"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose" (Phil. 2:12-13, NIV).
[Note that God is able to mold us like clay in a potter's hand (Isa. 64:8)!]
"[Who] have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father..." (1 Pet. 1:2, NIV). [Note that we did not merit our election or it would be conditional, and we would have place to boast in God's presence.]
Salvation is like a done deal, but not to the highest bidder, but to the lowest! He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (cf. Luke 5:32; Matt. 9:13). Jesus said that healthy people don't need a doctor by analogy, but sick people do (cf. Matt. 9:12). Remember, religion says "do" while Christ says "done." If we think we are worthy, we're not. Some believers actually are under the delusion that they cooperated with God for their salvation, and thus did some presalvation work in preparation. God works grace in our hearts to make us willing and able to believe, known as special grace (common grace is given to all for general blessings and gifts according to Psalm 145:9).
The better we think we are, the less qualified we are. Someone who thinks he is someone must become humble like a child (cf. Matt. 18:3) to enter the kingdom of God. The only qualification for salvation, then, is to realize your need for God (to be "poor in spirit"), and your spiritual bankruptcy. We have nothing but brokenness and strife to offer Him, according to the song. Sometimes God has to bring us to an end of ourselves as He did to Nebuchadnezzar, and actually break us before we are willing to believe in Him.
Regeneration is God's work of grace, and its fruit is repentance and accompanying faith (call it either penitent faith or believing repentance, if you will!). We are saved via sanctification of the Spirit (comes first or preceding faith, according to 2 Thess. 2:13 and 1 John 5:1 in ESV), and belief in the truth (coming afterward or post-regeneration and sanctification). God actually quickens faith within us or awakens our spirit to the truth, and knowing the truth sets us free per John 8:32. Charles Swindoll says, people are addicted to doing something for their salvation; the Philippian jailer asked what he must do, and the Jews asked Jesus what they must do to do the works of God ("this is the work of God: to believe in the One whom He has sent," cf. John 6:29). We must realize faith as a gift of grace and not a work of merit, for that would be meritorious salvation and we would have reason to boast. Salvation is not according to any work we did (cf. Titus 3:5).
God alone controls and is in charge of our destiny--it's in His hands! He chose us and we didn't choose Him, according to Jesus in John 15:16. Note also that "many are called, but few are chosen," according to Matt. 22:14. Salvation then is not some deal we make with God or something God owes us because of our faith--that would be justice if God had to save us and not grace. God owes no one salvation and doesn't have to save anyone! Salvation, then, is not a tradeoff, or something we give to God, namely faith, in return for salvation! If we are already changed people we don't need salvation; we come to Christ for a changed and new, transformed life, we don't offer or give Him one in exchange for salvation--that's not grace! We come as we are, but don't remain that way! FAITH IS RECEIVED, NOT ACHIEVED, AS THE UNMERITED GIFT OF GOD (GRACE), and we didn't conjure it up of ourselves or our effort, but faith comes by the preaching of the Word (cf. Rom. 10:17).
There are several proof texts that demonstrate that faith is a gift (Rom. 12:3; Acts 16:14; Acts 18:27; Eph. 2:8-9; 2 Pet. 1:1; Phil. 1:29; John 6:29), but when you understand grace and are grace-oriented it just makes sense that this has to be and the only way for God to get all the glory (sola gratia, Soli Deo Gloria). Keep in mind that our salvation cannot be earned, isn't deserved, and cannot be repaid. When a child is born, by analogy, he can take no credit for cooperating, in fact, he fought it!
God doesn't ask our permission before working on our hearts (He's determined to save us as the "Hound of Heaven" dogs us), He sovereignly chooses to save us and woos (the actual word in Koine is elko, which means to drag, like to drag into court). We don't meet God's standard for salvation either--all have fallen short and all our works are as filthy rags (Rom. 3:23; Isa. 64:6)--in that our election unto faith is unconditional--without meeting conditions in any way, including faith and repentance as prerequisites; they are the fruit of regeneration. In sum, this is God's way of making believers out of us--the beauty of it all is that we are made to want and desire Him (He turns hearts of stone into hearts of flesh--cf. Ezek. 36:26), and apart from grace no one would; we have truly "believed through grace" (cf. Acts 18:27), and have received our faith (cf. 2 Pet. 1:1), which was granted to us as a privilege (cf. Phil. 1:29).
One of Jesus' hard sayings was that no one "can come to Him," unless it has been "granted of the Father" and the Father "draws him" (cf. John 6:44, 65). We aren't saved because we were wiser, smarter, more virtuous, more disciplined, more successful, nor more popular, but because of God's "good pleasure," "will," "purpose and grace" (cf. Eph. 1:5; Eph. 1:11; 2 Tim. 1:9). It wasn't anything we did at all! We are not elected because we will believe or that God foresees us as believing (cf. that's the beginning of merit and is called the prescient view). However, we are elected unto faith and repentance and so our destiny is ultimately in God's hands and He chooses, if God weren't in charge and sovereign, He wouldn't be God--for what kind of God isn't sovereign? God is not one who reigns but doesn't rule like the do-nothing sovereigns of GB. In short, God's sovereignty is not limited by our freedom--it's total and complete!
When understanding God's freedom, note that He is not free to sin, and yet He is totally free. We will enjoy this kind of freedom in glory, but now we are limited and fallen and are unable to do good or please God in the flesh (cf. Isa. 64:6; Rom. 3:11; Rom. 8:7-8)--our freedom is limited this side of glory. We are only able to sin before salvation, and after we have the ability to sin, and not to sin, while Christ was totally unable to sin! The will is stubborn (cf. Jer. 5:23; 1 Sam. 15:22-23; Rom. 1:32; Psalm 81:12; Jer. 18:12; Isa. 63:17), and needs to be converted as well as the rest of us, we are in a state of rebellion before salvation.
That's the nature or essence of sin: Man's "Declaration of Independence" form God! Man goes his own way (cf. Isa. 53:6). In acknowledging God's sovereignty and lordship, He has reserved the right and power to have mercy on whom He will have mercy, and to harden whom He will harden (cf. Rom. 9:18). The elect will attain unto it, while the rest will be hardened (cf. Rom. 11:7). Only those appointed unto salvation will believe (cf. Acts 13: 48). Soli Deo Gloria!
[Note that God is able to mold us like clay in a potter's hand (Isa. 64:8)!]
"[Who] have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father..." (1 Pet. 1:2, NIV). [Note that we did not merit our election or it would be conditional, and we would have place to boast in God's presence.]
Salvation is like a done deal, but not to the highest bidder, but to the lowest! He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (cf. Luke 5:32; Matt. 9:13). Jesus said that healthy people don't need a doctor by analogy, but sick people do (cf. Matt. 9:12). Remember, religion says "do" while Christ says "done." If we think we are worthy, we're not. Some believers actually are under the delusion that they cooperated with God for their salvation, and thus did some presalvation work in preparation. God works grace in our hearts to make us willing and able to believe, known as special grace (common grace is given to all for general blessings and gifts according to Psalm 145:9).
The better we think we are, the less qualified we are. Someone who thinks he is someone must become humble like a child (cf. Matt. 18:3) to enter the kingdom of God. The only qualification for salvation, then, is to realize your need for God (to be "poor in spirit"), and your spiritual bankruptcy. We have nothing but brokenness and strife to offer Him, according to the song. Sometimes God has to bring us to an end of ourselves as He did to Nebuchadnezzar, and actually break us before we are willing to believe in Him.
Regeneration is God's work of grace, and its fruit is repentance and accompanying faith (call it either penitent faith or believing repentance, if you will!). We are saved via sanctification of the Spirit (comes first or preceding faith, according to 2 Thess. 2:13 and 1 John 5:1 in ESV), and belief in the truth (coming afterward or post-regeneration and sanctification). God actually quickens faith within us or awakens our spirit to the truth, and knowing the truth sets us free per John 8:32. Charles Swindoll says, people are addicted to doing something for their salvation; the Philippian jailer asked what he must do, and the Jews asked Jesus what they must do to do the works of God ("this is the work of God: to believe in the One whom He has sent," cf. John 6:29). We must realize faith as a gift of grace and not a work of merit, for that would be meritorious salvation and we would have reason to boast. Salvation is not according to any work we did (cf. Titus 3:5).
God alone controls and is in charge of our destiny--it's in His hands! He chose us and we didn't choose Him, according to Jesus in John 15:16. Note also that "many are called, but few are chosen," according to Matt. 22:14. Salvation then is not some deal we make with God or something God owes us because of our faith--that would be justice if God had to save us and not grace. God owes no one salvation and doesn't have to save anyone! Salvation, then, is not a tradeoff, or something we give to God, namely faith, in return for salvation! If we are already changed people we don't need salvation; we come to Christ for a changed and new, transformed life, we don't offer or give Him one in exchange for salvation--that's not grace! We come as we are, but don't remain that way! FAITH IS RECEIVED, NOT ACHIEVED, AS THE UNMERITED GIFT OF GOD (GRACE), and we didn't conjure it up of ourselves or our effort, but faith comes by the preaching of the Word (cf. Rom. 10:17).
There are several proof texts that demonstrate that faith is a gift (Rom. 12:3; Acts 16:14; Acts 18:27; Eph. 2:8-9; 2 Pet. 1:1; Phil. 1:29; John 6:29), but when you understand grace and are grace-oriented it just makes sense that this has to be and the only way for God to get all the glory (sola gratia, Soli Deo Gloria). Keep in mind that our salvation cannot be earned, isn't deserved, and cannot be repaid. When a child is born, by analogy, he can take no credit for cooperating, in fact, he fought it!
God doesn't ask our permission before working on our hearts (He's determined to save us as the "Hound of Heaven" dogs us), He sovereignly chooses to save us and woos (the actual word in Koine is elko, which means to drag, like to drag into court). We don't meet God's standard for salvation either--all have fallen short and all our works are as filthy rags (Rom. 3:23; Isa. 64:6)--in that our election unto faith is unconditional--without meeting conditions in any way, including faith and repentance as prerequisites; they are the fruit of regeneration. In sum, this is God's way of making believers out of us--the beauty of it all is that we are made to want and desire Him (He turns hearts of stone into hearts of flesh--cf. Ezek. 36:26), and apart from grace no one would; we have truly "believed through grace" (cf. Acts 18:27), and have received our faith (cf. 2 Pet. 1:1), which was granted to us as a privilege (cf. Phil. 1:29).
One of Jesus' hard sayings was that no one "can come to Him," unless it has been "granted of the Father" and the Father "draws him" (cf. John 6:44, 65). We aren't saved because we were wiser, smarter, more virtuous, more disciplined, more successful, nor more popular, but because of God's "good pleasure," "will," "purpose and grace" (cf. Eph. 1:5; Eph. 1:11; 2 Tim. 1:9). It wasn't anything we did at all! We are not elected because we will believe or that God foresees us as believing (cf. that's the beginning of merit and is called the prescient view). However, we are elected unto faith and repentance and so our destiny is ultimately in God's hands and He chooses, if God weren't in charge and sovereign, He wouldn't be God--for what kind of God isn't sovereign? God is not one who reigns but doesn't rule like the do-nothing sovereigns of GB. In short, God's sovereignty is not limited by our freedom--it's total and complete!
When understanding God's freedom, note that He is not free to sin, and yet He is totally free. We will enjoy this kind of freedom in glory, but now we are limited and fallen and are unable to do good or please God in the flesh (cf. Isa. 64:6; Rom. 3:11; Rom. 8:7-8)--our freedom is limited this side of glory. We are only able to sin before salvation, and after we have the ability to sin, and not to sin, while Christ was totally unable to sin! The will is stubborn (cf. Jer. 5:23; 1 Sam. 15:22-23; Rom. 1:32; Psalm 81:12; Jer. 18:12; Isa. 63:17), and needs to be converted as well as the rest of us, we are in a state of rebellion before salvation.
That's the nature or essence of sin: Man's "Declaration of Independence" form God! Man goes his own way (cf. Isa. 53:6). In acknowledging God's sovereignty and lordship, He has reserved the right and power to have mercy on whom He will have mercy, and to harden whom He will harden (cf. Rom. 9:18). The elect will attain unto it, while the rest will be hardened (cf. Rom. 11:7). Only those appointed unto salvation will believe (cf. Acts 13: 48). Soli Deo Gloria!
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