Hi Courtney,
I don't call myself "Reformed" but when Jesus Christ said "it is finished", I believe He meant it. Indeed, there are *no* conditions for the elect sinner to meet in order to be saved. Rather, God saves His people based on the atoning blood and imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ *alone* (eg 2 Cor 5:21). In other words, Christ meet all the conditions for 1) His people to be saved from their sins, and 2) for His people to have a righteousness (wholly Christ's, not even partially their own) to satisfy God's demand for perfect holiness.
And may God be praised for His plan of salvation--for, in contrast to Christ, all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.
In the gospel, does God *alone* get the glory? Yes. The elect sinner cannot boast about contributing in any degree to his/her salvation. Jesus Christ, the God-man mediator has already accomplished salvation for His people -- right through to glorification, He alone determines their standing before God.
Furthermore, since God is infinitely holy, only by Christ's active and passive obedience does the elect sinner *inherit* (not earn) the Kingdom of heaven. The sinner is adopted into Christ when the Holy Spirit regenerates their heart and he/she is immediately converted to these truths.
THE gospel -- that God is just, and justifying the elect (Romans 3:26) -- is the only gospel, and anyone who does not believe this is unregenerate (Mk 16:16) and is commanded to repent and believe these truths. Similarly, what about those who call a lost person their spiritual brother/sister -- when knowing this person believes in a false gospel? They, too, are lost (2 John 9-11). This applies to any so-called "Calvinists" who speak peace to Arminians. Arminians believe that their "christ" died for everyone without exception-- including those that end up in hell. The Arminian says that Christ's life and death was NOT enough to save everyone whom God loved.
The Arminian "god" cannot save 100% of those for whom his "son" lived and died for. Some for whom "christ's" reconciling and redeeming blood was shed for, end up in hell (says the Arminian). Thus the Arminian "christ" does not make the difference between salvation and damnation. No subtleties here: but blatant salvation conditioned on the *sinner*. This is a false gospel. So, any "Calvinist" who -- knowing what the person believes, then embrace them (or any other false religionist) actually denies the true gospel is the power unto salvation. In fact they deny all seven of these biblical propositions:
1. The gospel is the power of God to salvation to believers (Romans 1:16).
2. In the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed (Romans 1:17).
3. Those who do not believe the gospel are lost (Mark 16:16).
4. Those who are ignorant of the righteousness of God revealed in the gospel are going about to establish a righteousness of their own and are thus lost, no matter how zealous they are for God (Romans 10:1-3).
5. The righteousness of God that is revealed in the gospel is His salvation of sinners based on the propitiatory sacrifice and imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ alone (Romans 3:21-4:8; 10:4; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
6. Anyone who does not abide in the doctrine of Christ is lost (2 John 9).
7. Anyone who speaks peace to one who brings a false gospel is lost (2 John 11).
The Arminian "gospel" and the true gospel are not different in degrees -- they are different in *kind*. Clearly, when God regenerates one of His elect, He does not feed them this poison.
Courtney, I'd be interested to know what you think of our website.
OUTSIDE THE CAMP
Andrew C. Bain
andrewchristopherbain@bigpond.com
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