Justification by Faith REFUTES Calvinism, Catholicism and ALL Religions

[Robert Pate]

JUSTIFICATION: "Justification may be defined as that judicial act of God, by which, on the basis of the meritorious work of Christ, imputed to the sinner and received by him through faith. He declares the sinner absolved from his sin, released from it penalty and restored as righteous." (Zondervan Bible Dictionary.)

Paul wrote, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 5:1."

No one will enter heaven that has not been justified by Jesus Christ. God must see us as perfect and complete "In Christ" Colossians 2:10. To not be found "In Christ" is to be lost. We are justified by Jesus Christ, Romans 3:26. In the Gospel we are crucified with Christ, resurrected with Christ and ascend into heaven with Christ, Romans 6:4-6. It is on the basis of the doing and the dying of Christ that we are justified.

Faith does not do the justifying. We are justified by the meritorious work of Christ. When Jesus fulfilled the law, he fulfilled it for us, just like we did it ourselves. When Jesus atoned for our sins and the sins of the whole world, 1 John 2:2, he did that for us. When Jesus ascended into heaven, we ascended with him. We now sit at the right hand of God in heaven "In Christ."

"And has raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" Ephesians 2:6.

No one needs to be predestinated. No one needs to join the Catholic church. We have been reconciled unto God by Jesus Christ, no religion was needed.

"All things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given unto us the ministry of reconciliation. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation" 2 Corinthians 5:18,19.

The ministry or the word of reconciliation is the Gospel. It is the hearing and the believing of the Gospel that brings justification and reconciliation, NOT predestination or Catholicism. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to believe the Gospel and to be reconciled unto God.

"We pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled unto God" 2 Corinthians 5:19.

If we have NOT been justified, we cannot be reconciled. Justification and reconciliation go together. We must be justified by the Gospel of Jesus Christ before we can be reconciled unto God. No justification means no reconciliation. No reconciliation means no salvation. The entrance into heaven is by accepting and believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ as our only means of salvation.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life: no man can come to the Father, but by me" John 14:6.

 

[beloved57]

JUSTIFICATION: "Justification may be defined as that judicial act of God, by which, on the basis of the meritorious work of Christ, imputed to the sinner and received by him through faith. He declares the sinner absolved from his sin, released from it penalty and restored as righteous." (Zondervan Bible Dictionary.)

Paul wrote, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 5:1."

No one will enter heaven that has not been justified by Jesus Christ. God must see us as perfect and complete "In Christ" Colossians 2:10. To not be found "In Christ" is to be lost. We are justified by Jesus Christ, Romans 3:26. In the Gospel we are crucified with Christ, resurrected with Christ and ascend into heaven with Christ, Romans 6:4-6. It is on the basis of the doing and the dying of Christ that we are justified.

Faith does not do the justifying. We are justified by the meritorious work of Christ. When Jesus fulfilled the law, he fulfilled it for us, just like we did it ourselves. When Jesus atoned for our sins and the sins of the whole world, 1 John 2:2, he did that for us. When Jesus ascended into heaven, we ascended with him. We now sit at the right hand of God in heaven "In Christ."

"And has raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" Ephesians 2:6.

No one needs to be predestinated. No one needs to join the Catholic church. We have been reconciled unto God by Jesus Christ, no religion was needed.

"All things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given unto us the ministry of reconciliation. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation" 2 Corinthians 5:18,19.

The ministry or the word of reconciliation is the Gospel. It is the hearing and the believing of the Gospel that brings justification and reconciliation, NOT predestination or Catholicism. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to believe the Gospel and to be reconciled unto God.

"We pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled unto God" 2 Corinthians 5:19.

If we have NOT been justified, we cannot be reconciled. Justification and reconciliation go together. We must be justified by the Gospel of Jesus Christ before we can be reconciled unto God. No justification means no reconciliation. No reconciliation means no salvation. The entrance into heaven is by accepting and believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ as our only means of salvation.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life: no man can come to the Father, but by me" John 14:6.

You teach justification by works, the freewill of man. You teach that sinners Christ died for are going to perish unjustified, unreconciled!

 

[Evil.Eye.<(I)>]

You teach justification by works, the freewill of man. You teach that sinners Christ died for are going to perish unjustified, unreconciled!

How can God not be the Author and approvel of human free-will, if we are warned against willful sin?

Um, willful insinuates that we have free will. Again, how are we "free" by Christ's work, if freedom is a mere illusion?

Nvm... I'm going to crank up "Free Will" by "Rush".


"There are those who think that life
Has nothing left to chance
With a host of holy horrors
To direct our aimless dance

A planet of playthings
We dance on the strings
Of powers we cannot perceive
The stars aren't aligned
Or the gods are malign
Blame is better to give than receive

You can choose a ready guide
In some celestial voice
If you choose not to decide
You still have made a choice

You can choose from phantom fears
And kindness that can kill
I will choose a path that's clear
I will choose free will

There are those who think that
They've been dealt a losing hand
The cards were stacked against them
They weren't born in Lotus-Land

All preordained
A prisoner in chains
A victim of venomous fate
Kicked in the face
You can't pray for a place
In heaven's unearthly estate

Each of us
A cell of awareness
Imperfect and incomplete
Genetic blends
With uncertain ends
On a fortune hunt
That's far too fleet"

Seriously!!! And if Robert Pate is a salvation by works teacher, then Hillary Clinton should be in charge of CIA security.

 

[beloved57]

How can God not be the Author and approvel of human free-will, if we are warned against willful sin?

Um, willful insinuates that we have free will. Again, how are we "free" by Christ's work, if freedom is a mere illusion?

Nvm... I'm going to crank up "Free Will" by "Rush".


"There are those who think that life
Has nothing left to chance
With a host of holy horrors
To direct our aimless dance

A planet of playthings
We dance on the strings
Of powers we cannot perceive
The stars aren't aligned
Or the gods are malign
Blame is better to give than receive

You can choose a ready guide
In some celestial voice
If you choose not to decide
You still have made a choice

You can choose from phantom fears
And kindness that can kill
I will choose a path that's clear
I will choose free will

There are those who think that
They've been dealt a losing hand
The cards were stacked against them
They weren't born in Lotus-Land

All preordained
A prisoner in chains
A victim of venomous fate
Kicked in the face
You can't pray for a place
In heaven's unearthly estate

Each of us
A cell of awareness
Imperfect and incomplete
Genetic blends
With uncertain ends
On a fortune hunt
That's far too fleet"

Seriously!!! And if Robert Pate is a salvation by works teacher, then Hillary Clinton should be in charge of CIA security.

Go read my threads for what I believe!

 

[Robert Pate]

Go read my threads for what I believe!

We all know what you believe.

You believe that God is an unjust, unmerciful, unrighteous tyrant that delights in sending people to hell.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

Justification Implies No Congruent Merit on Our Part

Justification Implies No Congruent Merit on Our Part

JUSTIFICATION: "Justification may be defined as that judicial act of God, by which, on the basis of the meritorious work of Christ, imputed to the sinner and received by him through faith. He declares the sinner absolved from his sin, released from it penalty and restored as righteous." (Zondervan Bible Dictionary.)

So far, so good, Robert.

You stray as soon as you start implying faith is the cause of our justification. It is not. Faith is a condition of our justification. Your view, an erroneous view, that we need only believe, implies merit of man as a condition upon God. Strict merit is condign, as it looks to the "worthiness" of the one doing the work. The only alternative to condign merit is congruent merit, your view, which supposes some "suitability" or "fitness" in the recipient of the reward based upon the recipient's mustering up of faith (working) all by himself.

We Protestants hold that Jesus had merited condignly our justification. We rejected any notion that we have either congruent or condign merit. We confess that Christ’s obedience is perfect. His merit, His obedience, is active and suffering righteousness (that is, His whole obedience) is imputed to us. The ground of our acceptance with God as righteousness is wholly outside of us. Ours is an alien righteousness, a righteousness not of our own. Our cooperation is of no account in our justification either as the ground or the instrument. Christ’s obedience is the ground and faith is the sole instrument because our works are defiled and imperfect.

Your doctrine of congruent merit says that God grades on a curve. He does not. Uzzah did what lay within him (2 Sam 6) and he died. Isaiah 64:6 says that all our works are as filthy rags. There is no condignity (intrinsic worth) to them. We were born in sin (Psalm 51:5). We are dead in sins and trespasses (Ephesians 2:1–4). Our best works are like dung (Philippians 3:8).

Now you may protest when I claim you have made faith a work, but you make faith a work the instant you believe that you somehow autonomously can manifest saving faith apart from the work of the Holy Spirit.

And you and you alone are responsible for your salvation.

It is blatant Pelagianism to believe that you can use your own resources to move from unregenerate to regenerate. There is nothing in the Scripture that a person can truly believe without the work of the Holy Spirit. It is grace and not volition that separates the believer from the non-believer. Your view is that all have been given an equal amount of grace that they need only 'believe'. You cannot twist this 'belief' to mean it is not a work and not something to boast about. Two persons are both given the same grace, one believes and one does not. The only difference in your view, then, is that one was somehow more perceptive, hence more meritorious. This is synergism and not Biblical.

Spend ten minutes and learn more about justification: http://vimeo.com/94263700

AMR

 

[Robert Pate]

So far, so good, Robert.

You stray as soon as you start implying faith is the cause of our justification. It is not. Faith is a condition of our justification. Your view, an erroneous view, that we need only believe, implies merit of man as a condition upon God. Strict merit is condign, as it looks to the "worthiness" of the one doing the work. The only alternative to condign merit is congruent merit, your view, which supposes some "suitability" or "fitness" in the recipient of the reward based upon the recipient's mustering up of faith (working) all by himself.

We Protestants hold that Jesus had merited condignly our justification. We rejected any notion that we have either congruent or condign merit. We confess that Christ’s obedience is perfect. His merit, His obedience, is active and suffering righteousness (that is, His whole obedience) is imputed to us. The ground of our acceptance with God as righteousness is wholly outside of us. Ours is an alien righteousness, a righteousness not of our own. Our cooperation is of no account in our justification either as the ground or the instrument. Christ’s obedience is the ground and faith is the sole instrument because our works are defiled and imperfect.

Your doctrine of congruent merit says that God grades on a curve. He does not. Uzzah did what lay within him (2 Sam 6) and he died. Isaiah 64:6 says that all our works are as filthy rags. There is no condignity (intrinsic worth) to them. We were born in sin (Psalm 51:5). We are dead in sins and trespasses (Ephesians 2:1–4). Our best works are like dung (Philippians 3:8).

Now you may protest when I claim you have made faith a work, but you make faith a work the instant you believe that you somehow autonomously can manifest saving faith apart from the work of the Holy Spirit.



It is blatant Pelagianism to believe that you can use your own resources to move from unregenerate to regenerate. There is nothing in the Scripture that a person can truly believe without the work of the Holy Spirit. It is grace and not volition that separates the believer from the non-believer. Your view is that all have been given an equal amount of grace that they need only 'believe'. You cannot twist this 'belief' to mean it is not a work and not something to boast about. Two persons are both given the same grace, one believes and one does not. The only difference in your view, then, is that one was somehow more perceptive, hence more meritorious. This is synergism and not Biblical.

Spend ten minutes and learn more about justification: http://vimeo.com/94263700

AMR

Your whole doctrine is based upon Calvinism, which is a false doctrine. You try to fit it in with the Gospel and justification by faith but it doesn't fit, which causes you to make long post where you try to justify your unbiblical statements that are in conflict with God's word.

Paul refutes you, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God" which is the Gospel Romans 10:17.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

McDonald's Theological Happy Meals® Are All Robert Pate can deal with

McDonald's Theological Happy Meals® Are All Robert Pate can deal with

Your whole doctrine is based upon Calvinism, which is a false doctrine. You try to fit it in with the Gospel and justification by faith but it doesn't fit, which causes you to make long post where you try to justify your unbiblical statements that are in conflict with God's word.

Long posts! :baby:
I am only able to digest McDonald's Happy Meal® levels of doctrine!:baby:

As expected...
http://theologyonline.com/showthrea...ed-Religions&p=4883925&viewfull=1#post4883925

http://theologyonline.com/showthrea...ed-Religions&p=4854977&viewfull=1#post4854977

And by the way, my previous "long" response contains 15 less words (excluding quotations of your post) than your opening post to this thread. Fortunately my post reflects Scripture's teachings. Yet another example of your double-mindedness.

Tell you what I will do. If you limit each and every thread you start or post you make to less than 100 words for a week, so will I. I know I can certainly do with a break from reading your blog posts.

:AMR:

AMR

 

[beloved57]

We all know what you believe.

You believe that God is an unjust, unmerciful, unrighteous tyrant that delights in sending people to hell.

You teach that God is unjust in punishing the Righteous for whom Christ died! Also that He's unmerciful!

 

[Robert Pate]

Long posts! :baby:
I am only able to digest McDonald's Happy Meal® levels of doctrine!:baby:

As expected...
http://theologyonline.com/showthrea...ed-Religions&p=4883925&viewfull=1#post4883925

http://theologyonline.com/showthrea...ed-Religions&p=4854977&viewfull=1#post4854977

And by the way, my previous "long" response contains 15 less words (excluding quotations of your post) than your opening post to this thread. Fortunately my post reflects Scripture's teachings. Yet another example of your double-mindedness.

Tell you what I will do. If you limit each and every thread you start or post you make to less than 100 words for a week, so will I. I know I can certainly do with a break from reading your blog posts.

:AMR:

AMR

You have been influenced by the doctrines of men. Jesus said "Beware of men" Matthew 10:17.

You apparently hold men's persons in admiration. Who are all of those guys on the bottom of your page?

John Calvin must be one of them. He was the worst of all men, yet you embrace his doctrine as though it was the word of God.

 

[beloved57]

You have been influenced by the doctrines of men. Jesus said "Beware of men" Matthew 10:17.

You apparently hold men's persons in admiration. Who are all of those guys on the bottom of your page?

John Calvin must be one of them. He was the worst of all men, yet you embrace his doctrine as though it was the word of God.

You worship your freewill!

 

[Robert Pate]

You worship your freewill!

Its to bad that you cannot make intelligent statements. How would one worship free will. Free will is a natural human attribute that we are all born with. Did you not by your own free will chose Calvinism?

 

[Jerry Shugart]

John Calvin must be one of them. He was the worst of all men, yet you embrace his doctrine as though it was the word of God.

John Calvin himself contradicts the teaching of the Calvinists. In his commentary on John 3:16 he says that the whole world has been reconciled to God:

"He has employed the universal term whosoever, both to invite all indiscriminately to partake of life, and to cut off every excuse from unbelievers. Such is also the import of the term world which He formerly used [God so loved the world]; for though nothing will be found in the world that is worthy of the favor of God, yet He shows Himself to be reconciled to the whole world, when He invites all men without exception [not merely 'without distinction'] to the faith of Christ, which is nothing else than an entrance into life" (John Calvin, (Commentary at John 3:16).​

How can anyone call themselves a Calvinist since what Calvin teaches on such an important matter is directly contradicts by what the Calvinists teach?

 

[musterion]

John Calvin himself contradicts the teaching of the Calvinists. In his commentary on John 3:16 he says that the whole world has been reconciled to God:

"He has employed the universal term whosoever, both to invite all indiscriminately to partake of life, and to cut off every excuse from unbelievers. Such is also the import of the term world which He formerly used [God so loved the world]; for though nothing will be found in the world that is worthy of the favor of God, yet He shows Himself to be reconciled to the whole world, when He invites all men without exception [not merely 'without distinction'] to the faith of Christ, which is nothing else than an entrance into life" (John Calvin, (Commentary at John 3:16).
​

How can anyone call themselves a Calvinist since what Calvin teaches on such an important matter is directly contradicts by what the Calvinists teach?

Calvin was not consistent in what he wrote. Others and myself have posted on TOL where Calvin affirmed that, for His own good pleasure, God indeed reprobated many to damnation with no hope of being saved, and that none are free to question this double predestination without the sin of presumption. That stand cannot be reconciled with what you quoted above and I've yet to meet the Calvinist who'll admit it.

What you quoted is likely the same kind of doublethink employed by the Reformed today. Note the ones here on TOL, from your own experience: you can ask them point blank if the offer of salvation is genuinely open to the non-elect. All but the really consistent and honest ones (B57) will say YES! THE GOSPEL IS GENUINELY OPEN TO THE NON-ELECT TOO!

But when you ask how it can be open to the non-elect when Christ's blood was limited in scope and not shed for those not elected unto salvation (per the "L" of TULIP), they dodge, bob and weave and will NOT reconcile their own contradiction. Instead they rail against you for simply pointing it out.

In short, Calvin was just as inconsistent as his namesakes are today.

 

[musterion]

One example:

The predestination by which God adopts some to the hope of life, and adjudges others to eternal death, no man who would be thought pious ventures simply to deny . . . By predestination we mean the eternal decree of God, by which he determined with himself whatever he wished to happen with regard to every man. All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and, accordingly, as each has been created for one or other of these ends, we say that he has been predestinated to life or to death. (3.21.5)

If someone wants to try to reconcile that with Calvin's commentary on John, have at it...but you'll fail.

 

[beloved57]

Its to bad that you cannot make intelligent statements. How would one worship free will. Free will is a natural human attribute that we are all born with. Did you not by your own free will chose Calvinism?

You teach justification by freewill !

 

[Nanja]

You teach justification by freewill !

Right, he boasts of his imaginary freewill right to choose to become saved by his filthy works of the flesh!


Is. 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.

Rom. 8:7-8
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

 

[Robert Pate]

You teach justification by freewill !

Jesus encourages us to believe on him. The only way that anyone can believe on him is by their own free will.

Maybe you think that Jesus is going to believe for you?

 

[Nanja]

Jesus encourages us to believe on him. The only way that anyone can believe on him is by their own free will.

Maybe you think that Jesus is going to believe for you?

Wrong!

The only Believing / Faith that pleases God is a Fruit of the Holy Spirit given in New Birth.

Gal. 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith


Not all men have Faith 2 Thes. 3:2 KJV!

 

[beloved57]

Jesus encourages us to believe on him. The only way that anyone can believe on him is by their own free will.

Maybe you think that Jesus is going to believe for you?

You believe in your freewill to save you.