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Simply because God knows what choice man is going to make does not mean that He is foreordained, chosen, or forced to make that choice. He does have the choice within God's sovereignty.
If man can freely reject God than he can freely accept him. You can't have one without the other. To freely reject is the admission of a will. If that is the only choice he has then it is not a choice and it is not free. In fact it is no choice at all--it is force. If he has the ability to reject then he must have the ability to receive. Then and only then will your statement make sense.
The fact that God knew aforetime that he would reject him does not alleviate him from his will and choice to reject him. Neither does it mean he was forced to reject him. Neither does it mean he was elected to do so. He had the choice.
Then that makes this statement wrong:Their fallen nature precludes them from freely accepting Him. Their nature must be changed first...
No, not at all. Why would omniscience constrain a man to do anything. If he didn't know he wouldn't be God. He knows what you what you will type in your next post, but you can't fool God. You can say: I am going to type something different then. But God still knows (even before the foundation of the world) what you are going to type). He is omniscient, and he is not forcing you to make a post with any certain content. He just knows what it will be.If God knows before what man is going to do does that not constrain the man? The man must do what God knows he is going to do, therefore, eliminating his "free will"?
Then that makes this statement wrong:
"Men frely reject God, no coersion needed. It's what comes naturally to them..."
--There is no freedom to reject God is there?
Brother, we ALL believe that. These debates are over the fatalism of Calvinism. And why the Calvinist feels a need to hold back some things they believe to be true.
Their fallen nature precludes them from freely accepting Him. Their nature must be changed first...
If regeneration happens first, is salvation a process or an event?It all starts with the heart of a fallen man. The heart is corrupted, hardened by sin. That's why regeneration happens first.
If regeneration happens first, is salvation a process or an event?
If regeneration happens first what is the longest possible gap there can be between regeneration and salvation?
According to Scripture? What scripture teaches that?I know not how long it is betwixt regeneration and conversion. I just know, that according to scripture, that regeneration leads to conversion/salvation...
According to Scripture? What scripture teaches that?
Not one of those Scriptures dictate that regeneration must precede salvation.Ezek. 11:19, 36:26, John 3:3 for starters...
No, not at all. Why would omniscience constrain a man to do anything. If he didn't know he wouldn't be God. He knows what you what you will type in your next post, but you can't fool God. You can say: I am going to type something different then. But God still knows (even before the foundation of the world) what you are going to type). He is omniscient, and he is not forcing you to make a post with any certain content. He just knows what it will be.
So though God is omniscient He could be wrong if the man's "free will" chooses/does something different than God ?knows? he is going to choose/do?
Mark 10:21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
The answer to your question is: because of their own free will they reject the gospel; they reject Christ.
I believed the first time I heard the gospel. That is unique.Then if God loves everyone why does He not extend a little more Grace to those hard to convince. Why did you believe when so many others don't? I ask that question earlier but don't believe I got an answer!
I never try to out guess God since God is not in the guessing game. I believe you claim God is omniscient, so do I!God is never wrong. He knows everything about you. You can't outguess God.
Ponder the following verses by David:
Psa 139:4-6
(4) For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
(5) Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
(6) Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
I really would not call your response "Unique", given what it means!I believed the first time I heard the gospel. That is unique.
I know of a woman, a godly woman but married to a man that was unsaved.
Every Sunday morning her husband would come faithfully to church with her.
He sat under the preaching of the Word of God. Every Sunday the gospel was given. Every Sunday he refused--sometimes under great conviction, even grasping the pew in front of him. What caused that rebellion? Why the rejection of Christ? It went on for years. After a number of years they moved, and I never found out if he ever got saved or not.
Man has the opportunity. He resisted the Holy Spirit--time and again he resisted it.
I trusted Him immediately.
Everyone is different. And everyone of us will give account of ourselves, whether in the Judgment Seat of Christ or in the Great White Throne Judgement.
Why should it be strange that one's knowledge forces one to do something.I never try to out guess God since God is not in the guessing game. I believe you claim God is omniscient, so do I!
I never argue with Scripture properly used like many I know. You say that God, in His omniscience, knows beforehand what man is going to do yet you deny that constrains what man does! Strange!