When We Choose

[Reformationist]

Originally posted by D-Lyte
Depends on how you look at it.  Sin for one, simply because our God is a righteous one.  Another thing that I begin to see that draws us away from Him is our pride.  Our sense of that we know enough..."we're good enough," or "I don't really need Him." That type of attitude.

It sounds like you're talking about people who have been saved rather than the unregenerate.  Consider this: Mankind was created in the image of God with the ability to make righteous decisions and unrighteous decisions.  We are not told in the Bible how long it was after Adam and Eve were created that they sinned.  But, I would venture to say that it wasn't right away.  They probably made many, many righteous decisions based on their love for God.  Then, when they disobeyed God they were cast from the Garden and they died, spiritually.  After the Fall mankind was not created in the image of God.  He was created in the image of Adam (Gen 5:3).  That image was compromised of that fallen nature.  I believe it would be very hard to understand the full significance of being saved, in fact rescued, from our sinfulness if we don't acknowledge the level of depravity that mankind inherited after the Fall.  The offspring of Adam and Eve did not know God.  They were born into unrighteousness.  They had never had the ability, nor inclination, to do something for the love of God because to do something for that reason is a righteous action.  That was impossible for mankind because mankind bore no resemblance to God's righteousness.

So, what do you think is the cause that separate us from Him?

God's wrath.

When Adam leaves Eden, He loses the presence of our Lord (the closeness), he fall short on grace (now he has to work for his living, etc), and eventually the love of God.  That doesn't mean God's love no longer exist, but that he (Adam) can no longer "enjoy" it.  In a sense, he will live a life without God.  This doesn't mean it erases all tracks of God.  After all, he still praises the Lord.  But even so wouldn't bring him back to Eden (spiritual death).

I agree with this but, again, it seems fruitless to discuss the nature of a man who knew God so intimately in concert with a people (us) who live large portions of our lives never even knowing God.  We have years worth of sinful habits to overcome.  Adam, while fallen, was used to being obedient to God.

And regarding unrighteous person making a righteous choice...I know that there is a standard of morality within us--it's just a matter of choice to follow it or not.  (of course, here you may say that moral are taught not inherent.)

I do understand there is a law of our conscience.  However, as the Bible says, "Those who live apart from the Law, die apart from the Law" (Rom 2:12-16).

And as for Abraham and all believers.  When we first believes...we have faith, and that faith will grow stronger and firmer as we experience Him more on our daily lives.  Just as Abraham, his relationship grew strong to a point that he willingly "trust" in God's decision.  It takes time for us to grow. 

I would agree with all of this except to say that we must be given a new nature (saved) before we will believe.  It is not of our old nature to believe.  Our salvation is the process through which God gives us a nature that loves Him and sanctifies us unto the image of His Son.  If left with our old nature we would never seek God.  God must intervene and give us that new nature.

God bless

 

[Reformationist]

Originally posted by D-Lyte
Your analogy makes sense. But if our Lord is able to even call the dead to rise. I wouldn't doubt His power through His Gospel. Unlike the dead, we still have the ability to reason. Some choose to believe...some do not.

Actually, the analogy makes more sense if you hear how it applies to what the Lord does do to fallen man.  The analogous parallel in this scenario would be for the man with the vial of medicine to select some to bring back to life and then pour some of the elixer down their dead, unresponsive throats.  The reason he does not bring all back to life is because it will develop a sense of gratitude, love, respect, and awe in those he does bring back to life.  The action is not about those he does not bring back to life, but rather because it is an act of love to those he does bestow the gift upon.  Now, to fully understand the magnificant mercy that God bestows on his elect we would have to imagine that God is the man with the vial, the death of Jesus is the vial, the bodies in the mortuary are the enemy of the man with the vial, God, and those who have the elixer poured down their throat are God's elect.

I'm sorry, I've tried looking that word up in a dictionary. Could you please tell me what that means? Thanks

Well, it's a theological term that applies to when and how much grace God supplies in the salvation process.  Previent grace means that God supplies just enough grace to bring man to a point where he is no longer in bondage to his sinful nature, but not enough to actually save, and is able to make a decision for or against God, which then result in either being saved, or not, as the case may be.  As a side note, most Christian denominations believe in the depravity of man and the necessity for God's grace in either a previent or salvitic form. 

God bless