If Total Depravity is true, why did Christ need to hide his message in parables?

Yes, Paul had in fact heard the gospel before and resisted, he was the witness when Stephen was stoned.

Acts 7:57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

Paul heard Stephen and he was one of those who cried with a loud voice and covered their ears that they might not hear his words.

That is resisting the Holy Ghost. And Paul continued to resist for some time, and made havock of the church (Acts 8:1-4).

 

Hindsight is better than foresight.
You look back on history and say because this is what happened that is what had to happen and what God decreed to happen because that is what happened. That is pure circular reasoning on the part of any Calvinist. The fact is that God gave man free will. Despite what the Scripture says, Saul could have chosen either way. We simply have the record of which way he chose.

 

Post 24:

I know you dyed in the wool free willers just can't accept that, but that's just exactly the way it is. It's whenever the Lord is good and ready.

 

So, DHK says that Paul had a choice.

The scripture says Paul was seperated from the womb to do what he did.

 

That is not true. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. God doesn't put time restraints upon people. They can come to the Lord any time they are ready. It is up to them to make that decision to come. The Lord doesn't force their hand.

 

God in his sovereignty and omniscience that Saul would eventually come to Him. The Lord always gives a choice. He didn't force him. It is quite possible that Saul could have come to the Lord at a later date in his life. That is only speculation since we can't re-write history. The fact is God did not force his hand. It was not a forced conversion.

 

Heheh, I wonder what the significance is in this; He was now speaking plainly to them (Lu 24:27) without revealing to them who it was that was speaking:

15 And it came to pass, while they communed and questioned together, that Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. Lu 24

 

BTW, kyredneck, when I got saved it was in the quietness of a small room.
The Lord never sent a whirlwind, tornado, earthquake, vision of Himself, an angel to confirm his message; no miracle, no voice from heaven, absolutely nothing!!!
I guess I should have disregarded the simple message of salvation presented to me. It was the first time I ever heard it, though I was an adult. But I was convicted anyway, and got saved at that time. I could have put it off. Like many others I could have waited and thought about it a bit longer. But I didn't.

 

Totally disagree.

....the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you shall think that he offereth service unto God. Jn 16:2

If that doesn't describe Paul, I don't know what does. Just what do you think these words alone from Paul's God did to Paul's heart?:

"Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?"

I can't help but feel for Paul when the enormity of the reality came crashing in on him:

"Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest"

What a dog he must've felt like.

 

Clearly surprised..... now he(Saul) is being confronted with killing his very God. Funny he didnt say, why are you killing me.

 

I said all I felt like I needed to say. I'm not getting entangled into all your reasonings and objections against the doctrines of God's Sovereign Grace. I don't even have the desire to delve into your reasonings.

There's several points, if not most, in my posts to you that you've yet to address.

 

Can one resist being born?

 

Stewie did that in a Family Guy episode:laugh:

 

Now that was worth the ticket to the ballgame :laugh::thumbsup:

 

A non sequitor of course.
It is like: Can one resist having Satan as your father?

 

I dont recall that in Family Guy.:tongue3: