Understanding God’s election

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

Kroogz

Well-known member
Dec 5, 2023
865
346
63
Glorifying the Lord after one is saved?
That was never meant to be easy.
This is sorely missed in Christianity today. The vast majority are still stuck on salvation and can't get onto the meat.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. PERIOD. Secure. You have eternal life and will NEVER perish. Rewards, inheritance, crowns, position may perish......But salvation is SURE. All believers will enter His Kingdom, but not all will INHERIT the Kingdom.

And an unstable(in our doctrine/mind) salvation breeds an unstable Christian life......A worthless life. Salvation has to be finished in our minds....then we can move on in stability.

How do believers live the Christian way of life?

Do not grieve the Spirit.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Be filled with the Spirit. 1 John 1:9
Walk in the Spirit.

If an unbeliever can do it, it is not spiritual or divine good.

Good post brother.
 

Kroogz

Well-known member
Dec 5, 2023
865
346
63
How does this happen each and every time to me, sorry I cannot ruin my joy in the Lord by conversing with someone who believes God only loves his arbitrarily chosen few.
I have no answer to your question.
This is the dangerous part for the Calvinist.
If (and it's not) their interpretation of election is true. We are safe. We believe because we are elect.

If(and it is) our interpretation of election is true. They are not safe. They have not made a responsible PERSONAL decision to trust in the Lord for their salvation.

It's the same with the Armins and loss of salvation. We trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and His work for us to be saved. How is one trusting in the Lord if one thinks they can lose salvation?
 

Genez

Junior Member
Oct 12, 2017
3,435
535
113
This is sorely missed in Christianity today. The vast majority are still stuck on salvation and can't get onto the meat.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. PERIOD. Secure. You have eternal life and will NEVER perish. Rewards, inheritance, crowns, position may perish......But salvation is SURE. All believers will enter His Kingdom, but not all will INHERIT the Kingdom.

And an unstable(in our doctrine/mind) salvation breeds an unstable Christian life......A worthless life. Salvation has to be finished in our minds....then we can move on in stability.

How do believers live the Christian way of life?

Do not grieve the Spirit.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Be filled with the Spirit. 1 John 1:9
Walk in the Spirit.

If an unbeliever can do it, it is not spiritual or divine good.

Good post brother.
Here is the key for needing to humble oneself and be praying for finding a GOOD pastor-teacher.



“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
Isaiah 55:8​


Too many think that they can read the Bible for themselves in some English translation, and in doing so; end up making his way to be like their ways. And, live as if the following passage does not exist..


So then my beloved, just as you always obeyed— not as in my presence only,
but now much more in my absence— continue working-out your salvation
with fear and trembling.
Philippians 2:12​


I found that learning from a dedicated pastor-teacher is a supernatural expeience.

grace and peace .............
 

Kroogz

Well-known member
Dec 5, 2023
865
346
63
Here is the key for needing to humble oneself and be praying for finding a GOOD pastor-teacher.



“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
Isaiah 55:8​


Too many think that they can read the Bible for themselves in some English translation, and in doing so; end up making his way to be like their ways. And, live as if the following passage does not exist..


So then my beloved, just as you always obeyed— not as in my presence only,
but now much more in my absence— continue working-out your salvation
with fear and trembling.
Philippians 2:12​


I found that learning from a dedicated pastor-teacher is a supernatural expeience.

grace and peace .............
Agree. Having the right pastor teacher is key. And as I mentioned, the doctrine of salvation and the doctrine of eternal security are paramount to have rock solid in the believers repertoire. We go nowhere in the Christian way of life if these are not locked and loaded in our arsenal.
 

brightfame52

Well-known member
Nov 21, 2020
6,470
591
113
How does this happen each and every time to me, sorry I cannot ruin my joy in the Lord by conversing with someone who believes God only loves his arbitrarily chosen few.
I have no answer to your question.
do you believe sinners deserve hell Yes or no
 

HeIsHere

Well-known member
May 21, 2022
6,339
2,465
113
This is the dangerous part for the Calvinist.
If (and it's not) their interpretation of election is true. We are safe. We believe because we are elect.

If(and it is) our interpretation of election is true. They are not safe. They have not made a responsible PERSONAL decision to trust in the Lord for their salvation.

It's the same with the Armins and loss of salvation. We trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and His work for us to be saved. How is one trusting in the Lord if one thinks they can lose salvation?

Thank you, yes, there are several inconsistencies and problems which the Calvinistic system creates, and it cannot resolve them without appealing to "mystery" or "who are we to question God's sovereign actions."

Ultimately, what is really sad is how they change the nature of God and His plan of salvation to make it so they can believe their election is true. :rolleyes:
 

Genez

Junior Member
Oct 12, 2017
3,435
535
113
Agree. Having the right pastor teacher is key. And as I mentioned, the doctrine of salvation and the doctrine of eternal security are paramount to have rock solid in the believers repertoire. We go nowhere in the Christian way of life if these are not locked and loaded in our arsenal.
He who finds a right good pastor has found grace from the Lord.
 

Rufus

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2024
3,052
411
83
What is Christianity to be to you?
Saturday night wrestling?

Outgrow your flesh.... grow up.

But, I know that will do no good to tell you that.
I take it by your response that you are very secure in your own position. And that makes you right, I suppose. :rolleyes:
 

Rufus

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2024
3,052
411
83
He who finds a right good pastor has found grace from the Lord.
Would the Holy Spirit suffice as a teacher, especially since it's God who gives understanding? And define a "good pastor"! Is that someone you just implicitly trust and never have to bother checking his interpretation or theology out?
 

Rufus

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2024
3,052
411
83
Thank you, yes, there are several inconsistencies and problems which the Calvinistic system creates, and it cannot resolve them without appealing to "mystery" or "who are we to question God's sovereign actions."

Ultimately, what is really sad is how they change the nature of God and His plan of salvation to make it so they can believe their election is true. :rolleyes:
Well...if our election can't be true, can anyone's?
 

Rufus

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2024
3,052
411
83
do you believe sinners deserve hell Yes or no
You won't get a straight answer out of him. Besides, if he said all sinners deserve hell (as scripture clearly teaches), than how would he be able to blaspheme God with all manner of derogatory labels, such as "unfair", "unjust", "tyrant", "bully", "dictator", etc, etc.? These kinds of labels are his standard straw man "rebuttals" to anything we say.
 

Genez

Junior Member
Oct 12, 2017
3,435
535
113
do you believe sinners deserve hell Yes or no
Its not so much, 'deserve.'
They did nothing wrong other than being born.

Those who deserve punishment must do something consciously wrong as to deserve it.
As a sinner (inheriting Adam's fallen nature)...
Man simply can not stand in God's presence as a sinner.

Its not that they deserve hell.
As a fallen being they do not qualify for eternal life.

The only one who deserved Hell was Lucifer.
After all, the Lake of Fire was created for Satan and his angels (not man). Matthew 25:41

Now? If others want to follow Satan?
Then, they can join him in his destiny.
 

Genez

Junior Member
Oct 12, 2017
3,435
535
113
Would the Holy Spirit suffice as a teacher, especially since it's God who gives understanding?
By your example of following your own advice?

Need I say more?
 

Rufus

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2024
3,052
411
83
Its not so much, 'deserve.'
They did nothing wrong other than being born.

Those who deserve punishment must do something consciously wrong as to deserve it.
As a sinner (inheriting Adam's fallen nature)...
Man simply can not stand in God's presence as a sinner.

Its not that they deserve hell.
As a fallen being they do not qualify for eternal life.

The only one who deserved Hell was Lucifer.
After all, the Lake of Fire was created for Satan and his angels (not man). Matthew 25:41

Now? If others want to follow Satan?
Then, they can join him in his destiny.
Wrong! See my post 1670 in which I quoted four passages from the NT whereby in 3 of those passages, saints clearly expressed their
unworthiness of God's great salvation, which further implies those saints (including this writer!) knew they were absolutely worthy of God's condemnation.

Mat 25:41 is a non sequitur when it comes to this question. And Satan's angels don't deserve hell? What about Satan's seed (Gen 3:15)?

In addition to all the above, especially my post 1670, what about all the psalmists who did not hesitate to condemn the wicked, plus they prayed that God would destroy them forever. And what about all the imprecatory psalms!?

You're thinking with your emotions instead of your head. Even children, who go astray at a very early age, legally deserve hell since they have Adam's sin imputed to them. The only way a child, who doesn't have a true understanding of good and evil, can ever attain to eternal life in heaven is by unconditional election -- the very doctrine you and others here loathe!

Even the holy angels don't deserve heaven because God preserved them from falling with the other angels.
 

Rufus

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2024
3,052
411
83
By your example of following your own advice?

Need I say more?
No! By my example of submitting prayerfully to the Spirit so that HE will lead me into all truth, as Jesus promised. Evidently, though, the third person of the Godhead is not sufficient for you, is He? You'd rather blindly trust in flesh and blood! Did flesh and blood reveal to Peter who Jesus was!?
 

Genez

Junior Member
Oct 12, 2017
3,435
535
113
Wrong! See my post 1670 in which I quoted four passages from the NT whereby in 3 of those passages, saints clearly expressed their
unworthiness of God's great salvation, which further implies those saints (including this writer!) knew they were absolutely worthy of God's condemnation.

Mat 25:41 is a non sequitur when it comes to this question. And Satan's angels don't deserve hell? What about Satan's seed (Gen 3:15)?

In addition to all the above, especially my post 1670, what about all the psalmists who did not hesitate to condemn the wicked, plus they prayed that God would destroy them forever. And what about all the imprecatory psalms!?

You're thinking with your emotions instead of your head. Even children, who go astray at a very early age, legally deserve hell since they have Adam's sin imputed to them. The only way a child, who doesn't have a true understanding of good and evil, can ever attain to eternal life in heaven is by unconditional election -- the very doctrine you and others here loathe!

Even the holy angels don't deserve heaven because God preserved them from falling with the other angels.
Rufus... The master of overlooking what was said.
And, rushes in with saying something that is not accurate in application to make his point.

Now, if you can only get in cahoots with the fake news media?
You might be able to make a big name for yourself.

If you really want to please the Lord?
You need to find a good teacher.
To think its just 'you and the Holy Spirit'?
Is leading one into error..

How can we know?
You are a glaring proof!
 

cv5

Well-known member
Nov 20, 2018
23,789
8,616
113

Genez

Junior Member
Oct 12, 2017
3,435
535
113