Causes of Apostasy From the Truth or Doctrine of the Gospel, by Its Uncured Enmity, by John Owen. скачать в хорошем качестве

Causes of Apostasy From the Truth or Doctrine of the Gospel, by Its Uncured Enmity, by John Owen.

The Reasons and Causes of Apostasy From the Truth or Doctrine of the Gospel, by Its Uncured Enmity, by John Owen. The following contains Chapter Four of his work, "The Nature of Apostasy From the Profession of the Gospel and the Punishment of Apostates Declared, In An Exposition of Hebrews 6:4-6; With An Inquiry Into the Causes and Reasons of the Decay of the Power of Religion in the World, or the Present General Defection From the Truth, Holiness, and Worship of the Gospel; Also, of the Proneness of Churches and Persons of All Sorts Unto Apostasy. With Remedies and Means of Prevention." London: 1676. Search the Scriptures — John 5:39 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify again to themselves the Son of God, and put him to open shame. — Hebrews 6:4-6 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. — Matthew 5:13 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. — Mark 4:16-17 And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed. — Isaiah 1:28 And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, Save thyself, and come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him. — Mark 15:29-32 The Reasons and Causes of Apostasy From the Truth or Doctrine of the Gospel, and the Inclination of All Sorts of Persons Thereunto In All Ages, Inquired Into and Declared — Uncured Enmity in the Minds of Many Against Spiritual Things, and the Effects of It in a Wicked Conversation, the First Cause of Apostasy. For an introduction to the following discussion, I will establish a principle that I assume everyone will agree with: namely, that a departure from the truth of the gospel once professed is a sin of the highest guilt and one that will result in the most harmful consequences. In the past, God frequently complained through his prophets that his people "had forsaken him" and had turned away from him - that is, from the doctrine and institutions of his law, which were the only means of connection and communion between him and them (Deuteronomy 28:20; 1 Samuel 8:8; 2 Chronicles 34:25; Jeremiah 5:7,19, 16:11). To convince them of their terrible folly and wickedness in this regard, he asks them what wrongdoing they had seen in him, what unfairness in his ways, and what disappointments they had encountered that would cause them to grow tired of his laws and worship, to the point of abandoning them for things and practices that would ultimately lead to their temporal and eternal ruin (Jeremiah 2:5, Ezekiel 18:25). For if there was nothing in God's laws and ways that they could legitimately complain about; if they were all holy, just, and good; if there was great reward in obeying them; and if through them God brought them good and not evil all their days, then there was no justification or excuse for their foolishness and ingratitude. It is universally acknowledged that their defection from the law and institutions of God represented the highest level of folly and the greatest imaginable wickedness. This acknowledgment even comes from those who, at the same time, are guilty of an even greater sin of the same kind. For people's judgments are often so swayed by their current interests or corrupted by the power of their depraved affections that they justify themselves in committing worse evils than those they condemn in others. But as it was with the people of old, the same applies to those who deviate from the mysteries or reject the doctrines of the gospel, after they have been accepted and professed by them or have done so at any time. In fact, their guilt has even greater consequences than the idolatrous revolts of the Jews of old, because the gospel is a clearer revelation of God and much more glorious than that made by the law. There is therefore no reason to be found within the gospel itself for anyone to abandon it, either in its doctrines, commandments or the worship it requires. https://takeupcross.com takeupcross