So, if God calls EVERYONE to repentance but only a few accept this call, why do some accept and endure while others reject it and fall away? God leaves such eternal consequences totally up man’s inept ability to make righteous choices?? Do only a few have some innate virtue within them that allows them to hear and respond to their Master’s voice while others do not?
“For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive even the elect, if it were possible.” Matthew 24:24
Doug
It is not actually possible to deceive God's elect, but we on earth do not know who the elect are.
The elect are the people who were chosen by God before the foundation of the world to inherit eternal life. God chose them to be His elect because He foresaw that these people were found still faithful to Him and His commandments at the time of their death. God did not force these people to obey Him and God did not prevent these people from doing evil. They freely chose to know, love, and serve Him and they were still knowing, loving, and serving Him at the time of their death.
Revelation 2:10
Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation.
Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. rsv
Revelation 17:8
The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is to ascend from the bottomless pit and go to perdition; and
the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will marvel to behold the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. rsv
How do we receive faith in God?
Romans 10:17
So
faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ. rsv
The Holy Spirit will continually guide us to obey God's commandments until our death if we take up our cross daily and deny ourselves our illicit pleasures and evil desires and if we do the good works that God has willed/prepared beforehand for us to do. Ephesians 2:10,
Matthew 7:21,
Matthew 25:31-46
Luke 9:23
And he said to all, “
If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. rsv
Matthew 10:34-39
Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man’s foes will be those of his own household. 37
He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and
he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. rsv
The contrast between the evil works of the flesh and the good works of the Spirit:
Galatians 5:16-24
But
I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, 21 envy,drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26 Let us have no self-conceit, no provoking of one another, no envy of one another. rsv
There is no law against doing good. There are laws (commandments) against doing evil. If we do good works/produce good fruits with the right intentions, we are being led by the Holy Spirit. If we do evil or do what seems to be good with an ulterior motive we are not being led by the Holy Spirit and so we are condemned under/by the Law of Christ (His commandments).
Our evil actions condemn us. Our evil works/deeds actually deny Christ.
Titus 1:16
They profess to know God, but they deny him by their deeds; they are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good deed. rsv
Matthew 12:36-37
I tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter; 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” rsv
We choose each and every day for ourselves whom we shall serve until the moment we die. Do we take up our cross daily and walk by the Spirit of God or do we throw our cross aside and walk by the the flesh (give in to our own evil desires), give in to the devil's temptations, and/or be seduced by the world's pleasures? 1 John 2:16, 1 Peter 5:8,
Joshua 24:15
Peter asks the question:
1 Peter 4:17-18
For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us,
what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And “If the righteous man is scarcely saved,
where will the impious and sinner appear?” rsv
Paul answers the question here:
2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
when
the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, 8
inflicting vengeance upon those who do not know God and upon those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They shall suffer the punishment of eternal destruction and exclusion from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, rsv
What can we do to ensure that we members of God's elect?
Philippians 2:12-13
Therefore, my beloved,
as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. rsv
2 Peter 1:3-11