Understanding God’s election
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The MASSIVE testimony contained in the Word, the vast cloud of witnesses, the irrefutable documentary evidence of the saga of His nation Israel.......
is perfectly well known to the Muslim world. They know. The Chinese communist leadership know. The Democrat elite know.
George Soros knows. Vlad Putin knows. Everybody knows.
For some, there are tremendous personal sacrifices to be made, yes. So it was in Jerusalem for believers both when Jesus walked with us and also after the Ascension in the newly constituted Church. They suffered trials and excommunication from society.
But.....we are called to make these sacrifices regardless.
2Co 2:15
For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
2Co 2:16
To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
is perfectly well known to the Muslim world. They know. The Chinese communist leadership know. The Democrat elite know.
George Soros knows. Vlad Putin knows. Everybody knows.
For some, there are tremendous personal sacrifices to be made, yes. So it was in Jerusalem for believers both when Jesus walked with us and also after the Ascension in the newly constituted Church. They suffered trials and excommunication from society.
But.....we are called to make these sacrifices regardless.
2Co 2:15
For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
2Co 2:16
To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
Dougcho posted: Man is doubly incapable of believing in Jesus and the Gospel
1 – Because of the disobedience (sin) of Adam and Eve,
all humans are born with an inherited sin nature,
and are bent on sinning instead of following God (Romans 3:9-18).
Having a saving faith is against their very nature!
It is because Adam and Eve ate of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Bible says that "where there is no law, there is no transgression". If they had disobeyed with something else, they alone would have been punished. We are all born under the Law of Conscience because we are all able to discern what is right and what is wrong.
From birth our motivation for living is love of self. That is our sin nature, love of self first. When one gets baptized in the name of the Father by getting chosen by Him and receiving the state of repentance for sins committed, and then gets baptized (through preaching) in the name of the Son by believing and trusting in Jesus' death for the remission of sins that are past (Romans 3: 25), the person is then baptized by the Son ( it's the Son that does the baptizing, not people) in the name of the Holy Spirit who perfects us by changing our motivation for living from love of self first to love of God first and all else as we love ourselves ( the two commandments given to us by Jesus Christ upon which all the commandments are based). The Holy Spirit of the Father is described in Isaiah 63: 9-10 as "the angel of His presence". It is described as an angel because it can be sent and where His Holy Spirit is, the Father is. The Holy Spirit does not speak his own words, but what he hears he speaks. The Holy Spirit is a portal through which the Father can enter the being indwelled in order to enlighten, communicate His will, speak through, empower, and change the being's motivation from love of self first to love to love of God first. It is this same divine love, which the Father and Son share, that leads Christ and us to obedience. God judges the hearts of men. When our motivation for every thought and action is love of God first and everyone else as we love ourselves, we are obeying the Spirit of the Law upon which the Letter of the Law is based.
1 – Because of the disobedience (sin) of Adam and Eve,
all humans are born with an inherited sin nature,
and are bent on sinning instead of following God (Romans 3:9-18).
Having a saving faith is against their very nature!
It is because Adam and Eve ate of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Bible says that "where there is no law, there is no transgression". If they had disobeyed with something else, they alone would have been punished. We are all born under the Law of Conscience because we are all able to discern what is right and what is wrong.
From birth our motivation for living is love of self. That is our sin nature, love of self first. When one gets baptized in the name of the Father by getting chosen by Him and receiving the state of repentance for sins committed, and then gets baptized (through preaching) in the name of the Son by believing and trusting in Jesus' death for the remission of sins that are past (Romans 3: 25), the person is then baptized by the Son ( it's the Son that does the baptizing, not people) in the name of the Holy Spirit who perfects us by changing our motivation for living from love of self first to love of God first and all else as we love ourselves ( the two commandments given to us by Jesus Christ upon which all the commandments are based). The Holy Spirit of the Father is described in Isaiah 63: 9-10 as "the angel of His presence". It is described as an angel because it can be sent and where His Holy Spirit is, the Father is. The Holy Spirit does not speak his own words, but what he hears he speaks. The Holy Spirit is a portal through which the Father can enter the being indwelled in order to enlighten, communicate His will, speak through, empower, and change the being's motivation from love of self first to love to love of God first. It is this same divine love, which the Father and Son share, that leads Christ and us to obedience. God judges the hearts of men. When our motivation for every thought and action is love of God first and everyone else as we love ourselves, we are obeying the Spirit of the Law upon which the Letter of the Law is based.
The natural man and fools are characterized as, or known for:
1. being wicked (2 Samuel 13:13; Psalm 94:3,8)
2. mockers of God (Psalm 74:22)
3. not understanding their bleak eternal destiny (Psalm 92:6)
4. being rebellious (Psalm 107:17)
5. despising spiritual wisdom (Proverbs 1:7)
6. hating spiritual knowledge (Proverbs 1:22)
7. mockers delighting in mockiery (Proverbs 1:22)
8. being wayward and complacent (Proverbs 1:32)
9. being wicked and held up to shame by God (Proverbs 3:33,35)
10. dying for their lack of knowledge (Proverbs 10:21)
11. having hearts that blurt out folly (Proverbs 12:23)
12. detesting the thought to turn away from evil (Proverbs 13:19)
13. bringing harm to their companions (Proverbs 13:20)
14. folly in their heart that is deception (Proverbs 14:8)
15. mockers at making amends for their sins (Proverbs 14:9)
16. known for their folly that only yields folly (Proverbs 14:24)
17. not spreading true [spiritual] knowledge (Proverbs15:7)
18. their folly that brings them punishment (Proverbs 16:22)
20. being ignorant of their wrong-doings (Ecclesiastes 5:1)
21. being unpleasing to God (Ecclesiastes 5:4)
22. having hearts that are in the house of pleasure (Ecclesiastes7:4)
23. their laughter as being meaningless (Ecclesiastes 7:6)
24. their anger residing in their laps (Ecclesiastes 7:9)
25. thinking of themselves as wise counsellors but only giving senseless advice (Isaiah 19:11)
26. not being willing to walk in the Way of Holiness (Isaiah 35:8)
27. not knowing God (Jeremiah 4:22)
28. being false prophets (Jeremiah 50:36)
29. being equated with the wicked (1 Samuel 25:25)
30. at times for recognizing themselves as being great sinners (1 Samuel 26:21)
31. resentment or envy slaying them (Job 5:2)
31. denying the existence of God (Psalm 14:1; 53:1)
32. their chattering that bring them to ruin (Proverbs 10:10,14)
33. the spreaders of slander (Proverbs 10:18)
34. finding pleasure in evil conduct (Proverbs 10:23)
35. choosing a way that seems right to them and ignoring good advice (Proverbs 12:15)
36. angering quickly (Proverbs 12:16; 20:3; 29:11)
37. exposing their own folly (Proverbs 13:16)
38. being hotheaded and reckless (Proverbs 14:16)
39. having mouths that gush folly (Proverbs 15:2)
40. having mouths that feed on folly (Proverbs 15:14)
41. spurning their father's discipline (Proverbs 15:5)
42. having no desire to get wisdom (Proverbs 17:16)
43. finding no pleasure in understanding (Proverbs 18:2)
44. delighting in airing their own opinions (Proverbs 18:2)
45. having perverse lips (Proverbs 19:1)
46. scorning the wisdom of wise words if the wise speak to them (Proverbs23:9)
47. their proverbs being as useless as a lame man's legs hanging limp (Proverbs 26:7).
48. a dog that returns to its vomit when it repeats its folly (Proverbs 26:11)
49. their provocation which is heavier than stone and sand (Proverbs 27:3)
50. their great reluctance in removing their folly from themselves (Proverbs 27:22)
51. trusting in themselves (Proverbs 28:26)
52. raging and scoffing at the wise man with whom he goes to court (Proverbs 29:9)
53. playing the fool, exalting themselves or planning evil (Proverbs 30:32)
54. walking in the darkness (Ecclesiastes 2:14)
55. folding their hands and bringing ruin to themselves (Ecclesiastes 4:5)
56. their speech pours out many words (Ecclesiastes 5:3)
57. lacking sense and showing everyone how stupid they are (Ecclesiastes 10:13)
58. being consumed by their own lips (Ecclesiastes 10:12)
59. multiplying their own words (Ecclesiastes 10:14)
60. speaking folly (Isaiah 32:6)
61. their minds being busy with evil (Isaiah 32:6)
62. practicing ungodliness and spreading error concerning the Lord (Isaiah 32:6)
63. leaving the hungry empty and withholding water from the thirsty (Isaiah 32:6)
64. gaining riches by unjust gains (Jer 17:11)
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It doesn't either. It makes clear that one can know of the existence of God through creation. This is equally true of man's conscience, as eternity has been placed within the heart of man. But knowledge about God is not the same thing as knowing God. The latter is the substance of salvation.
Even if one knows of the existence of God, special revelation is necessary for salvation. How else would an individual know of their estate before God, the remedy God has provided, and how to live before God?
Creation and conscience are sufficient to knowing of the existence of God, but are insufficient to knowing God.
Even if one knows of the existence of God, special revelation is necessary for salvation. How else would an individual know of their estate before God, the remedy God has provided, and how to live before God?
Creation and conscience are sufficient to knowing of the existence of God, but are insufficient to knowing God.
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If you are correct ...
God would be bound to accept anyone who chose to accept Jesus!
IMO ...
the "anyone"s who believe have been given the necessary faith to believe,
as explained in the OP.
God repeats in Romans 9 that ...
He blesses whomever He chooses to bless
and He curses all those He chooses to curse.
God would be bound to accept anyone who chose to accept Jesus!
IMO ...
the "anyone"s who believe have been given the necessary faith to believe,
as explained in the OP.
God repeats in Romans 9 that ...
He blesses whomever He chooses to bless
and He curses all those He chooses to curse.
Right. And hyper-Calvinism is junk theology fit for the rubbish heap.
R.C. Sproul Jr. is CLEARLY quoted as saying the GOD IS THE AUTHOR OF EVIL, and GOD CREATED EVIL. An outrageous heresy.
However the Holy Ghost says:
Ask. Seek. Knock. Come. Take.
Those are they that obtain the truth of God via His Holy Spirit. Those who CHOOSE to refuse.....don't.
Luk 11:13
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
Deu 4:29
But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
Mat 7:7
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Rev 22:17
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
====================================================================================
This is one of the most pertinent passages in all the OT on this topic. Very few nowadays understand it, but it hold true nevertheless.
2Ki 6:5
But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.
2Ki 6:6
And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.
2Ki 6:7
Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.
=====================================================================================================
[Deu 30:10 KJV]
If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, [and] if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
[Deu 30:11 KJV]
For this commandment which I command thee this day, it [is] not hidden from thee, neither [is] it far off.
[Deu 30:12 KJV]
It [is] not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
[Deu 30:13 KJV]
Neither [is] it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
[Deu 30:14 KJV]
But the word [is] very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
[Deu 30:15 KJV]
See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;
[Deu 30:16 KJV]
In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
[Deu 30:10 KJV]
If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, [and] if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
[Deu 30:11 KJV]
For this commandment which I command thee this day, it [is] not hidden from thee, neither [is] it far off.
[Deu 30:12 KJV]
It [is] not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
[Deu 30:13 KJV]
Neither [is] it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
[Deu 30:14 KJV]
But the word [is] very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
[Deu 30:15 KJV]
See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;
[Deu 30:16 KJV]
In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
[Deu 30:19 KJV]
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
R.C. Sproul Jr. is CLEARLY quoted as saying the GOD IS THE AUTHOR OF EVIL, and GOD CREATED EVIL. An outrageous heresy.
However the Holy Ghost says:
Ask. Seek. Knock. Come. Take.
Those are they that obtain the truth of God via His Holy Spirit. Those who CHOOSE to refuse.....don't.
Luk 11:13
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
Deu 4:29
But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
Mat 7:7
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Rev 22:17
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
====================================================================================
This is one of the most pertinent passages in all the OT on this topic. Very few nowadays understand it, but it hold true nevertheless.
2Ki 6:5
But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.
2Ki 6:6
And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.
2Ki 6:7
Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.
=====================================================================================================
[Deu 30:10 KJV]
If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, [and] if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
[Deu 30:11 KJV]
For this commandment which I command thee this day, it [is] not hidden from thee, neither [is] it far off.
[Deu 30:12 KJV]
It [is] not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
[Deu 30:13 KJV]
Neither [is] it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
[Deu 30:14 KJV]
But the word [is] very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
[Deu 30:15 KJV]
See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;
[Deu 30:16 KJV]
In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
[Deu 30:10 KJV]
If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, [and] if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
[Deu 30:11 KJV]
For this commandment which I command thee this day, it [is] not hidden from thee, neither [is] it far off.
[Deu 30:12 KJV]
It [is] not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
[Deu 30:13 KJV]
Neither [is] it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
[Deu 30:14 KJV]
But the word [is] very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
[Deu 30:15 KJV]
See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;
[Deu 30:16 KJV]
In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
[Deu 30:19 KJV]
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
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