Is salvation available for anyone who desires it?

Works are works, not matter how you dress them up.

A person is saved by believing on the Lord Jesus.

Works, on the part of the individual, are not necessary, either before, or after; to get saved, or to stay saved.

The Bible does not say, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, then do a bunch of good works, and you will be saved".

 

The reprobate that does not accept the payment that Jesus made for his sins will of course go to hell however; just as man cannot pay for his own sins on earth neither can he pay for them in hell. He can suffer in hell for eternity but he can never pay for his sins in hell.

 

When God "Calls", that's a far as he goes until "WE" decide "IF" we will accept his call or reject it.

Re 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

This decision of "FAITH" or "unbelief" is one we make, not God, the "GIFT" of salvation is offered to "ALL", but "ALL" doesn't "open the door".

Ro 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation;

even so

by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

But the point is this, God calls, then stops, he doesn't "come in" until we "open the door", through/by "FAITH", and only after he "comes in" does any change in our life take place.

Eph 2:8 For by grace (of God) are ye saved through (Your) faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned:

but he that believeth not is condemned already, (all have sinned)

because (reason they are not saved from their sins)

he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

God is no respecter of persons with his "calling".

Ro 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

Jas 2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

Pr 24:23 These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.

Pr 28:21 To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress.

 

Just checking out threads. Noticed this one.
Uh- just FTR, is John 6:45 also in the Bible you are using? I seem to recall that verse saying something about :"And as it is written, "They shall ALL be taught of God..."
How about John 12:32 where Jesus said, "And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto myself...'?
And John 1:9 which says that "This (Jesus) was the true light which enlightens every man as he comes into the world."

Granted, I am here quoting from memory, so I may have misses a word or two, but the idea is there, I do believe.

In His grace,
Ed

 

BINGO!!!
Ed

 

I would say that the Arminians are still sucking their thumbs. [Hebrews 5:12-14]

 

one could also say the Calvinists are acting like little children...

'I'm one of the elite and you're not'

Children played the same games...

'My dad can beat up your dad.'
'I went to the zoo and you didn't'

The pride is quite evident.

 

I'm not one of the elite. There was nothing about me that could have made me attractive to God in any way. And yet He saved me.

You, on the other hand, apparently God know that you would be wise enough to hear the truth and make the right choice, so because of that He decided to save you.

And I'm the proud one?

Actually, I do struggle with pride. But I also know that I am not the only one.

 

Arminianism teaches that man had to contribute to his own Salvation; God could not do it by Himself. This is the basis for pride in Arminianism. Big I I I had to help God out.

Scripture teaches that Salvation is entirely by the Sovereign Grace of God. That certainly leaves no basis for pride in man.

By the way, I am not a Calvinist. I am a Baptist who believes in the Historic Baptist [Biblical] Doctrines of Grace.

 

Although I have just been a member of BB for a short period of time.....I have seen this arguement of "just exactly how God goes about saving people" go on for all my 44 years of being saved by God's Grace..

You may scoff at me, but thats ok...for I might be just a dumb old arkie....but thats ok....but I simply can't see no benifit in man continusally bickering on the exact preciese way God works in salvation.

As far as see both sides agree that the act of salvation is completed by God and God alone, the problem lies in man in his on intelect,trying to figure out every little detail on how,why and when God preforms His act of salvation...

Again I know that some will call me simple, and naive, but I have come to the conclussion that this matter like, how took nothing and spoke things into existance, I just can't explain. I just let God be God.

Oh I believe God is sovereign, omnipotent,omniscient.... but I can still see from studing the Scriptures that From Gen to Rev. God for some reason allows man to decide weither to serve Him or not......explain it????? I can't and wont....believe it?????? most definitely. I'm just thankful that He loved me and saved me.....exactly how this all transpired? I'm sorta like the blind man who Jesus gave back his sight when asked how it transpired...."All I know I was blind and now I see"

So as for me, I just come to the conclussion that God is God and I'm a mortal man.....and take the words found in Isa. 55:8&9 as truths.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

 

It's been going on for longer than 44 years, lol.

You make a good point about not being able to understand it all, but when someone holds a view that contradicts the Bible shouldn't they be corrected? On the other hand, if I hold a view that contradicts the Bible shouldn't I want to be corrected?

 

whosoever will, let him come and drink of the water of life freely. whosoever is 'all inclusive'

 

Amen. But what if no one will? What then?

 

no decision at all is still a decision

 

It's been going on for longer than 44 years, lol.

You make a good point about not being able to understand it all, but when someone holds a view that contradicts the Bible shouldn't they be corrected? On the other hand, if I hold a view that contradicts the Bible shouldn't I want to be corrected? </font>[/QUOTE]Oh I study history and know it's been going on longer than 44 years......but before my salvation it mattered not to me either way.....but when the Lord saved me...then I became interested in different views.

And yes I believe you are correct on both counts of correction.....I have been loveingly corrected many many times by God bringing a dear brother in Christ into my life to illuminate God's absolute truths to me,where I errored. But it was done through personell study on both our parts with the possible assumption that we both might be in error....not demanding that we are right and the other one wrong, and with the acceptance that there is some of God's marvelious works He does we just wont completely understand til we meet Him face to face.

 

I say a big amen arkie pastor. What usaully gets me started is when someone says
"it is so plain " and "all the contradictions found" as if somehow they have gained the knoweldge that no one else has gain and they know for sure. I know numbers do not always dictate right or wrong but by far most see the contradictions in calvinism.
I have tried to read the Bible is the a mindset towards calvinism but it led to too many contradictions. Many I have brought up on this board as I have read them that day for my devotions.

There are contradictions on both sides or problem verses I will admitt.