What Did the Early Christians Teach? Part 2
Second Century Saints, who Followed the Apostles, Taught Free Will:
Tertullian: “No reward can be justly bestowed, no punishment can be justly inflicted, upon him who is good or bad by necessity, and not by his own choice.
Justin Martyr “In the beginning, He made the human race with the power of thought and of choosing truth and doing right, so that all men are without excuse before God.”
Clement: “If thou
wilt be perfect.” Consequently he was not yet perfect. For nothing is more
perfect than what is perfect. And divinely the expression “if thou wilt” showed
the self-determination of the soul holding converse with Him. For choice
depended on the man as being free; but the gift on God as the Lord. And He gives
to those who are willing and are exceedingly earnest, and ask, that so their
salvation may become their own. For God compels not (for compulsion is repugnant
to God), but supplies to those who seek, and bestows on those who ask, and opens
to those who knock
Clement: "Nor shall he who is saved be saved against his will, for he is not inanimate; but he will above all voluntarily and of free choice speed to salvation. Wherefore also man received the commandments in order that he might be self-impelled, to whatever he wished of things to be chosen and to be avoided. Wherefore God does not do good by necessity, but from His free choice benefits those who spontaneously turn."
The Fathers all Agreed: (many more quotes would confirm, reoccurring theme)
1) Man was Born with the Gift of Free Will from God
2) He did not have to be Coerced or impelled but could freely choose to Obey God
3) Man was responsible to God for his Choices & could of his own accord Turn from sin
To Various Degrees the Present Day Church
holds the Opposite View: So Sated:
Our first parents, being seduced by the subtilty and
temptations of Satan, sinned, in eating the forbidden fruit. This their sin, God
was pleased, according to His wise and holy counsel, to permit, having purposed
to order it to His own glory.
By this sin they fell from their original righteousness and communion, with God,
and so became dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the parts and faculties of
soul and body.
They being the root of all mankind, the guilt of this sin was imputed; and the
same death in sin, and corrupted nature, conveyed to all their posterity
descending from them by ordinary generation.
From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and
made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all
actual transgressions. This corruption of nature, during this life, does remain
in those that are regenerated; and although it be, through Christ, pardoned, and
mortified; yet both itself, and all the motions thereof, are truly and properly
sin
As you can see, the Church has again taken the Opposite View of the Early Saints. Not only did Man inherit the sin of Adam, (which the Bible says is Impossible! Ezk18:20) but he has been rendered incapable of doing anything but Sin. The Sin resides in his Nature over which he has no Control whatsoever. This Means therefore that he MUST: Be Regenerated (in his sin) BEFORE he can do anything Pleasing to God,
Like Repent, Get Clear of Wrong Doings or Change his Desires from evil to good.
Under this Teaching the Gospel Preached is Reversed:
1) Repentance is an Apology for being born sinful (Not a Clearing or Abandonment of sin)
2) Faith is Trusting in an Arrangement (Not Proven by Deeds)
3) Grace Covers Sin, Past, Present & Future. (Not Teaches godly behavior & Self Control)
4) Jesus is your Representative not your Example! (He Obeyed for you)
In Ancient Times Repentance and Faith were BOTH Proven by DEEDS! (Acts20:21, 26:18-20)
Repentance Preceded Salvation, as a Purging, sweeping, scraping and scrubbing of men’s Mind and heart making it CLEAN for the reception of the Holy Spirit. No one Still Sinning was Baptized. And Grace Destroyed the Works of the Devil! (“he who sins is of the devil!” 1John3:7)
In the Word of God, Free Will is a GIVEN:
“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. 1Chron28:9
"If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." (Gen. 4:6-7)
"I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set
before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life,
that both you and your descendants may live." (Deut. 30:19)
"And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this
day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on
the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you
dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Josh.
24:15)
“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings
from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice,
Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.“Come now, and
let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They
shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as
wool. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the
land; But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the
mouth of the LORD has spoken." (Isa. 1:16-20)
"Seek the LORD while He may be found ,Call upon Him while He is near. Let the
wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to
the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will
abundantly pardon." (Isa. 55:6-7)
"Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on
you." (Hos.10:12)
“Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Behold, I am fashioning a disaster and devising a
plan against you. Return now every one from his evil way, and make your ways
and your doings good." (Jer. 18:11)
“Now you shall say to this people, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Behold, I set before
you the way of life and the way of death." (Jer. 21:8)
"Now therefore, amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the
LORD your God; then the LORD will relent concerning the doom that He has
pronounced against you." (Jer. 26:13)
“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his
ways,” says the Lord GOD. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so
that iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the
transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a
new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no
pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord GOD. “Therefore turn and
live." (Ezk. 18:30-32)
"But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes,
let every one turn from his evil way andfrom the violence that is in his hands.
Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger,
so that we may not perish? Then God saw their works, that they turned from
their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would
bring upon them, and He did not do it." (Jon. 3:8-10)
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who
are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen
gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" (Matt.
23:37)
"I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."
(Lk. 13:3)
“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is
condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten
Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the
world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light,
lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the
light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”(Jn.
3:18-21)
"And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved
from this perverse generation."(Acts 2:40)
"Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no
partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness
is accepted by Him." (Acts 10:34-35)
"Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men
everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge
the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given
assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead." (Acts 17:30-31)
"But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed
from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered." (Rom.
6:17)
"Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from
all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
(2 Co. 7:1)
"Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel
for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good
work." (2 Tim. 2:21)
Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and
receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."
(Jas. 1:21)
"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw
near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners;
and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let
your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in
the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." (Jas. 4:7-10)
"Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the
Spirit[a] in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a
pure heart." (1 Pe. 1:22)
"And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!”
And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life
freely." (Rv. 22:17