Subject: Predestination: scriptures meaningless? |
Bible Note: YOU SAID: (1) the first Passover was a choice to put blood over the door posts. (2) To look upon the bronze serpent was a choice. (3) Noah chose to move with fear and build the Ark of Safety. All of these were types and shadows of Christ involving simple choices to believe God's warning. Salvation is still a gift. It is a lie to call it a "work": (1) Least you forget, Israel was God’s CHOSEN people. He had already CALLED them away from Egypt (type, shadow--sin). Thus, in the order of salvation, as I and other Calvinists assert the choice comes after the “light” has entered into the box of his soul (see initial post )—after one is predestined from before the foundation of the world and called by His grace. The choice came after the call! (2) Again, as I already stated, MANY died PRIOR to the Serpent being raised up on the staff. Where is their Free-Choice? (Num 21:6 ff). Who gave them eyes to see? Only “some” of Israel (God’s elect) looked at the serpent, what about “everyone” else in the world—did they sin, did they look? (3) Again, Noah moved with fear after he was “called” of God to do it (Gen 6:8). God is the one that initiated His covenant (Gen 6:18) and then He saw righteousness (Gen 7:1). Isn’t it amazing here though that the animals did not come ON THEIR OWN. I do not have the time to go over the rest of the symbolism, but again it clearly goes against what you are asserting. I agree Salvation is a gift, but you are attempting to explain it by you works of applying blood to the door post of your own heart, by looking with blind eyes at the cross, and by building your own ark, without the voice of God which appeared before giving instruction in each case. Salvation is the “work of God” and that is not a lie! ---- YOU SAID “the sin condition of the flesh leads to the choice of unbelief” then you quote Gal 5:19-21: One sins because of a sin nature. The nature is unholy. It is totally corrupt. Yes, unbelief is a choice (something you disagreed with above?) and one that is only forgiven for the elect. Sin is one’s nature. The “nature” (the spirit or soul) must be changed so one will not be an unbeliever! Not only is your sin an affront to God, but your very nature…for you are no longer in the image He created you in (in Adam). ----- Then you attempt the use of a proof text: Mat 13: 58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their UNBELIEF. ..." and say “Unbelief is the opposite of faith.” UNBELIEF is the opposite of Faith. We agree! But what does the Scripture: “for whatsoever is not of faith IS SIN.” IS SIN! UNBELIEF is SIN. Now if the UNBELIEF of every man without exception was bore at Calvary (your own proof text and wording proving it is sin) than you assert UNIVERSALISM against the rest of Scripture. --- You SAID: By your reasoning, the parable of the sower is therefore meaningless: The parable of the sower, very briefly without going verse by verse, reveals the different 4-types of hearts the word of God is sown into. God explains those who will believe and those who will not believe. He reveals 3 types of soil that continue to be lost for eternity--these never have any root in themselves, they have been blinded by sin and love the pleasures of this “world” more than God, etc. The remaining type of soil is the one that the Holy Spirit has tilled (turned over, changed) and enabled to receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save their very souls. Now where in the parable of the sower does it say YOU CHOSE what type of heart you would have? P.S. It doesn’t: Rom 9: 20-22 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? HATH NOT THE POTTER POWER OVER THE CLAY, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: Sorry, I can not stay longer but I must go teach. Hopefully someone else will pick up the mantel and answer your reply. |