Wednesday 7 January 2015

Self Damnation - Geneva Bible

Self Damnation - Geneva bible

CH Spurgeon often made use of that great Scriptural maxim that "Salvation is of the Lord. Damnation is all of sin." Elsewhere I record how John Calvin brought this same truth to the fore again and again in his voluminous writings. Summing up his position, Calvin wrote:
 
"You shall find throughout all my books, how I have taught, that we must not seek our perdition anywhere else than in ourselves and in our perverse will."  (An answer to a libel against Predestination - adjoined to Sermons on Election & Predestination - p312)


Here are a few quotes to the same end from the notes of the Geneva Bible which preceded our AV in the hearts and affections of the people of God. These notes were compiled by men like Calvin, John Knox, Miles Coverdale and others. These Calvinists were (to quote my old Twitter locked friend #Wylie) those "many other exceptional Christian leaders and scholars." I agree 100%. 

It is important that we establish this great Scripture truth and never let it go. I constantly battle on Twitter with those who seem determined to push the damnation of the sinner unto God Himself as if the grounds in which He chose to save some are exactly the same grounds in which He chose to damn others. I fail to see what the critic hopes to accomplish by this. I can only conclude that he speaks from ignorance of the facts or cannot fight his corner on the grounds of honesty and must try and create a false battle to gain some ground. However, truth will always prevail. I hope this page, to which I would hope to add as occasion arises, may be the means which God is pleased to bless to that end. 

The proud reject the gospel offered to them (to their great hurt and pain) which leads to the salvation of the simple. (Matthew 11:20)
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Men not only sin because of ignorance, but also knowingly and willingly they lay stumbling blocks in their own ways, that when God calls them, they may not obey, and so most plainly destroy and cast away themselves. (Matthew 13:54) 
The only reason why men refuse the light that is offered to them is wickedness. That is, the cause of condemnation, which remains in men, unless through God's great benefit they are delivered from it. (John 3:19) 
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By this your doing you pronounce as it were sentence upon yourselves, and judge yourselves. (Acts 13:46)  
Death is the punishment due to sin, but we are sanctified freely, to everlasting life. (Romans 6:23)
Men are therefore slaves to Satan, because they are willingly rebellious against God. (Ephesians 2:2)
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Until that wickedness of theirs which they have by inheritance as it were of their fathers, has grown so great, that the measure of their iniquity being filled, God may come forth to wrath. (1 Thessalonians 2:16) 
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 Secondly, he brings the goal of God's counsel, to show that there is no unrighteousness in him. Now the main goal is not properly and simply the destruction of the wicked, but God's glory which appears in their rightful punishment. (Romans 9:17)
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A conclusion of the full answer to the first objection: therefore seeing that God does not save those whom he freely chose according to his good will and pleasure, but by justifying and sanctifying them by his grace, his counsels in saving them cannot seem unjust. And again, there is not injustice in the everlasting counsel of God, with regard to the destruction of those whom he lifts to destroy, because he hardens before he destroys: therefore the third answer for the maintenance of God's justice in the everlasting counsel of reprobation, consists in this word "hardening": which nonetheless he concealed in the former verse, because the history of Pharaoh was well known. But the force of the word is great, for hardening, which is set against "mercy", presupposes the same things that mercy did, that is, a voluntary corruption, in which the reprobate are hardened: and again, corruption presupposes a perfect state of creation. Moreover, this hardening also is voluntary, for God hardens in such a way, being offended with corruption, that he uses their own will whom he hardens, for the executing of that judgment. Then follow the fruits of hardening, that is, unbelief and sin, which are the true and proper causes of the condemnation of the reprobate. Why does he then appoint to destruction? Because he wishes: why does he harden? Because they are corrupt: why does he condemn? Because they are sinners. Where then is unrighteousness? Nay, if he would destroy all after this manner, to whom would he do injury? (Romans 9:18) 
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Fourthly, although they are created for this end and purpose, yet their fall and destruction is not to be attributed to God, but to their own obstinate stubbornness, which comes between God's decree, and the execution of it, or their condemnation, and is the true and proper cause of their destruction. (1 Peter 2:7) 
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It is by God's providence and not by chance, that many wicked men creep into the Church. (3) He condemns this first in them, that they take opportunity or occasion to wax wanton, by the grace of God: which cannot be, but the chief empire of Christ must be cancelled, in that such men give themselves up to Satan, whom they call Libertines. (Jude 4) 
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1 comment:

  1. Is the difficulty partly due to the degree to which we have elevated man? We have forgotten what the scriptures say about the unsaved pagan. We in the west (particularly) have so elevated ourselves and what "we deserve", we have so many ways to clean the outside of the cup and make it look absolutely spotless, that we cannot conceive of the truth about the unsaved person. These folks need to sit down and meditate on Romans chapter 1:18-32 and Ephesians 2 and 4. Make a list of everything you learn about the unsaved person. Think about what it says about them: they are DEAD spiritually. Under the wrath of God for their sins. Filled with all manner of evil. They may look good on the outside; they may even look fantastic on the outside, they may even give liberally to the poor. But what does the scripture say about the man outside of Christ? What about his spiritual condition, the state of his heart? No it is not politically correct, but never mind. We have to believe the Word of God, not our own ideas or the world's vain ideas.

    Every sinner alike is under condemnation. Yet, God chooses to pardon some through the exercise of His will and His mercy and His grace through the death of Christ on the cross. Does this mean that He must save all? No, they are left to go their place. If a magistrate pardons one man does that mean that he has to pardon all of those who are guilty? No. It is an exercise of his authority that he can pardon whoever he chooses. the others receive just what they deserve. Even if God does choose to send them to hell is it not His prerogative? He is God; we are not. We are mere creatures. Yes, we are created beings, folks. You, reading this are a creature, created by God. Yes in His image, but let us not go too far with that. Who are you o man to answer back to God? We must humble ourselves. We must humble ourselves before each other and before God.

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