Featured Saving Faith: God’s Gift to Sinners or Sinners’ Gift to God?

Yeah we know that...but obviously DHK doesn't.

 

Without regeneration in the OT, how would anyone do anything pleasing to God? Without it, David would been a slave to sin and unable to be a man after God's heart. No one would seek God.

 

Where does scripture eliminate the idea of regeneration in the OT?

 

That is Calvinism theology. Without regeneration before the glorification of Jesus Christ, Calvinism collapses. Do you believe a holy God can dwell inside a sin ridden man? If so, then the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was pointless. I gave you scripture that declares no man ever went to heaven before Jesus Christ was glorified. What will you do with it?

 

Held over in Paradise????
Several passages suggest that believers who died did enter the presence of God at once because their sins were forgiven by trusting in the Messiah who was to come.
Gen 5:24
2Sam 12:23
PSS. 16:11, 17:15;23:6
Eccl. 12:7
Matt 22: 31-32
Luke 16:22
ROM 4:1-8
Heb. 11:5

I need some aspirin.....my head hurts

 

It doesn't.

 

Lol...of course scripture doesn't prohibit the idea of that. We know that. DHK should take a look at Matt. 19:26.

 

I wasnt arguing against regeneration. Sorry if I came across that way.

 

No....you have me a verse if to be taken in the sense you use. Then no one is currently in heaven still. John wrote this and said "No one has ascended into heaven". He says " has". Not "had". The verse refers to Christ being exalted into the heavenly court.

I already gave you verses of believers going to heaven Ina previous post

 

Well I'm waiting on anyone that can show me scripture eliminating the possibility of OT saints being regeneration.

 

You will be waiting for a long, long time. I hope you have a comfy chair and some snacks.

 

Don't hold your breath.

 

Lol...yeah DHK has to realize, it makes no sense to make a point about what isn't biblical and not have enough Bible to back up your point.

 

From the Bible:
Act 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
--Peter was preaching to about 100,000 Jews out of which 3,000 were saved. I am sure that "pricked in their heart" that is "convicted of the Holy Spirit" applied to far more than just 3,000. But if you are not, let's move on.

In his sermon Stephen said:
Act 7:51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
--Their resistance of the Holy Spirit is obvious here, as Stephen observed not only here, but all throughout their history.

Act 7:54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
--Great conviction of sin here--even to the point of gnashing of teeth.

Act 7:57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
Act 7:58 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.
--The ultimate in resisting the Holy Spirit. It was a reaction to Stephen's vision of seeing Jesus standing on the right hand of the throne of God, and Stephen declaring his deity. They couldn't bear the testimony of Stephen's Spirit-filled message any longer. With a Satanic urge they cried aloud, deafened their ears, and murdered Stephen.
Let there be no doubt. They were convicted of the Holy Spirit but resisted Him.

As a pastor:
I have seen many under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, clutching the pew in front of them, knowing that they should come to Christ, but resisting the Spirit not wanting to yield to Him. Many times has this happened.

 

Cornelius was not saved. He did not know of Christ or his salvation.
Though he believed in Jehovah his trust was in his own good works.

Act 10:4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
--God recognized his good works and prayers, but not for salvation, rather as a a "memorial." He still needed to hear the gospel. He knew nothing of Christ and his salvation.

He was not a full proselyte.
Act 11:3 Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.
--He was still uncircumcised.

The account that Peter gives notes that Cornelius knew nothing of Christ or salvation:
Act 11:14 Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.
--Based on this knowledge it would be impossible for him to be regenerated.
If you say he could have been regenerated, then it would have been possible for Osama Ben Laden or Sadam Hussein to have been regenerated. Who knows the way of the Spirit????????

 

I gave you a very detailed answer which ended with this example:

IOW, faith is innate. Do you really need a lesson in "how to believe."?

 

That statement doesn't take into account God's election.

 

Again, you need to study on your own "what is faith?"
Faith is not a work. That is contrary to what Paul said in Romans 4:4,5.

Would you hire me "for my faith"? What kind of wage would "my faith" bring?
Obviously it is not a work. It is in opposition to works.
Salvation, however, is a gift to be received by faith.
When one receives a gift, does he have to "generate" the faith by which he receives it?

Matthew 7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
--Even the unsaved know how to give good gifts to their children, Jesus said.
The children must receive those gifts by faith, faith that they are not evil gifts.
That is the application that Christ gave:
Matthew 7:9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
--The child does not expect an evil gift--a serpent, a stone, etc. He receives in faith that it is a good gift from his parents. We receive in faith salvation that it is exactly what Christ promised.
What happened to sola fide?

 

No. Are you coming around? God gives the gift of faith. It is not generated by the individual. A person does not have innate faith --The Lord grants both faith and repentance to those of His choosing. It is not of you, but God. He caused you to be born from above. Without His direct intervention you would be lost in your sins.

 

Acts: They were resisting the teachings that the Holy Spirit provided through teachers(Steven). It says nothing about them resisting the inward call.