Signs of the Times (39)

We are going to conclude our discussion of the signs of the times which our Lord gave to us. I intend to conclude our discussion of them by making a few remarks about Matthew 25:31-46. I would really appreciate your reading these verses in your Bibles and reading also the chapter I wrote on these verses in Mysteries of the Kingdom.

 

These verses describe the final judgment that will take place when our Lord comes again to take His whole church into heaven. It is a fitting conclusion to the discussion of the signs of Christ’s coming, and it ties in perfectly with the two parables that Jesus taught in the earlier verses of this chapter. It explains what will happen to those who are not waiting for the Lord’s coming, and what the reward will be for those who do await His coming.

 

The interesting part of this passage is that Jesus both teaches the doctrine of election and at the same time speaks of the fact that the elect receive the reward of grace.

 

The doctrine of election is taught in two ways. The first is that the elect are separated from the reprobate before final judgment is pronounced. When the Lord comes again He will take His angels with Him and raise all from the grave: the righteous and the unrighteous. All who ever lived will be gathered before Him as He sits on His throne of glory. That will be billions and billions of people. We cannot imagine very well how that will be, but it will follow the general resurrection of the bodies of those who are already in heaven or already in hell.

 

The division of all takes place, of course, at the moment of death, for the wicked when they die go to hell, and the righteous go immediately into heaven – except those who are still living at the moment of Christ’s return. In the judgment, therefore, the wicked and the righteous are separated. And they are separated as already saved or rejected.

 

The second reference to election is that the elect are called “sheep” while the wicked are called goats. The name “sheep” is one of Scripture’s favorite ways of speaking of God’s people. This is most pronounced in John 10 where Jesus pictures Himself as the good shepherd who calls His sheep by their names and leads them. And John, in his gospel, was undoubtedly referring to Psalm 23. Christ loves His sheep and died for them. And they are now publicly called sheep.

 

On the other hand, the sheep are given the reward of grace, while the wicked are sent into everlasting destruction. But the judgment is according to whether or not men fed Christ when He was hungry, clothed Him when He was naked, gave him a drink when He was thirsty, and visited Him in prison. The Lord makes clear that taking care of Christ’s needs was done by caring for His brethren, even the least of them, or refusing to do these things to Christ’s brethren. There are many who claim to be doing these things, but actually are not doing them at all.

 

What is the difference that marks those who truly do these things to Christ and those who do not? It is most interesting and comes to the heart of the Christian’s life. Those who do these things in such a way that they merit Christ’s approval, are not aware that they do them; while those who do not truly do these things to Christ are eager to tell the Lord of all that they have done.

 

Why is this the difference?

 

The wicked claim to help people by all their good works out of the motive of self-glorification. They are quick to tell the Lord that they did these things at every opportunity.  They gave money for many worthy causes and they did much to alleviate suffering. But they know they did it. And so they did these things for their own glory.

 

But the righteous are different. They are not aware of doing these things. Why not? They did these things because they were conscious of the great miracle of their own salvation. They were conscious of the fact that they were unworthy sinners who deserved only hell. They were not thinking about what they had done for others, but what Christ had done for them. But knowing their salvation, they were so thankful that they lived in humble willingness to love their neighbor – which is to fulfill the law. They did these things thoughtlessly, with no regard to their own good work. They do not even remember it. They know that in everything they did they sinned. “When did we see thee naked and clothed thee? . . . .” They did not think about it at the time, and they had forgotten what they had done. What they did was truly for God’s glory, not their own.

 

And so, when the Lord rewards them, they are surprised and perplexed. ”We never did anything for Thee, Lord. All we did was sin. We are saved, not on the basis of anything we did, but out of Thy great love for us.”

 

To them the Lord says, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!” They know that they are saved by grace. They gave and do now give all glory to Christ and to God.

 

Such is the Lord’s teaching concerning our calling while we watch and pray, waiting for the Lord’s return.

 

May God give us grace to live in constant hope of His coming and may we pray from our hearts, “Come, Lord Jesus; yea, come quickly.” There is nothing better in this life or in the life to come than to hear those blessed words from our Lord’s mouth: “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!”

Prof. Herman Hanko

http://rfpa.org/collections/books-by-herman-hanko/products/mysteries-of-the-kingdom-the 

Did Christ Die for You?

Probably you have been told at some time or other that God loves you and that Christ died for you. You may then have even decided that things cannot be so bad. True, the Bible talks about punishment for all those who do not believe in Christ, but if God loves everyone and if Christ died for everyone, then there really is no need to worry, is there?

Did you know that it is not necessarily true that Christ died for you? The Bible teaches very clearly that Christ did not die for everyone, but only for those who were given to Him by His heavenly Father (e.g., John 10:11; Ephesians 5:25).

When Christ died on the cross some two thousand years ago, He died to pay for the sins of those whom His Father had given Him. He took their place and died because He was suffering the punishment for their sins.

That means that if Christ died for you, all your sins are taken away and there is no reason any more for God to be angry with you or to punish you. It would be wonderful to know that, would it not?

But if Christ did not die for you, then there is no hope for you. Then you are doomed to suffer the punishment for your own sin. The story of how Jesus suffered and died will show you what that means. He was left in darkness and was forsaken of God. So will you be punished by God forever if Jesus Christ did not die for you.

Perhaps you do not realize what a terrible thing that is. The Bible says that the punishment for sin is both eternal darkness and fire that is never quenched. It is to be hated by God forever and to be thrown out of His presence (Matthew 13:49-50; 25:30, 46).

The only way of being delivered from such punishment is by the death of Jesus on the cross. Only if Jesus suffered your punishment will you be saved from it.

But how do you know whether or not Christ died for you? How does anyone know?

There are three things that will be true if Christ died for you.

First, you will see that you are a sinner and will be sorry before God for all the iniquities that you have committed against Him and against others. The Bible calls this repentance.

Second, you will want Jesus to be your Saviour and, by the grace of God, will trust in Him. You will believe that He is the Son of God, that He did die for sins, and (most wonderful of all) that he died for you too!

Third, you will seek to live a new life of obedience to the Triune God—a life that shows true thankfulness to Him for such wonderful salvation.

The Bible, therefore, commands you and every one else to repent of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ, and insists that you obey God, not your wishes, in all things.

We would like you to think about these words from the Bible:

"For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. 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" (John 3:17-18).

Source:

http://www.cprf.co.uk/pamphlets/didChristdieforyou.htm#.VR3VgY6kzMw 

“Israel” / “of Israel”

According to the doctrine of the unconditional covenant, the membership of the visible church, the members of the covenant community, and the physical children of godly parents are distinguished and differentiated by eternal, sovereign predestination, election and reprobation. This is the teaching of Romans 9. This chapter is not mainly about predestination, even though it is the classic passage on predestination in the Bible. Rather, it is the explanation of the covenant problem. The problem was this: How could so many children of Abraham perish in unbelief and disobedience in view of Jehovah’s covenant promise to Abraham, “I will be the God of your seed”? Indeed, in view of the promise, how could even one child of Abraham perish?

The explanation is that there was a twofold seed of Abraham: “children of the flesh” and “children of the promise” (v. 8). God counted only the children of the promise for the seed of Abraham in His covenant promise. God’s eternal, sovereign, gracious election: “the purpose of God according to election” (v. 11).

Not al the physical children alike of godly parents are in covenant relation with God, whether by gracious promise or by a work of grace in their hearts that unites them to Christ. Some are merely in the sphere of the covenant.

Against this distinction between being in the covenant and being in the sphere of the covenant, the theologians of covenantal universalism object, just as the “liberated” Reformed objected before them. In reality, their objection is against Paul and the Holy Spirit, for the apostle makes exactly this distinction in Romans 9:6. “They are not all Israel, which are of Israel.” Some physical children of Abraham were “Israel.” There elect in Christ, redeemed, objects of the promise, united to Christ by the Holy Spirit, and covenant friends of God.

The others were merely “of Israel.” They were part of the manifestation of Israel in history. In every possible physical, earthly way they were related to Israel. They were flesh-and-blood offspring of Israel. But they were not Israel. They never were Israel. They were not elect, redeemed, objects of the promise, united to Christ, and covenant friends of God. And the reason they were not Israel was not that they failed to fulfill the conditions, whereas Israel did fulfill the conditions. If that were the case, covenant salvation would have been by works. But the reason was God’s reprobation of them, whereas He elected Israel.

Israel/ of Israel!

The sovereign God makes the same distinction between two kinds of physical children of godly parents today.

Covenant/ sphere of covenant!

There is only one alternative to this explanation of the covenant problem. That is the teaching that the gracious promise comes to all alike conditionally, but some fail to fulfill the conditions. In this case, the word of promise is of none effect in many. Or, to put it in the language preferred by covenantal universalism, all alike are conditionally united to Christ, but some fail to perform the conditions and fall away. In this case, covenant grace is resistible in many.

This is the denial of sovereign grace – in the sphere of the covenant.

Then, as regards His saving work in the sphere of the covenant, it cannot be said of God, “Of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to Whom be glory forever” (Rom. 11:36). Rather, we must say, “Of Him and of those who fulfill the conditions; through Him and through those who fulfill the conditions, are all things, in the sphere of the covenant: to Him and to those who fulfill the conditions be the glory of covenant salvation forever.”

As covenantal universalism robs God of His glory in the covenant, so it strips every member of the covenant of assurance. All alike are united to Christ, and all alike can fall away into perdition. So I must live, according to this God-dishonoring, soul-destroying covenant theology: “I am united to Christ by faith today; I may fall away to hell tomorrow.”

In the conditional covenant, the prevailing mood is terror.

The unconditional covenant of particular grace has a different message. To every one united to Christ by faith – every one who believes the gospel from the heart – it promises, unconditionally, that He who has begun the good work in him will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6).

In the unconditional covenant of grace – particular grace – we have assurance.

Prof. David J. Engelsma

The Covenant of God and the Children of Believers, pp. 207-209

http://rfpa.org/collections/books-by-david-j-engelsma/products/covenant-of-god-and-children-of-believers-by-david-j-engelsma 

Jacob Have I Loved

9 January

And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. Genesis 25:23

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Romans 9:1-29

There is conflict between the children in Rebekah's womb because God chooses to divide the seed of Isaac (of which the condition appears to be one and the same), adopting one part and rejecting the other. One part obtains the name and privilege of the church, while the rest are reckoned strangers. One part receives the blessing of which the other is deprived. We know that because later the descendants of Esau were cut off from the body of the church, which the covenant of grace was deposited in the family of Jacob.

If we seek the cause of this choice of God, it is not found in nature, for the origin of both nations was the same. It is not found in merit, either because the heads of both nations were enclosed in their mother's womb when the contention began. To humble the pride of the flesh, God determined to take away from men any reason for confidence or boasting. He might have brought forth Jacob first from the womb, but he made the other the first-born, who, at length, was to become the inferior brother.

Why does God by design invert the order that He Himself appointed? It is to teach us that, without regard to dignity, Jacob was to be heir of the promised benediction. He was gratuitously elected. God gave preference to Jacob over his brother Esau by making him the father of the church. Jacob was not granted this as a reward for his merits, nor did he obtain this by his own efforts. Rather, he was elected purely by the grace of God. But when an entire people are the subject of discourse, reference is made not to secret election, which is confirmed to a few, but to common adoption, which spreads as widely as the external preaching of the Word.

FOR MEDITATION: The election of the deceitful Jacob is one of the clearest demonstrations of sovereign grace. It should be no less clear to us in the example of every man, woman, and child who comes to faith in Christ. Are you a debtor to sovereign grace?

John Calvin

365 Days with Calvin

Selected and Edited by Joel R. Beeke

Unconditional Election and its Relation to the other Four Points

The truth of total depravity necessitates unconditional election. By nature man is dead in sin, capable neither of saving himself nor desiring to be saved. He is in no position to accomplish or to cooperate in his salvation. If man is really totally depraved—we must do justice to this truth—the cause of salvation must be in God, as the truth of election teaches that it is.
The truth of election also limits the scope of the death of Christ. Here there is perfect agreement between the will of the Father and the work of the Son. If some only are chosen to salvation and Christ has died only for those whom God has chosen, Christ’s death must be limited to some men only. His redemption is a particular redemption. He has not died, neither did He intend to die, for all men but for some only, for the elect.
If God has chosen us to salvation, so that the almighty will of God Himself rather than the fickle will of man stands behind our election, we may be certain that we shall be saved. No power of the devil, of the wicked world, or of ourselves is able to withstand the power of the almighty God. Hence, the truth of sovereign election implies the irresistibility of grace.
The doctrine of election also gives us confidence of our perseverance in faith and salvation. If my salvation depended on my will, my decision, my choice, then I could never have the assurance of perseverance. Always I would be in doubt whether the same will that brought me into salvation , might take me out of salvation. However, since the cause of my salvation does not rest in my own will but in the almighty will of an unchangeable God, I can rest assured that I will persevere to the end. WE may be confident that the good work He has begun in us shall by the power of His grace be fully accomplished (Phil. 1:6).

Ronald Cammenga
Ronald Hanko
Saved By Grace, p. 96
http://rfpa.org/collections/books-by-ronald-cammenga/products/saved-by-grace-paperback 

Sovereign Election

Election as a doctrine of the church is often either little understood, or emphatically contradicted. There is either ignorance of this truth, or a deliberate misunderstanding of it.

What is the scriptural truth of election? We could define election as God's eternal, sovereign, gracious decree by which He chooses a church as the body of Christ, with all of its individual members, each in his own place, to eternal salvation and glory.

Let us examine the various parts of this definition more closely.

In the first place, election is that decree of God by which He chooses a definite number of individuals to salvation and glory. God is not uncertain of who will be saved and will spend eternity with Him in heaven. He knows each of His people by name, since He has chosen each of them; and those names He has recorded in the Book of Life. Scripture speaks of election this way in Acts 13:48: "As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed." Again, concerning Jeremiah we read (1:5), "And before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth of the womb, I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." Now I know that this applies to Jeremiah in particular, but it is very evident in this passage that God did sanctify him and did prepare him before he was ever born. God chose Jeremiah. Again, we read in Romans 9:13, "As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." That is not a n indefinite number, but God pointed out definite individuals. Before they were ever born, God said, "I have loved Jacob; I have hated Esau."

In the second place, the doctrine of election teaches that the members of the church are chosen as a body of Jesus Christ, with each member in his unique place. There are illustrations in Scripture which present the church as a body. The apostle Paul speaks of that church in I Corinthians 12:12: "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ." Now a body is a living organism. One cannot add members to that body or take any away. As soon as one tries that, he has an incomplete body or a monstrosity. A body normally has ten fingers, two hands, two arms, two eyes, one nose--that is all. Take away any of these members, or add to them, and one does not have a complete body anymore. God also chooses unto Himself a church as the body of Christ, that is, individual members each in his own particular place in that body. God has a place for each member, each elect of God, in that body. One's place may not always seem very important in man's eyes, but it is his unique place. Just as the little finger is an insignificant member, it is nevertheless necessary in order to make the body complete; that finger has a place and function. So too, the truth of election emphasizes the fact that God chooses each individual member for a specific place in Christ's body -- and that place he must and will fill.
In the third place, election is centered in Jesus Christ. One can never speak of election apart from Him. We read in Ephesians 1:4, "According as He hath chosen us in him (Christ) before the foundation of the world...." That is the truth one finds throughout Scripture. God chooses His people as members of Christ.

In the fourth place, election teaches that God chooses a people unto eternal salvation and glory. God does not simply choose, but He has an end or goal in mind. That eternal goal was that He would bring His people to heaven. I quote, for instance, from Romans 8:29-30: "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. 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." So the final purpose of that eternal election whereby God chooses His people is that He may glorify them through Christ to the honor of His own Name.

Finally, election takes place in eternity. It is not an action taken only in time. It is an act of God that took place in His counsel or plan before time even began. Consider once again the passage of Ephesians 1:4: "According as He hath chosen us in (Christ) before the foundation of the world..." What does this mean? This phrase suggests that God chose before there was any creation, before there was time or space. Before the foundation of the earth, there is only God. He has chosen, then, a people in Christ from all eternity in His counsel. This is the testimony of Scripture.

In connection with the truth of election, the question is often asked, "Is election conditional or unconditional?" That is, did God choose His people on the basis of some action they must perform first -- or did He choose them freely and independently? Was election conditioned on something man must first do -- or did God choose certain people simply because it was His good pleasure to do so? Scripture itself teaches that election rests solely upon the decree of a sovereign God, and has nothing to do with any action man must first perform.

Sad to say, however, this is not the thinking of many today. The view that seems to have swept the church world of our day is that election is dependent on the will of man and not God. Election depends on the act of man in accepting Christ. God chooses those who first choose Him. This view has its roots in the Netherlands, and was first propounded in the year 1610. Its most influential proponent at that time was a man named James Arminius. Since his time this error concerning election has become synonymous with his name. It is called Arminianism.

Arminius himself wrote concerning this view of election, "But it (election) signifies the decree by which God determines to bestow salvation on someone, then Faith foreseen is prior to election. For as believers alone are saved, so only believers are predestined to salvation. But the Scriptures know no Elect, by which God precisely and absolutely has determined to save anyone without having first considered him as a believer. For such an election would be at variance with the decree by which he hath determined to save none but believers" (Writings of Arminius, Vol. I, page 380).

Obviously, Arminianism, when it speaks of election, speaks of it as conditional. Arminianism will not say that God elects, and therefore we believe; but it says that God elects those whom He foresees will believe. Arminianism maintains that election is dependent ultimately upon a positive response by man. When man accepts Christ, and perseveres in that, then God says, "I will elect you." Perhaps this idea of Arminianism can be illustrated. Suppose one were to place before you a weight of 1,000 pounds and were to command you to lift that 1,000 pound weight above your head. You would rightly say, "I can not." But were one to erect a system of pulleys with a rope, attach the rope firmly to that weight, then say again, "Lift that weight," now you would no longer be able to say, "I can not." Rather, you must now say either, "I will," or, "I won't." Obviously, it is now within your power to lift that weight. It is in this way that the Arminian also views the sinner. When man fell, he could do nothing. He could not accept Christ. He could not believe. But then God bestowed upon all men a certain grace (comparable to the system of pulleys in the illustration), so that all men have within them the power to believe if they will. But if they refuse, they are forever lost.

What must one say of this teaching of Arminianism? It ought to be clear that Arminianism essentially denies the sovereignty of God. That God is Sovereign means simply that God is God: He rules over heaven and earth. He will never relinquish His power to any creature. He will direct all things according to His sovereign purpose. God rules. The view of Arminianism denies this. An Arminian will insist that he too believes that the sinner is saved only by grace. But do not overlook the fact that, according to Arminianism, every sinner has this grace of God. What then makes one man to differ from another? Not God's grace, but the will of man which either uses or refuses God's grace. One exercises his will for Christ, another against Christ. The final determination as to who is elect rests then upon man's act. Such a teaching denies the sovereignty of God, for then the Sovereign, infinite, eternal God must sit in His heavens and await the decision of man in order to find out who will and who will not inherit His Kingdom. That is a terrible error.

Calvinism insists upon the Scriptural truth that God unconditionally elects a people unto Himself from all eternity. Not only John Calvin, but also the earlier church fathers, insisted upon the same thing. St. Augustine, 354-420, maintained that: "Faith, therefore, from its beginning to its perfection is the gift of God. And that this gift is bestowed on some and not on others, who will deny but he who would fight against the most manifest testimonies of the Scripture? But why faith is not given to all ought not to concern the believer, who knows that all men by the sin of one came into must just condemnation. But why God delivers one from condemnation and not another belongs to His inscrutable judgments. And 'His ways are past finding out.' And if it be investigated and inquired how it is that each receiver of faith is deemed of God worthy to receive such a gift, there are not wanting those who will say, 'It is by their human will.' But we say that it is by grace, or Divine predestination."

Augustine's view was firmly founded on Scripture. Throughout, Scripture teaches that election is not conditioned upon any work or act of man. Acts 13:48 states, "For as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed." Now, which is first: belief or ordination? Plainly the latter. Or we read in John 15:16: "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you, that you should go forth and bring forth fruit...." And in I John 4:10: "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." Election is surely unconditional according to all the teachings of Scripture.

Do you find comfort in such a truth? Some have insisted that this doctrine provides no comfort. For, say some, if one believes election, then the result will be that he becomes very careless and profane on this earth. If God eternally determined that a person is going to heaven, then what difference does it make what he does? If he wants to sin, he will be saved regardless. Though he do no good works, he will be saved anyway. Thus have many falsely presented this truth of election!

But such is a distortion of this doctrine. It is true: God has freely, eternally, sovereignly determined that His people will enter into glory. Among that people is numbered the thief on the cross -- a most horrible sinner. Among them is numbered Peter who denied Christ three times. Among them is numbered ourselves -- also terrible sinners. But does the doctrine of election allow one to sin if he pleases? Scripture teaches that God has chosen us in order that we should be holy and without blame (Eph. 1:4). See also Ephesians 2:10. Election produces fruit: where there is no fruit of righteousness, there is no evidence of election. Woe to the person who dares to say, "I sin because it does not make any difference -- I am already either elect or reprobate." To paraphrase words of Christ, it will be more tolerable in the day of judgment for one who never knew the truth of election, than for one who knew it and used it as an excuse to sin!

The sad situation today is that many Reformed men want to hide this doctrine. These insist that it is too difficult for the common people -- and one surely must never speak of it on the mission field. But Scripture never hides the truth of election -- it is plainly taught. In fact, Paul writes of it in detail to the churches of Rome and Ephesus especially. These churches were composed largely of Gentiles who had never had contact with the Word of God before. They were taught of election. If it was not too difficult then, ought it to be too difficult today for the people of our educated society?

How about yourself? Are you one of God's elect? That question has troubled many people. Are you concerned about your election -- truly concerned? The reprobate wicked never care whether or not they are elect. These only deny all of God's Word. But if you are concerned about your election, then you give evidence already in your life and heart of the fruit of election.

Just a few more questions. Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you love His church and His truth? Do you hate all of your own sin? Then there is really no question, is there? You see within you the fruit and proof of election. You are still a sinner as are all God's people. Sometimes we wonder, "How could God choose one such as I?" Yet the fruits of election are evident. If you believe, you have the evidence that God has eternally chosen you in Christ. He did not choose you because you believe, but your belief is the evidence and proof that He has chosen you. Do you believe? Then blessed are you, for yours too is the kingdom of heaven.

 Rev. Gise J. Van Baren
http://www.prca.org/pamphlets/pamphlet_43.html

Many are Called But Few are Chosen

 

The Bible makes the preaching of the gospel dependent upon predestination, distinguishes between the call of the elect and the call of the others, and describes the preaching of the gospel as the effectual means of grace to the elect alone. This is the doctrine of the Chief Prophet and Great Evangelist Himself in Matthew 22:1-14, which concludes with the words, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” There is a difference between the call of the many and the call of the few, a difference that explains why the many do not come to Christ, whereas the few do come. This difference is due to God’s election of the few, in distinction from the many who do not come.

God indeed calls the many. By His preachers He says, “All of My salvation is prepared now in the death and resurrection of My Son Jesus: come, by believing on Him.” But He does not call them according to election. Therefore, He does not call them out of grace. He does not call them with the will to save them. He does not call them in such a way that He draws them by the Holy Spirit.

The few, on the other hand, He does call out of love, with the will that they be saved, and by teaching them in their hearts concerning their own need and concerning the riches of the marriage-banquet. The reason for this effectual, saving call is election: the few were eternally chosen.

Denial of the well-meant offer is doctrinally sound.

It is an aspect of our defense of the denial of the well-meant offer that we take the offensive: we charge, in dead earnest, that the offer is the Arminian view of gospel-preaching…

Indeed, we ask the defender of the offer, “On this view why are some saved by the gospel, and others not?” The answer cannot be God’s grace and God’s will, for His grace and His will to save are the same both to those who are saved and to those who perish. The answer must be the will of the sinner, freewill. The well-meant offer is forced to rewrite Matthew 22:14: “For many are called, but few choose.”…

We appeal to the teaching of our Savior in Matthew 22:1-14. Although only few are chosen, many must be called. This condemns all hyper-Calvinistic restriction of preaching to the elect or to the regenerated or to the “sensible sinner.” Election in no wise hampers the promiscuous preaching or the serious call to all. But neither may the call of the many ignore or conflict with or destroy the election of the few. The sole saving purpose of God with the call of the many is the salvation of the few. The preaching of the gospel has its source, basis, and reason in the election of the church.

David J. Engelsma

Hyper-Calvinism and the Call of the Gospel, pp. 110-111, 113, 122

http://rfpa.org/collections/books-by-david-j-engelsma/products/hyper-calvinism-and-the-call-of-the-gospel

Many Are Called, But Few Are Chosen

The Bible makes the preaching of the gospel dependent upon predestination, distinguishes between the call of the elect and the call of the others, and describes the preaching of the gospel as the effectual means of grace to the elect alone. This is the doctrine of the Chief Prophet and Great Evangelist Himself in Matthew 22:1-14, which concludes with the words, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” There is a difference between the call of the many and the call of the few, a difference that explains why the many do not come to Christ, whereas the few do come. This difference is due to God’s election of the few, in distinction from the many who do not come.

God indeed calls the many. By His preachers He says, “All of My salvation is prepared now in the death and resurrection of My Son Jesus: come, by believing on Him.” But He does not call them according to election. Therefore, He does not call them out of grace. He does not call them with the will to save them. He does not call them in such a way that He draws them by the Holy Spirit.

The few, on the other hand, He does call out of love, with the will that they be saved, and by teaching them in their hearts concerning their own need and concerning the riches of the marriage-banquet. The reason for this effectual, saving call is election: the few were eternally chosen.

Denial of the well-meant offer is doctrinally sound.
It is an aspect of our defense of the denial of the well-meant offer that we take the offensive: we charge, in dead earnest, that the offer is the Arminian view of gospel-preaching…

Indeed, we ask the defender of the offer, “On this view why are some saved by the gospel, and others not?” The answer cannot be God’s grace and God’s will, for His grace and His will to save are the same both to those who are saved and to those who perish. The answer must be the will of the sinner, freewill. The well-meant offer is forced to rewrite Matthew 22:14: “For many are called, but few choose.”…

We appeal to the teaching of our Savior in Matthew 22:1-14. Although only few are chosen, many must be called. This condemns all hyper-Calvinistic restriction of preaching to the elect or to the regenerated or to the “sensible sinner.” Election in no wise hampers the promiscuous preaching or the serious call to all. But neither may the call of the many ignore or conflict with or destroy the election of the few. The sole saving purpose of God with the call of the many is the salvation of the few. The preaching of the gospel has its source, basis, and reason in the election of the church.

David J. Engelsma
Hyper-Calvinism and the Call of the Gospel, pp. 110-111, 113,122