Featured Faith # 3

@Brightfame52
It is you who refuses to reason. What does "shall be" mean in Romans 10:13?

 

Belief is a trait of those whom God saves. Not a work of the will for the self-righteous to perform thinking God will then owe them salvation.

 

Titus 3:5 is very clear to those not blinded by Reformed false teachings, that REBIRTH is when a sinner is SAVED!

 

" And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul." ( Acts of the Apostles 16:14 ).

 

How come you forgot to underline the words, "which worshipped God"? As did Cornelius, in Acts chapter 10, of whom we read, "At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly" (Verses 1-2). The Bible is very clear in Jeremiah 29:13, "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart". These two were seeking the Lord, and the Lord revealed Himself to them through His servants, with the Gospel for their salvation. As a side note, what do you make of verse 2, where it says, "he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly", which Peter deals with in verses 34 and 35, "Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right". This seem to say that "good works" are acceptable to the Lord, before one is saved?

 

'God-fearers' or 'God-worshippers' were those gentiles who had abandoned the pagan Greek or Roman deities and attended the local synagogue where a special place was assigned to them. See Acts of the Apostles 13:16. In 17:4, 'devout Greeks' also refers to these people.
It goes without saying that such people were not Christians. Indeed, they had never heard of Christ until Paul spoke to them. The Jews who crucified the Lord Jesus doubtless also 'prayed to God regularly,' and the Pharisee in the parable 'gave generously to those in need' (c.f. Luke 18:12), but outside of Christ, our good deeds are like filthy rags.

Therefore it was necessary for God to open Lydia's heart so that she could believe on Christ and be saved, and that is just what Acts 16:14 says.

 

You are not correct in what you say. Cornelius is said to be someone who feared God with his house and Lydia was a worshipper of the Lord. Very different to what you are suggesting

 

What part of ". . . believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith . . . " do you not believe? Re: Romans 4:5. And you still refuse to answer the meaning of "shall be" in Romans 10:13 to honestly deal with how I understand the order of faith and salvation. I know you are disagreeing. But you have to resolve my difficulty. Or we can be done here and simply agree we disagree.

 

Not the least bit different. Check out what I wrote in any decent commentary on Acts. It's the truth, but 'none so deaf as those who won't hear.'

 

Not at issue. Romans 8:8-9. 2 Corinthians 13:5. At issue is where we disagree. Answer my Romans 10:13 question.

 

Based on what? How can by your interpretation those in that condition follow 2 Corinthians 13:5 to know being in the Romans 8:8 condition? Based on your interpretation the Apostles instruction cannot make sense. You refuse to deal with Romans 10:13.

 

SBG, why do you keep assuming that mankind seeks God all by ourselves?
See Romans 3:10-18, Psalms 10, Psalms 14, Psalms 53 and John 3:19-20 as examples.

What I do with it is to understand it in context with all that God has said elsewhere, especially with regard to John 6:37-47, John 6:64-65, John 17:2, Romans 8:28-30, Romans 9:13-24, Romans 11:1-12 and many other passages.
God is no respecter of persons when it comes to what we have or what we do to gain His favor.

He has mer5cy and compassion on whom He will ( Romans 9:14-18 ).

Again and as in other threads where this subject has come up, my friend,
have you not read this?

" as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
14 whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
15 their feet are swift to shed blood:
16 destruction and misery are in their ways:
17 and the way of peace have they not known:
18 there is no fear of God before their eyes."

Of course He accepts those from every tongue, tribe and nation those who fear Him and do what is right...
They are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus. ( Ephesians 2:10 ).

No one fears ( respects ) God naturally...
It takes the new birth for that to happen.

Huh?
Good works done by rebellious sinners outside of the body of Christ are acceptable in the eyes of God?
I've never heard of such a thing in the context of the Scriptures.

All our works are as filthy rags before Him, unless we are in Christ Jesus.

 

According to:
Romans 10:13-15. Faith is explicitly prior to salvation.
Accroding to Romans 10:17-18 God's word though His creation gives everyone faith.
In basic epistemology one cannot know anything without belief (faith).

 

Only those born of God again , can, believe and be saved. The old man is at enmity with God.

 

Jesus tells people to believe in Him and be saved
But the Father was who was doing the work in them, not themselves. Born again gives them a clean slate, fresh beginning with God. All things for them are become new for they are like newborn babies in the Spirit