The father didn’t go to the prodigal son at some point after he was lost. The prodigal son went back to the father, and THEN was found. I actually never thought about that
@@johnyates7566 the father handed the son over to satan. He was living in sin, which the Bible says people who live in sin will not inherit the kingdom of God. The “son” was not a son of his father in heaven in that state. And the father also never forced the son to come back. Didn’t regenerate him. Didn’t mind control him. “I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’” Luke 15:18-19 NLT “for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.” Luke 15:24 NLT
And good isn't just an empty word that means nothing. It is a description of something. Scripture defines good. So if a description of God isn't truly good then it is a false description. There are many messed up descriptions of God out there that do not show him to be good.
@@colleengleason6533One of the bad descriptions of God is the I of TULIP. The idea that in order for someone to have faith in Jesus, that faith must be irresistibly given to them by God. Everyone else who does not have faith, according to the I of TULIP, does not because God did not choose them. Those who do not have faith will never have faith because God made them for damnation, according to Calvinism. This is not good. God is good.
@@colleengleason6533 You are deluded. This is like saying (or even worse than saying actually) that a man stepping on ant is “bad/evil”. The value and worth of the ant is closer to man than the value of man is to God. God would’t be bad if He destroyed us even if we were without sin. God has no obligations towards us. And before you say “that’s unbiblical” read Daniel 4:35 and understand no matter how you interpret Romans 9 that Paul answers the objection of injustice with God: you can’t talk back. You have no right. You are a pot, He is the potter”. So you have no rights and demands on God. No matter what He does you can’t judge Him. And you are a perfect example of everything that is wrong with most people: they have a wrong understanding of the Creator/creature relationship.
@@colleengleason6533 You are deluded. This is like saying (or even worse than saying actually) that a man stepping on ant is “bad/evil”. The value and worth of the ant is closer to man than the value of man is to God. God would’t be bad if He destroyed us even if we were without sin. God has no obligations towards us. And before you say “that’s unbiblical” read Daniel 4:35 and understand no matter how you interpret Romans 9 that Paul answers the objection of injustice with God: you can’t talk back. You have no right. You are a pot, He is the potter”. So you have no rights and demands on God. No matter what He does you can’t judge Him. And you are a perfect example of everything that is wrong with most people: they have a wrong understanding of the Creator/creature relationship.
@ Those fleshly desires get put to death through the work of sanctification which comes through the relationship , the personal relationship with God and reading His word. Remember, the law kills but the Spirit gives grace. You didn’t do anything to earn salvation and you can’t now start in the flesh after you were quickened in the spirit.
You give an excellent analogy Dr. Flowers. Faith is merely letting go of the rope. This is no different then then the sabbath elevator in Israel. They believe by pushing the buttons that they are doing work. This is the same error that the calvinists are making regarding faith.
That part about the rope made me think about the sabbath as well, although I didn’t know that about elevators. From my experiences, the Calvinist’s also unfortunately remind me of the Pharisees.
Thank you so much for clearing that up!! I been trying to understand "deadness" for a few years now! The Calvinist explanation had me sooo confused and really tripped up.
There’s absolutely zero assurance in Calvinism. This was the final nail for me. Despite their high drive for education they don’t seem to conclude this. Their knowledge seems to be their assurance, despite the contradictory claims. If everything I do is a work, then I have no possible way to find assurance. The Holy Spirit convicts of sin, but also of righteousness. We have a part, not to earn anything, but to come into agreement with God from the heart.
And yet, your heart is above all things most corrupt, and until God gives you a heart of flesh through the miraculous work of his Spirit, it will remain a heart of stone. You have the cart before the horse. As for assurance, those who persevere to the end will be saved, as Scripture says over and over again. Whether you are a Calvinist or an Arminian, that is true.
@ Can someone believe in their heart that Jesus is the Christ? The corruption that is in the world through sinful desires of the heart are deceitfully wicked, and cannot be trusted, but if the conscience can’t be brought to honesty then how can man be saved?
@@TAdler-ex8px God graciously gives you a new heart. He replaces your heart of stone with a heart of flesh. Until that happens, you cannot put your hope and trust and very life and its decisions in Christ's hands. You will not and you cannot (Romans 8:7-8).
@@biblethumper8.1 Faith comes by hearing and responding. I highly encourage that you do not put Jesus to the test by insisting He does more than He already has. Jesus told Peter that He would make Him a fisher of men. How was Peter going to do that?
@@biblethumper8.1 Living carnally minded is a response, not a condition. “They set their minds….” It’s not keeping eternity in view. Carnal minds don’t have Christ’s love, which is the maturity spoken of in 1 Corinthians 13. They are near sighted and blind. They reject reality.
I want to comment on the whole "faith is a work or a good deed" thing. Imagine you're a passenger in a car, you're technically putting your trust or faith in the driver that you'll both arrive at the destination safely. However, once you arrive you wouldn't say to the driver, "my faith is what got us here." It's obviously the driver. I'm not entirely sure if that analogy holds up perfectly but...
DW: Yes - no one who is rational would ever say that - because they know how silly it would be. But we're dealing with Calvinists who are emotionally invested in divine determinism - and they have to invent arguments to support it. And that is why we see them making arguments which collapse under logical scrutiny - and why they don't like logic.
@@dw6528 Paul says in Romans 8:7-8 that those in the flesh cannot please God. This is contrary to those in the Spirit. Jesus tells Nicodemus that flesh produces flesh, but Spirit produces spirit. Jesus later says in John 6 that the flesh counts for nothing. Paul further says that people can only profess faith in Jesus by the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3). How do you propose a person spiritually dead exercises faith? Do they receive the Spirit first, or only receive the Spirit upon professing faith in Jesus?
@@biblethumper8.1 DW: You start off correctly - by quoting scriptures - and then you make the mistake of forcing a concept into the text which is not in the text. Firstly - I don't think you are going to claim you are without sin. And when you are in sin - you are in fact operating in the flesh which cannot please God. From that - it does not follow that you are spiritually dead. So that verse does not work for you. And the flesh produces flesh follows that same principle. So that verse does not work for you. And the concept that a person who is not saved cannot be affected by the Holy Spirit (for example being convicted of sin) commits the fallacy of question begging and ends up being self-refuting. In Calvinism - the condition of the creature does not determine whatsoever comes to pass within the creature - an infallible decree does. The only way an impulse of faith can exist within a human brain (whether regenerate or not) is by an infallible decree So a Calvinist appealing to the condition of the creature as the DETERMINING FACTOR of anything - is cutting off the doctrinal limb he is standing on.
Another thing about faith supposedly being a good work is that faith is contrasted with good works in the Bible. Paul wrote that we ARE saved through faith but are NOT saved by works (Eph 2:8-9). If faith was a work then he wouldn't have said that we're saved by grace through faith. James contrasted faith and works in James 2, also.
@@ETube1971 DW: It is informative to liken Calvinism to a house. Every house has a foundation. The skeleton (framework) of the house is built on top of that foundation. The outer surface materials such as siding, windows, shingles etc are all supported on the framing - which is built according to the blueprint of the foundation. Aspects of Calvinism's doctrine such as faith vs works are not a part of the foundation They are parts of the outer surface of the house. The underlying foundation of the doctrine is EXHAUSTIVE DIVINE DETERMINISM (EDD) as enunciated in Calvinism's doctrine of decrees. So all of the other parts of the house rest upon that foundation. According to EXHAUSTIVE DIVINE DETERMINISM (EDD) nothing can happen within creation that is not decreed So TRUE faith cannot exist within a human brain unless it is decreed And that decree which produces faith is solely and exclusively a work of God So in Calvinism- if any man were to have faith that is not a work of Calvin's god - then the Calvinist wants to claim that faith as a work of man. But that produces a major problem. Because the doctrine stipulates nothing can happen within creation that is not decreed Which makes it the case - that nothing can happen within creation that is a work of man. So this forces the Calvinist into SEMANTIC TAP-DANCE ROUTINES - which produces convoluted and contorted answers - in order to get the doctrine to line up with scripture. Blessings!
I was never a calvinist or arminian because I was never taught into those systems I was concerned about the truth of salvation in the Scriptures and I saw calvinism to be inconsistent mainly in Christ dying for all and this one explained here...I also disagree with arminians concerning salvation can be lost...thanks Dr. Flowers. Praise be to God
I think this is going to be a profitable format. I hope you will make other videos like this. Your other videos are great too but I think there is a broad swath of people who are not going to sit and listen to a 2-hour conversation but will listen to a 10-minute video that concisely explains the topic like this.
Our spirit is the intellect of our souls. If the word of God is in you you are spirituality alive and dead in christ your body is dead to sin you are not in this world. Of sin
You have on one side of the table: Dr Flowers, Adrian Roger’s, Billy Graham for example and on the other side you have MacArthur, Piper and Sproul for example (I happen to sit at this side of the table). I think we can all agree that table is full of great godly men. Agree?
Thanks for the video. I’ve always found this topic odd because I can’t reconcile election with Jesus’ call to count the cost of following him. It appears to me we should and must make a conscious choice to follow him.
As a person who has used Eph 2:1 in the exact way which Leighton is criticizing here, I want to say that I love the way Leighton argues here. Basically he's saying, "We shouldn't assume that "dead" means something in Eph 2:1 that it clearly doesn't mean anywhere else in the Bible." So for me personally, I need to reexamine Eph 2 and think about whether I have any biblical justification in continuing to use it the way I have been using it. I've watched a lot of Leighton's videos and I frequently disagree with the type of argumentation he employs against the sovereignty of God in salvation, but I'm glad to see him reasoning this way here. Though most would consider me a Calvinist, I'd rather be corrected by an Arminian using sound biblical reasoning than agree with a Calvinist who mis-handles Scripture.
Man is accountable to God for going astray from our Creator. God is not responsible for the sin (waywardness) of man; (Calvinists say He is). But God provided the rescue from the root of unbelief which bore the fruit of sin! And His command is for ALL to come and receive His redemption (Acts 17:30, John 12:32, Mk. 1:15, Rom..10:8-10) and see Him and His love for us and live from faith in Him; bearing fruit of His righteousness. He is perfect! The way is narrow, the door is open to all through Christ in the gospel for only a little while longer. That's my understanding of this verse in connection to Calvinism.
Dr Flowers - can you sometime touch on Article 9 of "Our Beliefs" on your website and discuss the differences between eternal security, assurance of salvation (still can walk away from Christ), once saved always saved and perseverance of the saints please?
Eternal security means that a person who has believed in Jesus for everlasting life is eternally secure. Can never perish ,never hunger, never thirst, never come into judgment regarding eternal condemnation and never die spiritually ( all found in John). Assurance of salvation is having 100% certainty that one is eternally saved. Anything less than 100% is NOT assurance. Preservation of the saints is equivalent to eternal security. Perseverance of the saints ( not biblical) says that those who are truely saved will indeed persevere in good works and holiness until the end of life. Ihope that helps.
Do you think maybe leaning too hard into “free-will” or “predetermination” leads us into trouble? The Bible clearly teaches that God is sovereign over all things, including our salvation, but it also makes it clear that we make decisions and are responsible for our sins. Instead of arguing that one or the other is right, let’s just leave it up to God and continue to edify each other in love and becoming more Christ like.
Yes! The formula is grace + faith = salvation (Eph 2:8-9). God has already provided the grace (Rom 6:23b), so all that's left is for us to provide the faith (Acts 16:30-31).
Now we pray for God the Holy Spirit will speak to those who need the Truth the Way and Life to live. Because no not one can came to the Father except through Me
Paul explains what he means by "dead in trespasses and sins" in Eph. 2:1-3, and then goes on to say that it is God who makes us alive (vv. 4-7). He also explains human inability in Eph. 4:17-19. And then of course there is his extended explanation of human depravity in Rom. 1:18-3:20. Let's go by what the Bible says!
Total depravity is not equal to total inability. All over the Scriptures God is calling to repentance to dead people?. If total inability is true then why to call to repentance or rebuke unbelieving is the one who calls or rebuke is the one responsible to make able to respond?. Besides is more than clear in the Bible that Jesus died for all. Christ death is sufficient for all but only efficient for those who believe. God bless
@@renierramirez9534 I think it is possible to make a distinction, as some have done, between natural ability and moral inability. The human mind has the capacity to look at the universe and reasonably conclude that there has to a intelligent Creator behind it. Yet the sinner "suppresses the truth in unrighteousness"? (Rom. 1:18). Why? Because he is a slave to his sinful lusts and passions (Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19). Therefore no one can come to Christ unless the Father draws him (John 6:44,65). And Calvinists would certainly agree that the Christ's death is sufficient for all but only efficient for those who believe.
Can this man hear himself? He says God's choice is not on your good or bad deeds. In the very next sentence he says "it is conditioned upon your faith, your willingness to humbly confess your bad deeds and place your trust in the goodness of Christ". Is that then not a good deed? Is he advocating that this is a neutral deed? Wow!
The reason why Jesus raised Lazarus was because Lazarus was Jesus's friend. He was already a faithful follower of God. Jesus never would have raised his enemy. Jesus raises those who put their faith in him, not those who reject him.
I would love to ask John McArthur this question. Does a man's unbelief make the atonement of Jesus of no effect? As he asks, was it a real atonement or a potential atonement? Yes, it was a real atonement, whether a man believes or not. Seeing that it was the redemption of the body. Therefore, it is of no consequence whether a man believes the Gospel or not. Romans 3:3 King James Version 3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
DW: A TRUE Calvinist answer to that question would be NO because 1) In Calvinism each person - by divine decree and by election - is either given faith or they are given unbelief 2) Those who are created to be elect are eventually given faith 3) Those who are created for damnation are given unbelief 4) Jesus' atonement was meant for those who are elect and who are given faith 5) Jesus' atonement was NOT meant for those who are NOT elect and who are given unbelief However - many times a Calvinist will be concerned about giving people a TRUE Calvinist answer Because in many cases when they give people a TRUE Calvinist answer - those people will end up rejecting Calvinism So Calvinists quite frequently will give you an answer they calculate you will accept - rather than tell you the truth. If they think you will reject Calvinism by the answer they give you - they won't give that answer to you - even if it is true because their primary concern is making Calvinism acceptable to people
dw6528's answer to your question isn't entirely accurate. There has been considerable debate within Calvinism over the centuries about the answer, so that when dw6528 says a "true Calvinist," that is only one possible Calvinist answer, not the only one. The fact that a rather skewed, jaded portrayal of Calvinists accompanies dw6528's answer should give you a clue that it is more propaganda than fact.
@allanyoung6231 It's not about the elect. It's about the called. Everybody is called, yet out of the called God will elect whom He will. He died for sinners, not the elect. Sinners aren't elected until they hear the call, believe, and obey God as a son obeys his father.
@@MyRoBeRtBaKeR DW: You may not have known it - but that statement is a self-contradiction. If your have a god who elects whom he wills - whether they are called are not is irrelevant. It is in fact about the elect. Secondly - that conception of election just happens to be consistent with the classic Gnostic concept of election which existed in Augustine's day. blessings
When someone gets arrested they are "dead" until a j.p. or judge hears their case and sets a bond or fine or declares them innocent. Then they are alive again
I’m not sure the parable of the lost son is comparable to Gods grace in salvation or a good analogous scripture to our deadness in sin. It’s like apples and oranges. You also neglect the two previous parables, “the lost sheep” and “the lost coin”, where the woman and the shepherd actively seek, find, and being back the one who is lost. Couldn’t those also be used as analogies to deadness?
It seems to me that the Bible makes it clear faith is not a work. " For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9 If faith was a work, shouldn't it say "For by grace are ye saved through faith, which is the only work that counts"?
Good analysis. From a philosophical point of view however, I would like say that predestination (necessity) and freedom are not necessarily the dialectical contraries- which you seem to assume. 1) To be predestined for God means to have God as your natural end. 2) Freedom for us then comes from choosing God (the highest good) precisely, as that would be in consonance with and the fulfilment of our nature. 3) To not to do so is to have never been free in the first place. 4)But when you choose God you are not only freer, but what God has predestined for you has come to pass. In this way, freedom of your choice and the necessity of your predestination aren't in conflict, but in harmony. Freedom is not the opposite of predestination, but the actualization of it.
Real question: is this form of deadness the same as what is referred to by God in Gen 3 where if Adam and Eve eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that they will surely die?
Yes, it absolutely 110% is. Death in that sense means separation from God due to our sin; this is the meaning of figurative, spiritual death in scripture. God Himself told Adam that he would surely die on the very day he ate of the fruit, yet he did not die biologically that day. Either God was wrong, and of course He wasn't, or He didn't mean literal, biological death.
Lazarus is like, the last example Calvinism should try to use to make a simile out of. The poor guy was quite literally dead, not because of a sin or being reprobate, he just got sick and physically died. But Calvinism waves his story around screaming "dead like Lazarus! Dead means dead!" And it's like...dude, by that kind of child logic, every "reprobate" has to be physically dead...😂 Meanwhile they desperately ignore the story if the prodigal son...
It's like Lazarus. He chose by his free will to walk out of that tomb, Jesus didn't MAKE him do it like some robot! Although I must admit it's very unfair that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead but did not do that for anyone else in their graves! They all should have had the same opportunity. Jesus should have said "whosoever wishes may come out of their grave now" but He didn't really understand John 3:16.
I agree with everything except for the imputed righteousness part. We are saved because of our faith. When we repent and believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are accounted God's righteousness, reckoned righteous. Our garments are made clean and spotless before the Lord. Imputed doesn't mean transfused, as we are given God's own righteousness. If we are declared righteous because Jesus lived the perfect life and did not sin, then you're saying we are saved by fulfilling works of the law essentially and it's no longer by grace. We are saved by grace through faith.
"Imputed doesn't mean transfused, as we are given God's own righteousness." Except there is scripture which states as much. We are clothed in Jesus's righteousness. "...you're saying we are saved by fulfilling works of the law essentially and it's no longer by grace." Here's what I think you're not getting. If we could perfectly 100% follow the commands of the law then we would be saved because we would be sinless before God due to a complete lack of sin and we would have genuine righteousness of our own. The reason why we can't be saved by following the law is because no one, other than Jesus Himself, has followed or can follow the law perfectly. Because we sin we have therefore violated the law, and as scripture states breaking one part of the law means breaking the whole law. The reason why we are not saved by works is because by our works, as in all of our works including our sin, we rightfully deserve God's wrath. The reason why we can only be saved by our faith is because that is the condition by which God has chosen to apply His forgiveness which He payed for on the cross. When we put our faith in Jesus and His sacrifice and resurrection, scripture states both that we are therefore found blameless for our own sin and found righteous because Jesus's own righteousness is imputed to us. Whether the simply being blameless for our own sin part is enough for salvation or the imputed righteousness of Jesus part is also necessary for salvation is sort of beyond the point being made here. By putting our faith in Jesus we do, in fact, have His righteousness imputed to us. In the sense of those who are otherwise accountable for their sin, to have Jesus's righteousness is either itself necessary for salvation or at the very least a necessary byproduct of being saved. I would, however, agree with the notion that simply being blamess for our sin is enough for salvation. It seems to be a biblical principal that there are those who are not held accountable for their actions that would otherwise be considered sin due to a lack of some form of mental capacity to be rightfully held accountable. People who are too young seem to qualify. In fact, all of humanity prior to Adam eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil seemed to qualify. I would imagine that those who are born mentally handicapped enough would also qualify. I would also imagine that the standards for what actions are or aren't considered sin might change among those who have genuinely never once been exposed to the gospel and instead are only under the standard of general revelation (like uncontacted tribes).
I want every Christian to see this: for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. For Abraham believed God, unto righteousness and the righteousness that comes from believing in God, in Gids faithfullness. Therefore the faith OF God was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. Look, God is the faithful, seeing that it is His faithfulness that leads us to repentance. Romans 2:4 King James Version 4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
@heyman5525 You are deceived. Romans 3:3 King James Version 3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? What faith, or whose faith do you live by?
@heyman5525 Abraham did not respond in faith, but he believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. His belief led him to obey God, even to kill his very own son at command. Trusting that He is faithful to His promises. I don't live by my faith, faith is righteousness a.d my righteousness is like filthy rags. Galatians 2:20 King James Version 20 I 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.
Election is not choosing whom to save, as it is written, whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. Election has to do with choosing whom He will manifest Himself to and carry the seed and preach the Gospel of peace. Romans 10:13-17 King James Version 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 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! 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
What's the correct order in the salvific process? Washed, sanctified, justified. I Corinthians 6:11 NKJV [11] And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
@JesusIsLord777-lz7mg I don't believe that's the order. I believe confess and believe you are in obedience to the Gospel, and then you will be drawn to Jesus, and He will raise you on the last day with Him. The washing, sanctiying, and justifying are at once, and this carries you all your life unto your very last breath. Romans 10, John 6,Hebrews 10:39 Romans 10:9-10 King James Version 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. John 6:44 King James Version 44 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. Hebrews 10:39 King James Version 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
@JesusIsLord777-lz7mg First off, why couldn't it be a simultaneous event? Being washed, sanctified, and justified at once? Knowing that all things are ours the moment we're in Christ. There is that, and then this also, what the wash means here, doesn't mean that being washed is limited to just one washing. For instance, there is a washing of the body of the husband and wife, as their body is washed by the water of the Word. In Ephesians 5 . Here, it refers to the water baptism. Your sins were washed away and born of water. Born again because once you have been buried into His death, we will then be raised to newness of life. Romans 6 Okay, so is there anything that has to happen before you are washed?
Faith is a gift from God. EFÉSIËRS 2:8 AFR53 [8] Want uit genade is julle gered, deur die geloof, en dit nie uit julleself nie: dit is die gawe van God; ROMEINE 9:11-15 AFR53 [11] Want toe die kinders nog nie gebore was en nog geen goed of kwaad gedoen het nie - dat die voorneme van God volgens die verkiesing kon bly staan, nie uit die werke nie, maar uit Hom wat roep - [12] is vir haar gesê: Die oudste sal die jongste dien. [13] Soos geskrywe is: Jakob het Ek liefgehad en Esau het Ek gehaat. [14] Wat sal ons dan sê? Is daar miskien onreg by God? Nee, stellig nie! [15] Want aan Moses sê Hy: Ek sal barmhartig wees oor wie Ek barmhartig wil wees en My ontferm oor wie Ek My wil ontferm.
Look at Eph. 2:8. The GIFT is GRACE... Look at the twins in the womb...does God not know Esau would be godless? He knows the end from the beginning and knits us in the womb. He didn't force Esau to have faith but Esau could have repented like Ahab. Look at Ex. 5-7, Pharoah was confronted many times and warned! He hardens his heart throughout chapter 5 and 6 and then after that in chapter 7 God hardened his heart. Same as the pattern is now, people reject, reject, reject and eventually God gives them over to their depravity. But He does not delight in the punishment of the wicked. He is patient! He is not willing that any perish. Likewise people repent from sin and come to receive the Lord in faith, believing in Him and God gives us life; the Holy Spirit and then grants us repentance in the call to use the gifts He gives us for service in accordance with the measure of faith He has given regarding gifts! There is the mystery...the faith after faith, the grace after grace! But there is no mystery in the command for ALL men to believe and that God is not blinding people from seeing Him, He came to destroy the one that blinds, He came to heal us from our blindness (darkness) and OPEN OUR EYES to see God's love for us; His glory in the face of Christ so we may live from the root of the new heart; faith in God through Christ's righteousness. 2 Cor. 4:4, John 12:32, Acts 17:30, Rom. 10:8-10
Occurs to me that Calvinist hyper-definition of depravity also invalidates the fact that, regenerate or not, we are all made in God’s image - our ability to logically and ethically consider, weigh, and choose .
We can "logically and ethically" decide whether to eat fish or beef for dinner as it has absolutely nothing to do with eternity. Satan doesn't give a rat's behind about what we choose to do as long as it will not affect his influence on his subjects because he has them right where he wants them and right where the scriptures say they are. Ephesians 2:2 "...the devil-the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God." ONLY God can release us from the bondage that Satan has us under.
@ The thief on the cross exercised his innate sense of morality (something only those made in God’s image would have) and realized his depraved condition and to utter a simple plea to the Savior. The other thief chose the opposite, also a prerogative of those made in God’s image.
@@davidmedina7169 Actually it has nothing to do with a sense of morality or the prerogative of the other thief it has everything to do whether the person is a "child of the promise."
@@AVB2-LST1154 I understand Calvinists take the calling of Isaac to be a picture of predetermined, unconditional election of the individual rather than the election of a people for leadership of God’s redemptive message and lineage for birth of Messiah. This gets into the Romans 9 discussion which has been extensively covered by Dr. Flowers. Good news is that Edomites can be saved also!
@@davidmedina7169 God tried "election of people" who were the Israelites in the OT. Deu 7:6 "For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth." (It didn't work!) so in the New Testament He began saving people individually.
Acts 17 says that God gave PISTIS to ALL MEN by RAISING Christ from the dead. If a person is found without faith that is only because they have called God a LIAR for declaring the resurrection. Acts 17:31 “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given ASSURANCE unto all men, in that he hath RAISED him from the dead.” Original Word: πίστις Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: pistis Pronunciation: PIS-tis Phonetic Spelling: (pis'-tis) Definition: Faith, belief, trust, confidence, fidelity Meaning: faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness.
Right. Being dead in sins is a reference to being lost and separated from God. It has nothing to do with one's ability to repent of sins and put his or her faith in Christ. Jesus said this... Luke 5:31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Jesus considered unsaved sinners to be spiritually sick, not spiritually dead and unable to willingly choose to respond favorably to the gospel without God regenerating them first, as Calvinists falsely believe.
How about ”Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.” Romans 5:18 NKJV Doesn’t this say that everyone is condemnd because of Adam sinned? And Everyone include infants? So people are condemnd to hell even before they have done anything good or bad? Maybe there is already answer to this but I haven’t found it?!
This is the answer to the Potter/clay scenario Calvinists love to use to assert that God will not "allow everyone to believe". But your text is text that is being referenced in the Potter/clay scenario! We are born like this: under a curse of death for sin at the fall of Adam and we too (all) sin. Christ came to destroye the works of Satan by the cross fulfilling the law of death for sin and OPEN THE DOOR TO LIFE through His victory to ALL who will enter (receive Him). He has the victory over the curse of death for (our) sin! He has done it by His righteousness. The fullness of His victory will be realized by those who do receive Him: these are the elect. Today is the day to enter spiritually into His rest and this is God's command. That all men everywhere repent and believe the gospel. Mk. 1:15, Acts 17:30, John 12:32. It is finished. ALL MAY COME and it isn't God that is blinding men 2 Cor. 4:4. It is God that has broken open the Way to life in His Name. HALLELUJAH TO THE LAMB!
If faith is the gift in Ephesians 2:8, as Calvinists believe, why does Paul distinguish faith from works? Saying faith is a work goes against everything he teaches in Romans 4. If Paul had said faith is a work, he would have certainly given this explanation in Romans 4.
Just read Abarims definition of this quandry..You should put abarims app on your device. Death at one level had to occur before one could rise to the next level. Nekrous is that sort of death. Appolymai is death death so to speak. In the mind of that age death had many levels. Thus the pryamidic shape. Each level of death moved up .
Amen...the Holy Spirit is working in believers to get them off their bums and walk towards those who do not have faith to declare the death burial and resurrection of Christ Jesus so they too can receive faith unto salvation from sin and death.
I have to disagree with your answer to the condition of salvation. I am shown that it is not dependent on your faith, as God must first show mercy on a people that none are righteous, not one. The only condition for salvation is that it is dependent on Gods mercy. So who does He show mercy and compassion? The uncircumcised, those that are ignorant in unbelief. 1 Timothy 1:13 King James Version 13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. Romans 4:7-10 King James Version 7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. 9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. God has given me the truth that will bring the lies of the Calvinist out of the darkness and into the light.
When people asked Christ what they must do to be saved, Jesus doesn't say just wait for God's mercy to save you or it may never come. Jesus tells them to repent and believe in Him. Jesus' responses are always proactive, to pick up your cross and follow Him. If salvation was only conditioned upon God's mercy then there would be zero point to do anything accept sit around and wait to be saved or damned.
Faith is an ability God designed in His created humans. We have "faith," thatour automobile will transport us by, observation and what we have been taught. We have faith, that a lion is dangerous, by observation and what we have been taught. The ability to believe is a human design feature. And that same ability allows us to reject a belief.
DW: In both Calvinism and NON-Calvinism faith comes from God. The difference between these two positions is CHOICE In Calvinism - an infallible decree determines whatsoever comes to pass And that decree does not grant any ALTERNATIVE from that which it decrees Therefore 1) If faith is decreed - then that decree does not grant any ALTERNATIVE 2) if unbelief is decreed - then that decree does not grant any ALTERNATIVE Thus ALTERNATIVES do not exist for humans to choose Thus - in Calvinism humans do not have CHOICE in the matter of anything. OUTSIDE of Calvinism 1) ALTERNATIVES exist 2) Humans are granted CHOICE between them 3) That CHOICE is *UP TO* the person to make
@@dw6528 Just curious, but does God know what you are going to have for breakfast tomorrow? If he does, can you choose to eat something different instead come tomorrow?
@@biblethumper8.1 DW: In the classic view of divine foreknowledge: 1) ALTERNATIVES exist within creation For example [eat eggs] vs [NOT eat eggs] for breakfast tomorrow 2) I am granted a CHOICE between those ALTERNATIVES 3) That CHOICE is *UP TO* me And he has full knowledge of what CHOICES I will make - given the fact that as the designer of my brain he has full knowledge of how my brain works. But of course in Calvinism - ALTERNATIVES are not granted existence within creation - and thus do not exist for humans to choose - making it the case that humans are never granted CHOICE in the matter of anything
So Piper must conclude that his son being a reprobate is Elohim's will?! Yet the Scripture teaches that Yah would none perish. I thus concluded that the most cebrial camp in the patch work of Christianity really Bowes to the Fates and not The Faith. 🤔🥺
What is it to be spiritually dead, spiritual deadness? It is a deficiency of the righteousness of God. What is death but the absence of life. Therefore spiritual deadness is the absence of the righteousness of God
The Calvinist answer to that question (if he tells the truth) is going to be different than the NON-Calvinist's answer In Calvinism - individuals within the vast majority of the human population - are specifically created for eternal torment for his good pleasure John Calvin -quote by the eternal *GOOD PLEASURE* of god though the reason does not appear, they are *NOT FOUND* but *MADE* worthy of destruction. - (Concerning the Eternal Predestination of god pg 121) So in Calvinism - a person's eternal destiny is established by a decree - and that decreed is NOT based on the creature or the condition thereof - it is solely within himself - according to his good pleasure. . So the Calvinist answer to your question (if he tells the truth) is NO - spiritual death is what a person is created with before they are born. . Outside of Calvinism - spiritual death is essentially separation of fellowship with God Jesus indicates this - when he says "Depart from me I never knew you" And yes - that separation is brought about by decisions which people make But in Calvinism - humans are not granted a CHOICE in the matter - because an infallible decree does not grant any ALTERNATIVE from that which it decrees. Since ALTERNATIVES do not exist for humans - it follows - they don't exist for humans to choose.
@dw6528 Concerning the Calvinists answer to my question, I will defeat that lie with Adam and creation. What quickens, the Spirit, amen? Well, Genesis 2 "...breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." That breath was a quickening Spirit, and man was made a living soul in Adam. Therefore, God made man spiritually alive in the beginning. That is until he disobeyed, and then man died, God then taking His Spirit back from man, since he was also flesh.
@@MyRoBeRtBaKeR DW: Of course - the foundational core of Calvinism is EXHAUSTIVE DIVINE DETERMINISM (EDD) as enunciated in Calvin's doctrine of decrees John Calvin -quote The creatures...are so governed by the secret counsel of god, that *NOTHING HAPPENS* but what he has knowingly and willingly decreed. (Institutes 1. 16. 3) So for the Calvinist - all of the things you mentioned can only happen if and for whom they are decreed to happen
Amen! Whoever has (received) the Son has life, whoever does not have the Son does not have life (is dead/separated from God)..(my clarification)..Christ provided our death for us and by faith in Christ's righteousness and HIS VICTORY over the curse of death for (our) sin God justified us, forgave our sins and gave us life; the gift of the Holy Spirit. We are made alive by His indwelling presence in us, made whole, united to God because we obeyed the command of God to repent and believe the good news about what God's Son has done Mk. 1:15. Do not "harden your hearts". Life and death is in the tongue; choose today whom you will serve! Rom. 10:8-10, believe in your heart that Yeshua is Lord and make the good confession from the overflow of your heart. God has given His Son to draw ALL MEN EVERYWHERE to Himself. Christ does it all! John 12:32, Acts 17:30. He is the Light, the way to God, salvation belongs to GOD! Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God. He is not blinding some (2 Cor. 4:4) He is our healer!! He brings SIGHT to the blind. He has done it, He is risen!! He made a spectacle of the enemy by the cross! Only believe!
Is a child dead in their trespasses and sins? There is so much scripture that shows thats probably not so. Like in james 1 where he talks about sin being given birth and growing up which then makes one dead in their sins. And it always talks about we are dead because of sins. Not because we were born dead from our sins. Idk.
I'd guess that death in the NT usually means eternal, irreversible death. The next most common usage is physical death. Either way, the implication that dead = doing nothing of its own accord is far from broken. Flowers is just the flip side of the Calvinist coin, he twists the bits of scripture that don't match his philosophical worldview to coerce them into matching. Mild Calvinism, mild Arminianism, Molinism, Lutheranism, etc, all rightly recognise that the matter is complicated and that scripture doesn't entirely push one way.
If, in our sin nature, we were willfully incapable of a positive faith response to God (i.e. choosing the greatest good) then we could fairly say that Adam and Eve, in their created perfection, would have been willfully incapable of sinning. Calvinists make the mistake of assuming that the will is ironclad-bound to our moral condition.
"...elect according to the *foreknowledge* of God..." (1 Peter 1:2, emphasis mine) If God had elected us based on His own whims and not our faith lived out, then it seems to me foreknowledge would be unnecessary and irrelevant. 🤷♀️
DW: Some thing to add to that - is Calvinism's definition of foreknowledge The classic definition of foreknowledge is that it is an ESSENTIAL attribute - which means it is never lacking The Calvinist definition deviates from that - putting divine sovereignty above foreknoweledge Calvin's god cannot know what [X] will be - until *AFTER* he decrees what [X] will be So in Calvinism - divine foreknowledge is simply A POSTERIOR knowledge of what *WAS* decreed John Calvin -quote He foresees future events only in consequence of his decree (Institutes 3.23.6) Calvinist Tom Hicks - Founders Ministry -quote God cannot know what something will be until He has first decreed what it will be.
Is foreknowledge just some bald fact about a person that God knows (e.g., Joe will choose me in the future), or is it not an indication of knowing someone (e.g., Adam knew Eve and she begat Abel)? Of course, since God knows everything, the former definition would be redundant. However, if Peter means to tell us that God knew his children before the foundation of the world (something Paul says in numerous places too), this is an indication of relationship, not simple knowledge of this or that fact about someone. God knows his elect, and those he foreknows he predestines.
@@biblethumper8.1 DW: There are of course different positions on foreknowledge. In Calvinism foreknowledge is simply knowledge of that which has been decreed. He know joe will accept salvation because he decreed that impulse within Joe's brain - with a decree which does not grant any ALTERNATIVE from that which it decrees. Intimate knowledge of the creature sufficient to know what the creature WOULD do in any given circumstance in which the creature is granted CHOICE is the position of Molina.
@@UnfrozenCavemanLawyer-xq1qi DW: Yes! Calvin thought through that dilemma. He understood in such case - he would be obliterating the function of divine CHOICE - because such foreknowledge would infallibly eliminate ALTERNATIVES from which divine CHOICE would be made. So Calvin ops to place divine CHOICE above divine foreknowledge - making it subservient to divine CHOICE - in order to place divine sovereignty as the supreme attribute.
@@AlexanderosD When a Christian reads something in the Bible about salvation, and they don't agree with it, they immediately dismiss it and cast it off as "Calvinism" Jews do the same thing, anything they don't agree with is immediately labeled as "anti-Semitic"
I am so glad that me and God were able to work together to accomplish my salvation because but for the grace of God and my decision to accept Jesus, there go I. Glory be God and me.
If the Calvinist belief was true as John Piper stated; then “For God so loved the world…” would be a lie. If God just chose without any reasoning at all He just saved who He wanted, then due to His love He would save all.
DW: Calvinism entails DUALISM in which many things appear in the form of "GOOD-EVIL" antithetical pairs. That is why you see the ENUNCIATED will vs the SECRET will in Calvinism Calvin's god's will is DUALISTIC . Calvin's god's love is also DUALISTIC He has a love (FOR THE MANY) which creates them specifically for eternal torment for his good pleasure And he has a different love (FOR A FEW) which saves them from the kind of love he has for the MANY
First he says the Bible doesn't use the story of Lazarus as salvific. But then he uses the story of the prodigal son as proof text. The story of the prodigal son is to highlight the older sons self-righteousness. The audience he's speaking to are pharasees. You have to see that parable in light of the other two parables before it. Context matters. Then he says Calvinists believe faith is a good work. That's incorrect. Calvinists believe the believing faith is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; [9] not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10] For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. The good works is a byproduct of believing faith. There's no scripture that describes a persons ability to choose God on their own. In fact quite the opposite. We are able to come to God and desire to come to God because of the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit. That's it. Titus 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
Romans 9:11 11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that the purpose of God according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, The problem is this, you talk about a 'works based' salvation yet you say there is something we must do in order to be saved. Also, you say it is by faith, THEN letting go of the rope. Too often the Bible speaks of being chosen, the elect, predestination. Are you saying God does not already know who will and who will not be saved? When we try and skirt around the doctrine of predestination we always encounter a brick wall called the sovereignty of God.
Faith is not a deed, Calvinist’s don’t say that don’t strawman Calvinism. But receiving faith, making that decision to embrace God, is an act. So what precedes faith? Surely it cannot be a merit of your own. It must be grace, the Lord regenerating you in his grace
They say that the way non Calvinists describe a man choosing to have faith is "doing something, therefore a work". In Calvinism, "faith" is a mental state conferred upon a person by God.
Calvinism brought true biblical doctrine.Calvinism brings me a full sense of security and peace of my soul.Calvinism enthrones God,while anticalvinism dethrones Him.
If you want a thorough description of what it means to be dead in your sins, look no further than Romans 3. And if, after reading this damning account of humans apart from the Spirit and Christ, you still believe that they can nevertheless please God by exercising their manmade faith, then you don't deserve to be explaining the Bible to people. "For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
Why look no further? Because Calvinists by and large do not STUDY anything, but instead data mine the Bible for thongs they can rip out of context. If you'd read Romans you might find that Paul is building upon chapter 2, where he is comparing the faith of Gentiles (circumcision of the heart) as equivalent to physical circumcision of the Jews, demonstrating that they (Jews), though circumcised do not keep the Law, and therefore are the same as an uncircumcised Gentile. By chapter 3 he's still driving the point home, to Jews btw, that the Law of Moses is insufficient for righteousness. Then He quotes half a dozen verses, most from their beloved David, to show these unrepentant, stiff necked, gainsaying Jews that in fact they too are just as bad, even worse because they had the Law, than the "wicked" Gentiles they detested. All that to say, yes, you can rip things out without any understanding of the meaning, and make it say whatever you want it to. I get that you've probably never been made aware of this. But please stop misusing scripture in this way, because you're actually guilty of the same thing these Jews were thinking - that they were "the chosen ones". Ironic isn't it?
"For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God." (Romans 8:7-8). You make the mistake of equating the moral ability of believers and unbelievers in your analysis. Jesus can indeed speak to believers as though they are morally capable. Every example you use is that. But as Paul says here in Romans and in the Ephesians passage you are currently misinterpreting, those without the indwelling Holy Spirit are both unwilling and unable to believe. That, indeed, is what it means to be dead in your trespasses and sins. And again, contrary to what you say here, unbelievers cannot "please God" by exercising their supposed man-produced faith. Flesh gives birth to flesh, as Jesus says to Nicodemus. You can only confess, "Jesus is Lord" by the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3). You are missing the forest for the trees in your analysis, so fixated on one word ("dead") without any proper biblical context. Whether or not faith is defined as a good work misses the point. Unbelievers--those in the flesh--cannot please God, period. And a decision of faith, one which causes the angels in heaven to shout in joy and one that is supremely pleasing to God (after all, you are putting your hope and trust in his Son), cannot be done by people dead in their sins. Again, they cannot please God. Your proposal that salvation is something accomplished when God does his part and I do my part--even if it is 99% God and 1% me--is not the biblical gospel of grace.
As always, Dr. Flowers makes this presentation both scholarly and simply. God Bless you Dr. Flowers.
Great succinct short! Thank you!
Love these short straightforward messages!
Blessings 🙏
The father didn’t go to the prodigal son at some point after he was lost. The prodigal son went back to the father, and THEN was found.
I actually never thought about that
He was already a SON.
How many dead men do you see asking for anything? U had nothing to do with your first birth and freewill has nothing to do with your second one.
@@johnyates7566 the father handed the son over to satan. He was living in sin, which the Bible says people who live in sin will not inherit the kingdom of God. The “son” was not a son of his father in heaven in that state.
And the father also never forced the son to come back. Didn’t regenerate him. Didn’t mind control him.
“I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’”
Luke 15:18-19 NLT
“for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.”
Luke 15:24 NLT
This is the Character of God.
Thank you Doctor for this great work you’re carrying on.
God bless you and your ministry.
God bless you and bless your efforts to make His words clear to all.
Thank you for these short videos, they are needed on UA-cam
Wow Dr Glowers you have some great ones but this video is exceptionally well done. GOD BLESS YOU! Keep them coming!!!! These are easy to share too!!!
Sorry FLOWERS
Thanks Dr Flowers! Please keep putting out short videos like this differentiating the specifics like this, it's helpful for sharing.
God is good.
And good isn't just an empty word that means nothing.
It is a description of something. Scripture defines good. So if a description of God isn't truly good then it is a false description.
There are many messed up descriptions of God out there that do not show him to be good.
All the time
@@colleengleason6533One of the bad descriptions of God is the I of TULIP. The idea that in order for someone to have faith in Jesus, that faith must be irresistibly given to them by God. Everyone else who does not have faith, according to the I of TULIP, does not because God did not choose them. Those who do not have faith will never have faith because God made them for damnation, according to Calvinism. This is not good. God is good.
@@colleengleason6533 You are deluded. This is like saying (or even worse than saying actually) that a man stepping on ant is “bad/evil”. The value and worth of the ant is closer to man than the value of man is to God. God would’t be bad if He destroyed us even if we were without sin. God has no obligations towards us. And before you say “that’s unbiblical” read Daniel 4:35 and understand no matter how you interpret Romans 9 that Paul answers the objection of injustice with God: you can’t talk back. You have no right. You are a pot, He is the potter”. So you have no rights and demands on God. No matter what He does you can’t judge Him. And you are a perfect example of everything that is wrong with most people: they have a wrong understanding of the Creator/creature relationship.
@@colleengleason6533 You are deluded. This is like saying (or even worse than saying actually) that a man stepping on ant is “bad/evil”. The value and worth of the ant is closer to man than the value of man is to God. God would’t be bad if He destroyed us even if we were without sin. God has no obligations towards us. And before you say “that’s unbiblical” read Daniel 4:35 and understand no matter how you interpret Romans 9 that Paul answers the objection of injustice with God: you can’t talk back. You have no right. You are a pot, He is the potter”. So you have no rights and demands on God. No matter what He does you can’t judge Him. And you are a perfect example of everything that is wrong with most people: they have a wrong understanding of the Creator/creature relationship.
Thanks for uncovering Calvinism, I really appreciate it a lot 🙏
Good video Leighton. God bless you
That’s great! Being dead does not mean an inability to respond to God. ❤
@@Forgivenmuchlovingmuch no it means that you have excepted Jesus christ as your lord and king and if so you have put your fleshly desires to death
@ Those fleshly desires get put to death through the work of sanctification which comes through the relationship , the personal relationship with God and reading His word. Remember, the law kills but the Spirit gives grace. You didn’t do anything to earn salvation and you can’t now start in the flesh after you were quickened in the spirit.
Amen. Thank you Dr. Flowers. Your teachings always encourage me and strengthen my faith. God bless you 🙏🙏🙏✝️✝️✝️
Convincing the Calvinist of his error is like giving medicine to a dead person.
I see what you did there
Mark Twain Said, 'It's Easier to Fool People Than to Convince Them That They Have Been Fooled'.
Salvation only comes from God. God makes all the rules.
Great video!
Thank you, Dr. Flowers.
Love the short and longer videos. Even the 3 hr plus ones!
You give an excellent analogy Dr. Flowers. Faith is merely letting go of the rope. This is no different then then the sabbath elevator in Israel. They believe by pushing the buttons that they are doing work. This is the same error that the calvinists are making regarding faith.
That part about the rope made me think about the sabbath as well, although I didn’t know that about elevators. From my experiences, the Calvinist’s also unfortunately remind me of the Pharisees.
Thank you so much for clearing that up!! I been trying to understand "deadness" for a few years now! The Calvinist explanation had me sooo confused and really tripped up.
There’s absolutely zero assurance in Calvinism. This was the final nail for me. Despite their high drive for education they don’t seem to conclude this. Their knowledge seems to be their assurance, despite the contradictory claims. If everything I do is a work, then I have no possible way to find assurance. The Holy Spirit convicts of sin, but also of righteousness. We have a part, not to earn anything, but to come into agreement with God from the heart.
And yet, your heart is above all things most corrupt, and until God gives you a heart of flesh through the miraculous work of his Spirit, it will remain a heart of stone. You have the cart before the horse. As for assurance, those who persevere to the end will be saved, as Scripture says over and over again. Whether you are a Calvinist or an Arminian, that is true.
@ Can someone believe in their heart that Jesus is the Christ? The corruption that is in the world through sinful desires of the heart are deceitfully wicked, and cannot be trusted, but if the conscience can’t be brought to honesty then how can man be saved?
@@TAdler-ex8px God graciously gives you a new heart. He replaces your heart of stone with a heart of flesh. Until that happens, you cannot put your hope and trust and very life and its decisions in Christ's hands. You will not and you cannot (Romans 8:7-8).
@@biblethumper8.1 Faith comes by hearing and responding. I highly encourage that you do not put Jesus to the test by insisting He does more than He already has. Jesus told Peter that He would make Him a fisher of men. How was Peter going to do that?
@@biblethumper8.1 Living carnally minded is a response, not a condition. “They set their minds….” It’s not keeping eternity in view. Carnal minds don’t have Christ’s love, which is the maturity spoken of in 1 Corinthians 13. They are near sighted and blind. They reject reality.
I want to comment on the whole "faith is a work or a good deed" thing. Imagine you're a passenger in a car, you're technically putting your trust or faith in the driver that you'll both arrive at the destination safely. However, once you arrive you wouldn't say to the driver, "my faith is what got us here." It's obviously the driver. I'm not entirely sure if that analogy holds up perfectly but...
DW: Yes - no one who is rational would ever say that - because they know how silly it would be.
But we're dealing with Calvinists who are emotionally invested in divine determinism - and they have to invent arguments to support it.
And that is why we see them making arguments which collapse under logical scrutiny - and why they don't like logic.
@@dw6528 Paul says in Romans 8:7-8 that those in the flesh cannot please God. This is contrary to those in the Spirit. Jesus tells Nicodemus that flesh produces flesh, but Spirit produces spirit. Jesus later says in John 6 that the flesh counts for nothing. Paul further says that people can only profess faith in Jesus by the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3). How do you propose a person spiritually dead exercises faith? Do they receive the Spirit first, or only receive the Spirit upon professing faith in Jesus?
@@biblethumper8.1 DW: You start off correctly - by quoting scriptures - and then you make the mistake of forcing a concept into the text which is not in the text.
Firstly - I don't think you are going to claim you are without sin. And when you are in sin - you are in fact operating in the flesh which cannot please God.
From that - it does not follow that you are spiritually dead. So that verse does not work for you.
And the flesh produces flesh follows that same principle. So that verse does not work for you.
And the concept that a person who is not saved cannot be affected by the Holy Spirit (for example being convicted of sin) commits the fallacy of question begging and ends up being self-refuting.
In Calvinism - the condition of the creature does not determine whatsoever comes to pass within the creature - an infallible decree does.
The only way an impulse of faith can exist within a human brain (whether regenerate or not) is by an infallible decree
So a Calvinist appealing to the condition of the creature as the DETERMINING FACTOR of anything - is cutting off the doctrinal limb he is standing on.
Another thing about faith supposedly being a good work is that faith is contrasted with good works in the Bible. Paul wrote that we ARE saved through faith but are NOT saved by works (Eph 2:8-9). If faith was a work then he wouldn't have said that we're saved by grace through faith.
James contrasted faith and works in James 2, also.
@@ETube1971 DW: It is informative to liken Calvinism to a house.
Every house has a foundation. The skeleton (framework) of the house is built on top of that foundation.
The outer surface materials such as siding, windows, shingles etc are all supported on the framing - which is built according to the blueprint of the foundation.
Aspects of Calvinism's doctrine such as faith vs works are not a part of the foundation
They are parts of the outer surface of the house.
The underlying foundation of the doctrine is EXHAUSTIVE DIVINE DETERMINISM (EDD) as enunciated in Calvinism's doctrine of decrees.
So all of the other parts of the house rest upon that foundation.
According to EXHAUSTIVE DIVINE DETERMINISM (EDD) nothing can happen within creation that is not decreed
So TRUE faith cannot exist within a human brain unless it is decreed
And that decree which produces faith is solely and exclusively a work of God
So in Calvinism- if any man were to have faith that is not a work of Calvin's god - then the Calvinist wants to claim that faith as a work of man.
But that produces a major problem.
Because the doctrine stipulates nothing can happen within creation that is not decreed
Which makes it the case - that nothing can happen within creation that is a work of man.
So this forces the Calvinist into SEMANTIC TAP-DANCE ROUTINES - which produces convoluted and contorted answers - in order to get the doctrine to line up with scripture.
Blessings!
I was never a calvinist or arminian because I was never taught into those systems I was concerned about the truth of salvation in the Scriptures and I saw calvinism to be inconsistent mainly in Christ dying for all and this one explained here...I also disagree with arminians concerning salvation can be lost...thanks Dr. Flowers.
Praise be to God
I think this is going to be a profitable format. I hope you will make other videos like this. Your other videos are great too but I think there is a broad swath of people who are not going to sit and listen to a 2-hour conversation but will listen to a 10-minute video that concisely explains the topic like this.
Love these UA-cam shorts. Thank you Dr Flowers!
Just like our faith doesn't save us but is required for salvation, so is obedience to God.
Our spirit is the intellect of our souls. If the word of God is in you you are spirituality alive and dead in christ your body is dead to sin you are not in this world. Of sin
You have on one side of the table: Dr Flowers, Adrian Roger’s, Billy Graham for example and on the other side you have MacArthur, Piper and Sproul for example (I happen to sit at this side of the table). I think we can all agree that table is full of great godly men. Agree?
Not if they preach heresy
@@UnfrozenCavemanLawyer-xq1qi so the men who don’t agree with YOU are heretics and therefore I assume hell bound? Nice!
Thanks for the video. I’ve always found this topic odd because I can’t reconcile election with Jesus’ call to count the cost of following him. It appears to me we should and must make a conscious choice to follow him.
As a person who has used Eph 2:1 in the exact way which Leighton is criticizing here, I want to say that I love the way Leighton argues here. Basically he's saying, "We shouldn't assume that "dead" means something in Eph 2:1 that it clearly doesn't mean anywhere else in the Bible."
So for me personally, I need to reexamine Eph 2 and think about whether I have any biblical justification in continuing to use it the way I have been using it. I've watched a lot of Leighton's videos and I frequently disagree with the type of argumentation he employs against the sovereignty of God in salvation, but I'm glad to see him reasoning this way here. Though most would consider me a Calvinist, I'd rather be corrected by an Arminian using sound biblical reasoning than agree with a Calvinist who mis-handles Scripture.
You do great work!
Amen!💯🙌🏻
Hey Leighton, what do you think of Ecclesiastes 7:29 in light of Calvinism doctrine?
Man is accountable to God for going astray from our Creator. God is not responsible for the sin (waywardness) of man; (Calvinists say He is). But God provided the rescue from the root of unbelief which bore the fruit of sin! And His command is for ALL to come and receive His redemption (Acts 17:30, John 12:32, Mk. 1:15, Rom..10:8-10) and see Him and His love for us and live from faith in Him; bearing fruit of His righteousness. He is perfect! The way is narrow, the door is open to all through Christ in the gospel for only a little while longer. That's my understanding of this verse in connection to Calvinism.
This is on point!
Notice "dead means dead" never applies to after salvation when Paul writes about us being dead TO sin.
Dr Flowers - can you sometime touch on Article 9 of "Our Beliefs" on your website and discuss the differences between eternal security, assurance of salvation (still can walk away from Christ), once saved always saved and perseverance of the saints please?
Eternal security means that a person who has believed in Jesus for everlasting life is eternally secure. Can never perish ,never hunger, never thirst, never come into judgment regarding eternal condemnation and never die spiritually ( all found in John). Assurance of salvation is having 100% certainty that one is eternally saved. Anything less than 100% is NOT assurance. Preservation of the saints is equivalent to eternal security. Perseverance of the saints ( not biblical) says that those who are truely saved will indeed persevere in good works and holiness until the end of life. Ihope that helps.
Do you think maybe leaning too hard into “free-will” or “predetermination” leads us into trouble? The Bible clearly teaches that God is sovereign over all things, including our salvation, but it also makes it clear that we make decisions and are responsible for our sins. Instead of arguing that one or the other is right, let’s just leave it up to God and continue to edify each other in love and becoming more Christ like.
Yes! The formula is grace + faith = salvation (Eph 2:8-9). God has already provided the grace (Rom 6:23b), so all that's left is for us to provide the faith (Acts 16:30-31).
Now we pray for God the Holy Spirit will speak to those who need the Truth the Way and Life to live. Because no not one can came to the Father except through Me
Paul explains what he means by "dead in trespasses and sins" in Eph. 2:1-3, and then goes on to say that it is God who makes us alive (vv. 4-7). He also explains human inability in Eph. 4:17-19. And then of course there is his extended explanation of human depravity in Rom. 1:18-3:20. Let's go by what the Bible says!
Total depravity is not equal to total inability.
All over the Scriptures God is calling to repentance to dead people?. If total inability is true then why to call to repentance or rebuke unbelieving is the one who calls or rebuke is the one responsible to make able to respond?. Besides is more than clear in the Bible that Jesus died for all. Christ death is sufficient for all but only efficient for those who believe.
God bless
@@renierramirez9534 I think it is possible to make a distinction, as some have done, between natural ability and moral inability. The human mind has the capacity to look at the universe and reasonably conclude that there has to a intelligent Creator behind it. Yet the sinner "suppresses the truth in unrighteousness"? (Rom. 1:18). Why? Because he is a slave to his sinful lusts and passions (Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19). Therefore no one can come to Christ unless the Father draws him (John 6:44,65).
And Calvinists would certainly agree that the Christ's death is sufficient for all but only efficient for those who believe.
Congrats S101 over 90K subs! Will be hitting 100K soon!
Can this man hear himself?
He says God's choice is not on your good or bad deeds.
In the very next sentence he says "it is conditioned upon your faith, your willingness to humbly confess your bad deeds and place your trust in the goodness of Christ".
Is that then not a good deed?
Is he advocating that this is a neutral deed?
Wow!
He is an Arminian so he MUST twist scripture to prove his points. A plain reading of scripture is not enough for him.
The reason why Jesus raised Lazarus was because Lazarus was Jesus's friend. He was already a faithful follower of God. Jesus never would have raised his enemy. Jesus raises those who put their faith in him, not those who reject him.
Jesus will raise all the dead. One to eternal life because of faith in Christ and the other to eternal loss because of rebellion and unrepentance
I would love to ask John McArthur this question. Does a man's unbelief make the atonement of Jesus of no effect?
As he asks, was it a real atonement or a potential atonement?
Yes, it was a real atonement, whether a man believes or not.
Seeing that it was the redemption of the body. Therefore, it is of no consequence whether a man believes the Gospel or not.
Romans 3:3
King James Version
3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
DW: A TRUE Calvinist answer to that question would be NO because
1) In Calvinism each person - by divine decree and by election - is either given faith or they are given unbelief
2) Those who are created to be elect are eventually given faith
3) Those who are created for damnation are given unbelief
4) Jesus' atonement was meant for those who are elect and who are given faith
5) Jesus' atonement was NOT meant for those who are NOT elect and who are given unbelief
However - many times a Calvinist will be concerned about giving people a TRUE Calvinist answer
Because in many cases when they give people a TRUE Calvinist answer - those people will end up rejecting Calvinism
So Calvinists quite frequently will give you an answer they calculate you will accept - rather than tell you the truth.
If they think you will reject Calvinism by the answer they give you - they won't give that answer to you - even if it is true because their primary concern is making Calvinism acceptable to people
dw6528's answer to your question isn't entirely accurate. There has been considerable debate within Calvinism over the centuries about the answer, so that when dw6528 says a "true Calvinist," that is only one possible Calvinist answer, not the only one. The fact that a rather skewed, jaded portrayal of Calvinists accompanies dw6528's answer should give you a clue that it is more propaganda than fact.
It is sufficient for all but not efficient for all. Only the elect benefit from it.
@allanyoung6231 It's not about the elect. It's about the called.
Everybody is called, yet out of the called God will elect whom He will.
He died for sinners, not the elect. Sinners aren't elected until they hear the call, believe, and obey God as a son obeys his father.
@@MyRoBeRtBaKeR DW: You may not have known it - but that statement is a self-contradiction.
If your have a god who elects whom he wills - whether they are called are not is irrelevant.
It is in fact about the elect.
Secondly - that conception of election just happens to be consistent with the classic Gnostic concept of election which existed in Augustine's day.
blessings
When someone gets arrested they are "dead" until a j.p. or judge hears their case and sets a bond or fine or declares them innocent. Then they are alive again
I’m not sure the parable of the lost son is comparable to Gods grace in salvation or a good analogous scripture to our deadness in sin. It’s like apples and oranges. You also neglect the two previous parables, “the lost sheep” and “the lost coin”, where the woman and the shepherd actively seek, find, and being back the one who is lost. Couldn’t those also be used as analogies to deadness?
It seems to me that the Bible makes it clear faith is not a work.
" For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
If faith was a work, shouldn't it say "For by grace are ye saved through faith, which is the only work that counts"?
Amen
Rom 3
27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
Law of "works"
Nay!
Good analysis. From a philosophical point of view however, I would like say that predestination (necessity) and freedom are not necessarily the dialectical contraries- which you seem to assume.
1) To be predestined for God means to have God as your natural end.
2) Freedom for us then comes from choosing God (the highest good) precisely, as that would be in consonance with and the fulfilment of our nature.
3) To not to do so is to have never been free in the first place.
4)But when you choose God you are not only freer, but what God has predestined for you has come to pass.
In this way, freedom of your choice and the necessity of your predestination aren't in conflict, but in harmony. Freedom is not the opposite of predestination, but the actualization of it.
ITAW Fallacy
@UnfrozenCavemanLawyer-xq1qi I have no idea what you are trying to say.
Real question: is this form of deadness the same as what is referred to by God in Gen 3 where if Adam and Eve eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that they will surely die?
This false preacher bases this clip on false equivalents. He would fail philosophy 101
Yes, it absolutely 110% is. Death in that sense means separation from God due to our sin; this is the meaning of figurative, spiritual death in scripture. God Himself told Adam that he would surely die on the very day he ate of the fruit, yet he did not die biologically that day. Either God was wrong, and of course He wasn't, or He didn't mean literal, biological death.
@@LawlessNate I agree. Thanks
Please review “bound by Grace” by Lee Williams ❤❤❤ pleaaase no one ever talks about it
Lazarus is like, the last example Calvinism should try to use to make a simile out of.
The poor guy was quite literally dead, not because of a sin or being reprobate, he just got sick and physically died.
But Calvinism waves his story around screaming
"dead like Lazarus! Dead means dead!"
And it's like...dude, by that kind of child logic, every "reprobate" has to be physically dead...😂
Meanwhile they desperately ignore the story if the prodigal son...
It's like Lazarus. He chose by his free will to walk out of that tomb, Jesus didn't MAKE him do it like some robot! Although I must admit it's very unfair that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead but did not do that for anyone else in their graves! They all should have had the same opportunity. Jesus should have said "whosoever wishes may come out of their grave now" but He didn't really understand John 3:16.
OUTSTANDING!!!!
I agree with everything except for the imputed righteousness part. We are saved because of our faith. When we repent and believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are accounted God's righteousness, reckoned righteous. Our garments are made clean and spotless before the Lord. Imputed doesn't mean transfused, as we are given God's own righteousness. If we are declared righteous because Jesus lived the perfect life and did not sin, then you're saying we are saved by fulfilling works of the law essentially and it's no longer by grace. We are saved by grace through faith.
"Imputed doesn't mean transfused, as we are given God's own righteousness."
Except there is scripture which states as much. We are clothed in Jesus's righteousness.
"...you're saying we are saved by fulfilling works of the law essentially and it's no longer by grace."
Here's what I think you're not getting. If we could perfectly 100% follow the commands of the law then we would be saved because we would be sinless before God due to a complete lack of sin and we would have genuine righteousness of our own. The reason why we can't be saved by following the law is because no one, other than Jesus Himself, has followed or can follow the law perfectly. Because we sin we have therefore violated the law, and as scripture states breaking one part of the law means breaking the whole law.
The reason why we are not saved by works is because by our works, as in all of our works including our sin, we rightfully deserve God's wrath. The reason why we can only be saved by our faith is because that is the condition by which God has chosen to apply His forgiveness which He payed for on the cross. When we put our faith in Jesus and His sacrifice and resurrection, scripture states both that we are therefore found blameless for our own sin and found righteous because Jesus's own righteousness is imputed to us.
Whether the simply being blameless for our own sin part is enough for salvation or the imputed righteousness of Jesus part is also necessary for salvation is sort of beyond the point being made here. By putting our faith in Jesus we do, in fact, have His righteousness imputed to us. In the sense of those who are otherwise accountable for their sin, to have Jesus's righteousness is either itself necessary for salvation or at the very least a necessary byproduct of being saved.
I would, however, agree with the notion that simply being blamess for our sin is enough for salvation. It seems to be a biblical principal that there are those who are not held accountable for their actions that would otherwise be considered sin due to a lack of some form of mental capacity to be rightfully held accountable. People who are too young seem to qualify. In fact, all of humanity prior to Adam eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil seemed to qualify. I would imagine that those who are born mentally handicapped enough would also qualify. I would also imagine that the standards for what actions are or aren't considered sin might change among those who have genuinely never once been exposed to the gospel and instead are only under the standard of general revelation (like uncontacted tribes).
I love Is. 61:10! It is all about Christ. Salvation belongs to our Wonderful God and Savior!! ❤
I want every Christian to see this: for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
For Abraham believed God, unto righteousness and the righteousness that comes from believing in God, in Gids faithfullness.
Therefore the faith OF God was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
Look, God is the faithful, seeing that it is His faithfulness that leads us to repentance.
Romans 2:4
King James Version
4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Oh boy. There is no such thing in scripture as "the faith of God". God simply revealed Himself to Abraham, and Abraham responded in faith.
@heyman5525 You are deceived. Romans 3:3
King James Version
3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
What faith, or whose faith do you live by?
@heyman5525 Abraham did not respond in faith, but he believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.
His belief led him to obey God, even to kill his very own son at command. Trusting that He is faithful to His promises.
I don't live by my faith, faith is righteousness a.d my righteousness is like filthy rags.
Galatians 2:20
King James Version
20 I 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.
@MyRoBeRtBaKeR Faith is belief.
@MyRoBeRtBaKeR How am I deceived? Abraham believed. That's all. Your metaphysical gymnastics are heresy.
Calvinists and Arminians have the same vocabulary, but different dictionaries.
LOVE THAT!
Election is not choosing whom to save, as it is written, whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Election has to do with choosing whom He will manifest Himself to and carry the seed and preach the Gospel of peace.
Romans 10:13-17
King James Version
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 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!
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
AMEN!
What's the correct order in the salvific process? Washed, sanctified, justified.
I Corinthians 6:11 NKJV
[11] And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
@JesusIsLord777-lz7mg I don't believe that's the order.
I believe confess and believe you are in obedience to the Gospel, and then you will be drawn to Jesus, and He will raise you on the last day with Him.
The washing, sanctiying, and justifying are at once, and this carries you all your life unto your very last breath.
Romans 10, John 6,Hebrews 10:39
Romans 10:9-10
King James Version
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
John 6:44
King James Version
44 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.
Hebrews 10:39
King James Version
39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
@MyRoBeRtBaKeR What does the washed mean in that verse, and how many times are we washed?
@JesusIsLord777-lz7mg First off, why couldn't it be a simultaneous event? Being washed, sanctified, and justified at once? Knowing that all things are ours the moment we're in Christ.
There is that, and then this also, what the wash means here, doesn't mean that being washed is limited to just one washing.
For instance, there is a washing of the body of the husband and wife, as their body is washed by the water of the Word. In Ephesians 5
.
Here, it refers to the water baptism. Your sins were washed away and born of water.
Born again because once you have been buried into His death, we will then be raised to newness of life. Romans 6
Okay, so is there anything that has to happen before you are washed?
Faith is a gift from God.
EFÉSIËRS 2:8 AFR53
[8] Want uit genade is julle gered, deur die geloof, en dit nie uit julleself nie: dit is die gawe van God;
ROMEINE 9:11-15 AFR53
[11] Want toe die kinders nog nie gebore was en nog geen goed of kwaad gedoen het nie - dat die voorneme van God volgens die verkiesing kon bly staan, nie uit die werke nie, maar uit Hom wat roep - [12] is vir haar gesê: Die oudste sal die jongste dien. [13] Soos geskrywe is: Jakob het Ek liefgehad en Esau het Ek gehaat. [14] Wat sal ons dan sê? Is daar miskien onreg by God? Nee, stellig nie! [15] Want aan Moses sê Hy: Ek sal barmhartig wees oor wie Ek barmhartig wil wees en My ontferm oor wie Ek My wil ontferm.
Look at Eph. 2:8. The GIFT is GRACE...
Look at the twins in the womb...does God not know Esau would be godless? He knows the end from the beginning and knits us in the womb. He didn't force Esau to have faith but Esau could have repented like Ahab.
Look at Ex. 5-7, Pharoah was confronted many times and warned! He hardens his heart throughout chapter 5 and 6 and then after that in chapter 7 God hardened his heart. Same as the pattern is now, people reject, reject, reject and eventually God gives them over to their depravity. But He does not delight in the punishment of the wicked. He is patient! He is not willing that any perish.
Likewise people repent from sin and come to receive the Lord in faith, believing in Him and God gives us life; the Holy Spirit and then grants us repentance in the call to use the gifts He gives us for service in accordance with the measure of faith He has given regarding gifts! There is the mystery...the faith after faith, the grace after grace! But there is no mystery in the command for ALL men to believe and that God is not blinding people from seeing Him, He came to destroy the one that blinds, He came to heal us from our blindness (darkness) and OPEN OUR EYES to see God's love for us; His glory in the face of Christ so we may live from the root of the new heart; faith in God through Christ's righteousness. 2 Cor. 4:4, John 12:32, Acts 17:30, Rom. 10:8-10
Occurs to me that Calvinist hyper-definition of depravity also invalidates the fact that, regenerate or not, we are all made in God’s image - our ability to logically and ethically consider, weigh, and choose .
We can "logically and ethically" decide whether to eat fish or beef for dinner as it has absolutely nothing to do with eternity. Satan doesn't give a rat's behind about what we choose to do as long as it will not affect his influence on his subjects because he has them right where he wants them and right where the scriptures say they are. Ephesians 2:2 "...the devil-the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God." ONLY God can release us from the bondage that Satan has us under.
@ The thief on the cross exercised his innate sense of morality (something only those made in God’s image would have) and realized his depraved condition and to utter a simple plea to the Savior. The other thief chose the opposite, also a prerogative of those made in God’s image.
@@davidmedina7169 Actually it has nothing to do with a sense of morality or the prerogative of the other thief it has everything to do whether the person is a "child of the promise."
@@AVB2-LST1154 I understand Calvinists take the calling of Isaac to be a picture of predetermined, unconditional election of the individual rather than the election of a people for leadership of God’s redemptive message and lineage for birth of Messiah. This gets into the Romans 9 discussion which has been extensively covered by Dr. Flowers. Good news is that Edomites can be saved also!
@@davidmedina7169 God tried "election of people" who were the Israelites in the OT. Deu 7:6 "For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth." (It didn't work!) so in the New Testament He began saving people individually.
Acts 17 says that God gave PISTIS to ALL MEN by RAISING Christ from the dead.
If a person is found without faith that is only because they have called God a LIAR for declaring the resurrection.
Acts 17:31
“Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given ASSURANCE unto all men, in that he hath RAISED him from the dead.”
Original Word: πίστις
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: pistis
Pronunciation: PIS-tis
Phonetic Spelling: (pis'-tis)
Definition: Faith, belief, trust, confidence, fidelity
Meaning: faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness.
Right. Being dead in sins is a reference to being lost and separated from God. It has nothing to do with one's ability to repent of sins and put his or her faith in Christ.
Jesus said this...
Luke 5:31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Jesus considered unsaved sinners to be spiritually sick, not spiritually dead and unable to willingly choose to respond favorably to the gospel without God regenerating them first, as Calvinists falsely believe.
How about ”Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.”
Romans 5:18 NKJV
Doesn’t this say that everyone is condemnd because of Adam sinned? And Everyone include infants?
So people are condemnd to hell even before they have done anything good or bad?
Maybe there is already answer to this but I haven’t found it?!
Rom 5:18 begins with a "therefore"
If you'll look for what the therefore is there for, you'll find your answer.
Take care
This is the answer to the Potter/clay scenario Calvinists love to use to assert that God will not "allow everyone to believe". But your text is text that is being referenced in the Potter/clay scenario! We are born like this: under a curse of death for sin at the fall of Adam and we too (all) sin. Christ came to destroye the works of Satan by the cross fulfilling the law of death for sin and OPEN THE DOOR TO LIFE through His victory to ALL who will enter (receive Him). He has the victory over the curse of death for (our) sin! He has done it by His righteousness. The fullness of His victory will be realized by those who do receive Him: these are the elect. Today is the day to enter spiritually into His rest and this is God's command. That all men everywhere repent and believe the gospel. Mk. 1:15, Acts 17:30, John 12:32. It is finished. ALL MAY COME and it isn't God that is blinding men 2 Cor. 4:4. It is God that has broken open the Way to life in His Name. HALLELUJAH TO THE LAMB!
If faith is the gift in Ephesians 2:8, as Calvinists believe, why does Paul distinguish faith from works? Saying faith is a work goes against everything he teaches in Romans 4. If Paul had said faith is a work, he would have certainly given this explanation in Romans 4.
Just read Abarims definition of this quandry..You should put abarims app on your device. Death at one level had to occur before one could rise to the next level. Nekrous is that sort of death. Appolymai is death death so to speak. In the mind of that age death had many levels. Thus the pryamidic shape. Each level of death moved up .
Dead in trespasses and sin
Quickened by the Spirit
Ephesians2v2
Amen...the Holy Spirit is working in believers to get them off their bums and walk towards those who do not have faith to declare the death burial and resurrection of Christ Jesus so they too can receive faith unto salvation from sin and death.
I have to disagree with your answer to the condition of salvation.
I am shown that it is not dependent on your faith, as God must first show mercy on a people that none are righteous, not one.
The only condition for salvation is that it is dependent on Gods mercy.
So who does He show mercy and compassion? The uncircumcised, those that are ignorant in unbelief.
1 Timothy 1:13
King James Version
13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
Romans 4:7-10
King James Version
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
God has given me the truth that will bring the lies of the Calvinist out of the darkness and into the light.
When people asked Christ what they must do to be saved, Jesus doesn't say just wait for God's mercy to save you or it may never come. Jesus tells them to repent and believe in Him. Jesus' responses are always proactive, to pick up your cross and follow Him. If salvation was only conditioned upon God's mercy then there would be zero point to do anything accept sit around and wait to be saved or damned.
Amen John 12:32.....GOD'S MERCY!!
@anchoraboveworship8404 That's exactly right, tonwhom He wills amen
Where does the faith that leads to salvation come from? From God or from man?
Faith is an ability God designed in His created humans.
We have "faith," thatour automobile will transport us by, observation and what we have been taught.
We have faith, that a lion is dangerous, by observation and what we have been taught. The ability to believe is a human design feature.
And that same ability allows us to reject a belief.
DW: In both Calvinism and NON-Calvinism faith comes from God.
The difference between these two positions is CHOICE
In Calvinism - an infallible decree determines whatsoever comes to pass
And that decree does not grant any ALTERNATIVE from that which it decrees
Therefore
1) If faith is decreed - then that decree does not grant any ALTERNATIVE
2) if unbelief is decreed - then that decree does not grant any ALTERNATIVE
Thus ALTERNATIVES do not exist for humans to choose
Thus - in Calvinism humans do not have CHOICE in the matter of anything.
OUTSIDE of Calvinism
1) ALTERNATIVES exist
2) Humans are granted CHOICE between them
3) That CHOICE is *UP TO* the person to make
@@dw6528 Just curious, but does God know what you are going to have for breakfast tomorrow? If he does, can you choose to eat something different instead come tomorrow?
@@biblethumper8.1 DW: In the classic view of divine foreknowledge:
1) ALTERNATIVES exist within creation
For example [eat eggs] vs [NOT eat eggs] for breakfast tomorrow
2) I am granted a CHOICE between those ALTERNATIVES
3) That CHOICE is *UP TO* me
And he has full knowledge of what CHOICES I will make - given the fact that as the designer of my brain he has full knowledge of how my brain works.
But of course in Calvinism - ALTERNATIVES are not granted existence within creation - and thus do not exist for humans to choose - making it the case that humans are never granted CHOICE in the matter of anything
So Piper must conclude that his son being a reprobate is Elohim's will?! Yet the Scripture teaches that Yah would none perish. I thus concluded that the most cebrial camp in the patch work of Christianity really Bowes to the Fates and not The Faith. 🤔🥺
What is it to be spiritually dead, spiritual deadness?
It is a deficiency of the righteousness of God.
What is death but the absence of life.
Therefore spiritual deadness is the absence of the righteousness of God
The Calvinist answer to that question (if he tells the truth) is going to be different than the NON-Calvinist's answer
In Calvinism - individuals within the vast majority of the human population - are specifically created for eternal torment for his good pleasure
John Calvin
-quote
by the eternal *GOOD PLEASURE* of god though the reason does not appear, they are *NOT FOUND* but *MADE* worthy of destruction. - (Concerning the Eternal Predestination of god pg 121)
So in Calvinism - a person's eternal destiny is established by a decree - and that decreed is NOT based on the creature or the condition thereof - it is solely within himself - according to his good pleasure.
.
So the Calvinist answer to your question (if he tells the truth) is NO - spiritual death is what a person is created with before they are born.
.
Outside of Calvinism - spiritual death is essentially separation of fellowship with God
Jesus indicates this - when he says "Depart from me I never knew you"
And yes - that separation is brought about by decisions which people make
But in Calvinism - humans are not granted a CHOICE in the matter - because an infallible decree does not grant any ALTERNATIVE from that which it decrees. Since ALTERNATIVES do not exist for humans - it follows - they don't exist for humans to choose.
@dw6528 Concerning the Calvinists answer to my question, I will defeat that lie with Adam and creation.
What quickens, the Spirit, amen? Well, Genesis 2 "...breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."
That breath was a quickening Spirit, and man was made a living soul in Adam.
Therefore, God made man spiritually alive in the beginning. That is until he disobeyed, and then man died, God then taking His Spirit back from man, since he was also flesh.
@@MyRoBeRtBaKeR DW: Of course - the foundational core of Calvinism is EXHAUSTIVE DIVINE DETERMINISM (EDD) as enunciated in Calvin's doctrine of decrees
John Calvin
-quote
The creatures...are so governed by the secret counsel of god, that *NOTHING HAPPENS* but what he has knowingly and willingly decreed. (Institutes 1. 16. 3)
So for the Calvinist - all of the things you mentioned can only happen if and for whom they are decreed to happen
@@dw6528well said
Amen! Whoever has (received) the Son has life, whoever does not have the Son does not have life (is dead/separated from God)..(my clarification)..Christ provided our death for us and by faith in Christ's righteousness and HIS VICTORY over the curse of death for (our) sin God justified us, forgave our sins and gave us life; the gift of the Holy Spirit. We are made alive by His indwelling presence in us, made whole, united to God because we obeyed the command of God to repent and believe the good news about what God's Son has done Mk. 1:15. Do not "harden your hearts". Life and death is in the tongue; choose today whom you will serve! Rom. 10:8-10, believe in your heart that Yeshua is Lord and make the good confession from the overflow of your heart. God has given His Son to draw ALL MEN EVERYWHERE to Himself. Christ does it all! John 12:32, Acts 17:30. He is the Light, the way to God, salvation belongs to GOD! Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God. He is not blinding some (2 Cor. 4:4) He is our healer!! He brings SIGHT to the blind. He has done it, He is risen!! He made a spectacle of the enemy by the cross! Only believe!
Is a child dead in their trespasses and sins?
There is so much scripture that shows thats probably not so. Like in james 1 where he talks about sin being given birth and growing up which then makes one dead in their sins.
And it always talks about we are dead because of sins. Not because we were born dead from our sins.
Idk.
I'd guess that death in the NT usually means eternal, irreversible death. The next most common usage is physical death. Either way, the implication that dead = doing nothing of its own accord is far from broken.
Flowers is just the flip side of the Calvinist coin, he twists the bits of scripture that don't match his philosophical worldview to coerce them into matching.
Mild Calvinism, mild Arminianism, Molinism, Lutheranism, etc, all rightly recognise that the matter is complicated and that scripture doesn't entirely push one way.
What’s all this talk about death when The Spirit of Life is listening. . . 🤔 🥰
If, in our sin nature, we were willfully incapable of a positive faith response to God (i.e. choosing the greatest good) then we could fairly say that Adam and Eve, in their created perfection, would have been willfully incapable of sinning. Calvinists make the mistake of assuming that the will is ironclad-bound to our moral condition.
It's no mistake. Scripture says so and the world bares witness to it.
Hope this new video format is working for you. I'm not a fan, though.
Romans 4:4-5 state belief is NOT a work.
"...elect according to the *foreknowledge* of God..." (1 Peter 1:2, emphasis mine) If God had elected us based on His own whims and not our faith lived out, then it seems to me foreknowledge would be unnecessary and irrelevant. 🤷♀️
DW: Some thing to add to that - is Calvinism's definition of foreknowledge
The classic definition of foreknowledge is that it is an ESSENTIAL attribute - which means it is never lacking
The Calvinist definition deviates from that - putting divine sovereignty above foreknoweledge
Calvin's god cannot know what [X] will be - until *AFTER* he decrees what [X] will be
So in Calvinism - divine foreknowledge is simply A POSTERIOR knowledge of what *WAS* decreed
John Calvin
-quote
He foresees future events only in consequence of his decree (Institutes 3.23.6)
Calvinist Tom Hicks - Founders Ministry
-quote
God cannot know what something will be until He has first decreed what it will be.
Except logically He would have to know what He will decree beforehand
The topsie turvie world of Calvinism 😅
Is foreknowledge just some bald fact about a person that God knows (e.g., Joe will choose me in the future), or is it not an indication of knowing someone (e.g., Adam knew Eve and she begat Abel)? Of course, since God knows everything, the former definition would be redundant. However, if Peter means to tell us that God knew his children before the foundation of the world (something Paul says in numerous places too), this is an indication of relationship, not simple knowledge of this or that fact about someone. God knows his elect, and those he foreknows he predestines.
@@biblethumper8.1 DW: There are of course different positions on foreknowledge.
In Calvinism foreknowledge is simply knowledge of that which has been decreed.
He know joe will accept salvation because he decreed that impulse within Joe's brain - with a decree which does not grant any ALTERNATIVE from that which it decrees.
Intimate knowledge of the creature sufficient to know what the creature WOULD do in any given circumstance in which the creature is granted CHOICE is the position of Molina.
@@UnfrozenCavemanLawyer-xq1qi DW: Yes! Calvin thought through that dilemma. He understood in such case - he would be obliterating the function of divine CHOICE - because such foreknowledge would infallibly eliminate ALTERNATIVES from which divine CHOICE would be made.
So Calvin ops to place divine CHOICE above divine foreknowledge - making it subservient to divine CHOICE - in order to place divine sovereignty as the supreme attribute.
“ Calvinism is just a nickname for Biblical Christianity. “
Charles Spurgeon
Then why is it called Calvinism and objectively distinguishable from biblical Christianity?
@@AlexanderosD When a Christian reads something in the Bible about salvation, and they
don't agree with it, they immediately dismiss it and cast it off as "Calvinism"
Jews do the same thing, anything they don't agree with is immediately labeled as "anti-Semitic"
So glad that’s not true.
I am so glad that me and God were able to work together to accomplish my salvation because but for the grace of God and my decision to accept Jesus, there go I.
Glory be God and me.
you don't have to be a christian
there are other religions, other holy books you can follow
If the Calvinist belief was true as John Piper stated; then “For God so loved the world…” would be a lie.
If God just chose without any reasoning at all He just saved who He wanted, then due to His love He would save all.
DW: Calvinism entails DUALISM in which many things appear in the form of "GOOD-EVIL" antithetical pairs.
That is why you see the ENUNCIATED will vs the SECRET will in Calvinism
Calvin's god's will is DUALISTIC
.
Calvin's god's love is also DUALISTIC
He has a love (FOR THE MANY) which creates them specifically for eternal torment for his good pleasure
And he has a different love (FOR A FEW) which saves them from the kind of love he has for the MANY
Ironically then those saved by His love are simultaneously saved FROM His love (the second kind)😅
However it is obvious that not all are saved. If God wanted to save everyone Jesus would not have had to die 5:23
@@allanyoung6231 DW: That is classic Calvinist thinking.
@dw6528 As according to Scripture.
First he says the Bible doesn't use the story of Lazarus as salvific. But then he uses the story of the prodigal son as proof text.
The story of the prodigal son is to highlight the older sons self-righteousness. The audience he's speaking to are pharasees.
You have to see that parable in light of the other two parables before it.
Context matters.
Then he says Calvinists believe faith is a good work. That's incorrect. Calvinists believe the believing faith is a gift from God.
Ephesians 2:8-10
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; [9] not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10] For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
The good works is a byproduct of believing faith.
There's no scripture that describes a persons ability to choose God on their own. In fact quite the opposite.
We are able to come to God and desire to come to God because of the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit. That's it.
Titus 3:5
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
WRONG - AS USUAL WITH SATAN'S DOMAIN
Romans 9:11
11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that the purpose of God according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls,
The problem is this, you talk about a 'works based' salvation yet you say there is something we must do in order to be saved. Also, you say it is by faith, THEN letting go of the rope. Too often the Bible speaks of being chosen, the elect, predestination. Are you saying God does not already know who will and who will not be saved? When we try and skirt around the doctrine of predestination we always encounter a brick wall called the sovereignty of God.
Faith is not a deed, Calvinist’s don’t say that don’t strawman Calvinism. But receiving faith, making that decision to embrace God, is an act. So what precedes faith? Surely it cannot be a merit of your own. It must be grace, the Lord regenerating you in his grace
They say that the way non Calvinists describe a man choosing to have faith is "doing something, therefore a work".
In Calvinism, "faith" is a mental state conferred upon a person by God.
Calvinism brought true biblical doctrine.Calvinism brings me a full sense of security and peace of my soul.Calvinism enthrones God,while anticalvinism dethrones Him.
It was Jesus who brought peace to my soul.
Which JC do you want on that day?
John Calvin?
Or Jesus Christ?
Is calvinism the true Gospel?
GET RID OF THE MUSIC!
If you want a thorough description of what it means to be dead in your sins, look no further than Romans 3. And if, after reading this damning account of humans apart from the Spirit and Christ, you still believe that they can nevertheless please God by exercising their manmade faith, then you don't deserve to be explaining the Bible to people.
"For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
Why look no further?
Because Calvinists by and large do not STUDY anything, but instead data mine the Bible for thongs they can rip out of context.
If you'd read Romans you might find that Paul is building upon chapter 2, where he is comparing the faith of Gentiles (circumcision of the heart) as equivalent to physical circumcision of the Jews, demonstrating that they (Jews), though circumcised do not keep the Law, and therefore are the same as an uncircumcised Gentile.
By chapter 3 he's still driving the point home, to Jews btw, that the Law of Moses is insufficient for righteousness.
Then He quotes half a dozen verses, most from their beloved David, to show these unrepentant, stiff necked, gainsaying Jews that in fact they too are just as bad, even worse because they had the Law, than the "wicked" Gentiles they detested.
All that to say, yes, you can rip things out without any understanding of the meaning, and make it say whatever you want it to.
I get that you've probably never been made aware of this.
But please stop misusing scripture in this way, because you're actually guilty of the same thing these Jews were thinking - that they were "the chosen ones".
Ironic isn't it?
another VS decalvanized , you might as well say the words of the Bible explained away
Calvinism blaspheme God and is a foul deed to God's word.
@@FloralFromUnderARock Could you please explain specifically how? Thanks.
Well, see Leighton, you just don't understand Calvinism! /sarc
"For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God." (Romans 8:7-8). You make the mistake of equating the moral ability of believers and unbelievers in your analysis. Jesus can indeed speak to believers as though they are morally capable. Every example you use is that. But as Paul says here in Romans and in the Ephesians passage you are currently misinterpreting, those without the indwelling Holy Spirit are both unwilling and unable to believe. That, indeed, is what it means to be dead in your trespasses and sins. And again, contrary to what you say here, unbelievers cannot "please God" by exercising their supposed man-produced faith. Flesh gives birth to flesh, as Jesus says to Nicodemus. You can only confess, "Jesus is Lord" by the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3). You are missing the forest for the trees in your analysis, so fixated on one word ("dead") without any proper biblical context. Whether or not faith is defined as a good work misses the point. Unbelievers--those in the flesh--cannot please God, period. And a decision of faith, one which causes the angels in heaven to shout in joy and one that is supremely pleasing to God (after all, you are putting your hope and trust in his Son), cannot be done by people dead in their sins. Again, they cannot please God. Your proposal that salvation is something accomplished when God does his part and I do my part--even if it is 99% God and 1% me--is not the biblical gospel of grace.
soteriology101.com/2018/01/29/calvinisms-conflation/