I’m not exactly sure but recently reposting Mike Ratliff’s blog became a bit more complex. I’m wonder if it has to do with the new IOS27 app updates…Anyway, I can still do it manually.
As we enter into the “Election” season, this time for the mid-terms, let’s take a moment and remember God’s own election of those in the Invisible Church. Over the years I’ve posted much on that topic and the avid hunter can probably find some of those old articles…
In Mike’s article you can read these points in context. And I’ve I noted before John 6 is a critical chapter to understand these things.
However, at the Cross He tasted death for everyone who believes, not everyone who has ever lived. This is a true statement because the death of Christ can only be applied in its efficacy to those who come to God in repentance and faith. This God given faith (Ephesians 2:8,9) causes all whom God draws to Christ (John 6:44) to ask God for saving grace and forgiveness of sins.
The basis of Pelagianism and Semi-Pelagianism are the very same as that of Islam or Hinduism or Buddhism or any other religion except Genuine Christianity. That basis revolves around Man’s Free Will and making a decision then receiving some sort of blessing or curse depending on whether the decision was according to the tenets of the religion or not.
Those adherents of those religions in this genre that call themselves Christian place the onus of salvation on the person and make God a passive entity who will not or cannot interfere with Man’s free will. This is not Biblical. It is philosophical. When we debate those who elevate free will above God and His sovereignty using Sacred Scripture their response is never in kind. That is because we are actually contending against a philosophy that is based on Man’s conceptions and understandings not on Biblical exegesis. Let us look at the founder of our salvation from the source our God gave us. Through this, He will make His truth apparent to our hearts by the working of the Holy Spirit as we study His Word.
Since this is describing a work of God then we understand that sending the Son to the cross to become the propitiation for the elect lined up perfectly with His character and by no means violated His sovereign righteousness. In Christ’s victory through suffering on the Cross He became the founder of the elect’s salvation. He is the author of our salvation. He is the forerunner of all who follow Him in salvation and into eternal glory.
Our Lord calls all who believe “brother.” He loves His elect and even speaks of them to those who have preceded them into eternity. Notice that all who come to Christ are “given” to Christ by God.
