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NASB | Matthew 11:28 ¶ "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 11:28 ¶ "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. |
Subject: Is this invitation open to everyone? |
Bible Note: Hi Doc, Thank you for making my point for me. This perhaps was my error, but as I read your posts quoting the "Council of Orange", and subsequently, they seemed to me to portray the doctrine of election to the exclusion of the universal offer of the Gospel, and our personal responsibility to receive it. As I questioned you of your beliefs regarding this, your answers, especially in post 164511 seemed to confirm that this was what you believed and wished to express. I would like to suggest that I may not be "mixing up doctrines", which would say that I am perhaps confused, or some such, but that I know that anything the Bible teaches must be in harmony with everything else it teaches. When we promote one doctrine to the exclusion of another doctrine, then it is not a balanced teaching. I do take exception to your quote of Bruce Demarest, in that an offer that cannot be received is not really valid. Let's take for example that you needed a kidney transplant to survive. Now I know that your blood-type does not match mine, and that there is no way that you can accept a transplant from me, yet I offer to you my kidney. That offer would be absolutely meaningless to you. And on my side, I would be offering to you something I know I will never have to give. That would be true if God made an offer of salvation to one who was not able to receive it. That would be a "universal offer" in name only, but without substance. I, of course, argee with you that the Bible was given for the purposes in 2 Tim 3, but I don't beleive that the Bible has no purpose to the unredeemed. If there is absolutely nothing else, it will be the standard by which they are judged on that day, as they are judged according to their works. Their works, that is, against the standard of God's Law, written in His Word. If no one were saved, the Bible would still serve it's purpose. I appreciate your quote of Calvin, that when someone does not receive the offer of salvation, it is because they have rejected it, and not simply because they are unable to received it. It has seemed to me before that you have been saying that there are those who are unable to receive salvation, and that to them it is neither offered nor available. Thank you for clarifying this for me. The fact is, the Bible teaches both things, that we are unable to respond to His call without the work of the Holy Spirit, but also that His offer is freely given, and it is us who either receive or reject. That is why this issue has been debated for centuries, and why we have agreed to not continue that debate here. Thank you for your patience with me, and for clarifying these matters! God bless you brother! Love in Christ, Mark |