Posted on by Junrey J. Moncada

The Doctrine of Reprobation

(Translate out from Cebuano tract since 2013)

Junrey J Moncada

Pastor of Berea Baptist Church, Sabang, Caburan Big, Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental, Philippines


Introduction
One of the most difficult and detested doctrines in the Bible is the doctrine of reprobation. However, it is not appropriate for us to reject this truth merely on account of our own reasons. A true preacher of God must teach the whole truth of God despite much opposition, because that is the duty of those truly called by God as His faithful servants.
Therefore, let us study and give attention to this truth concerning the doctrine of reprobation as recorded in Holy Scripture.


I. The Term “Reprobation”


The term “reprobation” derives from the word reprobate.
Reprobate means abandoned, forsaken, left behind.
According to Webster’s New Dictionary (page 319): rejected by God.
According to Scribner Bantam English Dictionary (page 769): given over to sin.
In Hebrew: mâ’ac; in Greek: adokimos, meaning rejected, abandoned.


II. Reprobation as a Biblical Doctrine


a. Regarded as rejected silver (Jeremiah 6:28-30)
b. Those who fail in ministry [reprobate] (2 Corinthians 13:5)
c. Corrupt in mind and reprobate concerning the faith (2 Timothy 3:8)
Another clear description of reprobation can be found in Romans 9:19-23, where the reprobate are described as vessels prepared for destruction.


III. Reprobation Occurred in Eternity Past


Romans 9:11 – Even before the children were born or had done anything good or bad.
Psalm 58:3 – The wicked are estranged from the womb.
Proverbs 16:4 – God made everything for His own purposes, even the wicked for the day of evil.
Jude 4 – There are certain people who crept in unnoticed, who long ago were designated for condemnation, ungodly people who pervert the grace of God.
Revelation 13:8 and 17:8 – The names of people not written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was slain, from the foundation of the world.


IV. God’s Plan in His Election to Salvation and Reprobation to Destruction


God’s Election to Salvation
This is for His glory, to manifest His love and mercy.
Isaiah 43:7 compared with Romans 9:16, 23; Ephesians 2:4-5; 1 Timothy 1:12-17
God’s Reprobation to Destruction
This is to manifest His power through the demonstration of His holy justice.
Romans 9:17-22 compared with Romans 2:5, 16; Revelation 20:15
God’s election to salvation is for those people prepared to inherit His kingdom before the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:33-34).
God’s reprobation to destruction is for those people prepared for His wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9), because God has already prepared the lake of blazing fire in hell for the reprobate (Isaiah 30:33; Matthew 25:41; Romans 9:21-22).


V. God’s Purpose Toward the Elect and the Reprobate


a. The Purpose of God the Father: He has chosen some to be saved before the foundation of the world, and He has also not chosen or reprobated others before the foundation of the world. (1 Peter 1:2; Ephesians 1:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; John 15:19; Romans 9:11 compared with Jude 4; Revelation 13:8; 17:8)


b. The Purpose of God the Father: He has given certain people to His Son to be saved through the death on the cross (John 6:37-39 compared with Revelation 5:9; John 10:11; 17:2, 5). And there are also those passed over from eternity who were not given to His only Son for redemption, as is clear in the prayer of Jesus Christ (John 17:9-12, 24).


c. The Purpose of God the Father: Those appointed to eternal life will surely believe when called through the preaching of the Gospel (Acts 13:48 compared with 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; Colossians 1:17; 2 Timothy 1:9), while others are left and given over to their sinful condition (Psalm 81:12; 119:119; Acts 14:16; Romans 1:24) and to remain blind to the truth (2 Corinthians 4:4; Romans 11:7-8; John 8:47).


d. The Purpose of God the Father: To preserve His people so they will not be lost (Jeremiah 32:40; Psalm 37:23-24; Philippians 2:13; 1 Corinthians 11:32; Hebrews 12:5-8) and to keep the reprobate continually under judgment as deceived (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12; 2 Peter 2:9; Isaiah 42:16-17; Revelation 17:17).


VI. Reprobation Is Not Election to Destruction – or popularly known as double Predestination


God merely chooses certain people whom He will to have mercy upon and give grace so that they may be saved (2 Timothy 1:9 compared with Ephesians 1:4-5; 2:5; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Titus 3:5). However, regarding reprobation, God does not choose people for destruction but simply passes over those not chosen for salvation, as evident in the words of our Lord Jesus Christ in John 15:19: “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because I chose you OUT OF the world, therefore the world hates you.”
In that verse we see that God’s elect are chosen out of the world, which means that those chosen by God were born into this world as sinners by nature, people detestable to God like all other people (Ephesians 2:3), and God manifested His mercy even before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 2:2-5, 10; 1 Peter 2:9-10). For if God had not chosen anyone, no one would be saved (Romans 9:29) because all people have sinned and are sinners (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:10-12, 23), and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23; Revelation 21:8). Therefore, God has mercy on whom He will have mercy and hardens whom He will harden (Romans 9:18).


VII. God’s Reprobation Is Preparation in Advance For:


•Stumbling at the word of God (1 Peter 2:8)
•Condemnation to punishment (Jude 4)
•Darkness (Jude 13)
•Judgment (Habakkuk 1:12; compared with John 3:18)
•Remaining under punishment until the day of judgment (2 Peter 2:9)
•The day of wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9)
•The day of evil (Proverbs 16:4)
•The day of trouble and wrath (Job 21:29)


VIII. Biblical Designations for the Reprobate


°Offspring of evildoers (Isaiah 1:4)
°Offspring of adultery (Isaiah 57:3)
°Rebellious children (Isaiah 30:1)
°Rejected silver (Jeremiah 6:26-30)
°The world (John 15:19; 17:9, 14; 1 John 2:15-16)
°Vessels prepared for destruction (Romans 9:21-22)
°Sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2; 5:6; Colossians 3:6)
°Tares (Matthew 13:38-40)
°Swine and dogs (Matthew 7:6; 2 Peter 2:22)
°Goats (Matthew 25:32, 41)
°Cursed children (2 Peter 2:14)
°Children of the devil (John 8:44)


IX. Signs of Being Reprobate


a. Unrepentant (Romans 2:5) – True repentance is given by God and leads to life (Acts 11:18), and this differs from worldly repentance which leads to death (2 Corinthians 7:10), because one continues to wallow in sin without change (Proverbs 28:13 compared with 2 Corinthians 5:17).


b. Does not believe in Jesus Christ as the only Savior and the one who can save, but believes in many things that can save, such as works, baptism, law-keeping, church membership. Meanwhile, faith given by God is directed solely to Christ and nothing else (Hebrews 12:2; Ephesians 2:8-9 compared with John 3:18, 36; 5:24; Acts 4:10-12; Romans 5:8-9; Hebrews 9:22 & 28).


c. Remains deceived (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; John 10:26; Galatians 6:7; 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12), especially pertaining about the Gospel of salvation (1Cor.2:14; 2Cor.4:4-6).


d. Remains blind and cannot hear the words of God (Matthew 13:13; John 8:43-47; 10:26).


Conclusion
Now, friend, if you are not yet certain of your salvation, the Bible says: “looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). He came to call sinners to repentance (Matthew 9:13). Moreover, Jesus said: “whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37). Therefore, friend, according to the Gospel, repent of your sins and believe that Jesus Christ suffered, died, and rose again for your sins so that you may be saved (Matthew 1:21; Mark 1:15; 1 Corinthians 15:1-3). Your genuine repentance and faith are evidence that God has worked within you.

God bless.

Posted on by Junrey J. Moncada

THE BIBLICAL DOCTRINE OF GOD’S EFFECTUAL LOVE : Modern Distortion of God’s Love.

(Translated from Cebuano tract since 2013)

Junrey J Moncada

Pastor of Berea Baptist Church, Sabang, Caburan Big, Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental, Philippines



INTRODUCTION:
One of the greatest theological distortions of our time is the redefinition of the love of God.
Today, “God loves you” is preached as if it means:
God is trying
God is hoping
God is offering
God is waiting
God may ultimately fail
A love that desires salvation but cannot secure it. A love that gives the Son yet leaves multitudes under wrath. A love that bleeds at the cross but watches helplessly as sinners perish.
That is not the love revealed in Scripture.
That is a weakened, sentimentalized version—shaped more by modern emotion than by biblical revelation.
As the Cebuano treatise “Ang Epekto sa Gugma sa Dios” rightly asks:
“Can it be that God’s love is only in word and not in deed? Far from it! And can it also be that God’s love has no purpose and result/effect because it depends on whether man will also love God?”
The answer is clear: God’s love accomplishes what it intends.


I. GOD’S LOVE DRAWS—IT DOES NOT BEG

The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
— Jeremiah 31:3


Because He loved—therefore He drew.
The drawing is the result of the loving. God’s love is causative, not reactive. It accomplishes what it intends.
An everlasting love that fails eternally is not everlasting love—it is frustrated desire.

“This text shows that God draws those He loves, not because of man’s own effort, for man absolutely cannot come to Christ unless he is drawn by God. ‘NO ONE CAN COME to Me unless he is drawn by the Father who sent Me…’ (John 6:44)”
God’s love is effective, not ineffective. It does not merely make salvation possible—it secures it.


II. GOD’S LOVE IS POURED—NOT MERELY PROPOSED

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
— Romans 5:5


Poured out.
Not suggested. Not presented. Not made available pending human permission.
Poured into the heart by the Spirit of God.
And this poured-out love results in justification and reconciliation (Rom. 5:9–10). The chapter does not end in uncertainty—it ends in salvation from wrath.
Now if all people in this world were loved and died for by Christ, then all people would surely be saved!”
The logic is inescapable:
If Christ died for someone, that death accomplishes salvation.
If God loves someone with saving love, that person will be saved.
The cross is not a failed offer—it is a finished work.


III. GOD DIRECTS THE HEART

And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
— 2 Thessalonians 3:5

This language does not suggest mere assistance, but divine direction. The heart is not portrayed as autonomously steering itself toward God, nor as standing in neutral independence, waiting for human choice to decide. Rather, the Lord Himself actively directs the heart into His love.
This destroys the notion of autonomous free will in matters of salvation. If the Lord must direct the heart, it follows that the heart, left to itself, would not move toward God.

The direction is not hypothetical but effectual, God does not merely point the way; He brings the heart into it. His sovereignty governs not only the external call of the gospel, but the internal movement of the soul.
Thus, the love of God is not dependent upon the sinner’s initiative, but the sinner’s response is the result of God’s sovereign direction. The heart does not generate love for God from its own natural power; it is brought into that love by divine operation. This confirms that salvation rests not upon human neutrality or self-determination, but upon the sovereign and effective grace of God, who directs, inclines, and secures the hearts of His people.


IV. GOD’S LOVE PRODUCES THE RESPONSE

We love him, because he first loved us.
— 1 John 4:19


His love is the cause. Ours is the effect.
The modern view reverses this—making human acceptance the decisive factor. Scripture does not.
God’s love creates the response it demands.

“If all people were loved by God, all people would have also love God, but the Bible reveals that not all people love God (John 5:42). This is because they were not loved by God either, because if they were loved by God, then they would also love God according to this passage!”
The implications are clear:
If God loves you with saving love, you will love Him in return.
The fact that many do not love God proves they are not the objects of His saving love.
God’s love is not universal—it is particular and effective.


V. GOD’S LOVE IS THE CAUSE OF SALVATION

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
— Ephesians 2:4-5

“These texts show that the great LOVE of God is the cause of our salvation. Even when we were dead in sin, He made us alive together with Christ, and this is called grace to the undeserving or love for the unlovely.”
The sequence is critical:
God loved us
While we were dead in sin
He made us alive
We are saved by grace
This is not conditional love. This is not God waiting for dead sinners to respond. This is resurrection love—love that brings life to the dead.

“Now if we apply these texts to all people, then it would also become that all people would be saved and made alive in Christ, and that would mean no one would perish in the lake of fire in hell—Cain, Pharaoh, Herod, the Man of sin and all who rejects Christ even satanists, would be saved if that were so? But far from it! Because God has mercy on whom He wills to have mercy and hardens whom He wills to harden (Romans 9:16-18).”
The conclusion is unavoidable:
God’s saving love is particular, not universal.
If God loved all in the same saving way, all would be saved.
Since all are not saved, God’s love must be discriminating and effectual.

* Dr. Flowers has objection  by citing Matt. 5:44″Love your Enimies”-

This objection needed right attention to adress, so we answer-
“If God’s command to love enemies means He must love them in exactly the same way He loves His own people, then would God also be obligated to save His own arch-enemy—Satan? Such a conclusion is absurd and exposes the false assumption behind the argument.
Loving one’s enemies does not mean granting them the same love, favor, or saving grace reserved for one’s own family. If a man’s family were murdered, his refusal to take revenge against the murderer could be called a form of love—yet no rational person would conclude that he loves the murderer in the same way he loves his murdered family. Justice, mercy, and love operate in different ways according to relationship and purpose.
Therefore, God is not a hypocrite for commanding love toward enemies while reserving His saving love for His people. There is a clear distinction between showing benevolence toward enemies and bestowing covenantal, redeeming love upon His elect. Confusing these categories creates contradiction where none exists.”


VI. GOD’S LOVE IS THE CAUSE OF ELECTION

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
— Ephesians 1:4-5

“This verse declares that God through His Love chose us to become His adopted children. And this choosing by God brings man TO LIVE holy and blameless lives, and not because they were already serving and holy beforehand to be chosen.”
The order is crucial:
God loved
God chose
Therefore we become holy
Not:
We became holy
Therefore God chose us
God’s love precedes and produces holiness—it does not respond to it.


VII. GOD’S LOVE REMOVES SIN

“To Him who loved us and has freed us from our sins by His blood.”- -Revelation 1:5

“If we reflect on this passage and apply it to all people, then all people would truly be freed from sin and would surely be saved, but still many will be judged to punishment, dying in their own sins (John 8:21,24, Rev. 20:15, Matthew 25:41).”
The argument is airtight:
If God’s love frees from sin, then those He loves are freed.
If all were freed from sin, none would perish.
Since many perish, not all are loved with saving love.


VIII. NOTHING CAN SEPARATE GOD’S LOVED ONES FROM HIM

Romans 8:35-39
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? …I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

“This passage testifies to the effect of God’s love upon those He has loved; that absolutely nothing can separate those loved by God. Now if we allow that all people are loved by God, this would result in no one being separated from God’s hand, meaning no one would go to hell.”
The logic is inescapable:
If God loves you with the love described in Romans 8, nothing can separate you.
If all were loved this way, none would be lost.
Since many are lost, this love is not universal.
“Because those loved by God will absolutely not be destroyed by Him, but if His loved ones err, what they will experience is only discipline, like a father who loves his children, and not destruction (1 Cor. 11:32, Heb. 12:6-11, Prov. 3:12).”
God’s love disciplines—it does not damn.


IX. JOHN 3:16 IS NOT A FAILED OFFER

John 3:16 is often quoted as if it proves universal, resistible love:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…”
Yes—He gave.
But why did He give?
Paul answers (Romans 5:9):
“Having now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him.”
The giving of the Son secures justification.
Justification secures salvation from wrath.
The cross is not a sentimental gesture. It is a substitutionary accomplishment.
If Christ’s blood justifies, those justified will be saved.
The love that gave the Son is the love that saves from wrath.

“Many truly believe that all people are loved by God because of their misunderstanding of John 3:16, also because of the word WORLD written there. But they need to understand that in the Bible there are different uses of the word WORLD that don’t mean all people without exception. “
The lists biblical uses of  term “world”:
The people of Jerusalem who met Christ (John 12:19)
The world of the ungodly in Noah’s time (2 Peter 2:5)
The world of sin (James 3:6; 1 John 2:15-17)
The world that is not God’s (John 15:19; John 17:9,14) and The world that will be damn (1Corinthian 11:32)


“Because of these proofs, we can understand that the World mentioned in John 3:16 is the world of believers who are loved by God.”
John 3:16 does not teach universal love that fails.
It teaches particular love that saves.


X. THE REAL ISSUE

The real issue is this:
Do we believe God’s love merely makes salvation possible?
Or do we believe God’s love actually saves?
The Bible presents a love that:
Draws (Jeremiah 31:3)
Pours (Romans 5:5)
Directs (2 Thessalonians 3:5)
Produces (1 John 4:19)
Justifies (Romans 5:9)
Saves from wrath (Romans 5:9-10)
Elects (Ephesians 1:4-5)
Frees from sin (Revelation 1:5)
Makes alive (Ephesians 2:4-5)
Never loses its object (Romans 8:35-39)
A love that leaves its object eternally condemned is not the love described in Jeremiah 31, Romans 5, Ephesians 2, or 1 John 4.
To preach a love that tries but does not secure is to diminish the power of the cross.


CONCLUSION:

THE CHALLENGE

“Now, friend, have you experienced God’s love operating in your life? If you are still doubting your salvation, this is proof that you have not truly experienced God’s love yet. Repent of your sins and believe in the Good News, that Christ became man, suffered, died, and rose again so that you might be saved (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). There is no other salvation except in Christ alone (John 14:6; Acts 4:10-12). Christ says, ‘he who comes to Me I will by no means cast out’ (John 6:37). In Christ there is assurance‼”
Final Word:
God’s love is not frustrated.
God’s love is not uncertain.
God’s love does not fail.
It accomplishes redemption.
To those who have experienced the effectual call of God, who have been drawn by the Father, who have had God’s love poured into their hearts, who have been made alive when they were dead—there is assurance in Christ.
Not because of the strength of your faith, but because of the power of God’s love.
A love that secures what it seeks.
A love that saves whom it loves.
A love that cannot fail.

Posted on by Junrey J. Moncada

TULIP Doctrines simplified arguments

By Junrey J. Moncada

To all ill and misinformed men who are haters of the soteriological view called Doctrines of Grace or TULIP doctrines let me simplify things to you for your benifits.

I tell you,

1- the simplicity of about the Total Depravity and inability of man explicitly read through the wordings of Christ ” let the dead bury their dead”(Matt.8:22), and added by Apostle Paul ” dead in tresspasses and sins” (eph.2:1-5). Meaning man is inactive in any righteousness but actively sinning before God that needed no healing of his condition but really needs a new Life.

2- Unconditional Election – means the expression of God’s love that out of the world of hellbound sinners born in this world God has chosen some as the subjects of His divine Grace mercy and love (John 15:19; Rom.9:11; Rom.11:5, Eph.1:4-5, 2 Thess.2:13,16).

3- limited Atonement -means Christ victoriously ATONE all of God’s Elect(1pet.2:1). Atoned from Wrath of God (Rom.5:9), that not even a single one of man given to Him from the Father shall ever be condemn to hell. (john6:39).
Remember Christ never atoned the son of perdition (john17:12) and all who are already in the Hades right now. Christ substitutionary atonement is victorious.
(John 3:16 world should be compare to condemn world in 1cor.11:32 for you to see the difference in the usage o the term world in the scriptures).

4-Irresistible Grace -means no one can resist the working power of God in drawing sinners to salvation. (Eph.1:19-20; 1thess.1:5) if there be one can resist God’s power then he is more powerful than God?

I tell you, the verses seems you misunderstood as man resisted God like (matt.23:37, Acts 7:51) does not teach that man resisted God’s working power directly however God is resisted indirectly through His preachers that was killed, read contexts.

5- Preservation and Perseverance of the saved simply means- God did cause His elect to persevere to the end (Jer.24:7; 32:40,Phil. 1:6; 2:13; 1Thess.5:23), That God is unchangeable and immutable in giving them hope (Heb.6:17-18).

Just send your further objections ☺️..God bless you…

Posted on by Junrey J. Moncada

The Things that are Impossible for God : God the Author of Sin?

Bro. Junrey J. Moncada
Pastor- Berea Baptist Church, Caburan Big, Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental Philippines

Our topic is an eyebrow-raising one because we know that nothing is impossible for God; He can do whatever He wants as long as it pleases Him (Psa. 115:3), yet we still affirm, as far as the Scriptures show, that there are certain things God will not and cannot do despite being the Supreme Being over all creation. To move further, what are these things that are impossible for God to do? Let us find out here.


I. Let Us Establish That God Is God and Nothing Is Impossible for Him.


A. God is omnipotent — Almighty God – Gen. 17:1; Matt. 19:26; Isa. 45:18; Rev. 19:6


B. God is omnipresent — He is present everywhere – Psa. 139:7–10; Jer. 23:23–24


C. God is omniscient – Acts 15:18; Heb. 4:13; Psa. 139:1–6; Matt. 10:29–30; Prov. 15:3


D. God is Sovereign — He has set all things in order according to the counsel of His own will. Psa. 115:3; Isa. 44:6–7; 46:9–10; Eph. 1:11
God’s sovereignty extends to:

  1. Governing the nations – Judges 8:22–23; Psa. 22:28; 47:2; Dan. 4:17, 32–35; Rom. 13:1
  2. Turning the hearts of men in order to fulfill His eternal purpose – Prov. 21:1; Rev. 17:17
  3. Bringing sickness and healing in all manner of sickness – Deut. 28:61; 29:22; cf. Deut. 7:15; Matt. 4:23; 10:11
  4. Bringing calamities, like what happened to Egypt in the days of Moses – Isa. 47:7; Jonah 1:4
  5. Bringing death and giving life – Deut. 32:39–40; 1 Sam. 2:6; Psa. 102:19–20; 104:29
  6. Making poor and making rich – 1 Sam. 2:7

II. Though Nothing Is Impossible for God, He Is God and Is Not Like Man.


A. He Cannot Lie – Num. 23:19; Rom. 3:4; Tit. 1:2; Heb. 6:17–18

* The arch-enemy of God, who is Satan, is the father of lies (John 8:44) — the total opposite of Christ, who is the Truth (John 14:6), the God of truth (Isa. 65:16; Deut. 32:4), and whose truth endures forever (Psa. 117:2).).

B. That He will change – Mal. 3:6; Psa. 89:34; James 1:17

Arthur Pink gave his profound understanding of the immutability of God. He said:
“God is immutable in His essence. His nature and being are infinite, and so subject to no mutations. There never was a time when He was not; there never will come a time when He shall cease to be. God has neither evolved, grown, nor improved. All that He is today, He has ever been, and ever will be. ‘I am the Lord, I change not’ (Mal. 3:6) is His own unqualified affirmation. He cannot change for the better, for He is already perfect; and being perfect, He cannot change for the worse. Altogether unaffected by anything outside Himself, improvement or deterioration is impossible. He is perpetually the same. He only can say, ‘I am that I am’ (Ex. 3:14). He is altogether uninfluenced by the flight of time. There is no wrinkle upon the brow of eternity. Therefore His power can never diminish nor His glory ever fade.”
(The Attributes of God by A. W. Pink, p. 22)


The immutability of God is also a comfort to those who obtained salvation through Christ alone. Why? Because God cannot change His affection toward those who are the objects of His mercy and love (Rom. 8:31–39; 9:18, 23; Psa. 103:17). The solid foundation of our assurance of salvation is the immutability of God (Heb. 6:17–19). Salvation given by God is not something He gives and then takes back — that would mock God’s immutability. We have received our full salvation from God, which cannot be taken back by Him, because His mercies endure forever (Psa. 118:1; Phil. 1:6). Christ said, “I should lose nothing” (John 6:37–39).
All of God’s creatures are mutable and capable of change; God alone is immutable. Lucifer, the perfect being in beauty and wisdom, has changed into Satan. Adam, the perfect human who was created directly by God, has changed from being holy and communing with God to being separate from God, falling into sin, from holiness into corruption. The whole creation that God made, of which He said all things are indeed good, has now become ruined and changed because of sin, is subject to restoration, and shall be gathered together in the fullness of time in Christ (Eph. 1:10).

C. That He can tempt anyone to sin –

Apostle James stated:

James 1:13-16
[13]Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
[14]But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
[15]Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
[16]Do not err, my beloved brethren.

It is Satan who has been the tempter from the beginning (Gen. 3:1–5; Matt. 4:1). Those who misrepresent Calvinism, and the Doctrines of Grace allege that God is the author of sin. No! No one teaches that, not even Calvin himself. God is not the author of sin.

The existence of sin is part of God’s eternal purpose; however, that cannot point to God as the author of sin. Yes, it is God’s predetermined purpose — He who works all things after the counsel of His own will (Eph. 1:11) — He ordained to allow/permit the existence of sin in order for the Covenant of Redemption to come to its full completion. Christ said, “It is finished.”
Christ was foreordained before the foundation of the world to die on the cross for the redemption of God’s people (1 Pet. 1:18–20). We understand that this foreordaining purpose of God was determined from eternity past, before all things were created, before angels were created, since God alone existed in the beginning and all created beings came into existence after His act of creation.


Now, the fall of Satan was included in that eternal purpose of redemption. God knew the heart of Satan; He knew that the sin of pride was growing within him. God never created sin; however, sin was found and first came into existence in the perfect created being who was Hellel/Lucifer. He willfully and freely chose to rebel against God as his pride grew. “Sin was found in thee” (Ezek. 28:14–17; Isa. 14:12–14). If the existence of sin were not part of God’s eternal purpose of redemption, then by His omniscience God would have restrained Satan, by His omnipresence He would have rebuked Satan, and by His omnipotence He would have stopped and changed Satan. To deny that God determined to permit the very existence of sin, I tell you, would violate the very essential attributes of God — His omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence.


Nevertheless, God ordained that sin should come to pass so that His holiness might be manifested. God’s laws are the manifestation of His holiness and perfection, and by the violation of His laws His holiness shines all the brighter. God knew that Satan had entered His beautiful Garden of Eden; God omnisciently knew and omnipresently perceived that Satan was tempting Eve. So why did He not stop Satan’s wickedness? As I provided the answer above, Christ was foreordained to suffer and die before the creation of all things. The Apostle Paul stated:

Ephesians 3:11-According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

Ephesians 1:9-11
[9]Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
[10]That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:[11]In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Objection:

Someone had told me that believing the Sovereignty of God that is intricately and meticulously working all things would be a clear implications that God is the author of all sinfulness and wickedness since the beginning of time and in all the history.

Answer:

It is undeniably true that God is working all things after the counsel of His own will however freewill advocates could glimpse the surface of God’s working merely on positive events they have negated sins as part of God’s eternal purposed.

Alright, let us elaborate this in a brief manner to convey to our readers mind that God whose in charge in the human history could not be the author of sin neither in any instances since the beginning of time.

The truth is that every individual after the fall of Adam into sin human being never lose its will, however it is not in the same concept of libertarians that could be extended beyond the fallen sinful condition of man, biblically speaking the will of a sinful being is enslave of sin (John 8:34), free to fulfill the sinful desires but incapable of any holiness acceptable by God not unless by Divine regeneration. Ephesians 2:1-5 clearly stated:

1 • And you hath he quickened, who were DEAD in trespasses and sins;
2 • Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: [noticed that man who is being dead in sins is walking in sinfulness and in accordance to satan’s will]
3 • Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. [ the desire of a man who is dead in sins is only to fulfill the desire of sinful flesh being as children of wrath]
4 • But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 • Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) [it is only by Divine subjective Love some sinners are regenerated from deadness of sin that they may live together with Christ and be in Heaven] 6 • And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: [ Emphasis mine: JJM]

Now my point is that when man commits sin, God never give impulse, commands, tempts, nor authored the intention, desire, or enactment of sin. God is simply letting man to fulfill his own sinful will and lusts.

Psalms 81:12
So I GAVE THEM UP unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

Romans 1:26
For this cause God GAVE THEM UP unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature.

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12
[10]And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because THEY RECEIVED NOT the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
[11]And FOR THIS CAUSE God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
[12]That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

When God determined to Permit man’s own sinful lust that is, on the other hand, the exact fulfillment of His eternal purpose.

We may cite as an example the predetermined suffering and death of Christ. God did determine that the worst sin, the worst crime ever committed by man  even the killing of His only begotten Son would come to pass. It cannot be denied that this predetermined purpose was not accidental; it was an apparent and deliberate purpose of God beforehand that Christ should be killed by the hands of wicked men. However, God the Father never tempted those wicked men into killing His only begotten Son — otherwise, those crucifiers would not be accountable for their sins, and God would be the one ultimately accountable for this death. God forbid such thinking! God permitted the evil intentions of those men to come to pass, which was in accordance with His determined purpose and foreknowledge.

Acts 2:23
Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.

Acts 4:27-28
[27]For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
[28]For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

Prior to the time of His death, Christ said, “My time has not yet come” (John 7:8). Many men intended to kill Christ, but no one touched Him to harm Him because it was not yet the appointed time (John 7:30; 8:20). He even knew when His time was drawing near (Matthew 26:18; John 17:1).

Here we see that God’s working is not like a string attached to everything, or like a remote control forcing every action — as the false accusations and misrepresentations promoted by libertarian free will advocates against Calvinistic thinking on God’s sovereignty would suggest. Rather, it is the times and seasons in which every purpose takes place, as God revealed to King Solomon:

Ecclesiastes 3:1,11,14
[1]To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
[11]He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
[14]I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

In the Calvinistic understanding of the will of a man fallen into sin, the will has never been destroyed or extinguished, but it is influenced by its enslavement to sin. Even though the will is under sin, it is not capable of surpassing God’s eternal purpose or taking God by surprise – as if God would say, “That was not included in My plan.” The Scriptures reveal that man has many plans, but God’s eternal plan shall always come to pass:

Psalms 33:10-11
[10]The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.
[11]The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

Proverbs 19:21
[21]There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.

Proverbs 16:9,33
[9]A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.
[33]The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.

James 4:13-15
[13]Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
[14]Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
[15]For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Creatures will cannot be equal to or above to the Almighty and Sovereign will of God, because if it were, man would be equally or more sovereign than God, and man would thwart and change the purpose of God written in the scriptures. The fact is that God can use man’s evil intentions and desires to turn their wicked hearts to bring God’s predetermined plan into existence.

Genesis 50:20
But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Psalms 105:25
He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants.

Proverbs 21:1
The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

If you have questions you can freely ask and we’ll try to answer that as far as scriptures reveal. God bless.

Posted on by Junrey J. Moncada

Questions on Natural man’s Freewill

Bro. Junrey J. Moncada
Pastor- Berea Baptist Church, Caburan Big, Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental Philippines

Corinthians 2:14 –“But the NATURAL MAN receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned”.(KJV)

Nowadays, almost 100 percent of different sects and denominations adhere to, believe in, and teach that man’s salvation depends on how he exercises his own free will. Some have contention and criticize others, not knowing that they are in agreement with the teaching about the freewill doctrine. They teach different ways of salvation, like salvation by good works, obedience to the law, baptism, and church membership, while others are right in their view of salvation by pointing only to the merits of Christ at the cross of Calvary. But then the essence of their teachings is harmonized by the freewill doctrine, as they preach that man should initiate first in exercising his God-given freewill or decision and to do good works, obey the law, be baptized, be a church member, or choose Christ in order to be born again and be saved. By their differences, they agreed that salvation depended upon the decision or choice of man. Is that really what the Bible revealed to us—that our salvation is dependent upon our own decisions and that even in our natural state we can be saved by exercising by our own will/decision? I can’t even imagine that God, who created a creature who is greater than Himself because of freewill, God cannot do as He pleases or dispose of His plans over man, as long as he decide either to allow God or not? This reason compels us to study the will of the natural man, according to the passage given above.

1. What does it  mean of  being  a Natural  Man?

Answer: To understand the meaning of being natural man we must first examine the term “natural”.

A.– Natural means- of or pertaining to one’s nature or constitution; inborn. (Webster Illustration Contemporary Dictionary pg. 482).

Merriam Webster dictionary 11th definition says-  being in a state of nature without spiritual enlightenment : UNREGENERATE natural man

B – Natural according to Vines– PSUCHIKOS, belonging  to the PSUCHE, “soul” ( as the lower part of the immaterial in man), natural, physical, describes the man in Adam and pertains to him(set contrast to PNUEMATIKOS,” spiritual”)I Cor.2:14;15;44(twice) 46 (in the latter used as a noun); Jas.3:15”sensual” (RV.marg. natural or animal), here relating perhaps more especially to the mind, a wisdom in accordance with, or springing from, the corrupt desires and affection; so in Jude19. (Vines Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, pg. 426-427).

C – The Bible describes the natural man as:

A sinner from the womb (Psa.51:5; Isa.48:8).

Born in the flesh Jn.3:6.

Evil from childhood (Prov.22:15; Gen.8:21).

Defiled by sin from head to toes (Isa. 1:5).

The faculties of the human nature are being ruled by sin: heart – (Gen. 6:5;8:21; Jer.17:9; Matt. 15:18); Mind – (Rom.8:5,7); Conscience – (Tit. 1:15); Eyes –( Prov. 21;2;IICor.3-4;Rom.3:8); Ears – (Jn.8:43,47;Jer.5:21;Isa. 43:7).

Unregenerate having not the Spirit of God (Eph.4:18; Jude19, Rom.8:8-9).

By nature (rendered in Greek Textus Receptus- “phusei” from phusis means- by birth,in born) children of wrath (Eph.2:3).

Therefore, the natural man is corrupted by sin and is dominated by his sinful nature (Job 25:4-6).

2. Why the Natural Man become corrupted, depraved and dominated by sin?

Answer:

Back in the days of the first human being, our human father Adam, God created for him a body out of the dust (Gen. 2:7; I Cor. 15:44–46); God gave Adam a helpmate that was created out of his body, whom he called Eve (Gen. 2:21–23). Before Eve was created, God had already commanded Adam not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because in the day you eat the forbidden fruit, you shall surely die (Gen. 2:16–17). Although Eve knew about the forbidden fruit, perhaps through Adam, she was beguiled and fell victim to the shrewdness of Satan. Adam, after he saw Eve holding the forbidden fruit, knowing Eve had eaten it and disobeyed God’s commandment, exercised his undefiled freewill and did eat the fruit. He chose to disobey his Creator rather than lose a beautiful wife like Eve. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit that God forbade them from eating, they actually experienced death on the day they ate the fruit. It was not by the substance of the fruit that they died and fell into sin, but because of their disobedience to God, death came upon them—not the physical death that they had experienced at that time but spiritual death—and Adam lived 930 years physically after he did eat the fruit (Gen. 5:1). In the Bible, death means separation; like in physical death, when the body and the spirit are separated (Jas. 2:26), in spiritual death, as experienced by our first parents, they become separated from the holiness of God because of sin (Isa. 59:2; Eph. 2:1), and they fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23), thus we are all by nature children of wrath even as others (Eph. 2:3).

Adam, the first human, did not lose his freedom of will after his fall into sin, but the freedom he possessed could not extend anymore to spiritual life, apprehension, knowledge, and emotion. He loses the spiritual ability and connection to God whereby Adam is free to will only to fulfill the desires of his sinful and fleshly fallen condition; he became a slave to sin (Jn. 8:34; Rom. 6:20; 2 Peter 2:19), which made him not to seek God but instead decide by his own will to hide and cover his sins (Gen. 3:8; Job 31:33; Rom. 3:10–11). After his fall into sin, Adam eventually exercised his will to dress himself in the presence of God, but it did not meet the standard required by God, so it was needed that God clothed him (Gen. 3:21). As far as the Bible is concerned, cloth symbolizes two kinds of righteousness: 1) man’s righteousness (Isa. 64:6);and 2) the righteousness of God (Rev. 19:8; Rom. 8:33; 2 Cor. 5:21).

The consequence of Adam’s disobedience was death, and as Adam was the first human being created directly by God, he represents the entire human race, thereby putting all his descendants physically and spiritually to death (Rom. 5:12, 17–19).

Every human being born naturally in this world inherits the corrupt, depraved, and dominant sinful fleshly nature of Adam (Psa. 51:5; Isa. 48:8; Gen. 8:21; Job 14:4).

3. Why  the  Natural  Man  received not  the things  of  the Spirit of  God and neither can he know them according to passage above?

Answer:

Because natural man is:

•Dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1). As stated above, death is separation, like a physically dead person who is separated and inactive in any physical activities that make it impossible to understand because he or she neither can see nor hear physically (Eccl. 9:10). The same is true of a spiritually dead person who is separated in life and holiness from God, one who is physically alive (1 Tim. 5:6) yet spiritually dead, separated, and dormant in any spiritually good activities, and thereby cannot receive and understand spiritual things (Matt. 13:13).

•Still in the flesh (Jn3:6) and those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Rom8:8), always mind and do the things of the flesh (Rom.8:5; Gal.5:19-21).

•Not born again in the Spirit. John 3:3 states-“Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God”. The word see rendered in Greek ιεδο “iedo” which means to know, understand, perceive. Man must be born again to know/understand the spiritual realm of God, 1Cor.2:14 says – …”spiritually discerned”.

•Alienated from the life of God; “Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of the heart”(Eph.4:18).

•Servants of corruption (2Pet.2:19).

4. What is the will of a Natural Man?

Answer:

Loves darkness rather than light (Jn.3:19).

Wise to do evil than good (Jer.4:22).

Likes to fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Gal.516-21; Eph.2:3)

Cannot cease from sin (2Pet.2:14)

Never seek God (Psa.10:4; 14:1-3; Rom.3:10-12).

Impenitent (Rom.2:5).

Never come to Christ (Jn.5:40 compare Jn.6:44).

No love of God in them (John 5:42; 1John 2:15 compare Rom. 5:5).

The Bible declares that man may obtain salvation not of his own will but only by the grace of God as apostle Peter said: “But we believe that through grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved even as they”(Acts 15:11), apostle Paul added: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that is not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast for we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. “(Eph. 2:8-10). Now, from this stand point, it is very clear that it is only by God’s grace that we are saved, for IT IS NOT OF OURSELVES; IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD, and no man can add to or mingle with it by his own decision or free will or other efforts because salvation is purely the free grace of God and not by man’s free will or decision.

5. How does the sinful nature influence the will of a Natural Man?

Answer: 

The sinful nature of a natural man affects the will in the same way that nature controls the will, and the will is the cause of man’s action. Let us elaborate this in a backward effect sequential way: 1st, action is being executed through will; 2nd, the will is influenced by the inducement and reason of the mind and the desire and inclination of the heart; 3rd, the mind and heart are ruled by the nature. In the case of a natural man, his knowledge and emotions are bound to follow his sinful nature as he acts as an agent or servant of it. The nature does affect the heart and mind to incline and convince the will to cause an action. The Bible shows examples of how humans exercise their will.

Eve, the very first woman and mother of all humans, By her eyes, she got knowledge of the fruit, as it states, “It was pleasant to the eyes.” Her mind induces the will because of the pleasantness of the fruit that she saw. Her heart desired the fruit from which she gained knowledge. Then she will cause action by picking the forbidden fruit (Gen. 3:6).

-Delilah, she willed to beguiled Samson because she knew that from doing so she could earn money, because her heart was before then a lover of money (Judges 16:4-6).

-Saul, the first to reign as king of Israel, had a heart that was envious and a mind that was troubled because of David’s fame. Saul’s envied affection and troubled mind caused him to have the willful intent to kill David, but it failed (1 Sam. 18:8–11).

By these examples, we can see how the mind and heart influence the will and cause one to act. The will is not independent in itself so as to act contrary to and separately from the faculties of human nature. Christ said, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses, and blasphemies” (Matt. 15:19). 

Now that the natural man is in his sinful state and is enslaved by the sinful nature, we can certainly say that his will and volition acted freely in harmony with the affection and knowledge of the dominant sinful nature. Our Lord Jesus Christ already taught this truth: ”Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by his fruit.” O generation of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things” (Matt. 12:33–35). That is the reason why spiritual things are only foolishness to the natural man, because his heart is set to love darkness over light (Jn. 3:19), having a deceitful heart (Jer. 17:9). His mind is set to do the things of the flesh (Rom. 8:5), having a mind that is wiser to do evil than good (Jer. 4:22). He cannot discern spiritual things because he is still in the flesh, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Rom. 8:8).

6. Is the Natural Man’s will is free ?

Answer:

When we talk about the freedom to will of a natural man, he is free to will but not in the sense that his will is free beyond his natural sinful state; he is free within the boundaries of his sinful condition but could not surpass or extend in exercising and attaining spiritual things. The natural man’s will is subjected only to one direction, which is downward; he is free to act sinfully according to the lust and will of the flesh (Rom. 8:5, Gal. 5:19–21). The prevalent thoughts among free will advocates nowadays is that man, in his sinful natural state, has not lost his freedom to will, that free will and decision remain in him in spiritual things, and that God is waiting for the sinner’s permission, to exercise that will or decided to allow Him to save and come to Him. However, that would be a direct contradiction to the plain statement of Christ, “No man CAN come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him”… (Jn.6:44 KJV). If men are free and not under the bondage of sin, the question is, what is the sense of Christ freeing sinners from their sins? Christ said: “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall free indeed.” (Jn8:34-36 ). Is there any wise man in the Christian denominations who could say Christ is wrong for stating we are slaves of sin?

In further explanation and illustration of this, I prefer to quote Elder Tom Ross from his book, The Abandoned Truth, which says: 

“Man’s will is free only within the boundaries of his nature. It is free in only one sense; it is free to act according to its sinful nature but totally free from holiness. Romans 6: 19-20 states: I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmities of your flesh: for as ye have yielded (willfully submitted to) your member servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now(now that you are saved) yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were FREE FROM RIGHTEOUSNESS (emphasis Tom Ross). Jesus taught precisely the same truth in John 8:34; ..”Verily, verily, I say unto you, whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin”. Jeremiah 13:23 states: “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.” This truth can be illustrated in several ways. A. W. Pink wrote: I hold in my hand a book. I release it; what happens? It falls. In which direction? Downwards; always downwards. Why? Because answering the law of gravity, its own weight sinks it. Suppose I desire that book to occupy a position three feet higher; then what? I must lift it; a power outside of that book must raise it. Such is the relationship which fallen man sustains toward God. Whilst Divine power upholds him, he is preserved from plunging still deeper into sin; let power that power be withdrawn, and he falls his own weight of sin drags him down. God does not push him down, anymore than I did that book. Let all Divine restraint be removed, and every man is capable of becoming, would become a Cain, a Pharaoh, a Judas. How then is the sinner to move heaven wards? By an act of his own will? Not so. A power outside of himself must grasp hold of him and lift him every inch of the way. The sinner is free, but free in one direction only free to fall, free to sin…. The sinner is free to do as he pleases(except as he is restraint by God), but his pleasure is to sin… G. S. Bishop gave the following illustration: A man is free to use his hand. The man is free, but the hand is not free; the arm and muscles control it. The hand is the slave of the muscle, and acts as the muscle compels. In like manner, man is free to use his will, and is therefore always a free agent; but the will itself is not free. It is controlled by the affections, which are evil and earthly and sensual, and these again are controlled by the understanding and judgment, which call evil good and which are perverted, blinded, deluded, by the god of this world. (Tom Ross, Abandoned Truth, “The Doctrines of Grace”. Pg.48-49)

Prophet Isaiah illustrated vividly the sinfulness of man liken to a filthy rags and as a fallen leaves that has no ability and will to contrast the wind of sin.

Isaiah 64:6
“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

7. Does the Natural Man by exercising his own will save himself ?

Answer:

Of course not. If a man can save himself by exercising his own free will, God would not suffer to send His only begotten Son to die at the cross of Calvary, and He would not have also sent the Holy Spirit to regenerate and give us a heart to know Him (Jer. 24:7). But the fact still remains that we are unable to save ourselves by just exercising our own will since it is under the dominion of sin and always loves to sin (Jer. 13:23; John 8:34) and cannot do what is pleasing in the eye of God (Rom. 8:8; 1 Cor. 2:14). That is why God, from eternity, ordained Christ to die for our sins (1 Peter 1:18–20) and send the Holy Spirit to make us alive and guide us in all spiritual things (John 6:44–45; 14:26). 

“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God[children of God], even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood [not by bloodline], NOR THE WILL OF THE FLESH[decision of the flesh], NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN[decision of the man], but of God” (John 1:12-13).[emphasis mine]

“So then it is NOT OF HIM THAT WILLETH[ that decides], nor of him that runneth[that works] but of God that sheweth mercy”(Rom.9:16)[emphasis mine]

“For it is GOD WHICH WORKETH IN YOU BOTH TO WILL and to do His good pleasure” (Phil.2:13)[emphasis mine]

“Of HIS OWN WILL BEGAT HE US with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures” (James 1:18).[emphasis mine]

8. Is Faith a product of Freewill of man?

Answer:

No, of course. Faith is the result of God’s grace and cannot be the cause of grace. Acts 18:27 says “believed through grace.” Freewill advocates twisted Eph. 2:8 by saying that grace and salvation come through faith, so a man must first believe in Christ for him to be saved. But don’t get me wrong and say that faith is not needed in salvation; no, that’s not what I mean. Salvation is through faith in Christ alone, but that faith comes because of God’s grace, as it says, “For by grace, not of ourselves.”

When you ask them why they believed, why do they come to Christ? They become quite; they should accept the fact that faith is a gift from God and not of ourselves because man receives nothing except that it be given to him from heaven (Jn 3:27). Isn’t it enough that Christ says in Jn. 6:44, “No man can come to me except the Father who sent me draw him”?

At the course of this study as stated above Freewill apparently cannot produce a saving Faith.

Now let us briefly show biblical proofs on how faith comes to man. Remember these texts as we prove to you that in order for man to be saved, regeneration must take place first for him to believe in Christ. 

Romans 10:9-10,17
[9]That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt BELIEVE IN thine HEART that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
[10]For WITH the HEART MAN BELIEVETH unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
[17]So then FAITH COMETH by HEARING, and hearing by the word of God.

•Verse 17: “Faith comes through hearing; the question is, can a natural, unregenerate man hear God’s words in the sense of coming to spiritual discernment?” Our main text above 1 Corinthians 2:14 nullifies that, for it is foolishness to him, and no man can know them because they are to be spiritually discerned. 

Matt. 13:13 says “
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand”.

•Another thing, as declared in Rom 10:9–10, that “believing starts in the heart.” Question: Can a natural, unregenerate heart believe in God? If naturally, by exercising free will, man can believe in God, then why would God renew, open, or give us a new heart to know Him? Notice these passages.

Ezekiel 36:26-27
[26]A NEW HEART also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
[27]And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

Jeremiah 24:7
And I will GIVE them an HEART to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall Return unto me with their WHOLE HEART.

Jeremiah 31:33
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their HEARTS; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Acts 16:14
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose HEART the Lord OPENED, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

•It is very evident that God works in the hearts of His people so that they will believe and follow Him; man has nothing to contribute to his own salvation. Yes, a saved man can work OUT his salvation that is already experienced from within, he already has a renewed heart because God already works his heart to do the things he pleases.

Philippians 2:12-13
[12]Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
[13]For it is God which worketh IN you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

• In addition to this, if faith is the condition that grace and salvation may come, then it would be very cruel to know that every dead infant and the dead mentally disabled persons since birth were all damned in hell because they didn’t exercise their freewill to believe and learn about Christ? How would you accept that such innocents would be burned in hell forever?

But we believed that all infants died in infancy and all dead inborn mentally imbecile persons are wondrously and miraculously saved by Christ at the Cross of calvary and their spirit is regenerated by the Holy Spirit at their death.

Baptists theologians explained that:

A. W. Pink said in God’s Sovereignty p.158: An idiot or an infant is not personally responsible to God, because lacking in natural ability. But the normal man who is endowed with rationality, who is gifted with a conscience that is capable of distinguishing between right and wrong, who is able to weigh eternal issues IS a responsible being, and it is because he does possess these very faculties that he will yet have to “give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12).

T. P. Simmons on his “Systematic Study of Bible Doctrines p.178-179” – The fact that human responsibility is dependent on knowledge explains why dying infants and native imbeciles will be saved. They are mentally blind to the principles of righteousness, and, therefore, are not responsible. This is the kind of blindness that the Pharisees thought Jesus meant in John 9:39. And Jesus perceiving the thought of their hearts, said unto them: “If ye were blind (in the sense you have in mind), ye would have no sin” (John 9:41). There are but three kinds of blindness: physical blindness, mental blindness, and spiritual blindness. Certainly the Pharisees did not suppose that Jesus meant they were physically blind. And certainly Christ did not mean in His reply to say that they were not spiritually blind. See John 12:37-40; 2 Cor. 4:3,4. He could have meant but one thing, and that is that if they were mentally blind, they would have no sin. Infants and imbeciles are mentally blind, as already stated, and are, therefore, not responsible for their conduct. It is for this reason that we believe they will be saved through the blood of Christ without the exercise of faith in the body. However, since they have a sinful nature, we must believe that it will be necessary for them to be regenerated and thus brought to faith in Christ. The Bible makes it clear that this is necessary before one is fit for the presence of God. But it does not tell us when it will take place with reference to infants and imbeciles. We are of the opinion that it will take place at the time of the separation of the spirit from the body in the hour of death. See also Deut. 1:39 as to personal responsibility of infants.

John Gill on his Body of Divinity” says- The truth of all this might be illustrated and confirmed by the case of infants dying in infancy; who, as soon as they are in the world, almost, are taken out of it. Now such a number as they are, can never be thought to be brought into being in vain, and without some end to be answered; and which, no doubt, is the glory of God, who is and will be glorified in them, some way or another, as well as in adult persons: now though their election is a secret to us, and unrevealed; it may be reasonably supposed, yea, in a judgment of charity it may rather be concluded, that they are all chosen, than that none are; and if it is allowed that any of them may be chosen, it is enough to my present purpose; since the election of them cannot be owing to their faith, holiness, obedience, good works, and perseverance, or to the foresight of these things, which do not appear in them.

C. H. Spurgeon “The New Park Street and Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit”, Volume VII,pahina 300-301.- Among the gross falsehoods which have been uttered against the Calvinists proper, is the wicked calumny that we hold the damnation of little infants. A baser lie was never uttered. There may have existed somewhere, in some corner of the earth, a miscreant who would dare to say that there were infants in hell, but I have never met with him, nor have I met with a man who ever saw such a person. We say, with regard to infants, Scripture saith but very little and therefore, where Scripture is confessedly scant, it is for no man to determine dogmatically. But I think I speak for the entire body or certainly with exceedingly few exceptions and those unknown to me, when I say, we hold that all infants are elect of God and are therefore saved, and we look to this as being the, means by which Christ shall see of the travail of His soul to a great degree and we do sometimes hope that thus the multitude of the saved shall be made to exceed the multitude of the lost. Whatever views our friends may hold upon the point, they are not necessarily connected with Calvinistic doctrine. I believe that the Lord Jesus, who said, “Of such is the kingdom of heaven,” doth daily and constantly receive into His loving arms those tender ones who are only shown and then snatched away to heaven. Our hymns are no ill witness to our faith on this point and one of them runs thus. “Millions of infant souls compose The family above.” Toplady, one of the keenest of Calvinists, was of this number. “In my remarks,” says he, “on Dr. Nowell, I testified my firm belief that the souls of all departed infants are with God in glory, that in the decree of predestination to life, God hath included all whom He decreed to take away in infancy and that the decree of reprobation hath nothing to do with them.” Nay, he proceeds farther and asks, with reason, how the anti-Calvinistic system of conditional salvation and election or good works foreseen, will suit with the salvation of infants? It is plain that Arminians and Pelagians must introduce a new principle of election and in so far as the salvation of infants is concerned, become Calvinists. Is it not an argument in behalf of Calvinism, that its principle is uniform throughout and that no change is needed on the ground on which man is saved, whether young or old? John Newton, of London, the friend of Cowper, noted for his Calvinism, holds that the children in heaven exceed its adult inhabitants in all their multitudinous array. Gill, a very champion of Calvinism, held the doctrine, that all dying in infancy are saved. An intelligent, modern writer, (Dr. Russell of Dundee), also a Calvinist, maintains the same views and when it is considered that nearly one—half of the human race die in early years, it is easy to see what a vast accession must be daily and hourly making to the blessed population of heaven.

God bless..