Strong Man Of God Blog

On April 13, 2014 in The Faith by Robert Kelley

The teaching gift’s aim with the leading of the Holy Spirit is to give men the ability to explain and make plain the Word of God for the simplest hearts. Quickly straying from the reform intent of Martin Luther, European Protestants set aside the simple Gospel and the precious teachings of salvation revealed to the apostles by the Holy Spirit in Scripture and began inventing all manner of heretical and complicated schemes they attempted to support with Scripture. In that free for all and volatile environment Catholics and Protestants were killing folk who did not hold to their respective theological positions. Even so, the schemes and divisions have just kept coming to this very hour.

Those that align themselves with the teachings of John Calvin have taken his theological point of view and thinking about salvation namely that only persons handpicked by God are given the faith needed to believe the Gospel and persevere in it. Many Scriptures are corrupted to prop up this very confusing theological system including Ephesians 2:8 where in context, the emphasis that salvation is “the gift of God” is purposely replaced with faith as the divine gift (NKJV). With Calvinists, “the sovereignty of God” covers a multitude of indefensible suppositions in their system which stands primarily on a blatant misapplication of Romans 9:6-24. They contend the passage communicates God’s approach to saving all men when in context, Paul is beginning to teach us Gentiles how it is that Israel continues to hold a special place in the sovereign God’s program (Romans 9-11).

If I did not make it plain enough previously, let me stress again that heretical doctrines impact and hurt real people. As a son of slaves and a people mercilessly oppressed by white men claiming to be conducting themselves out of the permissible theologies of Scripture, I now write pleading in the name of Jesus Christ that professing Christians from all hues repent where guilty and come back to the Word of God as it is written (Ephesians 4:1-6)! Otherwise, know that you--whoever you are--will give an account to God for every soul hurt in any way by your proud and haughty teaching of doctrines not drawn directly from Scripture. I will take some time off to celebrate my Lord’s finished work to save sinners like me and post the next blog on Sunday, April 27th. A glorious Resurrection Sunday to the redeemed of the Lord!

Originally Posted June 10, 2012

“The just shall live by his faith” was first spoken by God to the 7^th century BC prophet Habakkuk (Habakkuk 2:4, NKJV) and is quoted several times in the New Testament. In spite of the often meticulous and stringent efforts of the religious to be righteous before God, His singular means of connecting to men and making them righteous is through their placement of common faith in Him and His Word! Salvation from sin and its consequences is a gracious promise offered by God to every person on earth that will by faith receive the Gospel; the good news heralded since the 1^st century AD that Jesus Christ the Son of God died in our place on the cross, was buried and on the third day after rose again from the dead. In doing these things He made it possible for God to forgive the sins of those who believe and declare them righteous or just (Romans 1:16-17, 3:21-26)!

Please note the consistency of God in that just as from the beginning with the ancients, He gives His Word (in this case, the promise of salvation through the Gospel) and men are expected to exercise common faith in response. Implied in the transaction is a rudimentary faith in God who makes the promise. God has only made a promise of which absolutely nothing happens until a man accepts it on faith. Thereafter, however, God begins to fulfill His promise by forgiving the sins of the faith filled, repentant heart (Romans 10:6-13). Then God the Holy Spirit indwells that heart and brings the spiritually dead person to new spiritual birth and life (John 1:12-13, 3:3-8, 7:37-39, 14:16-20). The freshly forgiven, declared just spiritual newborn now lives and is expected to live every moment by the same common faith he exercised to enter salvation and relationship with the triune God.

Ideally, as the spiritual newborn develops in much adversity, his faith enlarges, strengthens, matures and is joined by love for the God that brought him into His promised salvation (John 14:21-24; Romans 5:1-5). Still, salvation as a completed promise which includes resurrection from the dead and immortal glory awaits the Second Coming of Christ. We do not yet have salvation as a finished work but as a hope by faith in God and His Word (Romans 8:23-25; Hebrews 11:1). So, what has God done to assure our hearts while we wait in faith on His promise? He gives a guarantee and has sworn an oath (2 Corinthians 1:21-22, 5:1-7; Ephesians 1:13-14; Hebrews 6:9-20). The same Holy Spirit who gives us new birth and spiritual life is also our living guarantee from God that what He has started in us of His promised salvation, He also for His part intends to complete (Philippians 1:6).

It is not some complicated, human invented doctrine of irreversible salvation as some teach that serves as our secure assurance of God’s completed promise, but it is the Person of the Holy Spirit! While that may not be enough for the religious educated elite and flesh driven religionists who are always trying to go beyond God if somehow they might impress Him with what they think they know (Matthew 22:23-33, 23:15-22; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, 8:1b-3; Colossians 2:18-23), the Holy Spirit is God’s tangible guarantee to those who live by faith in Him (Galatians 5:5-6). It is He who wields the power of God in us to assure, guard and protect the hearts of the willing in our persevering faith while we wait for salvation’s completion (Romans 8:12-16; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 John 3:18-20).

If we continue and stand firm in faith until death or Christ’s return, we will receive the fullness of the salvation we have waited for (Mark 13:13; Hebrews 10:32-39; 1 Peter 1:6-9; Revelation 2:10). But if in unbelief, we give up and turn back to willfully embrace sin again without repentance or quit on God in apostasy, such ones “cast away” their hope of salvation without the possibility of renewal (Ezekiel 18:24-26; Matthew 24:45-51; Luke 14:25-35; Romans 11:19-22; Hebrews 3:12-14, 6:1-8, 10:26-31). It is not that God lost or failed to keep from snatching predators anyone that desired in faith to be kept. These individuals--as Adam among many biblically named others--chose of their own, God-given volition to no longer put faith in Him and His Word and receive the consequences. The faith that saves as all of Scripture bears witness is common faith in God and His Word held firm until death or fulfillment.

Tagged With: Men are saved by grace through common faith!

Robert Kelley's weekly instruction, observations and reflections inspired by the Lord posted each Sunday night.

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