Many people, to be honest, argue against Calvinism against perhaps the most popular passage of Scripture: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
The first video is of James White dealing with the common Arminian argument against Calvinism, using John 3:16.
The below 3 videos is from Mark Kielar of Cross TV.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
sin
SIN
what is sin, were did it come from, what is the punishment for it? Well before I answer the question at hand I need to say this. The evangelic church today has let sin leave the church and the poet, this is a thing that beings worry and concerned to me. Why might you ask well because the sheep still need to hear about sin and what God does to these who sin. With the state of the church on sin as it is many sheep have not worried about there sin, and what it could do to them. Many pastes today don't want to heart someones felling for make them fell like there a bad person, when in fact that is what they are. The bible says that there is no not one that is good, we see in Rom 3:10 it says “as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one;” so sin is on all man, 1Co 15:22 “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” so what did Adam do to have all die? What is the word die meaning ? Well this is answered In the first book of the bible, Genesis. Gen 3:1-7 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.” we see the first sin of man here the fall, and this is were all man died In Adam, when Adam ate of the tree, he had broken the law of God and he had bright sin in to the world. So now ever man after this is born of sin not born in sin. When someone is born in sin that is saying that they are born in to a world that has sin but they are not a sinner, but we see this is not true. In fact that view of being born in to sin is called Pelagianisam, were they believe that we are without sin until we have sinned for the first time, but we know it is not true. When Adam ate of the fruit, he had fallen from the grace and purer state he was in, before he fell from the fruit he had ate. Well this has answered part of one and most of two, but lets keep with what is sin. ( http://dictionary.reference.com/ transgression of divine law: the sin of Adam. any act regarded as such a transgression, esp. a willful or deliberate violation of some religious or moral principle. any reprehensible or regrettable action, behavior, lapse, etc.; great fault or offense: It's a sin to waste time.) so this is from a dictionary, what does the wcf or the lbc or 1689? the lbc says this “ They being the root, and by God's appointment, standing in the room and stead of all mankind, the guilt of the sin was imputed, and corrupted nature conveyed, to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation, being now conceived in sin, and by nature children of wrath, the servants of sin, the subjects of death, and all other miseries, spiritual, temporal, and eternal, unless the Lord Jesus set them free.” so we see that sin is not something that we chosse to do but something that we are bron of. a.w. Pink has this to say about sin "Sin is more than an act or a series of acts; it is a man’s make-up." the prince of preachers had this to say “Sin is a deliberate treason against the majesty of God, an assault upon His crown, an insult offered to His throne. Charles h. spurgeon” pink also had this to say about sin “What is sin? Sin is a species of rebellion against God. It is self-pleasing: it is the utter ignoring of God’s claims: being completely indifferent whether my conduct pleases or displeases Him.” Augustine had this to say “Sin comes when we take a perfectly natural desire or longing or ambition and try desperately to fulfill it without God. Not only is it sin, it is a perverse distortion of the image of the Creator in us. All these good things, and all our security, are rightly found only and completely in Him.” so we see throw out the church age sin was in the popet and not cased out. So that is what sin is, but were does man get it well like we saw in genisens “Gen 3:1-3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" so adam now has taken the heart that we had, wich was peur and not sinful, to a state of sin that was not a state of God but a state that no matter what it was going to sin. This is called total depravity by the reformed Christians, now I must say that not all think that we are totally depraved in are state with God before regeneration form God. What is total depravity? We total depravity is this that man in the state that they are In are utterly and totally sinful. They have no good in them. Some will say that we are not as bad as we could be, but I find this to be against what is in the word of God. Man has been sinful from the start of time we see in the fall (genesis chapter 3, the fall of man) with this fall we have now be put in to a world of sin, and amity with God, that has no right standing with him. We see with the fall that we have now become dead in are sins and trespassers, that man can not get out of with out the help of God, so the big thing is how is sin going to affect us with God and what has to be done to change it.
So what is sin going to do to us with God? Well the fall is the starting point of this whole thing, ( Gen 3:1-24 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'"But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?" And he said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself." He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate." then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." To the woman he said, "I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." And to Adam he said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return." The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever--" therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.) what do we see here, we see how and not only how but why we are like what we are now (a life of sin) but is there a point were we have to say that sin is not something we are born with but that we must do? Well I say this to that what does the word say? Does it say that we are born sinless ( without any sin what so ever) or does it say we are born of sin (the word of that I use there is one that is used because when many say in sin they would be saying that we are born with out sin but in a sinful world) we see in (Psa 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.) so are not born in a sinful mother that was of the same nature was in Adam after the fall? Well what else can we find to back the thinking that we are born with sin in are heart, well lets stay in the old testament for now ( Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?) now this is showing us that we wont know are heart is like this, we see it asks us who can understand it, God does but what about man can man know there own heart? Well if God can and we are all siners with out the help of christ, then what are we? Well the bible say that we are a fool (Psa 14:1 The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good.) so if we say there is no God and we are a fool then can we know what are hearts are? Well I would hold to say no. the man out of regeneration can not know that his heart is wicked. But that is the old testament what does the new testament say about are hearts, and the sin that we have? (Mat 15:18-20 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone." ) so what is Christ saying well just look at it, he is saying that what every comes from the mouth is from the heart. When someone says I hate you that is not just them saying it but there heart. There heart is were the sin lies it comes from the heart. The heart is with out a doubt the thing that leads us in to sin. But I think there is yet more to being seen here, what does the sinful act do were is it in the relationship to the cross? Well that can be answered with the verse as well lets look first at were does it come from the sinful act that is. It all goes back to the fall. So then what has happened? Well man is bead in there sins. (Eph 2:1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ) but with that does it come to all are dead in there sins well yes (1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.) now we are just going to look at the first part, the part that has to do with Adam, as we see that the fall after all is the key to sin, so in Adam all die, meaning what well meaning this, after the fall Adam was now a sinner, but wait I thought we were a sinner from birth, well we are but with Adam he was in the right standing with God with out a atonement for sin because there was no sin to atone for. But after the fall there was. So we all died in Adams fall or sin of eating the fruit. So how can one be in sin because of one man, well that is something that is called when he had kids they were of the same heart and so on and so forth. Now does sin do to us is there a punishment for it? Well again I will go to the bible and see what it says, lets go to the heart of the problem what is the punishment of sin? Well what does the bible say, it says that the punishment for sin is hell, we see this all over the place, the bible gives us a clear pitcher of what will happen if we do not repent of the sins, so the sin that we hold is what kills us? For is it the way of life that we have death? Well lets go to the bible, first I want to say that when we see the word dead in the bible when it is in context to sin like in (1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive) this is in the right standing we have with God not that we are dead in the flesh, now we have a dead spirit of God that makes the flesh sin. The heart is what will bring on to hell the state of the heart with God is what kills, not the dissection that man makes “the chose for God is one that cant be made with out regeneration” that is free will and with that we have the chose to sin or do good but I have showed you that we don't have a say if we sin your not. With sin we are in total bondage to the sin we live in. so what I have showed here to day? Well I have showed that we are in sin all the time and that we have no way out but through Christ and his death on the cross. Now before I end this I would like to say this.
What I have said here in this writing is not one that has come from my own accord but from the heart of the word of God, I put the writings here for you all to get to know the heart of the man before he has the grace of God in him and I wish that we take this as a, reminder of what we are in Christ and what others are on the outside of Christ, I did not bring the writings to you for any other means then to help you know and understand what the sin that he hold is and what it cant do to us. I pray that all have the writings I put out there in this that they do not think I am putting them to shame but only, to bring the light of what man is in everyday of his life to light for all of us the unsaved and the saved. May the gory go to God and God only with the writings I have done.
Soli deo Gloria
may God bring the grace that I have gotten to your hearts today and for ever more, amen.
Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
A Case for "Lordship Salvation"
First off, I would like to define what I mean by “lordship salvation.” Lordship salvation teaches that when a person is saved, this person will show fruit of their repentance, and that these works show that this person is a true Christian. It calls for holiness and the progressive sanctification of the believer, by the work of the Holy Spirit in a man or woman’s life.
In fact, the late A.W. Pink once remarked that: “Yes, there are tens of thousands who have been deluded into thinking that they have ‘accepted Christ as their Saviour,’ whose lives show plainly that they reject Him as their Lord."
Today, there’s been a sharp dispute between a view known as “Lordship Salvation” and “Free Grace theology.” One person laid down 8 points of free-grace theology, which is worth passing along.
1.) The only condition of eternal life is simple faith in Jesus
2.) Simple faith in Christ is intellectual assent
3.) The specific object of saving faith is Jesus and results in the promise of eternal life to all who simply believe in Him.
4.) Turning from one’s sins is not faith & isn’t a condition of eternal life
--At this point, the author notes: “Free grace advocates admit that turning from sin is not faithand is not a condition of eternal life. Please not that turning from sins is part of a Christian requirement, not a requirement to become a Christian. Repentence is not a condition of eternal life according to basic free grace theology”
5.) Perseverence in faith and good works is not a condition of eternal life
6.) Good works are not indispensible for assurance
7.) Eternal life is not based on future judgment of works
8.) Eternal life and eternal rewards must be distinguished by noting that the former is a gift and the latter is earned.
Furthermore, even more concerning is the remark by this Free-Grace proponent are the statements: “No matter what a believer does, he is eternally secure,” and “perseverence is a rewards issue, not an eternal life issue.” (I’ll deal with those later)
Now, to be fair, I can recognize that it’s a reaction against the Roman Catholicism, in which the salvation is by faith and works. Yet, as I pointed out in one of my previous notes, “Fruit,” John the Baptist told the people coming to the Jordan River to be baptized: “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance… Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 3:8 & 10)
First off, I would like to establish the authority of Christ as Lord. There are over 100 references to Christ as “Lord” in Scripture. In the gospels alone, Matthew 14:30, Matthew 17:4, Matthew 18:21, Matthew 20:30, Luke 2:11, Luke 5:8 & 12, Luke 7:6, Luke 10:1, Luke 11:1, Luke 24:3, John 11:3, 12, 21, 27, 32-33 & 39, John 14:5, John 21:7 & 15-17, refer to Christ as Lord.
Furthermore, Jesus Himself states in Matthew 28:18 that: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
And, in a similar vein, Paul writes: “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)
I see this harkening back to what Daniel wrote: “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14)
As John MacArthur summed it up: “The question in salvation is not whether Jesus is Lord, but whether we are submissive to His lordship.”
With that, I would like to get into a defense of Lordship salvation. But, I'd like to clarify that we're not saved by the law.
Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly states: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Furthermore, Paul notes: “…if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” (Galatians 2:21)
He also goes on to write: “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.’ Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for 'The righteous shall live by faith.'" (Galatians 3:10-11)
“You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.” (Galatians 5:4)
“It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” (Romans 3:26-28)
Yet, with all that being said, obedience to Christ and His commandments are not optional for Christians.
First off, we get a picture of regeneration in Ezekiel, as I’ve noted before: “ And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27)
Furthermore, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus states: "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great." (Luke 6:46-49)
He also says: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing… Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.” (John 15:5 & 9-10)
Similarly, Paul states in Romans 8:10-14 that: "if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
We also see this theme of obedience as a fruit of belief in the Book of 1st John.
“And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” (1st John 2:3-6)
“And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.” (1st John 3:23-24)
“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith.” (1st John 5:2-4)
Again, I must stress that our obedience doesn’t save us, but it shows that we are indeed saved. We certainly won’t obey perfectly, but, we’ll continue in sanctification, which entails obedience.
To again quote John MacArthur, who, along with the likes of Paul Washer and Tim Conway, promotes Lordship salvation: “We do not ‘make’ Christ Lord; He is Lord! Those who will not receive Him as Lord are guilty of rejecting Him. ‘Faith’ that rejects His sovereign authority is really unbelief. Conversely, acknowledging His lordship is no more a human work than repentance (cf. 2 Timothy 2:26) or faith itself (cf. Ephesians 2:8-9). In fact, it is an important element of divinely produced saving faith, not something added to faith.”
The 1646 Westminster Confession of Faith states in Chapter 16, point 2, that: “These good works, done in obedience to God's commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith: and by them believers manifest their thankfulness, strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, adorn the profession of the Gospel, stop the mouths of the adversaries, and glorify God, whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto, that, having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end, eternal life.” The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith almost mirrors this statement.
I must also say that, as I mentioned before, the statements posed by the Free-Grace proponent that all it takes is mental assent to become a Christian and that “No matter what a believer does, he is eternally secure,” as well as “perseverance is a rewards issue, not an eternal life issue,” are troubling.
In fact, I would go as far as to say that these statements, in many cases can be outright damning, given the passages of Scripture that I listed. The problem is that, given these statements, forces one into the borderline antinomian view of eternal security, often summed up in the popular phrase “once-saved, always saved.” And, unfortunately, this view of eternal security, when taken to it’s logical end results in “carnal Christianity.” By the term “carnal Christianity” or the doctrine of the “carnal Christian,” I’m referring to those who are “Christians” yet show no sign of regeneration and continue on in their worldly living, with no evidence of change.
That, my friends, proves to result also in an almost blasphemously low view of regeneration and sanctification, as well as the person of Christ.
I close with a quote from the Puritan Bible commentator Matthew Henry: “All the grace contained in [the Bible] is owing to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior; and, unless we consent to Him as our Lord we cannot expect any benefit by Him as our Savior.”
In fact, the late A.W. Pink once remarked that: “Yes, there are tens of thousands who have been deluded into thinking that they have ‘accepted Christ as their Saviour,’ whose lives show plainly that they reject Him as their Lord."
Today, there’s been a sharp dispute between a view known as “Lordship Salvation” and “Free Grace theology.” One person laid down 8 points of free-grace theology, which is worth passing along.
1.) The only condition of eternal life is simple faith in Jesus
2.) Simple faith in Christ is intellectual assent
3.) The specific object of saving faith is Jesus and results in the promise of eternal life to all who simply believe in Him.
4.) Turning from one’s sins is not faith & isn’t a condition of eternal life
--At this point, the author notes: “Free grace advocates admit that turning from sin is not faithand is not a condition of eternal life. Please not that turning from sins is part of a Christian requirement, not a requirement to become a Christian. Repentence is not a condition of eternal life according to basic free grace theology”
5.) Perseverence in faith and good works is not a condition of eternal life
6.) Good works are not indispensible for assurance
7.) Eternal life is not based on future judgment of works
8.) Eternal life and eternal rewards must be distinguished by noting that the former is a gift and the latter is earned.
Furthermore, even more concerning is the remark by this Free-Grace proponent are the statements: “No matter what a believer does, he is eternally secure,” and “perseverence is a rewards issue, not an eternal life issue.” (I’ll deal with those later)
Now, to be fair, I can recognize that it’s a reaction against the Roman Catholicism, in which the salvation is by faith and works. Yet, as I pointed out in one of my previous notes, “Fruit,” John the Baptist told the people coming to the Jordan River to be baptized: “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance… Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 3:8 & 10)
First off, I would like to establish the authority of Christ as Lord. There are over 100 references to Christ as “Lord” in Scripture. In the gospels alone, Matthew 14:30, Matthew 17:4, Matthew 18:21, Matthew 20:30, Luke 2:11, Luke 5:8 & 12, Luke 7:6, Luke 10:1, Luke 11:1, Luke 24:3, John 11:3, 12, 21, 27, 32-33 & 39, John 14:5, John 21:7 & 15-17, refer to Christ as Lord.
Furthermore, Jesus Himself states in Matthew 28:18 that: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
And, in a similar vein, Paul writes: “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)
I see this harkening back to what Daniel wrote: “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14)
As John MacArthur summed it up: “The question in salvation is not whether Jesus is Lord, but whether we are submissive to His lordship.”
With that, I would like to get into a defense of Lordship salvation. But, I'd like to clarify that we're not saved by the law.
Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly states: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Furthermore, Paul notes: “…if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” (Galatians 2:21)
He also goes on to write: “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.’ Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for 'The righteous shall live by faith.'" (Galatians 3:10-11)
“You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.” (Galatians 5:4)
“It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” (Romans 3:26-28)
Yet, with all that being said, obedience to Christ and His commandments are not optional for Christians.
First off, we get a picture of regeneration in Ezekiel, as I’ve noted before: “ And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27)
Furthermore, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus states: "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great." (Luke 6:46-49)
He also says: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing… Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.” (John 15:5 & 9-10)
Similarly, Paul states in Romans 8:10-14 that: "if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
We also see this theme of obedience as a fruit of belief in the Book of 1st John.
“And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” (1st John 2:3-6)
“And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.” (1st John 3:23-24)
“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith.” (1st John 5:2-4)
Again, I must stress that our obedience doesn’t save us, but it shows that we are indeed saved. We certainly won’t obey perfectly, but, we’ll continue in sanctification, which entails obedience.
To again quote John MacArthur, who, along with the likes of Paul Washer and Tim Conway, promotes Lordship salvation: “We do not ‘make’ Christ Lord; He is Lord! Those who will not receive Him as Lord are guilty of rejecting Him. ‘Faith’ that rejects His sovereign authority is really unbelief. Conversely, acknowledging His lordship is no more a human work than repentance (cf. 2 Timothy 2:26) or faith itself (cf. Ephesians 2:8-9). In fact, it is an important element of divinely produced saving faith, not something added to faith.”
The 1646 Westminster Confession of Faith states in Chapter 16, point 2, that: “These good works, done in obedience to God's commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith: and by them believers manifest their thankfulness, strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, adorn the profession of the Gospel, stop the mouths of the adversaries, and glorify God, whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto, that, having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end, eternal life.” The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith almost mirrors this statement.
I must also say that, as I mentioned before, the statements posed by the Free-Grace proponent that all it takes is mental assent to become a Christian and that “No matter what a believer does, he is eternally secure,” as well as “perseverance is a rewards issue, not an eternal life issue,” are troubling.
In fact, I would go as far as to say that these statements, in many cases can be outright damning, given the passages of Scripture that I listed. The problem is that, given these statements, forces one into the borderline antinomian view of eternal security, often summed up in the popular phrase “once-saved, always saved.” And, unfortunately, this view of eternal security, when taken to it’s logical end results in “carnal Christianity.” By the term “carnal Christianity” or the doctrine of the “carnal Christian,” I’m referring to those who are “Christians” yet show no sign of regeneration and continue on in their worldly living, with no evidence of change.
That, my friends, proves to result also in an almost blasphemously low view of regeneration and sanctification, as well as the person of Christ.
I close with a quote from the Puritan Bible commentator Matthew Henry: “All the grace contained in [the Bible] is owing to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior; and, unless we consent to Him as our Lord we cannot expect any benefit by Him as our Savior.”
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