How can the grace of God be resisted by some yet received by others?

[EmSw]

Now we will look at Luke, which references the narrow gate and path also.

Luke 13
23 Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them,
24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
25 When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from.’

Here, Jesus answers the question, 'are there few who are saved?'

Jesus then answers, 'strive to enter the narrow gate', which is His answer to the question. We've learned from Matthew 7 that entering the narrow gate leads to life. In Luke, Jesus nows adds 'strive' to enter. Strive, fight, labor fervently to enter the narrow gate.

Many will seek to enter the narrow gate, but will not be able. Why? Besides, not striving to enter, Jesus tells us in verse 25 they are outside the door knocking to enter. They are wanting in, but the Master tells them, 'I do not know you'. If one does not enter the narrow gate, Jesus does not know him/her.

 

[bottomofsandal]

And some say a 'dead' man can do nothing. This parable strikes down that thought.

No, the parable is about a son who is lost, returns, never losing his relationship with The Father.
In fact, there is a celebration when the prodigal son returns. That's the name of the parable.

 

[bottomofsandal]

Now we will look at Luke, which references the narrow gate and path also.

Luke 13
23 Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them,
24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
25 When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from.’

Here, Jesus answers the question, 'are there few who are saved?'

Jesus then answers, 'strive to enter the narrow gate', which is His answer to the question. We've learned from Matthew 7 that entering the narrow gate leads to life. In Luke, Jesus nows adds 'strive' to enter. Strive, fight, labor fervently to enter the narrow gate.

Many will seek to enter the narrow gate, but will not be able. Why? Besides, not striving to enter, Jesus tells us in verse 25 they are outside the door knocking to enter. They are wanting in, but the Master tells them, 'I do not know you'. If one does not enter the narrow gate, Jesus does not know him/her.

How does one FIND the gate?
How does one ENTER the gate?

Can just anyone walk in...?


What about the path? Where is it to be found?
Many people claim to be on the right path, but are not...

 

[EmSw]

No, the parable is about a son who is lost, returns, never losing his relationship with The Father.
In fact, there is a celebration when the prodigal son returns. That's the name of the parable.

Luke 15
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

Dead is synonymous with lost. Why do you say it wasn't about being dead? What does dead mean to you? Was the son physically dead?

 

[EmSw]

How does one FIND the gate?

Seek and you will find.

How does one ENTER the gate?

Knock and it will be opened.

Can just anyone walk in...?

Nope! But some do try to enter through the back door.

What about the path? Where is it to be found?

Seek and you will find.

Many people claim to be on the right path, but are not...

Exactly. Many have not put it into their hearts to ask, seek, and knock.

Good questions. Now obey the Savior and find the path which leads to life.

 

[bling]

Luke 15
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

Dead is synonymous with lost. Why do you say it wasn't about being dead? What does dead mean to you? Was the son physically dead?

What bottomofsandal seems to be saying is: This person described by Christ as being “dead”, is not only very much free, but is in a saved Loving alive condition while being “dead” by Christ’s definition of dead.

Bottomofsandal understanding does not change anything since in fact this type of understanding makes “spiritual death” even less debilitating and meaningful, so if the Bible talks about a person being spiritually “dead” that means there is very little limitations put on them.

 

[EmSw]

What bottomofsandal seems to be saying is: This person described by Christ as being “dead”, is not only very much free, but is in a saved Loving alive condition while being “dead” by Christ’s definition of dead.

Bottomofsandal understanding does not change anything since in fact this type of understanding makes “spiritual death” even less debilitating and meaningful, so if the Bible talks about a person being spiritually “dead” that means there is very little limitations put on them.

True, but death is never attributed to God; HE IS LIFE!

 

[bottomofsandal]

Good questions. Now obey the Savior and find the path which leads to life.

Obey what or who and for how long?

This seems to indicate a works mentality that salvation is secured by obedience.


Sounds like a graceless salvation. We are saved by grace, so your pov is not salvation.

 

[bottomofsandal]

What bottomofsandal seems to be saying is: This person described by Christ as being “dead”, is not only very much free, but is in a saved Loving alive condition while being “dead” by Christ’s definition of dead.

Bottomofsandal understanding does not change anything since in fact this type of understanding makes “spiritual death” even less debilitating and meaningful, so if the Bible talks about a person being spiritually “dead” that means there is very little limitations put on them.

What are the chapter headings for Luke 15?

The lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son-
or perhaps The Prodigal son, nothing about being dead...

The lost sheep---found
The lost coin---found
The lost son---found


Don't forget the lawkeeper brother who was fuming mad that the father stiffed him!

All the obedience and lawkeeping did not mean squat to the father. What was the reward?

The returning, sinful, always saved son received a feast, a ring, new shoes, and a fancy coat!


Luke 15 is about God never forgetting his children, never failing to love his children, never condemning his children.

 

[EmSw]

Now we will look at Jesus' words in Matthew 16.

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.

Here again, we see Jesus speaks of 'coming' after Him. We also see He tells us to do two things and follow Him. We are to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. Jesus did not preach a 'do nothing' salvation, far from it.

Jesus never said anything about His cross, nothing. He did speak of our cross. What is a cross' purpose? The cross was an upright stake with a transverse piece near the top on which condemned persons were executed, an instrument of punishment.

Why did Jesus say to take up and bear our cross? It is to die to ourselves. We are guilty and condemned, therefore, we are to die to that life. Jesus said whosoever will save his (this) condemned life will lose it; whosoever will lose his life will find it.

Here is Strong's definition of lose -

1. to destroy
   1. to put out of the way entirely, abolish, put an end to ruin
   2. render useless
   3. to kill
   4. to declare that one must be put to death
   5. metaph. to devote or give over to eternal misery in hell
   6. to perish, to be lost, ruined, destroyed
2. to destroy
   1. to lose
      

It is by our cross that we kill, put out of the way entirely, render useless, and lose our old, unregenerate life. Now we see what else Jesus said about our cross.

Matthew 10:38
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Luke 9:23
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Luke 14:27
And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

First, we see if we do not take our cross and follow Him, we are not worthy of Him. Second, we see if we do not bear our cross, we cannot be His disciple. It is those who bear their cross and lose their life for His sake, who will find their life.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Many people claim to be on the right path, but are not...

Everyone is in for quite a big surprise, yes.
On JUDGMENT DAY, when it is too late. They had their chance same as everyone else.

 

[EmSw]

Obey what or who and for how long?

Do I really need to tell you Who to obey? Why would anyone want to obey Him less than a lifetime?

This seems to indicate a works mentality that salvation is secured by obedience.

Remember, He is the author of salvation for those who obey Him.

Sounds like a graceless salvation. We are saved by grace, so your pov is not salvation.

Do you deny the words of the Savior? If Jesus was full of grace and truth, then His words are full of grace and truth.

 

[bottomofsandal]

Do I really need to tell you Who to obey? Why would anyone want to obey Him less than a lifetime?

Remember, He is the author of salvation for those who obey Him.

Do you deny the words of the Savior? If Jesus was full of grace and truth, then His words are full of grace and truth.

This method relies on man originating and maintaining.

Many people, even in the USA, do not know who Christ is, and are ignorant about His Word.

Why would these unsaved men obey? How would they obey? They are God haters. Where's grace?

 

[EmSw]

This method relies on man originating and maintaining.

Many people, even in the USA, do not know who Christ is, and are ignorant about His Word.

Why would these unsaved men obey? How would they obey? They are God haters. Where's grace?

Why do you try so hard to dispute the teachings of Jesus?

 

[bottomofsandal]

Why do you try so hard to dispute the teachings of Jesus?

Moses brought The Law.
Jesus brought grace and truth.

It appears you are advocating a graceless salvation, where God haters by their own might:

--- find the path, way, gate, then enter
--- choose God
--- seek God
--- obey God


This appears to be a gospel of works, not grace.
The Bible says in Ephesans 2 that we are saved by grace.

Why does your pov seem reluctant to proclaim God's gospel of grace?

 

[EmSw]

Moses brought The Law.
Jesus brought grace and truth.

It appears you are advocating a graceless salvation, where God haters by their own might:

--- find the path, way, gate, then enter
--- choose God
--- seek God
--- obey God


This appears to be a gospel of works, not grace.
The Bible says in Ephesans 2 that we are saved by grace.

Why does your pov seem reluctant to proclaim God's gospel of grace?

This is the Gospel of grace. Jesus was full of grace and truth. Why do you not want to believe the words of Jesus?

Was Jesus lying? Was Jesus preaching another gospel?

 

[bling]

What are the chapter headings for Luke 15?

The lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son-
or perhaps The Prodigal son, nothing about being dead...

The lost sheep---found
The lost coin---found
The lost son---found


Don't forget the lawkeeper brother who was fuming mad that the father stiffed him!

All the obedience and lawkeeping did not mean squat to the father. What was the reward?

The returning, sinful, always saved son received a feast, a ring, new shoes, and a fancy coat!


Luke 15 is about God never forgetting his children, never failing to love his children, never condemning his children.

Jesus gives these three parables together in Luke 15 were directed at the Pharisees and they knew it.

2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Then Jesus told them this parable:…

Jesus leads the Pharisees along with the first two parables (Lost Sheep and Lost Coin) which they would have no problem agree with as being God’s attitude and actions. The issue comes with the lost son, especially since the son intentionally leaves and the father later not only welcomes him back, but showers him with gifts.

You said: “The Prodigal son, nothing about being dead…” Just because that is not the main topic in the parable does not mean Jesus is conveying some (lie) misleading information about the status of the son while in the foreign land. Parables do not just convey one truth, but the whole parable is conveying lots of truth, just look at the parables Jesus explains like the parable of the soils. There is being spiritual “dead” in the Prodigal son parable.

If you think this is talking about a saved heaven bound child of God “lost” and not a “lost” hell bound child of God, that is fine, because whoever he is he is “dead” (by Jesus’ definition of “dead”) while in foreign land and did stuff, is the concept I am pointing out, taken directly from scripture.

 

[bottomofsandal]

Jesus gives these three parables together in Luke 15 were directed at the Pharisees and they knew it.

2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Then Jesus told them this parable:…

Jesus leads the Pharisees along with the first two parables (Lost Sheep and Lost Coin) which they would have no problem agree with as being God’s attitude and actions. The issue comes with the lost son, especially since the son intentionally leaves and the father later not only welcomes him back, but showers him with gifts.

You said: “The Prodigal son, nothing about being dead…” Just because that is not the main topic in the parable does not mean Jesus is conveying some (lie) misleading information about the status of the son while in the foreign land. Parables do not just convey one truth, but the whole parable is conveying lots of truth, just look at the parables Jesus explains like the parable of the soils. There is being spiritual “dead” in the Prodigal son parable.

If you think this is talking about a saved heaven bound child of God “lost” and not a “lost” hell bound child of God, that is fine, because whoever he is he is “dead” (by Jesus’ definition of “dead”) while in foreign land and did stuff, is the concept I am pointing out, taken directly from scripture.

Sure, there can be multiple lessons in a parable or a passage.

The thread is about grace; and the prodigal son in Luke 15 clearly exemplifies God's grace and mercy.

God is running towards His wayward, backslidden son, eager to forgive, extend mercy, by His grace.

 

[bottomofsandal]

Just because that is not the main topic in the parable does not mean Jesus is conveying some (lie) misleading information about the status of the son while in the foreign land.

So agree the primary emphasis is God's grace to the lost son?

 

[bling]

So agree the primary emphasis is God's grace to the lost son?

The primary emphasis would be God’s unconditional unselfish Love He has for people. Christ’s objective in telling the story seems to be to leave the answer in the Pharisee’s hands: “Will the Pharisees (represented as the older son) happily join the party, since they are talking bad about the people at the party Jesus is attending right then: 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” (that is very much like what the older son was thinking and saying about his father).