“For whom ("A Royal Priesthood, a Holy Nation") He foreknew (In the Abrahamic Covenant, the seed of Abraham, foreknown from before the foundation of the world), He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Rom 8:29)
“Two lines of thought have divided Christians for centuries, namely Election (i.e., Predestination) and Free Grace, both of these doctrines, notwithstanding their apparent contradiction, have Scriptural support, both must be true; but in no way can they be reconciled except by, “rightly dividing the word of truth.”
While an Election has been in progress during the present and past ages, what is by way of distinction designated Free Grace is God’s gracious provision for the salvation of the world in general during the Millennial Age.
It is important to understand that all the passages found in the Bible, which treat of Election, apply to the present and past ages, while those which teach Free Grace are fully applicable to the next age.”
“Election, as taught in the Bible, IS NOT the arbitrary coercion, or fatalism usually believed, but a selection according to fitness and adaptability to the end God has in view, during the period appointed for that purpose.
“The doctrine of Free Grace is also a much grander display of God’s abounding favor than its advocates have taught. God’s grace or favor in Christ is ever free, in the sense of being unmerited; but since the fall of man into sin, to the present time, certain of God’s favor have been restricted to special individuals, nations, and classes, while in the next age all the world will be united to share the favors then offered, on the conditions then made known to all, and WHOSOEVER WILL may come and drink at life’s fountain freely.” (Rev. 22:17)
“In his marvelous plan God predestined two peoples, peoples chosen to accomplish his purposes: Israel and the Church. Just as with the Christian, the individual Jew is not predestinated. FREE WILL TAKES PRECEDENCE. As human beings created in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26), each Christian and each son of Jacob must exercise his or her free will.
However, as collective entities (or classes), however, God has foreordained both”.
Brother Calvin was right in part—to the extent that he was in harmony with the Bible, which teaches us to strive to fulfill our Covenant with the Lord, that thus we may “make our calling and election sure.” IT DOES NOT however teach the predestination which Calvin taught and which Wesley objected to—the predestination of the wicked to an eternity of torture. The only predestination mentioned in the bible is connected with the Church, the saints. God predestinated that none could be of the Church class, the bride class, except such as would become copies of His Son, the Redeemer. That predestination stands unalterable, but it has an effect upon others than the elect. It merely says that none except the saintly shall participate in the election. It says not one world about the fate of the non-elect. Read Romans 8:28-30 and you will see this for yourself.
To this, the scriptural predestination, none can object. It is the un-scriptural deductions, which have caused us difficulty.
Brother Wesley was in exact accord with the Bible in his declaration that every member of our race must have a share in the grace of God in Christ. However, what Brother Wesley did not see was that the great Plan of the Ages is not confined to any one century or one Age. He did not see that, while this Gospel Age is exclusively devoted to the selection of the Church class, invited to be “the Bride, the Lamb’s Wife,” there is a coming Age in which Christ and His glorified Bride will extend Divine mercy to the non-elect. (Rev 22:17)
“For the Grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.” (Titus 2:11) The Diaglott renders it as follows, “For the saving favor of God is manifested for all men” However it should be noted that neither of these renderings implies that all men as of yet have come to this knowledge merely that in due time it will be manifested to all. The grace of God can never disappear until it has accomplished its mission. (Isa 46:10)
Abraham of old typified Jehovah and Isaac typified Messiah, born not after the flesh, but after the Spirit—by a special Divine interposition—according to the promise of God. Of this anti-typical Isaac class Jesus is the Head, the Forerunner of the Church, as well as the world’s Redeemer. The Body of Messiah is composed of a saintly few, according to the Scriptures, gathered primarily from the Jews, but being completed by additions from every people, nation, kindred and tongue.
These all the Apostle tells us, will be character-copies of God’s dear Son, our Redeemer and Head. (This they do by the exercise of free will, they choose to comply with all the terms and conditions required of those who would be followers of our Lord, and sharers in his reward, “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the grown of life”. This means more than just being a faithful believer, confessing Christ, merely with the lips up until the end, but rather the faithfulness here implied is in the conforming of one’s life to the image (disposition) of our dear redeemer. “Many are called, but few are chosen” i.e., proved worthy.) This, the Apostle declares is Divine predestination. (Rom 8:29, 30; 4:28; 3:8, 16, 29)
This Church class, or Messiah class, is variously referred to in the prophecies, as well as in the New Testament, as the brethren of Jesus and as sons of God. Of them the Prophet David writes, “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the Most High; but ye shall all die like men, and fall like One of the princes.” (Psa 82:6, 7) These all die like men in the estimation of the world; for, as the Apostle John declares, the world knows them not, even as it knew not their Master. (1 John 3:1) As the world did not recognize that the life of Jesus was laid down sacrificially, neither is it aware that the followers of Jesus, a little handful, down through the Gospel Age, have likewise through His merit presented their bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. (Rom 12:1)
Nothing in any Scripture implies a divine foreknowledge of the INDIVIDUALS composing the elect class, EXCEPT in respect to the Head of the Church. We are told that God foreknew Jesus as his elect one. However, we are not to be understood as limiting the Lord's ability to identify the individuals who would compose the elect class, but merely that, whatever his power in this direction, he has not declared himself as intending to exercise such power. He ordained that Christ should be the world's Redeemer, and that his reward should be exaltation as the first member-- Head, Lord, Chief of the New Creation. He ordained also that a certain specific number should be chosen from amongst men to be his joint-heirs in the Kingdom—participants with him of the New Creation. We have every reason to believe that the definite, fixed number of the elect is that several times stated in Revelation (7:4; 14:1); namely, 144,000 "redeemed from amongst men."
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“Two lines of thought have divided Christians for centuries, namely Election (i.e., Predestination) and Free Grace, both of these doctrines, notwithstanding their apparent contradiction, have Scriptural support, both must be true; but in no way can they be reconciled except by, “rightly dividing the word of truth.”
While an Election has been in progress during the present and past ages, what is by way of distinction designated Free Grace is God’s gracious provision for the salvation of the world in general during the Millennial Age.
It is important to understand that all the passages found in the Bible, which treat of Election, apply to the present and past ages, while those which teach Free Grace are fully applicable to the next age.”
“Election, as taught in the Bible, IS NOT the arbitrary coercion, or fatalism usually believed, but a selection according to fitness and adaptability to the end God has in view, during the period appointed for that purpose.
“The doctrine of Free Grace is also a much grander display of God’s abounding favor than its advocates have taught. God’s grace or favor in Christ is ever free, in the sense of being unmerited; but since the fall of man into sin, to the present time, certain of God’s favor have been restricted to special individuals, nations, and classes, while in the next age all the world will be united to share the favors then offered, on the conditions then made known to all, and WHOSOEVER WILL may come and drink at life’s fountain freely.” (Rev. 22:17)
“In his marvelous plan God predestined two peoples, peoples chosen to accomplish his purposes: Israel and the Church. Just as with the Christian, the individual Jew is not predestinated. FREE WILL TAKES PRECEDENCE. As human beings created in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26), each Christian and each son of Jacob must exercise his or her free will.
However, as collective entities (or classes), however, God has foreordained both”.
Brother Calvin was right in part—to the extent that he was in harmony with the Bible, which teaches us to strive to fulfill our Covenant with the Lord, that thus we may “make our calling and election sure.” IT DOES NOT however teach the predestination which Calvin taught and which Wesley objected to—the predestination of the wicked to an eternity of torture. The only predestination mentioned in the bible is connected with the Church, the saints. God predestinated that none could be of the Church class, the bride class, except such as would become copies of His Son, the Redeemer. That predestination stands unalterable, but it has an effect upon others than the elect. It merely says that none except the saintly shall participate in the election. It says not one world about the fate of the non-elect. Read Romans 8:28-30 and you will see this for yourself.
To this, the scriptural predestination, none can object. It is the un-scriptural deductions, which have caused us difficulty.
Brother Wesley was in exact accord with the Bible in his declaration that every member of our race must have a share in the grace of God in Christ. However, what Brother Wesley did not see was that the great Plan of the Ages is not confined to any one century or one Age. He did not see that, while this Gospel Age is exclusively devoted to the selection of the Church class, invited to be “the Bride, the Lamb’s Wife,” there is a coming Age in which Christ and His glorified Bride will extend Divine mercy to the non-elect. (Rev 22:17)
“For the Grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.” (Titus 2:11) The Diaglott renders it as follows, “For the saving favor of God is manifested for all men” However it should be noted that neither of these renderings implies that all men as of yet have come to this knowledge merely that in due time it will be manifested to all. The grace of God can never disappear until it has accomplished its mission. (Isa 46:10)
Abraham of old typified Jehovah and Isaac typified Messiah, born not after the flesh, but after the Spirit—by a special Divine interposition—according to the promise of God. Of this anti-typical Isaac class Jesus is the Head, the Forerunner of the Church, as well as the world’s Redeemer. The Body of Messiah is composed of a saintly few, according to the Scriptures, gathered primarily from the Jews, but being completed by additions from every people, nation, kindred and tongue.
These all the Apostle tells us, will be character-copies of God’s dear Son, our Redeemer and Head. (This they do by the exercise of free will, they choose to comply with all the terms and conditions required of those who would be followers of our Lord, and sharers in his reward, “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the grown of life”. This means more than just being a faithful believer, confessing Christ, merely with the lips up until the end, but rather the faithfulness here implied is in the conforming of one’s life to the image (disposition) of our dear redeemer. “Many are called, but few are chosen” i.e., proved worthy.) This, the Apostle declares is Divine predestination. (Rom 8:29, 30; 4:28; 3:8, 16, 29)
This Church class, or Messiah class, is variously referred to in the prophecies, as well as in the New Testament, as the brethren of Jesus and as sons of God. Of them the Prophet David writes, “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the Most High; but ye shall all die like men, and fall like One of the princes.” (Psa 82:6, 7) These all die like men in the estimation of the world; for, as the Apostle John declares, the world knows them not, even as it knew not their Master. (1 John 3:1) As the world did not recognize that the life of Jesus was laid down sacrificially, neither is it aware that the followers of Jesus, a little handful, down through the Gospel Age, have likewise through His merit presented their bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. (Rom 12:1)
Nothing in any Scripture implies a divine foreknowledge of the INDIVIDUALS composing the elect class, EXCEPT in respect to the Head of the Church. We are told that God foreknew Jesus as his elect one. However, we are not to be understood as limiting the Lord's ability to identify the individuals who would compose the elect class, but merely that, whatever his power in this direction, he has not declared himself as intending to exercise such power. He ordained that Christ should be the world's Redeemer, and that his reward should be exaltation as the first member-- Head, Lord, Chief of the New Creation. He ordained also that a certain specific number should be chosen from amongst men to be his joint-heirs in the Kingdom—participants with him of the New Creation. We have every reason to believe that the definite, fixed number of the elect is that several times stated in Revelation (7:4; 14:1); namely, 144,000 "redeemed from amongst men."
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