THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE OF SCRIPTURE

"Concerning that this clown babbleth of free will, it is sufficiently rejected throughout the whole scripture." ~John Calvin

THE VERY ESSENCE OF ALL DELIGHTS

"Christ is the very essence of all delights and pleasures, the very soul and substance of them. As all the rivers are gathered into the ocean, which is the meeting-place of all the waters in the world, so Christ is that ocean in which all true delights and pleasures meet." ~ John Flavel; 

"Trace the sunbeam to the sun;
Trace the river to the sea;
Trace all pleasures to the One
Who is Pleasure perfectly."

DQ Numbers Mean

DQ1  = Diagnostic Questions on Total Inability.
DQ2  = Diagnostic Questions on Unconditional Election.
DQ3  = Diagnostic Questions on Atonement.
DQ4 =  Diagnostic Questions on Effectual Grace
DQ5=  Diagnostic Questions on Preservation of the Saints.

These Questions are geared to the Arminian.

Effectual Atonement

Do you profess Effectual Atonement (for whom Christ died)?  [diagnostic question; and a redundant one at that].   [There is no such thing as uneffectual atonement, and there is no such thing as an atoned person going to hell without sin accounted to him.]

DQ on TOTAL INABILITY

Diagnostic Questions concerning Total Inability.

Is the will of fallen man free from: sin, the slavery of sin, the alienated mind, the corrupt heart, the nature of wrath, the captivity of Satan, the sovereign purpose of God, spiritual blindness, spiritual deafness?  What verses evidence such an assertion?  If such verses exist, then why is there even a need for the theoretical "prevenient grace".  What verses teach that such a system exists?   [diagnostic questions for the Arminian]

FIRST PRINCIPLES

It may seem a harsh sentiment; but he who in his soul believes that man does of his own free-will turn to God, cannot have been taught of God, for that is one of the first principles taught us when God begins with us,..

..Charles H. Spurgeon....

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD

Love for God is the only sufficient motive for evangelism. Self-love will give way to self-centeredness; love for the lost will fail with those whom we cannot love…

Only our Love for God and, more important, His love for us will keep us from the dangers which beset us. When the desire for popularity with men, or for success in human terms, tempts us to water down the Gospel, to make it palatable, then only if we love God will we stand last by His truth and His ways. 

--- John Cheeseman.

FRONTLETS

Deut 6:8 ....they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

This is not some heavy, slavish, burdensome, and bashing drudgery from God which is intended to rival Pharaoh's whip for more bricks without straw (more Bible without rest); rather, this is a joyful nourishment of the soul. I can remember Thanksgiving as a teen and getting two large slices of Pumpkin Pie at once. The second slice was not some burdensome weight imposed by my Aunt, but a delightful eagerness desired by my stomach. You have heard the phrase, "his eyes were bigger than his stomach" in loading his plate with too much food; well here, our eyes are to be huge, huge on Scripture, hungry not for the tastiness of bread that perishes, but for the Living Bread of eternal life. A few months ago I loaded up a bowl with Chocolate Ice Cream and my wife chuckled at how large of a serving I had prepared; I simply said, "Well, it is good, what can I say." May God give us the same heart for Christ and Scripture, that we heap a large serving before our eyes from a joyful, delightful love for the God of the Word, and the Word of God.

THE POWER OF THE PARACLETE

The power of our apologetic is not in our penmanship or publications, but in the Paraclete; and He blows where He wishes.  Rest in Christ when He is not blowing, Rejoice in Christ when He is blowing.

FELLOWSHIP

Whose fellowship and attention do you desire most? Your spouse, your children, your parents, your boss or co-workers, your pastor or deacons, local Christians, or someone online.....or that fellowship and attention afforded by the prayer closet? from whence no one sees or hears, but God.

1 JOHN 1 The Word of Life
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life-
2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us-
3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4 And we are writing these things so that our1  joy may be complete.  

 

ELECTION OF GRACE

Romans 11:5  Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.  (Is there a remnant according to the election of reacting to men meeting the condition and command of faith?)

Isaiah 40

Isa 40:1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.

MORE THAN CHRIST

Did the Father need more (or require more) than the perfection of Christ in order to make certain the regeneration of your soul? [diagnostic questions]

 Do you profess Effectual Atonement (for whom Christ died)?  [diagnostic question; and a redundant one at that].   [There is no such thing as uneffectual atonement, and there is no such thing as an atoned person going to hell without sin accounted to him.]

CANNOT OBEY

"Sinners cannot obey the gospel, any more than the law, without renewal of heart."
- J.I. Packer

DEISTIC god OVER SALVATION

it seems to me that Arminians believe in a Sovereign God over creation, & a deistic god over salvation. It sounds almost like God set out the terms of salvation & is just sitting back waiting for men to make the right choice. This is such a sad view of the One Who is presented in Scripture Who is Mighty to Save!-- Shon D.

SPURGEON ON FREE-WILL

Free will doctrine – what does it? It magnifies man into God; it declares God’s purposes a nullity, since they cannot be carried out unless men are willing. It makes God’s will a waiting servant to the will of man, and the whole covenant of grace dependent upon human action. Denying election on the ground of injustice it holds God to be a debtor to sinners, so that if He gives grace to one He is b......ound to do so to all. It teaches that the blood of Christ was shed equally for all men and since some are lost, this doctrine ascribes the difference to man’s own will, thus making the atonement itself a powerless thing until the will of man gives it efficacy. Those sentiments dilute the scriptural description of man’s depravity, and by imputing strength to fallen humanity, rob the Spirit of the glory of His effectual grace: this theory says in effect that it is of him that willeth, and of him that runneth, and not of God that showeth mercy

- C.H. Spurgeon "A Jealous God"

SPURGEON ON THE WORLD

The whole world is gone after him.' Did all the world go after Christ? 'Then went all Judea, and were baptized of him in Jordan.' Was all Judea, or all Jerusalem baptized in Jordan? 'Ye are of God, little children', and 'the whole world lieth in the wicked one.' Does 'the whole world' there mean everybody? If so, how was it, then, that there were some who were 'of God?' The words 'world' and 'all' are used in some seven or eight senses in Scripture; and it is very rarely that 'all' means all persons, taken individually. The words are generally used to signify that Christ has redeemed some of all sorts—some Jews, some Gentiles, some rich, some poor, and has not restricted his redemption to either Jew or Gentile." 
--(Charles H. Spurgeon, Particular Redemption, A Sermon, 28 Feb 1858).

CREDIT

Do you give God credit for your election? Do you give God credit for meeting the condition of your election? or, Do you take credit for meeting the condition for your election?

Thankful

We have a lot to be thankful for!  Have you thanked God today?  Have you thanked God for what He has done?  Matthew 11:25  At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;

WRITING DOES NOT CHANGE HEARTS

If our writings in themselves good change the hearts of men, then we should dismiss all our armed forces and assign them to publishing houses, mailing books to the enemy in WWI, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, and such; If the book did not convince the leader, then surely reduce their forces in half. Christians march in peace and peacefulness, knowing the King shall come with a sword out of His mouth, and the blood shall rise to the horse's bridle.

Rev 6:15 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave5 and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains,  16 calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb,  17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

THE HEART IS THE ROOT

Man is like a tree. His heart, not his will alone, is the root. There is no possible way by which the will can choose to produce fruit contrary to the character of the root. If the root is bad, the tree is bound by its very nature to produce evil fruit.  Man is like a person standing alongside his treasure chest. There is no possibility of bringing pure gold out of a box filled only with rusty steel. The contents of the heart determine what words and deeds may be brought out. Far from being neutral, the will must reach into the heart for its choices. Every thought, word and deed will partake of the nature of the treasure within.   Man is like a stream which cannot rise above its source. If the fountain is polluted, the outflow will be evil. If the source be sweet, the stream will not be bitter and cannot choose to be so.  These three illustrations alike contain the same lesson. What a man is determines what he chooses. Choices of the will always reveal the character of the heart, because the heart determines the choices. ~  Walter J. Chantry

DOWNWARD

"Growth in grace is growth downward. It is the forming of a lower estimate of ourselves. It is a deepening realization of our nothingness. It is a heartfelt recognition that we are not worthy of the least of God's mercies."
- A.W. Pink

THOROUGHLY CONVINCED

"Unless we are thoroughly convinced that without Christ we are under the eternal curse of God, as the worst of His enemies, we shall never flee to Him for refuge."
~John Owen

HAPPY TO GAZE ON JESUS

Happy were it, if puzzled and perplexed Christians would turn their eyes from the defects that are in their obedience, to the fullness and completeness of Christ's obedience; and see themselves complete in Him, when most lame and defective in themselves. - John Flavel,

MY HOPE IS IN WHOSE ABILITY

During your proclamation of Christ to a lost world, is your ultimate hope placed in the ability of the sinner to know Jesus, love Jesus, and hence place faith and repentance towards Jesus? Would you articulate that to the sinner? Well, ultimately my hope is placed in your ability to know Jesus, love Jesus, and trust Him. (Psalm 146:5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, )

  My laptop has an electrical cord, if the cord did not exist, nor the battery exist, the laptop would have no power. My mind, heart, soul, and body is a laptop and cord, but the power does not come from the cord, it comes from an outside source; the person of the Holy Spirit, uniting me to Christ; He is the Vine, His is the Power, and the Glory and Dominion forever. Who will dare say that the power comes from himself?

Some people have a theology which supports this, others do not; If someone seems uncertain of the claims of Scripture and Christ, then can you tell them, "I have good news dear soul, God has the power and grace to grant you faith, repentance, understanding, a new heart, humility, clarity, and trust in Him; a desire to pray, seek Him, love Him, and confess Him." others are simply left with saying, "Well, God has already done his part, and the rest is up to you to muster up your own faith, repentance, new heart, humility, love, and desire; I hope you press on and make the difference."

 

 

ENTIRELY DEPENDENT

When it comes to the salvation of your sinful soul, are you entirely dependent on the power and grace of God, even to acknowledge that your dependency came from God, not from your ability to make yourself dependent.

Contempt

The god of this twentieth century no more resembles the Supreme Sovereign of Holy Writ, than does the dim flickering of a candle the glory of the midday sun. The god who is now talked about in the average pulpit, spoken of in the ordinary Sunday School, mentioned in much of the religious literature of the day, and preached in most of the so-called Bible Conferences is the figment of human imagination, an invention of mushy sentimentality. The heathen outside of the pale of Christendom form gods out of wood and stone, while the millions of heathen inside Christendom manufacture a god out of their own carnal mind. In reality, they are but atheists, for there is no other possible alternative between an absolutely supreme God, and no God at all. A god whose will is resisted, whose designs are frustrated, whose purpose is checkmated, possesses no title to Deity, and so far from being a fit object of worship, merits nothing but contempt!" ~ A.W.Pink

CONTENTMENT IS

Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.
Jeremiah Burroughs

Instead of complaining at his lot, a contented man is thankful that his condition and circumstances are no worse than they are. Instead of greedily desiring something more than the supply of his present need, he rejoices that God still cares for him. Such an one is “content” with such as he has (Heb. 13:5).--A.W. Pink.

WHERE HE WISHES

I am observed years back, "We cannot put the Holy Spirit in a bottle, and think to shake him out like a genie upon presenting enough solid information in our preaching and conversations. He blows where He wishes, and though God can be very pleased with the sermon and sheep be nourished, yet the Holy Spirit may not wish to blow through that day for the purpose of regenerating anyone"; So while solid paper and pen presentations are great to an extent, they cannot be worshiped, because they do not possess power in themselves, and if we think they do, then we will observe years of frustration as the field continues to be barren and fruitless.

EVERYTHING IS NECESSARY

Everything is necessary that he sends. Nothing can be necessary that he withholds.--

John Newton -

Man is not able

Helpful beginnings to church unity. We confess that #1. Sinful Man is not able in mind, heart, body, nature, or will to love God, trust God, please God, follow God, obey God, or prepare himself for such in any form to any degree.; (What professing Christian wants to say rather that: Man is able, after all I was able (...).

 

Helpful beginnings to church unity. We confess that #2. The bible presents a group of people called "the elect" whom God elected. Because Sinful Man is not able in mind, heart, body, nature, or will to love God, trust God, please God, follow God, obey God, or prepare himself for such in any form to any degree--we confess that those whom God elects, and calls the elect, were not elected by God because they the sinner met a condition or command of God, be it the 613 commandments, the commandment of repentance and faith in Christ, or any other condition or command.‎(What professing Christian wants to say rather that: Man must meet a condition of God, before God considers him elect, after all I was able to meet the condition of God so that he considered me elect on the basis of meeting His condition.)

 Helpful beginnings to church unity.  We confess that #3.  The bible presents the grace of God as that which is a working of the divine sovereign effectual power of God the Holy Spirit and is the effectual and sole cause of a sinners new birth, repentance, faith, changed: mind, heart, nature, will, and body.

Fattening the children of Perdition

Verily, we know not what an evil it is to indulge ourselves, and to make an idol of our will. Once I would make much ado, if I saw not the world carved and set in order to my liking; now I am silent, when I see God is fattening and feeding the children of perdition. I pray God, I may never find my will again.

Samuel Rutherford

SHAKING OUR FOUNDATIONS

"We turn to God when our foundations are shaking, only to learn that it is God who is shaking them." not sure of who said it, but found it on the wall of Rose Corpus.

PRINCIPAL CAUSES

Therefore the Christian heart, since it has been thoroughly persuaded that all things happen by God's plan, and that nothing takes place by place by chance, will ever look to him as the principal causes of things, yet will give secondary attention to the secondary causes in their proper place. 

~ John Calvin

TROUBLED CONSCIENCE

"The faithful preaching of the gospel is never soothing to the impenitent, so that the removal of an outstanding preacher is commonly a matter of rejoicing for those whose consciences he has troubled." 

 --Leon Morris 'The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries' page 146

THIS THUNDERBOLT

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD.

THIS, therefore, is also essentially necessary and wholesome for Christians to know: That God foreknows nothing by contingency, but that He foresees, purposes, and does all things according to His immutable, eternal, and infallible will....Martin Luther......By this thunderbolt, "Free-will" is thrown prostrate, and utterly dashed to pieces. Those, therefore, who would assert "Free-will," must either deny this thunderbolt, or pretend not to see it, or push it from them. But, however, before I establish this point by any arguments of my own, and by the authority of Scripture, I will first set it forth in your words....Martin Luther...(thanks Victor C.)

NOT MADE TO BEAR THEM

Many , even most, of our problems come from attaching our hopes to things that were not made to bear them - things that will sink like stones in water and pull us down with them. - Mark Dever

 

THESE TWO QUESTIONS

"All the disputes between us and the Arminians may be reduced to these two questions: 1. Is God dependent upon man, or is man dependent on God? 2. Is man a debtor to God, or God a debtor to man? ~ Augustus Toplady (1740-1778)

Who am I

In 1507, Luther was ordained to the priesthood. When he celebrated his first Mass, as he held the bread and cup for the first time, he was so awestruck at the thought of transubstantiation that he almost fainted. “I was utterly stupefied and terror-stricken,” he confessed. “I thought to myself, ‘Who am I that I should lift up mine eyes or raise my hands to the divine majesty? For I am dust and ashes and full of sin, and I am speaking to the living, eternal and true God’” (Luther, cited in Bruce Shelley, Church History in Plain Language [Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995], 238)

quoted from:  http://www.ligonier.org/blog/fortress-truth-martin-luther/

 

 

Stick to John 10

Did you hear about the shepherd who went out looking for his sheep? He did his tee-totally best to find them, but it turns out they followed the voice of a stranger and escaped his best efforts to rescue them. So here we are today telling people what the shepherd attempted, instead of what the shepherd accomplished. Not me. I'll stick to John 10. All of it.

Heathen Philosophers

"They go and set up free-will with the heathen philosophers and say that a man's free will is the cause why God chooseth and not another, contrary to all the scriptures."

- William Tyndale (c. 1494-1536)

Jesus accomplished

We don't go around telling people what Jesus attempted, we proclaim what Jesus accomplished. 

 Some OT passover Lamb was able to "secure the safety" of the infant he was slain for, and yet men today suggest that the real Divine Passover Lamb is not able to "secure the safety" of the children of Abraham. How can an animal do better than the God that made it.

 

Shine the Attention on Jesus

What would you think of someone who was a member of your congregation who said, "Our confessional says we believe in Jesus, and just as the confession says, I believe in Jesus;  but the past 7 years you keep on insisting that the Jesus we believe in is actually fully God, and I have never believed that and still don't believe that "detail", can't we just sit back and agree that we believe in Jesus, and let it go at that?"  Can this "Detail" about His Person be "generalized" and "accepted?"  Yet "true" Arminians do the same thing in regards to Sin, Depravity, Election, Atonement, Sovereignty, Regeneration;  Can we not just agree in the "general point" we are saved by grace through faith, and avoid your "details" of what that means,  Are we going to make a primary role of Christ "atoning for sins" to be something left to vague generalities that leaves enough wiggle room for us both, when we dare not leave wiggle room for those who deny his deity, and yet accept the liability for those who malign His work and accomplishment.

If Jesus saved everyone He died for, then give Him credit for it, if He didn't save everyone He died for then embarrass Him for it;  Why keep the accomplishment of Christ a mystery.  When you do that, you rob Him of the Glory that is due Him.  How can one grow in his boast of Christ, when he refuses to study the very cause of his boasting.  What good is getting this soul addicted to generalities to evangelize, when he cannot even boast of specifically what Christ accomplished, because He refuses to look into what Christ accomplished.   Be honest and say, "Trust in the same Jesus I do, he made salvation available for Goliath, but overall Jesus didn't make any other difference for that sinner;  either Jesus fell short, and my boasting wanes, or Jesus didn't intended to "truly save him" and thus Jesus may not have intended to "truly save you", but He did intend to make your salvation a "possiblity"

If Jesus saved everyone He died for, then give Him credit for it, if He didn't save everyone He died for then embarrass Him for it; Or else, be clear and own up to the fact you don't think Jesus died to "save"; Whatever you do, don't bury the accomplishment of Jesus as some fuzzy vague generality that we, in effect, cannot be proclaim clearly.

 

The savior is waiting to enter your heart?  Well, keep him.  My Savior didn't wait, He worked, and is working through the Holy Spirit, He will give a new heart, He didn't wait, He wrought;  He didn't die for Esau, and He is not waiting on Esau.  I proclaim to you, Trust the Jesus that accomplishes, not the Jesus that attempts and fails.  We don't go around telling people what Jesus attempted, we proclaim what Jesus accomplished.

So they will cling to Him.

(f) God permits the world to hate his own, so they will forsake the filth of the world, and cling to him. (Geneva Bible Footnote on: Gen 46:34 That ye shall say, Thy servants' trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, [and] also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd [is] an (f) abomination unto the Egyptians. )

More Diagnostics

Many are called, but few are chosen; Narrow is the way that leads to life eternal; but no sweat, my will is reliable enough to place me among those few on the narrow way. (how foolish and how vain; Your faith and hope are placed in your own will);  Are you saying your will is reliable enough to place you among those few on the narrow way?

AVOIDING GOD

As one insightful friend told me once (Scott T.) "Many men go to church in order to avoid God." (as it is some manner of hiding in a bush, or finding fig leaves).

rough draft

Arminians ask "Why witness if God has already determined who will be saved?"; But in reality such a question is that of an Open Theist! Because if God foreknows (using the foresee fallacy) who will say "yes" then our witnessing cannot "increase" those who will be saved; So why does the Arminian witness if it does not increase who says "yes"; To avoid open-theism, the Arminian must answer, "Because God knew before the foundation of the world who will choose Him, and God uses the means of witnessing to accomplish His end." Whereas the Calvinist answers, "Because God knew before the foundation of the world whom He has chosen, and God uses the means of witnessing to accomplish His end." The number of converts will be the same in either system, because God's knowledge is the same in either system. (unless of course one is really an Open Theist, and God's knowledge is mutable or wrong; as a side note, Arminians might not be aware that they make God's knowledge to be "deductive", where God is learning who will become elect by examination of results, which means at one point He was not omniscient.) Arminians might argue, "evangelism cannot increase the elect, and failure of evangelism cannot decrease the elect;" Such observations are skewed, for it could be equally stated to Arminians "in your system evangelism cannot increase the elect, and failure of evangelism cannot decrease the elect.", otherwise God's knowledge is wrong and mutable. (Hence the pathway to Open Theism, which one writer aptly called atheism in disguise) ------ Obedience to God is never a fool's errand. Obedience through the grace and glory of Christ is pleasing to God. God's pleasure is not based on human results. When God calls you to love your enemy, you obey, God does not determine your success based on the reaction of your enemy. God calls us to proclaim Christ, success is obedience to proclaim Christ; God does not determine your success on the basis of-- if men decide to meet the conditions of God for regeneration while you proclaim Him. (btw, Did you meet the conditions of God for regeneration, were you able to do that?)

outline list

IT IS GOD WHO: - draws people to Himself (John 6:44,65). - creates a clean heart (Psalm 51:10). - appoints people to believe (Acts 13:48). - works faith in the believer (John 6:28-29). - chooses who is to be holy and blameless (Eph. 1:4). - chooses us for salvation (2 Thess. 2:13-14). - grants the act of believing (Phil. 1:29). - grants repentance (2 Tim. 2:24-26). - calls according to His purpose (2 Tim. 1:9). - causes us to be born again (1 Pet. 1:3). - predestines us to salvation (Rom. 8:29-30). - predestines us to adoption (Eph. 1:5). - predestines us according to His purpose (Eph. 1:11). - makes us born again not by our will but by His will (John 1:12-13). IT IS MAN WHO: - is deceitful and desperately sick (Jer. 17:9). - is full of evil (Mark 7:21-23). - loves darkness rather than light (John 3:19). - is unrighteous, does not understand, does not seek for God (Rom. 3:10-12). - is helpless and ungodly (Rom. 5:6). - is dead in his trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1). - is by nature a child of wrath (Eph. 2:3). - cannot understand spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14). - is a slave of sin (Rom. 6:16-20).

I am His

I am His by purchase and I am His by conquest; I am His by donation and I am His by election; I am His by covenant and I am His by marriage; I am wholly His; I am peculiarly His; I am universally His; I am eternally His. Once I was a slave but now I am a son; once I was dead but now I am alive; once I was darkness but now I am light in the Lord; once I was a child of wrath, an heir of hell, but now I am an heir of heaven; once I was Satan's bond-servant but now I am God's freeman; once I was under the spirit of bondage but now I am under the Spirit of adoption that seals up to me the remission of my sins, the justification of my person, and the salvation of my soul. ~ Thomas Brooks