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"The Called"

Discussion in '2004 Archive' started by UMP, Aug 5, 2004.

  1. UMP

    UMP New Member

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    Note the second phrase, which contains also a description of the Christian—"the called according to his purpose." However much the Arminian may try to fritter away the meaning of this 8th chapter of the Romans we are obliged as long as we use terms and words to say, that the 8th chapter of the Romans and the 9th, are the very pillars of that Gospel which men now call Calvinism. No man after having read these chapters attentively, and having understood them, can deny that the doctrines of sovereign, distinguishing grace, are the sum and substance of the teaching of the Bible. I do not believe that the Bible is to be understood except by receiving these doctrines as true. The apostle says that those who love God are "the called according to his purpose" by which he means to say two things—first, that all who love God love him because he called them to love him. He called them, mark you. All men are called by the ministry, by the Word, by daily providence, to love God, there is a common call always given to men to come to Christ, the great bell of the gospel rings a universal welcome to every living soul that breathes; but alas! though that bell hath the very sound of heaven, and though all men do in a measure hear it, for "their line is gone out into all the earth and their Word unto the end of the world" yet there was never an instance of any man having been brought to God simply by that sound. All these things are insufficient for the salvation of any man; there must be superadded the special call, the call which man cannot resist, the call of efficacious grace, working in us to will and to do of God's good pleasure. Now, all them that love God love him because they have had a special, irresistible, supernatural call. Ask them whether they would have loved God if left to themselves, and to a man, whatever their doctrines, they will confess—


    "Grace taught my soul to pray,
    Grace made my eyes o'erflow,
    'Tis grace that kept me to this day
    And will not let me go."

    I never heard a Christian yet who said that he came to God of himself, left to his own free-will. Free-will may look very pretty in theory, but I never yet met any one who found it work well in practice. We all confess that if we are brought to the marriage-banquet—

    "'Twas the same love that spread the feast
    That gently forced us in
    Else we had still refused to taste,
    And perished in our sin."

    Sprugeon
     
  2. npetreley

    npetreley New Member

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    Obviously, Spurgeon didn't live long enough to participate on Baptist Board. ;)
     
  3. Skandelon

    Skandelon <b>Moderator</b>

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    No one to my knowledge has ever claimed that they believe that men come to God of himself and left to his own free will alone. Anyone who debates such a doctrine is debating against a staw man of their own imagination. ;)
     
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