Featured The Reason why Calvinists and Arminians cannot agree

That is very horrible tactic to do to a believer, to impress upon your belief system. To make a person feel guilty for trusting in Christ to humbly come before God and repent. Do not feel guilty for doing what God has called you and directed your path to do by His word. Only in a mind of man does it make you better than someone else. We already feel guilty what our sin done to Christ now put salt in the wound to win them to a religion.

 

What a ridiculous, untrue, and self-righteous statement.

Reminds me of the Christian who said, "We are not like other Christians; we really outdo everyone in our humility." !!

 

And Baptist Churches, too!

 

True, but not as many diametrically opposite views as the Anglican Communion contains.

 

The above three quotations demonstrate your problem! You say: "No man is justified until after he believes."

I agree and say: "I have never said that justification precedes faith."

Your response: "How can a man be spiritually alive when he is still dead in trespasses and sins?"

Doesn't make much sense does it?

 

They are not silent! Jesus Christ says: That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. He just does not stipulate any action on mans part as a condition for the work of the Holy Spirit. That you will not accept.

 

Michael.....frankly Ive never seen the inside of an Anglican church but there again never seen one in my state.

Now I have been in a Episcopalian Church.....and as they say in NJ.....foget bout it!

So.... how effective can they be? I dont see any fruit (I see a ton of fruits in the Episapalian Church however).

 

Jesus does not explain here HOW a person is born of the Spirit, but it is clearly taught in John 1:12-13;

Jhn 1:12 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:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Verse 12 explains exactly how a person is born again, those who receive Jesus and believe on his name, to these persons God gave the power to "become" the sons of God. Nothing could be clearer, believing preceded being made a son of God, faith preceded regeneration.

Verse 13 simply explains that this regeneration or being born again is 100% a work of God, it is not something you can inherit from your parents, and you cannot will yourself born again. Only God has the power to regenerate a man and make him a son of God.

Nevertheless, God only regenerates those persons who receive Jesus and believe on his name.

Faith clearly precedes regeneration.

 

Case in point:

 

Duplicate post!

 

Jesus Christ told Nicodemus:Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

If He didn't tell old Nicodemus why should He tell you? It is enough that He said it will happen.

Your understanding of John 1:12, 13 is faulty. You say only God has the power to regenerate a man yet you argue that it is your will that determines whether you will be born again. Furthermore if you read verses 12 and 13 carefully you will see that the new birth occurs before belief. Which were born, winman, means they were already born of God.

 

No Bible scholar would agree with your interpretation (because it is total error). Here is what Albert Barnes said.

Barnes here correctly says that the privilege or favor of being born again is only given to those who believe on Jesus.

Barnes also correctly points out that a person was formally dead in sins, but now has true life. This is regeneration. No one has their sins forgiven until they first believe.

As I have pointed out many dozens of times, Calvinists understand scripture in the exact reverse of what it truly says.

No one is born again until they first believe on Jesus.

 

I was just showing this Spurgeon comment to another brother in Christ. I sure it would fly counter to any Non Calvie but I totally agree. Pay particular attention to the last sentence.

Regarding Total Depravity and Irresistible Grace:

When you say, "Can God make me become a Christian?" I tell you yes, for herein rests the power of the gospel. It does not ask your consent; but it gets it. It does not say, "Will you have it?" but it makes you willing in the day of God's power....The gospel wants not your consent, it gets it. It knocks the enmity out of your heart. You say, I do not want to be saved; Christ says you shall be. He makes our will turn round, and then you cry,"'Lord save, or I perish!

 

This is complete error by Spurgeon. God does not force or impose himself on anyone. He only gives the power to become a son of God to those who "received" Jesus and believed on his name. He did not impose salvation on those that did not receive Jesus.

Paul said he persuaded men, not coerced them.

Acts 13:43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

Acts 18:4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

The scriptures say Paul beseeched or begged men to be reconciled to God.

2 Cor 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

2 Cor 6:1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

This word "beseech" means to beg someone or to plead with them. It does not mean to force, compel, or impose upon someone.

Calvinists either are ignorant of scripture, or intentionally pervert what it says.

 

John 17:
17 Sanctify them by[Or them to live in accordance with] the truth; your word is truth.

James 1:18
He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

1 Peter 1:
22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For,

“All people are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.”[Isaiah 40:6-8 (see Septuagint)]

And this is the word that was preached to you.


No preacher in their right mind would give glory to men for our salvation, He gave us a new will by His word the new birth comes from His word it is not already there.

John 6:53
Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

If we do not come to Jesus it is not the will of God it is our own will, His will is for us to repent and live those who don't our doing their own will. It was all the work of God by His Holy Spirit in His temple through the words of Jesus that brought me to God before then I was dead headed for hell. I was saved I was not already saved being already saved is ridiculous. Jesus came to save the sinner those who don't see, don't hear, those who don't understand He will accept you just the way you are listen and learn from Him and He will remove the veil that covers your heart. You don't see the wind or the Holy Spirit working in you, but you will see the results.

 

Then you haven't been reading me or Allan. You should get out more. :love2:

Better = meritorious, more deserving

But we don't believe faith merits (or deserves) salvation. Did the Prodigal son deserve to be restored as an heir, giving the golden ring, and a party simply because he returned home with his tail between his legs in humble surrender? Of course not. That was all of the father's grace. The son, like us, deserve to be sent to hell even if we have the faith the size of a mustard tree, but God in his grace chooses to credit our seed size faith as righteousness and give us something we NEVER could earn. Faith merits nothing. Responding in humble surrender is weakness, not strength. It isn't boast worthy or 'better,' it is giving up, letting go, and admitting complete and utter defeat. You have wrongly concluded that faith is some of work of law by which we earn God's favor, but that could not be further from the truth.