Is this thread still going?
Amazing.
This is my take on my own questions.
The parable on the talents and the parable of the Sower have the same intent: to show that
God is gracious to all his cretaures, he feeds the lions in their den, he sends the rain,
the warmth to swell the ground. This called providence - God provides all thing to sustain life.
Have you ever wonderd why animals take care of their own young, love them, feed them even
give their life to save their onw kind. It is God's grace.
There are basically two types of grace:
1. a general grace called common - meaning general; given in different degrees to all men and even the animal kingdom.
2. there is a common grace given to people who live in Christian societies and/ or attend church, they get a blessing
from mixing with God's people, they benefit from a Christian society. These first two cases the people are never saved.
They live productive and happy lives, they acrue goodness all their days but never thank God, never truly saved,
not
born again of the spirit. They fall away
and die in their sin. They may appear good people, behave
impeccably in
public, but their hearts do not praise God or give Him honour, these are referred to in the bible as dead., they are blind
and deaf to the Word, their mouths are silent and never open in praise. They may sing the psalms, but it is just lip service.
3. There is another grace given by God to His people, special effectual saving grace. You see it in Ezekial. I will take away
your stony heart of man and give you a heart of flesh to praise God and do my commandments (paraphrasing).
Once armed with the new heart, this gift is not merely offered it is implanted and without any permission of the recipient.
He/she is implanted with a new heart, the old heart is discarded.
The person is then led by the Holy Spirit into the way
of salvation and eventually or straight away, changed in conversion.
Conversion means repentance of sin.
An abhorrence of sin, a turning away from sin, a new life, a new creature. And will never fall away, not true repentance.
Because it is God that saves, not us alone, but God. Although we do cooperate in the work of salvation. nevertheless
the penalty has been paid, we are seen a righteous. Isn't that glorious, it is Amen.
Amazing.
This is my take on my own questions.
The parable on the talents and the parable of the Sower have the same intent: to show that
God is gracious to all his cretaures, he feeds the lions in their den, he sends the rain,
the warmth to swell the ground. This called providence - God provides all thing to sustain life.
Have you ever wonderd why animals take care of their own young, love them, feed them even
give their life to save their onw kind. It is God's grace.
There are basically two types of grace:
1. a general grace called common - meaning general; given in different degrees to all men and even the animal kingdom.
2. there is a common grace given to people who live in Christian societies and/ or attend church, they get a blessing
from mixing with God's people, they benefit from a Christian society. These first two cases the people are never saved.
They live productive and happy lives, they acrue goodness all their days but never thank God, never truly saved,
not
born again of the spirit. They fall away
and die in their sin. They may appear good people, behave
impeccably in
public, but their hearts do not praise God or give Him honour, these are referred to in the bible as dead., they are blind
and deaf to the Word, their mouths are silent and never open in praise. They may sing the psalms, but it is just lip service.
3. There is another grace given by God to His people, special effectual saving grace. You see it in Ezekial. I will take away
your stony heart of man and give you a heart of flesh to praise God and do my commandments (paraphrasing).
Once armed with the new heart, this gift is not merely offered it is implanted and without any permission of the recipient.
He/she is implanted with a new heart, the old heart is discarded.
The person is then led by the Holy Spirit into the way
of salvation and eventually or straight away, changed in conversion.
Conversion means repentance of sin.
An abhorrence of sin, a turning away from sin, a new life, a new creature. And will never fall away, not true repentance.
Because it is God that saves, not us alone, but God. Although we do cooperate in the work of salvation. nevertheless
the penalty has been paid, we are seen a righteous. Isn't that glorious, it is Amen.
Also,when you mention effectual saving grace Isn't the Spirit of just men made perfect by GOD HE does all the work and we have to believe,and salvation then Is eternally secured?
sounds like you are saying we HAVE to work for salvation.