Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 21, 2008

Seeking the Glory of God

John 7:18 states:  “He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory;  but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
 
So, how can we best glorify God?
                                
CALVINISM FOCUSES ON GOD.
ARMINIANISM FOCUSES ON MAN.
                                                              
According to Theologian B. B. Warfield, Calvinism focuses on God:  “It begins, it centers, and it ends with the vision of God in His glory: and it sets itself before all things to render to God His rights in every sphere of life activity.” 
 
“It is the vision of God in His majesty, in a word, that lies at the foundation of Calvinistic thinking,”:  states Theologian B. B. Warfield.
                                                                                    
Westminster Shorter Catechism states it this way:  “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him for ever”.
                                                
Armianism focuses on the free will of man.
                          
CALVINISM FOCUSES ON THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD.
ARMINIANISM FOCUSES ON THE ATTRIBUTES OF A GODLY MAN.
                                                              
I heard of a seminar titled:  “Seven Attributes of the Godly Man”.  It may very well be a good seminar, yet the title made me think:  “I wish there was a seminar on “Seven Attributes of God”.
 
“Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;
but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.   Jeremiah 9: 23-24 (emphasis added).
 
Does this Scripture praise understanding and knowing the Godly man, or does this Scripture praise understanding and knowing God?
 
Psalm 40:10 states:  “I have not hidden Thy righteousness within my heart;  I have spoken of Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation;  I have not concealed Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth from the great congregation.” (emphasis added).
 
Much more important than improving our righteousness is learning about the righteousness of God.  Much more important than trying to be more faithful is learning about the faithfulness of God.  Do we want to learn more about ourselves or God?  Do we want to learn more about what we should do or more about what God has done for us???
                                        
CALVINISM FOCUSES ON WHAT GOD HAS DONE.
ARMINIANISM FOCUSES ON WHAT MAN SHOULD DO.
                                               
“Therefore they (the Jews) said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?”
Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.’ ”  (Emphasis added.)  John 6: 28-29.
                                                                   
Calvinism focuses on the TULIP containing the Unconditional Election of God, the Irresistable Grace of God, and the Perseverance of the Saints a/k/a Preservation of the Saints. 
                                                                                
Arminianism focuses on the Free Will of man, the Obstructable Grace (grace that can be obstructed by man), and Fall from Grace (man can lose his salvation).
                                  
CALVINISM FOCUSES ON THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD.
ARMINIANISM FOCUSES ON THE ALLEGED “FREE WILL OF MAN”.
                            
CALVINISM HUMBLES MAN BY THE FIRST POINT OF CALVINISM:  TOTAL DEPRAVITY.
ARMINIANISM EXALTS MAN BY THEIR FIRST POINT:  FREE-WILL.
                                     
CALVINISM KNOWS THE GOD THAT EXERCISES LOVINGKINDNESS, JUSTICE, AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. 
ARMINIANISM KNOWS THE GOD WHO ONLY EXERCISES LOVINGKINDNESS.
                                                                 
Calvinism preaches and teaches that God only loves His Elect and only gives them (but all of them) the lovingkindness of salvation and that God hates the Reprobates and gives them justice (punishment including hell).  
                                                                              
Armianism preaches and teaches that God loves everybody, but they only appreciate and glorify God for His lovingkindness of salvation given to those men whom first choose God by their Free Will. 
  
CALVINISM KNOWS THE GOD WHO HAS ACHIEVED TOTAL PERFECT TRIUMPH. 
ARMINIANISM KNOWS THE GOD WHO IS OFTEN DEFEATED BY MAN’S FREE-WILL, BY MAN’S OBSTRUCTION OF GOD’S GRACE, AND BY MAN’S FALL FROM GRACE.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 19, 2008

The Bread of Life: Identified, Sought, and Given

The Bread of Life is identified in John 6:33 as “that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”  Jesus said in John 6: 35:  “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”  The Bread of Life is eternal life.  John 6:40.
 
The Bread of Life is sought.  Jesus said in John 6:27:  “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”  Likewise, we are exhorted in Matthew 6:33:  “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  Philippians 2:12 commands us:  “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;”.
 
So then, it was quite reasonable for the Jews to ask Jesus in John 6:28:  “Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?”.
 
Then, Jesus gives the most astonishing answer in John 6:29 which transfers the subject from “Bread Sought” to “Bread Given“:  “Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”  Jesus changes the focus from what man should do to what God has done.  Jesus changes the focus from works to faith.  Jesus changes the focus from man self-generating his own faith to God even giving faith.   “Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.”  John 6:32. 
 
So, we have seen that God, the Father, has given this true bread out of heaven and that Jesus is the bread of life.  How does one receive this true bread?  The Jews, again quite reasonably, thought in terms of asking for it.  “Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.”  John 6:34.  But, even though the Jews saw and heard Jesus, and even though the Jews asked for this bread, Jesus said to them:  “But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe.”  John 6:36.
 
So, what does it then take to receive this true bread of heaven, this eternal life???
 
It takes Unconditional Election, Irresistable Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints a/k/a Preservation of the Saints (“TULIP” in summary).  Jesus said:  “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.”  John 6:37.  “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.”  John 6:39.  “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”  John 6:40.  “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.”  John 6:44.  Jesus concludes in John 6:65:  “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”   

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 16, 2008

The Secret of the LORD

“The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him,  And He will make them know His covenant.” 
 
John 14:25 to John 15:16 is one of the last discourses that Jesus had with His disciples.  It is a wonderful example of God’s revealing His secret and God making known His covenant of which the foregoing Psalm 25:14 speaks.  (These may not necessarily be two different things;  in other words, it could be that the secret of the LORD is knowing His covenant.)  It is also a wonderful example of God giving peace and joy.  I quote those verses in this passage which best describe this truth. 
 
John 14:

 25  “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you.

 26  “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

 27  “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you   Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

 28  “You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you ‘ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

 29  “Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.

 John 15:

 3  “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

 4  “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.

 5  “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

7  “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

8  “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.

9  “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.

11 “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

15  “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

16  “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.”

 
Although we, His Elect, continue in His covenant of friendship, there does seem to me to be those special times when our LORD gives us what I call “special glimpses” of what He is doing.  I include these special glimpses within the “secret of the LORD”.  Those special glimpses may be God giving us better vision for a brief time or new sight to new things.  Those special glimpses also give us a stronger feeling of closeness to Him.  It is like we understand a secret of the LORD.  It is like we feel His friendship stronger or deeper or in a new way.  God draws near to us to reveal a secret to us and to make us feel His presence more strongly or more clearly.
 
Usually, for me, the special glimpses comes to me as mercy.  I become lost, sometimes in sin and sometimes in difficulty or troubles, and Christ comes to me and says to me:  “Here I am!”.  Immediately, I am no longer lost.  Immediately, I understand.  Immediately, I feel His love.
 
Sometimes, for me, the special glimpses come to me as lovingkindness,  Sometimes, these glimpses come through my daily devotion or through a sermon that I hear.  I understand a “secret of the LORD” from Scripture.  It is a new understanding of Scripture, and I get excited and want to share it.
                                                                    
During college while at Cambridge Bank and Trust Company, during some difficult time, I had a very distinct and powerful special glimpse.  The LORD directed my attention to a bank sign near a stairs:  “Trust Department – Upstairs”.  The LORD was impressing me that I needed to trust Him. 
                                                                          
“Trust Me!” is a common special glimpse.  Even in the Psalm 25 chapter which contains the key verse above, there is one of the most powerful promises that helps us to trust:  “Who is the man who fears the LORD?  He will instruct him in the way he should choose.”  Psalm 25:12.  God’s promise, that He will instruct and guide us, helps us to trust God.  Psalm 32:8-10  states:  “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;  I will counsel you with My eye upon you.  Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, Otherwise they will not come near to you.  Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him.”   
 
The single word “TULIP” was a special glimpse for me.  Although I grew up in the Christian Reformed Church in Muskegon, Michigan, I moved to Florida in 1977 to go to law school, and I stayed here in Florida.  I attended and was a member, even a lay leader, in a large range of churches from Assembly of God to Baptist to Calvary Chapel to United Methodist to nondenominational churches and small fellowships.  At first, I did not realize that Reformed doctrine would not necessarily be preached in all Christian Protestant churches.  I thought that the problem was just with a particular minister.  Eventually, a childhood friend, who now lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, asked me if I remembered “TULIP”.  That word “TULIP” was a special glimpse, a “Here I am!”.  That word “TULIP” brought me peace and joy and brought me, this prodigal son, back home to Reformed doctrine. 
 
Dealing with a dark background of a belief instilled by the Baptists that God was often defeated, dismayed, and discouraged by seeing His children refuse to accept Him and go to hell, I received a special glimpse of God’s TOTAL PERFECT TRIUMPH.  God gave me this special glimpse through Jeremiah 9:23-24.                                                   
“Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;  but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 9: 23-24. 
This Scripture gave me a special glimpse into what I call “TOTAL PERFECT TRIUMPH” by which God delights in both demonstrating His justice and His lovingkindness.  His loved ones, the Elect, receive the lovingkindness of heaven.  His hated ones, the Reprobates, receive the justice of hell.  God’s Will is totally, perfectly, and triumphantly done.  This understanding of God’s TOTAL PERFECT TRIUMPH grows over time and becomes more clear and more bright like going from a sunset of defeat to a sunrise and day of victory that grows brighter and brighter.
                                                       
What does this secret of the LORD usually involve?  The secret of the LORD usually involves a new understanding, a closer or stronger feeling of the presence of the LORD, and an experience of peace and joy. 
 
How do we get this secret of the LORD?  The Scripture of Psalm 25:14 tell us that the secret of the LORD is  for those who fear the LORD.  First, in all cases, you have to be the Elect a/k/a those who fear the LORD.  Second, you draw near to God.  You seek Him whether by prayer or by reading or by hearing His word or by otherwise obeying Him .  You earnestly seek such secret.  However, you may not get the secret at the time, for example during devotion that you think you are seeking him.  It often will come later, sometimes much later.  Third, it comes to you as pure grace.  Sometimes, you may get the secret when you think you do deserve it (but you still really don’t deserve it – remember it is grace), such as immediately in devotion.  Other times, you will get the secret when you are lost, and you definitely know that you don’t deserve it.
 
In conclusion, Matthew 6:33 tells us:  “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  Hebrews 11:6 tells us:  “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”  Come and seek the secret of the LORD and draw nearer to God within His covenant.  The following audio sermon by Rev. Nathan Brummel that I heard this past Sunday morning titled “A Passion for Drawing Near to God” can help.  Here is the link – http://www.hudsonvilleprc.org/Ministers/Brummel-N.htm 
God bless you! 
 

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 12, 2008

God of our Fathers

The following is my commentary on 2 Chronicles Chapter 14.  I was struck by the three points which I have put in bold italic both in my following comments and in the following Scripture:

1.  The praise for Asa focused on Asa removing the idols.  Our idols today are not golden calves, but they may be false prophets or false doctrine.  We need to zealously remove the idols of false prophets and false doctrine whenever and wherever they may appear. 
 
2.  As is done here, God is sometimes referred to in the Bible as “God of their fathers” or “God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”.  The description of God may be so related, because it is important that we do not form our own image of God.  
 
In this day and age, when we have so many nondenominational and independent churches, and when we have so many denominational churches resistant to confessions, creeds, or doctrinal standards, the danger is that such churches may be just doing what is right in their own eyes.  They may be forming their own false image or false doctrine of God.  Judges 21:25 condemns the situation:  “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”  
 
From time to time, we need to be reminded of the “God of our fathers”.  Although Scripture certainly is the best source to form our image of God, the Protestant Reformers such as Luther and Calvin based their image of God on Scripture, and they are also our spiritual fathers to whom we should refer as a secondary source in forming our image of God.  Each church should not have to reinvent the wheel in forming their image of God, but they should be able to “cross reference” as a secondary source the teachings of Luther, Calvin, and other Protestant Reformers who are our spiritual fathers in addition to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.   
 
3.  Notice the emphasis on seeking the LORD.  We also should seek the LORD, the “God of our Fathers”.  We should be careful that we do not just seek the “God of our imaginations or our desires”, but rather that we seek the “God of our Fathers” as revealed by Scripture first, and then secondly compare that to the image of God presented by our spiritual fathers, the Protestant Reformers, to make sure our image of God is sound.  Confessions, creeds, or doctrinal standards written by our spiritual fathers, such as The Belgic Confession, The Heidelberg Catechism, The Canons of Dort, and The Westminister Confession of Faith (and related catechisms) are helpful to us to seek the LORD and to keep our doctrine sound and pure. 
                                                                

2 Chronicles 14: 1-7

Asa Succeeds Abijah in Judah

” 1  So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and his son Asa became king in his place. The land was undisturbed for ten years during his days. 2  Asa did good and right in the sight of the LORD his God,

 3  for he removed the foreign altars and high places, tore down the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherim,

 4  and commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers and to observe the law and the commandment.

 5  He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah. And the kingdom was undisturbed under him.

 6  He built fortified cities in Judah, since the land was undisturbed, and there was no one at war with him during those years, because the LORD had given him rest.

 7  For he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.”

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 11, 2008

Our Deeds, including our Faith (our act of belief) are Wrought in God

“But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” John 3:23.
 
Our passion for Reformed doctrine is to manifest that our deeds, including our faith (our act of belief) are wrought in God.  We would not come to faith unless we were born of God.  We were dead in sin, and we would not come to faith, unless we were made alive.  We were hostile to God and enslaved to sin by Satan, and we would not come to faith in Christ, unless God drew us to Christ.    
 
The beginning of John 3 makes it very clear that “being born again” is wrought in God.  “Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?”  Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’  “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”  John 3:3-8.
 
Even our faith is a gift of God.  “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  Ephesians 2:8-10.  Our deeds, including our faith (our act of belief) are wrought in God.
 
John 1:12-13 makes it clear that “being born again” is not an act of our faith or our will, but of God.  Our faith is wrought in God.  “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”  (Emphasis added.)
 
In conclusion, how can we come to Christ, “the Light”, without declaring and showing that our deeds, including our faith (our act of belief) are wrought in God?  If our faith was just a product of our “free will”, then we could boast.  But, as is the case, if our deeds, including our faith, are wrought in God, God gets all the glory.  So, we bang the drum loudly about Reformed doctrine which declares that our deeds, including our faith (our act of belief) are wrought in God.           

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 10, 2008

The Importance of Doctrine

Even though doctrine is simply defined as “teachings”, some churches portray doctrine as unnecessary, divisive, or worse.  However, doctrine cannot be avoided unless a preacher or teacher just quotes Scripture without making any summary or other comment.  We need to determine how important is doctrine.Here are some Scriptural references on the importance of doctrine:                                                        

I. There are those who worship God in vain who teach or believe in doctrines based on the ideas of man. Those who worship God in vain are not saved. 
                                                           
“BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.” Matthew 15: 9.
“BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.”Mark 7: 7.
                                                
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,” 2 Timothy 4: 3.
                                             

II. We should not be carried about by every kind of doctrine. Doctrine does matter, and we need to establish our faith on sound doctrine.                    

“As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;” Ephesians  4:14.     

————————————————-  
 

 

Consider what the Founder of Calvary Chapel, Chuck Smith, said in his final concluding paragraph in his writing, 

 

CALVINISM, ARMINIANISM & THE WORD OF GOD
A CALVARY CHAPEL PERSPECTIVE
“I would rather have the wrong facts and a right attitude, than right facts and a wrong attitude“.

Unbelievable! This is one example of how doctrine is being dismissed or minimized. The prevalent attitude today in many Protestant churches seems to be: “It doesn’t really matter what I believe, so long as I love everybody.”
                                                     
Doesn’t that seem a lot like the position of the Jews – that zeal is more important than truth? In Romans 10:2, Paul states about the Jews: “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.”

————————–
The following portions of Calvin’s Commentary on Galatians 1:6-9 show how important doctrine is, especially the doctrine of salvation.

PORTIONS OF CALVIN’S COMMENTARY ON GALATIAN’S

TREATMENT OF PREACHING OR TEACHING FALSE

DOCTRINE

 

Galatians 1:6-9

6. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

    See Calvin’s Commentary below. 

7. Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

 

8. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

 

9. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

 

(Note: Bill has deleted portions to emphasize the remaining portions. Bill has also added bold, italic, and underline to Calvin’s commentary.)

Calvin’s comments about Paul’s statements in Galatians 1:6-9:

“ his greatest severity of language is directed, as we shall see, against the false apostles. He charges them with turning aside, not only from his gospel, but from Christ; for it was impossible for them to retain their attachment to Christ, without acknowledging that he has graciously delivered us from the bondage of the law. But such a belief cannot be reconciled with those notions respecting the obligation of ceremonial observance which the false apostles inculcated. They were removed from Christ; not that they entirely rejected Christianity, but that the corruption of their doctrines was such as to leave them nothing more than an imaginary Christ.

On the same principle, he calls it another gospel, that is, a gospel different from the true one. And yet the false apostles professed that they preached the gospel of Christ; but, mingling with it their own inventions, by which its principal efficacy was destroyed, they held a false, corrupt, and spurious gospel.

When he says that they were called by Christ through grace, this tends to heighten the criminality of their ingratitude. To revolt from the Son of God under any circumstances, is unworthy and disgraceful; but to revolt from him, after being invited to partake salvation by grace, is more eminently base. His goodness to us renders our ingratitude to him more dreadfully heinous. 

The gospel of Christ. To know what are the leading points of the gospel, is a matter of unceasing importance. When these are attacked, the gospel is destroyed.

In order to destroy more completely the pretensions of the false apostles, he rises so high as to speak of angels; … It is impossible, no doubt, for angels from heaven to teach anything else than the certain truth of God.

But when the credit due to doctrines which God had revealed concerning the salvation of men was the subject of controversy, he did not reckon it enough to disclaim the judgment of men, without declining, at the same time, the authority of angels.”

Final note by Bill on this Scripture and Calvin’s Commentary:

We need to stand steadfast by the true doctrine of salvation. No one is beyond the realm of suspicion, not the angels, not Paul, not the Pope, not John Wesley, not Charles Finney, not Billy Graham, and not even John Calvin. In other words, we cannot conclude that just because a leader reaches a position of highest power and authority in the Christian world or seems to be most zealous and most effective, that such accomplishments cause the preaching of any other gospel to be acceptable. If they do preach another gospel, they are to be considered accursed.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 9, 2008

Our Sovereignty of God beliefs extend from our Salvation to our Daily Activities

One of the miseries of having a “free will – obstructable grace” Arminian mentality is that with such a mentality, one tends to focus on himself or herself to get out of trouble.  This “free will – obstructable grace” Arminian mentality does not limit itself to a theoretical belief as to how one is saved.  This “free will – obstructable grace” mentality extends to affect how one faces daily troubles.  This “free will – obstructable grace” Arminian mentality tends to focus on the free will that one has, because he or she knows that he or she can obstruct any grace, and he or she often depends on free will to make the right decisions to get out of daily troubles. 

One of the joys of having a “irresistible grace” Calvinist mentality is that with such mentality, one tends to focus on God to get out of trouble.  This “irresistible grace” Calvinist mentality also does not limit itself to a theoretical belief as to how one is saved.  This “irresistible grace” Calvinist mentality extends to affect how one faces daily troubles.  This “irresistible grace” Calvinist mentality tends to focus on irresistible grace that God gives and depends on God and His grace to deliver him or her out of daily troubles. 

“The righteous cry and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.  The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, And saves those who are crushed in spirit.  Many are the afflictions of the righteous;  But the LORD delivers him out of them all.”  Psalm 34: 17-19 (emphasis added).

Article 13 of The Belgic Confession states it this way:

“This doctrine gives us unspeakable comfort
since it teaches us
that nothing can happen to us by chance
but only by the arrangement of our gracious
heavenly Father.
He watches over us with fatherly care,
keeping all creatures under his control,
so that not one of the hairs on our heads
(for they are all numbered)
nor even a little bird
can fall to the ground
without the will of our Father.

In this thought we rest,
knowing that he holds in check
the devils and all our enemies,
      who cannot hurt us
      without his permission and will.”

Jesus described the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees as leaven and strongly warned His followers to beware of it.  See Matthew 16: 12-13.  Leaven is “yeast, the substance that causes dough to ferment and rise.”  In the Bible, “leaven usually symbolizes corruption.”  “It was strictly forbidden in any sacrifices to God. Also, every Jewish household had to be purged of leaven in preparation for the Feast of Unleavened Bread.”  Quoted from the Concordance under the word “leaven” in my New American Standard Bible. 

Twice in Scripture, we are warned that even a little leaven can affect the whole.  “A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.” Galatians 5: 9.  See also I Corinthians 5: 6. You know the concern was not about cooking, but rather the concern was about the effect of false teaching.

In other words, even just a little false teaching can corrupt the surrounding good teaching so that taken together the whole teaching is bad. For example, we know that the Word of God is true and good, but we also know that false teachers can give false teaching that can corrupt their entire message even if part of the message contains quotes from Scripture or good common sense.

Many false teachers will quote from Scripture, but just because they do so does not make their whole message true and good. In fact, just the opposite occurs, even a little false teaching corrupts the whole surrounding teaching. 

We are called to “purity in doctrine”. Titus 2: 7.  Scripture warns us against tolerating even a little false teaching.  Such false teaching can corrupt the whole surrounding “good” teaching.  We may think that tolerating Arminianism can be kept to a theory as to how we are saved.  However, the Leaven of Arminianism speads to affect how we deal with our daily activities.  In conclusion, once we try to secure our eternal salvation by “free will”, we will tend to also try to secure our “daily troubles” salvation by “free will”.   

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 5, 2008

Knowing God

“Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;
but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.   Jeremiah 9: 23-24 (Emphasis added.)
                            
Note that this Scripture does not put “Being saved” at the pinnacle such as “let him boast about being saved”.  Rather, this Scripture puts “Knowing God” at the pinnacle.
                                     
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;”  John 5:39
                                  
Note that this Scripture does not put “Knowing Scripture” at the pinnacle.  Rather, this Scripture puts “Knowing God, the Son, Jesus Christ” at the pinnacle.
“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”  John 17:3
              
Note that eternal life is defined as “Knowing God” and “Knowing God, the Son, Jesus Christ”.
                             
Too many so-called “Christians” are content with their false image of God.  They fashion their own “God of love” through a few scattered verses of Scripture and ignore the rest of Scripture that testify of a God, that not only exercises lovingkindness, but also exercises justice and righteousness.  They fall into the Arminianism trap of false thinking that God loves everybody, Christ died for everybody, and that they can secure their own salvation through their own innate goodness and wisdom of “their free-will choice of Christ”.
                                          
They reject the God of wrath even though that is the God of justice.  They reject the God of righteousness, trusting their own ability to perfect themselves by the flesh, rather than trusting God to provide the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
                                  
They cling to “free will” and their own feelings of justice above Scripture and stubbornly hold to their belief that their God would not unconditionally elect certain people to salvation.  They cling to their own image of god that fits their own sense of “free will” and justice.  To the God revealed in Scripture which is best summarized by the doctrine of Calvinism, they declare:  “That is not the God I serve!”
                         
So, how can we best know God?
                                
CALVINISM FOCUSES ON GOD.
ARMINIANISM FOCUSES ON MAN.
                          
CALVINISM FOCUSES ON THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD.
ARMINIANISM FOCUSES ON THE ATTRIBUTES OF A GODLY MAN.
                                        
CALVINISM FOCUSES ON WHAT GOD HAS DONE.
ARMINIANISM FOCUSES ON WHAT MAN SHOULD DO.
                                  
CALVINISM FOCUSES ON THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD.
ARMINIANISM FOCUSES ON THE ALLEGED “FREE WILL OF MAN”.
                            
CALVINISM HUMBLES MAN BY THE FIRST POINT OF CALVINISM:  TOTAL DEPRAVITY.
ARMINIANISM EXALTS MAN BY THEIR FIRST POINT:  FREE-WILL.
                                     
CALVINISM KNOWS THE GOD THAT EXERCISES LOVINGKINDNESS, JUSTICE, AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. 
ARMINIANISM KNOWS THE GOD WHO ONLY EXERCISES LOVINGKINDNESS.
  
CALVINISM KNOWS THE GOD WHO HAS ACHIEVED TOTAL PERFECT TRIUMPH. 
ARMINIANISM KNOWS THE GOD WHO IS OFTEN DEFEATED BY MAN’S FREE-WILL, BY MAN’S OBSTRUCTION OF GOD’S GRACE, AND BY MAN’S FALL FROM GRACE.
                                
In conclusion, “Knowing God” is of paramount importance.  Calvinism is the best summary of Scripture, because it best reveals the God taught by Scripture.  Calvinism’s God is not a god who best fits their own preconceived image of god – what god should be according to their own sense of justice and their own sense of the condition of man.  Rather, Calvinism’s God is what Scripture reveals God to be.  Just as the idolaters of the Old Testament were convinced that they knew God through their idols or images of god;  Arminians are convinced that they know God through their images of god – what god should be according to their own sense of justice and their own sense of the condition of man.  But, “Knowing God”, the true God revealed by Scripture, not our contented image of god, is eternal life.    John 17:3   

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 2, 2008

Our only Hope for Salvation

If Reformed doctrine a/k/a Calvinism is correct in its first point of “Total Depravity” (the “T” of TULIP), then our only hope for salvation is “Unconditional Election” (the “U” of TULIP), the second point of Calvinism.

“Total Depravity” means that man is dead in sin.  It means more, much more, but that is the essence.  If man is dead in sin, he can never choose Christ.  His only hope is that God will choose him for salvation and make him alive.  There is no condition in man that motivates God to choose him.  Remember he is dead in sin.  One corpse does not look a whole lot better than another corpse.

So, what does Scripture state?

Romans 3:10-11:
“as it is written,
“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;
THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” (Emphasis added by bold, italic underline).

Ephesians 2:1-9:

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.  Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Emphasis added by bold, italic underline.)

Even our faith is a gift of God.  There is no room for boasting based on our works.  There is no room for boasting even for our faith.  A dead man can’t boast.  Lazarus couldn’t boast.  We can’t boast.  Our only hope for salvation is the “Unconditional Election” of God.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 1, 2008

Does Man Supply the Weakest Link in the Chain of Salvation?

No!  Man does not supply the weakest link (nor any link at all) in the chain of salvation!  God supplies all the links in the chain of salvation.  Because God does supply all the links, none of the links shall be broken in the “Golden Chain of Salvation”.
             
In his sermon, “The Golden Chain of Salvation”, Rev. Gise J. Van Baren quotes the following “Golden Chain of Salvation” Scripture and then states: 
                    
Romans 8:29-30 “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”
                
“God works all of it from beginning to the end. Some call that “Calvinism”; some say that is just “Reformed doctrine”; others mock it, saying that it leads one to carelessness. But the fact is, this truth, this golden chain, gives certainty. We are assured of salvation in its entirety because of the work of God from beginning to end. You have heard the expression that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. If there are five links, and if even only one is the work of man, well, then it’s hopeless. That weak link will inevitably break; it can’t stand. But if the links are all God’s work, and they are, there is nothing that can destroy this. The child of God finds comfort and assurance in that. ”   
                    
Here is the link to his sermon – Click here: The Golden Chain of Salvation

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