There Are Only 2 Religions In The World. - Religion - Nairaland
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| There Are Only 2 Religions In The World. by An2elect2(f): 11:50am On Apr 21, 2017 |
THERE ARE ONLY TWO RELIGIONS IN THE WORLD There are basically only two religions in the world. One says, "IF YOU WILL do such and such, God will graciously bestow His blessing upon you." The thousand and one varieties of this religion differ only on what the "such and such" is that you must be willing to do. One variety says bathe in a sacred river, another bids you kiss the sacred rock located in the holy city, still another says be baptized or some similar rite, and in distinctly evangelical circles this religion emphasizes, "IF YOU WILL OPEN YOUR HEART, THEN GOD . . ." Notice carefully the three key words IF YOU WILL. (1) God's forgiveness is possible IF ..... (2) God's forgiveness is possible if YOU... (3) God's forgiveness is possible if you WILL. . . . The ultimate success or failure of this religion is determined solely by the will of man. Everything depends on an "if," and on "you," and on "your willingness" to do your part. Redemption is always CONDITIONAL since it depends on man's cooperation for success. The great work of salvation is not actually accomplished until God can find someone who is willing to "cooperate with Him." Our forefathers called this "if you will" system the "religion of works." It was also called "Arminianism" and "semi-Pelagianism" since these were the men who originally caused division in the church by introducing this error of free will. Regardless of the name attached to it by friend or foe, the distinguishing marks are always the same — the IF, the YOU, and YOUR WILL are the decisive factors that make the plan of salvation work. This religion offers a wonderful plan of salvation that is able to do mighty things if YOU WILL ONLY LET IT. The God of this free will religion can only desire and offer to save sinners. He is helpless to secure, by His own power, what He longs to do. The goal of redemption cannot be reached unless man, of his own free will, chooses to permit God to accomplish His purposes. The false religion of free will, or works, is based upon several unbiblical doctrines. The most basic of these is THE UNIVERSAL AND INDISCRIMINATE REDEMPTIVE LOVE OF GOD. God is said to love all men in the same way and to the same degree. He loved Judas the same as Peter, Esau like Jacob, and the goats as much as the sheep. Since His love is universal then the greatest gift of His love, Jesus Christ His Son, must have been given to provide a universal atonement, meaning for every individual without exception, in His death. The objects of the Son's atonement must be equal to the objects of the Father's love, so both must include every man. If the Father loves all men equally, and the Son redeemed every man without exception, it follows that the Holy Spirit must convict every man or else the Trinity is not working together toward the same end in the task of redeeming lost men. It should be amply clear that this religion of works, or free will, based on a universal love and universal atonement, makes God's whole scheme of redemption depend on man for its success. God's love will prevail IF MAN will let it. Christ's atonement will actually redeem only IF MAN will let it. The Holy Spirit will apply redemption's purchased benefits IF MAN will allow Him. No wonder C. H. Spurgeon, that great soul winner, called free will "utter nonsense," and universal atonement a "monstrous doctrine akin to blasphemy." Now the second religion is the message of the Bible. It is the gospel of FREE GRACE. It does not look to God for the PROVISION and then turn to man for the POWER, but it boldly proclaims that the same sovereign grace that planned salvation for helpless sinners also furnishes them with the ability to desire and receive it. This second religion not only starts at a different place, it works on a different principle, and moves toward a different goal. In short, it is a totally different religion. The religion based on free will (Arminianism - If you will ...), and that based of free grace (Calvinism — God makes us willing ...) are two very distinct and opposite religions that differ on every theological point at which they meet. Any individual who piously says, "It is really not important, it is merely a question of EMPHASIS," is either deliberately dishonest or completely ignorant of Bible doctrine in church history. The Synod of Dort and the Council of Trent clarified forever the vital importance of the issue once and for all time. I challenge any man to read Dr. J. I. Packer's introduction to the DEATH OF DEATH IN THE DEATH OF CHRIST by John Owen, and then talk about emphasis. Packer clearly shows that free will and free grace are totally different religions, and furthermore, that they are irreconcilable enemies. WHO WEARS THE CROWN? As you can see, the real battle ground is the nature of man, and the prize to be won is the Crown of Credit for making redemption's plan actually work. Is free grace, given sovereignly by the Father, the decisive factor that causes the elect to believe in the first place, or is man's will, exercised sovereignly by the individual, the decisive factor that causes God to choose these whom He "foresees" are willing to believe? Who wins the right to wear the crown of glory, God or man? And by what power was that right won — free will or free grace? The basic difference between these two opposing religions can also be summed up by asking another question, a question vitally related to the first one. Instead of asking how any man can perish, and being told that, "the man would not do his part which was to simply believe," we now ask, "Why are SOME men saved?" How is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit's work able to succeed in some cases but not in others? The religion of free will humbly (?) answers that "MAN MADE IT ALL POSSIBLE BY BEING WILLING TO OPEN HIS HEART AND GIVE GOD A CHANCE!" It does not matter if we are speaking of those who perish or those who are saved, we always come back to that IF YOU WILL. Actually, the gospel based on free will can never be more than a gospel of mere POSSIBILITY. It is a plan of redemption that cannot truly redeem by its own power, but can only effect real salvation when it finds someone who make themselves willing to do "their part." It is not a question of whether a man must, or does, become willing before he can be saved, we all believe that, but WHO AND WHAT POWER makes the sinner willing? Does man, of himself, choose to become willing, or does God, by His sovereign power, make His elect willing "in the day of His power" (Ps. 110:3)? It seems both logical and judicially necessary to crown with glory the individual who made the plan of salvation actually work, and the free willer does not hesitate to reach for the crown and place it on the head of the sovereign and free will of man. Some folks may feel we are laboring this point to an extreme, but actually this is the heart of the matter. Who really deserves all the glory for man's salvation? It cannot be both God and man, nor can it be, as many would imply, half and half. Either God saves sinners by "making them willing in the day of His power," or they save themselves by making themselves willing in the "day of their free will decision." _John G. Reisinger |
| Re: There Are Only 2 Religions In The World. by An2elect2(f): 11:52am On Apr 21, 2017 |
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| Re: There Are Only 2 Religions In The World. by An2elect2(f): 12:26pm On Apr 21, 2017 |
I was born under the first "IF YOU WILL" religion but God changed everything and made me a product of the second "HIS FREE GRACE" by the new birth. Are you a Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Catholic, etc ? you must admit that you are not guaranteed eternal life with God except you do something... the burden of your salvation lies on you. And if this is possible, then the crown of glory must be worn by you, after all, is it not he that does the work that is credited? Will you labour so much and let another take the praise? Even in your daily lives you fight so much to take another man's glory, how much more your sweat? The all wise God knows all these and sees through all of us. This is what truly deserving is, if He must take all the glory then He must do all the work. If the all wise God did not seek your counsel in your first birth, why should He in your second? Can you reason with a non existing man? Or a dead man? 1 Like |
| Re: There Are Only 2 Religions In The World. by An2elect2(f): 12:41pm On Apr 21, 2017 |
What is "politically correct" in our religious world is the "If you will" gospel. But that's not what we preach, we preach the message of offence. And get accused of so many things. Some accuse us of heresy. Others say we turn God into a monstrous being who wants people in hell. Is it licentiousness we are not tied with, some ask why God still finds fault with men if He wills everything. Jesus was not politically correct. “And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” ~Jesus (Matthew 11:6) 1 Like |
| Re: There Are Only 2 Religions In The World. by oaroloye(m): 6:27pm On Apr 21, 2017 |
SHALOM! JOHN G. REISINGER is an advocate of an Oyinbo heresy called "NEW COVENANT THEOLOGY." New Covenant Theology (or NCT) is a Christian theological position teaching that the person and work of Jesus Christ is the central focus of the Bible.[1] One distinctive result of this is that Old Testament Laws have been abrogated[2] or cancelled[3] with Jesus' crucifixion, and replaced with the Law of Christ of the New Covenant. It shares similarities with, and yet is distinct from, Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Covenant_Theology This is the sort of Doctrine that they use to teach their Christian Soldiers that they can go overseas and murder foreigners who never did them any harm whatsoever, but still go to Heaven. |
| Re: There Are Only 2 Religions In The World. by An2elect2(f): 8:22pm On Apr 21, 2017 |
oaroloye:The doctrine you call heresy is biblical and the truth. The grace of God teaches us the opposite of what you claim we teach @bold |
| Re: There Are Only 2 Religions In The World. by An2elect2(f): 8:55pm On Apr 21, 2017 |
BEST QUOTES AGAINST ‘FREE-WILL" “So then it is NOT of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but OF GOD that sheweth mercy”! [Romans 9:16] Free will is “corrupted nature’s deformed darling, the Pallas or beloved self-conception of darkened minds” – John Owen “The friends of free will are the enemies of free grace.” – John Trapp “This crown of free will is fallen from our head” and “If it be God’s purpose that saves then it is not free will.” – Thomas Watson “A man’s free will cannot cure him even of the toothache, or a sore finger; and yet he madly thinks it is in its power to cure his soul.” – Augustus Toplady. “Man is nothing; HE HATH A FREE WILL TO GO TO HELL, BUT NONE TO GO TO HEAVEN, till God worketh in him” and “you dishonour God by denying election. You plainly make salvation depend, not on God’s ‘free grace’ but on Man’s ‘free will.’” – George Whitefield “Free will has carried many souls to hell, but yet never a soul to heaven.” C.H. Spurgeon “I do not come into this pulpit hoping that perhaps somebody will of his own free will return to Christ. My hope lies in another quarter. I hope that my Master will lay hold of some of them and say, “You are mine, and you shall be mine. I claim you for myself.” My hope arises from the freeness of grace, and not from the freedom of the will.” C.H. Spurgeon “God’s character is maligned by every person who believes in free will.” – W.E. Best “This brought me out of the free-will fog, and truth shone in my heart like a comet … from that moment I waged war against free will.” – William Huntington “Are we then so corrupt that we are wholly incapable of doing any good, and inclined to all wickedness? INDEED WE ARE; except we are regenerated by the Spirit of God.” |
| Re: There Are Only 2 Religions In The World. by Brigance(m): 9:28pm On Apr 21, 2017 |
You keep finding succour in everything that validates your belief, even if it plainly contradict that which is brazenly obvious. You know, that part when Peter was preaching to the 3000 shortly after Pentecost, and he told them to repent and be converted before they can be saved, that seems awfully like the first type of religion. 1 Like 1 Share |
| Re: There Are Only 2 Religions In The World. by Raphael81(m): 7:06am On Apr 27, 2017 |
Brigance: |
| Re: There Are Only 2 Religions In The World. by Ubenedictus(m): 1:08pm On Apr 27, 2017 |
1 Timothy 2:4 New International Version who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. New Living Translation who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. English Standard Version who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. As God desires the salvation of all peoples, it follows that Jesus died for all. LIMITED ATONEMENT IS HERESY. |
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