Results 1261 - 1280 of 1459
|
||||||
Results from: Notes Author: John Reformed Ordered by Date |
||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1261 | Hebrews 6:6 explained | Hebrews | John Reformed | 43202 | ||
Dear Brother Tim, "Did everyone have a preacher? No! But, everyone has had the Holy Spirit drawing them. If they responded to that, God was more than able to provide them with the Gospel - just like with the Ethiopian. I disagree (What a surpise!). I have a busy day ahead, so I hope you will forgive my use of Jonathon Edward's writing on the subject. God does actually exercise his sovereignty in men's salvation. We shall show how he exercises this right in several particulars. 1. In calling one people or nation, and giving them the means of grace, and leaving others without them. According to the divine appointment, salvation is bestowed in connexion with the means of grace. God may sometimes make use of very unlikely means, and bestow salvation on men who are under very great disadvantages; but he does not bestow grace wholly without any means. But God exercises his sovereignty in bestowing those means. All mankind are by nature in like circumstances towards God. Yet God greatly distinguishes some from others by the means and advantages which he bestows upon them. The savages, who live in the remote parts of this continent, and are under the grossest heathenish darkness, as well as the inhabitants of Africa, are naturally in exactly similar circumstances towards God with us in this land. They are no more alienated or estranged from God in their natures than we; and God has no more to charge them with. And yet what a vast difference has God made between us and them! In this he has exercised his sovereignty. He did this of old, when he chose but one people, to make them his covenant people, and to give them the means of grace, and left all others, and gave them over to heathenish darkness and the tyranny of the devil, to perish from generation to generation for many hundreds of years. The earth in that time was peopled with many great and mighty nations. There were the Egyptians, a people famed for their wisdom. There were also the Assyrians and Chaldeans, who were great, and wise, and powerful nations. There were the Persians, who by their strength and policy subdued a great part of the world. There were the renowned nations of the Greeks and Romans, who were famed over the whole world for their excellent civil governments, for their wisdom and skill in the arts of peace and war, and who by their military prowess in their turns subdued and reigned over the world. Those were rejected. God did not choose them for his people, but left them for many ages under gross heathenish darkness, to perish for lack of vision; and chose one only people, the posterity of Jacob, to be his own people, and to give them the means of grace. Psal. 147:19,20. "He showeth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation; and as for his judgments, they have not known them." This nation were a small, inconsiderable people in comparison with many other people. Deut. 7:7. "The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people." So neither was it for their righteousness; for they had no more of that than other people. Deut. 9:6. "Understand therefore, that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiff-necked people." God gives them to understand, that it was from no other cause but his free electing love, that he chose them to be his people. That reason is given why God loved them; it was because he loved them. Deut. 7:8. Which is as much as to say, it was agreeable to his sovereign pleasure, to set his love upon you. God Bless Tim, John |
||||||
1262 | Hebrews 6:6 explained | Hebrews | John Reformed | 42950 | ||
Dear Tim, Because of my belief in the preordination by God of all things, I am certain that our conversation has not been for naught. For He is pleased to use the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. God Bless, John |
||||||
1263 | Adam and Eve ashamed of their nakedness? | Gen 2:25 | John Reformed | 42901 | ||
Dear Heisthe1, That was an excellent answer, you must go to a good church. God has been gracious toward you. Grace and Peace, John Reformed |
||||||
1264 | Adam and Eve ashamed of their nakedness? | Gen 2:25 | John Reformed | 42900 | ||
Dear Heisthe1, That was an excellent answer, you must go to a good church. God has been gracious toward you. Grace and Peace, John Reformed |
||||||
1265 | Hebrews 6:6 explained | Hebrews | John Reformed | 42888 | ||
Brother Tim, "God's plan in everything He did, every choice He made, was to extend mercy to everyone." I agree Tim, God does offer mercy to all, however it must be pursued through faith. Unredeemed mankind are incapable of faith because they are dead in sin. God extends to those who are being saved the gift of faith and this is a purely gracious act on His part. I cannot accept the unscriptural notion that man is not so dead that he cannot make a positive response to the gospel. I believe that the redeemed are born again by the will of God, and not by the will of man. Thanks for your thoughts, but we are diametricaly opposed on the soverignty of God and the sinful condition of man. I can see why it takes God's enlightenment to change a persons doctrine. Brother John |
||||||
1266 | Hebrews 6:6 explained | Hebrews | John Reformed | 42806 | ||
Dear Tim, You provided two examples of God providentialy saving people. The Ethiopian eunuch and the dear lady that you ministered to. But Tim, you cannot say that all people everywhere over all of time have been given an opportunity to recieve Christ. I used to wonder at God's choice of Israel as His people. Why did He choose one remote tribe out of all the tribes throughout the globe? That does'nt seem fair. Why did He command His chosen people to completely annihilate the Caaninite tribes? That's euthenasia. They were not even given an opportunity to surrender or repent. That does'nt seem fair. Why did He love Jacob but hate Esau, even before they were born? that does'nt seem fair. When Jesus preached in parables to the people, why did He explain their meaning to the disciples but deliberately withold the explanation to the crowds? Was that fair? When He called Saul, He did so in an overwhelmingly miraculous display of His power but most others are called by the "foolishness of preaching" and that isn't fair either. Millions have died without the benefit of a preacher by their side to proclaim the gospel. Was that fair? How many Ethiopians died while the eunuch was still travelling home? If He miraculously transported Phillip then, He certainly could provide witnesses of the Gospel to all of mankind by divine power. What of the people of India or China of the First century? Do we have any eviedence from the past of budding churches in New Guinea or Siberia. NO we do not. NOT FAIR! If we can be saved apart from Gospel by the witness of nature and the LAW of God written on all human hearts, then we can be saved apart from th knowledge of the cross of Jesus Christ. There is no escaping the facts. If one accuses Calvinists of preaching an unfair doctrine of election because it does not include the abiliy of man to choose salvation for himself, then the Arminian must prove conclusively that all men have an equal opportunity to hear the Gospel. Otherwise God would have been unfair! We could also dispense with Matt 1:21... "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He WILL save His people from their sins." We must sadly conclude that He tried His best but unfortunately most all of them turned away and foiled His plan. Your Brother in Christ, John Reformed |
||||||
1267 | Hebrews 6:6 explained | Hebrews | John Reformed | 42731 | ||
Dear JohnK, I can identify with your anxiety over He 6:6 because I was backslidden myself for about 8 years. I never rejected my faith in Christ for one very good reason. I could not! The reason I could not is because I was being kept by God. And although I had fallen and was recieving the evil fruits of my disobediance as well as the Father's rod of chastisement, I still was His child. You see, my name was written on the palms of His holy hand and will remain there for all eternity. Praise and glory to our gracious and faithful Jesus! He never fails! All that the Father has given Him will come to Him, and those who come to Him He will not cast out, but will raise them up on the last day. I have been recommending a sermon that blessed me greatly. it may be found at www. spurgeon.org and is called "Final Perserverance". God Bless JohnK, John Reformed |
||||||
1268 | Hebrews 6:6 explained | Hebrews | John Reformed | 42717 | ||
Dear Tim, You know that as a good Calvinist, I don't believe in luck. Calvinists trust in the providence of God. We believe that God is holy and just and that He always does what is right. That being the case. We bow before His revelation in scripture and praise Him for saving anyone. To do otherwise is to imply that mankind deserves salvation. I am sorry, but God was not and is not obliged to save a single rebellious and wicked person. In His mercy He has saved some(the elect)and the remainder recieve justice. No one recieves injustice because the entire world is guilty. Salvation is a gift that He freely gives to those whom He has chosen. I don't know where you came up with the idea that it was anything like a lottery! Has everyone who has ever lived had an equal opportunity to even hear the Gospel? Is that "fair"? Sola Fide, John |
||||||
1269 | Hebrews 6:6 explained | Hebrews | John Reformed | 42713 | ||
Dear Tim, Good Morning! I really don't see any justification (except the demand of one's presuppositions) for connecting verse 7 with 18. John 13:18 clearly shows that Christ had not chosen all of the 12 and we agree that the unamed person was Judas. Brother John |
||||||
1270 | Hebrews 6:6 explained | Hebrews | John Reformed | 42654 | ||
Dear Scribe, Heb 6:7,8...For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned. Matt 13:8..."And others fell on the good soil and *yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. Jesus explained the parable to His disciples saying: "And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty." (Matt 13:23) Therefore, I cannot believe that good soil(ground) can produce anything but what Christ Himself declared it to produce, that being an abundant harvest. Your Brother, John |
||||||
1271 | Hebrews 6:6 explained | Hebrews | John Reformed | 42648 | ||
Dear Tim, Jesus never forced His will on anyone, nor does Father. This is a basic misunderstanding of "irrisitable grace". Irresistible Grace The result of God's Irresistible Grace is the certain response by the elect to the inward call of the Holy Spirit, when the outward call is given by the evangelist or minister of the Word of God. Christ, himself, teaches that all whom God has elected will come to a knowledge of him (John 6:37). Men come to Christ in salvation when the Father calls them (John 6:44), and the very Spirit of God leads God's beloved to repentance (Romans 8:14). What a comfort it is to know that the gospel of Christ will penetrate our hard, sinful hearts and wondrously save us through the gracious inward call of the Holy Spirit (I Peter 5:10)! When God raises us to new life we most naturaly run to the arms of our Lord and Saviour. For the first time in our lives we are free from spiritual blindness and can see the truth. Sola Gratia, Brother John |
||||||
1272 | Hebrews 6:6 explained | Hebrews | John Reformed | 42643 | ||
Dear Tim, You failed to address the apparent contradiction to John 6:70 from John 13:18. Calvins point was that in the first instance the election of Judas was to the office of apostle. In the 2nd instance it was made obvious that Judas was not among the others elected unto salvation. John |
||||||
1273 | Hebrews 6:6 explained | Hebrews | John Reformed | 42613 | ||
Dear Tim, Forgive me, but Mt 23:37 can be easily answered by close attention to the context of the passage in question. Matt 23:37..."Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Who is Jerusalem? Who are the children? (The following is from James White's "The Potters Freedom". 1)It is the leaders to whom God sent the prophets. 2)It is the Jewish leader who killed the prophets and those sent to them. 3) Jesus speaks of "your children," differentiating those to whom He is speaking from those whom the Lord desired to gather together. 4)The context speaks to the Jewish leaders, scribes and Pharisees. White further states: "A vitaly important point to make here is that the ones the Lord desired to gather are not the ones who "were not willing"! Jesus speaks to the leaders about their children that they the leaders, would not allow Him to "gather". Jesus was not desiring to gather the leaders but the children. This one consideration alone renders the passage useless for the Arminian seeking to establish freewillism. The "children" of the leaders would be Jews who were hindered by the Jewish leaders from hearing Christ. The "you would not" then is referring to the same men indicated by the context: The Jewish leaders who were "unwilling" to allow those under their authority to hear the proclamation of Christ. This verse then, is speaking to the same issues raised earlier in Matt 23: 13. (James White) "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Sola Scriptura, Brother John |
||||||
1274 | Hebrews 6:6 explained | Hebrews | John Reformed | 42607 | ||
Dear Tim, John 6:70...Jesus answered them, "Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?"... Jesus is addresing the fact that He chose the 12 apostles. John 13:18..."I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.'... Jesus here speaks to the 12 apostles but says that not all of them are chosen by Him! I can not help but notice that in John 13:18, Jesus gives the OT Scripture that answers the question regarding what scriptue He referred to In John 17:12. Therefore, unless we be found guilty of claiming a contradiction, we must look to verses that more clearly speak to the subject of Judas's election. We have already are involved in He 6:6, which led us to John 17:12 and I believe we are at an impasse there. Let me address Matt 23 in my repy to your 2nd post. Soli Deo Gloria, John |
||||||
1275 | Are we expected to keep the sabath? | Bible general Archive 1 | John Reformed | 42453 | ||
Dea Arnie, I read the KJV and do not agree with your conclusion. However, if you believe we must keep the sabbath on a particular day (Sat or Sun for instance) then for you to break it it is sin because you sin agaist your conscience. As for me I keep the sabbath 7 days per week in Christ, I do however worship God among my bretheren each Sunday. God Bless Arnie, John Reformed |
||||||
1276 | romans | Romans | John Reformed | 42442 | ||
Judith, What I am about to say I do with fear and trembling before Almighty God. I say it out of love not hate and say it I must. You are preaching a false gospel. Unless you repent and plead for Christ to save you, you will spend eternity seperated from God! I pray He will call you to the truth about Himself and the Kingdom of Heaven. John Reformed |
||||||
1277 | Predestination | Eph 1:4 | John Reformed | 42393 | ||
Dear Jensen, 2)God, through His Holy Spirit, directs (not prompts)a man to choose Christ making him an elected. This statement is the closer of the two, but is not an adequate description either. I prefer this definition: the result of God's Irresistible Grace is the certain response by the elect to the inward call of the Holy Spirit, when the outward call is given by the evangelist or minister of the Word of God. Christ, himself, teaches that all whom God has elected will come to a knowledge of him (John 6:37) "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out"... Men come to Christ in salvation when the Father calls them (John 6:44) "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day", and the very Spirit of God leads God's beloved to repentance (Romans 8:14) "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God".. What a comfort it is to know that the gospel of Christ will penetrate our hard, sinful hearts and wondrously save us through the gracious inward call of the Holy Spirit(I Peter 5:10) "After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you"...! The following 2 definitions may help you to understand the difference between predestination and election. (Easton's Bible Dictionary.) Predestination This word is properly used only with reference to God's plan or purpose of salvation. The Greek word rendered "predestinate" is found only in these six passages, Acts 4:28; Romans 8:29,30; 1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:5,11; and in all of them it has the same meaning. They teach that the eternal, sovereign, immutable, and unconditional decree or "determinate purpose" of God governs all events. This doctrine of predestination or election is beset with many difficulties. It belongs to the "secret things" of God. But if we take the revealed word of God as our guide, we must accept this doctrine with all its mysteriousness, and settle all our questionings in the humble, devout acknowledgment, "Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight." Election of Grace The Scripture speaks (1) of the election of individuals to office or to honour and privilege, e.g., Abraham, Jacob, Saul, David, Solomon, were all chosen by God for the positions they held; so also were the apostles. (2) There is also an election of nations to special privileges, e.g., the Hebrews (Deuteronomy 7:6; Romans 9:4). (3) But in addition there is an election of individuals to eternal life (2 Thessalonians 2:13; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:2; John 13:18). The ground of this election to salvation is the good pleasure of God (Ephesians 1:5,11; Matthew 11:25,26; John 15:16,19). God claims the right so to do (Romans 9:16,21). It is not conditioned on faith or repentance, but is of soverign grace (Romans 11:4-6; Ephesians 1:3-6). All that pertain to salvation, the means (Ephesians 2:8; 2 Thessalonians 2:13) as well as the end, are of God (Acts 5:31; 2 Timothy 2:25; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Ephesians 2:5,10). Faith and repentance and all other graces are the exercises of a regenerated soul; and regeneration is God's work, a "new creature." Men are elected "to salvation," "to the adoption of sons," "to be holy and without blame before him in love" (2 Thessalonians 2:13; Galatians 4:4,5; Ephesians 1:4). The ultimate end of election is the praise of God's grace (Ephesians 1:6,12). Whether or not you agree with the the Reformed view of Salvation, If you take the time to read the scriptual proofs, you will see that it is indeed a biblicaly based doctrine. On top of that you will have a more accurate understanding of it than most of it's critics. God Bless Jensen, John Reformed |
||||||
1278 | Are we expected to keep the sabath? | Bible general Archive 1 | John Reformed | 42285 | ||
Dear Arnie, Unbelievers are still judged under the law. Believers are not judged at all by the law. John |
||||||
1279 | Hebrews 6:6 explained | Hebrews | John Reformed | 42283 | ||
Dear Tim, Thanks for your careful consideration of my post. Too many times, I respond before fully apprehending the thoughts of the writer (these lessons inhumility are no fun at all!). I'll get to your points sraightaway. 1) To what does the excemption clause of John 17:12 refer? Was Judas lost or not? My resonse is YES Judas was lost but he was never saved. I'll explain: "but Christ’s distinguishing Judas from those that were given him (for ei meµ is adversative, not exceptive) intimates that the truth and true religion ought not to suffer for the treachery of those that are false to it, 1 Jn. 2:19." (M. Henry Bible Commentary) The NASB translates ei meµ as except. The King James uses but. This may weaken your premise which is based on the word except. I don't consider this to be a small point, for if Henry is indeed correct, your contention is made on a flawed interpretation. My second point is that Jesus immediately labels Judas as "the son of destruction". I am not clear on why Judas is called by this term. It implies a state of being to me. When did Judas begin to reflect this title? We have no indication from scripture, except that whenever he is mentioned it is as a thorough-going rotter! When was he ever presented to us as an ardent lover of Christ? Never! Thirdly, we cannot overlook the fact that Judas was lost for a particular reason which was so that Scripture might be fulfilled. That can mean but one thing (please don't faint); Judas was preordained to perish. What else could it mean? One final point comes to mind. Why would God send His son to die for people He already knew were doomed? Would it not have been kinder to not have created them at all? Just a thought. 2) Can God's will for our lives be impacted by our choices? For instance, can God desire someone to be saved and that person not be saved? NO. God is soveriegn over all his creation. He has an eternal pupose that He will unfailingly accomplish. The Westminster Confession Chapter 3 - Of God's Eternal Decree 1. God from all eternity did by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass: yet so as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures, nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established. Act 15:18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. Heb 6:17 In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, Eph 3:11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, Eph 1:11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, Tim, I've gone on too long and better sign off. Two questions. Of what benefit is the new creation if it can be cast aside like a garment? What do we have that we have not been given by God? One more question and I promise to close my mouth. God was not obliged to save anyone, if out of pure mercy He chose to save some and let others contiue in rebellion, how would that be unfair? Thanks Tim, John Reformed |
||||||
1280 | Are we expected to keep the sabath? | Bible general Archive 1 | John Reformed | 42252 | ||
Hi Arnie, I agree, we are true sons of Abraham and are his seed and heirs according to the promise. But keep in mind that the OT signs were shadows of things to come. Col 2:16...Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- Col 2:17...things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. Have you read Pastorscott's post on this thread? He explains the sabbath very well. God Bless Arnie, John |
||||||
Result pages: << First < Prev [ 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 ] Next > Last [73] >> |