KERRVILLE BIBLE CHURCH
  • ABOUT KBC
    • FINDING A CHURCH
    • PLAN A VISIT
    • MEET THE PASTORS
  • WHAT WE BELIEVE
    • WHY DO WE STRESS SOUND DOCTRINE?
    • Who Is Jesus Christ?
    • STATEMENT OF FAITH
    • DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
    • CHURCH COVENANT
  • Get Involved
    • MEMBERSHIP
    • CONNECTIONS CLASS
    • WOMEN'S BIBLE STUDY
  • MISSIONS
  • RESOURCES
    • SERMON VIDEO
    • Podcast
    • SERMON ARCHIVE
    • WHAT WE TEACH (DOCTRINAL STATEMENT SUNDAY SCHOOL)
    • Christians and Hot Topics
    • GOD'S PURPOSES FOR EVIL
    • JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
    • Ephesians Bible Study
    • 1 Peter Men's Bible Study
    • KINGDOM OF GOD STUDY
    • Doctrine of Election
    • Romans Survey
    • Baptisms
  • CALENDAR
  • CONNECT
    • BLOG
    • BULLETINS
    • GIVE
    • DIRECTORY
    • CONTACT US
  • PASTOR'S PODCAST

Pastor's Podcast

The Paradox of Salvation

6/22/2020

 
Written by Scott Christensen
Scripture is full of paradoxes. For example, how can God be one being, yet subsisting in three persons (i.e., the Trinity)? Or how can Christ be fully God, yet at the same time fully man? We are not talking about contradictions here. A paradox In the Biblical sense is a mystery not a contradiction. “A paradox is something we do not see how to put together, whereas a contradiction is something we do see cannot go together.”[1] Thus, there would be a contradiction if we said there is one God, yet three Gods. Monotheism (one God) cannot be Tritheism (three Gods). However, there is no contraction in saying God is one in essence but subsisting as three persons. This is Trinitarianism. There is mystery here, but no contradiction. Matthew 11:25-30 contains another Scriptural paradox (mystery) that may not be readily apparent at first glance. It is the paradox of divine sovereignty and human responsibility in the matter of salvation. We must not miss either one of these truths.
Jesus’ teaching in this passage can be seen as one continuous thought on the matter of salvation in two movements. Verses 25-27 speak to God’s sovereign control over the whole project of saving sinners from sin, death, and judgment, whereas verses 28-30 speaks to the gracious invitation to sinners to responsibly come to Christ for salvation. Note Jesus affirms two aspects to the work of salvation. God sovereignly calls sinners to himself. This is a matter of the Father’s “gracious will” (vs. 26). He shares this sovereign will with the Son. The Father and Son reveal and conceal the message of salvation to whomever they wish (vs. 27). As Paul says in Romans 9:18, God “has mercy on whom he desires, and He hardens whom he desires.” And of course, this is a hard truth to accept. But that is the nature of sovereign grace. In order for mercy to be merciful and for grace to be gracious it must be the result of God’s sovereign will. Salvation “does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy” (Romans 9:16).
 
But at this point a hue and cry is lifted up. What about human choice!? Are we merely lifeless, passive marionettes dangling at the end of the Grand Puppeteer’s stings? Does the Bible promote the pagan notion of fatalism? What will be will be and there is nothing you can do about it? As the Apostle Paul would say, “May it never be!” God’s sovereign control over salvation does not by-pass human responsibility. This is why Jesus moves on in Matthew 11:28-30 to graciously invite all hearers to “come to Me” and “take My yoke” and “learn from Me” (vss. 28-29). Note the three imperatives given in short order addressed to the hearers. They are pressed to respond. As pastor Chris pointed out in his messages on this passage, there are no imperatives in verses 25-27, just indicatives. God is sovereign over salvation—period. Yet—there is an obligation to respond to the message that salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone. You must “come”! You must repent and believe, or you will perish in your sins (Luke 13:3, 5).
 
The mystery here lies in the fact that God enables sinners to “come” by his sovereign grace (see John 6:44). He opens blind eyes and they begin to see. He calls the dead to life and they miraculously respond by rising from their spiritual graves. It is not God who repents and believes on behalf of sinners. They act themselves freely and responsibly, but only because He first called them from death to life. There is a paradox here, but no contradiction.


[1] Joshua Rasmussen’s How Reason Can Lead to God: A Philosopher’s Bridge to Faith (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2019), 15.
While you're here, how about subscribing to be notified of new content? The form is over on the sidebar (desktop) or at the bottom of the page (mobile).
Vicky Sterling link
6/22/2020 07:52:31 pm

Your messages are so valuable to us since we are not having S.S., small groups or Wednesday services. I look forward to seeing each post.

Thank you,Scott !
Vicky

Sharon Pollard
6/23/2020 02:25:07 pm

This is a very insightful and helpful explanation of a very difficult topic. Thanks - I'm saving it!


Comments are closed.

    Get Notified of New Content!

    * indicates required

    Listen to us on:

    Apple Podcasts
    Spotify
    Google Podcasts
    Overcast
    Others...
    DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION YOU'D LIKE ANSWERED ON OUR PODCAST? EMAIL YOUR QUESTIONS OR LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL OR TEXT AT 830-321-0349.

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020

    RSS Feed



BibleGateway.com
Quality printing provided by:
PrintPlace: High-Quality Online Printing

Location

898 Harper Road
Kerrville, Texas 78028

Service Times

Sunday School | 9am
Worship | 10:30am

Contact Us

830-895-3589

About Us

FAQ
Meet the Pastors
​
Member Directory
  • ABOUT KBC
    • FINDING A CHURCH
    • PLAN A VISIT
    • MEET THE PASTORS
  • WHAT WE BELIEVE
    • WHY DO WE STRESS SOUND DOCTRINE?
    • Who Is Jesus Christ?
    • STATEMENT OF FAITH
    • DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
    • CHURCH COVENANT
  • Get Involved
    • MEMBERSHIP
    • CONNECTIONS CLASS
    • WOMEN'S BIBLE STUDY
  • MISSIONS
  • RESOURCES
    • SERMON VIDEO
    • Podcast
    • SERMON ARCHIVE
    • WHAT WE TEACH (DOCTRINAL STATEMENT SUNDAY SCHOOL)
    • Christians and Hot Topics
    • GOD'S PURPOSES FOR EVIL
    • JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
    • Ephesians Bible Study
    • 1 Peter Men's Bible Study
    • KINGDOM OF GOD STUDY
    • Doctrine of Election
    • Romans Survey
    • Baptisms
  • CALENDAR
  • CONNECT
    • BLOG
    • BULLETINS
    • GIVE
    • DIRECTORY
    • CONTACT US
  • PASTOR'S PODCAST