To put it another way, how much truth do you need to satisfy God? When a crowd of people asked Jesus, "What shall we do that we may do the works of God," Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent." He said nothing about good citizenship, doing good works, or law-keeping. He made none of the important things above a requirement to be in a right relationship with God. (John 6:28, 29) Is trust in Him enough truth to satisfy God and give us an entrance into the presence of God and spend eternal bliss with Him? If that is all we need to be right at least from God's frame of reference, then the question that begs to be answered is why the Bible is filled with so many instructions and commands with no hint of any suggestions. It's do it or die; the Ten Commandments are not ten suggestions.
Adam had one chance to get one command right; his eating of the forbidden fruit plunged the human race into sin and death. (ROM 5: 12) Adam was not deceived; he knew the consequences and chose death. (I TIM 2: 14) Adam chose to not keep the command given him and died in spirit that same day. Even though he being dead in spirit lived in the flesh for 935 years, he was a dead man walking and producing spiritually dead offspring. Paul compares Adam's disobedience with the obedience of Christ to keep perfectly all that God commanded us. (ROM 5: 18) Paul put it this way in I COR 15: 22, "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive." A reading of Romans chapter five is essential to understanding that there are only two races of people that populate the earth; one to everlasting life, the other to everlasting shame and contempt. (Daniel 12: 2)
To be in Christ is to have His righteousness imputed to us. Christ fulfilled the requirements of the law, so through faith in Him we have met the demands of the law. (Romans 10: 4)
MARTIN LUTHER
Luther held that all good works of man are sin. Those who are regenerate still sin constantly.
Faith in Christ is identical with entire devotion and renunciation of all self-righteousness and surrender of all self-will. From faith are the strength, impulse, and delight to do good.
WHO FIRES THE FIRST SHOT?
The real truth of who fires the first shot has long been and will forever be debated. Is it God who first seeks out His elect, or do we become elect upon an action our of free-will? The question remains, "Who is the chooser and who is the choosey?" The term elect is synonymous with "choose and chosen." These terms always imply differentiation whether the action is taken on God's part or granted as a privilege on the part of men. That God initiates a response (fires the first shot) through the presenting of the Gospel should not come into question. The mission of the church is to preach the gospel to all people in all parts of the world without prejudice to race or gender. Who fires the first shot in some portions of scripture is clear that God's sovereignty is absolute. Still we find in other portions of scripture that the preponderance of free-will is self evident.
The combination of divine intervention and the responsibility of all men to accept or reject Him are clearly seen in John 6: 37-44. Throughout the Old and New Testaments, it is clear that God's rule over all His creation is supreme. If God is supreme, then we must not limit Him in believing that He cannot grant "whosoever will may come." The last chapter in the last book of the Bible closes with, "whoever wishes let him take the free gift of the water of life." (Rev 22:17b)
HOW RIGHT DO WE HAVE TO BE ON THIS CONTROVERSY?
This is a centuries old debate that many great Bible scholars past and present have taken opposite positions on. The subject of God's sovereign choice and man's responsibility to respond to salvation through Jesus Christ is designed for study, debate, and discussion. It is through this process that we learn more about the sovereignty of God and His never-ending love for us. The Bible is filled with the knowledge of God's selection and His supreme authority over His creation. On the other hand, the Bible has lot of "whosoever" and" if anyone" in it. This points to free-will choice not to just some, but to all of God's creation. How right do we have to be on this controversy starts with the church obeying the command to take the gospel to all of God's creation and let God convict the hearts of the hearers of His Word.
The study of the sovereignty of God should never be entered into as a curiosity, but as a means of building a closer relationship with our Heavenly Father. Whatever you conclude on this subject starts with knowing where to begin. This subject requires a lot of time and study in both the Old and New Testament, so don't look for quick easy answers. Discovering the role that God has given us in His plan of redemption is what we need to be right about.
Adam had one chance to get one command right; his eating of the forbidden fruit plunged the human race into sin and death. (ROM 5: 12) Adam was not deceived; he knew the consequences and chose death. (I TIM 2: 14) Adam chose to not keep the command given him and died in spirit that same day. Even though he being dead in spirit lived in the flesh for 935 years, he was a dead man walking and producing spiritually dead offspring. Paul compares Adam's disobedience with the obedience of Christ to keep perfectly all that God commanded us. (ROM 5: 18) Paul put it this way in I COR 15: 22, "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive." A reading of Romans chapter five is essential to understanding that there are only two races of people that populate the earth; one to everlasting life, the other to everlasting shame and contempt. (Daniel 12: 2)
To be in Christ is to have His righteousness imputed to us. Christ fulfilled the requirements of the law, so through faith in Him we have met the demands of the law. (Romans 10: 4)
MARTIN LUTHER
Luther held that all good works of man are sin. Those who are regenerate still sin constantly.
Faith in Christ is identical with entire devotion and renunciation of all self-righteousness and surrender of all self-will. From faith are the strength, impulse, and delight to do good.
WHO FIRES THE FIRST SHOT?
The real truth of who fires the first shot has long been and will forever be debated. Is it God who first seeks out His elect, or do we become elect upon an action our of free-will? The question remains, "Who is the chooser and who is the choosey?" The term elect is synonymous with "choose and chosen." These terms always imply differentiation whether the action is taken on God's part or granted as a privilege on the part of men. That God initiates a response (fires the first shot) through the presenting of the Gospel should not come into question. The mission of the church is to preach the gospel to all people in all parts of the world without prejudice to race or gender. Who fires the first shot in some portions of scripture is clear that God's sovereignty is absolute. Still we find in other portions of scripture that the preponderance of free-will is self evident.
The combination of divine intervention and the responsibility of all men to accept or reject Him are clearly seen in John 6: 37-44. Throughout the Old and New Testaments, it is clear that God's rule over all His creation is supreme. If God is supreme, then we must not limit Him in believing that He cannot grant "whosoever will may come." The last chapter in the last book of the Bible closes with, "whoever wishes let him take the free gift of the water of life." (Rev 22:17b)
HOW RIGHT DO WE HAVE TO BE ON THIS CONTROVERSY?
This is a centuries old debate that many great Bible scholars past and present have taken opposite positions on. The subject of God's sovereign choice and man's responsibility to respond to salvation through Jesus Christ is designed for study, debate, and discussion. It is through this process that we learn more about the sovereignty of God and His never-ending love for us. The Bible is filled with the knowledge of God's selection and His supreme authority over His creation. On the other hand, the Bible has lot of "whosoever" and" if anyone" in it. This points to free-will choice not to just some, but to all of God's creation. How right do we have to be on this controversy starts with the church obeying the command to take the gospel to all of God's creation and let God convict the hearts of the hearers of His Word.
The study of the sovereignty of God should never be entered into as a curiosity, but as a means of building a closer relationship with our Heavenly Father. Whatever you conclude on this subject starts with knowing where to begin. This subject requires a lot of time and study in both the Old and New Testament, so don't look for quick easy answers. Discovering the role that God has given us in His plan of redemption is what we need to be right about.
