1 Don Mc Clain W 65 th St

1 Don Mc. Clain W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

2 Westminster Confession of Faith Don Mc. Clain "3. 5 Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to his eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will, hath chosen in Christ, unto everlasting glory, out of his free grace and love alone, without any foresight of faith or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving him W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005 thereunto; and all to the praise of his

3 Westminster Confession of Faith Don Mc. Clain "3. 6. As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so hath He, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power through faith, unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005 justified, adopted, sanctified, and

4 "God's choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the world rested solely in His own sovereign will. His choice of particular sinners was not based on any foreseen response of obedience on their part, such as faith, repentance, etc. On the contrary, God gives faith and repentance to each individual whom He selected. These acts are the result, not the cause of God's choice. Election therefore was not determined by or conditioned upon any virtuous quality or act foreseen in man. Those whom God sovereignly elected He brings through the power of the Spirit to a willing acceptance of Christ. Thus God's choice of the sinner, not the sinner's choice of Christ, is the ultimate cause of salvation. " Don Mc. Clain W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

na rdi reo Fo on ati tin Don Mc. Clain es ed Pr tio n 5 W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

Ephes. 1: 4 (NKJV) just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, Don Mc. Clain 6 Chose - ε κλε γομαι - eklegomai Middle voice from G 1537 and G 3004 (in its primary sense); to select: make choice, choose (out), chosen. Peoples New Testament – B. W. Johnson. . . This does not affirm that God chose some individuals and rejected others, but that before the world was, before there was Jew or Gentile, God chose to have a people for himself, the whole church of Christ, a covenant W. 65 th St. church of race. Christ - 9/11/2005 people confined to no one earthly

Ephes. 1: 5 (NKJV) having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 7 Predestined - προορι ζω - proorizo Strong’s - to limit in advance, that is, (figuratively) predetermine: determine before, ordain, predestinate. Thayer Definition: G 4309 – Don Mc. Clain 1) to predetermine, decide beforehand 2) in the NT of God decreeing from eternity 3) to foreordain, appoint W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

Ephes. 1: 5 (NKJV) having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 8 Predestined - πρωρι ζω pro rizo Means properly “to set bounds before; ” and then to “pre-determine. ” It is originally a geographical term, but applied also to any thing concluded, or determined, or demonstrated. Here the word is used to point out God’s fixed purpose or predetermination to bestow upon those who believe the gospel the blessing of the adoption of sons by Jesus Christ, (Eph. 1: 5, 13) Don Mc. Clain W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

Ephes. 1: 5 (NKJV) having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 9 Predestined - πρωρι ζω pro rizo Don Mc. Clain Peoples New Testament – Having predestinated us. Foreordained that we, the church of Jesus Christ, should be adopted as his children. The whole line of argument is general instead of particular. God foreordained a church which should be composed of those W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005 adopted as his children.

Ephes. 1: 5 (NKJV) having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 10 Predestined - πρωρι ζω pro rizo Don Mc. Clain Wesley Having foreordained that all who afterwards believed should enjoy the dignity of being sons of God, and joint - heirs with Christ. According to the good pleasure of his will According to his free, fixed, unalterable purpose to confer this blessing on all those who W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005 should believe in Christ, and

Ephes. 1: 4, 5 (NKJV) [4] just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, [5] having predestined us to adoption 11 “ELECT – or “CHOSEN” – Yes!! – • Unconditionally? – NO!!! • Individually? – NO!!! • Violate Free Will? – NO!!! Romans 8: 29 -30 Romans 9: 10 -22 Romans 11: 5 -7 Eph. 1: 1 -14 Don Mc. Clain “Predestined” – Yes • Unconditionally? – NO!!! • Individually? – NO!!! W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

“Consequences of Unconditional Election and the Calvinistic view of predestination” 12 • The large majority of men are brought into the world “predestined” by God to eternal destruction – 2 Pet 3: 9; 1 Tim 2: 4 • God is a respecter of persons – chooses one sinner and condemns many others arbitrarily and capriciously - Acts 10: 34 • God is unjust – Condemns men for what He predetermined that they do, without them having a choice to do otherwise - 2 Cor. 5: 10 • Everything is predestined – that would include sin Don Mc. Clain– every sin. . . (Who would be responsible W. 65 th St. for church of Christ - 9/11/2005

13 Don Mc. Clain “ ‘Non elect infants who die in their infancy will spend eternity in hell’ – I would answer true to that question, you have to be elect in order to be saved. If this question is false, then we should perform abortion, because abortion is the greatest evangelistic act that has ever taken place since the time that Jesus walked the face of the earth, because everyone of those children are going straight to heaven according to Mr. Brown’s W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

14 …You have heard over and over again that it is your choice, your choice and what does God say? He says, ‘I took two twins from the same father, the same mother, the same womb and before they were ever born God made a choice between them so that His choice would stand, not yours, but His choice…Jacob I have loved and Esau I have hated. Did you get that? …’” Don Mc. Clain (Cook-Reeves Debate, Gene Cook’s 4 th W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005 Negative, June 24, 2005)

15 “So when he (Bruce Reeves) stands over here and says, ‘His’ ‘God is a monster, his God is not fair, his God sends little babies to hell, his God spanks babies indefinitely and there is nothing they can do about it, ’ he is really arguing against the God of the Bible. He is really raising up his accusation. . . against the God of the Bible. . ” Don Mc. Clain (Cook-Reeves Debate, Gene Cook’s 4 th Negative, June 24, W. 65 th 2005) St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

16 “Both evil and good come from God…So what happens when you emphasize the will of man, then evil becomes only associated, there is no sense in which God decrees evil, there is no sense in which God wills evil and so evil is only from the heart of man and from the heart of Satan, … but we recognize as reformed Christians that those are secondary causes, that the first cause of evil is God, Himself. . . Man does not resist evil when he is fulfilling the decrees of God” Don Mc. Clain (Is God schizophrenic? "The Two Wills of God" W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005 Gene Cook - recorded at a home bible study

17 • Choosing an employee. . . • Looking for a home – • Looking for a car – • Politics Don Mc. Clain W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

18 We Can Choose Faith!– Acts 17: 26, 27 Acts 17: 26 -27 (NKJV) And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, [27] so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; Don Mc. Clain W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

19 We Can Choose Faith!– Rev. 22: 17 (NKJV) And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. Don Mc. Clain W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

20 We Can Choose Faith!– Joshua 24: 15 Jos 24: 15 (NKJV) “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, . . . But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. ” - Cf. Rom. 6: 16 -18 Don Mc. Clain W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

21 We Can Choose Faith!– Acts 22: 16 - Arise Acts 22: 16 (NKJV) And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. ' Don Mc. Clain W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

22 We Can Choose Faith!– 1 Peter 3: 21 – Appealing to God 1 Peter 3: 21 (NASB) And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you-- not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience-through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Don Mc. Clain W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

23 God Chose Before The World: Ephesians 1: 1 -14 God planned it before the world began – Ep 1: 4 The "chosen" would be holy and without blame - Ep 1: 4 The "elect" would be adopted as sons – Ep 1: 5 This plan is according to God's good pleasure – Ep 1: 5, 10 -13 Don Mc. Clain W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

24 God Chose Before The World: Ephesians 1: 1 -14 The faithful in Christ – (1, 4, 5, 13) Those In Christ’s body, i. e. church, (1 -13; 2: 16) By grace through faith – (2, 7, 13; 2: 8 -10) Baptized Into The Family of God – (5, 7, 13; cf. Acts 2: 38, 41; Gal 3: 26, 27) Don Mc. Clain Forgiveness - Grace and peace – W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

25 Was This "Election" Individual Or Corporate? Ephesians 1: 1 -14 God’s election is – “the body of 4 The obedient - becoming members of the chosen family Christ, i. e. – Galatians 3: 26, 27; Hebrews church” 4 The type of person - Mat 5: 312 5: 8, 9, 4 Those who make their “Calling Don Mc. Clainand Election sure” – 2 Pet 1: 5 - W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

26 Ephesians 1: 3 - Election – How To Get Into Christ Eph. 1: 3 (NKJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, Don Mc. Clain • Holy & without blame – (4) • Adoption – (5) • Accepted – (6) • Redemption, (forgiveness) – (7) • Gathered together in one – (10) • Obtained an inheritance – (11) W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

27 Ephesians 5: 26 – Election - How To Get Into Christ Eph. 5: 26 (NKJV) that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, (27) Don Mc. Clain • Holy & without blame – (4) • Adoption – (5) • Accepted – (6) • Redemption, (forgiveness) – (7) • Gathered together in one – (10) • Obtained an inheritance – (11) W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

28 Eph 1 - How Do We Get Into Christ – Election – Gal. 3: 27 Gal. 3: 26 -27 (NKJV) For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. [27] For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Don Mc. Clain • Holy & without blame – (4) • Adoption – (5) • Accepted – (6) • Redemption, (forgiveness) – (7) • Gathered together in one – (10) • Obtained an inheritance – (11) W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

29 Ephesians 1 – Acts 2: 38 (NKJV) Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Don Mc. Clain • Holy & without blame – (4) • Adoption – (5) • Accepted – (6) • Redemption, (forgiveness) – (7) • Gathered together in one – (10) • Obtained an inheritance – (11) W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

30 Ephesians 1 – Romans 6: 3, 4 Romans 6: 3 -5 (NKJV) Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? [4] Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, . . Don Mc. Clain • Holy & without blame – (4) • Adoption – (5) • Accepted – (6) • Redemption, (forgiveness) – (7) • Gathered together in one – (10) • Obtained an inheritance – (11) W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

31 Ephesians 1 – Romans 6: 4, 5 Romans 6: 3 -5 (NKJV). . . that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. [5] For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, . . . Don Mc. Clain • Holy & without blame – (4) • Adoption – (5) • Accepted – (6) • Redemption, (forgiveness) – (7) • Gathered together in one – (10) • Obtained an inheritance – (11) W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

32 The Nature of God – Cook’s view of Sovereignty cannot be true Unconditional Election Cannot Be True Because: *God desires that ALL MEN come to a knowledge of the truth and be saved! – (1 Tim 2: 4) *The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to ALL MEN! – (Titus 2: 11, 12) *God is NOT willing that ANY should perish but that ALL should come to repentance! – (2 Peter 3: 9) *Jesus died for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD! (1 John 2: 1, 2) Don Mc. Clain W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

33 No Middle Ground • • • Capable of Responding to God’s Grace –Rev. 22: 17 • Unconditional Election Conditional Election – John 6: 28, 29; 2 Pet 3: 9 • Jesus Didn’t Die for All Jesus Died for All –Tit. 2: 11, 12; 2 Cor 5: 14 • Incapable of Resisting God’s Grace Capable of Resisting God’s Grace – Acts 7: 51; Ezek. 18: 30 -32 • Conditional Perseverance – Rev 2: 10; 2 Pet. 2: 20 -22 Incapable of Responding to God’s Grace Unconditional Perseverance Don Mc. Clain W. 65 th St. church of Christ - 9/11/2005

Don Mc. Clain W. 65 th St. church of Christ 9/11/2005 34