The Lord Gives What He Requires

Monergism.com ^ | J.W. Hendryx

[Gamecock]

Since we ourselves cannot fulfil the demands of the Law, God requires faith in the crucified and risen Christ for eternal life. But is this requirement of faith any easier for us than the requirement to obey the commandments? No, even this demand is too hard us ... because the natural man is spiritually blind to God's beauty and by nature hostile toward God, as the Scripture affirms (Rom 8:7,1 Cor 2:14). No one, left to themselves, will exercise faith in Christ ... that is, no one will naturally understand and love the gospel, thereby trusting in Christ unless God does something. APART from the mercificul work of the Holy Spirit our hearts remain hard. So then, we must ask an important question:

Does God Himself grant the very faith He requires of us? More specifically, does He grant the change of heart necessary, the spiritual eyes and ears to see and hear that we might believe? Does He give His Holy Spirit that we might understand, see the truth, beauty and goodness of Christ and so believe? Or is God's love for his people conditional, that is, conditioned upon the natural response of each man? If so, what makes us to differ from others? Jesus Christ alone or something else?

Our authority for the answer to this must come from Scripture. So what does Jesus teach about this? Does He Himself teach that the requirement of faith is something we come up with on our own or does it constitute a gift? Lets find out.

In the gospel of John chapter 6 Jesus is speaking with unbelieving Jews and several times repeats that all those who believe shall have life but each time follows up with a devastating blow to the ego of man. He teaches that although they need to believe in Him to have life, he also says, however, that no one will believe unless God grants it, leaving no room for human will. In the last of these instances Jesus says:

"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe. ... And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father." (John 6:63-65)

Jesus in is saying you either have faith in me or you do not and you cannot have life without it, and you do not believe. This is why I told you that no one can believe unless God grants it. It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all..." Note, Jesus does not say the flesh helps a little, but leaves no such room. Instead he says, the flesh is no help at all. No help for what we ask? No help for giving life. Only the Spirit quickens, Jesus says, and some do not believe, that is WHY no one can come to Me unless God grants it. This connects God granting faith with the Spirit giving life or quickening. In other words, unless God grants us faith though the quickening work of the Spirit, no one will ever exercise faith in Christ. No one can believe in Christ unless the Spirit first gives life (regenerates, quickens). So we can only conclude from this passage that Jesus plainly teaches that regeneration precedes faith.

And if there still be any doubt in your mind that it may mean something else, go back to verse 37 where Jesus closes the loop. He not only teaches that no one can exercise faith in Him unless God grants it, but in verse 37 teaches that ALL who the Father grants this faith will believe. So placed together verse 65 and 37 teach that no one believes unless God grants it and all to whom God grants it will believe. This syllogism closes all possibilities of human ability.

So what does this mean on a practical basis. Some have said, if we teach this man might despair. To this we should answer "EXACTLY!" That is the whole point. Man must despair of his own efforts, desires, will before he can enter the kingdom. Until man realizes his utter spiritual bankruptcy, he is still in his sins. Jesus did not come for the righteous but sinners, for the sick, not the healthy. Unless you are able to see your impotence and complete need of Jesus Christ then you are still trying to justify yourself. May the Lord grant us all eyes to see and ears to hear. This is Jesus message and until we get this, our understanding of the gospel is anemic. Someone might ask, well then how can God still blame us? Answer: For the same reason a person who has a huge debt they cannot repay, and yet, is required to repay it. Our inability does not make God lower his standard nor does our moral inability alleviate us of responsibility to believe. God is not unjust and he either gives us justice for our sin or mercy in Jesus Christ who bore the wrath of God in our stead. Thanks be to God for His mercy to ill-deserving sinners in Jesus Christ.

"God knoweth we have nothing of ourselves, therefore in the covenant of grace he requireth no more than he giveth, and giveth what he requireth, and accepteth what he giveth." - Richard Sibbes

[Gamecock]

Lord's Day Encouragement.

[Madam Theophilus]

Thank you. The Gospel is the most wonderful thing in the world!

[ruesrose]

Yes, as you say, the Gospel is a wonderful thing.Those of us who are saved know such a peace that had been denied us prior to our salvation. Pray for the unsaved, that our Father will convict their hearts and they will come to know this blessed peace too.

[Lee N. Field]

thank you

[TalBlack]

I believe God carries EVERYONE for SOME time and, if they develop eyes with which to see and ears with which to hear they save themselves. He deposits the Holy Spirit in ALL. It is up to each to believe or to turn away.

If you try to figure out the purpose of it all or to understand how this island of free will can exist in a sea of God Creation and God Control, you will of course, drive yourself nuts.

[FourtySeven]

I’m curious on this Our Lord’s Day (and if this is meant to be a Caucus thread please have the Moderator delete this post), and I don’t intend to debate (so I won’t post again unless I feel this question is misunderstood, but even then most likely not as further posts may be taken as argument). I really am curious what you and others may think about this:

How is this position different than the Catholic position WRT the Sacrament of Baptism? That is, the Church has condemned as “anathema” the notion that Original Sin is not a fact (with the condemnation of the teachings of Pelagius), thus the pure, unmerited Gift of the Grace of God is required for “salvation”, in a strict sense in the Church when speaking of God’s Grace.

So, given this, and only focusing on the topic of His Grace, how is the Church’s teaching different than the teaching of this post, again, strictly speaking of grace (if different at all)?

I’ve been thinking for a long time it’s not different. Of course Catholicism also requires co-operation with this Grace, typically after Baptism, so the Church doesn’t teach Monogerism in a strict or any sense.

I’m not suggesting that.

I have been struck by similarities here though, especially given the practice of infant Baptism in the Catholic Church. After all, a child certainly can’t “do” anything to receive God’s Grace, so to me, it seems that is perhaps the clearest example of what the passage cited in John 6 is talking about.

I am well aware (from previous debates) that the objection to that is that “God doesn’t need man to dispense His Grace; He can do it directly”, to which I, at least, have no objection. However, the way I see it, given He is all powerful, He still CAN use Man to dispense His Grace, even though He doesn’t “have to”. IOW, just because He doesn’t have to do so that way, He usually (not always, since He is not bound to His Sacraments, but usually) chooses to do so in that manner. He may, of course, choose to confer the Gift of His Grace any way and anytime He chooses, outside His Sacraments, but He usually chooses to use the Sacraments to do so. This has been my experience at least.

But I digress;please don’t focus on the last two paragraphs if it will cause you to not focus on my actual question here (I added it just for clarity of my faith, and the at least apparent importance of His Grace in it).

So, for fear of “getting off track” with a debate on Baptism, or any of the Sacraments, (and I absolutely will not respond to such), let me make this clear: What I’m merely saying (and asking for anyone’s opinion on) that the necessity for God’s Grace first, then faith, seems to be taught in both faith systems, IMO.

What do you (anyone) think of that last statement (that both teach necessity for God’s Grace must be received first, before Original Sin can be considered overcome, and thus a true faith can flower)?

[Gamecock]

So is this your question: What I’m merely saying (and asking for anyone’s opinion on) that the necessity for God’s Grace first, then faith.....? We Reformed folk do hold to Grace Proceeds faith.

We are dead in out sins, dead to the things of God. We don't want God. Don't want salvation. In fact we are at war with Him.

Allow me to refer you to the Westminster Confession of Faith:

Chapter IX
Of Free Will

I. God has endued the will of man with that natural liberty, that is neither forced, nor, by any absolute necessity of nature, determined good, or evil.

II. Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom, and power to will and to do that which was good and well pleasing to God; but yet, mutably, so that he might fall from it.

III. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, has wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation: so as, a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.

IV. When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, He frees him from his natural bondage under sin; and, by His grace alone, enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good; yet so, as that by reason of his remaining corruption, he does not perfectly, or only, will that which is good, but does also will that which is evil.

V. The will of man is made perfectly and immutably free to do good alone in the state of glory only.

The Scriptural references are available at this site. I'm under the weather or I would have hyperlinked in the above them for you.

[FourtySeven]

Thanks. That passage from the Westminster Confession was helpful for understanding more your (and others’) faith.

Hope you feel better soon.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

If you have time and are so inclined, read this short essay. It points up the futility of presuming men can save themselves.

Instead it is the free gift of the Holy Spirit which leads us to desire the truth, given according to the will of God.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Feel better, GC.

[Gamecock]

Thanks Doc.

Lady Gamecock just feed me some chicken noodle soup. We’ll see id that helps.

[narses]

There is no caucus label, but may I suggest that treating this as an ecumenical thread is the prudent course?

[HarleyD]

Some have said, if we teach this man might despair. To this we should answer "EXACTLY!" That is the whole point. Man must despair of his own efforts, desires, will before he can enter the kingdom.

There is too little despairing these days and too much prosperity, "God loves me..." ministry. I think we've lost something not only in our salvation but in our growth as Christians in understanding the providence of God. I remember OrthodoxPresbyterian use to tell me how this was God's great teaching ground for Christians. I finally understand what he meant and couldn't agree with him more.

[lupie]

I tried to send you some homemade soup with homemade broth, but all it did was mess up my mouse.

[Gamecock]

LOL!

[Lee N. Field]

too much prosperity

I suspect this will not be true for long.

[ravenwolf]

Sounds like Scripture to me

John 17:12
While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

That is why many people that do not even seem to be Christians in their conversations may do the very works that Jesus told us to do, for instance just work, work, work, for some one who happens to be broke down along the road, or giving some one something to eat, or maybe just refusing to bash some one who have just let their self be tempted by the devil.

And no, i am not talking about some one who is deliberately working for the devil, i am not talking about politics.

Maybe they are the real Christians