Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
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: Which proposition is scriptural? |
Bible Note: Dear Pastor Glenn, Unless your analogy is flawed, it is clear that, you equate God throwing a life-line to the one who is perishing with the offer of the gospel. This establishes that, you are among those who believe that man is saved by an action of his own will. That man must come to the conclusion that he is lost before he takes hold of the life-line. The problem which I have with your illustration is as follows: 1. The person who needs to be saved must be aware that his life is in danger to begin with. 2. He must also believe that the Life-guard is really there and that the life-line is truly his only hope. It is my contention (formed from my understanding of Scripture) that the perishing man does NOT believe he is in jeopardy at all! He is happily splashing around in waters of sin and the offer of a life-line, is to him, foolishness. (1 Cor 2:14). No one, not one, is in search of "The Life-guard". (Rom 1) To carry on with the analogy (from a biblical perspective)...our drowning friend is not "drowning"; He is in fact, from his mothers womb, "dround" already. It is too late for life lines and CPR. He was still-born. Remember Pastor Glenn, we are speaking of a spiritual, rather than physical, rescue. Our friend needs a miracle, not a life line. It's too late to expect him to help himself! Therefore, in answer to your question: "So you seem to wonder how I can also believe in choice. Doesn't scripture teach both?", my answer is yes. But the choice for Christ (grabbing the life-line) comes as a result of the miracle of the new-birth. The desire for Christ follows spiritual birth; It is not the cause. The spiritualy dead are unable to desire spiritual good. Brother John |