Understanding God’s election
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Are you sure that you are not self deceived, Rufus?
You may think that the Holy Spirit is bearing witness that you are saved.
But that may well be self instigated and not the authentic witness of the Holy Spirit.
We cannot protect ourselves from self deception.
Saul was pursuing Jewish Christians and arresting them and Paul thought he was doing God's work.
Was Saul deceived?
But I never said Adam was a creator or even the he created the disastrous effects of sin. But Adam, alone, is responsible for his sin, the sin of mankind since he passed on his sinful nature to all his progeny, the effects of sin on the human soul, mind and heart and the curse that came upon the world due to his sin. It's no wonder that we cannot find one single positive, edifying, encouraging or comforting word in all The Word regarding the Federal Head of mankind.
I work on the basis that approximately 5% of any population are elect.
That number is much lower in the Jewish population and Muslim countries.
The odds of Rufus being one of the elect is a low probability.
We know from the scripture (Romans 10:9-10) that one must believe in the death and resurrection
of Jesus Christ. Plus, they must confess the name of Jesus Christ. Given that is the primary doctrine of
Christianity.
Then the elect are a small number of people in any society.
More than likely less that 5% of the population but I don't want to believe that.
And WHO saved Paul from HIMSELF!? You clearly betray your man-centered theology with the statement you made that I bolded! Ultimately, God protects is chosen ones! Man is his own worst enemy, and this largely due to the deceitful nature of sin!
And what was Paul doing in Rom 8:16 to the saints he wrote to: Blowing smoke up their nether regions? Was he deceiving them...and by extension us, as well?
Shouldn't you be asking that last question of yours to yourself?
There are spiritual qualifications listed in the New Testament that specify who is a Christian.
I don't think the people on this thread will like or even agree with that list.
I do ask myself at times and I do not boast except in Jesus Christ.
I love Jesus but I am always terrified because His decision is final.
Why not? You freewillers read virtually everything else into the Word. Why not transform your inane conjecture into biblical dogma and tell everyone "that's what scripture says"?
Meanwhile scripture says this about your "less than 5%" buffoonery:
Rev 7:9-10
9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb."
NIV
Plus to these saints' credit, they acknowledge that they didn't have a thing to do with their own salvation! Salvation -- every single aspect to it -- "belongs to our God".
What is there beyond belief?
Careful not to include things that are descriptive as prescriptive. Either Christ has accomplished our salvation completely or He has not. Either He began a good work in us and will continue it or He will not.
Romans 6:23~ The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
And your point? Are you inferring that Judas "lost" his salvation? Or was Judas a self-deceived professor like those mentioned in Mat 7:23?
Some people believe Judas was saved even though he never believed, was pronounced unclean, called a devil, and
a son of perdition by Jesus, which means DOOMED to destruction... which Jesus would never say of a child of God.
Don't ask me how they come to such a nonsense conclusion.
I would respectfully suggest that your terror is due to the man-centered, man-exalting theology that has taken deep root in your heart.
It seems to me that true lovers of Jesus would indeed still "fear" him -- but in the reverential, honoring, worshipful respect.
Beyond me, sis. But again...this all betrays their religious humanism. Jesus is NOT at the heart and soul of center of their theology. Man is!
Another straw man. The professing Christians I know well, I know they are genuine by their fruit -- per Jesus!
Sin existed before Adam. Before the world's creation.
Ezekiel 18:20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
Romans 5
We do not inherit a Sinful nature through Adam.
If we did that would mean God contradicts himself in passages that tell us as much.
Sin entered the world because it preexisted the world. And is the result of violating God's laws. Where there is no law of God there is no Sin accounted for violation.
Thinking we are born with a Sin Nature makes God,the giver of souls unto our human lives, one who then must condemn the unborn and newborn for by their nature being then unrepentant Sinners should they then die at that stage of life.
That would make God malevolent.
When that's actually the nature of the other one. He who is Lord of this world.
Sin is in the world.
We are accountable for our Sins when we are conscious of right and wrong and therefore making the choices to do right or wrong by God's judgements.
Thinking we are born damned is not correct. Nor, a positive testimony of God's nature.
We come into this world as objects of God's wrath by NATURE! And, yes, we inherit Adam's sinful nature which is how Jesus could say that no one but God alone is good! Did Jesus make an exception for infants, babies and all others who haven't attained to the true knowledge of good and evil!? And how often did Jesus tell the Jews of his day that they ARE EVIL!? He clearly made a crystal clear statement about their very essence (nature)! And in Paul's indictment against the human race in Rom 3, he confirmed all the above. No one is good. No one does good. No one is righteous, etc. What he's saying therein is that no one is intrinsically good, no one is intrinsically righteous! Therefore, man must be inherently evil! There is no middle option! (The Law of Excluded Middle applies.) This is the only logical inference that can be made from the scriptures I alluded to above and many others.
Or as Job asked rhetorically: Can anything pure be born of a woman (Job 4:17; 15:14-15; 25:4)!?
Question: Do you believe Adam's sin is imputed to all his progeny? Or do you think that would be unfair for God to do, as well?
"I work on the basis that approximately 5% of any population are elect."
Then you and your ego are playing God.
Which explains your Eisegesis.
Answer to your question.
God never did that. Therefore,if you believe it to be true you are in error from Genesis onward.
There is nothing to be said after that to those who know better.