By: David Miller on salvation present « Divorcing Christ 2

David Miller on salvation present « Divorcing Christ 2 — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 23:27:22 +0000

[...] of the logical tension we feel between them. And future-tense salvation is biblical truth as well (here is what Miller had to say about that). Too many of us only preach past-tense salvation. In the process, we rob our people of authentic [...]

By: Sjoerd de Boer

Sjoerd de Boer — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 20:18:39 +0000

What heavenly truth there is in the biblical doctrine of predestination and what poor preachers they are that fight with all their philosophical power to deny this truth by saying that a God that predestinates is a harsh God to people. The problem is as old as the gospel with these people, who don’t want to be emptyhanded. Even if we embrace this doctrine with all our heart and are saved by grace alone, we fight it, maybe not openly, but the more His Holy Spirit exposes the depths of our hearts and the dark rooms there that we have never soon before, we understand where this free-will theory is coming from. We want to have something to bring along with His grace and mercy. Everyone who has been saved will confess this sooner or later, depending on the measure of the working of the Holy Spirit that He grants us. This week when I read the famous letter from George Whitefield to John Wesley as a response to Wesley’s sermon “Free Grace” and I was struck by Whitefield’s humble and meek attitude towards Wesley and yet filled with such a zeal for the doctrine of Predestination. Every believer who’s eyes are opened for this truth that fully glorifies God and has to deal with people who don’t seem to see it, should read this letter and pray that we fight heresies this way of humble faithfulness to our Lord in preaching as well as witnessing. Why? Because this gospel is given to us who believe it, but still don’t see the depth of it all as long as we live, as much as we don’t see how depraved and sinful our nature is. I love the Heidelberger Cathechism’s Q.&A. 114 and 115:
Q. Can those who are converted to God perfectly keep these (10) commandments?
A. NO, but even the holiest men, while in this life, have only a small beginning of this obedience; YET so, that with a sincere resolution they begin to live, not only to some, but ALL the commandments of God.
Q. Why will God then have the ten commandments so strictly preached, since no man in this life can keep them?
A. First, that all our lifetime we may learn more and more to know our sinful nature, and thus become more and more earnest in seeking the remission of sin and righteousness in Christ; like wise, that we constantly endeavor and pray to God for the grace of the Holy Spirit, that we may become more and more comformable to the image of God, TILL we arrive at the perfection proposed to us in a life to come.
You see, these are confessions, explained by Paul in Romans 7 (AFTER his conversion) where he cries out: ” O wretched man that I AM! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God-through Jesus Christ our Lord”. Therein is our glorification, that we sin no more and finally, after taking our last breath on this earth, we can fully enjoy Christ and start to glorify His name and His work in full!!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Comments on: TCC 08 :: Session 10 :: Glorification by David Miller

By: David Miller on salvation present « Divorcing Christ 2

By: Sjoerd de Boer