On Total Depravity - Part 4
When we fail to see that Evil is Inside, we will fail to understand why some accept / reject Christ. The obvious truth of God alone granting repentance and faith will be overlooked. In the previous post I showed why the heart must be renewed by the Spirit for God’s word to take residence. There are numerous instances of the example I’m about to show you. We’ll go through them in a separate post or series, but for now, I suggest you read the previous post and pay careful attention to the example below.
I first came across the significant of the word “also” in one of John Piper’s sermons or books, forgot which, that points out the beautiful truth of God granting repentance or made the unwilling willing.
10 So the couriers went from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them. 11 However, some men of Asher, of Manasseh, and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12 The hand of God was [also] on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD. —2 Chronicles 30:10-12 (ESV)
It was the word “also” in verse 12 that I started to map the whole thing out, and having done so, I can say with full confident that John Piper is correct with his reading and interpretation of the passage, and that Hezekiah’s call to repentance is a perfect demonstration of God’s power over the heart. Since not every translation has the word “also,” I have anticipated the objection that it was added. If that was the case, my answer is that the context demands it (just read it for yourself). 2 Chronicles 30:10-12 isn’t an isolated incident. It can be proven beyond the shadow of doubt that “The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart…” is the correct reading. Patterns and contrasts are things I take note of, so it’s easy to spot them if you’re looking for it.
Whenever the Gospel or God’s message is preached or presented, you will always have two groups of people.
Scoffers/mockers
Receivers.
This leads us to the question of: Who has made you to differ? And the answer is: God, as seen here in 2 Chronicles 30.
Here’s the bottom-line:
“As the corruption of our nature shews the absolute necessity of regeneration, so the absolute necessity of regeneration plainly proves the corruption of our nature; for why should a man need a second birth, if his nature were not quite marred in the first birth?” —Thomas Boston
Even if it were granted that “foreknew” means the foresight of faith, the biblical doctrine of sovereign election is not thereby eliminated or disproven. For it is certainly true that God foresees faith; he foresees all that comes to pass. The question would then simply be: whence proceeds this faith, which God foresees? And the only biblical answer is that the faith which God foresees is the faith he himself creates (cf. John 3:3-8, 6:44-45,65; Ephesians 2:8; Philippians 1:29; 2 Peter 1:2). Hence his eternal foresight of faith is preconditioned by his decree to generate this faith in those whom he foresees as believing. —John Murray
No man ever knows his condition until God comes to him in sovereign grace and power and gives him life. Paul said, “I was before a blasphemer.” When did he learn that? When God brought him to life! As one made alive by God he then rejoiced in every doctrine of God’s grace! —Gary Shepard
I’ll talk more about this contrast of scoffers/mockers and receivers in a separate post. For now, you can see that it all goes back to the T and why it’s important that you get the T right.