Defending Calvinism: Irresistible Grace

non Rock Aus must stop I don't want to rock the boat I want to sink it are you going to bark all day little doggy or are you going to bite delusional I you delusional yeah delusional is okay in your worldview I'm an animal you don't chastise chickens for being delusional you don't chastise pigs for being delusional so you calling me delusional using your worldview is perfectly okay it doesn't really hurt she hung up on me yes W what what desperate times call for Faithful Men and not for careful men the careful men come later and write the biographies of the Faithful Men lauding them for their courage going to all the world and make disciples not going into the world and make buddies not to make brph right don't go into the world and make homies right disciples I got I got a bit of a jiggle [Music] neck that's a joke Master when we have the real message of Truth we cannot let somebody say they're speaking truth when they're not take an amazing journey to a place that will blow your mind and move your heart so you will never be the same [Music] [Applause] again Jesus then said to them truly truly I say to you it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven but my father gives you the true bread from heaven for the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world they said to him sir give us this bread always Jesus said to them I am the bread of life whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall never thirst but I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe all that the father gives me will come to me and whoever comes to me I will never cast out for I come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me and this is the will of him who sent me that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me but raise it up on the last day for this is the will of my father that everyone who looks on the son and believes in Him should have eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day woo that's awesome John chapter 6 y'all one of my absolute favorites this is the gospel heard around the world everybody you can get more at apologia studios.com apologia Radio apologia studios.com APG studios.com go there and sign up for all access partner with us in this Ministry and all that God is doing through this ministry the on the street evangelism the witnessing to the Cults and those in counterfeit Christian religions uh let's see here there's there's debates there moderated public debates there is Teaching Ministry there all that takes place through our all access Partners that do this ministry with us and so I'm going to thank you all again if you're all access this is part of the ministry that you're a part of with us and so we're grateful for all of you guys you can also go to apia studios.com you get access to all of the radio shows and podcasts whether it's Shian cultish provoked or apology radio you get all kinds of additional content when you guys are all access 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funded by all access Partners they are making sure that you guys can can get that because every time you click and listen to bonson and all access person gets their wings I don't know something like that you know what movies I like for Christmas oh yes I know that reference I would have known that a couple years ago that's right that's Luke the bear what up I'm Jeff the comer ninja and that's Zachary Conover hey director of communications for end abortion now so grateful you guys joined us thank you for being here we have had so much happen the last couple of months and so much ahead of us just want to ask you before we get into the show today to please pray pray for uh apologia church and abortion now these Ministries uh just went to Iowa and I was in Missouri for two bills of abolition and equal protection we have more coming we're going to be doing some stuff in Alabama and Georgia in the next uh hopefully next two weeks so we will update you guys on that as well so you know what's going on we've got bills of abolition happening across the country some of these are our bills that we've been able to get into place and some of them are bills we are assisting others with but it's happening across the country God's doing some powerful things it was an honor to spend time with the Saints in Missouri in that glorious Capital with scripture written on the walls all around me uh that was truly a humbling experience it was just an amazing thing so it looked great yeah it was so powerful so powerful so thank you again everybody who also gives towards end abortion now we need your uh partnership with us this year we need to make our budget so we can pull all of this off this is just the first session with 21 states uh that we've prospectively had commitments or bills are going in uh of abolition and that there's another session happening near the end of the year and so we're just getting started um I think that there's a lot happening right now in Alabama that's going to help us a lot the Supreme Court's uh of Alabama's recent decision with regard to IVF actually buttresses our point of our uh so it's really a powerful providential thing that it's happening in the state that we think we're going to have potentially the most uh success in to establish justice uh this year and so uh great things are happening please be in prayer for that that's all there is to it um wanted to do another episode today on our series we've been doing at apology or radio defending Calvinism so if you are just getting into this conversation with us we want you to know that uh we want to talk about these things to unpack the scriptures and defend these things because in the end it makes much of God of course it's We Believe thoroughly biblical and robust but this issue of the doctrines of Grace is really about explaining how gracious is Grace that's the issue because if you're Armenian and uh we would say slightly inconsistent in some areas you believe in the grace of God but we're actually saying in this series that the grace of God is actually bigger more powerful uh then then often times we talk about it um in terms of our real condition and God's power to save his love for the elect all of those things why are we talking about this is it about division is it about winning arguments and getting it over on somebody who also loves Jesus along with us no we're saying the scriptures are really clear on this and it's tradition that's gotten in the way of making Jesus look as glorious as he truly is and his atonement as powerful and effective as it truly is and was and so for us we're not doing this to just win debates or say you should join our team we're saying this is what the Bible says about God's grace and the atonement and we think that that's very important to preserve the grace of God um and the atonement itself what does it actually accomplish um and so you've been listening if you have been listening you've heard us talk about the sovereignty of God over all this we you've heard us talking about man's condition total inability or total depravity you've told us you've heard us talking about unconditional election you've heard us talking about uh inite redemption or limited atonement and now we're in the eye of the Tulip acrostic and that is uh irresistible Grace we prefer uh what they meant was effectual Grace that this is a Grace that is effective and its powerful to do what God intends for it to do and so that's what we're talking about today uh before we get into the actual subject matter today just wanted to remind everybody to please support those who support this ministry um we're very selective I want you to know we're very selective with who we partner with uh to be a part of apologia radio basically if it's stuff that we like and we use and we believe in then we're like that's our thing because we like to talk about stuff that we like ourselves and so um we have a great partnership with ion layer.com I layer.com Luke's got 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hook you up if you want to invest in your health and wellbe and they also participate in blessing apologia radio so we can continue to do this ministry and do what we do all right on to the conversation today irresistible Grace so when you think about irresistible Grace guys and why this is important what's what are some of the first things that comes to your come to your mind because for me that's I've already explained it's it's about demonstrating the power of God and the grace of God in the gospel the way the Bible puts it but when you think about irresistible Grace and why this one in particular is so important what are you thinking about first I was just going to say that we have some some uh anti monist in the in the chat here and uh our boy Pastor Fishbones in there taking taking care of him for his fastest hands in the west let's go Trey so uh I'm sorry I'm laughing because he's I'm watching his interaction here um go ahead answer that question well since they brought it up uh monism yeah contrasted with synergism so mono one synergism the view of salvation that says that there are two principles working together to accomplish this act there's that of gods and that of the creatures um we who prescribe to the reformed faith and a reformed understanding of soteriology how people are saved would say that salvation is uh one power working upon the creature and as soon as you start talking that way though you start to run into you know objections like well does that mean that God Saves people against their will does that mean that he because of his power he drags them Kicking and Screaming into the kingdom of God um is that what you're saying um I think to Define what exactly what we're talking about here you said effectual which is is the word that gets at the heart of the meaning behind this and that is that um the Holy Spirit draws and raises from spiritual death to spiritual life all of God's elect right this is the the work of God the Holy Spirit to affect the inward transformation of the person by the inward renewal of the heart so this is the work of God that we're talking about in which God promised would take place under the New Covenant in Ezekiel 36 in which he would sprinkle all of his people clean from their idols and their uncleannesses he would remove the Heart of Stone and replace it with a heart of Flesh and he would cause his Spirit to take up residence within his people to uh cause them to be desirous of his law and the obedience to his commandments so when we say that God's grace is irresistible we mean that the Holy Spirit never fails to call regenerate and save those whom the father has elected and that Christ is redeemed so we talked about unconditional election being that this is an act of God on eternity P to choose a people for himself in Christ and then Christ secures the Redemption of those people he dies on their behalf in their place as their substitute and then at a particular Moment In Time the Holy Spirit applies that work of redemption to the hearts of God's people right so it's the application of the Redemption of Christ um to the life of God's elect right his his people so when we talk about irresistible Grace we're we're really talking about the New Birth we're talking about uh John three stuff here being born from above you have to be born again and that's not a work that you can accomplish in and of yourself it's a work that God's spirit does within us and so I know jumping off into scripture there is what we want to do but maybe pause right there for a minute that's that's the explanation that everyone I think needs to hear when we talk about monergism versus synergism this is a this is a discussion that's happened throughout the history of the church and it's interesting that we actually have Augustine on our side in this discussion and uh I think it's a powerful testimony to just how interconnected this subject is to so many others and people have seen it throughout church history and that's you know you've heard mentioned probably recently as we've been doing the Roman Catholic controversy at church that uh you've got uh fallible and uninspired Men uh after the time of the Apostles that said some amazing things and also did some tremendous face plants and so it's interesting in A Moment Like This we're talking about effectual Grace we're talking about the grace of God monism at the beginning you know we have even giants like Augustine behind us on this point um U on the side of the Angels uh in in many ways me you're talking about opposing pelagianism and and semipelagianism systems like that um this is been something that the church has had to go through um uh throughout time throughout our history and especially during the time of the Reformation this was a premere issue because it cuts to the heart of the grace of God in the gospel and and how what is our true condition and what abilities do we have um uh if if we're not in Christ how do we get into Christ and that's that's why I read John 6 at the beginning here because Jesus is very very clear in uh John 6:37 Jesus says all that the father gives me will come to me and whoever comes to me I will never cast out well I think I I think in many ways like there's a summary of The Five Points in many ways in a single sentence obviously you have to get into atonement discussion but uh John 6:37 is like that's what we're aiming at with the doctrines of Grace is God chooses the people in Christ um God is the one um who who brings them to Jesus they come to Jesus he draws them and then Jesus never loses them he never casts them out so well okay there you go you got most of the Five Points represented there in thought uh but then it goes on in the same passage no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him so they've got no ability John 6:44 no one can they have no ability to come to God unless the father draws them so so they're there with no abilities they're there right dead nothing Rebels slaves to sin john8 slaves to sin the son must set you free here they are dead not able to come to the father and the father must draw well that's what we're getting at when we talk about effectual Grace and irresistible Grace we're talking about something a work of God in the gospel to save his elect and it's something that he himself accomplishes because there is no spiritual ability in us right is really important exactly that's and and Jesus teaches it all throughout the Gospel of John that our abilities and our deadness and it's it's all there loving Darkness rather than light and and we can go for days on that point but there's another one John 665 it says no one can come to me unless it is granted to him by the father all right and but and then here's the thing look all synergistic systems that want to try to stay in a lane of Grace that is biblical in scripture will always give the nod to yes God must must be the one who does the initiating because yeah we're Rebels and yeah we're Sinners and God's be God's got to be the one that saves but the problem is is for that kind of view where you want to have the synergistic perspective as some of God some of me but we can we have the abilities in ourselves you can't get away from what Jesus says there no one can come to me and and no finagling uh by men like late and flowers and no uh paganist sit uh system that you put underneath that is going to get away from what Jesus says there no one can come to me unless no one can come to me so you can sit and say all day long like but we still have those abilities Jesus says no one can no one can that's what the text says try and get around it as as you as you might you're not going to change the text so it's like the word free yeah there's no one free there's it's pretty basic pretty simple yeah exctly and and the and exactly and so but Jesus makes a point here when he says that the father has this will for him for him that he lose none of all that has been given to him and he raises it up on the last day this he raises them up on the last day so no one can the father has to draw father has to Grant it there's effectual Grace and if you say oh sure God's got to do his part like it can't be all us like he's got to do the initiating the problem is the text says that everyone the father draws Jesus raises up so unless you want to be a Universalist right you want to be consistent with Jesus here if you want to be an Universalist you know the text says that he raises up everyone the father draws yeah if if Jesus calls someone they're coming yes right um and that's really I think where where the rubber meets the road in this if we're talking about a person exercising their will to have saving faith in Christ they cannot do that before something takes place right and that something that has to take take place they have to be made alive yeah so I was just going to say uh well one it looks like Walter Martin's back from the dead and then our chat thre which is kind of cool um but uh for me like just going back to the original question you asked because I wanted to really think through that um it's really simple like obviously we when we talking about the doctrines of Grace we always start with the sovereignty of God and so really each point should point back to God's sovereignty some some way or another and for me irresistible Grace is just like God's not totally Sovereign if you can resist him that would make you have the ability to one up a sovereign god um and so it's really that simple for me it's like either God's toally Sovereign or he's kind of sovereign yeah so right and uh and on this in this discussion about irresistible Grace effectual Grace and regeneration and monism versus synergism you know you brought up a point Zach about John chapter 3 now John chapter 3 is a passage of scripture that all of us should know well I mean everybody's familiar with the passage about you must be born again we all know the famous passage from John 3:16 it's it's what is the most famous passage in the world for God so loved the world that he gave we know those so we know this chapter very easily and if you just if you just did a Bible reading plan and just started with maybe John it's only three chapters in so hopefully you've touched this before but in John chapter 3 there's an important discussion and I think often times we gotten this wrong as evangelicals Christians have gotten this wrong and and not pay close attention to what Jesus is saying here and so I'm going to read it because I think it has everything to do with what the expectation was of the spirit of God in the New Covenant and what was going to take place totally consistent with what Jesus says in John chapter 6 and John chapter 10 and all the rest but it says this in John 3:1 now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a ruler of the Jews um this man came to Jesus by night and said to him Rabbi we know that you're a teacher come from God for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him Jesus answered him truly truly I say to you unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God Nicodemus said to him how can a man be born when he is old can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born Jesus answered truly truly I say to you unless one is born of water and the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is Spirit do not Marvel that I said to you you must be born again now listen closely here the wind blows where it wishes and you hear it sound but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes so it is with everyone who is born of the spirit now I'm going to just pause there for a moment I confess readily that as a young believer loving the Gospel of John and reading that section I didn't have a clue what in the world he was talking about I just couldn't Embrace like what exactly he's talking about when how you talking about Born Again water spirit mother's womb and then we're talking about wind blowing wherever it wishes like I just never made the connection point until you really understand the point right and you think about what Jesus is quoting from now here's where I think we've gone wrong and by I say we I used to hold an erroneous perspective on this and it wasn't until I really let the text be the text and say well yeah Jesus is confronting him so what was he referring to this isn't like this isn't like a a conversation that uh has some it's disconnected from everything and you can sort of figure it out from the point Jesus makes the conversation like what exactly is he talking about no Jesus makes the point here that you're supposed to know what I'm talking about Nicodemus this conversation about water and spirit this new birth thing this this is something you're supposed to know cuz you're a teacher of is Israel right so here's what it says it says in verse 9 Nicodemus said to him how can these things be Jesus answered him are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things okay so wait that indictment doesn't make any sense if this conversation about being born again and being born of the water and the spirit has not occurred before right so in other words Jesus is inditing him like he does the disciples on the road to Emmas you supposed to know that this is going to happen guys foolish and slow of heart to believe all the prophets have spoken like why are you guys on this road weeping wasn't it necessary for the Messiah to die and rise again like you're supposed to know this and that's another moment here in John where Jesus goes Nicodemus are you the teacher of Israel you don't know what I'm talking about water and spirit and so that should cause us as Christians to go he's being indicted for not knowing his Bible he's a teacher he's supposed to know this okay so where yeah in the previous revelation of God excellent question did this conversation actually happen and so all you have to do is just do a word study go who is there any passage of scripture that talks about water spirit and like talks about new birth and new life ah lo and behold there is Ezekiel 36 it's it's ezekiel's whole theme at many points Ezekiel 37 the Valley of the dry bones it's the coming new covenant age the coming spirit of God in the New Covenant uh the New Covenant Temple like all that stuff is right there in Ezekiel but Ezekiel 36 I just go read it later go read it later but some points of contact in Ezekiel 36 God said says that he's going to act and he's not doing it for Israel's sake he's doing it for his name's sake you've profane my name among all the nations and so God basically is saying and I'm going to act for my name's sake and here's what he's going to do he says he's going to sprinkle clean water on you and cleanse you of all your Idols it says that he's going to put his Spirit within you and he says cause you to observe my statutes and so you've got water you've got Spirit there's more you can read there in Ezekiel 36 just go read it you'll see the whole context but God makes a promise to Israel that's related to this New Covenant Temple that's related to the to the New Covenant age that's related to Regeneration it's a promise of the New Covenant Spirit the cleansing all the idols sprinkling water and being filled with the spirit of God oh there you go okay that all relates and it all relates to something that God acts in and and uh Power from God coming from God I'm not doing it for you I'm doing it for my name's sake here's what I'm going to do I will sprinkle clean water on you and cleanse you from all your Idols I will put my spirit within you and cause you to observe my statutes and so you see that that conversation is there now you have a conversation with Nicodemus Jesus says You must be born again you must be born of the water and the spirit and Nicodemus is like how do I do this and Jesus is like Wind Blows where it wishes yeah and I think one of the most powerful things about that statement is it's obvious isn't it you can't command the wind you can't control it what do I do well the wind blows where it wishes right Nicodemus right this is therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation that's really what we're talking about here is the power to bring about that which is New U second Corinthians 4 God who said let light shine out of darkness when did he do that at creation mhm God who said said let light shine out of Darkness has Shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus so God who spoke Let There Be and there was light in darkness order from chaos meaning purpose Beauty uh new life that same God that spoke in creation and brought everything into being um James picks up on this in James chapter 1 right what does he say of his own will he brought you for of his own will of his own will he brought you forth that you would be a kind of first fruits the first fruits of the new creation you're a new creature in Christ and that word the phrase right there of his own will he brought us forth It's referring to birth he he created you in Christ Jesus to be made new and the way that he did that was what he did in creation he said let there be light into your heart and there was light in the midst of that Darkness to give you the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus what does that mean it means that God shown his light in your heart so that you could see Jesus for the glory that he is be captured by his Beauty his majesty and have your will renewed so that you could actually come to him to enable you to come to him to see him is glorious as the greatest treasure you you're making an important Point are we have we already gone an hour half goodness I've been doing it half to we okay okay so um well on on the point that that you're making there this is important we could we could do all the texts and I think we've gone through quite a bit of them about um you know everyone who was predestined believed and all those things and you've got these people that the father's given to Jesus and they will come the father grants it the father draws you can do all that but we're talking about specifics here in terms of operation yeah right okay order of Salvation even too yeah exactly so we're talking about the father chooses the people in Jesus Christ Jesus comes and he pays the price lives the perfect life represents them the holy spirit of God is the one who applies that salvation and Redemption to the elect and so we have this this doc the doctrines of Grace demonstrates the unity and love within the members of the Trinity the Triune God the father's involved the son's involved the holy spirit's involved each one has a role to play in the salvation of the elect right but when you think about this operation of okay how does that get applied the father chose me the father draws Jesus dies represents me he pays that price he receives in himself what's due to me the father laid on him the iniquity of us all but then okay how's that work out in my own life because yeah granted we see that we don't know who the elect are no one knows who the elect are right I mean in terms of like you're not going out doing evangelism going you get these special spiritual eyes where all the elect are like they come up to you and they're like they're fluorescent or something and you're like I know who you are yeah uh it all we know is what scripture says about the people in front of us is that their dead in sins trespasses by Nature children of Wrath and if if if not for the but God part we're all we're all toast we're all lost um but God uh made us alive together with him by Grace you've been saved and so we're waiting for that you're dead by Nature a child wrath but God um made us alive together with him by Grace you've been saved there's there's effectual Grace there's irresistible Grace it's you're dead God Made You Alive well that's regeneration that's all we're saying is what can a dead man do how could you say that no I I'm the one that sort of like I I reached my hand out and like and because I clasped it and we worked together well that's how this all worked out no that's not what Paul says you're dead you weren't just drowning by Nature children drowned yeah yeah you weren't sort of like neutral for towards W God like you know kind of like God kind of don't not really sure that's not really true about any of us could could could that be said of Lazarus in the grave right could he have offered a word of protest no I will not be brought forth from the grave and cner just hate it when you point out those signs and symbols which are meaningful God is big on signs God is big on symbolism and siner just hate it when you point that out but look it's not just the sign itself it's we're saying scripture says you're dead scripture says you're enslaved and unless the son set you free you know that it's all it's so clear it's abundantly clear but we get so lost in our Traditions that we don't let the text just say what it says oh you're dead so when we're out doing evangelism why this is important is because in terms of how scripture says the operation takes place you're dead God must make you alive and so what's my role I preach the gospel I don't have to manipulate people I don't have to plate to people I don't have to be anything but just faithful and tell the truth and just be loving gracious bold and I just say this is the gospel this is what God did and so the call of the Gospel God commands men everywhere to repent the call of the Gospel is repent and believe the go the good news turn to Christ and live and trust in Jesus for the gift of eternal life I just give that message and I know that the spirit of God is going to bring that message into the hearts and minds of the elect he will use it to condemn and confront the uh the unbelievers the people who hate God and the people uh that God has chosen to leave in their sin and it's just going to be a further indictment upon them even when God's love and grace is is proclaimed in the Public Square they hate God and so it's just going to be an indictment upon them that they don't want God they never did want God but when it comes to the elect when God gives grace to the elect he raises the dead to life so they can see Jesus and believe and in terms of again operation how does God do this well scripture is abundantly clear on this as well and again this is this is like a cursory study we're doing right now guys it's not comprehensive but I'll give you an example um uh it's an important distinction you make too between the outward call right the message of Salvation being freely offered right whosoever will may come right the gospel call uh that needs to be distinguished from the inward call which is the effectual call of Christ's voice to his sheep that they will respond to they will come to they cannot resist that if you want to use that word the outward call people resist all the time you're out proclaiming the gospel I hate God no Jesus you know all the resistance right but when Jesus calls his sheep when they hear his voice they come spiritually alive people do spiritually alive things spiritually dead people do spiritually dead things and so if God has made us alive together with him by Grace you've been saved by the way it's important for us to keep noting on that point when Paul is giving a definition of by Grace you've been saved he just does he doesn't just say God's gracious and he saved you uh God provided a way and you know and now it's up to you to cooperate and you know it's there's some Grace there he actually defines that by Grace you've been saved in terms of you were dead by Nature a child of Wrath God Made You Alive by Grace you've been saved and that's why we're doing this series because that's the grace of God I want to defend is is a Grace that is a God's grace that is a powerful Grace but in terms of operation how does this work in 2 Timothy chapter 2 uh verse 23 it says have nothing to do with foolish ignorant controversies you know that they breed quarrels and the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone able to teach patiently enduring evil here it is correcting his opponents with gentleness if God May perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth and they may come to their senses and Escape From The Snare of the devil after being captured by him to do his will so there's the snare of the devil there are people who are have are um who are in sin and opposition to God and what's being said here is that God May perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth right repentance and now I understand the truth right and God grants the repentance so there we can't do repenting on on our own dead people don't people who are spiritually Al alienated from God who are hostile to God they don't do repenting on their own what can a dead man do nothing those who are that desire in your heart those who are in the flesh cannot please God they cannot do what's pleasing to God so if you're in the flesh and there's a flesh and there's a spirit if you're in the flesh if you are an unbeliever if you're still in hostility towards God you're not in Christ you're in the flesh you're not in the spirit it says that you cannot do what is is pleasing to God like repent like believe like um submit to God right and so God raises people God grants repentance and then we know of course Philippians 1:29 famous passage one of my favorites um and I think Pastor James makes a good point when he says like we've read this verse so many times but we miss the glory of what God is doing in this because we see the word suffer and we're like I don't want that I don't like that verse cuz it mentions suffering but Philippians 1:29 very clearly says for has been given to you that's granted to you gifted to you uh on Christ's behalf not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him so we get two things there according to the Apostle Paul under inspiration we get two things in this verse one as a gift we get faith believing in Christ two as a gift we get suffering for him and so the text is clear C it's a gift of God to believe in Jesus it's a gift of God to suffer for Jesus so gift of faith there believing in Jesus is something God gives as a gift it's not something we conjured up in ourselves it's not even a part of Paul's theology it's not part of Paul's anthropology that the dead man has the ability to believe it's not his anthropology and so you might have a tradition that says no no he really can and what I'm saying to you is you need to do a study on Paul's anthropology what does he believe about man and his abilities because if you take everything he says about man and his abilities and of course Jesus and the rest of scripture you'll see he's not optimistic yeah he's not it's it's not good for him and I'll give you one more and this is uh again this is not comprehensive but just in terms of maybe even some of the ones you're already familiar with in Ephesians chapter 2 every Christian knows this I mean I hope you do if I were to say to you by Grace you have been saved everybody would finish it right everyone after all you can do oh yeah yeah that's not the Mormon version the religionist version to Ephesians 2 by the way this is the same section we've already just talked about this is the section where he says in verse one of chapter 2 and you were dead in your trespasses and sins which you once walked following the course of this world following the prince of the power of the air uh the spirit that is now at work in the sons of Disobedience among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh caring out the desires of the body and the mind and were by Nature children of Wrath like the rest of mankind oh so the that does include everybody you see that's really important too when it comes to these uh provisionist today and trying to find ways to work around this the text is clear you are by Nature a child of Wrath like the rest of mankind nobody's out of that nobody's out of that but God being rich in Mercy because of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses like the rest of mankind he made us alive together with Christ by Grace you you have been saved so and it goes on here's the here's the verse uh eight for by Grace you have been saved through faith and this what did he just talk about Grace and Faith and this is not your own doing it is the gift of God so what's the gift of God the grace of Salvation raising us to life Faith that we believe in Christ and we are saved and we're given the gift of eternal life this is gift of God the grace and the faith not a result of works so that no one may boast so why does God want to preserve this this view of Grace so that he gets the glory so he gets the glory no one could boast right so I don't like Christian traditions and systems that allow for man to boast and that's why I want to preserve this because that's the grace of God described to us in Holy Scripture it's that gracious so that no one brags in any way on anything that they have done in this whole thing it's all God's glory for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them sounds like God is Sovereign over the whole situation that's the that's the deal yeah and so like it's just funny like reading some of the comments and you're like people are literally just not even listening to what we're saying but right tradition will do that we yeah it's like we've spent 40 minutes now uh literally ex exting the text excuse me um going through the verses and then people are like oh you're just proof texting it's like are you even listening and where's your text well just a good point here just this this man here Jeff angstrom makes a comment that just shows and I'm sorry I'll say this as graciously as I can to you and I hope that it challenges you abject ignorance of what we believe and what we're saying uh he says the fact that Jeff is trying to convince us of something tells me he does not believe in the sovereignty of God no tell me that you don't understand reformed theology or the or any of what believe without telling me that you do there's your comment right there you don't understand the system you're arguing with we believe that God is Sovereign and that God not only has a decree that's clear in Scripture that he does he declares the end from the beginning does according to his will and the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth uh he does all that he pleases we can go for days on that as well but God demonstrates very clearly in his word that God doesn't uh simply have a decree but he works through means creation and Providence particular he works through means he uses his people he the message comes from his bride he uses the means of his people and the proclamation of his word and the role of the Holy Spirit to change our minds to change our hearts to bring new life so when someone says well if you believe God's Sovereign why are you doing anything because that's not how the Bible describes God's sovereignty yeah and so I would I would highly encourage you and I mean this is a loving nudge uh to actually study this system that you're arguing with otherwise you leave records of public ignorance as you just did um so I would encourage reform Doctrine to predestination by Lorraine betner that's a fantastic book chalk full of lots of scripture for you to digest uh but i' I'd encourage you to actually again study the system before you try to argue against it yeah and so yeah so I was just going to say like we all know that people that want to argue against this position really have to get very creative and dance a jig and you know like l flowers you mentioned him was the king of literally just making things up in order to get out of what the clear teaching of scriptures but going back to um the page of Nicodemus like I want to do a little you know answer the fool according to his folly like that you knowless you're born again you cannot even see and so the opposite of that what these people would be arguing for is uh the ability to see before being born again right like um so so being able to choose and not resist God's grace being able to choose his grace um being able to choose salvation Faith whatever word you want to throw in there without actually being born again and that's literally it's the exact opposite of what Jesus was saying um and so like just it's just mindboggling me that people that you know can't see that and they and again it's tradition like you said it's just like it's just pure tradition that that gets you away from the plain teaching of scripture yeah and I just one thing to point out this is more of a historical note this is not making the argument from the Bible specifically as we've been doing here this whole episode but it it would be it' be good to note the great missionary efforts that have taken place over the last couple of hundred years some of the greatest missionary efforts of the last couple hundred years Great Awakening stuff uh these were things that were led by supported by driven by reformed folks and Calvinists and so clearly C the system itself that we're drawing from scripture doesn't lead to a view of sovereignty and evangelism uh that you think that it does in terms of why do anything at all and why are you even trying to convince anybody and and why preach the gospel um well if you if you know what the scriptures teach here that Jesus says he's not going to lose anybody any that the father has given to him I'll tell you what that's a driving force behind me going to preach the gospel um have you ever stood out in a street with Satanist yelling at you throwing things at you people are cursing at you where your life is in danger at times have you ever go and gone and preached in difficult situations and back alleys have you ever stood in front of an abortion Mill with hostile people and witches and satanists and uh transgenders and people who want to hurt you have you ever had people try to hit you with their car or pull a gun on you yeah we do all those things not because we're really special but because we want to make much of Jesus preach his gospel as commanded and guess what we know that our God is powerful enough to take that dead person rais him to life and so I know it's not going to be anything to do with me I'm going to be there and be present and be the means by which God uses to bring that person to life and I don't have to do anything in my own flesh and power and everything else to make it happen he will save because he's mighty to save and he has the ability to save and so we go to the hard places we do the hard missions and all the rest because God is Sovereign over at all you know even if you look at like um you know there's tough moments in history this you know this is close to our heart s it's all bring this one up like the the mission to the Hawaiian Islands I I I sometimes think about what those people did and how they did that and I think that we are absolute wusses yeah we we we are wusses like we we are still in the process of of really trying to win the island of kawaii to Christ we have a passion for it we we know that there's a need there we're just we're all committed to it and just trust in the Lord to finally make it happen but you know what let's be honest like we got to fly airplanes you know it's a six-hour flight from Phoenix to leou you know and yeah there was tough Ministry there and people hated us there and there's locals that resisted the the exclusive nature and claims of Christ uh for salvation and it's a hard place to live and all that stuff but let's be honest like we flew an airplane we didn't have to get in a boat and or even like go across country from the east coast to get our way to the West Coast and then get our way to Hawaiian Islands like we didn't have to spend weeks or months or whatever on a ship or on a stage coach or horseback we didn't have to do any of that stuff we're wusses like we just got on an airplane and flew for 6 hours and complained about how our back hurt from the seats being too close together or something it's like we're just wusses or like you know we stayed there and like oh the air conditioning didn't work really great in my room like you know it's it's like these people they they left their entire world behind they couldn't even communicate with family and they just gave everything up to go just to go and let's go preach the gospel to these people that need Jesus and they win the entire Islands the the the Hawaiian Islands to essentially to Christ in a period of like 20 years right oh by the way they were reformed missionaries like so there's that like so's that there's the you see my point it's like what drives people to do from a human perspective absolutely stupid things it's stupid it's it's humanly speaking in terms of like if this isn't true what you did was stupid left all your safety all your financial strength behind you your ability to care for your children and you go to risk your life travel like that at that time period to go and preach the gospel well what drives people to do such a thing oh maybe it's an understanding that God is Sovereign he has elect and he's going to bring them and so I just need to kind of show up and present the gospel so God does his work because we're the means that God does it we're the means of Grace exactly so it's a great great illustration yeah you want to throw you want to throw some stuff out there about Rapier yeah so speaking of reformed Believers uh a couple I want to mention too one is am Tech blades we got a little display blades and battle axes and all kinds of goodies Bill's amazing he's a good he's a reformed Elder at his church and uh I just want you guys if you're if you're a fan of this show go to uh he's he's got uh two different um insta channels in amtech blades and amtech shooting he's been putting up a lot of videos really great helpful stuff if you're into self-defense and and shooting um he also just started a YouTube channel against amtech mtech blades you Bill Rapier um go go sign up to his for his channels and subscribe he's he's amazing and uh you can get yourself uh a blade if you go to mtac blades.com put an apology in the coupon code you get um 5% off your order and um he also gives 5% to in abortion now so which is pretty sweet and then also um Heritage defense.org I keep mentioning it I and I mean it especially the way things are going if you're a homeschool family you got to go sign up with Heritage defense Heritage defense.org apology on the coupon code you get your first month free make sure your family's protected yeah just uh we're in obviously everyone knows the times we're in right now it'd be good to have that for your family where if somebody shows up at your door you get questioned on social media posts you're opposing the current cultural zeitgeist in whatever form it's coming in and if people show up at your door they accuse you of hate speech or whatever the case may be because you're proclaiming Christ or you know calling people to repentance or you're naming particular sins it'd be good for you to have a lawyer on the phone immediately you can hand the phone to the Metro door and say talk to my lawyer and it's at such an ridiculously ridiculously low cost to have an attorney on standby it's let's let's just be honest it's it's stupid cheap uh to have an attorney on standby like Heritage defense so get on it guys uh just real quick somebody had had asked the question I don't know if this is in just and I'm pretty sure it was but it's a good point to make um uh why evangelize if God is Sovereign let's end let's end is that te fish yeah that's that's fish oh is it oh I didn't even see the name was by it okay it's important let's end this let's end the discussion today with this because it's it's really important it's going to come up a lot why evangelize if God is Sovereign well first of all God commands us to evangelize so first of all command you to evangelize but I would actually first start answering the question by saying it this way why are you evangelizing if God is not sovereign because if God has tried to save God has provided everything possible and the holy spirit's call inward call can be thwarted people can resist God's desire to save them the the creator of all things the all powerful God can want to save try to save and fail to save if you know that God is already already done everything he possibly can and that it's up to the creature himself then my question to you is why are you evangelizing God's already done his part he's done everything he can you already know that the creature can be stronger than the Creator and so my question to you is why are you evangelizing when I go to evangelism when we go to evangelism we go to evangelism with the scriptures underneath us knowing that God is fully Sovereign he will save he's mighty to save he can save anybody anywhere anytime it's all according to him he can raise the dead it doesn't matter how hostile to they are towards God if God by his Spirit wants to move in somebody's life to have them see the truth believe the truth repent and believe God will accomplish it nothing is going to thwart that process and so what I do is I lean on that promise that the gospel is the power of God for salvation so I go out and I give it I throw those seeds out I give that I give that gospel give that gospel because God's the one who saves and I know that even though no one can come to Jesus the father is the one who draws and and when he draws Jesus raises them up and so I go with 100% confidence that I have a 100% success rate when I evangelize I have a 100% success rate God had a plan I go I preach the gospel some come to Christ and some don't it's 100% success rate how'd you like that for a a course we guarantee 100% success rate results of evangelism here's my course and it doesn't mean that you're always going to see everyone come to Jesus it means the one God the ones that God intended to save he will save and no one's going to stop him and uh so that's why we evangelize because God is Sovereign y i I've talked about this before but you know I was doing evangelism before I was reformed and yeah it was just like when when predestination clicked for me it was like this giant weight was lifted off my back because before that it was like man I got to get everything exactly right I can't mess this up you know like it would depended on me for some reason and then when I like realized like oh no this is just God and his work like it was just so freeing it was like I just going to go be myself be genuine be truthful and yeah just like this giant monkey off my back you don't walk away beating yourself up I should have said this or if I just would have included this then that would have made the difference like no man you can you can leave it to God can we end on a bner quote here so from the reformed doctrine of predestination this is what Lorraine bner says as the physical eye once blinded cannot be restored to sight by any amount or intensity of light falling upon it so the soul dead in sin cannot acquire spiritual vision by any amount of gospel truth presented to it unless the surgeon's knife or a miracle restore the eye to its normal condition sight is impossible and unless the soul be set right through regeneration it will never comprehend and accept the gospel truth in regeneration God bids The Sinner live and immediately he is alive filled with a new spiritual life that's right amen you can always end with betner always never a bad decision it's never bad all right guys thank you guys so much for joining us in apologia radio once again don't forget to go to apologia studios.com sign up for all access partner with us in everything that we're doing here guys we're grateful for all of you I'm so grateful even over the last two weeks or so being at airports and running into people in these airports who were talking about how God's used the ministry to either bring them to Christ or shape their thinking or whatever the case may be God is using this ministry globally and it's because of our all access Partners so sign up we are working on two newms right now actually three one is on the Great Tribulation it's in production it's almost done the second one is on apologetics the third one is the Book of Revelation thrill SN and we have the best of the best doing it for you son up for all access you're going to help us actually to make those things happen and don't forget please go to end abortion now.com sign your church up to go save lives we just had a save for one of our church members yesterday in town yes uh and so God's still saving babies we need to have you guys joining the church out there saving lives preaching the gospel and please please please pray and give financially to end abortion now.com we need your support to pull all this off bills of abolition happening across the country that's a from God we need you to partner with us in that financially because it takes a lot to pull this off and God's doing it through the church and very small Ministries like ours uh and so please be a part of that work with us that's Luke the bear peace out everyone I'm Jeff the com and ninja that's Zachary Conover director of communications for E catch you next week right here on apologia [Music] radio

Channel: Apologia Studios

Views: 8,542

Keywords: Jeff Durbin, Apologia Church, Viral Videos, Jeff durbin sermon, Jeff durbin debate, apologia radio, Apologia Studios, calvinism debate, calvinism Leighton flowers, James White calvinism, doctrines of grace, calvinist movie, Calvinism refuted, 5 points of calvinism, is calvinism true, what is calvinism, limited atonement, limited atonement debate, r.c. sproul calvinism, r.c. sproul calvinist, reformed theology, James White debate

Id: Gjv-hWyRKws

Length: 56min 59sec (3419 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 29 2024