God's Effectual Calling

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance,

being predestined according to the purpose

of Him who works all things according to

the council of His will, that we who first

trusted in Christ should be to the praise

of His glory.  In Him you trusted,

after you heard a word of truth,

the gospel of your salvation;

in whom also, you believed,

you were sealed with the Holy Spirit

of promise, to the praise of His glory.

Ephesians 1: 11 -- 14

            God calls and if God has not called you, then you have not been called, or you may have been called but are not responding to the call.  God calls according to His purpose and the purpose of His calling is to be found in Jesus Christ.  When we place our trust and have converted to the Lord Jesus Christ then we are bringing glory to God who created all things and who is working all things according to His council.  Paul in writing to the Romans made this statement and although some translations leave out half of this verse.  Of the majority of manuscripts: "So then comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10: 17).  John and his letter adds to this doctrine that God does the calling and that calling is to whomever God chooses to call: "For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will" (John 5: 21).  John adds these words of Jesus: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death unto life" (John 5: 24).  Jesus after telling about His coming down from heaven to do the will of God stated: "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that every one who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up the last day" (John 6: 40).  As a side note but not to be discussed thoroughly in this blog is this fact; those who speak of a rapture, that is, that Jesus comes and takes his children to heaven and then comes again is speaking of a two-part coming of Jesus that the Bible never speaks of and Jesus makes it clear that the resurrection of the dead and His coming is on the "last day."  Further, God does that calling: "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6: 44).  To add to this doctrine of the coming of Jesus Christ and the resurrection from the dead by His bride, His coming on the "last day," states: "And He said, ‘Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father" (John 6: 65).  After hearing these words of Jesus many of His disciples walked with Him no more (v. 66).  Paul then stating exactly what Jesus Christ has stated when he has stated that after hearing the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Jesus Christ you are now sealed with a promise from the Holy Spirit to an inheritance of redemption, and all this by the will of God and His council and His purpose to redeem those to whom He has chosen to redeem.  It is God who has made known to us the mystery of His will and it is God who gathers together those of whom He has chosen to become one with the Jesus Christ.  Jumping ahead in the Ephesians to support that which was just stated is important for the question is: is just hearing the word of God enough for a person to have faith in God and be saved?  No, it requires more for as we read that after hearing the words of Jesus Christ that it was some of His disciples that walked away and walked with Him no more.  Make notice of this it was His disciples that walked away, therefore, John is not speaking about those who had not heard the word of God, those who are atheistic in their beliefs, no, it was those who heard the word of God and would not accept it.  So here's what Paul would write in the next chapter: "For by grace you have been to say through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:8 -- 10).  I do not know about you, and I don't need someone to excite me in some euphoric manner so that I have some sort of euphoric piety, or what other needs to be said to think that God who had been bruised by sin, that bruising against His justice, against Him who is Just, would come to earth by sending His Wisdom clothed in flesh to die upon a cross, to save anyone.  Yet, this is exactly what He had purposed and did; this is humbling and brings great joy to know that God gives the faithful that faith needed to believe upon Him and upon His Son Jesus Christ.  These things that God has promised is evidence of His great love and evidence of His redemption even to those who are sinners and deserve death, to give them life eternal.  Authentic Christians are those who inculcate into themselves in the truth and not simply wrap themselves in this truth.  Paul has assured us of God's election and that election is gratuitous, a personal election, and effectual calling it is inseparable as it is connected with eternal life.  Paul has spoken with great ingenuity and those words speak as no other language speaks, as it speaks consistently with the rules of grammar and of common sense.  This knowledge that has been imparted to us by those inspired to write the books of our Bible to drive us to live according to His words, His commands, at all costs, and changes us from the inside/out.  Praise God!

I said to the LORD: "you are my God;

            hear the voice of my supplications,

O LORD. O God the Lord, the strength

            of my salvation you have covered

my head in the day of battle.  Do not grant,

            O LORD, the desires of the wicked;

do not further his wicked scheme,

            lest they be exalted.

                        Psalm 140: 6 – 8

May God search our hearts

Richard L. Crumb

God Is He Just Or Just Fair?

In Him we have redemption through His blood,

the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of

His grace which He made to abound toward us

in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us

the mystery of His will, according to His pleasure

which He purposed in himself, back in the

dispensation of the fullness of the times

He might gather together in one all things in Christ,

both which are in heaven and which are on earth -- in Him.

Ephesians 1: 7 -- 10

            When one takes time to study the book of Ephesians it will be found to be the most profound and difficult of Paul's epistles.  It is also to be found that the book of Ephesians is the most spiritual and devout, composed in an exalted and transcendent state of mind, where theology rises into worship, and meditation into oration.  The book of Ephesians, demonstrates a style, one that corresponds to rhythmical flow and overflow and swells into majesty.  Ephesians is very involved and presents to the reader some unusual combinations so it is good to ask the question why is this so and how do we resolve this presentation?  By presenting first the history then one can come to understand why the Bible writer wrote the way he did and what was he addressing to them that we can also apply in our lives.  History tells us that the churches were under great pressure and had a grandeur of ideas that was an amalgamation far too often of cultic and false ideologies, therefore, Paul was under pressure and furthermore we must remember that it was written in Greek, and often when one studies Greek will find they Greek allows for long sentences and parentheses.  Take this for instance: in chapter 1: 3 -- 14, we find a single sentence, it is long and in fact for English we put a period at verse 10, but this is not so in the Greek manuscripts.  We have one sentence with no less than seven relative clauses, and by those relative clauses this sentiment rises to a higher and higher level leading us to the very throne of God.  In English we say this sentence is unquestionably heavy and cumbrous.  Martin Luther after reading and studying the book of Ephesians stated: "the best and noblest books of the New Testament."  Others have defined this book as it to find a pistol glowing with the flame of Christian love and the splendor of holy light.  This epistle given to Paul by means of the Holy Spirit inspiring Paul to write may cause for him to advance this finest of the mystery of the Gospel and that it should be proclaimed in all its fullness to the Gentile world even extending into our present age.  It has been said that the first chapter or Ephesians is rather difficult due to the fact that it is so great and so heavy and yet it has the most exact language making for a most discriminating analysis, and even though we analyze what was written our analysis often is to poor into weak to convey the force or connection of expression that Paul so well wrote and his thoughts so profound.  This is why I entered into this discussion of Ephesians with some trepidation and especially the subject of election and predestination.  And yet those verses 3 -- 14 of the first chapter of Ephesians are a preface for what Paul would later write in this epistle.  Therefore, it is important that we take time to read the book, slowly, with determination, and if possible have other writers present and their books and writings to give us some aid, and if possible to have a Greek text, and a Strong's Concordance.  Follow the rule that Paul set forth in 1 Thessalonians 5:21; test all things, and that's an imperative.  How often we want God to be like us rather than the other way around and bite us we want God to be "fair."  Let's get one thing straight God is not fair as a man considers fairness.  Fairness smacks of utopianism, communism, and socialism, an attempt to make all things even an equal as though it is possible to bring balance to a human nature that is fallen.  Therefore, we hate the fact that God would reject some and accept others and this is a doctrine is one that goes against the very fallen nature of man and we desire God to be fair.  To be fair or one must be free from bias.  Is God then free from bias?  Does God have a bias?  If God has a bias is it such a bias that prevents Him to have a tendency or an inclination that prevents Him to have an impartial consideration of the question?  The synonym of bias is prejudice, that means you have a strong inclination of the mind or preconceived opinion about something or someone.  Does God have a prejudice or preconceived opinion in regards to sin and the sins that men do and accept? Paul tells us in the beginning of this epistle that God had predetermined, that is, predestined His children to be adopted and this adoption is due to the fact that He came to earth as the only begotten Son of God, true man and, true God to spill His blood upon the cross to redeem those whom He has predestined to be adopted.  God is not simply fair, He is just, and His justice must be satisfied otherwise He would not be a just God and no fairness of any sort could be given to anything or anyone.  Paul is not writing to just anyone, no, he is writing to the Saints who were in Ephesus, and it is those to whom he says that are predestined to be adopted by God into God's family and this according to the His pleasure and it is by God Himself through His grace.  God has made His will known to us, by revelation written by those whom He chose to inspire to write and we have that written word, even though it may be in parts of manuscripts, we still have His preserved Word and this word is preserved by God's providence.  Let me remind this to all; we have more than 24,000 pieces of manuscripts both in part and whole to examine and study.  No other literature has this much extant manuscripts.  Therefore, we can trust what was gleaned from those manuscripts to determine what was written originally by those who wrote the Bible and any argument against this is a very poor argument because we don't even have anything close to this when it comes to such men as Julius Caesar, or even Plato, and others.  God has made all wisdom and prudence to abound towards His children.

            This blog was to remind us that we are studying this epistle and when we come across doctrines that are in opposition to what has been taught to us we must take time to study and not just accept.  Therefore, tomorrow's blog will continue to discuss this subject of election and predestination.  I do welcome any comments and there is a place for that and you're welcome to write: for steel sharpens steel.

In His days Judah will be saved,

            and Israel will do well safely;

now this is His name by which He will be called:

            THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

                        Jeremiah 23:6

Jesus our Lord and righteousness

Richard L. Crumb

Predestination: Coming To A Biblical Understanding

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing

in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He

chose us in Him before the foundation of the world,

that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,having predestined us as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself,according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of theglory of His grace, by which He made us acceptable in the Beloved.

Ephesians 1: 3 -- 6

            I enter into this discussion with some trepidation but not with reservation as the subject is debated hotly and with great emotion not only among theologians but among everyday Christians.  One such debate that is can man save himself, by just choosing or is this the sovereignty of God only? Furthermore, is the question as to whether or not that man was predestinated to be saved or not saved by God and when did this saving by God occur, before creation, or sometime after creation, or in time when man comes to know God and chooses Him.  The opening Scripture sets forth this question due to the fact that Paul has written that God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.  This choosing is more than just that we might someday come to be holy and without blame, rather, Paul says that this choosing by God is predestination and it is only according to His good pleasure and will for His glory and His grace.  You might be one of those who have settled to be on one side of this debate or the other, or one that has dealt many questions in regard to this doctrine of predestination.  So now I enter into this discussion and the first thing that must be remembered is; theology is not philosophy.  Theology does not assume to discover truth, or to reconcile what it teaches as true with other truths. Theology has as its importance simply to state what God has revealed in His word.  Furthermore theology attempts to vindicate those statements as far as possible to remove misconceptions and objections.  One must come to this study of theology to speak of the purposes of God and the decrees of God in such a way as to simply state them as what the Spirit has seen fit to reveal on that subject.  One must ask themselves this question: "Do I actually believe that the Bible is the Word of God and truth, or is it in some manner simply a ‘good book’?" Your position on the Word of God will be determined whether you will accept what God has revealed to be the truth, even though it is difficult for a finite mind to fully comprehend the infinite mind of God.  We must understand that the decrees of God are His eternal purpose, according to His counsel of His own will and this for His own glory and that He has foreordainedwhatever is to come to pass.  Paul in writing to the Ephesians is writing a letter that is in some respects very profound and difficult of any of his epistles.  It certainly is the most spiritual and devout, and is composed in an exalted and transcendent state of mind, or theology rises into worship, and meditation into oration.

     Let's take time then to examine the word predestination for there is an ambiguity in the word predestination.  He can be said that in the general sense of the word is to be found a sense of foreordination.  Looking at it in this sentence we found that it has equal reference to all events in as much as God foreordains what ever comes to pass.  Does this mean that God is the author of everything that occurs due to His pre-determining as though He appointed all things to occur both good and bad? This is a question among Christians and non-Christians and you may also be quite quizzical as to what is the correct answer.  So let's look at the Greek word that is used in the above Scripture that we translate as predestination.  The Greek word is: προορίας; I find that it means to limit in advance, that is to predetermined beforehand so in this we can say that it was ordained or marked out before hand but this does not mean that the one allowing this is the author of any action.  Rather the one who allows for any action is God and God did all of this for His own glory and will and for His own purpose.  Predestination may be an also refer to this general purpose of redemption without reference to particular individuals.  God had pre-determined to reveal His attributes redeeming sinners just as He pre-determined to create the heavens and the earth to manifest His power, wisdom, and benevolence. In theology, in general, is to express the purpose of God in relation to the salvation of individual men.  And here is where people place himself in a hard place in rock in this debate in regards to predestination and God having the right to ordain what ever occurs that also includes a selection of one portion of the race to be saved, and leaving the rest to perish in sin.  This is a foreign to many people and rubs them in a wrong way for they choose to believe that man can save himself and he has all the right of free will to do so. This doctrine had its forerunners in such men as Pelagius, who was declared a heretic, and in others such as Jacobus Arminius, men such as Charles Finney, Charles Wesley, and many of the current preachers today teaching this doctrine that God only has predestined or foreordain this right.  Is this true?  This is the thrust of this portion of our study and since Paul has written about it from the beginning of his letter is important that we discuss this doctrine and come to an understanding as to what the Scripture teaches us about this subject.  So before we go into other verses we need to discuss this subject as it is an important subject and has been for many years and divisive among Christians.

A man's steps are of the LORD;

            how men can a man

understand his own way?

                        Proverbs 20: 24

Search the Word of God

Richard L. Crumb