ's death was designed to actually secure the salvation of all of God's chosen people. Christ's death secured and actually accomplished the salvation of all of God's chosen people. God has determined that all for whom Christ sacrificed Himself will be saved.

C. Scriptural Support for the Reformed Position or Calvinism, or Bibical

 

1. Christ's death is set forth in scripture as that which ACTUALLY accomplished salvation, not that which merely made salvation possible.

   

Rom.5:8 - Rom.5:10 (NKJ)8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

 

2Cor.5:18 - 2Cor.5:19 (NKJ)18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

 

Eph.2:15 - Eph.2:16 (NKJ)15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.

 

Col.1:21 - Col.1:22 (NKJ)21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight

 

Gal.3:13 - Gal.3:13 (NKJ)13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),

 

Titus.2:14 - Titus.2:14 4 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

 

Heb.9:12 - Heb.9:12 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

 

Luke.19:10 - Luke.19:10 (NKJ)10 "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

 

1Tim.1:15 - 1Tim.1:15 (NKJ)15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

 

2. Jesus Christ was sent into the world to save the people whom the Father had given Him.

 
 
John.6:35 -40 35 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.36 "But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.37 "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.38 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.39 "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.40 "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

 

John.10:11 - "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

 

John.10:14 -18 14 "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.15 "As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.16 "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.17 "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.18 "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father."

 

John.10:24 -29 24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me.26 "But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.28 "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.29 "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.

 

Eph.1:3 - 4 ( Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

 

Eph.1:7 - In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

 

Eph.1:13 - In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

As a Calvinist This Is What I Believe

 

The first 18 years of preaching I could never preach a sermon without mention going to a movie, (Jerry Lewis you know) and going to a dance, or having long hair, and playing cards, etc. And eveery sermon had to have salvation, and Heaven sweet and Hell hot. Then the last 34 years I just taught what the Bible said book by book, chapter by chapter. I didn't add or substract or twist or

　

The first 18 years of preaching I could never preach a sermon without mention going to a movie, (Jerry Lewis you know) and going to a dance, or having long hair, and playing cards, etc. And eveery sermon had to have salvation, and Heaven sweet and Hell hot. Then the last 34 years I just taught what the Bible said book by book, chapter by chapter. I didn't add or substract or twist or take a verse here and there, half verse and made it a sermon.

The first 18 years of preaching I could never preach a sermon without mention going to a movie, (Jerry Lewis you know) and going to a dance, or having long hair, and playing cards, goingt to a rock show, goling camping, playing golf, going to a NASCAR race, And every sermon had to have salvation, and Heaven sweet and Hell hot. Then the last 34 years I just taught what the Bible said book by book, chapter by chapter. I didn't add or substract or twist or take a verse here and there, half verse and made it a sermon.

　

I have friends who are Calvinist Baptists..., and I love their friendship dearly! But I dare you to test the mindset of Calvinism..., if you're truly born again, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, then I dare you to test their doctrine..., just as you walk past the next stranger, think of them as lost..., then HOLD that thought and set it aside, then walk right on past that stranger with the mindset that God has already chosen that they will or will not be saved, that they are going to heaven or Hell, and there's nothing you are responsible for doing concerning them! I dare you! The Spirit of God will overcome that doctrine of devils, and will compel you to witness of your Saviour Jesus Christ, to them. I tried the test...and the Lord would not let me pass them by..., and thank God I tested that false doctrine..., because some of those folks have been saved, not because of my feeble efforts, but because Jesus is not a Calvinist..., in fact, Satan is not a Calvinist, even the Devil knows that's a lie even he cannot believe! Terry Rollins

　

I said: Of course you are so wrong brother, but that is okay, your heart is in the right pleace. your view point about most Calvinist is wrong. There is a responsibility to share the gospel, with out which no one would be born again. The gospel must first be preached, the gospel is to be shared. God could save everyone, God could use angles to bring the gospel story, but God calls us to present the Gospel to all men, but it is God's alone that saves a sinner from Hell. I know I don't share the gospel to every one I see, but its not because I don't think I should. I think I must have talked to 20 people today in stores, and in a bakery, in a bank, at quick stop and didn't ask them if they were going to heaven, but it was not because I didn't think about it. Of course Jesus is a Calvinist, He knows God alone saves. But Jesus knew he had to die on the cross in order for God to save. And we know we need to present the gospel message for God to save those that are lost.

　

Saved out of Calvinism - John 3:16 Conference Video

 This man who is speaking is giving his testimony about this conversion out of Calvinism into been a Christian.. 

He has the general idea of many Baptists. I AM NOT ONE OF THEM. I do not agree with this point at all. Nor to I agree with the John 3:16 Conference. But I do agree with the speaker on the platform.

SO YOU MIGHT BE A CALVINIST IF?

SO YOU MIGHT BE A CALVINIST IF?

OR IT MIGHT BE JUST THAT YOU BELIEVE

THE WORD OF GOD POSITION ON SALVATION AND GRACE

If they say, “Are you a Calvinist?” say, “You decide. Here is what I believe ..”

And of course most of my fundamentalist friends would not say they are Calvinist?

But on the other hand I would say most would agree with the following verses and statement about our salvation.

I believe I am so spiritually corrupt and prideful and rebellious that I would never have come to faith in Jesus without God’s merciful, sovereign victory over the last vestiges of my rebellion. (1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 3:1:1-4; Romans 8:7). (click on verse)

I believe that God chose me t be his child before the foution of the world, on the basis of nothing in me, foreknown or otherwise. Ephesians1:4-6; Acts 13:48; Romans 8:29-30; 11:5-7

I believe Christ died as a substitute for sinners to provide a bona fide offer of salvation to all people, and that he had an invincible design in his death to obtain his chosen bride, namely, the assembly of all believers, whose names were eternally written in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain. (John 3:16John 10:15; Ephesians 5:25; Revelation 13:8)

When I was dead in my trespasses, and blind to the beauty of Christ, God made me alive, opened the eyes of my heart, granted me to believe, and united me to Jesus, with all the benefits of forgiveness and justification and eternal life. (Ephesians 2:4-5; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Philippians 2:29; Ephesians; Acts 16:14; Ephesians 1:7; Philippians 3:9)

I am eternally secure not mainly because of anything I did in the past, but decisively because God is faithful to complete the work he began—to sustain my faith, and to keep me from apostasy, and to hold me back from sin that leads to death. (1 Corinthians 1:8-9; 1Thessalonians 5:23-24; Philippians 1:6 I Peter 1:5; Jude 1:25; John10:28-29; I John 5:16)

Call it what you will, this is my life. I believe it because I see it in the Bible. And because I have experienced it. Everlasting praise to the greatness of the glory of the grace of God!

IS DECISIONAL REGENERATION GOD'S METHOD OF SOUL WINNING?

Decisional Regeneration is not God’s method of evangelism, and the saving of the human soul. Part two

· Who's Charles Finney?

• Reacting against the pervasive Calvinism of the Great Awakening, the successors of that great movement of God's Spirit turned from God to humans,

• from the preaching of objective content (namely, Christ and him crucified)to the emphasis on getting a person to "make a decision^."
• ^{http://withchrist.org/Finney-Horton.pdf}

· William McLoughlin summarized Finney's major contribution to revivalism by saying that,

• both he [Finney] and his followers believed it to be the legitimate function of a revivalist to utilize the laws of mind in order to engineer individuals and crowds into making a choice which was superficial based upon free will.

· The results justify my methods.

• This factor helped lead later generations of evangelists to adopt Finney's success theme as the barometer of God's blessing.·
• Billy Sunday stated, "theory has got to go into the scrap heap when it comes to experience."

• In effect, this statement meant that the historic doctrines of grace could be ignored if not altogether rejected by the evangelist

• Indeed, D.L. Moody picked up on this reasoning when he said, "It makes no difference how you get a man to God, provided you get him there."

• Until his conversion, Finney claims to have only heard that type of preaching where the pastor would blandly read his sermon, telling the congregation that they should sit and wait upon God to save them.

• These memories greatly affected the young convert. He took this style and content of preaching to be the practical outworking of Calvinism.
• In his view, the passivity of man in salvation brought deadness into the pews.

• Therefore, his preaching and his methods were designed to catch the sinner's attention, and once caught, to create an emotional outpouring that would result in conviction, which would then result in conversion.

• Among the "new measures" that Finney employed to do this work were protracted prayers and meetings, the anxious or inquirer's meeting, the anxious bench, public prayers for know sinners, coarse and irreverent language, and women praying in mixed gatherings

• Was this judgment of the Calvinistic pulpit methodology a fair one? After all, had not Jonathan Edwards "blandly" read his sermons? And yet, his ministry was blessed in the First Great Awakening. The key to this question is not found in methodology, but in theology.

• The deadness that Finney perceived, was not due to the methods (or lack thereof) which were used in the pulpit, but to the type of response required of the congregation.

· In contrast to this, Jonathan Edwards and, later, Asahel Nettleton (who was a contemporary of Finney)

NeASAHEL NETTLETON: 1783-1844 (note footnote)

• exhorted their hearers, upon coming under conviction of sin, to go privately before the Lord and plead for their souls. Both of these committed Calvinists witnessed great spiritual awakenings under their ministries.

· At issue is Finney's definition of "revival."

• The debate over methods was, in reality, a debate over the proper means of conversion.

• Finney, believed that a revival "is not a miracle or dependent on a miracle. It is a purely philosophical result of the right use of the constituted means."