The Truth About Man

(Please forgive me for using this "seemingly sensuous" picture... I am just trying to portray as much as possible the true condition of man... The supporting verses are designated by a number, pls check out below for Biblical references.)

What does the Word of God has to say about the true condition of Fallen Humanity?

1. Man is under the Prison of Sin - All human being is a slave to sin. The Prison Bars of Sin is too strong. Escaping is absolutely impossible. The issue is not that "man sometimes sin", this is the real issue - that everything that man has ever done is totally and consistently sinful. Man is sinful even before birth. Man did not became a sinner because he sinned, rather, he sinned because he is a sinner by nature and by birth.

2. Man is under the captivity of the Devil. - To worsen the problem, not only is man inside the Prison Bars of Sin, man is also tied up securely by the devil from the inside. Man is under the strong embrace of the devil - whose strength of Grip is of enormous strength. The devil has blinded man - that man can't see his own corruption. He doesn't even know his current condition. He is fully unaware at the gravity of the horrifying dreadfulness he is in.

3. Man loves the Devil(Aware or unaware). -  But the real problem lies here, Man is not kicking and screaming - though he is imprisoned by sin and held tightly by the devil. Man's heart is so corrupted by sin that he even loves his terrifying condition! He loves to be inside the Prison Bars of Sin - he loves to be held tightly by the devil (aware or unaware). The pivotal point is here, because even if the prison door is opened, and the devil defeated, man will still not go out - and even if man is to be dragged out, he will still rush back to that prison. Man's heart is the strongest enemy!

WHAT DID GOD DO?

First, He BROKE the Prison Bars of Sin!

“But now, being made free from sin, and having become slaves to God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end everlasting life.”Rom 6:22

 “Therefore if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”John 8:36

“Then being made free from sin, you became the slaves of righteousness.”Rom 6:18 

Second, He overcame, and bound the devil OUT!
“When the strong man, fully armed, guards his dwelling, his goods are in peace. But when one stronger than he comes, he overcomes him. He takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and he distributes his arms.”Luke 11:21-22

"And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." Colossians 2:15


Lastly, HE CHANGED THE HUMAN HEART!!
“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”
Ezekiel 36:26

“The Lord your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you may love HIM with all your heart and soul and so you may live!”
Deuteronomy 30:6

“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works.”
Titus 2:14

____________________________________________________

Prayer:
Father, we thank you deeply, because you loved us so much - that you did not leave us on our own freewill. If you hadn't changed our hearts - we wouldn't have chosen you, we would still be lovers of sin, lovers of the world and still be children of the devil. But because of your unfailing love, you rescued us from sin, the devil and from our very own hearts. Oh how can we ever repay you? This is the least thing we can do, to fill our hearts always with thanks giving, and to live a life that reflects your grace. Thank you for your love Lord!

(Sing with me brethren!)

My chains are gone! I've been set free!

My God my Savior - He ransomed me!

And Like a flood, His mercy rains!

Unending love - Amazing GRACE!

Biblical References:
1)Rom7:14,John8:34,Rom3:9,Rom6:16, Gen6:5, Rom3:9-12,Rom8:8,Matt7:18,Psalms51:5,Isaiah48:9-11...... 2)John8:34,2Tim2:25-26,2Cor4:4,Phil3:19,1Cor2:14,1Cor1:18,John8:43,Eph4:18,Rom1:21-31.....
3) John3:19-20, Jer17:9,Rom8:8,2Cor4:4,Eph4:18

Common Misconception about John 3:16

This is from D.A. Carson...

"...God so loved the world that he gave his Son (John 3:16). I know that some try to take kosmos ("world") here to refer to the elect. But that really will not do. All the evidence of the usage of the word in John's Gospel is against the suggestion. True, world in John does not so much refer to bigness as to badness. In John's vocabulary, world is primarily the moral order in willful and culpable rebellion against God. In John 3:16 God's love in sending the Lord Jesus is to be admired not because it is extended to so big a thing as the world, but to so bad a thing; not to so many people, as to such wicked people. Nevertheless elsewhere John can speak of "the whole world" (1 John 2:2), thus bringing bigness and badness together. More importantly, in Johannine theology the disciples themselves once belonged to the world but were drawn out of it (e.g., John 15:19). On this axis, God's love for the world cannot be collapsed into his love for the elect. The same lesson is learned from many passages and themes in Scripture. However much God stands in judgment over the world, he also presents himself as the God who invites and commands all human beings to repent. He orders his people to carry the Gospel to the farthest corner of the world, proclaiming it to men and women everywhere. To rebels the sovereign Lord calls out, As surely as I live ... I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel? - Ezek. 33:11"
(D.A. Carson, Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God)




 This is from John Piper...

How many of you have ever in your life at one time or another learned John 3:16 by heart? One of the reasons this verse is so widely memorized and so deeply loved is that it is such a remarkably full summary of the gospel.
The Four “D’s” of the Gospel
I am dividing it into four parts that make a natural presentation of the gospel. Four “D’s.”

1. The first “D.” The verse talks about the danger that we are in without Christ—” . . . that we might not perish.” All human beings are in danger of perishing, which is not merely dying, but is the opposite of eternal life. Eternal perishing.
2. The second “D.” The verse talks about the design of God to rescue us from perishing, namely, the design of love. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.” It’s the love of God giving his Son in incarnation and death that rescues us from perishing.
3. The third “D.” The verse talks about the duty that we must fulfill if we are going to be a part of the love of God in rescuing sinners from perishing. The duty is faith, or trust, or believing in the Son that God sends. ” . . . that whoever believes on him might not perish.”
4. Finally, the fourth “D.” The verse talks about the destiny of those who believe, eternal life. ” . . . that whoever believes on him might not perish, but have eternal life.”

Not everything important is mentioned in this verse (the glory of God; election, calling, regeneration, justification, sanctification, the atoning death of Christ, etc.), but what is here is so basic and so precious and so powerful in its straightforwardness that not many verses are more important as summaries of the gospel.

1. The danger: perishing.
2. The design: love.
3. The duty: faith.
4. The destiny: eternal life.

Does God love All men?

 Does God love all men?

No and "Yes?"....

     No, He does not love all men if we equate this "LOVE" with "All-Encompassing, Eternal, Electing, Saving Love"... This LOVE is only directed towards The Spiritual Israel/The Church/His Chosen Ones/His Elect, that before the foundation of the world, He LOVED them, elected them, given them to His Son, died for them, regenerated them, transformed their hearts, justified them, declared them perfect and blameless, sanctified them, molding them in the Image of Jesus Christ and would someday glorify them, show them the glory with which the Son had with the Father before all creation(John 17:1-26, Amos 3:2, Eph 5:25, 1John 4:9-10, Eph 1:4-13, Hebrews 12:6-8).

     Yes, if we mean love only in a restricted sense that He is long-suffering to the perishing. He is "loving" to them only in a much general term which equates to His kindness towards wicked men, that He sends them rain, sun, air, laughter, affections, friendship, technology, bread and all daily life-necessities when they supposedly deserve Quick-Sudden-Condemnation. This kind of love is directed to every human being that has ever lived, believer or non-believer, this is often called "Divine Providence". He even sends them the Gospel call to somehow restrain them from sin.(Matt 5:45, Luke 6:35, 1Tim 4:2, John 3:16).

     God truly hate unrepentant sinners who would go to Hell (Psalms 5:5, Psalms 7:11), but God is kind and long-suffering towards them still (Matt5:45,Luke6:35). And there is no conflict between God's hatred and kindness for them. Oh let's marvel at the complexity of God's Kindness and Hatred!

Let's meditate on the prayer of Jesus:

"I'm not praying for the world. I only pray for those whom You have given Me for they were always Yours. "

John 17:9

Can man come to Christ on His own free-will?

WHY DIDN'T GOD CREATE THEM?

GOD WAS BEING UNFAIR TO THE “POSSIBLE-CREATURES” THAT HE DID NOT CREATE???

This blog is for the issue about God’s “seeming-unfairness” for saving only His chosen ones.

___________________________________________

1. It Is Not Unfair For God Not To Create Them

            These creatures do not exist. Why? Because God did not chose to create them. God could have, but He did not, simply because it did not please Him to do so. Does it seem to you then that God was being unfair to these poor “possible-creatures”? Does it seem unfair to you that it pleased God to create us and all other existing creatures while depriving these poor “possible-creatures of their existence? Was God being unfair?

            Certainly NOT! Even just the very thought that God was being unfair to these “possible-creatures” would be near nonsense! Why would it be unfair when God did not owe them their existence? God did not have to create them, He has no need of them and He takes no pleasure on creating them. God does everything as He pleases (Psalms115:3), and when He does it, it’s always in accordance to His purposes.

2. Creation Exists Because Of God’s Grace Alone

            All of creation owes its existence on God’s grace alone. We did not exist because we are worthier than those infinite myriads of “possible-creatures” which do not exist. Just like them, God doesn’t have to create us. God isn’t insecure so as to create in order to satisfy His “need-to-be-loved”, for God Himself is the fountain of Love – in fact, God is love(1John4:8)! Creation doesn’t “add” to His infinite glory, for He is already wholly glorious even before all creation (John17:5).  He doesn’t “need” humans to worship Him, because He can cause the stones to do it (Luke19:40). Creation is not even His remedy because of His “loneliness” for God Himself in the glorious Trinitarian fellowship is enough in an absolute sense. Why did we exist then? We exist solely because of God’s grace. It was simply because it pleased Him to have us as part of His purpose – the revelation of His glory.(Rom11:36,Col1:16)

3. Regeneration Is An Act Of Creation

            Transformation of Nature/Regeneration was defined by scripture as an “act of creating”. When God transforms men, He in a sense “creates”. As it is written, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature” (2Co5:17)… Another passage teaches us the same, “And to clothe yourselves with the new man (Transformed Nature), which was created according to the likeness of God in righteousness and true holiness.” (Eph 4:24). These scriptures established the fact that Regeneration - which ensures Salvation – is an act just like that of creation. A person with a regenerated nature has new views, new motives, new principles, new objects and plans of life. He seeks new purposes, and he lives for new ends – He becomes a new creature, a new man.

[Recreation = Regeneration] --> [Salvation]

4. Salvation Is Ensured By Regeneration

Jesus replied to him, "Truly, truly I tell you, unless a person is born from above he cannot see the kingdom of God."(John3:3) Where “See the kingdom of God” = Salvation; and John4:7,Eze36:26; “Born from above” = Transformation of Nature / Regeneration. So we can relay the meaning of this passage this way, “Truly, truly I tell you, unless a person has a regenerated nature, he cannot be saved.” Thus, the scripture teaches us that before salvation, regeneration must take place. And regeneration ensures salvation.


5. It Is Not Unfair For God Not To Save Them

            Only God’s chosen ones obtained salvation and the rest were hardened (Rom11:17). God is “recreating” a people for himself, and those whom he does not recreate perish. Why? Because God did not chose to recreate them. God could have, but He did not, simply because it did not please Him to do so. Does it seem to you then that God was being unfair to these corrupted men? Does it seem unfair to you that it pleased God to recreate us and all other believing saints while depriving those who are perishing eternal life? Was God being unfair?

Certainly NOT! Why would it be unfair when God did not owe them salvation? God did not have to save them, He has no need of them and He takes no pleasure on recreating them. God does everything as He pleases (Psalms115:3), and when He does it, it’s always in accordance to His purposes. Just as it was not unfair for God not to create those “possible-creatures”, it is also not unfair for God not to recreate (regenerate) all corrupted men. God doesn’t have to recreate or transform men’s corrupted natures. So, if God was not indebted to create us from nothing, how much more does HE not owe us recreation when we are corrupted - worse than nothing?(Mark14:21)

God regenerated only His chosen ones (1Pet1:2), not on the basis of their acceptance of the Gospel. Rather, the reason why they accepted the Gospel and believed was because they were already regenerated/transformed (Acts16:14) – and they were transformed because they were predestined to eternal life (Acts113:48)!

6. Men Are Saved Because Of God’s Grace Alone

All of the saints owe their salvation on God’s grace alone. We were not saved because we are worthier than those who are perishing. Just like the perishing, God doesn’t have to save us. But because of God’s grace He has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm, just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in his presence. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure of his will, so that we would praise his glorious grace that he gave us in the Beloved One. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our offenses, according to the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us, along with all wisdom and understanding, when he made known to us the secret of his will. This was according to his plan that he set forth in Christ. (Eph 1:3-9)

SENDONG: JUDGMENT OR DIVINE GRACE?

SENDONG: JUDGMENT OR DIVINE GRACE?

1. Divine Judgment?

            Typhoon Sendong hit northern Mindanao on December 16, 2011, a bold disaster that struck like a thief. Without notice, without mercy, and without favoritism - it took a thousand lives. Rich and poor, those who slept and those who prayed, delinquents and righteous, the ungodly and the holy, believers and non-believers, all of them were subject to the authority of this disaster. Close friends lost, beloved nephews buried, treasured son drowned, mother-daughter forever separated, and a wife forever missed… Tears were shed like flash-flood, while grudges over this disaster burned like fire. Is Sendong God’s judgment against us?

            Christians were commanded to “laugh with those who laugh, and mourn with those who mourn” (Rom12:15), but sadly, some of us have twisted our Lord’s command and “judged those who mourn” instead. Though the scripture tells us that disasters are not beyond God’s control, that it is under Divine Providence (See bottom **), we should be careful not to sound as though God delights in sending disasters. We should not go beyond what has been revealed to us - “Secret things belong to the Lord, but the things revealed belong to us” (Duet29:29).

            Yes, many a times the bible tells us that God sends calamities as His judgment against the wicked (Jer36:31), but the point is –knowing this, how should we respond then? What would be our proper reaction then? Whether God sent Sendong  as Judgment or not, it is not for us to pry upon! Let us look at what the scriptures had to say:

“About that time some people came up and told him about the Galileans Pilate had killed while they were at worship, mixing their blood with the blood of the sacrifices on the altar.

Jesus responded, "Do you think those murdered Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans?

Not at all. Unless you repent, you too will perish.

And those eighteen in Jerusalem the other day, the ones crushed and killed when the Tower of Siloam collapsed and fell on them, do you think they were worse citizens than all other Jerusalemites?

Not at all. Unless you repent, you too will perish."” (Luke13:1-5)

If we are so insistent on saying that Sendong is God’s judgment against the people of Iligan and CDO, and that those people rightly deserved what they earned, are we saying then that they are worse sinners than the rest of all the people of Mindanao? – than the rest of us? Because insisting on those things insensitivity, would consequently mean that we are supposing that they are worse sinners than us because they experienced such and such and that we are also supposing that we are more righteous than them. In that, we would receive a stern correction from Jesus, “Not at All!” He rebukes. It is not our place to gloat over them with a judgmental smirk.

The scripture tells us, “Unless you repent, you too will perish”, this means that a person saved from disaster – who wasn’t included on those who suffered the calamity – is as much a sinner as those who perish! We all also deserved what happened to them, and the reason why it happened to them and not to us, is not for us to interfere. All we know is that God never does anything unrighteous, and everything He decided to do is based in His infinite wisdom and Justice. In that we should trust, as the song says “When you don’t understand His ways, trust His heart”.

2. Divine Grace?

            The most important question a person could ever ask is this: “How can I escape from the wrath to come?” We are a fallen race, this is a fallen world (Rom3:23), we are accursed (Gal3:10), we have greatly dishonored the Most Worthy Maker, and there is certain judgment (Rev20:4). This judgment will be far worse than Sendong, and it would come like thief when everybody is unaware - happy with what they do. This Judgment will not only last for days, unlike Sendong - it would last for eternity. The pain this Judgment inflicts would be far-far-far more superior than the fury of Sendong – because it is the fury of God Himself!...

            While the person is alive, one the worst thing that could happen is if he is unaware of this “wrath to come”. Knowledge of this truth determines his eternal destiny – whether eternal life or eternal torment. Knowledge about the dangers of Sendong could have saved the lives of thousand unsuspecting victims – and in the same way, knowledge about the “wrath to come” could save you from eminent eternal danger. Knowledge about the Judgment to come is an act of Divine grace! God doesn’t have to warn us because Judgment is what we deserved for all our wickedness. But because He is the God of all graces - who doesn’t delight on the death of the wicked (Ez18:23), He continually gives us snap shots of the upcoming wrath, warning us to flee by repenting and turning to Him – for us to be saved.

            You see, when Jesus was on earth, and when the tragedy of Siloam happened (see Luke 13:1-5), He instructed His disciples not to gloat over those people with a judgmental smirk, and instead, He warned them “Unless you repent, you too will perish”. What Jesus is teaching them – even for us today - is that disasters, calamities, and tragedies are constant reminders that death is imminent and it has no favorites. The command to repent was due to the knowledge of certain death, and death due to certain judgment. Disasters awaken us to the fact that this is a fallen-imperfect world and is on the brink of destruction, for God would someday destroy the imperfect to give way for the perfect (1Cor13:10). Calamities are snapshots of the terrors of the upcoming judgment, which would make us realize the grave danger we are all in. Deaths of loved ones are constant reminders that life is a vapor, urging us to consider our eternal destination.

            Hard though as it seems, when we consider the weight of what Jesus taught us, it would make us conclude that somehow, Sendong is an act of Divine grace. Not wanting to sound insensitive, for we suffered with them, but in light of the Judgment to come, we ought to thank God for sending Sendong.

** “I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create disaster, I the LORD do all these things” (Isah45:7)

“Does disaster come to a city, unless the Lord has done it?” (Amos 3:6)