Featured The Parable of the Lost-Centering on the Lost son

Non-sequitur. We are not talking about when salvation takes place. We are talking about why salvation takes place.

Did you build me a house because I paid you to do so, or did you build me a house because you loved me and wanted to lift me out of the filth I was living in?

It almost seems like, rather than dealing with the scripture I posted, you would rather change the subject. I do that a lot when I can't formulate a cogent response.

As I said in my earlier post, God hates sin. But allows it.

God hates the consequences of sin. But allows it.

Either "all men" means "all men everywhere without distinction" or it means something else. The context indicates it means "all of us." Not all of everybody, but all of us.

Again, I know how hard this is. I went through it myself several decades ago. I was saved, baptized, married, and called to preach in a church that believed much as you do. My first pastor, whom I had the greatest respect for, would agree with you on just about every point.

But when I began a close, careful, critical study of biblical soteriology I discovered, much to my horror, that I was wrong. My faith, my discipleship, my calling, my walk, in fact every good thing in me, was the result of my salvation, and never the cause of it.

What we have to understand is that unbelief is a sin. We can't wipe the slate clean just by stopping the sin of unbelief any more than we can clean the slate just by stopping sinning in any other way. So, if we just stop sinning the sin of unbelief, and start to believe, the sin of unbelief is still there. If the sin of unbelief was not paid for on the cross, there is no way to erase that sin. If, on the other hand, the sin of unbelief was paid for on the cross, that sin does not hinder the All Powerful God of Creation from saving you. He can overcome all your sin. Even the sin of unbelief. And then, immediately, you believe, and follow. All of God. None of me.

In the immortal words of Charles Wesley (whose theology was much better than his borhter John's):

Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Note what brother Charles says,

"Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;"

He was in bondage to the law of sin and death.

"Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,"

He was born again, regenerated, quickened to new Life in Christ!

"I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;"

He not only didn't "place his faith" in anything! He was still asleep.

The Light of Life filled his cell while he still slept.

"My chains fell off, my heart was free,"

The result was he was no longer in bondage to the law of sin and death. For the first time his heart was free to follow Christ.

"I rose, went forth, and followed Thee."

And the result? He rose in faith, went forth in faith, and followed Christ, in faith.

Not his own faith. Not some "innate" faith, but the faith infused by the "quickening ray" of God's regenerating Grace.

This whole song is his personal testimony.

 

By what authority do you condemn the other son to hell? Who are you to judge another man's servant, or another man's son? (Roman's 14:4.)

And you seem to have overlooked what God says about the other son, "Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine." And you say he was lost? God disagrees.

 

They are condemned by their sin, including their sin of unbelief. That seems patently clear. The bible makes it very plain in John 3:18 "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

 

What part of "Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine" indicates condemnation. You did read the parable, didn't you?

 

God does not fail. He always fully accomplishes His decretal will.

"The wages of sin is death" seems pretty clear. And unbelief being a sin is pretty clearly indicated by their being condemned.

 

If you are not going to be honest about what I have posted, this discussion is over.

 

How can it be completely finished if you have to do something more to get it?

 

No, I don't. I know you believe "it is finished." What I am pointing out is the logical inconsistency of believing it is finished yet still needs something more before it can save you.

 

I am disabled. I lack the capacity to take possession of that beautiful house. Unless, of course, you carry me into the house.