Featured Response-able??

In order to enable men to freely respond positively to the truth in Christ, the Lord would have to eliminate man’s inherent sin nature, his spiritual deadness, as well as the dominion of Satan with his horde of demons -- all of which are in direct opposition to that which is holy eternal truth.

However, nowhere in Scripture is it said that all those impediments have been universally eliminated so that all men are now enabled to freely respond positively to the truth in Christ.

Conclusion: Without the irresistible, supernatural, gracious intervention of the Lord via the new birth, men will remain dead in their sins and trespasses, willfully serving Satan, their Lord and Master.

 

Scripture considers man a willing slave both to sin and Satan unless the Lord sets him free. (John 8:36 and Romans 6)

Those whom He sets free are those same ones for whom He died.

Those for whom He died are the same ones the Holy Spirit regenerates.

And those whom the Holy Spirit regenerates are the same ones given to Christ by the Father’s election/free-will choice.

Those whom Christ sets free ‘freely’ and willingly fall in love with Him.

Skandelon, since you consider ‘freedom of choice’ a necessity in order to guarantee ‘true love’, why not allow that same consideration a necessity on the part of the Lord?

The obstacle over which Arminians and Pelagians stumble is the biblical truth of God’s absolute freedom and independence.

Included in God's freedom is the freedom to choose whom He will love.

God freely chose to love Jacob over Esau.

Those whom He loves He shows mercy.

Those to whom He shows mercy He saves to the uttermost.

Unlike a man who loves his wife due to her many wonderful attributes, God’s love has nothing to do with hate-filled, sinful man’s ‘wonderful attributes.'

This why election to salvation is by grace alone.

It is not caused by anything good within man, or by anything good done by man….including believing the Gospel.

It's cause is the will of God.

No greater or other cause exists.

 

The ‘robot’ analogy is classic Arminianism based on perversions of scriptural truth.

The Bible knows nothing of robots, but does know much about slaves.

Scripture teaches that Christians were once slaves to sin and Satan, but are now slaves of righteousness and God. (Romans 6)

Jesus is not the hard, cruel taskmaster as is Satan.

Rather, His yoke is easy and His burden light.

Christians are willing slaves, obedient to the will of their Master, Jesus.

Robots rust.

Christians trust.

 

Scripture teaches that our hearts are as stone, but praise be to God, He alone has the power to perform heart transplants:

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”​

This work of God is nothing less than the sovereign, gracious new birth by the Spirit, without which no man can walk in holiness nor see or enter the Kingdom of God.

 

I knew that presenting authoritative definitions of the root meaning of ‘responsible’ and then comparing them to Scripture would disturb you.

Nowhere does Scripture agree with your definition as ‘response-able.’

However, Humanists and New Agers agree with your definition.

 

The context is important to determine the response.

Adam’s response to the Lord’s command: Disobedience.

Israel’s response to the Lord Jesus: Kill Him.

The unregenerate response to the Gospel: No thank you, maybe later.

Another unregenerate response to the Gospel: If Jesus can give me all those earthly blessings then He is the One for me.

The regenerate response to the Gospel: Yes, thank you, Lord!

The resurrection response of those who died in their sins: Jesus is Lord.

 

Man must answer for the sin he willfully, freely committed.

I asked you earlier, ‘When you sinned was it not voluntary on your part?'

Or did you hear a mysterious forceful voice command you to sin?

All men sin freely as they wish…..unless God intervenes.

Salvation is God’s loving and gracious intervention upon a willful sinner whereby He creates a will disposed toward holiness….one which loathes sin in ever increasing degrees.

 

There is another scenario, a biblical scenario:

The Lord: Why are you upset?

Reprobate: Because before the world began it was not your will to give me the faith to believe. Now, because of you, I am awaiting the Lake of Fire.

The Lord: But when my Gospel was preached to you, no mention was made that you were among the Reprobate. I, alone, know who are the Elect and who are the Reprobate. In fact, the true way of salvation - which is by grace through faith in Christ - was preached. Was I the cause of your unbelief?

Reprobate: No, you were not.

The Lord: Were you the cause of your unbelief?

Reprobate: Yes, unless I can be excused by saying, ‘The Devil made me do it.’

The Lord: Did you pray and ask me for the gift of faith as the preacher suggested?

Reprobate: No, I did not.

The Lord: Why not?

Reprobate: The circumstances were not quite right. The preacher wasn’t good-looking or a powerful orator like Billy Graham. Also, the music wasn’t uplifting enough. Instead of a high-powered Christian rock band, the church had a little old lady playing ancient hymns on a rickety piano. Besides, I thought I could give my heart to Jesus when I lay dying on my death bed. That way I would be able to enjoy the pleasures of sin right up until the end.

The Lord: What happened to that plan?

Reprobate: I realized too late that I couldn’t conjure up saving faith in that which I didn't like in the first place.

 

By the grace of God, it is my prayer that through our efforts, hearts and eyes will be opened to see and believe the 'hard' truths, which for me, were the key to understanding God's revealed Word.

Thanks so much for your valuable input.

 

IMHO, those who use non-biblical illustrations to allegedly 'prove' their point do so because they cannot countenance the numerous biblical illustrations which refute their theology.

BTW, I am very grateful the 'powers that be' have granted you a 'stay of execution.' Your contributions to the cause are immensely valuable.

 

They could not see for the same reason you and I would not have seen had we been part of the religious elite at that time.

They had no need for a Savior.

They were their own saviors, as are many today.

They enjoyed playing ‘church, as do many today.

They loved the honor given them by men, as do many today.

They loved the ‘world’ of religion, as do many today.

They loved the ‘God’ of their vain imaginations, as do many today.

They willfully and freely hated the true God, as do many today.

They were still in their sinful flesh, as are many professing Christians today.

 

Please understand that not all doctrines are summed up in one Scripture.

The doctrine of man’s sin nature and the resulting negative effects of it are taught throughout the Bible in various passages, all of which have been quoted in this forum, I am sure.

The Scripture in question refers to an extraordinary unbelief despite supernatural signs and wonders which should have at least caused a ‘reasonable person’ to reassess one’s negative view of Christ.

But alas, sin does not enable right, rational thinking.

Furthermore, the Lord has declared His right to harden – increase unbelief --- despite their viewing Jesus’ extraordinary miracles.

“Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.”​

Consider the raising of Lazarus.

This mighty miracle, which should have proved to reasonable men that Jesus is God, caused the Pharisees to plot Jesus’ death.

And let’s not forget their desire to also kill Lazarus.

Such hardening is the certainty of eternal damnation.

Such hardening is the willful judicial act of God as Judge.

By it, God has done no wrong.

Please understand that the Lord did not harden those who were sinless.

He does not turn a saint into a sinner.

Rather, He is in the business of turning sinners into saints.

In the future I will be posting a treatise called: “The Equal Ultimacy of Election and Reprobation.”

I’m sure you will have much to say about it.

 

bib·li·cal also Bib·li·cal (b b l -k l). adj. 1. Of, relating to, or contained in the Bible.

That which is contained in the Bible is biblical.

The biblical parables were of divine origin, and are to be trusted.

The non-biblical illustrations are not of divine origin, and are frequently in error.

 

Arminianism teaches God 'foresees' man's acceptance of Jesus and thus, based on what man has done, elects him to salvation.

We believe that man's acceptance of Jesus is the result or effect of God's election, not the cause.

Therefore, since all men are born with the same sinful condition, the reason why some believe is due to the mercy and compassion of a loving God. The reason why others do not believe is because God has not willed to give them grace which they do not deserve. No injustice is done because the fault of their unbelief lies in them, not in God.

Jesus is quite adamant that a man MUST -- with no exceptions -- be born from above before that man can please God and enter into communion with Him.

 

For a moment there I thought you were ignoring me.

Good to see you are alive and kicking.:thumbs:

Perhaps one day you will get tired of kicking against the goads..........