Chosen by God - A study in Election

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cv5

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Is it possible that this is context specific to Pharaoh?

Perhaps God is not making a pronouncement over all mankind throughout all the ages?
IMO Paul is stating a general case (all men), then he supports his position with a specific incident, that being the person of Pharaoh. And consider the audience, time and place. Paul is not addressing Egyptians.
 

throughfaith

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For once we agree. We are not choosing ourselves, we are not electing ourselves, we are not foreordaining ourselves, we are not predestining ourselves, we are not resurrecting ourselves, and we have absolutely no power nor authority whatsoever in our spiritual rebirth.

To say that we, in and of ourselves, have chosen Christ without any influence from above, due to our own will, judgment, discernment and power alone is absurd.

Dead men stay dead until such time as Christ quickens them. This by God's own good pleasure and express Will.
Election = service , always .
predestination = to the future Adoption ,inheritance, and to be conformed.
//we are not resurrecting ourselves, and we have absolutely no power nor authority whatsoever in our spiritual rebirth./// no one is teaching this .
///To say that we, in and of ourselves, have chosen Christ without any influence from above, due to our own will, judgment, discernment and power alone is absurd./// influence from above ? like Jesus , The Holy Spirit , the Gospel ? God has given us a will , a mind , faculties to believe things and not believe things . No where does it say we cannot positively respond to the Gospel . Faith comes by hearing...
' power alone ' This is because you have bought into the T and the I .
 

cv5

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To postulate that the atonement has nothing whatsoever to do with salvation is plainly blasphemous. In fact the shed blood of Christ is the basis for the new covenant.
All those who receive Christ as Savior do so by the Will of God. Expressly and exclusively without exception.

John 1:12
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
 

cv5

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Election = service , always .
predestination = to the future Adoption ,inheritance, and to be conformed.
//we are not resurrecting ourselves, and we have absolutely no power nor authority whatsoever in our spiritual rebirth./// no one is teaching this .
///To say that we, in and of ourselves, have chosen Christ without any influence from above, due to our own will, judgment, discernment and power alone is absurd./// influence from above ? like Jesus , The Holy Spirit , the Gospel ? God has given us a will , a mind , faculties to believe things and not believe things . No where does it say we cannot positively respond to the Gospel . Faith comes by hearing...
' power alone ' This is because you have bought into the T and the I .
"God has given us a will , a mind , faculties to believe things and not believe things."

And that, my friend is where you are absolutely wrong!

Phil 1:29
For it has been granted to you [[[concerning Christ, not only]]] to believe in Him [[[but also to suffer concerning Him,]]]
 

throughfaith

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"God has given us a will , a mind , faculties to believe things and not believe things."

And that, my friend is where you are absolutely wrong!

Phil 1:29
For it has been granted to you [[[concerning Christ, not only]]] to believe in Him [[[but also to suffer concerning Him,]]]
Both Jews and Gentiles have been granted to believe the Gospel. With a condition they choose to do so . Just like Suffering . Unless you have a verse that says all ' Suffer ' for Jesus in the context of philippians. Which im sure you looked deeply into before arriving at this isolated verse ? The Opportunity for Belief and Suffering are Granted.
suffering is noted as conditional upon "the desire to lively godly in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim 3:12), and for righteous behavior and reason for faith (1 Pet 3:13-17), and something commanded to be allowed for the testimony of Christ (2 Tim 1:8-12). In other words, suffering is not guaranteed to believers for merely being a believer, but rather only to those that live out that faith in a right manner of testimony for Christ. Death bed conversions would then violate that one must suffer for such a testimony.
 

cv5

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Both Jews and Gentiles have been granted to believe the Gospel. With a condition they choose to do so . Just like Suffering . Unless you have a verse that says all ' Suffer ' for Jesus in the context of philippians. Which im sure you looked deeply into before arriving at this isolated verse ? The Opportunity for Belief and Suffering are Granted.
suffering is noted as conditional upon "the desire to lively godly in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim 3:12), and for righteous behavior and reason for faith (1 Pet 3:13-17), and something commanded to be allowed for the testimony of Christ (2 Tim 1:8-12). In other words, suffering is not guaranteed to believers for merely being a believer, but rather only to those that live out that faith in a right manner of testimony for Christ. Death bed conversions would then violate that one must suffer for such a testimony.
Nothing is optional with regard to legitimate believing. It is a once for all eternity event. Yes I am OSAS. The suffering aspect is incidental to my argument.
 

throughfaith

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Nothing is optional with regard to legitimate believing. It is a once for all eternity event. Yes I am OSAS. The suffering aspect is incidental to my argument.
calvinsm is saying being irresistibly 'drawn ' is absolutely necessary for salvation and yet is absent in Paul's letters, which are about the Gospel .
Such as Romans 10 .
5¶For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which DOETH those things shall live by them.
6But the righteousness which is of FAITH speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above
7Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
8But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of FAITH, which we preach;
9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt BELIEVE in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10For with the heart man BELIEVES unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11For the scripture saith, WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH on him shall not be ashamed.
12For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13For WHOSEVER shall call upon the name of the Lord SHALL BE SAVED .
14¶How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath BELIEVED our report?
17So then FAITH COMETH BY HEARING and hearing by the word of God.
18¶But I say, Have they not heard? YES verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world .
19¶But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
20¶But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
21¶But to Israel he saith, ALL DAY LONG I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
 
E

EleventhHour

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Rom9
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.
So we equate mercy with regeneration?

Yet is this supported in scripture?

IMO the phrase ”will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy” is not in reference to God unconditionally selecting people to salvation in the first instance with Moses nor can this phrase be applied that way in Romans 9.
 
4

49

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Both Jews and Gentiles have been granted to believe the Gospel. With a condition they choose to do so . Just like Suffering . Unless you have a verse that says all ' Suffer ' for Jesus in the context of philippians. Which im sure you looked deeply into before arriving at this isolated verse ? The Opportunity for Belief and Suffering are Granted.
suffering is noted as conditional upon "the desire to lively godly in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim 3:12), and for righteous behavior and reason for faith (1 Pet 3:13-17), and something commanded to be allowed for the testimony of Christ (2 Tim 1:8-12). In other words, suffering is not guaranteed to believers for merely being a believer, but rather only to those that live out that faith in a right manner of testimony for Christ. Death bed conversions would then violate that one must suffer for such a testimony.
Death bed conversions would then violate that one must suffer for such a testimony.

1 Peter 3:17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

My understanding of that verse is if it be God's Will, not a must....just trying to learn here :)
 

cv5

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So we equate mercy with regeneration?

Yet is this supported in scripture?

IMO the phrase ”will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy” is not in reference to God unconditionally selecting people to salvation in the first instance with Moses nor can this phrase be applied that way in Romans 9.
Yes indeed Divine mercy IS linked to to regeneration Biblically.
Equated? I would say mercy is a component of regeneration.......undoubtedly.

Rom 9:23-24
And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom He hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

That is a comprehensive statement by Paul, with clear and intentional indications of foreordination. All believers are "prepared unto glory" long before they were ever born. According to Ephesians this preparation occurred "before the foundation of the world"!
 

cv5

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Death bed conversions would then violate that one must suffer for such a testimony.

1 Peter 3:17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

My understanding of that verse is if it be God's Will, not a must....just trying to learn here :)
Thanks we needed that valuable insight!
 

cv5

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Calvinists are so occupied with Romans 9, that they simply cannot comprehend Romans 10 (about which you are correct).
Come on man. True believers are occupied with the whole counsel of God. We all pray for wisdom and enlightenment from above. You me all of us.
 

throughfaith

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Yes indeed Divine mercy IS linked to to regeneration Biblically.
Equated? I would say mercy is a component of regeneration.......undoubtedly.

Rom 9:23-24
And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom He hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

That is a comprehensive statement by Paul, with clear and intentional indications of foreordination. All believers are "prepared unto glory" long before they were ever born. According to Ephesians this preparation occurred "before the foundation of the world"!
Romans 11.
25¶For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28¶As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
29For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have MERCY upon ALL
 

Nehemiah6

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True believers are occupied with the whole counsel of God.
Ideally that should be the case. But I have yet to see a Calvinist properly expound on Romans 10, and then conclude that Calvinism is spiritual nonsense.

So why don't you take up Romans 10 vs TULIP and show us which is true?
 

throughfaith

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Nothing is optional with regard to legitimate believing. It is a once for all eternity event. Yes I am OSAS. The suffering aspect is incidental to my argument.
Of course context ,and any surrounding verses are incidental to calvinism .
 

throughfaith

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Death bed conversions would then violate that one must suffer for such a testimony.

1 Peter 3:17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

My understanding of that verse is if it be God's Will, not a must....just trying to learn here :)
Yes we see this with Paul ( in time ) where it was Gods will for Paul to go to a place and that finally was pris
Death bed conversions would then violate that one must suffer for such a testimony.

1 Peter 3:17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

My understanding of that verse is if it be God's Will, not a must....just trying to learn here :)
its Gods will that we SHOULD walk in good works ( Eph 2 ,10 ) but clearly not all believers DO .But its says He ordained BEFORE that we should walk in them .
 

John146

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EleventhHour,

[Also can you please explain why God only chooses to quicken some when He could quicken all?]

God could not save all. He never intended to.
So, God intended some to go to hell and yet, hell was never intended for a man to go there. Hmmmmmm...something doesn’t add up.
 
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