“REPROBATION”, Part Two
If you have ever run into any of this group yet, should you accept them because of their “gifts”? Notice, Jesus did not say He ONCE knew them, or that they were backslidden; He said He NEVER knew them! That meant they were NEVER elected to Eternal Life!
Saul, Judas, and many others were in this group, who did many wonderful works. Judas shared in the ministry as one of the twelve Apostles with access to all the Spiritual gifts except “saving faith.” That is one gift that was with held from him, or he would have believed, and the devil could never have entered him as he rose up to betray Jesus at the Last Supper.
Having said all this concerning the reprobate and the Elect, the only possible conclusion I have arrived at, along with multitudes of others before me, including many of the great theologians, is that Christ did not come into the world to die for EVERYONE’S sin! That can be a shocking statement, but, when all the Bible facts are examined together, the Bible teaches a “limited Atonement” on the Cross. Christ came into the world to die for the salvation of the Elect only, as shocking as that may sound. There are a great number of scriptures which seem to indicate a universal salvation offer to all, but, if closely examined, it will be seen as the outer physical call or invitation goes out to all, but ONLY the Elect “hear” the “inner” Spiritual Call.
One of the last Scriptures which held me from believing the doctrine of Election, was 2nd Peter 3:9.”The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that ANY should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance.” The key words are “any, us, and all” in this passage. Upon studying it, Paul was speaking to whom he considered to be believers, of which he considered himself to be one of, because of his use of the word “us-ward”, which identified him with the group. Therefore, what he meant was God was not willing to loose ANY of the Elect, but would bring them ALL to repentance so they would be regenerated and be Born Again!”
The fact still holds true today. There are still numbers of the Elect in the world today who have not received that “inner” Call of salvation yet, and that is why Christ has not come back to take the church out of the world yet. However, there will come a day when the very last person on earth will be brought to the knowledge of the truth of the Gospel, and will hear that “inner” Call, and be saved. At that very moment, others will hear also, and the church will be raptured! ( The Rapture is taking place ever second, some place on earth, as each lost soul is found, and comes to Christ!)
Paul says that God has turned away from dealing with the Jews “until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in” (Romans 11:25). The Greek word for “fullness” is “Pleroma”, which means “full number”, meaning to the very last person, or in other words, the very last person coming into the church! God knows where EVERY LAST ONE is, and EXACTLY when they will be saved!
Returning to 2nd Peter for a moment, where it says, “not willing for “any” to perish, “the Greek word for “all”, “all should come to repentance”, translates “the totality of the persons or things designated by the noun.” In this case, the noun used was “us-ward.” Therefore, it becomes clear that God was talking about ALL of His Elect, and He was not willing to let ANY perish, as He still is not willing today! After examining all of the surrounding verses around “that” verse, it is quite plain to see Peter was addressing the Elect!
Paul said in Romans 10:13, WHOSOEVER shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.” But then, he adds in the next verse, 14, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed.” And how shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not heard?” The gift of Faith must be given by God in order for anyone to believe. The Bible says in several places that without faith, it is impossible to please God. But, how do we get this needed faith? Paul reveals it in Romans 10:17. “Faith cometh by HEARING, and HEARING, by the word ( Greek word “Rhema) of God.”
“Word” in the New Testament used two Greek words. In some verses, “Logos” is used for “word” such as in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the WORD (Logos) and the WORD (Logos) was God.” Jesus was the living Word or “Logos” and the Bible is the written word or “Logos”. However, WORD in Romans 10:17 is “Rhema”, which translates the “actual spoken word from God, Himself! “Rhema” WORD is when God speaks directly to the Elect’s spirit! That is how the INNER CALL takes place, by the “Rhema.”
This is the reason why a non-elect can listen to the preaching of the Gospel, or even read the Bible (Logos) for years, and not understand anything! The method God uses to call and save the Elect is to present the “Logos” which is Jesus Christ, His Word, and since this “Logos” is presented to the physical senses which are either sight or sound, He will transform the “Logos” to “Rhema”which is now Spiritual, and can be fed into the spirit of the Elect! Since God is Spirit, we can ONLY communicate with and worship Him in Spirit with our spirits! Until He “quickens” or makes our spirits alive by His Holy Spirit, we are just as Paul said we were: “dead in our sin and trespasses!” The reprobate’s spirit remains dead, therefore, can never hear God’s INNER Spiritual CALL to salvation! This same faith which cometh by HEARING the WORD )Rhema) of God, is a Spiritual Gift from God (I Corinthians 12:9) as well as a fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22). And guess what? The Lord Jesus was the AUTHOR, as well as the FINISHER of our FAITH! (Hebrews 12:2). “And being made perfect, He became the Author of Eternal salvation unto ALL that obey Him. (Hebrews 5:9).
We are told in Acts 10:34, that “God is no respecter of persons.” Does that mean He will treat all the same? No, it does not. I cannot part the Red Sea (or even a mud puddle) with a staff like Moses used; and I was not knocked off a horse and audibly spoken to by God when he saved me, such as He did the Apostle Paul.
It does not mean He will save the reprobate, as well as the Elect. It means God will save the Elect, not on any outward appearance or condition, such as Race, nationality, gender, age, rich or poor, bond or free; but He will save the Elect from all of those because of their heart condition, which only He sees. That is why He is no respecter of persons. Because all the Elect are not saved yet, in our day, as in Paul’s, we should follow Paul’s example and abide in Christ until all of the Elect come into the fold. Paul said, “I endure all things for the Elect’s sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ, Jesus, with eternal glory.” (2nd Timothy 2:10) In contrast, Paul describes the reprobate, and what they look like. “In the last days, perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, fake accusers, no self control, forceful, despisers of those that are good (the Elect), traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God: HAVING A FORM OF GODLINESS, BUT DENYING THE POWER THEREOF: from such, turn away. For of this sort, are they (the reprobate) which creep into houses, and lead capture silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, EVER LEARNING AND NEVER ABLE to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2nd Timothy 3:1-7). They certainly are contrasted from the Elect!
There is a scripture in Titus 2:11 which states “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to ALL men.” “All men” here, means from every class, race, nationality, nation, etc. It states in 1st John 2:2, “and He, (Jesus) is the propitiation for our (the Elect there, present) sins: and not for ours only, but FOR ALSO FOR, the sins of the whole world.” (meaning the rest of the elect scattered through out the world.)
Whenever the word, “world” is used, in the New Testament, it does not necessarily mean every single human being on the earth. The devil lays claim to “the children of darkness, or children of the world.” Peter talks about the “flood upon the world of the ungodly” (2nd Peter 2:5) “deliver us from the present evil world” (Galatians 1:14). “Sorrow of the world, worketh death.” (2nd Corinthians 7:10). “The god of this world is in the Scripture, and we should examine carefully of whether it refers to any specific group, rather than the entire world. The “whole world” could mean all of the Elect if that was the context of the verse, or all of the reprobate.
The word “all” should be closely examined with the same caution. For example, it states in 1st Timothy 2:3,4, “For this is good and actable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have ALL men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” That verse implies universal salvation for all individuals without checking any surrounding verses. But, if we study the context of that verse, we find in the proceeding verses 1 and 2 that Paul, was talking about “classes” of men, kings, and all in authority or leaders; he was not talking about individuals. So, again, ALL in that verse, means “God is no respecter pf persons, as He will save people from all classes, or groups, even kings or those in authority.
Therefore, in the light of all of the above, I believe I have presented a strong case, teaching the truth of God’s Inspired Word in the Bible concerning the non-elect. Paul told Titus about them in Titus 1:16. They PROFESS that they know God, but in WORKS, they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work, reprobate.
CONT.>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Blessings!
Marked Elect
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