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NASB | 2 Peter 3:1 This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 2 Peter 3:1 Beloved, I am now writing you this second letter. In this [as in the first one], I am stirring up your untainted mind to remind you, |
Subject: Is today the only day of salvation for a |
Bible Note: Okay...one last time and I am done: "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." --Romans 1:20 When did God start revealing His invisible attributes? SINCE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD. God has revealed Himself through CREATION, before a single word of Scripture had been written down, before He even spoke the first word to Adam, creation pointed out God and his attributes. Anyone who has use of their senses has access to the knowledge of God the Father. What are those attributes that have been clearly seen? HIS ETERNAL POWER AND DIVINE NATURE. This again was not revealed first by someone coming up and opening a Bible. CREATION reveals it to humanity. The tribal chief in the most remote part of the Amazon rain forest has access to creation, and therefore has access to the knowledge of the eternal power and divine nature of God. Thanks to his fallen nature, however, he will suppress that truth in unrighteousness. How are these things understood? From an evangelist coming to preach from Scripture? Not primarily, but rather THROUGH WHAT HAS BEEN MADE. If you can show me how a Muslim teenager does not have direct access to "what has been made," to God's creation, then I will be the first to jump on your "second-chance" bandwagon. The problem is not ACCESS to the truth of God, but rather SUPPRESSION of it, thanks to our depraved natures. Simply put, the unregenerate man DOES NOT WANT to believe. We are not morally neutral...we are hiding from and running from and denying the truth that is literally testified to all around us until God in His mercy corrects our thinking. But no one will be able to stand before God and make the claim of "not enough info," because God has made Himself and His nature evident through what has been made. Now, moving on to verse 21: "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened." So there truth, which is evident to all, but each one of us rejects it and that results in futility of thinking and the darkening of our foolish hearts. Notice that he does not write "ignorant hearts," but rather "foolish" ones for rejecting the truth that was made evident to them by God in what has been made. You wrote: "Because that, when they knew God,KJV Which God is he referring to? ALLAH?" Nope...Allah is the replacement for the true God revealed in creation, thanks to the futility of their thinking and their darkened hearts and their suppression of the truth of the real God revealed in what has been made. Really, Arnie...under your scheme of thinking, it would be cruel to evangelize unreached people groups, because without hearing the name of Christ they would at least have an excuse. The whole point of Romans 1-3 is to show that Jews (who had the oracles of God, i.e. the Law and Prophets) and Gentiles (who did not) are equally under the wrath and judgment of God. It simply makes no sense to argue that God's wrath is only revealed (Romans 1:18-19) to those who have heard the name of Jesus, because before the 1st century A.D., that would mean EVERYONE had an excuse! And finally, you did not seem to address whether you think reincarnattion or spirit prison would be your "second chance" of choice. Please support which one you believe in by Scripture affirming its existence. --Joe! |