I appreciate you sharing your perspective. Thanks.As we previously spoke of, God knows who will reject Him. He will use them to accomplish His will anyway.
I appreciate you sharing your perspective. Thanks.As we previously spoke of, God knows who will reject Him. He will use them to accomplish His will anyway.
Always grateful to those who take the time to share. Thanks.This is a reference to the Old Testament. This shows us how God hates sin. God destroyed many people in the OT who opposed Jacob. The wicked nations of the OT are a picture of rebellion against God. God hates the Spirit of opposition and rebellion against Himself. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to come under the protection of Christ's Blood. The point is that God has made this salvation available to all. The fact still remains that all who despise Christ's sacrifice and neglect His call will be cast into the Lake of Fire.
Malachi 1:3 Context
1The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi. 2I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, 3And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. 4Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever. 5And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel. 6A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
God so loved the world that He gave His Son, but woe to those who neglect such great salvation.
HiI appreciate you taking the time to answer. I agree that the terms love and hate don't have the same emphasis we generally accord to them today but they clearly delineate 2 groups of people. And 1 group always represents those who are saved despite their obvious rebellion and the other never comes to a place of salvation.
How do you reconcile the potter and clay and the vessels of mercy and destruction?
Thanks for sharing. I'm always grateful for those who thoughtfully share.Hi
I dispute that Esau never came into blessing. He reconciled to Jacob and seemingly had come to terms with being passed over, he had prospered during Jacob's absence i.e. God had blessed him. But he never could be that particular blessing.
Vessels of mercy, vessels of wrath is a very difficult scripture, it needs prayer. From memory the KJV has vessels fitted for destruction [not made for destruction] the vessels of mercy which He has prepared beforehand for glory.
This shows there is no predestination unto damnation, predestination is only here applied to the vessels of mercy.
God didn't make anyone to be damned, that is an AWFUL mistake.
fitted for destruction but it is not God who fits it for destruction
Whether vessels for mercy or vessels fitted to destruction they both began as one perfectly good lump of clay.
At the end of the day it comes down to do you trust God? that He is good and wise, that He is LOVE and that He will do what is right.Thanks for sharing. I'm always grateful for those who thoughtfully share.
God does not hate the world, the world hates God.
Jesus says that he prays not for the world - John 17:9
Who is bringing up an un-regenerate person????It has to do with your post # 374, in which you are giving the natural man the ability to trust in the spiritual things that Jesus taught.
Your quote from your post # 374; "the natural man can't ever have a true understanding until he completely abandons his natural understanding and trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ"
The natural man cannot abandon his natural understanding (1 Cor 2:14) until God, by his sovereign grace, quickens him to the new spiritual birth, while he is still dead to spiritual things (Eph 2: 1-5).
It should be understood that we pray not for the things in the world, but For people who become people of Jesus.Jesus says that he prays not for the world - John 17:9
Evmur said:
God does not hate the world, the world hates God.
Sometimes I really do wonder what your agenda is, Forest. You seem to be doing your very best to sow confusion, discord, and strife here at CC.
John 17:9
“I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.”
Jesus was praying for His people at that particular moment, and you try to twist it into God hating the world?
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Who is bringing up an un-regenerate person????
We were talking about Salvation.
It should be understood that we pray not for the things in the world, but For people who become people of Jesus.
Yes the scriptures teach us to pray for each other. Each other, being those that are born again, and not for the wicked antichrist.
According to Psalms 73:5, God does not chasten the wicked. They are not in trouble as other men, neither are they "plagued" (divinely punished) like other men.
Don't you think that some of them will become the people of Jesus.
Yes. Completely agree.
I disagree here.
There is A LOT of work for a person to do to REALIZE they cannot do the things COMMANDED by God. If they don't come to this realization then there is never a reason for them to come to Christ to ask for His Help and to receive all the gifts that result in Salvation.
Right? What does the natural man understand? Working for his reward. He can't ever have a TRUE spiritual understanding until he completely abandons his natural understanding and Trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ. Which is Truly a Gift of God.
James 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
Psalms 53:2-3 - God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is gone back, thay are altogether become filthy, there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Yes, by his foreknowledge, he saw that no one would choose him. That is why he choose an elect people, and predetermined that Jesus would adopt them as his children (Eph 1:4-5).
Then why would God go to the great lengths he did having inspired writers pen his word if not for uscto read, learn from, and apply to our lives using our hearts, minds and intellect? Your conclusion makes no sense.
I am not at liberty to try and explain the bible as each person is accountable to God for an answer when God visits them.
Many are corrupt and often seek a shortcut into the kingdom of God and we already see God throwing them out or God striking their names from the book of life.
The bible is filled with so many traps and stumbling blocks that the natural man is already condemned before God. Seek and ye shall find. (The only way to seek God is from the bottom of your heart, with fear and trembling and in all sincerity and God just may grant you a way forward into his kingdom.)
If you are not at liberty to try and explain the bible, then you do not have the foundation to uphold your beliefs.
But if you know the bible, we understand that Christ was faithful unto the death of the cross.