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NASB | John 3:16 ¶ "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 3:16 ¶ "For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. |
Subject: THE CROSS |
Bible Note: Greetings JibbyJee! I’m sorry I disappointed you my friend! I can only offer two excuses for myself. First of all, I’ve been very busy. Secondly, I thought that I had covered most of these questions in other posts. But, I will try to address your questions. 1) Did Christ intend to save all? This is a familiar tactic. The charge is made that God cannot fail, so if He died for all, all must be saved. But, neither Calvinists nor Arminians believe that everyone was ‘saved’ the moment Christ died on the cross. Both Calvinists and Arminians believe that there must be a faith response to God’s grace. So, this question really has nothing to do with the topic at hand unless you are prepared to say that the ‘elect’ are saved prior to ‘hearing, believing, confessing, repenting, ect…”. 2) On what basis are we judged? The atonement is the objective act of God on our behalf. But, there are many Scriptures which indicate that this gift of grace must be received. So, anyone who does not receive God’s gift of grace is judged on the basis of their sin. 3) Is unbelief a sin? Yes! Rom. 11:20, Rom. 11:23, Heb. 3:12, and Heb. 3:19 would all seem to indicate that unbelief is a sin. 4) What is the difference between those who accept and those who reject? My choice! Why people make the choices they do is somewhat of a mystery. Children brought up in the same home, and the same environment can turn out totally different. Not every sinner is as sinful as they could possibly be. Why not? We all make different choices. Usually, when I hear this objection, I imagine that the complaint is really that by choosing, I have someone earned my salvation. But, since when, did the acceptance of a gift turn the gift into a wage? We could debate on and one about the different views over these topics. But, my argument along has been a pretty simple one. I understand the theological reasons why you believe the way you do, I just don’t see any clear Scriptures which back it up. In contrast, I see many clear statements which say that Christ did in fact die for all. So, why would I change the clear meaning of those verses, when there isn’t any textual reason to so, but only theological ones? Thanks for the well wishes. We are just about moved in now. I am still waiting for my new bed though! :-( Hopefully, we can chat more in the future my friend! Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |