Featured When Did God Choose His People?

You're quoting the Bible. Excellent.

I think I will quote some more of God's Word, too.

1 Corinthians 2:12-14 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

 

There is certainly no merit to good works, no patting oneself on the back, as the good works were already ordained by God and are His work( Ephesians 2:10, Philippians 2:13 ), but I certainly don't think that I can sin with impunity.

Hebrews 12:5-11 Ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children,

My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord,
Nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth,
And scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

 

Salvation is not conditional. It is sure and certain. Why? Because salvation is 100% by the power of God, and 0% by the power of man.

Jude 1:24-25 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

 

Here you go, lots of written words for you to read, by Bill Parker, about salvation:

WHAT IS THE SIMPLE GOSPEL

Many people today talk about the word gospel, but few ever define specifically what they mean by the gospel. For example, most will agree that all who are saved believe the gospel, but most do not agree on what the gospel is. It is easy to say that the gospel is simply "Christ," or "Christ, crucified." It is easy to say that the gospel is merely the "death, burial, and resurrection of Christ." A preacher in a letter to me once defined the gospel as "the word of God's promise in Jesus who is the Christ." This was, as he stated, the gospel in its simplest form. The problem with all this is that it really does not tell anyone specifically what the gospel is and what it is not. Many who disagree on such vital issues as who God is, who Christ is, the sinfulness of man, and the ground of salvation, can and do agree with the statements above. Also, when we consider the words of God in Galatians 1:8 -- "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed," does this not prove to us that we need a more specific definition? Of course it does.

Thank God that He has not left us to our own thoughts and imaginations on this vital issue. He has given us His definition of the Gospel. It is stated throughout the Bible in many ways and in many forms, but God gives us the most concise definition by the Apostle Paul in Romans 1:1-17 and Romans 3:21-26. The Gospel is THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD'S ETERNAL SALVATION AND FINAL GLORY IN HEAVEN CONDITIONED ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, BASED ON HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ALONE. The Gospel, in light of the sinfulness of man (Romans 1:18-Romans 3:21), and the utter impossibility of any sinner being saved based on that sinner's best efforts at obedience, reveals how a holy and just God can save sinners in mercy, love, and grace, and still remain holy and just. The Gospel reveals that all this is possible based on the merits of a God-sent Substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ, who would become incarnate, obey the law perfectly, and satisfy justice by His death on the cross in order to establish a righteousness whereby God could be both a just God and a Savior (Isaiah 45:21-22).

The Gospel excludes all the works of man and any work done by or in man as to the ground of this great salvation. It calls on sinners to believe in and trust Christ for all righteousness and life. It calls on sinners to repent of ever thinking that salvation or any part of it could have been conditioned on the sinner. It leaves sinners with no hope of salvation but that which is found in the Person and accomplished work of Christ. Therefore, in order to preach the Gospel, we must preach the sinfulness of man in light of the holiness and justice of God, the Person of Christ as Godman/Mediator, and the righteousness of Christ freely imputed and revealed by God-given faith for salvation. This is the heart of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 5:21). Every other subject in the Bible must be preached in this light if it is to be distinguished from the dead works and idolatry of man-made religion.

This Gospel identifies and distinguishes the true and living God from all idols. This Gospel identifies and distinguishes the true Christ from all counterfeits. This Gospel identifies and distinguishes the Holy Spirit from evil spirits. This Gospel identifies and distinguishes the only ground of salvation from all false refuges.

 

No. Those things happen after regeneration, not before. Christ met ALL of the conditions for God's elect, chosen before the world began, and given to Christ to be their Surety, and to have their sins imputed to Him, and then He paid their sin debt in full, and Christ having worked out a perfect righteousness that is imputed to them.

 

I am a sinner saved by grace. Christ is my sanctification( 1 Corinthians 1:30 ). I am still the vile sinner in my flesh that I was before I was regenerated. This vile, sinful body of mine won't be redeemed until the second coming of Christ.

 

The folks I hear the gospel of Christ from on a regular basis are actual preachers who preach in actual churches - five in particular - Richard Warmack, Kenny Dyess, Bill Parker, Scott Price, and Sonny Hernandez.