"The gospel is a free offer of Christ for faith, not works. The gospel is a free offer to all for faith; Christ is offered to you for faith alone."
We are sorry that our Hardshell and Strict Baptist brethren do not agree, but I agree. I would be happy to debate or dialogue with any on this subject. Do the scriptures teach that Christ and salvation are "offered" (made available) in the gospel to all? I say yes. Piper says yes. Our forefathers who wrote the 1689 London Confession would say yes. Only the Hyper Calvinists would disagree with Piper.
Notice also how Piper connects salvation with faith, the union we have with Christ is a faith union.
Piper said:
"Justification — you weren’t justified when Jesus died; you’re justified when you believe, when it becomes yours. And then the purchase of the justification and the performance of the righteousness two thousand years ago is applied. That’s why I’m using the word application: it’s applied to you."
But, our Hardshell brothers do believe that the elect were either justified in eternity past or when Christ died, and deny that sinners are justified when they believe. Any of our Hardshell brothers want to discuss it?
Piper said:
"Or eternal life — you didn’t have eternal life when Jesus died; you have eternal life when you believe. And then, what he bought out there, what he wrought out there, becomes yours through the connection with Jesus through faith. So, the gospel is the application to believers of all that he purchased and achieved two thousand years ago."
Well, amen to that! It is what even the founding fathers of the Hardshells taught but later their children abandoned it.
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