Bible Truth #315 - John 3:18

John 3:18

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

Read it again... Whoever does not believe stands condemned already. Condemned already? To whom is Jesus referring? He was referring to those who were not chosen because there were obviously people who did not believe at that moment who would believe at a later time and they were not condemned already. In fact, because these future believers were chosen, their position in eternity was already sealed. How can I say that? Because Paul told us in Ephesians 1:4 that we, God’s Elect, were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. So obviously, even before God saved me, I wasn’t condemned already.

So at what point in their lives did these particular people, the people to whom our Lord is referring, acquire the status of condemned already?

Was it the point at which they rejected the Gospel after hearing it?
Nope, that would make God a respecter of persons in that He saves only those who first believe (Acts 10:34). That is based on the Law, something man is required to do first and is a work of the flesh (it must be, for his spirit is dead). It also does not explain the eternal destination of those who lived their entire lives and died without hearing the Gospel - and it was God that determined they would never hear it (Acts 17:26). But yet, as with each and every man, if they were not chosen they are destined for Hell. The Bible explains why, Arminianism does not.

Was it the point at which they reached the age of accountability?
That’s not biblical and is only a point of belief with liberals and those who believe in decisional salvation. (Bible Truth #319)

Was it at the point God rejected them, having NOT chosen them in Christ before the foundation of the world?
I say yes, and offer the following in support of my conclusion: there are people who at birth, or even at conception, are condemned already. Why? Because they were not chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. The Arminian may ask, “Well then why did God even allow them to exist?” I can think of two reasons:

1) To show the riches of His glory to the objects of His mercy - that’s His Elect (Romans 9:23). How would we know how much God loved us and granted us countless blessings without us seeing His wrath delivered upon those who were destined to not believe? I say destined because if they were not chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, they were destined to disobey the message and stumble over Christ (1 Peter 2:8).

2) God’s thoughts and ways are not ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). If you're a believer, when you get to glory, ask Him why there were those who were condemned already.

The hard truth and bottom line - Since there were some chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4), there were many NOT chosen. These are they who are condemned already, long before they were even born.

Bible Truth #314 - Isaiah 55:8-9

Isaiah 55:8-9

8  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

9  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

If man had to design a way of salvation, he would likely come up with what those who believe in man's free will believe now. Present the Gospel to a lost man and let him make a decision whether he wants to accept Christ or not. Who in their right mind would turn that down? Very, very few would. The problem is that a lost man does not have a “right mind” with which to consider the Gospel. A lost man is Totally Depraved and every imagination of his heart is only evil, continually (Genesis 6:5).

The lost man is demon possessed (Ephesians 2:2) and I’m sure every Arminian will say that the devil does not want anyone to be saved. So tell me how a man who is demon-possessed will, of his own volition, choose Christ? Not only is it illogical, God’s Word clearly says he won’t do it. Man cannot change (Jeremiah 13:23), he can’t make a decision for Christ (John 1:13), he won’t come into the Light (John 3:20), he won’t seek God (Romans 3:11), he can’t please God (Romans 8:8), and he understands nothing from the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14).

When I could get a Christian who believes in decisional salvation to listen to the Biblically supported Doctrine of Election many would invariably ask me, “Why would God do it that way?” They would, of course, be referring to not giving man an opportunity to be saved. Other than “Because God is God,” the passage above is the best answer I can come up with.

And I’m glad His thoughts and ways are not mine.

Bible Truth #313 - Galatians 1:6-9

Galatians 1:6-9

6  I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--

7  which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.

8  But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!

9  As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

Continuing the thought from previous verses, Paul is telling the Galatians that he finds it surprising that they are quickly deserting the Gospel of Grace he preached and are turning to the law, the very thing Christ rescued them from!

Paul’s Gospel? We were dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1, 2:5, Colossians 2:13) and are saved by grace through faith, it is not of ourselves or within ourselves, it is a gift from God and we could do nothing to get it (Ephesians 2:8-9). If we had to do something first, it wouldn’t be a gift! But now the Galatians were abandoning this Truth and preaching that there are some actions that a lost man must do before God will save him.

This is identical to the Arminian Gospel of today - man must cooperate with the Holy Spirit to be saved. The law had many requirements that had to be met and maintained before God would “save” a man. The Arminian claims that you must believe before God saves, you must place your faith and trust in Christ before God saves, you must repent before God saves, you must come to Jesus before God saves... I’m sorry, all of those are the actions of a man whose spirit has been quickened, a redeemed believer, a saved man! A lost man can never “do” any of those things.

A lost man hates God and will not come into the Light (John 3:20). The lost man can’t know something he can’t see or hear, he can’t believe something he doesn’t know or understand. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:14 the lost man can’t understand anything from God, he thinks it’s foolishness. And the fact that he thinks it’s foolishness makes it clear that he hears the Truth with his physical ears and processes the message with his intellect, but because his spirit is dead he heard nothing with his spiritual ears and understood nothing with his spiritual heart.

THAT is why God says a lost man is His enemy and can’t please Him (Romans 8:7-8), why he won’t come into the Light (John 3:20), and why he has no hope (Ephesians 2:12, 1 Thessalonians 4:13). A man can’t believe until God gives him belief (John 6:29, Philippians 1:29), there is no option to believe or not, God gives belief. A man must be born again BEFORE he can see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3).

Paul goes on to say in verses 8 & 9 that even if he himself started preaching a gospel other than what was already given them, let him be eternally condemned! He then repeats this in verse 9. Why does this not concern Arminians? It is the Arminian who makes the claim that lost men must accept Christ, believe Christ, and repent - all before God will save. Is this man anathema? It seems to hinge on the fact that Arminians claim that believing, trusting,and repenting are not works. I disagree - anything a man must do before God saves is a “work” of the flesh. This is the very definition of the word “works” - any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind (Strong’s G2041). So even the very act of believing is considered a work of the flesh if one is required to believe before God saves.

The law had a curse for those who fail to keep it, the Gospel has a curse for those who try to change it, whether the Judaizers in the 1st century or the Arminians of the last couple of hundred years.

Bible Truth #312 - Galatians 1:3-5

Galatians 1:3-5

3  Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

4  who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

5  to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Jesus “gave Himself for our sins,” not the sins of every human who ever lived. By using the pronoun our, Paul obviously included himself in the group to which he was referring, and what group is that? According to verse 2, he was writing to the churches of Galatia, not everyone who lived in Galatia and certainly not everyone who ever lived in Galatia.

Jesus gave Himself for our sins ... according to the will of our God and Father. Hmmm, makes sense to me. Paul wrote to the Ephesians that God works out everything, not just some things, but EVERYTHING according to the counsel of His Will (Ephesians 1:11). Well now, if that’s true (and it is) how would it be possible that a man who God wants to save, not get saved?

If a man can say "No" to God, then God is not sovereign, and He’s not God. I know the Arminian will claim man has a free will but he will not show me Scripture that says as much. And I have shown many times where God orders our steps (not just the end result, Proverbs 16:9), where God moves hearts (Proverbs 21:1), where God works in people to make them believers (John 6:29), where God works in us to think and act according to His will (Philippians 2:13). All of these and more I have covered in Bible Truth #306.

The bottom line is that Jesus gave Himself for our sins to rescue us according to the will of God. We become children of God by His decision, not ours. (John 1:13)

Bible Truth #311 - Galatians 4:8-9

Galatians 4:8-9

8  Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.

9  But now that you know God--or rather are known by God--how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

In this passage Paul repeats the principles about which he wrote to the Romans in Chapter 6, that is we are slaves to sin or slaves to God. In verse 8 he makes it clear - when we did not know God, we were slaves to those who are not gods. He is obviously referring to Satan and his minions. We were slaves and slaves do the bidding of their master, period. There is no one who Satan wants to see saved. For a lost man to choose Christ, Satan would have to want him to get saved. It’s as simple as that.

Then in verse 9 Paul writes now that you know God but then immediately corrects it by saying or rather are known by God - clearly showing a distinction between the two, how the latter is more accurate than the former. The point is we can’t know God until He first knew us. And He didn’t just know us, He foreknew us (Romans 8:29-30) which means He knew us in an intimate personal way BEFORE the foundation of the world because that is when He chose us in Christ. (Ephesians 1:4)

However, even though He chose us long before we were ever born and before we could do anything good or bad (Romans 9:11), He waits until a specific point in time to call us and to quicken our dead spirit - and God does not call every man to salvation (1 Corinthians 1:26; Hebrews 9:15). Then as a result of God acting first, we WILL come to Christ (John 6:37).

We become children of God NOT by human decision (John 1:13).

Bible Truth #310 - James 2:19

James 2:19

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

Even though this is a continuation of a theoretical debate that started a few verses prior, I would like to point out the futility of “believing in God” by a man who was not chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.

Here we find James, the younger brother of Jesus, responding to a claim by a man who was lost, who was NOT living for God, but claiming He believed in God. James tells us that the demons also believe that there is one God. Surely no one will say they are saved. Arminians will say that the demons believe with their head and not their heart, they only give intellectual assent to the fact that there is but one God. This belief in God is what some lost people claim but they also aren’t saved.

Well just how do you believe with your “heart” in a way that makes you saved? As I wrote in my post about Romans 10:9, the Greek word for heart is kardia (Strong’s G2588) which tells us in this context that the heart is the center and seat of spiritual life. Since the spiritual heart of a lost man is dead (Ephesians 2:1, 2:5; Colossians 2:13), and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart are only evil, continually (Genesis 6:5), how can he believe in God or Jesus Christ in any other way but with his head? That is the only way a lost man can believe. The only thing of which he is capable is to give intellectual assent to the fact that there is one God. This is no different than that of which the demons are capable - which is not surprising since every lost man is demon-possessed (Ephesians 2:2).

But even this displeases God. A lost man believing in, and worshipping Him, displeases God. How do I come to that conclusion? God is not indifferent toward man so if Paul tells us a man in the flesh can not please God (Romans 8:8), He must be displeased with every action a lost man undertakes. God is displeased with every thought, every word and every deed of a lost man. Yes, this includes when a lost man prays, when he worships God, and when he “accepts Jesus” as His Savior. He is doing it “in the flesh” because his spirit is dead. Everything he does is in the flesh, EVERYTHING!

Now please consider the word “believe” used twice in this verse. The Greek word used both times is pisteuo (Strong's G4100). The word and meaning is the same and the only difference is context. What makes the meaning of the word accurate in each passage is whether the believer (of fact), demon or man, is indeed chosen or not. A man who has had his spirit quickened no longer has a heart of stone but a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26) and is able to believe in his heart. It is now natural to do so whereas before, it was natural to hate God (John 3:20). A man who is not chosen, or who has been chosen but not yet quickened, can believe only intellectually, not spiritually. But it is belief on the same facts. I have asked Arminians, “Just how do you believe in your heart? How do you apply the ‘intellectual assent to fact’ to your heart?” The answer of course is the lost man’s heart is dead and it must be quickened before he can believe with it.

Spiritual life must first be given to a man and God does it when He saves a man by quickening his dead spirit through faith, the faith God gives him (Romans 12:3, Ephesians 2:8-9). God simultaneously gives him belief (John 6:29, Philippians 1:29), repentance (2 Timothy 2:25) and understanding (Luke 24:45, 1 Corinthians 2:14, 2 Timothy 2:7). Then, and only then will a man respond to God in faith and confess Jesus as Lord, and believe in Him. These are the results of salvation, not the cause.

The bottom line is that James is telling us mental assent to the fact that there is one God is the same belief that demons have and is not the belief God provides when He quickens a lost man’s spirit. The self-initiated belief demons possess does not save them, neither will it save any man. It is vain belief (1 Corinthians 15:2).

Bible Truth #309 - Romans 10:9

Romans 10:9

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.

This is a passage that every Christian should know from memory and use frequently. The Greek word for heart is kardia (Strong’s G2588) which tells us in this context that the heart is the center and seat of spiritual life. I don’t think there will be very many believers who will argue that. The problem is when you take that truth further.

Please tell me, if the heart is the center and seat of spiritual life, how does a lost person who is spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1, 2:5; Colossians 2:13) do ANYTHING with a dead heart? The truth is he can’t do anything spiritual. God is Spirit and must be worshipped in spirit and Truth (John 4:24). But the lost man, especially “professed” Christians, can’t worship Him even though they claim to give Him veneration. Lydia was one of these God-worshippers (Acts 16:14). This is why the life of a man who is lost is a literal stench before God. Every minute, every second of his entire life is spent displeasing God (Romans 8:8). He can’t understand anything from God at all (John 8:43, 1 Corinthians 2:14). It is only God’s long-suffering toward these people (Romans 9:22) that they even draw their next breath.

So, how can a lost man, whose every imagination of his heart is only evil, continuously (Genesis 6:5), do something NOT EVIL like believe in Christ? How does a lost man change his heart? Can he do it himself? Of course not, it’s a work of God (John 6:29) and He does it without the knowledge or consent of the lost man. In fact, when given a choice the lost man will always reject the truth, he will never accept it (1 Corinthians 2:14) because he hates God (John 3:20). You must realize that some who are lost are worse than others but that is simply attributed to the demons that possess them - some demons are worse than others. Do not forget the truth that every lost man is demon possessed (Ephesians 2:2).

So who does God look for to make believers? Answer - those, and only those, He placed in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). If a man wasn’t chosen and placed in Christ prior to Creation he has no hope of being saved (Ephesians 2:12, 1 Thessalonians 4:13).

Here is an example in the Old Testament of God working on the heart of man. He told Ezekiel when talking about the Nation of Israel: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26) Click the Ezekiel hyperlink to see the result of God doing that.

The bottom line is a lost man who is spiritually dead can’t believe in his heart that God raised Jesus from the dead.

Bible Truth #308 - Luke 9:44-45

Luke 9:44-45
44  "Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men."
45  But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

If nothing else, the very concept of verse 45 should prove it is not up to man to understand God’s Word, or words that proceed from the very mouth of our Savior. At this point in Jesus’ ministry the apostles had been with Him for 3 years - this was after the Mount of Transfiguration. They had heard Jesus teach hundreds of times, they had heard countless parables. But yet when Jesus said He was going to be betrayed, they didn’t understand?

Why? Why did they not understand? Some may say that Jesus was speaking cryptically and that the apostles had not yet been taught that Jesus would be sacrificed. I’m sorry, but every excuse the Arminian may concoct or fabricate is beside the point! The next few words tell us why - it was hidden from them! If God wanted them to understand, they would understand! The fact of the matter is that at this point, their minds were still closed to the complete understanding of Scripture, their minds were still closed to the unabridged truth. How do I know this? Easy, Luke 24:45 tells us that Jesus didn’t open their minds to understand the Scripture until AFTER the Resurrection!

I pray this helps to open the eyes of the man who believes in decisional salvation that the lost man will never understand the truth (1 Corinthians 2:14). It has everything to do with a lost man’s spiritually dead, hard-hearted, unredeemed, mind. He must be enabled by God (John 6:65) and without that enablement he sees, hears, and understands nothing. He can do nothing but reject the Truth. Only a saved man can understand, and even then, he can only understand what God wants him to understand.

Jesus raises up EVERY man God draws (John 6:44), NOT every man who accepts the drawing.

Bible Truth #307 - Romans 2:3-4

Romans 2:3-4

3  So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?

4  Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?

Written to believers in Rome, Paul’s letter reminds us again of Who is working in our lives every day.

It was God who first moved in our salvation as He is the author of our faith, not us (Hebrews 12:2). It was God who worked in us to make us believers (John 6:29) as He granted us belief (Philippians 1:29). And here He tells us that along with everything else He gives us as a gift, so is repentance (2 Timothy 2:25). It is the kindness of God that leads us to repentance, not our “free will” as some believe. Lest some think that God is kind toward all and it is our choice whether to accept it or not, God is NOT a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34) in that He looks upon our heart to see if we’re repentant first. We can’t be repentant until He grants us repentance - His granting it occurs before our doing it.

Regarding the idea that God is kind toward all - yes, He is kind toward those He has not chosen only in that He does not cast them into Hell the instant they commit their first sin, not to mention the fact that we are all born sinners in need of redemption. He is long-suffering toward those He has prepared for destruction (Romans 9:22). Why is He long-suffering? It certainly is NOT to give them a chance or an opportunity to repent. But to show us, His Elect, the riches of His glory! (Romans 9:23)

The bottom line is that His kindness leads us to repentance, not our so-called free will. His kindness is what granted us repentance. Without God first granting it, we would have NEVER repented. (2 Timothy 2:25)

Bible Truth #306 - Jeremiah 10:23

Jeremiah 10:23

O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

Here we have one of the major prophets of the Old Testament writing that he knows the way of man is not in himself. And he then continues in the same thought in order to clarify it for us. It is not in us to direct our own steps. Well, if the way of man is not in himself, who is it in? If man doesn’t direct his own steps, does everything happen by chance?

Absolutely not! There is NOTHING that happens by chance. God orchestrates and directs every event in our lives and every step we take, both His Elect (saved and not saved yet) and those who will never be saved. And here are some passages that support this conclusion with the links that show my understanding:

- The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. (Proverbs 16:4)

- A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

- There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand. (Proverbs 19:21)

- Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way? (Proverbs 20:24)

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

- For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (Jeremiah 29:11)

- The LORD hath done that which he had devised; he hath fulfilled his word that he had commanded in the days of old: ... (Lamentations 2:17)

- For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back? (Isaiah 14:27)

- So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)
- the work of God is that we believe on Jesus (John 6:29)

- 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: (Ephesians 1:11)

- For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)

In the original passage from Jeremiah and the others immediately above you can see that God tells us over and over that He is sovereign and He will order and direct our steps to accomplish His plan for our lives no matter what we may think, say, or do. This includes those who believe in decisional salvation - i.e. Arminians. There is no one who lives their life NOT fulfilling God's plan for them.

We become children of God NOT by human decision (John 1:13).

Bible Truth #305 - Galatians 3:21-23

Galatians 3:21-23

21  Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.

22  But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

23  Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed.

Verse 22 - The Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin. One of the passages to which that is referring is Romans 3:9-19 that includes the well-known verse There is none that doeth good, no not one. (Psalm 14:1-3, 53:1-3). This is clearly a reference to the Totally Depraved nature of man, the universal “lostness” of the unredeemed soul.

But the verse goes on to say that what was promised (salvation) might be given to those who believe. Did Paul write that salvation would be given to the whole world? Did Paul write that salvation would be given to every human who ever lived? The answer to these questions and every similar question is a resounding NO! It would be given, and given freely, only to those who believe.

Now we get back to the root of the problem Arminians have with God’s Word. God’s Word tells us over and over that an unredeemed man possesses a spirit that is dead (Ephesians 2:1, 2:5, Colossians 2:13). The Arminian does not have a problem with this, however, they believe a man with a dead spirit can do something which requires the spirit to be alive first. The Arminian believes a man with a dead spirit:

- can please God. He can’t (Romans 8:8).

- will come into the Light. He won’t. (John 3:20)

- can understand. He can’t. (Romans 3:11, 1 Corinthians 2:14)

- will believe. He can’t (John 6:29, Philippians 1:29)
- can bring forth good fruit. He can't. (Luke 6:43)

In spite of God’s Word telling us the opposite, a lot of Christian believe that a lost man can decide of his own volition to become a believer in Jesus Christ. God’s Word tells us THAT is impossible as well. We become children of God NOT by human decision (John 1:13).

Bible Truth #304 - Romans 16:25-26

Romans 16:25-26

25  Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past,

26  but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith;

Verse 25 - ...according to the revelation of the mystery that has been kept secret for long ages past... The mystery was kept secret for long ages past? Wait a minute! I thought God wants EVERYONE to repent. Does not God want everyone to be saved? If that’s true, why did He keep the mystery of Christ secret for long ages past?

The obvious answer is that God does NOT want every man saved. If He did, He would have put every man in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). But since He didn’t, it is easily understood why He kept the mystery secret for millennia.

However, the Arminian will still grasp at the man-made theory that God wants all men to be saved by pointing to the phrase in verse 26 that He has now made the same mystery known to all nations.

#1 - that doesn’t answer my first point in that He has kept it hidden for millennia and

#2 - nations in this verse is the Greek word ἔθνος (ethnos - Strong’s G1484) which means people groups. This means God has made the mystery known to all people groups. This does not mean every single person within the people group, but to some within all people groups. The word “all” that precedes nations is from the Greek word πᾶς (pas - Strong’s G3956) and an allowable definition is “some of all types.” There is also a Greek word that is not used in this passage - a Greek word that means “each and every.” The word is ἕκαστος (hekastos - Strong’s G1538) and not only is it NOT used in this passage, it is NEVER used in the context of the atonement of Christ.

Now let’s consider HOW God kept it secret for long ages past. That answer is also easy. He simply did not give the Holy Spirit to men so they could understand. How do I know that? Go all the way back to Bible Truth #1 (1 Corinthians 2:14) where I write about God saying there is no lost man who understands ANYTHING from the Holy Spirit because those things must be spiritually discerned. And the spirit in a lost man is dead (Ephesians 2:1, 2:5, Colossians 2:13).

This also reconciles with the many places John uses the word “world” in that he is speaking of Jews AND Greeks, not just Jews. When God had John write world, He did NOT mean every single person on the planet for there are many whom God hates. I can understand why some will disagree and claim God loves everyone. That is why I wrote Bible Truth #66 that explains their misunderstanding.

Bible Truth #303 - Proverbs 20:24

Proverbs 20:24

Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way? (KJV)

A man's steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way? (NIV)

Man's steps are ordained by the LORD, How then can man understand his way? (NASB)

I put a few more versions above to make it clear that in this passage, God is saying the same thing He tells us in other passages like Proverbs 3:5-6, Proverbs 16:9, Proverbs 19:21, and Proverbs 21:1. All of which I’ve written about and all of which tell us that God has a plan for our lives and He directs our lives to fulfill His plan. There is no free will.

There is no one who ever lived who went through their entire life not fulfilling God’s plan for them. If there ever has been someone, then the passage above and the others I listed are lies. 

I’m sure there will be many questions we have that will be answered once we get to glory but in the meantime, whether it makes sense or not, you must believe God’s holy, inspired, infallible, inerrant Word.

God directs our steps and no one can understand their way, nor anyone else’s.

Bible Truth #302 - Romans 9:19-24

Romans 9:19-24
19  Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

20  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

21  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

22  What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

23  And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

24  Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

I’ve written about verses 19-21 before (Bible Truth #74) but I wanted to include them for context. I now want to continue the thought into verses 22-24.

God is willing to demonstrate His wrath and make His power known but He is exhibiting much patience by tolerating the daily activities of those He hates - the “vessels of wrath prepared for destruction.” Where do I get that? Please read verse 22 again. The combination of those words produces a simple thought. It only gets complex when those who believe in decisional salvation perform eisegesis (read into) the verse to make it fit their ill-conceived, man-centered idea of free will. Add to that fact the truth that God hates those whom He did not choose (Bible Truth #66) and you should easily understand that He has prepared, appointed, destined, determined these people for the Lake of Fire.

“Why? Why would He do that? Why would He not even give these people a chance?”

Easy. God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). But you don’t have to speculate or keep guessing as to why - read verse 23. He tells us very clearly why. He did it to make known to us, His Elect, the riches of His glory. And He prepared us for glory before the foundation of the World!

He called a people for Himself; not only Jews, but He also called people from among the non-Jews, i.e. Gentiles. All of those who believe, and those who will believe, were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). Those chosen were given to Christ and Jesus said in John 6:37 that all those the Father has given to Him WILL come to Him. There is no way that won’t happen. How will it happen? The Father drags (Strong’s G1670) them to Christ and those the Father draws, Jesus will raise up - every single one (John 6:44). Doesn’t that tell you that God does NOT draw every man to Christ?

And to those who try to say that God drags because man resists I say God drags not because man is resisting, but because he is dead. A spiritually dead man is not able to resist his spiritual rebirth any more than Lazarus was able to resist his physical resurrection.

Now a phrase that many overlook when reading this passage. Read v23 again and this time pay closer attention to “which He had afore prepared unto glory.” Paul is referring to God’s Elect and is confirming the idea that our salvation was determined, appointed, ordained of God long before we were ever born. We were prepared by God (we were clay, remember?) as vessels of honor. God will not take a vessel of honor and use it for dishonor, nor will He take a vessel He prepared for dishonor, and use it for honor. The point is, He has prepared beforehand every vessel for one or the other, honor or dishonor.

Bottom Line - God is holding back His wrath, enduring the stench from those He has destined to the Lake of Fire simply to show His Elect the riches of His glory, which He prepared for glory beforehand!

Bible Truth #301 - Jeremiah 17:9

Jeremiah 17:9

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Keeping along the same topic about which I wrote in Bible Truth #300, this is simply another passage that describes the condition of the heart of man. This is why the “T” in the 5 points (T.U.L.I.P.) of Calvinism as some call it, or Reformed Theology as it is more accurately known, represents the Total Depravity of man. Speaking of man in Genesis 6:5, God told us that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil, continually. There is no pause from “continually” in order for him to make a decision to be saved or to accept Christ.

In the passage above God tells us again - this time through Jeremiah. There is NO exception.

Again I ask, how can a man whose heart produces evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, lasciviousness, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, an evil eye, deceit, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness - CONTINUALLY; whose heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; how can this heart make a decision FOR Christ?

IT CAN’T.

We become children of God NOT by human decision (John 1:13). It’s God’s decision and He made it before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4)

Bible Truth #300 - Mark 7:21-23

Mark 7:21-23

21  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

22  Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

23  All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

I would say no one knows the heart of man better than the One who formed his heart (Psalm 52:15). These are Jesus’ own words that describe a condition of the heart of man. I believe most Christians will agree that this is man’s sinful nature, the nature with which every man is conceived and born.

What I fail to understand is how the Arminian can look at a passage like this and conclude that it is possible for a lost man, from whose heart all this evil comes, can, on his own and with no help from God, change and do righteousness, believe, and repent.

Jeremiah confirms this with his words in 17:9 - The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Paul tells us in Romans 3:10-12 that no one is righteous, no one understands, none seek God, all have turned away, and none that do good. But why do we even have to go to the words that Tertius wrote for Paul to the Romans when we have Jesus’ words above and in many other places, like John 8:43.

The list the Lord Himself provides details the evil that comes out of a man’s heart which perfectly reconciles with what God told us in Genesis 6:5 - every thought, not most, but EVERY thought and imagination of the heart of man is ONLY evil, continually. If every thought and imagination of a lost man's heart is only evil, continually (and it is) how can a lost man do good and accept Christ? or believe? or repent?

The simple, and only answer is, HE CAN’T!

Bible Truth #299 - Romans 3:10-12

Romans 3:10-12

10  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

11  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

12  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

If there are none that are righteous, how can a lost man do a righteous deed like believe on Jesus?

If there are none that understand, which is the same thing Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:14, how can a lost man understand he is lost and headed for an eternity in the Lake of Fire? How can he understand that Jesus is the Savior of the World and that he NEEDS a Savior? How can he understand that without the shedding of blood there is absolutely no forgiveness of sins? (Hebrews 9:22)

How can a one who believes in decisional salvation say, “Before I accepted Christ, I was seeking God,” when there are NONE that seek after God?

If all have gone out of the way (i.e. turned away), how can a lost man turn the right way when he can’t even SEE the right way? I’ve written about a lost man’s blindness in many places (John 12:40, Luke 10:23, Ephesians 4:18, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Colossians 1:13).

If all have become unprofitable, or worthless, how can a lost man become worth anything when NOTHING he does is pleasing to God? (Romans 8:8)

And finally, if there is no one who does good, how can a one who believes in decisional salvation say, “I did a good thing by accepting Christ as Savior.” Will he now say that “accepting Christ" is NOT doing good? If a man states that he was saved when he "accepted" Jesus, in effect he declared God a liar because God said we become His children NOT by the will of the flesh.

The bottom line - in the Totally Depraved nature of a lost man, there is no way for him to see, to hear, or to understand the Good News and therefore he will NEVER come to Christ if it were up to him. That is why God draws (drags) to Christ those He has chosen in Christ (Ephesians 1:4), and those God draws, Jesus WILL raise up. Every - single - one. (John 6:44).

No, God does not draw, or call, all men (1 Corinthians 1:26).

Bible Truth #298 - Romans 1:13; 15:18-22

Romans 1:13

I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.

Romans 15:18-22

18  For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed,

19  in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

20  And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man's foundation;

21  but as it is written, "THEY WHO HAD NO NEWS OF HIM SHALL SEE, AND THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD SHALL UNDERSTAND."

22  For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you;

This Bible Truth is very similar to other passages where Paul has had doors open (Bible Truth #218) or when he was prevented from going into areas to preach (Bible Truth #127). In Romans 1:13 and 15:22 above God is working through the lives of others (Proverbs 21:1) or within the will of Paul himself about his traveling to Rome (Philippians 2:13). In both instances it is clear that God was not allowing Paul to travel to Rome.

In these passages, as with many others, there is no free will. It clearly shows how God orders the steps of man (Proverbs 16:9).

Bible Truth #297 - 2 Corinthians 2:12-16

2 Corinthians 2:12-16

12  Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me,

13  I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So  I said good-by to them and went on to Macedonia.

14  But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.

15  For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

16  To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?

I wrote about verse 12 in Bible Truth #218 but wanted to include it above for context. Then in verse 13 because Paul had no peace of mind he continued his travels.

Who did not give him peace of mind? Who made him restless? Do you think it was the fact that he didn’t find Titus there? If that’s what you think then please think again. Regardless if Titus was there or not, if the Lord wanted Paul to remain in Troas He would have given him peace of mind. But the Holy Spirit moved on Paul to have him travel to Macedonia. He did what God wanted him to do. Some may think Paul made a free will choice but it was God working in him to will and to do of His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).

Paul went on to give God thanks for leading him in Christ and that through him and all the others they are spreading the Gospel. He compared spreading the Gospel to a fragrance and that to God, they are the aroma of Christ among all men, both saved and lost. To those being saved Christians are the fragrance of life but to the lost, Christians are the odor of death.

How can a lost man who “smells” only death on Christians all of a sudden, on his own, smell the sweet fragrance of life?

He can’t!

Please let me answer how it happens: God changed his nose! God quickened the lost man’s dead spirit, He made the lost man alive! The formerly lost man can now see spiritual things, hear spiritual words, understand spiritual truths, AND SMELL THE SWEET FRAGRANCE OF LIFE! All because God quickened his spirit through faith, the faith that God gives him (Ephesians 2:8, Romans 12:3) as a gift. God then gives him belief (John 6:29, Philippians 1:29), repentance (2 Timothy 2:25), and understanding (Luke 24:45, 1 Corinthians 2:14, 2 Timothy 2:7).

Bottom Line - To a lost man, Christians are, and will ALWAYS be, the smell of death. To smell life God has to give him a spiritual nose first! And a spiritual nose comes with a spiritual heart, spiritual ears, and spiritual eyes when God saves him.