Understanding God’s election

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

lrs68

Well-known member
Dec 30, 2024
1,362
380
83
That's the extent of the freedom? What about Death and Sin and the World and the Devil? The Church is still under the power of all these?
Our Home is Heaven. That covers everything. You don't get Heaven unless everything else is in place.
 

HeIsHere

Well-known member
May 21, 2022
8,973
3,354
113
Before I deal with this new teaching that supposedly demolishes my tying Acts9:1-9 to your initial teaching of 1Cor15:9-10, showing that Paul's unusually miraculous salvation event was not normative and not proving anything about Irresistible Grace in normative salvation of unbelievers, a few questions:
  1. Following a post that clearly deals with supposed Irresistible Grace in the salvation of an unbeliever, you entitle this next post "More on the Efficacious Nature of God's Saving Grace" as if dealing more with the salvation of unbelievers, yet you then immediately switch to the topic of "the effects of the sanctifying grace that dominated his [Paul's] Christian life on an ongoing basis" and then you switch again to Scripture that deals not with Paul's sanctification but with God's Grace in the testing of the Macedonian churches.
    1. Where is the consistency and coherence in this work of demolishing you're positing?
    2. Why the switch from Irresistible Grace in the salvation of an unbeliever to Irresistible Grace in experiential sanctification of a believer and then switch again and use Scripture that deals with other believers under Grace financially supporting Paul's ministry?
    3. Sure, Grace is being discussed, but how does this answer and demolish my counterpoint to your initial teaching that by Irresistible Grace God saved the unbeliever Paul and that somehow Paul's salvation was supposedly normative for all unbelievers and exemplifies normative Irresistible Grace?
Even Paul stated to King Agrippa.....

9 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. 21

You have tremendous patience.

Faith means "trust in" and Christianity is evidence based.
The tenets of "tulip" destroy the foundations of the Christianity and turn it into system of divine (small d) selection.
 

HeIsHere

Well-known member
May 21, 2022
8,973
3,354
113
If not, please consider yourself shut up and down and realize I'm interacting with a guy who dogmatically and aggressively supports TULIP in a way that IMO is perfectly described by the excerpt I posted as I recall from a Reformed writer explaining the problems he sees within the camp. CDS, what a dumb argument. Go back and watch some more worldly chatter and find another quip to adopt.
"CDS" much like "TDS" is a retreat into a label used by people who cannot really defend their position.

The hermeneutics are horrible this is why they end up with the ad. hom.
 
Oct 19, 2024
5,557
1,132
113
USA-TX
You still can't explain what the basis of such "favoritism" would be, can you? Are some unregenerate sinners more righteous than others? Would this reason be the basis for God's "favoritism"?

As for me and my household, we're tickled pink and full of joy and thanksgiving to the Lord for "forcing" us to avoid the pains of hell which could have easily been our destiny if not for the Lord.

By the way...God most definitely played "favorites" when he rescued his chosen, covenant people (Abrhaham's descendants) from Eqypt but left the Egyptians to their own evil devices. Explain to me how that was unfair to the Egyptians who were steeped in idolatry.
Huh? I believe Scripture teaching that God does NOT show favoritism,
so YOU are the one who needs to explain why you ignore such Scripture!

BTW, a God who would hate humanity and prevent them from being saved
could also hate YOU and deceive you into thinking your destiny is not hell.

God chose Israel to provide Messiah so that Egyptians and all Gentiles could be saved.
Duh!
 
Jul 3, 2015
64,752
32,981
113
Even Paul stated to King Agrippa.....

9 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.
Was Paul obedient to this vision from heaven before or after the scales were removed from his eyes?

Paul neither added nor removed the scales on his eyes, by the way.

I suppose some must assert that Paul was thereby forced to obey.
 

Rufus

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2024
4,679
594
113
Mr. Studier has written about the "overmastering of God" in the affairs of men. Other FWers have expressed this concept as God tyrannically "coercing" or "forcing" his will upon the sons of men if he doesn't allow men to exercise something they do not have, i.e. "freewill". I challenge any FWer to explain to me how Jonah was not "bullied" by God to obey Him. God clearly "forced" Jonah to perform his God-ordained task of preaching the gospel to the Ninevites -- something that was clearly not in Jonah's heart (or will) to do. So, explain to me, FWers, how God did not sin against Jonah by bending this prophet's will to align with His purpose for Nineveh.
 
Jul 3, 2015
64,752
32,981
113
Mr. Studier has written about the "overmastering of God" in the affairs of men. Other FWers have expressed this concept as God tyrannically "coercing" or "forcing" his will upon the sons of men if he doesn't allow men to exercise something they do not have, i.e. "freewill". I challenge any FWer to explain to me how Jonah was not "bullied" by God to obey Him. God clearly "forced" Jonah to perform his God-ordained task of preaching the gospel to the Ninevites -- something that was clearly not in Jonah's heart (or will) to do. So, explain to me, FWers, how God did not sin against Jonah by bending this prophet's will to align with His purpose for Nineveh.
Now, now, we know free willers must insist that Jonah needed no help from God in order to exercise his will to obey.
Or that God is indeed as they say, unfair, and a tyrannical monster kidnapping people against their will. Take your pick?


Of course I know you will adhere in this matter to what the Bible has to say... unlike the free willers.
 

lrs68

Well-known member
Dec 30, 2024
1,362
380
83
I suppose some must assert that Paul was thereby forced to obey.
Ultimately speaking here, Paul did obey the One who put the scales on his eyes.

That does leave room for several ways to view it, j\s.

He didn't have to obey.
Had he chosen not to obey would the scales been removed?

All we know is that Paul chose to obey, the scales were removed, and Luke documents Paul's words confirming that he obeyed.
 

Rufus

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2024
4,679
594
113
Huh? I believe Scripture teaching that God does NOT show favoritism,
so YOU are the one who needs to explain why you ignore such Scripture!

BTW, a God who would hate humanity and prevent them from being saved
could also hate YOU and deceive you into thinking your destiny is not hell.

God chose Israel to provide Messiah so that Egyptians and all Gentiles could be saved.
Duh!
But God DID NOT save the Egyptians and all Gentiles when he "came down" to "rescue" his covenant people from their bondage to the Egyptians!

Re Favoritism: Quit playing coy with me. I know the heresy you believe! You have often attempted to refute the Reformed view of Unconditional Election by claiming that *IF* God chose to save only many instead of all, then God would be guilty of playing favorites. You have steadfastly refused to answer my question re what the basis for such favoritism would be. How could God play favorites with anyone when all men are sinners?

Finally, I know God loves me because he did something for me over 40 years ago that I could not do for my self: He CHANGED me! He turned me inside out and made me HIS new creation. I had no power to change my own nature; but God had that power!
 

Rufus

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2024
4,679
594
113
Now, now, we know free willers must insist that Jonah needed no help from God in order to exercise his will to obey.
Or that God is indeed as they say, unfair, and a tyrannical monster kidnapping people against their will. Take your pick?


Of course I know you will adhere in this matter to what the Bible has to say... unlike the free willers.
And that, dear sister, was the most elaborate, creative, unique kidnapping crime in the entire world. God commanded a fish to go swallow up Jonah whole! Gotta admit: That's some pretty Kool stuff. :cool: The Lord has quite an imagination.
 

studier

Well-known member
Apr 18, 2024
3,536
748
113
Mr. Studier has written about the "overmastering of God" in the affairs of men. Other FWers have expressed this concept as God tyrannically "coercing" or "forcing" his will upon the sons of men if he doesn't allow men to exercise something they do not have, i.e. "freewill". I challenge any FWer to explain to me how Jonah was not "bullied" by God to obey Him. God clearly "forced" Jonah to perform his God-ordained task of preaching the gospel to the Ninevites -- something that was clearly not in Jonah's heart (or will) to do. So, explain to me, FWers, how God did not sin against Jonah by bending this prophet's will to align with His purpose for Nineveh.
Customary diversion.

Correction: Fine Mr. Studier has copied and pasted excerpted comments from a Reformed writer stating his view of a problem within the Reformed Theology camp that Fine Mr. Studier has explained in his view fits the nothingness of man poster @Rufus to a T or a TULIP. Article link previously provided here.

Repeating:

Awaiting substantive response to confused switches in Efficacious Grace teachings.
 

Rufus

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2024
4,679
594
113
Our Home is Heaven. That covers everything. You don't get Heaven unless everything else is in place.
No, that does not cover everything because no one is ever going to get to the visible, eternal kingdom (which is NOT in heaven, incidentally) unless they are victorious over sin, death, the devil and the world. Only the uniformed, ignorant or simple-minded think of salvation in the one sense you mentioned: Freedom FROM the penalty (condemnation) of sin when in fact, Salvation is much more than just that. God's great and awesome salvation is a 3-in-1 salvation: God saves his people from the Penalty, Power and Presence of sin. Why do you think His salvation is often spoken of in scripture in three tenses, i.e. Past, Present and Future?
 

Rufus

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2024
4,679
594
113
Customary diversion.

Correction: Fine Mr. Studier has copied and pasted excerpted comments from a Reformed writer stating his view of a problem within the Reformed Theology camp that Fine Mr. Studier has explained in his view fits the nothingness of man poster @Rufus to a T or a TULIP. Article link previously provided here.

Repeating:
Take your link and stuff it in your ear. First, you'll need to answer the simple "yes" or no" rhetorical question in Jer 13:23. The fact that you CANNOT give this kind of easy answer speaks to the bankruptcy of your false gospel. You just don't have the ability! I guess that makes you a big "nothingness"? :rolleyes:
 

studier

Well-known member
Apr 18, 2024
3,536
748
113
Take your link and stuff it in your ear. First, you'll need to answer the simple "yes" or no" rhetorical question in Jer 13:23. The fact that you CANNOT give this kind of easy answer speaks to the bankruptcy of your false gospel. You just don't have the ability! I guess that makes you a big "nothingness"? :rolleyes:
You really don't like to be revealed. You jumped on the bandwagon of another poster possibly thinking I wrote something I only quoted, knowing full well I only quoted it. Then you get outed for trying to deceptively fan the flames and this is your response.

I especially liked your switching all over the place to supposedly demolish how Acts9 explains to a large degree 1Cor15. Still awaiting your answer to my questions concerning this odd methodology in dealing with Scripture.
 
Oct 19, 2024
5,557
1,132
113
USA-TX
But God DID NOT save the Egyptians and all Gentiles when he "came down" to "rescue" his covenant people from their bondage to the Egyptians!

Re Favoritism: Quit playing coy with me. I know the heresy you believe! You have often attempted to refute the Reformed view of Unconditional Election by claiming that *IF* God chose to save only many instead of all, then God would be guilty of playing favorites. You have steadfastly refused to answer my question re what the basis for such favoritism would be. How could God play favorites with anyone when all men are sinners?

Finally, I know God loves me because he did something for me over 40 years ago that I could not do for my self: He CHANGED me! He turned me inside out and made me HIS new creation. I had no power to change my own nature; but God had that power!
Do not confuse physical rescue with spiritual salvation.
God shows favoritism by forcing only some to be saved (TULIP)
or by not providing the possibility of salvation to all (MFW).

You can have confidence God loves you only if you believe He loves everyone,
because if you can ignore the clear teaching that God does not show favoritism,
then there is no good/logical reason to believe any of the Bible.
 
Jul 3, 2015
64,752
32,981
113
Still waiting for a verse that addresses a natural man being able to hear with comprehension and agreeing to that which he finds foolishness while captive to the will of the devil, suppressing the truth in unrighteous as a lover of darkness and a slave to sin, inherently hostile in his mind to God and opposed to the spiritual things of God because he is yet fully in the flesh, having neither being made alive in Christ nor having had his heart circumcised. Believe me, I will not be holding my breath because I know you have absolutely nothing to prop up your delusions beyond more delusions from your camp. In your theology, the natural man of his own free will changes his nature as a God hater who refuses to come into the light because his deeds are evil, changing his incurable heart to believe that which he is opposed to. Yes, yes, we know you like to pretend these verses that are constantly served up to you are somehow all taken out of context and have no bearing on what Scripture says of the natural man because you love to pretend the natural man is not such a bad guy after all even though the Bible has a great many verses detailing his wickedness. You make the same mistake quite a few others do to ascribe to the natural man abilities only the spiritual man possesses as a result of the work of God, and then you take God's work and claim it as man's, even against the very words of Jesus Christ Himself. He said with man it was impossible, and elaborated with parables that were designed to hide the truth from some, you know, like how a bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit, and stony ground of the natural man's heart cannot grow the Seed of God's Word into enduring faith, oh, dear, in your way of thinking that makes God unfair. Quite extraordinary, all told.
 

lrs68

Well-known member
Dec 30, 2024
1,362
380
83
No, that does not cover everything because no one is ever going to get to the visible, eternal kingdom (which is NOT in heaven, incidentally) unless they are victorious over sin, death, the devil and the world. Only the uniformed, ignorant or simple-minded think of salvation in the one sense you mentioned: Freedom FROM the penalty (condemnation) of sin when in fact, Salvation is much more than just that. God's great and awesome salvation is a 3-in-1 salvation: God saves his people from the Penalty, Power and Presence of sin. Why do you think His salvation is often spoken of in scripture in three tenses, i.e. Past, Present and Future?
Once you have walked with God for as long as I have it becomes simple. Even a new convert could reach this point if they grasp the idea that nothing in this world can stop them from their trust and faith in God no matter the cost. But I have overcome many obstacles trusting in God that my vision going forward is singular and focused.

I don't bother myself with the foolishness that you have dribbled in your post because I am well past that battle and on to better purposes to be concerned about.
 
Jul 3, 2015
64,752
32,981
113
Deuteronomy 30:6~ The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. :)