Results 1 - 10 of 10
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Hebrews 6:6 explained | Hebrews | Morant61 | 42628 | ||
Greetings John! Excellent response my friend! I only see one problem with the reasoning. White's argument doesn't deal with the fact that Christ's will was prevented by other's unwillingness. Even if one makes a distinction between the leaders and those Christ wanted to gather, the verse still indicates that Christ was not able to gather them because of the leader's unwillingness. Personally, I think it makes more sense as a reference to Jerusalem in general, but the identity of the groups involved is not the crucial issue. We are still left with a verse which says that Christ was unable to accomplish something He willed because others were unwilling. Further, judgement is being brought upon Jerusalem because of their unwillingness. Thus, the context indicates that judgement was not God's will for Jerusalem, but was the result of their unwillingness to respond to Him. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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2 | 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 |
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3 | Hebrews 6:6 explained | Hebrews | Morant61 | 42659 | ||
Greetings John! But, we still have Mt. 23:37 which states that something God willed did not occur because man resisted His will! You still haven't addressed that issue my friend! You said: "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)!" But, this turns salvation into a lottery. It is a comfort if I am one of the lucky few who is given the opportunity to respond. Under my understanding of Scripture, everyone is able to respond to the offer of salvation. To me, that is a wonderful comfort, that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him might not perish. Well, I've got to leave for work! Chat with you later my friend! Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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4 | 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 |
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5 | Hebrews 6:6 explained | Hebrews | Morant61 | 42762 | ||
Greetings John! Has everyone who has ever lived had an equal opportunity to even hear the Gospel? Under my uderstanding of God's nature and the gift of salvation, I would say 'Yes'! Let me explain! I believe that God wants all to be saved and that He desires all to come to repentance. Therefore, I believe that God Himself does everything necessary to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to hear the Gospel. It may come in unusual ways. For instance, in Sunday School last week, I was teaching on evangelism. One of the points I stressed in the lesson is that God Himself is responsible for the results and that when we share our faith with someone, we don't have to talk them into accepting Christ because the Holy Spirit Himself is convicting and drawing them. As an example, I used the Acts 8 account of Phillip and the Ethiopian. In this account, we see God sovereignly directing Phillip to exactly the right place at exactly the right time to present the Gospel to someone who was ready to receive it. I also shared an experience I had a number of years ago. While pastoring in Ohio, I heard of a woman who was friends with a couple in my congregation. She used to go to church with this couple. I (wrongly) assumed that she was a Christian. I know, going to church doesn't make us a Christian, but even pastors can fall into this faulty way of thinking! :-) To make a long story short, she was having a heart catherization (sp?) done in Ft. Wayne, IN. They requested prayer for her during one of our evening services. Suddenly, I felt a powerful leading of the Holy Spirit that I must go have prayer with her before her surgery. My lay leader and I arrived there just before they were to wheel her out to surgery. I introduced myself and had prayer with her. My friend stayed behind and came out a few minutes later very excited. He proceeded to tell me that she was so touched that I came to pray with her that she had just accepted Christ as her Lord. She never made it off of the operating table. When they opened her up, her heart was totally calcified. We agree my friend that God does not owe us anything. However, we part company at that point. I believe in a God, who doesn't have to save anyone, yet wants to save everyone. You would have me believe that: 1) Jesus did not die for all! 2) The universal call to salvation is only effective for those who are given the ability by God to respond. 3) God does not desire all to be saved. 4) God choose to save some, and at the very least, leaves the rest to die without any hope of salvation. I believe: 1) Jesus died for all. 2) The call to salvation is both universal and real. 3) God desires all to be saved. 4) The Holy Spirit is actively convicting and drawing everyone. 5) That God is actively seeking every person and that the only ones who will be lost are those who willfully reject the offer of salvation. The lottery idea comes in because under Calvinism the universal call to salvation is a sham. God says, "Whosoever will..." but one can only will to accept salvation if one is elect. To me, this be like me opening a computer store and advertising that every customer who enters my store on opening day will get a free computer. However, I secretly mailed out written invitations to only 10 people and instruct the guards that only those who have a written invitation will be allowed in the store. This would be false advertising. We just see God's nature differently my friend! You see a God who only wants to save some, while I see a God who wants to save all. Well, I've got to go. I was supposed to off of work tonight, but they called me in because someone is sick. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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6 | 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 |
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7 | Hebrews 6:6 explained | Hebrews | Morant61 | 42809 | ||
Greetings John! Why did God choose Israel over other nations? Why did God choose Jacob over Easu? Paul answers these questions in Rom. 11:28-32: "As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32 For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all." God's plan in everything He did, every choice He made, was to extend mercy to everyone. 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. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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8 | 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 |
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9 | Hebrews 6:6 explained | Hebrews | Morant61 | 42926 | ||
Greetings John! I could have told you that we saw things differently before we started! ;-) But, thanks for the discussion my friend! As I stated before, even though we disagree, both Calvinism and Arminianism are within the veil of orthodox Christianity. Though we may not see things exactly the same, we serve the same God. I look forward to interacting with you on other issues! Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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10 | 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 |
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