Featured Will ANY of God's Elect "Miss Heaven"?

Faith is a gift of God, I agree. However, once given to us, it is ours to exercise or reject. If I gave you fifty dollars, it was mine until after I placed it in your hands, and then it becomes yours. A gift can also be rejected, or abused, IMHO.

 

Hey Benjamin,
Why not wait until we request your explaining the merits of logical reasoning according to Benjamin.....don't call us..we will call you.:thumbs:

 

Can you reject your living soul?

That is what God gave to Adam as a determiner to separate from all other matters of Creation.

The believer is a "new creature created in Christ Jesus" which separates the regenerate from the unregenerate, and that cannot be any more rejected than one can reject their living soul.

If God gives the gift, it is without repentance - that is man cannot "give it back."

Can it be abused? Certainly, and as Paul said, "that is why some of you are asleep (dead)."

There was an abuse of what the Lord established.

There are many Scriptures to warn against excess and abuse. "Do I sin that grace may abound? God forbid."

You did bring up a most important lesson.

What do I do with that "fifty dollars?"

Peter said, "add to your faith" and gave a series of stair step attributes that the believer is to attain.

Paul said, "be careful what you build upon that faith" and then talked of the judgment fire.

Jesus gave the parable of the servants each given an certain amount and each responsible for the care and growth of that amount.

 

Faith without love makes me nothing and a faith without deeds is dead, can such a faith save you?

The gift of faith is not going to help you without those, love and deeds.

 

Very good.

James states that in showing faith in action is the only true faith.

Jesus said, "Does a man light a candle and hide it under a bushel?"

The believer has a belly full of living water that cannot help but flow, for Christ said, "shall flow rivers of living water."

 

The living water the words of life comes from His word that should be coming out of those who believe. We must live by every word that comes from the mouth of God. We have no life in us without His word. This why we are to drink and eat of Him so that He will come out of our pores. Since we are giving the Holy Spirit born again by His words

 

Nowhere in the text you referenced does being "drawn" equate to being "given". Barry Creamer continues this thought by saying, (the article here linked uses Sentential Logic so I've just pasted some of the narrated points)

and concludes with this:

While all that come are obviously drawn, not all that are drawn are given. That is to say that there are some that are drawn that are not given since not all drawn believe. Those drawn have the opportunity to believe and upon believing are then given. Now your OP makes perfect sense.

 

I agree.

The Scriptures state that, "Thy Word have I hid in my heart" inward action "That I might not sin against thee." (outward walk).

Again, "Thy Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path."

Of the work of the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures state, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

 

I see nothing automatic about it at all. The man must still place his own belief in to action that is the verb of belief called faith, Sometimes hope, or trust. At any rate faith is actually the action of our belief and while we may be influenced towards the goal of Salvation with out the action of faith there can be no Grace as in Eph 2:8 The Bible says many hold the truth in unrighteousness. Rom 1:18. I held the truth in unrighteousness and would not submit for a long time. Those words in my mouth we are speaking about were anything but automatic.

So it must be with every born again Christian

The Lost can only concern them selves with what they know and the Knowing of the gospel is available through preaching, and the Word. For instance if man could not hear or understand the gospel no one could be saved. Like I said before, If there is no faith there can be no Grace with which to be saved. Being saved is regeneration.

Yes there is and I’m one of them that does not agree with pre-faith regeneration. I do not believe anyone has ever been regenerated before faith. The Bible is clear that for Salvation to occur the person must have faith in which Grace can be given through to bring regeneration about. Regeneration is the act of God that saves us.

We are saved by God’s grace through faith there simply is nothing I have ever read in scripture that would ever make think otherwise
MB

 

Doesn't Arminian theology, in some regards, make God election for ALL, as jesus died for ALL,its just up to us to accept/reject that calling from God, by our free will?

 

I'm not saying that his words don't apply to us all, for indeed they do. No one, and I mean no one can come to Christ until they are invited. How can they believe in the one whom they have not heard? (ref to Rm. 10)

You must be invited to come to the party, right? Well, that is just it. The Jews are being blinded from understanding the invitation, so they aren't being DRAWN. And Jesus, in John 6, is addressing Jews...those being blinded. The Gentiles aren't taken the message until after Peter has his white sheet dream and Paul is commissioned to go to them, remember?

Understanding the historical context of a passage is hermeneutics 101.

Incorrect. You are not understanding my argument. I'm not saying the truths that Christ revealed are relative or only applicable to the Jews. I'm saying that his words must be understood from the context they are being spoken and when the majority of the people at that time are being blinded by God, given a 'spirit of stupor' and being taught in parables so they won't repent and be healed, that is kind of an important piece of information, don't you think?

God is temporarily blinding Israel from the gospel truth so as to accomplish redemption for the world. That is what Romans 11 is all about and it is being played out for us in the gospel of John.

 

Benjamins post was actually quite articulate, and made good sense.

 

Aged man...

Easilly

Back about 30 years ago my life was a train wreck in progress.

After a period of drawing and conviction, I came to my senses and surrendred myself to God and placed my faith in Christ.

I made that decision. God did not put me in a trance, and when I woke up I discovered, to my complete suprise that I was a different person.

No. I made that dicision. I was standing in the proverbial "valley of decision"..and I chose Christ.

And multiplied millions have made that same free will choice.

I made the decision to embrace Christ. Trust me, I was there when it happened.

My life since then has been a complete "180"

And all the praise goes to God Almighty, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus. None for me...I was just a miserable sinner asking for mercy.

 

True. Interesting to me how when one converts to Calvinism they automatically start acting more...well...you know...

Maybe its just my bias, but I don't remember her speaking this way to Calvinists back when she wasn't one...maybe its a fruit of Calvinism?

 

Look back to Exodus 12 and Leviticus 16. God made an atonement for all of Israel corportately, the lamb or goat(in Exodus 12), and the scapegoat in Leviticus 16. This atonement was made for ALL of Israel, yet many did not enter in due to their lack of belief(unbelief)(Hebrews 3), and not for the lack of an atonement. Same way today. Many die and perish due to their lack of belief, and not for a lack of an atonement.

 

Skandelon;

...

Yes,we know....the words you are struggling for are ......acting more full of wisdom and biblical discernment . Then they know the falsehood more readily and easily dismiss it.:thumbsup:

That is because calvinists do not post that which is to be rejected as they enjoy scripture over carnal reasoning.They seek biblical solutions to lifes questions:wavey: Your bias might influence your thought however:applause:

 

Iconoclst posted, regarding calvinists...

ha!

There he is, Good ole Icon. "Mr Humility" himself, in all his glory.

Goodness, he practically revels" in his conceit.

 

Even John Piper recognizes the TENDENCY of those who call themselves Calvinistic:

I like the part about the 'intellectual appeal.'

 

Scandelon...

In other words, lacking greatly regarding the fruit and gifts of the Holy Spirit.

And I tend to disagree regarding what appears to be your speculation regarding calvinists being more "intellectual". In my 30 years as a christian, I have not noticed any difference in that area.

 

AIC,

It is flattering that you spend so much time being concerned about me,and judging my level of spiritual fruit. That time would be better spent reading a bible or a good solid study book by a puritan so you can learn more about what you do not understand now.
Then you could enter in to the biblically based discussions rather than this ongoing obsession with making these sanctimonious judgements:wavey::laugh::wavey: