Among whom are ye
also the called of Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:6
That is, along with whom ye also
are: and he does not say, that he called the others with you, but you with the
others. For if in Christ Jesus there is neither bond nor free, much less is
there king and private man. For even ye were called and did not come over of
yourselves.
This taken from the Homilies of St. John Chrysostom (c. 347-407 A.D.) Archbishop of Constantinople on the Epistle of St. Paul the apostle to the Romans.
I begin this blog with the above
Scripture and quotation from St. John Chrysostom to remind us that we are not
our own for we are of the elect, called by God and this not of ourselves. Men
both in some Churches and in the world at large have much difficulty with this
doctrine and hold to the doctrine of Free Will. Free Will is only free if there
is no original sin. Only Adam and Eve had pure Free Will. From their sin and
fall from grace all men are subject to original sin and the soul of man is so
infected that the will is no longer free but contaminated with sin and all that
man is left with is Free Choice. Yes, the will is involved, but the will is not
Free. Our election is some magnanimous, simple indescribable that God would
elect a person for salvation and that to His glory. Our election is not Free,
it is by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and His ascension to the
right hand of the Father making intercession for the elect. The grace of God is
our peace and yet many have such high thoughts, so puffed up, and yet salvation
is not by what a person does, salvation is by grace and grace alone. Some in
their search for this peace have devised many theologies that are heretical and
have assigned themselves to others: this is separation from the truth. Those
who have devised such heresies do not abide, or as the Greek states: (μένει: remain), even though
they enjoy common grace. Unless God is their object, and that is the God of the
Bible and not some anthropological God, as with the Mormons, there is not
profit and are at war with those who teach the Bible in truth and in words that
are misleading. Many of the heresies have such good words and seemingly speak
what Orthodox Christianity speaks and yet upon examination there is to be found
a veil of truth hiding the harm. Here is what is taught by the Mormons and this
seems so much like any Christian Church; but let is examine what is taught:
Jesus Christ
is the Savior of the world and the Son of God. He is our Redeemer. But what do
we mean when we say He is the Savior of the world? The Redeemer? Each of these titles point to the truth that Jesus Christ is
the only way by which we can return to live with our Heavenly Father.
Jesus suffered and was crucified for the sins of the world, giving each of
God’s children the gift of repentance and forgiveness. Only by His mercy and
grace can anyone be saved. His subsequent resurrection prepared the way for
every person to overcome physical death as well. These events are called the
Atonement. In short, Jesus Christ saves us from sin and death. For that, he is
very literally our Savior and Redeemer.
Hidden is that by Jesus Christ as our Redeemer we can
“return” to our Heavenly Father. Mormons teach that we are gods, and that we
came from heaven, alive before in heaven, awaiting our time to be placed upon
the earth in a body, and that we will “return” back to heaven redeemed. Read
their Doctrines & Covenants and this will be shown taught that God is a
man, and that Jesus is another God, and that may preexisted in heaven before
becoming man on earth. This is but one example and it is clear that they are
not abiding with the God of the Bible. There is no gain for the Christian if
they approve or in some way accept teachings that are not of God and are of
man–made doctrine. This is an offense to God! Break through the veil hiding
what they actually believe and teach and the heresies seen.
Paul in
Romans begins with such good news of our election and what God has done through
His Son Jesus Christ and then sets forth that man is inexcusable for not
knowing God and this even is He shown by the natural world. After pointing our
the sins that are of offense to God and that God will judge men by what they
have done in this life, and their disposition for doing those offending things,
Paul then speaks: “But glory, honor, and peace to every man that worketh
good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile” (Romans 2:10). Is it peace
the object of your search for God? Faith is shown by our works and our works of
they be of God bring glory and peace, and honor, and if not of God, or teach
that which is not revealed to us by God then our peace has as its foundation
error. Paul says that those who work for good have peace and honor and glory
first to the Jews and this leaves us with the question: What Jew does he mean?
Furthermore, what Gentiles is he referring too? Paul was referring to those who
were before Jesus Christ’s coming and in this part of the writing Paul had not
come to Grace, and was still looking back to earlier times. Paul was
demolishing the separation between Jews and Gentiles so that when he writes
about grace; he will not be accused of a new and degrading doctrine. In earlier
times, grace was not set forth as it was now after the coming of Jesus Christ;
therefore Paul sets forth establishes that there now is no difference and all
can receive grace. This by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and this received
by faith, that faith that God gives freely and to some before the foundation of
the world.
“They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my
people slightly, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace. (Jeremiah 6:14)
As God can send a nation or people no greater blessing
than to give them faithful, sincere, and upright ministers, so the greatest
curse that God can possibly send upon a people in this world, is to give them
over to blind, unregenerate, carnal, lukewarm, and unskilled guides. And yet,
in all ages, we find that there have been many wolves in sheep's clothing, many
that daubed with untempered mortar, that prophesied smoother things than God
did allow. As it was formerly, so it is now; there are many that corrupt the
Word of God and deal deceitfully with it. It was so in a special manner in the
prophet Jeremiah's time; and he, faithful to his Lord, faithful to that God who
employed him, did not fail from time to time to open his mouth against them,
and to bear a noble testimony to the honor of that God in whose name he from
time to time spake.
Taken
from George Whitfield: Selected Sermons: The Method of Grace
Be Wary: Read and
Study the Bible
Richard L. Crumb
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