• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

  • CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.

How can the grace of God be resisted by some yet received by others?

ToBeLoved

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Jan 3, 2014
18,705
5,818
✟368,235.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Private
I already shared Ephesians 1. Explain how predestination, choosing and adoption have nothing to do with salvation in this passage.

I challenge your unwillingness to let God's word speak as it plainly does.

Even now you are desperately trying to get around the very clear message of Ephesians 1.
I think I misunderstood that it was the entire chapter. I was looking at the first couple of verses.

But why you cannot pull out the verses that are your point is beyond me.
 
Upvote 0

ToBeLoved

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Jan 3, 2014
18,705
5,818
✟368,235.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Private
Another question 'How do you explain the verse where God tells us that He knew us before we were?"

God is obviously referring to His Omniscience. The fact that past, present and future are all known to God. God is not under 'time' as time is known by us.
 
Upvote 0

MennoSota

Sola Gratia
Dec 11, 2015
2,535
964
US
✟30,074.00
Faith
Calvinist
Marital Status
Private
Definitely!



Every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God is (Matthew 4:4).



Matthew 18:16
But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.



I reject no words of Jesus; don't be a false witness.



Live according to God's word, and they shall be unstopped and opened.



Don't be like the others and leave. I've given you passages which state man has free will to choose life or death. If this is too difficult for you, then I guess, you had better leave than confront the truth.

Jesus is God. Good

All scripture is the word of God, correct?

How is Matthew 18:16, found in a passage about dealing with correcting a brother or sister about sin, a verse about salvation? Is that your verse for free will?

You reject no words of Jesus. Then you must accept all 66 books of the Bible.

You, of course, realize that the four gospels were not written by Jesus. They were written by disciples of Jesus, just as all the epistles. In fact, Luke was a gentile and not a Jew. If you cannot accept the epistles as words of God (Yeshua, Jesus) then you must also reject the four gospels as mere words from disciples. You are being terribly picky and deliberately rejecting all words of God that show your beliefs to be non-biblical.

God, upon saving by his own choice, opens up the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf. Why do you shut your eyes and close your ears to the word of God?

You have cherry picked verses, out of context, to teach a view that the Bible does not teach. That is the mark of heresy on your part. Pelagius was rejected as a heretic. Arminius was rejected as a heretic. Your views fall directly in line with Pelagius and Arminius. Be careful of the path you walk as it is perilous.

Now, instead of the cherry picking you prefer, I have provided the full text in Romans 9, Ephesians 1 and Ephesians 2, yet you ignore them. Everyone can see you have failed to provide any legitimate argument for free will. No sense in you cherry picking anymore. You are wrong and proven to be wrong by God's word.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0

MennoSota

Sola Gratia
Dec 11, 2015
2,535
964
US
✟30,074.00
Faith
Calvinist
Marital Status
Private
I think I misunderstood that it was the entire chapter. I was looking at the first couple of verses.

But why you cannot pull out the verses that are your point is beyond me.
Because context matters. The verse numbers are arbitrary conventions of a modern era. They are not meant to be viewed alone. We use them solely to find a passage and a section in a passage. We must read the whole.
 
Upvote 0

MennoSota

Sola Gratia
Dec 11, 2015
2,535
964
US
✟30,074.00
Faith
Calvinist
Marital Status
Private
Another question 'How do you explain the verse where God tells us that He knew us before we were?"

God is obviously referring to His Omniscience. The fact that past, present and future are all known to God. God is not under 'time' as time is known by us.

What is there to explain?

God knew whom it is he would choose, before time existed. He is Sovereign. He is God. He is fully in control on all things. Not one thing takes Him by surprise or threatens His Sovereign Lordship over all His creation.
 
Upvote 0

Hammster

Carpe Chaos
Site Supporter
Apr 5, 2007
144,404
27,057
57
New Jerusalem
Visit site
✟1,962,858.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Reformed
Marital Status
Married
Were not many people invited to the wedding, but many did not attend? Now that kind of ruins Calvinism's story, doesn't it? If more are called/invited then come?

That parable shows that many are called to salvation that do not choose to come. Seems like some free-will to me.
You aren't reading what it says. All the invitees refused. Those who were there were gathered and received wedding garments.
 
Upvote 0

ToBeLoved

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Jan 3, 2014
18,705
5,818
✟368,235.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Private
Because context matters. The verse numbers are arbitrary conventions of a modern era. They are not meant to be viewed alone. We use them solely to find a passage and a section in a passage. We must read the whole.
What does that have to do with my thinking you were quoting the beginning verses instead of the entire chapter?

Do you just like to speak for the sake of saying something, even if it is not relevant to the conversation? Change the subject?

If you do not have enough thoughts on topic, maybe it is time to retire from the thread.
 
Upvote 0

ToBeLoved

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Jan 3, 2014
18,705
5,818
✟368,235.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Private
You aren't reading what it says. All the invitees refused. Those who were there were gathered and received wedding garments.
Yet your understanding of scripture is that those 'called' cannot refuse salvation. So the fact that some were called in the parable that did not come, blows away your theory.

How can anyone refuse a God who is irresistable? This parable is from Jesus Himself, so I guess Jesus is saying you are wrong.
 
Upvote 0

ToBeLoved

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Jan 3, 2014
18,705
5,818
✟368,235.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Private
Can you freely choose what you believe?
I think a lot of people prove this is true. For example, your wrong understanding of predestination as God is outside of time.

You seem to be proof of the thought that you do indeed choose what you believe.
 
Upvote 0

ToBeLoved

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Jan 3, 2014
18,705
5,818
✟368,235.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Private
Another question 'How do you explain the verse where God tells us that He knew us before we were?"

God is obviously referring to His Omniscience. The fact that past, present and future are all known to God. God is not under 'time' as time is known by us.
bump
 
Upvote 0

Hammster

Carpe Chaos
Site Supporter
Apr 5, 2007
144,404
27,057
57
New Jerusalem
Visit site
✟1,962,858.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Reformed
Marital Status
Married
Yet your understanding of scripture is that those 'called' cannot refuse salvation. So the fact that some were called in the parable that did not come, blows away your theory.

How can anyone refuse a God who is irresistable? This parable is from Jesus Himself, so I guess Jesus is saying you are wrong.
Except that if you understood Calvinism, you'd know that we believe scripture speaks of two different types of calling. Since you claim to understand Calvinism, though, I shouldn't need to explain it.
 
Upvote 0

Hammster

Carpe Chaos
Site Supporter
Apr 5, 2007
144,404
27,057
57
New Jerusalem
Visit site
✟1,962,858.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Reformed
Marital Status
Married
Another question 'How do you explain the verse where God tells us that He knew us before we were?"

God is obviously referring to His Omniscience. The fact that past, present and future are all known to God. God is not under 'time' as time is known by us.
Which verse is that?
 
Upvote 0

MennoSota

Sola Gratia
Dec 11, 2015
2,535
964
US
✟30,074.00
Faith
Calvinist
Marital Status
Private
What does that have to do with my thinking you were quoting the beginning verses instead of the entire chapter?

Do you just like to speak for the sake of saying something, even if it is not relevant to the conversation? Change the subject?

If you do not have enough thoughts on topic, maybe it is time to retire from the thread.

Sorry, I have no clue what you are talking about. Ephesians 1 is important in its whole context as it relates to God's choosing and predestination. I don't quote one verse as the passage helps you understand the authors point.
 
Upvote 0

Hammster

Carpe Chaos
Site Supporter
Apr 5, 2007
144,404
27,057
57
New Jerusalem
Visit site
✟1,962,858.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Reformed
Marital Status
Married
I think a lot of people prove this is true. For example, your wrong understanding of predestination as God is outside of time.

You seem to be proof of the thought that you do indeed choose what you believe.
Are you up to a challenge to see if this is true or not? It's a simple challenge.
 
Upvote 0

ToBeLoved

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Jan 3, 2014
18,705
5,818
✟368,235.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Private
Except that if you understood Calvinism, you'd know that we believe scripture speaks of two different types of calling. Since you claim to understand Calvinism, though, I shouldn't need to explain it.
Way to set me straight! Must not be that important then.
 
Upvote 0