This is a beautiful and Powerful message by one of my favorite Theologians, Dr. R.C. Sproul.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
God's Sovereignty A Stumbling Block? - a response
I was having a Facebook conversation with a Brother in Christ who does not share the Reformed position concerning the Doctrines of Grace. It was a standard back and forth , point-counterpoint discussion that I have encountered may times among my Facebook friends. As we Merrily continued to generate much smoke and no fire, as frequently happens in these discussions, he made a telling statement that I felt should be responded to. He basically informed me that to proclaim God's sovereign grace in Salvation, posed a stumbling bock to man's receiving Christ.
Can you imagine that.... To Preach God's Sovereignty in man's salvation, to totally disregard man's self will in the Salvation Process... is a Stumbling block to those who would come to our savior...
Yet, Were it not for God's sovereignty... NO ONE WOULD COME
You see dear Friend, Every man who has ever, or will ever existed has a major Stumbling Block that prevents him from coming to Christ, but it is NOT the sovereignty of God...
It is the depravity of man... His Total Depravity. That Complete sin corruption that by nature effects every aspect of his existence, and renders him Spiritually DEAD... A corruption that is his very nature, as it has been inherited from our original parents at the fall..
Depravity, and the total inability that stems from it. THAT is the stumbling block. That is what SEPARATES man from God...
Rom 3:10-12 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
1. There is none righteous... That us a Universal negative... None... righteous... NONE
How can a man make a "free will" decision to do the righteous act of coming to God, when he is NOT righteous? Isaiah 64:6 says we are Unclean, and that our righteousness is as a garment stained with menstrual blood... Filthy rags... that is how God sees the righteous acts of man.
2. There is none that understandeth
In his natural state man can not understand God. Spiritual things are beyond his grasp. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says man does NOT ACCEPT the things of the Spirit of God, for they are FOOLISHNESS to him neither can he KNOW them....
How can a make make a free will decision when he is ignorant of spiritual things? He By His Very nature, is without understanding... He can not understand God to make a spiritual decision...
Yet, Were it not for God's sovereignty... NO ONE WOULD COME
You see dear Friend, Every man who has ever, or will ever existed has a major Stumbling Block that prevents him from coming to Christ, but it is NOT the sovereignty of God...
It is the depravity of man... His Total Depravity. That Complete sin corruption that by nature effects every aspect of his existence, and renders him Spiritually DEAD... A corruption that is his very nature, as it has been inherited from our original parents at the fall..
Depravity, and the total inability that stems from it. THAT is the stumbling block. That is what SEPARATES man from God...
Rom 3:10-12 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
We often become guilty of just casually glancing over a verse without experiencing the impact of what it is saying. Look at this verse...
1. There is none righteous... That us a Universal negative... None... righteous... NONE
How can a man make a "free will" decision to do the righteous act of coming to God, when he is NOT righteous? Isaiah 64:6 says we are Unclean, and that our righteousness is as a garment stained with menstrual blood... Filthy rags... that is how God sees the righteous acts of man.
2. There is none that understandeth
In his natural state man can not understand God. Spiritual things are beyond his grasp. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says man does NOT ACCEPT the things of the Spirit of God, for they are FOOLISHNESS to him neither can he KNOW them....
How can a make make a free will decision when he is ignorant of spiritual things? He By His Very nature, is without understanding... He can not understand God to make a spiritual decision...
3.There is none that seeketh after God.
Here is a telling statement...Natural man does not seek after God.. Ephesians 2:2-3 says that man walks according to The course of the world, and the devil, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and mind. John 3: 19-20 Says man loves the darkness more than light, he hates the light and he will not come to the light...
4. There is None that doeth good.
What is meant by this statement? Men do Good things. Charitable acts, Heroic Feats, Sacrificial deeds... men do good things... but... Those goods do NOT justify us before God.Let us look back at Isaiah 64:6. ALL our righteous acts are as Filthy rags. If our only justification before God is our good works, then we have a problem... our works are not good enough...Even when they are done in Jesus name. In Matthew 7:21-23, we see people who seek justification by their righteous works, and Jesus tells them to depart and calls them workers of iniquity...Why, because man in his natural unregenerate state, can do nothing to please God. There is none that doeth good.
So if a man is not righteous, does not understand or seek after God, and he can do no good, who if not himself is the stumbling Block to his salvation?
Here is a telling statement...Natural man does not seek after God.. Ephesians 2:2-3 says that man walks according to The course of the world, and the devil, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and mind. John 3: 19-20 Says man loves the darkness more than light, he hates the light and he will not come to the light...
4. There is None that doeth good.
What is meant by this statement? Men do Good things. Charitable acts, Heroic Feats, Sacrificial deeds... men do good things... but... Those goods do NOT justify us before God.Let us look back at Isaiah 64:6. ALL our righteous acts are as Filthy rags. If our only justification before God is our good works, then we have a problem... our works are not good enough...Even when they are done in Jesus name. In Matthew 7:21-23, we see people who seek justification by their righteous works, and Jesus tells them to depart and calls them workers of iniquity...Why, because man in his natural unregenerate state, can do nothing to please God. There is none that doeth good.
"There is none who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities"- Isaiah 64:7
So if a man is not righteous, does not understand or seek after God, and he can do no good, who if not himself is the stumbling Block to his salvation?
Guess whose back!
After a vary long space of laziness, I have decided to reopen the blog. There are the same ol' posts with a new more, how can we say professional look...and The Approved resources are linked as before.
Looking to add more as stuff pops into my ever thickening skull.. the net is ripe with music for the worship music battle of the bands, and I will also be posting Bible lessons and, as always, my humble opinion on various issues...
Let's Get this party started! It's good to be back.
Looking to add more as stuff pops into my ever thickening skull.. the net is ripe with music for the worship music battle of the bands, and I will also be posting Bible lessons and, as always, my humble opinion on various issues...
Let's Get this party started! It's good to be back.
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