Errant Particulars

04.07.09
J.A. Matteson

"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ" 1 Thessalonians 5:9

God’s sovereign purposes and means with regard to salvation are problematic to human inclinations and reasoning. The sons of Adam by nature establish errant particulars on how things ought to be with regard to the things pertaining to salvation, chaffing under the notion that the ultimate destination of their souls is in the hands of the great I AM who extends mercy and compassion to those whom He choose while passing over others. That men stumble over the salvific aspects to sovereignty is expected as it has biblical and historical precedent. In this regard the Apostle anticipated an objection by his readers to his assertion that it was by divine election Isaac was saved and Esau damned, “What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be!” (Romans 9:14).

Behold both the kindness and severity of God: to the reprobate a hardening ending in damnation, to the elect grace unto saving faith, “having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will….” (Ephesians 1:11). The redeemed are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus and the grace they enjoy is an unmerited gift from Him. To these things men of good intention have taken opposite and passionate positions. Some holding to a deficient anthropology whereby they ascribe an undue—unbiblical—ability within fallen man to seek and respond to God apart from grace and the end result of such thinking is boasting; such is the error of the Pelagians, semi-Pelagians, and Arminians.

In their estimation it is by their doing they are in Christ; the Gospel was articulated and they responded with a faith apart from that which God supplies; while in the flesh—unregenerate—faith was exercised and they were born again. A fanciful interpretation is applied to election and predestination whereby God from eternity past gazed passively into the future and saw how each man would respond to the Gospel, some positively and others negatively. On this basis they were elected and predestined to either salvation or damnation.

The end result is a man-centered doctrine far removed from biblical revrelation. For it is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh profits nothing. God knows the course of all future events because He foreordains them to come to pass. The entire human race has rebelled against God and is worthy if eternal damnation by a just and holy Creator; all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God; there is none righteous; there is none who seek after God, each has turned to his own detestable way; each has stored up wrath for the day of wrath; the work of each being contemptible and as a filthy rag. Grace has been extended to some in the form of saving faith through the agency of the Holy Spirit through the Gospel, “In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth….” (James 1:18).

Those to whom grace is extended believe the Gospel and produce fruit in keeping with repentance and the remainder receive divine justice—the wages of sin is death— none receive injustice. But lest a man presume upon the grace of God let him make his calling and election sure and so press on toward the goal of the upward prize in Christ Jesus. Let such a man prove himself a doer of the Word and not merely a hearer, deluding himself. Let him work out his salvation with fear and trembling knowing God will not be mocked, for whatsoever a man sows that he will also reap. It is not by works that a man is saved, it is by faith alone; but it is by good works that the genuineness of his salvation is manifested, testifying to the Holy Spirit within him. In this regard the words of our Lord bear repeating, “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples” (John 15:8). Beloved, let your profession of Christ and production of good fruit be in alignment, so that God may be glorified, men may be edified, and salvation be the outworking of your time and testimony on earth.

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