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Hi bright The point being, if the remnant in vs 11:4-5 are already believe and are saved. Then the ones that are being provoked to jealousy Vs. 11, and the ones spoken of later to hopefully be grafted back in if they do not continue in unbelief vs. 23, must be different.

Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Contrast Romans 11:4-5, the remnant, with verse 14. these are not the same people.

Remember, a lot of these same people also believe that a person is born again before they come to faith, which I disagree with. Whether or not we come to faith from God or not, it's not from being born again. Being born again is always the result of faith. They see it as an all or nothing, since...

In the past I've always held to the idea that there is a passivity in Gods eternal decree. Not a bare permission, but a positive allowing. That 'predestined' speaks specifically of what He actually positively causes. So I always understood that the term 'ordained' encompasses God's complete...

What if what they believe is unbelief? John 12:40 "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them."

Both these first two OT passages are speaking of being born again, but still a future event to be realized. Later in John it's called the Promise of the Father. The Holy Spirit. OT-EZ 36:26-37 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of...

I believe that I addressed that idea in the OP. The context. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. His Word in and of itself has the power to draw. Why did Jesus speak in parables? Because in seeing they might see, and hearing they might hear (Matthew 13:13, Mark 4:12). If they were dead and...

Hi Bright Yes, Eph 2:2-3, I agree, but it's important to note that this all begins at the receiving of the Holy Spirit as a result of faith. It's after the fact, not before. This goes to my point in the OP about Jesus being the Author and Finisher of our faith. We were dead in our trespasses...

Hi Bright The same Jews who were hardened were also being provoked to jealousy to bring them to salvation. They were "broken off". But Paul says that the Gentiles being grafted in was to provoke them to jealously, so that they can be "grafted back in" if they do not continue in unbelief. vs...

I'm leaning more towards taking that statement from Paul within the context of it being a judicial statement. That's what the context suggests, anyways. In other words, nothing from the flesh can pass any standard by God for good, or righteousness. It's all from the flesh and tainted with sin...

"divine determinism" But then we can throw what is called compatibilism into the mix. Is God determinism at always at odds with mans decision making? Even the most staunch Calvinist believes that mans will and God's determinism are not at odds with each other, fighting for control, if you will...

Hey @Dave G Thanks for the reply. The 'God's desire and His eternal purpose are not the same' is one of the things that didn't sit right with me in the past. It may be true, but I felt it was necessary to see what unfolds with a little more digging. Which is why I'm revisiting the same...

God hardens hearts that He claims would otherwise believe. Is this total depravity? Try to keep an open mind. Try to be good Bereans, if you can. Speak hypothetically, if you need to. Why does Satan, or the god of this age need to blind people who, according to reformed theology, already lack...

What happens spiritually that makes us born again? I'll give my thoughts on this matter and we'll go from there. Just for the record, if I'm speaking of baptism, it's the spiritual baptism that I'm speaking of unless otherwise noted. I'll tell you if I mean water baptism. When we are placed...

It's kind of like Moses striking the rock with the staff two times. That made God angry because it distorted the type, or symbolism of Who and what it was pointing to in spiritual truth. That type, the rock pictured Jesus as the source of Living water. The one strike foreshadowed Christ being...

Hey @Dr. Bob I don't get caught up in the water immersion debates. I follow a simple rule as far as that's concerned. OT Jews already knew of the Father, and most understood the Spirit of God, unless you're the ones from Acts 19. Who they needed to publicly identify with was Jesus. That was...

Hey @Dr. Bob I was water baptized at that same Pentecostal church. I have a certificate somewhere. I don't remember the exact date that I was saved. There are times early on in my faith when I struggled separating being poor in spirit, which is a good thing, and being confident in my salvation...

Hey @atpollard That sounds like standard stuff. Anabaptist basically stresses the opposite of Catholicism's errors. Is that correct? I was given 'the trail of blood' from a friend at work when I was first saved. I've mostly studied under John MacArthur and Alistair Begg most of my life, though...

Sounds like I'll fit right in. I'll make it work. What must one do to become a Baptist?