--according to the flesh!You deny the Jews. Paul calls himself an Israelite even after he is saved.
--according to the fleshRomans 11:1 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.
It doesn't matter what skin color I am. Are you prejudiced. Do you think like some others do that blacks will be excluded from heaven. I just read of someone who held to that belief. Paul was speaking of skin color, his ethnicity.
Because you bring it up. Paul is saying it doesn't matter what color you are or who your grandfather is. He gave his ancestry. So what! That is not what gets you into heaven. Faith in Christ does.Why would you bring up Muslims? That is no argument for you.
Then, by the same reasoning, a Muslim does not have to give up his.A Jew does not have to give up their customs.
Hindus do not have to give up theirs.
Paul was speaking about culture not religion.Why are you adding to what Paul said? Paul said, “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law,” 1 Corinthians 9:20.
He did not say he would become a Hindu to win the Hindus; a Muslim to win the Muslims: a Buddhist to win the Buddhist. Nor as some have put forth, using the same reasoning you are doing did Paul say:
a drug addict to win drug addicts, an alcoholic to win alcoholics, a gambler to win gamblers, etc. Paul did not countenance these things, and yet that is what you are doing with this Scripture as you pervert it.
Because that is the way you are interpreting that Scripture. Paul gave up Judaism.Again, why would you say Paul said he became like a Muslim and converted to Islam?
It does but you conveniently ignore truth.You have no grounds for an argument. What you speak here has nothing to do with the truth.
Read the Book of Hebrews. The entire book is a book which encourages Hebrew believers to look unto Christ and forsake ALL of their Hebrew customs. They had to make a choice. The author urges them to go on and live for Christ, for to go back would be devastating. It would mean they were never saved in the first place, but the author really doesn't believe that. They had gone through many trials, persecution, and it would be easier to just go back and not face persecution any longer. Instead the author compares all the BETTER things we have in Christ to the LESSER things of the OT system.Paul says circumcision and uncircumcision means nothing. A person can follow the Jewish customs.
No he does not.Paul even says that if the Jews do not persist in unbelief they can be grafted back in, and EASIER.
This is prophecy. You have no understanding here.Romans 11:24 After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!
Let me point out some things that you said that one would find confusing. I know you are not a Calvinist, but you said some things that one could read as coming from a Calvinist.No way am I speaking like a hyper Calvinist. You say such things to draw suspicion on me. Do not say things you hear me go against all the time. That is not a good debate tactic.
Stop with trying to pretend I sound like a Calvinist. Do not go that route with this debate when you were doing so much better than your usual name-calling etc. Why do you not answer my questions? I will ask it again: If you are not sorry for your sins, then why in the world would you come to Christ, and why would God give you His Spirit?
We do have a choice in the matter.
No, I have not explained that to you. If you do not understand what I said I will gladly explain more.
I know how I know for me personally, but not everyone has had the kind of experience that I have had. The scriptures tell us to examine ourselves. I would tell them to ask themselves if they still doubt God and Jesus exist. I would tell them to examine themselves to see if they have given up any sins. I would ask if they feel different towards sin in their mind and heart. Other things I would tell them to ask themselves.
God who knows the heart gives the Holy Spirit to those He accepts.
This sounds like something a Calvinist would say.
God knows our hearts and he only gives the Spirit to the elect (those whom He accepts). Isn't that what the Calvinist believes?
First, He gives the Holy Spirit to all that come to Him. He doesn't reject anyone.
Second He accepts all who come to him; all who believe in him as Lord and Savior.
Third, there are no works involved. Salvation is by grace through faith and that not of works.
--Your statement does sound Calvinistic.
Here is another:
God knows those who love Him. We love God when we obey God. God does not even know you if you do not obey. Therefore, how did God save you if He did not know you yet?
You seem to be talking of the elect again.
There are some major mistakes here. God knows everyone, whether they love him or not. It doesn't matter whether I obey God or not; God loves me. God saved me on the basis of the shed blood of Christ, not on the basis of whether he knew me. He knew me before the foundation of the world. He knows all things. You are taking away from his omniscience.
And once again, God accepts those on the basis of their faith in Christ. Works cannot save. Being sorry for one's sins cannot save. Faith in Christ alone saves. Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes unto the Father but by me."