Inability to Welcome Divine Truth ,a Sign of the Reprobate.

Spiritual Truth is given to believers as the Spirit gives a new Heart at REGENERATION.EZK36:25-27

A person cannot understand Spiritual truth savingly unless God allows them to.

1 cor 2:
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to naught:

7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Here we see believers understand scriptural truth by God-given revelation.
Natural men cannot understand spiritual truth, not even "milk".
Natural men can be religious and offer carnal thoughts concerning truth.
The inability to grasp the truth about God's grace could be an indicator of an unsaved religious person offering carnal thoughts , which by definition cannot discern spiritual truth.
They offer error upon error.

 

Mt.11:
25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.


Mt13:
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

11 He answered and said unto them,
Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.


We are not speaking of new converts, but of people who after years, have not yet come to truth. It is very likely that the inability is because they are devoid of the Spirit.
We see it easily with Christ denying cults, but it is harder to notice when the person suggests they are a believer.

 

jn8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

13 The Pharisees, therefore, said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.

47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

Jesus teaches it. They were religious but unsaved

againJn12:
35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:

38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?

39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,

40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.

42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:

43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

44 Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.

45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.

46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

 

2thess2
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

 

2pet3;

13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

I am confident that Peter was explaining that the doctrines of grace are a stumbling block to the unlearned, and unstable....they wrest it to their own destruction.They being uninstructed try their own ideas, and interpretations and they fail each time. They torture the meaning of scripture.

 

2tim 2
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;

18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

[Edited]

 

Yes for sure, here in the 1689 they indicate this is so;
7._____ The doctrine of the high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care,

that men attending the will of God revealed in his Word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may, from the certainty of their effectual vocation, be assured of their eternal election;

so shall this doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God, and of humility, diligence, and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the gospel.
( 1 Thessalonians 1:4, 5; 2 Peter 1:10; Ephesians 1:6; Romans 11:33; Romans 11:5, 6, 20; Luke 10:20 )

Special care and prudence indicate a patient and solid study of all related words and verses, not a rush to understand. With new believers, I can understand how this can seem confusing , and how they would need to be discipled by an older believer.I do not think this was ever intended to be controversial at all, but rather basic instruction that is to be a comfort to all believers in any situation that life offers.

 

A cure for such confusion is proper instruction, or as posted earlier, special care and prudence

Selected excerpts From Thomas Watson A Body of DivinityFREEEBOOKS/ABodyofDivinity-ThomasWatson.pdf

1. A Preliminary Discourse To Catechising ’If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled.’ - Col 1:13. Intending next Lord’s day to enter upon the work of catechising, it will not be amiss to give you a preliminary discourse, to show you how needful it is for Christians to be well instructed in the grounds of religion. ‘If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled.’ I. It is the duty of Christians to be settled in the doctrine of faith. II. The best way for Christians to be settled is to be well grounded.

I. It is the duty of Christians to be settled in the doctrine of faith. It is the apostle’s prayer, I Pet 5:50, ’The God of all grace stablish, strengthen, settle you.’ That is, that they might not be meteors in the air, but fixed stars. The apostle Jude speaks of ‘wandering stars, in verse 13. They are called wandering stars, because, as Aristotle says, ‘They do leap up and down, and wander into several parts of the heaven; and being but dry exhalations, not made of that pure celestial matter as the fixed stars are, they often fall to the earth.’ Now, such as are not settled in religion, will, at one time or other, prove wandering stars; they will lose their former steadfastness, and wander from one opinion to another.

Such as are unsettled are of the tribe of Reuben, ‘unstable as water,’ Gen 49:9; like a ship without ballast, overturned with every wind of doctrine. Beza writes of one Belfectius, that his religion changed as the moon. The Arians had every year a new faith. These are not pillars in the temple of God, but reeds shaken every way. The apostle calls them ‘damnable heresies.’ 2 Pet 2:2. A man may go to hell as well for heresy as adultery

Therefore such are compared to children. Eph 4:44. ‘That we be no more children, tossed to and fro.’ Children are fickle sometimes of one mind sometimes of another, nothing pleases them long; so unsettled Christians are childish; the truths they embrace at one time, they reject at another; s

Eph 4:, 12, 14. ‘And he gave some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the edifying of the body of Christ; that we henceforth be no more children.’
The word is called a hammer. Jer 23:39. Every blow of the hammer is to fasten the nails of the building; so the preacher’s words are to fasten you the more to Christ; they weaken themselves to strengthen and settle you. This is the grand design of preaching, not only for the enlightening, but for the establishing of souls; not only to guide them in the right way, but to keep them in it.

 

Watson is careful to expose the methodology of those who are defective;

[6] There is great need to be settled, because there are so many things to unsettle us. Seducers are abroad, whose work is to draw away people from the principles of religion.

I John 2:26. ‘These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.’

Seducers are the devil’s factors; they are of all others the greatest felons that would rob you of the truth.

Seducers have silver tongues, that can put off bad wares; they have a sleight to deceive. Eph 4:14.


The Greek word there is taken from those that can throw dice, and cast them for the best advantage. So seducers are impostors, they can throw a dice; they can so dissemble and sophisticate the truth, that they can deceive others.

Seducers deceive by wisdom of words. Rom 16:68. ‘By good words and fair speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple.’


They have fine elegant phrases, flattering language, whereby they work on the weaker sort. Another sleight is a pretence of extraordinary piety, that so people may admire them, and suck in their doctrine. They seem to be men of zeal and sanctity, and to be divinely inspired, and pretend to new revelations.


A third cheat of seducers is, labouring to vilify and nullify sound orthodox teachers.

They would eclipse those that bring the truth, like black vapours that darken the light of heaven; they would defame others, that they themselves may be more admired. Thus the false teachers cried down Paul, that they might be received, Gal 4:17.

The fourth cheat of seducers is, to preach the doctrine of liberty; as though men are freed from the moral law, the rule as well as the curse, and Christ has done all for them, and they need to do nothing.
Thus they make the doctrine of free grace a key to open the door to all licentiousness.

Another means is, to unsettle Christians by persecution. 2 Tim 3:12. The gospel is a rose that cannot be plucked without prickles. The legacy Christ has bequeathed is the CROSS.

 

He offers more;
II. The second proposition is, that the way for Christians to be settled is to be well grounded. ‘If ye continue grounded and settled.’ The Greek word for grounded is a metaphor which alludes to a building that has the foundation well laid. So Christians should be grounded in the essential points of religion, and have their foundation well laid.


Here let me speak to two things: That we should be grounded in the knowledge of fundamentals. The apostle speaks of ‘the first principles of the oracles of God.’ Heb 5:12.

In all arts and sciences, logic, physic, mathematics, there are some praecognita, some rules and principles that must necessarily be known for the practice of those arts; so, in divinity, there must be the first principles laid down.

The knowledge of the grounds and principles of religion is exceedingly useful.
(I.) Else we cannot serve God aright. We can never worship God acceptably, unless we worship him regularly; and how can we do that, if we are ignorant of the rules and elements of religion?

We are to give God a ‘reasonable service.’ Rom 12:2: If we understand not the grounds of religion, how can it be a reasonable service?

(2.) Knowledge of the grounds of religion much enriches the mind. It is a lamp to our feet; it directs us in the whole course of Christianity, as the eye directs the body.

Knowledge of fundamentals is the golden key that opens the chief mysteries of religion;


it gives us a whole system and body of divinity, exactly drawn in all its lineaments and lively colours; it helps us to understand many of those difficult things which occur in the reading of the word; it helps to untie many Scripture knots.

(3.) It furnishes us with armour of proof; weapons to fight against the adversaries of the truth.

(4.) It is the holy seed of which grace is formed. It is semen fidei, the seed of faith. Psa 9:10. It is radix amoris, the root of love. Eph 3:17. ‘Being rooted and grounded in love.’
The knowledge of principles conduces to the making of a complete Christian.

[2] This grounding is the best way to being settled: ‘grounded and settled.’ A tree, that it may be well settled, must be well rooted; so, if you would be well settled in religion, you must be rooted in its principles. We read in Plutarch of one who set up a dead man, and he would not stand. ‘Oh,’ said he, ‘there should be something within.’ So, that we may stand in shaking times, there must be a principle of knowledge within; first grounded, and then settled. That the ship may be kept from overturning, it must have its anchor fastened.

Knowledge of principles is to the soul as the anchor to the ship, that holds it steady in the midst of the rolling waves of error, or the violent winds of persecution. First grounded and then settled. Use one: See the reason why so many people are unsettled, ready to embrace every novel opinion, and dress themselves in as many religions as fashions; it is because they are ungrounded.

See how the apostle joins these two together, ’unlearned and unstable.’ 2 Pet 3:16. Such as are unlearned in the main points of divinity are unstable.


As the body cannot be strong that has the sinews shrunk; so neither can that Christian be strong in religion who wants the grounds of knowledge, which are the sinews to strengthen and stablish him. Use two: See what great necessity there is of laying down the main grounds of religion in a way of catechising, that the weakest judgement may be instructed in the knowledge of the truth, and strengthened in the love of it.

Catechising is the best expedient for the grounding and settling of people. I fear one reason why there has been no more good done by preaching, has been because the chief heads and articles in religion have not been explained in a catechistical way.

Catechising is laying the foundation. Heb 6:6: To preach and not to catechise is to build without foundation. This way of catechising is not novel, it is apostolic.

The primitive church had their forms of catechism, as those phrases imply, a ‘form of sound words,’ 2 Tim 1:13, end ‘the first principles of the oracles of God,’ Heb 5:52. T

 

About This Book. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. ii
A Body of Divinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 1
Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 2
Brief Memoir Of Thomas Watson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 4
1. A Preliminary Discourse To Catechising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 9
2. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 13
1. Man’s Chief End . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 13
2. The Scriptures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 26
3. God and his creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 35
1. The Being Of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 35
2. The Knowledge Of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 45
3. The Eternity Of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 49
4. The Unchangeableness Of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 53
5. The Wisdom Of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 57
6. The Power Of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 61
7. The Holiness Of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 64
8. The Justice Of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 68
9. The Mercy Of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 72
10. The Truth Of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 76
11. The Unity Of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 79
12. The Trinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 82
13. The Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 85
14. The Providence Of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 89
4. The fall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 96
1. The Covenant Of Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 96
2. Adam’s Sin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 102
3. Original Sin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 105
4. Man's Misery By The Fall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 110
5. The covenant of grace and its mediator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 114
1. The Covenant Of Grace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 114
2. Christ The Mediator Of The Covenant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 119
p. 122 4. Christ's Priestly Office . . . . . . . . . .

p. 126 5. Christ's Kingly Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 136 6. Christ’s Humiliation In His Incarnation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 140 iii A
7. Christ’s Exaltation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 148 8. Christ The Redeemer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 152 6. The application of redemption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 156 1. Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 156 2. Effectual Calling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 159 3. Justification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 163 4. Adoption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 167 5. Sanctification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 173 6. Assurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 180 7. Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 187 8. Joy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 192 9. Growth In Grace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 196 10. Perseverance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 200 7. Death and the last day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 208 1. The Death Of The Righteous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 208 2. A Believer’s Privilege At Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 211 3. The Resurrection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 218 Indexes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 227 Index of Scripture References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 227

 

We Can see from the table of contents that Thomas Watson and other men like him clearly saw that we have to know and be familiar with The revealed attributions of God as that will frame most of our worldview and biblical theology.
The decline in many churches is based on a poor foundation, caused in part by weak ineffectual teaching.
It is often seen on message boards with people opposing themselves by never studying for themselves,what these former saints grew up learning.
The suggestion is that we should not even read teachers who went before us.
What is offered in place of sound instruction?
A few verses misquoted, carnal philosophy, emotional appeals, lists of potential debate fallacies.

 

Most of OT. Israel who came out of Egypt did not really welcome Divine truth;
Psalm78;
5 For he established a testimony in Jacob

, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:

6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:

7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

9 The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.

10 They kept not the covenant of God, and refused

to walk in his law;


Those among Israel had the advantage of hearing and seeing God work, but were so spiritually dead they could not welcome it during the events of the first exodus, God however preserved an elect remnant.

11 And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.

12 Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.

14 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

15 He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.

16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

17 And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.

18 And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.

19 Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

20 Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?

21 Therefore the Lord heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;

22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:

23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,

24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.

25 Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.