Alert! God Will commonly not being done

[BNR32FAN]

It's important, when thinking 'God's thoughts after Him' to borrow from Augustine, to think theologically. The issue most Reformed Christians have with Arminian and other positions is the emphasis on man. The humanistic underpinnings of non-calvinist opinions remind me of this old clip.

When you read Revelation 2:20-21 immediately you think of man (ME), your understanding of the passage begins and ends with man (ME).

Classic biblical doctrine includes the ideas of God's eternality, that God exists outside of time and that God does not 'learn' but 'knows' all things (omniscience).

Can we agree that scripture teaches that God is not affected by time, that He is eternal and doesn't actually 'wait' on anything? That God doesn't 'learn?'

Can we also agree that scripture uses anthropomorphisms to communicate the decretive will of God?

If not, no need to continue this discussion, we will never agree. It's often not an issue of proof texting wars, which is what you want to do, but presuppositions. Your god looks more like you - the God of the Bible is utterly different.

Yours in the Lord,

jm

I never can just get a straight answer from Calvinists on that question. Of course Jesus knew the outcome ahead of time but on judgement day Jezebel will have no excuse because she was able to repent, otherwise she would be able to put the blame on God as to why she didn’t repent. The implication here is that Jezebel was capable of repentance but despite being able to repent she chose not to which destroys Calvin’s doctrines of total depravity, by his definition, and irresistible grace. Don’t get me wrong man is totally deprived in that he is born with a sinful nature cannot do anything to earn his salvation, but man is absolutely capable of repenting and turning to God upon hearing the gospel because of the power of the gospel being God’s calling to man. The gospel does contain the power to provoke a reaction in us to repent.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭1:16‬ ‭NASB‬‬

 

[John Mullally]

"Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God..." and please noticed that regeneration (being born again) precedes faith.
jm

This verse does not mean that regeneration precedes faith because it is just as true to say "Whoever is born of God believes that Jesus is the Christ".

In the great commission of Mark 16:14-18, Jesus implies that believing comes first. If regeneration comes first, then why is there a need to preach and why is there an emphasis on believe? Notice how believe precedes will be saved.

Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

 

[BNR32FAN]

This verse does not mean that regeneration precedes faith because it is just as true to say "Whoever is born of God believes that Jesus is the Christ".

In the great commission of Mark 16:14-18, Jesus implies that believing comes first. If regeneration comes first, then why is there a need to preach and why is there an emphasis on believe? Notice how believe precedes will be saved.

Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

Amen hence “what must I do TO BE SAVED” Paul’s answer “Believe.” Now if salvation preceded belief then Paul’s answer should’ve been “do nothing, if you are saved you will believe; if your not then you can’t believe and there’s nothing you can do to be saved”. In John 6 when Jesus was asked “what must we do that we may do the works of God” Jesus replied “Believe”. At Pentecost when the people asked Peter “what must we do to be saved” Peter replied “repent and believe and you will be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit”. Repentance and belief preceded the coming of the indwelling Holy Spirit. They were able to repent and believe because they had just received the sanctifying power of the gospel enabling them to do so.

 

[BNR32FAN]

So, when you read, "those who were ordained to eternal life believed" you don't believe it? Got it.

For those reading this post the natural conclusion is that ordination to eternal life is link leads to belief. See also 1 John 5 where it reads, "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God..." and please noticed that regeneration (being born again) precedes faith.

Lydia's heart was opened to the Lord BEFORE she could believe. "The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul."

jm

In the case of Lydia in Acts 16:14 that could also be understood that God opens everyone’s heart who hears the gospel, otherwise the gospel itself has no power for salvation as Paul mentioned in Romans 1:16. If a person’s heart must be opened before hearing the gospel in order for someone to believe it then the gospel itself has no power to salvation.

 

[John Mullally]

The issue most Reformed Christians have with Arminian and other positions is the emphasis on man.
jm

Jesus put an emphasis on man with every directive He uttered - obviously God is greater because He is the one giving the directives.

For example, in the parable of "Building your house on the rock", Jesus emphasizes man's role.

Matthew 7:24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

If an employee does not follow his employers reasonable directives while at work, he can be legally fired. In general (there are exceptions), the employees job is to follow directives.

 

[BNR32FAN]

Jesus put an emphasis on man with every directive He uttered - obviously God is greater because He is the one giving the directives.

For example, in the parable of "Building your house on the rock", Jesus emphasizes man's role.

Matthew 7:24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

If an employee does not follow his employers reasonable directives while at work, he can be legally fired. In general (there are exceptions), the employees job is to follow directives.

Amen I see the same message in John 15:16.

“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15:16‬ ‭NASB‬‬

In John 15 we see Jesus warning His 11 faithful apostles about the dangers of failing to abide in Him which will result in bearing no fruit. This is a clear indication that even His 11 faithful apostles had the ability to turn away from Christ resulting in loss of their salvation. It’s undeniable that these men were true believers and yet they still retained the ability to turn away from God.

 

[mnorian]

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