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| Often asked yet rarely answered correctly. |
The gospel is the good news of the finished work (John 19:30) of the Lord Jesus Christ to save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). Sins are the manifold instances wherein man breaks God's moral law (Exodus 20) which prove that he is both a sinner by nature (Ps 51:5), as a result of Adam's transgression (Romans 5:12), as well as by practice (Romans 3:10-18, 5:12) since all have sinned (Romans 3:23).
As a result of Adam's fall, man is spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1). He is therefore utterly incapable of doing anything to merit, obtain, or effectuate his own salvation (Romans 3:10-18) because he is ungodly and without strength (Romans 5:6). Moreover, because God is Holy (Isaiah 6:3) he shall and must punish sin. Since man can do nothing to fix his sin problem (Romans 3:20), the salvation of God's chosen people is an intercessory work performed by their substitute (John 10:11) who by himself purged our sins (Hebrews 1:3), perfected his people by his one offering (Hebrews 10:14), redeemed them by his blood (Hebrews 9:12), and made them legally righteous by his obedience alone (Romans 5:19). The gospel is liberty to the captives (Isaiah 61:1) in that it proclaims the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on behalf of his people as the sole means whereby men are eternally saved (Acts 4:12) and whereby they find rest (Matthew 11:28) and comfort (Isaiah 61:2). It is the declaration that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures; that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day, according to the scriptures. (I Corinthians 15:3-4)
What Assurances Accompany the Gospel?
It is accompanied by the assurance that those who believe this account have everlasting life (John 3:16) and have passed from death unto life (John 5:24) as a result of the grace of God alone (Ephesians 2:8-9) and not by their works (Titus 3:5, Romans 9:16). Those who believe are admonished to repent of their sins (Acts 2:40) and be baptized into the the Lord's New Testament Church (Acts 2:41) and to walk in obedient discipleship under the precepts of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:42, John 14:15).
To Whom is the Gospel Good News?
The gospel can ever and only be received by a man who has been born again (John 8:47) who was chosen in Christ from eternity past (Ephesians 1:4) to be a son (Ephesians 1:5) and for which reason he was regenerated in time (Galatians 4:6) by the working of the same mighty power of God which resurrected the Lord Jesus Christ from the grave (Ephesians 1:19-20). Such men are described as thirsty (Isaiah 55:1, Revelation 22:17, Matthew 5:6), hungry (Matthew 5:6), blessed (Matthew 5:6) and willing (Psalm 110:3, Revelation 22:17) in the scriptures.
Who Cannot Recieve the Gospel?
Conversely, the gospel cannot be received by a man who has not been born again (John 8:47) because he lacks the spiritual eyes to see (John 3:3), lacks the capacity to receive or understand spiritual truth (I Corinthians 2:11-14, Romans 3:12), lacks any fear of God (Romans 3:18) and has absolutely no desire for spiritual things (Psalm 10:4).So What Do We Conclude From All of This?
Salvation is all by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-9) and any spiritual capacity you ever see in a man is never anything more than an evidence of a salvation wrought entirely by God beforehand on his behalf (Ephesians 2:10, Galatians 5:22, Hebrews 11:1).
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John 19:30 - When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
Matthew 1:21 - And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Ephesians 2:1 - And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Ephesians 2:1 - And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Romans 3:10-18 - As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Romans 5:6 - For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Isaiah 6:3 - And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
Romans 5:6 - For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Isaiah 6:3 - And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 3:20 - Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Hebrews 1:3 - Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Hebrews 10:14 - For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Hebrews 9:12 - Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Romans 5:19 - For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Isaiah 61:1-2 - Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Matthew 11:28 - Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Isaiah 61:1-2 - Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Matthew 11:28 - Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Acts 4:12 - Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
I Corinthians 15:3-4 - For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 5:24 - Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Ephesians 2:8-10 - For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 5:24 - Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Ephesians 2:8-10 - For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Titus 3:5 - Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost
Romans 9:16 - So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Acts 2:40-42 - And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers
John 14:15 - If ye love me keep my commandments.
John 14:15 - If ye love me keep my commandments.
John 8:47 - He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
Ephesians 1:4-5 - According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.
Galatians 4:6 - And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Ephesians 1:19-20 - And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Isaiah 55:1 - Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Revelation 22:17 - And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Matthew 5:6 - Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Psalm 110:3 - Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
John 3:3 - Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
I Corinthians 2:14 - But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Romans 3:12 - They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Psalm 10:4 - The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
Galatians 5:22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Galatians 4:6 - And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Ephesians 1:19-20 - And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Isaiah 55:1 - Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Revelation 22:17 - And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Matthew 5:6 - Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Psalm 110:3 - Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
John 3:3 - Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
I Corinthians 2:14 - But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Romans 3:12 - They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Psalm 10:4 - The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
Galatians 5:22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
email theearstohear
The gospel is, indeed, good news to those who have ears to hear and eyes to see. Before we are born again we are dead in trespasses and sins and are incapable of a positive spiritual response. Only after we have been sovereignly given spiritual life can we embrace the glorious truths of the gospel. As my son, Timothy, pointed out in a "Grace Minute" radio devotional this past Sunday, Judas was in intimate contact with Jesus for over three years, yet he betrayed and rejected Him. On the other hand, Paul fought against Christ with all his might and was sincere in this opposition. Yet, Paul came to love the Lord Jesus and to be willing to suffer for Him. What made the difference in these two men. The answer is the sovereignty of God.
ReplyDeleteSolid stuff here. I am a Reformed Baptist. I agree with all that you have said. Nice blog brother.
ReplyDeleteGrace and peace,
C
Caleb,
DeleteThanks for your kind comments.
TETH
I'm with you in that God gives spiritual life, which then enables someone to believe the truth. But I'm interested in your take on Romans 10:14-17, because it sounds like you're saying that people are saved without having any idea who Jesus is. Which...is kind of ridiculous. Why would Jesus tell His disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations, if the speaking of the Word wasn't a vital part in this awakening?
ReplyDelete"...the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ."
Not trying to stir things up, I'm really interested in what you think.
TETH ANSWER 101
DeleteLOGOSOMATIKON: I'm with you in that God gives spiritual life, which then enables someone to believe the truth.
TETH: Yes. That is correct (John 5:25, 8:47).
LOGOSOMATIKON: But I'm interested in your take on Romans 10:14-17, because it sounds like you're saying that people are saved without having any idea who Jesus is.
TETH: Yes. That is precisely what I am saying. The Old Testament is an enormous monument to this often-overlooked biblical fact. First off, none of the Old Testament saints knew the name of Jesus Christ – nor did they possess the explicit NT gospel of I Corinthians 15:3-4, II Corinthians 5:21. That alone is a devastating blow against the idea that the explicit NT gospel reaches ALL of God’s elect family during their natural lives. Clearly there are the more explicit examples where some of God’s elect had no intellectual knowledge of Jesus whatsoever, not even some veiled types and shadows: David’s son (II Samuel 12:23), Abijah (I Kings 14:12-13), and Rachael’s children (Matthew 2:16-18, Jeremiah 31:15-17).
TETH: As for Romans 10:14-17, keep reading. Paul answers the questions asked and his argument does not conclude until 11:4, wherein he states that God is doing things that has NOTHING to do with what preachers are doing.
LOGOSOMATIKON: Which...is kind of ridiculous. Why would Jesus tell His disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations, if the speaking of the Word wasn't a vital part in this awakening?
TETH: It’s not ridiculous, provided the gospel has some OTHER useful purpose(s). The gospel has MANY useful purposes for God’s people but imparting eternal life via regeneration is not one of them. Indeed, the gospel presumes a living subject as its beneficiary, given that only those who are born again have the ears to hear gospel truth (I Corinthians 2:14). The objection you raise is very common, but also insubstantial. It proceeds on the basis that if the gospel does not serve the purpose of imparting eternal life, then it serves no purpose at all. That is demonstrably false. For more on the biblical purposes of gospel ministry you might find this helpful:
The Gospel and the New Birth - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_TxBpyLokU
TETH ANSWER 102
DeleteLOGOSOMATIKON: "...the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
TETH: Consider these clarifying questions:
1. Did the OT saints ever declare that “Jesus is Lord!”? No.
2. Were they eternally saved? Yes.
3. What manner of man can sincerely profess faith in Christ – regenerate or unregenerate? Regenerate (I Corinthians 2:14). The unregenerate have no faith and are enmity against God (Psalm 10:4, Romans 3:10-18, II Thessalonians 3:2).
4. So are the men of Romans 10 calling on Jesus in order to OBTAIN eternal life or because they already HAVE eternal life? They already have it, else they could not believe or proclaim such things in sincerity.
TETH: Those answers prove beyond any dispute that these are the effects that attend the regenerate who have been converted to a proper understanding of gospel truth. They are NOT the prerequisites to obtaining eternal life. To make that point more explicitly, the Lord Jesus Christ said, “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” (Matthew 12:34). It follows that if those words are spoken in sincerity, they do not arise from the unregenerate, deceitful and wicked heart of unregenerate man (Jeremiah 17:9) but from the new heart given in regeneration (Ezekiel 36:26). More proof that men declare such thing as an evidence of their existing state of eternal salvation, not as a prerequisite to obtaining eternal salvation.
LOGOSOMATIKON: "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ."
TETH: “Faith cometh by hearing” means that faith is made manifest in the hearing of gospel truth. It is not saying, “The gospel imparts faith to men.” We know this is true because the gospel reveals the righteousness of God “from faith TO FAITH.” (Romans 1:17). A man MUST possess faith already in order to have any reception of the gospel. Faith is a fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God (Galatians 5:22). It follows that the gospel instructs those who are ALREADY in possession of eternal life – it tells them about their savior and what he has accomplished for them.
TETH ANSWER 103
DeleteLOGOSOMATIKON: Not trying to stir things up, I'm really interested in what you think.
TETH: Understood. Your questions are pretty common. Most people go to Romans 10 in order to insist that the gospel is a regenerating instrument in this world. The only way to possibly sustain that position is to turn a blind eye to the NUMEROUS people in the bible who were born again, had faith, and were eternally saved who NEVER encountered the explicit NT gospel. When we ignore that much of the bible’s testimony, we are bound to arrive at some false conclusions regarding the gospel’s utility. Consider this: “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.” (Acts 10:34-35)
QUESTIONS REGARDING ACTS 10:
1. Who had Peter heard speak when he made this declaration? Cornelius (Acts 10:24-25)
2. Was that person regenerate or unregenerate? Regenerate (Acts 10:2, Romans 3:18).
3. When Peter said that, had he spoken a word of gospel truth to them? No. His gospel sermon comes after that (Acts 10:36-43).
4. Is Peter speaking of something that is a present tense truth or some future state of men who might fear God and work righteousness only AFTER hearing a gospel sermon? He is speaking of a present state reality, BEFORE he’s ever preached the gospel to the gentiles, even as it is true of Cornelius BEFORE he’s preached a gospel sermon to him.
TETH: I believe that those observations are very frequently overlooked. I think it likely that this happens because people have been so proselytized in the Romans 10, “without gospel preaching no one can go to heaven” falsehood that is evidently overturned by a closer examination of the context of those statements as well as by the salvation of the OT saints who never knew the name of Jesus and by Peter’s declaration in Acts 10. Those observations are relentless, and they MUST shape our understanding of how God regenerates men. To make that point more explicitly, who preached a gospel sermon to Abraham when he was selling idols in Ur?
May God bless our studies and understanding of his word,
TETH