Chapter One:  INTRODUCTION

Chapter Two:  THE  FELT  NEED  FOR  SALVATION

Chapter Three: SOME COMPONENTS OF THE  GOSPEL  SIMPLY  PUT

1. Christ is our obedience

2. Christ’ death  for  the  penalty  of  their  sins.

4. Christ’  redemption  of  His  people  from  their  sins

5. Christ’  sanctification  of  His  people

6.  Christ’  propitiation  for  their  sins

7.  Christ’  Reconciliation  of  His  People  To  God

Chapter Four:  CHRISTIAN  EXPERIENCE

SIMPLY PUT

Chapter Five: EFFECTUAL CALLING

Chapter Six:  EFFECTS OF GOD’S DRAWING

Chapter Seven:  The Living Union of Christ and His People

Chapter Eight:  The Christian Before Divine Quickening to Spiritual Life.

Chapter Nine: THE BEGETTING TO DIVINE LIFE

Chapter TEN: THE SENSIBLE SINNER AT AND AFTER DIVINE QUICKENING

Chapter Eleven: A PRIMARY FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IN DIVINE QUICKENING

Chapter Twelve:  EXPERIMENTAL FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT:

Chapter Thirteen: ASSURANCE AND FULL ASSURANCE OF

FAITH

Chapter fourteen: CONCLUSION:

APPENDIX:  A.

APENDIX: B

APPLICATION OF THE ABOVE

PRIMER on

THE  GOSPEL  SIMPLY  PUT

Revised and Expanded

BY

Stanley C. Phillips

THE  GOSPEL  OF  CHRIST  SIMPLY

PUT

Chapter One:  INTRODUCTION

As Luke wrote his epistle and the Book of Acts to someone named “Theophilus”, to  “set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,” it seems good to me also . . . to write to you “in order”, my “most excellent Theophilus” the things which compose the Gospel when simply put.  (Luke 1:2-3). We intend this treatise as a “primary book” of the historic Christian faith for anyone interested in the basic knowledge of that faith.

The word “Gospel”, simply put, means “glad tidings”. In the framework of the Christian religion, then, it means “glad tidings of salvation by Christ Jesus,” or, “good news” about the salvation of sinners. It is, for sensible sinners when it is revealed to them, joyful news about the accomplishment of Christ for their salvation. It tells of how Christ came under the law to redeem such as were under its condemnation; of His passive and active obedience in their behalf; and the imputation of their sins to Him and His consequent suffering the penalty of those sins; and of His charging His own righteousness to them for whom He suffered. In the broadest sense, the Gospel includes all things that the triune God did in the salvation of His elect. In the more narrow sense, it tells of how He saved His elect by the sacrifice of Himself in their stead.

The message brought by the Gospel cannot be glad tidings to anyone who does not have a feeling need for salvation from sin.  Indeed, the apostles tell us that while it is “savour of life unto life to them that believe,” it is also a “savour of death unto death to them that  perish.” Certainly, to unbelievers, it cannot be good news. In order for one to believe it as such, God must give him an evangelic faith, “for all men (by nature) hath not faith.”  Simply put, faith is a prerequisite to the message being good news, and this “faith is the gift of God.” (Eph. 2:1-10.) A prerequisite to this God-given faith is spiritual life which in turn shows one his sinfulness and need of salvation.

From God’s standpoint, salvation commenced before He created the world.  It was then that He set forth Christ as the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” It was then, that “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world  that we should be holy and without blame  before Him in love” (Eph. 1:1-6.) It was that early that He “prepared a kingdom” for them “from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34.)  But let us be very clear: We were not saved before the world began. If that were so, then Christ needed not to have suffered and died; nor would He be the Savior of sinners. The earliest indication that one was chosen in Christ is seen in the fact that eternal life in its seed substance was in Christ eternally. It is by that “incorruptible seed” that one is begotten to life and salvation in this time world.

God’s people were all actually, and legally, saved two thousand years ago by the active obedience of Christ in perfectly keeping the law for them; and in His passive obedience on the cross when He finished and accomplished all their salvation by bearing the horrible penalties of their sins. It was on this basis that He imputes His righteousness to them. This is also the foundation of the Gospel, or “good news” to sensible sinners. In Christ, simply put, salvation is “finished.”

In time, the Holy Spirit quickens to life those saved by Christ, giving them spiritual life and nature. This life in them produces various effects: They now feel their sinfulness. They now know their need for salvation. They are brought under the condemnation of the law. They mourn over their sinfulness. They have spiritual eyes, and yet walk in darkness. They become beggars at mercy’s door, longing for a hope in Jesus. Simply put, they are alive!   They are in the process of “being born from above.” And this will ultimately and unfailingly be produced in them “at the appointed time.” They are sinners, and as such, they are the only kind of people Christ came to save! “I came” He said, “not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”  “Christ died for the ungodly” (I Timothy 1:9.)  Simply put, the Gospel is that Christ died only for sinners – i.e., those who are made feelingly so. And it is the work of the Spirit to reveal this to them.

God’s revelation of Himself to man is threefold. First, all of creation reveals the power and glory of the eternal Godhead. There are none without excuse; none but the fool can say that there is no God (Psalm 14:1.) And this revelation is found universally in the race of man. Men must be taught or persuaded to be atheists, for atheism is an unnatural perversion. All the early Christian confessions declare this as an article of the Christian faith. All of them point out that while this is so, nevertheless, nature is insufficient to reveal salvation in Christ Jesus. It can only reveal God’s eternal Godhead, power, and glory.

Second, God reveals Himself to all who can read, have access to His inspired written Word, and read it - the Holy Bible. As the first type of revelation, this too, is insufficient to reveal Christ to a poor sinner within itself. It is a sealed book without the enlightenment of the Spirit of God. This second form of revelation has always existed.  God has never left Himself without a witness since the formation of Man. Adam, even in his depraved nature, knew much about his Creator. Through his son, Seth and his offspring, through Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and especially Moses and the prophets of Israel, this revelation has been faithfully preserved. Among the Gentiles, the Magi of the East, Job, and others, had this revelation to a limited degree. Lastly, by Christ, His apostles, and the ministers of the New Testament, the early church kept this revelation alive, and extended it throughout the world. Simply put, since God created Adam, this revelation has never been broken. The apostle could write: “If our Gospel be hid, it is hid from them that are lost” (II Cor. 4:3.)  And the reason the apostle gives for this is: “The god  of  this  world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, Who is the image of God, should  shine  unto  them” (verse 4.) Therefore, God reveals Himself to natural men in His written Word, so that they, too, are without excuse. But God does not reveal Himself through His written word to all mankind. Millions have never had the Gospel, or the Bible, directed to them. And many more read it as a “sealed book.”

But the written word is, within itself, unable to reveal salvation to sinners. It must be “given” to them to believe. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God (not everyone) may be throughly furnished unto all good work” (II Tim. 3:16.)

Thirdly, in addition to the light of nature in rational creatures and the written word to educated people, it is necessary that there be an extraordinary and inward revelation of God by the Spirit of God.  Without this, there can be no “Gospel” or glad tidings. “But God hath revealed them (the things which God has prepared for them that love Him) unto us by His Spirit: for the spirit  searcheth all things, Yea, the  deep  things of God.”  “Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God” (I Cor. 2:10-16.) Again, “Before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto faith, which should afterwards be revealed” (Gal. 3:23.)

The following application will appear very unorthodox to Evangelicals, or, followers of Andrew Fuller (the father of the Missionary Baptist denominations), but it is necessary to set forth the value of this third kind of revelation. Isaac Backus, in his massive and extensive history of the Baptists and New England colonies, cited case after case where the Spirit of God worked in the absence of the Gospel during the Great Awakening (1720 - 1760.) The followers of Andrew Fuller introduced a scheme of salvation conditioned on the merits of men, rather than the accomplishment of Christ by His death. A necessary part of Fuller’s scheme is an absolute necessity of the Gospel reaching a sinnerbefore the Holy Spirit can do His work. This is not the experience of quickened sinners. His elect are made spiritually alive in order to believe the Gospel of what Christ has done for sinners.

For the child of God to understand anything spiritually, he must first be made spiritually alive. “The dead know nothing.” Simply put, he must be quickened or begotten spiritually – born of God.  The only One able to beget spiritually, must Himself be a Spirit.  “The natural man,” or fleshly man, “receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they (the spiritual things) “are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they (the spiritual things) are spiritually discerned” (I Corinthian 2:14.) “But he that is spiritual judgeth (discerns, or understands) all things, yet he himself is judged (discerned, or understood) of no man” (I Corinthians 2:15.)

What might be considered unorthodox by many is this: At what point in time is this spiritual revelation? Our answer: Whenever one is quickened, or begotten, or spiritually conceived. God begets him to life in his spiritual birth, very much as his natural father did in his first birth. It is a time of love, and God visits him in mercy and grace. That thing born of God within him is called the “new creature”. It is implanted in the “Old Man”, or fleshly man, and thus he now has eternal life - which life never had a beginning. The spiritual life knows the things of the Spirit of God within itself, whether it can express or understand them perfectly or not. Such a person, then, “has the mind of Christ”   (I Corinthians 2:16.)  But, one may justly ask, “How early in physical life is this revelation possible?” Answer: Whenever it pleases God to reveal it. To illustrate: When Herod sent and killed “all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coast thereof, from two years old and under,” (which had to be a very great slaughter) it is written: “In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they were not” (Matt. 2:16-18.)  But what was, and yet is, the Gospel revelation relative to these little slaughtered and mangled babies? “Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord: and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in the end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own borders” (Jeremiah 31: 15-17.) In the Matthew text, the writer said that this dreadful event was the fulfillment of that prophesy. The above is a wonderful and almost unknown prophesy. It settles more than one theological dispute. First, one-hundred percent of these infants dying in infancy are saved by the death of Christ. Second, the message, or glad tidings, i.e., the Gospel has no part in making it so! “It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing” (John 6:63.)  Since there is but one way of salvation, such a salvation must invariably fulfill this prophesy. Who will argue that these infants repented and believed the Gospel, or “accepted Christ as their Savior”? They were elected, redeemed, ransomed, justified, called, and quickened exactly as are all other elect who come to age of understanding. Hearing the message of this salvation is a very great blessing to sensible sinners; but, simply put, the message is about this salvation - not the cause of it!  The hearing does not do the saving; nor does the believing. Christ is the Savior of sinner - not, will be if they will “let Him.” It is too late to do any “letting.”

To summarize this point: God has given a record of Himself, His creation, and of His salvation. The Gospel, simply put, is that Christ “came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:13.) “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (I Tim. 1:16.)  The message of the Gospel is good news, or glad tidings, to feeling or sensible sinners. The only way that one can become a feeling and sensible sinner is for God to quicken him to life, spiritually, so that he can see himself from God’s vantage point. From man’s point of view, the Gospel begins in the revelation by the Spirit of one’s sinner-ship within his very being. Such sinners experience a dreadful and fearful sinfulness and guilt stirring within them. It is here where the need of salvation is driven home to the heart of a quickened, yet unconverted elect child of God. As Paul said of his own experience, “For I was alive  without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.” “For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me” (Rom. 7:9 & 11.) Now he could be feelingly and sensibly a needy sinner!

Chapter Two:  THE  FELT  NEED  FOR  SALVATION

When we consider that, as David confessed, men are “shapened in iniquity; and in sin” did their “mother conceive” them (Psa. 51:5,) and that “the wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies” (Psalm. 58:3,) it becomes certain that man is in no way able to save, or help to save, himself.  He has always been depraved.  Before the flood, God saw that “every imagination of man’s heart was evil,” and after the flood it remained unchanged (Genesis 6: 5 and 8: 21.)  Today, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”  (Jeremiah 17:9.)  “The natural man” is totally depraved, “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1-6.) In fact, the highest and best part of man is his conscience, and “even their mind and conscience is defiled” (Titus 1:15.)  This condition being so, natural men cannot grieve over sin. “Sin is the transgression of the law.”  And the “carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of  God,  neither  indeed  can  be.  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:7-8.) Being dead to spiritual things, natural men cannot be alarmed over sin; cannot feel poverty stricken, or “poor and needy,” nor can they “hunger and thirst after righteousness.”  Yet, it is these very conditions which identify those who are the objects of the Gospel message: “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy  laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 5:6.)

The overwhelming numbers of religious people today seems to have never felt themselves to be the “chief of sinners” and standing in dire need for God’s salvation. They are satisfied with being man-made “Christians.”   This is abundantly evident in the simply-minded schemes they invent and press upon others to “get saved.”  The Gospel of the grace of God declares Christ to be the Savior of sinners. Nowhere does the Bible set forth plans of salvation, decisions for Christ, nor bits and pieces of the law or “Gospel” to be the saviors of righteous folk. On the contrary, the Bible sets forth a very ugly and pitiful condition in which sinners are born.  They are born “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1.)  They had their “conversations in times past in the lusts of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others” (Eph. 2:3.)  That “at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenant of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world”  (Eph. 2:12.)  Simply put, that is a woeful and helpless condition.  Such men cannot be feelingly sensible of their sins, and consequently, of their need for salvation. Yet, the Bible sets forth the condition of natural men even worse than the above. Let us look at some.

First, “there is none righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10.) So none have anything by which they can commend themselves to God.  God owes none of them anything but strict justice.  While they may boast of all kinds of goodness, charities and political correctness, “there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God” (Rom. 3: 11.) That destroys the whole fabric of evangelical motivation. It is sometimes said that no matter what it cost, if only one sinner is saved, it is worth it. [but, they can spend fortunes on palaces in which they praise themselves in will-worship – and nothing they spend money upon saves any sinner!]   “They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; [worthless] there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Rom. 3:12.)  And how descriptive of too many “Christians” today: “Their mouth is an open sepulcher [grave]; the poison of asps is under their lips” (Rom. 3:13.)  “Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways: and the way of peace have they not known; there is no fear of God before their eyes” (Rom. 3: 14-18.)  Paul concludes: “Therefore by the  deeds of the law  there shall no flesh be justified in His sight”  (Rom. 3:20.)  And this is said of GOD’S LAW! What of man’s plans of salvation? Can any one think they could they be better than God’s?

If the above can be said of God’s law, what then can legitimately be said of man-made plans and schemes of salvation?  If by the deeds of God’s law no flesh can be justified in His sight, then we must readily conclude that by Andrew Fuller’s plan of salvation, no flesh can be justified in His sight. Surely, if by that law that Paul says “is just holy and good,” no man can be justified, then, it stands to reason that by mental decisions for Christ, shall no flesh be justified in His sight. Is that not a reasonable conclusion? Simply put, none of these things can redeem us from the curse of a broken law; none of them can provide a needed ransom in order for the captive to go free, neither can any of them pay the debt accrued by the transgression of the law for sinners. There is nothing a lifeless carnal person can do to help attain salvation. And in fact, since salvation is completed in Christ’s atonement, these plans and programs are not needed anyway.

As Paul said again, “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness came by the law, then Christ is dead in vain” (Galatians 2:21.) One may extrapolate readily from this divine principle:  Can one walk down an aisle and make a decision whether Christ died or no?  Yes.  Can one believe in Christ as readily as in Caesar, George Bush, Billy Graham, or anyone else, without Christ dying? Of course! These man-made works - even if those that are commanded of God - cannot save a man from the power, dominion, penalty, or love of sin. “If righteousness came by any plan of salvation, verily, Christ died in vain.” Repentance did not die on the cross.  Faith, or moral suasion, (merely believing something) did not suffer for our sins. Decisions are activities of the carnal mind, and cannot atone for sins. Walking down a church’s aisle can only make one a member of a religious institution; but none can walk into the kingdom of God. He must be born into that! These things are not good news to sensible sinners, for they do not put away, or remit sin. They cannot deliver from sin, wrath, death, or hell. Good news must be a message of what did do this for acknowledging sinners.

Paul wrote: “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the Gospel of Christ,”  and then he adds, “let him be accursed”  (Gal.1: 6-9.)  Or, as said more clearly: “for if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, of if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another Gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” (II Cor. 11:4.) There is a Gospel of Christ which is good news; and a counterfeit message which tells people to do what they need not; there is a Jesus who “has power over all flesh,” and one who does not; there is a Spirit that “quickeneth whom He will”  and one that cannot.  One set of these is valuable to sensible sinners, and only it can satisfy the demands of a broken law for needy sinners.  The other set - the perverted Gospel - is valuable in making church members or man-made “Christians,” and is an economic boon for religious enterprises. But it has no everlasting value.

Simply put, there are people who feelingly know what they are by nature, and have a vital need for the Gospel of free and sovereign grace.  There are other people who imagine they have at least sufficient goodness to deserve God’s favor, or at least sufficient power to help Him save them selves.  These have the perverted Gospel preached to them regularly. But of this latter “Gospel,” Paul corrects himself, saying, “which is not another Gospel.” It certainly is not the one he preached. The one he preached, he said, was “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16). It should be noted that Paul did not say it was the power of God to salvation to any one that is an unbeliever. Only to a believer can it be the power of God to salvation.

Chapter Three: SOME COMPONENTS OF THE  GOSPEL  SIMPLY  PUT

The Gospel is the message of what Christ has done for the salvation of His elect people (Eph. 1:4;  I Thess. 1:4; II Thess. 2:13, to mention a few passages.)  To declare what Christ has done will involve many things, for He did a great deal. He obeyed the law for, or in the stead of, His people, because they could not keep it. He died for their sins, because they could not die and yet be saved. He ransomed them from captivity, because they could not free themselves from the captivity of sin and death by anything they could think of doing. He redeemed them from the curse of the law, for they had no price sufficient to pay their debt of sin. “The wages of sin is death.” So He died. He did that two thousand years ago! He sanctified them because they were unholy and unclean, and could not wash away their sins.  He propitiated their sins because they could not appease the wrath of God against them, and make satisfaction to the wrath of God’s justice. That too, He did two thousand years ago.  He justified them because they could not justify themselves before God. He reconciled them to God because they were by nature His enemies, and could not gain His peace by anything they could think of, or do. These are some of the things Christ did.  All these things Christ accomplished two thousand years ago. Therefore they are not predicated upon any of our doings, or even believing. We believe it because it is so, not to make it so. This list of seven things (there are more than these) we will present as ingredients of the Gospel:

1. Christ’ obedience for His people

2. Christ’ death for the penalty of their sins

3. Christ’ shed blood as a ransom for their  sins

4. Christ’ redemption of His people

5. Christ’ sanctification of His people

6. Christ’ propitiation for their sins, and

7. Christ’ reconciliation of His  people  to  God

You will get an early preview  of  the  true  Gospel  if you will here note that everyone of the above was accomplished  two thousand years ago while Christ was on earth. Simply put: The elect have a perfect obedience and righteousness, a sacrifice (death) for their sins, which ransomed and redeemed them, which also sanctified them by being their propitiation, and thereby satisfying the justice of God, they are now reconciled to God by the death of Christ. That statement, within itself, is the Gospel of Christ.  Since too few today even understand these seven terms, we will elaborate on each to make them as simple as we can without sacrificing the truth and beauty of them.

1. Christ is our obedience

It is both reasonable and Biblical that anyone going to heaven must be without sin. “The soul that sinneth it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4.) Since sin is the   “transgres-sion of the law” and the “wages of sin is death”  (1 John 3:4 and Romans 6:23) and “all has sinned and come short of the glory of God,” a poor feeling sinner cannot help but think: “Who, Lord, then can be saved?” And the answer to that question by our Lord on another occasion is good here also. “With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  It is right here that a convicted sinner often falters. “If I must be sinless, or if I must be holy, then there cannot be any hope for such as I.” How long, and how often God’s children are plagued by this condition. Yet, when the apostle set forth the reason for divine election in Ephesians 1: 4, he gave the reason “that we be holy and without blame before Him in love.” Not that we become holy and without blame; but be such “before Him,” or in His sight. In our nature, we know we are not holy nor without blame. So, simply put, in some way God must deal with our violations of His law. He must find a way to “be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”  (Romans 3:26.)

Now the sweet mercy of God led the apostle Paul to deal specifically with that problem, hence it is a basic aspect of the Gospel. “Wherefore,  as  by  one  man  (meaning Adam)  sin  entered  into  the  world,  and  death  by  sin;  and  so  death  passed  upon  all  men,  for  all  have  sinned.”  This point a feeling  sinner  can easily  understand.  But look what mercy applies to such sinners:  “Therefore  as  by  the  offense  of  one,  judgment  came  upon  all  men  to  condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one  (meaning Christ)  the  free  gift  came  upon  all  (manner of) men  unto  justification”  (Romans 5: 12 and 18.)  Now watch what he says about our obedience. “For as by one man’s disobedience  many  were  made  sinners,  so  by  the  obedience  of  one  (meaning Christ)  shall  many  be made  righteous.” Adam disobeyed God and all of his offspring yet in him were made sinners. So also, Christ obeyed the law to its jot and tittle and all in Him by divine election and seed substance are counted to have obeyed also! That is good news isn’t it?  See!  That is how He “made us holy and  without  blame  before Him  in  love”  (Ephesians 1:2-6.) Since we ourselves have not been perfectly obedient, God ordained that Christ be the obedience for all His elect children. Isn’t that pure grace?  “The  wages  of  sin  is  death;  but  the  gift  of  God  is  eternal  life  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord” (Romans 6:23.)  When this is given to us to see and believe, it is surely the Gospel, or glad tidings to our souls.

2. Christ’ death  for  the  penalty  of  their  sins.

This aspect of the Gospel is the most familiar of all those listed, and yet strangely, so little truly believed by most people. “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how  that  Christ  died  for  our  sins  according  to  the  Scripture.”  (I Cor. 15:3.)  Some people recognize what that passage says, and yet do not want to receive the force of it. So they modify it by saying, “Christ died for all our sins except the sin of unbelief.”  Now, the text does not teach this, nor could it possibly mean it. It teaches that Christ died for all our sins. Not some of our sins. If Christ did not include the sin of unbelief in His propitiation, then all men would still have that one sin for which to die! And who is sufficient for that? Becoming a believer would not remove the previous sin, and the wages of sin is still death. In such a case as that, no man would be saved.

In the 15th chapter of I Corinthians, Paul sets forth the death,  burial, and resurrection as “THE Gospel” itself. Why? Because everything and everyone Christ died for is included in that great event. The death of Christ is the sacrifice made to God by the Eternal Spirit for our salvation. By it, our sins were “put away as far as the east is from the west” and “He will remember our sins no more.” Paul compared Christ’ death and its effect on His people to Adam’ death and its effect on his offspring, saying: “For AS  in  Adam  all  die,  EVEN  SO  in  Christ  shall  ALL  be  made  alive”  (I Cor. 15: 22.)  That is, as it is true that all that were in Adam’s seed died when he died; so of a truth, all that are in Christ’ seed shall also be made alive. They are in Christ by divine election, not by their decision or works. They “were chosen IN him before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4) As you can see, that choice was long before two thousand years ago!

3. Christ  shed  His  blood  for  a  ransom  for  their  sins

Usually most people know what is meant by a ransom when reading about a kidnapping in a daily newspaper. However, when they hear the word in the context of the Christian faith, they are as blind as if they never heard the word at all! It means what it means in both settings! The ransom price is paid, and the captive goes free!  That is the Gospel! Again, that price was paid two thousand years ago! By definition, a ransom is a price paid for the freedom of one that is held a captive against their will.  In reality, sinners are held captive by sin and Satan, and when they are quickened to spiritual life, are not willingly so to be any longer. To put it plainly: The ransom price frees the captive! And when was this ransom paid?  You already know the answer. Two thousand years ago on the cross of Calvary! Who paid it?   This, too, you already know!

Jesus said,  “Even  as  the  Son  of  man  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister,  and  to  give  His  life  a  ransom  for  MANY”  (Matt. 20:28.) So, by definition, many are freed from their captivity to sin and death, as of when He paid that price. That is good  news!

But, one might ask, “Does not the Scripture say: ‘Who gave Himself a ransom for ALL?” Yes, it does. But does “all” mean “everyone”? No. “All” is an indefinite  pronoun, and thus refers to “all” in some context. In this context, it is for “all” for whom Christ stands as a Mediator. And since He only mediates for His people, the “all” are His people. In fact, in the full context it means all sorts of men.  “For kings, and for all that are in authority,” etc. (I Timothy 2:2.)

[It is too hard for us to omit James North and Hugh William’s’ study of this text. So we borrow their information that they used against Charles H. Spurgeon’s misleading sermon on this text. It is this, in a nutshell:

“The word “all” in the Greek is pastas. In the set, it has these five meanings: “all,” “any,” “total,”  “whole,” and “every kind of”. Now which use of these definitions will fit the doctrine taught? It cannot be “all without exception,” for if so all without exception are ransomed, and thus saved. Few people believe in universal salvation. Will the word “any” fit the doctrine? He gave His life for any.  No, that will not work either. Does it mean total? That, too, will not fit. Does it mean whole? Whole what? No, that cannot be its meaning. So we are left with: “every kind of.”  Will that work? Of course; that is consistent with what Christ taught in the text quoted from Matthew. The “many” for whom He died.”]

Putting arguments aside, the beauty of the doctrine is obvious. Our precious Lord loved His people with an everlasting love, and with loving kindness He draws such to Himself. To free them from their enslavement, He lovingly and willingly laid down His life, shedding His precious blood to ransom them from their captivity. In time, He gives faith to His quickened feeling sinners to believe that He is their salvation - their Deliverer! How gracious to such unworthy sinners! Again, simply put, Christ has already ransomed His captive people from the condemnation of sin, death, and hell. Oh, wondrous grace!

4. Christ’  redemption  of  His  people  from  their  sins

Under this heading, we will expand it in more detail, since it is a very important subject. Redemption is the crowning achievement of our Lord in the full and free salvation of His people. We will, therefore put additional emphasis upon this topic.

Redemption is similar to a ransom. It also sets someone free. Two major differences are worth noting: a redemption sets a slave free, whereas, a ransom releases a kidnapped  captive.  Secondly, redemption applies only to someone who has a prior right to the slave – its owner, whereas a ransom may include anyone. As shown already, it involves all sorts of people.

Redemption considers the poor sinner held in bondage by sin and Satan. “He that committeth sin is a servant (bond-slave) of sin”  (John 8: 34.)  Again, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness”  (Romans 6:16.)  If a sensible sinner knows anything at all, he knows that he is a bond-slave to sin. Ah! How he has fought the lusts of the flesh, and how he has been confounded! Try, try, try, as he will, sin “is ever present” with him. He knows exactly what Paul meant when he said, “I  find  a  law,  that,  when  I  would  do  good,  evil  is  present  with  me”  (Romans 7:21.) And, Oh, how many times has he felt as Paul, “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of  sin  which  is in my members”  (Romans 7:23.)  With Paul, he has inwardly mourned, “O wretched man that  I  am!  Who shall deliver me  from  the  body  of  this  death?”  (Romans 7:24.)  Paul’s answer is the Gospel:  “I thank God through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.”

Satan being such a “strong man”, both he and sin have such a hold that the slave needs a Redeemer to buy him back and set him free. As quoted before, we quote again, “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”  In Galatians, Paul teaches, “Christ  hath  (passed tense)  redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the  law,  being  made  a  curse  for  us:  for  it  is  written,  Cursed  is  every  one  that  hangeth  on  a  tree” ( Galatians 3:13.)  It should be noted, that for it to be glad tidings, the word “redeemed” has an “ed” on the end of it!  Like all things else in the Gospel, it is a message of what Christ has already done for those that He loved!  How glad is the feeling sinner’s heart when he no longer has to work at saving himself, and hear the joyful news that he has redemption through the shed-blood of the precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  What wondrous love is this, Oh my soul! I could not pay anything toward my release from the power and dominion of sin [see chapter on the Sovereign Dominion of God], but bless the Lord, Oh my soul, He had the power and will to pay that debt and set this old slave free from that cruel taskmaster!  And He did just that! Two thousand years ago, legally, He redeemed all He would ever redeem. “It is finished!” In time, in one’s conversion, He experimentally does the same.

Predestinarian Baptists - some of which are called "Old Order Baptists," and others as Calvinistic Southern Baptists and Independents - emphasize the basic doctrine more than the evangelical fervor so often characteristic of freewill-believing Baptists. To us, true religion is a direct and individual experience with God. Second in importance is a love and delight in His precious word, which is: knowledge of doctrine, or teaching; and living consistently with His word, or Christian morality.

Baptists of past ages have left us a rich heritage of what they believed relative to God's word. Almost every local church has articles of faith, and almost all associations and conventions have them as well. The Appendix A, to this article is a good example of an early draft for the Georgia Baptist Association. It was also adopted by the Georgia Baptist Convention when it was constituted. Later, the same was adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention when it divided from the earlier Tri-ennial Baptist Convention in 1845. And, here in Mississippi, it was generally adopted by associations as the Baptists migrated into the Yazoo Strip, and adopted by the Mississippi Baptists as well. I will, at first, cite from these, merely to show that my topic is very well documented historically in the annals of the Baptist people. I will use bold letters to emphasize various free grace concepts I wish to use in this letter. The reader can reference such citations in the Appendix A, the Articles of Faith of the Georgia Baptist Association of 1792.

First,                the             oldest               Baptist Association in Mississippi is the Mississippi Baptist Association, constituted in 1806. Quoting from the original 1806 Minutes of this association, we read: "Article 3. We believe in the fall of Adam; in the imputation of his sin to all his posterity; And in man's inability to restore himself to the favor of God."

"Article 4. We believe in the everlasting love of God to His people; in the eternal unconditional election of a definite number of the human race to grace and glory."

"Article 6. We believe all those who were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world; are in time effectually called, regenerated, converted, and sanctified; and are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation."

That is what our first Baptists who entered this frontier State said they believed in 1806. Modern Baptists still print the above annually in their associational minutes, even though this generation of them seldom ever hear a sermon advocating these precious truths.

Second: the oldest State Baptist Convention affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention is the Georgia Baptist Convention formed in 1800, by the Georgia Association which was previously formed in 1792. Their articles are in the Appendix. I select the following to elaborate upon:

"Article 3. We believe in the fall of Adam, and the imputation of his sin to his posterity: In the corruption of human nature, and the impotency of man to recover himself by his own freewill." Examine that carefully. It is a very concise statement of divine revelation.

"Article 4. We believe in the everlasting love of God to His people, and the eternal election of a definite number of the human race, to grace and glory: and that there was a Covenant of Grace or redemption made between the Father and the Son, before the world began, in which their salvation is secure, and they in particular are saved." This is based upon many passages of Scripture, but chiefly Ephesians 1: 1-6 and verse 11. Why not read that chapter now?

I have yet to discover any Baptist churches or associations that better state the doctrine of salvation than the above. It is clear and very precise. Of all statements of faith I've read, this is my favorite expression.

In considering the doctrine of unconditional election and predestination, notice how our forefathers predicated it upon God's own purpose before the foundation of the world. They were correct in stating it, and by basing the need of it on the total inability of man to recover himself from his fallen condition. If Adam by his sinful fall passed his corrupt nature to all of his posterity, so that they are now totally unable to do anything of a spiritual nature to recover themselves by their own will, then our forefathers saw clearly that God Himself must recover them. Otherwise, they all must perish. It was, and is, very obvious that He does not recover all of mankind; but only some of them. Thus, as you may see, these Baptists pointed out that in recovering some, (His covenant people, the elect, or those whom He loved with an everlasting love) He entered into a Covenant or an agreement with His Son before He ever created the world, that they (a "definite number," as the Baptists said) would be called by the Holy Spirit, or born-again, and converted to a new life, and sanctified by God who works mightily in them. They expressed what most Baptists still teach, that is, that His people will be "kept by the power of God unto salvation" through faith - a gift of God. That is what present-day Baptists call, "Once saved, always saved," or "eternal security."

The major difference in doctrine between the modern Baptists and the primitive Baptists today is that Predestinarians still actively believe and preach the above articles of God's word. To them, it is not a mere confession of faith, but a living and precious belief system. Modern Baptists, today, seldom mentions these important and foundational doctrines, or worse, some will actively oppose them, and speak evil of God's doctrine and/or those who love them. They have become very much in agreement with the Arminian school of Methodism on all points except "once saved, always saved." However, as you can see, originally the Baptists were much closer to the Calvinist Methodists in England, than with the Arminian (Pelagian, or free-will) Methodists in America. On the American frontier, Baptists and Methodists were in total opposition in each others’ doctrine. Today, they can exchange ministers and members with very little modification of either's belief system.

When Peter wrote: "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall" (II Peter 1:10,) he commanded two things worthy for us to notice: First, to give diligence to make our calling sure, and second, to give diligence to make our election sure. To give diligence to this certainly implies these two things are highly important, and ought not to be taken lightly. If Baptists heeded this admonition, they would still be Predestinarians today. If they failed to do so, then, according to Peter, they would likely "fall." And this they surely did! True religion is indeed a serious matter: the eternal happiness of a soul is at stake! Peter places calling, in this verse, before election. Both from the Scriptural standpoint, as well as our forefather's, election was "before the foundation of the world, whereas effectual calling is in our timely experience. But, one cannot ascertain his election before he was born, without first being called to salvation. Without that effectual call in time, one cannot have any evidence of divine election. Therefore, Peter's instruction is extremely important: the very evidence of divine election is our experience in effectual calling by the Spirit to a knowledge of our sins, and of our Savior, and a love for both He and His doctrine. Thus, the articles of faith, and the Bible emphasizes both.

I suppose most modern Baptists will still agree with our forefathers that Adam fell from his former state of happiness in the Garden of Eden (at least those that are not followers of Charles Darwin.) But many will no longer go so far as their forefathers and ourselves in saying that Adam passed his corrupt nature to "all his posterity." Yet, the Scriptures so declare: "Wherefore, as by one man (meaning Adam the first) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5: 12.) And, "Therefore as by the offense of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation” (Romans 5: 1 7.) And again, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23.) Sin is the transgression of the law of God, and death is the wages of sin. Since infants die, then their sin is from their natural parents, and Adam's sin is imputed to them, for they were seminally in him when he fell. Thus sin leaves man in a state from which, as our Baptist forefathers declared, he cannot "recover himself by his own freewill ability." Consider that Adam was originally made in the image of God, and yet he fell! Nor could Adam ever recover himself, for God barred him from the Tree of Life "lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever" (Genesis 3:22.) If such is true of Adam, how much more helpless are we who were born of his "corruptible seed?" (1 Peter 1:23.)

This, I hope, is easy to prove. Do infants die? If so, why? "The wages of sin is death.” Whose sin, then, brings them into such condemnation? theirs or another's? "As by one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin." Again, do we have to teach children to lie? Families, churches, and schools constantly work together to try to teach children to be honest, with varying degrees of success- but none are fully successful, considering the time and effort invested in that training. On the other hand, "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies" (Psalm 58:3.) That is pretty early, wouldn't you agree? Why? - they are "estranged from the womb." Estranged from God that early! No wonder Jesus told Nicodemus, "Ye must be born again," and "born from above" (John 3:3-6, and John 1:1213.) Man is in a far worse condition than he ever supposes he is in, principally because he grew up daily, little by little, "waxing worse and worse." He is quite adapted to his native corruption. It is so natural to him that he can't believe he is totally unable to recover himself by his own natural ability whenever he "gets ready." Why? Because: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9.)

The point I wish to make at this place is this: If we consider the race of man in the condition of sin and rebellion which Scripture and common observation demonstrates, then there has to be, yea, must be some intervention made by God Himself on any man's behalf, else, hell would await us all, for "all have sinned" (Romans 3: 10-23.)

But, seeing and believing that God has demonstrated His mercy (at least to some of the fallen undeserving race,) what moved Him to do anything at all? Strict justice demands their full execution. But God is also a God of mercy. The Articles state that it was because: "He loved His people with an everlasting love." Jeremiah said it this way: "The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee" (Jeremiah 31:3.) Did not Jesus also say quite the same: "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day"? (John 6:44.) Also, do we not read Him saying: "Therefore said I unto you that no man can come unto Me, except it were given unto him of My Father"? (John 6:65.) Consider that Jesus Himself said that "no man can come unto Me." Yet, almost in every sermon today, some preacher is begging people to "come to Jesus." There are two things Jesus put upon one's coming to Him. One must be drawn to Him by the Father, and one must have the given to him to come. Jeremiah placed this drawing by God squarely upon God's own everlasting love to the one drawn by the Father. Surely the love of God is the moving cause of anyone being drawn to Him by the Holy Spirit, for otherwise, none would come. It is not that God draws everyone to Him, and then they must decide about it. No! As you see, the same ones that are drawn are the same ones raised up in the last day. This drawing is effectual to their salvation. Surely God cannot fail, or else He is very frustrated all the time. And what kind of god would stay frustrated?

I can almost hear an objection here from some reader. "But doesn't God love everybody?" I have no idea where such an idea originated. It is not supported by Scripture or by common rational observation. Since He is God, doesn't He have power sufficient to keep one that He loves from going to hell? If He does have such immense power of creation, yet does not prevent it, then what kind of love is this that He is said to have? Of what value is universal love in the face of impotency to deliver from His own created hell? What kind of logic is that? Yet, the Scripture answer is an emphatic "No!" And the doubting reader will think, "Prove it!" "I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, Wherein hast Thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? Saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob, and Ihated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness" (Malachi 1:2-3). So, that is one place where Scripture refutes a universal love of God. Again, "For the children not yet being born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of Him that calleth; It was said unto her (Rebecca), The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have Iloved, but Esau have Ihated" (Romans 9: 11-13.) Most Christians read the New Testament, and isn't it strange they some how miss this text? It too, refutes the universal love theory. And what of this text: "The foolish shall not stand in Thy sight: Thou hatest all workers of iniquity" (Psalm 5:5.) "All workers of iniquity" embraces most of mankind! And God hates them, according to this Bible text. The principle of discrimination between the wicked and righteous is pervasive and prevalent throughout the Bible. "All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there Ihated them" (Hosea 9: 15.) And yet another: "The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein" (Proverb 22: 14.) According to this text - read it carefully - one frequenting adulterous and fornicating women is hated of God. No! Scripture knows no concept of universal love. The whole tenor of divine revelation is this: "He loved us, and gave Himself for us." Never do we read that He "loved them." Invariably, the love of God is always placed within the context of a personal pronoun! For example: in the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, where the personal pronouns are used throughout relative to those for whom Christ would die. "He died for our iniquity," "He died for our sins," etc. Why these personal pronouns? So that true religion might be founded upon a personal vital experience with God. Never once is it said that He died for "them." Thus the Articles quoted in the Appendix, always referred to "His people," according to unconditional and eternal election. Divine election is placed upon the dark backdrop of hopeless sin, corruption, and the inability of man. From there, it shines the brightest and glorifies the love and mercy of God! Can anyone in his right mind look upon the drowning inhabitants of the old world in the days of Noah and say that the scene before us is evidence of God's universal love?

Leaving that objection, consider this: That since man is by nature corrupt, and that if God does not love all mankind, the necessity for election and predestination can be better presented. If we see that man's corruption is so total that he "cannot recover himself by his own will and ability," as the Baptists of the South wrote, we find him left in a hopeless state unless God does the whole work of saving him. That man is in this condition both the Bible and common observation prove. Something dreadful has certainly incapacitated him spiritually. No one can possibly come to Christ savingly unless his will is actively involved in this coming. That is one cardinal reason Baptists do not baptize unwilling infants! Yet Jesus said:

"And ye will not come to Me that ye might have life" (John 5:40.) Why is it they are not willing to come that they might have life? "And this is the work of God, that ye believe in Him that sent Me.” It is only by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them that they have any righteousness before God. Of the flesh, they have none to present. (See Article 5).

Finally, it is impossible for one of His sheep, His elect, His children to finally deny the doctrine of Christ, because even if they do not understand all things, yet they believe all things revealed in His word to them. And because "God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” (2Thessalonians 2: 13-14, and verses 8-12) in time, God will grant them both the sanctification and the belief of the Truth.

May God grant a revival and return to the "faith of God's elect" by those that follow after the early frontier Baptists and the revelation of the truth of free grace demonstrated in their historic record preserved to us down to this day. That is one basic reason they left us this record of their faith. May we honor it as the Truth of revelation from the Spirit of God to them for us?

5. Christ’  sanctification  of  His  people

By definition, sanctification is the setting of someone or something apart from others for an exclusive and holy use. In the old temple worship, almost all things were sanctified by the sprinkling of blood. The Eternal Godhead is involved in the sanctification of sensible sinners. The Father sanctified: “Jude, the  servant  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  brother  of  James,  to  them  that  are  sanctified  by  God  the  Father,  and  preserved  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  called.” (by preserved is meant kept in seed substance IN Christ until called by grace in the new birth- Jude1). This sanctification, we believe, refers to the Father electing and giving those elected to His Son Jesus Christ that He should redeem, save, and call them to salvation. They were set aside for a holy use, as “vessels  of  mercy  afore  prepared  unto  glory” and receptacles of God’s born-again offspring  (Romans 9:23.) Their bodies are “earthen vessels” designed to hold the heavenly treasure deposited in them at their second birth from above (II Cor. 4:7.)

They are also sanctified by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Paul addressed his epistle to the Corinthians, “Unto the church of  God  which  is  at  Corinth,  to  them  that  are  sanctified  in  Christ  Jesus,  called  to  be  saints,  with  all  that  in  every  place  call  upon  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  both  theirs  and  ours” (I Cor. 1:2.)  We understand that such as are taught that they are sinners in a feeling way experimentally, are sanctified by divine election which put them in Christ Jesus, and being in Him, all that He did is accounted to them also, as if they had done them. All His works are good, and being sanctified IN Him, all their good works therefore are those that He did. He also particularly sanctified them through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.

The Holy Spirit also sanctifies them when He calls them to life in Christ - when they are born from above by the Spirit.  “Elect  according  to  the  foreknowledge  of  God  the  Father,  through  sanctification of  the  Spirit, unto  obedience  and  sprinkling  of  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ:  Grace  unto  you,  and  peace,  be  multiplied” (I Peter 1:2.)  A sensible sinner will search often for these evidences within himself. And, true, sometimes he can’t seem to find sufficient in which to rejoice. A very sweet and precious truth is hidden here: “But of Him are ye in Christ  Jesus,  Who  of  God  is  made  unto  us  wisdom,  and  righteousness, and  sanctification, and  redemption” (I Cor. 1:30.)  We said “hidden here.” For it is Christ Himself Who is our sanctification. We are set aside IN Him to be an exclusive and holy people unto God. We are no longer the servant of unrighteousness, but the servant of Christ, who is our Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption. Sanctification is not something new when one believes in Christ. He has ever had it in Christ before he heard the Gospel of it, and rejoiced in that truth. Paul puts the stroke of finality to this subject, when he wrote: “Then  said  He,  Lo,  I  come  to  do  Thy  WILL,  O God.  He  taketh  away  the  first  (covenant of the law),  that  He  may  establish  the  second   (covenant of grace);  by  the  which  WILL  we  are  sanctified  through  the  offering  of  the  body  of  Jesus  Christ  once  for  all”  (Heb. 10:10.)  Simply put, that sanctification took place when Christ died, two thousand years ago. Now, while so often we find ourselves polluted by sin and out of the way of holiness, our blessed Lord knew this would ever be so. Therefore, He Himself sanctified us “forever” by the offering of His own precious body as a sacrifice for sin. Under the law, these sacrifices prefigured the putting away of sin; purification from the defilement of sin; and to sanctify the comer to the offering as one of God’s own people. “They are Mine, saith the Lord.”

6.  Christ’  propitiation  for  their  sins

“And  the  publican,  standing  afar  off,  would  not  lift  up  so  much  as  his  eyes  to  heaven,  but  smote  upon  his  breast,  saying,  God  be  merciful  (propitious: center margin reading)  to me a sinner”  (Luke 18: 13.)

The word propitiation means to appease divine wrath, and render satisfaction. To be propitious, or to be merciful. Our dear Lord, two thousand years ago, actually did appeased the frowning Justice of God, and render satisfaction for His elect.  He died the death of the transgressor to fulfill its just demands.  Blessed be His name, He did it for His people because there was no way they could do it for themselves. Again, He did this gracious work two thousand years ago. Our believing it does not establish it. It is already done, and our believing (and faith is God’s own gift to us) it is God’s way of comforting us and causing us to magnify His own grace by the manifestation of this sweet and gracious work.

We know the text the worldly religionists will go to: “And  He  is  the  propitiation  for  our  sins:  and  not  for  ours  only,  but  also  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world.”  (I John 2:2.)  Immediately they jump onto the words “also for the sins of the whole world,” because they do not know what a propitiation is! One thing is for certain, that if Christ is the propitiation for everyone on earth, then He has already satisfied the just demands of the law, and appeased  the wrath of God against everyone on earth, and therefore everyone on earth is saved and safe!  The phrase “the whole world” is certainly no universally all inclusive phrase. Read this passage written by this same apostle:  “And  WE  know  that  WE  ARE  OF  GOD,  and  the  WHOLE  WORLD  lieth  in  wickedness”  (I John 5:19.)  Need we point out that the “WE” are a different group of people than the “whole world” in this text?

Christ Jesus is our Advocate with the Father, and as such He alone stands as the Propitiation of our sins. All that He did while on earth was to this very end. His standing before the Father for us is the crowning glory of our salvation. John wrote: “Herein IS  LOVE, not  that we  loved  God  (for we didn’t, and can’t in the flesh), but that HE  LOVED  US,  and  sent  HIS  SON  to  be  the  PROPITIATION  FOR  OUR  sins”  (I John 4:10.)  If only we could always believe and rest in this! How comfortable would our souls be! But in those times when God grants us to recall it, believe it, and rest in it, it is the Gospel to our burdened souls. How gracious is our Lord not to lay this task upon our fickle, feeble faith, repentance, or works! He made this doctrine a stable finished one - two thousand years ago! “It is finished!” This is referred to as “the accomplishment of Christ on the cross.”

7.  Christ’  Reconciliation  of  His  People  To  God

This, too, is a most precious doctrine!  How great is the need for a feeling sinner to be at peace with God?  And to ever be at peace with God, in some manner, he must be reconciled to Him. By nature he is born a rebel. In fact, his “natural mind,” or “carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God,  it  is  not  subject  to  the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed  can  be.  So then they that  are  in  the  flesh  cannot  please  God”  (Romans 8:7-8.) That was not merely what condition we were in before divine quickening to spiritual life: It still IS our condition relative to our fleshly being. That condition has not yet changed.  This being so, how can one ever expect to have peace with God? Again, “with man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Do you see how God has everything needful covered?  This is surely a testimony to the perfection of His Wisdom!  He left nothing undone that is needful for our salvation. This, too, is a finished work from two thousand years ago. Let us look at the testimony of the Scripture.

Paul connected the elects’ reconciliation with their justification  by  His  blood,  and put both of them in the past tense - when He shed his blood - two thousand years ago!  “Much more then, being  NOW  justified  by  His  blood,  we  shall  be  saved  from  wrath  through Him.  For if,  when  we  were  enemies,  we  were  RECONCILED  to  God  by  the  death  of  His  Son,  (See,  His death was two thousand years ago)  much  more,  being  reconciled,  we  shall  be  saved  by  His  Life” (Romans 5: 9-10.)  That is as plain as one can make it; yet very few can believe it. Strange, isn’t it? However, in believing it, the Gospel, or glad tidings,  gives the believer much comfort and joy. Deep within our carnal nature we would think that we should do something to reconcile ourselves to God. Simply put, it is too late, and not necessary! Christ has already done that for His people - because they could not do it for themselves. “And not only so, but  we  also  joy  in  God  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  we  have  NOW received the atonement   (or  reconciliation : KJV  marginal reading -Romans 5:11.)

Again, in II Cor. 5:18 and 19, Paul put reconciliation  in the past tense, and timed it to the event on the Cross. “And  all  things  are  of  God,  Who  HATH  RECONCILED us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry  of  reconciliation; to wit,  that  God  was  in  Christ,  reconciling  the  world  unto  Himself, not  imputing  their  trespasses  unto  them;  and  hath  committed  unto  us  the  word  of  reconciliation.”

We believe we have proved the doctrine. Now let us apply it. We need peace with God, not only in reality, but also in our conscience. A sensible sinner is greatly comforted in those times that he is enabled to view himself already reconciled to God. In that way he is made a friend to God and God is made a friend to him. This is one of the reasons that Christ came in the flesh, so that He could be a perfect High Priest for us, and make this reconciliation. As the writer said,  “Wherefore in  all  things  it  behooved  Him  to  be  made  like  unto  His  brethren,  that  He  might  be  a  merciful  and  faithful  High  Priest  in  things  pertaining  to  God,  to  make  reconciliation  for  the  sins  of  the  people.  For  in  that  He  Himself  hath  suffered  being  tempted,  He  is  able  to  succour  them  that  are  tempted” (Heb. 2:17-18.)

Under the law, the high priest’s business was to make atonement (at-one-ment) for the sins of those he represented. He finalized all the sacrificial offerings made by the priests. He made intercession for the sins of the people. So our Great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ has done all these things needful for His people. What He accomplished, and the ways in which He accomplished them, simply put, is the  Gospel,  or  glad  tidings  of our salvation.

That, and much, much more, my dear young “Theophilus”  is the Gospel Simply Put.

Chapter Four:  CHRISTIAN  EXPERIENCE

SIMPLY PUT

In my former treatise, O Theophilus, (“Theophilus” means: “a friend of God” in the Greek), the Gospel was presented as the “glad tidings,” or “good news” of what Christ has already done in his active and passive work while here on earth. In the second, the official doctrines of our fellowship of churches were simply stated. In this, treatise, we shall attempt to apply the whole. Setting forth the Gospel and the doctrines of Christianity without the application of these to a poor sinner would be to neglect a vital point for which the former are designed. But, where to begin is difficult to determine. If we begin where Christian experience begins, it must be in the eternal love and decree of God from which it rises. But how deep is that sea! How wide that topic! We shall spend eternity wondering at its vastness. So we will only “hint” at this and pass on. [See page 26-29, on Effectual Calling .]

As with Jeremiah, the same can be said of every sensible sinner: “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: and with longing kindness have I DRAWN thee”  (Jeremiah 31:3.)  It is from this everlasting love that God moved to save such wretched sinners. As he said of Ephraim, His work is the moving cause of salvation: “I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me  and I was chastised,  as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: TURN  THOU  ME, and I  SHALL  be turned;  for Thou art the Lord my God.  Surely AFTER that I was turned, I REPENTED;  and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth” (Jeremiah 31:18,19.) If one would look closely at the order and arrangement of this text, one should be able to see the Christian experience laid out consistently with what every quickened child of God has experienced.  First, God moves in the quickening of sinners, giving them eternal life.  He applies the law, thus chastening him for sins, and the sinner now desires that God turn him. He cannot turn from what he is by nature. So he begs God to turn him. He recognizes the effectual work of God’s Almighty power as necessary: “Turn Thou me, and I shall be turned!” There is no dispute here. If God turns a man, that man is turned! The reason he is turned is because the “Lord is my God.” God is GOD, and He surely can turn whomsoever He will.

But what follows next? “After that I was turned, I repented.”  That is totally reversed from the order modern religions teach. They teach that if you would but repent, God then would turn you, or let you turn yourself! But that, simply put, is contrary to experience. Since a man is born “dead in trespasses and sins,” he is unable to turn himself, and also unable to evangelically repent. But when God turns him he most certainly will repent, for repentance is God’s work too! “Him haht God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for TO  GIVE  repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins” (Acts 5:31.)  Again, upon the report of Peter to the church at Antioch, the church rejoiced and “glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted  repentance  unto  life”  (Acts 11:18.) Paul rebuked natural men for “not  knowing  that  the goodness  of  God  LEADETH  THEE  to  REPENTANCE” (Romans 2:4.)

Are you then a feeling sinner?  Has God chastened you to feel as if you were a stubborn bull unaccustomed to the ox-yoke? You just cannot do good, but are condemned for not doing it? There is solid comfort here if the answers to these questions are “Yes.”  One of the earliest declarations of our Lord Jesus was this: “I will have mercy, and NOT sacrifice, for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to REPENTANCE” (Matt. 9:13.)  Why would our Lord reject sacrifices? Sacrifices were commanded of Israel. The reason is to display His MERCY. And how is His mercy displayed? by calling SINNERS, rather than self-righteous folk, to repentance. The Lord “delights in mercy.” It is one of His sweetest attributes, or characteristics. If He made salvation, whether faith or repentance, to be conditional, then the “righteous” would have it. But no! Ten thousands times no! He made it a matter of His own sweet mercy! He does the chastening; He does the turning; He  gives  the  results: repentance; and He does it to and for sinners! What solid comfort this is to a believing sinner. No wonder the saints love to sing of His free grace and mercy!  While “repentance and remission of sins is to be preached unto all nations,” it is never to be predicated on creature merit. Christ is the Savior of sinners; not repentance or faith the savior of sinners. All of the above flows from God’s everlasting love and loving kindness. We now move to the topic as it is applied to experience.

The one prerequisite for all Gospel benefits is spiritual life within an individual. Without spiritual life, he cannot believe. Without life, he cannot evangel-ically repent. Without life, he cannot know he is a wretched miserable sinner. Without life, he cannot “hear the joyful sounds” of the Gospel. Without life, he cannot mourn over his sins. Without life, he cannot see any real need for Christ. Without life, simply put, HE IS DEAD, SPIRITUALLY.  Life, then, must precede all these things “which accompany salvation.”  And, from whence comes this LIFE? Jesus said, “Ye must be born again” (John 3:3.) Or, “Ye must be born from above” (center margin.) As in John 1:13, “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of GOD.”  It makes perfectly good sense to an informed Christian. Your father and mother brought you into this world. They were natural, and so are you. Bovines have calves, but goats don’t. If you are ever to be spiritual, you must have a spiritual birth. Your Father must be spiritual. So you come into this new life by a spiritual begetting and birth; and whoever begat you and brought you forth unto spiritual life, is your spiritual and heavenly Father! For the God of all grace to give this life to one, that life must be in Christ’ seed, for it is the “incorruptible seed, the word of God that liveth and abideth forever” (I Peter 1:23,) that begets one to eternal and everlasting life. And this life has always been “is hid in Christ in God.”

But of concern by many poor sinners is the question, “Am I His or am I not?” Are there any indicators by which one may find comfort? Yes. “Jesus said, “He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, HATH  EVERLASTING LIFE” ( John 5:24.)  That is good evidence. Notice that it did not say that if you believed that you would receive everlasting life. He is showing one that he already has everlasting life! Faith is the substance of the things hope for; the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1.)  Paul spent much of his time in the seventh chapter of Romans on this very subject. It is worth reading many times over.  Are you alive, or are you dead?  Perhaps your comfort can be found there. “I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, SIN REVIVED, AND I DIED.”  Have you been there?  Again, “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that I do not; but what I hate, that I do.”  Has he described you yet? By his own experience, the fact that he did those things which he otherwise would not do, he had a witness that the law was good. But he also realized something else. If he was actually doing those things that he would not do, then something else was doing it. And that something else was “but sin that dwelleth in me” (verse 20.)  Are you with him yet?   He explained it further, saying: “I find than a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me”  (verse 21.)  If he has reached your condition, then take comfort that these give evidences of spiritual life within you.

With the commencement of that spiritual life within one who was previously dead in trespasses and sins, there also begins a spiritual warfare. Comfort can also be found with that experience, even if it a trying experience. “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would” (Galatians 5:17.)  Is this clash of positive and negative forces in you? That would be good news, for surely if the Spirit is not within one, that description would be invalid. It is a mark of God’s living children.

We have presented the work of Christ for sinners, as well as the Father’s sovereign decree in salvation. When viewing the experimental work within the child of God, we are expressly concerned with the Holy Spirit’s work. Jesus promised the Spirit as a Comforter, saying: “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide WITH you forever, even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth WITH you, and shall be IN YOU”  (John 14: 16, 17.)  Now there is a contrast made here. The child of God has the Spirit of truth, whereas the world does not. We would not conclude that everyone with a head-knowledge of the five points of grace is saved, but we can say that if they love and cherish such precious truth, then grace is dwelling within them.

The living child of God has an “infirmity” in praying. The world can say a “prayer” at a football game, beer joint, sick bed, or anywhere and at any time they wish. But the infirmity in prayer makes a child of God totally dependent upon God, even for his prayers. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27.)  In your experience, are you there?  Is your prayer-life easy and at any time? Or must you wait for the unction of the Spirit to indict your heart before God? Such individuals are “poor in spirit,” and our Lord promised that such were “blessed” already. Simply put, being poor in spirit is an evidence of one’s blessed state. Is that your present state?  Then take comfort in it.

Another good test of one’s sonship may be by looking within with the most basic and honest examination: What are my values? What are those things I really honestly prize deep within?  Well, you might say, “I prize righteousness and as Lot, am vexed daily by the unrighteousness of the wicked.” How is that weighed by the Lord? “Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness. . .” (Matthew 5:6)  Is that what you are saying? You hunger and thirst after it. If you do, again, our Lord said you were “blessed” already. It too, simply put, is an evidence of one’s sonship. But the Lord’s answer should be of even more comfort. That is, “for they shall be filled.”  You’ll never attain it in your flesh, or outward man, in this present life; but in the spiritual creature within, that “inner man,” you have a perfect righteousness imputed to you by the faith of Christ Jesus. His righteousness is yours and that by a free gift of God. That is as “full” of righteousness as one can be!

There is another precious work within God’s people that can be of comfort to a living trembling sinner. God’s people invariably mourn over their sinfulness. It is one of the most cutting of their experiences. They are “dead to sin,” but find that sin is not dead to them. It confronts them daily, and is the most troubling experience to test their faith. Sin dwells within their flesh, and sin grieves their spirit without.  Sin is ever present with them, which gives them no rest day or night. Their rest can only be in Christ Jesus and His sustaining presence. They do, unlike the happy-go-lucky man-made “Christian,” mourn over their awful condition in the flesh. But here, too, the Lord’s words are of great solace: “Blessed ARE they that mourn:  for they SHALL be comforted” (Matthew 5:4.) So again, simply put, mourning over sin is an evidence of one’s blessed state.  It is from this condition that the Lord promised they would be comforted, for He is ever their strength and shield. He delights to help those who mourn and in comforting them, He thereby proves His love for them.

So, dear “Theophilus,” may you find your comfort in the Lord and the precious work of the Holy Spirit within. There is your rest, which remains for the people of God. Christ is your Sabbath, or rest, and you enter into that rest, when you cease from your own labor as He ceased from His. May the eternal God graciously bless you and all His elect people among whom you live.

Chapter Five: EFFECTUAL CALLING

“Draw  me, we will run after Thee” - Song of Solomon 1:4

“Come to Jesus. Come just as you are! Jesus is waiting! You must, indeed, you can come this very night,” purred the “evangelist.” Jesus therefore answered and said: “No man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of My Father” (John 6:65.) The evangelist responds: “Jesus said that “he that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.” Jesus answers: “All that the FATHER GIVETH ME, SHALL COME to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37.) “Don’t listen to anyone” says the evangelist, “who says you can’t come to Jesus. He wants you to come right now!”  “Jesus therefore answered and said, . . . NO MAN CAN COME TO ME, except the Father which hath sent Me DRAW HIM: and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44.)

What a shocking discourse the above is to the ears of an unconverted or inexperienced man! Someone once said that John Calvin thought the doctrine of reprobation was a “horrible decree.” Of course, Calvin believed it to be true because it is clearly taught in the Bible. “No man can come” to Christ unless the Father draws him, or “except it were given to him” of the Father. Regardless of what preachers say, Christ’s own answer is the truth. “Let God be true and every man a liar” (Romans 3:4.) The preachers say that the sinner can come anytime he pleases; and the Lord says, “Oh, no! He cannot come unless My Father determined that he does.” It is not left up to man; but is left up to the Father. The Father will “have mercy on him whom He will have mercy, and have compassion on whom He will have compassion. And whom He will, He hardeneth” (Romans 9:11-19.)

Simply put, God is sovereign in His calling, or drawing, a feeling sinner to Himself. This drawing is a lifelong experience, but it is first felt during the developmental stage of spiritual growth. After one is begotten of God, and prior to his spiritual birth, he finds this drawing influence moving him from a life of sinful pleasure to a life of godliness. There is a stirring within him against sin and guilt, and a strong desire for a life of righteousness and peace with God. The old writers spoke of this as “effectual calling.” Frontier Baptists referred to it as one’s “travel.” This is one of the evidences of divine life prior to one’s conversion. This divine drawing is contrary to anything the sinner previously experienced as a Pelagian or Arminian; and it will eventually deliver him from these antichristian philosophies.

Natural men’s sensitivities toward their fellow man draws forth a violent reaction to the truth Jesus taught in the above passages. “Do you mean to say that God will prevent one from believing and being saved? That “ain’t fair!” Such a conclusion is invariably necessary, for it is certain that God does not save all. He does not call all to repentance. He did not choose all to salvation. It is not given to all to come to Christ. Indeed, it is not given to all that hear to believe. The reason is clearly given by our Lord: “He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, BECAUSE ye are NOT OF God” (John 8:47.) But, says one, such cannot be the correct meaning of the text. Surely if they understood Christ, they could come.” “Why do ye NOT understand My speech? Even because ye cannot hear My word,” said our Lord. (John 8:43.)

“It is just too difficult to draw such a conclusion in light of the love of God. Didn’t He come to give everyone a chance to be saved?” “For judgment I am come into this world, that THEY WHICH SEE NOT MIGHT SEE; AND THAT THEY WHICH SEE MIGHT BE MADE BLIND,” said the Lord Jesus (John 9: 39.)

Simply put, the above presents a side of the truth of free grace that is absolutely shocking the first time it engages one’s attention. There is no doubt that most individuals find it very negative; and for this reason they will not entertain it in their minds very long. It does not fit the “evangelical Christian” theory of universal offers of salvation.

While at first glance the above Scriptures appear negative, yet they are rather positive. It is the positive aspects of them that are of greatest interest in this article. It seems appropriate, however, to highlight the negative first as a dark background for the positive. We will prove the doctrine and then move on to the beauty and sweetness it affords a sensible sinner in his travel of free grace.

The Bible proves conclusively that the evangelical theory of universal offers of salvation is false. The theory is only a figment of the imagination of ministers bent on gaining church members at any cost. In the best-known text the “free offer” men advance, the context itself disputes their interpretation roundly. In John 12: 32, Jesus said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.” The evangelical ministers will say: “See, God does draw everyone to Jesus!” However, in verses 40 & 41, John writes: “He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts; that they should NOT see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw His glory, and spake of Him.”  It is not reasonable to believe that God would do this to them if, in fact, He willed their salvation. He would have done the exact opposite instead! Certainly the “all” in that text is an indefinite pronoun! Again, in the famous “Lord’s Prayer,” we hear the Lord praying to His Father saying: “As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as THOU HAST GIVEN HIM . . . .I pray for THEM: I pray NOT FOR THE WORLD, but for them which Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine” (John 17: 2, 9.) It surely would appear that if it were His will that all be drawn to Him and saved by Him, that His intercessory prayer would have included all of them. But obviously, it did not! In one place, Jesus said His Father heard Him always (John 11:42.) This being so, if God desired the salvation of every human being, all He needed to have done was to “pray for the world.” Yet He explicitly told His Father that He was not including the world in His intercessory prayer for His elect children!

To make the negative aspect of this doctrine brief, we will cite only one more passage (out of many) to prove this point. The apostle foretelling of the coming of that “wicked one,” writes: “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; BECAUSE they receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for THIS CAUSE God shall send them STRONG DELUSION, that they should believe a lie: (That God loves everybody and wants to save everybody) that they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (II Thess. 2:10-12.) Now that is what some might consider being a negative aspect of the truth. Notice, however, the next verse: It sets forth the most positive and sweet part of the subject: “But we are bound to give thanks always 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: whereunto He called you by our Gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (verse 13,14.) That, dear friend, is very positive! God chose those His Father gave Him to salvation. As He said: “Ye have not CHOSEN Me but I have chosen you” (John 15:16.)

The positive result of this drawing is in the emphasis of the actual drawing by the Father, and it being a blessing given to one by Him. Read the text again:

“No man can come unto Me, except the Father which hath sent Me DRAW HIM: and I will raise him up at the last day.” “Therefore said I unto you, that NO MAN CAN COME UNTO Me, except it were GIVEN UNTO HIM OF My father.”

The texts above shows clearly that while no one can come to Christ except God draws him, those that the Father draws will be in the resurrection of the just. In other words, it is imperative that God draw one to Christ if that one is ever to be saved experimentally and everlastingly. This places salvation squarely in the hands of God. It denies any initiation of salvation to be by the efforts of the creature, whether friend, minister, or one’s own self.

It is a very positive declaration. To Jeremiah the prophet, God said: “Thus saith the Lord, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to CAUSE him to rest. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with LOVINGKINDNESS HAVE I DRAWN THEE” (Jeremiah 31: 2,3.)

What a mercy is this! “I have drawn thee.”  Jesus had said, “No man can come unto Me except,” and this exception is this gracious drawing by the loving-kindness of God. “Yea,” said He, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love.” We cannot escape the conclusion that one who is drawn to Christ has been loved of God “from the beginning,” and therefore has been loved of God from the foundation of the world, or ever the world was. The apostle said even the same, when he wrote: “according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated US unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:4-6.)

“With lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” That is as to say, “not with violence,” but “in love and gentleness.” It surely is with “loving kindness” when God draws one to Himself. “And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, LIVE” (Ezekiel 16:5,6.) In such a helpless and polluted condition! Why should God have mercy on such ungodly sinners as this? Yet, Christ “came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” That call is an appointed call. “Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the TIME OF LOVE; and I spread My skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou BECAMEST MINE” (verse 8.)

The drawing of one to Christ can be by many different ways. God is not bound by man-made plans of salvation, or methods of grace. The covenant promise of the everlasting Father to His beloved Son was that “Thy people shall be willing in the day of THY POWER, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: Thou hast the dew of Thy youth” (Psalm 110:3.) It is a powerful drawing to Christ Jesus when He in His power makes them willing. If He shows them their sinfulness- their inability to attain an adequate righteousness of their own; that all their religious devotions and legal efforts cannot justify them; then they will be made to flee to Him for His righteousness and consequent justification. They will, in His own time and way, cause them to finally exclaim, “The Lord our Righteousness” and salvation! God will teach all His people that they are the chiefest of sinners. He will make them all to see what they are by nature in the carnality of Adam’s flesh! And, He will cause them to come to Him for rest. In fact, Paul declared this to be “a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners;” of whom he was chief; and that in him, “first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting” (I Timothy 1:15-16.)

The doctrine of God our Savior will draw a believer to Christ often. In our day, the doctrinal downgrade has been highly successful. Modern-day “Christians” have thrown the doctrine of Christ away. They never knew how important doctrine is! Without doctrine, they cannot know Christ. His doctrine describes Him. It tells who and what manner of Person He is. This Biblical description of Him draws the believer to Him. To illustrate a point, as if to say, “Jesus is a hateful, mean, ugly subhuman creature with horns and a forked tail and cannot save anyone unless he lets Him.” Is this the Christ we worship? Of course not! His doctrine declares Him to be Love. He is merciful. He is sovereign. He does His own will as He pleases. He has already saved all His people by the sacrifice of Himself. He effectually calls sinners to Himself, and He teaches them all things that they need as they need them. Without the doctrine of Christ, one cannot know Him. But it is with His doctrine that His people are drawn to Him. His people need a god that is indeed a GOD! And this He certainly is! They do not need a helper in salvation; they need a SAVIOR! And this He certainly is also! All the great and glorious attributes of God are taught only by the doctrine of Christ. These are all instruments in the hand of God to draw a trembling sinner to the loving arms of a loving and adorable Savior. Every living child of God has a witness that this is true. Consider this most frequent evidence: A free grace believer is in a busy place and hears a stranger mention any of God’s attributes: His sovereignty, His free grace, His death for the sheep only; His divine providence, election, predestination, etc., and what happens within his mind, heart, and emotions. A sense of pleasure! A nearness to this stranger! But if he heard a stranger boastingly say, “I love Jesus,” “Are you saved?” “Are you a Christian?” “I’m helping the Lord!” “My church is on fire for the Lord!” “I was saved yesterday,” “Jesus saves,” etc., what is the effect within him now? Repulsion! Disdain! These expressions are statements of doctrine: true and false. The true doctrine is descriptive of the greatness of our God. Again, without doctrine, talking about “Jesus” makes one think: “Which Jesus?” The world is full of those Paul called “another Jesus.” The doctrine of God our Savior is a strong drawing power to a child of grace: stronger than any steel to a magnet! “If I be lifted up, I will draw all (manner, or sorts of) men to Me” (John 12:32.)

Chapter Six:  EFFECTS OF GOD’S DRAWING

“Draw me, we will run after Thee: the king hath BROUGHT me to His chambers: We will be glad and rejoice in Thee, we will remember Thy love more than wine: the UPRIGHT love Thee” (Song of Solomon 1:4.)

The young mother reaches for her crying child and tenderly draws him into her arms and cradles him in her bosom. The child stops crying, and begins snubbing. Soon he is satisfied and returns to play. There is no sweeter experience on earth than God drawing His own distressed child into His everlasting arms, and cradling him in His bosom of eternal love and favor. What peace in believing and experiencing such a rest. And this “rest remains for the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His” (Hebrews 4:9-10.) We call this experience conversion, and it is not a one-time experience. Time after time God withdraws His felt-presence. Time after time He draws His precious child into His arms for comfort and peace.

That drawing influence causes a young convert to desire the presence of God and His truth. “Tell me, O Thou whom my soul loveth, where Thou feedest, where Thou makest Thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of Thy companions?” (Song 1:7.) Is that not an adequate expression of one’s love to Christ? Why should I feed in a congregation where Christ does not commune? Where does our Lord meet with His people by His Spirit? Where can I hear the joyful sound of free and sovereign grace? Lord, lead me out of this religious and legal wilderness. “Draw me to Thyself!”

“If thou know not, O thou fairest among women,” He says to your soul, “go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents” (Song 1:8.) Seek out My shepherds that feed My sheep. You may have to drive a long distance across a barren desert, but My shepherds feed with “wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness” (I Timothy 6:3,) and there are goat-herdsmen that “consent not to wholesome words,” nor the doctrine of Christ (ibid.)

“Draw Me.” “My Beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, My love, My fair one, and come away.” Thus He draws one to Him after a period when his soul is in a time of winter and stormy experiences. “For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.” He gently woos the soul with His drawing power: “Arise, My love, My fair one, and come away” (Song 1:13.)

It is the experience of every true believer that at times his soul is brought before the throne of grace by the breathing of the Holy Spirit. This too, is a drawing to Him. “By night on my bed I sought Him whom my soul loveth: I sought Him, but I found Him not” (Song 2:1.) How often a believer has attempted to pray and failed? The man-made “Christian” can pray at will, but not so the tried child of God! The living child has a desire to commune with God and finds his inability disturbing. Here is how some attempt to find Him when He withdraws Himself: “I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek Him whom My soul loveth” (Song 2:2.) Do you suppose the Lord will be found in the broad way “that leadeth to destruction”? Many people think so. That word “way” in the text “broad is the way that leadeth to destruction,” in the Greek is hodos, and means “progress,” or “progressive.” The modern religions pride themselves for being progressive, but it is the broad way that leads to destruction. Progressiveness is the urge and action to depart from the New Testament faith or practice. No, the soul cannot find Christ there! “I sought Him, but I found Him not” (ibid.) Christ would not set up His church in the earth, and give His blessing to her enemies.

Let one leave the broad way and then we can read: “It was but a little that I passed from them, (the progressive elements) but I found Him whom my soul loveth: I held Him, and would not let Him go” (Song 3:4.) Is this not love? “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are My friends, if you do whatsoever I command you.” As if to say: “If you do not pick and choose what you will obey.” God’s children love Him, and obedience is a sign of this love. Why else would one be baptized and suffer the reproach of the Church? Why else would one commune and wash one another’s feet? Why else “go beside the shepherds’ tents” to feed? (Song 1:8.) Is loving His church, His ordinances, His doctrine, His commandments too grievous to bear for one who loves Him so ardently?

Being drawn to Christ might be a test of one’s affections. “I sleep, but my heart waketh: It is the voice of my Beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to Me, My sister, My love, My dove, My undefiled: for My head is filled with dew, and My locks with drops of the night” (Song 5:2.) Have you ever been so busy that when you felt a heart to pray did not do so? While busy, have you thought to read the Bible, yet did not? Is it possible for the saints to have such experiences? Well, read this: “I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?” Rather busy, would you not say? In this passage, the Lord reached through the door-latch hole to open it anyway, and here follows a way He draws one to Himself:

“My Beloved put in His hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels (compassions) were moved for Him. I rose up to open to My Beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet-smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. I opened to My Beloved; but my Beloved had withdrawn Himself, and WAS GONE” (Song 5:6.) So now you will pray! So now you have time to meditate on His name! And now, He is gone! Not a whimpering prayer rises from your heart! The Holy Book is as a sealed book – it does not speak a comforting word to you! You realize you do not have “freedom of will” in the matter of divine worship.( A very good lesson to learn!) He has withdrawn Himself. He is GONE! But, is this not a method to draw one to Him? “In absence, the heart grows fonder” someone has said. If you read the remaining verses of this Gospel Love Epoch, from Songs 5:6 to 6:9, you can see how God draws His children to seek Him. “I sought Him, but I could not find Him; I called Him, but He gave me no answer” (verse 6.)

In the text, the watchmen of the city, representing the ministers of artificial or man-made religion were of no help at all in finding the Lord’s felt presence. The soul’s seeking Him brought inquiries from others who this was who was so important to her, and the soul’s description of Him by means of doctrine, led her to this exclamation: “His mouth is most sweet: yea, He is altogether lovely. This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend, O daughters of Jerusalem” (Song 5:16.) As soon as she has described him, no doubt she has found Him! When others wish to know where He is she is now able to tell them (Song 6:1-3.)

When the Lord draws one of His elect to Himself, it is with such lovingkindness that He owns that one as His. “My dove, My undefiled is but one; she is the choice one of her that bear her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines (corn-grinders, or servant girls,) and they praised her.” There are times, when blessed with a sense of His love that a child of grace can honestly say: “I am my Beloved’s, and His desire is toward me” (Song 7:10.) If His desire is NOT towards one, then surely that one would never be drawn. God draws those that are given to Christ in divine election, and have been predestinated to an inheritance undefiled and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for them.

It is true that no man can come to Christ except it be given to them of the Father; or be drawn by the Father to Him. But, O how precious such words of grace are to those that are drawn with the cords of everlasting love! May God bless your hearts to seek Him too?

Effectual calling first begins after one is begotten from above, or spiritually conceived, by the work of God. In time, the drawing will effectually work a deliverance from darkness into the marvelous light of His grace. Hope, faith, and charity will issue forth from this initial work of grace and bring the sensible sinner to an understanding of God’s everlasting love. We will next consider the subject of the elects’ standing in Christ prior to the work of the Spirit in effectual calling. All the elect were “chosen in Him before the foundation of the world,” (Ephesians 1:4,) and had “all spiritual blessings in Him” that early. Among the greatest of these is “eternal life” which is held in seed substance “hid in Christ in God.” At the appointed time, the chosen one in Christ will be “born from above.”

Chapter Seven:  The Living Union of Christ and His People

God’s people were chosen IN Christ – not in Adam – before the world began.- Ephesians 1: 4. Being IN Christ, they were in Him in seed substance from eternally, and the eternal life they receive in the new birth is derived from “His seed” and “counted to Him for a generation.” They are specifically said to be the “body of Christ,” and Christ is the “Head” of His progeny, and they are “members in particular” of His body. This Church is manifested upon the earth in collected visible assemblies during its development. Some are added to the visible local church and if preserved faithful to Christ, are preservers of the doctrine and order of His constitute kingdom on earth. Others, not added to the visible church, are equally in the church triumphant, the Bride, the Lamb’s wife, and have full and free access to the Gospel of the grace of God in the churches’ congregations here below where ever, or if, the Lord situates them near enough. However, in considering her in her eternal union with Christ as His Bride, we will view her in the aggregate of all the elect of God, and the individual development of each of her members. For such that desire to examine the subject of the local visible and functioning churches of Christ on earth, consistent with this presentation, we recommend “Come, And I will Show Thee that Bride, the Lamb’s Wife,” by this author.

In order to examine the origin and development of the body and Bride of Christ, we wish first to notice a large collection of Scriptures that are needful to present this subject. Every Bible reader will recognize the passages we cite, and every Bible believer will realize that the Holy Spirit has presented them with a real and important design. Following this discussion, then, one may expect to see many of these passages unfolding to present a gestalt view of the Church of the living God. To begin this collection of passages, let us note some that are extremely important, drawn from the creative design of our Lord God in the beginning of the genesis of the race of man.

Others before us have discovered a “principle of first mentioning” in the Bible. To wit, wherever a subject is first mentioned by the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures, the way it is introduced is often applicable in other places where the same word is used. So it is with reference to a theme found in the first chapter of Genesis. More than any other principle emphasized, the notation that all species developed “after its own kind,” and have “seed within itself” is outstanding (Genesis 1:11, 21,24, 25, 29). The same is true of Man, who was made in the likeness and image of God, and was as Paul taught, a “figure of Him that was to come.” (Romans 5:14). Not only, then, is the modern theory of evolution proved heretical, but the relation of the first creature to all its offspring is faithfully demonstrated to be absolutely true of the record God has revealed in Genesis one. There never were any “missing links” between species and kinds. Nor have believers ever supposed there were.

It is very noteworthy that consistent to this principle are the following revelations. First, God reveals the “generations of Adam,” (plural- Genesis 5:1), and the “generation of Jesus Christ,” (singular- Matthew 1:1). Second, the Holy Scriptures reveal both a “first Adam,” (1 Cor. 15:45,) and a second or “last Adam,” (1 Cor. 15:45). It is written that the first man Adam was “made a living soul,” while the last Adam was “made a quickening spirit” (1 Cor. 15:45). The first man “is of the earth, earthy: the “second man is Lord from heaven” (1 Cor. 15:47). We would alert the reader to the fact that as the first man Adam was made of the earth, the record is given that “As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy,” that is, of like kind with their father Adam, and as he, has his seed of reproduction within himself. (1 Cor. 15: 48). And of special note, such as are of the last Adam, who is Lord from heaven (Christ), “such are they also that are heavenly” (1 Cor. 15:48). Third, the revelation includes a “natural man,” born of the first Adam (1 Cor. 15:44,) and a full discussion of him is found throughout the Sacred text; and a “spiritual man,” born of God (1 Cor. 15:44,) whose characteristics are also fully presented in the holy pages. The inspired record speaks plainly of one that is born of the first Adam as being “born of the flesh,” (John 3: 6), and of those born of the Spirit of God, it is recorded that “that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). So we see the first principle being maintained even in one’s spiritual birth: i.e., reproduced in “like kind, from a seed within Himself.” Fourth, We read of the natural man, his body and all of its component parts and passions, referred to as “our outward man,” and we read together with that phrase, of an “inward man,” “but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” (II Cor. 4:16). In fact, the apostle clearly contrast these two men by saying, “That ye put off the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24.) Again, as “like begets like kind,” hence the flesh can only produce flesh; and the spirit can only produce spirit; the animal can only produce another animal of the same kind; and a plant of its own kind. This totally destroys Charles Darwin’s fatal theory, and a Christian should expect it to overthrow atheism. But we are not discussing that false theory. Our subject is much more sublime.

In order for the reproduction of the species, including man, the “seed is in itself.” The seed carries the living germ of life necessary to reproduction and identity with the specie in view. The entire specie throughout all time was in the seed of the first of its kind created. It is too well established among us for any to deny that in the sin of Adam’s fall, the entire race of his progeny was in seed substance in him at the time of his transgression, and so “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  Death reigns over them all. “As in Adam all die; so IN Christ all shall be made alive.”- That is, in “seed substance” in Him. The result is that “there is none righteous, no not one,” of all that were seminally in Adam’s loins that fatal day (Romans 3: 10, 23.) So too, the inspired record amply speaks of a “seed” of the last Adam, - of Christ Jesus. Here, brethren and sisters, we beg of you to give careful attention. Notice the Scriptures supporting this statement: “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 22:8.) It appears in this text, at first sight, to refer to Abraham’s offspring; yet the Apostle says, “and to Thy seed, which is Christ” (Gal. 3:16,) when he refers to this O.T. verse. “A seed shall serve Him, and it shall be counted to Him a generation” (Psalm 22:30.) “He shall see His seed, and He shall prolong His days,” (Isaiah 53:10.) “Thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles” (Isaiah 54:3.)

It is the life that is in the seed that produces an offspring to perpetuate the specie. As surely as this is so of man in nature, so it must be of the spiritual seed that produces the children of God. A corrupt seed must produce a corrupt offspring; and an incorrupt seed must produce like kind: an incorrupt offspring. And so we read of God’s children, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed,” of which we certainly are in our first birth from the first man, Adam; “but of incorruptible, by the Word of God that liveth and abideth for ever” (1 Peter 1:23.)

We do not expect any to deny that whomever begat us into this world can only have been our father. If our father begat us by the implantation of his corrupt seed that he inherited from Adam, then we surely must be “his children,” and also corrupt by birth. Will any dispute this conclusion? Then I insist that the same is true of the incorruptible seed as well. For any of us to be children of God, we imperatively must be “begotten of God.” This truth leaves out the Arminian theory of “Gospel regeneration,” or of the Calvinists’ “preacher-made Christians.” John clearly taught: “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His Seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (I John 3:9.) And “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth Him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of Him” (I John 5:1.)

The implanted seed must be alive in order to produce an offspring. When God fashioned man, He then “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.” Ever afterwards, man has transmitted that natural life from one generation to the next, wave after wave down to this present day. So too, the incorruptible seed is also a living seed, and conveys life to all God’s offspring. “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in the Son” (I John 5:11.) Notice where the actual life is found: Therefore the apostle can justly claim, as he did, “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son, hath not life” (I John 5: 12.) The living sperm must impregnate a living ovary, or the attempted procreation will fail. [Note: Life does NOT begin at conception! Life began at Creation!]

When that eternal life is transmitted by the incorruptible seed, the Word of God that liveth and abideth forever, the object that is born is a child of God; just as surely as a man is an offspring born of Adam and possessing natural life from him. A point ought to be made here. Whoever, or whatever, is born of God cannot commit sin. Hence, we cannot say that a man’s soul is born again, because the soul of a man can contract blame, as Paul prayed, that God would keep them, “both body, soul and spirit, blameless unto the day of Jesus Christ.” We read again, “We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not” (I John 5:18.) Jesus did not say, “Except a man’s soul be born again,” or “Except a man’s spirit be born again,” or yet, “Except a man’s body be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” So not a “part” of that which is born of the corruptible seed from Adam’s life is the object of a renovation. The natural man is not born over again into a spiritual man, otherwise such a man would be sinless, and this is contrary to the witness and confession of every child of God! Jesus said, “A spirit hath not flesh and bone as ye see I have.” Hence, if one’s body, soul, or spirit were born over again, and became a spiritual body, soul or spirit, such a being would be invisible! “Being born again,” does not mean “being born all over again.” It simply means the man must experience a second birth, and this second birth is altogether different from his first and natural birth. His natural birth put him into the human family with all its cursed woes! And, he will ever be in that family, unchanged, biologically and physiologically the very same until the last heart-beat of that Adamic frame. But the second birth, produced by the incorruptible seed, the word of God that liveth and abideth forever, gave him eternal life, and that life is in God’s Eternal Son, and that experience puts him into God’s family. That family – every member of it – is counted for a generation (singular), and is the completed body and bride of Christ of whom Christ is the Head and Husband, and they are “members in particular” set in that body in their rightful and ordained place.

If it is claimed, as it has been by some, that such a view as this means that God has not done anything for the body, we reply, “Are you completely unskilled in the Word! Every sin committed was done in the body! Every pain and groan of the suffering Savior was done because of the sins done in the body! The whole scheme of salvation is to deliver those children of God who reside in the corrupt natural and earthy bodies of Adam’s race. In fact, our Lord, seeing that His children are partakers of this flesh and blood, “took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them,” (Heb. 2:14) – His children, His offspring, His seed, His generation, from that corrupt family, and translate them from that kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s dear Son.

The entire church and family of God were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:1-6.) The life they must have to reside in His glorious presence was “hid in Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3) in seed substance, waiting until the time of their procreation or development, first into the family of man, and then in His spiritual family by the second birth. All of the sufferings of Christ, and all His obedience was for His children’s fleshly tabernacle, in the putting away of the results of their sinful fall in Adam and consequent works of wickedness in that evil family. In that gracious work, He put away sin, and its natural penalty, and only because they made up His bride, did He have relationship to them to legally incur their debt, and pay the full obligation of the transgressed law for each of them. We see this emphasized in Jude 1, “. . . to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.” Again, “Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God” (Psalm 90: 1, 2.) They were all chosen inHim, preserved in Him, and had their dwelling place in seed-substance in Him, and so intimate was this relationship, that the Psalmists could say, “In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them: in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; because He bare [Hebr. “natal”] them, and carried them all the days of old” (Isaiah 63:9.) The word “bare” in the above passage is from the Hebrew word, “natal.” And yet again, David speaking in personification of Christ, (David’s son, or “Son of David”) says, “My substance was not hid from Thee,” (“preserved in Christ Jesus”) “when I was made in secret,” (“before the world began”), “and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth” (in Adam’s earthy corrupted frame). “Thine eyes did see My substance, yet being unperfect;” (before actual development) “and in Thy book all My members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are Thy thoughts unto Me, O God! How great is the sum of them!” (Psalm 139: 15-17).

It too, is assumed by some that because there are two separate and distinct men in this tabernacle of flesh, that there need not be a bodily resurrection of the dead. [This has been referred to as a “hollow man doctrine”]. However, the record is too clear to deny, that the man of the earth, earthy, the sinner man, is the object of redemption, and also the object of divine adoption. The spiritual man, that is born of incorruptible seed, cannot sin, and hence needs no adoption or redemption! It is the fleshly man, body, soul and spirit, the sinner, who must be adopted and redeemed. The Bride will be whole and complete in the day of her wedding. She will possess her real identity, and be herself, and not another, or a bodiless phantom – a puff of vapor. What she has waited in hope for will sweetly be her bliss in ages untold.

The Church in the aggregate is the Bride of Christ. While here below, she is waiting for the Bridegroom and must keep herself chaste. Church discipline helps, fellowship with one another strengthens the ties of matrimony, and finding one’s place and work within the visible church helps to develop and maintain that heavenly and spiritual bond.

It is needful for every member and believer to assemble together to worship God and to encourage one another in the most holy faith. When our Little Zion meets, it is all of our privilege to take such a rare opportunity, and make the most we can out of it. We can hunt, fish, work, play, watch ball games, or whatever else Adam’s offspring find more entertaining just about any time we please; but the appetite of the spiritual family of the last Adam is in the spiritual realm, and here it should not be neglected, and if it is, the believer is surely the loser for neglecting it.

With all the above Scriptural topics presented together, what reason or comprehensive view can we derive from this collection? That they are meaningful, none should deny; that they are given by inspiration for some ordained consequence should be admitted by all. Where, then, should we begin to show the Christian Man prior to regeneration, if not here; considering that Paul teaches that Adam was afigure of Christ, and that Genesis presents the Adamic creation, we suppose that is where we should begin. But why not pass over Adam and his posterity until last, and go directly to his Creator’s Bride and her origin? Is it not written that “last shall be first and the first last”?

We have now presented the Gospel as simple as we know how. But it is not good that a believer live his life upon the “milk of the Word.” He is to grow “in grace and knowledge,” and thus we move to a deeper and higher level of Christian doctrine. One should put much more care on this part of the book, as we move into some areas which have taxed the understanding of much more able men than the writer ever hopes to be. Some of the following topics will be better classified as “the meat of the Word.”

Chapter Eight:  The Christian Before Divine Quickening to Spiritual Life.

Simply put, it is not proper to refer to one as a "Christian" prior to his spiritual quickening. He really is not so until he has the "unction of the Holy one," or that "anointing" by the implantation of the divine nature. This takes place when the Holy Spirit gives him eternal life in the new-birth process, and that experience we sometime refer to as “Holy Spirit baptism.”  Christ is the "anointed One." True believers are referred to as "Christians" because of the anointing of the Spirit. [The NT word “Christ” is derived from the Greek word, “khristos,” which means “the anointed.”]  Therefore we admit that this chapter is miss-titled, because we are dealing with the elect as they stand in Christ from "before the world began" (Ephesians 1:4.) We are writing about one who is "chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4-5, 11.) Long before he is called by grace, he has his name written in the "book of life of the Lamb" from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8.) His eternal life is “hid in Christ in God,” and was his in Christ before the foundation of the world. It is this eternal life – this eternal vital union - that the Spirit gives to him in his spiritual quickening to life; and when he receives it, it is called "everlasting life" (John 3:16, 36) because it will "ever last" thereafter. He has "all spiritual blessings in Christ from the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:1-2.) Many are these blessings long before he possesses them. It is for this reason we titled this heading as we have. We are writing of a "Christian" as an elect person whose standing is in Christ from everlasting. Since he has these blessings stored up for him and Christ's work of salvation was specifically for him, and because he has his existence in Christ in seed -substance before he is actually born into this world, it seems proper to reach back to the origin of the "Christian man." This we hope to do, and cover the trail of these blessings from eternity, to his reception of them, and the exercise of them in his present life.

First of all, the "Christian" has the love and favor of God long before his birth or calling to salvation. That may seem strange, but the Bible teaches it. A young sensible sinner will have many questions on this subject, but the established believer should be able to relate it to his own experience. "The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee" (Jeremiah 31:3.) Again, Paul assures us of the same, saying: "But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning ( a word used to express eternity in many places,) CHOSEN YOU TO SALVATION through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth" (2 Thessalonians 2:13.) He also teaches that this "choice" was ''before the foundation of the world." "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love" (Ephesians 1:4.)

Connected with this love and choice of him to salvation, the "Christian" is already in God's family, and predestinated to that sweet and glorious end - the adoption of children. "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will" (Ephesians 1:5.) That may really appear strange indeed! Here it is said that God predestinated "us" to adoption to Himself to be His children! And this before He ever created any of us! No one but an Almighty, All-seeing and All-knowing God could do such a wondrous thing as this! While we lived much of our lives completely unaware of our heavenly adoption, God still watched over our sinful and wandering ways. That is love! This adoption is needful for our outward man, or fleshly man. It, unchanged in the new birth, cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The fleshly man has no right of inheritance in a spiritual family. Yet it is this outward man that has the "spirit of adoption" in his inner, or new man (Ephesians 4:24.)

The Christian has a heavenly inheritance, as a child of God, reserved for him long before his birth and spiritual awakening. "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh ALL THINGS after the counsel of His own will" (Ephesians 1:11.) A child born in this world is the offspring of his father and grandfathers all the way back to Adam. He is said to be their "seed" or of their "generations." So, too, the Christian is referred to as the "seed" and "generation" of Christ, all the way back to God "in the beginning." That is mind-boggling, isn't it? Yet, here too, the Bible teaches it. "His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and His throne as the days of heaven" (Psalm 89:29.) And "A seed shall serve Him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come, and shall declare His righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that He hath done this" (Psalm 22:30-31.)

This seed is the most precious of one's spiritual heritage. We will have occasion to speak of it more fully in later topics, as we have in a former one; but for now we wish to establish the Scriptural proof of it.  Some Calvinists, still hanging onto that little touch of freewillism that conditions these gifts on the intelligence of the natural mind, speak of this concept as "principles" and "states" of the mind. The Bible does not sustain those positions. It speaks of this seed in the sense of a seed substance before one's begetting and spiritual conception. Yet, some Calvinists will deny it, saying, "The Bible does not speak of a seed substance." Read the following, and see if you can discover this truth.

Speaking of Christ, the Psalmist writes: "My substance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see My SUBSTANCE, yet being unperfect; and in Thy book all My members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet THERE WAS NONE OF THEM" (Psalm 139:15-16.) What is said here about David is prophetically applied to David's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ and His body, the Church.

One reason given by Isaiah for the perseverance of Christ so long in His suffering on the cross is: "Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief: when Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His SEED, He shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand." In verse 8, we read: "He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His GENERATION? For He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of My people was He stricken" (Isaiah 53: 10, and 8.)

We need not stress the fact that Christ never married or had children by natural birth. All know this. Yet, these Scriptures speak of His seed, His children, andHis generation. It must be applied in some way other than literal natural begetting of children. Peter expressed it in a meaningful way, saying of Christians, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible (seed) by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever" (I Peter 1:23.) Paul tells us that the "Seed is Christ" (Galatians 3: 16.) John tells us that the reason one born of God cannot sin is because "His seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God" (1 John 3:9.) We will go into greater detail on this subject later.

The prospective "Christian" has a kingdom prepared for him from the foundation of the world. – “Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34.) According to Daniel, only the saints of God "shall possess the kingdom of God" (Dan. 7:22.) He has the blessing of being chosen "IN HIM (Christ) before the foundation of the world," and by being chosen IN HIM has a union with Him, for it is by this divine choice that the elect have their standing, or existence, in His seed substance. Because it is by this eternal union IN CHRIST that the elect are set aside (sanctified) with Christ, we will deal with this subject in a separate treatise.

It might be well here to answer an objection to the doctrine of eternal vital union to clarify the doctrine. It is objected by some that those who hold to eternal vital union of Christ with His elect people "have eternal spirits floating around waiting for a body in which to dwell." We've never heard, nor read after anyone holding this truth to express such an obvious error. The objection comes from the imagination of one who does not comprehend natural things, let alone spiritual things. In other words, it is created as a slander against this truth by enemies of it, to prejudice people against it. When Nicodemus asked if a man that was old could enter into his mother's womb and be born again, Christ chided him for his ignorance. Christ told him as plainly as one can, that the Adamic man was not born again. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh." As Arminians, Pelagians, and most Calvinists today, Nicodemus could not comprehend that a "spiritual birth" was required to see or enter the kingdom of God. Christ said to him, "If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things" (John 3:12.)

Jesus has spoken to Nicodemus of a natural birth by the flesh, and of a spiritual birth by the Spirit. These are two very different births. One has an earthly, fleshly, or Adamic father; and the other has a heavenly, spiritual, or eternal Father. So, to answer our objector relative to where these “eternal children are stored waiting for their supposed bodies,” we will answer, "In like manner as Adam's children are stored, waiting for their conception in their mothers' wombs!" Where, then, are Adam's offspring before their births? Answer, IN HIM - in his seed; in his “generations.” Generation produces generation, and generation produces generation, and over time Adam's offspring has multiplied and filled the earth. No one finds that "strange doctrine," or "heresy!" It is an observable fact! Every individual has been "stored" genetically in his father's seed and mother's chromosomes. And each has been "stored" in Adam's seed from the creation of Adam and Eve. What then should be so strange about believing that the first Adam truly “was a figure of Him that was to come”? All the elect children of God were chosen by the Father and given to the Son before the world began. Paul makes it clear that the Seed was Christ. This "seed of the woman" was promised, or first revealed in the Garden of Eden. "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shall bruise His heel" (Genesis 3:15.) Where, then, would one expect that God’s children should be "stored?" Why, of course, IN CHRIST! Thus we read, "According as He hath chosen us IN HIM before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love." Would one be wrong to say, "According as we have been created IN ADAM from the creation of him?"

Our readers that have some knowledge of biology may follow this chain of thought. We speak here "of earthly things." Can an infertile sperm produce a child from a infertile (lifeless) ovary? Both are infertile. Can a fertile sperm produce a child from a infertile (lifeless) ovary? Did you answer "No" to the above? Can a fertile sperm produce a child by a fertile ovary? And you answered "Yes." Where, then, was your life prior to your conception? Why, yes, of course! It was stored in the seed and ovary of your parents. And hence, you can follow that thought back to Adam and Eve. (Eve received all that was in her directly from Adam. She was not created anew from the dust. The entire genetic storage was created IN ADAM.) So, in Christ, all that are IN Him will in time be developed from Him. The analogy fails at this point. Adam can only produce one generation, and he died. His son produced another and he died, etc. to the present time. But God begets all of His children, and does not die. He produces only one generation spaced out throughout time, referred to as "the generation of Jesus Christ"- (Matthew 1:1.) Yet, as Adam's offspring are developed over all of historical time; so God's children are begotten and developed over all of the period of historical time.

As Adam's offspring were all in him seminally, or in seed substance, from the beginning of his creation, so too, Christ’s offspring have ever been in Him in seed substance from their election in Him. In the Divine Providence of God, your father met your mother, and the Adamic life and genetic composition that became you was in them. The “bounds of your habitation,” as well as theirs, and their forefathers, God had ordained. (See Paul on Mars Hill, Acts 18:26.) So too, Paul can say, “When it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me, etc. (Galatians 1:15-16.) “There is a time to be born, and a time to die (Eccl. 3:2.) Thus, in the development of time, the elect are born, first in Adam’s race to individual “vessels of mercy afore prepared unto glory” and partake of his flesh and blood by receiving their natural life from him, and are therefore born of corruptible seed, “dead in trespasses and in sin.” And at the appointed time, God will send forth His Spirit, and beget them from above, implanting the eternal life, which was preserved (Jude 1) in seed substance, hid in Christ in God from before the foundation of the world, in them – the “earthen vessels.” These, unlike those who believe that they are only Adam reborn a second time (which would still only make them Adam made over again), are “born not of blood (of Adam’s flesh), nor the will of the flesh, (the natural flesh of a decider), nor of the will of man, (preachers, soul-winners, decision-makers etc.) but of God” (John 1:13.)

Here we see that a twice born man is a compound person. His spiritual life is “Christ the Word of God,” and by this living Word the elect person is born of God, and take on the body and nature of sinful man – of Adam’s progeny. Here is a clear statement as to why Christ was born for many: “Forasmuch then as the children ARE partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham” (Hebrews 2: 14-15.)

Now Paul clearly showed that it was not “two principles” in him that caused his conflict. A principle is similar to a law. An economic or biological law is true in all cases; a principle may at times be replicated, but at other times it may also fail to bring forth the same results. Paul wrote: “For that which I do I allow not; for what I would. That do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the LAW THAT IT IS GOOD. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me, (that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. . . Now if I do that I would not, IT IS NO MORE I THAT DO IT, BUT SIN THAT DWELLETH IN ME. I find a law that when I would go good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and bringing me, into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7: 15-23.) Principles do not war with each other. But two laws, contrary to each other, and both actively inhabiting two separate and distinct individuals in one body, do war violently one with the other. There can be little doubt that there are two “Pauls” that Paul had in view, and described. He did not say that he did the sinning. He outright denied it! “I didn’t do it!” he said.

Thus, simply put, we see that in the begetting to spiritual life, the eternal life that was given to the elect in Christ before the world began, is communicated to them while yet in Adam’s fleshly body. Both seeds are implanted in the same body, and create the warfare common to all true children of God. Not only so, but the Adamic fleshly body is not born over again, nor changed from a natural body into a spiritual body. Because the children of God inhabits Adam’s natural body of flesh and blood, Christ came in the same experience they have, to destroy the work of the devil in Adam’s race so far as it involves His seed. The children have two births: the first of corruptible seed, the second “of incorruptible seed, the word of God that liveth and abideth forever.” And such that are thus “born of God” cannot sin because His seed remaineth in them. We would as soon expect God to sin as to expect His spiritual progeny to sin. As Paul, they too, can say, “I didn’t do it! Sin that dwelleth in me did it! I delight in the law of God after my inward man. But I, too, see another law in my fleshly members warring against the law of my inward mind, and bringing me into bondage to the law of sin and death” which I still possess.

This union of the eternal life of Christ with His own children chosen IN Him, and given Him by the Father to them in the spiritual begetting is known as “eternal vital union.” It is one of the most fundamental aspects of all Biblical Christian doctrine. One cannot understand "the new birth" in the void of this precious doctrine; and all the schemes of saving man, whether by Pelagians or Calvinists, grow out of the ignorance of this topic. Perhaps, the following topics will be of benefit for expanding the concepts presented above. The above is so fundamental that every sensible sinner upon his conversion should give all diligence to comprehend. It is also totally unknown by today's man-made "Christians.'" Every child of God should know that when God chose them in Christ it was before the world began. (Ephesians 1:4-6). Their eternal life was then given to them and "hid with Christ in God," (Colossians 3:3) and in this life are all spiritual blessings stored that they shall ever receive (Ephesians 1: 1-4.) In divine begetting, this life is communicated to the elect child and all the benefits of divine election flow to him in his experience thereafter. But let it be noted, that these had their origin in Christ, his Head and Savior, before the poor sinner ever received them. We will next discuss the "begetting to spiritual life” by the Spirit of God.

Chapter Nine: THE BEGETTING TO DIVINE LIFE

We use the term begetting, for the implantation of natural life in Adam's offspring, and quickening for the implantation of spiritual life of Christ in an elect by the Spirit. The term birth is limited to one being delivered from his mother's womb, and the term new birth for conversion or deliverance to the light of the Gospel. As you will see, these terms cover a period of time in natural darkness in one's mother's womb, and a time-lapse between the begetting or conception and the birth (of about nine months); and the quickening and the new birth. Is that clear? If not, we will restate it this way:

For a natural birth to take place, one must have a seed planted in begetting it to life; a period of physical, mental, and physiological development to term, and finally the birth. The same we use for the child of God. There must be an implanting of an "incorruptible Seed," (which Paul said was Christ) for the begetting or quickening of the child of God; a period of spiritual growth and experimental development of life and immortality in darkness, and at term, deliverance by the Spirit of Christ when this life and immortality is "brought to light by the Gospel." "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God" (I John 3:9.) "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible seed, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever" (I Peter 1:23.) Upon this deliverance, faith and repentance are in evidence (but not the cause), and the individual is declared converted, by theologians. [We add: conversion is a continuing experience throughout one's mature life.] It is rather obvious, then, that spiritual development and the new birth are far more than merely walking down an aisle and committing one's self to a religious cause. It entails all that the words "being born again," carry in its definition.

The "begetting to spiritual life" is presented in the Scriptures as the exclusive work of the Holy Spirit. This is logical and reasonable as well. God is a Triune God. The Father "chose us in Him" (Christ) and "gave us to Him" as Jesus said in the Lord's Prayer, "Thine they were, and Thou hast given them Me" (John 17:6.) Being chosen in Him and given to Him, He laid down His life only for them. Thus He saved them by His sacrifice for their sins. As the Triune God is the author of eternal life, it is the role of the Holy Spirit to "take the things of Mine" (Christ's) and show them to thee." It is imperative that one has a spiritual ability to discern spiritual things. This spiritual ability is not native to the natural man. "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." . . . "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they (spiritual things of God) are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (I Corinthians 2:11, 14.)

Now this inability is quite serious. Until one is born spiritually, he cannot discern anything at all to his best interest. No wonder he is said to be "lost"! He cannot hear the Gospel (John 8:43). He cannot understand the Gospel (Matthew 13: 13,14 and John 8:43). He cannot believe the Gospel (John 3:12; John 10:26). He can believe a great deal of religious things, but he cannot believe the Gospel of the grace of God. What is there lacking in man that disables him from comprehending spiritual things? Obviously, it is because he is not spiritual! To become spiritual he must be born spiritually; just as it was necessary to be natural, he had to have been born naturally! This is both reasonable and true.

When Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Ye must be born again," He was speaking to a man that knew something about the process of "being born" from his mother's womb. Jesus did not give him a primary lesson in genetics. He spoke only of the end result of divine quickening and development. Today, we may find hundreds of books on the subject of conception; or hundreds more on prenatal development; and many more on the birth process for young mothers, etc. It is not necessary to explain everything in the process if we wish to speak of one's birth. The antecedent processes are rightly assumed. So too, we often speak of "being born again." In fact, in evangelical Christianity, there is little to no discussion of antecedent processes. This void leads to tragic results as the evangelicals attempt to develop plans of salvation, or means to produce divine life in sinners. Yet, the Bible is not silent on the subject. The marginal reference in the KJV on John 3:3 is worded, “Ye must be born from above." In John 1:13, John speaks clearly of this early implantation of divine life, saying, “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God." Again, to Nicodemus, Jesus made it sufficiently plain, saying, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." That should not be hard to understand!

On the subject of divine quickening, or the implantation of spiritual life, Jesus made it clear that God was the source of divine quickening. "For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom He will" (John 3:21.) And, "It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life" (John 6:63.) We naturally assume that God gives life. Often, however, we find ourselves putting man between the begetting to life and the birth itself. It is well, then, to notice that man, the law, nor the Gospel are introduced into this subject at this stage. Those that are "born of God," are born not by family inheritance ("not of blood"); nor by the human will or willingness ("not of the will of the flesh"); nor by the will of family, religious counselors, or preachers ("nor of the will of man. ") Rather, they are "born of God." If they are "born of God," then it is self-evident they are "begotten of God." This, too, is taught clearly in the Bible. Peter writes to those he says Christ "hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (I Peter 1:4.) John particularly states that those that are "begotten of God loveth him that is begotten of Him" (I John 5:1.) Thus we conclude that if one is begotten of God and born of God, that person is a child of God." And we need not labor this point: the Bible clearly refers to the believer as a "child of God."

The most controversial statement we will make is this: the begetting to divine life and the Christian's early development to birth is antecedent, or prior, to the presentation of the Gospel and the hearing of the Gospel. Thus, the new birth is necessary to faith and conversion, and not the other way around.

In the initial begetting to spiritual life, the individual is first taught effectually that he is a sinner. He sees his transgressions as "exceedingly sinful." It is by that operation that the commandments of God, as it were, come to life. Paul in describing his own experience, said: "For I was alive without the law once," meaning, we believe, that he was not in any soul trouble, although at that time a strict legalist; "but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died" (Romans 7: 9.) One cannot imagine Paul having ever been without knowledge of the law. He was reared a strict Pharisee! What else, therefore, can he mean? We believe he experienced what all the saints experience. The law came alive to him. He was exercised by it. He had previously thought that the law of commandments "was ordained to life," but was dreadfully surprised when he “found it to be unto death." He explained that sin used the commandment to deceive him, and the commandment killed him (Romans 7: 9-11.) Whether he was in that state when he aided in killing Stephens cannot be known; but it surely was his state when he was struck down on the road to Damascus. He had spiritual ears to hear the words of Christ! Christ was the Gospel preacher that day! And he was struck down before he ever heard the Gospel, and before he obeyed it in baptism.

The Ethiopian eunuch was a living child of God, and God heard his supplications and prayers before Peter ever preached the Gospel to him and his household. Lydia was meeting where "prayer was want to be heard" before she heard Paul preaching the Gospel. The Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas "What must I do to be saved?" before Paul or Silas ever presented the Gospel to him! The point we make is simply this: Life precedes faith. The begetting to divine life introduces the child of God into the spiritual kingdom and family of God. This is God's work, and not that of preachers. "I thank Thee, Father, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes." "Even so Father, for it seemeth good in Thy sight."

The preaching of the Gospel, considered foolishness by many, is the ordinary way that God has ordained to bring faith to His spiritual children. (I did not say “life.”) When Paul and Barnabas preached at Antioch, the Holy Scripture records: "And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed" (Acts 13: 48.) The word ordained is a strong word indeed! God's children are ordained to good works, which they could not do without faith; and this 'faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. "

It is with the "Christian Man After Divine Quickening" where hope, faith, and assurance should rightfully be discussed. We will discuss these topics under separate headings.

Chapter TEN: THE SENSIBLE SINNER AT AND AFTER DIVINE QUICKENING

Ministers are to preach to the end that Christ is glorified, and that living quickened sinners (converted or unconverted, whether it can be proved that to be their case or not) will be encouraged to "give all diligence to make their calling and election sure." When such are delivered from darkness, they will be able to rejoice in the "hope of eternal salvation" through Jesus Christ our Lord. We base that premise on our view of the nature of the new birth and the Scriptural definition of the Gospel. We have selected a quote from H.M. Curry, a schoolman hired by the Peabody Institute to help lay the foundation of secondary education in the post-civil war South, and an Old School Baptist minister at Goshen, Alabama, as an introduction to this topic. He wrote:

"When Jesus said “Ye must be born again,” He gave a name to a hitherto nameless fact. The doctrine of the new birth, as announced by Christ and developed in the New Testament Scriptures, was a novel doctrine at that age of the world, and remains a novelty yet. The fact of the new birth, as exemplified in the experience of God's people, is as old and as universal as man himself; but the doctrine had never been named before. The new birth is not stated in the Old Testament, although the effects of it are clearly manifest in the experience of patriarchs, prophets, priests and kings, and many in the humbler walks of life, among both Jews and Gentiles. It is not mentioned in any religious writings, either Jewish or Pagan, before the New Testament. The ancient epics of India, the ethical codes of China, the complicated systems of Egypt, the fanciful philosophy and poetry of Greece, the gorgeous ceremonials and mystic rituals of ancient Mexico and Peru, are all silent upon this doctrine. It came from the lips of Jesus, a novelty, an original doctrine, a new name for a hitherto nameless truth, a golden key to unlock the rich mines of Christian experience so long closed by human ignorance, so completely covered by ceremonials, and so deeply buried in tradition, a lamp by which the wonderful works of God in the children of men was to be more clearly understood, the exceeding greatness of His power to usward more fully known, and the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints more fully beheld." [Writings of Elder H.M. Curry].

Our Lord always used words with known definitions with which to teach His precious truth. God gave man the ability to speak, chiefly, to communicate to and with him. When Jesus said, "Except a grain of corn fall into the earth and die, it remaineth alone," He was not giving a horticulture lesson. It is both true in nature and illustrates the truth in grace. When He told Nicodemus, "Ye must be born again," He did not say as many seem to understand it, "Ye must be born all over again!"

In the beginning of the creation of all things by God, He laid down in one of His first lessons an infallible law for all ages. Life must produce life after its own kind and nature. "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding SEED, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after HIS KIND, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so." "And God created great whales and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their KIND, and every winged fowl after his KIND: and God saw that it was good" (Genesis 1: 11-22.) The point made here is, that all life, plant or animal, produces only after its KIND. Keep both of these principles in mind as you read this topic, because the two are fundamental to the understanding of the doctrine of the new birth and its concomitant results. The foregoing law of creation is verified by both natural observation and scientific empirical evidence. Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), a French philosopher, demonstrated conclusively that the earlier theory of spontaneous generation advanced by Catholic doctors in the Medieval Age, was false, and the scientific community has replicated his studies and accepted his thesis. Some preachers are still guided in their doctrine by that old superstition. Simply put, IT IS TRUE! Life proceeds from life and this after its own kind.

Jesus told Nicodemus that a man, born of Adam's nature, had to "be born again" to enter the kingdom of God. Nicodemus, very much as modern ministers, thought Jesus meant "Ye must be born all over again,” and the Lord corrected him. In fact, the whole conversation is designed to correct this mis-understanding. If Nicodemus could "enter" his "mother's womb and be born again" ten thousand times, he would still be exactly what he was - a corrupt Adamic man, only multiplied! Jesus answered him, saying, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh" (John 3:6.) That is consistent with the law of creation. That is all the flesh can produce - after its own kind. It will never be anything else. It is never born over again. Consider, if you would, that a human being can have something added to him without modifying what he previously was. To make this point, we refer the reader to the Lord Jesus Christ. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1.) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us" (John 1:14.) Our Lord Jesus Christ "is the same yesterday, today, and forever," and is the "immutable," or unchangeable God. He was and yet remains the Eternal Son of God, and had at His birth the nature of man added on to His divine nature. He was "God manifested in the flesh." He was not half God and half man; but He was the God- Man. As you read this article, keep this and the law of creation in mind. These principles will go a long way in helping to understand the new birth process.

All are aware that Adam is the father of the human race by means of the corruptible seed of man that was in his loins, by which we are begotten into his family. We shall show that Christ, of whom Peter wrote, is the seed in the spiritual quickening, or begetting, of God's elect children. As he wrote: "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever" (1 Peter 1:23.) The preached or written word does not "live," nor "abide forever," and hence those who advance this as the cause of the new birth are wrong. The hearers soon forget both. Paul makes this point clear, "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to Thy seed, which is Christ" (Galatians 3:16.) Jesus said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh." It is the reproduction of the seed of Adam "according to his kind," generation after generation. The flesh is not changed in divine quickening or the new birth into something spiritual. It is of Adam, and is still flesh, and as mortal flesh, it will die a corruptible death. That, within itself is proof enough that it is not "born" immortal, or born over again.

"And that which is born of the Spirit is SPIRIT' (John 3:6.) Was the fleshly nature of Adam born of the Spirit? If so, would this add-on have not basically changed the flesh from flesh to spirit? If so, then, "It cannot sin" (1 John 3:9,) but we know it does!. This is a contradiction; for Christ has just assured Nicodemus that the flesh was still flesh. Surely any person brought to spiritual life knows full well that he still has all the properties of Adam as he had before his experience of grace. He full well knows that he is yet a sinner in his human nature; that the nature is unmodified by the presence of his spiritual life. He still mourns over sin, and begs forgiveness for his many offenses. If the flesh took on the "kind" of the "incorruptible Seed," the flesh would have attained sinless perfection. But the fact of our existence denies this to be so.

The only way a creature can be the son of man is to be born of the seed of man. The only way a creature can be a son of God, is to be born of the seed of God, and that, as shown above, is Christ. We do not find horses begetting cows, and preachers begetting saints! Thus, in the begetting and quickening development, there are two distinct natures in God's children following the new birth experience. These two distinct natures are the development from two distinct seed substances, one of the earth, earthy, from Adam; the other of the Spirit, and spiritual from Christ. Each has different personality traits. If each of these personality traits can be shown empirically to co-exist, we have proof that there are two men, a natural man and a spiritual man co-existing in a child of God following the new birth. The Adam man has taken on an addition, and this add-on did not modify the earthly man. This fact is the very source of the Christian's warfare. "The spirit lusts against the flesh, and the flesh against the spirit so that we cannot do the things we would" (Galatians 5: 17.) His flesh had something added on that was spiritual and this produced the conflict. Just as a cold virus enters into a natural body, and being an alien, the body produces antibodies to fight the invaders: so too, with the new birth add-on of a spiritual seed, a conflict is produced - "the flesh against the spirit, so that we cannot do the things" we otherwise would.

That there is a distinct difference between the traits of the two distinct men is shown in the following Scriptures: First, "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry; for which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience" (Colossians 3:5-6.) These are the works of the flesh, the outward man, or the natural man. They are found in abundance in all men without exception. They are not found at all in the inner man, or spiritual man. These are the very traits that the spiritual, or inner, man abhors. These are the works of the flesh that tries the Christian man after divine quickening, and causes him so much grief, doubts of his standing before God, and disables him from doing the things that he would. They rob him of his joy, diminishes his spiritual comfort, and moves him to introspection - "Am I His or am I not." They are his "thorn in the flesh" in his spiritual walk. The fact that he hates them is sufficient evidence that they are not associated with his better and spiritual man. "But now ye also put off all these things; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the OLD MAN WITH HIS DEEDS" (verses 8,9.) The old man has its "understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts." They are "past feeling" and have "given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness" (Ephesians 4: 18-19.) These are things that all men without exception know, "But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus" (Eph. 4: 20-21.)

Second, the new man has an altogether different nature than the above. He has "put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and" he has been "renewed in the spirit of his mind, and has put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:22-32.) It is in this renewed nature that the Apostle says, "We are members of His flesh, and of His bones" (Ephesians 5:30.) The Christian man after divine quickening has put on these very unique traits that the old man does not possess. "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another ... and above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness" (Colossians 3:12-14.)

The above distinctly different traits are the root cause of the Christian man's spiritual conflict. He is literally at war with himself, and that daily. In God's sight he is as the Shulamite of Solomon's love epoch: "What shall we see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies" (S.S. 6:13.) And what do armies do? They war with one another! Where is that spiritually born child that does not know by experience of what this conflict consists? The flesh truly wars against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh within a Christian man after divine quickening.

As stated above, Jesus used words that have understandable meanings. If one must be "born again," then for it to be understood correctly, we must understand it in its contextual meaning. Before there can be a "birth," there must be a previous "begetting." And the Bible amply speaks of that also. Before there is a "birth," there must be a developmental period. In women, this period between begetting and birth cannot be disputed. In nature, the seed of man (Adam) is planted in the begetting stage. Life begins its development with conception. This developmental stage in women is about nine months. If that does not appear a very long "time-lapse" to someone, it surely does to the expectant mother!

Now, dear reader, are there evidences of life prior to the birth? Ask any expectant mother! Jesus answered it also, saying, "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goest: so is every one that is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8.) One can see that there is evidence of life - the "wind" or spirit in this case. Just as a woman may be with child before she knows it, or even suspects it, she will in time find it out. When a Gospel minister goes into the stand to preach the Gospel of God, there may be children begotten of the incorruptible seed where, as yet, there is no external evidence. There may be some quickened soul developed sufficiently to show marks of God's children struggling to be delivered. And it is a glad day when the fruit of the spiritual life is seen in evidence as one rejoices in the Gospel of free grace, and finds their deliverance sweet.

We will make this additional point here: Paul, considering what God had given His people in the effect of that spiritual birth, refers to God, "Who HATH saved us, (past tense) and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us IN Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Timothy 1:9-10.) Look at that: He saved us before He called us, and this salvation was on purpose, and by grace, and given to us before the world began, even though we were not yet born! It must have been in the Seed, for we were not yet developed in our present life. But, He did not bring life and immortality through the Gospel, as some seem to read the text. Rather, that life and immortality, implanted in the begetting by the incorruptible seed, ''which is Christ," is brought “to LIGHT through the Gospel” message. This life and immortality is in a begotten child of God from the begetting through the developmental process to birth. But before birth, there is only struggling life in darkness. It is "through much tribulation that we must enter the kingdom of God." How is this life and immortality brought to light, or made manifest?  The text says, "through the Gospel." Therefore, since this is how it is brought to light, ministers are to be faithful in preaching the Gospel of the free grace of God to those quickened and developing children bearing those marks, or evidences, to the end that God has ordained: to wit, "the preaching of the Gospel to save them that believe " (1 Corinthians 1 :21.)

Now back to the development of these two seeds, the natural Adamic seed and the spiritual Christian seed. The first, producing the multiplication of Adam "of the flesh," and the other the development by the incorruptible seed within the begotten child of God, a born again man with two conflicting natures. Some may object to this understanding of the terms "the new man" and the "old man," or the "outward man" and the "inward man," or "natural man," and the "spiritual man." But forgive us if we can't yield this point. If the Holy Ghost said it in the Holy Book, we believe it. If He used word with proper meanings, then there are two men referred to in these texts by these terms and they are shown to be very different from each other. The differences of these two co-habiting men, as described in the Scriptures, make it indisputable that they are the cause of the Christian warfare, and without these co-habiting partners in the believer, there could not be such a profound conflict as is experienced by a born again man.

The "outward man perishes," the "inner man IS renewed daily." The "outward man" "loves darkness, neither will he come to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest." He cannot do that which he would do (Romans 7: 15-20.) The "inward man" loves righteousness and true holiness, and "delights in the law of God after the inward man" (Romans 7:21, 24.) The "outward man" dies daily, while the "inward man" has eternal and everlasting life and "shall not perish" (John 3: 16;) The outward man" has Adam 1st. as his father and head. The "inner man" has Adam 2nd as his Father and Head. The "outward man" is full of doubts and fears, sins and iniquities, and transgressions. The "inner man" lives by the faith of the Son of God dwelling in him, and thus he "doth not commit sin" (1 John 3:6, 9.) The "outward man" is materialistic, earthy, sensual, devilish, and loves the world and its pleasures. The "inner man" hates the world and the lusts thereof. Shall we bore you with more? There are plenty of Scriptures mentioned throughout the New Testament alone.

It appears that the only reasonable explanation for this strange dichotomy in the begotten child of God is the above thesis. It is certain that the behaviors ascribed to the "outward, natural, carnal, and earthly man" are universal within the human race; while those of the "inner, spiritual, heavenly and new creature" are peculiar, or unique, to the quickened child of God. Furthermore, it is indisputable that the born again Christian possesses both sets of behaviors and conditions. Where else, then, can this dichotomy have as its source? It is our thesis, then, that they each have their rise from the seed substance that produced them. Since there are two sets of these behaviors, and they are contrary one to the other; then there are two sources from which they have their rise: the first being from Adam's seed, and the other from Christ's incorruptible seed.

“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh (Adam's seed, or progeny) is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit (by the incorruptible seed, "which is Christ") is SPIRIT. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again" (John 3:5-7.) Nicodemus had the fleshly, or carnal, birth. Jesus did not tell him how to be born of the Spirit; but only that he must be in order to enter the kingdom of God. This, too, is reasonable: no child in nature had to know how to be born! So how foolish are those misguided preachers trying to promote a formula to produce this altogether spiritual birth!

The quickened sensible sinner, as we have shown, consists of two distinct entities, one born of the flesh, and the other born of the Spirit; and they dwell together in conflict within one individual. Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Except a man be born again." It does not follow that only a part of man is born of the Spirit, or that the spiritual man is totally separate and apart from the natural man. [This was the heresy of Daniel Parker that resulted in him and Lamont church being excluded from the Old School Baptists in the Midwest; it was the view the Catholics charged against the Albigenses; and is the view held by the Zoroastrians of Persia or Iran] Rather, the Christian man is one man consisting of body, soul and spirit, in such a manner that the inner man has effect on the outward man. He is a compound person. Recall from above the suggestion to keep in mind that one can have something added on, yet does not change the man from his original composition? When one is rejoicing in the Gospel of the free grace of God with tears streaming down his cheeks, the spiritual man is being exercised and fed; yet the tears of joy are flowing from the natural man's tear-ducts. When the natural man is full of doubts and fears, the spiritual man often is in a state of declension also. The two men interact interstitially with each other as one man. They must acts interstitially with each other due to the complete unity of the quickened man. If one desires to dispute this upon the basis that it is too complicated to understand, then let that one explain the hypostatical union of the Son of God and Son of Man! We would rest our case that "like begets like kind"; or, "like Father like son"!

There are many effects of this duality in a Christian man, but in this book we have discussed his hope, faith, and assurance. We conclude it with the "Christian Warfare" by Thomas P. Dudley, as “Appendix: B,” because it is "ready at hand" on that aspect of this subject. Hope, faith, and assurance are all fruit of the Spirit produced within the Christian man. It is very important to note that all three of these are gifts of God, and are produced in the Christian man by the life implanted in his begetting by the Holy Spirit. In other words, they proceed from the incorruptible seed and are not to be found in the Adam's offspring. Counterfeits are reproduced by the natural man, such as "moral suasion" for "faith" and natural "tears" for "repentance", but they have no saving virtue. Incidentally, seldom is "hope" counterfeited, because moral suasion rules it out altogether. From the initial act of begetting, the grace of hope is more in evidence than faith, and remains so through the developmental stage to birth. It remains active throughout a Christian man's life on earth. At no point following quickening by the Spirit is he missing "faith" while hope is dominant. In the exercise of hope, faith is "little" and often accompanied by retrospective examination, "Am I His or am I not". Conversely, when faith is strong, hope is still present, yet not in great evidence. These gifts interact with each other according to the measure that the Spirit metes out to the believer, and this is according to his need. "My grace is sufficient for thee."

These three gifts do not act in a void relative to the outward man. At times, the Christian man may not see any evidence that he is any different from all other men in nature. He can find no heart to pray; the Bible does not interest him; going to church a bore, he wishes he had stayed at home; he can't enjoy the songs of praise; finds a heart cold towards his fellow Christians; the giving of alms to those in need does not move his natural sympathies towards his fellow man; he does not grow in grace and knowledge of the truth and in general he is as if he were dead to all things spiritual. But this doubting, and even sinful denial at times, issues forth from his natural man. This is his fruit. It cannot flow from a living faith, which the inner man possesses. Simply put, spiritual exercises are the product of spiritual life, and this life is in His Son dwelling within. Natural exercises are the product of natural life, and this life is in the Adamic man. Natural religion, even if surnamed "Christian," is of the Adamic man - as evidenced by a world full of the stuff ! Adam is very religious too! Spiritual religion is in Christ, and lives within the spiritual man. The two religions are noticeably different to a discerning Christian. Natural religion is full of pomp and show, designed to entertain the outward man and Adamic man by natural things, stories, and methods. Spiritual religion is entertaining only by the Gospel, doctrine of Christ, and Christian fellowship. Natural religion denies or plays down the sovereignty of God, and promotes the so-called "responsibility" of man. Spiritual religion loves and delights in the sovereignty of Almighty God, and places its balance in the accountability of man. If man is accountable to God, then God is sovereign. If man is responsible, then God is not sovereign, for responsibility is one's being free to act of his own volition and answerable only to himself for any negative consequences. Accountability bows one's head to His Maker and acknowledges he must give an account for violations of God's sovereign right over him. Natural religion will not submit to the sovereign rule of God, but speak foolishly of an antinomy - you must believe both legs of this absurd contradiction. Spiritual religion submits to both God's sovereignty and man's accountability, and its adherents walk respectably and humbly before their God.

Chrysostom, the earliest known Christian historian wrote: "What is meant by, He hath chosen us in Him? By means of the faith which is in Him, Christ, he means, happily ordered this for us before we were born, nay more, before the foundation of the world." - Chrysostom's Homilies on Galatians and Ephesians, Approximately a.d. 395; page 103.

Chapter Eleven: A PRIMARY FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IN DIVINE QUICKENING

In discussing one's experience, the subjects of hope, faith, and assurance must be included. All three of these, and charity (love) are gifts, or fruit, of the Holy Spirit. As such, those not quickened by the Spirit do not possess them, for they are unique to the nature of the spiritual man. Natural men can have a natural hope, a natural "faith" or moral suasion, and a false assurance; as well as a humanistic or altruistic generalized love for all mankind. However, these counterfeits are not the spiritual topics we discuss below. Simply put, what we present are spiritual graces produced by a spiritual life within a quickened sinner, by a spiritual incorruptible seed.

(a): Hope, A gift of Grace

Hope is a free gift of God and a fruit of the Spirit of God. "And now abideth faith, hope, and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity" (1 Corinthians 13: 13.) It is so much an integral part of the essence of evangelic faith that one cannot have it without the other. So as you read this topic on "hope," keep this in mind; that a person with this free grace gift also is a believing child of God. He cannot but have faith in God, for this is the foundation of his hope. Even though the individual with this grace is a believer, his faith is not in evidence to him at all times, and he will often be sorely tried in his experience as to whether he has any at all. In these periods, hope triumphs. This is hope's peculiar role in the believer's life.

We will present this topic, first, because on a continuum, hope is considered the lowest level of faith, whereas full assurance is at the highest level of Christian experience. Lying between hope and full assurance are: full assurance of hope, little faith, faith, great faith, and the assurance of faith. These degrees together, except the last, are one in essence, yet manifested each according as God deals out to an individual a "measure of faith."

Looking at all these gifts on that continuum, which of them is not counterfeited by Arminians and Pelagians? To put it another way, if we should wish to identify the "believer," which would be the clearest evidence? Which one of the above would an Arminian or Pelagian have no counterfeit definition. It is hope. Such will deny it for himself and ridicule those who are exercised by it. Such will never mention hope in the context of his religious experience. He will boast in his faith, brag about his great faith, and proclaim his full assurance from the very first day of his religious commitment, but hope is not in his religious vocabulary. This should be understandable. Since hope is the smallest measure of faith evidenced in the weakest experience, a wolf will more likely take off the weakest of the lambs. So the wolf in sheep' clothing will more likely manifest his nature by attacking the child of God when he is the most vulnerable. If one speaks of his hope, and talks of how small that hope is, the man-made "Christian" will mock him immediately! Why? Because the man-made "Christian" has no experimental concept of what the believer is experiencing. In the eyes of a man-made "Christian," the Pharisee that boasted of his tithes and goodness is more to be admired than the poor sinner who could not even lift up his eyes toward heaven, but smote on his breast, crying, "Lord, have mercy on me a sinner." And, to him, God forbid that he ever be heard to say, "Lord, I believe. Help Thou mine unbelief"! (Luke 18:13 & Mark 9:24.)

Can a dear lamb of Christ's love go from full assurance to just a little hope? Can one get that low after being, as it were, on the mountaintop? You may answer it with me. John the Baptist baptized Jesus in Jordan and gave this testimony: "This is He of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for He was before me. And I knew Him not: but that He should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him. And I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, ‘Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.’ And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God” (John 1:30-34.) Did John believe that astounding record? You know he did! "Again the next day John stood, and two of his disciples, and looking upon Jesus as He walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!" It is safe to say that John knew of whom he spoke. Yet, shut up in prison and isolated from the passing events, he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question: "Art Thou He that should come, or do we look for another?" (Matthew 11 :3.) One can feel the pathos of such a declension! How heart rendering sad! Is that not going from the fullest assurance to the lowest degree of faith? Many a preacher today would consign the poor doubtful Baptist to hell for this little hope. But there is a gracious point here: if the dear forerunner of our Lord could be brought this low, why should we murmur if we are at times without those evidences we formerly had? We can loose sight of every felt manifestation of God's love and mercy toward us when it pleases Him to withhold His face from us. We cannot crow: "I know I'm saved and bound for glory" when faith is no longer in evidence. But we can be humbled before Him acknowledging our "hope of eternal salvation." It is His gift to bestow upon whom, and when, it pleases Him.

In colonial America, many Puritans, both Episcopalians and Congregationalists, as well as Baptists, used Watt's Hymnal. They often sang,

"When God is nigh,

my faith is strong;

His arm is my Almighty prop:

Be glad, my heart; rejoice my tongue;

My dying flesh shall rest in hope."

Again,

"But why, my soul,

sunk down so far

Beneath this heavy load?

Why do my thoughts indulge despair,

And sin against my God?”

"Hope in the Lord,

Whose mighty hand

Can all thy woes remove;

For I shall yet before Him stand,

And sing redeeming love."

In the index to Watt's Hymnal, there are listed 26 hymns on the subject of hope. Among Baptists in the early years of our history, they used Dr. Rippon's Hymnal. In it we find the same emphasis. Can a modern Calvinist imagine hearing these words plaintively sung in a congregation today, by singers with tears flowing down their cheeks?

"Tis a point I long to know,

Oft it causes anxious thoughts,

Do I love the Lord, or no?

Am I His or am I not?

"If I love, why am I thus?

Why this dull and lifeless frame?

Hardly, sure, can they be worse

Who have never heard His name.

"Lord, decide the doubtful case;

Thou who art Thy people's Sun,

Shine upon Thy work of grace,

If it be indeed begun.

"Let me love Thee more and more,

If I love at all, I pray;

If I have not loved before,

Help me to begin to-day."

Both of these hymns are expressions of a very little hope and they can never be honestly sung by individuals who have no hope. Surely no one in modern churches ever hear such experimental songs of faith. The latter hymn was so loved in those previous periods, that they acclaimed broad support in all churches in that period. That peculiar grace of hope is found in all religious articles in our colonial and frontier periods, and was a common subject used by Gospel ministers to urge believers on to greater assurance in their faith. A student in a seminary in Jackson, Mississippi said of his research findings:

“In our early history the struggles, trials of faith, doubts and fears appear overwhelming to Christians in their experimental travels. Ministers spent much time in attempting to assure their members of their salvation. By contrast, today, ministers need to try equally hard to knock too much of that presumptuous assurance out of them in order to help them return to the experimental foundation of a living hope in Christ.”

Hope was, and ought to be, given much more emphasis in modern Christian exhortation than it presently enjoys. The Christian believer is robbed of something of too great an importance by its present neglect.     One can find in pre-Fuller days, - and it is in the Old School Beebe Collection (Hymn 1033), the Primitive Baptist Hymnal, Lloyd Collection (Hymn 381) and the Regular Baptist Hymnal (Thomas Collection) – that it was an emphasis in experimental hymnology. In other words, it was sung all over the American frontier! The point is made. In times past men and women expressed a hope in Christ at times when their souls were in deep exercise over sin, a barren state, temptations of the flesh, doubts of their standing in grace, or special dispensations of God's providence. Why these experiences are missing today in most congregations is a real mystery, unless few in them are true believers. Perhaps they have them, but the influence of anti-christian evangelists and their own experimentally deficient pastors have made them fearful of expressing them. We have often heard that tragic and painful declaration by inexperienced ministers: "If you don't know you are saved, then you are not! Come on down! Come now! Come before it is too late!" Thus, in order to count some "decisions" in their caps, they beat the poor little lambs of Christ with their scorpions, and feed them "stones" rather than “bread.”

No one will enter the kingdom of heaven except "through much tribulation" (Acts 14:22.) Our Lord promised His children "In the world ye shall have tribulation" (John 16:33.) And it is absolutely necessary for those who enter the kingdom to enter "at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way; that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and FEW there be that find it" (Matthew 7:13, 14.) How does this relate to the topic, one might ask? Notice the word strait. It is not the same word as straight. The latter is the shortest distance between two points. The first is a perilous passageway, as in "the Strait of Magellan" or the "Strait of the Dardanelle." To illustrate: You really do believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. You readily confess that Christ has come in the flesh. You really do believe in Jesus as the only Savior of sinners. You really believe one is justified only by Christ's righteousness imputed to them. But the question comes to mind, "But am I His child?" And you worry and worry with it, seeing so little in your experience to confirm a son ship relation to Him. You just cannot seem to say, "Yes, I know I am." That is an obstacle in the "narrow strait" that leads into life. Many man-made "Christians" have never had to sail through such rugged seas as dark and stormy as these. Such will project that tribulation to a seven year period in prophecy sometime well into the future, and dogmatically declare that you are not saved by the blood of Christ, thus confirming your own doubts about your own case. That, too, is an obstacle in the strait every true child of God must go through to enter the kingdom of heaven. These straits pull pride down, humiliate and destroy arrogance, burns out pride and self-righteousness, and lays a solid foundation under your hope.

Those that have no hope are in the very danger that they suppose the believer is in. The Bible says nothing encouraging about them. Rather, it speaks of those before they entered these straits in this wise: "That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenant of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world" (Ephesians 2:12.) Here the apostle associates being without hope as also being without God. So, conversely, if one is without hope his presumed assurance is groundless. We realize that our view on part of the next passage may be pretty far off for many readers, but the rest is clear.

"And IF CHILDREN, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer WITH Him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation (hope) of the creature (that is begotten within the old man) waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature (that is born of God within, the "new man") was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who subjected the same (creature) in hope, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption (by the outward man that perish) into the glorious liberty of the children of God." (That, the reader may dispute.) "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits (hope being one of them) of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved BY HOPE: but hope that IS SEEN (the presumptuous "know-so-salvation") is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for what we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." (Romans 8:17-25.)

(2) The Gift of Hope and Faith together:

The above is a subject too often disconnected from faith by those who "have no hope," and for such, it would appear they really do not have evangelic faith, for faith and hope go together. The "faith" of such may be mere moral suasion, and it is moral suasion that produces a false instantaneous assurance; and instantaneous assurance is a nominal belief held by the outward or carnal man. When Paul dwelled on the glorious ministration of the Gospel and its effect within the Corinthian believer, he remarks, "Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech" (2 Corinthians 3:12.) Paul even expressed a "hope" that their "faith is increased" (2 Corinthians 1 0: 15.) If Paul expresses his possession of the gift of hope, how much more the weaker saints of God would be expected to have it in exercise. The fact that Paul mentioned both "hope" and "faith" together indicates the two are separate gifts.

Moving upwards on the continuum of faith, Paul joins hope and faith together interstitially. In Colossians, he has "heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of truth of the Gospel" (Colossian 1:4,5.) Here, faith, charity, and hope are associated with the believers' expectation of the earnest of their inheritance, which certainly proves that hope is not a "doubt-so-salvation," as some mockingly call it. Again, he does the same in verses 21-23, writing: "And you, that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in His sight: if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not removed away from the hope of the Gospel, which ye have heard and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister. "

Just as there is an assurance of faith, one should expect there to be an assurance of hope. And there is. Paul stresses hope as strongly as it can be expressed when he adds the word "full" to it when writing to the Hebrews. "And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end. . . . That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec" (Hebrews 6:11 & 18-20.) Before one objects, saying this "hope" is only an "expectation" of heaven, we need to cite this passage again: "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity" (1 Corinthians 13:13.) It is unreasonable to separate hope, which is set between faith and charity in the text, from the list and consider it not a similar gift as the other two.

In the beginning of this chapter, it is mentioned that faith and hope go together, hope being lower on a continuum than faith. It needs to be reiterated that where you find the one, the other also exist, whether it is in evidence or not. One cannot have "hope in Christ," and not "believe that He is and the Rewarder of him that seeketh Him;" for as "without faith it is impossible to please Him, "and "for he that cometh to God must believe that He is" etc, (Hebrews 11: 6,) that is rather obvious. That is as true as "How shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?" Just as hope is a fruit of the Spirit, so too, ''faith is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8.) Whereas no one is pleased to counterfeit hope, the whole world has counterfeited ''faith.'' Since faith is that peculiar grace by which God is pleased to draw out one's life and immortality, bringing it to light by the Gospel, then Satan has also targeted it to create as much confusion as possible. So we move to the subject of "faith" under the next heading, "Experimental Fruit of the Spirit."

Chapter Twelve:  EXPERIMENTAL FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT:

Little Faith, Faith, and Great Faith

''Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace are ye saved;)" and "For grace are ye saved through faith; and that NOT OF YOURSELVES: IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD" (Ephesians 2: 5 & 8.)

According to our continuum, hope is the lowest gift of God, and little faith next in a higher order. In order to discuss "little faith" and "great faith," it seems necessary to do two things: (1) reexamine what we call "faith," and (2) define it for use in examining all three levels. But how shall we begin?

What we now say is not off the subject. It makes two necessary points with which to begin. In 1962, this writer was baptized and ordained by the then oldest Old School Baptist minister in America. He had retired from the cavalry after WWI and kept his horse. By this time the horse was long gone, but his saddle, still polished, sat on his front porch in Hamilton, Ohio, with the bridle out in front, and the reins wrapped around the saddle horn. He was a retired professor from Oberlin College in Ohio, where he had taught History, Law and Philosophy. (He held two degrees, a PHD and a LLD.)

Early in the morning, we arose, and he took me "for a ride." We traveled all day visiting cemeteries. At each he stopped, told of their ministers and members, when the church was constituted, etc. By lunch I was ready to scream, but he continued until almost dark. When we returned, he sat down on the porch, and said: "Young man, I'm not an old man struck with a bad case of nostalgia. I am a teacher, and we have been on a field trip. Methodists did us no harm; Presbyterians never interfered, even Missionary Baptists never bothered us; the Catholics in this country burned none of us at stake; and the government never imprisoned us. We did it to ourselves!"

Again, pointing across the street, he said the gentleman there was a Baptist evangelist. He arose and stepped straddle his saddle, picked up the reins, and began moving up and down as if riding, while saying, "The evangelist called to me and said, “Co!. What are you doing?" "I'm exercising my horse," he replied. "But," said the evangelist, "You have no horse to exercise!" “Yes," he replied, "I'm only doing with my imaginary  horse, what you tell your audiences. You tell them to exercise their faith. But they have no faith to exercise!" Then, returning to his seat, he said, "Young man, see that saddle? It is still right there. It did not go anywhere! Stay off of hobbyhorses. They'll take you nowhere!”

Here, as Calvinistic people, both lessons may be useful. Where did we acquire our concept of "faith?" It is amazing that we all are persuaded that the doctrines of free and sovereign grace are, in fact, the truth of Christ, of His apostles, and of the New Testament saints; and yet 2,000 years later, we are still having trouble comprehending what this most important grace is? Why might this be so?

We can assume that most who will receive this article have spent some time in Pelagianism. We might be correct to assume that we were all persuaded to join a church when we were quite young, impressionable and vulnerable. We might also safely assume that when God so graciously revealed His grace in us, that we delighted in it, and spent hours studying it. And, we might also assume that we have never yet taken the time necessary to reexamine our definition of faith. It may still be the same as before when we were in mystery Babylon. So I challenge all to throw aside that Pelagian definition and began anew.

How many of us have read Hebrews 11: 1, and returned to it repeatedly attempting to comprehend it in the light of our preconceived definition from Pelagianism? "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Inserting the Pelagian (Arminian) definition for "faith" here makes nothing clearer. The mystery still remains. So, what else is noted by the Holy Spirit about this faith? First, "By grace are ye saved through faith." Most of us will agree, that the grace of faith is the ordained gift by which salvation (at least experimentally) comes to a sinner’ attention.

In the begetting into life by the exclusive operation of the Holy Spirit, the quickened sinner "receives Christ." Do not confuse that word "receive" in the Pelagian (an Absolute Freewiller) sense. They think it means, "accept." If I offer you something, you may accept it or reject it. But, if I give you something, you receive it. God never offered anyone salvation, hence, they never accepted it. He "gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16.) "To as many as received Him, to them gave He power", etc. (John 1:13.) We are saying that through the Spirit of God, Christ enters into, and dwells within us. The spiritual life by which we live in Him, is "Christ in us the hope of glory." In that light, lets us present our subject.

Assuming you have found freewillism to be a lie to your experience, and that free grace is the foundation of your newly discovered faith in Christ, where is the source of that faith IN YOU? The Scripture many times identifies it. It is only hidden under the false definition. Watch these Scriptures, and as you read them, may the conceptual development emerge: "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Christ, even we believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified" (GaJ.2:16) "1 am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I  but Christ LIVETH IN ME: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith OF the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me" (verse 20.)

This will sound radical to some, if not most, but what do these Scriptures show about this faith? We are taught in school that the preposition "of'” denotes possession, as in this case. Paul says that the life, which he now has, is because Christ liveth IN me. What does that do for Paul? Why, simply, the faith Paul has is the faith OF Christ in him. He says so! It is that faith of Christ by which he is justified. This is sharply demonstrated when applied to persons already identified as "believers." Paul wrote: "But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith OF JESUS CHRIST might be given to them that believe" (Gal. 3:22.) It is often preached by Pelagian ministers that "believing" is the moving cause for "receiving" life. But is it? What saith the Lord: "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent" (John 6: 29.) Also, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, HATH everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but IS PASSED from death unto life" (John 5:24.) So it seems plain that "believing" by one who has faith within and is already a possessor of everlasting life, that this believing is the evidence that he has already passed from death unto life. This faith is a manifestation of a regenerate, living, state.

When Paul expressed how he desired to be found after all he suffered and lost, he said, "And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith OF Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith ... " (Phil. 3: 9.) If one looks at the many times the preposition "of'” is set after "faith" identifying it with Christ or "of God," the point is made. When a person is born of God, that person is interstitially united with the living Christ, whose life, and faith, and righteousness, and all those "spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. l: 1) are in him and he has Christ as his "all in all." It is by this faith wherein "the righteousness of God is revealed from faith (Whose faith?) to faith: (Again, whose faith?) as it is written, The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1: 1 7.) And they do.

In these places, we have not spoken of faith as an "act of believing." Rather, the "faith of Christ" IN a person is necessary for the "act of believing" to be of any good consequence. Without the "faith of Christ" in them, the "devils also believe and tremble," but are not saved. Without the "faith of Christ" in him, Simon Magnus remained in the "gall of bitterness." (Acts 8: 23.) The most challenging statement that can be made is this: This "faith of Christ" causes one to depend wholly on Him for their every need. The recipient of it does not know where all he is going. This is an important point when contrasting the faith of Christ in His people with the Pelagian concept, better called, “moral suasion,” rather than “faith.” The Pelagian walks down the aisle, makes his confession, joins the church, and now "knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is heaven bound." That is not so much faith as presumption. It is based on moral suasion. If that got your attention, then watch this: Abraham was justified by faith. Paul echoes this, saying: "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went" (Hebrews 11: 8.) The Pelagians’ faith is such he can walk by sight, knowing whither he is going, according to his own profession.

One may object and say, "But Abraham was going to an earthly inheritance." My answer, "Oh no, the faith of Christ in him looked far beyond those horizons,” "For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God" (Hebrews 11:10.) That is the same city that God's people today, by the faith of Christ who dwells in them, are looking toward to: "But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and unto an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant ... "(Heb.12:22-24.)

Notice, we have not been so specific to identify any and every detail that you must believe to be a "saved" person. Why? Simply, those that love the Lord and His precious truth of free grace have Christ dwelling IN them, and thereby IN him they have every thing He did for them all - even their faith and His righteousness! There is a faith that is of the operation of God. "Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of', God, who hath raised Him from the dead" (Cor. 2:12.) [Some of us refer to this baptism as the “baptism of the Spirit.”] It is this faith so many confuse with that faith by which one has righteousness imputed to him. This faith is measured to the living child of God as it is needed. Sometimes we only need "little faith," and under severe temptations, persecutions, trials of our faith, doubts, fears, and anxieties, etc., great faith is called for: "My grace is sufficient for you" is verified. The entire 11th Chapter of Hebrews is filled with examples where great faith was in operation. At other times, a simple "touch of the hem of His garment" brings needed relief. But whether it is little faith or great faith, it rises up from within that indwelling faith of Christ.

This last point, and Scripture, is very appropriate at this particular time: "For I say, through the grace given me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to EVERY MAN the MEASURE OF FAITH" (Romans 12:3.) If anything more is needed, it would be this: If this measure of faith is a gift of God to every man, according to his particular need, then we ought to leave that matter to Him whose business it is. Everything will be made manifest in its own time.

Both assurance and full assurance are of the highest level of the Christian man's experience, and is much rarer than that boasted of by man-made "Deciders." They are attained when God exercises them within the believer for his comfort, or for trials he is called upon to face. But they are not so much of the essence of faith that one can never be without them. Hope and faith are always present in a quickened child of God, but assurance is often long in being attained, and can quickly be lost due to sin, severe trials of faith, the withdrawing of God's face, and God's sovereign good pleasure. Therefore we present it next, using the historical confessions of faith of Baptists, Presbyterians, and Congregationalists (London, Westminster, and Savoy). We present these in a separate chapter.

Chapter Thirteen: ASSURANCE AND FULL ASSURANCE OF

FAITH

In the first part of this series, we covered the too little known subject of hope, followed up in the second with the subject of faith, little faith and great faith as measured out by Christ to believers according to their need, and will conclude with assurance of faith. It seems best to go to the statements of our Baptists, Presbyterians, and Congregationalist confessions. These will show where most of our forefathers stood on the subject; which is far different from that professed by modern-day “Christians.” These are well stated. In chapter 18 of each of them, we read the following:

"1. Although temporary believers and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favor of God and in a state of salvation, which hope of theirs shall perish (Job 8:13,14,) yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love Him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before Him, may, in this life be certainly assured that they are in the state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God (I John 2:3; 3:14,18,19,21; 5: 13,) which hope shall never make them ashamed (Romans 5:2,5.) "This certainly is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion grounded upon a fallible hope, but an infallible assurance of faith (Hebrews 6: 11, 19) founded on the blood and righteousness of Christ revealed in the Gospel (Hebrews 6: 17,18;) and also upon the inward evidence of those graces of the Spirit unto which promises are made (2 Peter 1: 4, 5, 10, 11,) and on the testimony of the Spirit of adoption, witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God.

"2. (Romans 8: 15,16;) and, as a fruit thereof, keeping the heart both humble and holy (1 John 3: 1-3.)

This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may WAIT LONG, AND CONFLICT WITH MANY DIFFICULTIES before he be partaker of it (Isaiah 50:10, Psalm 88, Psalm 77: 1-12;) yet being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation, in the right use of means, attain thereunto (1 John 4: 13, Hebrews 6:11,12:) and therefore it is the duty of every one to "give all diligence to make his calling and election sure, that thereby His heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance (Romans 5: 1,2,5; 14: 17;) - so far is it from inclining men to looseness (Romans 6: 1,2; Titus 2: 11, 12, 14.)

"3. True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as by negligence in preserving of it, (Cant. 5:2, 3, 6,) by falling into some special sin which woundeth the conscience and grieveth the Spirit (Psalm 51:8, 12,14;) by some sudden or vehement temptation (Psalm 116:11; 77: 7,8; 31:22;) by God's withdrawing the light of His countenance, and suffering even such as fear Him to "walk in darkness and to have no light" (Psalm 30:7;) yet are they never destitute of the seed of God (1 John 3: 9) and life of faith (Luke 22:32,) that love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may in due time be revived." (Psalm 42:5, 1,) and by the which, in the meantime, they are preserved from utter despair (Lam. 3:26-31.)”

The Confessional article is well stated. Faith and hope are so interstitially interwoven that where one is, so the other. But assurance and full assurance of faith are beyond little faith, or faith. Faith itself is of Christ in us the hope of glory. He deals the measure of faith He is pleased for us to have. At times He tries our faith, as He did Abraham's in the case of Isaac being offered. Sometimes He withdraws His countenance from us, leaving us with only a hope to keep us from despair. But for the tried saint, giving diligence in making their calling and election sure, they receive a peaceful assurance of their salvation.

Studying the article above and what we understand from our experience, it seems unlikely that a child of God is given instant full assurance at the second birth. It is true, that there is a "first love" at that time that is exceedingly sweet; and such a one will think that surely all of his troubles are now over. As a Father, God holds the little lamb closely to His bosom, but in time, he is made to walk by faith. This early assurance of faith is removed, and his faith is now tried. And 0h, how troubling that trial can be: "Lord: save me: or I perish!"

This assurance, may be, and most often is lost or hid from view. As the articles states: many reasons exist why this is so. David, in the case of Bathsheba: lost his and begged the Lord to "restore in me the joy of Thy salvation" (Psalm 51:12.) And only the Lord can do it: for as hope and faith, this too, is the fruit of the Spirit and gift of God. It, too, is measured out to a believer from the faith of Christ dwelling within, and it is of grace; free grace, amazing grace and sovereign grace. These exercises, from hope to full assurance, are designed by God as evidences of His divine presence within the believer, and Christ Himself is the "substance of things hoped for,” for all these things are found in Him, and He in us. And of these, faith is also the "evidence of things not seen." Without this indwelling presence there can be no true assurance of salvation. That would be what the first article calls a "false hope," which will perish.

It is to be feared, seeing so many articles on the Web, that until this subject is better understood (at least by ministers), the poor and afflicted children of God - the "lambs" they are also to feed, will be sadly neglected, and even by their own pastors, and sorely afflicted. What shall you say to that precious lamb that cannot rise up even to little faith? "You are going to hell" is a horribly severe judgment of one of Christ’s little ones. Yet the Web is full of religious bigots that seem to think they have a copy of the “Lamb’s book of Life.” However, It would be better for that preacher to have a millstone tied around the neck and cast into the sea, than to offend one of these little ones! That is too serious to hide behind theological and intellectual exegesis.

Chapter fourteen: CONCLUSION:

This may be appropriate here: we see the remarks at times from (of all people, Calvinists!) who condemn faithful ministers with a new phrase not often used before: "He is one of those who speaks peace!" Lord has mercy! what in the world is the purpose of the Gospel, if not peace! The first thing you do on entering a house in the ministry is to say, "Peace be to this house." If your peace rests upon it, you stay, if not, you remove yourself "If the Son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon it" (Luke 10: 5-6). "The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (He is Lord of all,) that word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached" (Acts 10: 36-37.) In that great passage every Evangelical cites, we read: "And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things" (Romans 1 0: 15.) It is in that text we prove the utility of the Gospel in a quickened sinner's conversion. In spiritual begetting, Christ takes up His abode in the heart, and His faith is IN that quickened sinner. Without it, he could no more believe the Gospel than Balaam's ass, or Peter’s rooster! With it, he cannot fail to believe it! Thus, among believers, at least, many of their abstract of principles states: "We believe the elect will be called quickened, regenerated, and converted by the power of God through faith." Faith is a wondrous gift, but "there remaineth faith, hope, and charity, and of these three, charity is the greatest." The preaching of faith is more sweetly presented in charity. Without this charity, that "faith" is moral suasion. For "these three" go together in the order the apostle put them. Thus from the effectual calling of God’s elect, the incorruptible seed of Christ is planted with the individual, which implantation produces spiritual life and immortality (being in Christ, who only has immortality). Upon the reception of the life, God draws the individual to His own everlasting arms in loving-kindness. The sensible sinner is brought thereby through many trials and tribulations in his warfare within himself, as he struggles in darkness to be delivered, fleeing to the Law, to morality, to work-mongering religion, all of which are used by the Spirit to kill him to his own so-called “free-will merit” and self-righteousness.

At the appointed time, God brings this life and immortality to light by the true Gospel of the free and sovereign grace of God, and grants the quickened individual a hope of eternal life and salvation; faith in the Son of God by the “faith of Christ;” and at times, leads him gently on to an assurance of his salvation. Through the entire spiritual development, from the begetting to the new birth, the whole work is of God and of God alone. In divine quickening, the sinner is wholly passive, but upon that quickening, God works in him “both to will and to do of His good pleasure,” (Philippians 2:13) conforming him to the image of Christ. The whole travel of the Christian man is a struggling warfare against the natural, fleshly, or Adamic man until his full and complete deliverance in the resurrection of the just. And this warfare is produced because of antagonistic forces between the natural man and the new begotten spiritual man of God. The commencement of this travel is found in the eternal and living, or actual, union of Christ and His body, the church; and its culmination is in the final resurrection of the body at the resurrection of the just at the last day, and the glorification of the entire church of God. May it be the reader’s blessed happiness to be embraced in such wondrous love and great grace of our Almighty God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Peace, love, and happiness, to you all. Amen.

APPENDIX:  A.

ARTICLES OF FAITH OF THE GEORGIA BAPTIST ASSOCIATION of 1790

By Jesse Mercer

(Complements of the Jack Tarver Library of Mercer University, Macon, Georgia)

"We, the churches of Jesus Christ, who have been regularly baptized upon a profession of our faith, are convinced, from a series of experience, of the necessity of a combination of churches; and of maintaining a correspondence, for the preserving of a federal union amongst all the churches of the same faith and order.

And as we are convinced, that there are a number of Baptist churches, who differ from us in faith and practice; and that it is impossible to have communion where there is no union, we think it our duty, to set forth a concise declaration of the faith and order, upon which we intend to associate, which is as follows:

1 st. We believe in only one true and living God; and that there is a trinity of persons in the Godhead- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and yet there are not three Gods, but one God.

2nd. We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the word of God, and the only rule of faith and practice.

3rd. We believe in the fall of Adam, and the imputation of his sins to his posterity; in the corruption of human nature, and the impotency of man to recover himself by his own free will ability.

4th. We believe in the everlasting love of God to His people, and the eternal election of a definite number of the human race, to grace and glory: And that there was a Covenant of Grace or redemption made between the Father and the Son, before the world began, in which their salvation is secure, and that they in particular are redeemed.

5th. We believe that sinners are justified in the sight of God, only by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them.

6th. We believe that all those who were chosen in Christ, will be effectually called, regenerated, converted, sanctified, and supported by the Spirit and power of God, so that they shall persevere in grace, and not one of them be finally lost.

7th. We believe that good works are the fruits of faith, and follow after justification, and that they only justify us in the sight of men and angels, and are evidences of our gracious state.

8th. We believe that there will be a resurrection of the dead, and a general judgment; and the happiness of the righteous, and the punishment of the wicked will be eternal.

And For Gospel Order:

1st. We believe that the visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithful persons, who have gained Christian fellowship with each other, and have given themselves up to the Lord, and to one another, and have agreed to keep up a Godly Discipline, agreeably to the rules of the Gospel.

2nd. We believe that Jesus Christ is the great Head of His Church, and only Lawgiver, and that the government is with the body, and is the privilege of each individual; and that the discipline of the church is intended for the reclaiming of those individuals, who may be disorderly, either in principle or practice; and must be faithfully kept up, for God's glory, and the peace and unity of the churches.

3rd. We believe that water baptism and the Lord's Supper, are ordinances of the Lord, and are to be continued till His second coming.

4th. We believe that true believers in Jesus Christ are the only subjects of baptism, and that dipping is the mode.

5th. We believe that none but regular baptized church members have a right to communion at the Lord's Supper.

6th. We believe that it is the duty of every heaven-born soul to become a member of the visible Church, to make a public profession of his faith, to be legally baptized, so as to have right to, and to partake of the Lord's Supper at every legal opportunity, through the whole course of his life. ___________

APENDIX: B

THE  ORIGIN,  NATURE,  AND EFFECTS  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  WARFARE

By

Thomas P. Dudley - 1844

To the Churches composing the Licking Association of Particular Baptists, their Messengers wish grace, mercy and peace multiplied:

Dearly Beloved Brethren and Sisters:- It occurs to us that we could not select a more appropriate subject, (because none possesses more intrinsic merit,) for our present annual address, than the Origin, Nature, and Effects of that warfare which so painfully disturbs the peace and quiet of the children of the regeneration.

It is confidently believed, that much embarrassment and many doubts and fears with regard to their interest in a Savior’s shed blood, have resulted from misconception of this important subject. How often does the troubled saint exclaim,

“If I love, why am I thus?

Why this dull and lifeless frame?

Hardly, sure, can they be worse

Who have never heard His name.”

That the warfare, invariably follows the new birth, or being “born again,” is not, we believe, controverted by any experimental Christian. But whilst some of us maintain that the warfare results from a conflict of elements within; others, and perhaps the larger number contend, that, in regeneration, the man is changed from the love of sin to the love of holiness. We inquire, by what power the supposed change is effected? The answer is, by the Spirit of God. Moses informs us, “He is the Rock, His work is perfect” – Deut. 32:4. Now we ask, if indeed, in regeneration, the man is changed from the love of sin to the love of holiness, and this change is perfect, does it not necessarily follow, that he will be so wholly and entirely devoted to holiness subsequently, as he had been to sin antecedently to regeneration? If, as is contended by many, the enmity of the heart is slain, in regeneration, whence arises the opposition to the dispensations of God’s Providence? Irreconciliation to His will? And whence the exclamation, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”- Romans 7:25. That the Christian is a compound being, is a truth so fully taught in his history, as given in the Holy Scriptures, that we wonder it should be controverted by any who have tasted “the Lord is gracious.” “But though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day”- 2 Cor. 4:16. “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man”- Romans 7:22. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Christ”- Romans 6:5. “That ye put off, concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and  true holiness.”- Ephesians 4:22-24. “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him”- Colossians 3:9,10. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature” 2 Corinthians 5:17. “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature”- Galatians 6:15. Whence these various distinctions between the old and the new man, if indeed there are not two men? If man is only changed in regeneration? If the language, that “man is changed,” were appropriate, there would be but one man; his feelings and affections have been changed, there could be no conflict, and hence no warfare! We presume that none will contend that the old is the new man, or that the new is the old man. This would be to confound language and make it perfectly unintelligible.

We affectionately ask brethren to consider that, the matter of making Christians, is no where, in the Scriptures, represented as Re-formation, but as a creation. Hence, it is said, “But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create, for, behold I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people: and the voice of weeping shall no more be heard in her, nor the voice of crying.”- “For they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them”- Isaiah. 65:18-23. None, we presume, will deny that the last quotation has exclusive reference to Galatians 4:26. “But, Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.” “But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O, Jacob, and He thatformed thee, O, Israel. Fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name, thou art Mine.” “Fear not, for I am with thee; I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back; bring My sons from far, and My daughters from the ends of the earth;even every one that is called by My name: For I have created him for My glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him”- Isa. 43:1,5-7. “How long wilt thou go about, O, thou backsliding daughter? For the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth; A woman shall compass a man”- Jer. 31:22. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”- Ephesians 2:10. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”- Psalm 51:10. But why need we multiply proofs on the point, when they are set forth so palpably in the Scriptures, and realized in the Christian experience?

The Bible furnishes the following history of the natural family of Adam: “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God created He him”- (Genesis 1:27). “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul”- (Genesis 2:17). “Male and female created He them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created”- (Genesis 5:2). Hence, we learn, that all “living souls,” were created in, and simultaneously with their natural progenitor. They all descend from him by ordinary or natural generation. They necessarily partake of his nature, and subsist upon the same elements upon which he subsisted. The breath of life communicated to man, whence he became a living soul, constituted him a rational, intelligent, responsible being – the subject of law and earthly enjoyments- capable of subsisted upon the products of the earth; But incapable of other and higher enjoyments. Deprive him of the soul, mind, or reasoning faculties, and what would distinguish him from the brute beasts? Deprive him of life and he would be like other dead matter. In the absence of soul or body he would have been incapable of filling up his destiny upon earth. “And the Lord God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (The kind of life which Adam had could be forfeited by transgression.) And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone: I will make him an help meet for him.” “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh thereof. And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.”- Genesis 2:15-18, 21-24.

Now, we ask, If the woman had been different in nature and disposition, if she had been incapable of earthly enjoyments of subsisting upon earthly productions- of breathing a natural atmosphere- in a word, had her susceptibilities been entirely different from Adam’s, would she have been an “help” meet for Adam? But she was part of him, possessed the same nature, and was, consequently, an “help meet” for him. Here too, we see the declaration, “male and female created He them, and blessed them, and called their name Adam,” carried out. “And unto Adam He said: Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life: Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.- And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.” Genesis 3:17-20. Did God address a rational, intelligent being, in the last quotation? And was he capable of realizing the curse pronounced? The characteristics of this family are strikingly marked in the Scriptures. “And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his own image; and called his name Seth.”- Genesis 5:3. “Behold, I was shapened in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”- Psalm 51:5. “The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go stray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.”- Psalm 58:3. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”- Romans 5:12. From the preceding facts and arguments, it is manifest that the family of the “first Adam” is not capable of rendering acceptable service to God. But the antagonistic nature and principles of the two families (the natural and the spiritual,) out of which grows the Christian’s warfare, is made still more manifest by the contrast introduced by an apostle. “And so it is written, the first man, Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit, that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy, the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they that are earthy: And, as is the heavenly, such are they also, that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit in-corruption.”- 1st Corinthians 15:45-50 inclusive.

Is it not evident, then, that all “living souls,” were created in, and simultaneously with the “first man, Adam?” And they all being born of him, necessarily partake of his nature “and He called their name Adam?” And that all “quickened spiritual creatures,” were created in, and simultaneously with the “last Adam,”- Christ; – that they all being born of Him, “born of God,” as necessarily partake of His spiritual nature! That all living souls, no more necessarily descend from the first Adam, than all quickened spiritual creatures necessarily descend from the last Adam. Is it not clear that the seed of the “first man Adam” disclose his nature – and the seed of the “last Adam” make manifest His nature? The children of the “first Adam,” are born of the flesh, and earthly in all their feelings and affections. The children of the “last Adam,” are born of the Spirit, and are necessarily, heavenly, or spiritual, in their feelings and affections. The children of the first, are born for the earth, of the last Adam, are born for heaven. Those of the “first” are born of corruptible seed; those of the “last Adam,” are born of incorruptible seed. The first necessarily partake of human nature; the last, of the divine nature. The antagonistic principles attached to the two men, necessarily result in the Christian’s warfare.

If all living souls were not vitally united to the first Adam, how could they be so directly and fatally affected by the first transgression? How could the original act of transgression be considered their acts? “And so death passed upon all men; for that all have sinned.”  “There is none righteous, no, not one.”- (Romans 3:10). If all quickened spiritual children were not vitally united to the “last Adam,” how could His Mediatorial work affect them, in their deliverance from the wrath to come? “This is His name whereby He shall be called, ‘The Lord our Righteousness.’”- (Jeremiah 23:6). The transgression of the “first man Adam,” involved all his family in guilt and ruin. The Mediatorial work of the “last Adam,” met all the claims of the law, and satisfied divine justice in behalf of the chosen seed. But as the transgression of the “first man Adam,” did not disqualify his family for heaven; neither did the obedience and death of “the last Adam,” impart to His chosen seed, a qualification for the enjoyment of heaven.  The earth being the natural abode of the “first Adam’s” family; they are necessarily born of the flesh, in order to its enjoyment. Heaven being the ultimate abode of the saints, they are, necessarily, born of the Spirit,” in order to its enjoyment. “Except a man be born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”- ( John 3:5). Here we are presented with two distinct births of two distinct elements, which necessarily produce two distinct beings. The first is born of the flesh, producing beings incapable of entering the kingdom of God; the second, born of the Spirit, producing beings capable of entering the kingdom of God. The first, producing simple beings; the second, compound beings. The first, having but one nature- flesh; the second, possessing two natures- both flesh and spirit.

Of those born of the flesh, it is said, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”(Romans 8:7-8) God said of those born of the Spirit, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be  the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.”- (Romans 8:7-9). “All men hath not faith.” “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him.” Faith is a “fruit of the Spirit”- The gift of God to the “new creature.”

The development of the natural family has been progressing for near six thousand years, and yet, the last one born, like the first Adam, gives proof, demonstrable proof, of the source whence he sprang. The spiritual family of God has been developing with, and since the days of Abel and Seth, and each one, “born of the Spirit,” gives evidence of the source whence he sprang. “I delight in the law of God after the inward man.”- No contingency can prevent the entire development of each, the natural and the spiritual families; and we are warranted to believe, that the last who shall be developed of each, shall be like the first of that family from whence he sprang.

The sturdy oak tree of the forest, with all its roots, its huge trunk, every limb, every twig, yea, and every leaf which has been, is now being, and shall be developed, were once enclosed in a small acorn, whence they all sprang – are all of the same nature – each a part of the whole. Had not the acorn been providentially committed to the ground, whence it underwent decomposition, and germination, there had been no development. So with the corn of wheat. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life (his natural life) shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”- John 12:24,25. Adam the first, could no more produce a spiritual being, than the thorn produce grapes, or the thistle figs.

We learn from the Bible that the Husband was composed of two whole and distinct natures, Divine and human. The human composed no part of the Divine; nor yet did the Divine compose any part of His human nature. Now examine the figure:- if the bride is not composed of two whole and distinct natures, or if the human composes any part of the Divine, or the divine composes any part of the human nature, in her, can she be “an help meet” for Him? Unless she partake of the same distinct natures, can she enjoy Him, or He her, in this world, or in that which is to come? But we find the “two men” sustained upon radically different elements. The Earth, which is the mother of the “old” man now, as formerly, feeds the “old man.” The “new,” is fed upon that “bread which cometh down from heaven.” “If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you.”- John 6:51,53.

The creation and development of these destined to inhabit both the natural and spiritual world, are distinct propositions. Hence the Psalmist, personating Christ, says: “My substance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lower part of the earth; Thine eyes did see My substance being yet unperfect, and in Thy book all My members were written, which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them”- (Psalm 139: 15-16). “For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.”- (Ephesians 5:30). Creation was instantaneous. Formation is progressive. Though we were created simultaneously with and lay dormant (in seed substance) with the “first Adam,” for thousands of years, yet the time arrived; the purpose of God is carried out, and we were born of the flesh – elemented alone for a natural state of being – susceptible alone, of fleshly enjoyments – adapted to a natural world – capable alone of being sustained upon earthly food, and possessed alone of natural life; all of this family, “bear the image of the earthly Adam.” This includes Adam the first and all his natural seed. “And He called their name Adam.” We should not forget that Adam the first, is said to be “the figure of Him that was to come.” What, then, do we learn from the figure? That the Bride, and all the spiritual children were created in and simultaneously with the “the last Adam.”  That, they are of the same nature with Him, and being born of the Spirit, they are possessed of eternal life, which qualifies them for a knowledge of “the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.”- (John 17:3). Antecedently to this birth, and the imparting to them, this life (which it is the province of their spiritual Father to impart, John 17:2) they are entirely ignorant of the “true God, and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent.” “The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God.” “No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”- (1 Corinthians 12:3).

Although all the spiritual seed were “chosen in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world,” and had grace given them in Christ Jesus before the world began”- and were sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ,” though they were hidden in their spiritual Father as the first Adam’s children were hidden in their natural father for a long series of years, yet the times come when they are born of the Spirit – when the “hidden ones” are made known to each other. When their hearts being fashioned alike, the “Sun of righteousness” “shines in their hearts, to give light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ.”- (2 Corinthians 4:6). As the light of the sun, the great luminary of day shines upon the sons and daughters of the natural world, so the “Sun of righteousness” affords light to the spiritual world. “I will say to the north, give up; and to the south keep not back, bring My sons from far, and My daughters from the ends of the earth; even every one that is called by My name, for I have created him for My glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.”- (Isaiah 43:6-7). Here again, we see the figure carried out. All the family of the “first Adam,” created in him, are called by his name- so too, “even every one that is called by My name.” Here we have two distinct families, propagated by two distinct heads, each deriving the nature of his progenitor, and each looking to his appropriate elements for sustenance. The first, mortal beings, sustained upon corrupted elements. The second, immortal beings, sustained upon incorruptible elements.  The first are earthly beings; the second are heavenly beings. We ask again, Is not the “old man” sustained upon the same identical elements, subsequently, upon which he was fed and sustained antecedently to the new birth? Can those elements sustain his “new man?” Do we not partake of earthly food until our soul is satisfied without imparting a particle of nourishment to our “new man?” Does not our “new man,” setting under the droppings of the sanctuary of the gospel, feed sumptuously on the provisions of the gospel, without imparting a particle of food to our natural, or “old man?” “Feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood.”- (Acts 20:28). Being “born of the flesh,” we are born into a natural state of consciousness, capable of investigating natural subjects, of participating in natural enjoyments, sustained upon natural elements, so long as we retain, and until we yield up that natural life, which we received in our natural head, “Adam the first.” Being “born of the Spirit,” “born of God,” we are made partakers of the divine nature, are susceptible of spiritual instruction, of investigating spiritual subjects, participating in spiritual enjoyments, sustained upon spiritual elements; nor can the being thus born cease to be. “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish.”- (John 10:20). “Because I live, ye shall live also.”- (John 14:19). “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory.”- (Colossians 3:4). Hence, we see that the death of the “old man” cannot destroy the life of the “new man.”

The law was violated, and the curse incurred by man in the flesh. The law was magnified and made honorable, and the curse removed from His chosen seed, (who sinned in their Adamic or natural relation) by “God manifest in the flesh.” “For as much then as the children were partakers of flesh and blood, He, also, Himself, likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage. For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham.”- (Hebrews 2:14-16). The whole humanity of the Lord Jesus, both soul and body, was involved in their transgression. “When Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hands.”- (Isaiah 53:10). “Now is My soul troubled.” “My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death.” “Who His own self bear our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness, by whose stripes ye were healed.- (1 Peter 2:24). “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.”- (1 Peter 3:18).

We have said Christians are compound beings; by which we mean there are “two men”- two whole and distinct natures, inhabiting the same tenement or body. The “old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,” whose genealogy we trace back to the “first Adam,” who was made a “living soul,” and who discloses the corrupt nature of the fountain from whence he sprang. Adam “begat a son in his own likeness; after his own image”- an enemy to holiness – a hater of God. The “new man” which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness,” and who exemplifies the declaration, “If the root be holy, so are the branches.” “And they shall call them, The Holy People, the redeemed of the Lord: and thou shall be called, Sought out; a city not forsaken.”- (Isaiah 42:12). “Behold, now are we the sons of God; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”- (1 John 3:2). Will He appear with two whole and distinct natures? If He shall so appear, shall we be like Him, unless we too, have two whole and distinct natures?

Hence it is seen, that the two men derive their nature and disposition, from two distinct sources. Each has a life peculiar to himself, yet common to his species. The first, natural, the second, spiritual life. The first is a corporeal – the second, an incorporeal being. The first, an earthly – the second, an heavenly being. “As is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.” “As He is, so are we in this world.”

APPLICATION OF THE ABOVE

Nothing pure or holy, attaches to the “old man.” “But even their mind and conscience is defiled.”- (Titus 1:15). Nothing impure or unholy, attaches to the “new man.” “Unto the pure all things are pure.”- (Titus 1:15). “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”- (Matthew 5:8). It is contended by some, yea, many professors of religion, that the soul is regenerated. We confess we know but little about the soul. But we inquire, what is it that renders man a rational, intelligent responsible being? What is it that exercises volition for the body? “When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”- (James 1:15). “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart, was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart.”- (Genesis 6:5). If the soul were regenerated, would it not be wholly devoted to God, subsequently, as it had been to sin, antecedently to regeneration? If it is the soul that exercises volition for the body, and that soul is “born of God,” and consequently “cannot sin,” how are we to account for the wicked actions of David, of Peter, and thousands of other Christians, even down to the present day? But, is it contended, that the same soul exercises wicked volition for the “old man” and holy volition for the “new man?” If so, is not the soul divided against itself?

Others tell us, it is the mind which exercises volition for the body. We have heretofore proven that “their mind and conscience is defiled.” And Paul informs us, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God; neither indeed can be.”- (Romans 8:7). Hence we see, that the influence of this mind, will lead the body to rebel continually against God. Such is the practice of the “old man,” or natural man, that his carnal mind exercises volition for his fleshly body; while it is his spiritual mind which exercises volition for the “new man,” because “he cannot sin.” The same mind cannot influence each, the “old,” and the “new man,” because their works are radically different from each other; and if it influenced both, there would be no warfare.

We conclude that the “old man” is carnally minded, and thus shows that he is in a state of death. The “new man,” being “spiritually minded,” is possessed of “life and peace.” It is quite evident that when the Apostle speaks of the “carnal mind,” he refers to the mind of the “old man,” which is “not subject to the law of God,” and equally evident that when he says, “so then with the mind, I myself serve the law of God,” he refers to the mind of the “new man.” “But we have the mind of Christ.”- 1 Corinthians 2:16. Adam the first imparts his mind, which is carnal, to the old Adamic man; who descended from him- Christ imparts His mind to His spiritual children – and hence the conflict, the warfare. “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man. (Certainly, not after the outward man.) But I see another law in my members (are those members without an intelligent principle?) warring against the law of my mind (not the carnal mind,) and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members. O wretched man that I am.” (Surely sin does not render the “old man” wretched, it is his element.) “Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” This “old man” whose deeds are evil – deeds of death. “For I know that in me, (that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing:” (Is the soul deposited in the flesh?”) “for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not?”- (Romans 7: 18-25). How are we to explain the following seeming contradiction, or paradox? “If we (Christians) say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”- (1 John 1:8). The same apostle tells us, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for Hisseed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin,because he is born of God.”- (1 John 3:9). The “old,” or “outward man,” sins daily, (and the Christian most feelingly acknowledges it) and thus proves that he is not born of God. The new man is filled with holy desires – he “delights in the law of God”- complains of the “old man with his deeds”- longs to be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of God,” (Romans 8:21), and cries with the Psalmist, “I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness.”- (Psalm 17:15). Thus does he prove his birth to be heavenly.

The truth is, dear brethren, the “old man” is precisely what he has ever been, since the fall, in nature and disposition. The “strong man armed,” is only bound- not killed. His heart is yet “enmity against God”- as a child of God fully acknowledges;  he is doomed to death; and then deliverance to the “new man,” who cries, “O, Lord, I am oppressed, undertake for me” will have come. But, we are asked, what becomes of man when death shall have done his office? We answer, “the body returns to its dust again, and the spirit to God who gave it.” But, what becomes of the soul? When we shall be informed where the soul of the Lord Jesus was, between the time of His crucifixion and resurrection, we may undertake to answer this question. Of one thing, however, we are certain, that is, that neither soul nor body of the redeemed can go to Hell, because both are purchased with the Redeemer’s blood. “The Redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth forever.”- (Psalm 49:8). “Waiting for the adoption, to wit: the redemption of our body.” “After that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.”- (Ephesians 2: 43-44). Mark, both soul and body are included in the purchase.

“And the very God of peace, sanctify you wholly: and I pray God, your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”- (1 Thessalonians 5: 23). The whole “old man” of the elect is destined to undergo a mysterious and glorious change, by which he shall be assimilated into the likeness of the humanity of the Lord Jesus; and be prepared for that thrilling occasion, when the glories of eternity shall burst upon his ravishing sight, and the Heavenly family shall exclaim “Come Lord Jesus, come quickly.” But that change was not in regeneration – it awaits the “last day.”

But we are asked, when, and how, are the “old” and the “new man” to be united; and how will they appear hereafter? We answer, “Now we see through a glass darkly,” but when we shall learn how the soul and body of the “Redeemer,” “Husband,’ “Friend,” now appears; and how they are gloriously united to His divinity, then, and not till then, may we undertake to say more in regard to the future state of the soul and body, and the “new man” composing the “Bride, the Lamb’s wife.” It is sufficient for the present, for her to know, that “when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”- (1 John 3:2). Until which event shall roll on, the wise man described her thus, “What will you see in the Shulamite? As it were a company of two armies.”- (Song of Solomon 6:13), and hence the believers’ warfare between the elements of the natural, Adamic man and the heavenly spiritual man. Every sensible believer is acutely aware of that conflict on a daily basis.

It is vain to tell us that the flesh, independently of an intelligent principle, (call it soul, mind, or what you may,) will rebel against God. Some brethren conclude that the warfare is to be explained by “mind and matter.” Have they forgotten that it requires both to constitute an intelligent accountable being? We have shown that “even their mind and conscience is defiled;” and that “the carnal mind is enmity against God.” Matter would be incapable of vice or virtue, in the absence of mind. Nor are those more successful, who attempt to explain the Christian warfare, by the different colors in the rainbow! Have they forgotten that those colors harmonize, and that it is the entire want of harmony between the old and the new man which necessarily produces the warfare? Have they forgotten the declaration, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world?”- (1 John 2:16). If the “old man” is “born of God and cannot sin,” (I John 3:9,) then there would be no warfare. But is this true? Let the Christian’s experience answer. “For that which I do, I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that I do.”- (Romans 7:15).

In conclusion, we submit to your serious and prayerful consideration, the foregoing pages, hoping that God may bless us, with an understanding of the Truth; and dispose us to reduce it into practice- that He may “guide us by His counsel and afterwards receive us to glory,” is our prayer for the Redeemer’s sake.- Amen.

Table of Contents

Chapter One:  INTRODUCTION

Chapter Two:  THE  FELT  NEED  FOR  SALVATION

Chapter Three: SOME COMPONENTS OF THE  GOSPEL  SIMPLY  PUT

Chapter Four:  CHRISTIAN  EXPERIENCE

Chapter Five: EFFECTUAL CALLING

Chapter Six:  EFFECTS OF GOD’S DRAWING

Chapter Seven:  The Living Union of Christ and His People

Chapter Eight:  The Christian Before Divine Quickening to Spiritual Life.

Chapter Nine: THE BEGETTING TO DIVINE LIFE

Chapter TEN: THE SENSIBLE SINNER AT AND AFTER DIVINE QUICKENING

Chapter Eleven: A PRIMARY FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IN DIVINE QUICKENING

Chapter Twelve:  EXPERIMENTAL FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT:

Chapter Thirteen: ASSURANCE AND FULL ASSURANCE OF

Chapter fourteen: CONCLUSION: