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NASB | Ephesians 2:3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ephesians 2:3 Among these [unbelievers] we all once lived in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by the sinful self], indulging the desires of human nature [without the Holy Spirit] and [the impulses] of the [sinful] mind. We were, by nature, children [under the sentence] of [God's] wrath, just like the rest [of mankind]. |
Bible Question:
Can anyone ever change at all? You say, "Unregenerate man is not interested in serving and glorifying God". But is that true? Is it true that an unregenerate man is not interested? Does he not search? Does he not try? Does not even Israel have a zeal of God? It is not according to knowledge, but Paul calls it a zeal. He does not say they are not interested. Other unregenerate people seem to be interested, what with their religions and temples and sacrifices and ceremonies; they seem to be doing all of that. Else what are those activities for? Does it seem fair to say of the devout Muslim that all he does is only for the glory of the individual? The Bible seems to say that there are some who know God and who do not glorify him as God. Some are contentious, and do not obey the truth. Some, according to Romans 1, obey unrighteousness and do evil. However, there are many unsaved, unregenerate people who, by patient continuance in well doing, seek for glory and honor and immortality. Indeed some are so religious, so devoted, they find it hard to listen to the Gospel. Yet, they are interested in God. They will tell you that. Do you tell them they are self-deceived and not really seeking him? They are seeking him, even if in the wrong places. They seem to be seeking him. Some of them give up all worldly pleasures and live in monasteries or caves, and they say they are seeking God. They have not found him as yet but they are seeking him. These are the people we expect to respond to the Gospel when they hear it and know the truth of it. There are also some in our churches who seek to please God by doing good. Someone will counter that there are verses saying, "There is none that seeketh after God". But must we not balance that with the statements of those who say, "We have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him”? Must we not consider men like Cornelius, who feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always? That man was unregenerate until Peter presented the gospel to him and he accepted it. Or perhaps we need to define the term “unregenerate”. Is it the same as “unsaved”? I assume we agree that the terms are equivalent. Was “Mother Teresa” regenerate? How do we know? Was it because of her good works? Yet our Bible says it is not of works. I am trying to recall whether she told us how she got saved. Can an unregenerate man never become a regenerate man? Can a Saul of Tarsus not become a Paul? You say of the “unregenerate man” that his heart is wicked and desires only that which glorifies himself. I think we have shown that that is not necessarily true. There are unsaved people like that, but there are also unsaved people who do good works. It is true that “what men consider good works, charity, self-sacrifice, etc.” does not earn salvation. It is not even true that they are “good things in themselves”. They are like filthy rags; that’s what Isaiah found. Even if they are done “for the greater glory of God” they do not earn salvation. We must say, however, that they do “come up for a memorial before God” and they may cause God to send a Peter to them. I am not sure that they would always accept a Peter, but it seems that God does give then that opportunity. You say, “The purpose of this discussion is to glorify God. You imply that the purpose is not to change minds. Then how are we “seeking to know Him as He is“ if we are not willing to learn anything about him beyond what we now know? You say that the purpose is “to grow in awe of His majesty”. Again, how do we grow without changing? Is it by holding ever more strongly to a highly debatable position? |
Bible Answer: I have sought to show elsewhere in this thread (and others have as well) that the sovereignty of God is compatible with man’s free will because God has sovereignly decided to have it so. I have agreed that regeneration is something God does, that only God could do, but I say what Scripture seems to say, that he does it when we yield to him. I believe it is possible to reconcile the two positions, to recognize God as saving us and keeping us so we can never lose our salvation. I believe that God who has reconciled us to himself would also have us to reconcile these positions and not to hold to either one in the extreme. Lastly, you state that we are to “grow in awe of His majesty and love for the saints”. It is not clear to me how the two factors might be related to each other. But I must confess I am in awe of the fact that you could be right. God could have made us all and sent us all to hell with no recourse. If he had decided to do that, there is nothing we could have done about it. But he says that he concluded all in unbelief that he might have mercy on all. Praise him! I am aware that elsewhere on this forum you are discussing whether “all” means “all”. That discussion would beyond me; things too high. I will simply say that God has done all he can and he has made mercy available to all. Have you asked for it? Then God will have mercy on you even if you are a hyper-positionist. Do you encourage others to ask for it? He will have mercy on them as well. If, in spite of your position, he allows you to preach the Gospel and to encourage others to repent and trust him, then he is truly greater than I thought. Glorify him! O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! |