Limited offer of the gospel: You can take it!

[Eisenhorn]

All traditional Calvinists believe in universal proclamation of the Gospel and responsibility of the man but deny human ability to believe. Calvinism upholds whatever the Scripture teach, not allowing one doctrine to be eclipsed by another. At the same time it denies that there are paradoxes in the Bible. There are ineffable mysteries, such as the Trinity and Godmanhood, but different truths are never in essential contradiction one to another.
With is in view we can believe in the universal proclamation and limited offer of the Gospel. True Calvinists don’t deny the mandate and last commandment of our Lord – to go into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. Could anything be more universal than this? The Gospel, according to the will of Christ, is to be proclaimed without demandind from the sinner anything except the work of conscience, because even repentance and faith are the gifts of Sovereign God (Eph 2.8-9). The herald of the Gospel is meant to explain fundamental facts concerning salvation, to non-believers and believers. He must proclaim Christ, Who is He, and nature of His accomplished salvation. This proclamation must include the truths: that all have sinned and come short the glory of God; that the penalty for sin is death; and that Jesus Christ came into this world to save elect sinners, His people, by paying the penalty for sin by His death and gifting them His Resurrection. Calvinists are not warranted to say indiscriminately to individuals, that “Christ died for you” because it can’t correspond to the facts. Neither Christ nor Apostles never took this approach. We don’t find a single passage in a Scripture of a Christian persuading an unbeliever or pagan, “God loves you and Christ died for you” before he repended! Indeed they proclaim Christ indiscriminately to all sorts of the individuals telling them of God’s accomplished salvation. They do it sincerely and without dissimulation, but knowing that not all are predestined unto eterlal life, but some foreordained to eternal death. They promises that God save through faith but knowning e has nowhere and no time promised to grant the gift of faith to all. Nowhere and no time Apostles did not invite men to come to Christ based on the Gospel accrue to men BECAUSE they repent and believe. “Come to Me” – these Christ’s words are related to ISRAEL but not to natural man which is spiritually dead. There is a certainly need to personal response, but nobody haven’t to right hide from non-believers that faith is gift from God, it is not warrant. As Calvinists present Christ to fallen world they do not so believing that people have power within themselves to turn to Christ. They do so because they believe in power of the Spirit to resurrect dead bones. They believe in a power of God, not in the goodness of men. And they obliged to say every who listen, that because original sin ani its entails men are unable to believe and that no exist such thing as warrant for faith. "Therefore I said unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father" (John 6:65)"
It is no way hinders to zeal of the preach, rather the contrary. For as we know that God foreknows His own, though we have no idea they might be, we can be sure that those and only those finally turn to Christ. For them Church is willing to preach the Gospel from Jerusalem and untо the uttermost part of the earth, and her message go to all. But men loved darkness rather then light, and because Gospel saves same and hardens others. However God can make man willing to believe. What is impossible for men is possible for God. It's no nature but irresistible grace. This is other side of the truth which preached true Calvinists to all men without discrimination. Two doctrines excellent fit together. But you shouldn’t assure to unsaved that Christ’ Sacrifice offered for them or they obliged to believe in it, in otherwise they shall perish immediately, or that they shall find salvation and even assurance right now. Jonathan Edwards said more reasonably, «If you repent before it is too late, you yourselves shall be of that joyful company».

[Abraham Juliot]

Greetings Eisenhorn,

But you shouldn’t assure to unsaved that Christ’ Sacrifice offered for them or they obliged to believe in it, in otherwise they shall perish immediately, or that they shall find salvation and even assurance right now.

I apologize if I'm reading this wrong. But, do you mean to say, "But you shouldn’t assure to [the] unsaved that Christ’ Sacrifice [is] offered for them or [that] they [are] obliged to believe in it, in [or] otherwise they shall perish immediately, or that they shall find salvation and even assurance right now."

Calvinism... True Calvinists... Calvinists are... As Calvinists present Christ... true Calvinists...

Many (if not all) Calvinistic churches that follow the Westminster Standards and John Calvin (on soteriology) believe that eternal redemption is a universal opportunity available for all under the sound of the gospel.

here are some very sad quotes from popular calvinistic teachers:

"Last of all, David confesses that it was entirely owing to the pure grace of God that he had come to possess so great a good, and that he had been made a partaker of it by faith. It would be of no advantage to us for God to offer himself freely and graciously to us, if we did not receive him by faith, seeing he invites to himself both the reprobate and the elect in common; but the former, by their ingratitude, defraud themselves of this inestimatable blessing." (Calvin, Psalms 16:7) "That, then, is how our Lord Jesus bore the sins and iniquities of many. But in fact, this word “many” is often as good as equivalent to “all“. And indeed, our Lord Jesus was offered to all the world. For it is not speaking of three or four when it says: ‘For God so loved the world, that he spared not His only Son.” But yet we must notice that the Evangelist adds in this passage: “That whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but obtain eternal life.” Our Lord Jesus suffered for all, and there is neither great nor small who is not inexcusable today, for we can obtain salvation through him. Unbelievers who turn away from Him and who deprive themselves of him by their malice are today doubly culpable. (guilty, blameworthy) For how will they excuse their ingratitude in not receiving the blessing in which they could share by faith?" (John Calvin, Sermons on Isaiah’s Prophecy of the Death and Passion of Christ, 52:12, p., 140-1) "“To bear,” or, “take away sins”, is to free from guilt by his satisfaction those who have sinned. He says the sins of many, that is, of all, as in Romans 5:15. It is yet certain that not all receive benefit from the death of Christ; but this happens, because their unbelief prevents them." (John Calvin, Hebrews 9:28)

"Q. Doth God command every man that hears the gospel to take his gift Christ out of his hand ?—A. Yes ; under pain of his most dreadful wrath, 1 John iii. 23. Q. What mean you by Christ's offer of himself?—A. His holding forth himself as able and willing to save, and inviting sinners to receive salvation from him. Q. To whom doth Christ offer himself?—A. To every one that hears the gospel, without exception, Prov. viii. 4. Q. In what manner is Christ offered in the gospel ?—A. Fully, freely, earnestly, and indefinitely, Isa. lv... Q. How is Christ offered indefinitely ?—A. The gospel offer of him suits every hearer's case as exactly as if he was named in it, Rev. iii. 17, 18. Q. What do you understand by embracing of Christ as offered in the gospel 1—A. A particular persuasion that Christ in the promise is mine; and made of God to me wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption; and trusting on his word, that he will act up to all his saving characters to me in order to promote my everlasting salvation... Q. How do we receive him in agreeableness to his being indefinitely offered?—A. By applying the offer as particularly to ourselves as if it had pointed us out by name, and were not to another, Gal. ii. 20." - Question & Answers on the Shorter Catechism by John Brown

"...who, for their wilful neglect and contempt of grace offered to them, being justly left in their unbelief, do never truly come to Jesus Christ" (Larger Catechism Ans. 68).

Below are some excellent quotes:

"Evangelical repentance is the gift of free grace; faith is the gift of God. What is God's, as a gift to bestow, cannot be man's duty to perform as a condition of salvation. Those who are invited to look to Christ, to come to Him for salvation, are very minutely described: they are the weary and heavy laden with sin, the penitent, the hungry and thirsty soul, etc., etc.; these are the characters invited to come to and believe in Christ, and not all men (Mt 11:28; Isa 55:1; Mr 2:17)." -Christopher Ness (1621–1705) (An Antidote Against Arminianism by Christopher Ness)

"When Peter proclaimed that "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved," he certainly did not intend this to include any more than "as many as the Lord our God shall call to himself" (Acts 2:21,39)... The preaching of the gospel is God's intended means by which he gathers his elect unto himself in time. And salvation is a matter of pure grace, not something conditioned upon the works or duties of the unregenerate. This we have seen to be the case as we have briefly considered the subjects of grace, duty, and gospel preaching. Grace excludes duty in the matter of salvation and terminates upon the elect, and reveals that the elect alone are the intended subjects of gospel preaching." - Gery Schmidt

"A man is called upon to believe in God so far as his knowledge goes of God, both in His works of grace and His works of providence. No man is called upon to believe what he never heard... To believe in Christ as my own Saviour is purely a spiritual act; and before I can do this, it is certain I must have a revelation of Christ to my soul." (Benjamin Taylor, Deceiving the Souls of Thousands)

[Eisenhorn]

Dear Abraham,
First of all, I want to thank you for what you just took the bat and put a very serious and complex problem on which I worked. I must admit that, unfortunately, many of the Reformed recognizing Westminster standards, believe that salvation is hypothetically possible for all on the condition of faith. Also, I want to say that Calvin was the pioneer. Some of his sermons contain a number of issues you listed sloppy wording, hereinafter declared inadmissible the Reformed Church and gave rise to Amyraldian heresy. This is not the teaching of high Calvinism, but Amyraldianism, or fruits of his influence, in particular, to the Westminster Assembly, and in Scotland. I believe that the victory of the duty-faith doctrine and free offer in Scotland - it's unfortunate, because this distortion of Calvinism in general and the doctrine of irresistible grace in particular, is largely led to the secularization that we see out there today. I think that given your texts, some of which are difficult to acquire in Russia, contain distortion Dort Canons of the Synod, which is strictly Reformed Churches by Theodore de Beza to Herman Hoksema never accepted.
Russian Reformed church does not recognize amiraldianism and 4 points-calvinism "as a gross distortion of historical Calvinism. She also does not teach "free offer of the Gospel". This is the source of our serious disagreements with the Scottish Presbyterians. However, abandoning the "free offer", many of the Church in Europe continue to insist on the duty-faith. Personally, I appreciate you have entered the authors and I think that this is also a mistake which Canons not teach. However, Gary Schmidt should not have to prove that the strict Baptists do not have anything in common with the Reformed tradition, and that the latter is supposedly from the beginning taught heresy.
. God bless you.

[Abraham Juliot]

I rejoice that there are reformed brethren in Russia that do not accept duty-faith and the free offer error. I visited Moscow and Omck in October of 2004 for a short term missions trip. (sadly, it was with George Bryson from Calvary Chapel... which involved a lot of gimmicks to draw crowds through concerts and alter calls). The Lord delivered me from staying within that church.

Omck seemed like a really dark place, but the people were very friendly and less hostile than in California.

blessings

[Abraham Juliot]

...I appreciate you have entered the authors...

Here is more info on the Puritan Christopher Ness

http://www.sermonaudio.com/source_pr...ID=pu824071033

http://www.todaysprophecy.com/An%20A...her%20Ness.pdf

A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF CHRISTOPHER NESS
Christopher Ness (1621-1705) was an English Nonconformist preacher and author.
He wrote "A History and Mystery of the Old and New Testaments," a work to which Matthew Henry is thought to owe much of his most valuable material for his commentary; "A Protestant Antidote Against the Poison of Popery;" "The Crown and Glory of a Christian;" "A Christian's Walk and Work on Earth;" "A Church History from Adam," and "A Scripture Prophecy to the End of the World;" "A Discovery of the Person and Period of AntiChrist;" and "An Antidote Against Arminianism," a small work embodying in a brief form the doctrines on election, predestination, etc., as taught by John Owen, Toplady, and others.

Ness was born on December 22, 1621 at North Cave, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, the son of Thomas Ness, a husbandman there. He was educated at a private school at North Cave, under Lazarus Seaman, and entered St. John's College, Cambridge, on May 17, 1638, where he graduated B.A. and M.A. When 23 years old he retired into Yorkshire, where he became a preacher of independent tenets successively at Cliffe, or South Cliffe Chapel in his native parish, in Holderness, and at Beverley, where he taught a school. On Dr. Winter's election as provost of Trinity College, Dublin, in 1651, Ness was chosen as his successor in the living of Cottingham, near Hull, though it does not appear that he ever received Episcopal orders.
In 1656, he became a preacher at Leeds, and in 1660 he was a lecturer under the vicar, Dr. Lake, afterwards Bishop of Chichester; but his Calvinism clashed with the Arminianism of Dr. Lake, and on St. Bartholomew's day in 1662 he was ejected from his lectureship. After this he became a schoolmaster and private preacher at Clayton, Morley, and Hunslet, all in Yorkshire. At Hunslet he took an indulgence as a Congregationalist in 1672, and a new meeting-house was opened by him on June 3, 1672.
He was excommunicated no less than four times, and when in 1674 or 1675 a writ de excommunicato capiendo was issued against him, he removed to London, where he preached to a private congregation in Salisbury Court, Fleet Street. In 1684 he had to conceal himself from the officers of the crown, who had a warrant for his arrest on the charge of publishing an elegy on the death of his friend John Partridge, another Nonconformist minister. He died on December 26, 1705, aged exactly 84 years, and was buried at Bunhill Fields Cemetery.

An extended quote:

"Objections Against Particular Redemption Answered
Objection 1. What everyone is bound to believe must be true, and it is the duty of all men to believe; therefore Christ must have died for all men.
Answer 1. Suppose we grant this position, would not the doctrine of discriminating love be thereby destroyed? Would it not be poor comfort for a distressed soul to believe that Christ died for it, no more than for Judas and all the damned in hell?
2. They to whom the Gospel never came, they who have never heard of the death of Christ, are not bound to believe that Christ died for them. What God reveals is true; but God nowhere reveals that it is His intention that Judas shall believe, or that all shall believe.
3. All have not the Gospel preached to them; and many to whom it is preached only hear the sound of it with the outward ear: they come and go in an attendance thereon as the door upon its hinges, in a way of mere formality. They are not impressed with a sight and sense of their state as sinners. They are not weary and heavy laden because of sin. The proclamation by the gospel trumpet of redemption for sin through Christ's blood is not a joyful sound to them; they know not their need of it. Evangelical repentance is the gift of free grace; faith is the gift of God. What is God's, as a gift to bestow, cannot be man's duty to perform as a condition of salvation. Those who are invited to look to Christ, to come to Him for salvation, are very minutely described: they are the weary and heavy laden with sin, the penitent, the hungry and thirsty soul, etc., etc.; these are the characters invited to come to and believe in Christ, and not all men (Mt 11:28; Isa 55:1; Mr 2:17)."