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.

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
61,133
30,265
113
Deuteronomy 30:6~ The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.:)
@Kroogz do you agree with the order of events as presented in this Scripture?

Also Ezekiel 36:26-27; Romans 2:29; Jeremiah 32:39-40; Colossians 2:11 Philippians 3:3...
 

HeIsHere

Well-known member
May 21, 2022
6,339
2,465
113
Well I am glad that we share some common belief it’s a blessing . I think it makes sense according to scripture but also other people have read scripture and came to other conclusions .

I think when a group of people come together pouring over scripture for the right intent and purpose some truth I’ll come forward and in the end often each side had some points that were valid and ultimately the reconciliation of those ideas presented in scripture is actually possible and already there if we find it and see it with an open mind and heart after a prayer or three
Yes it is a blessing.

This non-effective or insufficient Gospel is very troubling movement within the "church" and it seems to be spreading, I am hard pressed to see any reconciliation with this dogma when one studies the words and actions of Christ Jesus.

Agree, the right intent and purpose is essential and God would not teach that about Himself so there is something very wrong here.
 

Rufus

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2024
3,032
406
83
That's the crux of the matter: what is true of fallen man? How one answers this question will determine what is necessary to save him.
He's spiritually dead which makes him as helpless as the physical dead.
 

cv5

Well-known member
Nov 20, 2018
23,778
8,613
113
None of what you promote in this soteriology is scriptural it is Reformed.

That is right God only makes is effective for some in your soteriology.
If you are incarcerated in a Calvinite dungeon in an 8 X 8 cell, all you can really do is run around in circles.

Which is exactly what they are doing on this thread. Obvious to anybody.
 

GWH

Groovy
Oct 19, 2024
1,821
446
83
In Romans 7 Paul expresses that his will is not free until rescued from the law of sin and death. Using Abraham as an example for all is erroneous because after Abe everyone who wanted to be counted with him was to be circumcised regardless of their beliefs. So yes, he believed first but that is not the case for eight day old babies which is the rest of the world now and certainly Israel or the Hebrews back then. So I am not ignoring what you said, I just don't think it applicable since it is the natural man is who is under review, the UNCIRCUMCISED person, and being contrasted with the person who who has been circumcised, and I do not ascribe to the former what only the latter can CHOOSE to do. Which is what many here do... and then call being enabled being forced, if they can even so much as acknowledge the fact that Scripture does in fact teach that God enables people.


John 8:36 plus Romans 8:2 If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death.
:)
Well, I find it incongruous that you claim to love Paul while ignoring his teaching, at least in this regard, apparently because of the reasons I cited: 1. ignoring Paul's teaching that faith is a non-meritorious acceptance of Christ's work. 2. ignoring and disputing Paul's teaching that A&E and Abraham are examples of sin and faith, respectively. 3. ignoring Paul's teaching that Abraham was saved by faith first and THEN God deemed him to be righteous or spiritually circumcised, 4. ignoring Paul's teaching that the proto-gospel message was NOT foolishness to Abrahan, which is why he chose to believe it, 5. ignoring Paul's teaching that God loves and wants to save all people, which means that He gives every sinner volition, thereby enabling him to seek salvation--or not, 6. ignoring the obvious fact that by denying the last teaching you implicitly blaspheme God, ascribing to Him hatred of humanity, or at least most of it, depending on how many you think He elects.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
61,133
30,265
113
Well, I find it incongruous that you claim to love Paul while ignoring his teaching, at least in this regard, apparently because of the reasons I cited: 1. ignoring Paul's teaching that faith is a non-meritorious acceptance of Christ's work. 2. ignoring and disputing Paul's teaching that A&E and Abraham are examples of sin and faith, respectively. 3. ignoring Paul's teaching that Abraham was saved by faith first and THEN God deemed him to be righteous or spiritually circumcised, 4. ignoring Paul's teaching that the proto-gospel message was NOT foolishness to Abrahan, which is why he chose to believe it, 5. ignoring Paul's teaching that God loves and wants to save all people, which means that He gives every sinner volition, thereby enabling him to seek salvation--or not, 6. ignoring the obvious fact that by denying the last teaching you implicitly blaspheme God, ascribing to Him hatred of humanity, or at least most of it, depending on how many you think He elects.
I have never claimed that faith is meritorious. I'm not sure where you got that idea. It is the opposite of my belief.

I do not ignore that A&E are examples of sin and Abe an example of faith. It is quite shocking how easily you lie.

I never said the gospel message was foolishness to Abe. I don't know why you feel you have to make up so much crap.

Blaspheming God. I never said He hated humanity. My God, what a liar you are to be so dishonest about what I believe.
 

Rufus

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2024
3,032
406
83
Believe and THEN be saved. Simple as that.
On the other hand, it is written:

John 11:26
26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

NIV

Life logically and biblically precedes faith. Dead people can't do anything.
 

Rufus

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2024
3,032
406
83
Well, I find it incongruous that you claim to love Paul while ignoring his teaching, at least in this regard, apparently because of the reasons I cited: 1. ignoring Paul's teaching that faith is a non-meritorious acceptance of Christ's work. 2. ignoring and disputing Paul's teaching that A&E and Abraham are examples of sin and faith, respectively. 3. ignoring Paul's teaching that Abraham was saved by faith first and THEN God deemed him to be righteous or spiritually circumcised, 4. ignoring Paul's teaching that the proto-gospel message was NOT foolishness to Abrahan, which is why he chose to believe it, 5. ignoring Paul's teaching that God loves and wants to save all people, which means that He gives every sinner volition, thereby enabling him to seek salvation--or not, 6. ignoring the obvious fact that by denying the last teaching you implicitly blaspheme God, ascribing to Him hatred of humanity, or at least most of it, depending on how many you think He elects.
Where did Paul teach that A &E are examples of faith?
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
61,133
30,265
113
Where did Paul teach that A &E are examples of faith?
I wonder about people who make up whatever they want. They somehow
and for some strange reason feel justified to lie through their teeth.


Quite odd.
 

HeIsHere

Well-known member
May 21, 2022
6,339
2,465
113
If you are incarcerated in a Calvinite dungeon in an 8 X 8 cell, all you can really do is run around in circles.

Which is exactly what they are doing on this thread. Obvious to anybody.
So true... reminds me of people who have been given a script and come knocking at the door.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
61,133
30,265
113

John 3:16
I believe what Scripture says despite all the lies GWH just told.

:)
 

Rufus

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2024
3,032
406
83

Ephesians 2:4-7 ~ Because of His great love for us, God, Who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved! And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. :)
Yeah...but God didn't LITERALLY make anyone alive. That's just merely a euphemism. Spiritual resurrection teaching, to the detractors of the Doctrines of Grace, is just in scripture to give us all warm 'n' fuzzy feelings.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
61,133
30,265
113
Yeah...but God didn't LITERALLY make anyone alive. That's just merely a euphemism. Spiritual resurrection teaching,
to the detractors of the Doctrines of Grace, is just in scripture to give us all warm 'n' fuzzy feelings.
It is very peculiar that heart circumcision garners so much hatred.

I am grateful that God circumcised my heart.


Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, 19to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
 

Rufus

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2024
3,032
406
83
Oh and another thing:
There were TONS of unsaved Israelites.
And you thought God is saving them against their own will did you?

And there were also TONS of saved Israelites as well.

What pray tell was the cause of this DIVISION?
Actually, only a remnant of Israelites were saved over the history of the nation. Both kingdoms were notoriously apostate for the MOST part. This explains the judgments both suffered.
 

Rufus

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2024
3,032
406
83
It is very peculiar that heart circumcision garners so much hatred.

I am grateful that God circumcised my heart.


Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, 19to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
AMEN to that! I will always be eternally grateful for God's work in my life.
 

Rufus

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2024
3,032
406
83
Yes, this is the heart of the natural man, no doubt about it. I can be pretty stubborn too (still) but once my heart
was changed and after God had revealed Himself to me in a number of ways over quite a few years my resistance
was worn down to nothing, hallelujah! So many complain about God forcing people when what Scripture actually
says is that we are enabled. And to tell you the truth as I have already said, if in truth God did force me I praise
Him for loving me so much He overrode the natural man's hostility in me so I could love Him. Tho as I have
also already said, I do not believe I was forced, and I think it mostly a deliberate misrepresentation for
people to present being enabled as being coerced against one's will, kidnapped as one despicably said.
Every careless word spoken by the untamed, unbridled, undisciplined tongue will come under God's judgment.
 

Rufus

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2024
3,032
406
83
You forgot about only for some!
Only a universalist would proffer such complaint.

I hope you pray for God's other moral agents, i.e. Satan and all his fallen angels. They don't get to bask in the luxury of "some".
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
61,133
30,265
113
AMEN to that! I will always be eternally grateful for God's work in my life.
According to the haters, what you really mean is you are glad God kidnapped you against your will and
forced you to believe in Him, that you think you are special because He kept the promises He made in
Scripture to reveal Himself to those who earnestly and diligently sought Him, and despite being such
an unjust tyrant making a hoax of salvation and repentance, with your stony heart and hostile mind
you somehow managed to accept the beliefs He handed to you on a sliver platter. Oy vey!
 

Rufus

Well-known member
Feb 17, 2024
3,032
406
83
Yes it is a blessing.

This non-effective or insufficient Gospel is very troubling movement within the "church" and it seems to be spreading, I am hard pressed to see any reconciliation with this dogma when one studies the words and actions of Christ Jesus.

Agree, the right intent and purpose is essential and God would not teach that about Himself so there is something very wrong here.
What's really troubling is that you and other represent the Gospel as being the WHOLE truth of salvation. The Spirit's role in individual salvation is incidental at best to you and others here. Yet, one MUST be born of both the Spirit and the Word. It takes two to tango in the spiritual world, just as it takes two to physically procreate.