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Every person can believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to receive eternal life. Everyone.
Predestination is about two things:
1-- Heaven being pre-destined for those who believe on Jesus Christ.
2-- The destiny of the institution of the church, the local body of Christ, is different to believers not in a local body of believers.
Faithful believers who are members of churches, have greater rewards in heaven than believers who don't attend/who are unfaithful.
If a believer joins a biblical church and is faithful, they have greater rewards in heaven than a saved person who isn't faithful
From our point of view, most certainly not. Our future depends on our choices. However, God knows the beginning, the future and everything in between. He knows what we will choose and how it works out. God's people can intercede with God. For example, God told Abraham that He was going to destroy Sodom. Abraham knew that his nephew Lot was living there with his family. So he asked God not to destroy Sodom. God listened to Abraham and as a result, Lot and his family escaped. However, Sodom did not.
We should live as if God is not immovable and set in stone. Our God can be moved by our prayers. If we see others struggling, we can pray for them and see God move to deliver even what seems to be hopeless people.
The Church is divided into two main camps, when it comes to questions like these. Those who believe that salvation comes after a lifetime of obedience and good works, will say yes.
Those who believe that God chose to save a definite number, before the foundation of the world, will say no.
There's no "one size fits all" answer to this question, the debate between the opposing theologians has been raging for over 500 years, with no conclusion or consensus in sight.
You may as well have asked "is Calvinism or Arminianism Biblically correct". Neither side is willing to give an inch, so trying to reconcile these opposing views is a lost cause.
As you would know that God is love.
Love itself would never predestine anyone to damnation.
Anyone who thinks otherwise simply does not understand our Lord.
Salvation is only available to anyone that believes in the death and resurrection of Jesus (Romans 10:9-10).
Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord is saved (Romans 10:13).
The gospel has nothing to do with interpretation, philosophy, or peoples opinions.
We busy ourselves with the Lord's work and disregard philosophical ideas of determinism or freewill.
The choice isn't just calvinism predetermination and works based salvation.
Scripture says believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and receive eternal life.
So that isn't calvinistic predestination and it also isn't armenian working for salvation. Eternal life by free will..given with eternal security and assurance of salvation.
John 3, 5, 6 and 8. Romans 5, 8 and 10.
Think biblicist not calvinist or armenian. You don't have to follow famous reformers.
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Blue155
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I completely agree. But how can the outcome be changed (I believe it can be) if the Lord already knows?
Can we change the outcome of going from lost to saved? Or is our eternal fate set in stone?
Luk_15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Why would there be joy if it were all set in stone?
Luk_15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Why would there be joy if it were all set in stone?
Both sides interpret the gospel in a way that makes sense to them. Everyone reads the same verses you cited, but they don't agree with each others interpretation of them. That's why the Church is divided and not united as One Body of believers.
I wish the gospel was as easy to interpret or understand as you say it is, but the reality is that there are radically opposing views and interpretations of it.
You say "Salvation is only available to anyone that believes in the death and resurrection of Jesus" (Romans 10:9-10). That sounds straight forward and uncomplicated, but then some would refer you to verses like;
Acts 13: 48 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
This verse seems to be saying that the Gentiles who believed the gospel, did so because they were appointed to eternal life. Verses like that one, make it hard to refute their argument that only the elect will be saved.
Then there are others like;
John 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Ephesians 1:4-5 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to.
As we can see, there are verses which can be used to support both sides of the argument. This is why it remains unresolved after 500 years.
I have tried to remain neutral, whenever the "saved by grace" and "saved by works" version of the gospel is debated, but I find myself being dragged into a war I don't want to be a part of.
I can only imagine how horrible it was for those Christians who went to war with each other over this 500 years ago, and tens of thousands of Christians killed each other in a futile war over theology.
I saw a documentary around 10 years ago, and I believe Martin Luther started the Protestant Revolution. There is no more killing but the Church still remains divided to this day.
I used to think there must be a simple solution, but then I listened to the theologians debating and found that it's not a simple matter at all. Some of the worlds greatest theologians are vehemently opposed to each others interpretation of the gospel.
From what I can see, it's not even possible to convince anyone to consider the possibility that their view may be unbiblical.
My uncle is a Catholic, and he told me that he's not open to consider any new information, because he has invested his whole life into the Catholic faith. He basically said, even if what your trying to say is true, I still don't want to know about it.
I think most Christians are afflicted by that mindset, to some degree.
That, depends on whether or not one, anyone believes God in Son as risen for them, personally. To be able to go to the throne of grace and have a conversation with Father who loves us all, otherwise that cross would not have ever happened, done for us to now guide us in the risen life in God Father's Spirit and Truth for us all. Father knowing what is best for us all, First reconciled 2 Cor 5:17-20, Jeremiah 29:11, Then risen where the new life in God's Spirit and Truth begins. John 4:23-24
Stop fighting and waring, (1 Cor 3) with, I am right others are wrong better do as I say or believe as I say, I know, attitudes of the first born flesh in the way of the. truth of God Father and risen Son for each person to stand in belief to God John 19:30, Col 1:21-23
Believe to God from your own prayer closet and talk to God and hear truth over error an die to self, being new in love and mercy to all too, thank you Father and Son as Won for us all 1 John 2:1-27
You may be overdoing it when your reading certain verses.
The gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-6) is a simple message and that is what saves us.
It had to be kept simple otherwise boneheads will generate divisions within the church.
The good news also had to implemented by grace and beyond our ability to manipulate it.
The N.T is a simple text containing a number of simple letters about the good news.
The N.T is not a philosophical discourse.
I believe so many of us think way too much into it. I don’t believe God only saves Bible scholars. Salvation is not based on wisdom level nor Bible knowledge. Salvation is based on whether or not we surrender our heart to Him. Keep it simple. Love Him and love your neighbor. So easy a child can understand it. We must become like a child, keep it simple, and just trust Him. We tend to do the opposite and go way too deep.
Just because God knew the outcome before we were born does not mean we did not cause the deciding factor.
What God (being omniscient) knows will be our final decision?
It is set in stone.
That is not to be confused with we were having no choice in what God knew.
God does not tamper with what God has delegated to man for his own area of sovereignty.
Man's volition.
Salvation in Christ is simple.
"Simply believe."
Maturing in Christ?
After salvation?
Is not simple.
It requires endurance, perseverance, and concentration.
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Paul in Romans commented on your question.
Though probably not the way you may be thinking of.
Paul explained why Israel as a nation failed because they stumbled over the Christ. Israel was
severed from any hope of salvation with their rejection of their messiah.
Whereas the Gentiles were grafted into Christ (the root of the cultivated olive tree) because of Israel's
rejection of the messiah. The Gentiles never knew God, were not the covenant people, no temple, no law,
no forefathers, no promises. The Gentiles were not the chosen nation they were artificially inserted
into the olive tree of eternal life.
This explanation of the Jewish failure consumed eleven chapters of the letter to the Romans.
When you read the letter to the Romans two words dominate; Jews and Gentiles.
If someone is seeing something else in Romans 1-11 then they are experiencing, a reading and
comprehension issue.