IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS

AND

ASSOCIATED

DOCTRINES

OF

SALVATION

BY

DR. D. PAUL TUCK SR.

A BAPTIST PULPIT PUBLICATION

CONTENTS

1. Dedication …………………………………………………...Page 3

2. Chapter 1- Basic Fundamental Need for Righteousness – Page 4

3. Chapter 2 – The Law is Fulfilled in Jesus Christ - Page 6

4. Chapter 3 - The Doctrine of Imputation - Page 8

5. Chapter 4 - The Great Comparison - Page 11

6. Chapter 5 - Biblical Terms in Soteriology - Page 15

7. Bibliography - Page 26

2 Timothy 2:15 – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

DEDICATION

When I was first converted to Jesus Christ (October 8^th 1956) the subject of imputed righteousness was a well-known topic among those known as evangelical Christians. Over these many years the word “evangelical” has undergone some change and lost much of its original meaning. Like-wise the doctrine of imputed righteousness has not been preached from our pulpits as it once was and the Arminian idea that amounts to our becoming our own Savior with a wrong emphasis on the free will of man; has done much harm to the cause of Biblical Christianity. The doctrines of this work are taught by the author in Landmark Baptist Church, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada.

I dedicate this work to those who have not lost the truth of God’s absolute sovereignty in free grace and especially to my friend and colleague David Allen Shortt who inspired this work with the following statement –

“If you cannot keep God’s law you had better trust someone who can, and did”.

May we learn from these lessons the Biblical principle of absolute sovereignty in grace, and that no man can pick himself up by his own bootstraps.

Dr. D. Paul Tuck Sr.

Landmark Baptist Church

Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada

April 25^th 2005

COPYRIGHT BY THE AUTHOR AND PUBLISHERS

2005 A.D.

Dewey Decimal Number – 234.1

All rights to copy and reprint these notes

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BAPTIST PULPIT MINISTRIES

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First Printing – August 2005

CHAPTER ONE

THE BASIC FUNDAMENTAL NEED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS

THE ORIGIN OF SIN:

In Paul’s letter to the Roman Church he underlines the basic human need for righteousness. In Chapters 1-2-3, we see this laid out as a need on behalf of humanity, and a requirement on behalf of God. There is much debate as to sins origin but I believe that as far as the plain teaching of scripture is concerned, it dates back to Adam in the Garden of Eden. Did sin originate with God? No, it originated with Adam but was actually found in Satan and certain other angels long before this point. Of course God knew about sin but sin was never a part of God. Did God create man capable of disobedience? Yes, but the responsibility for that disobedience lies with man, not with God.

Genesis 2:17 – “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die”. I can hear someone ask, “But Adam lived to be a very old man?” Yes he did, but he died that very day spiritually, and the process of physical death was set in motion from that point. Therefore the apostle in his letter to the Hebrews wrote, Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”

Man is not just a physical being but is spiritual as well. Man’s physical body was affected by the fall, but it is his spiritual self that is spiritually dead, void of life, separated from God and alienated from his righteousness.

Adam’s sin affected his entire prodigy; therefore all mankind is under the condemnation of sin.

God’s judgment of sin began with the curse upon Adam and man inherited Adam’s fallen nature, sinning more and more until the time of the flood where God said, enough is enough and destroyed the antediluvian world. Paul deals with this in Romans chapter one and then in chapter two shows the destruction of the world and of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah as sin ran rampant increasing more and more with each generation. That is the course of sin. Man can sin more and more, but he cannot avail himself of the righteousness that meets God’s requirement and measures up to God’s standard of holiness. This was the irony of the Gentile nations and while they knew about God, they did not know how to, or in effect, have the desire to meet His requirement for righteousness.

Paul then shows that the Jew is no better off, even though they have the Law of God as given to them through Moses. The Jew would put their thumbs in their spiritual suspenders, stick out their chest and brag about their nation having the laws and precepts of God. However for the most part they did not understand that the law was given to them as a light that would reveal their sinful hearts and cause them to see themselves in a way that demanded deliverance. They did not then understand the purpose of the law. Paul wrote to the Galatian churches - Galatians 3:24-25 – “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”

The Jew then was no better off, for although Israel possessed the written laws of God, she was not much better at keeping them than the Gentile, and they too came short of God’s requirement for righteousness.

Jesus in addressing the religious leaders of His day (and our day has not improved the situation) –

Matthew 23:27 - “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.”

The man within that body was dead spiritually!

The apostle Paul then compared the Jew and the Gentile and concluded “therefore whether Gentile or Jew, all men are on the same equal footing, they are spiritually lost, separated from God.” This is the teaching of scripture.

So then Paul wrote – Romans 2:11-12 – “For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without the law shall also perish without the law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law.”

So all men stand in Adam as effected by his sin – Romans 5:12 – “Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. How did we become sinners? Paul says it came by one man, Adam.

God has a standard for righteousness and man in himself (Adam) cannot reach that height nor meet God’s standard for holiness.

Romans 3:10 – “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.” The Jew might argue, “but we have the law”. However the law is against us, it leaves us guilty as sinners standing before a holy God.

Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

God has a standard, and mankind from Adam until now, have all failed to meet that standard. There used to be a rule that a man who would join the Royal Canadian Mounted Police had to measure to the height of 6 feet tall. Now if a man came anything less than that he was rejected.

Because of Adamic sin man cannot reach the mark. Paul wrote in, Romans 5:19 – “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”

That is what is meant in Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

In the Biblical reference to good and evil, we always see too sides that always clash and never become one.

(I quote from Dave Gustafson) – “I love the story of David and all his troubles, but he was God's elect and he knew it and he constantly repented and relied on the imputed righteousness of his God. Cain and the rest of the reprobates just don't have that relationship and never will, as their father is the Devil and the father of lies. They would rather believe a lie than the truth, who call good evil and evil good”- Pastor Dave Gustafson, Landmark Sovereign Grace Baptist Church, Modesto, California, USA.

THE DEMAND FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS:

Man left to himself makes no good effort to fulfill God’s requirement for righteousness. The scripture record in Genesis clearly shows that Adam and Eve upon the realization of their nakedness never sought for God. They instead sought for fig leaves to cover their nakedness. Man has used this same approach down through the ages. We see this in the offering of Cain as opposed to that of Abel. We see it in the building of the tower of Babel, which is the beginning of Babylon (confusion). We see it in Saul as he sought out the witch of Endor and sought to kill David. We see it in the worldliness of Israel as they journeyed 40 long years in the wilderness, the first generation failing to enter into Canaan. We see it in the self-righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus day. We see it in our time in the multitude of world religions and cults that seek to find a way back to God, a way steeped in good deeds and self-oblation. We see it in the false doctrines of Arminianism and Pelagianism that are being taught even in Baptist pulpits of our day. Doctrines that exalt man and would make him his own savior. We see it in all such doctrines that oppose those of free and sovereign grace. My friend David Shortt says, “Man had better fulfill the demands of God’s law, or find someone who can.” Those who truly came to know God since the beginning of time, found a way to appease a holy God and satisfy God’s justice. God met Adam and Eve in sovereign grace. He took animal skins and clothed them and in so doing covered their nakedness. He gave them a promise, the first gospel verse of the Bible –

Genesis 3:15 – “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

See –John 8:44. That which pleases God is “faith” as we read in Hebrews chapter 11. However, man is totally incapable of righteousness and of faith, apart from the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration.

CHAPTER TWO

THE LAW OF GOD IS FULFILLED IN CHRIST

THE FULFILLMENT OF THE LAW:

The law says, “I am guilty” and it condemns me to death. That is all that the law can do. In its most positive aspect, it is our schoolmaster, a searchlight from heaven that shines in the darkest regions of our heart and finds there nothing but sin. I have often illustrated it this way; the law gives us a traffic ticket, but never have I known the law to pay for the ticket. The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death – yes crime does pay!” Crime pays in death! Man may try to do away with the death penalty but God’s death penalty still stands and is eternal.

John 3:18-21 – “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God” - Cf – Romans 6:23.

Jesus Christ came into the word, God veiled in human flesh, for the purpose of seeking and saving them that are lost. He was God’s light in the darkened world of sin. He came with the purpose of going to the cross of Calvary where he would in his vicarious death meet the demands of the law.

Matthew 1:21 – “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

The coming of Jesus Christ, the purpose of His birth is here seen. The angel said, “Thou shalt call his name “Jesus, for he shall save (deliver) his people from their sins. The word from used here means “from its bondage and penalty.” Jesus saves His people from the penalty and from the power of sin. When he comes again we will be saved from the very presence of sin. So our deliverance is then three-fold.

Luke 19:10 - “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Jesus acknowledged the purpose of his first coming, “to seek and top save that which was lost.” He illustrated this as the good shepherd that left the ninety-nine sheep in the fold while he went out in search of one lost sheep. Isaiah tells us - Isaiah 53:6 –

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

2 Corinthians 5:21 – “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Jesus Christ then, not the Law of Moses meets the divine requirements for salvation from the penalty and power of sin.

Romans 10:4 - “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”

Christ puts an end to the law for righteousness; No, he does not do away with it, but rather he fulfills it, meets its requirements. No other man, no religion, nobody has been able to accomplish this. The requirements of all of the world religions are no better than those of Mosaic Law. They make requirements of man, of that which is impossible to do. The best living man (except Jesus Christ) cannot meet the demands of God’s law.

Acts 4:12 – “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

The Bible declares that salvation is only found in the name of Jesus Christ. The reason we must be saved is that the law of God condemns us. It puts us to death and cannot bring us life now or in eternity. Listen to the word of God – Genesis 3:15 - “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

Man could not and did not do anything about this “enmity” but God dealt with it as we read in the words of the apostle Paul –

Romans 8:7 – “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”

Ephesians 2:15-16 – “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.”

Jesus Christ alone achieved peace and it is available in the “one new man” or new creation – see 2 Corinthians 5:17.

The Christian is not to follow the ways of the world for therein is enmity- that for which Jesus Christ died to free us from.

James 4:4 – “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

So we see the extent to which Jesus Christ fulfilled the law for us. The question then is: “If Jesus Christ fulfilled the law for us, why should any man want to do it for himself, especially when he does not possess the ability to do so?” It is like a chicken trying to be a duck and lay ducks eggs, or a peach tree trying to be an apple tree and grow apples. The Mosaic Law is totally against us – and only one man ever fulfilled it. How long can a five foot man walk in twelve feet of water. How can a dead man even talk let alone walk?

Paul gives the answer –

Colossians 1:27 – “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Romans 7:21-25

“I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members.

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”

The whole essence of the gospel message is that Christ did for us what we could not do for ourselves in fulfilling the demands of the law.

Acts 10:41-42 - “Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.”

Romans 5:15 – “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.”

CHAPTER THREE

THE DOCTRINE OF IMPUTATION

PAUL’S DOCTRINE OF IMPUTATION:

Romans 4:8 – “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”

The word impute is an interesting and a most important word in the New Testament. It has very much to do with the very essence of our salvation.

Dr. W.E. Vine says of this word “impute” – “Greek - Logizomai – to reckon, take into account, or metaphorically to put down to a person’s account.” Dr. Vine suggests that the verb to reckon as used in the R.V. is a more suitable word. However the word “impute” when understood is just as good a rendering as “to reckon.”

There is another word used – “Greek – Ellogao – this word denotes, to charge to one’s account, to lay to one’s charge and is translated imputed in Romans 5:13 – of sin not being imputed when there is no law.

This principle is applied to the fact that between Adam’s transgression and the giving of the law at Mount Sinai, though it was in the world, did not partake of the character of transgression; for there was no law. The law of conscience existed, but that is not in view in the passage, which deals with the fact of external commandments given by God. In Philemon 18 the verb is rendered – “put (that) to (mine) account.”

Therefore the general meaning of the words “impute – imputed-imputation” is to credit or charge something to the account of another, and/or as the case may be, not account or credit it to one’s account.

I well remember one of my professors in Bible College saying, “we need to keep a short account with the Lord.” This of course is for the one who has already had an account opened for him/her in the Grace bank of heaven. We keep a short account with God as we come to the place of cleansing on a daily basis and walk in the fellowship of God’s light and Word. I will deal more with this line of thought later.

Having therefore seen the basic meaning of imputation, let us examine some of the verses where this word is used.

There are at least three different translations of the Greek words for imputation in the authorized (KJV) version. Those three words are impute, credit, and account. The basic meaning is the same, to apply towards the account of the person concerned.

Paul talks of this subject of imputation in his letter to the Romans- We have already looked at this briefly; now let us look more closely to the fourth chapter of Romans.

Paul uses Abraham as an illustration of imputation –

Romans 4:3-4

“For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.”

Paul is showing that Abraham was saved by faith and not by works on the basis of imputed righteousness. Faith was “counted –credited to his account” for righteousness.

Vs 5 – “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

Faith is credited to the account of the believer for justification.

Vs 6 – “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works.”

Righteousness is then said to come to the believer and is credited or accounted to the account of the believer without any measure of works on his part.

“Since salvation is by grace alone, any measure of works on the part of man would render grace as not grace at all.”

“God need not impute righteousness to the account of any man who does not require it – but rather to those whose account is empty of true righteousness and they are completely bankrupt.”

Vs 7-8 – “Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”

The one who has a bill that is due with the words “PLEASE REMIT” written across it, can rejoice when someone by shear grace covered their debt, in fact wiped it out by the crediting to their account of the amount of payment both needed and which was due.

Jesus Christ Himself is that payment in his death, shed blood and the power of his resurrection.

Vs 9 – “Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.”

Was this blessing of imputation given only to the Jews or was it also given for Gentiles?

Paul’s reasoning was that since it was reckoned, credited or accounted by faith and not by the works of the law, it was to all men who have faith. Faith was credited to Abraham’s account therefore not only the Jew but the Gentile also who would believe in Jesus Christ would receive the same imputation.

Vs 10 – “How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.”

How did Abraham receive this imputation of righteousness? Was it when he was circumcised? No for he received it by faith and then received the sign of circumcision.

Likewise in the New Covenant that a sinner is first saved by faith and then is scripturally baptized. The two are not one and the same but they certainly compliment each other.

Vs 11 – “And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed to them also.” So Paul is here going back beyond or past the Mosaic Law and connects imputed righteousness with Abraham and not Moses. Therefore we see that whether Jew or Gentile, imputed righteousness is by faith and not by the works of the law or the flesh.

Vs 12 – “And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had, yet being uncircumcised.”

It is therefore faith that connects both Jew and Gentile together in one. This Paul alludes to in Ephesians 2:14-17 – “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.”

Paul makes it clear that this God’s promise to Abraham and his seed is not through the law but “through the righteousness of faith” - (Romans 4:13).

Vs 14 - We then notice the extreme contrariety between the law and faith expressed by Paul in this fourteenth verse. “For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect.

“One can no more make faith synonymous with works than to add works to grace: the one renders the other as useless and dead.” That is probably why Martin Luther had much difficulty in accepting the Epistle of James as authentic when it speaks of faith without works being dead – James 2:7. However, we believe that James was talking about “corresponding actions”, those works that followed faith, not preceded it or went along beside.

THE REASON FOR FAITH RATHER THAN THE WORKS OF THE LAW:

Romans 4:15 – “Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.”

Vs 16 – “Therefore it is by faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of faith of Abraham; who is father of us all.”

The extension of God’s hand of sovereign grace to His elect is then seen to be “by grace through faith”

Paul in Vs 20-22 explains this – therefore faith was imputed unto Abraham for righteousness.

So in the closing verses of Romans chapter 4 – Paul sums up his argument –

Vs 23 – “Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed unto him.”

Imputation of righteousness by faith was not just for Abraham alone.

Vs 24 – “But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.” Here is where faith connects with God. If we believe on Him (God) who raised Our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead.

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.”

Salvation is in Jesus Christ and involves a confession of sin and a heart relationship with Him – Romans 10:10.

That is what Paul said to the Philippian jailor – See Acts 16:31.

Sometimes preachers make the simple truth deep rather than to make the deep truth simple.

Galatians 3:6 – “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

To believe is to trust and rely upon as we read of Abraham – See Hebrews 11:8-10; Genesis 15:6.

This does not take us then through the line of natural Israel but through a spiritual line of election, of God’s choosing, the faith line through Abraham to Jesus Christ.

Romans 9:8 - “That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.”

For herein is our salvation plain and simple – “Who was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification” (Vs 25). Where then can we find justification by works and avoid the need for imputation of Christ’s righteousness by faith?

However, that is the way of the flesh – like Adam and Eve we think we can just find the fig leaves of religion to cover our nakedness.

And again, Adam and Eve sought not God, but God Himself took the initiative and came and clothed that wretched couple by His own act of sovereign grace and love.

And we too stand just as naked as Adam and Eve. We stand in the same flesh of Adam condemned unclean. The reason being, our total human hereditary depravity; we are dead in trespasses and in sin.

And dead men don’t talk!

CHAPTER FOUR

THE GREAT COMPARISON

DEAD AND ALIVE:

Ephesians 2:1 – “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.”

There is a sense in which our salvation took place in eternity past – this is in reference to God’s choosing in electing grace. This is called predestination – Ephesians 1:4-11 and

1 Peter 1:3-4. God is absolutely sovereign and He chose and determined all things that would ever come to pass in eternity past – Ephesians 1:11; Job 12:9-10; Psalm 103:19; Psalm 135:6; Lamentations 3:37-38; Isaiah 45:7; Isaiah 46:10.

Because of human depravity, only God can open the heart of a spiritually dead person. Jesus said so in talking with Nicodemus (John 3:3) and told this man who was likely a morally upright man, that “except a man be born again he could not see the kingdom of God.”

The word - “quicken” means “to make alive” or “to bring to life” and only God can do this. This is the reason why Jesus told the Jews of His day- John 6:44 – “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” There are two things that Jesus says in this verse –

a) It is impossible for a person to come to Christ who is not drawn to him by the Father.

b) All those who are enabled to come to Christ; will be raised up by Him, at the last day. This implies eternal security. (Cf - this with John 6:36-40 and also Vs 65.)

How well the doctrines of Grace are interwoven and we can see that belief in one (or unbelief) effects the others. For example what one believes concerning total hereditary human depravity effects what they believe as to the doctrines of Soteriology (salvation) in general. If mankind is not totally dead in trespasses and sin, and as the Pelagians teach, contains a little spark of divinity that only needs to be fanned by a spark of the gospel, then the Arminian doctrine of “free will” would be true and man might himself have faith to bring about his own salvation. BUT that is not true to the Scriptures for man is found to be totally spiritually dead and can only be brought to life by the quickening regenerating power of God. Therefore, “Ye must be born again-of the Spirit” – John 3:6-8.

Ephesians 2:5 – “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

a) We were dead in sins.

b) Spiritually dead sinners are quickened, made alive regenerated in new birth by the Spirit of God.

c) “With Christ” – the believers quickening was made possible by the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

d) By grace (not good deeds or Mosaic Law) are you or anyone saved.

Ephesians 5:14 – “Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”

This scripture is often made by Arminians to apply to dead, sleepy or backslidden Christians. That is not the subject of this chapter – and while such Christians if they truly are such, ought to wake up and serve God faithfully, the application here is to the quickening power of the Holy Spirit in regeneration.

Philippians 3:11 – “If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.”

Paul sought to walk in direct contact with the resurrection power of Jesus Christ – dead sinners of course will be resurrected unto eternal judgment, but true believers will be resurrected unto eternal life with a new body like unto His glorious body.

Philippians 3:21 – “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”

There are two aspects of literal bodily resurrection - Acts 24:15

1. The resurrection of saved Gospel age saints:

1 Thessalonians 4:16 – “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.”

Revelation 20:6 - “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”

2. The Resurrection of Unsaved of all Nations: The first resurrection is pre-millennial, the second resurrection is post-millennial – Read Revelation 20:7-15

Vs 12-13 says-

“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell (or the grave) delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.”

This is the time when all unsaved dead will be raised and judged by the Christ they rejected.

Paul talks about all men apart from Jesus Christ as DEAD:

Romans 5:15 – “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.”

Romans 6:4 – “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

This verse if often misapplied to teach “Spirit baptism” – but the Holy Spirit is not a baptizer, and the Baptist in the Holy Spirit that took place once and corporately for the church on the Day of Pentecost is related to life and harvest, not to death. Paul is using the symbol of water baptism here which symbol identifies with the death of Jesus Christ. In baptism, the believer then identifies with the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-6) - the good news of Jesus death, burial and resurrection. The believer pictures this when immersed in water and then rises to walk in a new life in Christ. (Sprinkling and pouring do not picture the gospel at all!)

The believer’s identification with Jesus Christ is by faith and identification with the full and finished work of Christ on Calvary’s cross.

Romans 6:4 is symbolic, not of Pentecost, but of Calvary. It is at the cross that the believer finds deliverance from death – from the penalty and power of sin.

See also Colossians 2:12 -

Romans 6:7-9 – “For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.”

Life then for the believer in Jesus Christ is taken care of when Christ fulfilled the law meeting its demands, shedding His blood for the remission of sins and giving himself in a vicarious death upon the cross of Calvary.

Romans 6:11 – “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The believer is then to “reckon” – that is taking into your personal account – yourself to be dead unto sin, that is, its penalty and power or jurisdiction over you.

The death of Jesus Christ settled the account owing by us so that because of Jesus death that account is marked “Paid in full.”

The believer was dead in sin but now is alive in Jesus Christ!

Romans 8:11 – “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

Even our bodies shall be quickened in due order – See 1 Corinthians 15:51-58.

See - Romans 8:9-23.

Colossians 2:13 – “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses.”

The Colossians were Gentiles, uncircumcised in flesh, but quickened- made alive or regenerated – are now in Christ having been forgiven of their sins.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 – “And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”

The Thessalonians had left their idolatry and were now serving God and waiting/looking forward to the return of Christ who was raised from the dead, having delivered us from the wrath to come. There is no wrath- no judgment- no Great Tribulation for the New Testament saints of God. What a glorious deliverance is ours!

Scripture shows that by faith sinners can pass from death unto Life:

1 Peter 2:24 – “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

John 3:36

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

John 5:24

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

John 20:31

“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

1 John 5:11-13

And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

1 John 5:20

“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”

We see that our salvation is in a Person, not in a set of laws, rules and regulations.

Religion is based upon such things but Bible Christianity; the New Covenant is rooted in a Person, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our salvation, in fact all things were created by, through and for our Lord Jesus Christ – See - John 1:3; 1:10; Colossians 1:16-17.

CHAPTER FIVE

BIBLICAL TERMS IN SOTERIOLOGY

SOME OTHER WORDS USED IN SCRIPTURE TO DESCRIBE CERTAIN ASPECTS OF OUR SALVATION:

1. Regeneration: We will begin with regeneration but that is not really the beginning of God’s plan and purpose for man. It all began with God and His decree of plan and purpose. God decreed the salvation of certain one’s, which he predestinated, chose or elected, foreknew on that basis, and then called. We do not have space here to deal with this aspect of salvation. You may read more about this in my earlier book, “Baptist History and the Doctrines of Grace.”

Some would debate as to when regeneration takes place, whether in time or in eternity. I believe that in God’s plan and purpose it takes place in eternity, but in our experience, it takes place in time. I do not see how anyone can say they are regenerated while still under the bondage of sin and condemned by the Law of God. That to me is ludicrous! A close look at Paul’s epistle to the Ephesian Church in chapter two will certainly reveal this truth. He shows them what they were before being “quickened” (made alive-regenerated) and what they were after. This ought to decide once and for all in favor of regeneration in time.

Before we proceed further, let me say that regeneration precludes spiritual death as seen in total hereditary depravity. In other words man is spiritually dead, has no spiritual life and therefore is in need of regeneration.

Let us look at some scriptures concerning regeneration-

(We will not have space here for every one)

John 1:11-13 –

“He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

The Arminian would put the horse before the cart here and say that faith precedes the new birth. To the contrary it is the other way around. The reason that one can believe, trust in and rely upon Christ as their all sufficient Savior and Lord is because of regeneration. This is seen in the use of such words in verse thirteen as “not of blood – of the will of the flesh – nor of the will of man.”

Dr. C. D. Cole says – “The scriptures speak of life in two different senses. There is life in the subjective, experimental and judicial sense. In other words, there is life in the sense of regeneration or the new birth, and there is life in the sense of regeneration. The first is life in respect to an inward state; the second is life in respect in respect to an outward standing before the law of God. (Romans 5:18 speaks of “Justification of life.”) The first is life biologically; the second is life legally or judicially. The first is life wrought in the sinner by the Holy Spirit; the other is life wrought for the sinner by the redemptive death of Christ. Life in one sense is from the Holy Spirit; then in another sense it is from Christ. Life from the Holy Spirit gives spiritual qualities to the heart and mind, which control the will; life from Christ takes us from under the curse of the law. It is the difference between impartation and imputation. Life from the Spirit is life imparted: life from Christ is life imputed.” – Dr. C.D. Cole – Definitions of Doctrine- Volume 2-Page 140.

Jesus talked about the need for regeneration in his discussion with Nicodemus in John 3. - See John 3:3-12

John 3:5 – “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

The apostle Peter wrote -1 Peter 1:23 – “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”

1 Peter 3:18 – “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”

Jesus was made alive or brought back from the dead by the Holy Spirit. This is the basic meaning of the word “quickened”. The life that Christ received is shared with us who believe. In new birth we enter that same realm of resurrection life. In this sense Jesus as the Son of man was reborn or brought to life and became the firstfruits of them that slept - 1 Corinthians 15:20 – “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”

Paul uses the word “quickened” - Ephesians 2:1 – “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;”

Ephesians 2:5 – “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”

Colossians 2:13 – “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;”

2. Election: I am often asked, “Do you believe in election?” I then wonder why they would ask such a question since the word is plainly used in the New Testament and no matter what men might believe about it, it is there as plain as the nose on your face. Of course from that point on it is misunderstood and abused. I have often heard election explained in a rather political sense, as follows – “God had a vote, the devil had a vote, and I have a deciding vote”, which is absolutely stupid and makes “me” more powerful than either God or the devil, and in charge of my own destiny. It in this sense makes me “my own God!” It destroys any idea of Total Human Depravity.

Others- in talking about foreknowledge would say, “God foreknew who would be saved because he knew who would trust in Christ and who would not.” This of course is true in a real sense but do not make election the vehicle of foreknowledge. God foreknew whom he decreed, and everyone whom he decreed and foreknew were elect (chosen) from eternity and would come to Christ in time. See John 6:36-37.

Election is not in time but in eternity- before the foundation of the world.

1 Thessalonians 1:4 – “Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.”

Ephesians 1:4-5 - “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,”

Ephesian 1:11 – “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:”

1 Peter 1:2 – “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Romans 8:30 – “Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

2 Peter 1:10 – “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:”

Why should it be thought so terrible that God would choose some and reject others? We do it all the time – in choosing certain vegetables over others in the supermarket – in choosing a certain car over others at the car lot – in choosing a certain person over others for wife or husband – we choose our own friends and reject those we do not have rapport with (to say the least).

Romans 9:18- “Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.” See verse 21.

In election God chooses some to eternal life through Jesus Christ while the rest are left to themselves. Does God condemn the rest, No they condemn themselves according to Jesus – John 3:18 – “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” See - John 3:16-21.

3. Calling: Romans 8:30 – “whom he did predestinate, them he also called …”

Romans 1:6 – “Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:”

Romans 1:7 – “To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 9:24 – “Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?”

1 Corinthians 1:2 – “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:”

Matthew 22:14 – “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

1 Corinthians 1:9 – “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Corinthians 1:24 – “But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

1 Corinthians 1:26 – “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

Ephesians 4:4 – “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;”

1 Thessalonians 2:12 – “That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.”

2 Timothy 1:9 - “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,”

These are just some of the verses that express the calling of God. Theologically, calling is divided into two aspects:

a) The general call: This is seen in the ministry of John the Baptist, Jesus, Peter, and Paul as they preached the gospel to the masses.

Acts 17:30 – “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.”

b) The Effectual or efficient Call: This is the call or work of the Holy Spirit in calling the elect to come to Christ. This could not be better illustrated than in Jesus raising of Lazarus from the dead.

John 11:43-44 – “And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.”

This was a particular calling only to one individual who was dead. Jesus in calling him brought him back to life.

“The Holy Spirit takes the preached gospel, and opening the heart of the sinner (Acts 16:14), applies the word to the heart in regenerating power. It is then, and only then, that man is able to understand and receive the things of the Spirit of God. Thus the inward call is also through the gospel as applied by the Holy Spirit” – (Thomas Paul Simmons – A Systematic Study of Bible Doctrine – Page 276.)

Note: I do not think that it necessarily needs to be a sermon preached by an ordained pastor or minister in a church meeting. I myself was saved as the Holy Spirit brought to my remembrance John 3:16, which I had learned as a child in Sunday School. I was out on the prairie of Alberta, far from any church or preacher at the time. The calling however was effectual resulting in both repentance and faith and from that point on my life was changed.

4. Reconciliation: Colossians 1:21 – “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled.”

2 Corinthians 5:19 – “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”

Hebrews 2:17 – “Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.”

Romans 5:11 - “And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.”

The word translated “atonement” in Romans 5:11 in our authorized Bibles is rendered as reconciliation in the marginal reference. I will say more about this when we come to the term, “remission of sins”.

The word translated “reconcile” or “reconciliation” is (Greek- Katallasso) which means “to change ones attitude and accept the provision God has made, whereby their sins can be remitted and they themselves be justified in God’s sight in Christ.

Remember that it is sinful man, not the holy God that needs to be recon