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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | response | Rom 1:18 | Reformer Joe | 20681 | ||
Why do you feel you have the liberty to rearrange the order Paul set for his "golden chain of redemption"? Those he FOREKNEW, he PREDESTINED, he CALLED, JUSTIFIED, GLORIFIED. All of these are describing the same group of people. Who is the subject of all of these verbs? Who is the object? Again, the verse clearly indicates that God did not foreknow events, but rather PEOPLE. You write: "1. What is the Biblical basis for your belief here?" Aside from the other verses I quoted? Romans 9:18-24; Ephesians 1:4,11; Ephesians 2:3; John 6:37-40,44,65; 1 Peter 1:3-5 (for starters)...let me know if you need more. I am not "running wild" with one word in one verse. It is a clear doctrine that screams its truth from both the Old and New Testaments. There is scarcely a chapter in Scripture which does not declare that the whole ball game is God's and that He will do what He will do, regardless of man's own agenda. "God is sovereign Joe. If God is all powerful, can't he create a world in which his creation is really free to make choices? Yes. And he did." 1. God can do what He wants according to his own unchangeable nature. The question isn't "what can God do?," but rather "what HAS he done?" 2. Please go back and re-read my previous post beginning with: "One last thing: you seem to be under the common misunderstanding that Calvinists believe that the sovereignty of God means that man does not make his own decisions." I have never stated than man is not free at all to make choices. I have said that man is not ultimately free, because he is bound by his nature and by circumstance. Within those two bounds we have complete freedom. Let me give you a concrete example. Let's say in my free will I purpose in my heart to invade Libya and rename it Joeland. I have the will to do that, but I think we would agree that I am not in a situation to carry out my will, because God has not allowed me to be in a position of enough means and power to do so. The unregenerate likewise are limited by something else: the depravity of their nature. They have a range of choices that they can make in life, but they will not ever will to do anything that honors God. Paul declares that the unsaved are unable to please God at all because they are completely enslaved to their sinful nature. This does not mean that they want to do what is right but can't, but rather that they don't WANT to do what is right in the first place, or at least not from the right motives. I am sorry if your misunderstanding comes from poor explanation of Reformed theology. Pick up James White's book that I recommended and read it without any preconceptions. It really does a very good job of defending historic Reformed thinking. --Joe! |
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2 | response | Rom 1:18 | userdoe220 | 20732 | ||
Joe, I am swamped this week at work and will not be able to get around to answering your post. I plan on buying White's book this weekend and reading it. I am interested in seeing what he has to say. I think there is a number of things we can very much agree on when it comes to the nature and attributes of God. I just feel that God knows what we are going to choose based on His forknowledge (He knows our free choice in each matter) and not becuase he has scripted out all the events of history. I think there is a better way to understand the myriad of verses in the Bible where God gives His creation choices to make in life--the are truly free, not apparantly free, to make choice a or choice b. I have got to get back to work. I will try and summarize and wrap things up when I log back in. |
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