Sinners must choose? Sinners don't care about God's desires. All sinners choose damnation.
John 3:13
9That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12But 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.
God's plans are better than man's.
This post is a swipe at the idea that God preselected a group of people for salvation before creation, and also at that time choose others for damnation, what is known as Calvinism. It is a fatalistic idea that man does not choose to follow God of free will, but rather God elects some to salvation, and elects others to damnation, and the people have no choice in the matter.
Country to this idea, the Bible is clear God gave Himself as a ransom for all men.
1Ti 2:3-6 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,
The above verse shows us that a) God’s desire is to save as many as receive Him, note b) He gave himself as a ransom for all. This shows that the “all men” being talked about is a reference to their salvation. Not some general form of “other salvation”.
The following scriptures show us that “all men” includes both “saved” and unsaved, and for “us” and the “whole world”.
1Ti 4:10 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.
1Jn 2:2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
Not only this when Jesus speaks of His willingness to save, he states that it was “man not him”, that was unwilling.
Luke 13:34 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!
A Calvinist will say that God chooses some for damnation and others for salvation. Meaning God was unwilling to save the damned that He desired their destruction. That He only had a willingness to save the elect.
But Luke 12:38 above clearly shows that God “desired to save the children of Israel”, but they were in many cases “unwilling”. The following scripture also shows us that God has a willingness to save those who are straying, that contrary to Calvinism, God does not delight in the death of the wicked, that that is not his will.
Eze 33:11 Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'
In light of this, we need to be careful in interpreting scripture in a fatalistic way. For Jesus clearly said “I wanted to gather your children together”, that is God’s will. He wanted salvation for people. But the people “were not willing”.
The same applies today, God wants salvation for all. But often people are not willing to follow Him.
Rather than using verses, which didn’t exist until 1550 AD, we need to read all that applies on the subject, a teaching.
Teaching in the Villages Luke 13:22-35
And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem. And someone said to Him, “Lord, are there
just a few who are being saved?” And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up to us!’ then He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets’; and He will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from; depart from Me, all you evildoers.’ In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out. And they will come from east and west and from north and south, and will recline
at the table in the kingdom of God. And behold,
some are last who will be first and
some are first who will be last.”
Just at that time some Pharisees approached, saying to Him, “Go away, leave here, for Herod wants to kill You.” And He said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third
day I reach My goal.’ Nevertheless I must journey on today and tomorrow and the next
day; for it cannot be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen
gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not
have it! Behold, your house is left to you
desolate; and I say to you, you will not see Me until
the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’
Luke 13 begins with”
A Call to Repent (1-9)
Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And Jesus said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were
greater sinners than all
other Galileans because they suffered this
fate? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were
worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
And He
began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year,
fine; but if not, cut it down.’”
Why was Jesus in Galile? That question has a simple answer, His teachings and preachings were rejected. This beginning to Luke 13 tells us the same thing He tells Nicodemus in John 3, it requires repentance. In Bible studies I John 3:1-21 into two parts:
- Conversion (1-15)
- The Grace of God (16-21)
Part 1 are instructions to Nicodemus that Repentance is necessary step to Salvation.
Part 2 is what God has done to make salvation available to those of Faith.
Thought the New Testament we learn about the necessity of Faith and Repentance. I seldom use John 3:1-21 without using Matthew 16:24-28.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds.
“Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
The instruction of Jesus defines who will become a disciple of Jesus:
“If anyone wishes to come after Me,”
“A Calvinist will say that God chooses some for damnation and others for salvation. Meaning God was unwilling to save the damned that He desired their destruction. That He only had a willingness to save the elect.
But Luke 12:38 above clearly shows that God “desired to save the children of Israel”, but they were in many cases “unwilling”. The following scripture also shows us that God has a willingness to save those who are straying, that contrary to Calvinism, God does not delight in the death of the wicked, that that is not his will.” From your post.
I mentioned that I am putting together a study, if anyone would like to assist in it, they are welcome to join in.
One God, One Message, One Church will be the name of the collection.
Part 1 Amazing Grace
Part 2 A New life
Part 3 The Sermon on the Mount
(The Ultimate Guide for living your life as a Christian)
Joe josephperryg4@gmail,com