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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Does God love everybody? | Rom 8:39 | Wild Olive Shoot | 155059 | ||
Swerv, You stated: “His elect are those who reflect their love for God by obeying His commandments. This does not earn salvation but reveals to God our heart in wanting to serve and obey Him.” That statement is only partially true. Was Saul of Tarsus not God’s elect even though he persecuted the those of “the way”? Was Peter not God’s elect even though he denied the Lord three times? Was King David not God’s elect even though he committed adultery and murdered? Was Moses not God’s elect even though he disobeyed and was forbidden to enter the Promised Land? Was Jacob not God’s elect even though he lied to his father and deceived him to receive his blessing? Do those actions reflect their love for God or obedience? God’s elect were chosen before they had a chance to choose to be obedient. (Eph 1:3,4) (2 Tim 2:19) (2 Thess 2:13). It is God’s sovereign choice who the elect shall be. (Rom 9:14-24) And in all of these we see it was based on nothing to do with our works, since yet, there were no works done. God did not set the elect because he foresaw them to be holy, God determined to make them so. You then said “No matter what - the people will be saved in the end at Jesus return - are those who keep His commandments.” We don’t keep His commandments. If we could obey and keep His commandments in their entirety, Jesus would not have had to willingly die in our place. It is through faith in Christ and what he accomplished on the cross that we are saved. Saying that we must keep the laws in order to be saved is not true in the least. Even under the Old Covenant it wasn’t adherence to the Law that saved, it was faith. The Law showed us that we couldn’t do it on our own. We are called to be obedient and our obedience does show just where our hearts are, but we are not saved simply because we keep his commandments. From the grace of God comes our salvation, freely given to us through faith in Jesus Christ. You also stated: “The only reason we have a New covenant is because fault was found with the people of the Old covenant because they could not keep the promises they made as part of the Old covenant.” The reason we have the New Covenant is because that was God’s plan all along. He didn’t decide one day that he needs to adjust His perfectly eternal plan to suite the wickedness of men. We can’t keep the commandments either. If fault is going to be placed, you had better place it on us as well. Christ’s atonement was for sins past present and future. I found the following, which I hope helps you to address your statement: “The question we then must ask ourselves is what laws did God put in our heart for us to obey. Although, the covenant has changed from Old to New - God still wants us to obey His laws which instead of being written on stone - are now written on our hearts.” “Written in their hearts - The revealed Law of God was written on tables of stone, and then recorded in the books of the Old Testament. This law the Gentiles did not possess, but, to a certain extent, the same requirements were written on their hearts. Though not revealed to them as to the Jews, yet they had obtained the knowledge of them by the tight of nature. The word “hearts” here denotes the mind itself, as it does also frequently in the Sacred Scriptures; not the heart, as the seat of the affections. It does not mean that they loved or even approved of the Law, but that they had knowledge of it; and that that knowledge was deeply engraved on their minds. Their conscience - This word properly means the judgment of the mind respecting right and wrong; or the judgment which the mind passes on the morality or immorality of its own actions, when it instantly approves or condemns them. It has usually been termed the moral sense, and is a very important principle in a moral government. Its design is to answer the purposes of an ever attendant witness of a man’s conduct; to compel him to pronounce on his own doings, and thus to excite him to virtuous deeds, to give comfort and peace when he does right, to deter from evil actions by making him, whether he will or no, his own executioner: see Joh_8:9; Act_23:1; Act_24:16; Rom_9:1; 1Ti_1:5. By nature every man thus approves or condemns his own acts; and there is not a profounder principle of the divine administration, than thus compelling every man to pronounce on the moral character of his own conduct. Conscience may be enlightened or unenlightened; and its use may be greatly perverted by false opinions. Its province is not to communicate any new truth, it is simply to express judgment, and to impart pleasure or inflict pain for a man’s own good or evil conduct. The apostle’s argument, does not require him to say that conscience revealed any truth, or any knowledge of duty, to the Gentiles, but that its actual exercise proved that they had a knowledge of the Law of God. Thus, it was a witness simply of that fact.” – Matthew Henry WOS |
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2 | Does God love everybody? | Rom 8:39 | swerv | 155069 | ||
Hi WOS: God can choose to use someone, bless someone, make a covenant with someone but that does not mean God controls the hearts and desires of men. Obedience reflects love - just like Gods commandment to honour your father and mother. Now do we do this because we have to or do we do it because we love our parents. In the NT we now have the Holy Spirit to give use the power to overcome temptation to sin. We all we all will be tempted but we are commanded by God - if you love me - keep my commandments. In the OT the laws were not written on their hearts but on stone. It was the people who promised to keep the laws and as a result that is what made the OT covenant faulty because they could not keep the law which was there promise. The sacrificial laws were put in place to atone for sin. Now we do not sacrifice - why - because Jesus has paid the price for our past sins. But now His example and the Holy Spirit enables us to obey His laws. Nothing is earned by us. The free gift of Gods grace and our faith reflected by obedience is all that required to reveal our hearts are changed. All that really needs to be said is this. Prior to Adam and Eve sinning they still were required by God to obey Him. Do not eat fro the tree. They were sinless and yet they still had a law to keep. That should put an end to the discussion as to why we need to be obedient. John 3:16 say God wishes none will perish. If we are chosen and God wishes none to perish - then why does He not save all ! Faith is reflected by obedience. Cannot have one without the other. Abraham had faith but still carried out the killing of his son until he was stopped. If you love me keep my commandments. Math. 7:21 puts it pretty clear what God expects of us. Math. 5:48. Yes we are all sinful but that is not excuse to keep sinning. The OT people could not keep the laws because they tried on there own strength. But we now have the power of the Holy Spirit. Sorry but Gods plan is not to send a flood and probably kill millions. It was because of their wickednes that God got angry and sent a flood. If you go by your thinking then - Gods plan was for wickedness to grow and fill the whole world so he would have to send a flood. You dont really think this is true - right. Yes that was a great quote from MH. I personnly believe that law has existed since creation. Gen. 26:5 is clear that Abraham was following Gods law. The only reason God made the covenant at Sinai was since it was for a whole nation which He saved out of bondage. God remembered the covenant with Abraham. He wrote out the laws because the people needed to be reminded what Gods laws were. That is why God first tested the people about the Sabbath prior to them even getting to Sinai. God said to Moses - I will test the people to see if they will keep My law. That was the Sabbath day test. Did you know that the sacrificial laws were put in the side of the ark but the 10 commandments were put directly inside the ark. I believe the 7th day sabbath still stands today and was not changed to Sunday. Let me know, Swerv |
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