Featured A Text for the Calvinist

Just seeing scriptures thru the lens of jesus, paul, and John!

 

The sheep are separated from the goats in Matthew 25 based on how they treat the Jews in the tribulation, not based on any past decree.
That's what the words say. You just change their meanings with coloured glasses.

 

That refers to nations, not individuals!

 

So, Jesus is talking about how people are saved? He tells them to “strive”. So, as you keep reading the passage you quoted, you find people wanting to be saved, knocking on the door of God to receive that initial salvation, begging God to give them that initial salvation.

God refuses to give salvation to people begging for it. He calls them workers of iniquity.

If your understanding is true, and since everyone is a “worker of iniquity” prior to salvation there can be only one conclusion. Those people whom God refused salvation, even though they begged Him for it, must not have “strived” hard enough. They must not have worked hard enough for God to grant them salvation.

In short, your understanding is a works based salvation where people must “strive” hard enough to please God and then and only then will He grant them salvation.

I think you are wrong.

peace to you

 

...

 

As is mine.

Believe it or not, neither do I.

In fact,
I list myself as a "Baptist" on this forum because I was raised in Independent Baptist churches from the age of 12, when I first believed on Christ during the preaching of the word of God, until 14 years ago when I left the visible churches and decided to wait on God's timing to lead me to a group of God-fearing people who take His words seriously and love the Lord with all their hearts.

I also consider myself a "Baptist" because I hold to most of what are known as "Baptist Distinctives"...

• Biblical authority... The Bible alone is my authority for faith and practice.
• Autonomy of the local church...each local assembly is separate and individual, accountable to the Lord Jesus Christ alone.
• Priesthood of the believer... All born-again believers have the privilege of direct access to God. Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and man. We need no other human agent or spiritual mediator. As God’s priests, we can study His Word, pray for our needs, intercede for others, offer worship, and serve in His work. Every child of God has equal access to their Heavenly Father. There is no "hierarchy" in the body of Christ.
  
• Two ordinances...Baptism by full immersion in water after belief of the Gospel and public confession of said belief, and the "Lord's Supper" or what is commonly called, "communion".
• Individual soul liberty... No person within the membership is coerced to believe anything about the Bible, but freely comes to their beliefs through the teaching of the Holy Spirit and the word of God. Exception: Heresy, the act of trying to divide the church over a false doctrine, is taken seriously; and after the first and second admonition, that person is asked to leave.
  
• Saved and Scripturally baptized members of the local assembly only.
• Two offices... Pastor ( bishop ) and Deacon. Both of whom are chosen by the Holy Ghost and that choice is impressed upon the people collectively.
  
• Separation of church and state...in other words, the local church is not to be influenced or controlled by politics. God established both civil and local church governments. They have distinct responsibilities and operations. Neither should control the other.

 

I appreciate your opinion, and I politely disagree.

To me, you are missing the significance of this phrase...
"...and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed."

Therefore, I see that the reason anyone in that crowd believed, was because it was God's doing.
Otherwise they would have simply thought that the preaching of the cross was foolishness, as all the lost can and do ( 1 Corinthians 1:18 ).

 

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14.

 

Amen.
Now, do you see anywhere that Scripture ever deals with why some believe and why others do not?

How about John 10:26?

 

Always with one verse forming an entire theology. Let's look.

Mark 1:14-15 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Where does Jesus tell us that salvation comes first by repentance and then comes believing? He doesn't say this in Mark 1:15, but certainly you think he is laying out a specific numbered list.

What was the good news that John and Jesus were preaching at the beginning of Jesus ministry?

John's preaching was to repent and believe that salvation was coming. Jesus' preaching was to repent and believe in the salvation that is now here.

The Jews needed to change their ways and believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Mark is therefore not teaching a numbered list of how to be saved in Mark 1:15. Mark is teaching that the Jews needed to turn from their Pharisaic legalism and turn to Messiah, then believe Jesus, not the Pharisees and Sadducees.

If you take time to see the context, you will see this. If you crop out the picture, you will miss the point. You missed the point.

 

George,
Let's see what the "colored glasses" say...

" When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth [his] sheep from the goats:
33 and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:" ( Matthew 25:31-34 )

" Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:" ( Matthew 25:41 ).

Verse 32: He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.
Verse 33: He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
Verse 34: Then shall the King ( Jesus Christ, the King of Kings ) say to them on His right hand, " Come you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you"...when?
From the foundation of the world.

Who are those that were chosen "in Him" ( Ephesians 1:4 ) from the foundation of the world?
His sheep.
The "whosoever believeth".

Why do they believe?
Because they are His sheep ( John 10:27 ), not the goats.
Because it was given to them to believe ( Philippians 1:29 ) on Christ.
Because they were ordained to eternal life ( Acts of the Apostles 13:48 ).

Why do the goats not believe?
Because they are not "of" His sheep ( John 10:26 ).

The people are separated because they are sheep...
That's what the words say, when all the declarations are taken together, don't they?

 

Lost sinners have the will to always say no to Jesus!

 

What ever gave you the impression that I follow John Calvin and use His name to describe what I believe?

 

I don't use the ESV or anything even remotely close to it.

 

Did the Lord make a real and definite salvation on the Cross, or a potential offer to all?