1. Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Salvation by the work of attaining God’s attention

Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by agedman, Oct 7, 2017.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. agedman

    agedman Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2011
    Messages:
    11,023
    Likes Received:
    1,108
    Faith:
    Baptist
    i have permission to post a quote that in my view presented salvation as the result of and response to some effort, action, or work done by the unredeemed.

    The quote is taken from a longer post, but this single part shows the truth behind the concept presented.

    Look carefully at what is presented.

    1). The “ungodly lost spiritually dead individuals FIRST”

    Now, is it not true that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God?” So what is FIRST?

    Is it not faith?

    Then it must be that the individual IS NOT ungodly, lost, spiritually dead.

    What then is the core estate of such a person? Quickened.

    2). “then if God credits that faith as righteousness, He transfers them into Christ ...”

    See the word “credits?” That is a word used as one who is owed a manner of reimbursement for that accomplished. It is also used as one who is owed a debt attributing in some manner a reduction or payment on the debt for action done by the one who is in debt.

    As used in the quote, God waits to see IF someone offers at some indeterminable level such a quality of effort that God will “credit” that person as acceptable to be transferred into Christ.

    There is no other reading that does not present that salvation is not the gift of God but attained by human achievement.

    Then this part:

    3). “Thus the justification occrs after God puts a believer into Christ.”

    So one is a believer before being put “into Christ?”

    That is not Scripturally sound.

    John states, that the one who believes is not condemned and the ones who don’t are ALREADY condemned.

    So when does justification actually occur?

    Romans 5: “1Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; ...”.

    The justification is placed in the context of having already occurred by faith. That such faith also escorts the believer into the unmerited strength and steadfastness to stand.

    Further, Romans 5 states: “9Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

    What justifies? His blood

    Who is justified by the blood? All who were enemies of God.

    What was actually done at salvation? “We received the reconciliation.”

    So, it is now open for all to contend.

    Although it is wearisome, this thread is most important, that the truth be shown.
     
    #1 agedman, Oct 7, 2017
    Last edited: Oct 7, 2017
  2. Jerome

    Jerome Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Messages:
    9,788
    Likes Received:
    698
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Reformed Baptist theologian Timothy George, in Theology of the Reformers (Nashville: Broadman, 1988) p. 225:
     
  3. Deacon

    Deacon Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Aug 23, 2002
    Messages:
    9,469
    Likes Received:
    1,228
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Order of Salvation arguments will not cease until we hear directly from the Master.
    IMHO only God has a stopwatch accurate enough to measure the timing of these wondrous mysteries

    This might be off topic - my apologies if it strays afar.

    I've interviewed some people that were raised in a Christian environment and know they are saved but can not really estimate when it happened.
    When did they have faith? When were they justified? The important fact is that we can be assured that we have eternal life by faith.

    I'm teaching form Matthew 3 tomorrow with an emphasis on the topic of repentance

    God desires it from believers and unbelievers

    Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, (Acts 17:30 CSB)
    When repentance used as a synonym for faith, it is a condition for eternal life.

    Repentance does not always lead to faith (Jonah 3:5-10) but it gets God's attention (vs 10).

    The act of repentance is a beginning point to faith and like a chemical reaction; sometimes there is no interaction, sometimes the interaction is sluggish and takes time, and other-times it is quite explosive!

    Rob


     
  4. agedman

    agedman Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2011
    Messages:
    11,023
    Likes Received:
    1,108
    Faith:
    Baptist
    No doubt.

    However what should not be questioned as wrong is that which is the quoted statement appoints MUST BE DONE FIRST which is human effort and IF preformed to some undetermined level, would activate God’s attention.

    That is clearly a work based salvation.

    The core person must be changed and then confession is made.

    Like stated before, even the ungodly psychological folks recognize that unless the core value system is changed, there is no true change in a person. But when that change takes place, the person will verbalize it.
     
  5. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2006
    Messages:
    52,013
    Likes Received:
    3,649
    Faith:
    Baptist

    Where in the world or in the depths of history and time has the receiving of a gift ever been also considered part of the giving of the gift?
     
  6. Reformed

    Reformed Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 27, 2012
    Messages:
    4,960
    Likes Received:
    1,694
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Allow me to direct you to a thread that asks the same question: Receiving a gift is not also part of the giving
     
  7. Reformed

    Reformed Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 27, 2012
    Messages:
    4,960
    Likes Received:
    1,694
    Faith:
    Baptist
    While I agree with you, let us also keep in mind that God is able to save even though some of our brethren may be in error. Most brethren in the Synergist camp hold to what I term a "happy inconsistency" in their soteriology. They confess the Synergist position but also claim God is completely sovereign in salvation. The two do not seem to make sense, but these brethren co-exist with both. Call it a form of theological cognitive dissonance. Of course, there are levels of error that one can hold to before they depart the faith completely. We are not judge and jury in those cases, although we are right to sound the alarm when those people influence others.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  8. agedman

    agedman Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2011
    Messages:
    11,023
    Likes Received:
    1,108
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Already answered.

    Perhaps you will find it.
     
  9. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2006
    Messages:
    52,013
    Likes Received:
    3,649
    Faith:
    Baptist
    No you didn't. You responded to it but you failed to actually answer the question. Big difference.
     
  10. agedman

    agedman Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2011
    Messages:
    11,023
    Likes Received:
    1,108
    Faith:
    Baptist
    It was answered, see the other thread somewhere around post #15.

    However, like I stated previously, it was doubtful that it was the answer you desired that would in some manner validate your own view.

    Rather, I posted a statement/question followed by a supporting Scripture.

    That you don’t approve of the answer given does not negate that an answer was given.

    Now it is your turn to deal specifically to the OP offered in this thread.
     
  11. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2006
    Messages:
    52,013
    Likes Received:
    3,649
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Uh no responding is one thing but answering is mother. You failed to do the latter.
     
  12. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2006
    Messages:
    52,013
    Likes Received:
    3,649
    Faith:
    Baptist
    It's ok I'm used to it from cals
     
  13. agedman

    agedman Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2011
    Messages:
    11,023
    Likes Received:
    1,108
    Faith:
    Baptist
    So, perhaps you should demonstrate by modeling the answer for which you desired to see written.

    Then present just how the quote does not present a work based salvation.
     
  14. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2006
    Messages:
    52,013
    Likes Received:
    3,649
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Where in the world or in the depths of history and time has the receiving of a gift ever been also considered part of the giving of the gift?

    1. list all the times known to man where when receiving a gift in also considered part of the giving.
    2. Do this without the presupposition of the calvinism debate.
     
  15. agedman

    agedman Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2011
    Messages:
    11,023
    Likes Received:
    1,108
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Would it not be appropriate to take what I offered as answers, and attempt to show how “unbiblical” (heretical) such is and the level of more excellent thinking you can generate.
     
  16. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2006
    Messages:
    52,013
    Likes Received:
    3,649
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Your so called answer offered takes the discussion away from the topic I brought up.
     
  17. agedman

    agedman Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2011
    Messages:
    11,023
    Likes Received:
    1,108
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Did I not do so in the answers?

    I assumed no point of view except that of what Scripture validated.

    Post each response and show how a more excellent response should read.
     
  18. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2006
    Messages:
    52,013
    Likes Received:
    3,649
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Not until you actually answer my question
     
  19. agedman

    agedman Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2011
    Messages:
    11,023
    Likes Received:
    1,108
    Faith:
    Baptist
    So, show the more excellent answers.
     
  20. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2006
    Messages:
    52,013
    Likes Received:
    3,649
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Uh no not going away from my point. That is called derailing
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
Loading...