The Bible portrays the regenerate family of God in a certain light. They are said to follow Christ (John 10:27), obey Him (Heb. 5:9), be led of the Spirit (Rom. 8:14), and walk after the same (Rom. 8:1-3). They know their Savior (John 10:17; 17:3; Heb. 8:11) and believe on Him (Gal. 3:26; Heb. 10:29). Being born of God's Spirit, they are unable to habitually commit sin because God’s seed dwells within them (1 John 3:9).
Once a person sees THIS---that the scriptures describe the general course of the regenerate as a life of holiness, he begins to see the error of time salvation. As others have correctly stated, that false system builds a wall between the objective fact of salvation from its subjective experience. Yet the scriptures invariably connect the two together. If it did not, then Jesus, for instance, could not say with any degree of certainty that His sheep would follow Him, for they may or may not! It could not be said for certain that they are kept by God through faith unto salvation (1 Peter 1:5), for there may be some who are kept through their unbelief! Where this thought is greatly escalated is when the subjective experience of salvation is set forth in an eternal context from which it can't be separated. Indeed, what is one to do when it is connected to the covenant promises of God which are affected by One who cannot fail in bringing it to pass?
We have such a text before us in our challenge to time salvation.
“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them” (Ezek. 36:26-27)
1) Does this covenant treat of eternal or temporal matters, or both?
2) Are walking in God’s statutes and keeping his judgments elements of conversion?
3) Is conversion yoked with regeneration in this passage?
4) Are walking in God’s statutes and keeping his judgments effects of the indwelling Spirit? If so, are they certain of uncertain effects?
5) Is the certainty or uncertainty of these effects determined by the promise?
6) Are the effects of the indwelling Spirit part of the covenant promise itself, or optional supplements to it?
7) Can the covenant be said to be effected if not all its components come to pass for whomsoever it is intended?
8) Are walking in God’s statutes and keeping his judgments subconscious or cognitive actions?
9) How does one 'walk' on the subconscious level?
10) Is the objective reality of salvation and the subjective experience of it joined together in this passage?
11) Doth God effect the whole of this covenant, or only some of it?
12) Are all the elect embraced in this covenant, or only some?
13) Are receiving a new spirit and a new heart conditions for final salvation?
14) Are walking in God’s statutes and keeping his judgments conditions for final salvation?
15) Are walking in God’s statutes and keeping his judgments caused by God?
16) If walking in God’s statutes and keeping his judgments are part of time salvation, does this mean that a new spirit and heart are received in time salvation?
17) Does a person receive God’s Spirit in regeneration or in time salvation, or both?
18) Do the effects of the indwelling Spirit commence in regeneration or time salvation?
19) Does God cause all the elect to walk in his statutes and keep his judgments?
20) Is it given to all the elect to have a new spirit and new heart?
21) Is it given to all the elect to walk in God’s statutes and keep his judgments?
22) Doth God intend to give a new heart and spirit to ALL the elect, but cause only SOME to walk in his statutes?
23) Are all the elect under consideration in verse 26, but only some of the elect in verse 27?
24) Does the "regenerate heathen" walk in God’s statutes or keep his judgments?
25) Does the Spirit of God work effectually or ineffectually in bringing these fruits to pass?
26) If an elect child of God does not walk in God’s statutes, doth God fail in His covenant purpose?
27) Does walking in God’s statutes denote continual or momentary behavior?
28) If some of the elect go to Heaven having walked in God’s statutes while others have not, then how is it said that the elect are all saved the “same way”?
29) If the regenerate infant dying in infancy never walks in God’s statutes, does this mean that no adult can be made to do so, seeing that God’s spirit only has “one way” of saving His people?
30) If the infant and adult are saved the “same way”, does it not follow that the Spirit must cause either ALL of them or NONE of them to walk in God’s statutes?
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