Can God save a closed heart?

[SnuP]

I agree with your last post completely.

But doesn't that mean then that is a Christian did close his heart that he is indanger of losing his security.

 

[Andrew]

Snup,

how do you define 'losing his security'? r u refering to losing salvation?

 

[SnuP]

eternal security, salvation

 

[Andrew]

"But doesn't that mean then that is a Christian did close his heart that he is indanger of losing his security."

then my answer is no becos the spirit is still saved. Salvation has to do with the spirit, not soul.

also, think about this: if salvation depends on whether we keep our hearts open or closed to God, then salvation is not by grace thru faith any longer. if we did not do any thing to get it, how can we do anything to lose it?

also, do we then say that those who keep their hearts open to God have earned the right to keep their salvation? Doesnt this contradict free gift/grace again?

finally, it is not us who maintains our salvation but God. if 'keeping' our salvation depended on our obedience/faithfulness, i'd say we're all done for.

 

[SnuP]

where does the requirement of repentence fit in?

 

[Andrew]

1.repentance for salvation: changing mind/attitude from not believing in God and his plan of salvation to believing in God and Jesus as his plan of salvation. --> born again/ternal salvation.

2.daily repentance: changing our mind/attitudes towards certain things/old habits as we learn more about God and his ways thru his Word -- not to get more saved from hell but to live the victorious life we've been called into.

 

[SnuP]

forgetting about salvation for but a moment, I ask can God redeem a closed heart (make new, remake, make as it originally was, a heart that is sealed off) without violating the will of man.  It should go without saying that the man did recieve salvation, and god works to open the closed heart, but seeing that the man refuses to open the closed heart, What can God do?

 

[sola fide]

What is this dogma about not violating the "will of man"? Scripture is clear that our will is to seek our own destruction and an eternity apart from the grace of God. No man seeks after God without God first working in Him. I know that has nothing to do with the topic of this thread, but it needs to be addressed. If you are truly redeemed, i.e. in Christ, then your will and His slowly begin to intertwine. That's what being in Christ is all about, putting your will aside and letting Christ live in and through you.
Having a "closed heart" is not a fruit of salvation. If Christ lives in you, how can your heart be closed to the things of God? This totally contradicts scripture.
Apart from the grace of God, I would be content to seek after sin, and sin in abundance, as often as possible. It's only because I've submitted to His will that I can put on the armour of God and fight against sin. If a person's heart is truly closed, one has to wonder if Christ is truly living in that person. It's not for us to question another's salvation...but there should be evidence that Christ is living within a person. And a closed heart is surely not what I would call evidence.

Soli Deo gloria!

 

[ZiSunka]

Originally posted by tericl2
Re 3:20
Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door , I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me.

Unless we relegate Jesus to the rather undignified action of "breaking and entering" then I don't believe he will be forcing His way into our heart. Hear his voice and answer the knock. When the door is open he will enter, not as a thief with a crow bar, but as a friend.

Amen!!!! The best writing on this subject I have ever seen!!

 

[SnuP]

Originally posted by sola fide
What is this dogma about not violating the "will of man"? Scripture is clear that our will is to seek our own destruction and an eternity apart from the grace of God. No man seeks after God without God first working in Him. I know that has nothing to do with the topic of this thread, but it needs to be addressed. If you are truly redeemed, i.e. in Christ, then your will and His slowly begin to intertwine. That's what being in Christ is all about, putting your will aside and letting Christ live in and through you.
Having a "closed heart" is not a fruit of salvation. If Christ lives in you, how can your heart be closed to the things of God? This totally contradicts scripture.
Apart from the grace of God, I would be content to seek after sin, and sin in abundance, as often as possible. It's only because I've submitted to His will that I can put on the armour of God and fight against sin. If a person's heart is truly closed, one has to wonder if Christ is truly living in that person. It's not for us to question another's salvation...but there should be evidence that Christ is living within a person. And a closed heart is surely not what I would call evidence.

Soli Deo gloria!

lambslove is right, there is alot of truth in tericl2's post.  His post also answer's your question.  Since the beginning of creation God has given man free will (the ability to chose).  And He will not violate mans ability to chose.  God will opose man's choice, but will not take away man's choice.  The ability to chose is known as the will.  Man can chose to submit his will, in this way he wills to do God's will in this way God's will and man's will become intertwined. But if man choses to stop doing God's will (ie sin), then he has closed his heart to the will of God and runs the risk of closing his heart competely. 

Do you really believe that after salvation a man can do no wrong, or make a wrong discision, that God now makes all of the choices for him, and that man is forced to do God's will.  I hope not.

 

[sola fide]

No that's not what I believe. I'm not talking about the every day in's and out's of life. We do have free will concerning these things. I'm speaking of matters of eternity and seeking after God.
I concede that Adam and Eve were created with a free will to do good or evil. But Ephesians 2 says that we are born in bondage to sin, and to the prince of the power of the air due to our fallen nature...i.e. that makes our will in bondage, not perfectly free....our will is a will that seeks sin, not God. My only point is that when it comes to seeking God, it is Him and Him alone that allows us to do so. And that after salvation, it is Him that preserves us. If He did not preserve us, all of our hearts would end up being "closed".
But upon regeneration Christ begins to live in us. He is the author and finisher of our faith. If His will is being fulfilled in our life, i.e. He is preserving us, then how can our heart be closed to things relating to Him and His Word? We're not forced to do His will, His will and ours become one and we earnestly desire to do His will...that is by no means forcing us...we desire it....but only because He first regenerated us.

Soli Deo gloria!

 

[SnuP]

But are you saying that we can't control our own heart, to close it by our own will.  That God has taken from us our authority over our own heart. 

 

[Help-me-learn]

Acts 17:26-27 says God has placed every man where He wanted him so that man would seek after God.

 

[LouisBooth]

"That God has taken from us our authority over our own heart. "

what did he do to Pharro? (sp)

 

[SnuP]

God poshed him in the dirrection that he already wanted to go.  Murder was already in his heart.

 

[sola fide]

Murder was already in his own heart like it is our hearts, but by His grace He took out our hearts of stone and put in hearts of flesh. He could have just as well given us over to our own desires, but He...I repeat HE has chosen to save us.

Soli Deo gloria!

 

[LouisBooth]

no, you're assuming that. It ONLY says he hardened his heart. It says NOTHING about what pharro was thinking. If you want to guess it seems God changed his mind (according to the text).

 

[SnuP]

we have many desires, one is to be loved and touched and accepted. This is not the heart of stone that you discribe.

 

[sola fide]

It's not the heart of stone I describe, it's the heart of stone the Bible describes.

Ezekiel 36:26-
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."

Soli Deo gloria!

 

[SnuP]

Originally posted by sola fide
HE has chosen to save us.

Soli Deo gloria!

And we chose to let Him.