Answer me, someone, please

Scott J, you say that I said the following:

Please quote the post in which I made that statement! Provide the full path to the post including forum, topic, post date/time group. I want to see where I actually said that!

If you are going to state that I say something you'd better be accurate!

 

Well Salvation is not 'BY' grace, but it is 'OF' grace. All that is required of humanity in order to receive God's free gift of Everlasting life (salvation) is to believe. Hear the word and believe, Hear the word and have faith (same thing)</font>[/QUOTE] Right. And that faith comes either from "within" a person in their natural, sinful state or else from a regenerate Spirit quickened by the Holy Spirit.

Believing and FAITH are neither one a work, they are the condition of ones spirit, the result of knowledge gained through hearing! </font>[/QUOTE] Yes. They are a condition of one's spirit. That condition either came about because their own goodness from within made it so (the merit) or else because God granted them a new spirit.

No! Faith is the result of knowledge, and one can have faith in anything one chooses to believe in.</font>[/QUOTE] If this is your answer then why do you keep evading the fact implicit in your answer? It takes the merit of a good human choice to save someone.

I agree with everything here. Why do you keep answering arguments that were never made nor implied?

Faith either comes from the goodness within a man in his natural sinful state or else as the manifestation of a regenerate spirit.

This is our difference Wes. I am not sure that we differ very much on the mechanics of the human experience in a salvation event. But our differences do have a direct implication on the nature and security of our salvation... as well as who gets ultimate glory for saving us.

 

Please quote the post in which I made that statement! Provide the full path to the post including forum, topic, post date/time group. I want to see where I actually said that!

If you are going to state that I say something you'd better be accurate! </font>[/QUOTE]You said it. It was several weeks ago and I have referenced it repeatedly since then in my post to you because it made such an impression. I may put some effort into finding it but see no reason to spend much time since the statement is consistent with your position and statements.

You said that whether or not to have faith was a human choice. Do you want to deny the implications that this would constitute a "good choice"?

Things don't just happen... for EVERY effect, there is a cause.

Faith doesn't just happen. It is either caused by the goodness within a natural man or by the grace of God in granting a regenerate spirit... or else by some other option I am not aware of.

 

If you want a pure Calvinist answer, signup to www.puritanboard.com and ask Scott Bushey.

David

 

All I said was repentance is a gift of God, thats all, which it is.

David

 

I understand it completely, I do not understand why you cannot! It is really quite simple.

No one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws
them.

I think we are chasing tails. Your original questions was answered in the first reply, whether you can accept it or not.

The rest is SUPERFLUOUS.

David

 

"And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will." 2 Tim 2:24-26

Repentance is a gift from God.

 

To demonstrate both his righteous justice and his grace.

Was arranged marriage the norm for the period when the Bible uses marriage to illustrate Christ and the church?

In any event, the question really doesn't hold much value for explaining how these various issues fold together.

By grace through faith. Romans 4 uses Abraham as an example... but who chose who? Did Abraham of his own accord go looking for God or did God come and get Abraham? God initiated the covenant, not Abraham.

 

STOP! That is the right answer!

NOW, the next question is:
How does one's spirit get into a "condition"?

Scriptures tell us that FAITH, a condition of the spirit, cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God! Scripture does not say that in order to hear the word of God, man's spirit must "first be regenerated". It is by hearing and believing that the spirit becomes regenerated!

Now in order to "BELIEVE", one must hear! "Believing" itself is not faith, but sustained believing is Faith! One cannot have FAITH without having sustained believing. So if one stops believing one stops faithing, you can't have one without the other.