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John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

We are talking about men here in verse 19, right?

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

Verse 20 is about why an unbeliever does not believe, right?

21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Now is verse 21 talking about why a believer believes or not? Are his deeds manifested as one that doeth truth but is wrought by God is why he is coming to the Light?

I agree that thee is no good thing in us; but God can know whom would receive Him from those that care not to. It is not a conscious effort since we are lost & blind when we were in darkness, and so this is all on the Father, knowing all things of who would receive Him from those that care not to so as to know whom to reveal His Son to so we can believe in Him.

 

You see them as Christians in Macedonia praying to God to send His disciples to Macedonia to preach the gospel to them? I don't.

Still does not explain why the disciples were forbidden to go to Asia or Bithynia when they had been commanded to preach the gospel to all nations.

 

Acts 16:9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. 10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

That was the vision of a man praying that they go to Macedonia.

But when they got there, it was a woman that was praying that had attended unto the things spoken of Paul but was still lost until she heard them preach the gospel and opened her heart.

Acts 16:11 Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis; 12 And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days. 13 And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. 14 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. 15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

So she was lost until they had preached the gospel unto her.

How is that not speaking to foreknowledge of who will receive the Good News from those that would not?

 

I believe she "was" until she had heard the disciples preaching the gospel when the Lord opened her heart to believe and be baptized in His name after that.

 

Why would a saved believer ask for help to preach the gospel to them if he already knows it?

Of course, being a vision, I believe the man was symbolic, and not an actual man in real life praying.

 

We chose to be saved. One could argue that it is God that brought our minds into the light and gave us a revelation. But to assume that puts Gods character into question. For those of us who are exercising faith of our free will, we have elected to follow in obedience. We are required to maintain that obedience until the end comes. We will be judged according to wether or not our claimed faith was truly in Christ or if it was simply lip service by our works. Those without works, ie white robes, will be found wanting. This is as simple as it gets. This is why even the children that want to see Christ were told that such is the kingdom of Heaven. Children believe and obey. There is no magic believe-o-meter up in Heaven that rates your level of faith. You either obey or disobey. It's as easy as that.

 

I don't believe that was what the man in the vision was about in my opinion.

 

I believe in Unlimited or Universal Atonement as opposed to Limited Atonement for the Elect.

I believe in Conditional Election based on repentance and faith in Christ.

I believe is Sufficient Grace as opposed to Irresistible in that I believe are able to repent and believe the Gospel.

 

Yes. I did quote the reference where the disciples had to travel to get there, and what city in Macedonia they had gone to.

 

Can you quote a Bible verse for each of those statements?

 

Because it is just a vision. Images are used for symbolism just like images are in dreams as given from the Lord.

 

The fact that the first conversion recorded was a woman, not a man.

 

You describe a gospel of works which cannot save....it is no gospel at all;
16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.