Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | Acts 4:24 And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, "O Lord, it is You who MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Acts 4:24 And when they heard it, they raised their voices together to God and said, "O Sovereign Lord [having complete power and authority], it is You who MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND EVERYTHING THAT IS IN THEM, [Ex 20:11; Ps 146:6] |
Subject: Is God in absolut contrl over all things |
Bible Note: Sir Pent: YOU SAID: "In fact, if a mere parent can allow their child to pick which slide to go down in the park without it diminishing the parent’s strength and ability, then wouldn’t it be logical that God (who has infinately more power) could allow a human to choose whether to love Him or not without it diminishing God’s power or control?" The difference is God knows which slide had razor blades put on it the night before by .....and would not desire "this child" to slide to his death. In other words God is Sovereign in both ability, knowledge, and His desire, (etc) which shall take place. Your word picture also fails to picture that the child is dead and can not slide in the first place..... he is "dead" in trespasses and sin thus not alive to choose. It fails to recognize that the child does not know what a slide is and does not know even how to use it. Remember we are talking about “initial” salvation.—thus the question “What must I do to be saved?”, not “What choice will I make?” Since, no man seeketh after God, who do you think puts this in the heart of man to ask—God. Where you are missing it at here is Total Depravity, which I assume you do not believe, but contend man still has "some" ability. But from the C- perspective (and from Scripture) man does not have the "any ability" to chose God, UNTIL God chooses him. To affirm that he does makes salvation a "work," to which God then would not be the author of salvation. C- does not do away with choice, it just looks at choice in a different time-line and degree than A- C- Sees God enabling man (making him alive) so then he will irresistibly chose what he could not see in the past---As per my example in the Sovereignty and Free-Will thread. After salvation C- sees man having a freer choice (one with light), but still not as free as A- asserts: 1 Thess 2:18 .....there are still hindrances to our will after salvation as well....can we chose when Christ is coming again..... Some desire this or that and never attain this or that, because God says your thoughts are not my thoughts, neither are your ways my ways......and God controls the elements, the circumstances, the conversations, the issues, "all" without exception, to accomplish His direction in "each life" (not just the saved) so His will, will be carried out in its entirety—it is His universe! He may do this both directly and indirectly and without sin. ...”Everything” affects “Everything” else and if God is not sovereign in “all, without exception”, than He can not be God, for “Something” would not be under His immediate and direct control and thus “Everything” from that point would change “Everything” else. Simply if it were not for the sovereignty of God in life then the dead could never chose God—one logically comes before the other. Lazarus came forth when his name (very specific) was called (he came to life and then came forth and then was loosed…), not before because he was dead…..Lydia did not chose first, but God opened her heart…… (Acts 16)……(Acts 26:18, John 12:37-41, et. al. ) Simply, if you attempt to isolate the Sovereignty of God from the Depravity of man you will end in error when it comes to the theology of the atonement. |