The central difference between a believer and an unbeliever

The grand central difference, from whence arise all the others, may be thus express
He before thought, that there was a necessity for him to find some saving change or good disposition wrought in him, before he could have any peace in his conscience, or rest to his soul, from the perfect work of Christ presented in the gospel, and accordingly was distrest in his thoughts for want of perceiving it in himself, and therefore sought after it, and prayed for it, that he might obtain peace and hope towards God. And when he apprehended that he had found or obtained it, he laid the chief stress of his hope upon it. But now he finds relief to his conscience, not by discerning any favourable symptom about himself, but by understanding that blood of Christ is all sufficient and free, according to the divine testimony and this evangelical peace and rest thus obtained, becomes the root and spring of all that love and obedience, which distinguishes a believer from others. And so he now rejoices in Christ alone, having no confidence in the flesh. Phil 3.3. -Samuel Pike, Free Grace Indeed!, pg. 79

Absolute Predestination

Absolute Predestination is the truth that all things to the jot and tittle has been predestined beforehand by God; whether these things are great or small, from world wars to even a mans hair preceding. God has preordained all things whether good or evil. Evil by definition is including calamity to even the sinful action of wicked men. The Bible says a asparrow will not fall to the ground unless God wills it so - Matthew 10:29. It is said during the temptation of Jesus Christ that a man lives not by bread alone but by every word of God - Luke 4:4. Unless God will it and determines a thing to be done it will not happen - Lamentation 3:37, for the Bible says that whatever God wills he does (Psalm 115:3, 1 Samuel 12:22). So if God wanted to kill a man, that man would therefore die at the predetermined time God willed him to die as the wife of Manoah says in Judges 13:23.
The Bible says that there is a time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Some men who do not know God say that God determines a thing t ocome to pass as it happens: as if God is changing with the times. I heard a pastor at a Baptist church say something wierd. He spoke in Ephesians 1:1-18; of course it is interesting to see people who want to dismiss the clear teachings of the Bible and hold to their positions of pride. This pastor taught that man was both predestined and yet had free will. Of course his response is that this was a mystery - we cannot even know it. But how does the mystery go? Did not God know how to reveal his truth to man so that there would be no mystery? The verses in Ephesians 1 does not teach that man has free will so where did he get that idea? Furthermore, this pastor said that God chooses people all the time and went through the various text where God is said to have chosen Abraham, Isaac, ect. But his position is that God is continously choosing people. He is always changing.
The Problem with his theory is that it makes God a part of time where he changes and makes his mind a subject of change. God is eternal and changes not therefore his knowledge and will is not based on anything in the created order. What God knows and wills he does by eternity. Who taught Him? Shall any man teach God? (Job 21:22) or as Isaiah 40:14 says who did God take counsel with? As Joshua 11:19-20 says there was not a city that made peace with Israel for God hardened their hearts. Rehoboam didn't listen to the old mens counsel because the Lord wanted to perform his saying (! Kings 12:12-15).
The Bible alone is the word of God. When considering any subject of the study of God one ought to have it as the goal to be Scriptural. The Bible alone being the word of God is made of law and gospel. One can know that the law does not produce the righteousness of God as (Romans 3:20 says). The Law brings death (Romans 4:15, 7:10, 8:3). The gospel alone is what saves and it is the news of what God has done in Christ alone for his people alone as Romans 5:1 says.
When considering the subject of absolute predestination one ought to start with the nature and character of God. What is God? The Bible says he is faithful, just, true, gracious, merciful, holy, and that he is a spirit and that is one. The Christian definition of God is that he is one in three eternal persons. God is his attributes. For God to be just means that he is not evil. So what God is implies what he is not. Since God is the creator he is not therefore the creature (Psalm 89:11). For God to be a person means he is not a chair. The Bible also says that God is powerful, that he reigns above his creation. He alone is Lord over all things (Psalm 97, 99, 103:19) God alone is God (Psalm 86:2).
For God to be God means that he alone is the sovereign one. God's sovereignty is that which he is the ultimate power and cause of all things. He alone rules and controls what happens in the world. He by his word created that which did not exist before; in fact, the Bible says he calls those things into existence that do not exist (Romans 4:17). He commands a thing to be and it is done, such as the feeding of Elijah (1 Kings 17:4). As the Lord Himself says a man lives not by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). In fact, it is the Lord who numbers and decrees the days of man (Job 14:5, Psalm 139:16). God alone is the Lord who reigns above all (Psalm 93:1) and he is God from everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 90:1-2). He has created everything and everything is his (Psalm 89:11). In Ezekiel 5:16-17, God says that whatever He speaks, the thing spoken of will come to pass (also see Ezekiel 12:25).
God is not only sovereignty, just, holy, ect. but he is also a God of knowledge (Job 28:23-28). He alone has wisdom and counsel and understanding (Job 12:12-16), therefore no man can teach God for he is of one mind and no man can turn him (Job 23:13-14). Only God therefore has perfect knokwledge - Job 37:16. The heavens were made by the wisdom of God (Psalm 104:24). The Lord knows the heart of man - 1 Chronicles 28:9-10. The wisdom and knowledge of God. God, as it has already been said is a God of knowledge. He knows all things that has, is, and will come to pass. The Bible says that God created all things for himself, even the wicked for the day of destruction (Proverbs 16:4). The Bible continues this line of thinking throughout. God by his knowledge and wisdome has absolutely predestined all things to work out for his glory even utno the extent that he has predestined certian men or the majority of man to destruction; for many are called but few are chosen (Matthew 20:16; 22:14). These men also known as the wicked, the non-elect, the vessels of wrath, are the reprobate whom God hands over to the lust of their minds to do the things that ought not to be done (Romans 1:18-32). Peter in his second epistle chapter two says that these men are like natural brute beast who are made to be taken and destroyed. In no sense did Christ die for these men, but rather were ordained to eternal destruction (Jude 4). These men according to John do not believe because they were predetermined not to believe (John 6:64). In fact, as Isaiah 6 says, John 12:37-41 says that these men are blinded by God so that they will not believe and be saved. In the gospel of John, Jesus also is said to know all things, specifically about man. He knows man is a sinner and that they love not God. Therefore, it is said that man is totally depraved (2:24-25 and 5:42 and 7:7).
It is God alone who determines when and what a person knows. God reveals his secret will to his chosen (Psalm 25:14, Amos 3:7) as he did reveal his plans to Abraham who was also God's elect (Genesis 18:17). But God not only reveals general aspects of his will, but even the gospel; bringing an elect sinner to saving knowledge and belief of the gsopel truth as he did to Peter (Matthew 16:13-17). But God not only determines what a person knows but also when a person knows it (1 Kings 3:9-12). A man may preach and teach the gsopel truth until he is blue in the face to his family and friends who are lost but unless God removes the stoney heart and gives them a heart of flesh to know and assent to the truth they will not believe nor understand the truth. This Paul makes clear that God's workers may seed and water but it is God who determines its growth (1 Corinthians 3:6) and he reveals his truth to his elect whom he has chosen since before the foundation of the world even without consideration of the fall and creation of them. In Joshua 11:20 God is said to hardened the hearts of his enemies to destroy them. But this verse is not the only one of its kind. For one can read Deut 2:30 as well where God hardened the spirit of Sihon to destroy him just like God did to Pharoah in Exodus.
God is the one who teaches truth to man. Jeremaiah in 33:3 says that God reveals truth. In Daniel 1:17 God gives knowledge to Daniel and his friends. A man may go through passages of time and not know a thing until the time God has allotted that person to know. God certainly does reveal knowledge in particular instances of time as He has eternally determined it (Daniel 2:18-21). Knowledge and understanding only come from God for God is omniscient. He knows all things.
God's knowledge is perfect (Job 37:16) for God is good. There is not one thing that God doesn't know that is under heaven. It is by his understanding alone that the heavens and earth was made (Jeremiah 51:5). Therefore, God is the teacher - Psalm 71:17. The Bible says doe not call anyone on earth father for you have one Father (Matthew 23:9).
God knows all the counsel of those who are against Him and his people (Jeremiah 18:23). Any knowledge of the truth that man has is given from God who alone causes a person to know (1 Kings 4:29; 2 Chronicles 9:23). Other verses include Job 32:8, 38:35-36, Psalm 39:4).
In Exodus 4:11, God tells Moses that He is sovereign or has absolute power over man's mouth, eyes, ears. This truth is clearly seen in Ezekiel 3:26-27, where God is said to make the prophet dumb and also is said to make him able to speak at the particular time God chose. Jesus enumerates this to his disciples that the Spirit will give them words to speak. God gives his people both knowledge and words as the apostle Paul confesses in 1 Corinthians 1:6-8.
Aside from the tautology of spirit, heart, and mind these verses demonstrate that God's purposes stand. He gets what he wants. He hardens people for a purpose. Now someone might say that this is not of salvation - which the response would be 'and so?' John 12:37-41 says some men do not believe the truth because God blinds their eyes and keeps them from seeing the truth - 2 Corinthians 3-4, Romans 9 also speaks of Pharaoh from Exodus 4 in which God hardens his heart ot kill him and to save his elect people alone. Peter in his second epistle says that these men are made for destruction. But, God is patient with his elect alone not wanting any to perish but all of them to come to salvation in Christ. Therefore we are not consumed (Lamentations 3:22) but God will save his people from his wrath 1 Thessalonians 5:9. All of God's acts are done without consideration of the creature therefore, he is not passive, nor is he reacting to the creature but he saves his people because he chose to do so. Anyone not in Christ will be eternally destroyed as God only saved Noah and his family and just Lot alone.
Just in the book of Isaiah alone one sees that God is sovereign and in control of all things. For instance the Lord uses and creates evil for his own prupose (Isaiah 10:5, 45:7). Everything happens because God purposes it (Isaiah 14:24-27). He knows from old and pruposes it according to the counsel of his will - Isaiah 46:10. Certianly, God is not only sovereign over kings whom he sets up and displaces (Isaiah 22). But he even sends evil spirits (Isaiah 19:14). He even controls the works of his people (Isaiah 26:12). He alone chose a particular people (Isaiah 41:9 and Isaiah 43:1-5) to save and redeem. All of this is the result of God's pleasure (Isaiah 40:14-19) doing all things according to his purpose (Isaiah 23:8-12) according to his counsel which is of old that is faithful and true (Isaiah 25:2).
God is a God of knowledge (Job 28:23-28) He alone has wisdom and counsel and understanding (Job 12:12-16), therefore no man can teach God for he is of one mind and no man can turn him (Job 23:13-14). Only God therefore has perfect knowledge - Job 37:16. The heavens were made by the wisdom of God (Psalm 104:24). The Lord knows the heart of man - 1 Chronicles 28:9-10. God not only reveals the truth to his people. He has also determined to keep many people of the human race in stupidity. These men are the reprobate. They are so called because God does not will to save them and he gives them up to a reprobated mind as the Bible says in Romans 1:24-28. What men do, whether apparent good or blatant evil, they do because God causes them to do so. As Job says, "Shall we accept only good at the hand of God, and not evil?" (Job 2:10). Nothing is outside of God's counsel and reign. Isaiah 45:7 says God creates both peace and evil. Other verses such as Micah 1:12, Jonah 1:7, Amos 3:6, 1 Samuel 16:14, 2 Samuel 12:11, 17:14, 1 Kings 9:9, 2 Kings 21:1, 22:16, and Job 42:11 all speak of God's control and sovereignty over evil. The reprobate are also the cause of God's hand as the elect are. The Bible says, that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God (1 Corinthians 1:21). 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 says "If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them who are perishiing in whom the God of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not. . . . Also John 12:40 says God has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts so that they will not believe and be saved.
But God not only keeps men from believing the truth but also in the elect alone has determined to cause them to believe in the truth. Peter says in Acts 5:29-33 that God raised Jesus for the purpose of giving repentance to Israel. In Acts 16:14 God opened the heart of Lydia to attend into the things Peter spoke, just like God did to the King of Assyria (Ezra 6:22). God alone is to be thanked for he causes his people to triumph in Christ alone (2 Corinthians 2:14-15) and changes them into the same image from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). Repentance and faith are both acts of God or are things that God causes in the mind of the elect alone. Accordingly, all who are ordained to eternal life will believe (Acts 13:48).
In the Bible God is the king eternal, He alone is immortal, invisible, the only wise God (1 Timothy 1:17). God simply knows everything (1 John 3:20). He knows what he will do before He does it (Acts 15:18). Certianly God knows whom He has chosen and He certianly knows those whom He will regenerate. God does not regenerate his people because there is some good thing in man that makes him worthy. The Bible is clear that all men are sinners and have fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:10-19, 23). This is the testimony of Scripture against all humanity as it is said in John 2:24-25. David himself confesses he was brought forth from his mothers womb as a totally depraved sinner (Psalm 51:4-5); and Proverbs 20:9 says, "Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?" Indeed no one can.
God does not choose his people because they have done great things; for they have not. There is nothing they can do to please God. Everything on earth is God's nothing can be given to God but what he has already owns (Psalm 50). The Bible says that God did not choose on his people because they were more in number but rather because the Lord loved his people (Deut. 7:6-8). If anything the choice to save some and damn others was a choce caused by nothing found in the creature but purely of God's will alone as he chose Jacob above Esau (Romans 9:11-12). This is the Supralapsarian view and makes the choice of God the moving cause to create the world; which of course is for His glory alone. As the Bible says we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works (Eph. 2:10). Those who are not of his elect but are rather the non-elect are hardened more and more. Their light is vain (Proverbs 21:4). But for the elect, He predestined them in Christ, His people are accepted in Him. To them God plans and makes known his will in time. He not only predestined them, but also quickens them in Christ.
Peter in Acts 15:7 confesses that God make a choice among us, that the Gentiles by his mouth should hear the word of the Gospel, and believe. God not only chooses those whom he will save, but also chooses the way and the means by which they will be saved. As Paul in his epistles say he does everything for the sake of the elect alone (2 Timothy 2:10) and in Titus 1:1 he says that he is a servant of God according to the faith of God's elect . . . . God chose the elect to salvation through sanctification and belief of the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:13). Therefore, God did not appoint the elect to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:9). Unlike the non-elect, who were made for this distruction as Proverbs 16:4 and 2 Peter 2:12 says.
In Romans 9:19-24, the elect are considered vessels of mercy and the reprobate are considered vessels of wrath. The argument goes something like this that God cannot be merciful to vessels that are unfallen because mercy presupposes falleness. But is this true? When one considers the end to which God chose the elect and the non-elect one ought to see that it was God's grace and mercy to save some and to damn others before they had done anything good or bad.
Ultimately, God could have chosen to save person A rather than person B. But, he did not. Mercy and grace are undeserved favours from God because those who are chosen to be saved had nothing in themselves for why God decided to save them. Unlike, molinism and other forms of conditionalism that say their god knows all things whether what will happen or what could happen, God in Scripture knows all things before they happen and that he had also predestined these things to happen. For God to know something is for God to predestine it. Nothing happens outside of His knowledge whatever happens in this life happens because God knows it will happen. So those whom he did predstined, he called, justified, and glorified. Whereas mens counsel changes, and often is stopped, God's counsel never changes. God's counsel is not based on what man says or does (Romans 11:34; Isaiah 40:13). The Bible says clearly no man has counselled him in Isaiah 41:28. All of the time the kings and rulers take counsel with one another they often if not all stumble. God's counsel stands forever (Psalm 33:11) and just as he purposes it shall it come to pass (Isaiah 14:24). Nothing can thwart God's plan (Jeremiah 51:29). It is God who alone does what he pleases to do (Isaiah 48:14; Psalm 115:3). No one can stand against his counsel (Lamentations 3:37-42). Therefore, no one should say we will do this or that, but rather if the Lord wills we will do this or that (James 4:13; 1 Corinthians 4:19). It is God who alone directs the steps of man (Proverbs 16:9).

Definition of faith

We must then seek for some other method of distinguishing a false faith from a true, otherwise we shall be misled, as this to be feared many are, upon this way of stating it. What if after all these laboured complicated definitions of faith, it should appear, that the difference between one sort of faith and another, does not lie in any circumstances or consequences of it, but only in this, that what one believes is the truth, while what another believes is a falsehood, or some lie connected with the truth. - Samuel Pike, Free Grace Indeed!, pg. 41

Jesus is God in the flesh

In John 10,

22And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. 23And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. 24Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. 25Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. 26But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30I and my Father are one.

31Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 33The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. 34Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? 35If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; 36Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? 37If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. 38But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. 39Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand,

 Jesus was in fact calling himself God when he quoted Psalm 82. Jesus sits amongst the mighty and judges among them.

1 God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.

2How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.

3Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.

4Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.

5They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

6I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

7But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.

8Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

The Gospel alone is the principle or foundation of all true holiness

But I must nevertheless, preach and proclaim this freeness of grace to fellow sinners, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear. Firmly persuaded, that this is the true grace of God, and the only sort of grace that can suit their condition, and that can upon a right principle or foundation, either relieve their consciences, purify their hearts, comfort their souls or direct their conduct, under the influence of the blessed Spirit. Yea, and I must look upon the welcome reception of this grace, together with holy fruits thereof, to be the true and proper proof of genuine Christianity in heart and life. - Samuel Pike, Free Grace Indeed!, pg. 3

The Gospel is both absolute and immediate

The true grace of God as revealed openly in the word of the gospel is both absolute and immediate.
It is absolute, requiring nothing for the helpless sinner to their endeavor towards obtaining an interest in the divine favour for Paul says, if it be by grace, it is no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace, Romans 11:6. And it is immediate, affording relief previous to the exertion of any act of ours for the apostle directly saying but if it be of works it is no more of grace, otherwise work is no more work. Nay, unless the grace manifested in the gospel by Jesus Christ has both these properties, it cannot be free indeed. For how should that be quite free, which leaves the poor sinner any thing to do to obtain it; or does not hold forth to him such information as is sufficient to afford him immediate hope of salvation by Christ. Upon the whole then, I cannot but apprehend that revealed grace has these properties so that a person no sooner understand and believes it, but he is enlightened and relieved thereby, and it becomes a principal of all holiness and consolation to him, being taught of God, by the Spirit of truth and grace. - Samuel Pike, Free Grace Indeed!, pg.2

God is either equally in control of all things or he is not

Winnen Russ says, First of all, Park, as u will see below, the concept of *equal* ultimacy demonstrates the absolute sovereignty of God. First of all, lest we be found talking to our selves, we will seek to define our terms. What is "ultimacy" anyway (before we get to equal or unequal adjectives). Ultimacy is the idea of what is *ultimately* the reason for everything being as it is. And Scripture says that ultimately speaking it is the will of almighty God. Why is your name Park rather than John? Well, your parents named you that. But ultimately speaking the *only* reason for your name is the will of God--God willed that it should be so. And if God is absolute ruler in His universe as Scripture always and in every place proclaims, the ultimate reason for *everything* being as it is is the will of God. Many Calvinists today believe in what they call "Unequal Ultimacy." This has to do with the Elect and reprobate. Ultimately speaking, these Calvinists admit, the reason a man goes to heaven is the will of God. But then they turn around and say that ultimately speaking the reason a man ends up in hell is *not* the will of God but something that the man himself *did*. Is the final destination of the reprobate the *one* thing in the entire universe over which God's will has *no* control? Scripture tells us that there is *nothing* over which God's will is not the ultimate deciding factor. And so the fact that the Calvinists (and RC $proul is a major player in this--read his classic best-seller Chosen by God and you will see this) insist that though the final destination of the Elect is ultimately owing to the will of God, the final destination of the reprobate is owing to their doing *bad stuff*. This is not only outrageous but it shows (and please somebody tell me where I'm wrong if I am here) clearly that these Calvinists really and truly believe that the reprobate ultimately do not end up in hell owing to the will of God *and* the Elect do not end up in heaven ultimately owing to the will of God. The reprobate end up in hell because they did bad stuff and the Elect end up in heaven because they did good stuff! Unequal ultimacy is works religion. There's no way around this. Or am I wrong?