Gospel Distinctives

The Gospel or “good news” about Christ and salvation is not about what God is doing. The Gospel is about what Christ has done. The Gospel comes as an announcement to God’s people that those who believe this message are already part of God’s kingdom. Those that believe were justified by Christ when he lived the perfect life of righteousness and suffered to His death on the cross over two thousand years ago.

Jn 19:28, (KJV), After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.

Jn 19:30, (KJV), When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Heb 9:12, (KJV), Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

1 Cor 15:3-4, (KJV), For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; (4) And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

You see, the Gospel is a simple message and comes as “glad tidings” (Rom 10:15) to God’s chosen vessels of mercy (Rom 9:23). Believers look back to the cross of Christ for all of their salvation and nothing else. They do not look to any experience or any other event in their lives.
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“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” - John 6:44 ESV

Vincent Cheung, an outspoken and widely known Christian of our day says this regarding God’s sovereignty in our salvation:

“you think I will tell you, God has sent Christ to make salvation possible (emphasis mine) for everyone, even you, so that in the end you will determine your own destiny…… But God has not left even this for the sinner to determine. Jesus says that no one can be saved except the Father has chosen him; unless God first shows you mercy, you will not and cannot choose him. Thus even in this aspect you are powerless, and you are completely at His mercy.” (V. Cheung).

A constant occurrence within modern day evangelicalism is the notion that the God of Scripture is in Heaven wringing His hands, crying, because His creation will not come to Him for salvation, and that He has done all that He can to save them. Within this view is the thinking that the will of man is untouchable by God, and that He will not force Himself on His creation; that He will only try to “woo” people to come to His Son Jesus, not that He will as Scripture teaches “draw” His people to His Son irresistibly. As we move forward in this short essay a case will be made for the absolute sovereignty of God in salvation, and a hope that with the apostle Paul you will say: “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” - Phil. 2:13 ESV
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Recently, a friend referred me to a blog post written by R. Scott Clark entitled Hyper-Calvinism, Rationalism and Antipredestinarians. Here is the link (http://heidelblog.wordpress.com/2008...m-rationalism/ ) Throughout this blog Clark attempts to show how the free offer of the gospel is essential to sound doctrine and correct understand of true Calvinism. Those that hold to the free offer of the gospel basically say that salvation is offered to all men, even the reprobate. In Clark’s blog, he bashes those that reject the free offer of the gospel with weak arguments from every source but scripture. In this article I intend to examine some of the statements from Clark and explain why his view point and belief in the free offer of the Gospel and mystery is incorrect.
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One day, as I was walking by a group of "Christians" that were in my neighborhood, one man in the group came up to me and yelled, “Jesus loves you” and shook my hand. This group was on their way to some sort of prayer meeting at a nearby house and embolden by their numbers they felt it was necessary to confront random strangers with their pseudo-evangelism statements and techniques. Given that I know the neighbor they were going to is of the Charismatic persuasion and commonly uses trickery and manipulation to convince people into following Jesus I wasn’t too surprised by their actions. They are very hard at work spreading their false gospel of works and becoming very bold in how many souls they have personally led to Christ. It amazes me how ignorant of the bible and the true gospel these “Christians” truly are.

Acts 13 is a perfect example of true gospel preaching. In verses 16-41 Paul clearly lays out the Gospel in all its glory.

Of this man's offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing his course, he said, 'What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.' "Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death,

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Do you think you are called to preach? Do you know a zealous man who thinks he is? So what is “this calling” of which we hear often spoken? All throughout the evangellyfish churchianity world, young men get this burning in their bosom that they are “called to preach.” My question for all those that think they are called is this… “PREACH WHAT!?”

What exactly are these men called to preach? They think they are called to join the preaching profession that is! They think they are called to have a bunch of people pay them a salary for life for simply getting up every Sunday and spewing filth from their pulpits. What’s amazing is that the deceived keep shelling out thousands of dollars to listen to trash. After all, if they can help contribute to the salvation of souls, maybe they too will be rewarded for their efforts in heaven. They cannot escape the self-righteous works mentality.
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From the current dialogue and responses from some who participate on this website, there seems to be quite an objection to the Eternal Justification view, with all it’s natural soteriological implications.

These objections however stem from how one determines reality. There are two basic foundational views. Of course there are off shoots and extremes to each of these two views, however to keep it simple for now, I will only discuss the two basics.

Objectivism vs. Subjectivism

The Objective View -A Short Definition

Objectivism, or metaphysical objectivism, is the view that there is a reality or realm of objects and facts existing wholly independent of the mind. Stronger versions of this claim might hold that there is only one correct description of this reality; they may or may not hold that we have any knowledge of it. If it is true (and I believe it is) that reality is independent of the mind, the reality of objectivism is thus inclusive of objects which one may not know about and are not the intended objects of mental acts.
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Part I: Are the wicked a second ransom insuring the eternal security of the saints?

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel. (Gen. 3:15, NKJV)

No expositor has ever questioned that this passage in scripture is the first mention in linear time of the doctrine of redemption in Christ. But how many have really examined its implications? Very few. Most brush over it with astonishingly brief exposition and go straight to other ‘more important’ considerations. But the first redemptive promise of God in linear time contains vital and eternal truths rewarding only those spirits who truly and passionately seek the One God as the author of scripture! Others will miss out. Most in previous generations have missed the implications of this passage. Most will continue to miss it for many generations to come!
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As a person who is known as a high grace predestinarian, the most common accusation I face is the lie that my high grace friends and I are anti-evangelical. This charge is slanderous and a complete mischaracterization of me. Those who often fling this accusation against me often have not taken the time to dialog with me about my beliefs or offer to sit down and study the topic of evangelism with me or my other high grace friends. It seems they are content to cast reproach upon us from their lofty “evangelical” position of authority as pastors, “missionaries”, and other unbiblical “leadership positions.”

What is the basis for these attacks? I propose that it all stems from an unbiblical understanding of evangelism. Today, evangelism is equated with “soul winning” and an elaborate “plan of salvation.” Modern “evangelists” believe that they have a duty to get men converted to Christianity. When this form of proselytizing is merged with a perverted form of calvinistic theology, the result is a form of Arminianism.

I do not intend to deal with the vast majority of religionists such as the southern baptist free willers, the pentecostals, or most “evangelicals.” These are out and out pelagian; and history, as well as scripture has clearly condemned these movements as anti-christ. I intend to deal with the true Arminians of today and they are usually known as “reformed evangelicals” or “evangelical calvinists”. Their religion is no less blasphemous and flesh pleasing than that of their pelagian brothers. The only difference is they hope to deceptively hide their satanic practices with “sovereign grace” language. Harsh words? Absolutely! I have nothing but contempt for the “evangelism tactics” of conditional calvinists.
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John Gill wrote in his masterpiece, a Body of Doctrinal Divinity, that “…God's will to elect, is the election of his people, so his will to justify them, is the justification of them;” (John Gill, A Body of Doctrinal Divinity, Book II, Chapter V, Section II.)

God’s word is so powerful that whatever He declares, it’s accomplished the moment He says it. He has no need to wait for the results. We, being temporal creatures, must wait for things to be accomplished when we set our mind to something. If we decide to do something, we must allocate time to our endeavors and wait for the results. But God, being the Eternal Almighty has no need to wait for things to be accomplished in time. He created time and sees it all at once. There is not a moment in time that escapes His constant scrutiny – past, present, or future! And if He has decreed to Justify His elect by the blood of Christ, then He needs not wait as an observer for things to be accomplished in time.

Christ is said to be the lamb slain before the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8). Now do I believe that Christ was “physically” slain in eternity? Absolutely not. Christ, the physical man was crucified in time on the cross. He was slain in time. That is how we see and understand things – in time. But Oh what sweet joy it brings to my soul to know that from all eternity the Father looked upon Christ as slain for the justification of His people! The Lord has always constituted His people as righteous in Christ from all eternity. His people were never constituted as wicked sinners as Christ was their mediator from before the foundations of the world.
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It is true that all men have a responsibility or an obligation to believe the Lord and His Gospel. To not believe the record of Christ's accomplished work of salvation for His people is a terrible sin for which men will be held accountable. All men have a duty to bow before the Lord, to acknowledge Him as their Sovereign Creator, and to honor Him. But do men have a duty to be blessed? Are men responsible for the blessings which flow from Christ to His people? No, of course not! That is a ridiculous concept indeed! But saving faith is that blessed gift of God that gives men the ability to look to Christ and see that the benefits of His sacrificial work apply to them. It is a gift of assurance. To suggest otherwise is to take this wonderful gift of God and turn it into a work.

Those who insist on the doctrine of "duty-faith" suggest that all men have a responsibility to be saved. They suggest that those for whom Christ did not die are duty-bound to look to the Lord and believe that He loves them and that He died for them. Men are encouraged to believe a lie. So in order to be seen as honest men, these perverters of the Gospel reinvent the concept of atonement and twist it so that Christ's death becomes sufficient for all and efficient for only the elect. Salvation is not accomplished until it is applied. ...