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PREDESTINATION REVIEW
Volume 7 of what is now
Published October 2010
extended to February 2012
ISBN 978-0-9808498-4-4
This now has 21 Chapters, some taken from various Volumes of
Possess Your Possessions
The Lie has a Limited Shelf-Life, Truth Endures Forever
and
The Lord of Longsuffering, Prince of Peace,
Christ of Command
July 2010
POSSESS YOUR POSSESSIONS Vol. 5, Ch. 6
This
is a
wide-ranging
chapter
on
soteriology,
grace,
gates
and
doors,
foreknowledge
and
love,
the
things
that
are
sure
as
opposed
to
the
extremism
which
goes
like
a
happy
dog,
rushing
after
a
stick,
with more
force
than
precision,
more
intent
than
prevalence.
It is necessary in all things, through the sheer grandeur of the grace of God, to find the glorious harmony of the Bible with itself, and through this provision of the word of God, competence to cover and resolve in truth all the problems of ramifying philosophy, amidst this beatific provision for man: only there is the constraint to be ACCURATE with it. He gives; He enables.
It is not for man to impose on it, this, the written word of God, but to expose what it gives. THEN great are its rewards. It works, it prevails, it provides, it exposes and interprets reality as by a brilliant light, with no glare. From God it comes, for God it works, it makes clear His work, and taking off the spectacles of confusion, it brings back to what actually is.
In His light we see light; and in what it is given in objective biblical revelation, there is such rigour as well as grace, such a coverage as well as faithfulness, that there is nothing at which one may baulk in all the realms of human thought (cf. II Corinthians 5:10, Daniel 2:28, 5:12, Romans 1:17ff., Psalm 119, I Peter 3:15). It liberates, it enlightens, it prevails, unassailable. In it, His Spirit has prevailed and does prevail. Thus in His light, we see light, and in His provisions what casts down all contest, alone effective in knowledge, with no competition or comparison. It solves, it resolves, it prevails.
The divine word exposes the errors of wandering or wavering human thought, imposes the discipline of truth, reveals the truth, enables resolution of enigmas, puzzles and riddles; for He is the exposer of errors and the grant basis for all truth. Given infallibly, His written word as given, the Bible, prevails inexorably, accurate and effective to the uttermost, and so leaves one free of the rudiments of philosophy with the operative dynamic of a just revelation, spiritually provided, friend of logic, cutting off all confusion, prevailing in all disputation.
Thus
He
exposes,
as
in
Romans
1:17ff.,
the
actual,
rank
weakness
of
roving
human
thought,
sick
at
sea,
when
the
stability
and
soundness
of
land
is
immediately
available,
incapable
of
overthrow,
a
mockery
to
muddle
and
a
joy
to
follow.
That
His
word
is
truth
is
sound
doctrine
and
demonstrable
in
its
sufficiency,
efficiency
and
applications.
Accordingly,
what
adds
man's
thought
to
the
thought
of
God,
loses
its
wonder,
is
bane
to
its
blessing,
just
as
any
poison
can
destroy
the
working
of
good
medicine.
With God, there is light; without Him, there is none, nothing at all.
August 2010 addition
POSSESS YOUR POSSESSIONS Vol. 5, Ch. 10
In the form of a dialogue, this presentation enables, at no great length, a simple and reciprocal realisation of some of the basic features in this realm.
August 2010 addition
POSSESS YOUR POSSESSIONS Vol. 6, Ch. 2
SOVEREIGN LOVE LACKS ALL SHOVE
ARITHMETIC PROGRESSION
AND THE NEED TO FOLLOW ON
Genesis 3:15, John 3:16, Revelation 3:17
An excerpt provides a concept of some of the thrust of this overview from Genesis to Revelation. It appears below.
That in foreknowledge with the predestination which RESULTS from that, a confirmation of the realities of the outreach effective of God's divine love, there is to be none lost whom God in His love has found, beyond time, is a most reassuring fact, based on the omni-competence of God. It is found in a knowledge that is quintessential and of truth, moving from the first to the completing of the work of wonder, of God. NO ONE is going to be kept out who in any sense of integrity might have come. Though men mislead men, none misleads God. From foreknowledge before time, before any fall, to glorification, God has His way (Romans 8:29ff. gives the circuit of events). It is not as a sergeant-major, but as One who loves, seeking and finding those who are His. IF, said Jesus the Christ, you had not heard these words which no other man ever spoke, and seen these works, which no other man ever did, you would not have had sin (the topic is death outside Christ or life within Him by faith). The rich young ruler was loved by Christ, but not arraigned! (Mark 10:17ff.). Love has its integrity and its restraint. The man went sorrowing, his grief a measure of his voluntary loss, known by God, seen in history, as in Luke 9:26).
Once again, it could not be clearer.
Informed rejection or its equivalent as known and foreknown in the mind and heart of God, is the criterion of this mission not reaching any in this world. Since then, even this is foreknown by God, there is no confusion. The immensity and intensity of His love, and the sublimity of His power see to that! How He, in this love, mourns for those whose preference is eternally known to be away from Him, as in Luke 19:42ff., Matthew 23:37ff., Isaiah 48:16ff., Jeremiah 9, 48:36. Even in the case of Babylon, He reviews His willingness to save (Jeremiah 51:9), just as for Israel (Hosea 7:1). Indeed this is a grief which is the correlative of the love, for the world, not its evil systems, but its inhabitants (Ezekiel 33:11, I Timothy 4:10, I John 2:1ff.).
October 2010 addition
POSSESS YOUR POSSESSIONS Vol. 7, Ch. 3
THE TRUTH OF DIVINE LOVE
AND THE LOVE OF DIVINE TRUTH
THE LOVE OF GOD
MUST NOT BE TRUNCATED,
MINIMALISED
BY HUMAN ENTERPRISE
BUT REALISED AS IT IS RELEASED
This Chapter has a relationship to conceptual assailants such as Hawkings and Dawkins, but its main thrust moves onto Old Testament realities in the love of God, biblical uniformities in the nature of God, the depth of its penetration, the scope of its salvation, the character of His sovereignty and the necessity of accuracy in biblical exegesis, to preserve due perspective.
In conspectus, this requires adequate attention to every part of each revelation, and not a sort of sovereign dismissal of some elements, or a twitching effort to conserve a philosophy contrary, despite the text.
When
this
is
done,
not
only
does
this
field,
as
with
every
other,
gives
light
and
understanding
so
that
every
philosophic
problem
concerning
man
is
then
ready
for
resolution
(cf.
LIGHT DWELLS WITH THE LORD'S CHRIST, WHO ANSWERS RIDDLES AND WHERE HE IS, DARKNESS DEPARTS),
but
the
love
of
God
is
seen
in
its
most
delightful
aspect.
In Ch. 4, then, there is a survey of various assaults, intended or otherwise, on biblical perspective and pronouncement in this area, showing that only be precision with the text, not omitting or adding, is its beauty and wonder to be found, so that the failure of all else to satisfy the domain of truth, consistency, coverage at the empirical level, resolution of philosophical perplexities, is then made apparent. More, then the wonder of the biblical light which sheds no shadows becomes manifest.
This Chapter is very large, some 100 pages, but there is in its resolution a substantial biblical input, which is taken with some care.
October 2010 addition
POSSESS YOUR POSSESSIONS Vol. 8, Ch. 3
THE HEARTLAND OF THE HOLY ONE
JEREMIAH 5, 31, I
Timothy 2, Colossians 1, Ezekiel 33,
Jeremiah 48, II Peter 3:9, Matthew 23:37, Luke 19:42ff..
The simplicity of profundity, found for example in E=MC2 at the mathematical/physical level, involving much but capable of such elegance of expression once you understand something of the realm of which you are speaking, is one of the major features of overview. It can become available because God is the God of ALL understanding, and whether it be in the realm of physics, mathematics, theology or geology, there are principles which apply, procedures which are taken, modes of application or implication, so that once one is in the zone of the issues, there is an overall reality which can be intuited, realised, understood, brought to the level of comprehension.
Brought ? When it is the heart of God it is GOD ONLY
who can show its love and mercy, its pardoning passion and its holy thrust, and
He has chosen to do so with a wonder of relief to the seeker, redemption to the
one who knocks, restoration to the fallen and this in a perspective which is
entirely His own. Once grasp this, and you begin to understand God as He
requests you to do (Jeremiah 9:24, Proverbs 1), and indeed lovely is His
solicitude:
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches:
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the LORD,
exercising lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth,for in these I delight, says the LORD."
Such a knowing of God is sheer delight, and
it is well to show His splendour of grace and self-control, giving and goodness.
Here is the One who has no self-interest, for He has need of nothing, and loves
to give, so that liberty is in His domain, and the result of freedom is to be
found when His gifts are received, the gift of eternal life an anointing of
blessed oil, underlain by a gift of spiritual structure, with a godly genetics
(I John 3), which makes alliance with redeemed man, the God of all glory the
sovereign whom it is a wonder to serve, and of whom a joy to attest.
October 2010 addition
POSSESS
YOUR POSSESSIONS Vol. 8, Ch.
4
THE HEARTLAND OF THE HOLY ONE
CONFRONTING THE WORLD
John 10
Travesties and transformations of religion are like the ancient practice of making new gods, in which Israel alas excelled as you see in the divine stricture and admonition of Deuteronomy 32, from parts of which the following is taken. It is a figure in which lovers and jealousies are invoked, so that just as Israel may be regarded as an adulteress by the Lord, in being unfaithful to Him, as if a husband, so He is in image conceived as 'jealous' in a romantic figure, because they turned from God to not-God and gave this ludicrous mental construction of theirs, the worship due to the living and actual God. This being clear, we listen:
"As an eagle stirs up her nest, flutters over her young,
spreads abroad her wings, takes them, bears them on her wings:
so the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him."He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock; butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and you drank the pure blood of the grape.
"But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked:
you have become fat, you art grown thick, you are covered with fatness."Then he forsook God who made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation. They excited His jealousy through strange gods, they provoked Him by abominations. They sacrificed to devils, which were not-God,
to gods whom they did not know,
to new gods that came newly up,
whom your fathers did not fear."The Rock who begat you, you have forsaken, and have forgotten God who formed you."
Some current cultural ideas and presentations are considered as we move on to what the Bible actually says, and digest some of the marvels of the divine speech of Jesus Christ, recorded in John 10, with special reference to John 10:30.
ANOTHER SHEPHERD HAS OTHER SHEEP
Hawke, Downer and The Kingdom of Christ
A Survey with many Excerpts on Sensitive Subjects
Concerning the Love of God, His power and His purpose
This from 2009, is as one born
out of due time, and a good prelude to Ch. 8 below.
It is large and comes from
Waiting for
Wonder Appendix.
November 2010 addition
THE BIBLICAL TRUTH AND
THE SPIRITUAL EVASION:
The Loveliness of Love
and the Unspirituality of Shove
Answering extravagant assertions made in the name of the Bible, but in fact quite contrary to it, is not mere pure research: it has eminently significant outcomes in the defence of the faith and the glory of God. In defending the faith, it is quite essential to know what it is, and also, to apply that. When this is done there is nothing like it in logic, in law, in grace and in consistency upon the surface of this globe, for the needs, systems, rationality and significance of man. The glory of God in the Gospel is not restricted; and it is by no means because of His love, but despite it, that restriction there is. It is HE who applies it, but the principles which He asserts in His unchangeable nature, are as unrestricted in outreach, as they are immovable in their nature. Heaven is not just what comes; it has principles which ENABLE it to be what it is. God, He is like that.
December 2010 addition
This is taken from Volume 10 of Possess Your Possessions,
INVENTION OF ENORMITIES
John 1, 3, 8, 15, Colossians 1, I Corinthians 2-4
From remedies that misfire
to the irresistible fire of the word of God (Jeremiah 20:9):
A Review Stimulated by a Particular Case
A STRANGE ATTACK -
John 1, 3, 8, 15, Colossians 1, I Corinthians 2-4
December 2010 addition
This is taken from Volume 10 of Possess Your Possessions,
REJOICING IN THE ETERNAL TRUTH
AND GREAT MERCY OF GOD
Psalm 117
A DELIGHTFUL GIFT
The grandeur of the gifts of God is further considered amid ineffective human narrowings.
The decretum horribile of Calvin, on the other hand, is given further attention.
December 2010 addition
This is taken from Volume 10 of Possess Your Possessions,
Conscience and Man in his Calamity
Christ and Man in his Opportunity
Luke 19:42ff.
Being Empirical and Scriptural
The nature of conscience in man, in terms of the image of God, its defilement, human liberty and the realities of foreknowledge, and human experience.
This is taken from Volume 11 of Possess Your Possessions,
REJOICING IN THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE INIMITABLE GOD
March 2011 Addition
This is received from The Lie has a Limited Shelf-Life ... Ch. 4. The fact that this Chapter has a wide coverage in its basic theme, of several topics, makes the placement of predestination in its midst the more appropriate, since it keeps from this study, any sense of the remote, and it enables a sense of broad review to come into the presentation for the special purposes of predestination, foreknowledge and human volition. The reference given above, takes straight to the section concerned, but it is well to see it in its overall context as well.
March 2011 Addition
This is received from
The Lie has a
Limited Shelf-Life, Truth Lasts Forever
Ch. 8.
THE HEADY BYPASS OF TRUTH
Following Man has Multiple Defects,
whether as Grahamist, Calvinist, Wesleyan
Following the Word of God has Multiple Marvels
Resolving Every Problem for Man
This is occasioned not least by the changes in the reported Billy Graham position on salvation by Christ only, and shows the biblical solution to the erroneous new teaching, which contradicts it. In the process, it shows something of the grandeur of the goodness, faithfulness and love of God, even and indeed, especially here!!
May 2011 Addition
The Lie has a
Limited Shelf-Life, Truth Lasts Forever
Ch. 5.
While this Chapter deals with 34 singularities in the Christian faith, biblically determined, in this very process it provides an eminently satisfactory basis for placing predestination, freewill and human responsibility in its setting, and treatment is provided of these things within it, which in short and summary form is useful for understanding.
June 2011 Addition
This is received from
The Lord of Longsuffering, Prince of Peace,
Christ of Command Ch. 6.
LOVE AS MOTIVATION
LAW AS INCITATION
TRUTH AS INCRIMINATION and
ACTION AS IMPLICATION
Evangelising versus Quiescence
and Missions verses Moping
with Excursion on the Area of Defect in the Teaching of Calvin *1
July 2011 Addition
This is received from
Ch. 1 of The Word and Wisdom of God and the Ways of Man
This seeks what its title suggests, and digs deeper into foreknowledge and freewill in strictly biblical terms, showing the place of grace and law, love and will, passion and principle, logical cohesion and irrational surreality from the Bible, and in its own inherent truth, as there indicated and found in the creation. The title of Ch. 1 is:
The Nature of the Cosmos and of the Character of Man
Ch. 2 in the same volume as above.
This deals with practical results from the nature of the divine, biblical foreknowledge and predestination, in the application of salvation in history.
September - November 2011 additions.
Ch. 1 of The Great Divide
This is an extensive step by step, 15 section display of the brilliant beauty of the biblical foreknowledge, predestination and eventuation program, intensively personal, fascinatingly propositional, gloriously competent to answer the problems into which unbiblical models crash.
Epilogue of The Great Divide
Here is a look at nations and individuals, chomping and champing, seeking and indolence, responsibility and the attitude of God, differentiating results from causes, consequences from desires and the nature of divine design from mere inflexibility, showing the result of truth and not expunging it, so that His designs encompass and do not dictate; and though in the end, the results are sure, this is not because of a lack of the preludes and preliminaries of His grace and unlimited primary love, but a certainty resulting from its exercise, in truth, before all time. Thus His desire is pure, His breadth of love is total, as to outward thrust; but when the foreknowledge of the unchanging God is seen as done, then the results are more certain than the sun. Love seeks; but knowledge then assures itself, and predestination is the record of the just and loving God, whose seeking is for all, whose outthrust is for all, despite the limits of the minds of man, often set as intruders into the beautiful harmonies and wonders of scripture, forlorn gazebos that have long left His word.
Finale of The Great Divide
Here is careful review and searching out of concepts in some depth, to enable the mind in such features as the above, to find the satisfaction which the perspective of the word of God, the Bible, so amply provides. In this, it is like the ocean, always refreshing, ever-new, just the same in principle, delicious in each aspect.
October, November 2011 addition.
Chapter 9 of
CHRIST NOT CULTURE, THE LORD NOT
MAN,
TRUTH NOT MERE INTRACTABILITY
The Way to Glory, Majesty and Goodness
This is entitled: THE CREATION OF LIBERTY BY THE LORD
AND CHAINS OF CONSTRAINT LIFTED BY CHRIST,
HIMSELF WITHOUT CHAINS
With this, goes the Appendix on Contortions.
This reviews contraries in
conception occasioned by philosophy,
explaining and substituting the clear harmonies in this entire field
of predestination, creation, salvation, redemption, differentiation,
foreknowledge and history. Where are these uniquely found, and operative
in non-reductionist totality ? Why in the Bible, here is there peerless lair.
Finding it, use it, and using it, find glory in Him whose word it is,
that so speaks.
This incorporates
1) Chapter 2 of THE SPLENDOUR OF THE BIBLICAL COVERAGE OF THE MATRIX OF MAN
Here the ultimacy of grace is seen in place, in the very nature of man as created and subject to restoration, not dumped into determinism but delivered, even as made and fallen, not secured as a substitute, but found as lost.
2) Chapter 10 of the above. This is entitled
HAVE A LITTLE SHUT-EYE ?
BUT DON'T BLAME THE LIGHT
FOR THE DARKNESS YOU SEE!
It stresses that
talking about
gods and goads:
is not the same as finding or serving the God of creations,
and sketches the infernal vis-á-vis
the supernal
and considers the causes of the gap between human alignments,
the twin destinies and their essential natures.
3) Chapter 3 of TEDIOUS TORTURERS, TEPID TRIFLERS OR THE TRIUMPH OF TRUTH
This chapter is entitled, The Triumph of Truth and in short form covers matters long dwelt on.
This includes:
THE TIME IS COMING AND THE OPPORTUNITY IS GOING
These both involve definition by dialogue, presentation by interchange, with a broad coverage on the one hand, and probing penetration on the other, examining things carefully in the field of salvation, predestination, foreknowledge, merit and liberty. The oral method can clarify readily.
Also included is NOT ONLY GREAT BUT GLORIOUS Ch.1, which considers at length, the entirety of creation, volition, salvation, consummation in terms of the love of God, the resistance of man and the entire question of responsibility. In particular, it covers the distinction between doing as you will and willing as you will.
This includes:
Ch. 1 of
PROSPECT, RETROSPECT AND REVIEW
This deals with the whole domain of GOD and man, and in particular the love of God, the nature of the Gospel, the effect of these things on missions, and missionary motivation, and the honour of God, which it is necessary to preserve from convenient but merely philosophical ramifications, based not on the word of God, but the thoughts of man.
Ch. 3, Epilogue, which explores systematic elements in simple summation of much, and uses Aspects of the Glory of God Ch. 6, which is enlarged, to extend its applications. Special points of interest for this purpose, are there noted, with the principles in view given some items of survey here, at *4. The unique capacity of the Bible's presentation to resolved liberty in man, sovereignty in God and to specify the matter without antinomy or antithesis, is a focus.
Ch. 4 of
WHAT IS THE CHAFF TO THE WHEAT.
This has been revised in 2012, and has a significant section, in the arena of methodology, covering predestination, foreknowledge, human will, history and eternity, when showing the distinctives of the approach.