What does it mean to say God shall destroy?

In 1 Corinthians 3:17 it speaks of God destroying a man for defiling the temple.


Now the question to be considered is whether this destruction is eternal or what not? We often read such verses as such, and not to say that there are no verses that mean eternal destruction, but context should be considered.

The Love of God

Does God love every single human being?

The Arminian, and the Scholastics (whether Reformed so called or no) would say absolutely. They would definitely list out Scripture verses that seemingly supports this satanic idea. One such verse, is all together popular, is John 3:16.


It says that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son so that whosoever believes in Him shall not parish but have eternal life.


In this verse those who teach God loves every single human being who has, is, and will ever live on earth point out that the text says God so loved the world.

Now the problem with this interpretation of things is that it does not fit the context of the verse itself and of the whole Scripture. For instance, Romans 9 says God loved Jacob, but hated Esau.

They who holds that God loves every single human being (we will call them universalist) basically think that the term world means every individual. This however is not the case. The universalist has simply committed a fallacy. They say look here is the word world therefore this means this. The problem is that the term world in Scripture has several different meanings and none of them speak of every single human beings.

In fact, the term world can denote the universe, all creation including things. As God created the cosmos. He is ruler of it all the stars, the skies, the ocean.

It can also mean the gentile world as distinct from the Jewish world as Paul uses the term in Romans 11.

But since Scripture interprets Scripture we know ultimately God only loves those whom He has chosen in eternity past. Therefore, God so loved the world of the elect alone.

Romans 11

Just got done reading through Romans 10 - 11.

I had a childhood friend use Romans 11 to support the theory that a Christian can be saved at one time and then lose his salvation.

But the text does mean that. What it does say is that God has harden everyone or well has concluded all men in sin so that he might have mercy upon all (Romans 11:32).


Anyone who is saved is saved based on His mercy and grace alone that is free.

It is wrong to think that God has abandoned his people as Paul says in v. 1. For the truth is he hasn't. Paul says so in v. 2 - 5 there is a remnant that has not bowed the knee. There is a remnant according to the election of grace.

But even so there is a small remnant of Israelites that are saved, the majority are hardened (v. 7 - 11) for the sakes of the Gentiles.

This according to Paul is to bring about jealousy amongst the Jews that some might be saved (14).

God therefore has cut off the Jews so to graft the Gentiles in. This correlates to that which Paul speaks of in Ephesians 2. What then shall we say? Where then is boasting? No where. There is no room for it in grace.

It is by faith (the doctrine of Christ) so that it is by grace. Therefore, we ought not to be highminded.

For God did not spare the Jews neither will he spare the Gentiles for pride. This ought to therefore cause us to look to Christ and believe the gospel of Gods free grace and mercy.

The use of Faith

Some verses seem to teach that a believer might fall from grace.

However, the question becomes are there really such verses?

There are different uses of the word faith. It can be used as a verb or noun.

So if one is said to have fallen away from the faith? Does this mean that one actually had Faith?
The two uses are equivocal. Faith is a term used to denote a doctrinal system. The other use of the term is referring to our act of believing.

1 Timothy 4:1 1Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 4For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.


Tobias Crisp says, "But, Secondly, suppose the words to run as they are commonly rendered; I answer, then are we to distinguish in faith two things; there is the act of believing, and the object on which we believe; and so the words may be understood thus, 'Being justified; by the righteousness of faith, or by the righteousness of Christ which we believe, 'we have peace with God;' and so ascribe our justification to the object of our believing, the righteousness of Christ, and not to the act of believing." - Christ Alone Exalted, 127


Gordon H. Clark says this also.


"James 2:20 speaks of a dead faith. James also says that Abraham was justified by works and not by faith alone. How does this fit in with what Paul says? . . . The term faith has two very distinct meanings. Sometimes it means the mental activity of believing. . . . While the second meaning, namely the propositions believed, occurs in Revelation 2:13, 19 and 14:12. This second meaning is prominent in the pastoral epistles. Although many people confuse the two and slip from one to the other without realizing what they are doing. . . ." - Gordon H. Clark, Faith and Saving Faith

Definition of the word Church

I have not to my knowledge posted anything on this blog about the word "Church". When the word "Church" is used it is often not understood, particularly in certain context. One such context is found in relation to Church discipline. It is always important to define one's terms whether the term is time, or even Church. We ought to know what one is talking about and we do so when definitions are right set forth. In Matthew 18:17 it is said that if a man will not listen to two or three witnesses then one ought to tell it to the church. Often the term Church in this context is meant to mean a pastor or some sort of leader. However, this is not so. I say this in light of the fact that the term church is an assembly and in this context it is an assembly of God or an assembly that has been called out by God. It is an igglesia or we might say Ecclesia which means Called out ones.

I am not the only one who believes this. There are others who say the same thing. According to the Smalcald Articles, A Lutheran set of beliefs, says, "We do not concede to the papists that they are the church, for they are not. Nor shall we pay any attention to what they command or forbid in the name of the church, for, thank God, a seven-year-old child knows what the church is, namely, holy believers and sheep who hear the voice of their Shepherd."

John Glas, the father in law of Robert Sandeman, says, "Before we proceed to inquire into this, it may be observed, that we do not find the officers or representatives of any church or churches, or any congregation or assembly of them, called the church; but we find the people distinguished from them, and called the church: Acts 15. 22. . . . Acts 14. 23. . . . Acts 20. 17. 28. . . ." - The works of John Glas, Pg. 158


Martin Luther on what a true Christian community is:

It is necessary, first of all, to know where and what a Christian community is so that men may not engage in purely human affairs under cover of the name of a Christian church, as has always been the custom of non-Christians. The certain mark by which a Christian community can be recognized is the preaching of the gospel in its purity. Just as one can tell by the military banner, as by a sure sign, what leader and what army have taken the field, so one may surely know by the gospel where Christ and his people are stationed. Of this we have God's sure promise in Isaiah 55 [:10, 11], 'My word that goes forth from my mouth shall not return to me empty, but as the rain comes down from heaven and waters the earth, so shall my word accomplish that which I purpose.' Hence we are certain that where the gospel is preached there must be Christians, no matter how few in number or how sinful and weak they may be. We are just as certain that where the gospel is not preached and where the doctrines of men hold sway there can be no Christians but only heathen, no matter how great their numbers or how pious and good their lives.
From this it follows unquestionably that the bishops, foundations, monastic houses, and all the rest of that crew have long since ceased to be either Christians or a Christian community, though they have flaunted this name as their exclusive possession. Anybody who knows what the gospel is can see, hear, and understand that to this very day they rely on their human teachings and have altogether rejected, and are still rejecting, the gospel. Whatever such people do and say must therefore be regarded as heathen and of this world." - Martin Luther, Right and Power of a Christian Church, Pg. 325-326


John W Robbins says

"Paul's final greeting is to 'the church in your house.' In the New Testament, the word church is never used of a building. We have drifted so far from the teaching of the New Testament that some Christians now think they are not in a church unless they are in a church building, or at least affiliated with an organization that owns such a building. But in the New Testament, the church is a society that meets for the purpose of publicly worshiping God. All Christians, as members of Christ's body, which is the invisible church, are members of Christ's church. When some of them gather together for public worship in a particular place, they are called a particular church: in this case, 'the church in your house.' Just as the New Testament never uses the word church to refer to a building, so it never uses the word church to refer only to church officers. It does not even mention such officers or offices as popes, cardinals, episcopal bishops, archbishops, trustees, superintendents, assistant pastors, associate pastors, music ministers, or youth pastors. All those offices have been invented by men. The church in Philemon's house is the entire group of Christians that meets there for worship. They are all part of the ekklesia." - John Robbins, Slavery and Christianity

Our good works cannot be the grounds of our Assurance

What Lordship Salvation does and those who hold to it is that it grounds our assurance in our works. It separates the object of justification from sanctification. It is Christ's death that justifies us. It is His death alone that sanctifies us. Our works here on earth are mingled with sin, therefore, cannot be the basis of our assurance.

People who ground their assurance in their works end up measuring their spiritual life on the basis of imperfect works. It is because these works are so imperfect that they cannot be the measuring rod of our salvation. Our salvation is grounded in and by Christ alone. Regeneration, Repentance, and Faith all send us to Christ alone. The Hebrew writer says that it is by faith we see Christ. Our faith, which is passive in our justification, looks to Christ who is the object of our justification and author of our faith.

We must learn to look to Christ and his finish work for our assurance and let the good works done be whatever they are simple works mingled with sin.

The Law and Gospel: Martin Luther vs. Mark Dever

Mark Dever, like John MacArthur, confuses the law and the gospel in all of his writings. For instance, Mark Dever says, "But according to the Bible, although freedom is a wonderful aspect of our message (e.g., John 8:32-36), sin and guilt are at the very heart and core of the gospel. Making people aware of their lost and sinful condition is part and parcel of sharing the good news of Christ." - The Gospel and Personal Evangelism, pg. 56

Here Mark Dever confuses the law and the gospel by saying that at the very heart of the gospel is sin and guilt. This is actually false. It is the law that results in sin and guilt. The gospel is good tidings of great joy about what Christ got done on the cross for the elect alone by His death by which he makes His people whom he died for accepted by His righteousness alone imputed to them. The gospel declares. It is news. It does not chide.

The Apostle Paul says that it is the letter that kills but the Spirit brings life.

However, Martin Luther properly distinguishes the law and the gospel in his book "Against the Heavenly Prophets".
He says:

"Now in order that we do not open our mouths too wide and marvel at the skill of these false spirits, and thereby abandon the main articles, and thus deceitfully be led off the track (for thereby the devil succeeds through these prophets), I will here briefly recount these articles of the Christian faith to which everyone is above all things to pay attention and hold fast.
The first is the law of God, which is to be preached so that one thereby reveals and teaches how to recognize sin (Rom. 3[:20] and 7[:7]), as we have often shown in our writings. However these  prophets do not understand this correctly, for this means a truly spiritual preaching of the law, as Paul says in  Rom. 7[:14], and a right use of the law, as he says in 1 Tim. 1[:8].
Secondly, when now sin is recognized and the law is so preached that the conscience is alarmed and humbled before God's wrath, we are then to preach the comforting word of the gospel and the forgiveness of sins, so that the conscience again may be comforted and established in the grace of God, etc.
Christ himself teaches these two articles in such an order (Luke 24[:47]. One must preach repentance and the forgiveness of sins in his name. 'And the Spirit (he says in John [16:8]) will convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment.' You do not find either of these two articles in this one or any other of the false prophets. They also do not understand them, and yet these are the most important and necessary articles." - Martin Luther, Against the Heavenly Prophets, Pg. 160

Notice that it is the Law that reveals sin and alarms the sinner. Only after this does the gospel come to comfort the wounded sinner.

Like Beza, Luther calls these two things (Law and Gospel) articles.