It's amazing to me, how extreme, the lost sheep of the house of Jacob/Israel (those who have the promise of an eternal inheritance), will go in trying to give the natural man, which is not his lost sheep, the ability to understand the spiritual things of God. God has blinded the eye's, of the lost sheep of the house of Jacob?Israel, because of their idol worship, to understand the gospel of Christ, (Rom 11:1-9) in which you are one of the lost sheep, that is ignorant of God's righteousness which is of the the old law, and are going about to establish your own righteousness.(Rom 10:1- - - -. The same is true of those lost sheep in Rom 1, who have the promise of an eternal inheritance, but are blinded to the truth.
Does God love all mankind and does He wish to save everyone
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It's amazing to me, how extreme, the lost sheep of the house of Jacob/Israel (those who have the promise of an eternal inheritance), will go in trying to give the natural man, which is not his lost sheep, the ability to understand the spiritual things of God. God has blinded the eye's, of the lost sheep of the house of Jacob?Israel, because of their idol worship, to understand the gospel of Christ, (Rom 11:1-9) in which you are one of the lost sheep, that is ignorant of God's righteousness which is of the the old law, and are going about to establish your own righteousness.(Rom 10:1- - - -. The same is true of those lost sheep in Rom 1, who have the promise of an eternal inheritance, but are blinded to the truth.
Consider how William Kelly [1800's] puts it (how much am I permitted to quote, with link, of the following? 
) :
"Again, this verse is not, as some suppose, limited as a preface to the proof of Gentile depravity; it is rather the thesis in brief, which is opened out in the rest of Romans 1, 2, 3, down to verse 21, which resumes the treatment of God's righteousness, and begins the details of that which we had in Romans 1:17. I understand, therefore, that verse 18 gives first the general description of human ungodliness in every phase, and then the unrighteousness which was at that time most conspicuous in the Jews who combined with practical injustice a tenacious hold or possession of the truth: the former demonstrated to the end of Romans 1; the latter (after the transition of Romans 2:1-16.) pursued from Romans 2:17 to Romans 3:20. Had this two-fold aspect been apprehended in the verse before us, the rendering of the Authorized Version would not have been deserted for "restraining the truth by unrighteousness," which is a sense framed to meet the condition of the heathen who were supposed here to be alone in the apostle's view. The same misconception wrought mischief in lowering the character both of the revelation of God's wrath from heaven, and of the truth in order to meet paganism. Admit the universal scope of the moral description with a specific reference to those who held the truth in unrighteousness, and the sense which results is as easy as it is all-important, the fitting introduction to the entire episode that follows till the apostle takes up his proper theme, God's righteousness revealed in the gospel.
"The apostle next proceeds to set forth the proofs of the guilt of men [...]
"The next ground is not the knowable but the positively known. "Because, having known God, they glorified him not as God, nor were thankful, but became vain in their reasonings, and their unintelligent heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into* a likeness of an image† of corruptible man and birds and quadrupeds and reptiles." (Ver. 21-23.) A traditional knowledge of God is in question; and as the former regarded man with evidence from the beginning calculated and adequate to indicate a divine First Cause, so the objective knowledge of God here spoken of was the portion of man even after the flood: indeed not till after that mighty event do we hear of idolatry. But man was unequal to the task of preserving the holy deposit; and this, because of his moral state. When they did know God, they neither glorified Him as such, nor were they thankful. This left room for vain reasonings, which again darkened the heart instead of leading it into light. It was the self-sufficiency, and so the folly, of the creature.
"...man departed more and more from God till the flood; after it [after the flood] he gave up the knowledge of God for the worship of the creature. The race fell into ever increasing error and evil, till a partial revelation by Moses and the complete manifestation of God in Christ judged morally the heathen world, proving its declension, not progress, its insensibility to right reason, and its departure from true traditions into the degradation of idolatry."
[bold / underline mine]
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/kelly/romans/1.htm
[perhaps with caveats regarding the fuller article, as I'm only covering what is in the quote above ]
) :"Again, this verse is not, as some suppose, limited as a preface to the proof of Gentile depravity; it is rather the thesis in brief, which is opened out in the rest of Romans 1, 2, 3, down to verse 21, which resumes the treatment of God's righteousness, and begins the details of that which we had in Romans 1:17. I understand, therefore, that verse 18 gives first the general description of human ungodliness in every phase, and then the unrighteousness which was at that time most conspicuous in the Jews who combined with practical injustice a tenacious hold or possession of the truth: the former demonstrated to the end of Romans 1; the latter (after the transition of Romans 2:1-16.) pursued from Romans 2:17 to Romans 3:20. Had this two-fold aspect been apprehended in the verse before us, the rendering of the Authorized Version would not have been deserted for "restraining the truth by unrighteousness," which is a sense framed to meet the condition of the heathen who were supposed here to be alone in the apostle's view. The same misconception wrought mischief in lowering the character both of the revelation of God's wrath from heaven, and of the truth in order to meet paganism. Admit the universal scope of the moral description with a specific reference to those who held the truth in unrighteousness, and the sense which results is as easy as it is all-important, the fitting introduction to the entire episode that follows till the apostle takes up his proper theme, God's righteousness revealed in the gospel.
"The apostle next proceeds to set forth the proofs of the guilt of men [...]
"The next ground is not the knowable but the positively known. "Because, having known God, they glorified him not as God, nor were thankful, but became vain in their reasonings, and their unintelligent heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into* a likeness of an image† of corruptible man and birds and quadrupeds and reptiles." (Ver. 21-23.) A traditional knowledge of God is in question; and as the former regarded man with evidence from the beginning calculated and adequate to indicate a divine First Cause, so the objective knowledge of God here spoken of was the portion of man even after the flood: indeed not till after that mighty event do we hear of idolatry. But man was unequal to the task of preserving the holy deposit; and this, because of his moral state. When they did know God, they neither glorified Him as such, nor were they thankful. This left room for vain reasonings, which again darkened the heart instead of leading it into light. It was the self-sufficiency, and so the folly, of the creature.
"...man departed more and more from God till the flood; after it [after the flood] he gave up the knowledge of God for the worship of the creature. The race fell into ever increasing error and evil, till a partial revelation by Moses and the complete manifestation of God in Christ judged morally the heathen world, proving its declension, not progress, its insensibility to right reason, and its departure from true traditions into the degradation of idolatry."
[bold / underline mine]
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/kelly/romans/1.htm
[perhaps with caveats regarding the fuller article, as I'm only covering what is in the quote above
]
Have you, in your studies, ever noticed that the scriptures talk about "the lost sheep of the house Israel"? Who do you think this has reference to, and do you think this teaches that some of God's sheep are going to hell?
We are told in Rev 22:19 not to take away, nor to add to the words of this prophecy. If all of the scriptures no not harmonize, then we are not understanding the truth.
The divine scriptures are written to the church, the Kingdom of God/Christ, as instructions from God as to how he wants them to live their lives as they sojourn here in this present evil world.
God changed Jacob's name to be no more called Jacob, but to be called Israel.(Gen 32:28). Jacob/Israel represents God's elect (spiritual Israel - Rom 9)
1 Kings 19:10 says that the children of Jacob/Israel has forsaken his covenant. (the lost sheep of the house of Jacob/Israel) But God has reserved a remnant of seven thousand men (including women) who have not bowed their knee to the image of Ba-al (Rom 11), (Isaiah 10:20) (Zeph 3:11-13)
Both the disobedient house of Jacob/Israel and the remnant of the house of Jacob/Israel will be delivered=saved according to Strong's concordance. (Isaiah 46:3-4).
The preachers of God's word, within the remnant, are instructed to teach the gospel of Christ to the lost sheep of the house of Jacob/Israel, of whom God has blinded to see and understand the truth of Christ's doctrine, that they might be saved=delivered from their ignorance of a knowledge of the truths contained in the gospel of Christ.
We are told in Rev 22:19 not to take away, nor to add to the words of this prophecy. If all of the scriptures no not harmonize, then we are not understanding the truth.
The divine scriptures are written to the church, the Kingdom of God/Christ, as instructions from God as to how he wants them to live their lives as they sojourn here in this present evil world.
God changed Jacob's name to be no more called Jacob, but to be called Israel.(Gen 32:28). Jacob/Israel represents God's elect (spiritual Israel - Rom 9)
1 Kings 19:10 says that the children of Jacob/Israel has forsaken his covenant. (the lost sheep of the house of Jacob/Israel) But God has reserved a remnant of seven thousand men (including women) who have not bowed their knee to the image of Ba-al (Rom 11), (Isaiah 10:20) (Zeph 3:11-13)
Both the disobedient house of Jacob/Israel and the remnant of the house of Jacob/Israel will be delivered=saved according to Strong's concordance. (Isaiah 46:3-4).
The preachers of God's word, within the remnant, are instructed to teach the gospel of Christ to the lost sheep of the house of Jacob/Israel, of whom God has blinded to see and understand the truth of Christ's doctrine, that they might be saved=delivered from their ignorance of a knowledge of the truths contained in the gospel of Christ.
Spiritually, a born again person only knows what the Holy Spirit within them reveals to them. From my personal experience, The Holy Spirit will not reveal any spiritual truths to a person until they deny themselves (their intellect). otherwise they will take credit for themselves, instead of giving God credit. It took me 12 years to find that out.
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I respect your dedication in searching for the truth. All of us, in our quest of the truth, are continuing to learn more as we search for the truth and will never absorb all of it.
I think that both of us would agree that all of the scriptures must harmonize before we can understand the truth contained within them.
Our fleshly nature is as filthy rags, and I believe the scriptures to teach that when a born again person is enticed to commit sins they can be as nasty as filthy rags. I don't believe that we can understand the grace of God until we understand just how awful our sins are, especially those who are born again and have not been instructed to have a knowledge of the scriptures as you and I have.
I believe that most of those on this forum miss-interpret Ezek 33:11. God has no pleasure in the death=separation of the house of Jacob/Israel (spiritual Israel) from a fellowship with God, because God will not fellowship sin, encouraging them to turn from their evil ways.
In Psalms 73, David became envious of the prosperity of the wicked (unborn spiritually) because they are not in trouble as other men (born again) neither are they "plagued"(divinely punished) like other men (Whom God loves, he chastens).
Paul goes on to say in verse 14, For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
David changed his mind of being envy of them, in verse 17, when he went into the sanctuary of God and understood their end. (Matt 25:32-33)
Psalms 73 informs me, in harmonizing it with other scriptures, (Heb 12:6-8), (Rom 9:6-16) that God does not love all of mankind.
If I say that it is given to students once to sit their Grade 12 English exam, and then there is the judgment. And maybe a particular student fails the exam. This merely describes the state of affairs for this year. It does not preclude the student repeating the course next year and re-sitting the test and passing.
The gospel describes this age and the age to come, and how we can enter the good life of the age to come, and avoid the bad life of the age to come. We are told that there are ages to come (Eph 2:7, 3:21), but we are not given many clues about what God has in store for those subsequent ages (1 Cor. 2:9).
I see from the nature of God revealed in Christ's incarnation, life and death and resurrection, that God is very desirous to save as many as He can, and since He will never run out of time to woo the lost, I hold out hope for those who fail the test this time around, that God will continue to hold out His hands to rebels in the ages to come.
The gospel describes this age and the age to come, and how we can enter the good life of the age to come, and avoid the bad life of the age to come. We are told that there are ages to come (Eph 2:7, 3:21), but we are not given many clues about what God has in store for those subsequent ages (1 Cor. 2:9).
I see from the nature of God revealed in Christ's incarnation, life and death and resurrection, that God is very desirous to save as many as He can, and since He will never run out of time to woo the lost, I hold out hope for those who fail the test this time around, that God will continue to hold out His hands to rebels in the ages to come.
According to Romans 1:18-20, the natural, physical realm reveals the existence of the Creator. Natural man either suppresses the truth in unrighteousness and rejects God or does not suppress the truth in unrighteousness and begins his or her baby-steps in the walk of faith.
If/when natural man suppresses the truth in unrighteousness, he/she becomes foolish, unthankful, vain in imaginations, foolish heart becomes darkened, they turn to idolatry and worship creation more than the Creator.
If/when natural man does not suppress the truth in unrighteousness, he/she starts to seek this God of creation. Not because he or she is now "spiritual" but because the creation proclaims the Creator. That which is invisible is glimpsed by that which is visible. It's not full, spiritual knowledge, but it is enough to pique the interest of the natural man so that he or she starts searching.
And God tells us He will be found if we search for Him with our whole heart.
You are saying it's impossible for the natural man to glean from nature that the Creator exists because you misinterpret 1 Cor 2:14 and claim that the "milk of the Word" which the carnal Christian can understand is the same as the natural, physical realm pointing to the existence of the Creator in Rom 1:19-20. This is not rightly dividing God's Word.
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If/when natural man suppresses the truth in unrighteousness, he/she becomes foolish, unthankful, vain in imaginations, foolish heart becomes darkened, they turn to idolatry and worship creation more than the Creator.
If/when natural man does not suppress the truth in unrighteousness, he/she starts to seek this God of creation. Not because he or she is now "spiritual" but because the creation proclaims the Creator. That which is invisible is glimpsed by that which is visible. It's not full, spiritual knowledge, but it is enough to pique the interest of the natural man so that he or she starts searching.
And God tells us He will be found if we search for Him with our whole heart.
You are saying it's impossible for the natural man to glean from nature that the Creator exists because you misinterpret 1 Cor 2:14 and claim that the "milk of the Word" which the carnal Christian can understand is the same as the natural, physical realm pointing to the existence of the Creator in Rom 1:19-20. This is not rightly dividing God's Word.
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Why is that the conclusion "we must conclude"?
It could also be that they are not ready to give up what they presently have in order to follow Christ as Lord and Saviour. Or the may not be willing to jettison the worldview they have already invested so much into building and defending. Why assume spiritual blindness?
It could also be that they are not ready to give up what they presently have in order to follow Christ as Lord and Saviour. Or the may not be willing to jettison the worldview they have already invested so much into building and defending. Why assume spiritual blindness?
And Rom 1:19-20 clarifies what they "knew" ... God has revealed His eternal power and Godhead. That is what they "knew" because creation declares God's glory and majesty:
Psalm 19:
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.
2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world ...
We are to look at the creation and marvel at God ... His eternal power and Godhead ... turn to Him, not away from Him.
However, some see creation and turn from God and His eternal power and Godhead. They worship and serve the creation rather than the Creator.
And it's a downward spiral from there as shown in Romans 1:
Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
They knew God because God reveals His power and Godhead in His creation. They see His creation, yet they do not glorify Him. Instead they become vain (empty) in their imaginations (reasonings) and the foolish heart becomes darkened.
Because of their foolish darkened hearts, they move further away from God:
Romans 1:
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves
Because God gives them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, they continue to move further away from God:
Romans 1:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature
Because God gives them up to vile affections, their behavior becomes so abominable that God finally gives them over to a reprobate mind:
Romans 1:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient
Please note, mankind does not start out with a reprobate mind. They go through stages and at each stage, I believe God holds them as long as He can, but at some point He has to let go (give them over).
What is clearly revealed is that it is mankind who rejects God ... and those who reject God will be rejected at the day of reckoning.
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Psalm 19:
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.
2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world ...
We are to look at the creation and marvel at God ... His eternal power and Godhead ... turn to Him, not away from Him.
However, some see creation and turn from God and His eternal power and Godhead. They worship and serve the creation rather than the Creator.
And it's a downward spiral from there as shown in Romans 1:
Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
They knew God because God reveals His power and Godhead in His creation. They see His creation, yet they do not glorify Him. Instead they become vain (empty) in their imaginations (reasonings) and the foolish heart becomes darkened.
Because of their foolish darkened hearts, they move further away from God:
Romans 1:
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves
Because God gives them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, they continue to move further away from God:
Romans 1:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature
Because God gives them up to vile affections, their behavior becomes so abominable that God finally gives them over to a reprobate mind:
Romans 1:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient
Please note, mankind does not start out with a reprobate mind. They go through stages and at each stage, I believe God holds them as long as He can, but at some point He has to let go (give them over).
What is clearly revealed is that it is mankind who rejects God ... and those who reject God will be rejected at the day of reckoning.
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It still amazes me that you consider what is written in Romans 1:20-21 concerning the natural, physical realm revealing God's eternal power and Godhead which can be understood and known to natural man
to be
the milk of the word which is spiritual in nature and which the newly born again one can understand.
and/or
the more in-depth spiritual matters Paul discussed with the mature believers in Corinth (1 Cor 2:6-14), which cannot be comprehended by those who are not born again or by those who are babes in Christ (whether newly born again or born again for a while but never matured beyond the basics of Jesus Christ and Him crucified – 1 Cor 2:2).
You misconstrue what I have stated over and over in my discussions with you, ForestGreenCook.
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to be
the milk of the word which is spiritual in nature and which the newly born again one can understand.
and/or
the more in-depth spiritual matters Paul discussed with the mature believers in Corinth (1 Cor 2:6-14), which cannot be comprehended by those who are not born again or by those who are babes in Christ (whether newly born again or born again for a while but never matured beyond the basics of Jesus Christ and Him crucified – 1 Cor 2:2).
You misconstrue what I have stated over and over in my discussions with you, ForestGreenCook.
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Psalm 73 was written by Asaph:
Psalm 73:1 [[A Psalm of Asaph.]] Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.
Nevertheless, in agreement that when we draw near to God ... when we go into the sanctuary of God ... then we are satisfied
actually, unbelievers who appear to be prosperous or "not in trouble" are in the worst kind of bondage ... slaves to the things of this world.
I feel sorry for all who are in bondage to the things of this world ... whether addicted to riches or glory or fame or power or drugs or alcohol or _______ [fill in the blank].
Nothing in this world compares to fellowship with God.
Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
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Psalm 73:1 [[A Psalm of Asaph.]] Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.
Nevertheless, in agreement that when we draw near to God ... when we go into the sanctuary of God ... then we are satisfied
actually, unbelievers who appear to be prosperous or "not in trouble" are in the worst kind of bondage ... slaves to the things of this world.
I feel sorry for all who are in bondage to the things of this world ... whether addicted to riches or glory or fame or power or drugs or alcohol or _______ [fill in the blank].
Nothing in this world compares to fellowship with God.
Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
.