Understanding God’s election

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Genez said:


"For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh."​

Romans 7:18a​


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The idea that flesh, ie physical substance, is evil is a gnostic idea. God called everything he made good and called man very good. That didn't change after Adam's fall.

Do you understand the concept of relational goodness? Compared to God, the father, nothing created of itself is good. Jesus' flesh was created.

And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. Luke 18:18-19​
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There is nothing in the flesh, Jesus' included, that knows how to do the will of God. Therefore it is not good in terms of righteousness. Righteousness comes from the spirit, even for Jesus. Therefore, man walks righteously by following the spirit, not the impulses of the flesh
 
Everlasting-Grace said:
One more time

Eph 2: 8
8 For by grace you have been saved

Prety self explanitory. I have been saved solely by the grace of God

through faith,

But God will not force it on me. It is recieved through faith.


and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Again, prety self explanatory. The grace that saved me through me trusting him, is not of myself. and is not of works..

So why do you keep insisting that me recieving his grace gift negates grace? It is how we recieve grace.

the only other option is to reject it.

How do you reject grace?

1. Trying to work for it (not of works)
2. Outright rejection of it completely (Love your sin)
3. Denying you even need it (like the jews who denied Christ who came to save them)
and I am sure I can come up0 with other ways.
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When a person believes God only loves those He specifically chose and gave only those people the ability to "believe" is there really any common ground to build upon?
To me that is a different religion, not Christianity.
 
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HeIsHere said:
When a person believes God only loves those He specifically chose and gave only those people the ability to "believe" is there really any common ground to build upon?
To me that is a different religion, not Christianity.
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I am amazed at how special they make themselves out to be.. Yet deny it.

A bunch of Denial
 
ChristRoseFromTheDead said:
The idea that flesh, ie physical substance, is evil is a gnostic idea.
Click to expand...


The only physical substance Paul was concerned about was the fallen human body.


​
"For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh." Rom 7:18a​
​


At least In that area, the gnostics had more sense than you do.
For they knew it was true about the flesh!

The flesh depravity was not some gnostic idea the gnostics invented..
They simply recognized the reality and went about attempting to define it their own way.

​
"For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh."​
​
​
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Paul copped a good number of Stoic terms and concepts, and turned them around to show the Stoics-thinking Romans,
that what they had tried to perfect by sheer willpower to force it into action, was now fulfilled by grace in Christ!

To the Romans he addressed?
It was a brilliant move on Paul's part!

In time, eternity shines through.
 
Genez said:
The only physical substance Paul was concerned about was the fallen human body.


​
"For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh." Rom 7:18a​
​


At least In that area, the gnostics had more sense than you do.
For they knew it was true about the flesh!

The flesh depravity was not some gnostic idea the gnostics invented..
They simply recognized the reality and went about attempting to define it their own way.

​
"For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh."​
​
​
​
Paul copped a good number of Stoic terms and concepts, and turned them around to show the Stoics-thinking Romans,
that what they had tried to perfect by sheer willpower to force it into action, was now fulfilled by grace in Christ!

To the Romans he addressed?
It was a brilliant move on Paul's part!

In time, eternity shines through.
Click to expand...

You're reasoning and snarky comment fall flat. You insist that verse means flesh is bad, but don't have the sense to realize the same meaning applies to what Jesus said about himself not being good, ie, Jesus is evil. Address that, O thou snarky one.
 
ChristRoseFromTheDead said:
You're reasoning and snarky comment fall flat. You insist that verse means flesh is bad, but don't have the sense to realize the same meaning applies to what Jesus said about himself not being good, ie, Jesus is evil. Address that, O thou snarky one.
Click to expand...

I did not say the flesh is evil.
When outside of God's restraining grace, the flesh is totally sinful.
Jesus died for sin.
He did not die for evil.

The way we can see that the flesh is sinful, is to first have our eyes opened to see the Righteousness of God.
That takes the Holy Spirit.

In the meantime?
Enjoy your 'good' flesh.
 
ChristRoseFromTheDead said:
You're reasoning and snarky comment fall flat. You insist that verse means flesh is bad, but don't have the sense to realize the same meaning applies to what Jesus said about himself not being good, ie, Jesus is evil. Address that, O thou snarky one.
Click to expand...


The word flesh means different things depending on the context, I would think. Sometimes it means that actual body and other times it means that part of humans that has the propensity to sin and be enslaved by sin.

And mind you no one is born a sinner or born a slave to sin.
Or do you ascribe to the Augustinian notion of original sin?
 
ChristRoseFromTheDead said:
You're reasoning and snarky comment fall flat. You insist that verse means flesh is bad, but don't have the sense to realize the same meaning applies to what Jesus said about himself not being good, ie, Jesus is evil. Address that, O thou snarky one.
Click to expand...


Paul copped a good number of Stoic terms and concepts, and turned them around to show the Stoic-thinking Romans, that what they had tried in Stoicism to perfect by sheer human willpower, to force into a desired action, was now to be fulfilled by grace in Christ for the Christian!

To the Romans he addressed?
Using Stoic terms that they were very familiar with?
It was a brilliant move on Paul's part!

Paul was not promoting Stoicism with regard to the flesh..
He was showing Gnostics that what frustrating them was to be gracefully empowered and fulfilled in Christ by grace!

Wishing you an insightful day...
 
HeIsHere said:
The word flesh means different things depending on the context, I would think. Sometimes it means that actual body and other times it means that part of humans that has the propensity to sin and be enslaved by sin.

And mind you no one is born a sinner or born a slave to sin.
Or do you ascribe to the Augustinian notion of original sin?
Click to expand...

Tell us, please.
What is your understanding of what Augustine professed?
How do you see it?
 
HeIsHere said:
The word flesh means different things depending on the context, I would think. Sometimes it means that actual body and other times it means that part of humans that has the propensity to sin and be enslaved by sin.

And mind you no one is born a sinner or born a slave to sin.
Or do you ascribe to the Augustinian notion of original sin?
Click to expand...

I agree, Flesh actually refers to the body and soul IMO

No, I don't. Augustine was influenced by the gnotics. Original sin is just his adaptation of the gnostic idea that all physical matter is evil and incapable of redemption.
 
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Genez said:
I did not say the flesh is evil.
When outside of God's restraining grace, the flesh is totally sinful.
Jesus died for sin.
He did not die for evil.

The way we can see that the flesh is sinful, is to first have our eyes opened to see the Righteousness of God.
That takes the Holy Spirit.

In the meantime?
Enjoy your 'good' flesh.
Click to expand...

What does it mean when you say the flesh is totally sinful? Please be explicit. Does it ooze with the devil's DNA? Is sin a substance that gets stored in fat cells?
 
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Cameron143 said:
It was a joke. And it's a valid question. If everyone's sins are paid for, why would anyone be under condemnation?
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It's as valid as a 3 dollar bill to anyone who actually is acquainted with scripture. The Bible never states everyone's sins are paid for. I am sure you could not possibly think John was a universalist, so what he states as quoted below does not agree with limited atonement but he is not saying everyone will be saved either so look elsewhere.

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. I John 2:1-2

The offer of salvation is to all; all will accept it.
 
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ocean said:
It's as valid as a 3 dollar bill to anyone who actually is acquainted with scripture. The Bible never states everyone's sins are paid for. I am sure you could not possibly think John was a universalist, so what he states as quoted below does not agree with limited atonement but he is not saying everyone will be saved either so look elsewhere.

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. I John 2:1-2

The offer of salvation is to all; all will accept it.
Click to expand...
Or...because he was a Jew and writing to a Jewish audience who believed that salvation was primarily just for Jews, he was explaining that salvation was available to the whole world, and not simply Jews.
 
Cameron143 said:
Or...because he was a Jew and writing to a Jewish audience who believed that salvation was primarily just for Jews, he was explaining that salvation was available to the whole world, and not simply Jews.
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The Jews are also a part of the WHOLE WORLD!
 
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