So far we have seen that all of mankind are totally depraved and as such have a total inability to come to God. Yet before the creation of the world God chose an elect who would be saved. Jesus died on the cross to pay the punishment for the sins of the elect and the Holy Spirit works inside the elect to bring them to the full experience of salvation
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What grace?
There are different types of grace that God extends to the human race. The grace in question is saving grace – that is the work of God in bringing a sinner to repentance and a full knowledge of him. “[God] who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,” 2 Timothy 1 v 9 When Jesus died on the cross whom did he die for?
It is an interesting question mainly because our first response to it is to reply: everyone. And such a reply seems so right but at the same time we must evaluate it in light of the revelation of Scripture. So who does the Bible say Jesus died for? “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” Ephesians 5 v 25 In his letter to the Ephesians then Paul commands husbands to love their wives to the extent of being willing to die for them. But notice that Christ gave himself up (i.e. died) for the church. Christ did not die for everyone as our initial response would suggest but for his elect. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” John 10 v 14 – 15 “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.”
1 Thessalonians 1 v 4 -5 The doctrine of Unconditional Election can be arrived at logically from the truth of Total Depravity. As we know that man is spiritual dead and cannot come to God, seek God, desire God or love God in any way, shape or form and we also know that Christians exist then God must work in some people through the Holy Spirit to bring them to him. Christians are only Christians because of God’s doing. Yet there are people who do not come to Christ therefore God must not work in them. For any work God chooses to do he will see to completion. Therefore there must be an elect, that is, a group of people God has chosen to bring to him. And there must be an unelected: a group of people God passes by. “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.’”
Romans 3 v 10 – 12 The above verse is the foundation for the doctrine of total depravity. Simply put it means that man has a total inability to anything good or spiritual. Man in his fallen and sinful state neither understands nor seeks God. And in his natural state this will never change. Sin affects every single part of a man’s life including his ability to come to God. The curse of sin was a total curse that meant that man would never willing come to God. I've decided to let Mark Driscoll do the introduction to the basics of Calvinism & Arminianism. As he says both sides are Christians and our differences should not divide us but rather that we can discuss them which is what I plan to do. |
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