Of the nature of a gift.
No one asked you whether you wanted to exist. You bes not even in on the consultation.
Nevertheless, it bes a gift anyway, because without it, there would be no you.
Did you have to accept this gift to make it real and yours? Nope, you bes stuck with it, likesy or not.
By your definition above, as you did not accept it, it does no good.
So would you then say having existence does you no good?
Now, the scripture says to see and enter the Kingdom of God we must be born again.
We had nothing to do with being born in the first place, did we? Except that it happened TO us, whether we willed or no, without our consent.
Nicodemus -- well-educated, well-trained, well-learned in doctrine and scripture, and sufficiently graced of God to recognize the true origin of Jesus' power to work miracles -- clearly did not regard this as a simple matter of "just choose for it to happen" or he would not have asked in verse 9, astonished,
This bes an exact specific word so stating. Will you ignore it or explain it away now?
The glory of God lays the pride of man in the dust utterly. Mortal you cannot do a single thing to contribute to your salvation, to earn it, to merit it. You bes cast helpless upon the mercy of the Almighty like the rest of us and He does not regard you as any higher than those you judge to be "beneath" you because they will not capitulate to your error in this regard. Nor do you control the Sovereign of the Universe by the dint of your puny "will". You will tremble before His might and majesty like the rest of us do -- sometimes in awe, sometimes honestly in fear, oftentimes in joy as we receive of HIS bountiful goodness, and oftentimes with tears realising how deeply and profoundly undeserving we bes. But before His throne all arrogant assertions that one can take any credit for any part in one's salvation will cease, and even in the afterlife our "crowns" will be cast at the feet of the Deliverer* unto Whom bes due ALL glory and honor and praise.
__________________________________________________________________
* Moriah calls Him so even before He delivers it. What does that tell you?
Your parents, with God acting through them, gave you the gift of life. You did not "accept" it; you had no choice in the matter.
No one asked you whether you wanted to exist. You bes not even in on the consultation.
Nevertheless, it bes a gift anyway, because without it, there would be no you.
Did you have to accept this gift to make it real and yours? Nope, you bes stuck with it, likesy or not.
By your definition above, as you did not accept it, it does no good.
So would you then say having existence does you no good?
Now, the scripture says to see and enter the Kingdom of God we must be born again.
John 3:3-8:
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
It does not say we must CHOOSE to be born again. It does not say we must CHOOSE to accept grace or God's gift. It says we must be born again.3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
We had nothing to do with being born in the first place, did we? Except that it happened TO us, whether we willed or no, without our consent.
Nicodemus -- well-educated, well-trained, well-learned in doctrine and scripture, and sufficiently graced of God to recognize the true origin of Jesus' power to work miracles -- clearly did not regard this as a simple matter of "just choose for it to happen" or he would not have asked in verse 9, astonished,
9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
And what says the scriptures of those whats been born again? John 1:12-13:
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Scripture makes it abundantly plain and clear in this latter verse that those born again, born from above, born of the spirit, do not become so through/by the WILL (choice) of the flesh, NOR the WILL (choice) of man, but rather the WILL of GOD.12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
This bes an exact specific word so stating. Will you ignore it or explain it away now?
The glory of God lays the pride of man in the dust utterly. Mortal you cannot do a single thing to contribute to your salvation, to earn it, to merit it. You bes cast helpless upon the mercy of the Almighty like the rest of us and He does not regard you as any higher than those you judge to be "beneath" you because they will not capitulate to your error in this regard. Nor do you control the Sovereign of the Universe by the dint of your puny "will". You will tremble before His might and majesty like the rest of us do -- sometimes in awe, sometimes honestly in fear, oftentimes in joy as we receive of HIS bountiful goodness, and oftentimes with tears realising how deeply and profoundly undeserving we bes. But before His throne all arrogant assertions that one can take any credit for any part in one's salvation will cease, and even in the afterlife our "crowns" will be cast at the feet of the Deliverer* unto Whom bes due ALL glory and honor and praise.
__________________________________________________________________
* Moriah calls Him so even before He delivers it. What does that tell you?
