Featured What is Total Depravity, part deux?

Not while in their sin natures alone!

 

Only those who God has given ears to hear with, and the heart/faith to respond to it will be saved.

 

First of all the last two verses you have here don't even have the word "faith" in them. So why did you put them in there?

Next on the verses which have it you have to capture the context of how the word is meant to be taken. Generally "faith" is defined as the over all process but when one puts a focus on faith and believing one can see there is a difference. One can have faith...but it must be acted upon. Failing to do so results will not be forth coming. In Matt 9:27 states,two blind men came and asked for mercy.

Jesus had went about preaching about Gods willingness to save and heal so these two HAD faith. They weren't healed however. They came to Jesus asking for mercy and he asked them if they believed he could do it. The said yes. They had faith but up to that point they were not healed. Jesus put his hands on their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you” or in other words according to your choice of believing you now receive it will or will not be done.

Such signifies having "faith" is not an absolute guarantee of a result. One must act with their faith. One can see this as well in Acts 14:9 One had "faith" but wasn't healed (the same greek word for healed and saved is sozo) one had "faith" but wasn't healed until they acted upon it.

So when one looks at scriptures like Rom 5:1 or Gal 3:8 it's putting all things together as a one unit but if you asked Paul could one actually have faith and not see an end result he most certainly would have said YES.
Rom 10:9-10 even states this. He preached the word of faith, and faith comes by hearing the word of God but he goes on to say there's a outflow of what has to do with faith and acting on it. Choose to believe and choose to act on it. "

That if (he didn't say you would he said IF you do) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made ===> unto salvation. Rom 10:9-10

It's not salvation first or born again first....it's acting on your faith to bring about the salvation results.

 

Still amazed how much theology those from centuries ago knew of the scriptures, as compared to what most know today!

 

They claim that we are the Gnostics here though!

 

Is that what everyone is trying to do with God's Word, Win?

 

No, just have it rightly divided!

 

I agree

 

You can have perfect faith and belief, in fact we can top that. You can have perfect omniscience where you understand all mysteries and know all truth. The complete knowledge, complete mysteries, complete faith..


1 Corinthians 13

2If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.