Featured ¶John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

is not the only way to view eschatology!

 

Can we believe by ourselves, no needing of the Holy Spirit at all?

 

Its the Bible alone, not Confession and Creeds also!

 

You deny we are spiritual dead?

 

Seriously? To make this statement you have to have a woeful ignorance of Luther, Catholicism, or both.

The Archangel

 

Your statement here:

Contradicts your statement here:

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Romans says everyone is without excuse.. And... I might add... Romans 1 also says all of this:

[18] For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. [19] For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. [20] For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. [21] For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. [22] Claiming to be wise, they became fools, [23] and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. (Romans 1:18–23 ESV)​

Notice that there are people who "by their unrighteousness suppress the truth." You would have to argue that there are people--to whom the Holy Spirit has been given--who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. How can that be?

Also... Notice that all people (which is what Paul is talking about here) suppress the truth in unrighteousness--they know God because He has revealed Himself in creation, yet they make idols. So, there is no excuse for anyone--but it is because of the creation and the Creator who created it.

So then, how does David say (in Psalm 51) "do not take your Spirit from me?"

You've made a statement, but you have not supported it. You've just assumed your premise to be true.

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The question that needs to be asked here is this: God sent His Son to accomplish what?

Was it that God sent Jesus to save people or to make the salvation of people possible?

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" And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 [even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." ( 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 ).

Barry,
I didn't ask you what the condemnation was for not believing the Gospel.
I agree that it is a sin not to believe ( John 16:9 ).
I asked you for passages that tell us why some believe and why others do not.

How about John 6:64-65?
John 8:43-47?
John 10:26?

 

I agree.

It is the power of God unto salvation...
To them that believe it.

" For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." ( Romans 1:16-17 ).

It is not the power of God to them that are perishing...
To those people, it is foolishness:

" For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." ( 1 Corinthians 1:18 ).

There's that "them that perish" again, the same as in 2 Thessalonians 2:10.
Who are the "them that perish"?

On the opposite side, who are the ones that Jesus Christ tells us that God so loved that He gave His Son, that ( someone ) should not perish?

" He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken." ( Isaiah 53:8 ).

The "whosoever believeth"...
Who are the elect, who are the foreknown, who are them that endure to the end, who are Christ's sheep, who are the sons of God, who are the beloved, who are the saved.

 

" I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my [sheep], and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep." ( John 10:11-15 ).

" For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." ( Romans 5:10 ).

I agree, Barry.

Man does have the ability to respond to God's revelation.
As long as God reveals Himself to someone by His Son ( Matthew 11:27 ), opens their heart so that they attend to His words ( Acts of the Apostles 16:14 ), then they will respond...
Positively.

That is what "calling" is.

But if God does not reveal Himself to someone, there is none that seeks Him ( Romans 3:10-18 ).
We respond negatively ( John 3:19-20 )...

Every time.

I wish you well, Barry.
May God bless you richly in your continued studies of His precious word, and, if I have not said it to you before, may you always remember His grace and mercy to you in your times of trouble...

What's more, may you praise the Lord every day for giving you the most amazing gift of all:
Eternal life ( John 17:3, Romans 6:23 ), which no man can have except it be given to him ( or her ) from Heaven.

 

As I understand, the creeds were proven true to scripture through debate with those who challenged them. And the result is, they define Christendom. They are central to all church creeds including the Baptists of 1689. Until you agree with them or prove them wrong, I can't trust anything you say about scripture unless you agree with them.

 

If you tell someone what the bible says, you condemn yourself for doing the same thing the creeds do.