Posted on 12/20/2013 1:38:21 PM PST by redleghunter
Tonight we're going to continue our look at some of the great doctrines of Scripture and we've sort of entered in to a prolonged examination of the doctrine of sanctification. Now in talking about this idea of sanctification, and we've been defining it for weeks, we're really talking about progressive spiritual development. And the heart of it all is in John 17:17 where Jesus said, "Sanctify them by Thy truth, Thy Word is truth." Sanctification is separation from sin. There is an initial separation at salvation and then there's an ongoing increasing separation through all of our Christian experience. This is the work of the Word of God. It is the Word that sanctifies. The psalmist said, "Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin." It is the Word that purifies. You are clean by the Word which is spoken to you. And so it is that the Word is the sanctifying agent.
Now there are a lot of different terms that are used in the Scripture to describe the Word. It is called Scripture. It is called the Testimony of God, the statutes of God, the ordinances of God, the commandments of God. It is even in the Psalms called the fear of the Lord because the Bible is a manual on worshiping God. Sometimes it is called the precepts of the Lord. But the Word is essentially the reflection of God's nature and character. What God has said, what God has revealed and what God has commanded us in His Word is a direct reflection of Him. It is His will because He cannot will any other thing than that which is a perfect reflection of His perfection and his holiness.
(Excerpt) Read more at gty.org ...
John always strikes me as a meat and potatoes type of preacher,
good stuff.
He is. I usually caution folks to make sure they either listen to or read the entire sermon. It is a bit long, and if we only read the first few paragraphs some will come away with that he is advocating a works based salvation.
Thanks for taking the time to read it.
God Bless
Ping
Thanks for the ping.
"That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:4)
".. not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.' (Romans 2:13)
Not made just by law keeping, but because true faith which is counted for righteousness is that which works to make the believer more and more conformable to Christ, who kept the law in its fullest intent.
Not that i have or do, but desire Christ to have the preeminence in my heart above all.
Amen well said.
I love the word "imputed."
That said, why is David called a man after God's own heart? I believe that is because in spite of all his failings David kept seeking the Lord with all his heart.
I do as well. When we are "in Christ" our sin debt is not imputed to us because if it were we would spend eternity separated from God paying that debt. But Christ's righteousness is imputed to us instead because ONLY his perfect righteousness is good enough to merit heaven.
It is this righteousness of Christ within us, the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit, that compels us to live in a way that brings glory to God. That is why we ARE free from the law of sin and death and free to be ABLE to obey God out of a heart that has been intrinsically changed. We love him because he first love us.
The example of King David, who I'm sure would be the first to admit he failed often, is a man who, in spite of all his faults, STILL had faith and never let go of it. Rather than our salvation being a roller coaster ride of are we saved/aren't we saved based on how good we are, we have the assurance that we have been called by God into a relationship that began by grace and will culminate in that same grace with faith as the essential element. What He has begun in us HE will complete.
Rome’s idea of “imputed righteousness” is that an infant sprinkled with water in recognition of proxy faith is formally justified by “infused charity” via the regeneration this act executes, so that the infant is now holy enough to go directly to Heaven and be with God.
Yet since one is typically not good enough inside for Heaven afterwards, and has sins that warrant punishment, then after these sprinkled souls die then they usually need to spend an indeterminate time suffering in purgatory in order for their sins to be expiated, and become good enough to enter Heaven.
“It is a divinely revealed truth that sins bring punishments inflicted by God’s sanctity and justice. These must be expiated [atoned, be compensated] either on this earth through the sorrows, miseries and calamities of this life and above all through death, or else in the life beyond through fire and torments or ‘purifying’ punishments.” (Indulgentiarum Doctrina; cp. 1. 1967)
For unrepented venial faults for the payment of temporal punishment due to sin at time of death, the Church has always taught the doctrine of purgatory.” (Catholic Encyclopedia>Purgatory)
However, while God does chastise us from sins we did as believers, and these have a negative effect in our life, the only postmortem punishment for believers the Scriptures actually teach is that of suffering the loss of rewards with the grievous disapproval of the Lord at the judgment seat of God. (1Cor. 3:8ff, 2Cor. 5:8-10)
Yet this event does not occur until the Lord’s return, not commencing at death as is the case with purgatory. See http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/Bible/1Cor._3.html#Purgatory
And while we are to “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord, (Hebrews 12:14) it was not because of interior goodness that man was justified by via regeneration, unless Abraham became born again when he believed God was worthy of faith, but faith was counted righteousness.
But as Abrahamic faith is one that effects holiness, thus a believer is known by his fruit, and no believer can claim saving faith that characteristically manifests impenitent disobedience
For instead a believer practices righteousness, and is to seek to have all the holiness in heart and practice which was imputed to him, and repent insofar as he does not. And I repent most often due to my heart, as in frustration that my stiff fingers have a hard time typing.
-— Rome’s idea of “imputed righteousness” is that an infant sprinkled with water in recognition of proxy faith is formally justified by “infused charity” via the -—
Did Jesus say, “Go and make disciples of all the nations, handing out Bibles wherever you go”?
No, He said, “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”
Baptism is a sacrament established by our Lord, as His Church, “the pillar and foundation of truth” teaches, the sacrament removes the “stain” of original sin and infuses grace.
The formal teaching can easily be found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
And as Jesus said, “if he will not listen to the church, treat him as a pagan or tax collector.”
Again, that verse is taken out of context. This is the context in which that verse is found.
Matthew 18:15-20 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
The context is settling disputes between believers, not the absolute authority of *the Church* to dictate the lives and beliefs of the individual believers.
It is not a club given to the *Church* to beat believers into submission to its dictates with.
It's a last resort in settling disputes, not the first.
The CCC is not Scripture.
This is all that's needed for salvation. While baptism is endorsed by Jesus in the verse you posted, He did not say that it was required for salvation. He says believing is.
John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
In addition, the Holy Spirit tells us this....
John 1:11-13 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
Acts 16:27-31 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Romans 10:9-13 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
A false dilemma, as the Lord and His NT heavily referenced the OT, and the Holy Spirit affirms conversion as a result of a seeking soul reading Scripture, and needing an explanation, and which resulted in believing and being baptized. Thus giving out a Scriptures, even a gospel tract, not only can tell a soul how to be saved, but can be conducive to personal sharing of the gospel.
No, He said, “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” Baptism is a sacrament established by our Lord, as His Church, “the pillar and foundation of truth” teaches, the sacrament removes the “stain” of original sin and infuses grace.
The Lord commanded "that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem, (Luke 24:47) and indeed to baptize those who heard the word and believed, thus "when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women." (Acts 8:12)
Those who reject baptism or marginalize it as commanded obedience are taking away from the Word of God, but those who make the act the means of regeneration are adding to the word of God, as it is not the act the effects regeneration, but the faith behind it.
Thus souls were born again before being baptized, (Acts 10:43-47) "giving them the Holy Ghost,...purifying their hearts by faith." (Acts 15:8,9)
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:10)
Faith in the heart is counted for righteousness, but which faith is confessed word and deed, baptism being confessing Christ in body language. Thus the promise that "if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved," (Romans 10:9) as the confession testifies of the justifying faith in their heart, likewise in baptism, as per Acts 2:28.
But sprinkling is neither proper baptism (immersion) except if that is all one can do, nor does it make an infant born again (or anyone, unless that is when they effectually believe), or make them formally justified due to interior holiness.
The practice of paedobaptism and thus presuming one is a child of God is a damnable one, as an infant cannot fulfill the stated requirements the Holy Spirit laid down for baptism, that of repentance and wholehearted faith, (Acts 2:38. 8:36,37) and typically prevents them from later conversion, as they are told they already were born again, yet they never had a true day of salvation.
This practice, coupled with fostering faith in the power of Rome and one's own merits for salvation, and others errors Rome officially or effectually teaches, along with perfunctory professions of what truth she does hold to, has made Rome as the gates of Hell for multitudes.
as His Church, “the pillar and foundation of truth” teaches,
That Rome is that church is mere bombast, and The Church this verse speaks of refers to the church of the Living God, not the institutionalized one
Nor does that verse and "stulos" and "hedraiōma," say anything more than the church is the support of the truth - not the supreme authority over Scripture.
Amen!
This is all that's needed for salvation. While baptism is endorsed by Jesus in the verse you posted, He did not say that it was required for salvation. He says believing is.
Is repentance required? Confession with our mouths? Faith? Hearing the Word? Believing in our hearts? Calling on the Name of the Lord? Are these requirements or suggestions?
Making disciples involves teaching the Word, NOT the Roman Catechism?
The practice of paedobaptism and thus presuming one is a child of God is a damnable one, as an infant cannot fulfill the stated requirements the Holy Spirit laid down for baptism, that of repentance and wholehearted faith, (Acts 2:38. 8:36,37) and typically prevents them from later conversion, as they are told they already were born again, yet they never had a true day of salvation.
Baptism is faith in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. An act of faith in Christ is NOT a work of man. "Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. Romans 6:3-9 NIV The Holy Bible: New International Version. (1984). (Ro 6:3–9). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
"A work of man" is a key phrase, for if baptism is not a work of man since it is a effect of grace thru faith, then neither is anything done by grace thru faith.
Which leads into more theology, as since man did not earn any inherent ability, thus even having a brain is a result of unmerited grace, and by such some have faith that God will save them by their works, and claim they are saved by grace via the merit of their works of faith - by God's grace they earned eternal life.
Thus the need to differentiate btwn "common' and "salvific" grace, the latter by which the convert does what he otherwise would not and could not do, as God draws men to Himself, (Jn. 6:44; 12:32), opens hearts,. (Acts 16:14) and grants repentance faith. (Acts 11:18; Eph. 2:8,9)
However, salvation by grace does not exclude man from making a response, as if comatose conversions, but the response man makes does not earn him justification, but his faith is counted as that. Thanks be to God.
And as works by the Spirit are faith in action, then in protesting against inert faith as James does, it can be said a man is justified by his works, as meaning by a faith which effects works, but not as if the merit of his works themselves earned him acceptance into Heaven.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Yet God rewards works, (Mt. 25:31-40; 1Cor. 3:8ff) in recognition of faith, (Heb. 10:35) as part of his covenant of grace, in which He promises to reward souls for the obedience of faith, who actually deserve eternal damnation in justice.
That should have read, "Baptism is not a work of merit." I agree God enables man to respond to His offer of salvation by grace through faith.
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