One author assures us that "where Paul says that as non-Christians, we were 'dead in trespasses and sins,' he is not saying that we are unable to believe in Jesus Christ for eternal life, or that the capacity for faith is non-existent." He assures us we all have the capacity to do good and to choose Christ on our own. Except ... Jesus said, "You do not believe because you are not of My sheep" (John 10:26). Apparently a prerequisite for "believe" is being His sheep. Jesus said, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father" (John 6:65). Note the "no one can" ... the lack of ability. Apparently "granted from the Father" is a prerequisite ... and not everyone is. (To say "X is a prerequisite" with the certainty that everyone has it is nonsense ... pointless.) Paul wrote, "A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised" (1 Cor 2:14). Again, "cannot." Again, apparently there is a prerequisite ... in this case, not being merely "natural man." Spiritual death, then, is not nonexistence, but inability. It is the natural consequence of sin (Gen 2:17). Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). "Cannot." The requirement is not just a treatment, some therapy, some careful reasoning; it is new birth. "Dead in sin" means walking according to Satan's course (Eph 2:2), "indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind" (Eph 2:3). We naturally lack the ability not to do that.
We have a tendency to diminish the problem of death -- in particular, the biblical argument of being born ... dead. Spiritually dead. Incapable of spiritual life. And the remedy is not "try harder" or "open your eyes" or "figure it out." The answer is,
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Eph 2:4-7)The solution is God's love demonstrated in making us alive with Christ when we were dead. One of those marvelous "but God" passages that is the difference between "hopelessly condemned" and "wondrously saved" ... from death (Rom 6:23). "So that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."
7 comments:
It seems like most, if not all, of the language around salvation is either/or. You're either dead or living, either slave or free, either sheep or goat. I can't recall any examples that would indicate otherwise. Given that, it seems strange to conclude that those either/or statements don't really indicate the difference that they appear to.
Craig, I'm sure you've noted how much this whole concept is resisted, even in Christian circles. Why do you suppose that's the case, when it appears unavoidably true in Scripture?
It's been my experience that Christians deny this out of a hope to absolve God of being unfair, to their minds. If God is the one that regenerates, then everyone sent to hell is unable to choose, and then are deemed morally inculpable in their eyes.
I am wholly convinced that finding myself having gone from "hopelessly condemned" to "wondrously saved" is all God’s doing. To me, retaining even a smidgen of that “I chose God by my own volition” mentality is the lingering vestige of the pride of self-sufficiency, which, in the spiritual department, is clearly utter folly. I formerly thought this way (“I chose God”). Through John Piper’s book, Finally Alive: What Happens When We Are Born Again, I finally came to understand my spiritually-dead condition before God did His saving work in my heart. Now, it’s impossible for me to miss Paul’s many clear references to that truth.
P.S. I do love The Princess Bride’s “mostly dead” reference. It could be countered by The Wizard of Oz’s “…not only merely dead…but really most sincerely dead”--indeed, “morally, ethically, spiritually, physically, positively, absolutely, undeniably, and reliably dead”--all verified “legally,” of course. Now that is dead! :-D
Good observation, Craig. I love the contrasts of the Bible (being very much a “black or white” person). There is also “child of the devil vs. child of God,” “old man vs. new creation,” “wide path vs. narrow gate,” “light vs. darkness,” “slave to righteousness vs. slave to sin,” and “true believers (wheat) vs. false believers (tares).”
Stan, if I may answer your question for Craig: I believe that people resist the concepts behind this clear “black or white” language in Scripture because they want to be able to debate all the “gray areas” they think exist--it’s a great distraction!
Lorna, thanks for the additional examples.
Stan, I think it's because many of us want to live as close to the edge of sin without actually sinning as possible. I think it's because too many think that we can somehow go through life with only a few minor sins and that can't be a big deal. I think it's because we want to look good without actually being good. Finally, I think it's becasue all too many people want to be saved by what they do. You're right, Lorna demonstrates more examples, it's abundantly clear in scripture. We're not sleeping waiting to be awakened, we're dead hoping to be made alive.
Lorna, I agree that it (as do so very many sins) comes down to pride. We want to be able to take some degree of responsibility for our salvation, and will do all sorts of things to try to do so.
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