Salvation is for the Whole World

[Magenta]

I believe the two gates mentioned in Matt 7 harmonizes with the scriptures in Ezek 10. The
wide gate being the disobedient children of God, and the strait gate being the remnant of Israel.
This is one of the reasons that I believe that there will be far more that will be in heaven, than hell.

I believe the reason the wide gate leads to destruction is because the disobedient children
are teaching and preaching false doctrines, and that it is the responsibility of the remnant
to preach and teach the gospel to the disobedient, praying that they will repent.

Jesus is the gate, the door, the way, the Truth, the good shepherd, the bread of life,
the light and life of men, the resurrection, the true vine, the Alpha and the Omega,
the first and last, the beginning, the end, the author and giver and sustainer of life.
I have a panel listing most of the Names attributed to Jesus .

Matthew 7:13 plus Romans 8:13

Who Jesus is...

 

[Magenta]

*I should have said, Names and titles... .

 

[rogerg]

Matthew 7:25-27

And only those who have been saved/born again will/can/know how to do so. But... it is from salvation, not to salvation,

 

[ForestGreenCook]

I am not surprised by your response. Some of the old prophets are hard to harmonize with the other scriptures, but this one, to me, seemed to harmonize with the two gates in Matt 7.

 

[Magenta]

I am not surprised by your response. Some of the old prophets are hard to harmonize with
the other scriptures, but this one, to me, seemed to harmonize with the two gates in Matt 7.

Do you know of anyone else who believes the two wheels are/represent two classes of people?

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and
many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

We don't enter through anyone else besides Jesus!

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

The man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.

 

[Magenta]

And only those who have been saved/born again will/can/know how to do so. But... it is from salvation, not to salvation,

Faith and belief are required any way you look at it.

 

[Sipsey]

Faith and belief are required any way you look at it.

I guess I’m a little confused about this faith stuff also. That verse that states, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him,” seems out of place if it comes from God, yet He is not pleased if we lack faith, but we can’t have it unless He gives it to us,

 

[Magenta]

I guess I’m a little confused about this faith stuff also. That verse that states, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him,” seems out of place if it comes from God, yet He is not pleased if we lack faith, but we can’t have it unless He gives it to us,

This line of discussion comes out of those who say if we do anything at all to accept God's grace we have nullified His grace.
Receiving His gift of salvation is also counted as a work by some, who say if we do anything to "receive" it is no longer a gift.

Jesus' words in Matthew 17:20-21
Faith the size of a mustard seed moved the mountain of my unbelief .

 

[ForestGreenCook]

Jesus is the gate, the door, the way, the Truth, the good shepherd, the bread of life,
the light and life of men, the resurrection, the true vine, the Alpha and the Omega,
the first and last, the beginning, the end, the author and giver and sustainer of life.
I have a panel listing most of the Names attributed to Jesus .

Matthew 7:13 plus Romans 8:13

Who Jesus is...

That is quite a list of names that he is called by. I believe the scriptures to teach that Jesus, while he was a man, he was also, God.

I believe that all of those that God gave to Jesus were saved eternally, by Jesus's death on the cross. I also believe that when they live their lives here on earth, and commit a sin, they die (=separate) themselves from their fellowship with God, temporary, until they repent.

However, they do not lose their eternal inheritance. An unrepented sin, of one of those he saved on the cross, will not keep them out of heaven, as Jesus has already redeemed them of the sin.

Is this in agreement with your thoughts?

 

[rogerg]

Faith and belief are required any way you look at it.

Nope, besides being chosen by God for salvation, nothing is required.

 

[VARob]

Nope, besides being chosen by God for salvation, nothing is required.

If God did the choosing, everyone would be saved (1 Tim 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9).

 

[ForestGreenCook]

Faith and belief are required any way you look at it.

Faith and belief are required of those who have been born again, in order to please God.

Before the natural person has been quickened to the new spiritual life, they have no faith, or belief, in the things of the spirit, and thinks them to be foolishness.

 

[rogerg]

I guess I’m a little confused about this faith stuff also. That verse that states, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him,” seems out of place if it comes from God, yet He is not pleased if we lack faith, but we can’t have it unless He gives it to us,

Christ's faith is imputed to those chosen for salvation - it was only Christ's faith God found pleasing, not man's.

[Phl 3:9 KJV] 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

 

[ForestGreenCook]

This line of discussion comes out of those who say if we do anything at all to accept God's grace we have nullified His grace.
Receiving His gift of salvation is also counted as a work by some, who say if we do anything to "receive" it is no longer a gift.

Jesus' words in Matthew 17:20-21
Faith the size of a mustard seed moved the mountain of my unbelief .

Would you not say that unbelief in spiritual things, is a lack of faith?

 

[rogerg]

If God did the choosing, everyone would be saved (1 Tim 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9).

Nope. The "all" of 1Tim 2:4 and the "us-ward" of 2 Pet 3:9 are defined below.

[Jhn 6:37, 44 KJV]
37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. ...
44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

 

[VARob]

Faith and belief are required of those who have been born again, in order to please God.

People do not become born again until they decide to believe the gospel.

Before the natural person has been quickened to the new spiritual life, they have no faith, or belief, in the things of the spirit, and thinks them to be foolishness.

You need a new favorite verse.

 

[VARob]

Nope. The "all" of 1Tim 2:4 and the "us-ward" of 2 Pet 3:9 are defined below.

[Jhn 6:37, 44 KJV]
37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. ...
44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

God gives to Jesus people who freely choose to believe the gospel.

Everyone is invited.

Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

 

[ForestGreenCook]

If God did the choosing, everyone would be saved (1 Tim 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9).

There is a deliverance, when a newborn babe in Christ comes unto a knowledge of the truth. Paul is praying, for such to happen to those babes in Christ, who had a zeal of God, in Rom 10:1-3.


In order to know who Peter is addressing in 2 Pet 3:9, we find in 2 Pet 1:1, that it is to them who have obtained like precious faith. Peter even includes himself, in his warning, by using the word "usward".

He is warning them that when they commit a sin, it will perish=death=separate them from their fellowship with God, temporary, until they repent. Gold will not fellowship sin, even turning his back on his own Son, during the three hours of darkness, when Christ bore our sins.

 

[ForestGreenCook]

People do not become born again until they decide to believe the gospel.


You need a new favorite verse.

You need to learn which scriptures harmonize with each other.

 

[ForestGreenCook]

God gives to Jesus people who freely choose to believe the gospel.

Everyone is invited.

Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

The natural man, before he has been born spiritually, cannot hear=to believe in the things of the Spirit, and thinks them to be foolishness (1 Cor 2:14).

The "whosoever will" does not include the natural man.