John 3:16-18 is not about God's universal love (there is no such thing).

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John146

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Jan 13, 2016
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In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
(Ephesians 1:11-12)

0. predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will
1. Hear the gospel
2. Believe/trust the gospel
3. Sealed by Holy Spirit
Once you hear and trust the gospel, the Lord predestines you for the adoption which is the redemption of the body. Once you’re in Christ, your destination is set.
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
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He made us alive in Christ after we heard and trusted the gospel. We were dead in trespasses and sins, we heard the gospel, we trusted the gospel, then He quickened us.
where did i, being dead, get an ear that hears, a mind that understands, and an heart that trusts?

is it fair or accurate to say that a man has two possible states: dead/alive?
and that - speaking not of man as tho flesh - these can be described as so:
  • state of unbelief
    • = dead
  • state of belief
    • = live
?
 

posthuman

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Once you hear and trust the gospel, the Lord predestines you for the adoption which is the redemption of the body. Once you’re in Christ, your destination is set.
that would be post-destination, not pre-destination.

you are describing God determining destiny after the fact. the word "predestination" is pretty clearly describing determining destiny before the fact. it's what the prefix "pre-" means.

"don't forget the scripture that comes before this"

He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love
(Ephesians 1:4)
chosen before not afterwards - chosen by Him, not by us.

having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will
(Ephesians 1:5)
predestined to adoption per the pleasure of His will. not appointed after-the-fact according to our will.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
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where did i, being dead, get an ear that hears, a mind that understands, and an heart that trusts?

is it fair or accurate to say that a man has two possible states: dead/alive?
and that - speaking not of man as tho flesh - these can be described as so:

  • state of unbelief
    • = dead
  • state of belief
    • = live
?
Isn’t it possible for the Holy Spirit to guide one to the truth through the preaching of God’s word without indwelling him?
 
Oct 25, 2018
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that would be post-destination, not pre-destination.

you are describing God determining destiny after the fact. the word "predestination" is pretty clearly describing determining destiny before the fact. it's what the prefix "pre-" means.

"don't forget the scripture that comes before this"

He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love
(Ephesians 1:4)
chosen before not afterwards - chosen by Him, not by us.

having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will
(Ephesians 1:5)
predestined to adoption per the pleasure of His will. not appointed after-the-fact according to our will.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
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that would be post-destination, not pre-destination.
Nope, one is not at the destination. One is saved and in Christ, but their final destination is the future adoption. Now that I’m in Christ, my destination is set, pre or before I get there.

If an airplane is headed to New York and I get on that plane, me destination is set even though I have not arrived there.
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
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Nope, one is not at the destination. One is saved and in Christ, but their final destination is the future adoption. Now that I’m in Christ, my destination is set, pre or before I get there.

If an airplane is headed to New York and I get on that plane, me destination is set even though I have not arrived there.
the destination is Christ.


how you gonna say i have received a spirit crying "
Abba" and i don't even have a Father yet, but maybe one day?
i think you may have to "add a lot of words" ;)

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear,
but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

(Romans 8:15)
 
Oct 25, 2018
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the destination is Christ.


how you gonna say i have received a spirit crying "Abba" and i don't even have a Father yet, but maybe one day?
i think you may have to "
add a lot of words" ;)

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear,
but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
(Romans 8:15)
I’ve seen it all now. Comparing salvation to boarding a plane. o_O:rolleyes:o_O:rolleyes:

What’s next? Comparing it to a magic carpet ride?

#Steppenwolf
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
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Pp
the destination is Christ.


how you gonna say i have received a spirit crying "Abba" and i don't even have a Father yet, but maybe one day?
i think you may have to "
add a lot of words" ;)

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear,
but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
(Romans 8:15)
No, the destination is the adoption which is the redemption of the body. Paul’s talking to those already in Christ. The adoption is so certain that we can be called a son of God right now.

Romans 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
17,111
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the destination is Christ.


how you gonna say i have received a spirit crying "Abba" and i don't even have a Father yet, but maybe one day?
i think you may have to "
add a lot of words" ;)

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear,
but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
(Romans 8:15)
The Spirit seals the believer for that day, the day of redemption.

Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
 

calibob

Sinner saved by grace
May 29, 2018
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Anaheim, Cali.
God loves a world of sinners who believe and to believe is to be elect.
Elect for what? Most Christians who come to Christ after being converted from what ever we believed or didn't before, believe we have the duty, honor and blessing to spread the love, hope and joy of salvation. To those who are like we used to be. Satan is the accuser and the judgement is up to God, not us. The word will be spread to every nation in every tongue. The Lord certainly knew who would chose his way or the highway to perdition from before the foundations of the earth as we know it now. But we can't be stingy with the gifts like salvation and love or else we will be like the Pharisees and Sadducees or we might get locked out of the new kingdom when it arrives too. And we too will be sad you see. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
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dealing with Calvinists.
i am not a calvinist.

i am not a pelagian.

those He predestined, He also called. Romans 8:30
that's what scripture says, and i'm not going to try to twist it to horn in my supposed sovereign agency.
He chose me, by His will, in Christ, before the world was founded. not after-the-fact, not by my will or effort or cleverness.
 

calibob

Sinner saved by grace
May 29, 2018
8,268
5,516
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Anaheim, Cali.
i am not a pelagian.
I just looked it up. Thanks, Me neither. Some, (not you @posthuman) seem to be stuck in a similar us verses them mentality that is tearing this nation apart politically. However many seem to forget that before we came to believe, most if not all of uswere one of them.
 

Lightskin

Well-known member
Aug 16, 2019
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Hello, fellow brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, saved objects of eternal just wrath to grace.

Here is what John 3:16-18 is really saying and implying, alot of people have it wrong and its important.

John 3:16-18 (the text itself)
16 “For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.


Here is a Paraphrase:

(Paraphrase: express the meaning of (something written or spoken) using different words, especially to achieve greater clarity)

Paraphrase:
GOD + LOVE + WORLD, World being: not just Israel, but also GENTILES.....indeed.... the Jews believed that the world was cursed by God and they were God's people, its quite to shock to Nicodemus the Pharisee........That God loves is to the world and not just Chosen Israel.

So WORLD doesn't mean universalism (false sinful doctrine), its talking about God's LOVE to the WORLD (not just Israel).

Okay, continuing on... God's LOVE is manifested in the cross THAT.. [THE ALL WHO BELIEVE] should not perish but have eternal life, that's correct! AKA the ALL who are believing, there is no WHOSOEVER in the greek...

Its the ONES that BELIEVE, which denotes a group... aka all the believing ones, like i said, there is NO WHOSOEVER in the text, its a bad word to use, so when you read that word you might think....... that MAN can believe and repent outside the elect grace of GOD, which is not true.

Anyway continuing: Verse 17: For God did not send his SON into the world to condemn the world, this is what they believed (the Jews), that God has come to bless them and curse the gentiles, BUT Jesus is saying NO....... I did not come to CONDEMN but to save the World (the world being not just Israel)... then to finish it up he says..... Verse 18: whosoever..... which is not implying that everyone can believe, but that THE EVERYONE WHO IS BELIEVING.... there is a difference.

Everyone who is believing shall be saved and SO this in no way contradicts or destroys election (we know only the elect do believe, believing is the result of the new birth and the new birth is the result of God's election).

So the point is that God doesn't Love the WHOOOOLEE WORLD........Its not implying that!.......WORLD does not mean every individual of the world that has every existed........ something that is a contradiction of much of the bible!....... aka Romans 9:13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

If God loves the whole world, then the whole world would be saved.... duuuuurrrrr....

Anyway enjoy. I hope its a help to you in Christ, i also hope this is an encouragement for Calvinistic-Brothers/Sisters an edification and also a help to Arminians-Brothers/Sisters to see their error in this area and repent.
Then Jesus sending us all out with regards to the great commission it’s just a waste of time because the elect will be saved nonetheless. duuuurrrrr.
 

Lightskin

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Aug 16, 2019
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He appeared looking like a white gardener point is, he is not bound by skin color. Why you would bash the poster for it is troubling
Division politics. God forbid Jesus is anything other than the OP’s vision and proclamation.
 
Oct 25, 2018
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Then Jesus sending us all out with regards to the great commission it’s just a waste of time because the elect will be saved nonetheless. duuuurrrrr.
Wrong my friend. God uses means to save the elect. The means is the gospel. I am a Missionary Baptist and it’s my belief in the TULIP that drives me to witness to ppl. His sheep WILL hear His voice.
 

Lightskin

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Aug 16, 2019
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then why am i here to preach the Gospel when the elect will ultimately believe no matter what..what is my purpose in life...? What kind of thinking is this...where is this coming from? God's heart is at question here...God's heart. do you see it..?
I like your style, my Lady. 😎