THE FREENESS OF THE GOSPEL: "Why The Gospel Must Be Free," Part 2
Before I state the last three reasons why the Gospel must be free, I must confess that I am appalled at the overwhelming indifference of the American people with regard to the true Gospel of the grace of God. America thinks she knows the Gospel. Evangelicals think they have mastered the Gospel. Most Baptists see the Gospel as nothing more than an introduction to Christianity. To the contrary of most modern Christian thought, America is not Gospel-hardened, rather she is Gospel-ignorant. There is less understanding of God and His eternal Gospel today than in all of the rest of American history. As one modern Baptist writer put it in His defense of the true Gospel: "God is the Gospel....the Gospel is not a way to get people to heaven; it is a way to get people to God." The Gospel is God, through His Son, bringing a people to Himself so they can enjoy Him, love Him, worship Him, glorify Him, and serve Him! The mandate of God through the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, sums up what the Gospel is all about: "Look unto Me...." (Isaiah 45:22). The Gospel brings us into a vital, intimate, heart-felt relationship with the triune God (John 17:3). God in Christ brings us into a personal relationship with Himself through the Gospel (2Corinthians 5:19).
This glorious Gospel of salvation that comes from God alone is free because of the nature of the attributes of God as manifested in my last post: "The Freeness Of The Gospel: Why the Gospel Must Be Free, Part 1." Also, the Gospel must be free to be in harmony with the works of God. The salvation of sinners has always been the work of God from beginning to end (Jonah 2:9). "He which hath begun a good WORK in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). In Philippians 2:13, the Apostle Paul declares that "it is God which worketh in you....." according to His good pleasure. How many verbs do we find related to God in His redemptive purpose of man? These divine actions demonstrate so clearly that our salvation is really His work:
All of these divine, redemptive actions from eternity to eternity are the free, uncoerced, and sovereign works of God that He chose to do of His own good pleasure for whomever He so pleased. Man played no part in his own election. Man did not even exist when God wrought His work of choosing a people for Himself. God freely chose in Christ whom He would according to the good pleasure of His will before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-6).
Regarding the redemptive work of Christ on Calvary, God the Father determined the cruel and agonizing death of His own Son for a particular, sinful people before the world was ever made (Acts 2:23, 4:28). Jesus Christ was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world and was foreordained before the foundation of the world that He would redeem a definite people by the shedding of His precious, innocent blood via a sacrificial death (Revelation 13:8; 1Pedro 1:19-20). What obligation was there on God's part to plan and provide for the redemption of some of the human race? He was as free to pass over the human race, as He was free to pass over the fallen angels. He could have freely wrought an eternal plan to save all, to save some, or to save none. He was free in His works to do whatever pleased and glorified Himself. Christ principally gave Himself on the rugged cross not for man's sake, but rather for divine reasons, for divine decision, for divine determination, for divine disposition, and according to the divine will (Isaiah 43:25; John 17:4, 4:34, 5:36, 14:31). There was never any motivating factor or cause in man that would move God to save or redeem him. God has always been free to have mercy on whom He will have mercy, and equally free to have compassion on whom He will have compassion.
The Spirit of God, like the Father and Son, works the work of regeneration freely. His labor is sovereign (1Corinthians 12:11). His labor is without explanation, human motive or reason (Ecclesiastes 11:5). His labor is perceivable, but not resistible; his labor is effectual, and totally without hindrance (John 3:8). The Spirit of God freely comes to one in omnipotent, regenerating power; while He freely passes over a multitude without bringing to bear the power of the dynamite Gospel on their consciences and their hearts. The Holy Spirit's free work is in direct submission to the eternal will of God and not the dictates, summons, or caprice of insignificant man. He is free to illumine; He is free to leave men in darkness. He is free to instruct and teach; He is free to leave men in ignorance. He is free to woo and draw; He is free to leave men unmoved. He is free to open blind eyes; He is also free to leave men in their blinded condition. He is free to call men effectually and make them able; He is free to leave men without ability to come to God. He is free to regenerate and implant new life; He is free to let spiritually dead men perish in their trespasses and sins. He is free to grant repentance and faith; He is equally free to withhold these divine gifts from whomever He will.
The Gospel is absolutely free in order to be in harmony with the attributes of God, but also to be in harmony with the works of God. If God has saved you through faith in the redemptive and consummated work of Christ, you did not "get saved;" rather God has mercifully and freely worked in your life to accomplish His eternal purpose according to His free grace. It is by God´s free and sovereign will we are saved, but not by our own free will. It is by God´s free grace we are saved, not according to our human effort or merit. It is absolutely necessary to understand the freeness of the Gospel to be able to properly and wholly glorify God for our complete salvation from eternity to eternity.
Please go to the left hand margin and SUBSCRIBE to this blog. You will be notified via email every time I post something new.
To Jesus Christ alone be all of the honor and glory for freely saving us!
This glorious Gospel of salvation that comes from God alone is free because of the nature of the attributes of God as manifested in my last post: "The Freeness Of The Gospel: Why the Gospel Must Be Free, Part 1." Also, the Gospel must be free to be in harmony with the works of God. The salvation of sinners has always been the work of God from beginning to end (Jonah 2:9). "He which hath begun a good WORK in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). In Philippians 2:13, the Apostle Paul declares that "it is God which worketh in you....." according to His good pleasure. How many verbs do we find related to God in His redemptive purpose of man? These divine actions demonstrate so clearly that our salvation is really His work:
- "I have chosen you"
- "I have set my affection"
- "I have called"
- "I have sent"
- "I have stretched out my hand"
- "I have wrought"
- "I have redeemed"
- "I have taught"
- "I have cleansed"
- "I have pardoned"
- "I have justified"
- "I have reconciled"
- "I have healed"
- "I have given"
- "I have broken"
- "I have sanctified"
- "I have set thee apart"
- "I have delivered"
- "I have caused"
- "I have provided"
- "I have saved"
All of these divine, redemptive actions from eternity to eternity are the free, uncoerced, and sovereign works of God that He chose to do of His own good pleasure for whomever He so pleased. Man played no part in his own election. Man did not even exist when God wrought His work of choosing a people for Himself. God freely chose in Christ whom He would according to the good pleasure of His will before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-6).
Regarding the redemptive work of Christ on Calvary, God the Father determined the cruel and agonizing death of His own Son for a particular, sinful people before the world was ever made (Acts 2:23, 4:28). Jesus Christ was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world and was foreordained before the foundation of the world that He would redeem a definite people by the shedding of His precious, innocent blood via a sacrificial death (Revelation 13:8; 1Pedro 1:19-20). What obligation was there on God's part to plan and provide for the redemption of some of the human race? He was as free to pass over the human race, as He was free to pass over the fallen angels. He could have freely wrought an eternal plan to save all, to save some, or to save none. He was free in His works to do whatever pleased and glorified Himself. Christ principally gave Himself on the rugged cross not for man's sake, but rather for divine reasons, for divine decision, for divine determination, for divine disposition, and according to the divine will (Isaiah 43:25; John 17:4, 4:34, 5:36, 14:31). There was never any motivating factor or cause in man that would move God to save or redeem him. God has always been free to have mercy on whom He will have mercy, and equally free to have compassion on whom He will have compassion.
The Spirit of God, like the Father and Son, works the work of regeneration freely. His labor is sovereign (1Corinthians 12:11). His labor is without explanation, human motive or reason (Ecclesiastes 11:5). His labor is perceivable, but not resistible; his labor is effectual, and totally without hindrance (John 3:8). The Spirit of God freely comes to one in omnipotent, regenerating power; while He freely passes over a multitude without bringing to bear the power of the dynamite Gospel on their consciences and their hearts. The Holy Spirit's free work is in direct submission to the eternal will of God and not the dictates, summons, or caprice of insignificant man. He is free to illumine; He is free to leave men in darkness. He is free to instruct and teach; He is free to leave men in ignorance. He is free to woo and draw; He is free to leave men unmoved. He is free to open blind eyes; He is also free to leave men in their blinded condition. He is free to call men effectually and make them able; He is free to leave men without ability to come to God. He is free to regenerate and implant new life; He is free to let spiritually dead men perish in their trespasses and sins. He is free to grant repentance and faith; He is equally free to withhold these divine gifts from whomever He will.
The Gospel is absolutely free in order to be in harmony with the attributes of God, but also to be in harmony with the works of God. If God has saved you through faith in the redemptive and consummated work of Christ, you did not "get saved;" rather God has mercifully and freely worked in your life to accomplish His eternal purpose according to His free grace. It is by God´s free and sovereign will we are saved, but not by our own free will. It is by God´s free grace we are saved, not according to our human effort or merit. It is absolutely necessary to understand the freeness of the Gospel to be able to properly and wholly glorify God for our complete salvation from eternity to eternity.
Please go to the left hand margin and SUBSCRIBE to this blog. You will be notified via email every time I post something new.
To Jesus Christ alone be all of the honor and glory for freely saving us!
The Gospel is God, through His Son, bringing a people to Himself so they can enjoy Him, love Him, worship Him, glorify Him, and serve Him!
Brother Craft, Enjoyed this article very much. Sometime in the future would you enlarge on the above quote from the article, especially would like your comments on "enjoying God" It seems that we are sometimes caught up in doctrinal squabbles that we have forgotten that we are to enjoy our gracious heavenly Father and His Son and the Holy Spirit. Do we really enjoy God in our praying? How can that be fixed? In our worship services? In our singing of hymns? In our studying of His word? Is it as easy to overlook these things or is it just me? Keep up the good work. We love you in Christ. Greetings to your beautiful family from the Hinsons.
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