Either Christ saves or we save ourselves

"Every doctrine, then, which teaches us to do or endeavour any thing toward our acceptance with God, stands opposed to the doctrine of the Apostles; which, instead of directing us what to do, sets before us all that the most disquieted conscience can require, in order to acceptance with God, as already done and finished by Jesus Christ." - Robert Sandeman


"To illustrate this matter, let it be remembered that the saving truth which the apostles believed was, That Jesus is the Christ. The apostles had one uniform fixed sense to these words, and the whole New Testament is writ to ascertain to us in what sense they understood them. Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ in a different sense from the apostles, or who maintains anything in connection with these words subversive of their real meaning, believes a falsehood; so his faith cannot save him. In the days of the apostles many affirmed along with them, that Jesus is the Christ, who yet meant very differently from them. The far greater part of Christendom will affirm in like manner; yet we shall not easily find many who, when they come to explain themselves, have the same meaning with the Apostles. Let us, then, lay aside all questions about faith, or how a man believes; and let the only question be, What does he believe? what sense does he put on the apostolic doctrine about the way of salvation?" - Robert Sandeman, Theron and Aspasio, Pg. 258 - 259


Joseph Hussey would concur with Sandeman. He says, "If there were such kinds of hearers now in our assemblies, yet there would be none amongst any of us who have received the common doctrine of the Gospel to deny, that the said doctrine of Grace was to be preached unto them, according to the precedent in which the apostles did it. Here then we all agree without dispute, in one and the same affirmative." - Joseph Hussey, God's Operations of Grace, Pg. 26

Scripture alone is the testimony used

"But the best of human testimonies are an ill medium to testify to the truth of the Gospel, because the Gospel is all built upon Divine Revelation, and thus it needs not to receive testimony from men." -Joseph Hussey, God's operations of Grace, pg. 13

The Free Offer entails Free Will

"Acceptance of the Gospel is a piece of the Gospel wrought in the soul by Jehovah the Spirit, which your tenderers of Salvation, either overlook or deny. Neither can offers be a fit means calculated to justify God, in condemning men for refusing a doctrine which was never preached to them; but rather offers justify God in condemning a minister, who, instead of preaching to conscience, offers his proposals, and leaves his messages at a great distance off-hand, as seems good to the profferer to fix them in mid-way, and wait for the sinner's acceptance. Offers lay all down for acceptance at mid-way block, and never get further. Whatever it be that is offered, Doctrine or Salvation, before the elect, or before the non-elect, or before all promiscuously, there it sticks in mid-way, waiting for a motion from man's free-will to accept. This is in no ways preaching the Gospel to Sinners!" - Joseph Hussey, God's Operations of Grace, pg. 43

The free offer entails free will. It ultimately leads to the errors of alter calls which Finney made popular.


David J. Engelsma also says in Hyper-Calvinism and the Call of the Gospel, "The only alternative to the truth of sovereign grace is the teaching that salvation depends upon the free will of the sinner. This is another aspect of the theory of the offer to which a Reformed man objects. We appreciate the fact that in the past defenders of the offer within the Reformed sphere have vehemently repudiated free will, despite the inconsistency of their repudiation with the doctrine of the offer itself. Nevertheless, the teaching of free will is necessarily implied in the doctrine of the offer and can be repudiated only by repudiating the offer." - Pg. 48

The Scripture nowhere sets the gospel as an offer

"The oracles of God have an elegant variety of expression, to set forth the preaching of Jesus Christ. As for example, it is called speaking, 1 Cor. 2:7,13, speaking the word, Phil. 1:14, preaching, Acts 20:25. . . . But never once in all this variety of phrase,  do Scriptures call preaching the Gospel by the names and phrases of offering, proffering, propounding or tendering Grace, Christ, Salvation and glad tidings to sinners." - Joseph Hussey, God's Operations of Grace, Pg. 22 - 23

So far so good. Nothing wrong with what was just quoted.

The Jewish leaders were Tyrants

The Bible speaks of the leaders of Israel as those who feared the people. In Matthew 26:5 they did not want to arrest Jesus because they feared an uproar. In Matthew 21:26, they couldn't answer Jesus because they feared the people; which is why they couldn't lay their hands on him because they feared the people v. 46. Mark 14:1-2 says that they plotted Christ's death but did not want to kill him on the feast day unless there would be an uproar of the people. These leaders were fearful of the people.


According to Plato, in the Republic, tyrants are tyrants because they really do fear the people. This is why these Jewish leaders are considered tyrants. They end up controlling and dominating over everyone out of fear that someone may override their authority.

No distinction between the words healing and curing

I suppose I never really thought much of this until an Arminian said it. But an Arminian once said that healing people and curing people are two different things. He bolstered his claim by using the text of scripture to suggest that Jesus healed people from demonic possession but didn't really cure them of it. Just think of what this satanic man is saying... Jesus doesn't save unto the uttermost. However, etymologically speaking the word for healing is synonymous with the word curing. The text he uses doesn't really prove his point either. What is also sad is that this guy is a teacher at a school. He has a degree somewhere. He ought to know what words mean. The hokie pokie was his favourite song.

All of grace and not of work

The gospel of Christ is a no strings attached news. It is not a tit for tat declaration. It isn't Christ died and now you must do something to make it worthwhile. It is the good news. News is declared. There are no you must do. The declaration is that Christ took away sins and appeased the wrath of God so that those whom he died for would be declared righteous because of what He did for them. This is the message that is declared. It is finished. It is accomplished. It is definite. It is particular. It is limited to those the Father gave to the Son. Christ shall not lose them. It is all of grace or it is of works.

The Gospel presupposes election

The Bible connects election with the Gospel. You cannot have a gospel message without election. Christ died for the elect alone, He lays down his life for the sheep alone, His church. He prays for her in John 17. In Matthew we see how election is connected to the gospel message of Christ. Matthew 3:12, speaks of the wheat and the tares. Matthew 11:25, says no one knows the son but those whom God chooses. Matthew 13:12, says Jesus speaks in parables so that His people will believe. He says it was given to His people to know the mystery of the Kingdom. In v. 38, it is spoken of the good seed which is the children of the kingdom. The tares as in Matthew 3:12 are the children of the wicked one. In Matthew 13:47, It is said that the gospel saves only few people, it is not meant to save every single human being who has or will ever live.