Lately, I've heard a Calvinist argue that “regeneration is not salvation” and that Primitive Baptists are wrong in how they refer to regeneration as salvation. What say you, TETH?
I’ve heard some people say that, “the bible NEVER refers to regeneration as salvation” and in so doing imply that Primitive Baptists are creating a novel and unscriptural definition of the term when they use it in that way. Is that right?Over the years, I have had many professing Christians tell me that, “the bible NEVER refers to regeneration as salvation.” I’m always taken aback by that statement because it is so completely and demonstrably false. Paul said that God “saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5) That verse plainly states that we are saved by regeneration, proves that the bible does refer to regeneration as salvation, and sustains the Primitive Baptist practice of referring to regeneration as salvation by which we intend that it is the moment wherein eternal life is imparted to one of God’s children and from which they have eternal life and shall never perish.
The questions I would ask of those who object to referring to regeneration as salvation are…
1. Does regeneration impart eternal life to God's people? Yes. Regeneration imparts eternal life to God’s people. (Ephesians 2:1)
2. Does it precede the exercise of faith in time? Yes. The verb tenses employed in scripture to describe the relationship in time between two events which occur in time indisputably place regeneration before the exercise of faith, even as is logically required since faith is a fruit of regeneration which preceded it. (I John 5:1, John 5:24)
3. Can the regenerate ever have their eternal life revoked? No. A regenerate man has been given eternal life and as such he shall NEVER perish. (John 10:28)
Once these points are established, one has a much more profitable understanding of why the bible refers to regeneration as “salvation” because it is the moment wherein eternal life is imparted to one of God’s chosen people. Those who understand this point clearly are also well equipped to begin exploring the ramifications of this truth as it relates to the broader topic of “salvation” in the bible.
Or so it seems to me,
TETH
Dear theearstohear,
ReplyDeleteI am trying to understand the 'Ordo Salutis' of your PB salvation by sovereign grace doctrine. I have read just about everything on your blog yet am still not understanding. It would be very helpful if you could arrange the following words in the order in which they take place in time. And if you could let me know which of these words you considered to be synonyms that would also be very enlightening.
sonship
adoption
election
regeneration
quickening
born again
faith
trust
belief
salvation
justification
Thanks,
Jeff
Brother Jeff,
DeleteThis is a really great question and I think to do it justice will require some effort because the answer is more difficult than just putting those 11 items in the appropriate order. That is because the bible speaks of some of those topics in different ways such that different dimensions of them occur at different points in time. To draw that out briefly, consider JUSTIFICATION. I believe the bible speaks of justification in a number of different ways:
JUSTIFICATION BY COVENANT - this is justification in the mind and purpose of God and it finds its origin before the foundation of the world wherein God purposed to make a chosen people holy and without blame before him in love (Ephesians 1:4-6). One cannot be holy and without blame before God in love without being justified and if God purposed this from BTFOTW the it is certain that we were justified in the mind and purpose of God prior to creation.
JUSTIFICATION BY THE BLOOD - this the actual justifying obedience of Christ that transpired at Calvary. It is the point in time where his one obedience actually made his people righteous before the throne of divine justice (Romans 5:19)
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH - faith is the experimental dimension of our justification and justification by faith speaks of our acceptance of the gospel truth that if we're ever going to stand righteous before God it will be as a result of something God does, not something WE do. It speaks of the fact that faith is a fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit which gives evidence that one is a beneficiary of the covenant. All God's people are given faith as a provision of the covenant and they are "justified as evidenced by their faith" in that sense. But the bible most frequently speaks of JbF in a cognizant sense as it applies to those who have reasonable mental capacity to trust God for their salvation. The possession of or exercise of faith in God are things that transpire in the life of a child of God between conception and death.
JUSTIFICATION BY WORKS - which is also an evidentiary fruit of one's justified state in Christ which is in keeping with "he that doeth righteousness is righteous" (I John 3:7). One's works do not MAKE them righteous, only the work of Christ can accomlish that task (Romans 5:19), but they do show that a work of grace has been wrought in their hearts such that Peter could say that "in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." (Acts 10:35) This also occurs during the natural life of a regenerate child of God some time between their regeneration and death and may go completely undetected by human observers (as in the case of an elect infant who died in infancy).
Hopefully this draws out the complexity involved in the exercise and demonstrates why the exercise is not as simple as lining up the 11 dominoes in the right order.
I'll finish by making a few clarifying statements that further point to where the development of this ordo salutis would end up...
This base order is certain: Election / regeneration / the exercise of faith.
These terms are multi-dimensional: adoption, justification, salvation.
These terms are essentially synonymous: regeneration, quickening, born again
Faith has several facets: academic, vital, and active.
Perhaps I'll draw this out more explicitly in a diagram on the blog in the coming weeks.
Thanks again for stirring up the spiritual mind and for your intriguing question. There is a lot going on in the ordo salutis and a lot of terms that require very precise handling and clear scriptural support for the definitions. Providing an infographic of this might be very useful to God's people everywhere.
God bless,
TETH
Very informative. Thank you.
DeleteYou're welcome. Thanks for taking time to interact with my blog by leaving some thoughtful commentary.
DeleteMay God bless our studies and understanding of his word,
TETH
Hi Teth, I am wondering if you can teach how to preach the gospel? I wish to preach but Im fearful of it. There many reasons, like fear of losing friends etc. Im not a good witness to my friends too, I did not behave as a Christian should hence im afraid if i preach the gospel to them, they will not believe.
ReplyDeleteAnon,
DeleteThe preaching of the gospel is the impartation of an accurate account of the finished work of Christ on behalf of his people (I Corinthians 15:3-4, II Corinthians 5:21, John 19:30, Matthew 1:21). So it is very important to have a proper, biblical understanding of those fundamentals. It is about what Christ HAS ACCOMPLISHED, not about what he might do provided you believe something. It is a definitive proclamation of justification by Christ, not a contingent offer of justification based on man's opinion. This message is accompanied by the assurance that those who believe this testimony have eternal life (I John 5:1, John 6:47) and that their reasonable service is to present themselves a living sacrifice by submitting to Christ in baptism and discipleship in the Lord's NT church (Romans 12:1). To the extent that we are representing this message in the world, we are likewise disseminating gospel truth.
Many are reluctant to share gospel truth for fear of losing friends or facing the hostility of others. I think ALL Christians encounter this to some degree, but it comes with the territory of gospel ministry. With respect to our conduct, it is certainly true that if we are acting sinfully before men, it will often undermine our witness to them by showing us to be hypocritical. In such instances we appear to be telling people the truth but our lives bear witness that we're not so committed or convinced of that truth as we are zealous for pressing it upon others. That is the height of hypocrisy. The proper response then is not to say "Oh, I guess I won't witness then" and to continue in sin, but rather to remove the beam from our own eye so that we might see more clearly to remove the mote that is in someone else's eye (Matthew 7:3-5).
May God give you the zeal for discipleship and walking in obedience that you have for sharing gospel truth such that others see your good works and glorify God in heaven (Matthew 5:16).
God bless,
TETH
By the way, Im still young, not an adult yet, I dont think many Christians my age preach the gospel. Should I wait until im adult then preach? Perhaps it is unnecessary for me to preach now?
ReplyDeleteIt is good to be young and to have a desire to share gospel truth with others. But whether young or old we should all be focused first and foremost on living in accordance with gospel truth. The life you live is often the loudest gospel sermon that any of us ever preach. Also you should recognize that all preaching does not take place in a pulpit standing before the church. A lot of preaching can be done just by sharing the truth with one person or a few people in an informal gathering, over lunch, on the playground, on the schoolbus, etc. I would suggest that you share what you see taught in the bible with others as you feel led to do so, but that you not feel as though you need to be standing in a pulpit or addressing the church. The young often have a zeal that outstretches their knowledge of the scriptures and that creates a lot of problems. Pour yourself into reading the word of God and praying to understand it better and apply it better in your day to day life by loving others.
DeleteGod bless,
TETH
Dear teth,
ReplyDeleteCan you also explain to me what James 2:19 and 1 John 3:9 mean? If someone seeks God sincerely for obtaining salvation, and if he fears that he is not born again, is that 100% evident that person is born again? What about those who SINCERELY claims that Jesus is Lord but afterwards continue to live in sin? Is simply believing certain gospel facts (Christ died and rose again) enough to prove that someone is already saved even though his actions contradicts his faith?
If im not saved what must I do to be saved? I just can't seem to produce any saving faith and genuine repentance. (The reason I said this is because some people say repentance is not just a sense of guilt but will also produce hatred for sins, leading to change of life. But I do not know if Im just being religious like the Pharisees or truly changed. I believed the gospel but i somehow think im not truly changed in my heart. I feel like im both a Christian and an unbeliever. Believing gospel facts yet no change. Thanks.
TETH ANSWER 101
DeleteMy thoughts follow…
ANON: Can you also explain to me what James 2:19 and 1 John 3:9 mean?
“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” (James 2:19)
TETH: This verse is making reference to how some Christians say the believe things but it does not result in any change in their behavior whatsoever. In contrast, the devils believe many spiritual truths and they believe them enough that it makes them scared. In essence James is saying, “You say you believe but there’s no evidence that this is so. The devils believe and it appears that they really do because they find what they believe to be truly frightening.”
TETH: Where many go wrong on this text is by suggesting that James is saying, “A devil can believe and he’s going to hell, therefore YOU might believe and be going to hell too.” That is a totally inaccurate interpretation of that passage because devils are not men and they have no savior. This short video I did goes into that in a little more detail… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No5KcLCIK4o
“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” (I John 3:9)
TETH: This verse has tripped-up MANY Christians over the centuries. Some have misused it as a means of sustaining the false doctrine of “sinless perfection” – the belief that the regenerate will stop sinning completely. This interpretation (and its many variants, such as those implied by the Lordship Salvationists in our day) does extraordinary violence to our own experience, to the bible’s testimony regarding the saints of God, and to John’s epistle which both affirms that regenerate people sin (I John 1:8-10) and that when we do we have an advocate with the Father (I John 2:1).
TETH: I believe that this verse is teaching that sin arises from the Old Man and not from the New Man (which is what is intended by whosoever is born of God in this context). The New Man, our spiritual nature imparted in regeneration, does not commit sin, and cannot commit sin. It is godly through and through. But in this lifetime we continue to have an Old Man (sin nature) from which our sinful inclinations arise. We see this mentioned in passages like, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” (James 1:13-14) This passage affirms that the source of sin in a man’s practice is not from God. It is therefore not from the New Man but the Old Man (lust). Also Paul says, “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.” (Romans 7:15-20) Notice the distinction that Paul draws between “I”, which is Paul under the godly inclinations of the New Man, and “sin that dwelleth in me” which he later defines as the “flesh” which is the Old Man.
TETH ANSWER 102
DeleteANON: If someone seeks God sincerely for obtaining salvation, and if he fears that he is not born again, is that 100% evident that person is born again?
TETH: The key word here is “sincerely.” If someone does those things “sincerely” then they are indisputably saved because apart from the indwelling Holy Spirit of God imparted in regeneration (Galatians 5:22, Romans 8:9) they would lack such faith-based sincerity to seek the Lord (Psalm 10:4).
ANON: What about those who SINCERELY claims that Jesus is Lord but afterwards continue to live in sin?
TETH: They exist and the bible gives examples of such (Lot, Solomon, Samson). Again if they are “sincere” in seeking God it is ONLY because they were already born again, because otherwise their carnal minds would remain enmity against God (Romans 8:7). The bottom line is that spiritual sincerity is a function of the fruit of the spirit and all such people are born again.
ANON: Is simply believing certain gospel facts (Christ died and rose again) enough to prove that someone is already saved even though his actions contradicts his faith?
TETH: Prove it to whom? To me? I would admit I’d be prone to wondering about the sincerity of one’s profession of faith if they claimed to believe orthodox gospel truth but lived in an evident and unbroken lifestyle of carnality from my purview. Nevertheless, God looks upon the heart and it is very plainly taught in scripture that there indeed are such men who would appear to be unregenerate from an external observance who, nevertheless, are regenerate men – Lot being the prime example (II Peter 2:7). As a result I believe it is improper to make ironclad judgments regarding another’s state of grace based on our limited and utterly external perspective on someone’s life. The proper perspective is twofold: “The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (II Timothy 2:19) That teaches that it is God who knows for certain, but that we should be encouraging those who have a profession of faith to live in accordance with that profession. Those who persist in rampant carnality cannot be members of the Lord’s NT church in good standing. They should be turned out if they refuse to repent. This is not condemning them to hell. It is simply underscoring that they cannot act that way and be accepted by the church as a member in good standing.
ANON: If I’m not saved what must I do to be saved?
TETH: The bible says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” (Acts 16:31). If you believe the testimony of Christ you are bringing forth the evidence or things not seen (Hebrews 11:1) namely that Christ’s intercession transpired on your behalf and you are therefore a beneficiary of the covenant of salvation.
TETH ANSWER 103
DeleteANON: I just can't seem to produce any saving faith and genuine repentance. (The reason I said this is because some people say repentance is not just a sense of guilt but will also produce hatred for sins, leading to change of life.)
TETH: Several things. You don’t PRODUCE saving faith. God gives faith to those who are eternally saved. It is a fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). It’s not some thing you have to improve upon to get it to be of a “saving” quality. It is the faith of the saved. Those who have it ARE eternally saved (John 6:47). They do not have to improve upon it so that it rises to the level of “saving faith.” That said, those who diligently exercise their faith through obedience to the precepts of God are saved from manifold temporal difficulties in this lifetime in that they avoid the devastating consequences that sin brings into the life of the disobedient.
ANON: But I do not know if I’m just being religious like the Pharisees or truly changed.
TETH: God’s people struggle with legalism (Pharisaism) and antinomianism (licentious living) during their lives from time to time. We are to serve God out of a pure heart and out of love and thanksgiving, not as a matter of legalism. Neither are we to have no disregard for the moral precepts the Lord taught us to follow. The Christian walk involves seeing these errors crop up in our lives from time to time. The “change” we experience does not make us perfect. Rather it puts us in a struggle between the old man (the flesh or the sin nature) and the new man (godly inclinations that are born of the Spirit). Be encouraged. The fact that you think of such things is an indication that you are a changed person already, because the unchanged do not have such sincere thoughts regarding God and their service to him (Psalm 10:4).
ANON: I believed the gospel but I somehow think I’m not truly changed in my heart. I feel like I’m both a Christian and an unbeliever. Believing gospel facts yet no change. Thanks.
TETH: Those who truly believe the gospel are changed already. The bible affirms that for someone to believe such things they must be born again (I John 5:1). That said, the change whereby you believe gospel truth should also incline you to assess your life. Look at your own behaviors – are the in keeping with the precepts of God? Are there willful sins that you persist in? What are you doing to flee from them? God’s people struggle with sin and unbelief (Mark 9:24) and being regenerate does NOT mean that you no longer have such struggles. Discipleship is about being under discipline to the Lord Jesus Christ and that is going to require changes in one’s behavior. What specific areas of unbelief in your life are you troubled by? You can reach me at theearstohear@me.com if you’d prefer not to discuss this in the comments section of my blog.
God bless,
TETH
TETH: This verse is making reference to how some Christians say the believe things but it does not result in any change in their behavior whatsoever. In contrast, the devils believe many spiritual truths and they believe them enough that it makes them scared. In essence James is saying, “You say you believe but there’s no evidence that this is so. The devils believe and it appears that they really do because they find what they believe to be truly frightening.”
ReplyDeleteTETH: Where many go wrong on this text is by suggesting that James is saying, “A devil can believe and he’s going to hell, therefore YOU might believe and be going to hell too.” That is a totally inaccurate interpretation of that passage because devils are not men and they have no savior. This short video I did goes into that in a little more detail… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No5KcLCIK4o
My reply : Some people say simply believing gospel facts is insufficient, we still need to trust and rely on the finished work of Christ. I believe the gospel but I don't think I have that kind of trust.
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” (I John 3:9)
TETH: This verse has tripped-up MANY Christians over the centuries. Some have misused it as a means of sustaining the false doctrine of “sinless perfection” – the belief that the regenerate will stop sinning completely. This interpretation (and its many variants, such as those implied by the Lordship Salvationists in our day) does extraordinary violence to our own experience, to the bible’s testimony regarding the saints of God, and to John’s epistle which both affirms that regenerate people sin (I John 1:8-10) and that when we do we have an advocate with the Father (I John 2:1).
TETH: I believe that this verse is teaching that sin arises from the Old Man and not from the New Man (which is what is intended by whosoever is born of God in this context). The New Man, our spiritual nature imparted in regeneration, does not commit sin, and cannot commit sin. It is godly through and through. But in this lifetime we continue to have an Old Man (sin nature) from which our sinful inclinations arise. We see this mentioned in passages like, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” (James 1:13-14) This passage affirms that the source of sin in a man’s practice is not from God. It is therefore not from the New Man but the Old Man (lust). Also Paul says, “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.” (Romans 7:15-20) Notice the distinction that Paul draws between “I”, which is Paul under the godly inclinations of the New Man, and “sin that dwelleth in me” which he later defines as the “flesh” which is the Old Man.
My reply : But why did that verse say, 'not born of God'? It seems to me that it is not saying that we can live a sinless life but rather they are not believers. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. (1 John 3:6)
By the way, you said that spiritual sincerity is a function of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Does that mean everyone who seeks after Jesus are saved? Like Roman Catholics?
ReplyDeleteTETH ANSWER 201
DeleteANON : Some people say simply believing gospel facts is insufficient, we still need to trust and rely on the finished work of Christ. I believe the gospel but I don't think I have that kind of trust.
TETH: It is true that some people say that. I believe that some people are often wrong. Those who believe OFTEN experience trials of their faith. Jonah was told to go to Nineveh. He turned tail and headed to Tarshish. Did he have absolutely faith and trust in God? Nope. But he did have God-given faith nonetheless. Abram was told to go to Canaan. When he arrived and found a famine going on there, he went to Egypt instead. Did he have absolute trust in God at that moment? Nope, but he had God-given faith nonetheless because he left Ur by faith (Hebrews 11:8). Peter said he’d NEVER deny Jesus, but he did nonetheless (Matthew 26:74-75). And he was a regenerate man of faith when that happened (Matthew 16:16-17).
TETH: Brother, I know there are a lot of folks pressing this notion of “absolute trust” and “faith in the fact is not enough” but I believe those who promote such things are just promoting Christo-Pharisaism. They’re saying, “We have the right kind of faith and total commitment and YOU probably don’t!” Their pride in their own faith is sufficient to condemn them to hell were it not for God’s grace on their behalf. That sort of teaching flies in the face of innumerable examples of faith-possessing saints of God in the scriptures and that alone should be sufficient for us to reject it.
ANON : But why did that verse say, 'not born of God'? It seems to me that it is not saying that we can live a sinless life but rather they are not believers. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. (1 John 3:6)
TETH: “Not born of God?” I’m sorry. You lost me. If those who sin are not believers then NO ONE is a believer. To rightly divide I John 3:6 you must reconcile it with I John 1:8-10, I John 2:1, and all the examples of regenerate saints in the bible who indisputably committed sin. That completely obliterates the idea that people who commit sin are not regenerate men.
TETH ANSWER 202
DeleteANON: By the way, you said that spiritual sincerity is a function of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Does that mean everyone who seeks after Jesus are saved? Like Roman Catholics?
TETH: Everyone who seeks after Jesus IN SINCERITY is saved, because apart from faith no such sincere seeking could take place, and all those who have faith are born again because it is a fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). As for referring to the salvation of people of errant religions in homogenous blocks like “All Roman Catholics are damned” or “All Roman Cath0olics are going to heaven” is far to coarse to represent the truth. The Samaritans were practitioners of an errant and false religion yet the Lord Jesus Christ used one as an example of loving your neighbor as yourself. Now for a man to set that example he must be regenerate, because whatsoever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23) and if he was unregenerate then his actions, no matter how externally good they may appear to be, were undeniably sin. So Christ simply could not use an unregenerate man as an example of obedience to God without creating an enormous, doctrine destroying logical contradiction. So we see Christ affirming the regenerate (i.e., eternally saved) state of a man who was in an errant religion. But that is not to say that EVERY Samaritan was therefore a regenerate man. So if one were to say “All Samaritans are going to heaven” that would be unwarranted even as saying “All Samaritans are going to hell” is likewise unwarranted. Thus the same is true of referring to “Roman Catholics,” “Protestants”, “Lutherans”, etc.
TETH: The thing we all need to recognize is that “the Lord knoweth him that are his” II Timothy 2:19a) and he shall give eternal life to all of them without fail in accordance with his covenant promise (John 17:2). We should be focused on the latter part of that verse, “And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (II Timothy 2:19b) as this is a function of obedient discipleship to Christ.
God bless,
TETH
So if I'm really saved now, what must I do to get closer to God? How do I submit myself completely to Him and glorify Him in every aspect of my life? How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit? Im often discouraged in my Christian life. I believe preaching the gospel to myself everyday benefits me a lot, but I don't know how to do it.
ReplyDeleteTETH ANSWER 301
DeleteANON: So if I'm really saved now, what must I do to get closer to God?
TETH: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” (James 4:7-8) Our brother James sets forth a lot of simple wisdom in this short statement. Take a sober look at your life and try to root out the places and behaviors that do damage to your spiritual life. I know a lot of folks who struggle with discipleship simply because they are totally unwilling to do what a disciple must do in this regard. They struggle with drinking, drugs, pre-marital sex, or whatever, but they have not done anything to resist the devil. They continue to hang out with the same drinking, drug-taking, sex-having friends and seem to think that they’re not going to succumb to the pressure and temptation to commit those sins when they are regularly set before them. That is an enormous mistake.
TETH: Now it may well be that your situation is not as crass as that example, but the truth is the same. If you continue to hang around in environments where you’re going to be perpetually tempted to commit sin, then it will be to your spiritual detriment. Following Christ means joining the Lord’s church and walking in a way that tries to root out bad influences and replaces them with more profitable spiritual activities like studying God’s word, loving others through good works, and praying. I would ask a few questions:
1. Are there specific sins you struggle with? How do you intend to resist them?
2. Have you read the bible? I’m astonished at how many Christians claim to want to know God better but they are totally unwilling to read the bible. It makes their claim seem hollow to me.
3. Are you a baptized member of the Lord’s NT church? This is an important question and it leads to another: what is the identity of the Lord’s NT church?
ANON: How do I submit myself completely to Him and glorify Him in every aspect of my life?
TETH: The bible sets forth many, many passages that speak of how we are to live and glorify God. Much of the New Testament is focused on this topic. I’ll give you some places to start reading on this topic: The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), Paul’s practical admonitions to the church at Ephesus (Ephesians 4-6), and to the church at Rome (Romans 12-16). If you read through Paul’s epistles you’ll find many exhortations to submission and specific instruction as to how that is done.
TETH ANSWER 302
DeleteANON: How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit?
TETH: The regenerate ARE “filled with the Holy Spirit” in that they have the Holy Spirit indwelling them. I do not believe that the “filling of the Holy Ghost” that occurred at Pentecost and in the apostolic era is in effect anymore in our time. This was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel 2:28-32 and we see that the miraculous gifts and wonders that attended this special endowment of the Spirit upon the NT church was waning at the end of the apostolic era and the completion of the NT because we see Paul, who was once a miraculous healer (Acts 20:9-12), giving Timothy medical advice for his stomach (I Timothy 5:23) and leaving Trophimus sick at Miletum (II Timothy 4:20). We simply DO NOT see the manifestations of this special outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our time to anything approaching that degree. Those who make such claims are loath to have people look into their claims and that’s pretty telling, IMO.
TETH: All that said, if you are speaking of having a greater manifestation of the spirit in your life then consider this: What are you enthusiastic about? Is it gaming? Sports? Music? Whatever the topic, I suspect that you have committed a great deal of time toward learning about that topic either through reading or practicing it. Many Christians realize this when it comes to their hobbies, but then seem puzzled when they struggle with making progress in discipleship though they have committed essentially no effort toward the endeavor. If you wanted to build up endurance in running you’d have to run, regularly. If your plan was, “I’ll run on Easter Sunday and Christmas morning” it would be pretty apparent that the plan for progress would be totally inadequate to the task. Spend time with God’s word. Break away from the clamor of this world – the endless distractions of social media, smart-phones, computers, gaming, TV, etc. Spend time reading the word of God every day and praying for guidance and understanding of it. As you begin to fill your mind with the things of God’s word, you’ll begin to see that you’re calling those things to mind at various times during your day. You’ll start to see the world differently when your thoughts are no longer dominated by the barrage of meaningless sound bites, flashing lights of media, and the shiny objections of entertainment. Turn your electronics off for 1 hour a day (more is even better). Pray that God would teach you through his word and that he would give you wisdom to understand how you ought to live. Read the bible. Don’t let the squeaky wheel of electronic gadgets and ungodly media shape you into who they want you to be. Use the word of God to renew your mind toward godly things (Romans 12:1-3)
ANON: I’m often discouraged in my Christian life.
TETH: That is part of the Christian experience (Romans 7). I’m thankful that the Lord inspired Paul to share his own experience with such candor.
TETH ANSWER 303
DeleteANON: I believe preaching the gospel to myself everyday benefits me a lot, but I don't know how to do it.
TETH: I hear a lot of Christians say things like “You need to preach the gospel to yourself every day” and I’m always a little leery of that concept. Not because there’s no truth in it, but because of the very thing you point out – What does that even mean? How does one DO this practically speaking?
TETH: It is good to be reminded of the gospel fundamentals that we are saved by an everlasting covenant that is ordered in all things and sure wherein is ALL our salvation (II Samuel 23:5) and that Christ saved his people from their sins in fulfillment of a covenant promise (John 17:2, Matthew 1:21). I believe that the best way for me to draw closer to God was to focus on obedience (rooting out sin, resisting the devil) and reading/studying His word. So it’s a combination of confronting the issues of “full-contact life” coupled with instruction in how I ought to do that. The bible is full of that instruction and we stand to profit greatly from it, provided we will actually study it as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.
May God bless our studies and understanding of his word,
TETH
Hi Teth, thanks for answering my questions and for the advices you have given me. Your posts about salvation greatly encouraged me and led me to greater understanding of salvation. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteANON,
DeleteThanks for taking a moment to share that. Encouragement is often a two-way street and your thoughtful comment was certainly an encouragement to me today.
God bless and keep the faith,
TETH
Hey Brother! Fellow PB here and new to the PB’s. Have a question. I thought that we were already saved when Jesus died on the cross, and that the act of regeneration was simply God quickening is to Obedience to himself not the actual application of salvation. Can you help me with my confusion? Scriptural support would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Brother
ReplyDeleteThis is a question that requires us to be very precise in how we define terms like “salvation.” Without some measure of precision, we run the risk of getting wrapped around the axle because of careless equivocation. There are many facets or aspects of salvation including, for example, election, redemption, regeneration, final glorification, etc. Consider the following assertions…
Delete- ELECTION is COVENANTAL SALVATION (Ephesians 1:4-6) – it is salvation in the mind and purpose of God. It is certain that when God chose a people to save, he was revealing the fact of their eternal salvation in advance of all of the temporal events involved in bringing it to fruition. Before God’s elect were even born they could be said to be eternally saved in covenant, because God had already purposed and promised their salvation beforehand.
- REDEMPTION is TRANSACTIONAL SALVATION (Colossians 1:20, Hebrews 10:11,14) – it is salvation described in the terminology of a commercial transaction (payment, atonement, redemption) where payment for the sin debt was made in full. It is certain that all of God’s elect for whom Christ died had their debt paid at Calvary, long before many of them ever even existed, or before they ever had any spiritual inclination or sensibility. In that sense we can say that they were all atoned for at Calvary and that is where their salvation was purchased.
- REGENERATION is VITAL SALVATION (Titus 3:5) – it is the point in time when salvation is imparted to one of God’s elect in the form of God’s spirit taking residence in one of his sheep. This is the moment in time when someone’s spiritual experience begins which may be manifest in thoughts of one’s guilt in the commission of sin, the reality that God is holy and real, and the dreadful thought of those two when considered together.
So with proper qualification all of the following statements are true…
“God’s people are saved covenantally in eternity past.”
“God’s people are saved transactionally at Calvary.”
“God’s people are saved vitally at regeneration.”
Where we run into trouble is when we unnecessarily shoehorn all aspects of eternal salvation into only one facet. This raises debates among Christians who will get fighting mad saying “We were saved at CALVARY!” and “NO! We were saved BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD in election!” while still others scream, “WRONG! We are not saved until we have the faith to believe!” I’m reminded of the proverb of the blind men and the elephant. When properly considered, they are all right, but they are describing different components that make up the whole of salvation. We only rightly divide the topic of salvation when we consider its different facets and speak about those facets in a way that is consistent with the bible’s testimony, that avoids logical contradictions. Recognizing the covenantal, transactional, and vital dimensions is very helpful in this regard. It accommodates all the biblical data without creating untenable contradictions or stirring up vain, short-sighted contention among the brethren.
Good question. Thanks for making a thoughtful contribution.