But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.

It is the Spirit who gives life ; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

"But there are some of you who do not believe " For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him.

The words of the spirit and life were spoken to people.....

Some of them could not understand because they were not granted the ears to hear. They were blind, deaf, and dead to things of the spirit.

And He was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father."

"Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word.

"He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God."

And Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind."

So Jesus said to them again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

"I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.

Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me.

"But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;

and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

"My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

"I and the Father are one."

The Father has given the sheep to His Son.

The sheep will hear His voice and come to Him.

The goats will not come because they have not been granted the ability to come.

The sheep have been saved by grace from eternity past.

It is the Fathers plan that the sheep will come to His Son, and NOTHING can snatch them from Him.

" The disciples came to him and asked, 'Why do you speak to the people in parables?'

He replied, 'The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.

Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.

This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand."

In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them."

"What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, as it is written: "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day."

The hard truth! Regards and God bless you all! KJB

 

dianetavegia,

Ok thanks! I thought that might have been the case.

To be honest, I am not even sure if I am keeping up with responses to me.

I have been trying to find and read all posts that may have been directed to me so I could try and respond.......

Maybe its because no one is responding! LOL

To everybody out there I am sorry if I missed responses and was not trying to be rude.

I was thinking of changing my name to protect the innocent.....although I know I am not innocent!

I might change my nic here in a little while.

God bless you dianetavegia!

Regards, KJB

 

Timtoolman,

Good point you bring up!

The text is proclaiming the natural bent will of Israel.

Even if Israel is God's chosen nation, it by no means insinuates that they were a good people that chose Him and were in perfect obedience.

They were rebels, stiffnecked, stubborn, vile, full of injustice, always turning away, ready and willing to kill every man ever sent to them by God! (prophets)

Even though they thought they were good, special, and wonderful people, they were still bound in a sin nature that was inherited.

It does not mean that the Holy Spirit is forever irresitable by sinners. All are sinners.

It shows that unless they are "circumcised in heart and ears" they always resist!

It takes nothing less than the work of Mighty God on the inner person to perform such circumcision of the human heart and human ears.

It is God that sets apart His own by granting them eyes to see, ears to hear Him...and a new heart.

For as the saying goes for all men. The heart is evil.

The heart of the problem......is the problem of the heart!

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. '

"If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?"


I have to agree with KenH there. Mankind by nature is a rotten rebel!

God bless you! KJB

 

Timtoolman,

Yes I would agree with you that all people by first birth, or first nature resist God.......

But His effectual grace, if it is in His will, is irresistable.

I mean that even though people have a natural will to resist the good and true things of God......God is able to overcome the resistance if He wills to do so.

He does not have to do so. He may also cause stubborness and hardness and no one can resist.

The main point is that He is sovereign over all things....including people.

dianetavegia,

Great points you bring up there!

I was not even thinking about Ananias and Sapphira.

It sure seems that lying to God could bring instant death upon people if God is willing to kill them.

It sure seems that a man and his wife could not resist being killed by the Holy Spirit.

I would say that even instant death is less to fear than that of standing before our Maker knowing we have lied about anything.

I know I need forgiveness in many areas for sure.

I want no wages...only mercy!

God bless you all. Regards, KJB

 

Timtoolman,

You posted;

I agree as most do that God is sovereign. ??

I agree that God is sovereign also!

But even if I did not agree....even if every creature on earth did not agree....He is sovereign because He is!

The issue with me and calvinist is I do not tell God how he is to be sovereign. That is up too Him and I just say amen!

What in blazes is the point in that little ditty datty? LOL

Like Calvinists direct God or something?

God has revealed certain things to us lame brained people.

Not ALL things mind you!

There are many things that belong to Him and Him alone!

Like why He chooses to save Fred Jones and not Fred Smith.

That is His secret will and His perogative.

Why? Because He is sovereign!

God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, always as He pleases. None can thwart Him, none can hinder Him.

"My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure" (Isa. 46:10)

He is not required to please people or save them from or for anything.

He is only obligated to the creature if He has by His own will obligated Himself!

"He doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay His hand" (Dan. 4:35)

He does all things according to His own will in the army of heaven (meaning He controls all spiritual agents)

AND

among all the inhabitants of the earth (meaning He has full control over piddly little pip squeeks like you and I)

Sovereignty means that God is in fact on the throne of the universe directing all things.

working ALL things "after the counsel of His own will" (Eph. 1:11).

So why would you say Calvinists tell God how to be sovereign?

Regards, KJB God bless

 

Timtoolman,

Ok....thanks for taking the time to give me an explanation.

You say you have free-will.....many people say they have it.

And there are other people that would say you do not have free-will.....there are many on both sides.

Now the truth of the matter is both sides can't be correct.

Which side is correct?

Is there a way we can know?

Let us both work together to find evidence one way or the other.

Let us set out to seek and find the truth!

Show me the evidence to support what you claim.

If a man simply claims to have free-will......
I would hope he has some sort of evidence to support his claim.

If there exists no evidence to support such a deeply held conviction....then why be convicted?

How about if I show Scripture that supports that the will of men is directed by Someone else?

Would you believe Scripture?

Would Scripture be convincing enough to give conviction?

The following is written to Christians and is reminding them to be persistent in obedience while maintaining a healthy aspect of respect for God in hopes they do not offend;

for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

The next verse describes how people are "born again";

who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

This shows how God can direct even the heart of a king;

The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

I would say that if God could direct a kings heart.......He most certainly can direct the hearts of common peasants such as you and I.

For as once the human heart was like an enemy...God changes it as He wills.

Is any of that good enough yet? I have more if you would like some.

What do you say about God turning hearts? Is He free to do so?

What about His giving new life to people according to His will? May He?

I will look forward to a nice civil discussion with you about such things!

God bless you! KJB

 

webdog,

Yes I can do that. Sorry bout that.

Timtoolman,

You posted;
One of my favorites KJB is when God told Moses to speak to the Rock yet MOses in anger struck it. What was God's will. Unless He was joking or has two wills then, IT was to speak to the rock. Now Moses struck the rock, not God's will as told to him verbaly! But it is a great picture of how man has free will but God's will is always done. See that is what I say. My God is great enough that He can and does allow man free will BUT HIS WILL IS ALWAYS DONE. What was God's will? That water would flow from the rock....and did it despite a disobeying man? Yep

If I can show you numerous other scriptures where God has given man free choice especially when it comes to salvation would you change your mind. I think not.

but go ahead and start where you want too. I will go on the offensive.

There is a difference in God's prescribed will and decreed will is what I would suppose. I would like you to show me where God has given men free-choice. Please do.

You may be able to show me where there have been options before men. Many options or few options. You may be able to show me where choices are made by men. But you cant show me they are free and have not been influenced.

By the way I don't want you to be on the offensive. I want you and I both to be UNITED together in truth!

Since you claim to have free-choice and I do not......it would be best if you would freely choose to believe the way I do and then we will both be united!

God bless timtoolman! KJB