Soteriology

  Election by Cole   (207 KB)   
Election! -- What a blessed word! What a glorious doctrine! Who does not rejoice to know that he has been chosen to some great blessing? Election is unto salvation -- the greatest of all blessings. And strange to say, this is a neglected truth even by many who profess to believe it, and others have a feeling of repulsion at the very mention of this Bible-revealed, God-honouring, and man humbling truth. Spurgeon said, "There seems to be an inveterate prejudice in the human mind against this doctrine, and although most other doctrines will be received by professing Christians, some with caution, others with pleasure, yet this one seems to be most frequently disregarded and discarded."If such were true in Spurgeon's day, how much more so in this our day.

  What is Sovereign Grace   (50 KB)   
Frequently I am asked to explain the meaning of the expressions: God’s Sovereign Graceor the Doctrines of Grace.These phrases describe the doctrine of God’s Absolute Sovereignty in ALL THINGS. Particular reference is made to God’s Sovereignty in the salvation of those whom He chose in Christ from before the foundation of the world.

  Christian Doctrine of Election - Sovereign Grace - Salvation   (49 KB)   
It is sometimes referred to as Sovereign Grace Salvation or Calvin's Doctrine of Election , since John Calvin was the most notable author of a Scriptural study in to the Sovereignty of God in man's salvation. The Scriptural Scholar, and well-known Bible Commentator, John Gill is also an accepted authority on Sovereign Grace Salvation, Election. However, what these two scholars support is of little importance, the only important doctrine is what the original manuscripts of the Bible teach. What is presented here is the Scriptural basis for the belief in salvation by God's Sovereign Grace( Election ).

  For Whom did CHRIST Die   (27 KB)   
A reasonable question posed by John Owen.

  Jesus Christ's Teaching on Salvation   (32 KB)   
The following verses of the Bible show Jesus' salvation teaching. It is clear that Jesus taught that salvation is by the Sovereign Will of God, which supports the validity of the Doctrine of Election.

  The Salvation to All Men   (75 KB)   
When we despise those whom God would have honoured, it is as much asif we should despise Him: so it is, if we make no account of the salvation of those whom God calleth to Himself. For it seemeth thereby that we would stay Him from showing His mercy to poor sinners, who are in the way to ruin. The reason why St. Paul useth this argument, that God will have all the world to be saved, is that we may, as much as lieth in us, also seek the salvation of those who seem to be banished from the kingdom of God; especially while they are unbelievers.

  Twice Dead and the New Birth   (53 KB)   
Our Lord used very precise language so that Nicodemus as well as all who read, could not miss the meaning. One cannot "born" himself, one cannot choose to be born, one has nothing to do with his birth, one cannot choose his parents, one cannot choose the time of his birth, one does not even know he has been born until he has been born. Everyone knows that in birth the child is the passive recipient of life.

  What is the Gospel    (101 KB)   
The Gospel is the good news about the great salvation purchased by Jesus Christ, by which He reconciled sinful men to a holy God. The purpose of this booklet is to set forth, in plain language and in terms easily understood, the basic differences between the Calvinistic (Reformed) and Arminian understanding of the Gospel, and to show what the Bible teaches concerning these subjects. An accurate understanding is crucial; the harmony that exists between the various doctrines of the Christian faith is such that error in regard to any one of them produces more or less distortion in all the others.

  The Choice: Man's or God's    (46 KB)   
There is a lesson in that for a world that is badly askew. Sin has brought disorder and chaos. But the problem has been immensely complicated by our failure to find the right point-of-beginning in the matter of our salvation. We are always prone to think that we must begin with man—which is another evidence of our sinfulness. We should begin with God; He is the only right point-of-beginning in the search for salvation. And if we don’t begin with Him, we will only go farther astray.

  Confession of a Hyper-Calvinist  
I have much agreement with Brandan, here.

  Supralapsarianism & Infralapsarian   (37 KB)   
The doctrine that God decreed both election and reprobation before the fall. Supralapsarianism differs from infralapsarianism on the relation of God's decree to human sin. The differences go back to the conflict between Augustine and Pelagius. Before the Reformation, the main difference was whether Adam's fall was included in God's eternal decree; supralapsarians held that it was, but infralapsarians acknowledged only God's foreknowledge of sin. After the Reformation the distinction between infra - and supralapsarianism shifted to differences on the logical order of God's decrees.

  God Decrees ALL that is to pass   (64 KB)   
Definition of Decree: "GOD from all eternity did by the most wise and holy council of his own will freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass yet so as thereby neither is God the author of sin (man's) nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away but rather established."

Whom John 3:16 has in Mind?   (40 KB)   
John 3:16 must be the Bible’s most quoted and misused or misunderstood verse.

Whom Acts 13:48 has in Mind?    (47 KB)   
Can there be a more grammatically and theologically clear statement than this one? Besides the words "were ordained" other translations use: "been appointed" or "were appointed" or "marked out" or "were pre-destined" or "who were destined" or "were foreordained"; but all have the same meaning "to be pre-ordained to a certain position".

Whom Mat 1:21 has in Mind?   (39 KB)   
He saves men by having died on the cross to redeem them; by giving the Spirit to renew them, (Joh 16:7,8; Eze 36:26,27) by his power in enabling them to overcome their spiritual enemies, in defending them from danger, in guiding them in the path of duty, in sustaining them in trials and in death; and he will raise them up at the last day, and exalt them to a world of purity and love.

Calvin on Grace & Salvation    (59 KB)   
Contents include the following: A proof from reason and from Scripture that the grace of God and the merit of Christ (the prince and author of our salvation) are perfectly compatible, sections 1 and 2. Christ, by his obedience, even to the death of the cross, (which was the price of our redemption,) merited divine favour for us, sections 3-5. The presumptuous rashness of the Schoolmen in treating this branch of doctrine section 6.

Prepared Beforehand    (49 KB)   
The idea here means literally to prepare beforehand, make fit in advance, ordain before, "predestinate" or appoint before. "Proetoimazo" is used in Rom 9:23 referring to His elect and in Eph 2:10 referring to the works afore prepared for His elect people to walk in them.

  Be With The Lord   (38 KB)   
to be at home with the Lord, The Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus constitutes the main glory of heaven, and that to be with Him is equivalent to being in a place of perfect bliss, to be with Him, the redeemer, is to be in heaven. It is clear that this also proves that the spirits of the saints, when they depart, are with the Redeemer; that is, are at once taken to heaven; demonstrating:  

  No Soul Sleep Verses   (41 KB)   
Scriptures that clearly teach there is no Soul Sleep

  Hear and See, but not Understand    (53 KB)   
We have this text (one of the more terrible in the whole book of God) no less than six times quoted in the New Testament, and in all places quoted and given as a reason for unbelief in the Lord Jesus Christ, (Mat 13:14,15; Mar 4:12; Luk 8:10; Act 28:26,27; Rom 11:8).

  The Only One God    (45 KB)   
It is obvious that mankind was created with a need of God as we clearly see all around us and in history. Man must have a God for himself and throughout the eons of time man has worshipped thousands of self made gods of every type. Even those who claim to have no god do have a god to worship, may be money women, power etc. but it is god for them.

But which is the TRUE God?

  Whom John 3:36 has in Mind?    (40 KB)   
The passage John 3:36 and its meaning is hardly mentioned and discussed these days in our modern churches, for it is ecclesiastically not correct to mention the condemnation of unbelievers for God is a gentle God and would never break the “free will” of man to send him to Hell for man is full of “rights” and he is sovereign over his own life. Such is the delusion of modern rebellious man.

  Does Prayer Change God's resolve?     (55 KB)   
We humans want both a dependable God always there that we can count on and yet an attentive God whom we can affect or even manipulate to do our own desires and whims. And so we rake up and down Scripture seeking (or even twisting) verses to show a god that is like us humans full of feelings that can be manipulated to our own ends. For example some pick up this portion from Hosea: “…… My heart has turned within Me; My compassions are kindled together.” (Hos 11:8) and say: “see God is moved and changes His mind”.