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NASB | Ecclesiastes 6:10 ¶ Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ecclesiastes 6:10 ¶ Whatever exists has already been named [long ago], and it is known what [a frail being] man is; for he cannot dispute with Him who is mightier than he. |
Subject: Predestination |
Bible Note: Greetings Cheri, You said: “I did - the entire Hebrew Scriptures! From word one to the last word - it is a promise to "whoever will." My reply: In respect of the “whosoever will,” not all CAN come. Those who do come only do so because they have been impelled to come by the power of God’s irresistible grace. Have you ever considered the implications of Christ’s statement in Gospel of John 6:44, in which Christ [Who is GOD] declares: “NO ONE CAN COME TO ME UNLESS the Father Who has sent me draws him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” Where then is human “free-will”? It is impotent, corrupt, and useless. All that human “free-will” does is to drive people to Hell. Furthermore, only GOD’s will is truly free. So the “whosoever wills” are none other than those whom GOD the Father draws by His irresistible sovereign grace to Christ. People are incapable of themselves of coming to Christ though many, in defiance or ignorance of the truths of the Scriptures, mistakenly assume that they can. You said: “God has prepared a feast but He won't force anyone to partake.” You’re mistaken. Since, as Christ and also His Apostles teach in the Scriptures, no one can of themselves come to Christ and be saved, those whom God has chosen to be saved are first, against their carnal rebellious wills, born anew by the Spirit of GOD [John 3:1-8] and then irresistibly drawn [dragged] to Christ by the power of God’s grace. If salvation depended upon the will of Man, no one would ever be saved; all without any exception would go to Hell where they all rightly belong because of their sins and transgressions. Thank GOD that He can and does overcome the will of human creatures to achieve His purposes! You said: “God has prepared a feast but He won't force anyone to partake.” This feast has been prepared for those whom GOD has chosen to partake of it. A guest does not choose; instead He is chosen to attend. Those who choose themselves are “gate-crashers” and are therefore unwelcome and unwanted. The Scriptures teach that salvation always depends on GOD’s Choice [i.e. Election and Predestination]; never on Man’s choice. You said: “All those before Yeshua were saved by their trust in the Promise to come, all those during and afterward are saved by their trust in the Promise fulfilled.” My reply: These are the elect and pre-destinated people of God whom from before Creation He chose to be brought to salvation by grace. But the non-elect; i.e. the Reprobate, are all excluded from before Creation. You said: “And if one had to be alive during Yeshua's lifetime (or afterward) to receive salvation by grace through faith, then please explain why not one apostle or disciple is named in Hebrews chapter 11 that describes the kind of trust it takes to please Abba.” The letter to the Hebrews, as its title implies, was written to Jewish people who were ostensibly believers in Christ but who were having difficulties in their transition to the faith of Christ. In Chapter 11 of the Letter to the Hebrews, the writer is reminding his audience of the great examples of saving Faith by the people of the past and in Hebrews 12, he challenges his audience to persevere by following those examples set out in Chapter 11. All of those referred to in Hebrews Chapter 11 who lived by Faith were – and are – GOD’s elect and predestinated people who lived prior to Christ’s Incarnation but were – and are – saved in prospect of the grace of Christ’s atoning work on the Golgotha cross which He wrought on behalf of all of GOD’s elect and pre-destinated people. Regards, Michael |