Salvation. If I understand correctly, God calls. I think this is pretty much understood, however it begins to deviate from here (in different circles). Can the sinner resist or not? Many say the call is irresistable, that when God calls,you can not help but respond in faith (that He gives as a gift), repent and believe. If this is the case, does that mean that people that will spend eternity in hell just weren't called? I'm not saying they're innocent (Rom. 3:23), just clarifying. If this is the case, is there a chance that there are those who were not called simply because no one told them about Christ (Rom. 10:14)?
Just looking for some views...
.j.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
The Calling
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If we are TOTALLY depraved, would we ever chose anything righteous in and of ourselves? No. Romans says that there is NONE righteous, NOT ONE! (Rom. 3:10) It also says in Romans 9, God chooses how He sees fit. The scriptures also say in Romans 3 "People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood." We know from scripture also that faith is a gift from God. And that belief (Faith), where does it come from?
Romans 10:17
So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
Romans 12:3
Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.
Faith comes from God speaking to us through His word, and He gives it to us.
We, as Christians don't repent and believe then get saved (works religion). God saves us, then as a result we repent and believe. (though the strengh He gives, nothing to do with us) Repentance and belief (faith) is an on-going process that He continues in us until the day of completion.
Praise God I have nothing to do with saving myself, because I would go straight to Hell if I had to rely on myself for ANY aspect of the salvation God has given to me.
10-4, nsbr. The more I ponder grace, the more overwhelmed I become. But how about the question of those in hell and those headed there. I know something of the word 'predestination', (GASP!) but let's say person A has NEVER heard the gospel. Person B is saved (for real, not American style) and talks with Person A from time to time at work. Prson A is going to be in a wreck in 1 week and he will die. Was his fate sealed before he was born, or may God possibly call him if Person B shares the gospel.
.j.
I cannot say what God will do when, but I can say this if person B is saved (for real) he/she will share with someone known to haven't heard the Gospel. I will say if the person dies and goes to Hell, the person was predestined to go there, if the person dies and goes to Heaven, they were predestined to go there.
Thats the beauty and unexplainable greatness of God is He chooses the chosen to bring His Gospel to the dying unsaved. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. If we are truly the chosen, we will be preaching His word. Its not the words we say that save people. I believe it is a supernatural work of God (through us) and the unexplainable part or part that I cannot fully fathom is He uses us to do so.
What a wonderful God who allows sinful folks to be used in His work.
I think we have to be careful concerning our interpretation of the word predestination. I say this with the understanding that word truly means "to predetermine or decide before hand" which God in all of His glory and sovereignty has done.
We must keep in mind that God's predetermining is a perfected understanding of who will respond to His gift of Christ in genuine repentance and faith.
God is not a puppet master pulling the strings of people and randomly selecting some for heaven and others for hell. In comes the fall of who??? That's right MAN. It was man that fell not God, therefore it is MAN who is responsible for their own choice to sin.
Take Judas Iscariot for example....
Did God "predestine" him to be the betrayer of Christ and appoint him as the one who would do so? This would indicate that God's grace was not truly extended to all. The fact is this, Judas made his choice. He CHOSE money over God. Didn't Christ address this? Man cannot serve both mammon and God, for he will love one and hate the other?
Judas made his CHOICE therefore fulfilling prophecy (John 17:12). Had he chose to repent and follow surely another would have filled the shoes of the son of perdition that the scriptures would be fulfilled.
God foreknew the elect but the choice is on each of us to respond to grace through repentance and faith.
Do we chose to repent and have faith?
Did Adam & Eve choose to sin?
sin=bad
Romans; none do good
Without Christ, they, nor us can do anything good. (i.e. not sin) That is if you believe that
scripture is speaking of everyone, past, present, and future. (which I do)
Have an answer for my ? yet?
I really am asking for an answer, not trying to be a wise butt.
Do we repent and believe before or after salvation?
Acts 11:17-18
17 If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”
18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”
Peter says that God granted them the gift (eternal life) when they (Jews) believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and that it was the same way for the gentiles on that day at Cornelius' house. They also state that God had granted the gentiles "repentance to life". Per the scriptures it is God's kindness that leads us to repentance.
In His kindness He allowed the gentiles to hear His words of life (by Peter's preaching), thus generating a repentant heart towards sin and they believed Peter's words concerning Christ therefore receiving eternal life and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Warren W. Wiersbe says this:
"From beginning to end, the conversion of the Gentiles was God’s gracious work. He gave them the gift of repentance and the gift of salvation when they believed."
God created man in His image in order that the Creator might have fellowship with the creature.He gave man three of His Divine attributes, will,conscience and eternity.
we are created in the image of God so the Creator might fellowship with the creature.He gave man three of His divine attributes. WILL CONSCIENCE ETERNITY
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