Flesh vs Spirit

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

Do you hold to it being all have inate faith within themselves, and that the Gospel is means by which we can "energize" our faith out and get saved?

or that God does 'additional" act of grace towards people in order to get them 'ready' to hear the Gospel, and that it is God saving the person by faith in christ?

 

That's both hilarious and sad at the same time. There was first of all never any attempt for peace, "on more than one occasion" that is totally false, and the [snip - please don't get personal]. And you teach new Christians? Wow.

I separate myself from brethren who walk this way as an lifestyle.

- Peace

 

NO SIR!!!!!!!@!!!!!!!! It is not false, this spoken from someone who publisizes a PM, you have no room my friend, no room.

 

I wish I could help you to see how inane that question appears to someone who holds to my perspective. I'm not saying that in a derogatory manner, because I used to think like you so I know where you are coming from. I just mean that I want to help you see that question from our view and see how utterly backwards it is.

Let me try to put you in my position by asking you a similar question from another perspective:

Do you hold that all believers have innate Calvinistic beliefs, but that the Institutes of Christian Religion is the means by which that Calvinistic belief is energized and a believer becomes a Calvinist?

I know the question sounds ridiculous, right? That is the way I feel when you ask me the question above.

Faith in doctrine, whether its the basic doctrines of the gospel message, or the more complex doctrines of soteriology come through HEARING those doctrines. There is NO dormant "Calvinistic faith" just waiting to be energized by Calvin's teaching and likewise there is no "Gospel faith" just waiting to be energized. The question itself is just strange and overly complex.

We hear truth and we believe it or we don't. It's our choice and thus we are held accountable for it. The thing that makes THIS TRUTH different is its source. This truth is FROM GOD, thus making it uniquely powerful and effective to bring reconciliation.

 

What has that got to do with faith??
Little children aren't filled with Holy Spirit. Yet, Jesus said "unless you have faith as a little child you cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Apparently little children have faith. All people have faith. It is the object of their faith that is important. The object of a child's faith is their parents. The object of my faith is Christ. What is the object of your faith?

Why use Scripture out of context to prove a point? That text is never used in the context of faith. It is used in Mat.7 in the context of false teachers. Your example is wrong.
We can all make analogies that seem to make sense but in reality are ridiculous, like the one you just make. You have a perfectly working hand. But you just got a bruise on your thumb. Bruises don't belong on perfectly working thumbs. Answer: Cut off the thumb to remove the bruise. How can a bruise be found in a perfectly working hand? Yes, I can come up with ridiculous sounding analogies too.
The fact is that the human nature, though it be at odds with God, is still resident in the human body. And that being the case, man is able to have faith.

Their faith was not in Jesus Christ. Christ was not the object of their faith. Read the account.

Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. (Acts 19:13)
And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? (Acts 19:15)
--"The Christ Paul preached" is not Christ. One might say he is "a hearsay person." They didn't know who Christ was. They were "vagabond Jews" but Jews nevertheless. Their faith was in another religion not in Christ.

What kind of false accusation are you making, and where did Skan ever say it was. Here is a verse he often points to:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)
--What is the gospel? It is the power of God unto salvation.
You may believe in hocus pocus, I don't know. But the scriptures declare that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation.

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)
--To us which are saved it is the power of God.
It is not hocus pocus to us (maybe you); but to us it is the power of God.

You also can deny Scripture or at least refuse to reconcile it.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12)
--Verse 12 precedes verse 13 and can't be left out.
One becomes a child of God by receiving Christ and believing on his name. That is what the verse teaches. But you will ignore that plain teaching won't you?

That was spoken of the Pharisees. Is it spoken of every unsaved man. Does the verse "Seek ye the Lord while he may yet be found," have any meaning to you? If the command to seek is given, then obviously it can be obeyed.

Who is God addressing here:
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. (Isaiah 45:22)
--"All the ends of the earth" are more than just the Jews.
It is evident that it is possible for unsaved men and women to turn to Christ and put their faith in him.

 

The word is effective to reach us, but ONLY is effectual to those whom God has already 'prepared" for the message

We agree pretty much on process in salvation, in how God uses Gospel as agent to bring the faith to us, its just there there MUST be a processbefore that when God "prepares" us to be actually able to be alive enough to hear and respond to it!

 

Are your taste buds a good thing?

 

JF, until you learn to use the quote feature I'm going to have to boycott your posts. Sorry, but I've asked nicely, I've sent PMs, I've explained how to do it, and I don't know how else to get you to learn that feature.

Press the edit button and practice using that feature. Please.

 

If you have a copy of those instructions for efficiently using the quote features, I would appreciate a copy.

 

False. The word of God effectually works in those that believe it.

1 Thes 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

You say God must do a work (regenerate) in a man before he can believe, the scriptures say you must believe the word of God before it effectually works in you.

Once again, Calvinism teaches the exact opposite of what scripture says. You would think some would notice this, but Calvinists never do.

 

Those "dead" in the spritual sense cannot believe in jesus, as they have ears unable to "hear!"

 

We are made in the image and likeness of God. When Adam fell that image was marred. Our nature became an Adamic nature. But what was the image of God that God made us in? It certainly wasn't physical. It had to be different than the animals.

This is what I believe.
We are tripartite beings: body, soul and spirit; as God is a triune God.
The soul is the mind, the seat of our affections, the will; that which enables us to reason and to choose (have faith).
The spirit is that part of us which enables us to communicate with God.
We are made in a moral likeness of God as well, having many of the same attributes of him, which are found in the fruit of the Spirit.

It is evident that are human nature contains faith. It is part of the nature that God made us with. An animal knows little about faith. We are set apart from animals. We were made in the image and likeness of God.

 

Yes, Paul did say that in his flesh dwelleth no good thing, but his will and mind delighted in the law of God. When Paul said this, he was speaking of the perspective of an unregenerate man. How do I know that? Because Paul said he was sold under sin (Rom 7:14). But in Romans 8:2 he says the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made him free from the law of sin and death.

So, Romans 7:14-25 is spoken from the perspective of an unregenerate man, and Paul said his will and mind desired to do good, but he was brought into captivity to the law of sin in his members.

This is what Jesus meant when he told his disciples;

Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

This was said before Jesus breathed on his disciples and they received the Holy Spirit after his resurrection. So, Jesus was speaking of their spirit, not the Holy Spirit here.

Man is more than flesh.

 

Right, it's a response to God's good nature in which, by his Spirit, he calls all men everywhere to be reconciled to Him. Nothing in the human nature prevents that response because the Spirit of truth which brings us the Powerful life-giving Gospel appeal is stronger than the nature of fallen man. It doesn't return void, but accomplishes the purpose for which it was sent.

Is that purpose to save all who hear it? No. Its purpose is to make an appeal: BE RECONCILED TO GOD. It does NOT fail in making that appeal and thus those who perish do so for one reason and one reason ONLY....because they "refused to love the truth and so be saved."

 

You should find all the answers you need HERE>>>

Let me know if you have questions.