The question was posed to me... "if election was unconditional, then why did John the Baptist and Jesus Christ both preach repentance and faith to all men?" To understand why repentance and faith are to be preached we have to understand what repentance and faith are.
Based on my understanding of the Scriptures, I believe that repentance is a gift that God bestows upon His elect.
2 Timothy 2:25 "...if God per-adventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth." I may be wrong, but I see from this verse that God gives repentance.
Acts 11:18 "...The hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." This is another verse where I see that God grants repentance.
Acts 5:31 "Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins."
I believe the reason that all men do not repent is because not all men have been given the gift of repentance, yet they are responsible to repent. There are just some things I cannot explain.
Then of course there is faith. Is faith something that man (for lack of a better word) conjures up? We are to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ...absolutely true, but can the natural man have faith unto salvation of his own accord? Based on my understanding of the Scriptures, I believe that faith, as well, is a gift that God bestows upon His elect.
John 6:65 "And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father."
Acts 11:17 "Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did to us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?"
Acts 14:27 "And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles."
Romans 12:3 "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."
Philippians 1:29 "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake."
For me it is clear. Faith is a gift of God. True faith...or saving faith is not something that we can cause to swell up within. It is given by God to those He chose before the foundation of the world.
No language could be more plane than that found in Hebrews 12:2 where the writer attributes the believer's faith wholly to Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 12:2 "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..."
A study of the word "author" will show it is translated from the Greek word "archēgos" which means the one who takes the lead in anything. "Archegos" is derived from two Greek words "archē" which means beginning or origin and "agō" which means to lead by laying hold of, and this way to bring to the point of destination.
Jesus is the One who takes the lead by laying hold of us, beginning our faith and bringing us to the point of destination...our salvation.
Philippians 1:6 "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."
I believe that all men are totally depraved and unable to come to Christ. I believe that God, desiring to show the attributes of His grace and mercy, chose or elected a certain number of the depraved sinners to salvation. I believe He gave that certain number of people to Jesus Christ. "All that the Father giveth to me shall come to me" (John 6:37). I believe at the appointed time, the Holy Spirit used the preaching of the word of God to reveal to those depraved sinners their sinful condition before a Holy God. I believe the Holy Spirit quickened their dead souls (Ephesians 2:1) and granted unto them the gift of repentance and the gift of faith. They repented of their sins and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and they were sealed by the Holy Spirit.
I believe that God is Sovereign in every step and aspect of a man's salvation. "Salvation is of the Lord." (Jonah 2:9)
Some will argue that God must give all men a chance to be saved or He is unjust. No, He is not unjust, He is God. He can do with His creation as He pleases. He is God. He is Sovereign. Romans 9:11-23 sums it up.
"Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?" (Romans 9:21)
Out of the lump of sinful humanity, God pulled off a piece and formed it into a vessel of honor (elect unto salvation). Out of the same lump of sinful humanity, God pulled off another piece and formed it into a vessel of dishonor.
Then some will argue if that's the case then God made men to be sinners. God did not cause sin. Sin did not originate with Him. Yet, God uses man's sin to accomplish His will which He established before the foundation of the world.
Some say, why do we preach then? God will save or won't save as it pleases Him. Yes, He will. However, it has pleased Him that it is through the preaching of the word that men are saved. That is why Christ and His disciples preached repentance and faith. That is why today we must preach the same thing. We preach Christ to all men and we preach repentance and faith in Christ to all men. The only ones who will hear what we say are those who have been elected unto salvation. We know the carnal mind is enmity with God. We also know that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them , because they are spiritually discerned. God has chosen that it is through the foolishness of preaching the Gospel that His elect are saved.
There is much that I don't understand. However, I believe Scripture is clear that faith and repentance both are gifts of God. How God's sovereignty and man's responsibility work together may be a mystery, but they are both taught in the Word of God.
"Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice; he will not afflict." (Job 37:23)
Job chapters 38 through 41 show us God's sovereignty. When Job saw God as He is, he said... "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:5-6) I feel the same way!
I certainly never intended this blog to turn into a discussion on doctrine. Its purpose is to teach my children about Christ and their need of Him. There is a song by Chris Rice that is entitled "Come to Jesus." That is my hope for my children...that they will come to Jesus now and live.
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