Is Faith an exclusive gift ?

[Scott Downey]

The world is unbelieving in Christ, things of the world and people of the world are under the sway of the devil. and the people OF the world will never believe and therefore can not be saved. Only those who are OF God hear what Christ says and believes in Him that God sent Him to save them.

18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

 

[Scott Downey]

John 3
46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?
47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

To be of God means to have been given EARS to HEAR what the SPIRIT speaks to the Churches. It means to have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, which grants and enables people to come to Christ in belief that what He says about Himself and God is the Truth.

John 6
63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing (the unsaved unregenerate mind is not of the Spirit of God, it is tied to the flesh only). The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
64 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 would betray Him.

65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”

 

[Barry Johnson]

Jesus is speaking about the unbelieving world. That world is convicted of their sins because they do not believe in Him.

Then further on Jesus is saying He, the Holy Spirit will come to you, (believing disciples), He will be within you and guide you (believers) into all truth.

Well that reasoning kinda falls apart when of course the Holy Spirit is reproving because of not Believing on him .To unbelievers. Who then have a choice to believe or not .

 

[Barry Johnson]

John 3
46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?
47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

To be of God means to have been given EARS to HEAR what the SPIRIT speaks to the Churches. It means to have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, which grants and enables people to come to Christ in belief that what He says about Himself and God is the Truth.

John 6
63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing (the unsaved unregenerate mind is not of the Spirit of God, it is tied to the flesh only). The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
64 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 would betray Him.

65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”

i notice your quoting before the Gospel has even happened lol .
John 12 .32And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, WILL draw ALL MEN unto me.

 

[Scott Downey]

i notice your quoting before the Gospel has even happened lol .
John 12 .32And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, WILL draw ALL MEN unto me.

Well depends on who is the ALL there supposed to be. I read it as ALL men whom God will save in the gospel, will be drawn through Christ.
To keep taking your POV, you have to keep ignoring all the other scriptures that say differently. I am not the one setting up a conflict with scriptures, you are.

That word Draw also means compel by force or drag and actually means a saving action due to Christ working in their life.
So it entirely means those who are being saved, and nothing to do with the unsaved.

It is spoken of like that here
John 6:44
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

so such who are DRAWN, are going to be SAVED, here Christ says God does that, but Christ says after He is resurrected, HE Christ will do what God had been doing.

 

[Barry Johnson]

Well depends on who is the ALL there supposed to be. I read it as ALL men whom God will save in the gospel, will be drawn through Christ.
To keep taking your POV, you have to keep ignoring all the other scriptures that say differently. I am not the one setting up a conflict with scriptures, you are.

That word Draw also means compel by force or drag and actually means a saving action due to Christ working in their life.
So it entirely means those who are being saved, and nothing to do with the unsaved.

It is spoken of like that here
John 6:44
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

so such who are DRAWN, are going to be SAVED, here Christ says God does that, but Christ says after He is resurrected, HE Christ will do what God had been doing.

No that would be putting a private interpretation into the text . Jesus says he will DRAW ALL men after the cross. Calvinists have no idea what to do with this because they think John 6 ( before the cross bizarrely) is the Gospel?

 

[Barry Johnson]

Jesus is speaking about the unbelieving world. That world is convicted of their sins because they do not believe in Him.

Then further on Jesus is saying He, the Holy Spirit will come to you, (believing disciples), He will be within you and guide you (believers) into all truth.

It says who will be guided into all truth ?

 

[Barry Johnson]

Save your concerns.
I am reluctant to attempt to articulate the view of another, but I do not believe that MB claims that Gods Word changes the heart, I believe that he advocates God responding to the faith of and from the person and then God acting to save. You can ask him for clarification of his beliefs.

I am a Doctrine of Grace monergist, so I hold to a different paradigm of how God saves.

Paradigm being the key point here .

 

[Scott Downey]

It says who will be guided into all truth ?

CLEARLY, the you here is not the unbelieving world. He is speaking to His disciples, aka, His people, they are the only ones who get guided into all truth.
Because obviously the world does not receive the Holy Spirit because they can not know the truth.
and v15, also shows that, because God will not give the inheritance to unbelievers of the world.

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

ABOUT this Holy Spirit teaching ...
2 Cor 2

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned

 

[Scott Downey]

People seem to have reading comprehension problems due to their long ingrained bias... When the disciples did not understand, Jesus would ask of them, are you hardened?

Mark 6:52
For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.

Mark 8:17
But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread?
Do you not yet perceive nor understand?
Is your heart still hardened?

 

[Scott Downey]

i notice your quoting before the Gospel has even happened lol .
John 12 .32And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, WILL draw ALL MEN unto me.

NKJV
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”

Bible Gateway passage: John 12:32 - New King James Version

Not ALL men without distinction, simply from ALL the nations, he will draw men. which is exactly what we see happening. Men from all over the world are drawn, from every tribe kindred, nation , tongue are going to be saved.

Those drawn are those saved.

 

[Scott Downey]

G1670 - helkō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (KJV)

DRAW, means to drag a person forcibly and against his will (our drag, drag off)
No one is willing to believe in Christ and be saved unless God makes them willing by changing their hearts forcibly, even against their will.

This idea fits in perfectly with where Jesus says this
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

G1492 - eidō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (KJV)

Which verse then reads this way,

3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot turn the eyes, the mind, the attention to anything regarding the kingdom of God.”

3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot pay attention, observe the kingdom of God.”

3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot perceive, notice, discern, discover the kingdom of God.”

3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot have regard for, cherish, pay attention to the kingdom of God.”

And all that shows the unregenerate will have no care for Christ and so then will not believe Christ is GOD.

 

[Barry Johnson]

CLEARLY, the you here is not the unbelieving world. He is speaking to His disciples, aka, His people, they are the only ones who get guided into all truth.
Because obviously the world does not receive the Holy Spirit because they can not know the truth.
and v15, also shows that, because God will not give the inheritance to unbelievers of the world.

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

ABOUT this Holy Spirit teaching ...
2 Cor 2

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned

its clearly talking about the diciples . It precisely says who he is talking to , why are you going beyond who Jesus is speaking to ? Notice in verse 1¶These things have I spoken unto you
That ' you ' is not you .,

 

[Barry Johnson]

CLEARLY, the you here is not the unbelieving world. He is speaking to His disciples, aka, His people, they are the only ones who get guided into all truth.
Because obviously the world does not receive the Holy Spirit because they can not know the truth.
and v15, also shows that, because God will not give the inheritance to unbelievers of the world.

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

ABOUT this Holy Spirit teaching ...
2 Cor 2

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned

I still have many things to say to YOU but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide YOU into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell YOU things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to YOU .
pop quiz . Who's the YOU ?

 

[Barry Johnson]

NKJV
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”

Bible Gateway passage: John 12:32 - New King James Version

Not ALL men without distinction, simply from ALL the nations, he will draw men. which is exactly what we see happening. Men from all over the world are drawn, from every tribe kindred, nation , tongue are going to be saved.

Those drawn are those saved.

lol Of course the calvinists shell game. " All ? no silly , unless it fits our doctrine its not ' all without distinction " . " World? pah! we can change that to suit also . "

 

[Barry Johnson]

NKJV
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”

Bible Gateway passage: John 12:32 - New King James Version

Not ALL men without distinction, simply from ALL the nations, he will draw men. which is exactly what we see happening. Men from all over the world are drawn, from every tribe kindred, nation , tongue are going to be saved.

Those drawn are those saved.

I noticed you picked that one translation over these .
NASB
“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”
NLT
And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.”
ASV
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto myself.
DBY
and I, if I be lifted up out of the earth, will draw all to me.
HNV
And I, if I am lifted up from the eretz, will draw all people to myself."
RSV
and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."
YLT
and I, if I may be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto myself.'
WEB
And I, if I shall be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to me.
VUL
et ego si exaltatus fuero a terra omnia traham ad me ipsum
NIV
And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
ESV
And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
RVR60
Y yo, si fuere levantado de la tierra, a todos atraeré a mí mismo.
CSB
“As for me, if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to myself.”

NET
And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."
TR
κἀγὼ ἐὰν ὑψωθῶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς πάντας ἑλκύσω πρὸς ἐμαυτόν
MGNT
κἀγὼ ἐὰν ὑψωθῶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς πάντας ἑλκύσω πρὸς ἐμαυτόν
BYZ
κἀγὼ ἐὰν ὑψωθῶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς, πάντας ἑλκύσω πρὸς ἐμαυτόν.
WH
καγω εαν υψωθω εκ της γης παντας ελκυσω προς εμαυτον
BBE
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will make all men come to me.

 

[atpollard]

Who's the YOU ?

Why did John write what he included in his Gospel? (John 20:31)

 

[Barry Johnson]

Why did John write what he included in his Gospel? (John 20:31)

Because it happened. We read what happened to them . All of the bible is for us not all the bible is to us .What some do when they read the bible is they read every verse as if its to them directly.

 

[Barry Johnson]

People seem to have reading comprehension problems due to their long ingrained bias... When the disciples did not understand, Jesus would ask of them, are you hardened?

Mark 6:52
For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.

Mark 8:17
But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread?
Do you not yet perceive nor understand?
Is your heart still hardened?

Thats why everyone is commanded to repent . To change their mind which in turn means a change of heart . Rom 6.17 . Rom 10,9,10

 

[Barry Johnson]

Why did John write what he included in his Gospel? (John 20:31)

Because when we read the facts we have information to believe . Who Jesus is and what he did and what we need to trust and believe in what he did and who he is .