The False Accusations:
Namely,
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The Common and Accepted Teaching:The common understanding of a damnable spiritual condition (as it is commonly taught) is: when a man “lives in a continual state of sinning”, a state of “habitual sinning”, or a state where he is “living a lifestyle of sin”. Such phrases as these are used to describe 1 John 3:9 when it was said, a regenerate man “doth not commit sin”, or that “he cannot sin, because he is born of God”, or as 1 John 5:18 stated, “whosoever is born of God sinneth not” because he “keepeth himself”.
What We Really Believe: the true & biblical meaning of the deed called, “sinning wilfully”What Samuel Corneloup and others are not understanding is, we believe “sinning wilfully” IS a “continuous state of sinning”. In other words, “sinning wilfully” IS “habitually sinning”, and a man who is regenerate cannot easily, quickly, or suddenly fall into this spiritual condition. A regenerate man cannot “minute by minute” go in and out of a damnable spiritual condition. No! With every cognizant sin that the saint is committing he is not moving from justification to damnation, justification to damnation. No! This is because, specifically speaking, when every cognizant sin is being committed the saint is impulsively, reflexively, and habitually repenting of those sins (to some degree, though “imperfectly”) – this is a simultaneous and reactionary repentance which is habitually existing at the instant sin is committed. (Note: Jake tried to explain this in the conversation we had with them. Jake insisted upon a saint’s impulsive repentance, that it was not easy for a saint to begin wilfully sinning, but the Corneloups refused to follow peace, have charity, and try to understand what we were saying…thus they did grievously and wickedly wrest our words.)
An Exhaustive & Necessary Explanation: “The Salvation of the Will”
I want to say, firstly, that we will not think much of the sin called, “sin wilfully” (Heb. 10:26), unless we understand salvation in terms of “the will”, biblically speaking.
“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” – Prov. 23:7
“The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.” – Psalm 10:4
“I delight to do Thy will, O my God: yea, Thy law is within my heart.” – Psalm 40:8
I want to say, firstly, that we will not think much of the sin called, “sin wilfully” (Heb. 10:26), unless we understand salvation in terms of “the will”, biblically speaking.
“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” – Prov. 23:7
“The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.” – Psalm 10:4
“I delight to do Thy will, O my God: yea, Thy law is within my heart.” – Psalm 40:8
The heart is the seat of man’s entire desire, and if the heart (or the ruling desire of man) can be changed, the man himself is changed. The heart and ruling desire is, in other words, “the will” of man. The salvation of “the will” is the salvation of “the man”, “for as [man] thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7). If a man is wicked, “the will” is wicked, therefore he, being imprisoned by his own will, “will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts” (Ps. 10:4). If a man is saved, “the will” is saved, therefore David, being saved, said to God: “My soul followeth hard after Thee: Thy right hand upholdeth me” (Ps. 63:8). David said, “my soul followeth hard”, or in other words this might be rendered, “my will follows hard after Thee”…but how? Salvation was not dependent upon David’s choice, nor could it be, for then there would have been some momentary freedom of his God-hating will, so that, David made a choice of free-will, and it happened to be that, when David’s choice was made, he chose to follow God instead of forsaking Him…No, this cannot be so. My reader, it was not that David chose God, but that God chose David. In another place David explained, “When Thou saidst, Seek ye My face; my heart said unto Thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek” (Psalm 27:8). David cannot change his own God-hating heart. No! The text said of David, “my heart said unto Thee, Thy face Lord, will I seek”, but David cannot make his own heart thus speak. No! David can move his lips, yes, and make many vows…but only God can move the heart! All men in their best estate, left to themselves, are imprisoned thus: “This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoureth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” (Matt. 15:8).
Now look again, my reader, on how David said, “my heart said.” It is a miracle! If it was David left to himself he would have said, “my lips said!” “God is Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24), and again, Jesus said, “No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him” (John 6:44)! This means that David is seeking and following after God because: God spoke (Rom. 9:11, John 6:44). What did God speak? God spoke, “Seek ye My face”, and it boomed into the core of David’s lifeless soul! Hence David’s heart, standing in attention to God, obeyed! God sought David and then, because of this, David became a seeker after God (Rom. 9:16, 10:20). When God does thus speak men get saved (as it is written in Psalm 27:8)! “Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob; Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters” (Ps. 114:7-8)! By interpretation this means, when God speaks to men, my reader! – His voice thunders, yes, and it is enthroned upon the raging seas, sitting still; it breaks the towering forests down, at will; it divides the impenetrable flames of fire, quick, as a blink of an eye is fast; it shakes the wilderness from its places of expanding desolation, and, it discovers every mountain’s unmovable foundation at last (Ps. 29) – yes, and how much more, the voice of the Lord turns the heart of stone into a standing fountain of water! If you ever heard God speak to you, oh man, you too would seek after, love, and live for God just like David did! Therefore let us understand how David said, “my soul followeth hard after Thee”, and not only so, but he freely confessed to God, “Thy right hand upholdeth me” (Ps. 63:8)! How happy are the saints who can say, “God is all my desire!?”
Now look again, my reader, on how David said, “my heart said.” It is a miracle! If it was David left to himself he would have said, “my lips said!” “God is Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24), and again, Jesus said, “No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him” (John 6:44)! This means that David is seeking and following after God because: God spoke (Rom. 9:11, John 6:44). What did God speak? God spoke, “Seek ye My face”, and it boomed into the core of David’s lifeless soul! Hence David’s heart, standing in attention to God, obeyed! God sought David and then, because of this, David became a seeker after God (Rom. 9:16, 10:20). When God does thus speak men get saved (as it is written in Psalm 27:8)! “Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob; Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters” (Ps. 114:7-8)! By interpretation this means, when God speaks to men, my reader! – His voice thunders, yes, and it is enthroned upon the raging seas, sitting still; it breaks the towering forests down, at will; it divides the impenetrable flames of fire, quick, as a blink of an eye is fast; it shakes the wilderness from its places of expanding desolation, and, it discovers every mountain’s unmovable foundation at last (Ps. 29) – yes, and how much more, the voice of the Lord turns the heart of stone into a standing fountain of water! If you ever heard God speak to you, oh man, you too would seek after, love, and live for God just like David did! Therefore let us understand how David said, “my soul followeth hard after Thee”, and not only so, but he freely confessed to God, “Thy right hand upholdeth me” (Ps. 63:8)! How happy are the saints who can say, “God is all my desire!?”
“Thy will be done” – Matthew 6:10
“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law” – Aleister Crowley
“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law” – Aleister Crowley
In seeing this, Andrew Murray wrote a book which sought to prove, in essence, that God’s will is the dwelling place of true Christians. The title of the book was, “God’s Will: Our Dwelling Place”. This is to say: the burden of a man of God is to do God’s will, but the burden of a man of Satan decried this noble pursuit, saying on the contrary, “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law”. A saved man says, “Thy will be done” (Matt. 6:10), but Satan’s man says, “my will be done”. Is it any surprise that the salvation of the will is a work of saving grace in Christ?
“If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross,
and follow Me” – Matthew 16:24
and follow Me” – Matthew 16:24
Think of it! At a lost man’s first step toward the Savior of the world, his human frame is engaged with an execution device – THE CROSS – whereupon he and all his desires must die! If self-will could save mankind, then after salvation self would remain alive, but if self-will is at enmity to God then self must die! Christ said, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matt. 16:24)! Self and its will are both in bondage to the sin-loving, God-hating, and totally-depraved nature of Adam, but a saved man is dead to self, dead to his own will, and therefore crucified with Christ. There is no greater explanation of what saving grace is, by operation and experience, but when Paul said: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). “The will” of mankind (which is in other words, the heart) is the seat of a man’s entire desire, and when Jesus Christ is enthroned thereupon, hallelujah, this is salvation! When enthroned within the heart of mankind, Jesus Christ takes rule as personal King and Lord – this is salvation! At this time, at last, God’s will becomes our dwelling place. “Thy will be done” becomes our heartbeat, and “Come Lord Jesus, Come” our continual respiration! Salvation is thus, to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” and “walk in Him” (Rom. 13:14, Col. 2:6), and true Christians love to have it so!
How much of “the will”?
My Calvinistic brethren do all agree with what I have written thus far, I suspect. All true saints would agree that “the will” of man is turned toward God at salvation, but the question of controversy here is, how much of “the will”? I acknowledge this is the point of debate, but in general terms we agree. I think that we can also agree that the promises of God are given to those who love God, generally speaking, whether in the Old Testament or the New Testament (Ex. 20:6, James 1:12, 2:5, 1 Cor. 8:3, 1 John 5:3-4, Rom. 8:28, Rev. 2:4-5)…but what can be said of “this love”, specifically speaking? This is the very same question at hand. To ask, “How much of ‘the will’ is turned toward God at conversion?”, is the same to ask, “How much love does one love God with, at the experience of saving grace?” What saith the scripture? Can saving grace be limited to those who love God “with all their heart” (Deut. 6:5, Matt. 22:37)? Can it be limited to those who love God “with all their will”? And if so, by what certain fruits would this be identified by? Now some of you, my readers, are shouting, “Aha!” You’re thinking, “I know where he is going with this”, or, “see I knew it, he believes in sinless perfection!” My reader, this is not the case. I know why you feel this way; you have an unbiblical understanding of what it means “to love God”, as scripture says, “with all thine heart” (Deut. 6:5, Matt. 22:37), and the following quotes by Paul Washer may be the reason for this unbiblical understanding:
“There has never been one moment when we have loved God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength – there has never been a moment that Jesus didn’t. There has never been a moment when my motives were entirely pure – there was never a moment when Jesus didn’t have entirely pure motives.” – Paul Washer
“The greatest command is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. You’ve never done that, and neither have I. But Christ always did that, think about that.” – Paul Washer |
The point that Paul Washer is seeking to get across in the above quotations is admirable, but it is not perfectly biblical. Please listen carefully, for I must be very careful here. What Washer is emphasizing is admirable because, the idea he is seeking to stress is a biblical and scriptural idea, but the phraseology by which he is communicating it with is not biblical. Washer is equating the phrase, “to love with all our heart”, as an unattainable experience, and this is not biblical. I heartily agree that sinless perfection is unobtainable. Like Washer says, I agree: we should marvel at the sinless Lamb of God! In comparison to Him, we should react in humiliation and awe! I agree with Washer here, don’t mistake this! We must see the depths of depravity into which we have plummeted, and then, and only then, Christ will be properly exalted…but hear me, please! Even though I believe in the concept which Washer is defending, that it is biblical and scriptural, I do not believe the scriptural phrase, “to love” with “all our heart”, is used in reference to sinless perfection. This is a misuse of biblical phraseology. Paul Washer equates “to love” with “all our hearts” with sinless perfection, and therefore it is interpreted to be an unobtainable experience, but I believe that this phrase is used in scripture to describe the normal salvation experience; not something that is unobtainable but obtainable; not something that we can’t experience but must experience! If this is the case, that the biblical phraseology “to love with all our heart” does in fact reference the experience of saving grace, this is an alarming error which can be severely misguiding. This can be misguiding because: when a doctrine is first stated within scripture, like, at its first introduction, it is then (ordinarily) built upon and repeated in a plethora of ways century upon century and prophet upon prophet, and for us, now, we can see it written and expounded book upon book, but what is amazing is – to love God with “all our hearts” is such an enormous doctrine which has progressively developed within the canon of scripture, and, it is so intricately interconnected with the rest of scripture that, it is traceable back to the first and original statement in which it was introduced in scripture. This means that there are certain characteristics of that first statement which were built upon, increasingly elaborated, and abundantly explained, and thus the doctrine expands with clarity and amplification century upon century. Therefore let us look at the scripture:
“And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.” – Deut. 30:6
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In the Old Testament, apparently, to love God “with all thine heart and with all thy soul” was a necessity, without which one would die. This was a matter of life and death, not only in the Old Testament (Deut. 30:6, 10:16, Jer. 4:4) but in the New Testament. Deuteronomy 30:6 equates the spiritual circumcision of the heart as an operation one and the same with, loving God with “all thine heart and with all thy soul”, and Romans 2:25-29, Colossians 2:11, and Philippians 3:3 identify spiritual circumcision as salvation in Christ – therefore all true Christians, upon regeneration, are made to love God “with all their heart and with all their soul”. Look up those scriptures, my reader, and see whether these things be so.
How can this happen? This kind of unintentional heresy is commonplace when we are too much guided by colloquial sayings and generic thoughts, our religious culture taking a life of its own, so to speak. Rather than this, we should immerse our entire thought-processes in the waters of inspired scripture! Yes! Is this your desire, my reader? As a Christian and a preacher, I want to think like, pray like, speak like, preach like, and write like inspired scripture exemplifies, and I know that if I do not naturally and effortlessly do this, it is evidence that I am not understanding the heart of the scriptural truth being communicated by God. What is the heart of what is being communicated by God when He said, like in Deut. 30:6, that men must love God with “all their heart and with all their soul”? Well, my reader, this phrase “to love” with “all thine heart” and “all thy soul” has many synonymous phrases (or twin-phrases) which are of great pertinence – all of which, shockingly, hold in view salvation and damnation!
How can this happen? This kind of unintentional heresy is commonplace when we are too much guided by colloquial sayings and generic thoughts, our religious culture taking a life of its own, so to speak. Rather than this, we should immerse our entire thought-processes in the waters of inspired scripture! Yes! Is this your desire, my reader? As a Christian and a preacher, I want to think like, pray like, speak like, preach like, and write like inspired scripture exemplifies, and I know that if I do not naturally and effortlessly do this, it is evidence that I am not understanding the heart of the scriptural truth being communicated by God. What is the heart of what is being communicated by God when He said, like in Deut. 30:6, that men must love God with “all their heart and with all their soul”? Well, my reader, this phrase “to love” with “all thine heart” and “all thy soul” has many synonymous phrases (or twin-phrases) which are of great pertinence – all of which, shockingly, hold in view salvation and damnation!
Synonymous Expressions of Salvation
In an effort to use biblical phraseology and biblical terminology like those which are referenced above, we, The Church of Wells, experience the rash anathemas of carnal men. They are emboldened to anathematize us because they trust too much in their compartmentalized phraseology. They have become superstitious with certain theological phrases that, if the heart of those concepts are expressed in a foreign and unfamiliar way, a way which is not easily recognizable to them, they cannot and will not hear it, and shockingly, they scarce have the patience to endure it, but when someone else states the theological phrases to which they have become superstitious about, and yet this man’s expression is without the heart of those concepts being understood, the man is welcomed with the open arms of brotherly love. This is hypocrisy. Not only is this grave error, it is continued by many with Pharisaical impudence. In theological phrases, oh man, “in them ye think ye have eternal life”, but they are phrases which testify of the Person to whom we must go for life - Jesus Christ (John 5:39-40)! Woe to us if we, in our wretchedness, make theological concepts into COMMANDMENT-VOIDING PHRASES – these are unbiblical phrases which create a philosophy of sweeping-generalities, and because they are accepted as commonplace, in turn, the commandments of God are rejected as commonplace! “Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye” (Mark 7:13).
In today’s culture, Academia and Human Intelligence are idolized. “Christian Academia”, likewise, has been idolized. And in the practice of “Christian Academia”, the word “THEOLOGY” is sprinkled about one’s speech because it creates a venerable aura. To most people, this is just another form of “intelligent-word-idolatry”. Seminary students pick up on the craft, and so, they use the word “THEOLOGY” as much as they can…they know that their hearers will be dumbfounded into believing, that because they use the word “THEOLOGY” and its derivatives as they preach, they definitely know what they are talking about. The word “THEOLOGY” is winsome and jaw-dropping, but not to God! Oh my soul, the grief! That men would be so dazzled with word-acrobatics and phrase-gymnastics! Where are the men who understand that “the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power” (1 Cor. 4:20)!? Where are the men who disdain preaching “with enticing words of man’s wisdom” (1 Cor. 2:4)!? Where are the men who show a difference between “the words which man’s wisdom teacheth” and that which “the Holy Ghost teacheth” (1 Cor. 2:13)!? Oh, the grief of soul! So many preachers of words…just words! “Word only” and NO “POWER” (1 Thess. 1:5)! God have mercy!
In today’s culture, Academia and Human Intelligence are idolized. “Christian Academia”, likewise, has been idolized. And in the practice of “Christian Academia”, the word “THEOLOGY” is sprinkled about one’s speech because it creates a venerable aura. To most people, this is just another form of “intelligent-word-idolatry”. Seminary students pick up on the craft, and so, they use the word “THEOLOGY” as much as they can…they know that their hearers will be dumbfounded into believing, that because they use the word “THEOLOGY” and its derivatives as they preach, they definitely know what they are talking about. The word “THEOLOGY” is winsome and jaw-dropping, but not to God! Oh my soul, the grief! That men would be so dazzled with word-acrobatics and phrase-gymnastics! Where are the men who understand that “the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power” (1 Cor. 4:20)!? Where are the men who disdain preaching “with enticing words of man’s wisdom” (1 Cor. 2:4)!? Where are the men who show a difference between “the words which man’s wisdom teacheth” and that which “the Holy Ghost teacheth” (1 Cor. 2:13)!? Oh, the grief of soul! So many preachers of words…just words! “Word only” and NO “POWER” (1 Thess. 1:5)! God have mercy!
My reader, here is the bottom-line question I seek to lead us into: Do we seek God, love God, and follow God “with all our hearts”? Study the scriptures and find out, my reader! See the table below as a helpful guide of biblical citations. Don’t drink so much from these modern preachers; their wells are frequently too foul. Don’t swallow water that smells rotten, my reader. Sermons these days are swimming with mysterious iniquities because the timeline of the world is hastening to its end. This age is coming to its abrupt extinction because the preachers are helping men sin – let’s face it! The generation in which we now live is dangerously close to the “FALLING AWAY” (2 Thess. 2:3) which is prophesied to come. Friends, beware. God help us to beware!
“I do not believe a man’s a Christian who isn’t hotly seeking Christ RIGHT NOW!” – Rolfe Barnard
When understanding salvation in its relation to “the will”, we must understand salvation in its relation to “the heart”, and if the entire or whole heart must be surrendered, resigned unto, and in hot pursuit after God, then SO MUST ALL “THE WILL” BE! Is this not the wondrous secret of salvation, my reader (all by grace through faith, in the Lord Jesus Christ)?
“I am crucified with Jesus,
And He lives and dwells with me; I have ceased from all my struggling, ‘Tis no longer I, but He. All my will is yielding to Him, And His Spirit regins within; And His precious blood each moment Keeps me cleansed and free from sin.” – A.B. Simpson |
If salvation is “all the heart” radically in love with God, you can be sure that salvation is, likewise, “all the will” radically in love with God! As you can see by the scripture references provided above, salvation is equivalent to a whole-hearted and radical love, stronger than death (Song 8:6, Rev. 12:11), and coexisting with this love is hatred also (Luke 14:26), therefore salvation is “all the will” loving God and hating sin! A whole-will pursuit after God is a whole-will pursuit away from sin! With this phraseology presented now in biblical exactitude, what could Hebrews 10:26 be meaning? Now do you understand why we are warned of certain destruction “if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth” (Heb. 10:26)?
Saving faith is to pursue God with “nothing wavering” in “all the will” of man, and if he wavers, alas, “let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:6-8). A double-minded man is a double-willed man, a man of damnable unbelief. Abraham, the friend of God, the father of faith, “he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that what He had promised, He was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness” (Rom. 4:20-22). Yes, but backslidden saints are called, at present, spiritual adulterers, friends of the world, and enemies of God, they are addressed and charged with the crime of double-mindedness – James said, “purify your hearts, ye double minded” (James 4:8), and this is the same double-mindedness warned against in James 1:8. This double-mindedness is, in context, a profane willingness to commit sin, a willingness which, when a man has it, he continues to “sin wilfully” (Heb. 10:26), having a heart toward God and a heart toward sin (Gal. 5:16, Rom. 7:19). Therefore single-mindedness instead of double-mindedness is, a whole-hearted and “all the will” pursuit of God is, which is, in other words, “a pure conscience pursuit of God", because this is the experience of saving grace! For this very same reason it was written, “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned” (1 Tim. 1:5). Saving faith equals a whole-hearted believing in Christ, which is: a whole-hearted loving of God, a whole-hearted seeking after God, a whole-hearted walking before God, a whole-hearted obedience to God, and a whole-will pursuit after God! When such a lifestyle is lived there is a whole-goodness to the man’s conscience! Indeed, because it is continually bathed in the blood of Christ! By the power of the blood, the memory of sin is utterly vanquished out-of-mind!
Saving faith is to pursue God with “nothing wavering” in “all the will” of man, and if he wavers, alas, “let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:6-8). A double-minded man is a double-willed man, a man of damnable unbelief. Abraham, the friend of God, the father of faith, “he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that what He had promised, He was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness” (Rom. 4:20-22). Yes, but backslidden saints are called, at present, spiritual adulterers, friends of the world, and enemies of God, they are addressed and charged with the crime of double-mindedness – James said, “purify your hearts, ye double minded” (James 4:8), and this is the same double-mindedness warned against in James 1:8. This double-mindedness is, in context, a profane willingness to commit sin, a willingness which, when a man has it, he continues to “sin wilfully” (Heb. 10:26), having a heart toward God and a heart toward sin (Gal. 5:16, Rom. 7:19). Therefore single-mindedness instead of double-mindedness is, a whole-hearted and “all the will” pursuit of God is, which is, in other words, “a pure conscience pursuit of God", because this is the experience of saving grace! For this very same reason it was written, “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned” (1 Tim. 1:5). Saving faith equals a whole-hearted believing in Christ, which is: a whole-hearted loving of God, a whole-hearted seeking after God, a whole-hearted walking before God, a whole-hearted obedience to God, and a whole-will pursuit after God! When such a lifestyle is lived there is a whole-goodness to the man’s conscience! Indeed, because it is continually bathed in the blood of Christ! By the power of the blood, the memory of sin is utterly vanquished out-of-mind!
Christ Enthroned Upon the Heart“It is not admiring Christ, but a vital devotion to Him and a complete surrender to a Sovereign Christ. To know Christ is to experience Him and to experience Him is power; the power of a changed life comes from Him Who sits on a throne. To know Christ is to love Him, and to love Him is to serve Him in utter loyalty and devotion. Somewhere down the line in order to accommodate ourselves to this damnable stuff they have called the Gospel for sixty years, we have invented some terms. He is a consecrated Christian, there ain’t no other kind; if you don’t love the Lord with all your heart, you are not saved. If you do not serve Him with utter loyalty and devotion, you are not saved. We ought to start telling people the truth and stop speaking peace when there is no peace. Most preachers are deceiving people and they are on the road to hell. God says: “My sheep hear my voice and they follow Me.” Those who come to know and experience Christ are those who are seekers after Him” – Rolfe Barnard
The dominion of grace, which is Christ enthroned upon our hearts, results in habitual repentance of all cognizant sin (Note: this habitual repentance exists in greater and lesser degrees, or in other words, in varying “non-sinlessly-perfect degrees”). Habitual repentance is an impulse of the new nature (i.e. the Divine nature -2Pet.1:4) which a regenerated man has. This enthronement of Christ upon the heart is, therefore, a seat for a King, who rules a Kingdom; a Kingdom which governs the formerly ungovernable sons of Adam by laws. A King always rules by laws, right? Also, seeing that it is a Kingdom, a question of pertinence remains: Can this Kingdom be overthrown (I mean, in a personal sense or individually speaking)? This question can only be answered by the King Himself. The answer is simple: by the same means and conditions whereby the Kingdom began (i.e. faith and repentance), there exists means and conditions whereby this Kingdom can cease (i.e. the cessation of faith and repentance). What does this look like, you wonder?
“Order my steps in Thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me."
– Psalm 119:133 “Keep back Thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.” – Psalm 19:13 “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." – Romans 6:14 |
“The salvation of the will” is a way to express salvation, how that it saves men from the bondage of the will under sin, and then, makes it a slave to righteousness instead. The question of salvation is a question of dominion: the dominion of God or the dominion of sin over “the will” of man. The question of salvation can be likewise spoken as a question of Kingdom: the Kingdom of Light and or the kingdom of darkness. There are many aspects and angles in which we could examine this spiritual reality, how a double-willed man is in a conflict of rule and law, and this results in a kingdom divided against itself which cannot stand. This means that “the man’s will” is conformed to instead of transformed from the world (Rom. 12:1-3) – now the man’s lifestyle exists as a strange distortion of the saving Image which did once shine (Rom. 8:29, Gal. 4:19). This means that the man was, in body, soul, and spirit, all-holy (1 Thess. 5:23-24, Rom. 8:13, Gal. 5:24), but, alas, he that was holy is now unholy (2 Cor. 7:1, Heb. 12:14, 1 Thess. 4:1-8). The man was correctly representing and properly conformed to the Image of Christ by nature and deed, but now he is, merely, by nature only (Eph. 5:6-14), alive in the Person of Christ – that life which he lives is but a flickering and sickly flame (Isa. 42:3, Matt. 12:20), a flame which, behold, is ready to be put out if it continues without rescue (Heb. 12:13-14, Jas. 5:7-9) – a will that is double-directed and a heart double-minded! This means that the governing force of righteousness which once ruled over the whole man (Rom. 5:21, 6:11-23), is compromised. This means that the government of grace and salvation within the man has been halted and put in jeopardy. This governing force of righteousness which comes from salvation is called, scripturally, “the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:2-4), and when this is legally interrupted it is by an opposing government, “the law of sin and death” (Rom. 7:23, Rom. 8:2, Rev. 3:2). Therefore now, the force which brought life, grace, salvation, and righteousness within the regenerated man is wrestled down, overcome, and suffocating for its very life at the hands of an opposing force, the old man (Eph. 4:22, 24, Col. 3:9-10, Rom. 6:6, and for more details see “Put on Christ – The Gospel of Regeneration” (chapter 18, section 4)).
“All the will” means, Jesus is personal King. “All the will” means, Jesus is personal Lord. “All the will” means, Lordship Salvation. “All the will” is a consequence of saving faith existing presently and continuously in the life of a believer; this is therefore a matter of “present-continuous Lordship Salvation”. When walking in “present-continuous Lordship Salvation”, the experiential characteristics of regeneration which took place at conversion do increase, grow, and abound into greater glories, but at the compromise of present-continuous Lordship salvation in the heart of a regenerated believer, the experiential characteristics of regeneration cease to rule the heart. At the compromise of Lordship there is a degeneration of what was regenerated. The scriptures testify to the existence of experiential degeneration after a true conversion, for example: At conversion, we have been given eyes to see, and yet we can become “blind” (Rev. 3:17, 2 Pet. 1:9); we were made righteous, and yet we can be “wretched” (Rev. 3:17, 2 Pet. 1:9); we have been made rich, and yet we can become “poor” (Rev. 3:17); we have been made to “rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Pet. 1:8), and yet we can become “miserable” (Rev. 3:17); we have been clothed with the garments of Christ’s righteousness, and yet we can become “naked” (Rev. 3:17), or as it said in another place, we can become “defiled” in our “garments” (Rev. 3:4-5); we have been made the Lamb’s wife by spiritual betrothal and so, we had a white-“hot”, “first love” for God (Rev. 3:15, 2:4-5), and yet we can become “lukewarm” (Rev. 3:16), double minded (James 4:8), and thus having left our “first love” (Rev. 2:4), we become adulterers against Christ our Husband (James 4:4); we have been made the friends of God (James 2:23) which inextricably means, we are enemies of the world, and yet we can forfeit this friendship and betray it, and by a friendship with the world we can become the enemies of God (James 4:4).
Now with all this in mind let us also acknowledge the spiritual landscape in this hour: it is common among regenerate communities that saints teeter-totter between a “whole-hearted” pursuit after God and a half-hearted lukewarm pursuit after God. Even so, likewise, “all the will” and “whole-hearted” pursuit after God can cease from being the regenerate man’s experience, and then after its cessation it can be restored again – this is another way of phrasing the same realities heretofore cited. Furthermore, if “all the will” and “whole-hearted” Christianity is, actually, the experience of saving grace in the gospel, what are the legal ramifications when saints fall from this glorious experience? At the time Lordship salvation is compromised, is justification compromised? And if saints can fall from a state of justification, how quickly does it happen, how often, in what way, with what sins, and is it any different between each saint (seeing that we are given different proportions of faith by God –Rom.12:3, Matt. 25:15)? Moving forward in our study we must consider the following issues numerically ordered below:
Some important issues which will arise in this discussion are: firstly, the possibility of forgiveness granted for sins that are committed without repentance, and secondarily, also, forgiveness granted for sins committed when repentance over those specific sins is still in an incomplete form, or in need of growth, because it presently lacks the fullness of maturity which exists in the depths of God. These are alarming questions which should grab the attention of any true saint, and with what DETAIL, therefore, should these issues be carefully addressed?
“All the will” means, Jesus is personal King. “All the will” means, Jesus is personal Lord. “All the will” means, Lordship Salvation. “All the will” is a consequence of saving faith existing presently and continuously in the life of a believer; this is therefore a matter of “present-continuous Lordship Salvation”. When walking in “present-continuous Lordship Salvation”, the experiential characteristics of regeneration which took place at conversion do increase, grow, and abound into greater glories, but at the compromise of present-continuous Lordship salvation in the heart of a regenerated believer, the experiential characteristics of regeneration cease to rule the heart. At the compromise of Lordship there is a degeneration of what was regenerated. The scriptures testify to the existence of experiential degeneration after a true conversion, for example: At conversion, we have been given eyes to see, and yet we can become “blind” (Rev. 3:17, 2 Pet. 1:9); we were made righteous, and yet we can be “wretched” (Rev. 3:17, 2 Pet. 1:9); we have been made rich, and yet we can become “poor” (Rev. 3:17); we have been made to “rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Pet. 1:8), and yet we can become “miserable” (Rev. 3:17); we have been clothed with the garments of Christ’s righteousness, and yet we can become “naked” (Rev. 3:17), or as it said in another place, we can become “defiled” in our “garments” (Rev. 3:4-5); we have been made the Lamb’s wife by spiritual betrothal and so, we had a white-“hot”, “first love” for God (Rev. 3:15, 2:4-5), and yet we can become “lukewarm” (Rev. 3:16), double minded (James 4:8), and thus having left our “first love” (Rev. 2:4), we become adulterers against Christ our Husband (James 4:4); we have been made the friends of God (James 2:23) which inextricably means, we are enemies of the world, and yet we can forfeit this friendship and betray it, and by a friendship with the world we can become the enemies of God (James 4:4).
Now with all this in mind let us also acknowledge the spiritual landscape in this hour: it is common among regenerate communities that saints teeter-totter between a “whole-hearted” pursuit after God and a half-hearted lukewarm pursuit after God. Even so, likewise, “all the will” and “whole-hearted” pursuit after God can cease from being the regenerate man’s experience, and then after its cessation it can be restored again – this is another way of phrasing the same realities heretofore cited. Furthermore, if “all the will” and “whole-hearted” Christianity is, actually, the experience of saving grace in the gospel, what are the legal ramifications when saints fall from this glorious experience? At the time Lordship salvation is compromised, is justification compromised? And if saints can fall from a state of justification, how quickly does it happen, how often, in what way, with what sins, and is it any different between each saint (seeing that we are given different proportions of faith by God –Rom.12:3, Matt. 25:15)? Moving forward in our study we must consider the following issues numerically ordered below:
- Sanctification in terms of struggling to overcome more sin: Meaning that, this is a struggle for “greater repentance” over the present-continuous sins that are committed by believers, but let us take note that, by necessity, this present-continuous sinning must be called “sinning un-wilfully” rather than “sinning wilfully” - according to the scriptural parameters heretofore laid forth.
- While sanctification is indeed, a greater work of repentance wrought in the human heart over time, which means, it is a greater repentance over sins formerly not repented of entirely, what would happen when this experience of sanctification ceases? What are the legal ramifications? We will find that, biblically speaking, the interruption and cessation of sanctification is damnation. The operation of salvation is sanctification, therefore its interruption or cessation IS the cessation of salvation. Sanctification can be rightly called, therefore, present-progressive salvation. Furthermore, if damnation IS the cessation of sanctification, it is the cessation of love toward God with “all the will” (which is the evidence of saving faith), according to the scriptural parameters heretofore laid forth.
- Exactly what sins exist in the healthy process of sanctification? Sanctification is, we know, the process in which the saints become increasingly aware of sins they were formerly unaware of, but when such sins are committed by the saints, how do they not interrupt and make void what scripture teaches to be a love toward God with “all the will” and a “whole heart”? This is to ask for, in other words, a description of non-damnable sinning, non-damnable backsliding, and non-damnable wavering, for these are sins which are continually committed within the process of sanctification, sins which do not interrupt the experience of saving grace, which is, love toward God with “all the will” and a “whole heart”.
Some important issues which will arise in this discussion are: firstly, the possibility of forgiveness granted for sins that are committed without repentance, and secondarily, also, forgiveness granted for sins committed when repentance over those specific sins is still in an incomplete form, or in need of growth, because it presently lacks the fullness of maturity which exists in the depths of God. These are alarming questions which should grab the attention of any true saint, and with what DETAIL, therefore, should these issues be carefully addressed?
Gross Oversimplification with Eternally Binding ConsequencesIn a YouTube video called, “Don’t Expect a Perfect Repentance”, Paul Washer speaks of greater and lesser works of repentance wrought in the children of God, specifically, as they walk the course of their personal sanctification. Washer expresses his fears that, if people are ignorant of these greater and lesser works of repentance at work in people’s lives then, by way of evangelistic error, people will demand a greater degree of repentance than what is necessary for salvation in Christ, thinking that initial conversion cannot be experienced without the measure of repentance that a man 40 years in the faith has. In this way Washer fears that people are making the Gate narrower than it actually is. Washer explains it as an over-reaction to the false gospel. This video has been compiled as an attempt to balance out these overreacting people. This endeavor is no simple task, I understand this, but the oversimplified way in which this endeavor was made has given great occasion for the enemies of the Lord to abuse what Paul was actually saying. Satan is taking advantage of and exploiting the lack of clarity in Paul’s statements… if he only knew.
Please don’t get me wrong, my reader. I agree with the majority of what Paul Washer is meaning by the things that he is saying, however I do solemnly believe that he neglects clarity, accuracy, and application: firstly, in the overmuch ambiguity of what exactly he is condemning comparatively with what exactly he is affirming, secondarily, the relative terminology used (and now abused by others) because of the lack of biblical definition given, and thirdly, the generalized and unspecified “crowds” and “kinds” of people he is addressing allows for the massing multitude which is hearing this to turn, and apply it, but to situations Paul knows not and did not mean, situations which may appear to be what Paul was speaking of. Satan is a mastermind in redefining and reapplying the words of true prophets, so that they appear to affirm the lives and ministries of false prophets. Sadly this is happening with the words and ministry of Paul Washer all over this nation. He is like John the Baptist: the people are going out to be baptized of him in the baptism of repentance, and yet, the Pharisees go along for the people’s sake – seeking their approval – but they live in enmity with John the Baptist’s message and ministry! The Pharisees disguised their rebellion even by assenting to one of the true prophets of their day. People are doing this with Paul all over this nation, and if he is not careful… he can be turned against his own brethren to join with the persecutors of the Lord. This can happen to Washer if he receives, without contest, the accusations and reports of men he knows not, men who, through flattering speeches and feigned words, would manipulate Washer to do what he will regret. This happened of old and it happens today. While John the Baptist and Jesus Christ were still alive, it happened, and it is happening while Paul Washer is still alive. People know Paul Washer is a true man of God. Yea, they are afraid of it, but they live lifestyles and ministerial vocations that are at utter enmity to the true gospel! Oh, how we need to hear the words of Christ again concerning the Pharisees of our generation:
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.” – Matthew 23:27-32
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False prophets do this today, yes, only now with Paul Washer’s teachings (which they don’t even understand). The simple-minded cannot discern when it is happening, and in the process, they can be turned to persecute their generation’s true prophets, sadly, thinking that they are in line with the teaching of the true prophets of former generations, but in reality they are against the men that God is sending to evangelize within their sphere of life! Washer is, in this video, opening the door for this kind of manipulation and reptile-subtlety, being ignorant of the devices of Satan and the advantages Lucifer is taking through the means of “internet ministry”. Oh, my reader, Washer errs! By oversimplifying things, by a lack of clarity, and his failure to address the intricacies of what he is speaking about, and this has provided a great occasion for sinners to blaspheme! Here are some of the statements I absolutely agree with, statements which are biblical fact, but left as they are without careful application and clarification, in balance with the true burden of the Lord for the great majority of professing Christianity, false converts and false prophets will use them to justify themselves and condemn the righteous (Prov. 17:5, 15, Isa. 66:5)!
“If I go through all the characteristics of repentance in the scriptures, and I give someone: ‘This is a perfect biblical definition, and these are the perfect expounded biblical characteristics for repentance, and this is what you must have to truly repent unto salvation.’ – no one is going to be saved.”
“When a person comes to Christ we can’t expect them to have a full blown, mature repentance.” “Even after they’re saved they are going to grow in repentance.” “So we shouldn’t be telling converts that they must have this exquisite perfect biblical repentance in their life in order to have repented unto salvation, because you don’t even have that. You are growing in repentance.” “Repentance in its initial seed is simply the changing of the mind.” “Are you expecting a full blown repentance the very second God begins to work in your heart?” “God saved men who repent, not men who repent perfectly.” – Paul Washer |
Paul states all these things in an effort to show how, at conversion, men are not expected to have a “sinlessly-perfect repentance”, or in other words, an inaccessible repentance, like striving after the repentance of a man who is 40 years in the faith. I understand why this needs to be spoken (in the right way). I know there are people who are overreacting to the false gospel and going on extremes, but as I said, Washer’s lack of clarity and personal application is seriously detrimental. The truth that heathen men don’t understand is how there are situational alternatives to what Washer is speaking about, alternative circumstances which would make his statements a message of false peace to the impenitent. Clarity is necessary lest false prophets take the words of Washer and use it against the saints! This video exemplifies the bane of “internet media ministries” existence – IT CANNOT REPLACE the biblical model of preaching and ministry face-to-face! Do you hear me, Marc Glass? God help you to see this! I speak under the burden of Jesus Christ the Lord.
One of the ways in which I see the subtlety of Satan at work is that he is causing people to trust in “social media” and “internet-world” interactions as a successful substitute for things that were done IN PERSON (according to scripture), thus biblical format is compromised. Face-to-face encounters do call for much more clarity than this recording, truly. I find that camera-to-man preaching does remove preachers from such needful accountability, and the preacher, not knowing to whom he preaches, lacks the personal application that his hearers need, but face-to-face preaching demands such clarity. Person-to-person preaching allows for visiting with the hearers after the sermon is preached, and it is true, as is often discovered, the people did not properly understand the message, and thus a corrective burden formulates in the heart of the preacher to help the people understand the truth. The camera-to-man preaching, on the other hand, encourages sweeping and broad generalizations, and so preachers preach, but with consequences untold! God have mercy! The Holy Ghost bears witness with my conscience that this video, “Don’t Expect A Perfect Repentance”, is being used by heathen men as a message of false peace. Time will tell. Final Judgment will tell… but Marc Glass, will you repent before that glorious Day arrives? Oh that final and glorious Seat before which we will all stand, I long for it to arrive! I write this weeping, oh to stand right beside you there, Marc Glass! I desire to fly there even now, my reader, that I might have rest from my persecutors (2 Thess. 1:7)… but let the Lord’s will be done. I could also wish that death would work in me and life in you, my reader (see 2 Cor. 4:8-12), for the glory of Christ and the benefit of His elect (Php. 2:17, Col. 1:24, 2 Thess. 2:10), all by the grace of God in Christ.
Specific Points of Criticism:
One of the ways in which I see the subtlety of Satan at work is that he is causing people to trust in “social media” and “internet-world” interactions as a successful substitute for things that were done IN PERSON (according to scripture), thus biblical format is compromised. Face-to-face encounters do call for much more clarity than this recording, truly. I find that camera-to-man preaching does remove preachers from such needful accountability, and the preacher, not knowing to whom he preaches, lacks the personal application that his hearers need, but face-to-face preaching demands such clarity. Person-to-person preaching allows for visiting with the hearers after the sermon is preached, and it is true, as is often discovered, the people did not properly understand the message, and thus a corrective burden formulates in the heart of the preacher to help the people understand the truth. The camera-to-man preaching, on the other hand, encourages sweeping and broad generalizations, and so preachers preach, but with consequences untold! God have mercy! The Holy Ghost bears witness with my conscience that this video, “Don’t Expect A Perfect Repentance”, is being used by heathen men as a message of false peace. Time will tell. Final Judgment will tell… but Marc Glass, will you repent before that glorious Day arrives? Oh that final and glorious Seat before which we will all stand, I long for it to arrive! I write this weeping, oh to stand right beside you there, Marc Glass! I desire to fly there even now, my reader, that I might have rest from my persecutors (2 Thess. 1:7)… but let the Lord’s will be done. I could also wish that death would work in me and life in you, my reader (see 2 Cor. 4:8-12), for the glory of Christ and the benefit of His elect (Php. 2:17, Col. 1:24, 2 Thess. 2:10), all by the grace of God in Christ.
Specific Points of Criticism:
“God’s saved men who repent, not men who repent perfectly.” – Paul Washer
1) This statement, taken and applied incorrectly by heathen men, makes void the scriptural doctrine of true repentance, a good conscience void of offence, by means of “all the will” resignation and “whole hearted” turning toward God. “Even after they’re saved they are going to grow in repentance.” “So we shouldn’t be telling converts that they must have this exquisite perfect biblical repentance in their life in order to have repented unto salvation, because you don’t even have that. You are growing in repentance.” “Repentance in its initial seed is simply the changing of the mind.” – Paul Washer 2) When a saint is seeking personal assurance of salvation and stands in need of counsel on how to obtain it, to answer his uncertainties by suggesting a simple examination of himself on whether or not “his repentance” is growing, this is not a sufficient examination according to biblical instruction. What this saint understands as “his repentance” may not even be true, biblical repentance, by definition. Most false converts can give some kind of argument that they, in fact, are “growing in repentance”, according to them, but they are in dire need of the “repentance” which is consistent with true salvation in Christ! Anyone who has spent much time evangelizing to areas of this nation that are saturated with “False Christianity” (like the Bible-belt), has encountered antichrist arguments like this which are damning thousands to hell! Sentiments like, “I’m growing”, have become the household words for hell-bound false converts. Sentiments like, “I’m growing”, have become the modern day false peace to lost men! Washer’s generalities leave room for such false converts like these to utterly exploit his words. They, being ignorant of much of Paul’s burden for false Christianity (at least what he seemed to have in time past), have not listened to many of his sermons. Had they listened to them they might see that they are not even true converts, but since these other sermons and videos are not pushed by their pastors via social media like this video is, false prophets have found a nook to springboard their antichrist reign over the people of their congregation. I want to say this again, the simplistic examination which Washer is suggesting grossly misrepresents the pastoral burden seen in scripture concerning the subject of personal assurance for believers. In an effort to give true Christians an assurance of their salvation, scripture is not so simplistic and general, but rather the contrary, specific, exhaustive, and extraordinarily repetitive. The emphasis of scripture paints the picture as grave and terrifying, compelling saints to re-examine themselves over and over again (with continuance), not simply in an effort to find out if they have ever been converted at all, but to examine if they are ready to stand before God today, right now! The pastoral burden in scripture regarding the assurance of salvation in believers is NOT a past tense question. The question is NOT, “Have I ever experienced true conversion?” But rather, “Am I walking in the liberties and freedoms for which the gospel experience provides right now?” “Am I, evidenced by fruits, ready to stand before God today, making my calling and election sure (2 Pet. 1:4-11)?” The personal assurance of the saints is the foremost burden of all pastoral efforts; and no other burden is of comparative magnitude. Many people do not recognize this to its biblical magnitude, including Paul Washer. The whole burden to its biblical magnitude cannot be seen or expressed but by understanding the biblical terminology in which it is presented – terminology that Washer and others are overwhelmingly ignorant of. Concerning the details of what I do now speak in reference to – the terminology – I must be brief, but I have dedicated other portions of this writing to examine these things with a proper thoroughness. As for now let me say this: Faith is judged by indicative evidences, a man’s fruits, and not just any measure of fruits, but whether they be “in” them and “abounding” (as 2 Peter 1:5-14 teaches). If a saint falls, he must get back up again and be revived (which is to believe in the gospel again), and with the reviving of the saint’s faith he is enabled to have a blameless repentance from however he fell into a damnable spiritual condition. Of course, this blameless repentance is judged by its fruits (2 Cor. 7:10-11). When such fruits are in the heart and deeds of the formerly fallen man, this means that the fruits are unto perfection (Lk. 8:14, Rev. 3:2), thus in biblical terminology this means, the salvation experience is restored and continued, but this is because the saint did, in this way, obtain a “clearing of [himself]” (2 Cor. 7:11) from the matter in which he was blamed by God. Synonymous words like the use of “blameless” and “blamable”, are used to express Divine-acceptance or Divine-rejection based upon if the saints are presently believing in Christ (which is discernable by fruits), and if the saints are not savingly believing in Christ, then consequentially, these terms are used to express the legal situation that the man has fallen into: terms like “perfect faith” (James 2:21-22, 1 Thess. 3:10), “perfect love” (1 John 2:5, 4:12, 17), “perfect holiness” (2 Cor. 7:1), “perfect works” (Rev. 3:2, Heb. 13:21, 2 Thess. 2:16-17), Christian perfection (Lk. 6:4, Col. 1:28-29, 4:12, Eph. 4:12, 1 Cor. 2:6, 2 Cor. 13:9, 11, Php. 3:15, 2 Tim. 3:17, Heb. 6:1, 13:21, James 3:2), “blamelessness” (with variations used: Gal. 2:11, 14, 17-18, Php. 2:15, 1 Thess. 3:13, 5:23-24, 1 Tim. 5:7, 2 Pet. 3:14), “without offence” (Php. 1:10), “without rebuke” (with variations used: Php. 2:15, 1 Tim. 6:14, Rev. 3:19, Hos. 5:9, Isa. 51:20, Psalm 80:16), “holy” & “sanctified” (Heb. 12:14, 1 Thess. 3:13, 4:3, 7, 5:23-24, 2 Tim. 2:21, 1 Pet. 1:14-17, 2 Pet. 3:11, Rev. 21:27, 22:11, 1 Tim. 2:15, 1 Pet. 3:11), “without blemish” and “spot” (Rom. 12:1-2, James 1:26-27, 3:2-6, 2 Pet. 3:14, 1 Tim. 6:14, Rom. 15:16-19, Eph. 5:25-27, 2 Pet. 2:13, Jude 1:12). “God’s saved men who repent, not men who repent perfectly.” – Paul Washer 3) In light of the things which I have briefly touched on, I would say, if you would hear it: There is something inherently wrong with the statement, “Don’t expect a perfect repentance”, because, in fact, “perfection” is exactly what the scriptures demand as evidence of saving grace! Washer is using non-biblical phraseology, and in consequence, just like the former address on loving God “with all your heart”, so also here, biblical terminology is made void. I agree with most of what Paul is meaning by the things that he is saying, but the phrases he is using demonstrates to me how he is utterly blind to the doctrine of biblical perfection. Now obviously, the doctrine of biblical perfection differs from the heresy of sinless perfection… Nevertheless let me ask you, my reader: did not our Lord say, “And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasure of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection” (Lk. 8:14)? Here, in this text, a “perfect repentance” is exactly what God is expecting and demanding! And because John the Baptist understood this doctrine he commanded the 1st century Jews, “Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father…” (Lk. 3:8). If John the Baptist were here today he would preach this to the Christians of this century! The only difference is, Christians don’t say, “We have Abraham to our father”, rather they say, “We have God as our Father and we are eternally secure”. This statement may be true, notwithstanding Christ was burdened for the perfection of God’s children when He said, “Be watchful, and strength the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God” (Rev. 3:2)! Here, in this text, a perfect repentance is God’s expectation, and without it Christ warned that He would blot their name out of the Book of Life (see Rev. 3:5)! What does this mean? The text is very clear: without perfection, Christ told saints they were eternally insecure! I intend to address this issue in great detail as well, later in this writing, but as a brief explanation of what I am stating let me ask you: How relevant is The Doctrine of Perfection? Let us understand this vital doctrine, even if the language of it is foreign or distasteful to your Christian vocabulary! Don’t let those heretics who preach “sinless perfection” cause you to reject anyone who renders a correct teaching on the matter of biblical perfection. I beg you, please! A correct view of biblical history would prove to us its utter necessity! Biblical history describes the lives, generations, and centuries of God’s work of salvation in terms of personal and corporate perfection. Oh, will you hear it!? Depending on whether or not they obtained biblical “perfection”, this determined their destiny of heaven or hell! The scripture explicitly states that Job (Job 1:1, 8, 2:3, 8:20), Noah (Gen. 6:9), Abraham (Gen. 17:1-2), Joshua (Deut. 18:13), David (Psalm 101), Solomon (1 Kings 11:4, with his repentance, which is in Ecclesiastes), Asa (2 Chron. 15:17), and Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:3) went to heaven because they were perfect. As for all other heaven-bound men, even though it was not explicitly mentioned that they were “perfect”, they nevertheless followed the ways of those who were called “perfect”. The scripture, likewise, does explicitly state that Abijam (1 Kings 15:3) and Amaziah (2 Chron. 25:2) went to hell because of a single indictment – that they were NOT perfect. Furthermore, every major vocation is taught the saving expression of their office and duties by the term perfection. Kings (Psalm 101), Priests (Lev. 22:21), Judges (2 Chron. 19:9), Warriors (Ps. 18:32), and all, were taught what it is to be perfect in the execution of their office, and depending on whether or not they were perfect, they went to heaven or hell. All other men and women of every generation were taught perfection in the principle of its meaning, even though the very word is not explicitly used. Let it therefore alarm us, if, haply, we don’t understand what biblical perfection is! “A Partial Completion of the Gospel – Present Progressive Salvation Explained” (chapter 19) “Perfection” (chapter 19, section 2) “Blameless” (chapter 19, section 3) “Holiness & Sanctification” (chapter 19, section 4) “Without Spot & Blemish” (chapter 19, section 5) |
Now you may accuse me, rashly, based upon what I have thus far stated, “Sean does not understand sanctification!” I plead with you to hear me, that you would be reasonable and try to understand what I am saying. I would remind you, again, of my understanding of sanctification.
Sanctification: It is the course of every man in Christ who walks in saving faith (and not all men in Christ do, at all times, walk in saving faith, therefore I affirm their capability of backsliding). The course of sanctification is one of non-wilful sinning. This is possible because, the saint is experiencing an increasing awareness of sins he was previously incognizant of, so that, when the increased spiritual awareness illuminates the working of sin to a greater degree, there is an ever-increasing and more perfect repentance over those sins being committed. There is, therefore, on the course of sanctification, an “imperfect knowledge” of the sinfulness of sins committed, an “imperfect knowledge” of the goodness of righteousness neglected, an “imperfect knowledge” of enabling grace, and an “imperfect knowledge” of God’s personal pain and pleasure in the present circumstance the saint is in, and this does, indeed, result in an “imperfect repentance”, as Paul Washer would phrase it (in unbiblical phraseology). The sins that are being committed remain “un-wilfully walked in” because of the aforementioned immaturity of spiritual sensations, thus the saint feels deceived by sin… and, my reader, he is. Because he is being deceived by sin he feels like an unwilling “captive” to these outstanding sins, the sins which he needs sanctification from. This feeling of “captivity”, which is a justifiable experience for saints to undergo, and this reality of “sinning with continuance”, likewise, IS NOT the damnable kind which is most often referenced by scripture. I repeat, most often (if not always) when such phraseology is being used in scripture (i.e. “captive”, “imperfect repentance”, etc.), behavior of the damnable kind is in reference, but Paul’s use of the phrase, “imperfect repentance”, follows the same vein as his former errors. Paul generally characterizes the struggle saints have with non-damnable sin by phrases the scripture does cite as sins of the damnable kind - and this is why we must be very careful and specific about these matters! How quickly and easily can such words, without clarification, be exploited by the enemies of the cross?
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What provokes such harmful generalities and unbiblical phraseology, like in this video?
One thing that I believe encourages these blanket statements of Paul Washer is, the system in which Christianity now exists cannot endure so many saints uncertain of their spiritual standing before God. From another angle I mean to say, saints will have no means of relief when under biblical preaching on the matter of a believer’s present-continuous assurance of salvation because, the system cannot relieve them. If so many saints were uncertain about their spiritual condition so that, they sought out means to find certainty, how few elders and pastors do stand ready to help them on these issues? How few elders and pastors have the capability to help them, biblically speaking? Because of this, Paul Washer is left to these “internet-bombs” to try to shift the public mass that waits for his word… sadly, somewhat like a Protestant Evangelical Pope. If Christianity was operating in biblical unity between biblical local Churches, planted and ruled by biblically qualified elders (Heb. 13:17, 1 Tim. 5:17), the situation would be very different. So Paul Washer, by various events, advisers, or counselors, comes to be convinced of some existing problem to which he feels responsible to speak on because he, like none other, has “the eyes” of the true remnant of God in the nation. Washer then, in an attempt to address the issue, does so with differing degrees of success on differing issues, but he, feeling like he is doing the best he can, is generally satisfied with his attempts. I imagine this is because he feels, “what else can he do”? He feels obliged to make these blanket statements because any other alternative seems impossible. What other means of correction can be made, for men say, “so and so” need to hear from you on this because they will listen to you like no other man, but yet, sadly, Paul has not met “so and so” so that he might discern for himself that they actually need to hear what he has just been informed about (may God bear me witness if these things be so...).
Instead of this American “internet-mob” method – God help us! – we should invest our time and efforts into establishing a network of unified biblical Churches, with biblical authenticity, biblical accountability, and the long term effect would cause the next generation to rise to heights we cannot even fathom – biblical heights of God’s glory long extinct from memory! This network of biblical Churches would exist to implement proper pastoral ministries, which means, the sheep are instructed by personal meetings of “hands on” pastoring, one-on-one, until each saint, day-to-day, according to their needs, and each family, house-to-house, according to their needs, are established in the ways of God on a widespread scale! Do this for 20 years and spiritual men this world has never seen since the 1st century would rise up and take this generation by storms of holy power! The flood-gates of God’s Revival-Blessing would be opened wide! God’s Revival sought God’s Way will not lack God’s Blessing! But, alas, the system in which “Christianity” now exists is so fallen from the biblical model in which it might live and prosper! Shockingly, we have “pastors” with no pastoral burden! How can they have a pastoral burden if they don’t believe pastoring is an unexpendable, life-preserving, danger-preventing, wolf-fighting ministry? You see, pastors fail to recognize that sheep are defenseless and dumb animals which are in NEED of pastoring. They fail to recognize that, just as a life-guard stands watchful to rescue the drowning, a shepherd stands ready to guide and to guard the sheep. The truth be told, the circumstances of the natural ARE the circumstances of the spiritual. The truth be told, pastors are “life-guards” of sheep-affairs. By necessity, therefore, pastors must visit the flock by walking among them and looking upon them, meaning that he is acquainted with each one and knowledgeable of their estate. Duties of great consequence are not easily compromised, yes, but duties of little consequence are easily compromised… therefore, shockingly, the biblical model “itself” is never even fathomed by most! The circumstances of the natural are scarce beheld in the spiritual! “Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed My people; Ye have scattered My flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD” (Jer. 23:2).
Dear brethren, should we not, much rather, avoid this indictment of God by obeying His commandment, “take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which He hath purchased with His blood” (Acts 20:28). What we are left with in place of God’s holy, organized, cooperative, communicative, and glorious Church of Spirit-filled elders and men of God, is an “Internet-Mob” of regenerated people scattered on the hills, most of them, isolated and surrounded by a hoard of dangerous serpents, wading through miles of hypocritical leaven for morsels of truth, who are desperately opening wide their mouths to be fed by internet videos just to stay alive – and the “illbehonest” & “HeartCry” communities think this is a move of God to be satisfied with? In truth, it is a move of God they are being unfaithful with. It is a move of God, yes, but they are abusing it and will eventually destroy it by not implementing biblical formats, and for this to happen there would have to be a whole shift of ministerial vision! No longer the “every-man-to-his-ministry” mentality but a reorientation of the biblical format, resulting in a widespread agreement among all true Lampstands of God in cooperation, and then, by necessity, we would be indebted to a season of fasting, prayer, and confession to God that dwells on High, so that in turn, the proper endowment of power would fall from heaven to beautify us – for without God’s power we cannot establish biblical Christianity. No! There is no substitute to the power of God! God’s power is necessary for God’s work to be done in God’s way, hence the unfathomable results - a world turned upside-down.
Instead of this, the brute force of flesh has taken its place – the lordship of men in usurpation to the Lordship of Christ. This being the case, how do we try to shepherd the “internet-mob” of regenerate persons who, at this present time, are as sheep scattered on the hills? How is it that we have dealt with the awful scene of our spiritual-landscape? In the flurry of wolves which prowl the shepherd-less pastures, men have reverted to a frantic and untrustworthy force of control – Shepherd dogs. Yes, barking dogs have replaced the voices of MEN! Sheepdogs. They are trained and deployed to bark “the sheep-mob” in this or that direction. “The mob” moves, this is for sure, but God help us to see that this will not do the job! By interpretation I mean, these unfaithful blanket-statements which are hurled into “the internet-world-chaos”, barking, as it were, are copied and pasted by “pastor” and “follower”, barking, as it were, scaring some here and scaring some there… but this does not do the job! Every man hearing the internet-bark becomes emboldened in their own contorted courses of doctrinal application and Christian practice, basing it upon what they have heard, applying it to whom they suspect are guilty of “such and such” transgression. But these men don’t know that they are guided more by their culture rather than the scripture, the fear of man rather than the fear of God, and doctrinal ideas which are carnally applied instead of spiritually applied. A flock of sheep that is truly shepherded exists in a culture of “hands on” guidance, nourishment, and protection that only a Spirit-filled human being can provide, not a sheepdog! A shepherd’s watch upon God’s blood-bought people cannot be done by a color-blind, self-willed, inconsiderate dog! No man of God would initially take part in such a frenzied effort for so valuable a people in God’s sight… but after being provoked into it, feeling the need, and with a “last resort” mentality, they collapse. I believe that these statements of Paul Washer (and the like) are a desperate attempt to balance out “a problem” that Washer has been made aware of, and being provoked by reports of some sort, by advisers of some sort, however trustworthy they were, he did, in turn, feeling compelled thereto, make a discourse which has been publicized, and the Babylonians, as a result, are waltzing around the “treasures” of the Lord like swine before pearls. I say again, these generalities become weapons in the hands of hypocrites emboldening them to fight against the saints, and sadly, over and over again, men blindly follow suit behind Washer’s example. He has opened the treasure-chest of precious truths, yes, but trusting too much in the Babylonians he has unknowingly set up the downfall of the cause for which he fights! God have mercy (Isa. 39)!
“Famous preachers” need to realize that they have become desensitized to this brutal scene. For too long, they have turned away their eyes while the hoard of barking preachers advances onward. Hypocrites they are, or, hypocrites they become, forsaking a good conscience, and when the dogs get out of control they shoot a gun. They (the “famous preachers”, that is) think to regain a sense of control over the biting dogs and the scattering sheep by shooting a gun, but in truth… what is in control? The animal-like nature of man is in control. The tactical methods of barking-chaos is in control. Interconnected ministries monopolize the attention of “the mob” by mutual respect “one to another”, and in so doing (their hearts being deceitful), they feel forced to maintain an unbiblical tolerance of one another for the sake of the mob’s continued adoration. In this process, over time, the internet-relationships have become a world of unified-no-accountability, biblically speaking. Shockingly, they think they are mutually accountable with one another, but they are in secret alliance with one another’s progress as the chief aim, and all the biggest voices deploy the dogs for barking any time there is a problem. Let us wake up, my brethren! This is not what God has taught us in Holy Scripture!
There is a kind of order and accountability even in the animal world… shall we settle for it? By compulsion, one beast learns to bow to the will of “the alpha-beast”, but they all, roosters in heart, strut-about their territories flapping and puffing as they go, every man to advance his own ministry and name, “having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage” (Jude 1:16). Like dumb animals are driven by brute desire they have fallen a-lusting for more land, and with the tactical attitude of a wandering dog, urinating as they go, they would fill the world with their own smell if only thereto they could roam! Because of ministerial landmarks there is a cohesive unity to the animal-like order, an order of spiritual chaos. God help us! As a frantic and last resort, with a “doing-the-best-we-can” attitude, holy men feel no power or vision to do things God’s way, so they have employed these canine hounds as means of intimidation and control for the “internet-mob” of no-accountability. These growling dogs, they bark, but the Shepherd’s voice moves the heart… but every man to-his-own-ministry they go, so things never change. God help us to change! “They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear? But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision. Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence” (Psalm 59:6-9).
One thing that I believe encourages these blanket statements of Paul Washer is, the system in which Christianity now exists cannot endure so many saints uncertain of their spiritual standing before God. From another angle I mean to say, saints will have no means of relief when under biblical preaching on the matter of a believer’s present-continuous assurance of salvation because, the system cannot relieve them. If so many saints were uncertain about their spiritual condition so that, they sought out means to find certainty, how few elders and pastors do stand ready to help them on these issues? How few elders and pastors have the capability to help them, biblically speaking? Because of this, Paul Washer is left to these “internet-bombs” to try to shift the public mass that waits for his word… sadly, somewhat like a Protestant Evangelical Pope. If Christianity was operating in biblical unity between biblical local Churches, planted and ruled by biblically qualified elders (Heb. 13:17, 1 Tim. 5:17), the situation would be very different. So Paul Washer, by various events, advisers, or counselors, comes to be convinced of some existing problem to which he feels responsible to speak on because he, like none other, has “the eyes” of the true remnant of God in the nation. Washer then, in an attempt to address the issue, does so with differing degrees of success on differing issues, but he, feeling like he is doing the best he can, is generally satisfied with his attempts. I imagine this is because he feels, “what else can he do”? He feels obliged to make these blanket statements because any other alternative seems impossible. What other means of correction can be made, for men say, “so and so” need to hear from you on this because they will listen to you like no other man, but yet, sadly, Paul has not met “so and so” so that he might discern for himself that they actually need to hear what he has just been informed about (may God bear me witness if these things be so...).
Instead of this American “internet-mob” method – God help us! – we should invest our time and efforts into establishing a network of unified biblical Churches, with biblical authenticity, biblical accountability, and the long term effect would cause the next generation to rise to heights we cannot even fathom – biblical heights of God’s glory long extinct from memory! This network of biblical Churches would exist to implement proper pastoral ministries, which means, the sheep are instructed by personal meetings of “hands on” pastoring, one-on-one, until each saint, day-to-day, according to their needs, and each family, house-to-house, according to their needs, are established in the ways of God on a widespread scale! Do this for 20 years and spiritual men this world has never seen since the 1st century would rise up and take this generation by storms of holy power! The flood-gates of God’s Revival-Blessing would be opened wide! God’s Revival sought God’s Way will not lack God’s Blessing! But, alas, the system in which “Christianity” now exists is so fallen from the biblical model in which it might live and prosper! Shockingly, we have “pastors” with no pastoral burden! How can they have a pastoral burden if they don’t believe pastoring is an unexpendable, life-preserving, danger-preventing, wolf-fighting ministry? You see, pastors fail to recognize that sheep are defenseless and dumb animals which are in NEED of pastoring. They fail to recognize that, just as a life-guard stands watchful to rescue the drowning, a shepherd stands ready to guide and to guard the sheep. The truth be told, the circumstances of the natural ARE the circumstances of the spiritual. The truth be told, pastors are “life-guards” of sheep-affairs. By necessity, therefore, pastors must visit the flock by walking among them and looking upon them, meaning that he is acquainted with each one and knowledgeable of their estate. Duties of great consequence are not easily compromised, yes, but duties of little consequence are easily compromised… therefore, shockingly, the biblical model “itself” is never even fathomed by most! The circumstances of the natural are scarce beheld in the spiritual! “Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed My people; Ye have scattered My flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD” (Jer. 23:2).
Dear brethren, should we not, much rather, avoid this indictment of God by obeying His commandment, “take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which He hath purchased with His blood” (Acts 20:28). What we are left with in place of God’s holy, organized, cooperative, communicative, and glorious Church of Spirit-filled elders and men of God, is an “Internet-Mob” of regenerated people scattered on the hills, most of them, isolated and surrounded by a hoard of dangerous serpents, wading through miles of hypocritical leaven for morsels of truth, who are desperately opening wide their mouths to be fed by internet videos just to stay alive – and the “illbehonest” & “HeartCry” communities think this is a move of God to be satisfied with? In truth, it is a move of God they are being unfaithful with. It is a move of God, yes, but they are abusing it and will eventually destroy it by not implementing biblical formats, and for this to happen there would have to be a whole shift of ministerial vision! No longer the “every-man-to-his-ministry” mentality but a reorientation of the biblical format, resulting in a widespread agreement among all true Lampstands of God in cooperation, and then, by necessity, we would be indebted to a season of fasting, prayer, and confession to God that dwells on High, so that in turn, the proper endowment of power would fall from heaven to beautify us – for without God’s power we cannot establish biblical Christianity. No! There is no substitute to the power of God! God’s power is necessary for God’s work to be done in God’s way, hence the unfathomable results - a world turned upside-down.
Instead of this, the brute force of flesh has taken its place – the lordship of men in usurpation to the Lordship of Christ. This being the case, how do we try to shepherd the “internet-mob” of regenerate persons who, at this present time, are as sheep scattered on the hills? How is it that we have dealt with the awful scene of our spiritual-landscape? In the flurry of wolves which prowl the shepherd-less pastures, men have reverted to a frantic and untrustworthy force of control – Shepherd dogs. Yes, barking dogs have replaced the voices of MEN! Sheepdogs. They are trained and deployed to bark “the sheep-mob” in this or that direction. “The mob” moves, this is for sure, but God help us to see that this will not do the job! By interpretation I mean, these unfaithful blanket-statements which are hurled into “the internet-world-chaos”, barking, as it were, are copied and pasted by “pastor” and “follower”, barking, as it were, scaring some here and scaring some there… but this does not do the job! Every man hearing the internet-bark becomes emboldened in their own contorted courses of doctrinal application and Christian practice, basing it upon what they have heard, applying it to whom they suspect are guilty of “such and such” transgression. But these men don’t know that they are guided more by their culture rather than the scripture, the fear of man rather than the fear of God, and doctrinal ideas which are carnally applied instead of spiritually applied. A flock of sheep that is truly shepherded exists in a culture of “hands on” guidance, nourishment, and protection that only a Spirit-filled human being can provide, not a sheepdog! A shepherd’s watch upon God’s blood-bought people cannot be done by a color-blind, self-willed, inconsiderate dog! No man of God would initially take part in such a frenzied effort for so valuable a people in God’s sight… but after being provoked into it, feeling the need, and with a “last resort” mentality, they collapse. I believe that these statements of Paul Washer (and the like) are a desperate attempt to balance out “a problem” that Washer has been made aware of, and being provoked by reports of some sort, by advisers of some sort, however trustworthy they were, he did, in turn, feeling compelled thereto, make a discourse which has been publicized, and the Babylonians, as a result, are waltzing around the “treasures” of the Lord like swine before pearls. I say again, these generalities become weapons in the hands of hypocrites emboldening them to fight against the saints, and sadly, over and over again, men blindly follow suit behind Washer’s example. He has opened the treasure-chest of precious truths, yes, but trusting too much in the Babylonians he has unknowingly set up the downfall of the cause for which he fights! God have mercy (Isa. 39)!
“Famous preachers” need to realize that they have become desensitized to this brutal scene. For too long, they have turned away their eyes while the hoard of barking preachers advances onward. Hypocrites they are, or, hypocrites they become, forsaking a good conscience, and when the dogs get out of control they shoot a gun. They (the “famous preachers”, that is) think to regain a sense of control over the biting dogs and the scattering sheep by shooting a gun, but in truth… what is in control? The animal-like nature of man is in control. The tactical methods of barking-chaos is in control. Interconnected ministries monopolize the attention of “the mob” by mutual respect “one to another”, and in so doing (their hearts being deceitful), they feel forced to maintain an unbiblical tolerance of one another for the sake of the mob’s continued adoration. In this process, over time, the internet-relationships have become a world of unified-no-accountability, biblically speaking. Shockingly, they think they are mutually accountable with one another, but they are in secret alliance with one another’s progress as the chief aim, and all the biggest voices deploy the dogs for barking any time there is a problem. Let us wake up, my brethren! This is not what God has taught us in Holy Scripture!
There is a kind of order and accountability even in the animal world… shall we settle for it? By compulsion, one beast learns to bow to the will of “the alpha-beast”, but they all, roosters in heart, strut-about their territories flapping and puffing as they go, every man to advance his own ministry and name, “having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage” (Jude 1:16). Like dumb animals are driven by brute desire they have fallen a-lusting for more land, and with the tactical attitude of a wandering dog, urinating as they go, they would fill the world with their own smell if only thereto they could roam! Because of ministerial landmarks there is a cohesive unity to the animal-like order, an order of spiritual chaos. God help us! As a frantic and last resort, with a “doing-the-best-we-can” attitude, holy men feel no power or vision to do things God’s way, so they have employed these canine hounds as means of intimidation and control for the “internet-mob” of no-accountability. These growling dogs, they bark, but the Shepherd’s voice moves the heart… but every man to-his-own-ministry they go, so things never change. God help us to change! “They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear? But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision. Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence” (Psalm 59:6-9).
Trusting in a Transaction or Looking unto Jesus?
My dear Calvinistic brethren, I know how some of these issues of doctrine I have brought up make you feel. To you they are unsettling doctrines. They are doctrines which threaten the security of the believer, you might say. Oh please hear me, my brethren! I believe in “eternal security”, His Name is Jesus Christ! I believe in “eternal security” in Christ, I do! At the end of the video, “Don’t Expect a Perfect Repentance”, Paul Washer speaks of his burden for those who abuse the gospel. He brings up situations like, asking strangers about their faith in Christ to discover the legitimacy of their assurance in Him. Since much of the recording was about assurance of salvation and standards of biblical repentance, Paul speaks on this as a closing example of certain answers of counsel which, to him, are satisfactory or unsatisfactory to judge if someone has biblical repentance or not. The unsatisfactory answers are what Washer usually calls “decision-ism”, or, a false conversion by “the sinner’s prayer”, but here he described it saying, “Now look what they are doing: they are trusting in a transaction they made. They are trusting in the sincerity of a prayer.” Washer goes on to address what he is actually looking for as an answer, something like, “what I love to hear is, ‘I’m looking unto Him! I’m looking unto Him, and would be terrified to take my eyes off of Him! I’m looking unto Jesus!” Washer is signifying that when he hears an answer like this it communicates to him a good possibility that this person has a proper understanding of biblical repentance, not the counterfeit kind. I AGREE WITH HIM! But this is one statement is buried in a host of contradicting ones, and thus, by lack of clarity overall, seared-conscience false prophets easily trample this last statement which Paul made, and in so doing, they wrongly apply and incorrectly emphasize Paul’s other statements - they hold them utterly out of balance from such a statement like what he closes the message with, and they, seemingly unified with Paul Washer, succeed to deceive masses of people.
With the intensity of my burden, which I argue is biblical, my Calvinistic brethren do accuse me to be going on “the other extreme”. They would say that I am going to an unbiblical extremity of personal examination. I want to emphasize this again, my reader, that Jesus Christ is “The Great Security” available for us, even if the doctrines which I hold to do appear to be security-destroying to you. Nevertheless, security exists in vital reality with the Person of Jesus Christ! He is alive, therefore He is a security! And thereby all men can become and remain eternally secure! I solemnly believe that the promises of God do assure eternal security! Furthermore, nothing of which I endeavor to set forth before you is in contradiction to the doctrine of “eternal security” as the scriptures do actually teach it. The matter is so controverted because, the “illbehonest” & “HeartCry” communities do not properly understand “The Narrow Way”. I believe that they, because of the forerunning valiance of Paul Washer, have a good understanding of “The Narrowness of The Gate”, but they are terrifyingly ignorant of The Narrowness of The Way! Please do not reject what I am saying just because, at first hearing of it, it feels like it destroys any possibility of personal assurance. It does not violate the truthfulness of a believer’s security in Christ! Before we go on you must understand: Jesus Christ is The Great Stillness of what may appear to be, to you, unsettling doctrines, and furthermore I warn you, please do not oversimplify the legal processes of salvation to make void the situational potentials which exist because CHRIST is our salvation. I understand that, to you, a foremost idea which appears to be problematic with the doctrine of “falling from grace” is, the doctrine of justification – for then, how would one understand the efficacy of Christ’s blood granting forgiveness to all believers? The truth is, my reader, the believer is not directed to personal assurance by a mere reckoning of the ceremonial and legal success that Christ’s atoning work has accomplished in the courtroom setting – “they are trusting in a transaction they have made”, Paul Washer said – yea, rather, let the believer look, not to a transaction, only, but let his focus turn to the Person to whom they are reconciled to on the basis of that transaction’s success, and therefore let the assurance of the believer come from the consequential fruits which exist when walking in friendship with the living presence Jesus Christ. When salvation is viewed in the fullest spectrum attested to by inspired scripture it is made very clear: transacted titles of redemption and potential legal repercussions revolve around the Living Person of Christ who is eminently involved in every step of salvation (1 Cor. 1:9). Please let me explain.
With the intensity of my burden, which I argue is biblical, my Calvinistic brethren do accuse me to be going on “the other extreme”. They would say that I am going to an unbiblical extremity of personal examination. I want to emphasize this again, my reader, that Jesus Christ is “The Great Security” available for us, even if the doctrines which I hold to do appear to be security-destroying to you. Nevertheless, security exists in vital reality with the Person of Jesus Christ! He is alive, therefore He is a security! And thereby all men can become and remain eternally secure! I solemnly believe that the promises of God do assure eternal security! Furthermore, nothing of which I endeavor to set forth before you is in contradiction to the doctrine of “eternal security” as the scriptures do actually teach it. The matter is so controverted because, the “illbehonest” & “HeartCry” communities do not properly understand “The Narrow Way”. I believe that they, because of the forerunning valiance of Paul Washer, have a good understanding of “The Narrowness of The Gate”, but they are terrifyingly ignorant of The Narrowness of The Way! Please do not reject what I am saying just because, at first hearing of it, it feels like it destroys any possibility of personal assurance. It does not violate the truthfulness of a believer’s security in Christ! Before we go on you must understand: Jesus Christ is The Great Stillness of what may appear to be, to you, unsettling doctrines, and furthermore I warn you, please do not oversimplify the legal processes of salvation to make void the situational potentials which exist because CHRIST is our salvation. I understand that, to you, a foremost idea which appears to be problematic with the doctrine of “falling from grace” is, the doctrine of justification – for then, how would one understand the efficacy of Christ’s blood granting forgiveness to all believers? The truth is, my reader, the believer is not directed to personal assurance by a mere reckoning of the ceremonial and legal success that Christ’s atoning work has accomplished in the courtroom setting – “they are trusting in a transaction they have made”, Paul Washer said – yea, rather, let the believer look, not to a transaction, only, but let his focus turn to the Person to whom they are reconciled to on the basis of that transaction’s success, and therefore let the assurance of the believer come from the consequential fruits which exist when walking in friendship with the living presence Jesus Christ. When salvation is viewed in the fullest spectrum attested to by inspired scripture it is made very clear: transacted titles of redemption and potential legal repercussions revolve around the Living Person of Christ who is eminently involved in every step of salvation (1 Cor. 1:9). Please let me explain.
“Looking Unto Jesus” – Heb. 12:2
“For the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our Lawgiver, the LORD is our King; He will save us.” – Isaiah 33:22 |
--> The Great Stillness of Seemingly Unsettling Doctrines: Jesus Christ is my Eternal Security
--> Beware of False Peace by Oversimplifying the Legal Processes of Salvation
--> Beware of False Peace by Oversimplifying the Legal Processes of Salvation
The attributes of redemption are not experienced as a result of legal processes, merely, but a Person who has become the Judge (John 5:22), the Lawyer (Rom. 8:34, 1 Tim.2:5), the Advocate (1 John 2:1), and the Law (Rom. 8:2). It is easy for us to diminish our salvation into legal processes because our redemption is explained to us through such terms, but we do greatly err, my brethren, if we humanize the heavenliness or earth-a-tize the otherworldliness of our redemption. Doing this, we will force confinements upon the attributes of redemption based upon our own worldly wisdom, earthly logic, or human philosophy.
“When what I love to hear is, ‘I’m looking unto Him! I’m looking unto Him, and would be terrified to take my eyes off of Him! I’m looking unto Jesus!” – Paul Washer
Our salvation is described by the legal processes: justification by faith (Rom. 3:24, Eph. 2:8-9) and imputed righteousness (2 Cor. 5:19). As a result of the aforementioned legal processes, lifestyles change. Lifestyles of humanity which otherwise could not have been lived, are now accessible, and these lifestyles are, yet again, described in the legal terms: justification by works (James 2:21-24), works righteousness (1 Cor. 6:9-10, Rom. 8:4, Eph. 2:10, Rev. 2:2, 5, 9, 13-14, 19-20, 23, 26, 3:1-2, 8, 15), the surety of final perseverance (Php. 1:6, Heb. 10:39, Eph. 4:30), and the grounds of Eternal Life in its final inheritance (Gal. 4:7, Rom. 8:17, Lk. 21:34-36, Matt. 25:31-46, Lk. 12:35-48, 1 Tim. 6:17-19). The situation of Final Judgment is a vindicatory process whereby men are reckoned with according to their works, and these works do not merit salvation or damnation, no, but they evidence its presence or absence (Rom. 14:10, Acts 17:31, John 5:21-23, 1 Peter 4:5, 2 Tim. 4:1, Rev. 3:1-2); thus God, who must damn wicked men, is vindicated in the eternal sentence. In understanding this, we must be prepared for what God will do, my brethren, but are we? Does our doctrine even allow it? When looking at the circumstances of Final Judgment, scripturally speaking, there is an air of mystery over future verdicts – study the scriptures carefully and you will see this. This air of uncertainty over undecided verdicts gives the feeling that the case of our justification is not legally closed until the work of the gospel is legally finished; for indeed, the Kingdom of Christ has not been entirely established (If legal processes are unfinished it is because the gospel’s work in our lives is unfinished. Christ’s work on the cross is finished, but our faith in that work is not finished. There is coming a day when faith is no more, but that day is not now -1Cor.13:8-13). For more details regarding the preparatory terror of Final Judgment, see “A Pastor’s Sermons to Make Sure Biblical Mercy – Leave Them Terrified by Final Judgment” (chapter 25, section 8). With these principles properly understood, and more specifically, their relevance to legal justification, our attention is pointed to a Legal Dictator and Presiding Judge – one Man (Acts 17:31) – who lives and judges us today, tomorrow, and finally. This means that legal justification begins with, continues by, or ends because of its Presiding Governor; He that is seated upon the government under which justification was enacted (“the government shall be upon His shoulders”-Isa. 9:6).
The centrality of Jesus (that He is the Person of hand-on-hand involvement in all legal processes), reconciles earth-to-heaven logical inconsistencies which would be assumed by a mere courtroom setting. Justification by imputed righteousness is not a natural experience of humanity because, it is not an all-natural or all-human experience. Justification exists because a man has been supernaturally connected to Jesus Christ. He, being mysteriously unified with the Just One, does now live justified! And let us take note, justification exists in Christ. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1). Salvation is a Person we are inside of, and walking in, not a Person we are mysteriously unified with, but defying, in that we walk contrary to and against Him (Lev. 26:40-41). Let us turn and look from another angle, salvation in terms of Divine Nature and imputed righteousness.
The centrality of Jesus (that He is the Person of hand-on-hand involvement in all legal processes), reconciles earth-to-heaven logical inconsistencies which would be assumed by a mere courtroom setting. Justification by imputed righteousness is not a natural experience of humanity because, it is not an all-natural or all-human experience. Justification exists because a man has been supernaturally connected to Jesus Christ. He, being mysteriously unified with the Just One, does now live justified! And let us take note, justification exists in Christ. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1). Salvation is a Person we are inside of, and walking in, not a Person we are mysteriously unified with, but defying, in that we walk contrary to and against Him (Lev. 26:40-41). Let us turn and look from another angle, salvation in terms of Divine Nature and imputed righteousness.
“...precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the Divine nature” – 2 Pet. 1:4
As a normal human’s depraved nature continually inhibited righteousness and enslaved the soul to sin (“as sin hath reigned unto death”), even so, a new nature in Christ, which is called a “Divine nature”, continually inhibits sin and enslaves to righteousness (“even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life”-Rom.5:21). It is important to note: the “Divine nature” cannot be called a mere mechanism of law or rule, for it is not just a nature, alone, but a Person. Yes, a Person. Imputed righteousness is not some kind of soul-injection, like with a needle the body. It is not something that resides within the soul of a man like a cloud of vapor can reside within and hover around a non-ventilated room. It is not a cloud of gas which can be pointed to, to which a man might say, “Look, there it is!” It cannot be identified as an isolated entity in and of itself. No, imputed righteousness is an attribute of an Inhabiting Person who dwells within a man – “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jer. 23:6, 33:16) – therefore if righteousness is imputed into a man, verily, Jesus Christ indwelt that man. Righteousness is imputed within men by the indwelling of Jesus Christ, who is our righteousness. Imputed righteousness cannot exist in and of itself or by itself, and therefore it does not act, operate, or move within men like as a mechanism would that is operationally disconnected from the Person of God. This being the case, my reader, let us reckon the implications.
“And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. But if any man love God, the same is known of Him.” – 1 Corinthians 8:2-3
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“Eternal Life” is like “imputed righteousness” in that it is a present possession, doctrinally speaking. They both, like other attributes of redemption, are “something” that saints “have obtained” already (right now). These two things are not only promised to saints in the life to come, but they are presently possessed right now, scripturally speaking, in the life that exists right now. This is true, but let us remember that these “things” cannot be possessed by any person without those persons being possessed by the Person of God. Remembering this we can understand, it is not so much that we possess any attribute of redemption, but, rather, we are possessed by a Person who redeems. It is not so much that we are raised from spiritual death because some “magical” surge of energy made it so, but, rather, we are possessed by a Person who is The Resurrection. It is not so much that we “know anything” about God, but, rather, it is that we are known of God (1 Cor. 8:2-3). If you think you have eternal life or imputed righteousness, or if you think you possess them right now, and you say to me, “Listen, man… I know it’s so”, just because you are thinking that, by legal process, merely, your salvation is decided upon, you still do not know as you ought to know, oh man. You should say, rather, Eternal Life and Imputed Righteousness have possessed and known you.
My reader, there is not one single attribute of redemption that can be obtained, experienced, or enjoyed, as an isolated entity from all the other attributes of redemption. Our redemption is a Person – statement of fact – a Person in which all attributes of redemption exist, a Person in whom all attributes are enjoyed. Each attribute of redemption does not operate in any work of redemption in and of itself, nor can it. These things are not some spiritual pieces of machinery. Imputed righteousness cannot be sent to you from heaven like a missile launch is sent to a point of destination, for the missile - statement of fact - is a mechanism in and of itself. Because the missile is a mechanism in and of itself, the missile performs the operation of flying, exploding, and destroying. Imputed righteousness is an action, yes, and an operation, not of exploding and destroying but of quickening and regenerating, but unlike the missile it is not a mechanism deployed, isolated, and existent in and of itself. The imputation of righteousness is an act of God operated upon the soul of man. The Person of God – Jesus Christ – who feels, thinks, speaks, moves, directs, and decides, is inextricably connected to every operation of redemption. Redemption is performed by The Redeemer. Redemption begins based upon His “decision making”, it continues based upon His “decision making”, and it ends based upon His “decision making”. Jesus Christ is the “deciding factor” and The Decision Maker for all the experiences of redemption. He begins, progressively continues, and finishes the work of salvation, personally, and based upon His choice of action He can end salvation. If, at any time, the work of salvation is compromised, it is compromised based upon the decision of Christ who is our salvation. If salvation ever ceased to exist as an availability to any man, Christ ceased to possess, live through, and walk in the human soul of that man. You can lose your justification just as your received it, because as Christ entered into you He can leave you. Jesus Christ is the in-the-moment application of relevant doctrinal concepts or relevant scriptural commandments which are movable according to individual circumstances. As a result: imputed righteousness (Eph. 2:8-9) cannot be disconnected and doctrinally amputated from works of righteousness (Eph. 2:10), and so also, justification by faith (Rom. 4:1-25) cannot be doctrinally amputated from justification by works (James 2:14-26).
My reader, there is not one single attribute of redemption that can be obtained, experienced, or enjoyed, as an isolated entity from all the other attributes of redemption. Our redemption is a Person – statement of fact – a Person in which all attributes of redemption exist, a Person in whom all attributes are enjoyed. Each attribute of redemption does not operate in any work of redemption in and of itself, nor can it. These things are not some spiritual pieces of machinery. Imputed righteousness cannot be sent to you from heaven like a missile launch is sent to a point of destination, for the missile - statement of fact - is a mechanism in and of itself. Because the missile is a mechanism in and of itself, the missile performs the operation of flying, exploding, and destroying. Imputed righteousness is an action, yes, and an operation, not of exploding and destroying but of quickening and regenerating, but unlike the missile it is not a mechanism deployed, isolated, and existent in and of itself. The imputation of righteousness is an act of God operated upon the soul of man. The Person of God – Jesus Christ – who feels, thinks, speaks, moves, directs, and decides, is inextricably connected to every operation of redemption. Redemption is performed by The Redeemer. Redemption begins based upon His “decision making”, it continues based upon His “decision making”, and it ends based upon His “decision making”. Jesus Christ is the “deciding factor” and The Decision Maker for all the experiences of redemption. He begins, progressively continues, and finishes the work of salvation, personally, and based upon His choice of action He can end salvation. If, at any time, the work of salvation is compromised, it is compromised based upon the decision of Christ who is our salvation. If salvation ever ceased to exist as an availability to any man, Christ ceased to possess, live through, and walk in the human soul of that man. You can lose your justification just as your received it, because as Christ entered into you He can leave you. Jesus Christ is the in-the-moment application of relevant doctrinal concepts or relevant scriptural commandments which are movable according to individual circumstances. As a result: imputed righteousness (Eph. 2:8-9) cannot be disconnected and doctrinally amputated from works of righteousness (Eph. 2:10), and so also, justification by faith (Rom. 4:1-25) cannot be doctrinally amputated from justification by works (James 2:14-26).
Jesus Christ is the Mind, Method, and Mechanism of Salvation
glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:17-18) – light to light (Prov. 4:18) – strength to strength (Ps. 84:7)
OR
glory to shame – light to darkness – strength to weakness
glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:17-18) – light to light (Prov. 4:18) – strength to strength (Ps. 84:7)
OR
glory to shame – light to darkness – strength to weakness
Justification is a Person. This Person is the Life, the Light, and the canopy of blood-covering under which all the saints reside in present-continuous cleansing from all sin. Why? Because, namely, Jesus Christ hates sin, destroys sin (1 John 3:8), provides escape from sin (1 Cor. 10:13), leads men away from the temptations of sin (Matt. 6:13), and provides protection, security, and unconquerable shelter from the dangers of sin (1 Cor. 1:8-9, Php. 1:6, 1 Thess. 5:24-25). Approaching this question, “why”, in doctrinal language, one might say, the same answer would be: Christians experience a present-continuous cleansing from all sin because there is a present-continuous, habitual, Divine-nature-inspired, impulsive, simultaneous and reactionary, faith-filled and Spirit-empowered repentance from all cognizant sins committed. This Christian experience is “the experience” of salvation; justification begun and justification complete (Rom. 4:2-8, James 2:20-26) via faith begun and faith complete (Heb. 12:2). This is the experience of those who walk “the Narrow Way” (Matt. 7:14) - His name is Jesus and He is “The Way” (John 14:6) - and those whose feet take hold on this pathway do walk in “His steps” (1 Pet. 2:21). Salvation is God’s work done upon mankind (Eph. 2:10), and when they are thus wrought upon it works, therefore Jesus takes ownership saying, “My works” (Rev. 2:26). In other words this experience is alive: it is called the “Living Way” (Heb. 10:20). This experience is of hope (Rom. 8:24): “A Lively Hope” (1 Pet. 1:3). This experience is through the word being preached (Rom. 10:17, 1 Cor. 1:21): the Living Word (John 1:1, Heb. 4:12, Rev. 19:13). This experience is through the gospel being proclaimed: preaching “Jesus” (Acts 8:35), the God-Man from Nazareth.
This religion is alive, it is a Living Salvation, it is a literal man-to-God reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:17-21), and deeper, it is man-to-God union in the Person of Christ (John 17:20-26) – Jesus Christ – therefore the Lord decides “when sins”, “what sins”, and “how many sins” are made known to each individual’s conscience. Of all the multitudes of sins which saints commit all the time, every day - the Lord - who is The Author of our salvation, selectively chooses “what sins” He is presently enabling each individual to be aware of and overcome. If Christ opens the door, in other words, He expects us to walk through it…in Him. If Christ is speaking to you about some illuminating gloriousness of His grace, practically speaking, in the saving work of your present-continuous sanctification, this means that He is allotting to your soul a proportion of faith by which, in turn, you are enabled to discover more mysteries of iniquity which were formerly inhibiting your greater conformity to Christ, and He did this, as well, according to the proportion of God-empowered discoveries granted in the mysteries of godliness (this is because the mysteries of godliness do solve and diffuse the mysteriousness of sin, speaking peace to the destructive attack waged upon the soul -1 Pet. 2:11), and thus the man walks with and in Christ who is salvation. Scripture elaborates upon Christ’s decision-making as the central factor which changes “when sins”, “what sins”, and “how many sins” are brought to the awareness of the conscience, that it is consistent with what glory of grace the saint is presently in, and, what glory of grace Christ is seeking to bring him into. Therefore Christ’s decision-making is dependent upon the individual’s grade-point in the school of God (their delinquency or maturity), scripture states. The Lord decides how much revelatory light, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of God is given to each individual concerning his personal and experiential dilemma involving sin, righteousness, and judgment. God decides… therefore in God’s Kingdom which is in our hearts, GOD is King. Like the wind, God is the ungovernable force which all men live and survive by: how it moves, when it blows, from where it comes from, and where it is going, we may be able to detect it, but we cannot predict it or direct it (John 3:3, 7-8, 11)! Likewise, also, a husbandman enriches soils, embeds precious seeds, and harvests the yield, “some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred” (Mark 4:20), but God, beyond the nourishing ministry of an earthly husbandman, nourishes from outside and inside the planting, therefore it is “God that giveth the increase” (1 Cor. 3:7). It is commanded of us in the light of these things being written, that man should not “think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Rom. 12:3).
An Immature Repentance Growing In Maturity
Jesus Christ, He is the Author of every individual’s sanctification (Heb. 5:8-9, 12:1-2). This means that He controls the progress and velocity of our course of salvation from “glory to glory” – the course in which you become increasingly more aware of sins you were previously unaware of, sins which you were committing the entire time of your Christian walk, yes, but now, in this certain point you have arrived at on the course of your sanctification, Jesus Christ brings to your consciousness sins committed in time past and sins being committed right now, and He does this with the intent that you, upon seeing this, would rise up into the grade-level which He expects you to rise into; which means, furthermore, upon the awareness of these newly-revealed sins there will be an impulsive and immediate repentance of them to some degree (an incomplete repentance which will grow, mature, and continually be “perfected”), and as God continues to reveal the workings of the sin within your soul, He couples it with the workings of righteousness, grace, salvation, and faith, yea, to a greater and greater degree, so that a greater and greater degree of repentance is being obtained as a greater and greater awareness of sin is being granted, thus, simultaneously, there is a greater and greater conformity to Christ being experienced, therefore, praise be to God, the brightness of the glory in which you then arrive into cannot be compared to the former light; a shining which now seems dull in comparison; a love which now seems like hatred; a self-sacrifice which now seems like the fatness of lethargy rolling over in bed!
The saints often feel this way when they enter into another glory of God’s amazing grace – it is a glory which they never knew existed before! The glory makes the saints glorify God, still now! Every day the glory sparkles with the luster of unfathomable awe! Preachers are fueled with undying passion because they ceaselessly re-discover a deeper and deeper meaning of “amazing grace”, for they, like all Christians who are savingly related to Christ, do ceaselessly walk into greater realms of glorious salvation whereby they are being “more and more” saved from inbred sin, “more and more” conformed to the Image of Christ. This experience is an answer to the saintly cry, “deeper yet, deeper yet, into the crimson flood; deeper yet, deeper yet, under the precious blood”! My reader, this experience is joy unspeakable (1 Pet. 1:8) far beyond the hallelujahs of the “first love” and “first works” which existed at salvation’s nativity (Rev. 2:4-5)! When this new-found-glory of God’s grace does so suddenly envelope the soul, it is so reality-altering and so life-changing, it is like a sudden exit from the earth’s particle-packed atmosphere, a sudden launching into freedom, if you will, into the unfathomable velocities of outer-space escapades, and all the former glories of grace – however unfathomably glorious they were – do then shine with a luster that is dull in comparison.
This religion is alive, it is a Living Salvation, it is a literal man-to-God reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:17-21), and deeper, it is man-to-God union in the Person of Christ (John 17:20-26) – Jesus Christ – therefore the Lord decides “when sins”, “what sins”, and “how many sins” are made known to each individual’s conscience. Of all the multitudes of sins which saints commit all the time, every day - the Lord - who is The Author of our salvation, selectively chooses “what sins” He is presently enabling each individual to be aware of and overcome. If Christ opens the door, in other words, He expects us to walk through it…in Him. If Christ is speaking to you about some illuminating gloriousness of His grace, practically speaking, in the saving work of your present-continuous sanctification, this means that He is allotting to your soul a proportion of faith by which, in turn, you are enabled to discover more mysteries of iniquity which were formerly inhibiting your greater conformity to Christ, and He did this, as well, according to the proportion of God-empowered discoveries granted in the mysteries of godliness (this is because the mysteries of godliness do solve and diffuse the mysteriousness of sin, speaking peace to the destructive attack waged upon the soul -1 Pet. 2:11), and thus the man walks with and in Christ who is salvation. Scripture elaborates upon Christ’s decision-making as the central factor which changes “when sins”, “what sins”, and “how many sins” are brought to the awareness of the conscience, that it is consistent with what glory of grace the saint is presently in, and, what glory of grace Christ is seeking to bring him into. Therefore Christ’s decision-making is dependent upon the individual’s grade-point in the school of God (their delinquency or maturity), scripture states. The Lord decides how much revelatory light, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of God is given to each individual concerning his personal and experiential dilemma involving sin, righteousness, and judgment. God decides… therefore in God’s Kingdom which is in our hearts, GOD is King. Like the wind, God is the ungovernable force which all men live and survive by: how it moves, when it blows, from where it comes from, and where it is going, we may be able to detect it, but we cannot predict it or direct it (John 3:3, 7-8, 11)! Likewise, also, a husbandman enriches soils, embeds precious seeds, and harvests the yield, “some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred” (Mark 4:20), but God, beyond the nourishing ministry of an earthly husbandman, nourishes from outside and inside the planting, therefore it is “God that giveth the increase” (1 Cor. 3:7). It is commanded of us in the light of these things being written, that man should not “think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Rom. 12:3).
An Immature Repentance Growing In Maturity
Jesus Christ, He is the Author of every individual’s sanctification (Heb. 5:8-9, 12:1-2). This means that He controls the progress and velocity of our course of salvation from “glory to glory” – the course in which you become increasingly more aware of sins you were previously unaware of, sins which you were committing the entire time of your Christian walk, yes, but now, in this certain point you have arrived at on the course of your sanctification, Jesus Christ brings to your consciousness sins committed in time past and sins being committed right now, and He does this with the intent that you, upon seeing this, would rise up into the grade-level which He expects you to rise into; which means, furthermore, upon the awareness of these newly-revealed sins there will be an impulsive and immediate repentance of them to some degree (an incomplete repentance which will grow, mature, and continually be “perfected”), and as God continues to reveal the workings of the sin within your soul, He couples it with the workings of righteousness, grace, salvation, and faith, yea, to a greater and greater degree, so that a greater and greater degree of repentance is being obtained as a greater and greater awareness of sin is being granted, thus, simultaneously, there is a greater and greater conformity to Christ being experienced, therefore, praise be to God, the brightness of the glory in which you then arrive into cannot be compared to the former light; a shining which now seems dull in comparison; a love which now seems like hatred; a self-sacrifice which now seems like the fatness of lethargy rolling over in bed!
The saints often feel this way when they enter into another glory of God’s amazing grace – it is a glory which they never knew existed before! The glory makes the saints glorify God, still now! Every day the glory sparkles with the luster of unfathomable awe! Preachers are fueled with undying passion because they ceaselessly re-discover a deeper and deeper meaning of “amazing grace”, for they, like all Christians who are savingly related to Christ, do ceaselessly walk into greater realms of glorious salvation whereby they are being “more and more” saved from inbred sin, “more and more” conformed to the Image of Christ. This experience is an answer to the saintly cry, “deeper yet, deeper yet, into the crimson flood; deeper yet, deeper yet, under the precious blood”! My reader, this experience is joy unspeakable (1 Pet. 1:8) far beyond the hallelujahs of the “first love” and “first works” which existed at salvation’s nativity (Rev. 2:4-5)! When this new-found-glory of God’s grace does so suddenly envelope the soul, it is so reality-altering and so life-changing, it is like a sudden exit from the earth’s particle-packed atmosphere, a sudden launching into freedom, if you will, into the unfathomable velocities of outer-space escapades, and all the former glories of grace – however unfathomably glorious they were – do then shine with a luster that is dull in comparison.
Sanctification: “A course” whereupon two kinds of sin are committed, (1) those forgiven without repentance and (2) those forgiven with repentance. God decides which sins do and do not need to be repented of, based upon what is revealed to the conscience of each believer. To understand the truthfulness of this statement, one must have a biblical definition of sin in the light of God’s sinless perfection.
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Things get very confusing when people re-define “what sin is”, like John Wesley did. This results in people preaching biblical phrases in application to non-biblical scenarios, which usually involves a non-biblical definition of sin. What we need to understand and agree upon together is: Firstly, there are an innumerable amount of sins which saints commit every day, yes, but these sins are unknowingly committed, and because they are unknowingly committed they are forgiven without repentance, and secondarily, sins that remain unforgiven until repentance are sins committed knowingly and “wilfully” (Heb. 10:26). A man cannot repent of sin he does not know he is committing, therefore sins that are forgiven without repentance are sins committed unknowingly and un-wilfully.
Sin is transgression of the law (1 Jn. 3:4), yes, but the essence behind the law, or, the essence which the law exists to express, is the sinless character and personality of God. For this reason sin is described as, not transgression of the law, only, but “coming short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). The glory of God is, “sinless perfection”. Therefore as much as we are coming short of expressing a perfect representation of Christ on earth – how he thinks, feels, speaks, and acts at all times – in this much we are, therefore, in sin. This is, as stated before, an innumerable amount of sins committed, all the time, every day. The way that people can be confused is, because salvation is said to be glorious, they fail to see what gloriousness is still lacking in our present experience of salvation; because salvation is said to be based upon the finished work of Christ, they fail to see what remains unfinished in our experience of salvation (i.e. our faith, our practical and experiential salvation from all sin, etc.); because salvation is said to be a light, they fail to see what darkness still remains in comparison to the light that will eventually shine at the consummation of salvation. Men, in other words, don’t understand how our salvation as regenerated individuals is yet, unfinished, and therefore its consummating finish is yet to be revealed from heaven at the second coming of Christ (1 Pet. 1:5)! My reader, look at how pervasive this biblical mindset is:
· Adopted now (Rom. 8:15) – Consummating Adoption to come (Rom. 8:23)
· Redeemed now (1 Cor. 1:30) – Consummating Redemption to come (Php. 3:14, Rom. 8:23).
· Regeneration now (Titus 3:5) – Consummating Regeneration to come (Rom. 8:18-21, Php. 3:12-14)
· Kingdom within you now (Lk. 17:21, Col. 1:13, Eph. 2:6) – Consummating Kingdom to come (2 Tim. 4:1, Rev. 3:21)
· On Mount Zion now (Heb. 12:22) – Consummating ascent upon Mount Zion to come (Rev. 14:1-5)
· Resurrection now (Rom. 6:4) – Consummating Resurrection to come (1 Cor. 15:50)
· Eternal Life now (1 John 3:15, 5:12-13) – Consummating Eternal Life to come (2 Cor. 5:1-4, 1 Tim. 6:12)
· Overcoming power now (Eph. 2:5, 1 John 5:4) – Consummating Overcoming power to come (1 Cor. 15:54-57)
· Defeat of Death now (Rom. 8:2, 6, Eph. 2:5) – Consummating Defeat of Death to come (1 Cor. 15:54-57)
· In the Light now (Eph. 5:8) – Consummating, Eternal Day of Light to come (Prov. 4:18, 2 Peter 1:19, Rev. 21:23-25)
· Seeing God now (2 Cor. 3:17-18, 1 Cor. 13:12, Heb. 11:27) – Consummating revelatory sight to come (1 John 3:2)
· Perfect Now (Heb. 10:14) – Consummating Perfection to come (Php. 3:12, 1 Cor. 13:10, Prov. 4:18)
· “As He is” now (1 John 4:17) – Consummating conformity, “as He is” in glory, to come (1 John 3:2, Rev. 2:27)
· Knowing Him now (1 John 2:4, John 17:3) – Consummating knowing, “even as also I am known” to come (1 Cor. 13:12)
· Elect now (2 Jn. 1:1, 13, 1 Pet. 1:2) – Consummating Election to come (2 Peter 1:10)
· Called now (1 Cor. 1:26) – Consummating Calling to come (Php. 3:14)
· Chosen now (1 Peter 2:9) – Consummating Choice to come (Matt. 22:14, Rev. 17:14)
Not in this language only, but in a plethora of other terms and phrases, likewise, salvation is separated and explained in differing stages of experience:
Sin is transgression of the law (1 Jn. 3:4), yes, but the essence behind the law, or, the essence which the law exists to express, is the sinless character and personality of God. For this reason sin is described as, not transgression of the law, only, but “coming short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). The glory of God is, “sinless perfection”. Therefore as much as we are coming short of expressing a perfect representation of Christ on earth – how he thinks, feels, speaks, and acts at all times – in this much we are, therefore, in sin. This is, as stated before, an innumerable amount of sins committed, all the time, every day. The way that people can be confused is, because salvation is said to be glorious, they fail to see what gloriousness is still lacking in our present experience of salvation; because salvation is said to be based upon the finished work of Christ, they fail to see what remains unfinished in our experience of salvation (i.e. our faith, our practical and experiential salvation from all sin, etc.); because salvation is said to be a light, they fail to see what darkness still remains in comparison to the light that will eventually shine at the consummation of salvation. Men, in other words, don’t understand how our salvation as regenerated individuals is yet, unfinished, and therefore its consummating finish is yet to be revealed from heaven at the second coming of Christ (1 Pet. 1:5)! My reader, look at how pervasive this biblical mindset is:
· Adopted now (Rom. 8:15) – Consummating Adoption to come (Rom. 8:23)
· Redeemed now (1 Cor. 1:30) – Consummating Redemption to come (Php. 3:14, Rom. 8:23).
· Regeneration now (Titus 3:5) – Consummating Regeneration to come (Rom. 8:18-21, Php. 3:12-14)
· Kingdom within you now (Lk. 17:21, Col. 1:13, Eph. 2:6) – Consummating Kingdom to come (2 Tim. 4:1, Rev. 3:21)
· On Mount Zion now (Heb. 12:22) – Consummating ascent upon Mount Zion to come (Rev. 14:1-5)
· Resurrection now (Rom. 6:4) – Consummating Resurrection to come (1 Cor. 15:50)
· Eternal Life now (1 John 3:15, 5:12-13) – Consummating Eternal Life to come (2 Cor. 5:1-4, 1 Tim. 6:12)
· Overcoming power now (Eph. 2:5, 1 John 5:4) – Consummating Overcoming power to come (1 Cor. 15:54-57)
· Defeat of Death now (Rom. 8:2, 6, Eph. 2:5) – Consummating Defeat of Death to come (1 Cor. 15:54-57)
· In the Light now (Eph. 5:8) – Consummating, Eternal Day of Light to come (Prov. 4:18, 2 Peter 1:19, Rev. 21:23-25)
· Seeing God now (2 Cor. 3:17-18, 1 Cor. 13:12, Heb. 11:27) – Consummating revelatory sight to come (1 John 3:2)
· Perfect Now (Heb. 10:14) – Consummating Perfection to come (Php. 3:12, 1 Cor. 13:10, Prov. 4:18)
· “As He is” now (1 John 4:17) – Consummating conformity, “as He is” in glory, to come (1 John 3:2, Rev. 2:27)
· Knowing Him now (1 John 2:4, John 17:3) – Consummating knowing, “even as also I am known” to come (1 Cor. 13:12)
· Elect now (2 Jn. 1:1, 13, 1 Pet. 1:2) – Consummating Election to come (2 Peter 1:10)
· Called now (1 Cor. 1:26) – Consummating Calling to come (Php. 3:14)
· Chosen now (1 Peter 2:9) – Consummating Choice to come (Matt. 22:14, Rev. 17:14)
Not in this language only, but in a plethora of other terms and phrases, likewise, salvation is separated and explained in differing stages of experience:
Salvation has brought us into a great glory, yes, but it is a starkly diminished expression of glory in comparison to the actual Image of God’s glory. Like the brightness of sunlight lacks its blinding power at the break of dawn, that is, because the light passes through the elements of the earth’s atmosphere and is thus diminished, therefore the light which can be seen at sunrise is not perfectly representing the brightness of the light which actually exists. Even so, likewise, it is with saints. We, being glorified in the light of salvation through Christ, are saved, and it is because the light of God’s Image shined upon us through Christ, but this light in which we do presently bask in is incredibly diminished from the brightness of its strength. The light in which we do bask in and reflect abroad is, “so great salvation” (Heb. 2:3), nevertheless its existence is but “in part” (1 Cor. 13:10), an image “darkly” representative to the brightness that lies beyond the skies (1 Cor. 13:12), therefore the light which is wholly and entirely God – without condescension – is a Light inexpressible, unapproachable, and deadly in glory, “the Light which no man can approach unto” (1 Tim. 6:16)! Our light-expression of God can be called “weakness” (1 Cor. 15:43), “dishonour” (1 Cor. 15:43), and even darkness compared to the Light which eternally, everlastingly, unchangingly, and always is I AM. We express a glory of God, yes, a glory which increases its brightness as much as we are increasingly being conformed to the Image of Christ shining upon us, and therefore more and more, drawing nearer and nearer to “the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23), more and more darkness (sin) is vanquished, which is because of a greater and greater glory of light which does shine (the sin-destroying face of Christ), and therefore the chasm of distance between us and “the glory of God” is diminished, though it be but a nanometer of space. Our sanctification, like a sunrise, climbs to its highest glory-peak, called noonday. This is representative of sanctification’s increasing progress, getting brighter and brighter, until finally noonday arrives! This noonday is “The Day” promised to us, the “Perfect Day” (Prov. 4:18), a Day in which we will be sinlessly and perfectly conformed to the Image of Christ! This means that we will exactly represent His Person and character, being entirely dominated by His glory, and relishing in the gladness therein, having finally arrived thereto: “the glory of God” in “the Perfect Day” (Rom. 3:23, Prov. 4:18, John 17:21-26, 1 Cor. 13:9-12, 1 John 3:2)! Have you ever seen your little ones happily play in the noonday sun? What a scene it will be.
There are a set of peculiar sins which Christ is revealing to each individual consistent with the course upon which their feet are set a-running (i.e. “my course”-Acts 20:24, 2 Tim. 4:7). The speed in which each individual is running (according to their God-given assignment of grace –Rom. 12:3) determines the specific location at which they have arrived at, for they are running along, you see, the pathways yonder which salvation brings in view, which, in other words, brings before the soul greater and more glorious sceneries of saving grace, sceneries which could not have been seen, formerly, had they not reached the proper education-glory-grade (“glory to glory”-2 Cor. 3:17-18), so to speak, in the glory-grade-school of God – the Professor – who organizes each individual’s curriculum according to the proportion of their gifting in grace (to the “younger” and the “elder” accordingly, “some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred”-1 Pet. 5:5-6, Mk. 4:20); thus the individual is progressively moving down the course of present-continuous sanctification (Php. 2:12-13).
There are a set of peculiar sins which Christ is revealing to each individual consistent with the course upon which their feet are set a-running (i.e. “my course”-Acts 20:24, 2 Tim. 4:7). The speed in which each individual is running (according to their God-given assignment of grace –Rom. 12:3) determines the specific location at which they have arrived at, for they are running along, you see, the pathways yonder which salvation brings in view, which, in other words, brings before the soul greater and more glorious sceneries of saving grace, sceneries which could not have been seen, formerly, had they not reached the proper education-glory-grade (“glory to glory”-2 Cor. 3:17-18), so to speak, in the glory-grade-school of God – the Professor – who organizes each individual’s curriculum according to the proportion of their gifting in grace (to the “younger” and the “elder” accordingly, “some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred”-1 Pet. 5:5-6, Mk. 4:20); thus the individual is progressively moving down the course of present-continuous sanctification (Php. 2:12-13).
Non-Damnable Sin, Non-Damnable Backsliding, & Non-Damnable Wavering
In the light of this course, you see, there exists mild forms of backsliding where a greater and greater degree of repentance and faith are sought after, and in the fight one totters, it seems, forward and backward, but it is to a non-damnable wavering. This is the experience of non-damnable sin in the process of sanctification – therein doubts and double-mindedness exist concerning what sin is being committed, exactly, and what is repentance of that sin, exactly, and what would it look like to be free from that sin, exactly. The sins that hinder a greater glory do hinder by way of deceiving the individual so that he is not exactly aware of when sin began, what it is, and how to stop it, but he knows he is committing sin! He feels it is apparent that he is sinning, but he feels it is an unidentified practice. “I know that the way of man is not in himself”, Jeremiah said (Jer. 10:23). Of what the saint knows, he is utterly repenting of with habitual persistency, thus he is still abiding in the saving grace of Jesus the Savior. Through saving grace, the feeling of wavering and violently wrestling to “go on with GOD” is one of surging emotion, up-lifted prayers, and ever-renewing resolutions – “deeper yet, deeper yet, into the crimson flood”. Yes, and it is also filled with glorious orations and prophetic declarations like: “I have found the strength and sweetness, of abiding ‘neath the blood; I have lost myself in Jesus, I am sinking into God”!
In such a process of sanctification, all former glories lose their darling grip upon the heart, and upon their experience (i.e. the former glories) through mild forms of backsliding, alas, they leave the soul unsatisfied, unfilled, and thirsty for MORE of CHRIST! The former glories shine with lights that seem dull in comparison to the latter lights because, specifically speaking, the sensitivity to and consciousness of sins committed during the former glory is so heightened that now, the spiritual mind has been renewed into a greater maturity. Now, the sins formerly committed are so apparently disgusting. Now, the greater repentance that seemed unattainable is so naturally enjoyed. Now, with a matured, aged, and enlightened spiritual mind, looking back at former glories feels like compromise, like grievous error, for with the sins so apparently visible it is as if filthy stains smear across the whole course! So hideously pervasive the unseen sin was, and then, so suddenly it is seen, the feeling of guilt can feel as pervasive as the ugly monster! At such times the saints can feel as though they have been in sin the ENTIRE duration of their regenerated walk with Christ…and, my reader, they have been! But the only difference is, they have now been made aware of these sins. God was not marking these sins against them, this is clear, otherwise they would have lost saving-fellowship with God. Unmarked sin is committed with no consequence of imputation, which means no consequence of spiritual death (James 1:13-15), which means no alteration of spiritual fellowship with God. The evidence that such sins are not marked by God is that they exist without imputation to the man. This means that his legal standing before God was never altered from the position of justification. If his standing of justification was compromised he would be guilty, and the man, being legally held in the guilt of unforgiven sin, would feel as though his sin is keeping him from saving fellowship with God. At such a time, my reader, it is! The saving fellowship that this man once enjoyed with God was never interrupted before, that is, with non-damnable sin, but in this case sin is imputed, legal guilt is enacted, and the saving Light which shined from God’s face is turned away. So much the rather, on the contrary, when sanctification takes its proper course, the Light in which saints have been fellowshipping in does increase in its brightness, which, by necessity, vanquishes formerly unseen shades of darkness!
A non-damnable backsliding is, wavering from a greater glory of grace back into a former glory of grace, then arising again into a greater glory of grace again… thus the battle rages on! This is not backsliding of the damnable kind, though logically speaking it can be called “backsliding”. We must be careful because biblical phraseology uses “backsliding” as a damnable offence. If sanctification is compromised then salvation is compromised. The process of sanctification is a constant progress: a growth (2 Pet. 3:17-18), an increasing (1 Thess. 3:12, 4:10, Eph. 4:16, Col. 2:19, 1 Cor. 3:6-7), and an abounding (2 Pet. 1:5-11); it is “The Pilgrim’s Progress”. At the point of sanctification’s interruption it can be said, the constancy of spiritual growth, spiritual increasing, and spiritual maturity evidenced by abounding fruitfulness has been interrupted (2 Pet. 1:8). At this interruption, then, the formation of Christ’s image within the individual is degenerated into an unformed, incomplete, imperfect, distorted, and drunken expression of who Christ is. This means the man is not representing who Christ is, but rather, blasphemously misrepresenting Him. This is Temple-defiling and Name-betraying behavior before God!
In such a process of sanctification, all former glories lose their darling grip upon the heart, and upon their experience (i.e. the former glories) through mild forms of backsliding, alas, they leave the soul unsatisfied, unfilled, and thirsty for MORE of CHRIST! The former glories shine with lights that seem dull in comparison to the latter lights because, specifically speaking, the sensitivity to and consciousness of sins committed during the former glory is so heightened that now, the spiritual mind has been renewed into a greater maturity. Now, the sins formerly committed are so apparently disgusting. Now, the greater repentance that seemed unattainable is so naturally enjoyed. Now, with a matured, aged, and enlightened spiritual mind, looking back at former glories feels like compromise, like grievous error, for with the sins so apparently visible it is as if filthy stains smear across the whole course! So hideously pervasive the unseen sin was, and then, so suddenly it is seen, the feeling of guilt can feel as pervasive as the ugly monster! At such times the saints can feel as though they have been in sin the ENTIRE duration of their regenerated walk with Christ…and, my reader, they have been! But the only difference is, they have now been made aware of these sins. God was not marking these sins against them, this is clear, otherwise they would have lost saving-fellowship with God. Unmarked sin is committed with no consequence of imputation, which means no consequence of spiritual death (James 1:13-15), which means no alteration of spiritual fellowship with God. The evidence that such sins are not marked by God is that they exist without imputation to the man. This means that his legal standing before God was never altered from the position of justification. If his standing of justification was compromised he would be guilty, and the man, being legally held in the guilt of unforgiven sin, would feel as though his sin is keeping him from saving fellowship with God. At such a time, my reader, it is! The saving fellowship that this man once enjoyed with God was never interrupted before, that is, with non-damnable sin, but in this case sin is imputed, legal guilt is enacted, and the saving Light which shined from God’s face is turned away. So much the rather, on the contrary, when sanctification takes its proper course, the Light in which saints have been fellowshipping in does increase in its brightness, which, by necessity, vanquishes formerly unseen shades of darkness!
A non-damnable backsliding is, wavering from a greater glory of grace back into a former glory of grace, then arising again into a greater glory of grace again… thus the battle rages on! This is not backsliding of the damnable kind, though logically speaking it can be called “backsliding”. We must be careful because biblical phraseology uses “backsliding” as a damnable offence. If sanctification is compromised then salvation is compromised. The process of sanctification is a constant progress: a growth (2 Pet. 3:17-18), an increasing (1 Thess. 3:12, 4:10, Eph. 4:16, Col. 2:19, 1 Cor. 3:6-7), and an abounding (2 Pet. 1:5-11); it is “The Pilgrim’s Progress”. At the point of sanctification’s interruption it can be said, the constancy of spiritual growth, spiritual increasing, and spiritual maturity evidenced by abounding fruitfulness has been interrupted (2 Pet. 1:8). At this interruption, then, the formation of Christ’s image within the individual is degenerated into an unformed, incomplete, imperfect, distorted, and drunken expression of who Christ is. This means the man is not representing who Christ is, but rather, blasphemously misrepresenting Him. This is Temple-defiling and Name-betraying behavior before God!
Avoiding Extremes
(1) The Loss of Assurance Through Un-Biblical Standards of Strictness:A lingering feeling of assurance lost can intermittently happen to a saint who is “running well”, for as he is running the course of sanctification, the sudden entrance into another glory of grace can violently awaken formerly lifeless spiritual sensations, thus conviction of sin and perceptions of righteousness are so enlarged before your eyes that you, from henceforth, experience saving faith differently than others. Your saving faith which at the beginning – accessing the resurrection-powers of life over death – has become all the more relevant to your lifestyle now because the inner and outer workings of death which stand in your way is a greater host to defeat (being all the more conscious of formerly unknown sin); therefore, it is all the more life-altering a faith, or, it is all the more life-altering a victory (“faith is the victory”-1Jn.5:4), because a victory here expresses a greater conformity to Christ. You have arrived to a conflict of greater conformity to Christ, therefore for you to live in Christ as opposed to others, or for you to access and walk in the resurrection-powers which enable the victory of life over death, it is all the more sin-conquering and Christ-shining than before. Reckoning with these new realities as they suddenly burst upon the soul, can be difficult and disorienting. When unlearned in the scriptures and accused by demonic spirits, one can become confused over what yield of fruitfulness the Husbandman is demanding. The fruit that the Husbandman expects is only what the saint is legally bound to produce, and this bounty is proportionately different depending upon the “measure of faith” (Rom. 12:3) and the knowledge of God each saint possesses. A disorienting feeling can ensue when all the attributes of redemption do shine brighter and all sins previously and presently committed do feel darker, but let God have his way and He will focus the discombobulating haze. Rest assured, “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16)! Rest assured, Jesus Christ is with you and He will help you. Jesus Christ is the wave-stilling force which ends any storm of spiritual disorientation. He orients His saints back in good-standing with Himself by hand-to-hand contact, praise God! “And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him” (Matt. 14:30-31)! We must not trust in a transaction as the security of our salvation, but in the Living Person of Christ! The Person of Christ is the great leveler of formerly insurmountable mountains that impede our course, shall He not also give us a sound mind about what fruits we are required to yield, individually speaking (i.e. “some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred”-Mk.4:20)? “And thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21)!
(2) The Assurance “Never-Lost” Through Un-Biblical Standards of Looseness:Un-biblical standards of strictness can cause a lingering feeling of assurance lost, but I find that Calvinists do, for the most part, walk the contrary road: being deceived by un-biblical standards of lasciviousness – this causes, (1) an oblivion over the fact that regenerated men can “fall from grace” at all (even temporarily), (2) a failure to study and reckon the fruits whereby men might discover that they, as regenerated men, have not fallen from the experience of saving grace presently and progressively, (3) therefore these men, lacking these two disciplines, are lulled asleep – having lost all sense of need for a watchful godly fear and self-introspection of the righteous sort, the saints fail to “take heed to” what they are commanded to heed, and thus FALL (1 Cor. 10:12, Heb. 12:28-29); they fail to prepare for Christ’s coming and thus, are found unready (2 Cor. 5:9-11, Heb. 4:11, Luke 12:35-40, 21:34-36, Matt. 22:1-14, Rev. 19:7, 1 Cor. 9:27)! It is a terrifying thing that, nowadays, Calvinists are “so sure” of their election (Rom. 9:16) that they fail to “make it sure” (2 Pet. 1:10)! It was the dying cry of the apostle Peter that saints would make their election sure (2 Pet. 1:12-15)! Testing the sureness of our assurance is of dire NECESSITY! For because of a supposed surety, thereby men fail to make it sure, and by a supposed security, thereby men become eternally insecure! God help us! Help us to balance all the teachings of Thy word!
(2) The Assurance “Never-Lost” Through Un-Biblical Standards of Looseness:Un-biblical standards of strictness can cause a lingering feeling of assurance lost, but I find that Calvinists do, for the most part, walk the contrary road: being deceived by un-biblical standards of lasciviousness – this causes, (1) an oblivion over the fact that regenerated men can “fall from grace” at all (even temporarily), (2) a failure to study and reckon the fruits whereby men might discover that they, as regenerated men, have not fallen from the experience of saving grace presently and progressively, (3) therefore these men, lacking these two disciplines, are lulled asleep – having lost all sense of need for a watchful godly fear and self-introspection of the righteous sort, the saints fail to “take heed to” what they are commanded to heed, and thus FALL (1 Cor. 10:12, Heb. 12:28-29); they fail to prepare for Christ’s coming and thus, are found unready (2 Cor. 5:9-11, Heb. 4:11, Luke 12:35-40, 21:34-36, Matt. 22:1-14, Rev. 19:7, 1 Cor. 9:27)! It is a terrifying thing that, nowadays, Calvinists are “so sure” of their election (Rom. 9:16) that they fail to “make it sure” (2 Pet. 1:10)! It was the dying cry of the apostle Peter that saints would make their election sure (2 Pet. 1:12-15)! Testing the sureness of our assurance is of dire NECESSITY! For because of a supposed surety, thereby men fail to make it sure, and by a supposed security, thereby men become eternally insecure! God help us! Help us to balance all the teachings of Thy word!
“I want a principle within of jealous, godly fear, A sensibility of sin, a pain to feel it near. I want the first approach to feel of pride or fond desire, To catch the wandering of my will, and quench the kindling fire. That I from thee no more may part, no more Thy goodness grieve, The filial awe, the fleshly heart, the tender conscience, give. Quick as the apple of an eye, O God, my conscience make! Awake my soul, when sin is nigh, and keep it still awake. If to the right or left I stray, that moment, Lord, reprove; And let me weep my life away, for having grieved Thy love: O may the least omission pain my well-instructed soul, And drive me to the blood again, which makes the wounded whole!” – Charles Wesley |
Correlating Verses
“Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” –Heb. 4:1, Num. 14:34
“Who in the day of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that He feared” –Heb. 5:7, Deut. 18:15-19 “And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake” –Heb. 12:18-21, Ex. 20:18-21 “Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a Consuming Fire.” –see Heb. 2:1-4, 10:26-29, 12:25-29 |
Below is a list of terms that a saint will become suddenly aware of, I believe, if he is not deceived in the aforementioned snare of “self-security” and “looseness”, and thus feeling some sense of mysterious responsibility he will, unlike others, learn the intricacies of saving grace as a regenerate man! A “godly fear” and a “sensibility to sin”, was Wesley’s cry, but is he the only one? This is the cry of every regenerated Christian who has not been lulled to sleep by “peace preachers”! Therefore I contend, without a coherency of the biblical terminology which is bulleted below, a man will be rendered witless and without ability to kill the foxes of his own vineyard… and how much more another man’s? Oh master of Israel, knowest thou not these things!?
John Wesley avoided the subtle grasps of this lasciviousness I am speaking of because he actually believed that he could “fall from grace”, he actually believed that he could become a castaway, and therefore he did what Paul said a man ought to do - “TAKE HEED” (1 Cor. 9:27-10:12). In so doing, Wesley learned to identify and articulate the intricacies whereby a regenerated man goes from “Grace to Sin”. John Wesley called it, “The unquestionable progress of Grace to Sin”. He believed it was a progressive thing not a sudden thing, by which a man falls from grace into a damnable condition – and he was right. My Calvinistic brethren, will you give John Wesley an ear for a moment? The Calvinistic community has, under the leadership and admirable efforts of Paul Washer, come to understand the intricacies in which a man goes from “Sin to Grace” at conversion. I applaud this work and give glory to God! But the Calvinistic community has failed to study the means by which a man goes from “Grace to Sin”! My friends, will you hear it? First, hear Wesley describe going from “Sin to Grace” at the experience of the new birth in Christ, and then my reader, please, hear him explain the progress of going from “Grace to Sin”.
From Sin to Grace – The Experience of the New Birth (John Wesley)
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“I. 1. First, we are to consider, what is the proper meaning of that expression, "Whosoever is born of God." And, in general, from all the passages of holy writ wherein this expression, "the being born of God," occurs, we may learn that it implies not barely the being baptized, or any outward change whatever; but a vast inward change, a change wrought in the soul, by the operation of the Holy Ghost; a change in the whole manner of our existence; for, from the moment we are born of God, we live in quite another manner than we did before; we are, as it were, in another world.
2. The ground and reason of the expression is easy to be understood. When we undergo this great change, we may, with much propriety, be said to be born again, because there is so near a resemblance between the circumstances of the natural and of the spiritual birth; so that to consider the circumstances of the natural birth, is the most easy way to understand the spiritual. |
3. The child which is not yet born subsists indeed by the air, as does everything which has life; but feels it not, nor any thing else, unless in a very dull and imperfect manner. It hears little, if at all; the organs of hearing being as yet closed up. It sees nothing; having its eyes fast shut, and being surrounded with utter darkness. There are, it may be, some faint beginnings of life, when the time of its birth draws nigh, and some motion consequent thereon, whereby it is distinguished from a mere mass of matter; but it has no senses; all these avenues of the soul are hitherto quite shut up. Of consequence, it has scarce any intercourse with this visible world; nor any knowledge, conception, or idea, of the things that occur therein.
4. The reason why he that is not yet born is wholly a stranger to the visible world, is, not because it is afar off; (it is very nigh; it surrounds him on every side;) but, partly, because he has not those senses, they are not yet opened in his soul, whereby alone it is possible to hold commerce with the material world; and partly, because so thick a veil is cast between, through which he can discern nothing. 5. But no sooner is the child born into the world, than he exists in a quite different manner. He now feels the air with which he is surrounded, and which pours into him from every side, as fast as he alternately breathes it back, to sustain the flame of life: And hence springs a continual increase of strength, of motion, and of sensation; all the bodily senses being now awakened, and furnished with their proper objects. His eyes are now opened to perceive the light, which, silently flowing in upon them, discovers not only itself, but an infinite variety of things, with which before he was wholly unacquainted. His ears are unclosed, and sounds rush in with endless diversity. Every sense is employed upon such objects as are peculiarly suitable to it; and by these inlets the soul, having an open intercourse with the visible world, acquires more and more knowledge of sensible things, of all the things which are under the sun. 6. So it is with him that is born of God. Before that great change is wrought, although he subsists by Him, in whom all that have life "live, and move, and have their being," yet he is not sensible of God; he does not feel, he has no inward consciousness of His presence. He does not perceive that divine breath of life, without which he cannot subsist a moment: Nor is he sensible of any of the things of God; they make no impression upon his soul. God is continually calling to him from on high, but he heareth not; his ears are shut, so that the "voice of the charmer" is lost to him, "charm he never so wisely," He seeth not the things of the Spirit of God; the eyes of his understanding being closed, and utter darkness covering his whole soul, surrounding him on every side. It is true he may have some faint dawnings of life, some small beginnings of spiritual motion; but as yet he has no spiritual senses capable of discerning spiritual objects; consequently, he "discerneth not the things of the Spirit of God; he cannot know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 7. Hence he has scarce any knowledge of the invisible world, as he has scarce any intercourse with it. Not that it is afar off: No: He is in the midst of it; it encompasses him round about. The other world, as we usually term it, is not far from every one of us: It is above, and beneath, and on every side. Only the natural man discerneth it not; partly, because he has no spiritual senses, whereby alone we can discern the things of God; partly, because so thick a veil is interposed as he knows not how to penetrate. 8. But when he is born of God, born of the Spirit, how is the manner of his existence changed! His whole soul is now sensible of God, and he can say, by sure experience, "Thou art about my bed, and about my path;" I feel thee in all my ways: "Thou besettest me behind and before, and layest thy hand upon me." The Spirit or breath of God is immediately inspired, breathed into the new-born soul; and the same breath which comes from, returns to, God: As it is continually received by faith, so it is continually rendered back by love, by prayer, and praise, and thanksgiving; love and praise, and prayer being the breath of every soul which is truly born of God. And by this new kind of spiritual respiration, spiritual life is not only sustained, but increased day by day, together with spiritual strength, and motion, and sensation; all the senses of the soul being now awake, and capable of discerning spiritual good and evil. 9. "The eyes of his understanding" are now "open," and he "seeth Him that is invisible." He sees what is "the exceeding greatness of his power" and of his love toward them that believe. He sees that God is merciful to him a sinner, that he is reconciled through the Son of his love. He clearly perceives both the pardoning love of God, and all his "exceeding great and precious promises." "God, who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness, hath shined," and doth shine, "in his heart," to enlighten him with "the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." All the darkness is now passed away, and he abides in the light of God's countenance. 10. His ears are now opened, and the voice of God no longer calls in vain. He hears and obeys the heavenly calling: He knows the voice of his Shepherd. All his spiritual senses being now awakened, he has a clear intercourse with the invisible world; and hence he knows more and more of the things which before it could not "enter into his heart to conceive." He now knows what the peace of God is; what is joy in the Holy Ghost; what the love of God which is shed abroad in the heart of them that believe in him through Christ Jesus. Thus the veil being removed which before interrupted the light and voice, the knowledge and love of God, he who is born of the Spirit, dwelling in love, "dwelleth in God, and God in him." |
From Grace to Sin – The Process and Progress of Falling From Grace (John Wesley)
“8. To explain this by a particular instance: David was born of God, and saw God by faith. He loved God in sincerity. He could truly say, "Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth," neither person nor thing, "that I desire in comparison of thee." But still there remained in his heart that corruption of nature, which is the seed of all evil. "He was walking upon the roof of his house," (2 Sam. 11:2,) probably praising the God whom his soul loved, when he looked down, and saw Bathsheba. He felt a temptation; a thought which tended to evil. The Spirit of God did not fail to convince him of this. He doubtless heard and knew the warning voice; but he yielded in some measure to the thought, and the temptation began to prevail over him. Hereby his spirit was sullied; he saw God still; but it was more dimly than before. He loved God still; but not in the same degree; not with the same strength and ardour of affection. Yet God checked him again, though his spirit was grieved; and his voice, though fainter and fainter, still whispered, "Sin lieth at the door; look unto me, and be thou saved." But he would not hear: He looked again, not unto God, but unto the forbidden object, till nature was superior to grace, and kindled lust in his soul. The eye of his mind was now closed again, and God vanished out of his sight. Faith, the divine, supernatural intercourse with God, and the love of God, ceased together: He then rushed on as a horse into the battle, and knowingly committed the outward sin. 9. You see the unquestionable progress from grace to sin: Thus it goes on, from step to step. (1.) The divine seed of loving, conquering faith, remains in him that is born of God. "He keepeth himself," by the grace of God, and "cannot commit sin." (2.) A temptation arises; whether from the world, the flesh, or the devil, it matters not. (3.) The Spirit of God gives him warning that sin is near, and bids him more abundantly watch unto prayer. (4.) He gives way, in some degree, to the temptation, which now begins to grow pleasing to him. (5.) The Holy Spirit is grieved; his faith is weakened; and his love of God grows cold. (6.) The Spirit reproves him more sharply, and saith, "This is the way; walk thou in it." (7.) He turns away from the painful voice of God, and listens to the pleasing voice of the tempter. (8.) Evil desire begins and spreads in his soul, till faith and love vanish away: He is then capable of committing outward sin, the power of the Lord being departed from him. 10. To explain this by another instance: The Apostle Peter was full of faith and of the Holy Ghost; and hereby keeping himself, he had a conscience void of offence toward God and toward man.Walking thus in simplicity and godly sincerity, "before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles," knowing that what God had cleansed was not common or unclean. But "when they were come," a temptation arose in his heart, "to fear those of the circumcision," (the Jewish converts, who were zealous for circumcision and the other rites of the Mosaic law,) and regard the favour and praise of these men, more than the praise of God. He was warned by the Spirit that sin was near: Nevertheless, he yielded to it in some degree, even to sinful fear of man, and his faith and love were proportionably weakened. God reproved him again for giving place to the devil. Yet he would not hearken to the voice of his Shepherd; but gave himself up to that slavish fear, and thereby quenched the Spirit. Then God disappeared, and, faith and love being extinct, he committed the outward sin. Walking not uprightly, not "according to the truth of the gospel," he "separated himself" from his Christian brethren, and by his evil example, if not advice also, "compelled even the Gentiles to live after the manner of the Jews;" to entangle themselves again with that "yoke of bondage," from which "Christ had set them free."” |
It is obvious that John Wesley did not believe in “works salvation”. It is obvious that he had a deep understanding of salvation by “faith alone through grace alone, apart from works”. It is also obvious that Wesley believed in a present-continuous salvation experience - that the respiration and life of a saved man exists by and is expressed in what is commonly called, “the means of grace”. The closing paragraph of this excerpt thrusts at the reader this concluding burden. You can hear John Wesley cry to the saints of his day, “USE THE MEANS OF GRACE!” Wesley wrote, “Let us learn, Lastly, to follow that direction of the great Apostle, "Be not high-minded, but fear." Let us fear sin, more than death or hell. Let us have a jealous (though not painful) fear, lest we should lean to our own deceitful hearts. "Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall." Even he who now standeth fast in the grace of God, in the faith that overcometh the world, may nevertheless fall into inward sin, and thereby "make shipwreck of his faith." And how easily then will outward sin regain its dominion over him! Thou, therefore, O man of God! watch always; that thou mayest always hear the voice of God! Watch, that thou mayest pray without ceasing, at all times, and in all places, pouring out thy heart before him! So shalt thou always believe, and always love, and never commit sin.”
I know that many are confused over what exactly John Wesley believed about sinless perfection. A statement on this in relationship to the sermon that I have cited I think is necessary, lest my reader misunderstand what exactly I believe. John Wesley preached these excerpts which I have pasted above in the sermon called, “The Great Privilege of Those That Are Born of God”, and it is of noteworthy importance concerning the subjects I have endeavored to defend. However, this sermon has several differences from the former work that Wesley wrote called, “A Plain Account of Christian Perfection”. I am not altogether sure if Wesley’s convictions had “matured” away from his former heresies, but this sermon is not the same burden that he wrote about in “A Plain Account of Christian Perfection”. In this sermon Wesley is exactly aligned with the true teaching of scripture, unlike the deplorable address he formerly wrote, on what he called, “Christian Perfection”. This sermon is blessed, edifying, and accurate, but the former book is grievously erroneous and heretical, though not in a damnable sense.
To be more specific, this sermon is an off-shooting contradiction to John Wesley’s former conviction on “sinless perfection” because here, in this sermon, Wesley is careful to define “doth not commit sin” as a “voluntary” and “outward transgression” of the written word of God, which means that, mind you, he is not maintaining that this scripture, “doth not commit sin”, ascribes to the possibility and actual experience of being free from all inward sin, but in “A Plain Account of Christian Perfection” Wesley is careful to state the contrary, that, according to him, “Christian perfection” is freedom from all inward and outward sin. This sermon, therefore, is a closer representation of what the saints at The Church of Wells ascribe to regarding the actual experience of saving grace and falling from it, relating to the process and progress of falling from it as a regenerated man. This sermon is of great value and edification because John’s explanation of the “new birth” experience is a well-written and worthy account, and later in the sermon, in the address in which he focuses on falling from grace, the clarity with which he describes the progress in which “the fall” happens does attest to the sudden instance in which, by following the progress, one falls from the security of, and actual experience in, present-continuous saving grace. John explains, in other words, the experience of going from sin to grace at conversion, and, on the contrary, the process and progress by which a saved man can go from grace to sin. “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief” (Prov. 24:16). This means that – it happens – a righteous man does fall into and is temporarily detained by a damnable-force of sin, but “if God permit” (Heb. 6:3) or “peradventure” (2 Tim. 2:25), by God’s sheep-pursuing and sheep-recovering grace (Ps. 119:176) the fallen man “riseth up again”, he is SAVED! And yet remember this, if the man falls without recovery therefrom, legally speaking, this is “the mischief” which was “of old ordained”, to “the wicked” (Jude 1:4, 1 Pet. 2:8), and thus shall he everlastingly remain (Ezek. 3:20, 18:22, 24, Jer. 23:39, Rev. 3:5). When a saint is fallen so that, then, salvation is irreversibly lost, or doctrinally speaking the man is “a castaway”, the choice belonged to and was made by a sovereign God. This means that at what instant this irreversible threshold is crossed, it is a point which is non-formulaic and incalculable to us, a point which was decided upon and chosen by God based upon circumstances we cannot understand, and anything we do understand it is by way of past examples of the inspired instruction written in the Bible (such as when, God said, “those men which have…tempted Me now these ten times”-Num. 14:22).
Oh my brethren, let us understand the depths of our depravity, yes, but also the inner-workings of grace in relationship to our experiential salvation from our depravity! Vital reality with the Living God causes the saints to shout – “I am eternally secure!” – there is no doubt about this fact and no argument to refute it! But without vital reality with God all security is lost! Then let us learn this one thing, my brethren: our salvation is not in a transaction but a Person to whom we are reconciled by a transaction, therefore let us look away from the isolated transaction as a thing in and of itself, for it cannot exist in and of itself, but let us look to the Person of Christ, and as Paul Washer said, let us be terrified to take our eyes off of Him!
I know that many are confused over what exactly John Wesley believed about sinless perfection. A statement on this in relationship to the sermon that I have cited I think is necessary, lest my reader misunderstand what exactly I believe. John Wesley preached these excerpts which I have pasted above in the sermon called, “The Great Privilege of Those That Are Born of God”, and it is of noteworthy importance concerning the subjects I have endeavored to defend. However, this sermon has several differences from the former work that Wesley wrote called, “A Plain Account of Christian Perfection”. I am not altogether sure if Wesley’s convictions had “matured” away from his former heresies, but this sermon is not the same burden that he wrote about in “A Plain Account of Christian Perfection”. In this sermon Wesley is exactly aligned with the true teaching of scripture, unlike the deplorable address he formerly wrote, on what he called, “Christian Perfection”. This sermon is blessed, edifying, and accurate, but the former book is grievously erroneous and heretical, though not in a damnable sense.
To be more specific, this sermon is an off-shooting contradiction to John Wesley’s former conviction on “sinless perfection” because here, in this sermon, Wesley is careful to define “doth not commit sin” as a “voluntary” and “outward transgression” of the written word of God, which means that, mind you, he is not maintaining that this scripture, “doth not commit sin”, ascribes to the possibility and actual experience of being free from all inward sin, but in “A Plain Account of Christian Perfection” Wesley is careful to state the contrary, that, according to him, “Christian perfection” is freedom from all inward and outward sin. This sermon, therefore, is a closer representation of what the saints at The Church of Wells ascribe to regarding the actual experience of saving grace and falling from it, relating to the process and progress of falling from it as a regenerated man. This sermon is of great value and edification because John’s explanation of the “new birth” experience is a well-written and worthy account, and later in the sermon, in the address in which he focuses on falling from grace, the clarity with which he describes the progress in which “the fall” happens does attest to the sudden instance in which, by following the progress, one falls from the security of, and actual experience in, present-continuous saving grace. John explains, in other words, the experience of going from sin to grace at conversion, and, on the contrary, the process and progress by which a saved man can go from grace to sin. “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief” (Prov. 24:16). This means that – it happens – a righteous man does fall into and is temporarily detained by a damnable-force of sin, but “if God permit” (Heb. 6:3) or “peradventure” (2 Tim. 2:25), by God’s sheep-pursuing and sheep-recovering grace (Ps. 119:176) the fallen man “riseth up again”, he is SAVED! And yet remember this, if the man falls without recovery therefrom, legally speaking, this is “the mischief” which was “of old ordained”, to “the wicked” (Jude 1:4, 1 Pet. 2:8), and thus shall he everlastingly remain (Ezek. 3:20, 18:22, 24, Jer. 23:39, Rev. 3:5). When a saint is fallen so that, then, salvation is irreversibly lost, or doctrinally speaking the man is “a castaway”, the choice belonged to and was made by a sovereign God. This means that at what instant this irreversible threshold is crossed, it is a point which is non-formulaic and incalculable to us, a point which was decided upon and chosen by God based upon circumstances we cannot understand, and anything we do understand it is by way of past examples of the inspired instruction written in the Bible (such as when, God said, “those men which have…tempted Me now these ten times”-Num. 14:22).
Oh my brethren, let us understand the depths of our depravity, yes, but also the inner-workings of grace in relationship to our experiential salvation from our depravity! Vital reality with the Living God causes the saints to shout – “I am eternally secure!” – there is no doubt about this fact and no argument to refute it! But without vital reality with God all security is lost! Then let us learn this one thing, my brethren: our salvation is not in a transaction but a Person to whom we are reconciled by a transaction, therefore let us look away from the isolated transaction as a thing in and of itself, for it cannot exist in and of itself, but let us look to the Person of Christ, and as Paul Washer said, let us be terrified to take our eyes off of Him!
“When what I love to hear is, ‘I’m looking unto Him! I’m looking unto Him, and would be terrified to take my eyes off of Him! I’m looking unto Jesus!” – Paul Washer
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Hypothetical Situations Which Question Biblical Verdicts
Firstly, my reader, remember what has been stated already in this writing: A regenerate man cannot “minute by minute” go in and out of a damnable spiritual condition. No! With every cognizant sin that the saint is committing he is not moving from justification to damnation, justification to damnation. No! This is because, specifically speaking, when every cognizant sin is being committed the saint is impulsively, reflexively, and habitually repenting of those sins (to some degree, though “imperfectly”) – this is a simultaneous and reactionary repentance which is habitually existing at the instant sin is committed.
Secondarily, I desire to speak on the bitter-rooted issue that men have with biblical verdicts. By biblical verdicts I mean, for example, it is written that “sinning wilfully” is a damnable offence (Heb. 10:26). It is written by God, so let us reckon it to be true! This is a biblical verdict. But instead of accepting the truth men choose to scornfully question it. They try to “reasonably” excuse it. They try to argue their way out of it, thinking, “It cannot be true,” even though the inspired text plainly states that it is true! This failure to accept the scripture “as it stands” blinds these men from the ability to discern how such verdicts are a viable reality in the experience of saving grace. Beyond the example verdict mentioned from Hebrews 10:26, there are many others - decided biblical verdicts which clearly state: covetous men, envious men, money-loving men, angry men, unforgiving men, rude speaking men, argumentative men, lustful men, proud men, divisive men, grudging men, and so on (1 Cor. 5:9-13, 6:9-10, Eph. 5:3-7, Gal. 5:19-24, 1 Pet. 4:3-5, James 5:7-9, 1 Tim. 6:3-12, 17-19, Mark 11:25-26, 1 John 2:3-6, 15-17, 3:7-10, 5:4, Rev. 21:7-8), most assuredly, without partiality, will spend an eternity in the Lake of Fire. This means that these men will surely perish as they are, but if saving repentance is obtained (which is evidenced by lifestyle-altering fruits of holiness), such men can be saved! Is this too hard to accept, oh man? Then I fear that you are not a saint, but a sinner… and may God have mercy upon your soul!
- “What if a saint looked with lust right before he died, and let’s say, he sinned grievously and wilfully, and then suddenly, he died? He was driving down an interstate road and gazed upon a sign, and was suddenly hit by a car and died. Having no time to repent… would he go to heaven or hell?”
Firstly, my reader, remember what has been stated already in this writing: A regenerate man cannot “minute by minute” go in and out of a damnable spiritual condition. No! With every cognizant sin that the saint is committing he is not moving from justification to damnation, justification to damnation. No! This is because, specifically speaking, when every cognizant sin is being committed the saint is impulsively, reflexively, and habitually repenting of those sins (to some degree, though “imperfectly”) – this is a simultaneous and reactionary repentance which is habitually existing at the instant sin is committed.
Secondarily, I desire to speak on the bitter-rooted issue that men have with biblical verdicts. By biblical verdicts I mean, for example, it is written that “sinning wilfully” is a damnable offence (Heb. 10:26). It is written by God, so let us reckon it to be true! This is a biblical verdict. But instead of accepting the truth men choose to scornfully question it. They try to “reasonably” excuse it. They try to argue their way out of it, thinking, “It cannot be true,” even though the inspired text plainly states that it is true! This failure to accept the scripture “as it stands” blinds these men from the ability to discern how such verdicts are a viable reality in the experience of saving grace. Beyond the example verdict mentioned from Hebrews 10:26, there are many others - decided biblical verdicts which clearly state: covetous men, envious men, money-loving men, angry men, unforgiving men, rude speaking men, argumentative men, lustful men, proud men, divisive men, grudging men, and so on (1 Cor. 5:9-13, 6:9-10, Eph. 5:3-7, Gal. 5:19-24, 1 Pet. 4:3-5, James 5:7-9, 1 Tim. 6:3-12, 17-19, Mark 11:25-26, 1 John 2:3-6, 15-17, 3:7-10, 5:4, Rev. 21:7-8), most assuredly, without partiality, will spend an eternity in the Lake of Fire. This means that these men will surely perish as they are, but if saving repentance is obtained (which is evidenced by lifestyle-altering fruits of holiness), such men can be saved! Is this too hard to accept, oh man? Then I fear that you are not a saint, but a sinner… and may God have mercy upon your soul!
“But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes”
– 2 Tim. 2:11-26, Titus 3:8-9, 1 Tim. 1:3-7
– 2 Tim. 2:11-26, Titus 3:8-9, 1 Tim. 1:3-7
Men scorn the truth of scripture, and for what? Being puffed up with the crude and profane reasonings of “worldly wisdom”, they suppose they possess a grander scope of wisdom than Holy Scripture; therefore, refusing to abide within its confinements, they question, and question, and question, sneering as they go. Breaking the barrier of creature-humility, rant after rant of “unlearned questions” persist (2 Tim. 2:23). The devilish confidence, the sarcastic insincerity, the glazed look of pride, oh my soul! It is a grief! These men answer God with questions, “unlearned questions” (2 Tim. 2:23), which darkens God’s “counsel with words without knowledge” (Job 38:2, 42:3). And so, with a conduct fit for the spiritual sandbox, they play. Living lifestyles built and supported by sand-castle arguments, they vindicate their behavior (so they suppose). Basing their assumptions upon unreal circumstances they assert as viable possibilities, they live in defiance of God’s word. Invading into things they know not, they insult God. Exercising their minds to sneer at biblical verdicts, they provoke God. God help them to grow up! Father, help them! Have mercy upon them! “It is a sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom” (Prov. 10:23).
My reader, if this hypothetical situation could actually exist, let us conclude what scripture concludes – tragically, this man would go to hell – but don’t needlessly break your own heart in the madness of your folly! If you believe the plain statements of scripture you must conclude with the answer I just stated… but the question is: would God allow such a hypothetical situation to actually transpire? Why, oh why must these strange hypothetical situations be a trouble to you, oh saint? These sudden-death questions, away with them! They are most often asked by scornful and unlearned men. Don’t let these men trouble you, dear saints. There are means to discern whether or not God would allow such a hypothetical situation to exist, my reader. Ask yourself, is this hypothetical situation consistent with the character of God? Is it consistent with the biblical examples of God? Is it consistent with the longsuffering and promises exemplified by God? Don’t let scornful men think up hypothetical questions that make the true doctrines of God feel wrong to your worldly-wise heart… forsake worldly wisdom and trust God! What these men need to understand is that God is in control of all the happenings of time and space, physically speaking. Not one man on the planet (no, not even one hair!) can fall to the ground and die without the appointment of God the Father! There is no such thing as a sudden slip, and… it’s over: a holy, blood-bought, and faithful saint suddenly goes to hell. There is no such thing as an “oopsy-sin” whereby a saint who lived a lifestyle saturated with God, suddenly fell into hell. This is foolish, profane, and unlearned blasphemy! This makes the sweet tasting truth of God seem bitter, the good commandments of God seem evil, the sound verdicts of God seem harsh, and the infinite wisdom of God seem doubtful! This is wickedness! Woe to you, oh man, if you make crooked the straight ways of the Lord! Are you reading this, Caleb and Samuel Corneloup?
What I am trying to say is, if a faithful saint did sin in a damnable degree and then, suddenly, he slipped off of a steep cliff… it is written: “He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, let thou dash thy foot against a stone” (Ps. 91:11-12). Praise God! How is this example for a hypothetical situation!? On the other hand, my reader, consider this: if God hates you and wants to slay you, because, shame on you, you have vexed His Holy Spirit and refused to learn His ways year after year – then you are a rebellious child and not a faithful saint. Therefore what do you expect? What hypothetical situation is likely to happen if you continue to provoke God with such high-handed rebellion? My reader, God can and does use seemingly random, unpredictable, unexpected, and hypothetical-like circumstances to kill men! Yes, it is true. Like a man stringing a bow and shooting it at random into the air, by this means God can kill men who He hates! Do you not know, oh man, that a bow strung at random and shot into the air, is a bow that is carefully aimed and perfectly shot by God (see 2 Chron. 18:33)? Tis sure, the arrow will hit the target. If someone dies in this way or a way like it, it is fact: the man was appointed by God to this death. As much as God cannot slip off of His Throne, men can’t slip into hell on accident! “A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this. When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever: But Thou, LORD, art Most High for evermore” (Ps. 92:6-8)!
So how about you, oh man, are you unsatisfied with the jots and tittles of God’s word? Will you embolden yourself to “add unto” or “take away from” the words, judgments, and verdicts of Holy Scripture (Rev. 22:18-19)? I warn you, oh man: your flourishing pride will discolor and suddenly die like a sun-squelched grass flower, and that without remedy! Bow down now, oh man, bow down… before God breaks you down. God will turn your reasoning into madness! God will turn your gloating smiles into teeth-gnashing misery! Oh man, God will overwhelm you with the unquenchable fury of everlasting fire! Hypotheticals are what the Pharisees scorned Christ with, made void the word of God by, and justified their rebellion because… so what about you? Turn and live, oh reader! Turn and live! “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matt. 18:3).
To all of God’s “little children”, I say: REST ASSURED. God’s purposes of redemption cannot be frustrated by a “happen-chance” freak accident! Oh dear saint, you can trust in the character of God! No “happen-chance” accident can kill a 30-year-long faithful saint, who is in a moment of backsliding. No! God will “wait”, the scripture declares (Isa. 30:8). God will disallow his death and give him time to repent - God will foresee the “happen-chance” accident and frustrate it! Death cannot visit the man too early because, it is written, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints” (Ps. 116:15)! “And therefore will the LORD wait, that He may be gracious unto you, and therefore will He be exalted, that He may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment” (Isa. 30:8)! Yes, my reader, therefore God will wait! He will even stall Final Judgment until all His chosen people are revived from their backslidings into saving repentance (see 2 Pet. 3:9)! The grace of God is a sure-footing upon a narrow way! Let all the saints adore Him.
- What if a saint, who followed God faithfully for 30 years, who walked in the gospel-liberties of holy living and so, overcame the world, but finally, just before he died, somehow he became deceived, thus he sowed to the flesh for some time, and then, as it was heretofore discussed, he progressed from “Grace to Sin” until, alas, he was in a damnable estate – and suddenly, he died! –would he go to heaven or to hell?
My reader, if this hypothetical situation could actually exist, let us conclude what scripture concludes – tragically, this man would go to hell – but don’t needlessly break your own heart in the madness of your folly! If you believe the plain statements of scripture you must conclude with the answer I just stated… but the question is: would God allow such a hypothetical situation to actually transpire? Why, oh why must these strange hypothetical situations be a trouble to you, oh saint? These sudden-death questions, away with them! They are most often asked by scornful and unlearned men. Don’t let these men trouble you, dear saints. There are means to discern whether or not God would allow such a hypothetical situation to exist, my reader. Ask yourself, is this hypothetical situation consistent with the character of God? Is it consistent with the biblical examples of God? Is it consistent with the longsuffering and promises exemplified by God? Don’t let scornful men think up hypothetical questions that make the true doctrines of God feel wrong to your worldly-wise heart… forsake worldly wisdom and trust God! What these men need to understand is that God is in control of all the happenings of time and space, physically speaking. Not one man on the planet (no, not even one hair!) can fall to the ground and die without the appointment of God the Father! There is no such thing as a sudden slip, and… it’s over: a holy, blood-bought, and faithful saint suddenly goes to hell. There is no such thing as an “oopsy-sin” whereby a saint who lived a lifestyle saturated with God, suddenly fell into hell. This is foolish, profane, and unlearned blasphemy! This makes the sweet tasting truth of God seem bitter, the good commandments of God seem evil, the sound verdicts of God seem harsh, and the infinite wisdom of God seem doubtful! This is wickedness! Woe to you, oh man, if you make crooked the straight ways of the Lord! Are you reading this, Caleb and Samuel Corneloup?
What I am trying to say is, if a faithful saint did sin in a damnable degree and then, suddenly, he slipped off of a steep cliff… it is written: “He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, let thou dash thy foot against a stone” (Ps. 91:11-12). Praise God! How is this example for a hypothetical situation!? On the other hand, my reader, consider this: if God hates you and wants to slay you, because, shame on you, you have vexed His Holy Spirit and refused to learn His ways year after year – then you are a rebellious child and not a faithful saint. Therefore what do you expect? What hypothetical situation is likely to happen if you continue to provoke God with such high-handed rebellion? My reader, God can and does use seemingly random, unpredictable, unexpected, and hypothetical-like circumstances to kill men! Yes, it is true. Like a man stringing a bow and shooting it at random into the air, by this means God can kill men who He hates! Do you not know, oh man, that a bow strung at random and shot into the air, is a bow that is carefully aimed and perfectly shot by God (see 2 Chron. 18:33)? Tis sure, the arrow will hit the target. If someone dies in this way or a way like it, it is fact: the man was appointed by God to this death. As much as God cannot slip off of His Throne, men can’t slip into hell on accident! “A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this. When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever: But Thou, LORD, art Most High for evermore” (Ps. 92:6-8)!
So how about you, oh man, are you unsatisfied with the jots and tittles of God’s word? Will you embolden yourself to “add unto” or “take away from” the words, judgments, and verdicts of Holy Scripture (Rev. 22:18-19)? I warn you, oh man: your flourishing pride will discolor and suddenly die like a sun-squelched grass flower, and that without remedy! Bow down now, oh man, bow down… before God breaks you down. God will turn your reasoning into madness! God will turn your gloating smiles into teeth-gnashing misery! Oh man, God will overwhelm you with the unquenchable fury of everlasting fire! Hypotheticals are what the Pharisees scorned Christ with, made void the word of God by, and justified their rebellion because… so what about you? Turn and live, oh reader! Turn and live! “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matt. 18:3).
To all of God’s “little children”, I say: REST ASSURED. God’s purposes of redemption cannot be frustrated by a “happen-chance” freak accident! Oh dear saint, you can trust in the character of God! No “happen-chance” accident can kill a 30-year-long faithful saint, who is in a moment of backsliding. No! God will “wait”, the scripture declares (Isa. 30:8). God will disallow his death and give him time to repent - God will foresee the “happen-chance” accident and frustrate it! Death cannot visit the man too early because, it is written, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints” (Ps. 116:15)! “And therefore will the LORD wait, that He may be gracious unto you, and therefore will He be exalted, that He may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment” (Isa. 30:8)! Yes, my reader, therefore God will wait! He will even stall Final Judgment until all His chosen people are revived from their backslidings into saving repentance (see 2 Pet. 3:9)! The grace of God is a sure-footing upon a narrow way! Let all the saints adore Him.
Temporary Cessations of Sanctification = the Loss of Biblical RevivalGlory Lost – the gravest consequence we suffer
When sanctification is interrupted, damnation is enacted, and until sanctification is restored time elapses – precious time – time which would have been used to further guide you on your course of biblical Christianity in its virgin glory. Uninterrupted salvation most assuredly equals uninterrupted promises. Time elapsed in backsliding warrants a falling short of Covenant promises, promises which would have been, otherwise, absolutely and most certainly fulfilled because God is faithful. By holy obligation, God will guide all those who maintain saving faith into the scriptural and biblical normality which the book of Acts does testify of. As unfathomable, glorious, and dream-like this may seem, it is true.
This biblical expression of Christianity most people forget about and seldom recall because they are desensitized by the pervading hypocrisy in modern “Christianity”. Nevertheless, in the beginning of their salvation, such men were not so desensitized. No rather, they were very sensitive to the wooing of God’s love which ushered them into a thoughtful consideration over the possibilities of grace, and in the process of these considerations, shockingly, scriptural Christianity seemed just “at hand”, readily accessible, and relevant, therefore they prayed for it, constantly thought about it, and declared it to others. The feeling of basking in these God-given meditations was like an angelic confrontation, it was so awfully amazing, and the holy angel, as it were, pointed your gaze heaven-ward to behold the universe of God’s glory! This is a common experience for new-born Christians if they are not surrounded by the leaven of hypocrisy and compromise. Remove them from what this culture heretically defines as “Christianity”, and they will be in awe over the real thing! New Christians like these are often found in astonishment and confusion over what has caused biblical Christianity to cease its triumphant march from strength to strength, as it is written in the Bible. They wonder and agonize over such unanswered questions like: at what time, how, and why did so glorious a Christian Army cease to excite and elicit all the world to gaze upon Christ, like as in the book of Acts!?
God has never changed, my reader, but we have. God has always been faithful, but we haven’t been. God has always been willing, but we for the most part are not. So what happens? Saints are locked up under retributive chastening – the silence of God – the ages of men become darker and darker, and like deep-ocean creatures that dwell in the pitch blackness of darkness, we, the human race, become more and more hideously wicked in our depravity, and likewise, more and more corrupt in our manipulations of “Christianity”, or in other words, more and more ignorant of our flagrant and drunken hypocrisy, until finally, alas! the last generation which will exist before the end of the world is made ready, the measure of sins has reached its mark, the vials of wrath are filled to the brim, the strong-delusion is draped across the entire world-system (as one society), the antichrist stands ready to be heralded as the savior of the world – Oh! The dark ages of the past look bright with light compared to this woeful scene… the darkest hour of midnight. My reader, are you ready? “And at midnight there was a cry made”, but will you hear it (Matt. 25:6)!?
At the point in which the normal process and progress of sanctification is interrupted, damnation is enacted, and at what point salvation is restored sanctification continues, but in the elapsed time in between there is an awful consequence. There were greater glories which were yet undiscovered, which were ready to be unveiled (Ps. 81:10-16, 2 Chron. 16:9), and had you followed the normal progress of salvation you would have been securely lead into their unutterable experiences, experiences which are given to and consistent with the promises of our Covenant agreement in Christ – borne, carried, sustained, and performed by the faithfulness of God – but your elapsing into woe kindles the operations of wrath, wrath which moves in the promise-breaching-powers of justice. (This is the scriptural answer to our surmounting confusion: the simple and plain clarifier to all of our unsolved and unknown hindrances which detain the long-looked-for revivals of God (Isa. 59:1). Promise-breaching consequences the absence of Covenant agreement glories in their biblical, normal, all-glorious, world-shaking, heathen-astonishing powers!)
This biblical expression of Christianity most people forget about and seldom recall because they are desensitized by the pervading hypocrisy in modern “Christianity”. Nevertheless, in the beginning of their salvation, such men were not so desensitized. No rather, they were very sensitive to the wooing of God’s love which ushered them into a thoughtful consideration over the possibilities of grace, and in the process of these considerations, shockingly, scriptural Christianity seemed just “at hand”, readily accessible, and relevant, therefore they prayed for it, constantly thought about it, and declared it to others. The feeling of basking in these God-given meditations was like an angelic confrontation, it was so awfully amazing, and the holy angel, as it were, pointed your gaze heaven-ward to behold the universe of God’s glory! This is a common experience for new-born Christians if they are not surrounded by the leaven of hypocrisy and compromise. Remove them from what this culture heretically defines as “Christianity”, and they will be in awe over the real thing! New Christians like these are often found in astonishment and confusion over what has caused biblical Christianity to cease its triumphant march from strength to strength, as it is written in the Bible. They wonder and agonize over such unanswered questions like: at what time, how, and why did so glorious a Christian Army cease to excite and elicit all the world to gaze upon Christ, like as in the book of Acts!?
God has never changed, my reader, but we have. God has always been faithful, but we haven’t been. God has always been willing, but we for the most part are not. So what happens? Saints are locked up under retributive chastening – the silence of God – the ages of men become darker and darker, and like deep-ocean creatures that dwell in the pitch blackness of darkness, we, the human race, become more and more hideously wicked in our depravity, and likewise, more and more corrupt in our manipulations of “Christianity”, or in other words, more and more ignorant of our flagrant and drunken hypocrisy, until finally, alas! the last generation which will exist before the end of the world is made ready, the measure of sins has reached its mark, the vials of wrath are filled to the brim, the strong-delusion is draped across the entire world-system (as one society), the antichrist stands ready to be heralded as the savior of the world – Oh! The dark ages of the past look bright with light compared to this woeful scene… the darkest hour of midnight. My reader, are you ready? “And at midnight there was a cry made”, but will you hear it (Matt. 25:6)!?
At the point in which the normal process and progress of sanctification is interrupted, damnation is enacted, and at what point salvation is restored sanctification continues, but in the elapsed time in between there is an awful consequence. There were greater glories which were yet undiscovered, which were ready to be unveiled (Ps. 81:10-16, 2 Chron. 16:9), and had you followed the normal progress of salvation you would have been securely lead into their unutterable experiences, experiences which are given to and consistent with the promises of our Covenant agreement in Christ – borne, carried, sustained, and performed by the faithfulness of God – but your elapsing into woe kindles the operations of wrath, wrath which moves in the promise-breaching-powers of justice. (This is the scriptural answer to our surmounting confusion: the simple and plain clarifier to all of our unsolved and unknown hindrances which detain the long-looked-for revivals of God (Isa. 59:1). Promise-breaching consequences the absence of Covenant agreement glories in their biblical, normal, all-glorious, world-shaking, heathen-astonishing powers!)