When asked by Christ, the apostles to first come could they have refused, Peter had to be coerced, so could he have still said "no" or was Christ giving him an order?A feral cat had somehow found a way in and ended up in our basement in the dead of winter. She was cold and through an old fireplace she managed to make her way inside, but couldn't find her way back out.
It was dark, no light at all, and no food. eventually she found herself so hungry that her hunger overcame her fear of us, and one night when I was making salmon for dinner she began crying and meowing for help.
It took us some time, but we finally figured out the noise was coming from inside the house, from the basement door... and we stood back while my husband opened the basement door, not quite knowing what to expect..
When we opened the door she was afraid, and ran back to the darkness of the basement.. but I put some salmon on a plate and coaxed her into the main part of the house where we live..
She ate until she was full, she was a starved scrawny thing near death, and then found a place in a quiet corner and went to sleep after some time..
We went to walmart and got a litter box and some cat food and a few toys and random other things she would need, and she's lived with us ever since.
We were her first experience with humans, but she seemed at first like this was heaven. There was light up here, and warmth, and food in plenty, and people who loved her.
She wouldn't go outside for months because she seemed afraid we may not allow her back if she went to play, although in time that dissipated..
Here's the thing.. she didn't want to come up into the house at first. She'd been down there long enough we could see every bone in her body. It was a miracle she was even alive still..
We had to entice her, to get her into the house, but once she had the experience of it, of how wonderful it truly is, we couldn't get her back out.. she would literally hide under the bed at the very suggestion of her leaving to go out and play for a long time.
When God says here I Am, this I have for you is good, people don't want to leave God's presence once its been experienced - you couldn't force them out if you tried.
There are two calls that are experienced. 1) is the external call of the Gospel preached by human beings and 2) is the internal, effectual call of God which we see in places like Romans 8:30
The first call can be refused or misunderstood or, or, or as it's not a full experience of God, but God's internal effectual call is certain..
But there's no force involved, it's the starving man being given a plate of food they didn't know existed which, once tasted there's no force needed at all..
Just because God chooses doesn't mean the people he chose haven't also chosen Him in return. We love because He first loved us..
Jesus was a Rabbi, and it was typical of Rabbis and disciples in His day for prospective students to ask to disciple with a teacher of the law and then be told yes by the Rabbi if there was space.
A Rabbi going out and choosing his disciples was unheard of, yet Jesus did so. And its pointed out specifically more than once - You did not choose me, I chose you. John 15:16..
This is an important theme of the scriptures. God chooses in His perfect sovereignty, according to His good pleasure.
Why? Because God's children are children of the Spirit not children of the flesh, and this can only be proven out by God doing the choosing - because anything done in the flesh is of the flesh and God's promises must stand, His children are the children of promise therefore, not of works but of Him who calls.
God's people aren't forced into anything. What disciple of Jesus said man I'm tired of this slavery to discipleship.. ? None. They were happy to disciple.. It wasn't always easy, but if you asked any if they'd trade it for gold I'm certain they would laugh at you..
The Spirit convicts the world of sin ...Do you believe that man has a natural ability to believe apart from the work of the Spirit? If no, then what part does the Spirit play in conversion?
So the natural man can respond to this?The Spirit convicts the world of sin ...
John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; ...
Do you believe that man has a natural ability to believe apart from the work of the Spirit? If no, then what part does the Spirit play in conversion?
Possible?No I agree that it is possible that the Holy Spirit to plays a role in calling someone to believe.
So the natural man can respond to this?
That would be Pelagianism. That’s been considered a heresy for centuries.Yes because he hasn’t been born again yet and the regeneration process hasn’t started. This doesn’t happen until we receive the indwelling Spirit. Cornelius believed before receiving the indwelling Spirit.
Possible?
John 15:16 Jesus is telling them He chose them for a specific task which is to bear fruit. If you read John 15:1-10 in its proper context you will see that Jesus was warning His faithful 11 apostles of the consequences of failing to abide in Him. The consequences which result in loss of salvation. John 15:16 Jesus is basically telling them I have chosen you to do a job so do it, much like an employer might say to an employee.
We’re you a sinner when you heard the gospel?
We’re you a sinner when you first believed?
Did your sinful nature keep you from believing or did it force you to recognize that you are in need of a Savior?
That would be Pelagianism. That’s been considered a heresy for centuries.
We are still a natural man until we receive the indwelling Spirit. I just said it is possible that the Holy Spirit plays a role in our calling to believe.
Yes.
Yes.
It was the Holy Spirit, not my sinful nature, which revealed to me my need for salvation by exposing my sins to me.
And is natural man inherently sinful or not, in your belief?
I’ll help you out.We are still a natural man until we receive the indwelling Spirit. I just said it is possible that the Holy Spirit plays a role in our calling to believe.
No, you haven’t. If you had, you wouldn’t make straw man arguments.I have researched it pretty intensely.
It works for you to attempt to disprove Reformed Theology. But you changed it up when it was put back on you.No analogy is perfect, it still basically works.
The Holy Spirit revealed your sinful nature.
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