Understanding God’s election

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I

Inquisitor

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rogerg said:
No church tradition for me - but it sounds so for you. No one can walk in the Spirit unless they have been given the Spirit. When
we became saved we were given the Spirit. It is not possible that we gave Him to ourselves. To walk in the Spirit is to cease from our efforts for salvation and trust solely in God's mercy and grace through Christ as Savior. No one, of themselves, unless saved and having been given the Spirit, can do so.
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You are incorrect in your understanding of walking in the Spirit.

Your confusing the life of walking in the Spirit with obtaining righteousness through your own efforts.

Here is Chat GPT's reading of walking by the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16
"So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."

1. "Walking by the Spirit"
Paul frequently emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding and empowering believers to live in alignment with God’s will. For example:
  • Romans 8:5-6: "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace."
    Here, Paul contrasts the "flesh" (our sinful nature) with the Spirit, emphasizing that living by the Spirit brings life and peace. Walking by the Spirit means surrendering to God’s guidance and allowing His Spirit to transform your desires.
2. "Not gratifying the desires of the flesh"
Paul describes the "desires of the flesh" as behaviors and attitudes that are contrary to God's will. Later in Galatians 5, he lists these works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) and contrasts them with the "fruit of the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22-23).
In Romans 13:14, he provides similar advice: "Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh." Here, Paul stresses that living a Spirit-led life involves putting on Christ—adopting His character and love.

3. The Emphasis on Love
Paul often ties walking by the Spirit to living a life of love:
  • Galatians 5:14: "For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’"
  • Romans 13:10: "Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."
    Love, as Paul describes, is the highest expression of a Spirit-filled life. The Spirit enables believers to genuinely love others, transcending selfish, fleshly desires.
Additionally, in 1 Corinthians 13:13, Paul elevates love above faith and hope, saying, "And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." Love is not just a virtue but the essence of a life aligned with the Spirit.
Summary
Galatians 5:16 invites believers to surrender to the Spirit’s leading, which naturally results in overcoming sinful desires. For Paul, walking by the Spirit is inseparable from living a life of love, as love fulfills God’s law and reflects the character of Christ.
 
I

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Cameron143 said:
Good way to duck actually responding to my post.

Can you show me a verse in scripture that says faith comes by a consideration of nature, and a consideration of nature by an innate sense of eternity?
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I have seen people who die and meet God then are resuscitated and become Christians.

Is that in the scripture?
 
I

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Cameron143 said:
The vine is responsible for fruit. The branches merely bear it. If you are truly in Christ, you will bear fruit.
What is actually being taught in the passage is that it is possible to be connected in some way to Jesus without Him abiding in you. Notice that we must abide in Him, but also Him in us, in order to bear fruit.
There are plenty who have attached themselves to the church and those things associated with it. They know the pastor, the songbook, the liturgy, all without truly knowing God or Jesus. They have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof. Most will eventually fall away, and this is why you believe believers can fall away, all the while you produce many of them by telling them all they need to do is say a sinner's prayer and receive Jesus into their hearts.

True salvation is a conversion; a transformation. A new creation is produced.
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A devastating verse for many church organizations you quoted.

They have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof.

They deny the POWER of the Holy Spirit in denial of the gifts, fruit, and ministries of the Holy Spirit.

The new creation must bear the fruit and discard the deeds of the flesh.
 
G

GWH

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Oct 19, 2024
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Cameron143 said:
Good way to duck actually responding to my post.

Can you show me a verse in scripture that says faith comes by a consideration of nature, and a consideration of nature by an innate sense of eternity?
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Already have, (but you're too quacked to perceive :^)
 
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