Logical Problems with Calvinism

Albion said:

You and Gil appear to be on the side of this issue, when we get right down to it. FWIW, I incline that way also, but I think the omnipresence of God and his place in bringing the person to saving Faith and keeping him secure are quite different from the suggestion some have made that we then are moved like puppets by God when it comes to us performing good deeds.

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ToBeLoved said:

The problem with thinking that God micro-manages His human creation is no where in the Bible in any bible chapter.

Since the beginning Adam and Eve had free-will. God gave them SO MUCH free-will that sin entered the human race. Let us remember that Adam and Eve walked in PERFECT communion with God. Before sin, God was talking to them and communing with them in the garden.

Now there are a limited number of situations that God did intervene in some way, but that is the exception.

So SHOW ME with overwhelming evidence just how much God micro-manages His creation throughout the Bible. Even in the OT, God let Israel many times disobey Him, with consequences of course, but disobey they did.

So let's stop talking about theory for a while and let us get into the Bible and actual people and how Calvinism is represented through the people of the Bible.

This should be a new and interesting aspect that I believe will show Calvinism to be in error.

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I understand this stance whole heartedly. When first coming to understand His sovereignty and our will I asked "How can a person be a free and responsible child of God if their actions have been predestined from eternity?" If we are convinced of the existence of God and of Him having the Power by which all things exist and are controlled, we are forced to figure out where the finite human will can find true and free expression under the authority of an Infinite Ruler. The answer is simple in that the same God who has ordained all events has also ordained human liberty.

Man are not robots, as many claim we state. In the Divine plan, which is infinite in variety and complexity, which reaches from everlasting to everlasting, and which includes the billions of free wills who act under His watchful eye, God has ordained that human beings shall keep this liberty under His sovereignty. The Scripture writers themselves did not hesitate to affirm the absolute sway of God over the thoughts and intents of the heart, and they felt no embarrassment to include the acts of their free agency within His all-embracing plan.

Think of God like the sole foreman/head of a work site. He develops the plan of how a building will turn out. He hires the carpenters, masons, plumbers, electricians, etc. to do the work. They're not forced to do the work, but the foreman offers the necessary encouragement to do so so the men work freely and gladly. His will is primary and theirs are secondary in the construction of the building. The building will end up as the foreman intended and planned for, and the workers doing the roles they were hired for. He directs the actions without infringing upon the freedoms or responsibilities of the individidual.

Men freely act, according to His plan, unconsciously fulfilling Divine prophecy. There are many Biblical examples of this, one I find the best is Peter's denial of Jesus after He told Him specifically what He was going to do.

Thursday said:

It's not my theory. It's the word of God.

8Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

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Did you ever think that these could be consequences of sin? When we sin there are consequences for us and many times for others that come. Not as a punishment of God, but consequences in lives as a trickle down effect.

Thursday said:

Confessing our sins is an act. It is sowing.

1 John 1
9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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Repenting is not just confessing. Repentance is also turning away from.

Even if we are not successful in turning away from, in our heart the desire to often leads to success eventually even if we fall many times before success.

ToBeLoved said:

The problem with thinking that God micro-manages His human creation is no where in the Bible in any bible chapter.

Since the beginning Adam and Eve had free-will. God gave them SO MUCH free-will that sin entered the human race. Let us remember that Adam and Eve walked in PERFECT communion with God. Before sin, God was talking to them and communing with them in the garden.

Now there are a limited number of situations that God did intervene in some way, but that is the exception.

So SHOW ME with overwhelming evidence just how much God micro-manages His creation throughout the Bible. Even in the OT, God let Israel many times disobey Him, with consequences of course, but disobey they did.

So let's stop talking about theory for a while and let us get into the Bible and actual people and how Calvinism is represented through the people of the Bible.

This should be a new and interesting aspect that I believe will show Calvinism to be in error.

Click to expand...

The clearest example of the concurrent actions of God and men is the very Bible we have been referring to. No one would deny that it was written by men in their own words. No one would deny that they used their own particular style in writing it and that they did it of their own free will.

And yet the Bible is crystal clear that those free will actions and words of men were also the actions and words of God at the same time.

“No prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” 2 Peter 1:21

No one would deny the inerrant Word of God was His idea to begin with right down to every jot and period. He did not read what men wrote on their own and then proclaim it the Word of God since that is all He had to work with.

Many examples could be given from scripture related to this kind of concurrent working of God and His creation. They range from the words and actions of evil men like the brothers of Joseph and the God inspired prophecy of Caiaphas the priest at the time of Christ’s death – to the Godly actions of good men – and even to the braying of a donkey telling us the very Words of God..

God worked through the free actions and words of men to do what He ordained to have happen.

I disagree that there are a limited number of instances where God involves Himself on a “micro” level. The Bible is clear that His Word is the very one who holds everything together and that He is even the one in whom everything consists.

What we see in history is exactly what the Word of God is doing. That is true whether we can discern His working in everything or not.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.” John 1:1-3

“ My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11

Everything we see happening in the universe is a direct result of the planned delivery of His desires and His resultant Word being sent forth and working for the ultimate glory of God.

I believe the biggest problem for those who fight against the sovereignty of God is the wrong assumption that the predestination of all things that happen in God's creation is somehow at odds with the free actions and words of men. It is not.

God works through the God given laws of creation to bring about His will. He no more has to do away with the free will of men to fulfill what He has predestined in their lives than He has to do away with the laws of geology to bring about the great earthquakes He has preordained for the Tribulation period.

The idea that we must be made into robots to fulfill exactly what He has planned is totally an arbitrary distinction. God works through "means" to bring about exactly what He intends. In our case,those means are our free choices.

He is the creator and we are the creation. It's really about as simple as that.

How He can feel the way about us in love as individuals as He does is something that never ceases to amaze me. But, rather than fight against what the Word of God teaches, I (and I suppose most Calvinists) have agreed to embrace it and simply worship the One with whom we have to do.

John 15, the sheep follow Christ. Christ goes before them, so Christ is here the head, and the sheep trail along behind Christ. So rather than being driven or herded, Christ's sheep actually follow behind the Master, this shows they have some free will, as does also the sheep who wander. Not following Christ very closely they may go astray, and then Christ goes and gets them bringing them back rejoicing. Being the good shepherd, Christ takes care of the sheep and also notices if some wander away. But none of His sheep remain lost, all are returned to Him.

3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

If you are one of His sheep, then your desire will be to follow the Shepherd, even so you may wander, but you will be rescued and brought back by Him personally, He will intervene and save you, if you are of the sheep, He Christ is the great Shepherd of the sheep.

Hebrews 13
20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Marvin Knox said:

The clearest example of the concurrent actions of God and men is the very Bible we have been referring to. No one would deny that it was written by men in their own words. No one would deny that they used their own particular style in writing it and that they did it of their own free will.

And yet the Bible is crystal clear that those free will actions and words of men were also the actions and words of God at the same time.

“No prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” 2 Peter 1:21

No one would deny the inerrant Word of God was His idea to begin with right down to every jot and period. He did not read what men wrote on their own and then proclaim it the Word of God since that is all He had to work with.

Many examples could be given from scripture related to this kind of concurrent working of God and His creation. They range from the words and actions of evil men like the brothers of Joseph and the God inspired prophecy of Caiaphas the priest at the time of Christ’s death – to the Godly actions of good men – and even to the braying of a donkey telling us the very Words of God..

God worked through the free actions and words of men to do what He ordained to have happen.

I disagree that there are a limited number of instances where God involves Himself on a “micro” level. The Bible is clear that His Word is the very one who holds everything together and that He is even the one in whom everything consists.

What we see in history is exactly what the Word of God is doing. That is true whether we can discern His working in everything or not.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.” John 1:1-3

“ My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11

Everything we see happening in the universe is a direct result of the planned delivery of His desires and His resultant Word being sent forth and working for the ultimate glory of God.

I believe the biggest problem for those who fight against the sovereignty of God is the wrong assumption that the predestination of all things that happen in God's creation is somehow at odds with the free actions and words of men. It is not.

God works through the God given laws of creation to bring about His will. He no more has to do away with the free will of men to fulfill what He has predestined in their lives than He has to do away with the laws of geology to bring about the great earthquakes He has preordained for the Tribulation period.

The idea that we must be made into robots to fulfill exactly what He has planned is totally an arbitrary distinction. God works through "means" to bring about exactly what He intends. In our case,those means are our free choices.

He is the creator and we are the creation. It's really about as simple as that.

How He can feel the way about us in love as individuals as He does is something that never ceases to amaze me. But, rather than fight against what the Word of God teaches, I (and I suppose most Calvinists) have agreed to embrace it and simply worship the One with whom we have to do.

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I am confused if you are agreeing with what I wrote and you responded to or are disagreeing.

Somehow the words you have used are confusing.

sdowney717 said:

John 15, the sheep follow Christ. Christ goes before them, so Christ is here the head, and the sheep trail along behind Christ. So rather than being driven or herded, Christ's sheep actually follow behind the Master, this shows they have some free will, as does also the sheep who wander. Not following Christ very closely they may go astray, and then Christ goes and gets them bringing them back rejoicing. Being the good shepherd, Christ takes care of the sheep and also notices if some wander away. But none of His sheep remain lost, all are returned to Him.

3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

If you are one of His sheep, then your desire will be to follow the Shepherd, even so you may wander, but you will be rescued and brought back by Him personally, He will intervene and save you, if you are of the sheep, He Christ is the great Shepherd of the sheep.

Hebrews 13
20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

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I believe that the Holy Spirit inside each believer through the believers heart is always trying to bring us back. Some have fine tuned their listening to the Holy Spirit, some have become so accustomed to not listening that it is hard for them to hear anymore.

We all know that Christ never leaves a believer or forsakes them, however I believe that a sheep can choose not to listen and can choose not to be brought back. That does not remove salvation, but we can rebell and remain in rebellion if that is our choice.

ToBeLoved said:

I believe that the Holy Spirit inside each believer through the believers heart is always trying to bring us back. Some have fine tuned their listening to the Holy Spirit, some have become so accustomed to not listening that it is hard for them to hear anymore.

We all know that Christ never leaves a believer or forsakes them, however I believe that a sheep can choose not to listen and can choose not to be brought back. That does not remove salvation, but we can rebell and remain in rebellion if that is our choice.

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Only temporarily, and for His purpose of course. Just like @Marvin Knox's testimony, men are often permitted to fall into sin, and after being delivered from that sin appreciate their salvation all the more. Man cannot adequately appreciate God's mercy until he has been rescued from a state of misery.

ToBeLoved said:

I believe that the Holy Spirit inside each believer through the believers heart is always trying to bring us back. Some have fine tuned their listening to the Holy Spirit, some have become so accustomed to not listening that it is hard for them to hear anymore.

We all know that Christ never leaves a believer or forsakes them, however I believe that a sheep can choose not to listen and can choose not to be brought back. That does not remove salvation, but we can rebell and remain in rebellion if that is our choice.

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The sheep follow Christ and He gives the sheep eternal life.
However, rebels have a destination of hell, do a word study and you will see those who rebel against God are not going to heaven. They are not of the sheep. Just because they appear to be sheep, but are wolves in sheep's clothing. They can also fool the sheep, but not all the sheep, some have discernment.

Those who rebel, have within them, an evil heart of unbelief.
Hebrews 3
12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said:

“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

Failure of the Wilderness Wanderers
16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?
18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Christ saves believers, not unbelievers, those who depart the faith are not saved. They prove they were 'not one of us'
as Apostle John teaches about those who depart the faith. They are antichrists, so they are proven not of the sheep of Christ.
That would imply that these who depart do not return, not even to the day they die.
Just because they are in the church, does not make them of the church. I have known some who depart in unbelief and they have yet to return to any church.
I have seen them sing spiritual songs, pray, talk spiritual sounding words, but inside they must have been dead, since they depart from God in unbelief, and say they do not believe in Christ as the savior, Son of God anymore.

Marvin Knox said:

On this issue and many others Gil and I are indeed on the same side.

I'm not sure who is asserting the puppet analogy. Do you mean those who oppose Calvinism or Calvinists? You'll have to clarify that a bit.

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No, I was referring to the idea that I see posted now and then that if we accept that God has his Elect, or even that he is sovereign or knows the future, that it follows that every last thing that is done--every decision made of any sort by the Elect--is God doing it and they are merely moved robotically by him.

Usually it is those who object to the idea of God's sovereign predestination of all things that happen who bring in the puppet/robot stuff.

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Hmm. I have the opposite impression.

No Calvinist believes we are robots.

The predestination of all things that happen in God's creation is perfectly compatible with men making their own choices. That goes for Christian men and unbelievers alike.

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I know, but that's the answer to your question about why I made mention of this point.

Abiding in Christ means this,
he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 24 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.

So do not be fooled by those who say you have to do great works of God to be saved, He abides in us because we have believed in His Son Christ and so He then declares we are righteous, in right standing with Him, just as much as our father Abraham who God declared righteous by faith, because He believed what God told him.

1 John 2
18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

Let Truth Abide in You
24 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.

26 These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. 27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

The Children of God
28 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

GillDouglas said:

Only temporarily, and for His purpose of course. Just like @Marvin Knox's testimony, men are often permitted to fall into sin, and after being delivered from that sin appreciate their salvation all the more. Man cannot adequately appreciate God's mercy until he has been rescued from a state of misery.

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So you are saying that in every instance they come back to God.

Otherwise I'm not sure what your point is. Because we all have free-will

sdowney717 said:

The sheep follow Christ and He gives the sheep eternal life.
However, rebels have a destination of hell, do a word study and you will see those who rebel against God are not going to heaven. They are not of the sheep. Just because they appear to be sheep, but are wolves in sheep's clothing. They can also fool the sheep, but not all the sheep, some have discernment.

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I've studied this back and forth, up and down.

All His sheep have eternal life. Both rebels and those who follow faithfully.

If you disagree, I suggest you do a study on the seal of the Holy Spirit.

ToBeLoved said:

So you are saying that in every instance they come back to God.

Otherwise I'm not sure what your point is. Because we all have free-will

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Because He cannot lose those the Father has given Him.

sdowney717 said:

Those who rebel, have within them, an evil heart of unbelief.
Hebrews 3
12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said:

“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

Failure of the Wilderness Wanderers
16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?
18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Christ saves believers, not unbelievers, those who depart the faith are not saved. They prove they were 'not one of us'
as Apostle John teaches about those who depart the faith. They are antichrists, so they are proven not of the sheep of Christ.
That would imply that these who depart do not return, not even to the day they die.
Just because they are in the church, does not make them of the church. I have known some who depart in unbelief and they have yet to return to any church.
I have seen them sing spiritual songs, pray, talk spiritual sounding words, but inside they must have been dead, since they depart from God in unbelief, and say they do not believe in Christ as the savior, Son of God anymore.

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None of those verses show a loss of salvation.

And how do you know what is in any man's heart?

God tells us NOT TO JUDGE because their is only one faithful and just to judge who knows the heart.

So. Why are you adding your own commentary of who is saved or not? That is not righteous .

GillDouglas said:

Because He cannot lose those the Father has given Him.

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He doesn't loose them.

But saved people can exist in rebellion. That is Gods choice.

ToBeLoved said:

He doesn't loose them.

But saved people can exist in rebellion. That is Gods choice.

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GillDouglas said:

Only temporarily, and for His purpose of course. Just like @Marvin Knox's testimony, men are often permitted to fall into sin, and after being delivered from that sin appreciate their salvation all the more. Man cannot adequately appreciate God's mercy until he has been rescued from a state of misery.

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GillDouglas said:

You don't understand the principle of how things work. Men can do NOTHING without God. Men are absolutely powerless to change the condition of the heart that they are born with. Only by His grace and mercy are we brought alive, spiritually. God uses His children to bring others to Him by way of ANYTHING (word or works) they do, but it is He who then works on the heart of the unbeliever. That's why we know we must know Him better and make Him known, continually and trust that He is using us to bring His children home. Do you really not understand that God is the Author of this world?

I bet you're the kind of guy that believes in luck, karma, coincidence, making his own destiny, etc. am I right?

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As for luck, karma, or coincidence or random chance:

Well, there is no such thing.

Evolutionists believe that the universe came about by random chance. So no. If you were a betting man on this point, you would lose, my friend. But I think in this case you would be happy to lose because we are on agreement on a particular truth that is important to know.

As for God's Sovereignty:

1. God is Sovereign over Love.
God is the very embodiment of love itself. For God so loved the world that He gaves His only begotten Son that WHOSOEVER believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

2. God is Sovereign over creation.
The Lord holds all things together by the word of His power.

3. God is Sovereign over the Future.
God knows all future events that will ever happen. There are certain events that God has prophesied that will come to pass with perfect clock work precision.

3. God is Sovereign over all Knowledge.
God is infinite in knowledge and wisdom and He knows all things and He is wise beyond measure. God has the very hairs on our head numbered.

4. God is Sovereign over bad things done by others and He can in turn change those bad things around for a greater purpose for good. God is not the author of evil (man is), but the Lord our God can manipulate the evil (that man chose to bring into existence) and use it for His greater good or plans. All things work together for good to them that love God. We see this both in the story of Joseph, and in the book of Job, etc.

5. God is Sovereign over the suffering of His people and uses such suffering to glorify the Son. God can make his saints to go thru certain challenges or tribulations in this life so as to glorify the life that Christ lived (Who also was suffered, and was obedient unto the Father unto death).

6. God is Sovereign over all events that take place. Nothing can happen in this world without God allowing it. But God allowing something to come to pass does not equate with God always agreeing with that particular action, though. For example: God allowing man's sinfulness to continue in the present does not mean God is decreeing or fore-ordaining such evil. God is merely allowing it to happen so as to bring in more sons to glory. Meaning, God is allowing more and more time for sinners to repent (of their own free will choice so as to fill up God's Kingdom with His people).

7. God is Sovereign over nations.
God uses secular leaders and nations for his glory. This would include God using these nation's army or police so as to punish evil or wickedness in this world (Even though the final Judgement of every crime will be done at the Great White Throne Judgment and the Judgment Seat of Christ). For example: God used Assyria as a way to chasten Israel for their choice in being sinful. Also see Romans 13.

8. God is Sovereign over time and space.
God is larger than this physical reality and He can be present in all locations at one time.

9. God is Sovereign over life and death.
God is in control of who lives and who dies. For a person's very steps are numbered.

10. God is Sovereign as King and Ruler of all.
There is nobody that is above God in authority. God rules over all things. He is above all things; And there is no authority or kingdom that can ever overthrow His. God is above all and He rules all with great power and wisdom. God sits up high upon a throne in Heaven and angels bow down to Him in his holiness.

11. God is Sovereign in Holiness.
God is perfect in holiness and goodness. There is no darkness in God. God is perfectly moral and good in all that He does. This means that God working in His people's lives should reflect His holiness and goodness.

12. God is Sovereign over our protection; Especially if we have faith in such protection (According to His Word). This would be both spiritual protection and physical protection.

I am sure there may be more. But this is all I can think at the current moment within the limited time I have.


....

Thursday said:

Wrong. A man who sows repentance and good will reaps forgiveness and eternal life.

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We receive eternal life by "good will"????

What should I do with these verses then?

John 3:15-16 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. 16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:36 "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

John 5:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

John 6:40 "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."

John 6:47 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord

1 Tim 1:16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

Gal 3:22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

1 John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Please advise.