Featured Bible Study Questions to Consider:

1) Is it wrong to believe fallen mankind is able to seek God and trust in Christ, in light of God revealing Himself and providing the gospel of Christ?

2) Did God really choose some foreseen individuals with or without foreseen faith when He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world? If this was a corporate election then God did not choose any specific individuals, just the target group of His redemption plan, those who would be redeemed by His Redeemer.

3) Is our faith in Christ really instilled supernaturally, i.e. a gift of faith? What does scripture say, 1 Corinthians 12:3 and Ephesians 2:8?

4) What does "no man can say Jesus is Lord without the Holy Spirit" mean? (1 Corinthians 12:3).

5) Does choosing to seek God and trust in Christ make salvation dependent on man and not on God? Romans 9:16

6) Does Christ making it possible for all men to be saved mean He does not actually save all who are saved?

7) Does the "from our point of view" dodge really resolve the conflict over when we were chosen, after we believed or before creation?

8) Does scripture say no one would ever make the right choice unless God supernaturally intervened and caused that choice? (Revelation 3:20, Joshua 24:15, Hebrews 3:7-8, 2 Corinthians 3:5)

9) Is Calvinism's only err the cart before the horse sequencing of choosing some individuals for salvation then sending Christ to die as a ransom for all?

10) Do Arminians err when they put God's choice of individuals after they believe?

11) If many are invited but few are chosen, then what condition precluded the rest?

 

Is the T found in scripture? Nope if said to apply to all people at all times.
Is the U found in scripture? Nope, if said to apply to individuals chosen for salvation.
Is the L found in scripture? Nope, if Christ dying as a ransom for all people is denied.
Is the I found in scripture? Nope, if God crediting our faith or not is denied.

 

That would mean our election to salvation is conditional, rather than unconditional!

 

1 Corinthians 12:3
Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. ​

I believe the idea is that if a person says or thinks Jesus is accursed, they are not proclaiming something in accordance with the "Spirit of Truth." Likewise, no one can actually have Jesus as "Lord" unless they have been baptized spiritually into Christ by the Holy Spirit.

 

Dirty little secret: Many are called (invited) but few are chosen is a verse (Matthew 22:14) missing from the knowledge base of those teaching falsehoods.

Which points of the TULIP miss the mark?
Is the T found in scripture? Nope if said to apply to all people at all times.
Is the U found in scripture? Nope, if said to apply to individuals chosen for salvation.
Is the L found in scripture? Nope, if Christ dying as a ransom for all people is denied.
Is the I found in scripture? Nope, if God crediting our faith or not is denied.

 

Here is #1, Is it wrong to believe fallen mankind is able to seek God and trust in Christ, in light of God revealing Himself and providing the gospel of Christ?

John 4:35
“Do you not say, ‘There are still four months, and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I tell you, raise your eyes and observe the fields, that they are white for harvest.

Matthew 9:36-38 (NASB)
Seeing the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. “Therefore, plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

There would be no harvest of lost people unless that were able to respond to the milk of the gospel. The request is not for more beams of "irresistible grace" to compel people, but for more workers to witness.

 

2) Did God really choose some foreseen individuals with or without foreseen faith when He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world? If this was a corporate election then God did not choose any specific individuals, just the target group of His redemption plan, those who would be redeemed by His Redeemer.

1 Peter 2:10
You once were not a people, but now you are God's people. You were shown no mercy, but now you have received mercy.

If individuals had been chosen before creation, they would always have been a people chosen for God's own possession.
If individuals had been chosen before creation, they would always have received mercy unless you think election to salvation is not an act of mercy.

 

3) Is our faith in Christ really instilled supernaturally, i.e. a gift of faith? What does scripture say, 1 Corinthians 12:3 and Ephesians 2:8?

1 Corinthians 12:3
Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. ​

I believe the idea is that if a person says or thinks Jesus is accursed, they are not proclaiming something in accordance with the "Spirit of Truth." Likewise, no one can actually have Jesus as "Lord" unless they have been baptized spiritually into Christ by the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ​

I believe the idea is that salvation by grace is the gift of God, and is accessed through or by way of faith, provided God credits that faith as righteousness.

So yet again, the verses cited as supporting the pre-salvation "gift of faith" actually teach salvation is accessed through faith. Just as 2 Thessalonians 2:13 demonstrates, individuals are chosen for salvation through faith in the truth. Romans 5:1-2

 

5) Does choosing to seek God and trust in Christ make salvation dependent on man and not on God? Romans 9:16

I believe the answer is "NO" because salvation does not depend on the person who wills to be saved, or does things (i.e. runs) to be saved, but upon God alone. The second and third soils of Matthew 13 put their faith in the gospel but God did not choose to credit their faith, and therefore they we never saved.

 

6) Does Christ making it possible for all men to be saved mean He does not actually save all who are saved?

I believe the answer is "NO" because Christ accomplished two separate victories, (1) His sacrifice provides the means of salvation for all humanity, those to be saved, and those never to be saved, 2 Peter 2:1. But more to the point, when God chooses an individual based on crediting their faith as righteousness, and transfers them from the domain of darkness into Christ's kingdom, the consequences of their sins and sinful state are taken away, they are forgiven, washed with the blood of the Lamb.

All this phony baloney about Christ not actually saving everyone saved is absolute nonsense.

 

LOL, Unconditional Election of Individuals for salvation is obviously false doctrine. Why all these references to non-germane passages? 2 Thessalonians says individuals are chosen for salvation through faith in the truth. Romans 5 says our faith provides our access to God's grace. Did you say why many are invited but few are chosen? Nope.

What you did was ask vague questions about unreferenced passages. The parable of the wedding feast is found in Matthew 22:1-14. The parable teaches that many are invited, but few are chosen. Even though a person might hear the gospel and affirmatively respond, like the second or third soils of Matthew 13, it is still up to God to choose whether the person is clothed properly with faith.

As far as Matthew 9:12-13, the passage actually supports conditional election. Sacrifice refers to rote adherence is the Law's requirements for sacrifices, which means nothing, but rather God looks into the person's heart to see his love for others produces mercy.

 

Here we have a Calvinist posting nonsense, trying to derail discussion of bible study questions.

Matthew 13 comes after the Second Coming? LOLROF

Did anyone say "half saved?" Nope, so more straw-man fictions hoisted as a smoke screed.

Did I say God calls the righteous? Nope so more straw-man fictions hoisted as a smoke screed.

Did I say God chooses a few of those self righteous people? Nope so more straw-ma fictions hoisted as a smoke screed.

What have I said? God gives grace to the humble but opposes the proud...