Originally posted by connieman:
KJV1611...you appear to imagine that you are one of the relatively few intellectually, morally, or spiritually superior human beings who have the good sense, of your own natural volition, to "accept" Christ, and thus save yourself from the wrath of God. Most ordinary men, being too stupid, or too evil, will, of course, reject Him, to their everlasting damnation. Oh, if only we could all have such enlightened "free-will" power as do you!
Vain, proud boaster! Don't you see that all men, including yourself, are become "all together filthy" before God, according to the scriptures? Because of pride, men will not call upon the Name of the Lord. Indeed, because of their sin, they cannot. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
BTW, would love to hear you read the original KJV1611 translation. Of course, the only REAL Bible is in Hebrew and Greek, and a little Aramaic. Are you fluent in the original languages? Regrettably, I am not, and have only a smattering of Latin. Thank God for William Tyndale, eh?
No, the Bible says "It is of Him(God) that ye are in Christ Jesus..." I Cor 1:30 It is NOT of ourselves.
Regards, in the Name of Him whom we love, because He first loved us, and gave Himself for us, when we were "without strength."
connieman
Connieman, this is something I keep seeing over and over. The arrogant and insulting attitude you displayed in that post is something that seems to crop up over and over again with those holding to the Reformed position. I can only assume it is a fruit of that position, actually.
If you want to call responding to God's call with a yes or no "doing" an "act", that is fine. That is up to you. But when I make dinner and call the family to come sit down, their 'act' of coming is in no way relative to my preparing the dinner! They are -- as teens -- free to come or refuse to come (if sick or jammed with homework or something), but I am still the one who has done all the work which they, presumably, will enjoy the benefits of.
God has done everything. That is not even the point. Responding to that salvation offer is not the same as having done something to contribute to it.
However we are also not robots. God truly did create each of us in His image, with a spirit and the ability to make free choices. The fact, again, that He has always known what those choices would be does not negate the freedom HE gave us to make them. "Choose this day whom you will serve" is not an idle statement. "Many are called, but few are chosen" is NOT an idle statement, either, and indicates quite clearly that God's call can be refused, and that the choosing is then a mutual affair.
You don't have to be afraid of your freedom to accept or reject God's offer -- He's big enough for all of it. He invented the system. He truly is God.
He is not surprised by anything we do. He knows us too well for that. Nor will he allow expression of those desires we have which He cannot use to the benefit of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). But please note that it is a man's heart that God judges, and those desires of his heart may run rampant with all manner of perversions, but God controls absolutely what is expressed and when. Now and unredeemed man may give those evil desires full reign or he may attempt to control them himself. That is a free choice in his part, too.
And when God shows him the "God's-eye view" of his heart occasionally (which He has done with everyone I know), the man can reject it, preferring the lie of his own 'innate goodness,' or he can mentally throw up at the sight. What a man does with the truth God presents Him with at various times in his life is completely the man's choice. That is why Romans 1 says that God's wrath is being poured out on those who suppress the truth, PREFERRING something else. That preference is their choice. If they had no choice, it would be unjust of God to be angry with them. I cannot possibly be angry with a plant for growing or a hurt child for crying, or chili peppers to burn my tongue -- that is in the nature of those things.
So although we each are born with a nature that INCLINES toward evil (Genesis 8:21), we also have the choice about what to do about that inclination: go with it or try to fight it. The Christian message is that we are helpless to fight it on our own, but that Christ has fought and won the battle for us. He will give us a new nature. Forgiveness is ours and atonement is fully accomplished. Do we want it? Yes or no. We have done none of the work either way we answer. Yes means we die to ourselves and are given a new nature. No means we prefer ourselves and reject His offer.
To say yes or no to God is not a work, but it is a choice. It is one He gives us. If He had not given us that choice, then we would be incapable of loving Him back, for love to be love requires the freedom not to love, not to commit. And we were created to love, and thereby bring God glory.
To deny man freedom of choice is to make him one with the animals and deny the very creation of man in the image of God.