Predestination - is it the Truth?

Hannah where are you I saw you okay you have a microphone stand up so everyone can see you I asked your dad what is she gonna ask you says I don't know I said well let's see so we're ready the truth and he also says I do not delight in the punishment of the wicked but rather that they would turn and be saved then why and it also says then that he has mercy on whomever he wills and he hardens whom ever he wills then how do you reconcile the two that God doesn't want people to perish but he also says he hardens whom ever he wills that's a great question I think that's what she asked last month and let me just say this first of all if there was an answer to that the church would not be divided over this since well for a long time the first time it started getting divided over this was let's see about them st. Augustine started fighting with a guy named Pelagius over that very question basically asking about the balance between the whosoever will let him come and the chosen in him before the foundation of the world or between second Peter 3 about verse 9 that says God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to the knowledge of the truth and then and also quoted from Romans 9 which is a wonderful text from which the two sides get what we call dual I'm writing two smaller a dual predestination in fact predestination let let me just ask you you've all heard of predestination right everyone the sort of predestination hold your hand up that is only three places in the Bible it's one of the least talked about things in the Bible yet this whole concept of predestination has has just caused tumult in the church but first of all let's look at the the passages she's talking about so everybody open your Bible to the first one that Hannah mentioned and by the way her question is reflected in a lot of emails and a lot of hallway chats and so this is an important one and if you're not yet a Bible marker I am you ought to be a Bible marker you oughta not mark what I say but mark the verse and in your thoughts as you're thinking about it to kind of start cultivating your own systematic theology from your study of the scriptures but second Peter chapter 3 verse 9 is where Hannah started the Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some count slackness but is long-suffering toward us not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance now that that is right in the middle that verse is right in the middle of Peter giving us probably one of the most practical teachings on how to live as the world is ending in fact it's all about the world ending look at verse 10 the very next verse is about the end of the world the day of the Lord what we described are the events that culminate at the end of the tribulation but but what he talks about here is how we're supposed to live and this particular one is that we're supposed to pick up the Lord's desire see the Lord is not willing that any should perish you know what neither should we but I won't say this is a very controversial verse so I will not try and cultivate the idea of the the call of God or the unlimited limited atonement from this verse because actually that word parish does describe what the Lord said is going to happen to a lot of people so we know already that it doesn't mean the Lord wants no one to suffer the Vengeance of everlasting fire because he already knows that many are going to that whoever believeth remember it says for God so loved the world he gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish that means all the people that don't believe in him are going to perish and so in the sense that God is not willing in that he is sovereign isn't what this verse is saying but what it is saying is we should live redemptive ly the other thing and and before I get away from a too far go back to Roman's 9 that's the other passage that Hannah quoted from she's talking about what we get this this dual predestination concept from that some people are predestined or it's called rep probation rep you've heard of reprobates well there are some that are under reprobation they're elected to represent to destruction and that comes from chapter 9 of Romans look at verse 22 now remember Romans everything has a context always remember that you know we always have to look at where we are remember Romans 9 10 and 11 is a very important passages talking about God's sovereign election of Israel and their rejection of him so his temporarily setting him aside temporarily because he says God is going to again deal with him but right in the middle of that discussion in verse 22 look what it says what if God wanting to show his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long-suffering the vessels of Wrath prepared for destruction ah so so here are the ones that are that are prepared for this destruction this reprobation and look at verse 23 so verse 22 is talking about a group of people that are prepared for this destruction prepared so that's verse 22 now look at verse 23 that he might make known to the make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of Mercy see the the parallelism the vessels of Wrath in verse 22 the vessels of Mercy in verse 23 which he had prepared beforehand for glory whoa now we've got in verse 23 we've got prepared for glory now I'll tie this together in just a minute but from this we get the concept that you've heard about in theology of dual predestination that some people are predestined for heaven some people are predestined for hell now predestination is very specific word it's only used six times in the Bible twice Christ's crucifixion was predestined so we know predestination is very big in the Bible it's huge it's something God determines that will happen but the other four times it's used predestination it's never for individuals it's only for groups so I'm going to be talking a lot tonight about logic and the Bible it's logical to come to a dual predestination idea that that would make you wonder how can God not be willing that any should perish and we're going to talk about that about the universal offer of the gospel if it's real it is whether the atonement is limited or unlimited okay not whether it's logical NCI and and I have no desire to undermine anybody's theology but I will point out the parts of theology that aren't supported by the scriptures and you can find the same thing yourself my favorite theologian is wayne grudem i'm teaching from his book to the elders and deacons it's gonna take his years to go through it we do one chapter a month and it has fifty eight chapters takes five years to go through but Wayne Grudem can go for three pages without citing a single verse because there isn't a single verse in the Bible that says that doctrine it's only logically deduced it's not biblical it's logical doesn't mean it's wrong but it does mean it's not biblical dual predestination is never never presented in the Bible ever not even here and so it's logical to come to that conclusion but it's not biblical so look look what is presented here look at verse 22 God willing to show his wrath and to make his power known Romans 9:22 endured with much long-suffering that means that sin offends God and he he holds back his wrath reminds me of something that happened at O'Hare field a while back you know the big airport in Chicago there was a rabbit that did not believe in airplanes and that rabbit went out on the runway and lifted up its little rabbit foot at the control tower and said if there is an airplane let it come and strike me down and it stood in the middle of the runway and nothing happened and I said there are no airplanes and it scampered off God is like a control tower person it would not call a 747 to go mowed down one rabbit that was shaking its fist when humanity shakes its fist at God and says there's no God and persistence in look what God does verse 22 with much long-suffering hinders that but here's something important the vessels of Wrath prepared now this is the key to understanding God explains the these vessels of Wrath these we could call all the ones that are reprobate these are the ones that are going to help how do they get to help it says they're prepared people prepare themselves in the Greek language there's two tenses our voices the active active is what it means active the other is passive you've met active and passive people the passive voice is here this is passive God is not actively grammatically this is indisputable grammatically God is not actively putting people along the pathway that's going to head them into eternal destruction you know what this is actually a middle passive voice it's called middle path even it means they're preparing themselves they are preparing themselves that's what it means prepared the middle passive voices they are preparing themselves for help remember I said the last month that nobody goes to hell because they didn't hear about Jesus they all go to hell because they're what sinners and sinners are preparing themselves for eternal destruction because they're piling up sin and as Ezekiel says our sins cover us like an avalanche and and when we come before God we are avalanched in sin you ever seen an avalanche it just comes down the mountain it just buries everything all of us are buried in our sins apart from one who bore away our sins and bore away the sin of all who call upon the name of the Lord because they are saved and so these people never call in the name of the Lord they are in the middle passive voice preparing themselves for destruction but look at the other group and that he might verse 23 make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of Mercy which he had prepared beforehand for glory now we have an active voice there this one is is active this active prepared God is the one that anybody that goes to heaven doesn't get there on their own they don't think of it they don't initiate it they don't purchased part of it that's what religion says God's involved but you're involved and you hope that you can pile up enough you know to balance out and you're gonna try your hardest and if you don't make it the biggest religion the world says then your relatives can burn candles for you and do a few masses for you and you'll make it that's religion that's human achievement salvation is divine accomplishment God by one sacrifice forever paid the price of sin so first of all with Romans nine God is not actively electing people to hell never says that in the Bible no that was the first controversy I want to show you I don't know which side of this thing I use so I'll just use this side I want to show you how long the church has been dealing with this because this is not new and that's why I was talking with one of the staff members and he was chuckling he chuckled a lot and he said I don't know why you're having the Q&A on that subject because he said it can't be answered and I said yeah that's true that's true but we do need to help people to understand how to fit things together so back here was st. Augustine you've heard of st. Augustine by the way Calvin did not think of Calvinism st. Augustine thought of it it was a response in his he lived from 346 to I mean about to 430 ad so 30 what is that 54 he lived about 84 years Wow Agustin was an old-timer but there was a monk from Britain now we're in the British I mean in the Roman Empire that that surrounded the Mediterranean and Augustine was living in what we would call algeria today that was a huge part of the Roman Empire northern Africa it went from Morocco all the way across to Egypt and up into his role and around Turkey and all the way around all the way up to Britain and there was a monk during this time period in about the Year 400 ad whose name was Pelagius and Pelagius made a trip to Rome the Gustin was in Algeria across the Mediterranean from Rome a short boat ride Pelagius came all the way across and started preaching that no one absolutely will fell into sin and that all of us basically are a little bit good and if you can just stir up the good within yourself and if you can surround yourself with good you will get better and better and better until you are sinless that's called Palais G today pelagianism in fact there's a Mormon scholar not a Christian scholar a Mormon scholar that said Mormonism is Pelagian to the core that interesting it's this perfectibility of man pelagianism is at the heart of what we would call liberal churches churches that don't preach the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ they just say try your hardest be good kind of norman vincent peale stuff you know just be positive you know that kind of stuff pelagianism is the idea that we can save ourselves and we kind of get us started and God finishes it or helps us or something like that and so Augustine was opposing Pelagius and Agustin set out the idea of the sovereign election of God in fact the what we would call the tulip acronym basically Augustine presented that concept it's called Augustinian theology so that's where it went well after Pelagius was knocked out then things went to what's called semi-pelagianism and what what it was was they wanted to preserve man's free will and so for the dignity of man that that it was against what's called determinism that no one and the idea that you don't have any choice like why even live God's already picked who's going to heaven who's going to hell I have no choice in the matter everything's determined and it's nothing and and that is troubled people from the very beginning we're all reading the same 31,000 verses and and theologians from Britain Pelagius theologians from Algeria Agustin have have disagreed over this so the controversy went on and on for a long time and what's interesting is and I want to show you the verses that they're working with that I want to show you why it's such a struggle so let's let's just do a little Bible study on whether or not because the key the whole thing hinges on the middle piece of the acronym by the way if you've ever heard of this this tulip you've heard of that right yeah that's the acronym for Calvinism it's the flower of the Calvinist remember the Calvinists and this whole thing started in Netherlands you know and that's where this was the council or the Synod of dort in 1618 came up with this so this is the flower of Calvinism what flower is it tulip do you know what the flower of our minyan ism is the Daisy he loves me he loves me not you know that's an old joke but the total depravity now let me show you why this is that's easy to find you just go from Romans 3:10 onward in fact all of Romans 3 you've got it and many other places Romans 1 and everywhere else the unconditional election what does that mean well election means to pick it means God picked us not on the basis of us doing something that merited his favor in other words that it's not on the basis of us believing he didn't pick us because we believed we believed because he picked us and so it's the idea of well how about what it says in first Peter 1 verse 2 that we're chosen I mean it's as clear as day and it's not just in first Peter 1:2 it's all the way through elect according to the foreknowledge of God then we get down to this irresistible Grace and and boy that's clear it's all the way through the scriptures I mean we can look at them look at John 6 in fact we should look at these because you probably you know need to see if you believe this look at John 6 with me and we'll look at all the rest of them but I want to show you something because you notice that that I'm going to leave one out because it's the one that's not in the Bible and it's the middle one it's what I'm gonna leave out but the perseverance of the Saints is the last one and we could go for that too John 10 and Jude 24 and many many other places but look at John 6 with me because I want to show you something I want to show you each of these that they are easily definable in the Bible the general concept now I mean some of these things have been discussed to such lengths that they go off the chart they're not in the Bible but the concept of this tul IP let's see what it is in the Bible starting with verse 37 look at John 6:37 all that the father gives me will come to me you know that is that's election you want to see election the Bible there it is the father gave the son he gave him the gift of those who would come in faith to Christ all that the father gives to me will come to me now look at this why did he add this this makes it very enchanting to think about and the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out you know that says that that salvation has two parts we have the the election the father giving and and that all that the father Gibbs will come to me it's an irresistible work of God John 6:37 but then he adds the same thing Paul adds remember how Paul got saved was Paul wanting to get saved was he out looking for the Lord no he's trying to destroy every representation of Christ and Jesus knocked him off his donkey or horse or whatever he was on the way to Damascus threw him into the dust blinded him with his glory and made him be day after day in darkness and and in that time Saul of Tarsus who became Paul the Apostle had a work of Grace in his heart any what he says about it he didn't say I was forced to become a Christian he said I was not disobedient I responded so here's the response here's the free will if you want to call it that the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out I'm going to show you in just about how you reconcile those because actually what we always have in Scripture is seeing it from God's perspective and seeing it from our perspective and you know what the problem is people are trying to force God's perspective down here where it doesn't make sense and trying to impose our perspective on God see there's there's a there's a divine view of salvation and there's a kind of street view how we see it and you know which one we're supposed to have the divine view in the back of our mind saying hey God's got it all under control but we're supposed to minister like Paul did you know how Paul ministered 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 says this knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men you know how Paul gave the gospel he didn't like a friend of mine good friend of mine I helped him get started in ministry do you know what he told his church recently don't pass out tracts he might give them to a non-elected and they might think they got saved what is that well besides being wrong it's not how Christ did the apostles were Jesus did not look through the crowd and say hey listen to me if you're one of the chosen he said to everyone Matthew 11:28 29 and 30 come on to me all of you who labor and heavy laden I will give you rest it was a a wide-open offer of the gospel but keep reading look what it says in verse 46 now we're in John 6 we've looked at 37 and seen that this concept of this all the father gives will come to me they cannot resist it everybody that that the father gave me will come to me 6:37 says but look at verse 46 not 4644 no one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him and I will raise him up at the last day look at this no one can come we're all totally not God's seekers now there are nice people in the world there are more nice and less nice people there more bad and less bad people but we're all totally unable to make it to God the gulf is too big our inability is too great and so jesus said no one can come to me we're all dead in our trespasses and sin Ephesians 2 unless the father who sent me draws him and I'll raise him up the last day Wow this is the idea that we're unable to come on our own that only the ones that the father gave the son will be saved but all the ones that the father gave will come isn't that neat and and the father will draw them now look across the the column it's in verse 65 Jesus said the same chapter and he said therefore I have said to you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted to him by my father Wow see why there's a controversy how can you preach the gospel everybody Hannah just asked and not everybody be able to come why doesn't the father just draw them all that's that's the heart and that's never answered I mean it's answered in his justice it's answered in his sovereignty is answered in his decrees but it's not answered in plain English in the Bible that's why there's a controversy so also if you want this idea of the perseverance of the saints just turn over a couple of pages chapter ten more than a couple Jesus said like look at verse 27 my sheep hear my voice John 10:27 I know them they follow me I give them eternal life and they shall never perish so that means they don't lose it and then look at the rest of the verse neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand it means that no one is going to be able to to pull out that engrafted word no no job is witness at the door no slick you no cult is gonna be able to you know there's people all the time to talk about their children that lost their faith in college actually what this says is you can't lose your faith in college or anywhere else because no one can snatch you out and you you cannot perish now what you can do is you you can really get mixed up and confused and and you can start believing things that aren't true but the Lord is at work in your heart and convicting you and and someone comes along and points out the truth but you don't you aren't saved and all of a sudden you go to college and get unsaved that's not biblical so this idea of the perseverance of the saints effect here's another one Jude 24 you know Jude only has one chapter just go to Revelation and it's the book right before revelation so go to the end of the Bible this is a tremendous verse because what it says is that the the perseverance of the Saints is not based on how hard we hold on never I told you last time about my kids part of my hair loss was they used to hold my hair like rains riding a horse and we had a lot of kids so I had a lot of you know pressure up there and they would be rocking back and forth riding on my shoulders holding on for dear life clutching fistfuls of my hair what they didn't realize till they got a little older was that they're staying on my shoulders safe and sound was not depending on how hard they held on I had them in a lock grip I had their their little legs here I mean they could have tried to do a somersault and they couldn't have gotten off because they were locked in and look what it says in the in the last two verses of Jude it only has one chapter verses 24 and 25 now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling Wow and to present you faultless before his presence before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to God our Savior who alone is wise be glory and Majesty Dominion and power both now and forever the Lord is able to keep us from falling in fact I just got a text from someone they says hey what does Hebrews 6 mean and so I can tell you what it doesn't mean because no hard to understand verse in the Bible overturns a page full of clear ones and and so you don't you don't make doctrines on obscurity you make it on clarity and and it very clearly says in the Bible that that this concept that we cannot lose our salvation we persevere that they all that the father gives will come that that he chose us we didn't choose him John 15 you did not choose me I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit that your fruit should remain and that we're totally unable on ourselves to do it but what is this that I left out this is called limited atonement that's the middle piece now RC sproule who is a beloved dear wonderful man of God who every time I've ever heard him speak moved my heart almost to tears he's one of the most wonderful profound Bible teachers doctrinal teachers and everything but our CEO says if you don't believe in the limited atonement you're one of those Pelagians you're a semi Pelagian you're an Arminian but the problem is limited atonement is not in the Bible and so what he's saying is logically you would be that but let me show you what the Bible does say let's just look at several verses on the limited atonement let's start in Isaiah 53 the gospel in the Old Testament okay and and you might not appreciate some of these you know if you're a strong limited at owner our atonement issed by the way I believe in an unlimited limited atonement emphasis on unlimited that's the perspective we're supposed to have on earth limited that's God's perspective and since I'm not omniscient and since I'm not eternal and I don't have foreknowledge I don't see this limited thing it's logical but it's not presented in the Bible but God does know who's going to be in heaven already if he's preparing a place for us he seems to know who's coming right and so he already has seen the end and I'm not saying that he picked him by what he saw you know foreseen faith God already knows for whom Christ died but when he presents it to us look how he presents it here's Isaiah 53 now don't decide on one verse where my show is there are so many verses you can't deny plain English okay he's a 53 I'll start in verse 5 but he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement for our peace was upon him and by His stripes we were healed all we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all okay you'd say maybe that's only talking about the saved people in Israel in us okay so there's one and of course that's not what it says but you could get that so let's go to the Gospel of John let's just fast forward the Gospel of John chapter 1 and I want to show you that that when I read and I collect commentaries I have maybe 1500 Bible commentaries of all kinds and I'm talking about literal books you add to that electronic books I have 5,000 electronic books and I have 1,500 commentaries and thousands of books in total in print but I mean if you read the commentaries when the people that believed in the lumen atonement covered these verses what they keep saying is that couldn't mean that that couldn't mean that no matter what it can't mean that it can't mean that and and when they keep doing that you wonder why can it first of all there is no explicit statement it does say Christ died for his bride what it doesn't say is he it doesn't say he didn't die for everybody else and so you can't make an argument by saying well it says he he died for his bride uh-huh he did it never says that he didn't die for the others in fact look what it does say John 1:29 this is the introduction of Christ by John the Baptist the the last Old Testament prophet in the next day John 1:29 Gospel of John John saw Jesus coming toward him and said behold and I can just see him pointing at Christ because remember he was he was a voice cry prepare the way so he's like the introducer of Christ and he's pointing at Jesus's behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world oh now you you get a limited atonement commentator on this and it goes it's the world of the elect that's what it's talking about so you go okay world let's just take you know our concordance you know I carry my ninety-nine cent concordance with me all the time on my phone always check things and so let's see how John uses the world and and look starting in verse nine of the same chapter that was a true light which gives light to every man coming into the world so world you could say worldly like there he was in the world verse ten and the world was made through him and the world did not know him huh that's interesting the world the world there isn't John doesn't use world exclusively believe for the elect so keep going in the book look at chapter three and verse 16 now same author John same vocabulary world and let's start in verse 16 most well-known verse in the Bible for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life for God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved and this is a condemnation that light has come into the world verse 19 and men love darkness rather than light and I could go through the eighty times John uses the word world and you know what you can't you can't squeeze the world into meaning the world of the elect that is a term John uses not for the elect love not the world nor the things in the world for all those in the world the lust of the flesh lets the eyes privates not of the fathers of the it's of the devil see world when you when you read these commentators who 99% are right on whenever they get near these these verses that say that Jesus died for the world their system is so it's a system see that's a unit those five pieces are sewn together like a sweater if I was wearing a sweater since it's supposed to snow tonight I shoot him if I pull out one of the knit together pieces of my sweater and just start pulling that string do you know what will eventually happen my whole sweater will start unraveling that's what they fear if this is ever disproved but this was not found in the scriptures this is a logical deduction that Agustin came to in his argument against Pelagius it's not something you get by reading the Bible so let me show you some more let's get out of John let's go to Paul first how about first Timothy and I'm just going through the classic verses that have always been used by Bible teachers throughout the centuries to say it's not biblical it's only logical that middle point look at first Timothy chapter 2 this is Paul therefore I exhort first of all what we're studying here is what does all mean okay remember Bill Clinton had the big discussion on it you know and what he was saying you know was was he's trying to confuse everybody and deny when something makes plain sense in the scripture there should not be an overturning if something makes plain sense like oh look at all I exhort verse 1 first of all that means out of everything that supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men I mean we don't have much disagreement here isn't that kind of a call to universal prayer just pray pray pray for people pray for the people when you hear about the that the tsunami pray from when you hear about the cyclone pray from when you hear about the I mean for me the news if I ever I don't hear it very often cuz I don't watch television but but when I see it online causes me to pray whenever I see that I pray and then for Kings verse 2 for all who are in authority not just the good ones that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and reverence for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior God is by nature a savior never forget that Titus repeatedly is told that by Paul God is a savior Timothy is told right here now here's back to Hannah's question this God who is a savior desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth there's one God and one mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time there is no way without doing mental gymnastics hermeneutical gymnastics and forcing that verse into this see what happens is if you start with a system you got to fit every verse into the system and any that don't you've got to force them in or you've got to talk them till people are blue in the face and just don't say what it means because there's hardly any way to understand this unless you have a complete system that is bearing what's weight down on you saying it couldn't possibly mean that now see Hebrews 6 says that they will fall away but it doesn't say fall away from what it doesn't say if they're even saved it says they've tasted and they've been enlightened but there are tons of verses that say clearly that you can never lose your salvation there are pages of verses there's one Hebrews six verse that seems to imply something different so the preponderance of weight goes against Hebrews six so we know it doesn't mean that there are no verses that explicitly say that salvation is limited and the atonement was only paid for those going to heaven it's interesting the preponderance of verses is the opposite okay keep going from there let's go to Hebrews chapter 2 okay let's see if so John thinks it's unlimited Paul thinks it's unlimited let's go to Hebrews the writer of Hebrews look what he says he's describing Jesus who is the greatest and it says in in Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 9 but we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor that he by the grace of God might taste death for everyone what do you think that means well if if you're trying to make that verse fit in here you say well he only tasted it he didn't drink it you know like I didn't inhale what was that Clinton they said that you know I smoked the marijuana I just didn't inhale it you know I mean what taste death how much of death you have to taste you have to swallow it all you know I mean it just gets to be gymnastics this verse and first Timothy 2:4 and 6 to 99% of all people who are not forced to fit it into a grid says that Jesus died for for whom every one it's amazing okay now keep keep going go to 1st or 2nd Peter let's go to 2nd Peter - this gets really interesting second Peter 2 now here's Peter that started I mean Peter is as into election as possible to be I mean he starts his epistle in 1st Peter 1 and verse 2 saying that we're elect according to God's wonderful marvelous sovereignty but look at 2nd Peter - well let's go to 2 verse 1 second Peter 2:1 but there were so false prophets among the people even as there will be false teachers among you who will secretly bring in destructive heresies even denying the Lord who bought them denying the saving work of Christ that's who bought Jesus is the Redeemer why didn't he stop there why didn't you say denying the redemption what does he say about this this verse 2nd Peter 2:1 is a classic verse of people the Bible calls apostates apostates the whole book of jude and this chapter are about these apostates apostates are now going to heaven apostates are lost apostates are going to suffer the blackness of darkness forever in suffering the Vengeance of eternal fire that's as clear as possible to say that they are lost and hellbound ok I mean that is replete in the scriptures apostates are you don't want to be near one that's why it's not good to to indiscriminately watch television and read books about theology because apostates are dangerous it's kind of like walking barefoot through the Southwest desert if you don't get bit by a Gila monster you'll probably get bit by a Diamondback you don't walk barefoot you don't walk without protection theologically a lot of you lay just surf the channels and they just listen to anything that comes and the devil sews these seeds of doubts there are a lot of apostates and you know what a lot of them are described in in jude and peter they make merchandise of the gospel they sell it but their own lives are are immoral and and there's old history then but but look what it says apostates are bad and they're going to hell but look what it says in verse 1 these false prophets among the people these apostates there will be false teachers among you who will secretly bring in destructive heresies even denying the Lord who bought was that next word say them Peter who knew Jesus better than any of us will the sight of heaven three and a half years chasing Jesus hanging on every word under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Peter speaking inspired text says that Jesus died the atonement covers apostates that doesn't fit in that hell it's amazing so he goes on I mean the same Peter look across the page at chapter 3 in verse 9 the Lord is not slack concerning his promises as some count slackness he's long-suffering toward us he's not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance now in light of chapter 2 Peter is presenting an amazing atonement view here's the last one look at first John we start with John let's look at first John it's next page just turn the page the first John chapter 2 and verse 2 now this is probably the most amazing and if you want to check out the limited atonement view read any major limited atonement theologian on this verse you know what you and RC sproule said if first John 2:2 says what it sounds like it says but we know it doesn't how do we know it doesn't because I mean Who am I to criticize he knows more in his left lower lobe than I'll ever know okay but if you are completely committed to a system you cannot have this peace out of the wall so so what he says he starts out his commentary by saying if it meant what it sounds like it means you know it would be terrible mean that just goes on and on and on with no biblical support I mean put one biblical verse in that says Christ died only for the bride they only died for the elect part of the world they'd only died for the all men in the world that are elect it doesn't say that all it says is he died for his right which he purchased his bride there's no one that doubts he purchased his bride but if you just read the verses here it is first John 2 verse 1 my little children these things are right unto you that you may not sin but if anyone sins we have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous and he himself is the propitiation he'll Ozma's did you know in Hebrew that's the mercy seat Jesus is the mercy seat he's the propitiation he is the the covering for our sins now who do you think our is believers right John is talking to Christians and he says my sins your sins our sins not only for our sins not for ours only but also what does the rest of us say now what do you think world means see when you have a contrast like that he is a propitiation here's the the mercy seat the atoning hell Ozma's propitiation for our sins who are believers but not just for ours he it's the one who's the Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world since John already wrote that in John 1:29 he would certainly write first John 2:2 because he is very consistent from God theology because that's why God picked him as one of his inspired writers so what's interesting even my most admired theologian in the world that I look up to more than anybody else John MacArthur if you read a Study Bible tell me what does he say he doesn't give on this verse I have a copy you do too it's my favorite Study Bible I would commend it if you haven't bought your Christmas presents by everybody you love a MacArthur Study Bible it's the most complete doctrinal guide but he gets to this first you know what he says he starts going you know why because he can't say that the verse means what it says and so what he says is it has to mean something else you know what I admire him for that he's very consistent he is and here's the last thing we got to go oh I'm so glad you asked this Hannah it's when we can take the whole hour on I just want to show you how we got to this point okay and by the way while I'm talking I'll say this most of this you can hardly understand less you spend a long time studying even how we got to it because for one thing Calvin never never heard of that tulip acronym they didn't invent that until after Calvin died most people don't even realize this John Calvin he died in 1564 he was born in 15 I don't know oh nine or something like that fact when Martin Luther posted his theses Calvin was eight years old so Martin Luther certainly wasn't a Calvinist because Calvin was only eight and wasn't even converted at that time but you've heard of Arminius Jacob Arminius you know our minyan ism Arminius wasn't born I think till 1560 and I think he lived until 1609 so our minyan ism Calvin wasn't there was no Arminianism when Calvin did this Arminius didn't write his thing until 1609 and by the way after he was dead is where we get the tulip that comes in 1618 so all this to say that it's not as simple as it sounds you know people swing around you know Calvinism and I'll minion ism and they have no idea that our mineus did not write our minion ism and Calvin didn't write Calvinism Calvin wrote his Institute's and by the way you ought to read what he said on first John 2:2 he preached through that very interesting what he says he says almost the same thing that Spurgeon says Spurgeon says Spurgeon's the Calvinists and Spurgeon said on John 1:29 that Jesus paid the price for the totality of the sin of the world how does he get the el out of that but okay how do we get how do we get to this well this is what I call this is my last thing I'm gonna show you and this is something we all should should work on you take verses in the Bible like John 6 the ones I showed you and those say that only the father can draw and then you know you get the Ephesians 1:4 about elect and you get a bunch of other verses and you you take these verses and you you draw conclusions from them like this you know you take a verse and you get conclusions now this is the Bible and this is biblical truth or doctrine or you could call it Orthodox doctrine because it's it's straight with the Bible everything you know you can find biblical support so t you i P T you I P I left out a letter how do you get the L like this you say that we were chosen to him for the foundation of the world no one can come unless he be drawn and the Lord is not willing that that any should perish and so therefore Christ died only for the elect now this is not tied to any verse there's no verse this arguments been going on since 430 ad and no one's answered it because when Calvin army when Agustin started this it wasn't attached any verses it was attached to theology to other doctrines and it was logical and you know what it is logical it's very illogical for me the Jesus died for anybody that's not in heaven why would he waste his precious omniscient sovereign sacrificial blood so it's not logical that Jesus died for the world but it's biblical because I only gave you seven verses you go to to the argument that's been going on and you can get dozens of verses but no one can give you a verse that says many verses say the whole world and they say well world means the elect no verse says only the elect so to answer Hannah's question from God's perspective when we get to heaven on up there we're gonna look back and I'm the doorway it's gonna say chosen in him before the foundation of the world but revelation 22 closes with who so ever will let him come the gospel from a human perspective is presented by God as available and open to everybody that's how he presented it including Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world not just our sins so you know what you can look like I did today you can look in the eye of two visitors that came through the line today and I said I have a question for you to know for sure that all of your sins are forgiven they took a step back and they thought I came here to get a free gift bag what are you doing asking me theological questions you know tricking me and I said no no no trick just asking him and both of them are honest I mean they realized I wasn't trying to you know hurt him or scare or anything they both said no I am NOT and I can look him in the eye and say Jesus Christ offers to you today the absolute complete forgiveness of every sin past present and future and the only limit on his atonement is whether or not you will believe and an embrace and receive him as the gift now will they I don't know God knows he only he only will draw them if he wants to he'll only draw them if he chose them but I can't understand that and I have to tell you that no one has fully been able to get their head around this because it's never been solved so all through life were supposed to share the gospel like whosoever will can come and we have the confidence when they reject it or when we don't know what happened to him that God is doing his part he chose he'll draw and he'll bring those he gave to the son someone in fact his name was Anselm Abelard I don't know which one said this you've probably heard it that the atonement of Christ was sufficient for the world but efficient for the elect that's fine as long as you keep the efficiency up here in heaven in eternity and the sufficiency down here because that's the gospel that Jesus taught and Peter and Paul and John and that's the gospel we're supposed to share and at 7:15 you're going to be glued to your chairs like that poor person in New York City so let's all stand and next question answer it's going to be very exciting because Hana's question we won't bring up again unless someone else brings it up okay obviously you notice I didn't really answer that I just told you how I think and by the way this is called theological drift when you when the boat is not tied directly to the pier when it's when it's tied to something that's moving and being deduced this is theological drift doesn't mean it's false and it doesn't mean it's wrong all it means is it's not connected to the Bible and and we should uh turley fight for what's in the Bible and we should have a love for as long as it's not wrong for this theological drift okay let's bow for word of prayer father in heaven thank you for the word of God the living and abiding Word of God the engrafted word which is able to save our souls thank you that that word says that you so loved the world that you gave your one and only Son Jesus Christ that whosoever believes in Him will never perish but have endless life and that's the gospel we share knowing that no one will come unless you pull them because we're so sinful and so I pray that that that tension that antinomy would always that paradox would always stay there if we wouldn't try and answer it away since you're the one that put it there and I thank you for your word that we can talk about forever and it's such a blessing may it inspire us to share the gospel with everyone we meet in the precious name of Jesus we pray and all God's people said amen god bless you as you go

Channel: DTBM

Views: 129,859

Rating: 4.7962174 out of 5

Keywords: john barnett, dtbm, Q&A, calvinism, predestination, reprobation, 5 points, dual predestination, atonement, TULIP, pelagius, augustine, wrong, wrongful, lie, lies, lying, truth, true, doctrine, divide, christian, religion, religious, christians, john, barnett, dr, sermon, teach, learn, church, lesson, pre, destiny, destination, saved, unable, salvation, all, everyone, belief

Id: j1u6ChwmgiE

Length: 61min 57sec (3717 seconds)

Published: Tue Jul 22 2014