By Grace Alone PDF
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By Grace Alone a doctrinal study by Jim McClarty © 2007 James T. McClarty * Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture references are from the King James Version of scripture. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America also by this author books of theology A Guide to New Covenant Giving A Brief History of the Future Is The Church Israel? scriptural commentary Commentary on Paul’s Epistle to the Church at Galatia Commentary on the Hebrews Epistle about the author Jim McClarty is senior pastor of Grace Christian Assembly in Smyrna, Tennessee. He has been teaching the Word of God for fifteen years. He devotes his time to reading and learning so he can tell others the Good News of Christ. You can read more of Jim’s writing online at the Grace Christian Assembly website: http://www.salvationbygrace.org. This book is dedicated, with no small amount of affection, to the members of Grace Christian Assembly. Your patience, support, dedication and faithfulness are a testimony and witness to the grace of God. A friend once told me, “The proof that God has called a man to preach is that He has also called people to hear him.” Or, as the Apostle Paul put it, “Ye are our epistle written in our hearts…” Thank you for putting up with my rants, encouraging my teaching, and being the dearest friends I have on this earth. I am privileged to be your pastor. It is no novelty, then, that I am preaching. No new doctrine. I love to proclaim these strong old doctrines, that are called by the nickname Calvinism, but which are surely and verily the revealed truth of God as it is in Christ Jesus. By this truth I make a pilgrimage into the past, and as I go, I see father after father, confessor after confessor, martyr after martyr, standing up to shake hands with me. Were I a Pelagian, or a believer in the doctrine of free-will, I should have to walk for centuries all alone. Here and there a heretic of no very honorable character might rise up and call me brother. But, taking these things to be the stan- dard of my faith, I see the land of the ancients peopled with my brethren; I behold multitudes who confess the same as I do, and acknowledge that this is the religion of God’s own church. Charles H. Spurgeon, Metropolitan Tabernacle (1834-1892) Spurgeon, C.H. September 2, 1855 http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/spurgeon2. contents opening comments ................................ 9 introduction ..........................................11 The History • “Arminianism” • “The Doctrines of Grace” • The Differences 1 total depravity .................................. 23 Total Inability • Our Nature • “But, We Do Nice Things” • The Endurance of Sin • Conclusion 2 unconditional election ......................... 37 The Vocabulary of Election • Predestination • What God Knows • Foreknowledge • When Did The Election Take Place? • From the Beginning • Christocentricity • The Attributes of Election • Reprobation • Conclusion 3 limited atonement ..............................63 What Was Christ Accomplishing On That Cross? • For Whom Did Christ Die? • The Sheep • Old Testament Types • The Arminian Limitation • Other Arguments • Conclusion 4 irresistible grace ................................. 91 The Trinity • Effectual Calling • Repentance • “Ye Must Be Born From Above” • Faith • Irresistible Grace • The Argument of “Free Will” • The Authority of Christ 5 perseverance of the saints ................... 113 The Certainty of God’s Decrees • The Duration of Salvation • To The Final One • The Seed of The Serpent • The Arguments • The Example of Peter • Romans 8:29-30 • The Value of the Redeemed opening comments BY GrACe AlONe As a Bible teacher, I am often asked, “What does your church believe?” It hardly suffices to answer, “We believe the Bible.” Most Christian churches would say the same. So, the purpose of this book is to clarify what we at Grace Christian Assembly believe and why we believe it. I am not the first writer to attempt presenting these doctrines in the contemporary forum. But these are weighty subjects. So, far too often, this material is presented in a manner so full of theological jargon that the average layman is left as perplexed at the last page as he was at the first. Therefore, it is my hope and intention that this presentation is clear and concise and fully accessible to every reader “with eyes to see.” The first rule of Bible interpretation has always been: The Bible says what it means and means what it says. The second rule is like the first: Scripture interprets Scripture. It is not at all uncommon for preachers to “hunt and peck” through Scripture, searching for out-of-context verses that appear to support the particular theology, tradition, or “philosophical presupposition” the man or his denomination holds dear. But, the Apostle Paul warned – Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ (Colossians 2:8). For this reason, we have supported each of these doctrines with a variety of Scripture references. But, we are quick to point out that this is far from an exhaustive study. When it comes to considering the work and nature of Christ, even the apostle John had to conclude “...if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not con- tain the books that should be written” (John 21:25). By Grace Alone 9 The sovereignty and grace of God are interwoven through every verse of Scripture. As we come to know the lord of Scripture, we will more readily recognize his lordship in Scripture. This book is merely the tip of the iceberg, meant to stimulate thought and discussion, and to aid us on our search for the truth of salvation in Christ our lord. May God bless you as you read. 10 By Grace Alone
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