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Originally Posted by Barnpreacher  Quote:
Originally Posted by Amazing Grace Quote:
Originally Posted by armourbearer Unbelievers ought to think about and deeply consider the endearing qualities of Jesus Christ as an all-sufficient Saviour. This is not forbidden them until they "discover" a gift of faith in their souls. Their very thinking on Christ might be the means whereby the gift of faith is given.
Further, when assurance for a believer cannot be obtained by means of self-examination, it becomes necessary to turn the heart directly towards Christ as if one were an unbeliever; and here the process is the same as above. Christ is meditated upon in the various aspects of His redemptive work in order to work the heart into an acquiescence in Him. | But they cannot. Oughts are never thoughts that bring peace to the person. Noone has ever thought of Christ as a savior who has not been regenerated by Grace of the Spirit of God. IT is forbidden in the sense they have no ability to do this in an unregenerate state. It is foolishness to them... | AG,
But we preach and encourage unbelievers to look to Christ and consider him as an all-Sufficient Savior, for we do not know the point of regeneration. Is it not the Spirit using the preached Word of God about the finished work of Jesus Christ that regenerates an unbeliever's heart? We do not encourage unbelievers to sit in a service as if they were in a vacuum where their minds are just blank and not thinking at all. And we certainly do not encourage them to think about acts of fornication or acts of greed while Christ is being preached. We encourage them to look to Christ for we know not when the Spirit will take away the blinders and allow them to see Him for who He is.
You're right in that the qualities of Jesus Christ as an all-Sufficient Savior are foolishness to the unbeliever until their hearts are quickened, but I'd rather an unbeliever read Paul's Epistle to the Romans as opposed to reading Playboy magazine. |
I agree Barny, that we do. But I feel we are getting off topic here regarding assurance. Richard put the words of Guthrie in there about assurance, not regeneration. They were connected in the sense when Guthrie mentions in his question 14
Q. 14 What way shall I do that?
A. Set apart some portion of time, and, having considered your own lost estate, and the remedy offered by Christ Jesus, work up your heart to be pleased and close with that offer, and say unto God expressly that you do accept of that offer, and of Him to be your God in Christ; and do give up yourself to Him to be saved in His way, without reservation or exception in any case; and that you henceforth will wait for salvation in the way He has appointed.
In the above, I still disagree this assurance can be wrought from our own heart. And the prahse "Accepting Christ" reeks of self will arminianism does it not? The coice of words is poor, very poor.
I will also correct and clarify my comment about the unregenerate, in their self righteous way, they do look to Christ and believe they are serving him and have assurance. I meant a true biblical Spirit wrought conversion based soley on His obejective work. The inward evidence of assurance can be the same for the un regenerate and regenerate, that is why I do not give much weight to this, other than between man and man.