Text: “But My people (the Jewish Nation) would not hearken to My voice; and Israel would none of Me. So, I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.”
Psalm 81:11-12.
“Verily (truly) I say unto you, All these things
(punishments) shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou
that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often
would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her
chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, (look, and fully understand) your
house is left unto you desolate (empty).”
Matthew 23:36-38.
Good morning, amazed Christian! You are amazed at the level of Sovereign grace the Living Lord God has poured out upon you, and wretches such as the author too – in the saving of our never-dying souls, through the quickening power of God the Spirit; through the Sovereign election, in Eternity, of God the Father; through the full victorious Atonement Sacrifice of Christ Jesus, our Redeemer, on Calvary’s Cross. Wow! Full amazement indeed!
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was LOST.” (Luke 19:10)
“And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:31-32)
Calvinist Verses Arminian Doctrine: Some people, even mature Christian people, just will not
accept the Scriptural fact that it is the Lord God Himself Who has chosen which
sinner to save, and which sinner to pass over in Salvation. The Calvinist verses the Arminian views of
Eternal Salvation have been debated since ever the church of the risen Christ
Jesus was called into existence by God. (If the Reader has no clue as to what
debate I am referring, he/she needs to study Calvinist verses Arminian points
of doctrine, and especially look at the findings of the Synod of Dort held
in 1618 where Calvinist doctrine was proclaimed as Scriptural in its
teaching.)
The Canons of Dort
Main article: Canons of
Dort
The Synod concluded with a rejection
of the Arminian views, and set forth the Reformed doctrine on each point,
namely: total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement (arguing that
Christ's atoning work was intended only for the elect and not for the rest of
the world), irresistible
(or irrevocable) grace, and the perseverance of the saints.
These are sometimes referred to as the Five points of Calvinism. The nomenclature never inferred that all of Calvinism could be reduced to
a mere five points, but that TULIP—the acronym that was later developed
for the teachings of Dort in the English-speaking world—summarized the Calvinist position
regarding the doctrine of the Sovereignty of God in salvation. It is The
Decision of the Synod of Dort on the Five Main Points of Doctrine in Dispute in
the Netherlands, popularly known as the Canons of Dort, its the
explanation of the judicial decision of the Synod. In the
original preface, the Decision is called: a
judgment, in which both, the true view agreeing with God's word concerning the
aforesaid five points of doctrine is explained and, the false view disagreeing
with God's Word is rejected. (Wikipedia online)
Calvinist Doctrine, as it is commonly
referred to, was judged to be the true interpretation of Bible Doctrine,
doctrine that we now refer to as Reformed Doctrine: the fully Scriptural
and authorised doctrinal stance of the Reformation.
“Ye have not chosen Me, but I have
chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that
your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My
Name, He may give it you.” (John 15:16)
If God be Sovereign in His choice of
souls to grant Salvation, and I believe He is, then it follows that it is the
Lord God Himself that grants faith, repentance – and opens the ears of our
hearts to receive the Salvation He alone has graciously granted us. He grants us Spiritual ears (Spiritual quickening) to hear the
Gospel of Salvation in Christ Jesus alone, and faith to believe (trust) in this
truth. (Ephesians 2:1;5)
“For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that (faith) not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works
(good deeds), lest any man/woman should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Eternally Closed Ears: Those souls that
are not included in God’s Sovereign choice for Eternal Salvation, will always
have closed ears as to what the Gospel teaches on sin, Christ’s righteousness, and
the fearful judgement to come. Such talk is ‘foolishness’ unto them.
“But the natural man (the reprobate,
those passed over by God for Salvation) receiveth NOT the things of the Spirit
of God: for they are FOOLISHNESS unto him/her: neither can he/she know them,
because they are Spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)
Isaiah’s Prophecy: The prophet Isaiah
foretold the fate of the reprobate: “And He (the Lord) said, Go and tell this
people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive
not. Make the heart (inner essence of being) of this people fat, and make their
ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with
their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.” (Isaiah 6:9-10) (Matthew 13:13-15)
If “Faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the Word of God…”, then it follows that God must first open the ears
of our hearts to Spiritually ‘hear’ His effectual call to Salvation. If the Lord God chooses not to grant such a
Spiritual awakening to hear and receive faith to trust in Christ for Salvation,
then that soul passed over will never hear and receive faith to believe in the
Lord Jesus Christ’s Sacrifice for elected sinners. (Romans 10:17) They have
closed ears. Closed ears mean
Spiritually closed hearts. Closed
hearts open Hell’s doors.
“Who hath ears to hear, let him
hear.” (Matthew 13:9) “He that hath an
ear (a Spiritual ear), let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches.” (Revelation 2:29) Are we
listening?
Thought: Verse 11. “My people would not hearken to My
voice; and Israel would none of Me. Know, sinner, that if at last thou
missest Heaven which, God forbid, the Lord can wash His hands over your head
and clear Himself of your blood: thy damnation will be laid at thine own door:
it will then appear there was no cheat in the promise, no sophistry in the
Gospel, but thou didst voluntarily put Eternal life from thee, whatever lying
lips uttered to the contrary: ‘My people would have none of Me.’ So that, when
the jury shall sit on thy murdered soul…thou wilt be found guilty of thy own
damnation. No one loseth God, but he/she that is willing to part with Him.”
(William Gurnall, 1671-1679)