Originally posted by webdog:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr /> Notice, if you care to learn the truth of Scripture, that Jesus Christ said He Chose, not His disciples. Also notice that God through the Apostle Paul tells us that He chose us before the foundation of the world and predestinated us unto the adoption of children according to HIS WILL, not according to our will.
You left out the most important part... IN HIM. All who are "in Christ" are those chosen. </font>[/QUOTE]webdog
If you will carefully read you will learn not only what I wrote but what Scripture teaches. You will note that in my quote of Ephesians 1:3-7 I highlighted the words
chosen in him.
You are getting close to Scriptural truth when you state: "All who are 'in Christ' are those chosen." I agree that all who are "in Chirit" are those chosen. You seem to at least understand that the saved are chosen. However, Scripture teaches that
only those who are chosen will, in God's own time, be "in Christ".
There is a passage of Scripture that clearly teaches what you apparently are unwilling to believe.
John 1:11-13
11. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
You might also read with an open mind the words of Jesus Christ ito Nicodemus in John 3:3-8
3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Notice that Jesus Christ does not tell Nicodemus that he must believe before he is born again. Rather He tells Nicodemus that this rebirth is the work of the Holy Spirit, consistent with the teaching of Paul in Ephesians 2:1-10. But of course since both passages have the same author that is to be expected.
Notice also in John 3:8 that Jesus Christ states:
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Now if this rebirth were the result of man's faith he would be aware of its cause. So who are we to believe, those who believe that man is sovereign in Salvation or the words of Jesus Christ?