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Results from: Notes On or After: Thu 12/31/70 Author: TMW Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Saved by faith? | John 3:5 | TMW | 113845 | ||
Kalos, Please tell me that you are not a leagalist. |
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2 | Saved by faith? | John 3:5 | TMW | 113830 | ||
Why do you place Webster as an authority in contast to the word of God? | ||||||
3 | relationship of OT law and NT believer | Rom 3:31 | TMW | 113452 | ||
Dear Brother Kalos, I would like to question your use of a quote from the MacArthur Study Bible. Perhaps a person that is truly born again has the capacity to obey the law. However, that has nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that a child of God is accepted in the beloved. MacArthur's scriptual manipulations over the years has caused a great deal of confusion in the minds of believers. For example: ASSURANCE -- In his book, Saved Without a Doubt: How to be Sure of Your Salvation, Dr. MacArthur's "assurance" is founded upon the Covenant teaching that one must persevere in holiness unto the very end. This is actually saying that there is no true assurance of salvation until the very last moment of life. And for him it is not just a matter of perseverance in faith, but also of good works! The last two-thirds of the author's book is devoted to the subjective Covenant teaching concerning perseverance, where he bases assurance upon tests of salvation (1 John), growth in Christ (2 Pet. 1), victory over sin (Rom. 6-8), and perseverance (James 1:12). Some of the author's tests of assurance are: Have you experienced communion with God and Christ? Have you sensed their presence? If you desire to obey the Word out of gratitude for what Christ has done for you, and if you see that desire producing an overall pattern of obedience, you have passed an important test indicating the presence of saving faith (p. 75). If you have made a proper commitment to the Lord, you can be assured that the Holy Spirit will enable you to persevere to the end (p. 152). There is this in his Kingdom Living Here and Now: Eternal security is a great spiritual truth, but it should never be presented merely as a matter of being once saved, always saved--with no regard for what you believe or do. The writer of Hebrews 12:14 states frankly that only those who continue living holy lives will enter the Lord's presence (p. 150). I can neither hear nor heed this Covenant-oriented leader because, with all other believers, I have already been raised up and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6). In His holiness, righteousness, and Life, my life is "hidden with Christ in God now" (Col. 3:3). Mr. C.A. Coates assures: Divine love takes everything into consideration--knows what the world is, knows what we are, and loves to the end. You may say, "I find so many things to hinder." Do you think you have found something your sovereign Lord overlooked in His finished work? No! He sees all, knows all, and loves to the end! About the time Dr. MacArthur wrote Saved Without a Doubt he spoke at a large Evangelical Conference. While on the platform before some 500 pastors he was questioned as follows: Question: In light of 2 Corinthians 13:5, is examining ourselves to see if we are in the faith something that we as believers are to do regularly, throughout our lives? MacArthur: Yes, we are to examine ourselves on an ongoing basis. Of course, this has relevance to assurance. Question: When, then, can a believer be 100 percent sure that he has passed the test? MacArthur: I'm not sure what you mean by 100 percent. Questioner: I mean absolutely, positively sure. MacArthur: Puritan writers??, said that such absolute assurance was not possible. We can have assurance, but not absolute certainty. WHAT!! So much for the authenticity of the book and its title! The author's "sure" is very unsure. INCARNATIONAL SONSHIP -- Dr. MacArthur denies that the Lord Jesus Christ was the Son of God in eternity prior to His incarnation. John MacArthur has formally retracted his erroneous teaching in this area. In saying that, he also denies that God was Father in eternity past. On pages 27 and 29 in his NT Commentary on Hebrews, the author states: Son is an incarnational title of Christ. He was always God, but He became Son. His Sonship began at a point of time, not in eternity. His life as Son began in this world.... He was not a son until He was born into this world through the virgin birth. Christ's Sonship is only an analogy to allow the human mind to comprehend His willing submission to the Father for the sake of our redemption. Our brother claims that Christ's Sonship is but a role that He assumed at the incarnation, and not before. He insists that "Son of God" is merely a title he acquired, a role He played, a name He took on, and a function He assumed at the time of the incarnation. This total denial robs the Lord Jesus of being truly, actually, intrinsically, and eternally the Beloved Son of the Father! He also denies God's eternal Fatherhood, saying, "It wasn't a Father/Son relationship in eternity." |
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4 | Do we overthrow the Law? | Rom 3:31 | TMW | 113331 | ||
Clearly, first-century Jewish believers struggled with the truth that the Holy Spirit had begun a work amongst the Gentiles. They knew well the truth that God had exclusively dealt with the Patriarchs and the Nation for nearly two millennia (Deuteronomy 7:6-8). It would even require a special miracle (Acts 10) to jar the fixed Jewish mindset of Peter, the Apostle to the Circumcision. Israel had been God’s exclusive sphere of election--His beloved vineyard (Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 7:6; Matt. 21:33-39). Understandably, the Jews found it near impossible to let go of the concept of their exclusive "favored" position. But with Pentecost, things began to change and the Jewish apostles would find themselves having to play 'catch up' in their mode of thinking. To the Apostle Paul would fall the task of explaining several mysteries [truths previously hidden, but now being revealed] to both his Jewish brethren as well as the new Gentile believers. In Romans 8:29-30, the Apostle Paul proclaims a number of uniquely biblical truths: foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, sanctification--the Father’s grand purpose of conforming new creation believers to the likeness of his Son, glorification, as well as the fact that God is assuredly bringing all to a glorious consummation. With this having been said, Paul then turns to the subject of Israel's current status with Jehovah. Please open your Bible to Paul's epistle to the Romans and read along. ROMANS Chapter 9: 1-5 Something very troubling appears to have befallen Paul's kinsman and the apostle pours forth heart-felt emotion as he reflects upon Israel’s corporate election and their unique, eight-fold inheritance (verses 4-5). 6-9 For consolation, he explains that individual election has occurred within the sphere of Israel's corporate election. 10-14 All (both Jew and Gentile) must understand that the basis of all election lies with God, not man. It is not based on "doing anything good or bad," from a human perspective, nor is it based on "works". Further, God is not unjust in this matter. 15-18 The basis for election includes the display of God’s attributes of "mercy", "compassion", "power", "glory", and "wisdom" -- cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18-31. Election has nothing to do with human "desire or effort", and everything to do with God’s attribute of mercy. 19-24 Does sovereign election and man's lack of free will undermine human responsibility? No! In spite of men's feeble attempts to rationalize, the Holy Spirit speaking through Paul says, "No!" Men have volition and are active participants in the drama of God's provision of redemption. 25-29 The Jews had played the 'race card', and God used it against them. Israel, God's elect Nation, is set aside. Corporate plus individual election, not racial ethnicity and works, is the basis for salvation of either Jew or non-Jew. 30-33 Paul now reiterates some key concepts which he developed in earlier chapters and will touch upon again in chapters 10 and 11: a. Righteousness is based on individual sovereign election, (God's mercy and grace the cause), and is appropriated by means of personal faith, not human works. b. The Jewish nation's corporate election did not guarantee individual righteousness and a majority of the Israelites missed this truth. This occurred in fulfillment of the prophetic Word. ROMANS Chapter 10: 1-11 Paul's heart yearns for Israel's salvation. He acknowledges their religious zeal, but their zeal lacks understanding--a polite way of saying they're ignorant of spiritual truth. Without a clear understanding of either the cause (election via grace) and/or the means (faith via human volition) as the basis for personal righteousness, the Jew seeks to "establish their own" approach to righteousness via Moses' law and the principle of merit. 12 Jews continue to have a problem understanding how the Holy Spirit is at work amongst the Gentiles. They must be repetitively reminded that a substantial change has taken place. 16-21 Again, corporate election does not automatically result in individual faith. Personal salvation requires personal faith. God’s plan was to temporarily set aside Israel’s corporate election, then assemble a Body composed of both Jew and non-Jew from "every nation, tribe, language and people," the entire world (the "all")--as a testimony against Israel, as judgment against a "disobedient and obstinate people-Nation". The sphere of corporate election became the entire world. |
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5 | relationship of OT law and NT believer | Rom 3:31 | TMW | 113326 | ||
There is no revelation of any distinctive relationship being set either between God and the angels or between God and the Gentiles which partakes of the character of a true religion, but God has entered into relations with the Jew which results in Judaism, or what the Apostle identifies as the religion of the Jews (Acts 26:5; Galatians 1:13; cf. James 1:26-27) and with the Christian which results in Christianity, or what the New Testament writers designate as "the faith" (Jude 1:13) and "this way" (Acts 9:2; 22:4; cf. 18:26; 2 Peter 2:2). Judaism and Christianity have much in common, for each is ordained of God to serve a specific purpose. Each incorporate similar features in the realm of religion--God, man, righteousness, sin, redemption, salvation, human responsibility, and human destiny; but these similarities do not establish identity since the dissimilarities far outnumber the similarities. There are also remarkable point of likeness between the laws of Great Britain and the statutes of the United States, but this fact does not constitute the two nations one. A complete religious system provides at least seven distinctive features, all of which accordingly are present both in Judaism and Christianity. an acceptable standing on the part of man before God a manner of life consistent with that standing a divinely appointed service a righteous ground whereon God may graciously forgive and cleanse the erring a clear revelation of the responsibility on the human side upon which divine forgiveness and cleansing may be secured an effective basis upon which God may be worshiped and petitioned in prayer, and a future hope It should be made emphatic that to observe distinction between Judaism and Christianity is the beginning of wisdom in understanding the Bible. Theologians of past generations have made no greater mistake than to suppose, despite all the evidence t the contrary, that Judaism and Christianity are one and the same, or as some have said: "One is the bud and the other is the blossom." Judaism has not merged into Christianity. This is a colossal error of Covenant Theology perpetuated to the present day. Inasmuch as the Bible contains both these systems and any comprehensive theology which is systematic at all will distinguish between the two systems, it is to be reckoned but incidental that both are found in the one divine revelation or volume. Howbeit, admittedly they have much in common. These systems doubtless set up conflicting and opposing principles, but since these difficulties appear only when an attempt is made to coalesce systems, elements, and principles which God has separated the conflicts really do not exist at all outside the unwarranted unifying efforts of theologians; in fact, they rather demonstrate the necessity of due recognition of all God's different and distinct administrations. The true unity of the Scriptures is not discovered when one blindly seeks to fuse these opposing principles into one system, but rather when God's plain differentiations are observed. The dispensationalist does not create the great differences as he is sometimes accused of doing. The conflicting principles, such as may be found in the text of Scripture, are observable by all who penetrate deep enough to recognize the essential features of divine administration. Instead of creating the problems, the dispensationalist is actually the one who has a solution for them. If the ideals of an earthly people for long life in the land which God gave unto them (Ex. 20:12; Ps. 37:3, 11,34; Matt. 5:5) does not articulate with the ideals of a heavenly people who, while on the earth, are but "strangers and pilgrims" and enjoined to be looking for and loving the imminent appearing of Christ (2 Tim. 4:8; Titus 2:13; 1 Pet. 2:11), the problem is easily solved by the one whose system of interpretation will be proved rather than distressed by such distinctions. A plan of interpretation which, in defense of an ideal unity of the Bible, contends for a single divine purpose, ignores drastic contradictions, and is sustained only by occasional or accidental similarities, must be doomed to confusion when confronted with the many problems which such a system imposes on the text of Scripture, which problems are recognized by the dispensationalist only as he observes them in such a system as would create them. All Scripture "is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Tim. 3:16), but all Scripture is not of primary application to a particular person or class of persons which the Bible designates as such. All Scripture is not about the angels nor about the Gentiles. In like manner, all Scripture is not addressed to the Jew nor to the Christian. |
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