ttoews: I know this is REALLY long, but you gave me a ton of Scripture to deal with. I really don't expect you to read every word of this, but it would help if you did. I did this up on MS Word, and I am at 27 pages right now in Courier New, single spaced, 12 point font. Anyway, have fun with this, and do note that I pretty much only dealt the verses you mentioned and your conclusions to each of these. Feel free to comment as necessary, and thanks for the exercise. It really was fun, minus the fact that my left hand really hurts right now, haha! :)
- In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory. (Eph. 1:13-14)
First, note that I left off verse twelve. It is the end of a previous thought and isn't necessary for the exegesis of this particular unit. Now, in these two verses Paul is pointing out that these believers had received the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of their future glorification the moment they believed the Gospel. Now, on to some specifics . . .
First, we come immediately to the phrase “in Him.” This is a very common phrase in the opening verses of Ephesians, occurring some ten times in the first fifteen verses (if you count the equivalent expressions, “in Christ” and “in the Beloved”). The first “in Him” in our passage is tied to “having also believed.” The next “in Him” makes a bookend that expressly ties the belief with the sealing, to which it is tied. Thus, Paul is arguing, “Believing in Him, you were sealed in Him.” Thus, the ESV seems to have the best rendering, “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.”
Thus, the Apostle presents two ideas, belief and sealing. If we believe in Christ, then we are sealed in Christ by the Holy Spirit. Looking at each of these ideas more closely, this sealing is expanded on with by verse fourteen. We are sealed in Christ, that is, we are firmly set in Him, but how? By the receiving of the Holy Spirit. God gives us this spirit as a “pledge,” or as a “deposit.” As you are aware, the word here refers to the down-payment on a loan. Receiving this, we know what we will receive in the future, which is our glorification. Secondly, as if to counter an imaginary objector, Paul notes that this glorification is not for ourselves, but it is for God, as we are His “own possession.” God has bought and paid for us. He will finish the job for His own glory! Nothing we can do will change that.
What then, is the catalyst, or condition, of this great promise? What causes God to seal us in Christ by the giving of the Spirit, guaranteeing our future glorification so that He may receive all do praise? The answer is the first idea in the passage, which is belief in Christ through the gospel of salvation. Upon hearing and believing the Gospel, one is saved.
The point: believe in the gospel of Christ. This belief results in the guarantee of future glorification. Of course, at this point, we can debate what exactly “the message of truth” and the “word of [our] salvation” is. Paul is writing to believers. They know the message. It is “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved!” Faith alone saves.
- Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. (2 Cor. 1:21-22)
In these verses, Paul is pointing to the authority and basis of his claims. Paul and Timothy (1:1) were “established with” the Corinthians “in Christ,” and they were “anointed” to do this ministry of teaching and guiding, not by themselves, but by God Himself. This same God has sealed Paul and Timothy and has given them the Spirit as a pledge (see above). This is important, because Paul is defending his integrity and right to lead these people in this letter. If he is sealed and anointed by God, then his authority is implied, given the history of the parties.
Paul does not explicitly state in this passage how he was sealed. However, given the rest of the NT, we know it is by belief in the gospel, not by his own works, as some may have believed.
- For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. (2 Cor 5:4-5)
In this passage, Paul says that we desire our future glorification. It is for “this very purpose”—that is, our glorification—that we were prepared for and guaranteed to enjoy by the giving of the Spirit as a deposit.
That this is referring to glorification can hardly be debated. “In this tent,” refers to the physical body, and “we groan, being burdened.” What are we burdened with? Note the next phrase, “because we do not want to be unclothed.” Paul longs to be clothed with the righteousness of God, which we are guaranteed to enjoy, but which we do not yet enjoy fully. We are currently “clothed” with our physical bodies, and in it, our own unrighteousness. Thus, we are burdened by our own unrighteousness, waiting anxiously for the day when we will be clothed by God's righteousness, guaranteed to us by God through the giving of the Holy Spirit based on our faith in Christ.
- So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, those are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him(Romans 8:12-17)
Note that I included verses twelve through fourteen for context. This is a very commonly misunderstood passage that teaches a profound truth, but in my mind has often been horribly distorted!
“So then,”—based on everything that came before, in this case, the statement in verse eleven that we are raised with Christ, living in him—Paul now argues that we have a new master, not the flesh, but the Spirit. We are “under obligation” to Christ. We are not under obligation to the flesh, to “live according to” it. Paul then explains why. “For”—a transitional word of explanation—“if you are living according to the flesh, you must die.” This is in direct contrast with the primary idea, which is that because we are
raised to life in Christ, we are under obligation to Him. However, if we live according to the flesh, we do not live, as we should, but instead we die. Paul then offers a strong contrast. Living under the flesh brings death, “but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” The first obvious contrast is life versus death. But the cause of these are equally contrasted. Note that “living according to” the flesh brings death, where as “putting to death the deeds of the body” brings life. In other words, Paul is exhorting and warning his readers concerning their lifestyles.
Paul then makes the statement in verse fourteen that has sadly been the root of great misunderstanding: “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Notice again the “for.” Paul is explaining the reason for the previous statement. Those who live by the Spirit will reap life. Why? Because they are sons of God. Those who live by the flesh reap death. Why? Because they are not the sons of God. Does that mean that those who walk in the flesh are not believers? No, it does not. Nor does it mean that those who walk in the flesh are unsaved. A great promise is given here. When we are in strong fellowship with God, we are sons. That is, we are mature believers, ready to inherit not simply eternal life, for that is the reward of all God's children, but we are ready to inherit the very kingdom of God. We are ready to rule with Him! This is seen even the Roman society. It was not uncommon for a man to look among his children and not find one worthy to bear the family name and honors, so he might find another man of virtue and adopt him as his own, leaving to that man his estate. His natural children were still his children, but they lost the privilege of their inheritance.
In verse fifteen, Paul continues his argument, beginning with another “for.” Remember that the main thrust of this argument is not that those who walk by the Spirit are sons. The main thrust of the argument is that we are to live by the Spirit for we are under obligation to it. So Paul provides a second explanation. We have not received again a spirit of fear, but rather we have received a Spirit of adoption as sons, and by this Spirit, we cry out “Abba! Father!” We are to walk in the Spirit because God is our father. As John MacArthur, who is absolutely no friend of the position I am advocating, points out, the spirit of adoption here is not so much referring as the transaction of adoption, but rather assurance that comes with the promise of adoption. As an adopted son may call his father “Abba,” so we may call our Father “Abba.” It is a word of intimacy that is not available with reference to God otherwise, and this intimacy is available to all believers. Thus, because we are so intimate with God, we are to walk in the Spirit, and to walk in that Spirit is life, but to walk in the flesh is death.
Finally, we come to the last part of the passage and again another common misunderstanding. Paul states that the Spirit testifies “with our spirit that we are children of God.” Paul is not beginning a new argument but further the case of the previous point, that we, as believers, have direct access to God not previously available to us, and not available to any outside of Christ. Many have mistaken this to mean that the Spirit speaks
to our own spirits, assuring us of our salvation. Grammatically, this is a possibility, but the word itself literally means “to bear witness along with.” It is better to take this to mean that the Holy Spirit bears witness along with us that we are children. Who are we and the Holy Spirit bearing witness to? None other than God the Father! Again, this is demonstrated in Roman culture. When a man adopted someone into his family, he had to have seven witnesses to confirm the transaction for it to be legal. Likewise, Jewish law required the witness of two or three witnesses before something could be considered true. Therefore, when we cry out “Abba!”, the Spirit is a witness to God that we are, in fact, His children. And here, Paul uses a different word. He does not say that we are sons, but that we are His children, for all believers are children, but not all believers are sons. As we saw previously, only those who walk by the Spirit are considered sons. All believers are children, but only disciples are sons. And as if to make sure his readers did not forget that vital point, Paul states “and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” We are children, and therefore, we are heirs
if we suffer with Him. Only children can be heirs. A servant can suffer with his master and it will profit him nothing. Men can suffer for God, and it will profit them nothing unless they are His children. However, if God's children suffer with Christ, then they are co-heirs with Christ, considered as sons, and worthy to inherit the kingdom.
Again, this is a profound passage, sadly misunderstood by many. It has robbed many of the assurance of their salvation by men who believe that all Christians are “led by the Spirit” and are “putting to death the deeds of the body.” MacArthur, in answering the question of how we are led, rightly pointed to the illumination of the Scriptures. Thus, if we are properly understanding the Scriptures, we can be sure we are saved, but if we do not understand them, then we are forced to doubt our salvation. And again, these men teach that the subjective witness of the Spirit to us confirms for us our salvation, which simply is not true. How many Christians doubt because they don't hear what they believe should be a “still, small voice.” Why, if they heard that voice, then they would not doubt! And yet how many men are absolutely deceived into believing they are being led by the Spirit, and being confirmed by Him to their own hearts as well? That is, after all, the nature of deception. How many of these will stand at the judgment and cry “Lord, Lord!”?
Again, this passage strongly teaches that all who are justified by faith alone in Christ are children, but only those who walk with and suffer with Christ are considered sons, or heirs, and will reign with Him.
- You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? (Gal 3:1-5)
The book of Galatians is Paul's impassioned defense of the Gospel against the heresies of the Judaisers. After a brief introduction on the authenticity of the Gospel and his own apostleship, Paul launches into an argument relating to the superiority of the Gospel beginning in chapter three. In these opening passages, he reminds the Galatians that their relationship with God was rooted in faith in Christ crucified, and therefore it must finish that way. A few things a worth noting here:
First, the Galatians had been “bewitched.” It is as if a spell had been cast upon them. The faith they once professed they were now abandoning for a “different gospel” that was, in fact, “no gospel at all.” (1:6-7) However, in this same word, we also see a confirmation of their salvation. If they were “bewitched,” then they had changed their beliefs. They began in one place and ended in another. They began as believers, but were now becoming unbelievers. They once held the Gospel of Christ, but were now following a “different gospel.” This is confirmed by what they had been taught, which was “Christ crucified.” We certainly don't have to search long to discover that crucifixion was a shameful death. To preach a crucified Christ would be foolishness. Such a “savior” would have no appeal to either the Jew or Gentile. And yet, this is precisely what they had first believed. They had been told that Jesus died on the cross for their sins, and that He was raised from the dead, and that if they simply believed in Him then they would have everlasting life. However, the Judaisers began teaching a salvation by works of the Law. Man must work with God to bring about his own salvation. Such a “gospel” had much more appeal to it, because it worked with human nature. Men are always looking for ways to save themselves. The Gospel, in its purest sense, is offensive to us, for it tells us that we can do nothing except believe in Christ to save us. We are
that bad. We are so bad we have to simply let Jesus do all the work. Yet, here the Judaisers were offering the Galatians something they could do to “help” in their salvation . . . the sting of depravity could be removed.
Unfortunately that “gospel” has not lost its appeal today. We still have men teaching, wrongly, that we can “help” in our salvation. We have to repent, or we have to commit our lives to Christ, or we have to walk in obedience. Some teach these works as actual precursors to salvation, that we work to be saved. “In order to be saved,” they proclaim, “you must first repent! You must first be baptized! You must first pray to receive Christ!” Others teach these things as necessary results. “Oh, salvation is by faith alone, but this is how you know you really believed: you will repent and pray and follow the leading of the Spirit, thus yielding fruit.” Thus, in redefining belief, they redefine the Gospel itself, for they can proudly agree with the statement, “Where there are no works, there is no salvation.”
This is exactly what Paul decries as heresy in this passage. He preached to them a crucified Christ, one who died for their sins, a Gospel of shame—their own shame—but of hope, that by faith alone they could receive the grace of God. He proves it by citing their conversion and reception of the Holy Spirit. They received the Spirit, not by works of the Law, but “by hearing with faith.” What did they hear? They heard of Christ crucified. What did they believe? They believed in Christ crucified! And in this belief, they received the Holy Spirit. Were they now going to abandon this faith for works of the law? (v.3) Such would be “foolish.”
Verse three offers another interesting statement. Paul affirms that these men did, in fact, begin in faith. They had received the Spirit. There is no doubt that he is writing to Christians, and yet they are now falling from this same faith. Having begun in the Spirit, they believed they were “being perfected by the flesh.” Their good works and their righteousness, Paul says, has no bearing on their salvation. While they were teaching that a man could lose his salvation if he did not keep the Law, Paul taught that such an idea undercuts the Gospel because it seeks to finish its work with the inferior. In verse four, Paul brings out the severity of the issue, asking “Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?” We know that Christians suffered a great deal in their early days for their faith, and much of that suffering was at the hands of the Jews. Paul is arguing that such suffering would be in vain if we must keep the Law to stay or be saved, or even to prove our salvation. That suffering would be in vain because they suffered these before they worried with keeping the Law. Therefore, if their new theology was correct, then their previous faith—indeed, the very faith of Paul—was in vain because it offered no real salvation! Thus, we see in plain letters a strong indictment against those who would argue that good works or continued faith are necessary to prove we are saved, or to keep our salvation. What the Spirit begins the Spirit will finish, with or without our help, with our without our approval, and with our without our objection.
Verse six makes another strong statement to drive Paul's argument home: “So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?” The “He” is God. Paul asks, Does God give you the Spirit and work miracles by faith or by Law? Clearly, God works by our faith and not by our works. Even the miracles they witnessed were a result of faith. Thus, to abandon the claim of simple faith in Christ in favor of works of the flesh is to cut themselves off from the power of God, for as Paul says in Rom. 1:16, the Gospel is “the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes.”
As a closing remark, those in Reformed camps would agree that Paul is attacking works-based faith. They would argue that Arminian theology would fall to Paul's warnings, because those men believe a person can lose their salvation. If we must work to keep our salvation, then we are, by definition, finishing by the flesh what was begun by the Spirit. However, both Calvinists and Arminians believe that if a person does not persevere in faith and works then that person ends up in Hell. While the Arminian says that the apostate lost his salvation, the Calvinist simply says he never had it. I don't suppose that there is any comfort to the one condemned in saying, “Well, I'm in Hell now, but at least I didn't lose my salvation; I just never had it to begin with!”
Our Reformed friends believe that these passages do not apply to them as they make perseverance and good works a necessary result of being saved. If we are truly elected, we will, in fact, produce fruit. Thus, while salvation is by faith alone, the faith that saves is never alone, for it produces good works in the life of the believer. It is enough here to simply comment that while this difference looks very sharp, there is in fact no difference at all. In the end, we see a person must keep the Law to be saved. That Law may not be the Mosaic Law (although some would argue that true Christians do keep the moral aspect of the Law, i.e., then Ten Commandments), but if nothing else, Christians must keep the Law of Christ to be saved. However, the moment this is declared they fall to Paul's attacks. The Spirit comes by hearing with faith, not by works of the Law. In other words, what we do has absolutely no bearing on our salvation. It is what we believe that God does that affects that, no more and no less. In believing our own works play a part—pre or post-salvation—we find ourselves preaching a different gospel.
- But when the fullness of the times came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. (Gal 4:4-7)
This passage teaches much the same thing as Romans 8:12-17. Paul is explaining to the Galatians that they are sons of God through Christ, not slaves to God through the Law, and therefore, they are to live by the Spirit rather than walk by the flesh (that is, rather than trying to obtain the righteousness of God by works of the Law).
It could be immediately objected that Paul calls the Galatians sons, and thus all believers are sons. But, as always, context is in order. In 4:1 Paul says that “as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything.” Therefore, there is a definite contrast set forward between a child and a mature believer, as son, as it were. Careful examination of verses 1-3 teach us that Paul considered the Law “childish” and resulted in enslavement. Faith in Christ was “mature” and resulted in freedom and authority. Thus, Paul says that Christ came to redeem those under the Law that they may no longer be childish, but rather they might be sons—mature believers no longer enslaved to the Law. Of course, this does not mean that Jesus came only for the Jews (as they were the ones under the Law), but it does remind us that salvation is first the Jew and second to the Gentile. However, the contrast of the Jewish Law as childish creates a very important basis for the argument in this passage. In 4:8-11, Paul asks why they want to go back to old Judaism. That would be childish. Being mature believers advocating simple faith in Christ, they are sons, and as sons, they are intimate with God and are waiting to receive their inheritance. However, to go back to the old ways to is to be childish and immature, losing that intimacy and authority. Thus, Paul feared for them, that he labored over them in vain (4:11). What would they lose? Their salvation? No, not that, and we know they were saved by the rest of the letter. Paul was concerned they would lose their sonship. It is a solid warning that many Christians should closely consider as they adopt their theology today.
ttoews wrote:....and I note several things:
1) upon belief we receive the Holy Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing the eternal life to come
2) at that time we are also children of God, co-heirs with Christ; and
3) we are said to be in Christ
As such, it is not a promise of just eternal life...it is also a promise that we shall receive the Holy Spirit, become children of God and be in Christ etc. It seems that you don't take into account the extra benefits that are immediately given upon belief, and therefore, do not consider what implications accompany those other benefits.
Given the above exegeses, it should be obvious that I agree with your first and third points, and the firsts half of the second. However, we are not co-heirs with Christ until we are mature in our faith. All people, the very moment they trust in Christ, receive the promise of future glorification, not for their own glory, but for God's. This is guaranteed by the gift of the Holy Spirit. He seals us in Christ. We are thus eternally secure
the moment we believe. If we walk in that Spirit, then we are considered sons of God, mature in our faith, and are ready to inherit greater or lesser authority in the Kingdom of God, depending on our faithfulness in this life.
It is very, very incorrect to say, then, that I do not consider other promises. There is but one promise as it relates to salvation, and that is the promise of everlasting life. Jesus promises that all who believe in Him are (present tense) saved. You can throw as many verses that you want my way, but you cannot get around that basic promise. If we believe that, we are saved. Now,
to those who believe, Jesus makes other promises. He promises that if we abide in Him, then we will bear fruit. He promises that if we are faithful with a few things, we will be given authority over many things. He promises that if we walk in the Spirit, we will be considered mature believers, sons of God, as it were, and will receive our inheritance. He promises discipline to those who break faith or walk in sin. He promises everlasting glorification by the sealing of the Spirit. He promises to give us the Spirit so that we have the power to walk in that Spirit, thus serving Him. Jesus does not ask us to do the impossible. He gives us the means to do it. However,
Jesus does not guarantee that all believers will walk in faith. Many will fall away. Many will lose their rewards. Many will be saved, yet “as by fire.” At the judgment seat of Christ, many will be disapproved. They will not lose their salvation, but they will lose their rewards.
Does any of this alter the Gospel message? No, it only reinforces it, as we will continue to see. If all believers necessarily walk in faith because of the work of the Holy Spirit, then all believers will continue in faith. Thus, none but unbelievers will fall away. Thus, warnings against apostasy are pointless and totally irrelevant. There can be no true rewards because all people will be rewarded the same because all will perform the same. And yet, we have the clear proof that not all believers perform to the same extent. Would you have us believe that God enables some to do great things, and thus reward them greatly, and others He does not enable, and then chastises them? If human fathers know that it is wrong to punish a child for asking him to do what he is incapable of doing, then on what basis can we say that God does not understand that same principle? Is not “right and wrong” defined by the very nature of God?
Salvation comes by faith alone. It is wrong to teach that all will persevere, and that those who do not persevere are unsaved. It is wrong to teach that works are necessary. And it is above all wrong to teach that commitment of life is necessary to be saved. Such is a false gospel and will land its adherent in Hell. Why? Because salvation comes through faith—faith properly defined. Faith is belief or trust. It is
not commitment. It is
not repentance. It is
not some mysterious force that naturally produces good works. It is simple trust, and through that channel, God saves and grants His Spirit. The believer then struggles to live his or her day to day life in that Spirit. Sometimes he is successful, sometimes he is not. Some of these believers will continue in that struggle until the end. Others will lose the battle and fall away. Their fate is not Hell. Their fate is disapproval before their Savior.
ttoews wrote:Further, 2 Cor 5:17 declares:
17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
It seems that your belief must hold that one can receive the Holy Spirit, be in Christ Jesus and be a new creation and that yet, some sort of change in behavior (for the better) will not necessarily result.
You have overstated what I believe. Of course I believe that every believer is a new creation. But does it necessarily follow that all believers in all cases in all situations always bear good fruit? Of course not, and not even the most ardent Lordship proponent would advocate that. So, instead you say that some believers backslide or fall away at times. And yet, I ask, how? Does the new nature have a desire to sin? This new creation of God, does that new creation desire to sin against Him? I would certainly hope you would say no! We sin because our new nature resides in the old flesh, and the old flesh still desires to sin. Therefore, every day, every Christian has a choice. Will I follow the desires of my new spirit, which cannot sin (1 John 3:6,9), or will I follow the desires of my flesh? You will concede that Christians sometimes choose to sin. What, then, is the mechanism by which they, at times, choose to walk in the Spirit? If you say the Holy Spirit, then we ask if the Spirit simply lets us make our choices for so long before He overrides our will, bending us to want something else? If so, then do we say that Christians can choose God on their own, and if they don't God changes their mind so that they choose Him? The relationship proposed by the Lordship view between the Spirit and the old nature is simply absurd.
It is much better to recognize the exactly what the Bible says. The old has gone, that is, the old dead spirit, and the new has come. We are new creations residing in an old body. We thus daily decide whether to walk in the Spirit or in the flesh, in life or in death, in righteousness or in sin. There is absolutely nothing that
guarantees that we will, even at some point in some times, choose life. We are only promised the ability to choose it. We are promised discipline if we don't. But we aren't promised that we will ever make the right choice.
So as not to overstate the case, it is naturally very rare for a person to be saved and NEVER produce a single good fruit. Let's not be so silly as to talk in extremes. I don't accuse you of believing that Christians become perfect; don't accuse me of believing that carnal Christians are Satan incarnate. When we raise our children, we have to discipline them. We also reward them for good behavior. They have an inbuilt desire to please us. And all those things work in our favor to produce good children. The same works with God. The Holy Spirit, our gratitude and love, and God's discipline all work to produce good fruit. But just as a child may rebel and become a very bad person, so also can a Christian rebel and become a very bad person. Some rebel after being very good children. Others never really were good children at all. Some were always very bad children. That doesn't change the fact that they were, and are, the children of their parents. The apostate who loses his faith almost immediately doesn't prove that he never had such a faith, and to argue it does is to promote heresy, for it robs a person of assurance. It teaches that salvation is not by simple faith, but by a certain type of faith—one that lasts and produces good works. That isn't the gospel.
Now, with regard to the other Scriptures you have suggested that supposedly teach that Christians necessarily produce good works:
- For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. (Romans 8:5-10)
I included verses five through seven because they provide very important context for this eight through ten. As a matter of general context, very briefly:
“For” connects 8:5-7 with 8:1-4. Paul has stated that there is no condemnation for those in Christ. The moment you are saved you are in Christ, and being in Christ, you will never again be in danger of the fires of Hell. The reason this is true is that the being in Christ frees us from the law of sin and death. The Mosaic Law tried to do this, but it could not, because it worked through the flesh. However, Jesus overcame the flesh and fulfilled the Mosaic Law “so that the requirements of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Thus, if believers walk according to the Spirit, they have fulfilled the Old Law.
This is true, Paul says, because “those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh . . .” Again, carefully note the argument: believers in Christ are not condemned. They are not condemned because Christ has set them free from the law of sin and death by perfectly keeping the Old Law. The Old Law could not do it because it was weak in the flesh. Therefore, when believers in Christ (who are not condemned) walk in the Spirit they walk in Christ's righteousness, thus fulfilling the Old Law just as He did. However, note that believers must walk in the Spirit for this to be true! You see, those who walk “according to the flesh set their minds on things of the flesh.” This is true of both the believer and the unbeliever. So, we are dealing with the proposition now, not that we are saved, but that we are or are not fulfilling the old requirements of righteousness. In short, are we walking in the Spirit, and if so, what does that mean?
Paul presents two groups of people: those “who are according to the flesh” and those “who are according to the Spirit.” The former “set their minds on things of the flesh.” The latter set their minds on “things of the Spirit.” Paul now states that the mind set on the flesh is death, whereas the mind set on the Spirit is life. We are not contrasting eternal life and eternal death. It is evident that Christians can walk “according to the flesh” or “according to the Spirit.” 7:14-25 makes this very plain! What Paul is dealing with here is experiential death and experiential life.
Consider again the proposition we are dealing with, which is the fulfillment of righteousness as per the Old Law. We know that those in the Old Testament were not saved by keeping the Law. Therefore, fulfilling the Law did not result in salvation. It is wrong, then, to argue that by walking in the Spirit, we keep the Law, and therefore are saved. However, keeping the Law did result in life in the experiential sense. If the Jews kept God's commandments, He promised them peace, prosperity, etc. However, we know from history that they constantly abandoned and broke the Law because of their sinful nature, and therefore, they experienced death, not in an eternal sense, but in an experiential sense.
So, Paul says here that the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life
and peace, and verse seven tells us this is true “because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God.” Being hostile it “does not subject itself to the law of God.” Breaking this law naturally results in death. In fact, Paul states that “it is not even able to do so.” That is, the natural mind is not capable of subjecting itself to God's law (hello, Total Depravity!).
Verse nine presents a logical conclusion: those who are “in the flesh” cannot please God. It is extremely important to note here that Paul changes his wording. In 8:1-8, he has been speaking of those who walk “according to the flesh” (
kata sarka). He contrasts that with those who walk “according to the Spirit” (
kata pneuma). However, in verse nine, he says those “in the flesh.” There is a huge difference in
kata (“according to, in harmony with”) and
en (“in, on, among”). Unbelievers are “in the flesh.” Consider 7:5, which uses this same phrase, “For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.”
Needless to say, those “in the flesh”—that is unbelievers, have minds “according to the flesh.” Therefore, unbelievers, and any according to the flesh, cannot please God, because, again, such minds are hostile to the things of God.
“However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit.” “However” in this verse translates the strong contrasting conjunction
alla rather than the weak contrasting
de. “Unbelievers cannot please God,” Paul says, “
but you are not unbelievers, you are believers!” Note that Paul says his readers are “in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.” “If” here could be taken grammatically as either “if” or “since,” but neither affects the argument much. Paul is saying that those who have the Spirit in them are in the Spirit, and therefore, they are capable of pleasing God, for they are capable of setting their minds on the Spirit.
Verse ten of this passage requires little further comment. If Christ is in us, then
even though our bodies are dead in sin (thus, allowing us to set our minds according to the flesh), our spirits are made alive in Christ, and thus, we can set our minds on the Spirit, being now able to please God.
Before we leave off this passage, we should note that the NIV translates “in the flesh” and “in the Spirit” as “controlled by the sinful nature” and “controlled by the Spirit” respectively. That's just the danger in using a formal equivalent. The Greek for “control” or “led by” is not in these verses, but the position “in” is the preposition used. In fact, it is surprising that they used a verb to translate a preposition in the first place! Theological bias plays a large role in translation at times . . . that is simply the case here.
To conclude, then . . . Paul here is teaching that Christians, unlike un-believers, have the Holy Spirit within them, and therefore they can choose to walk in that Spirit. When they walk in that Spirit, they fulfill, through Christ, the requirements of the Law and experience life and peace. This, in turn, is because Christ fulfilled the Law in His flesh, and by trusting in Him, we receive His righteousness, guaranteeing that we will never come into condemnation.
- Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Gal. 6:7-8)
In this passage, Paul reminds his readers of the normal rule of sowing and reaping. If we sow in righteousness, we reap in righteousness. If we sow in corruption, we reap in corruption. This is true of both Christians and non-Christians. The fact that it is true of Christians is a direct refutation of the Lordship position, because, if they are right and true Christians walk in righteousness, then they cannot sow in unrighteousness! Yet it is evident that true Christians do sow in unrighteousness on a daily basis.
As for the specifics, this passage comes in the doctrinal section of the epistle to the Galatians. Paul has proven the “gospel” presented by the Judaisers is a false gospel, and he therefore encourages them to live by the Spirit which they received the moment they first believed (and they did believe, and are therefore Christians and eternally secure). In context, Paul has encouraged his readers to live by the Spirit (rather than the Law) that they may reap the fruit of the Spirit, saying “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.” Paul is, thus, applying this doctrine of living in faith.
The immediate context for the passage is 6:1-5. There, Paul exhorts the Galatians to bear each other's loads to help keep each other accountable to the faith. The individual load each must bear is his responsibility to his brethren. Therefore, they are to share . . . thus, Paul warns them that God is not mocked. As Christians, they cannot continue to walk in the Law. They cannot cease to do good. They cannot “sow in the flesh,” but are to walk in and live by the Spirit, thus sowing into the Spirit and reaping that reward. The more they sow in righteousness, the more they reap in righteousness. The more they sow in the flesh (by living in the Law, as the Judaisers taught), the more corruption they would reap, for God will not reward the righteousness of man, and he will discipline his children for sowing in it.
- For this you know with certainty, that no immoral person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. (Eph. 5:5-6)
In this passage, Paul warns his readers against falling into disobedience. He has immediately prior to this exhorted them to be imitators of God and to reject immorality (5:1-4). They are to reject immorality for two reasons: first, the immoral man does not inherit the kingdom of God, and second, the immoral man falls under the wrath of God.
The first reason is stated plainly in verse five. No idolater has an inheritance in the kingdom of God. Notice it does not say that no idolater will enter into the kingdom of God. It says that he “has no inheritance.” Jesus plainly taught that different people will be rewarded differently in the kingdom. Some will be given authority over much, and others will be given authority over a little. Some will receive many crowns, others few or none. Some will be greater than others. All of this is based on our works in this life. While every believer is guaranteed entrance into the Kingdom of God, not every believer is guaranteed an inheritance in it. That can be forfeited if we disown Christ or are unproductive Christians. However, often times, this phrase “has no inheritance in the kingdom of God” is understood as a person being sent to Hell. It is enough to point out that no reference to Hell is given. It is an assumption to read the text this way, and the burden of proof lies on the proponents of that position to prove their case. As it stands, both theology in general and the immediate context of the passage argue against them. The primary thrust of the entire passage is “Be imitators of God.” It is absurd to think that the command to an unregenerate person is to be an imitator of God. And yet, that is precisely the theology of man who espouses a Lordship view of salvation. They believe that to be saved, a person must turn from their sins and commit their ways to the Lord, promising to live their lives for Him. Thus, salvation comes in exchange for a promise. I promise to serve God and He promises to save me. If that isn't a “bought” salvation, I don't know what is!
The second reason is found in verse six. The “sons of disobedience” fall under the wrath of God. Now, there are two possibilities here on how to take the identity of this group. Some may wish to view these as disobedient believers. It seems to be an exegetical possibility, and if this is the case, then the issue is settled, because if believers can be considered “sons of disobedience” then it is obvious that not all believers are, in fact, obedient. However, there seems to be at least two reasons this is not the case. First, we know that, as Christians, “God has not destined us for wrath.” (1 Thess. 5:9) Granted, wrath in this verse may refer to temporal wrath, but given Eph 2:3, it seems “wrath” should be taken in the eternal sense (although I freely admit it could be better taken as temporal). Second, the verse says, “Let no one deceive you . . .” It seems that Paul is warning these believers against falling into false doctrine. The false teachers, in this case, would be children of wrath and sons of disobedience. Their destiny is destruction, and they are under the wrath of God. Therefore, the strength of the argument comes not from verse six, but from verse seven, which says, “Therefore, do not be partakers with them.” In other words, these people are false teachers and are under wrath. Therefore, we should avoid them so as not to share in their destruction. Yet again, this would not mean that we are in danger of losing our salvation, but if we are associated with a man God destroys, we will be hurt as well.
- By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says that he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. (1 John 2:3-7)
Before I begin these verses from first John, let me briefly say that this is, in my opinion, the most abused and misunderstood book in the Bible, closely followed only by James. The reason is the way it is read. We often read this as a series of tests of salvation when, in fact, the book provides tests of fellowship (1:3). When 1:3 is viewed as the purpose statement and thesis of the book, the book can be properly understood. Imagine, for instance, trying to understand Romans if we reject 1:16 as the thesis of the book! The assumption that 1 John 5:13 is the thesis statement is ill founded and creates a great deal of contradiction with the rest of Scripture, unless one employs an inconsistent hermeneutic, which seems to be the normal approach.
The passage at hand provides a good example of this difference in perspective. In 2:3, John lays out a test of some sort: “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.” It is immediately assumed that “to know” God is to be saved. However, a simple look at the word itself proves that this is not the case. “To know” someone in Greek means to have an intimate knowledge of them. If we say we “know” God, then we are claiming to have an intimate relationship with Him, which, as it stands is exactly what John is claiming to have. In fact, John has just said in 1:6 this same thing: “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” If, though, we take “to know” as to be saved, then we are forced to believe that all those who are “really saved” keep God's commandments. How often, though? Here is where the inconsistent hermeneutic crops up. John does not say that those who know God usually or mostly or sometimes keep God's commandments. It says they keep them. We recognize that Christians don't keep God's commandments all the time, so we read our experience into the text. “Oh, well John can't be saying that we always keep the commandments of God. He is just saying that our life is characterized by commandment-keeping.” Unfortunately, that isn't what the text says. Further, it creates a false dichotomy between habitual sin and occasional sin. God is OK with occasional sin, but habitual sin, He really hates that!
The truth is that sin is sin, and God hates it all. When the Christian sins, his fellowship is broken with God and he cannot say that he knows Him. However, if we confess our sins, then God is faithful and just to forgive them and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1:9).
Therefore, John takes the person that claims to “have come to know” God and yet does not keep the commandments and declares him to be a liar. Such a person does not know God. He has no intimate fellowship with Him as the apostles do.
Now, this is all the more important concerning the general purpose of the epistle. I have already written on this in my thread examining 1 John 1:1-4. John was battling false teachers who believed that sin didn't really exist, a type of Gnosticism. They were certainly antinomian. They claimed that they had no sin. Therefore, John writes a letter to the churches to prove to them that these men were liars and that they had no fellowship with God. Against this, John and his associates did have fellowship with God, and should therefore be trusted in doctrinal matters.
Looking at verse five, we find a very interesting phrase. Concerning the one who does keep the commands of God, and thus truly knows God, John says, “in him the love of God has been truly perfected.” What does “the love of God” mean? Is it God's love for us (grammatically, the objective genitive), or is it our love for God (the subjective genitive). For example, when we say “the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil,” we aren't saying that money loves things and is therefore evil. We are saying that when we love money, we are led into all types of evil. This is a very important determination to make here, because it guides how you understand the passage. If we follow the NIV and assume this to be an objective genitive (“God's love”), then we are saying that if we “know” God, then the love that God has for us has been perfected. By extension, if we do not know God, then His love for us is imperfect. In fact, John 3:17 tells us that “the love of God” is not in the one who does not love his brother! Thus, loving the brethren becomes a test of salvation. So, we are forced to our inconsistent hermeneutic again. We do not love the brethren all the time, so John can't be saying that we always have to love Christians if we are saved. No, he is saying that our life is characterized by love for one another. And yet, the text does not say that. It says that if we do not love our Christian brother in need, then the love of God does not abide in us.
If this weren't enough, there is the problem of what would it mean for God's love for us to be perfected. Does God love us more for doing good works? Does God love us any more perfectly, or can His love for us be any more mature? This is even more dangerous for the Calvinist, because He believes that God only “loves” the elect in the salvic sense. However, if this is taken as an objective genitive, then God does love the lost; however, His love for the elect is “perfected.” Thus, God loves the lost imperfectly!
Thankfully, there is the subjective genitive, and it has none of the problems above and many great benefits, all of which fit the context of the letter perfectly. Here, John says that if we keep God's commandments, then our love for Him is perfected, or matured. Even on the surface, this makes much more sense. It further fits the context, that a mature love for God results in proper fellowship with Him, which is the purpose of the letter. It fits the context of 3:17, which there would argue that if we do not help our brother in need, then we do not truly love God. This fits perfectly with theology in general, for Jesus said that what we do to the least of our brethren, we do to Him (as an aside, I realize the context of that passage is referring to how the Gentiles in the time of the Great Tribulation treat the Jews, but the principle is applicable today as well). In fact, there is one more context that fits perfectly, which is 3:20. There, John says, “If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.”
If, then, we take this phrase in the subjective sense, as it seems we should, we have this idea: “whoever keeps His word, in him
his love for God has been matured.” We have no test of salvation, but rather a test of fellowship.
Finally, John says, “By this we know that we have are in Him: the one who abides in Him ought to walk in the same manner as He walked.” Again, we see “know that we are in Him” and we immediately see test of salvation. However, as demonstrated, the context is tests of fellowship, and the test provided proves as much. John does not say, “The one who is in Him . . .” Instead, he says, “The one who abides in Him . . .” John is not Paul, and we should not read Pauline vocabulary into John's letters! Further, it is textually obvious that “abides in Him” is parallel with “in Him” in the two phrases. And finally, John has been talking about “knowing” God. So, the proper idea is this: “By this we can be sure that we are in know God in an intimate way: if we say we are living in Him, we should walk as He did.” Of course, “to abide” is to reside with, or to live with. Not all Christians “abide” in Christ. We can test our claim to “abide with”—that is, to live with or have daily companionship with—Christ by looking at our walk. Do we live like He did? If so, we can claim fellowship with Him. More importantly, we can look at the lives of others in the same way. If a man claims to walk with God and know God, we can look at his lifestyle. Is he walking as Christ walked? If not, he is a liar, and liars cannot be trusted, especially on doctrinal matters (remember the context of the book?). Of course, that does not believe he is not a believer, although he may not be. However, it does mean that he does not know God as he thinks he does. We had better look for guidance elsewhere.
- As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. This is the promise which He Himself has made to us: eternal life. (1 John 2:24-25)
John here reminds his readers of what he himself first taught them “from the beginning.” That which was taught to them “from the beginning” was “concerning the Word of Life” and related to “eternal life”, and through this Life believers could have “fellowship with the Father” (1:1-3). That message of life, of simple belief in Jesus Christ, was to “abide” in them. They were not to let it go in exchange for what the false teachers proclaimed, but they were to hold to it, to cherish it, to live in it, and let it live in them. If they did that, John promised that they would abide in the Son and in the Father. That is, they would have fellowship with Them, exactly as promised in 1:3. And what is it exactly that they are to abide in? The promise that “He Himself made to us: eternal life.” This is not at all saying that we have to abide in Him to receive eternal life. It is saying that we should let the promise of Him—the thing which we heard from the beginning—abide in us, and that promise is eternal life for all who believe!
As an aside, it is interesting to see how John finishes this section. The next verse, 2:26, tells us that John writes “these things” to correct the false doctrine of those trying to deceive his readers. What are “these things”? It is all the material from 1:5-2:25. Again, there were false teachers, and John is proving that these teachers have no fellowship with God because they lie. They lie in claiming that they don't have to live a righteous life (1:6), that they don't have sin (1:8), that they have never sinned (1:10), that they know Him even as they walk in darkness (2:5), that they abide in Him (2:6), that Christians are free to love the world (2:15-17), and that Jesus is not the Christ (2:22). All of these things are in direct opposition to what the believers heard “from the beginning,” and thus they can be identified as liars. Thus, we see, again, this is a book on tests of fellowship and even doctrinal orthodoxy, not a book on how to be sure that we are saved.
- No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.
The point of this passage can be stated this way: Christians reveal their Christian nature when they live in holiness, but conceal their Christian nature when they sin; however, the unsaved reveal their sin nature in their daily living.
First, you will notice the translation I provided is different from the NIV. The NASB (95 update) correctly rejects the “tense solution” in 3:6,9 (at least partially). Note the opening statement: “No one who abides in Him sins.” This is a categorical statement of fact. Seeing this, many people point to the present tense of “sins” and translate it this way: “No one who abides in Him continues in sin.” However, this is being progressively rejected by more and more commentaries and translations. While it is a grammatical possibility, it is only slimly one, and “no other text can be cited where the Greek present tense, unaided by qualifying words, can carry this kind of significance” (Zane Hodges,
The Gospel Under Siege, rev. ed., Dallas: Redencion, 1992, p. 64). There are Greek words to show continuous action, used by John, in fact, in this very passage (“practice”, v. 10).
Therefore, 3:6 and 3:9 should be rendered, “No one who abides in Him sins” and “No one who is born of God sins,” respectively. In fact, 3:9 goes so far as to say the one born of God “cannot sin”!
Rather than explain this text away, I would suggest taking it at its face value. The born again man does not, and in fact cannot, sin. The born again man has no sin nature. He NEVER sins. The born again man walks with, or abides in, Christ. But this doesn't seem to line up with our experience, does it? I certainly don't believe in Christian Perfectionism. What I am saying is that the “new creation” you so kindly cited before has no sin nature. The new creation wishes only to serve God. And, therefore, we have a choice each and every moment. We can walk in the flesh and its old sin nature, or we can walk in the Spirit and the new nature. When we sin, we are choosing to walk in the flesh. The man “born of God” does not, and in fact cannot, sin. That is why when we are glorified we can live with God forever without sinning, for we will receive new bodies that are not wracked with sin.
Thus, when we abide in Christ, we are exercising our new nature and do not sin. We reveal our true nature. When we abide in the flesh, we sin and conceal our true nature. Against this, those who practice sin are of the devil. Verse 3:10 says this explicitly: “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious.” Again, sadly, we have a bit of a liberal translation. The KJV renders this much more tightly, saying, “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil.” The keyword here is manifest. That is, in this thing, the children of God and the children of the devil are made plain, and that thing is practicing righteousness and loving the brethren. Of course, we have to be careful here not to call everyone who practices sin “children of the devil.” In context, John is referring to the false teachers, or the “antichrists” of 2:22. Further, we know these are not believers because they deny that Jesus is the Christ, which is the key issue of salvation, especially in John's theology (cf. John 20:31). Regardless, we have again not a test of salvation, but a test of fellowship and on “abiding” in Christ.
ttoews wrote:So then, here is what we know:
a) when one believes, one is in Christ but,
no one who lives in him keeps on sinning.
b) when you believe, you receive the Holy Spirit, and
then you are not controlled by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.
The promises of the Holy Spirit and of being in Christ are as dependable as the promise of eternal life. Now we won't be perfect b/c we still will possess a sinful nature, and therefore there will still be a need for admonishment to repent, keep from sinning etc. Nevertheless, the presence of the Holy Spirit will not be w/o any effect.
You can see how I disagree with both (a) and (b). The only support for (a) is an unlikely translation of two verses of 1 John based on a faulty view of the purpose of the book, and the only support for (b) is a theologically biased translation of a preposition in Galatians that supplies a verb rather than a preposition!
Now, the promises of the HS and being in Christ ARE as dependable as the promise of eternal life. However, those do not guarantee that we will ever live in righteousness. That is our choice. And yet again, do not overstate my beliefs and present a straw man. I have never said that the presence of the Holy Spirit would have absolutely no effect. However, I do deny that it will have the effect that you insist that it will, which is guaranteed and logically necessary good fruits.
Now, what we do know after examining these passages is that Christians are admonished to walk in the Spirit that they have now received. We know that it is our choice as to how we will live, and that if we live in the Spirit then we will have fellowship with God. We know that we will be considered sons, and that we will not lose our reward or inheritance in the Kingdom. We know that we will be manifesting our true nature. But we also know that it is possible to not do any of these things.
Please note that in all of this, you never provided any Scripture that claims that we must first repent or commit our live to Christ in order to be saved. Salvation comes by belief alone. In the other thread, you accused me of presenting a unilateral contract. I plead guilty. Salvation IS a unilateral contract. God offers salvation through Jesus Christ. The moment we trust Him for it, He makes good on His word, regardless of what we do or don't do at a future time. If He backed out on His promise to save us, then He becomes a liar. Further, He gives us the Spirit as a down-payment, guaranteeing our future glorification!
(edited for length - concluded in next post)
