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Featured God can change.

Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by Van, Oct 4, 2023.

  1. Van

    Van Well-Known Member
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    "God is unvarying, reliable, constant, and perpetual. God never adds or subtracts from His character and emotions. They are constant and unmoving. We should be forever grateful that God is immutable, as this provides an assurance of His love and mercy toward us."

    The above snippet copied from the internet provides an excellent hypothesis for defining the immutability of God.

    However, to move from being an understanding formulated by man, we must verify these attributes are found in scripture, rather than read into scripture.

    Numbers 23:19 (NASB)
    “God is not a man, that He would lie,
    Nor a son of man, that He would change His mind;
    Has He said, and will He not do it?
    Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

    The above clearly teaches God keeps His word and does not vary, that we can rely on His word, and that God is consistent.

    Hebrews13:8
    Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever.

    Here we can add that God's character and attributes do not change over time, thus we can now support the attribute of being perpetual, thus God's attributes do not change over time. However, God does as He pleases, thus He can treat one person one way and treat another person another way or both people the same way. He can condemn one individual and bestow mercy upon another.

    God dictates His actions, rather than His past actions dictating His future actions, so He can formulate the Old Covenant and then inaugurate a New Covenant.
     
  2. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    True. Before the world began God chose those who would be His elect and who would be reprobates.
     
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  3. Silverhair

    Silverhair Well-Known Member

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    What is the basis for your comment @KenH?
     
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  4. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    Romans 9:10-24When Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; ( for the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; ) it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

    Romans 8:28-30 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

    Acts of the Apostles 16:14 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.

    Acts of the Apostles 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

    Ephesians 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

    2 Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

    John 6:37-39 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

    John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

    John 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
     
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  5. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    There is no scripture that says that.
     
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  6. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    See my post #4 above in this thread that proves there are lots of Scriptures that say that.
     
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  7. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    None of those passages say that. Calvies fail to understand the context of Romans 9. Also double predestination is one of the most evil teachings out there. It distorts a proper view of God's character. Evil.
     
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  8. Silverhair

    Silverhair Well-Known Member

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    Where do you find your view that {Before the world began God chose those who would be His elect and who would be reprobates.} in these verses you quoted? That is something that you have to read into the text.

    The bible is clear that God desires all to be saved 1 Timoyhy 2:3-4 so you must think God is duplicitous considering your comment.
     
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  9. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    Yes, they do say that.

    Double predestination is a teaching of God's holy Word. God is absolutely, totally, sovereign and does as He purposes with ALL of His creation.

    Those who refuse to accept that God is absolutely, totally, sovereign and does as He purposes with ALL of His creation distort the Biblical view of God's character.
     
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  10. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    I did no such thing.
     
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  11. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    "Who will have all men to be saved,.... The salvation which God wills that all men should enjoy, is not a mere possibility of salvation, or a mere putting them into a salvable state; or an offer of salvation to them; or a proposal of sufficient means of it to all in his word; but a real, certain, and actual salvation, which he has determined they shall have; and is sure from his own appointment, from the provision of Christ as a Saviour for them, from the covenant of grace, in which everything is secured necessary for it, and from the mission of Christ to effect it, and from its being effected by him: wherefore the will of God, that all men should be saved, is not a conditional will, or what depends on the will of man, or on anything to be performed by him, for then none might be saved; and if any should, it would be of him that willeth, contrary to the express words of Scripture; but it is an absolute and unconditional will respecting their salvation, and which infallibly secures it: nor is it such a will as is distinguishable into antecedent and consequent; with the former of which it is said, God wills the salvation of all men, as they are his creatures, and the work of his hands; and with the latter he wills, or not wills it, according to their future conduct and behaviour; but the will of God concerning man's salvation is entirely one, invariable, unalterable, and unchangeable: nor is it merely his will of approbation or complacency, which expresses only what would be grateful and well pleasing, should it be, and which is not always fulfilled; but it is his ordaining, purposing, and determining will, which is never resisted, so as to be frustrated, but is always accomplished: the will of God, the sovereign and unfrustrable will of God, has the governing sway and influence in the salvation of men; it rises from it, and is according to it; and all who are saved God wills they should be saved; nor are any saved, but whom he wills they should be saved: hence by all men, whom God would have saved, cannot be meant every individual of mankind, since it is not his will that all men, in this large sense, should be saved, unless there are two contrary wills in God; for there are some who were before ordained by him unto condemnation, and are vessels of wrath fitted for destruction; and it is his will concerning some, that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned; nor is it fact that all are saved, as they would be, if it was his will they should; for who hath resisted his will? but there is a world of ungodly men that will be condemned, and who will go into everlasting punishment: rather therefore all sorts of men, agreeably to the use of the phrase in 1 Timothy 2:1 are here intended, kings and peasants, rich and poor, bond and free, male and female, young and old, greater and lesser sinners; and therefore all are to be prayed for, even all sorts of men, because God will have all men, or all sorts of men, saved; and particularly the Gentiles may be designed, who are sometimes called the world, the whole world, and every creature; whom God would have saved, as well as the Jews, and therefore Heathens, and Heathen magistrates, were to be prayed for as well as Jewish ones."

    - excerpt from John Gill's Bible commentary on 1 Timothy 2:4
     
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  12. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    The problem with that is that you define the sovereignty of God incorrectly which, again, distorts God's character.
     
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  13. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    I do no such thing. I understand that the natural man hates that he is not the captain of his own fate, that his will does not rule in his life, and that he is totally and absolutely subject to the will and purposes of his Creator.

    I am in the flesh and still living on this fallen earth myself, and I understand quite well the rebellion in my own heart and how evil and vile and wretched I am in and of myself, that I am only saved by the righteousness of another - my Lord Christ Jesus, THE Lord OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS - imputed to me.
     
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  14. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    "The loss of a single soul, if this were the sense of the passage, would prove, that what God willed, came not to pass. And this would throw down all God's divine attributes."

    - excerpt from Robert Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary on 1 Timothy 1:1-4
     
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  15. Silverhair

    Silverhair Well-Known Member

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    Did you think through what you wrote @KenH? I do not think you have. You claim double predestination is a biblical position and is the biblical view of God's character. So what you are saying is that God is duplicitous. He says He wants all to be saved, the He loves the world but in actuality that is false as He decreed that the vast majority of His creation will reject Him.

    God is sovereign and He does as He pleases and what He pleases does not line up with your view. By your view you are calling His character into question and you make Him out be be a liar, His word can not be trusted.
     
  16. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    Yes.

    Then you would be mistaken.

    True. It is.

    No. You are saying that, as you are saying, falsely, that God wants to accomplish a purpose - save everyone single human being - but lacks the ability to accomplish His purpose. Your teaching is not the God of the holy Scriptures; your teaching is a god of your own man-based imagination, much like the gods of Greek mythology.

    God not only wants all of His elect to be saved, He WILL save them.

    God loves His elect and He will save them. There is no doubt about this.

    I am doing no such thing.
     
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  17. Silverhair

    Silverhair Well-Known Member

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    What the Holy Spirit says {who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth} That is the stated desire of God, not a command of God. Man has to respond to the gospel message which is shown clearly in various bible texts.
     
  18. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    All of God's elect respond to the declaration of the finished work of Christ on their behalf.

    Psalms 110:3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, In the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: Thou hast the dew of thy youth.

    If left to themselves, even God's elect cannot respond to the declaration of the finished work of Christ on their behalf.

    Any gospel that does not condition salvation 100% on the finished work of Christ having met ALL of the conditions for His people is a false gospel.

    Salvation is not some kind of joint venture between God and man - conditioned on God doing some percentage of it and conditioned on man doing some percentage of it.

    If salvation depends the least tiny little bit on man doing something, then no man would be saved.

    If man is involved in meeting conditions, then it would be polluted, just like the altar of stone would be in the Law of Moses.

    Exodus 20:25 And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
     
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  19. tyndale1946

    tyndale1946 Well-Known Member
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    Sorry Ken I disagree God does not chose reprobates, only his elect, he just leaves them where they are... Brother Glen:)

    The Bible does not teach Double Predestination!
     
  20. Piper

    Piper Active Member
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    Are you trying to be misleading?

    The title of the Thread is "God can Change." And yet your OP asserts that God does not change.
     
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