WHOSOEVER WILL CONTINUES

DID JESUS DIE ON THE CROSS FOR EVERY PERSON WHO HAS EVERY LIVED AND WILL BE BORN?

IN AN EARLIER POST I REMARKED ON THE JOHN 3:16 CONFERENCE THAT IS GOING TO BE HELD IN NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR. AT THE TIME I DIDN'T NOW THE ABOVE S ADD WAS IN THE LIBERY UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE JUNE 2008

SEVEN DISTINGUISHED MEN A Biblical and Theological Assessment of and Response to 5- Point Calvinism

Total Depravity - Paigne Patterson

Unconditional Election - Richard Land

Limited Atonement - Dave Allen

Irrisistible Grace - Steve Lenke

Perseverance of the Saints - Ken Keathley

John 3:16 To the Entire World - Charles Stanley
.

I LIKE TO BE FAIR AND BALANCE - I LIKE TO HEAR AND READ FROM THE OTHER SIDE.

.

I was raised up with this viewpoint, and I wasn't damaged for life.

I was raised up a Independent, Fundamental, Evangelist, Scofield Bible, KJV, Charts of Revleation, J.Frank Norris/George Norris Pre Theological Viewpoint.

And I am still standing, with little damage.

And Jerry Falwell and Jack Hyles

had a little influnce in my life

and I had little damage done.

.

Lester Roloff and John R. Rice, and Ironside, Spurgeon, and DeHaan

SO YOU MIGHT ASKED

WHY DID I CHANGE MY VIEW POINT ON SALVATION

WHY AM I A FIVE POINTER!

.

WHY I BELIEVE GOD SAVES

THE JOHN 3 16 CONFERENCES In 1954 in my father's church in Roanoke Virginia, I heard the message on John 3:16 "Whosoever believe in Him shall be saved." And I do believe that day the Lord saved my sinful seven year old soul.

I have heard, read, preached, taught on John 3 :16 a number of times. "WHOSOEVER" has been the point of many sermons I have heard many times. And the point that is pointed out is that any person who desires to be saved can be saved. Just call on Jesus to save him and Jesus will respond and save that person who by his faith desires to turn to Jesus. As a matter of fact I have even said that in those early years of ministry.

I remember the first time I heard "Whosoever" was not for everyone. That would be Dr. George L. Norris in Seminary in 1966. That was a shocker. Not every one will be saved. I almost quit Seminary over that idea. Theology was the topic of Seminary. Dr. Norris taught from the theological perspective. He taught from the God perspective. How does God see salvation, how did God plan for the salvation of mankind. Now that was an idea that I had not heard.

Most preaching is always from man perspective. Most fundamental, Norris fundamentalist, taught from man side of salvation. "Whosoever". Preachers taught that all man should be saved, and that any man can come to Christ, if by their faith they trust in Christ. Salvation, being born again, being saved was started by man, by his faith, and God responded to that faith.

I have heard most of my life, "Jesus died on the cross for all men, and all men can if they will be saved." "The blood of Jesus Christ, can save all man of all times."

I heard that man is not really so dead spiritually as Ephesians 2:1 says, "dead in trespasses and sins" that he by his own faith can say he wants to be saved. "Even when we were dead in sins," as verse 5 tells us, we were alive enough to have enough faith to be saved.

Now I could not really figure out, why so many people would come to the altar in our churches and say they wanted to be saved, and then they would never come back to church.

I can remember Ephesians 2:8, preachers would say, "For by grace are ye saved, through faith." but I didn't hear a lot about the next phrase, "And that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." What did that mean. Did it mean that been saved, is a gift of God. I did hear that. Its a gift! Salvation is a Gift. Not of works, but a gift from God. Our salvation is a gift from God. Usually you do not ask for a gift. So do you ask for a gift from God? Do you have to ask God for His gift?

In Dr. Norris Seminary Class, he said, "Salvation is a gift of God, given to those whom He will." WHAT! I remember every time Dr Norris would walk or speak in chapel, they would sing, "Whosoever will". Because they believe he didn't believe whosoever will could believe.

After Seminary, I went to another Norris fundamentalist church, and heard the same whosoever will, Jesus died on the cross for everyone, and whoso ever wants to be saved, and call upon Christ, by their faith can be saved. And a number of people did just that, and they were short lived in their will to follow Christ.

Then another few churches and then to Hyles Anderson College, and FBC of Hammond and I got a real good taste of the whoso ever will preaching. The whosoever folks were coming in by thousands. By 1980 FBC had over 80,000 members, those who had been baptized. But for some reason FBC was only having around 17,000 of those people coming to the church. (The numbers are correct) The whosoever was never in church.

I don't know if I had really taking a biblical study of that word "whosoever." The John 3:16 conferences will have seven different seminary professors who will look, respectively, into the Hebrew meaning of whosoever, the Greek meaning of whosoever, the Latin meaning of whosoever, the King James meaning of whosoever, the historical meaning of whosoever, the contemporary meaning of whosoever, and, most importantly, what John Wesley taught about the meaning of whosoever. (I would like to get their notes in November 2008)

These John 3 :16 conferences will be sponsored by the following:

• Jerry Vines Ministries, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, Luther Rice Seminary and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

All those Theological Seminaries are very good. WHOSOEVER WILL CAN BE SAVED.

So what does it mean "WHOSOEVER WILL?" That is the question isn't it.


Let's look at this word "whosoever." Next time.

" Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God."

Part Seven

You are born again if you believe that Jesus is the Christ, if you are relying upon a crucified Savior, you are assuredly begotten again unto a lively hope.

The believer sees in faith, which is simple as the movements of the needle, that shows the flow of electric current moving along wire. An indication that God is operating on the human mind, and the spiritual man discerns that there is an inner secret intimated thereby, which the carnal eye cannot interpret.

To believe in Jesus is a better indicator of regeneration than anything else, and in no case did it ever mislead.

Faith in the living God and His Son Jesus Christ is always the result of the New Birth.
And can never exist except
in the regeneration.
Whoso has faith is a saved man.

Many believe this statement:

• "A man’s act of believing is not the same as his being saved; it is only in the direction of being saved"

This statement to a denial that every believer in Christ is at once saved, and the inference is that a man may not conclude that he is saved because he believes in Jesus. But this is not true.

First the Scripture shows that it is certain that the man who believes in Jesus is not condemned. John 3:18.

Secondly, 1 John 5:4 "This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith." What, then, does faith overcome the world in persons who are not saved? How can this be possible when the apostle says that that which overcomes the world is born of God? Vs. 4 "Whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world:" Faith overcomes the world.

Therefore the man who has faith is regenerate; and that means that he is saved, and that his faith is the instrument by which he achieves victories.

Thirdly, faith accepts the witness of God, and more, he that has faith has the witness in himself to the truth of God. 1 John 5:10 "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself." It is not said, "He that does this or feels that," but "he that believeth hath the witness in himself."

His heart bears witness to the truth of God.

Has any unsaved man an experimental witness within?

Are you saying that a man’s inner experience bears witness to God’s gospel, and yet the man is in a lost state, or only hopeful of being saved ultimately? I do not think so. I would say that would be impossible.

"He that believeth has that change wrought in him which enables by his own consciousness to confirm the witness of God, and such a man must be in a state of salvation. It is not possible to say
of him that he is an unsaved man."

Fourth, 1 John 5:13 Whenever there is faith there is eternal life. "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life."

So are you saying that a sinner who believes in Jesus is to make an advance before he can say he is saved, that a man who trusts Christ is only on his way to salvation, and must wait until he has used the ordinances, and has grown in grace.? No!

"The moment that the sinner’s trust is placed on the finished work of Jesus he is saved."

He at that moment has eternal life, and he will love whoever has been born of him.

So we say, "Whosoever believeth in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, is born of God."

We are most certain, Spurgeon said, "that a man must be made a new creature in Christ Jesus, or he is not saved."

Can a man have faith that is saving faith,
can a man have the belief in Jesus as the Christ
can a man love all those who have been born of God
unless that man has been made a
new creation ?

flow of electric charge:
the time rate of flow of electric charge, in the direction that a positive moving charge would take and having magnitude equal to the quantity of charge per unit time: measured in amperes.

]
Electric current:
a current or stream of electricity traversing a closed circuit formed of conducting substances, or passing by means of conductors from one body to another which is in a different electrical state.

Electricity. (noun)
the time rate of flow of electric charge, in the direction that a positive moving charge would take and having magnitude equal to the quantity of charge per unit time: measured in amperes

AC/DC

Phenomena associated with electrical charges and currents, and the study of such phenomena. Between collections of positive and negative charges there exists a potential difference. If a conducting path exists between the two charge groups, charges will flow from one to the other, constituting an electric current. Electric charge which builds up on an insulator and is thus unable to flow is termed static electricity.

(electricity) The flow of electric charge, symbol i or I, units A (amp). A current of one amp means that a charge of one coulomb flows every second. Current flows positive to negative by convention

Drafted by Charles E. Whisnant and Proof read by Chairty Whisnant

WHEREVER THIS KIND OF FAITH EXISTS IT IS THE PROOF OF REGENERATION

Part Six

Here is the idea: To believe in Jesus is but to glance the eye of faith to Him, to trust Him, with your soul. That is a biblical fact that you can’t ignore, period.

Some want to say, that the sinner has within him just enough to have this kind of saving
faith. They want to say that they can read the Word, hear the preaching of the Gospel, and have enough faith to respond to the message.

Some believe that the Holy Spirit will come to the sinner, but the sinner will reject His plea.

Here is the text again: "Whosoever (everyone) who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God." It is proof positive and never fails. God never fails. God never fails. Period.
So how does this "born of God" happen?

Some see the new birth as an immense mystery. I just don’t understand it.
What appears to be a mystery to us, is not a mystery for God. He is, after all, God.

SIMPLE INDICATOR
Some mysteries reveal themselves in the simplest indications. The mystery of the new birth is revealed in the simple indication of faith. I have come to believe that existence of faith is an infallible indication of the new birth within the believer.

The Mystery of ELECTRICITY:
Electricity is a mystery. The telegraph can be sent across a wire. You can see it, or feel it, and the electric current flows along the wire. But if you have an indicator, you can see the needle moving. The person who has learned to read the needle indicator can know how much electricity is moving along the wire.
To the trained operator,

Morse and Vail's initial telegraph, which first went into operation in 1844, made indentations on a paper tape when an electrical current was transmitted. Morse's original telegraph receiver used a mechanical clockwork to move a paper tape. When an electrical current was received, an electromagnet engaged an armature that pushed a stylus onto the moving paper tape, making an indentation on the tape. When the current was interrupted, the electromagnet retracted the stylus, and that portion of the moving tape remained unmarked

The Morse code was developed so that operators could translate the indentations marked on the paper tape into text messages

In the original Morse telegraphs, the receiver's armature made a clicking noise as it moved into and out of position to mark the tape. Operators soon learned to translate the clicks directly into dots and dashes, making it unnecessary to use the paper tape.

Here is the illustration: The believer sees in the faith, which is simple as the movements of the needle, an indication that God is operating on the human mind, and the spiritual man discerns that there is an inner secret intimated therein, which the carnal eye cannot interpret.

The indicator , the clue of regeneration, that the Spirit of God has flowed into the deadness of man’s spirit and sent positive current into his negative current of thinking, is that the man has the faith, and believes in Jesus Christ as His Savior.

Can I say, that there has never been this kind of faith in the world, except in a regenerate soul, and never will be. How can you say this? It’s in the text.

John 1:13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Nor of the will of the flesh; man's free will, which is carnal and corrupt, is enmity to God, and impotent to every thing that is spiritually good: regeneration is ascribed to another will and power, even to the will and power of God, and denied of this:

" Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God."

Drafted by Charles E. Whisnant, Proof Checked by Charity Whisnant

WHERE EVER THIS KIND OF FAITH EXISTS IT IS THE PROOF OF REGENERATION

Part five, (several more to come)

So we come back to our thought, of what is saving faith, what is the kind of faith that is required for a person to be born of God.

John 1:13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

• " But now our evangelist observes, let a man be ever so great, or good, or eminent, for gifts and grace, he cannot communicate grace to another, or to whom he will; none are born again of any such will: but of God; of God, the Father of Christ, who begets to a lively hope; and of the Son, who quickens whom he will; and of the grace of the Spirit, to whom regeneration is generally ascribed." John Gill

Were born--of God; changed, by His Holy Spirit, from supreme love of self and sin to supreme love of God and holiness. No man inherits this holy character by nature, nor can it be given to him by man. It is the gift of God alone. The change in men called being "born again," by which they become children of God, is produced not by men, but by God, and to him will for ever be all the glory.

How clear can it be, that a man can not "be born again" by his own nature. And to be born again, one must have faith in Christ as Savior, prophet, priest and king. That is just not going to happen in a person who has not been born again by the supernatural work of grace in him by the Holy Spirit. Charles Whisnant (There are times I have a thought, you know)

Here is what happens, Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and I came as a sinner. I find that whosoever trusts in Him shall be saved. I therefore trust him, and having done so, I learn
from His Word that I am the object of His special love, and that I am born of God.

Once I have been born of God, I learn from reading the Word that He died for me, a sinner. I learn that my very nature was in rebellion God. I learn how I was saved only after I have been born of God, and learn how God alone saved me by reading the Word of God, and by the indwelling Holy Spirit

I might have known that the Jesus Christ in the Bible is said to have died on the cross, and I might have known that it is said that Jesus died for the purpose of redeeming mankind from Hell. And I might know that the preacher would say, "whosoever believes that can go to heaven." And I just might believe that. And yet I learn that is not what happens when I am truly born again of God.

Thousands of people go forward in a Billy Graham crusade because they believe they have the kind of faith to believe, who have not been born again of God. They believe the"whosoever." They believe that Jesus died, but they have not been born again of God. How can you say they have not been born again.?

• When I first was introduced to Christ when I had just turned seven I had no personal knowledge of any personal and special interest in the blood of Jesus. It was only as I was told that the Bible said it. "God hath set Him forth to be a propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world." Which I didn’t understand for years anyway. Williamsroad Baptist Church, Roanoke Virginia . Everette T. Whisnant, Pastor 1954.
• 
  But what I did, I came to trust myself to that which I was told that Jesus did for me. I said, if Jesus did that for me, I will totally trust what Jesus did. I believed with all my soul Jesus saved me. I really believed that I had nothing to do with it. I knew I didn’t know anything in the first place, and if I were saved, Jesus had to do it. I trusted Him, I just said, Jesus you saved me, I will trust you, and read your Word, and will try to live by what you desire me to do. And I have over the last fifty two years.

2 Corinthians 13:5 Try your own selves, whether ye are in the faith; prove your own selves. Or know ye not as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed ye be reprobate. Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith, So we need to understand that it’s not just human faith, it has to be a faith that is a gift from God.

To examine the state of their own souls, and see whether they were in the faith; either in the doctrine of faith, having a spiritual and experimental knowledge of it, true love and affection for it, a healthy belief of it, having felt the power of it upon their souls, and abode in it. This is proof positive of saving faith.

Paul is addressing this issue: "ye stand in the faith", firm and stable; or in the grace of faith, either of miracles, or that which is connected with salvation. Which, if they were in it, and had it, is attended with good works. It operates by love to Christ and to his people; by which souls go out of themselves to Christ, live upon him, receive from him, and give him all the glory of salvation. If this is the case, they desire to know how they came by their faith; and suggests, that their light in the doctrine of the Gospel, and their faith in Christ Jesus, as well as the miraculous gifts many of them were possessed of, were through his ministry as the means.

This was a full proof of Christ's speaking in him:

Faith does that: Proof positive saving faith will totally rely on God’s Word as our source of confidence. Faith takes the things of Christ and makes them our own. To believe in Jesus is but to glance the eye of faith to Him, and trust Him with your soul. "If I may touch the hem of His garment I shall be made whole." she said. She took no medicines, made no profession, she performed no ceremonies, she simply just touched the fraying of the Saviour’s robe and she was healed at once. Thus, when our faith gets into contact with Christ by simply trusting Him, though that trust be ever so feeble, in my case, my faith was so little of knowledge, you have the faith of God’s elect. You have the faith which is in every case the proof of the new birth.

Drafted by Charles E. Whisnant Checked by wife of 37 years Charity Whisnant

JESUS SAID, "REPENT, YE, AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL"

Part Four

If you have the faith that accepts Jesus as Prophet, Priest and King, you have a saving faith, a faith that is a gift of God.

For those that "Believe in"or those who have a true faith in, there will be a dependence. It does not simply mean you believe, it means to trust, to confide in, to commit to, entrust with. Let me ask, is your faith that you have in Christ one of reliance, and trust?

I know you can say this statement to a child of God, more so then to a sinner:

• I do not believe in Jesus Christ because I am persuaded that His blood was shed for me, but rather I discover that His blood was shed especially for me from the fact that I have been led to believe in Him.

I am afraid there are thousands of people who believe Jesus died for them, who are not born of God. Not everyone who believes Jesus died for them, is born of God. There are some who believe that Jesus died for everyone. This is called universal atonement.

Now I believe those who put their faith in Christ, as Christ has intended faith to mean will be saved.. Biblical saving faith is putting your trust in Christ

I find that whosoever trusts Christ shall be saved, I therefore trust Him, and having done so, I learn from His Word that I am the object of His special love, and that I am born of God.

It’s true when I first come to Christ, I can have no knowledge of any personal and special interest in the blood of Jesus, but since it is written:

• "God hath set Him forth to be a propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

I come and trust myself to that propitiation; sink or swim I cast myself on the Savior, Son of God. Those whosoever have such faith as this are born of God. He has true faith which is proof positive of the new birth.

This faith that we are asked to believe is not something we just say "I am saved, for I have such a charming feeling, or I have had a fantastic dream. I have felt very magnificent sensations. Whereas all such may be nothing but mere assumption.

JUST AS I AM WITHOUT ONE PLEA

• You know that song I have sung 1000 times at least:
  
• " Just as I am - - without one plea
  But that thy blood was shed for me."
  I can hear Allen Nunnenkamp sing that song at FBC.
  

It is surely appropriate for a child of God, to sing this song, but I am not sure as to its being the precise way for putting the matter for a sinner.

"I do not believe in Jesus because I am persuaded that his blood was shed for me, but rather I discover that His blood was shed especially for me from the fact that I have been led to believe in Him." Spurgeon

There is no doubt that there are 1000's of people who believe that Jesus died for them, who are not born of God, but rather are hardened in their sin by their groundless hopes of mercy.

There is no definite efficacy (virtue) in a man’s assuming that Christ has died for him; for it is a mere truism, if it’s true as some teach, that Jesus died for everybody. On such a theory, then every believer in a universal atonement would necessarily be born of God, which is very far from being the case. If every one that believed that Jesus died for them, but did not have true faith for salvation, then the blood of Christ was not shed for every one that said they believed that Jesus did die for them.

When the Holy Spirit leads (note that word) us to rely upon Christ, the truth that God gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him might be saved, is opened up to our souls, and we see that for us who are believers, Jesus died with the special purpose that we should be saved..

For the Holy Spirit to assure us that Jesus shed His blood for us in particular is one thing, but merely to conclude that Jesus died for us on the notion He died for everybody is as far as the east is from the west, from being real faith in Jesus Christ.

One can have the faith that Jesus died for them, and they are not born again. They may say, "yes Jesus died for everyone on the cross." Most people do believe that-- many preachers preach that. So a sinner might say, "Yes, Jesus died for everyone; therefore, I am going to heaven." And in fact they have not been born again. To have human faith in Jesus is not saving faith.

Drafted by Charles E. Whisnant Proof Read by Charity

JESUS SAID, "REPENT, YE, AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL"

Part Three

• Part One: Review
  
  How does a person come to be a Christian? What does God require of a person for salvation?
  
  Scripture says clearly: "Ye must be born again."That is a clear gospel statement. Also scripture clearly points out: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." But I fear that some have preached this so boldly and so plainly, yet so badly and so out of all connection with the truth.
• So much has this doctrine been taught out of connection with the whole truth, that they have lead many people into presumptuous confidences that their understanding of the regeneration is that of themselves and not of Christ alone.

Part Two review:

• THE QUESTION IS: WHAT KIND OF FAITH IS REQUIRED? WHAT KIND OF BELIEVING IS NECESSARY FOR ONE TO BE TRULY BORN AGAIN?
  
  In Scripture, is the Bible clear with the message of how a person truly comes to be a BORN AGAIN person in Christ, and clearly shows what will be the result of one who does put their belief and faith in Christ as Saviour?

Now Part Three

JESUS SAID, "REPENT, YE, AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL"

The command of Christ for everyone to believe and be saved is true. God’s command is for every man, no matter how bad man has become. Every man is to repent, they are bound to repent, whether their sinfulness renders it impossible for them to be willing to do so or not.

And it is man’s duty in every case to do what God bids him to do. Whether he can do it or not.

Man has been rendered so depraved that he will not believe the truth about Christ, he will not receive the truth about Christ as it is written in the Scripture.

Man might have a human faith that will give him a sense that be believes, but it will not cause him to really believe the truth about Christ as it is written in Scripture.

This faith that God commands of very man, when it does exists in man, without exception, is the gift of God and the work of the Holy Spirit. Spurgeon

"Never yet did a man believe in Jesus with the faith here intended, except the Holy Spirit led him to do so."

The faith that Jesus commands of man is not a faith that springs up in man on his own, but a faith that is the work of the Holy Spirit that led a man to have this kind of faith. Faith is "a gift of God."

Faith is too glorious a grace to spring up in human nature of man till it is renewed: faith is in every believer "the gift of God." Faith is the duty of man, and at the same time it’s "the gift of God. Both are true.

FAITH IS THE DUTY OF EVERY MAN, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT A GIFT OF GOD? Right, both our true. That is the tension for mankind to think about.

Men are persuaded by the Holy Spirit of sin - "of sin," says Christ, "because they believe not on me;" here is one of the truths; but the selfsame hearts are taught by the same Spirit that faith is of the operation of God (Col 2:2).

This faith, this belief that Jesus talks about is, rests upon a person - - Jesus . "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God." It’s not a belief about a doctrine, nor an opinion, nor a formula, but belief concerning a person. Translated the words, "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ"

"Whosoever believeth that the Saviour is the Anointed is born of God."

This does not mean whosoever professes to believe that he is so. We know there are those whose lives certainly show that they have not been regenerated, but whosoever believes it to be a fact, as truly and in very deed to receive Jesus as God has set him forth and anointed Him, is a regenerate man.

John 5:1 ¶ Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of God: and whosoever loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. KJV
5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. ESV

To those whosoever believes
What is meant by "Jesus is the Christ" or Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed.?" Let me ask, is Christ our Prophet, Priest, and King?

• Do I today believe that Jesus is the great Prophet anointed of God to reveal to me the way of Salvation?
• Do I accept Jesus as my teacher and admit that he has the Word of eternal life? If I so believe His gospel, I possess eternal life.
• Do I firmly believe that Jesus was ordained to offer His one sacrifice for the sins of mankind, by the offering of which sacrifice once for all He has finished the atonement and made complete redemption?
• Do I accept His atonement as an atonement for me, and receive His death as a redemption upon which I rest my hope for forgiveness of all my transgressions?
• Do I in fact believe Jesus to be the one sole, only propitiating Priest, and accept Him to act as priest for me?
• If I have thus believed by faith these things and have believed that Jesus is the Christ, I am born of God
• Is Christ King in our life:
• I s Jesus, who is now exalted in heaven, who once bled on the cross, is he King to me?
  Is His law my law?
• Do I desire to submit myself entirely to His government? Lordship? ]
• Do I hate what He hates, and love what He loves?
• Do I live to praise him?
• Do I, as a loyal subject, desire to see his kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven?
  
  
  End of Part Three March 14, 2007 Drafted by Charles E. Whisnant, proof checked by Charity

JESUS SAID, "REPENT, YE, AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL"

Part Two of five or six

Here you have people who have assumed faith to be the same things as a presumptuous confidence of safety in Christ They believe that they have a faith that saved them, yet without any sign that they truly have been born again anew in Christ. When self-examination has been proposed to them they have avoided it as an assault upon their assurance, and when they have been urged to try themselves by gospel test, they have defended their false peace by the notion that to raise a question about their certain salvation would be unbelief.

They have in their mind that they believed by faith when they were twelve and on that position they believe they are saved, when upon examination of their life, they have no evidence in their life to support the kind of faith that Scripture teaches, and they desire not to examine their assumed faith upon the clear teaching of Scripture..

Scripture has a faith as the index of our being born again, faith is seen in overcoming the world, faith is seen as an inward witness, faith is seen as giving us eternal life.

THE QUESTION IS: WHAT KIND OF FAITH IS REQUIRED? WHAT KIND OF BELIEVING IS NECESSARY FOR ONE TO BE TRULY BORN AGAIN?

In Scripture, is the Bible clear with the message of how a person truly comes to be a BORN AGAIN person in Christ, and clearly shows what will be the result of one who does put their belief and faith in Christ as Saviour?

The verse is very clear: "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God." "Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of Him."We will note three things here:

• 1 The believing which is here intended:
• 2 How it is a sure proof of regeneration.
• 3 Christian love is the result of this believing.

1A WHAT IS THE BELIEVING EXPECTED IN THE TEXT?

Mark 1:15, note that Jesus is saying: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, ye, and believe the gospel."

Peter is exhorting men to repent and believe the gospel. To have men to exercise a faith which will save them. Some think this verse is not talking about saving faith. But it’s not.

When Christ told His disciples go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, and added, "he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved,." the faith which was to be preached was evidently none other than a saving faith. And it is impractical to say otherwise.

• 
  "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ HAS BEEN BORN OF GOD." The belief, the faith, that Christ speaks of here is a belief that will bring about salvation that is of God.

IT’S THE DUTY OF EVERY MAN TO BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST

Note in this verse: "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. It is man’s duty to believe the truth, that Jesus is the Christ is the truth, and it is the duty of every man to believe it. The gospel commands this. "This is the commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ"

My understanding here of "believing," in this verse, is the duty of man to have confidence in Christ.

The gospel command,

• "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved," is addressed by Christ’s authority to every creature, it is the duty of every man so to do.

John said, "This is His commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and Christ assured us, "He that believeth on Him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God."

Here is the tension in this doctrine:

Some will point out, it’s impossible for all men to believe. They say that man has not the spiritual ability to believe in Jesus. There is a difference between one’s duty and his spiritual ability to believe. "There are many things which men ought to do which they have now lost the moral and spiritual, though not the physical, power to do.

A man ought to be pure, but if he has been so long immoral that he cannot restrain his passion, he is not thereby free from the obligation. It’s true that every man ought to believe that which is true, but if his mind has become so depraved that he loves a lie and will not receive the truth, is he thereby excused?

Drafted by Charles E. Whisnant, Proof Checked by Charity Whisnant

JESUS SAID, "REPENT, YE, AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL"

PART ONE

Footnote:

• This article is more than fourteen pages, and thus I will take all week to post Charity had a time proof reading this over a week. I would suggest that you remember this will be at least five posts.
  
• I might add, that the whole article should be read at the end of the week to make sense
  Charity said "you do know this is not simple?" And I said yes. Its simple to me because I have taken a lot of time to study and think about this issue. The level of understanding of this topic comes after the Holy Spirit gives us the inner spirit to understand.

In my post "The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Interpretation of the Scriptures" Here is an example of this process. After a lot of study, and you put it down on paper, or you teach a class on this subject, its when the Holy Spirit opens your mind and gives you the ability to understand its content. The light of your understanding comes

Sometimes our understanding comes slow. But as we study and ask the Holy Spirit for discerning its meaning, in time our minds will be open to the truth that the Lord desires of to know.

How does a person come to be a Christian? What does God require of a person for salvation?
Jesus began His ministry in Galilee and He began preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent ye, and believe the gospel." Matthew 4:12-17, Mark 1:14-15)

My question is this: "Is Jesus preaching that every person whom He is addressing in Galilee should ‘repent’ and believe the gospel?"

Can we learn by the preaching of Jesus, that He believed that every man could be saved? Did He believe that by His death on the Cross, everyone who believed, and has faith in Him, will be saved?"

How are we to understand what Jesus meant: "Repent ye, and believe the Gospel." Jesus said, "Ye must be born again." "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and repent, and be baptized."

Did Jesus believe that any person who was living in His time could be saved? Jesus Christ the Son of God spoke to thousands of people in his 3 ½ year ministry on earth. The Son of God Jesus Christ preached the gospel daily! How many were born again during those 3 ½ years?

Footnote:

• "Believe." 4100. (strongs) Pistis: Being persuaded, faith, belief. Implies such a knowledge of, assent to, and confidence in certain divine truths.

For any of us who spend so much time preaching and teaching and studying, we seem to be at risk requiring so much biblical teaching. The difficulty I believe we have in our preaching is to preach the whole truth in fair proportion, or in balance. There is a tendency to exaggerate one doctrine over another, to push one point of doctrine at the expense of another and giving one thought undue prominence over another one.

Each of us have a viewpoint that we believe is correct, and from that point of view we view all other points of view. I am learning that we need to rightly understand the Word in all matters of its teaching in balance.

In one area that there is such a different point of view is in the work of Christ for us, and the operation of the Holy Spirit in us.

Justification by faith is a matter about which there must be no ambivalence, much less distortion. Yet we must stand firm that regeneration is necessary for every person that shall enter into heaven.

Scripture says clearly: "Ye must be born again."That is a clear gospel statement. Also scripture clearly points out: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." But I fear that some have preached this so boldly and so plainly, yet so badly and so out of all connection with the truth.

So much has this doctrine been taught out of connection with the whole truth, that they have lead many people into presumptuous confidences that their understanding of the regeneration is that of themselves and not of Christ alone.

I have heard the gospel in these terms, "Believe, believe, believe." And they don’t explain what it is to believe, and then they will put the whole stress of salvation upon FAITH without explaining what salvation is, and showing that it means deliverance from the power as well as from the guilt of sin. They so want to see people saved, that they badly explain the necessary means of salvation as Scripture points us to. We all have seen the results of such teaching. So few of those who fall under this kind of teaching about salvation, are seen in such a short time, fallen away from the very deliverance that salvation was to bring to them.

YET THERE IS THE OTHER EXTREME POSITION. We are most certain that a man must be made a new creature in Christ Jesus, or he is not saved. And too often this position of truth is forever dwelling upon the great change of conversion, and its fruits, and its consequences, and they seem to also forget what the Scripture plainly teaches that "whosoever believeth on Christ Jesus hath everlasting life." Here the danger is to set up so high a standard of experience, and to be so exacting as to the marks and signs of a true born again child of Christ.

So here are two points: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. Just have faith in Christ and you shall be saved." A very simple gospel message. And some have concluded that those who simply believe by faith that they are saved, when they are not, having believed they believed when as yet they are total strangers to the experience which always attends true faith.

Drafted by Charles E. Whisnant and Proof Checked by Charity Whisnant