Salvation is a Free Gift.

[Magenta]

Scripture? With context?

Thanks

John 5:24-25

 

[rogerg]

You presented the Gospel of John which is Jesus talking to the JEWS so that condition fits the application of your verses. And that condition says it's still in effect TO THIS VERY DAY!!

No. It is to all those not His sheep.

[2Co 4:3-4 KJV]
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

 

[Magenta]

In that case, it wouldn't be a free gift. Anything that someone must do to obtain it, makes it theirs
only by their doing, and therefore, not a free gift. To be truly free, it must be imputed to someone,
placed into their possession in spite of, and apart from, anything they may do, otherwise, it isn't free.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe
on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 1:12-13

 

[Cameron143]

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe
on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 1:12-13

Do you believe receiving is of necessity active, or can it be passive? For example, if I went to your bank and deposited $100.00 in your account, would you have received it? Did you have to do anything to receive it?

 

[Nehemiah6]

[2Co 4:3-4 KJV]
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Misapplication of Scripture. The lost are those who reject the Gospel, not those who are supposedly "elected" to Hell. You have no clue about the Gospel and you persist in your false beliefs. So actually your mind is blinded.

 

[FollowerofShiloh]

No. It is to all those not His sheep.

[2Co 4:3-4 KJV]
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

You are pitting what Paul explained is the condition of the Jews that the Prophets prophesied with Paul speaking about the completed Gospel. The verses you used the Gospel was still being played out. You aren't even correct with logistics let alone with Biblical collation.

 

[Magenta]

Do you believe receiving is of necessity active, or can it be passive? For example, if I went to your bank and
deposited $100.00 in your account, would you have received it? Did you have to do anything to receive it?

How does it benefit me if I never withdraw it or spend it? Have I received it if it just sits there and does nothing?
Maybe it accrues interest. But that is getting away from what Scripture says, which is that those who receive
Jesus Christ are given the power to become sons of God, born of God.

Ephesians 1:13-14

 

[Cameron143]

How does it benefit me if I never withdraw it or spend it? Have I received it if it just sits there and does nothing?
Maybe it accrues interest. But that is getting away from what Scripture says, which is that those who receive
Jesus Christ are given the power to become sons of God, born of God.

Ephesians 1:13-14

I'll come back to receiving again. What is the power that is given? What makes someone born of God?

 

[Magenta]

I'll come back to receiving again. What is the power that is given? What makes someone born of God?

Repentance, and belief in the shed righteous blood of Jesus Christ for the remission
of sins, which reconciles us to God and attains to life ever after. By grace, through faith.

 

[Cameron143]

Repentance, and belief in the shed righteous blood of Jesus Christ for the remission
of sins, which reconciles us to God and attains to life ever after. By grace, through faith.

What is the power?

 

[Magenta]

What is the power?

Isn't it the power of God to transform us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of Light?

He: has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued
us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:12b-13

 

[Cameron143]

Isn't it the power of God to transform us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of Light?

He: has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued
us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:12b-13

Right. It's the Holy Spirit. And it is the Spirit that is the power to become a son of God. It is He who is deposited in you. But unlike a deposit in your bank account, He doesn't wait to be accessed. He comes rarin' to go.

 

[Magenta]

Right. It's the Holy Spirit. And it is the Spirit that is the power to become a son of God. It is He who is deposited
in you. But unlike a deposit in your bank account, He doesn't wait to be accessed. He comes rarin' to go.

What of repentance and belief?

 

[Foghorn]

It removes what Roger is using from the equation because of this condition God placed upon the Jews in communicating with Jesus. It does not apply to anyone but the Jews.

Interesting thought. Though I honestly don't see it, Ill look into it.

 

[Foghorn]

Thanks, Foghorn - nice to meet you and really appreciate your support.

Roger

Nice to meet you as well

 

[wattie]

Gotta be careful not to make repentance into a work here..or belief into a work.

Repentance is a change of mind, heart toward Jesus Christ so we can believe in Him. It isn't lessening sin in our lives before salvation is given.

And this is led by Him. He allows us to believe.

Most of the book of John shows this. And Romans 10.

Gotta be careful not making repentance or belief into self effort to be saved.

 

[Foghorn]

Sure, I might not be explaining it clearly in my wording.

No problem. I appreciate you replying.

While our salvation was freely paid for by Jesus Christ, the effects of salvation are not automatic.

Automatic is a word I am not used to in theological discussions. It does have a ring to it as, since Christ was crucified for your sins, "Bam" you are now automatically saved. I don't in any way agree with that either.

There must be a real world response of faith by the penitent in order for us to be justified.

I also believe man is active in salvation. Not in the sense he contributes to his salvation, but as Romans 10 teaches, man must believe in his heart and confess with his mouth.
It's by grace man is saved. Through faith, which isn't of ourselves, it's a gift. This gift of faith is our faith, and we must believe. Faith = Justification.

If we had to do nothing, then the entire world would go to heaven,

Well that would depend on whom Christ died for, if he didn't die for the entire world, then not everyone would be saved.

because every one would automatically be justified by Christ’s death.

But it's belief/faith that justifies us.

I’m not a universalist,

Thankfully.

this is why I believe that the merits of Christ’s death are only accounted to us when we repent.

But where do you get this teaching from scripture?

And yes, you are sort of right, repentance and faith are gifts from God,

however the Lord doesn’t grant them to the entire world! Thanks.

That's obvious.

 

[Foghorn]

It removes what Roger is using from the equation because of this condition God placed upon the Jews in communicating with Jesus. It does not apply to anyone but the Jews.

I believe @rogerg hit the nail on the head.

 

[Foghorn]

Gotta be careful not to make repentance into a work here..or belief into a work.

Repentance is a change of mind, heart toward Jesus Christ so we can believe in Him.

So you can believe in him? Would you explain that? How repentance makes it so we can believe in Jesus.

Thanks

 

[wattie]

So you can believe in him? Would you explain that? How repentance makes it so we can believe in Jesus.

Thanks

Repent would be going from a state of unbelief to belief in Jesus Christ. Belief that He is God, that He died and rose again, that by belief in Him you have eternal life.

This being allowed and led by Jesus through the Holy Spirit.