SALVATION SERIES: Part 14 - Introduction to God's Salvific Plan

OUTLINE:

Ac 10:34b [KJV]
“God is no respecter of persons”

The Effects of Humanism
Man is always trying to gain some advantage against God’s sovereignty, even if only slightly (at first). For example, he is predisposed to syncretism (mixing religions and secular schools of thought). This is catastrophic to God’s salvific plan.

God’s Power, Not Man’s
Without God’s direct intervention, man will never believe the Gospel. This is precisely why those who remain dependent on their natural powers (even for salvation) remain unsaved (e.g., Mt 7:21-23).

“Free Will” WRONGLY Defined by Humanist, Desiderius Erasmus
"Moreover I consider Free-will in this light: that it is a power in the human will, by which, a man may apply himself to those things which lead unto eternal salvation, or turn away from the same."

Free Will
The only Person who has absolute free will is God. All creatures, being slaves (whether of righteousness or unrighteousness – ala Ro 6), are under bondage, including their will, as it is a function of their nature.

Maintaining Godly Perspective
We aren’t qualified to criticize God’s salvific plan; we can only accept it. Erasmus made the error of evaluating God’s salvific plan through a humanistic lens, which resulted in perverted doctrines that were widely accepted and still haunt Christendom today!

Balance Statement
Historically, some of the most well-intentioned theologians have gone too far with their doctrinal stances. Where faith is called for, they have inserted human viewpoint. Where the flesh has demanded answers, man has provided without God’s consent.

Ro 13:11-12
Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Others doctrines such as a supernatural plan of salvation, the Trinity, the substitutionary theory of the atonement, and the second coming of Christ are all quite prominent in fundamentalist thinking. Such are the views of the fundamentalist and they reveal that he is opposed to theological adaptation to social and cultural change. He sees a progressive scientific age as a retrogressive spiritual age. Amid change all around he is willing to preserve certain ancient ideas even though they are contrary to science.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
While in seminary, MLK, Jr. gave a presentation he prepared for a class entitled “Christian Theology for Today,” in which he included Gandhi as one of a number of figures he identified as “individuals who greatly reveal the working of the Spirit of God.”

What’s the Problem?
Man is forever trying to usurp God’s power and authority, more succinctly, His sovereignty! This is tantamount to saying the human flesh wishes for independence from God.

2 Implications of Salvation