How should we square Matthew 5:16

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earl40

Puritan Board Professor
"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

What men? Men that do not know God?
 
The implication is that as believers live out their lives in the grace and love of Christ, that others will be drawn to the Father. See also John 17:23, among others.
 
1Peter 2:12 may also be helpful..."having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. "
 
How can they praise a God they do not know?

How can an infidel look at a christian and praise/glorify God ?

If they see you doing something charitable, they will say "what a generous person" and you will get the praise and glory. If they see you caring for orphans, they will say "what a kind compassionate person, and you will get the praise and glory. If they see you studying scripture on your lunch hour, they will say "what a devout religious person", and you will get the praise and glory.


Who is the light of the world ? Christ. What light is in you to let shine, Christ and His gospel. If God is pleased to open some of their eyes, they will see your light and His gospel, and they will praise and glorify God.
 
Mike aced it. All men everywhere are commanded to repent. They are responsible for how they respond (or don't) to the gospel. That's not an Arminian thing, it's a biblical thing.
 
How can they praise a God they do not know?

How can an infidel look at a christian and praise/glorify God ?

On the day of "visitation", the return of Christ and the subsequent judgment, men will give an account for their sin. God will be glorified even through those that are cast into the lake of fire; and even more so through those who heard the word or experienced the kindness and mercy of the saints.

Matthew 11:23-24 23 "And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You shall descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. 24 "Nevertheless I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you."

Matthew 25:39-41 39 'And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' 41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;

But there's also a redemptive part to having others glorify God by witnessing our good works. Our good works may be what God uses to allow sinners to hear the gospel.

Ephesians 2:10 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

1 Peter 3:1 In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives,
 
But there's also a redemptive part to having others glorify God by witnessing our good works. Our good works may be what God uses to allow sinners to hear the gospel.

So how does this square with Monergism?
 
But there's also a redemptive part to having others glorify God by witnessing our good works. Our good works may be what God uses to allow sinners to hear the gospel.

So how does this square with Monergism?

I'm not sure I understand. He just said "Our good works may be what God uses to allow sinners to hear the gospel." There was nothing in there about synergism.
 
But there's also a redemptive part to having others glorify God by witnessing our good works. Our good works may be what God uses to allow sinners to hear the gospel.

So how does this square with Monergism?

In the parable of the sower Jesus was clear that there are different kinds of soil. Hard soil, rocky soil, weedy soil, and good soil.

God has predestined many Christians for His use in cultivating bad soil into good soil. The bible is clear that regeneration is monergistic and that God is sovereign. He works all things according to the purpose of his will (Eph 1:11). Through our good works others see the glory of God because Christian love is not of this world in the fact that it is selfless. In this way the Lord touches hearts and turns soil into something that will grow the planted seed.

Luke 8:5-18 KJV
[5] A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
[6] And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
[7] And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
[8] And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
[9] And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?
[10] And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
[11] Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
[12] Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
[13] They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
[14] And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
[15] But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
[16] No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.
[17] For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.
[18] Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.

Our Sunday School quarter just started on Evangelism on Sunday. The above was part of it.
 
1Peter 2:12 may also be helpful..."having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. "


So you would say the "all men" in Mathew are those that will or do believe and not ALL men?
 
But there's also a redemptive part to having others glorify God by witnessing our good works. Our good works may be what God uses to allow sinners to hear the gospel.

So how does this square with Monergism?

Easy. God ordains the entire process that leads to a person responding to the gospel call. If a person is "moved" by a good work that you do, and that leads him to church where the gospel is preached, God gets all the glory.
 
But there's also a redemptive part to having others glorify God by witnessing our good works. Our good works may be what God uses to allow sinners to hear the gospel.

So how does this square with Monergism?

Easy. God ordains the entire process that leads to a person responding to the gospel call. If a person is "moved" by a good work that you do, and that leads him to church where the gospel is preached, God gets all the glory.

I hear ya.:amen:

So do you think "the all" in Matthew 5:16 is only the elect?
 
So how does this square with Monergism?

Easy. God ordains the entire process that leads to a person responding to the gospel call. If a person is "moved" by a good work that you do, and that leads him to church where the gospel is preached, God gets all the glory.

I hear ya.:amen:

So do you think "the all" in Matthew 5:16 is only the elect?

Where do you get "the all" in Matthew 5:16? It's not in the KJV or the NASB. Both translation simply say "men." I believe it applies to all men - believers and unbelievers. Believers will glorify God by believing the gospel. Unbelievers will glorify God by proving God to be true and just.
 
Where do you get "the all" in Matthew 5:16? It's not in the KJV or the NASB. Both translation simply say "men." I believe it applies to all men - believers and unbelievers. Believers will glorify God by believing the gospel. Unbelievers will glorify God by proving God to be true and just.

You are correct on the "all men." Of course I was extrapolating that from this "before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father".

So far as praising God by unbelievers on "broken knees" is a stretch from how this verse reads. Does it not appear that the context appears to suggest that the praise God when they see the good works?
 
"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

This may mean they might not?
 
But there's also a redemptive part to having others glorify God by witnessing our good works. Our good works may be what God uses to allow sinners to hear the gospel.

Ephesians 2:10 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

1 Peter 3:1 In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives,

This sort of thing keeps on happening even in our times: yesterday, a new member joining FBC Vancouver testified that one of the things that drew her to Christ was the lifestyle of some of her Christian neighbours. In the providence of God, a loving of one's neighbours in obedience to Christ can have far reaching consequences.

In its original context, Christ's charge also explains how his disciples are to set about being the light of the world and the salt of the earth.

-----Added 11/30/2009 at 11:06:42 EST-----

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

This may mean they might not?

The may imply that some will not (pun intended), but it does not imply that none will.
 
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According to Hebrews 6, a non-regenerate person can go so far as to "have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age ..."

Haven't you seen a non-Christian look at a sunset and say "Beautiful." ? God is being praised. The heavens declare the glory of God. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
 
According to Hebrews 6, a non-regenerate person can go so far as to "have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age ..."

Haven't you seen a non-Christian look at a sunset and say "Beautiful." ? God is being praised. The heavens declare the glory of God. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.


Recognizing something as beautiful is far from praising God.
 
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