“Particular Redemption”  (Section 9)

    Therefore, “every man that cometh into the world” does not mean every member of Adam’s race, but particular persons, and the Arminian so agrees. I now ask, if the expression “every man” and “world” do not mean the entire human race in John 1:9, why do mean it in Hebrews 2:9 and in 1 John 2:2? The answer is, they do not. They speak of particular persons, and, as stated before, present no problem at all. In fact, they harmonize perfectly with the glorious theme of particular redemption. For it is these whose sins were imputed unto Christ. It is these who were predestinated unto the adoption of sons. It is these for whom Chris gave His life. It is these whose sins He purged. It is these who are forever perfected by one offering. And it is these who stand redeemed unto God by the blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. Notice, not the whole world of every kindred and tongue and people and nation, but out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation.

What blessed hope, courage, comfort and consolation to know, as I set in my study tonight, that Christ has not only obtained eternal redemption for us, but ever lives in the presence of God and pleads our cause in Heaven. I have seen able lawyers represent their clients in the court room, but here is perfect representation. Christ represented us perfectly on earth and now He pleads our cause before the greatest judge of them all – the Majesty on high – and He pleads it to perfection. Not one that He represents shall ever suffer the agony of eternal torment, but shall some sweet day see Him as He is and be with Him forevermore.

There is an inseparable connection between the death of Christ and the salvation of those for whom He died. He is under the same obligation to save those whom He redeemed as He was to redeem those whom He represented. Why did He die for His people? The Bible answer is in order that He might save them, that He might make them righteous. This is plainly set forth in 2 Cor 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” He was made sin for us that we might be made righteous.

And, in Ephesians it is said that Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it “that He might sanctify and cleanse it,” etc, Eph. 5:25-26. This is the Church which Paul says He hath purchased with His own blood and which the ministers are commanded to feed – Acts 20:28. The term “church” means “the chosen,” “called out” or “called together.” From the standpoint of eternal election, or the covenant of grace, God’s people have been “the chosen” since before time began.

The text says of the church “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church,” etc. I now inquire as to whether “the washing of water by the Word” has reference to gospel obedience, or baptism in water as some understand it.

To answer this I have but to call attention to the fact that the text is the Church that is said to be washed. But the Arminian proposition is that by gospel obedience or baptism in water Alien Sinners are washed into the church.

In my opinion the “word” of this text is that of which Christ spoke in John 5:25, when He said “The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.” It was the voice of the Son of God, not the voice of a preacher, that Saul of Tarsus heard as he was on his way to Damascus.

This is the word of which Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:23: “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” But one may ask, is not this the gospel? It is not. Verse 25 says: “But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”

The same Jesus who spoke physical life into the dead body of Lazarus can and does speak spiritual life into His elect people, even when they are dead in sin.

Find one Christ loved and for whom He gave Himself, and you have found a part of the “church” of this text. And Christ gave Himself for them that He might sanctify and cleanse them. Blessed truth. No person could ever be righteous before God except God constitute him righteous. This He does by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which, Paul says, “He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life,” Titus 3:6-7.

Paul also said this came about not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but by the mercy of God. No man can make Himself righteous, “But by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous,” Rom. 5:19. “He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous,” 1 John 3:7. This could only be by the righteousness of Christ having been imputed to him, thus making him righteous.

Righteous acts are therefore evidences of a righteous state, and not conditions thereto. Therefore, people who do righteous acts have been made righteous through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost and stand justified by grace. “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal,” Mat 25:46.
“Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 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,” Eph. 1:3-5.

From these three Scriptures we learn two more valuable lessions, (1) All spiritual blessings are in Christ, and (2) God blesses us in accordance with the fact that He hath chosen us. Thus, we safely conclude that any time, and anywhere, we see a person that is in possession of even one spiritual blessing, that person is in Christ and is one of God’s elect. Irrespective of their condition or servitude, and regardless of what they may or may not have been taught in the world, those that are spiritually blessed are the elect of God, predestinated unto the adoption of children before time began, and blessed in time according to that choice and predestination.

Therefore, rather than predestinating those who repent and believe, the truth of the proposition is, God brings to a blessed state those whom He did choose and predestinate. This is manifestly proven to be true in Acts 9:15 where the Lord in speaking to Ananias referred to Saul of Tarsus as a chosen vessel, even before Saul had received the gospel or became obedient thereto.

How many of these blessed persons are there? Not just a miserable few as is commonly supposed, but they are as many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sands of the seashore, innumerable. God’s people have been redeemed out of every kindred and tongue, and people and nation. And the spiritually blessed reach into all families of the earth.

“Evidence of a Child of God”
(Conclusion – Section 10)

And what, may we ask, are some of the evidences of a blessed state? In Gal. 5:22-23, Paul enumerates some of the fruits of the spirit as follows: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” So, dear reader, if any of these characteristics are yours, remembering that they are fruits of the spirit, and remembering that all spiritual blessings are in Christ, and that people are blessed according as they are chosen and predestinated, you may take everlasting consolation in the blessed truth that you are one of the elect, you are one that God predestinated, you are in Christ, a blessed character before God, and heaven will be your home.

In the Sermon on the Mount the Saviour laid down a basic principle by which we can readily detect evidences of a blessed state. In speaking of false prophets He said: “Ye shall know them by their fruits." And then He asked the question: “Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles,” [Mat 7:16, T.M.]. The answer to this question is, of course, “No.” Men do not gather grapes of thorns, neither do they gather figs of thistles. The reason is that thorns do not produce grapes; neither do thistles produce figs.

Upon this principle fleshly life does not produce spiritual fruit; neither does spiritual life produce fleshly fruit. If it does, then Paul’s statement that the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other is not true [Gal 5:17, T.M.]. Jesus further said, in Matthew 7:18, “A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.”

This being true, when we see fleshly fruit being manifested by a person we can rest assured that it is an evidence of fleshly life. With equal assurance, we can believe when we see spiritual fruit being manifest by a person, it is evidence of spiritual life. This brings me to a question that was once asked me. Immediately following a radio broadcast I had made one morning, three preachers [of another order, T.M.] came to my office for a brief discussion. In the course of the conversation one of them asked this question: “If I understand you correctly, you believe that life precedes action, is that right?” I replied: “It certainly is; do you know of a Scripture that teaches otherwise?” That question today remains unanswered.
Of course, life precedes action. This is true in nature, and it is equally true in spirit. The spiritual fruits enumerated above are produced by the spirit and are, therefore, evidences of spiritual life. They are produced by a good tree. For instance, when we see a person manifesting spiritual love we know that – irrespective of who he is and regardless of what he may or may not have been taught in the world; no matter what his station in life may be, whether he be a king on the throne or a beggar at mercy’s door, whether he be learned or unlearned – that person is a blessed character and has spiritual life.

The same is true with faith; because “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.

In order that His disciples might understand these glorious truths Jesus began His sermon on the Mount with these statements:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit.
Blessed are they that mourn.
Blessed are the meek.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness.
Blessed are the merciful.
Blessed are the pure in heart.
Blessed are the peacemakers.”

Thus, it necessarily follows that any person who is in either of the seven conditions mentioned above is a blessed person. He is a child of God. He is one of the elect, one predestinated unto the adoption of children and saved by grace.

In fact, I would just say with the Apostle Paul that, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. [Rom 8:14, T.M.]. I am convinced that the basic purpose of the gospel is to bring these blessed truths to the child of God that he might understand about the good things God has done for him, and to instruct him as to how he should live here in this world. Life and immortality are brought to light through the gospel. [2 Tim 1:10, T.M.]. The gospel then is truly glad tidings. It dispels doubt and fear. It has the same message for God’s children in all stations of life, from the most humble to the highest. It tells the dignitary that he is a poor sinner, saved by grace, and tells the peasant that he is a child of God.

The doctrine of election and predestination is a glorious theme, it is threaded throughout the Bible. As we pointed out in the beginning, it is good doctrine. It is the doctrine of grace. When rightly understood it brings more comfort and consolation to the human heart than any other doctrine on earth. If understood and received, it will tend to strip God’s children of their self-righteousness and present them humble at the Saviour’s feet saying in deed, in fact and in truth, “By the grace of God I am what I am.” [1 Cor 15:10, T.M.].

Should you and I ever be permitted to see the portals of glory, it will be because God loved us and predestinated us to that end before time began, because Christ redeemed us by His precious blood, because God quickened us to a state of spiritual life here, and because “He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” [Phil 1:6 – T.M.]. Blessed truth.

I thank God for the faith which leads me to believe that, even though there is strife and confusion on every hand, and many of the children of God do not walk together theologically here on earth; when we shall have walked the last weary mile that we will ever be called on to walk, and troubles of life shall have ended with us here, we shall some sweet day awake in His likeness to inherit the eternal kingdom of heaven, and praise the Lord forevermore. And should one ask, “what will we be like?” I would say, “We will be like Jesus.”

“When I can read my title clear
To mansions in the skies,
I’ll bid farewell to every tear
And wipe my weeping eyes.”

Copied from a booklet by Elder Glen Williams
 

Evidences of the New Birth

In the last several essays, we have proven conclusively that God is sovereign in bringing about the new or spiritual birth in one of his children. We have shown that we are born spiritually when Christ speaks spiritual life with HIS voice into our very heart and soul. Knowledge of God's sovereignty in causing one to be born again should cause each of us to seek the answer to a critical question: "Am I born again." If I am born again, heaven will be my eternal home and all the promises of God to his people are precious and sure to me. How can I know if I have been born again? The bible gives us several incontrovertible evidences of the new birth. If I find any one of the evidences in my life then I have conclusive proof that I have been born again. It is not necessary to be able to identify all the evidences, any one of the evidences is sufficient to identify us as a born again child of God.

In this essay, we will look at seven of the evidences of the spiritual birth. While there are several more evidences, these seven are perhaps the easiest to conclusively identify in our lives. First, love toward the people of God is an evidence of our new birth as stated by the following verses of scripture:
A. 1 John 3:14 "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death."
B. 1 John 4:7 "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God."
C. 1 John 4:12 "No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us."

Second, doing that which is right is an evidence of our new birth as shown by the following scriptures:
A. 1 John 2:29 "If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born of him."
B. 1 John 2:3 5 "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep
his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him."
C. 1 John 3:7 "Little children, let no man deceive you: he that
doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous."

Third, if we have ever been led by the Spirit of God we can rest assured that we have been born again as Rom. 8:14 17 teaches us, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear: but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be we suffer with him, that we may be glorified together."

Fourth, growth in Christian virtues is an evidence of our spiritual birth. II Peter 1:5 10 proves this principle: "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure."

Fifth, if we have felt the chastening rod of God in our lives then we are assured of our spiritual birth as the following verses prove:

A. Rev. 3:19 "As many as I love I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
B. Job 5:17 "Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty."
C. Prov. 3:11, 12 "My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither be weary of his correction: For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth."
D. Heb. 12:5, 6 "And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him; For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."

Sixth, confessing Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is an evidence of our spiritual birth as the following two passages prove:
A. 1 John 4:1 3 "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God."
B. 1 John 4:15 "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God."

Seventh, belief is an evidence of our having been born again:
A. 1 John 5:1 "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God."
B. 1 John 5:9 11 "If ye receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life; and this life is in his Son.
C. 1 John 5:13 "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."

Thus, the scriptures say "by their fruits ye shall know them. A good tree bringeth forth good fruit." We can know with assurance that we have been born again by looking at the evidence of that spiritual birth in our lives. May God be praised for his unspeakable works and for his manifold assurances toward us.

Elder Vernon Johnson