Why do I have to continually confess my sins if they have been forgiven?

It’s important to remember that we’re dealing with two separate issues; our sins judicially and our sins in real time.

Jesus Christ is our advocate, our defense attorney, our mediator. His blood sacrifice on the cross satisfied the Father’s holy wrath regarding our sins past, present, and future. Jesus’ suffering and death was a plea to the Father for our vindication and forgiveness. Jesus went to trial on our behalf before the Father and declared us “not guilty”. The Lord accepted the Son’s sacrifice on our behalf. The devil who’s our accuser and prosecutor head was bruised (Genesis 3:15). This the bible says was done before the foundation of the world, (Ephesians 1:7). This is how our sins were dealt with judicially. This was pre-salvation. Once we believed in what Jesus did, we were saved. We’ll never be punished eternally for those sins and go to hell since the Father already punished Christ for them (Isaiah 53:1-5).

But, because of the wickedness that still remains in our flesh, we still commit sin in real time. Fortunately, we still have our advocate Jesus Christ who continually intercedes for us so that we can be continuously forgiven our sins when we repent and confess them (Hebrews 7:25; I John1:8-10; I John 2:2). When we ask for forgiveness post-salvation, it’s to restore fellowship, not relationship. Our relationship with the Father through Christ is forever when we believed. We’ll never lose our salvation.

Concluding, we must confess our sins because the word of God commands us to. To say we have no sin is to call God a liar which is blasphemous and proves the truth is not in us. Also, confessing sin is humbling; it reminds us that we still need the Savior and our sufficiency is in him although we’re born again. There is an ongoing tug-o-war between the flesh and the Spirit (Galatians 5:17). We must never forget the power that saved us, is the ongoing power that sustains us in salvation.

Once our physical bodies are made perfect and we’re in the eternal state, we’ll sin no more (I Corinthians 15:51; Philippians 3:21; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I John 3:1-3). This is yet future.

This is a promise that what the Lord started, he’ll complete. (Ephesians 1:14; Philippians 1:6).

What is the "the Crawl Out" theory

My sheep hear My voice and I know them and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall any pluck them out of My hand. My Father who has given them to me is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one  - John 10:27-30

There are many in Christendom that believe that eternal salvation can be lost due to a pattern of unbroken, habitual sin in one’s life. It should raise the question if that person is actually saved in the first place; My answer is no.

This type of thinking smashes against one’s liberty and confidence in God and his word. It also causes anxiety and promotes a joyless experience in Christ.  This type of theology also promotes a spirit of fear which does not come from God (II Timothy 1:7). One can never be sure if at some point God will pull the plug on their salvation and revoke it – nonsense!!

It’s an entirely different matter and heresy to believe that one can “give up” their salvation or “crawl out” (that exact phrase was uttered to the writer last year by someone who holds this view) of the hands of the Father and Son. This type of thinking has huge reverberating effects I believe on the hearts and minds of even the elect of God.

What the writer calls the “crawl out” theory is a view that true believers can somehow “pry” themselves out of the eternal grip of the  Father God and the Lord Jesus Christ and thus rendering their salvation null and void. It’s another way of saying  salvation can be lost or what they believe ”given up”. The mentality behind this view is that since man has free will and God will not violate that will, he can choose to walk away from the salvation he once had. Question, if you can walk away from true salvation, did you ever have it in the first place? The answer is an emphatic NO! The following verse describes that type of person:

“They(the false convert) went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us  (I John 2:19).

The bible also describes this type of person as a tare among wheat, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a false prophet (Matthew 7:15; Matthew 13:24-30).

The problem that persists with this belief system is that man believes he is somehow in control of the salvation process; he can pick up his salvation, and lay it down at will. Now these aren’t the exact words the proponents of this false doctrine will utter out of their mouths, but as we say in today’s society, “actions speak louder than words." Their doctrine will dictate their behavior. The idea that you can give up your salvation is asinine for several reasons. I’ll cite a few:

Salvation is God’s design – God didn’t create salvation for it to be wrangled and twisted by man’s sinfulness. Had He left it in the hands of men, he (man) would have definitely destroyed it resulting in no one ever being saved. Salvation is of the Lord (Psalm 3:8; Isaiah 12:2; Jonah 2:9;Zechariah 9:9).      

Salvation was in the pre-determined mind of God before time began – In eternity past, the Father identified to the Son who He would save. He wrote their names down in the Lamb’s book of life  and gave them to the Son as a love gift to go and redeem. Since the Son loves the Father, any gift the Father gives him takes on infinite value; that is the elect. The rejection of this love gift that originated in heaven proves that salvation is only for those who truly believe. The chosen of God will ultimately remain faithful and true. The true believer who knows his God will never walk away because they’re preserved by God through the power of the Holy Spirit. This plan was authorized by God, executed by Jesus Christ on the cross, and is being carried out right now by us, being superintended by the Spirit. Man can’t  thwart it. God has already stamped his approval on it. (Ephesians 1:4; II Timothy 1:12;Titus 1:2).

Walking away from God proves one was never saved – Jesus said, “no one putting his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). This proves that the one who claims he was genuinely saved and “crawled out” of the Father and Son’s grip because he decided he no longer wanted to walk with the Lord was never a true disciple. He only pretended to be. He was never in the Father and Son’s grip. It’s tragic for so many people to subscribe to this view because of a poor understanding of salvation and the nature of the atonement. The Lord never provided an “Opt out” clause in his salvation plan. Those whom he truly saves, he saves them from within, and they’re saved forever. That eternal security is never a license to sin because through Christ we’ve been delivered from it’s curse, but a license to serve God and have it truly count (Romans 6:1-2). We prove our love to Jesus by obedience to his commands (John 14:15). Those that belong to the Lord are to depart from iniquity (II Timothy 2:19). Those chosen by God for salvation will come to him because the Lord has decreed it. When the Father draws them to the Son, the desire to repent will be the overwhelming passion of the chosen sinner’s heart. Scholars have called this Irresistible Grace. He’ll acknowledge his sin and unworthiness upon hearing the true gospel. He’ll be like the tax collector who humbled himself before God who beat his breast and declared, “God be merciful to me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13, italics added).  All those appointed to eternal life will believe once they hear the gospel (Acts 13:48).

A lot of Christians have been victims of a poor theology – Because a lot of ministers in pulpits do not understand the nature of predestination, the atonement and salvation, they teach falsehood to the sheep. Since the average Christian is lazy when it comes to studying to show themselves approved and searching the scriptures daily whether these things are so (II Timothy 2:15; Acts 17:11), they become victims of heretical teaching and so what they believe to be true is how they live their lives. Their belief system unwittingly becomes what they believe about  the bible says and so they propagate that falsehood to other people. To them it seems natural and acceptable to say that God actually saves man, but through an unbroken pattern of sinful behavior, God abandons those whom he placed his particular love upon and he changes his mind and damns them to hell after all; i.e. lose their salvation. Did anyone ever take the time to think how that makes God look? It  makes God look double minded! What someone is saying is that He’s able to save, but he isn’t powerful enough to keep them saved because the person decided the Christian life wasn’t for them so they walk away, or they “crawled out!" This shows a gross lack of faith in the word of God. I must reiterate, those that walk away from the Lord were never saved if they stay away (i.e. Judas; John 6:71,  the fake disciples of John 6:66, Possibly Demas; II Timothy 4:10).  They need to get saved – for real! Examine yourself to see if you’re truly saved (II Corinthians 13:5)! Those whom God saves have the Holy Ghost residing in them and can not  practice sin (I John 3:9) . They remain true because He keeps them and knows who are his (II Timothy 2:19). This speaks of relationship.

Unrealistic expectations about the Christian life – Due to the popularity of the “Health and Wealth” Gospel and it’s user friendly appeal, the masses have followed this in droves. This false doctrine teaches that God wants all of his children healthy, healed and rich; assuming that a person’s life is in what he has which Jesus vehemently denied (Luke 12:15).  Who wouldn’t flock to a friendly offer like that, especially if it’s supposedly cloaked with Jesus  right? Their gospel offends no one because it doesn’t confront sin and the need for man to repent. It’s weak on sound doctrine and holy living. It’s non confrontational. The Word of Faith movement promotes a “name and claim it” theology which declares that if you positive confess something enough times, it’ll come to pass. You in essence get to create your own reality. Their scriptural premise for this Mark 11:23-24. This is nothing more than New Age mysticism, and what is commonly today “The Secret” or the “Law of Attraction” Go to this link for an article on The Secret:

https://www.gotquestions.org/secret-law-attraction.html                                                          

Once one discovers the Health and Wealth gospel is false and it doesn’t work as they hoped, they’ll stop following the false Jesus in that movement they’ll do two things:

1. They’ll blame God because they were lied to and want to have nothing to do with the true Jesus and the Church when the real gospel is presented. They’ll blaspheme God and the Church. They will find something more suitable to them 
2. They’ll investigate the word of God and discover that the actual Christian life involves self-denial and a life of service to the Lord with persecution which is unpopular. This truth will offend the majority so they’ll deny the truth. The few that are serious about becoming right with God will be drawn by the Father to the Son and will be saved through the preaching of the gospel.

                                                   

                                                           

                                                               In conclusion

The Lord never abandons us when we sin. We break fellowship with God due to sin, but not relationship. The joy of our salvation is temporarily removed when we sin; at least it should be. We should be broken hearted over it (Psalm 51:12). We must go to God and confess our sin so that we can be forgiven and cleansed (I John 1:9). God chastises us when we’re out of line because he loves us and commands us to be holy (Hebrews 12:5-11). God chastens us just as a natural father would chasten his child when they disobey. The father is displeased, but a good father would never disown his own child; nor will God forsake us. He loves us and sent his only begotten Son to die in our place for our sins.

In addition, to be able to “crawl out” of the hand of the Father and the Son means that everything that the Father decreed before time again would be reversed. We would no longer be chosen before the foundation of the world, we could become un-sealed by the Holy Spirit, Jesus came to die for us in vain because we’re now going to pay for the penalty for own sins in hell. We’re no longer the predestined, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified (Romans 8:30).  Do you now see the tragedy of this position? What this means is that God’s plan failed – sins “power” was greater than God’s gracious power to keep us saved. Jesus in essence loses all those the Father gave to him (John 6:37-41; John 10:27-30) if we have the power to walk away from such particular, and aggressive  love that God pre-determine the chosen would receive. This is ridiculous! Those who understand who they are in Christ and what he has done for them will never walk away anyhow. It defies all logic. If God has decreed the elect remain with him, they will remain and never perish. Those that walk away never belonged to him to begin with, will not see life, for the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36).

         

The Divine Choice Of God

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain”                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                           – John 15:16.

There is a very clear line between how God and man make choices.  Man makes common choices everyday of his life; such as what to eat, what to wear, where to live, where to attend school, who to marry, what career path to choose, his belief system, what car to drive, how to raise their children, etc. These are normal choices that God obviously knows about, but he does not pre-determine them; these choices aren’t critical to his eternal plan, and were not made for man before the foundation of the world. These human choices are always made in real time. God allows us to make these choices whether they’re good or evil, unabated. Sure other people can influence us in one way or another, but ultimately, the decision to choose what we do is ours. And if we’re honest, the majority of mankind makes these choices without consulting the Lord first would you not agree? Man wants to be his own sovereign and does not want to be told what to do, not even by God Almighty. In short, man does not care what God thinks. That’s why he commits evil wicked choices everyday.

When it comes to God  choosing whom he wants for whatever reason, it never requires man’s cooperation or approval to actualize His plan. When God makes a decree, it’s done outside of time, because He is outside of time, and at the precise moment in time He wants to effectively make His plan come to pass in the life or lives of those He chooses, it will come to pass, it will not tarry. This truth encompasses the whole of scripture. Let’s look at several texts to amplify this point:

God chose Noah – Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8). By faith Noah being divinely warned of things not seen, moved with godly fear prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith (Hebrews 11:7).

God chose Abraham – And he (Abraham) believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness (Genesis 15:6). Righteousness was deposited in Abraham’s account by God because he believed in the promises of God. God didn’t need Abraham’s approval to choose him. God pre-determined Abraham’s fate.

God commissioned Moses to deliver the Hebrews from Egypt – Moses like us made excuses as to why he could not do what God commanded, but since it was in the pre-determined plan of God to choose Moses, it was going to come to pass as God prescribed it would (Exodus 3:14; Exodus 4).

God chose David to be King of Israel – Samuel the judge was sent to Bethlehem to anoint David with oil to be the next king of Israel (I Samuel 16:13). This was a choice God made alone to set his particular love upon David. Neither David’s good looks or pedigree influenced the Lord’s decision.

God chose Jeremiah as a prophet to the nations before he was born – Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Before you were born I sanctified you, and ordained you a prophet to the nations (Jeremiah 1:5). Although Jeremiah was a chosen vessel, he wanted to resign his office as prophet because to him the word of the Lord was too hard to declare; it brought extreme pain and ridicule. Our humanness and sin will always be an obstacle when we’re endeavoring to do God’s will (Jeremiah 20:7-9; Romans 7:15-25).

God chose the nation Israel out of all the nations of the earth – For you are a holy people (not because of them, but because of God) to the Lord your God. God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the people of the earth. The Lord did not set his love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you (I John 4:19), and because He would keep the oath which he swore to your fathers (a covenant promise with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of Pharaoh king of Egypt (Deuteronomy 7:6-8).

The Lord sovereignly chose Cyrus king of Persia to authorize the Hebrews to return to Israel – Thus says the Lord to his anointed, To Cyrus whose right hand I have held – to subdue nations before him, and loose the armor of kings; to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut. I will go before you, and make the crooked places straight. I will break in pieces the gates of bronze, and the cut the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord who call you by name Am the God of Israel for Jacob, My servant’s sake, and Israel My elect (emphasis added). I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me (Isaiah 45:1-4).

Here God chose king Cyrus, a gentile king. At the time of this prophecy, it was nearly 150 years before king Cyrus was even born. Cyrus in 538 B.C. was stirred by the Spirit of the Lord to proclaim through out his kingdom that God commanded him to build the Lord’s house in Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1-4).

This was all by the foreknowledge and pre-determined plan of God. Cyrus for this purpose was God’s instrument and his elect. God chose Cyrus before he was born. God didn’t wait for Cyrus to say yes to authorize his plan; God authorized it in eternity past himself, and actualized it in real time through his servant.

Jesus commissions Peter, Andrew, James and John – And Jesus walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fisherman. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Jesus also called James and John to follow Him. They left their nets and their father, and followed Jesus (Matthew 4:18-22).

Jesus commanded these men to follow and they obeyed. God didn’t provide an ultimatum. Their names were written in the Lamb’s book of life so therefore they were from eternity past chosen by God the Father as a gift to the son (Luke 10:20).

Saul (name changed later to Paul) was chosen by God to preach the gospel to the Gentiles – The Lord speaking to Ananias said, “Go for he (Saul) is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before the Gentiles, kings and children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake” (Acts 9:15).

Although Paul was persecuting and imprisoning Christians, God called him to be a preacher to the Gentiles. This proves that even the chosen can resist God’s will until such time God effectually calls the chosen sinner to repentance. This of course was unbeknownst to Paul at the time. He was a chosen vessel by God in eternity past, and God effectually called him at the precise time He desired Paul to repent and be baptized. God chose Paul, not the other way around.

II Corinthians 1:1 says that Paul is an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God (italics added).

I Timothy 1:1 says Paul and apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior (italics added).

The apostle Peter declares us a chosen generation – In 1 Peter 2:4 says we’re chosen by God. In verse 9 it says we’re a chosen generation and a royal priesthood, and a holy nation, His own chosen people (italics added).

The point I’m hoping to drive home is that when God chooses man, it benefits him, but it’s not because of him; it’s because of God who does everything according to His own good pleasure and intention (Ephesians 1:5,9).

God’s choice is an elective divine prerogative that glorifies himself. God will not share his glory with another (Isaiah 42:8; 48:11). God’s divine choice is something he always does, alone. None of the people God chooses for salvation think for one minute that their freedom of choice is being violated. Why? Because they know they have been saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8,9). God’s choosing is never apart from our will. Our will has to be altered by God at the moment of his effectually calling  us to himself or else we would never believe God’s word. This process never precludes human responsibility either. Somehow, God’s sovereign will and human responsibility are the two dynamics that mysteriously operate in God’s effectual call. God is always is the aggressor and provider in this process because it’s God’s plan and his doing. Man is passive in salvation and is the blessed recipient in this plan (i.e. the elect); he can not add to it by his obedience, and he can not subtract from it by his disobedience. This plan is fixed and complete in the mind of God (Romans 8:29,30; Ephesians 1:4;Titus 1:2). God’s sovereign elective choice is totally independent of man’s influence; man however is the object of the Father’s affection in His sovereign choice.

Isaiah 55:11 says, “So shall My word be that goes out of my mouth; It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it “ (Emphasis added). God’s words always prevails, it never fails.

 “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statues of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether” (Psalm 19:7-9).

 So you see, the pendulum swings both ways; man chooses what he wants to do not fearing reprisal from God. How much more does the sovereign of the universe have the right to choose what He wants to do in the realm of his own creation? God is never accountable to man, nor will he ever be. In predestination, and divine choice, God’s perfect will trumps man’s will every time. In human choice, man can choose what he wants( precluding salvation on his own), but it doesn’t mean he can always accomplish what he wants if God or man prevents him.

God always does what he wants (Psalm 115:3).

Finally, I heard someone say, God doesn’t see a thing as just and does it, God does it and then the thing becomes just because He is just.

The Book of Haggai – A Commentary

                                            

Chapter 1 – The prophet Haggai begins his prophecy in the second year of King Darius Hystapes which is in the Hebrew month of Elul, the sixth month, and the first day of the month. On our calendar today it translates to August, 19^th , 2012. The year then was 520 B.C. and the date was August 29^th. Haggai was a contemporary of the prophet Zechariah (Ezra 5:1).

The prophet spoke to Zerubbabel the governor, and to Joshua the high priest along with the Hebrew refugees who returned from Babylon to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple of the Lord. The work had begun in 536 B.C. but was halted by neighbors who did not want to see the temple built admittedly because they were afraid Israel's God. These enemies wrote a letter to King Artaxerxes stating to the king why the building project should be stopped. The king read the letter and demanded the work to cease. The Hebrews were forced to stop (Ezra 4:21-24). God’s house was delayed being finished for sixteen years until Darius gave the decree to finish God’s house in 520 B.C. (Ezra 6:1-11).

By this time, the people no doubt had grown insensitive to the urgency and need to finish God’s house so they decided to build their own. So, they let God’s house lay in ruins because they said, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built” vs 2. It’s at this point Haggai has to rebuke them and tell them to “consider your ways”, vs 3

He lets them know because of their unwillingness to obey the Lord, the ground will not yield it’s crop due to no rain. You will not have your needs met until you get your priorities in order. Tells them a second time, “consider your ways”, vs 7.

The people are stirred up by God to complete the task of building his house which they do beginning on the twenty fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius, vs 15.

Chapter 2 – The word of the Lord came to Haggai again in the seventh month, the Hebrew month of Tishri which today would be October 7^th,  2012 on the Gregorian calendar, but back then was actually October 17^th , 520 B.C.

Haggai asks the question, “who saw the former temple and it’s glory, and how do you see it now? Vs 3. The new temple was not as beautiful as the former which caused some to be discouraged. Haggai encourages the leaders and all the people to build for the Lord is with them, vs 4.

Haggai declares that the latter glory will be greater than the former and his peace will rest upon it, vs.9

The prophet once again has to remind them of their sin and their need for repentance. The result of their disobedience was evident in their lack of provisions they would normally enjoy, vs 10-19. Since the foundation of the temple was laid, the people were giving offerings with unclean hearts and defiled hands. This withheld God’s blessing of harvest, wine, rain, etc. However, God says he will bless them.

The last message the Lord commands Haggai is to Zerubbabel the governor of Judah. Zerubbabel is called My servant, and a signet ring. What that means is Zerubbabel is given a place of honor and power. 

Zerubbabel also was the grandson of the evil king Jeconiah (or Coniah). He came from a royal blood line. It’s important to acknowledge that he was direct ancestor of Christ according to the flesh. The genealogies of Matthew 1:12 and Luke 3:27 prove this point.

God through Zeruabbabel  re-established the Davidic line of kings.

                                

                                            **This concludes the oracles of Haggai the prophet**

                                          

The Book Of Zephaniah - A Commentary

Chapter 1 – The prophet declares the day of the Lord is imminent. The Lord will destroy all things from the face of the earth, vs 1-3. Why? Because man has sinned against the Lord, vs. 17. Man’s wealth can not deliver him in the day of the Lord’s wrath. God will quickly wipe out his enemies, vs. 18.

Chapter 2 – The prophet calls the nation (Israel) to repentance; especially those who have been faithful to the Lord (the meek of the earth). This the Lord commanded so that they could escape his wrath, vs. 1-3.

Next, the prophet judges the nations such as the Philistines, longtime enemies of Israel. Their lands (Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, Ashdod, Gath. Their five main coastal cities), will be dwellings for the Israelites and their flocks when the Lord dispossess the Philistines, vs 4-7.

The prophet also condemns the nations of Moab and Ammon (descendants of Lot Genesis 19:36-38) for their threats and intimidation of Israel. God will make these two nations a wilderness, vs 8-9.

In vs. 12 the prophet predicts the Ethiopians destruction.

The final pronouncement in the chapter is against Assyria and it’s capital city of Nineveh vs. 13-17. These foreign surrounding nations represented the world as far as Zephaniah was concerned; his center of influence.

Chapter 3 – The prophet describes Jerusalem’s wickedness in detail:

1. They have not obeyed the Lord’s voice
2. They have not received correction
3. They have not trusted the Lord
4. They have retreated from the Lord

The leaders have been unfair also in their roles although the Lord has been faithful to them, vs 3-5. Every morning he makes his justice known without fail, but the leaders failed to follow the Lord’s ways.

The Lord through the prophet has destroyed the nations and made them desolate. No one dwells in them. He did this as a warning to Judah so that they would return to the Lord, but they refused and continued to sin, vs. 6-7.

In the end God will return his dispersed and make them known & famous throughout the earth. God will rejoice over his people and love on them and sing to them, and expression of his love for them, vs 17-20.

                                           This concludes the book of Zephaniah the prophet

Sovereign Election – Part II

                                          

                                                                  Who limits the atonement?   

Atonement by definition  in the Old Testament means to cover over, atone, propitiate, pacify. The Hebrew word is kāpar. In the Greek one of the words is hilasmos which means an expiation; meaning sin is covered and remitted.

Knowing who limits the atonement is critical to our understanding of the sovereign election process. Those who subscribe to Arminianism or Universalism say that the atonement is unlimited; meaning that Jesus died for everyone for all time. Jesus paid for the sins of everyone who will ever live in this earth. Now very carefully think about this, if that were true, why isn’t everyone saved if their sins were paid for in full by Jesus on the cross?

The reply that most Christians will give is that the sinner has to believe in what Jesus accomplished at the cross so that he/she can be saved (Romans 10:9-10).

Another question I would pose to the reader of this article is this: how can a sinner dead in trespasses and sins do anything (Ephesians 2:1)?  God has to first give life to the dead in order for them to respond to the gospel – be given repentance and faith to believe and be saved (Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25; Ephesians 2:8-9;John 5:21; Ephesians 2:5).  A physical illustration of this is when Jesus was at the tomb of Lazarus and commanded him to get up.  How could a dead man respond to that call? He can’t come to life on his own. A power greater than himself  had to infuse him with the power and ability to rise from the dead so that he could have newness of life (John 11). That’s exactly what Jesus did when he commanded the dead chosen sinner to come to life; he came to life, believed the gospel truth and was born again. This is all by sovereign choice, God choosing, not man’s.

Man is wrong when he says that the atonement is for everyone. It was not. That was not the Father’s predetermined plan, and that is not what Jesus came to do. Jesus died only for those whom the father gave him to come and redeem. Jesus always did the will of the Father (John 8:29). To declare that Jesus died for everyone means that his sacrifice provided only a potential or virtual atonement because people can choose to reject it and go to hell to pay the penalty for their own sins. This proves the atonement can not be applied universally. Secondly, to say that Jesus died for every man actually makes Jesus a “sinner” because he disobeyed his Father’s command and “saved” those whom the Father didn’t choose before the foundation of the world. We know this not to be true.  Jesus’ sacrifice was an actual, complete, or definite atonement which actually forgave the sins of all who would believe; that would be the chosen of God before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 4:1). Man limits the effectiveness or power of the atonement. God limits it to who it extends, but it is unlimited to those to whom it belongs; actually saving them from their sins  (i.e. chosen, the elect/Matthew 1:21).

                                                                                                             

                                             No one is ever saved against their will

Another complaint against sovereign election is this: “since God chooses who will be saved, that means he’s going to save people kicking and screaming against their will. That’s a violation of their freedom!”

First of all, no one enters into the kingdom “kicking and screaming”. Just understand that if you’re chosen from eternity passed to be a recipient of God’s saving grace, you will receive that grace. God will cause the unwilling sinner to become willing and say yes to the gospel. Proverbs 21:1 says, “The kings heart is in the hand of the Lord. He turns it whichever way he chooses.” Psalm 115:3 says, “But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.” Another tucked away verse says this:”Your people will become willing in the day of your power” (Psalm 110:3).

All these verses speak  to the loving power of God to accomplish his purposes in the heart of the unwilling chosen sinner. God is the one that chooses which will always result in the sinner responding ultimately positively to the gospel. The chosen of God will isn’t violated, it’s given a jolt by God so that he realizes his need for salvation by the revelation he receives from the power of the gospel; sight is given to the blind. Let me put it another way, Jesus Christ’s blood sacrifice to the Father was so complete and efficacious that it demands the chosen sinner to respond to it in faith so that they’re saved. Packaged within God’s predestination plan is two essential virtues or benefits: repentance and faith; both which God’s grants the chosen. This is what makes sovereign election successful because it’s all of God and none of man. God does/will not leave part of his redemptive plan in the hands of wicked men to actualize it. It’s impossible for a dead sinner to do that anyway since he can’t seek God on his own (Psalm 14:2; Psalm 53:2; Romans 3:11).

Anyone who refuses salvation and dies in their sins, their sins were never atoned for. They’re being punished justly for their own sins.

God is the one that limits the atonement.

                                          God must be glorified in his wrath against the ungodly

Just like God will be (and is) glorified in his grace and mercy, he also will be glorified in his justice and wrath. The latter is something we’re not willing to accept about God’s character. If we’re honest, we think it’s cruel for God to send people to hell. Why do we think this way? Our minds our finite and they’re corrupt; that is why we must renew our minds with God’s word (Romans 12:2; II Corinthians 10:4-6).

This statement bears repeating, all the world deserves God’s wrath, none of us deserve His mercy and grace…ever! We’re all on an even playing field when it comes to sin. God sending mankind to hell is just; it’s never unjust to punish evil doers. We know this very well in secular society. All of us would agree that if a earthly judge pardoned a convicted serial killer or pedophile (i.e. Hitler, Jeffrey Dahmer), we would all be outraged and declare that judge to be unjust and evil for not executing justice against the sins of those criminals.

Likewise, the judge of all the earth MUST  judge the crimes of the world committed against him for his holiness sake or else He would violate his own holiness. The blessed exception is only for those whom God has chosen to be recipients of his saving grace through the Lord Jesus Christ. And even then, the chosen sinner must acknowledge his sin, repent of it and exercise faith in God to believe so that he will be saved. This he will do because the Father has predetermined it would happen for the glory of his grace (Ephesians 1:6).

Now, back to the main point of why God will be glorified in his wrath and against evil doers; Romans 9:22-24 reads, “What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy which He had prepared before hand for glory even us whom he called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

There are vessels of wrath I see for two reasons: 1) Because of man’s love for sin (John 3:19).  2) God wants to unleash his wrath on these vessels and he will at the appointed time which gives him glory. These individuals have hardened their hearts against God and His holy word and therefore will be punished fairly as a result. God is a God of inexplicable mercy and grace and also a God of justice and wrath. God demands and will be glorified for his judgment of  unredeemed sinners. Once again, this is the fate of all men except the saved (i.e. the vessels of honor). God by justly condemning sinners amplifies his sovereign grace on those whom he saves. The salvation of man is a divine exception that God provides. The condemnation of man is the result of his obstinacy and hard heartedness. Both are in complete harmony of God’s sovereign will.

The scripture says in Proverbs 16:4, The Lord has made all things for Himself, Yes even the wicked for the day of doom. This doesn’t mean God causes men to be  evil or make him sin, but it shows the power of God that even the negative of  life  bows the knee to the Almighty  God. God will receive glory by destroying his enemies (Revelation 19:1-5).

                                     

                                                               In conclusion

As I mentioned earlier, all men are on an even playing field when it comes to sin. We’re all justly hell bound without divine intervention from God. God gives general revelation to all men via the creation and conscience (Romans 1). Man rejects the common grace God gives him everyday so why would God give him more deeper revelation of Himself? The only way God can and has done this is by sending his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, his beloved to die as a sin sacrifice for some (the elect) thus satisfying God’s holy wrath against sin. Jesus’ blood is the agent that purchased  His people out of the sin slavery market. This means we are His own possession.  This act gives man access to the Father God when he believes.

God has commanded all men (without exception) to repent. This is a general outward call that man rejects. He rejects because he loves his sin and the Father has not drawn  him to the Son[ (See parable in Matthew 22:1-14. Parable of the wedding feast of the king for his son) ( Also John 6:44)].  What’s commonly called the “inward call or irresistible grace” is the call that results in the sinner repenting and believing on The Lord Jesus for his salvation (Romans 8:29-30;10:9-10).

So you see the difference? God has decided to leave the majority of the world in condemnation because this is what they want; they  love their evil and sin. None seek after God (Romans 3:11).  Sin gives the wicked pleasure (Romans 1:32).  Most importantly, they hate God and his Son (John 15:18-23; Romans 1:30). This they choose to do despite the common grace they receive everyday. God is evident in their lives, but they have willingly chose to suppress the truth of God they know, and  also have chosen not to retain God in their knowledge (Romans 1:19,28). They forsake God, and God in turn forsakes them and leaves them to their own devices. Their eternal destruction is completely just.

God chose some from His just wrath because that is what He wants, and the Lord will do what pleases him (Psalm 115:3; Ephesians 1:9,11; Philippians 2:13; Matthew 11:25-27; Luke 10:21-22).        

God chooses whom he will save so that he will receive glory for it. God condemns whom he’s not chosen so that he receives glory for that as well. God is completely consistent in his dealing with man and super gracious at the same time; providing him with eternal deliverance from sin.

God’s sovereignty at work: But as many as received Him, to them He gave the power (or right) to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; who were born, not of blood (not a natural birth), nor of the will of the flesh(no human effort) nor of the will of man (because natural man is powerless), but of God  (John 1:12-13).                                                                                                                       

Sovereign Election - Part I

The Oxford dictionary defines sovereign as: supreme ruler, a monarch. As an adjective means possessing  supreme or ultimate power.                                                                                                                      

The word elect means to pick out, to be chosen. In regards to salvation we have the Supreme Ruler with absolute power, God Almighty choosing totally independent of any outside influence, those who would be recipients of his saving grace. Ephesians 1:4 tells us God chose us (the elect) before the foundation of the world. This was the predetermined plan of God. It must be understood that God’s choosing us was for his own good pleasure and intention (Ephesians 1:5). There is nothing inherently good in man that prompted God to choose him. God did this so that he will be glorified; man is a wholesale benefactor of the grace and mercy of the Father God and the Savior Jesus Christ.                 

Now, we need to discuss in detail, who did Jesus die for? This is the question that most Christians are confused and divided on.                                                                                                                                    

If you ask the majority of Christians who did Christ die for, they’ll say everyone; meaning everyone that’s ever lived, without distinction. I ask the reader, is this true? Because if it is, we run into some serious problems.                                                                                            Let me explain.                                                                                                                            

If Jesus died for everyone that will ever live, then he shed his blood needlessly for those who would never believe. What this also means is that he died for the non-elect just like he did the elect. So what then is the distinction between the two groups if they both receive the same benefit, the shed blood of Christ?                                                                   

One of the objections to this line of reasoning would be that, “since every man is a sinner, and needs to be saved, why wouldn’t Christ die for all men?”                                                  

That’s a valid question, but you must understand it comes with a very hard answer.  Christ didn’t die for all men, because that is not what the Father commanded him to do. That was not the plan of God. Only those whom the Father gave to the Son will be granted eternal life. John 6:37-41 says this, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one that comes to me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father that sent Me that of all that He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent Me that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” Jesus makes the same declaration in John 17:12 in His High Priestly prayer to the Father. John 10:27-30 says, “My sheep hear My voice and I know them and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall any pluck them out of My hand. My Father who has given them to me is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one (Emphasis added).

These powerful verses speak to the salvation and eternal security of the believer. We’re in the grip of the Father and the Son. It’s impossible for that secure bond to be broken. The true believer will not stray ultimately from that which God the Father predetermined would happen to him. When God saves sinners, he saves them forever. That salvation can not be lost or else it’s not eternal. God is not leaving his salvation plan in the hands of sinful men to perfect or finish what He started. If that were the case, we would lose our salvation everyday, and Jesus would have to be crucified again and again for us to be forgiven over and over again which is lunacy! Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident of this very thing that he that began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ”. Also in Philippians 2:12-13 it reads, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God (emphasis added) who works in you both to will and do of His good pleasure”. These are powerful verses proving that although we’re chosen, we have to be an active participant in the ongoing sanctification process of our own salvation. The beautiful part is that we do not do this alone, we’re being superintended by God himself via the Holy Spirit so we will be victorious in pursuing holy living.                  

It’s very important to understand that Jesus is making reference to only the elect, the chosen of God the Father. These are the ones that Jesus was commanded by His Father to come and save. These are the ones that will be granted repentance and faith to believe unto salvation (i.e. everlasting life). Those that have the power to believe have been predestined to believe by God the Father; not against the chosen sinner’s will, but according to God’s sovereign will. Remember, God can soften who’s heart he desires so that the sinner will become willing. This divine intervention must take place or else the sinner will not have the willingness or ability to believe.                                                                                        

So, what about the non-elect? We as humans do not know who’s not elect until they die in unbelief – only God knows who they are. That’s why preaching the gospel is so essential. The gospel is the means by which all can know the righteousness of God revealed to them. It is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). For the elect, the gospel will be the cause of their eternal salvation; it’s through this great gospel, that when they hear, they’ll be convicted of sin to the degree that’ll they confess that sin in genuine repentance and contrition, be granted saving faith and will believe unto salvation (emphasis added). The elect of God can not thwart that plan. Those not chosen, will hear the same gospel, but will not believe unto salvation. Many will agree with the scripture, but because they’re left in their depravity, will ultimately reject the Truth, will never be saved and die in their sins because they’re condemned already (John 3:18). Understand that those who die in sin are getting what they deserve for that’s the direction of the whole world. The Father in his sovereign will has chosen to save some from his just wrath which he has every right to do.   Some receive mercy, and others receive justice. No one is a recipient of injustice from the hands of God.

                 

     Why did God choose some for salvation and not all? That’s not fair!

Before answering that question, I will reference two texts of scripture in the old testament. Deuteronomy 7:6-8 says, “For thou art an holy people unto Himself, above all the earth. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you because you were more in number than any people; for you were fewest of all people. But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he  had sworn unto your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”                                                                           

Here we see clearly God exercising sovereign election in selecting the nation Israel above all the nations of the earth. Not because they were better than any nation; it was solely because the Lord chose to set his love upon them in a special way – that’s it! Israel did not have to do anything to receive this grace. God did this because it gave him pleasure in doing so. God said to Moses in Exodus 33:19, “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” God selecting some and not all has always been part of God’s character. It’s not that he began to exhibit this behavior in the church age. We must accept the Lord on his terms, not ours. We must not design God in our image; meaning some create a god (even in Christendom) that thinks, acts and fits their instincts. They create a god that’s more palatable to them. Sadly, that’s not the God of the bible. That’s in essence idolatry, the worship of self!                                                                                                              

Jesus speaking to the Father God said these words, “I thank You Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things (i.e. the gospel truth) from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes (The disciples) Even so Father, for it seemed good in your sight.  For all things have been delivered to Me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him” (Matthew 11:25-27; Luke 10:21-22).                              

What Jesus is declaring that the Father God has given complete authority to the Son to disclose who he is and who he will reveal the truth to. This is a painful verse to endure if you reject the doctrine of divine election,                                                                                                                                                   Sovereign choice.

I for one am glad the Lord is not fair. For if he were, we’d all get exactly what we deserve, eternal damnation. Praise the Lord that while we were sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

Romans 11:33-35 reads, “Oh the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has become his counselor? Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid Him?                                                            

                                              

                                            

                                               Summing it all up

The doctrine of sovereign election is a wondrous, mysterious, misunderstood doctrine. Admittedly, it’s a hard doctrine to accept with our corrupt finite minds. We can’t deny it’s truth though, it’s clearly taught in scripture, in the old and new covenants. In fact, sovereign election is the only way God has designed salvation to occur; he has to be the aggressor in the process in order to effectually call sinners to repentance. It’s also important to know that God doesn’t choose based on foresight, but on foreknowledge. Let me explain the two.                                                                                                               

Foresight says that God looks through the annals of time and sees who will choose Him before they are born; since he knows all things, and based on what the unborn sinner will do, he chooses them before the foundation of the world. This view is unbiblical. Why? Because this predicates choosing and election on man, and not God. Man gets the credit for having something virtuous in him to merit God’s favor. This in essence deifies man and humanizes God…this is blasphemy! No. What actually occurs is foreknowledge. God independent of any human agency, influence or foresight chooses those he wants to become recipients of his saving grace. In other words, election dictates faith, not faith (of men) dictating election. God is the Alpha Male (if one permits the expression) in this process of election. Man is the beneficiary of such love. ”For whom he foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he predestined, these He also called; whom he called, these he also justified; and he whom he justified, these He also glorified (Romans 8:29-30). Notice how predestined, called, justified and glorified are all past tense verbs. This is done already in mind of God. His plans are never circumvented because of man’s unbelief. Those whom God has set His irresistible grace upon will receive that grace in their lives.                      

Jesus died only for those who would believe, not for those who would never believe. For Jesus to suffer, shed his blood and die for the sins of all the world without exception, means he paid the penalty for those suffering in hell right now for their own sins! That’s double jeopardy. What about the countless perhaps millions of people who died in unbelief and are suffering for their own sins prior to his arrival? Did Jesus die for them knowing they’ll never have any hope of redemption? If you believe he died for their sins, then you would have to be an Arminian and a Universalist. That’s the doctrine of unlimited atonement which says Jesus died for all people, but saves no one in particular. It’s an ineffectual atonement because it leaves it up to the sinner to activate his own salvation.                                                        

The scriptures teach a limited atonement. What this means is the atonement is limited to whom it reaches, but it’s unlimited to whom it is to effect; that is the elect, chosen of God, the called out ones, the “ekklesia."  The atonement’s power is unlimited to the chosen; it saves them from their sins forever. That my friends is an effectual atonement. That’s why the Father sent His Son to come to the earth to do. Jesus perfectly accomplished this task.