A scripture verse I am meditating on today:
John 3:27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.”
John 3:27
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Monthly Archives: June 2011
Understanding Jeremiah 29:11
Jeremiah 29:11 is a famous Bible verse. It has brought comfort to many. In the main though, I am not sure it has been rightly understood. Here the Lord says, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
What is most often assumed is that this verse has universal application, the idea being that God has wonderful plans for every person on planet earth. His ultimate wish is that these desires are fulfilled, but of course, the outcome rests with the never to be infringed upon “free will” of man. Often these purposes are unfulfilled, but nevertheless, they can be tapped into at any time, should the sinner wish to participate. But is any of this true?
We need to ask who the words were written to. Did these words have universal scope in Jeremiah’s day? The obvious answer to this is “no.” These words were written to a nation under the severest judgment imaginable, being removed by force out of the land to become captive slaves in Babylon. Yet here, the tender mercy of God is seen in that the captivity would only last 70 years. Even in judgment, God will extend mercy to Israel, and after these dreadful decades, He will once again restore them to both Himself and the land of promise.
Could the Babylonian king claim this verse for himself? No, it was not written to him.
How about in our own day, can all claim this verse for themselves? I believe the elect of God can know an application of the text in that they understand that God indeed has good purposes for them, to conform them to the image of Christ. He has set His love upon them and has done so for eternity.
But can everyone? Well does God have beautiful and wonderful purposes for each person on earth that will make them supremely happy once fulfilled? Can we read Romans 9 and think, for even a minute, that God’s plans for Pharoah were simply to cause him to prosper on earth? Though prosperity was indeed one of God’s purposes, God raised him up so that His power might be shown to him in devastating judgment. That was God’s plan all along. Continue reading
Taking the “Cannots” Seriously
In the debate between monergists (those who believe only one power is operative in regeneration, namely God’s power alone) and synergists (those who believe more than one party is at work in regeneration, namely God and man) I believe it is fair to say that only the monergist takes the “cannots” of the Bible seriously. Though man can do a great many things, Scripture is clear as to his limitations. Just as it is impossible for man to jump to the moon or run a mile in less than a minute, so it is outside of man’s natural capabilities to do certain spiritual things.
In John chapter 3:3-5, Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
Jesus made it clear that unless someone is first born again, he CANNOT enter or even see the kingdom of God. The monergist affirms this. The synergist does not. Rather, the synergist embraces a scheme that has non born again people seeing and entering the kingdom in order to be born again.
In John 6:44, Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”
Jesus made it clear that no one (a universal nagative) has thew ability to come to Him unless drawn by the Father. He also affirmed that the one drawn in this way is raised up to eternal life, such is the power of this drawing. Monergists affirm this effectual drawing on the Father’s part. Synergists do not. Instead the synergist believes that someone drawn in this way can indeed be lost – that in the three stages of drawing, coming and being raised up to eternal life, many fall through the cracks. Continue reading