Our Union With Christ A systematic study on the Doctrines of Grace

Transcription

1 Our Union With Christ A systematic study on the Doctrines of Grace

2 Today s Class Theme Song Irresistible Grace (by David L. Ward)

3 The Doctrine of Election Part 8 Unconditional Election: History Snapshots and Objections

4 What we will be examining in this study: 1. Sovereignty and Jurisdiction of God. 2. Terms, definitions, and difficulties related to election. 3. Theologians who have shaped the discussion. 4. Biblical Support of the Doctrine. 5. Reasonable Proof of the Doctrine. 6. Ten declarations in scripture concerning election and salvation. 7. Objections and alternate explanations (Corporate Election).

5 What we will be examining in this study: 8. Why the Doctrine of Election is essential for churches today: - Worship - Biblical Hermeneutics and Interpretation - Evangelism and The Right Gospel - Prayer - Humility - Good Works

6 The Theology of God and Man : Snapshots From History Soteriology: Theocentric vs. Anthropocentric Two of the critical areas in the study of theology are the Doctrine of God and the Doctrine of Man. Soteriology: Doctrine of Salvation Theocentric: Salvation is based on the counsel and work of God. Anthropocentric: Salvation, in a greater or lesser degree, is based on something of merit on the part of man.

7 The Theology of God and Man : Snapshots From History Soteriology: Theocentric vs. Anthropocentric Theocentric: Salvation of divine accomplishment a. God alone saves. b. Faith is a grace gift. (Eph. 2:8-9) Anthropocentric: Salvation of human achievement a. Man cooperates with God in salvation. b. He allows God to accomplish His desires. c. He ultimately earns salvation by merit of his autonomous faith.

8 The Theology of God and Man : Snapshots From History Soteriology: Theocentric vs. Anthropocentric (Augustine vs. Pelagius) ~ Ultimately Pelagius s teachings were condemned as heresy at the council of Ephesus in 431 AD. ~ However, the council also rejected some of Augustine's positions in favor of John Cassian s mediating view, which could right be called semi-pelagian in many respects. ~ Cassian s view was later condemned at the Synod of Orange in 529 AD, in favor of a stronger Augustinian position.

9 The Theology of God and Man : Snapshots From History Soteriology: Theocentric vs. Anthropocentric (Luther vs. Erasmus) Martin Luther ( AD) Erasmus ( AD) Fought against indulgences. Fought against indulgences. Rediscovered the Doctrine of Justification by faith alone. (Romans and Augustine s writings) Fought for grace being given through the church alone.

10 The Theology of God and Man : Snapshots From History Soteriology: Theocentric vs. Anthropocentric (Luther vs. Erasmus) Martin Luther ( AD) Erasmus ( AD) Bondage of the Will Freedom of the Will Justified by declaration of God. (Good works follow but do not earn anything.) Justified by process of the church. (Good works proceed and earn justification, continuing to do so as long as the individual performs his duties.)

11 The Theology of God and Man : Snapshots From History Soteriology: Theocentric vs. Anthropocentric (John Calvin vs Jacopo Sadoleto & Jacob Arminius) Calvin ( AD) Sadoleto ( AD) Arminius ( AD) Bondage of the Will Freedom of the Will Freedom of the Will God moves first Man moves first Man moves first Justification by faith alone Justification by duties Justification by duties Faith is a gift Faith is self-determination to believe Faith is self-determination to believe

12 The Theology of God and Man : Snapshots From History Soteriology: Theocentric vs. Anthropocentric (John Calvin vs Jacopo Sadoleto & Jacob Arminius) Calvin ( AD) Sadoleto ( AD) Arminius ( AD) God decreed to save some The decree was based on His purposes God perfectly accomplishes His purposes God decreed to save all The decree was based on His desires God s desires are in bondage to man s will God decreed to save all The decree was based on His desires God s desires are in bondage to man s will

13 The Theology of God and Man : Snapshots From History Soteriology: Theocentric vs. Anthropocentric (John Calvin vs Jacopo Sadoleto & Jacob Arminius) Calvin ( AD) Sadoleto ( AD) Arminius ( AD) Christ died to actually save a people His death is the basis of all saving grace and its means of accomplishment Grace is irresistibly and lovingly embraced Christ died only as a provision His death only makes grace possible Grace is resistible Christ died only as a provision His death only makes grace possible Grace is resistible

14 The Theology of God and Man : Snapshots From History Soteriology: Theocentric vs. Anthropocentric (Asahel Nettleton vs Charles Finney) Charles Finney ( AD) Finney believed that a vibrant and thriving Christianity could not co-exist with such concepts as inherent depravity and constitutional regeneration (i.e. new birth precedes conversion), and that such teachings were damaging to evangelism. Successful preaching, he maintained, must be based on the proposition that men have the full ability to convert themselves.

15 The Theology of God and Man : Snapshots From History Finney also believed that people are sinners by choice, not by nature; therefore, the purpose of evangelism should be to convince people to choose differently. The sinner s choice, not God s, therefore became the determinative issue in conversion.

16 The Theology of God and Man : Snapshots From History The means of moving out of darkness into light was in Finney s opinion nothing more than a simple act of human will. Nothing miraculous was needed or occurred. The new measures were employed to help people do what they needed to do on their own without an act of God. NOTE: Ironically, Finney believed he could help people get saved but God did nothing in the process.

17 The Theology of God and Man : Snapshots From History Regarding the Doctrine of Total Depravity, Finney wrote, Moral depravity as I use the term does not consist in nor imply a sinful nature....moral depravity consists in a state of voluntary committal of the will to self-gratification. The doctrine of original sin is an anti-scriptural and nonsensical dogma. It is a monstrous and blasphemous dogma that a Holy God is angry with any creature for possessing a sinful nature.

18 The Theology of God and Man : Snapshots From History The bible defines sin to be a transgression of the law. What law have we violated in inheriting this sin nature? What law requires us to have a different nature from that which we possess? Does reason affirm that we are deserving of the wrath and curse of God forever, for inheriting from Adam a sinful nature? The notion that people have a sinful nature is a relic of heathen philosophy, and was foisted in among the doctrines of Christianity by Augustine. - Charles Finney

19 The Theology of God and Man : Snapshots From History God s justice demanded that He extend grace equally to all. God could not hold mankind guilty for Adam s disobedience. In his opinion, a just God would never condemn people for being sinners by nature. Furthermore, Finney believed that all people possess the ability, apart from grace, to choose what is good and move towards God on their own.

20 The Theology of God and Man : Snapshots From History The actual turning to god is the sinner s own act.... There is nothing in religion beyond the ordinary powers of nature. Religion is the work of man. It consists entirely in the right exercise of the powers of nature. It is just that and nothing else. When mankind becomes religious, they are not enabled to put forth exertions which they are unable to put forth. They only exert powers which they had before, in a different way, and use them for the glory of God. A revival is not a miracle, nor dependent on a miracle, in any sense. It is a purely philosophical result of the right use of constitutional means. - Charles Finney

21 The Theology of God and Man : Snapshots From History Representing the atonement as the ground of the sinner s justification has been a sad occasion of stumbling to many.... Neither is the atonement, nor anything in the mediatorial work of Christ, the foundation of our justification, in the sense of the source, moving, or procuring cause.... The doctrine of imputed righteousness is another gospel. - Charles Finney

22 The Theology of God and Man : Snapshots From History Theocentric vs Anthropocentric 1) Finney had thousands of a decisions for Christ with little to no lasting results that could be pointed to as real conversions. 2) Home town preachers were discredited in the wake of Finney s revivals because the congregations preferred entertaining talks over doctrinal instruction. The lack of people flooding the aisles was viewed by many to mean their pastor was in sin or had missed his calling. As time went on more and more churches refused to allow Finney to come to their towns. 3) Finney s new measures are the framework for most churches, revivals, alter calls, and evangelism still today, with an ever increasing harvest of tares.

23 The Theology of God and Man : Snapshots From History Asahel Nettleton ( AD) Summary of Nettleton s theology: Man, being totally depraved by nature and by choice (in accordance with the scripture), cannot save himself. By God s grace, some have been chosen unto eternal life (in accordance with the scriptures). For those chosen by God (the elect), Jesus provided a penal, substitutionary atonement for their sins on the cross. The elect, for whom alone Christ died, will be drawn by the triumphant grace of God to repentance and saving faith in Christ. They will be kept by God unto eternal salvation.

24 The Theology of God and Man : Snapshots From History Asahel Nettleton ( AD) Summary of Nettleton s theology: Human beings must be divinely regenerated having their sinful nature negated, before they can repent and trust Christ. Human ability to respond at every level of salvation comes from a sovereign act of God. Unless God moves, humans remain hopelessly lost.

25 The Theology of God and Man : Snapshots From History Asahel Nettleton ( AD) Summary of Nettleton s Methodology: 1) Expository preaching that revealed the truth of scripture so that man could fall under conviction for sin. 2) Sought the Lord s blessing in every evangelistic effort in fervent, humble prayer to God who alone can effect the regeneration of the lost person. 3) No public coercion, pressure, or intimidation.

26 The Theology of God and Man : Snapshots From History Theocentric vs Anthropocentric 1)Nettleton s Biblical approach to the great commission is reported on all hands to have had lasting results. Drunkards, prostitutes, crooked businessmen, and politicians, as well as men, women, boys and girls were so changed by God, and the town s identity so altered by his preaching, that by the time Nettleton left a town, the people wept over his departure. 2) Historians have reported an estimated 30,000 conversions because he was faithful to go and preach the gospel without manipulation in whatever place God would lead. 3) It is also reported that Nettleton himself never kept count of those making decisions nor ever took credit for God moving men to salvation.

27 The Theology of God and Man : Snapshots From History Asahel Nettelton and Lyman Beecher addressed the evils of Charles Finney s new measures at the New Lebanon Conference in Revival and Revivalism: The Making and Marring of American Evangelicalism, by Iain Murray

28 The Theology of God and Man : Snapshots From History Roger Williams W. B. Johnson E. C. Dargan Obadiah Holmes R.B.C. Howell J. B. Gambrell Benjamin Keach Richard Fuller W. T. Conner John Bunyan J.L. Dagg Tom Nettles Issac Backus P. H. Mell D. A. Carson Andrew Fuller J.P. Boyce Jonathan Edwards William Carey John A. Broadus George Whitefield Luther Rice C. H. Spurgeon Mathew Henry Adoniram Judson B. H. Carroll John Newton Fransic Wayland William Williams Basil Manly Sr. Basil Manly Jr.

29 Common Objections to Unconditional Election

30 Common Objections to Unconditional Election I. Silly Objections II. Arbitrary Objections III. Inconsistent Objections IV. Faulty Hermeneutics and Exegesis

31 I. Objections From Ignorance a. They do not know the issues or the scope of the discussion. b. They are trusting someone else s word without personal investigation. c. They are not being intellectually honest.

32 II. Objections From Defense of a Theological System or Position a. They reject Unconditional Election on the basis of maintaining their current system s coherency b. If I change my position, I lose my position. c. My heritage says, xyz.

33 III. Objections From Authority If I change my position, I lose my power. IV. Objections From Security a. Fear of the unknown b. Security in being in control

34 Common Objections to Unconditional Election

35 Common Objections to Unconditional Election

36 Common Objections to Unconditional Election

37 Common Objections to Unconditional Election

38 Common Objections to Unconditional Election

39 Common Objections to Unconditional Election

40 Common Objections to Unconditional Election

41 Common Objections to Unconditional Election

42 Common Objections to Unconditional Election

43 Common Objections to Unconditional Election

44 Common Objections to Unconditional Election

45 Common Objections to Unconditional Election

46 Common Objections to Unconditional Election

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