Subject: Is Limited Atonement Bibical? |
Bible Note: Benjamite; Because it's late, I will briefly post my thoughts to your questions. you asked; what does it mean to compel Luke 14:23 compel - Greek anagkazo - to compel by entreaties. Certainly those mentioned in Luke 14 were compelled to come to the supper but none were forced to come. concerning verse 44 no man can come except (meaning unless) the Father draw (not drag by force) him. vs, 45 every man that has heard (meaning there was a desire on the individuals heart to hear what was taught.And they are therefore said to be learned. The unlearned turn their ear and have no desire to hear, but instead refuse to hear. vs, 65 alot like vs. 44 be enabled to come is impossible unless one has first be enabled to desire to come. The ability to come must be given by the Father. A W Tozer mentioned the following in his classic book "The Pursuit of God" "Christian theology teaches the doctrine of prevenient grace, which briefly stated means this, that before a man can seek God, God must first have sought the man. Before a sinful man can think a right thought of God, there must have been a work of enlightenment done within him; imperfect it may be, but a true work nonetheless, and the secret cause of all desiring and seeking and praying which may follow. We pursue God because, and only because, He has first put an urge within us that spurs us to the pursuit. "No man can come to me," said our Lord, "except the Father which hath sent me draw him," and it is by this very prevenient drawing that God takes from us every vestige of credit for the act of coming. The impulse to pursue God originates with God, but the outworking of that impulse is our following hard after Him; and all the time we are pursuing Him we are already in His hand: "Thy right hand upholdeth me." In this divine "upholding" and human "following" there is no contradiction. All is of God, for as von Hegel teaches, God is always previous. In practice, however, (that is, where God's previous working meets man's present response) man must pursue God. On our part there must be positive reciprocation if this secret drawing of God is to eventuate in identifiable experience of the Divine. In the warm language of personal feeling this is stated in the Forty-second Psalm: "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?" This is deep calling unto deep, and the longing heart will understand it." I can go into more detail later if you desire. In Christ zach† |