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Ruth said:
Joe k,

I was responding to Speratus, not you, but since you did comment, I will have to dispute your statements.

I disagree with your interpretation of Justification. It does NOT produce fruits, it is a forensic declaration. It also is not caused by the effectual call! Justification is imputed when one believes.


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

The order is:

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."

In His Hands,
Ruth

Hello Ruth:

Where is faith in the chain? God never waits for us. He finishes what He starts. Abraham was justified in Gen 12. Genesis 15 happenned much later. The effectual call IS regeneration. These are synonomous theological terms.

Most religionists believe justification is God’s reward for a human performance of faith. Hence, they believe justification before God is on the basis of their faith. Neither faith nor works justify one before God. Exhorting a person to make a decision for Jesus Christ and be saved is erroneous. The decision is God’s, not man’s. Justification is not a reward for the human performance of faith. One is not justified by making a decision for Christ.

Justification before God is on the basis of imputed righteousness. Justification before one’s own consciousness is by imputed and imparted righteousness. The elect are justified by works before others.

Since faith is God’s gift to us in our being made alive with Christ, it cannot be said that sinners must exercise faith in order to have faith. The grace of God, which is unmerited favor, cannot stand with man’s faith or anything in man. Therefore, being born of God precedes faith. “Whosoever [everyone] believeth [believing, present active participle of pisteuo] that Jesus is the Christ is born [has been born, perfect passive participle of gennao] of God...” (I John 5:1). His having been born of God is completed action in past time with continuing results. Therefore, he is continuing to believe, and he will always believe. He will never do anything but believe. God does not start something which He is unable to bring to completion (Phil. 1:6). It is of God in its beginning, continuation, and consummation. Everyone believing that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. He does not believe in order to be born of God.



Grace and Peace

Joe

There never was a sinner half as big as Christ is as a Savior.