Blog

Curiously, this past Sunday I had a chance to visit the small United Reformed Church not far from my town. The Pastor had a summary of doctrines worked out in the early 1600’s, known as the Canon’s of Dort. Being Presbyterian I’ve spent much more time with their standards that came a few years later. But I was impressed by the Canon’s simplicity in addressing the very issue you discuss. One can find the summary at:

https://www.fivesolas.com/cal_arm.htm

Here is a quote from the first point….

1. Total Inability or Total Depravity
Because of the fall, man is unable of himself to savingly believe the gospel. The sinner is dead, blind, and deaf to the things of God; his heart is deceitful and desperately corrupt. His will is not free, it is in bondage to his evil nature, therefore, he will not–indeed he cannot–choose good over evil in the spiritual realm. Consequently, it takes much more than the Spirit’s assistance to bring a sinner to Christ–it takes regeneration by which the Spirit makes the sinner alive and gives him a new nature. Faith is not something man contributes to salvation but is itself a part of God’s gift of salvation–it is God’s gift to the sinner, not the sinner’s gift to God.

I love the way it’s written: “..not the sinner’s gift to God.”

It gets better as you read on to all five points.

Good post on Mike ratliff’s Site: Interesting points. It’s also interesting to look at how the modern church has been cultivated. One can read about the role of those like directing The Leadership Network, and those they groomed to prominent positions. Also the extensive influence of seminaries like Fuller. There has been a lot of planning and effort in developing what we experience in the Visible Church today.

As for Paul’s exhortations to Timothy about the Word of God they reach a peak with:

2Ti 3:15  And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

In the Titus verse, this is directed not just to Titus but for the elders, bishops overseers or leaders in the church, earlier it states: Titus 1:9  Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

As does: 1 Timothy 3:2  A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

Holding fast the faithful word; taught, sound doctrine, exhort, convince, apt to teach….all very consistent with 2 Tim :16-17

I wish it was easy….I teach a early morning Sunday Class on the WCF and WSC at our church we may have 7 or so people attending, (3 of which just attend our class and are not part of the church), out of a church of 600-700 members. Not many clamoring to join us. Other classes following the more popular modern teachers and even videos available today are more greatly attended. The WCF is so scripturally rooted it even begins with a chapter on the Bible…

https://opc.org/wcf.html#Chapter_01

Great sentences….so often today we focus on the temporal and ignore the eternal….”My focus is eternal rather than temporal when I am where God wants me to be and when I struggle I find myself temporally focused and realize that God is using my circumstances to teach me something.”

Jesus said..Matthew 10:28  And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

And I can just imagine Paul out there in the desert 🐫 🌵 rereading the Scriptures and realizing…..

Luk 24:44  And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
Luk 24:45  Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
Luk 24:46  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
Luk 24:47  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Luk 24:48  And ye are witnesses of these things.

Btw, I also recommend this earlier post of Mike’s.

https://mikeratliff.wordpress.com/2019/05/11/no-one-can-come-to-me-unless-the-father-who-sent-me-draws-him/

Lot’s of detail steps here to consider.