Thoughts on God's sovereignty, omniscience and the laws of physics.

[Palmfever]

Hard to parse, but it sounds like you think God cannot make someone born again.

Not at all. He's God. He can do as He pleases. He does not force trust in Him. That is not trust at all it's fear and coercion. And it is certainly not love.
Who is to say that the few He did use such as Judas and Pharoah weren't already on the wrong path.

I agree. I am not a Calvinist. But I think saying our relationship with God has nothing to do with what God wills is also a mistake.

"God is not willing that any should perish."
And yet the vast majority is headed for destruction.
So God does not get His will done in the hearts and minds of humanity as a whole. That in itself lets us know that He does not want robots. He wants voluntary love and trust .

I am not saying we do not choose. I am saying it is based on our nature in how we choose.

Same difference.
If it is wired into our genetic code it's robotic. It's causally determined.

You still have to answer why some people respond positively to the Gospel, and some do not. "Because of free will" does not answer anything. Why would one person choose of their own free will and another does not

I thought I did.
Tall - short........
We are different. Our experiences are different.
Our responses to our experiences have been different.
Our calm demeanor, our hyperactivity.
The pride we've fostered inside, the insecurities.
Our parents.
Their philosophy, their fath or lack thereof.
Our pulchritude, our developed pride.
Which wolf we've been feeding most in our hearts and minds. The good or the evil one.
We may all be human.
Yet our perspective is different.
Scripture says, many are called, but few are chosen.

That is not to say that once we accept His Lordship He won't do every thing He possibly can to protect us snd help us grow.

But He does not slap us upside the head and hollar, you love me boy and I'm gonna keep you in this dungeon on half rations of raw rat until you say you love me.
He knocks politely.
He promises that if you open the door, then, He will come in.

 

[All Becomes New]

Who is to say that the few He did use such as Judas and Pharoah weren't already on the wrong path.

I agree.

If it is wired into our genetic code it's robotic. It's causally determined.

It's not our genetic code that is the problem. It is our spirit.

Scripture says, many are called, but few are chosen.

I agree. I believe all can potentially be saved. But all are not. Why?

He knocks politely.

Tell that to Paul or Job or Moses or Isaiah.

 

[Palmfever]

Tell that to Paul or Job or Moses or Isaiah.

Paul got off easy.
He was a self righteous complicit in murder turkey.
Christ said to him, Ain't it hard to kick against the pricks. Whoopi.
He could shove me off a horse anytime if He uses me the way He did Paul.

Job, God bragged on to Satan. Does He boast about you?
I doubt He does me.

Moses was insecure and took off for the desert How was he hurt?
He said ah get all tongue tied, I'm not a good speaker. So God allow his Brother to talk for him.
And all that stuff with the snakes... I thought it was pretty cool.

Isaiah

So he had to preach naked for 3 years. He was one of the few who prophesied about the coming Messiah. One of the major prophets.
Can you imagine being that valuable to God?
Now of course Job lost his family and that must have been difficult. He got a version 2.0 and more animals.
And again, God was very proud of him. Job was a winner.
I would love to have the faith and relationship with God these men did.

 

[All Becomes New]

Can you imagine being that valuable to God?

No, I honestly can't. But that's the thing... we are not all equally valuable to God. God has special preferences for some people. That's God's prerogative, not ours.

 

[Palmfever]

No, I honestly can't. But that's the thing... we are not all equally valuable to God. God has special preferences for some people. That's God's prerogative, not ours.

Of course it is.
Draw near unto the Lord and He will draw near unto you.
Perhaps, maybe, ehh. On the preferences.
Maybe He has specific purposes for some and they are a better fit.
I've heard some get down on Adam as if it is his fault we are in this state. Horse pucky. We are no better. It could have been Dennis and Candy in the Garden. It still would have happened.
"The lamb slain before the foundation of the earth."
God knew.
If it weren't Paul, it may have been Rex. Someone was going out to bring in the Gentiles.

Been fun chatting. Carry on.

 

[All Becomes New]

If it weren't Paul, it may have been Rex. Someone was going out to bring in the Gentiles.

Just one thing to point out here...

Galatians 1:15-16
"But when God, who from my mother’s womb set me apart and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me, so that I could preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone."

If Paul was chosen before he was born, how is it possible that it could have been someone else?

 

[Palmfever]

Just one thing to point out here...

Galatians 1:15-16
"But when God, who from my mother’s womb set me apart and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me, so that I could preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone."

If Paul was chosen before he was born, how is it possible that it could have been someone else?

That's great. But God with definite purpose in specific instances will not be thwarted.
If Paul were never conceived someone would have gone to the Gentiles.
If we presume that only one person, Paul was able to preach to them then he really was special.
But the only one I believe that could not be replaced was God Himself in Christ.
Sure God picked Paul in the womb, He may have had a specific reason. However He also spoke through an ass.
That of course could be that the ass was the only creature available with vocal chords and a tongue.
Paul did a great job by the way. He clarified many questions snd guided the early church with love and patience.