Week seven: Titus 2.11-14 THE BASIS
By Rev. Stanley L. Derickson Ph.D.
COPYRIGHT 2004
11. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath
appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly
lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God
and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem
us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of
good works.
He wanted a peculiar people, not weird but a people sold
out to Him! Not sure this sounds like the church today. With all the preachers
decrying legalism, and all rationalizing all sorts of sin into the okay column,
it is hard to find someone that thinks sin is sin any longer.
Hard to believe that the plain teaching of the Word about
sin can be glossed over as it is. There is plenty of negative teaching against
sin in the Scripture, but we can't be negative these days - we must be positive
to draw people to church. Not in my Bible, not sure which Bible some of these
people are using these days.
Let’s take another read on that first section. "For
the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us
that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously,"
With this passage firmly in place, a Christian can do
most anything they want these days. Not sure where they hide the passage, but
they certainly do. Just read on a board where Christian elderly are opting to
live together rather than get married and lose a social security check. Ten
years ago, this was the way of the lost world, but today Christians are
adopting the world's ways because they do not have a good sense of holiness and
purity. They even are "getting married" but not registering the
marriage with the state and calling it okay. That is illegal folks, it is
against the laws of the land, it is against the principles of the Word of God,
yet "Christians" are involved in this.
How do you relate breaking the law to "live soberly,
righteously?" How do you relate this to denying ungodliness? How do you
figure that is denying worldly lusts?
And this is just one small area where Christians are
throwing out all Biblical norms in the sake of "Christian living."
Now, let us look at the detail of this passage.
11. For the grace
of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
"Grace" is the normal word for grace, as
"God" is the normal word for God. It is the unmerited gift of God to
man. The thought of appeared seems to picture Christ living and walking on the
earth and giving Himself for man. This had not appeared to every man woman and
child at the time of the cross, but to normal people it certainly has appeared.
The known world was most likely touched by the Gospel in the apostles’ time.
This is a general statement that salvation has been provided for - that all the
person needs to do is accept.
Does every man woman and child know of this salvation?
No. However, the work of Christ has appeared to all men - when they are
confronted with the Gospel it is theirs for the asking.
The term "all" is of interest. All means all,
or every, or the whole, however the lexicon makes it quite clear that it
doesn't mean all. The lexicon suggests some illustrations, one of which was
that all
I think that the context here is somewhat different. It
does not say that all accepted, it only says that it hath appeared to all men.
Romans makes it clear that there is revelation to all mankind, does it now mean
that it was only manifest to a few - not so. The work of the cross has not
appeared to "all" as in everyone, but it has appeared to all that
have responded to the natural revelation of Romans one.
This passage is one of the many which show that salvation
is for every man, woman, and child in the world of all time since creation.
God's grace has been shown to everyone by the free gift of salvation. It is
there for the acceptance by anyone that desires it.
Then comes the question about the pagan's that have never
heard. I have hinted at this above, but for clarity, Romans one verse eighteen
and following show clearly that no man is without excuse. It states that there
is revelation given to all mankind within them and I would suggest that a
response to that revelation would bring the Gospel to them in some way. I don't
think that the Bible anywhere indicates that someone that responds to God in an
honest way will ever be left without the Gospel.
II Tim. 1.10 gives us a little more information about the
appearing if you want to think more along that line. "But is now made manifest by the
appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath
brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:"
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly
lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Oh, what a terrible text to have included in the Bible.
Wouldn't many today love to take a black marker and black out that entire
passage? What an affront to many Christians in our day that live as if they are
a part of the world.
Teaching is not the normal word for teaching. This word
has the thought of chastise, or train, as in training children. It is teaching
with physical illustrations if you will. It is teaching that incurs
chastisement for the lack of learning. This is a related word to the word used
of chastening in Hebrews 12.5 where is speaks to the chastening of the believer
by the Lord.
What a contrast of action! DENY ungodliness and worldly
lusts - LIVE soberly righteously and godly - IN THIS PRESENT WORLD.
Oft times these days, believers feel that the
"deny" and "live" relate to the next life - in eternity.
Paul says - now - today - deny all that is evil and live godly lives.
That means give up all the movies that display worldly
lusts so graphically. Fill your mind with godly or at least neutral movies and
interests.
That means give up all the materialistic dreams you have
and live within what God has given you. That means give up that off color
language that you like to use at work and fill your mouth with godly or at
least neutral vocabulary. That means slang as well. I heard a man take great
lengths to encourage students to rid themselves of the slang that is only
shortened or nicer forms of swearing. I noticed in later days that he must have
meant only the older slang, because he had picked up on some of the new - teen
slang that was just short for swearing. We need to be careful what terms we
use.
Be careful the slang and puns that you use, for you may
not understand what they really mean to others that might hear you using them.
A pastor once used a very nasty slang twice from the pulpit. I explained to him
after the service what it was slang for. His reply was, I've never heard that,
it means thus and so, and he walked off. Several times later he continued to
use the word even though he knew it to mean something nasty - he just refused
to be instructed and thought himself more wise than others.
That means giving up those stories and jokes that you
like to tell, and tell only of true - sociably acceptable stories and only
clean jokes.
DENY UNGODLINESS
That is the glory of the teaching that we are a new
creation, not just an old nature invaded by a new one - a whole new creation.
If we are truly a new creation - all things old are passed away - then the term
deny has its usual plain meaning of a conscious decision and act of the will to
turn away from the evil. "Live" then has its plain and usual meaning
of going about your daily life in a godly manner.
Those that view saved man as having two natures would
have to view this as the near life and death struggle between the old and new
natures, and "live" would then become some struggle conquered after
intense activity. If that is your view of the spiritual life then you are a
most miserable person spiritually, you are never on top of things, and you are
always in a struggle to do right.
NO! When we are faced with life in the morning, we only
have to act godly in everything we do. No struggle - just decide to follow God
and not Satan. Sin is not a struggle; it is a choice of the mind. We have the
control to follow the Spirit of God or we have the choice to follow our own
private desires.
“Worldly lusts” seems to relate to those lusts that the
world generates. It can relate to the lust of the flesh, but also of any lust
that comes into your life.
I John 2.16 mentions "For all that [is] in the
world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,
is not of the Father, but is of the world." The verse mentions three
things, the lust of the flesh, those fleshly desires of the body, the lust of
the eyes, or anything that the eye can see that is wrong to dwell on, and the
pride of life, or the pride of who we are.
These three items encompass all of life's situations.
There is no sin that can't be fit into one of these three areas.
Sin is sin and we need to understand this in our
spiritual lives. All sin is to be avoided, not just those select ones that we
don't want to get involved with. You know - oh I would never get involved in
adultery, but I might want to dwell long at the newspaper ads of the retailers
that expose the overabundance of skin of models. Oh, now I would never get
involved in uncontrollable use of alcohol, but I might want to be a little
uncontrollable at the dinner table.
All sin is to be avoided!
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious
appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
"Looking" is a good translation of the word; it
also can mean "waiting for" which has the thought of looking forward
to or looking, waiting. We are to continually be looking or waiting according
to the tense of the word. Not just on Sunday when we get all fired up for the
Lord, but all the time. When a girl waits for her boyfriend to get home from
the army, she isn't looking for him one day, then kind of forgetting about his
coming the next, then somewhat looking forward to his return the following day
- no - she is constantly, every day looking for his return.
"Hope" can mean hope, faith, and expectation.
Within these there is a touch of anticipation in my mind. Waiting for that
blessed anticipation. Waiting for that glorious thing in the future, to which
every believer should be looking forward to.
We are looking for the "glorious" appearing -
glorious is the term doxa from which we gain "Doxology" and simply
means something glorious - something to be honored - something magnificent, and
exceptional in nature.
"Epiphaneia" is the Greek word translated
appearing. It is used of magnificent appearances of other gods to their
worshipers. A glorious and bright appearance. It is translated
"brightness" in II Thes. 2.8 "And then shall that Wicked be
revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall
destroy with the brightness of his coming:" (I Tim. 6.14 translates it
appearing in relation to Christ's coming; II Tim. 1.10 uses it of Christ's
first appearance; II Tim. 4.1 uses it as His appearance in the end to judge; II
Tim. 4.8 mentions it in relation to the rewards to be given that love His
appearing.) Note that the only usages are in Paul's epistles and all but one in
the pastorals.
One must wonder if Paul might have come to a greater
appreciation of the coming of Christ in his later years. Personally, and I
repeat personally, I think Paul was looking for a quick return in his own
lifetime, but possibly later in his ministry realized that it might not come
that quickly. Many of his comments on the coming relate to this return in his
lifetime line of thought even though they carry with them a definite prophetic
component.
Might we consider how someone that is looking for His
glorious appearing would be living their life?
Trying to climb the corporate ladder.
Saving every cent they can get their hands on.
Buying every toy that comes down the retail pike.
Buying a house, a summer home and a beach cottage.
OR
None of the above.
It seems to me if one is looking and anticipating that
return of the Lord, that they would be living as if it could happen any time
rather than in thirty years after the mortgage is paid and the 401K is filled
to the brim. Working for God to further the kingdom would seem a little more
appropriate. Giving to missions would be a better investment. Living a GODLY
life in order to please the soon coming King would seem the wiser lifestyle.
It must be made clear that the reference to
"God" and "Savior Jesus Christ" is reference to the same
person. There seems to some to be the appearance of both God the Father and the
Son both, but the Greek does not allow for this. The Granville Sharp rule
applies here which requires that both be the same person.
This is a strong proof of the deity of Christ as well. He
is very God, and very man. The term translated "God" is
"theos" which is normally translated God. The clear understanding is
that Jesus was God in a most total and glorious way.
I really question the
Most live their lives as though He were never coming.
Most collect material things as though they were always going to be here on
earth. Few are entering into the missionary effort today. Even fewer are
supporting that effort of the few that respond to His call.
DO WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT CHRIST COULD RETURN TODAY,
TOMORROW, OR EVEN THIS CENTURY, MUCH LESS
If we really believed that He could come today, would we
be living the way we do? Would we not clean up our spiritual lives, would we
not clean up our physical lives, would we not clean up our emotional lives? I
truly believe that American believers need a heavy dose of 2nd comingism.
14 Who gave
himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto
himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
The clear concise Gospel. Christ gave himself for us that
he might redeem us. "Redeem" means to buy back or pay the ransom for
release. (See also Mk. 10.45 "For even the Son of man came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for
many.") Christ did all that was necessary for all to come to him. He
bought all on the cross. I don't hold to the thought that He gave Himself only
for the elect. What an accounting nightmare that would have been at the cross.
He died for all that all might live. The fact that some thumb their ungodly
noses at His kind work is their fault, not His. He did all that needed to be
done to return mankind to God.
"Gave" has the thought of "put"
"place" or "grant" all having the thought of the one
giving, initiating the gift. His life was not taken; it was given for the
redemption of mankind. Yes, the Jews took Him, yes, the Romans placed Him on
the cross, but anytime during the arrest, trial and crucifixion He could have
stopped the process. He gave Himself up to the authorities and freely,
willingly laid down His life for us.
Now, who or what were we redeemed from? We were redeemed
from iniquity. Iniquity had us hostage, but now we are bought back from its
clutches by Christ's work on the cross. Consider. If this be true and that is
the clear teaching of the passage, then why do we go to iniquity and say, take
me back I love you, I want you, and I want to be in bondage to you. WHAT? NOT
SO, we should flee the iniquity that held us hostage. It is ludicrous for the
believer, bought back from sins hold, to place ourselves back under that same
terrible condition.
Not only is this ludicrous but it is just as, if not more
ludicrous to believe that this redemption of Christ is only good as long as we
can fight and scratch and claw our way up and over our old nature to get to
Godliness. This is such a sick and debilitating doctrine. Christ redeemed us,
Christ bought us, and Christ freed us from iniquity - so says the passage. To
hold to this thought of our fighting an old nature would require the verse to
say, Christ redeemed us from iniquity, but He wasn't able to do a good enough
job to keep iniquity from grabbing us from His loving clutches. Not a plausible
interpretation, nor translation of the passage.
It is of note, that “purify” as well as “redeem” are
aorist tenses - meaning they were one time occurrences. He redeemed us - once,
he isn't going to do it again, there is no need for Him to do it again
Purify has the thought of cleaning out and making clean -
washing dishes, cleaning a wound, or removing dead flesh might be the thought.
Now, I would like to get theological for a moment or two.
In the fall, several things happened and in salvation those things had to be
corrected. Adam died spiritually. Adam would die physically. Adam turned away
from God and God turned away from Adam.
In salvation we are given spiritual life; we are made a
new creation. In salvation we are made to live eternally with Him. In salvation
all was done that would turn God back to man, man has only to turn back to God.
This passage is one of the clearest that pictures this
regeneration, this recreation, this purifying process that makes us right with
God spiritually. It also is one of the best pictures of Christ's buying us or
purchasing us, and as such is one of the best pictures of His ownership of us,
and our need to voluntarily submit to Him as master of our lives, proclaiming
our servanthood and commitment to Him.
He was interested in a "peculiar people," not a
weird people but a special, select people. I have read that this Greek word
translated peculiar was used of a niche in the wall where a person could hide
expensive or prized possessions. A safe place to protect one's things. God
wanted a special people, one that He could prize and protect from all that
would try to steal.
This people were to be zealous of good works.
I once undertook a study on the idea of zealots. My
premise was that the zealots of the New Testament were not the dread plague of
that day, but rather men that were properly motivated to do as they should, but
misdirected. Paul himself was a zealot in his pursuit of the early Christians,
but he was misdirected. After his conversion, he was a zealot for the Lord in
the proper direction.
Many through the ages were zealots. Zealot is not a
derogatory term; it is a term to describe the zeal with which they do their job.
I feel that through the years that I have been a zealot. I have pushed to do
what God has directed all my born again life. I believe that many pastors and
missionaries are true zealots today.
This verse tells me that I have a Biblical basis for that
thinking. Zealous of good works! Many believers today never do any good works
much less be zealous to do good works.
Zealous of good works demands a few things:
a. Determination to do good. (Decision of the will.)
b. Motivation to do good. (Proper view of Christ's
sacrifice for us.)
c. Basis to do good. (The dictates of Scripture.)
d. Act to do good. (The act of the will to do.)
ZEALOUS OF GOOD WORKS. No, zealous is not a curse word as
many would have us think today, it is a word that pictures clearly one that is
properly viewing his relationship to Christ. To not be zealous is a negative in
the Christian life, to not be zealous is the unspiritual thing to do, to not be
zealous is a slap in the face of the one that died on the cross for your
worthless hide!
APPLICATION:
1. We are told to "deny" ungodliness. This is a
one time act according to the tense of the verb. We are to decide in our
spiritual life to DENY ungodliness. This is a total and final denial, not a
denial that will hold only until the next time we are confronted with a
temptation.
It is a conscious choice of lifestyle, your life will not
allow ungodliness into its sphere of influence. God desires holy and pure
vessels to work through. He cannot work through vessels that are tainted with
sin and lust.
This relates to listening to those off shade jokes that
you sit through at times without asking someone to stop telling them. Once is
all it takes for most people. Most of the time you will have their respect and
they will not tell off color jokes in front of you again. However, allow it
once and what are you going to do the next time - tell them you don't like to
listen to them -- they already know you do.
This relates to every part of your life, every nook and
cranny, you will have no place in your life where you allow ungodliness to
creep in. I fear that this relates to every part of your life, even when no one
is watching. You will not watch those off color television shows when you are
home alone, you will not dwell on those scantily clad models in the newspaper
when no one is watching. I think the point is clear - as your conscience should
be.
2. Picture for me, if you will, the average church today
- meet for Sunday School, maybe, many do not anymore, meet for
"worship" where they sing some feel good songs and greet one another
and hear the gospel (because the preacher hopes there are lost in the
congregation to give the service value, because there is little feeding going
on for the saints), and maybe meet on Sunday evening, though that is also going
by the wayside, and maybe if there are some that are really committed they meet
for prayer during the week. Now, we are to the group that might be zealous of
good works, but most are probably too old to do all that many good works, bless
their old aged hearts.
Do the above describe what you could honestly call a
peculiar people zealous of good works? I really doubt it. They may well be
doing some good works during the week, but that is not the church I see pictured
in the New Testament.
I envision from the New Testament a group of people that
can't wait to get together for fellowship, for prayer, and for some serious
Bible study. The only "serious" Bible study I get while attending
church services today is that study that I do on my own while listening to the
milk that the pastor is usually spewing forth to a hungry, meat desiring
people.
When I go to church I carry a pocket computer with a good
Bible program on it and take the text that is being covered and listen, and
select what I can from the speaker and add to it all that I can from a brief
study of my own. Normally I can cover the text fairly carefully while the
speaker is glossing over the top.
Sure, all believers like to hear the gospel, but not every
Sunday and every Sunday night. Most believers want to be taught the Word, not
just the gospel - they know it - they have accepted it - they have listened to
it hundreds of times. They don't need to hear the gospel twisted into the final
verse of a passage that has nothing to do with the Gospel either. Some speakers
tack the Gospel onto most anything, just so they can say they did it.
Preaching isn't a jumping off verse, a long list of
illustrations and a gospel invitation.
Others think that they have to explain the Gospel fifteen
different ways so that everyone will understand - no the Holy Spirit must
convict the heart before the person can respond so let the Spirit do His work
and you do yours - preach the meat of the Word.
As to the specific "good works" this peculiar
people is to be doing. I would think that we would be hearing of some of these
good works if they were being done. If half the
How are we taking care of our own congregations? When a
couple is in need are they assisted or criticized for not doing life the proper
way? We are a body, a family - don't know about you but when my head hurts my
hands and feet see to it that the head gets some aspirin. When my feet hurt the
rest of my body finds a nice soft place to sit down and rest the feet. We ought
to be caring for one another much more than we do.
I was in a church and spoke to a young woman that had
been attending for a short time. She told me that they were without work, were
losing their home (rented) because they couldn't pay the rent. Now, in my
polluted thinking I felt very bad for them, I could almost feel how down they
must have been. This moved me to go to the pastor and inform him of their
situation thinking that the church might want to get involved. His reply when
asked if he knew they were loosing their house was something along the line,
Ya, I heard that, he needs a job. That was the total of concern, compassion and
callousness offered by the church.
Yes, the couple survived, he moved in with his mother and
the wife and children went home to her mother and they were separated for a few
weeks while things turned for the better. Yes, they lived through the
experience, but how much more the church could have gotten involved in those
folks lives - what an example it would have set for not only the young couple,
but for their children, and for the congregation as well.
No, don't help the dead beat by pouring money on them;
help them by giving them training and assistance of life. No, don't pour money
on problems like the welfare system, but try to help the people correct the
deficiencies in their lives.
I trust you have a better picture of a peculiar people
zealous of good works than most churches do, and not only that, I trust that
you go to your churches and give the congregations that better picture.
3. It is of no small fact that "grace" and
"teaching" are directly tied together in verses eleven and twelve,
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12
Teaching us that...." The grace, or as one commentary puts it "God's
gratuitous favor" (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown) has appeared to teach us -
teaching involving chastisement as we saw earlier. We tend to see God's
"GRACE" as something wonderful and glorious, which it is, but we also
see it as something totally pleasant, which it is not - it can contain
chastisement if we walk against what is best for us.
The prisons are full of people that have felt God's grace
touch them through the Gospel, but most of them fully realize that the chastisement
that resulted from their sin is only their just recompense. The child that is
disciplined for wrong, knows that the parent loves them and that all they have
is due to the parent - so we know all we have is from the Father, He is loving,
He is generous, and He is a chastiser when needed. Grace may be all fun and
games, or it can be a serious pain if we aren't careful.
4. The thought of the grace appearing to all men has two
lines of thought. One, that the grace appeared to all mankind so that all could
receive, while secondly, it can read that grace appeared to all classes of
human beings. This later is most specific to the context which speaks of young,
old and servants. I believe that this is the specific interpretation, though
the first application seems valid also.
The fact that Christianity is available to all mankind,
wither rich or poor, whether male or female, or whether bond or free is so very
clear from the Word. The problem is that we, the believers tend to division off
some that it may not apply to. We do this in the way that we witness, the way
that we do church and the way we live our lives.
Look around your church Sunday if you are an Anglo
pastor. How many black people do you have in your membership? If you are Anglo,
how many Spanish do you have in your congregation? If you are black, how many
whites do you have in your church? Ah, segregation is well and alive in the
American church - I will be quick to say there are many reasons for the above,
and racism and bigotry are not the reasons most likely, but the differences do
exist.
I can count on one hand and I could cut off my fingers
and still do it, the number of churches where I felt there was a real, racial
mix. It was an inner city (small city) church where many had to walk to church,
and it was not a church that was of mixed races but a church. The people didn't
operate as a group of whites, or as a group of blacks or a group of Spanish -
they were all believers and they functioned as a group of believers. They were
of mixed race, but that made no difference whatsoever to them - all were equal,
all were accepted. Now, I never was able to attend a pot luck at that church
but I'd guess the nationality issue might have cropped up in a most wonderful
way there.
I don't condemn the church for these differences - they
are due to economic, neighborhood areas, travel difficulties and many other
reasons, but do we not, in the back of our minds tend not to feel comfortable
witnessing to people different than we?
Grace appears to all classes, and all classes need the
gospel. The doctor's and lawyers need the gospel just as much as the dock
workers and waiters. I trust we will be open to sharing the Gospel to anyone
that God might bring our way.
Some actually seek ways to witness to some of the
"groups" that exist in our society. There are churches that start
Spanish ministries, there are churches that start deaf ministries, there are
churches that do exceptionally well at kids work, and yet others do well with
senior citizens.
I read of a man in
We don't need to target any group or people, but we need
to speak to all that God brings our way.
5. Barnes goes into a lot of detail relating to God being
Christ. He agrees with the Greek construction but goes even further in proving
the fact. I include it in case anyone needs further information to quiet a
detractor of the Deity of our lord. Barnes weighs heavy on the fact that God
might be appearing. I suspect he may have been fighting an error of his own day
that taught this.
"(1.) that no plain reader of the New Testament,
accustomed to the common language there, would have any doubt that the apostle
referred here to the coming of the Lord Jesus.
"(2.) That the "coming" of God, as such,
is not spoken of in this manner in the New Testament.
"(3.) That the expectation of Christians was
directed to the advent of the ascended Saviour, not to the appearing of God as
such.
"(4.) That this is just such language as one would
use who believed that the Lord Jesus is Divine, or that the name God might
properly be applied to him.
"(5.) That it would naturally and obviously convey
the idea that he was Divine, to one who had no theory to defend.
"(6.) That if the apostle did not mean this, he used
such language as was fitted to lead men into error. And
"(7.) that the fair construction of the Greek here,
according to the application of the most rigid rules, abundantly sustains the
interpretation which the plain reader of the New Testament would affix to it.
The names above referred to are abundant proof that no violation is done to the
rules of the Greek language by this interpretation, but rather that the fair
construction of the original demands it. If this be so, then this furnishes an
important proof of the divinity of Christ."
6. We have mentioned the peculiar people previously, but
I would like to take a look at I Peter 2:9 before we move on, it adds more to
the thought of what God wants to do with the believers that He is drawing to
Himself through the ages. "But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the
praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous
light:"
This is the same term used in both places. Note some of
the words used in this passage, chosen, royal, priesthood, praises, called, and
light. This is quite a contrast that God is drawing for us, from the
ungodliness and iniquity that we were born in, to the wonderful light of God
and being in His priesthood. We are in a very special place before God and we
ought to be acting like it. We are to show his praises to the world, and we are
to be showing the world the difference between God's people and the lost world.
The question - is the church today that much different
than the world. We are only a step behind the world for the most part. We have
Christian action figures, we have Christian romance novels, we have Christian
dating services, we have Christian debt counselors, we have Christian every
kind of music the world has, we have more divorce, we have Christian everything
the world has so how are we showing the world we are different than they?
Our passage says that we are a "holy nation"
and we have the dubious claim of having a higher divorce rate than the world,
we have alcoholism, we have immorality, we have drug addicts, we have the whole
world in our church and that is what we are presenting the world as a "HOLY
NATION." Personally, I would think God would be embarrassed at his people
today.
7. Gill's take on the grace that appears is of interest
to the five point Calvinist. He sees this grace as different from salvation,
and different from the provision for salvation. He takes it to be a separate
entity that would be that which draws and enables the elect to respond to the
Gospel and God. It has certainly not appeared to all men, because all men have
not accepted the Gospel. This seems to be backward thinking. A result didn't
occur so this must mean something else rather than the simple reading.
It would seem to me that grace is an attribute of God
which causes Him to extend to man that which he does not deserve, meaning
salvation, rather than something out there that is independent of God, but sent
by Him, that is only sent to the elect and when it hits them in the face they
will automatically, unintentionally and involuntarily respond to the Gospel
given independently of the grace. In fact I think most Calvinists would say
that grace is that renewing, that rebirth, that regeneration, which allows one
to respond to the gospel when it is given. In short, John the Baptist, when he
jumped in his mother’s womb was responding to grace that regenerated him. Only
thing that comes to my mind is, where does the passage say that - well one more
thought comes to mind - why don't all elect jump when they are regenerated?
Never heard of anyone jumping and all of a sudden being interested in spiritual
things. (A little tongue in cheekness there :-)
8. Gill goes on to make an interesting comment, that
since grace is now appearing, that previously it was hidden. Now if it was
hidden, how did the Old Testament saints come to God? How could The Baptist be
regenerated in the womb if grace was hidden? How can anyone in the Old
Testament economy be regenerated?
It seems to me that either God was operating covertly in
the Old Testament, and if hidden, they must not have known it; else someone
else would have noticed this grace that is hidden. (Yes, a little more tongue
in cheekness but these are the implications of what they are teaching :-) If
grace was hidden before, then how could Old Testament saints know of salvation?
That is a real problem.
I know that the crux of their doctrine hinges on
regeneration being separate from salvation itself, it is only a precursor to
salvation - it quickens the lost, depraved soul enough to allow him to respond
to God, though that response being involuntary, and arbitrary to the lost person’s
wishes.
The joy of their system is that the elect end up on God's
side the same as other systems; the sadness of their system is that they are
the elect and we are the false teachers on our way to hell. We are not regenerated;
we only think we have salvation because only the elect that are regenerated
before they are given salvation are the true elect.
Me thinks one of us is going to have quite a shock when
we show up for judgment :-)
9. I might mention that Gill makes a serious point that
not all that profess to be believers are actually children of God. He would
have included me in that group but aside from that slight disagreement, he is
right to suggest that many that claim Christianity for their life are not
really saved. He points out, much as I have, in this section, that the believer
is to be holy and full of piety rather than living in iniquity. In short, if a
person is living in sin, then they may not really know God even though they
profess Him. The true believer WILL live a holy life.
This may well be the problem we perceive in the church
today - the easy believism propagated over recent years is permeating the
church today and is populating the pews with polluted practitioners showing the
perpetuated fraud to be poppycock.
I would like to end this thought with an extended quote
from Gill - mind you I broke into the middle of the sentence to get this quote.
He would never have gotten his writing through my grammar checker without
turning off the long sentence warning option! "...we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly in this present world; not, only
"temperately", but wisely and prudently, as children of the light, on
whom, and into whom the Gospel has shined; and "righteously" among
men, giving to every man his due, and dealing with all according to the rules
of equity and justice; as being made new men, created unto righteousness and
true holiness; and as being dead to sin, through the death of Christ, and so
living unto righteousness, or in a righteous manner; and as being justified by
the righteousness of Christ, revealed in the Gospel: and "godly"; in
a godly manner, according to the Word of God, and agreeably to the will of God;
and in all godly exercises, both public and private, and to the glory of God: and
that as long as in this present world: which lies in wickedness, and in which
there are so many strong temptations to a contrary way of living. The Gospel
then is no licentious doctrine; it is according to godliness, and teaches and
promotes it; it is an holy faith, yea, a most holy faith; wherefore it is a
vile slander to charge it with leading to looseness of life and
conversation."
To close this section, I think Gill put it well when speaking of the desired end of this passage: "Now these people, for whom Christ has given himself, and whom he has redeemed and purifies, are a "peculiar people"; for whom Christ has a peculiar love, in whom he takes a peculiar delight, and to whom he grants peculiar nearness to himself, and bestows peculiar blessings on them, and makes peculiar provisions for them, both for time and eternity; these are Christ's own, his possession, his substance, what he has a special right to by his Father's gift, his own purchase, and the conquest of his grace; and they are a distinct and separate people from all others, in election, redemption, effectual calling, and in Christ's intercession, and will be in the resurrection morn, at the day of judgment, and to all eternity; and they are, as the word also signifies, an excellent and valuable people; they are Christ's portion and inheritance; they are his peculiar treasure, his jewels, whom, as such, he values and takes care of. The Syriac version renders it, "a new people". And they who are redeemed and purified by Christ, through the power of his grace upon them, become a people "zealous of good works"; not in order to their justification and salvation, but in obedience to the will of God, and to testify their subjection and gratitude to him, and for his honour and glory, and for the credit of religion, and the good of men, These not only perform them, but perform them from principles of truth and love, and with a zeal for the glory of God, and the honour of his Gospel; and with an holy emulation of one another, striving to go before, and excel each other in the performance of them."