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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: why would God withhold the gift of faith |
Bible Note: Hi Tim, "Where exactly does John 6:45 says 'all whom the Father draws will be taught by God" Ok. let's put v45 in context. (41,42) The Jews are grumbling, saying that Jesus is a mere man (the son of Joseph). They rejected His claim to divinity. (43) But Jesus is not put off by their unbelief and explains to them the reason why they are unable to believe. (44) To "come to" Jesus, means to come believing, not, just physically coming into His prescence. James White has pointed out that "if the text had stopped..." before "unless", "there would be no hope and no good news." The good news is, there is more than hope for those whom the Father inables to come to Jesus through His drawing of them! Keep in mind the fact that, all who come to the Son are raised up on the last day. White also states "Reformed scholars assert that the ones who are drawn are the ones who are given by the Father to the Son, i.e., the elect" (45) to hear and learn from the Father is paralelled with being drawn in 44. See John 8:47 where Jesus uses similar languange. "Where exactly is 'spiritually dead' defined as being unable to respond?" They can respond! But being dead in sin and having wicked hearts, they respond according to their hearts desire, which is to make God in the image of man. Unless God has drawn them, they will continue in iniquity and sinfull dis-belief. "Let me ask you, according to 2 Cor. 3:12-4:4, who 'veiled' people's hearts and blinded their minds? According to these same verses, when is the veil removed?" 2 Cor 3:12 "Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech" ? 2 Cor 4:3,4 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. As Martin Luther said "Even the devil is God's devil." God uses whatever means He wishes to accomplish His eternal purpose. Time to get to work! God Bless, John |