Featured Humans Do Not Generate Their Own Faith

No one knows anything without believing it (having faith).

 

Your question assumes that all Greeks are Christians. A corollary would be why aren't all Italians Catholic? You are presupposing that all Greeks are Christians, which they aren't, that the Greek Orthodox church has right theology (some, but certainly not all of their theology is correct), and that all Greek Christians are reading the word for themselves at a deep level of study. So, your question is invalid on several levels.

The Archangel

 

I know this response was not directed to me... but I have to say I've never read Calvin at any length. My theological conclusions are similar to his, perhaps, in some (though certainly not all) ways, but that did not come from reading Calvin. It came from reading Scripture. I would suspect many "Calvinists" share that experience.

The Archangel

 

I thought it was ' unconditional ' Election?
And the verse actually says , 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. It doesn't even imply that God caused his belief . That would be really odd . " Yes Abraham , because I caused you to believe, I really pleased by you believing, erm ..that I did and because you ..I mean I did this ,I will count unto you righteousness. Especially as I also caused you to offer up Issac , oh how I'm pleased, with myself for doing this to you for my glory "

 

My experience with Calvinism was because of being exposed to too many calvinist teachers before I really understood the issues and before I was grounded in the bible. I was swayed by the debate side of things ..James White ect ,then vodie baucham . I was convinced by the apologetic side of calvinism and assumed it was serious and scholarly compared with those pesky Charismatics . But then I actually started to look seriously at the P In the system and it all came unravelled from there ,till finally I understood Election and Predestination from the bible.

 

Your answer assumes there are Greek Calvinists.

Simply find any Greeks that are Calvinists. Whats the chances of them hearing the gospel from any reading the bible? Yet none of them get zapped regeneration into Calvinist understanding.

 

This really is a bizarre topic that Calvinism has created. It should be so obvious to us all ,and yet we have years of debate , great theolgians wrestling the issue back and forth .When it should just obvious that God is pleased by our Believing him . We can believe all sorts of things ; The Quran , The book of Mormon, scientology, become a Jehovah's_Witness , We can believe in aliens . But somehow we can't believe the Bible ? The Gospel ,God's revelation unless God causes us to. This is so silly we should be amazed how this concept ever got off the ground .

 

Isaiah 28

Isaiah is mocked by the drunkards
These men are mocking Isaiah telling him that they are not children, they don't need to be taught.

They in drunkeness stammer out what Isaiah has prophesied, making the sound unable to be understood peeping and muttering.

What these leaders have done was spell out how they are going to be judged. Because they did not believe Isaiah's prophecy the Assyrian army is going to invade and because they have never heard the Assyrian tongue before when they do it will be a sign to them because it will sound like their own mocking mumbling - peeping and muttering, it will be line upon line, precept upon precept.


This is the literal interpretation here.

 

" Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians [which is] in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace [be] unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
4 knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God." ( 1 Thessalonians 1:1-4 ).

Their election, or choice to be saved, was "of" ( by or from ) God.

 

Amen, Barry Johnson. What is more amazing is those who are the most susceptible to it are professional and educated people. Here is how bizarre it is.The Reformed teaches the exact opposite of what the scriptures declares. On our subject of "faith" for instance, the scriptures say the following;

Rom 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace;

Now, this passage in Romans 4 is the section in our Bible where God is dealing with the subject of justifying faith. Having declared in chapter 3 that faith is the principle of dealing with men throughout history he gives 3 illustrations of faith working in time. It is Abraham before the law was given, David under the law of Moses, and Christians after the law of Moses. We are all justified the same way, by believing God. We all did not believe the same thing, but we all believed what God said to us.This is all God requires for us to be justified in his sight. In Romans 8 we are told that it is God the Father who justifies. God was justifying men by faith 4000 years before Jesus Christ came to die for sinners. When Jesus Christ walked on this earth there was not a single person who believed in his death, burial, and resurrection and therefore God did not justify anyone in those days for believing that because that is not what he said to people in those days.

Mark 16:10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
13 And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.

These men who received the report of what these others had seen were justified men in the sight of God but they were not justified by this historical narrative. This is just what these people had seen. It was not the word of God at this time. It was the word of God when the word of God, who showed up a short time later and said it. When he says it, we must believe it.

14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Now, back to Rom 4:16. The Reformed teaches not that "it (the promise) is of faith that it might be by grace," but they teach the opposite, "that is is of grace, that it might be by faith." Isn't that what they teach when they say God must give a sinner faith for them to believe? Yes, that is what they say. He only gives this grace to a certain few and yet he calls on all the world to repent and believe the gospel he sent out his men to preach.

Look at this conclusion that is drwn from what is said in Rom 4;

;
Rom 5:1Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

What does that statement say? That faith is accessed by grace or that THIS grace is accessed by faith? Ask the Reformed and they will turn it backward every time.

Therefore, I conclude that the Reformed faith is a denial of biblical Christianity on the matter of faith and grace.

 

Barry,
I'm going to make one more reply in the hope that the Scriptures will persuade you on this matter:


1) Yes, God is pleased by people believing Him:
Romans 4:1-5.
James 2:21-24.

2) But the Scripture doesn't stop there...
It goes on to state why people believe on Christ.
John 6:29.
John 6:37-44.
John 6:64-65.
Philippians 1:29

Why they do not:
John 10:26.
Romans 11:7-8.
1 Corinthians 1:18.
1 Corinthians 2:14.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4.

3) God reveals His word ( and Himself ) to some and not to others:
Matthew 11:25-27.
1 Corinthians 1:19-31.

God is pleased to hide Himself from most, and to reveal Himself to His children.
The Gospel is foolishness to some, and wisdom to others.
Rejected by most, and embraced by few.

All of it is because of His electing grace.

I can only hope that someday you will see eternal life for what it is...
Not a gift that must be "accepted", but is instead a gift that was dropped into our laps by His kindness and mercy.

This is what makes it such a special gift, and one that will make believers want to praise Him for it for all eternity.
We will spend that time living in both His love and His kindness towards us through Christ Jesus.


Keep up your studies, Barry.
Every answer to your questions and comments is in His word ...
But it takes time and patience as we follow what the Lord tells us to do in 2 Timothy 2:15 and 1 Peter 2:2.

..and no, I'm not "talking down" to you.
I was once completely unaware of the details regarding His work in me, even though I am saved by His grace.
It has taken Him many years to show me what He has done for me.


I wish you well, sir.

 

I think Dave G has just proved your point lol .

 

The Bible does not say that at all
MB

 

This is why Christ died for the whole world. You are denying the Word of God

 

Accusing others of what you do your self LOL

 

Finally the truth LOL
MB

 

Because of your icon I keep imagining you galloping in and out of these posts . Each time your saying ' fare well ' then ride off onto your next battle lol

 

To make sense of a passage that says it pleases God by believing him we have to conclude that is his requirement. It doesn't beg the question 'how ' . Unless you have a doctrine that calls this into question . Famously ( I think its John Owen ) Made Cavinists ponder the Why some believe and some don't. But again step away from the " doctrine of total inabilty ' we would see why some believe and some dont . Usually the answers are right under the calvinists nose . Their proof texts namely . There's far too many Scriptures to list that say 1) it pleases God by believing him . And 2) He expects and commands people to do so . This is the A.B.Cs of the bible . Then Augustine comes along and argues against Pelagius using his Manichaeism gnosctism and boom , TOTAL INABILITY is born .

 

I am always amazed that many seem to think that we Calvinists worship at the Altar of John Calvin, and not the Lord Jesus!