Are you Saved?

I have to be short. My hand hurts. I had carpal tunnel surgery last week and the stitches have not come out yet.

"Anything but Jesus" was a quote from a man my husband talked to years ago. This man even prayed to God for 'anything but Jesus' and he was 'sure' that he and God could work something out. He was so insistent on 'anything but Jesus' that Barry despaired of him.

That man is a Christian today. It happened because he wanted to know the truth and he said he found out the truth was 'so different' from what he expected it to be.

That is in line with Romans 1 and Isaiah 1:18. God invites the unbeliever to come and reason with Him in the latter verse so that his sin will become white as snow and in Romans we find that those who suppress the truth (which means it has been presented to them) are the subjects of God's wrath. So it all depends on whether a man prefers truth or lie in the long run. Then, even if he starts with 'anything but Jesus', he will find that Jesus IS the truth he has been looking for.

So many times in the Bible unbelievers are told to seek the Lord "while He may be found." Those who do will not be disappointed.

Barry just read this response and added something. If a person chooses to continually harden his heart (see Ephesians and Hebrews) then there will come a time when, for him, the Lord can no longer be found. But, then, that person, in seeking the lie and self aggrandizement would not be wanting the Lord anyway at that point. There seems to come a 'cross over' time, when going back is no longer possible. We see this with Pharaoh, when he hardened his own heart against Moses so many times that finally the Lord finished the job for him, just as the Lord had told Moses it would happen. Pharaoh is simply the type for the millions (I wish not) who have followed that path. There comes a time when a man no longer wants the truth and is no longer interested in it. There comes a time when there is no turning back; the heart is fully hardened. But before that time there is always the series of opportunities God has given each of us who have ever lived to adulthood to repent and turn to Him.

 

many are called...few are chosen. How effectual is that?

 

I'm believing the Bible.

 

I'm not avoiding anything. I used the Bible to answer you. Is that not enough?

 

And I think the young man did a much better job than the supposedly seasoned leader, theologian and teacher - if you miss a great training opportunity, you are making a mistake even as a junior leader.

Shame that the young man was left to ponder. A leader/mentor would have taken him witnessing and taught him how.

 

Well, many are called. Why aren't they all chosen? Does God change His mind?

 

Look at the context of the verse. It appears twice as the conclusion of two parables. Both parables are about how salvation is not restricted to the Jews. The conclusion is that many [other nations, too, not just the Jews] are called but few [only the elect] are chosen.

Or, put another way (to address your question) God calls all men to repent, because all men should. But only the elect are chosen (which is redundant).

 

Then if all men don't repent, God's call is not effectual?

 

Then why are people told not to harden their hearts, to seek Him, to choose this day whom they will serve? Why does the Bible appear to us normal readers to present a choice, a valid choice, to each and every human being?

By valid, I mean that no presented choice is unavailable to them either because of God's previous choice or their own natures.

Is the Bible lying when we are told to seek, to ask, to knock? Are we being mocked when God asks us to reason with Him so that our sins, which are scarlet will be white as snow? Was Joshua taunting the people from some position of superiority when he told them to choose?

If many are called, why does it not say 'nations'? Whoever the many are, of them, few will be chosen. Why?

 

You would think all believers knew the Gospel, wouldn't you? But in my experience they do not--or at least they don't pay attention to what they are doing in their evangelism. I believe we should teach exactly what the Gospel is to avoid the following errors: having witnesses who make people think it is prayer that saves you; having people think they are believing in a dead man (the Gospel include's Christ's resurrection, vitally important here in Japan where they worship dead people); having people who are being witnessed to think that baptism is important in salvation (a real problem in Japan with so-called Christians in the main line churches). And there are other errors that a clear lesson on the Gospel can prevent.

This would be a whole 'nother thread. I highly recommend The Holy Spirit: Who He Is and What He Does, by R. A. Torrey on this. This book had a wonderful influence on my life and ministry. To make it simple:
(1) Every case of the Holy Spirit's power in the Bible was for service to the Lord.
(2) Absolute commitment is necessary.
(3) Prayer for God's power is necessary.
(4) Belief in God's provision of that power is necessary.

By teaching them to walk with God day by day, and thus grow gradually into the image of Christ.

Teaching about sin, in my view, is necessary for any class on personal evangelism because of the atonement of Christ. "Hate the sin and love the sinner" is a Biblical principle for personal evangelism, I believe. If you can ever find a book by Dr. Walter L. Wilson, a medical doctor who was used wonderfully by God as a personal witness, you will see this in his life, I believe.

The Japanese textbook I wrote for use in the class I have taught in two Bible institutes here would be titled in English, The Evangelism Anyone Can Do. The title is based on exactly what you have written, that anyone can witness if they simply tell others how they themselves got saved. However, there are enough mistaken methods of evangelism out there that I think an actual class is a wonderful help. Besides, studying personal evangelism is studying the Bible.:thumbs:

Here are the titles of the chapters of my textbook:
The Importance of Personal Evangelism
You, Too, Can Witness
Our Message (about the Gospel)
The Great Commission of Jesus
Practical Personal Evangelism
Right After Salvation (how to talk about assurance)
Followup
The Order of Personal Evangelism
The Holy Spirit and the Personal Worker
Some Hints for the Personal Worker

Many years ago the Baptists in Japan were passing out a tract written by a Conservative Baptist pastor because it looked nice and it was free. I had gotten into the habit of reading through the tracts I passed out, because some of them were very poor, and I wanted to do my best for Jesus. This particular tract turned out to have the statement in it, "If you love God and your neighbor, you will go to Heaven!" I pointed this out to a fellow missionary and he was shocked. He had had a Japanese pastor read the tract for him, and his church had been passing out 1000's of these without knowing the content!!

If we are going to do this very precious work for Jesus, I believe we should do it carefully and prayerfully, not in a haphazard way. The Gospels and the book of Acts is so full of how God used His people to do this work, I think we should study it all of our lives even as we practice it. :type:

 

I agree completely! :thumbs:

 

Joseph, go look at the context of 'be ye perfect...'

Secondly, you answered none of my questions but simply repeated what you always say. Please, I asked a series of questions. If you cannot answer them, say so.

Lastly, the Jesus I know and love and worship does not command the impossible. He actually loves all of us and will enable anyone who wants to follow Him to be able to.

God did not 'kidnap' us and force us to be married to His Son. We are, however, the bride. It is a love relationship. Love is a two-way street in this sort of relationship. We love because He first loved us, true. But, nevertheless, not all of those He loves have chosen to love Him back. And THAT is the crux of the matter.

Many are called; few are chosen. Why?

And if it is so totally beyond our ability to comprehend, why would God ever invite people to reason with Him? Why would He instruct us to seek Him?

Your concept of predestination is not only unbiblical, it denegrates God's character, denies the love and total atonement of Christ on the Cross, and makes mockery of much of the Bible.

 

only those that believe are chosen. The Lord always put belief and faith in the Scriptures why does some want to always leave it out?