Can An Unregenerate Man Repent?

[Dave G]

Indeed, so God here regarded His own people, the elect Jews, with "disgust and hatred"!

Yes, He did.

In Romans 9:13, the Hebrew and the Greek means, "to love less".

To me, hate means "hate", at least there.

As when Jesus says that we must "hate" our family, and then we are told that we must "hate" no person.

I agree...for that passage.

What Jesus is saying in the former, is that we ought to "love Him more", and everyone and everything, "less".

Again, I agree...for those passages.

 

[Dave G]

You guys keep on misusing the Word of God for theological gain

I'm not gaining anything by believing and teaching a doctrine that most people hate.

 

[SavedByGrace]

I'm not gaining anything by believing and teaching a doctrine that most people hate.

For God SO LOVES the human race!!! Can you not see this clearly??? Most people hate the way the so called reformed/calvinists misuse the Word of God for their theology, and disregard what actually says. In a way, you guys are no different to the JW's!

 

[Dave G]

Regardless of what the Bible actually says!

Speaking of what the Bible actually says, what does this say?

" And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." Acts of the Apostles 13:48 ).

 

[AustinC]

I'm not gaining anything by believing and teaching a doctrine that most people hate.

Correct. There is no gain in a belief that God must choose to redeem an undeserving and godless person, take that person into His family and clean that person up into the image of Jesus His Son.
To the unredeemed it is a foolish and offensive message that is hated. What gain is there?

 

[Dave G]

For God SO LOVES the human race!!!

" The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity." ( Psalms 65:4 ).
" The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth." ( Psalms 11:5 ).

For God so hates the worker of iniquity...can you not see that?
If you do, then His love has a context, does it not?

So does His hatred of individuals.

 

[SavedByGrace]

as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

well, if you know anything about Greek Grammar, you should know that the Greek here can mean, either passive or middle voice. Since in verse 46 it was the Jews who rejected the Gospel, and considered themselves unworthy of eternal life, which are self-actions; likewise, the Gentiles by their acceptance of the Gospel, "enrolled" (what the Greek actually says), themselves with the Lord!

 

[Dave G]

Most people hate the way the so called reformed/calvinists misuse the Word of God for their theology, and disregard what actually says. In a way, you guys are no different to the JW's!

I'm not "Reformed", nor am I a "Calvinist".
But I understand why you react the way that you do.

well, if you know anything about Greek Grammar, you should know that the Greek here can mean, either passive or middle voice.

Respectfully,
Do you honestly think that God's people are unable to discern what something in His word means without resorting to learning the Greek or Hebrew?
I don't.

In fact, I hold that all a saved person has to do is simply pick it up and read it.
He'll show the believer how to understand it, SBG.

But to respond to your point above, I believe it to be passive.

Since in verse 46 it was the Jews who rejected the Gospel, and considered themselves unworthy of eternal life, which are self-actions; likewise, the Gentiles by their acceptance of the Gospel, "enrolled" (what the Greek actually says), themselves with the Lord!

I disagree.

To me, it very plainly says, "ordained", which means, "appointed".
Resorting to the Greek, I clearly see the word being, "τάσσω", which means "to appoint, to put in order, to ordain":
G5021 - tassō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (KJV)

Those that were ordained or appointed by God to eternal life, were the only ones who believed Paul's preaching there.

 

[SavedByGrace]

" The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity." ( Psalms 65:4 ).
" The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth." ( Psalms 11:5 ).

For God so hates the worker of iniquity...can you not see that?
If you do, then His love has a context, does it not?

So does His hatred of individuals.

Ezekiel 33:11, "Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’"

You teach hate, God teaches Love! The Hebrew for "pleasure", "châphêts", means to "desire"!

 

[SavedByGrace]

I'm not "Reformed", nor am I a "Calvinist".
But I understand why you react the way that you do.

Do you honestly think that God leaves the understanding of His word up to scholars, and they are unable to discern what something means without resorting to learning the Greek or Hebrew?
I don't.

in fact, I hold that all a saved person has to do is simply pick it up and read it.
He'll show the believer how to understand it, SBG.

I disagree.
It very plainly says, "ordained", which means, "appointed".

Those that were ordained to eternal life were the only ones who believed Paul's preaching there.

I am done with you, as you are BLIND to Bible Truth, and REFUSE to see!!!

 

[Dave G]

Ezekiel 33:11, "Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’"

Truly God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked...
Even though He hates them and they hate Him ( Matthew 10:22, Matthew 24:9, John 3:19-20, John 15:18, Romans 1:30, 1 John 3:13 ), He has no pleasure in their deaths.

God is infinitely able to save anyone that He wants...
But He does not leave that up to us to decide.

You teach hate, God teaches Love! The Hebrew for "pleasure", "châphêts", means to "desire"!

Once again, I disagree.

I teach a God that is terrible in His wrath towards rebellious sinners who refuse to repent, and kind and loving in His grace and mercy towards His children who He has graciously granted the desire and ability to repent.
A God who saves according to His purposes and not ours...according to His will and not ours.

God's love of sinners has a context, and His hatred of sinners has a context.
That is Who I see when I read the Bible for myself, with no help from men...

A God that is worthy of respect and admiration because we cannot put Him into a box filled with our expectations of Him.

 

[Dave G]

I am done with you, as you are BLIND to Bible Truth, and REFUSE to see!!!

Respectfully,
If I'm blind to the truth, then only God can make me to see, can't He?

Also, I feel the need to ask...
Why are you getting ( seemingly ) impatient with a blind man ( from your perspective ), who is unable to see...instead of obeying 2 Timothy 2:24-26?


Please consider these things as you go about your daily life, and know that I wish you well, despite our disagreements.
May God bless you, sir, in many ways and with many good gifts.

 

[Tsalagi]

“Yes the Word of God is powerfully persuasive in itself, but until born again, unregenerate men cannot and will not be persuaded by it." -- John Owen

With all due respect to the copious quarts of ink spilled in the multiple books quoted here (and subsequent lively discussion), the simple teaching of the Bible appears to be that what convicts the unregenerate man and provides the occasion for repentance is not the Scriptures, so the unregenerate man's lack of susceptibility to its teaching is not the issue. Conviction resulting in repentance and salvation is based on God's personal revelation of Himself in the heart of every man through the witness of creation (Ecclesiastes 3:10-11, Romans 1:18-21), and (now) through direct testimony from the Holy Spirit (John 16:8). This, according to Paul, leaves any man who suppresses the truth of God's eternal power and deity without excuse and a target of divine wrath.

So based on the witness of scripture I would say yes, an unregenerate man can repent and worship God even in ignorance of scriptural revelation (Matthew 12:41, Acts 17:23). Those who acknowledge and "feel after Him" like the Athenians will be given additional truth (Matthew 13:12, 25:29; Acts 17:30-31); those who don't won't.

 

[Sai]

Please do not waste our time posting your inventions as to my biblical view.

Did I say God could not choose those whose faith He credits as righteousness. Nope
Did I say God's election for salvation through faith in the truth was not fair? Nope

I do not know what your attitude toward God is, I assume it is totally appropriate. Finding fault with others is a waste, and as a tool to bolster false assertions, a logical fallacy.

I have cited several verses which preclude all people being afflicted with total spiritual inability. The doctrine is clearly bogus.

I’m sure you have. My bad. Not important enough to go back and read through all the baby food.

Blessings

 

[Scott Downey]

As you can see folks, non-germane verse after verse is posted, but they do not support that the lost cannot will to be saved (Romans 9:16) or seek to be saved (Luke 13:24) or Luke 11:32 where the men of Nineveh repented. Verse after verse folks, it is a lock.

Why do you think the Ninevites were redeemed-saved?

They rise at the 'judgement' along with all the others to be judged, this would be the great white throne judgement of all the dead.
Nineveh was spared an immediate at the end of 40 days destruction only. Never any indication of an eternal salvation for them, they were an exceedingly evil nation too in their time which God did destroy.

 

[Scott Downey]

What I can never understand about reformed theology is the denial and rejection of John 3.16 which very clearly says that salvation is freely available to the entire human race. There is no other way to take the words

Only for those who believe.

Christ dies so that believers wont perish and may have eternal life and for believers only did Christ die.
Christ did not die for unbelievers, that actually makes no sense.

Whoever does not believe, God has condemned already because they have not believed, Christ's death does nothing for them, because that was not the purpose for why Christ came. Christ died for the sheep.
John 10:11
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
John 10:15
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

The phrasing of that statement v18, is intriguing as this condemnation is from ETERNITY PAST, known to God from Eternity are all His works.
Acts 15:18 - Bible Gateway
As also does Jude say it like this, 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

John 3
13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

 

[Van]

Why do you think the Ninevites were redeemed-saved?

They rise at the 'judgement' along with all the others to be judged, this would be the great white throne judgement of all the dead.
Nineveh was spared an immediate at the end of 40 days destruction only. Never any indication of an eternal salvation for them, they were an exceedingly evil nation too in their time which God did destroy.

And once again, the Calvinist changes the subject to avoid truth, the lost of Nineveh repented. Let me repeat that, repented. That is the issue. Calvinist claim the lost cannot repent, but scripture says over and over they do.

 

[MB]

Can An Unregenerate Man Repent?
You had better hope so. Since all are lost to begin with it has to happen.
MB

 

[Van]

Luke 10:13
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

Here Calvinism calls Jesus a falsifier, because those lost people could not have been persuaded to repent because they saw miracles - no sir, they were afflicted with total spiritual inability and would not have repented.

 

[MB]

Luke 10:13
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

Here Calvinism calls Jesus a falsifier, because those lost people could not have been persuaded to repent because they saw miracles - no sir, they were afflicted with total spiritual inability and would not have repented.

They were Jews and cursed because of there rejection of Christ.The Jews are still cursed and will be until the Lord takes the curse away. Yet in Acts 28: 28 Paul says the Gentiles will hear.
MB