I actually quoted these in address of the comment, "Care to show me where I have said my faith saves me?" I have corrected the puncuation, so the question mark is not found in the original quote. They did not load until I pulled up this post, but I thought it good to present them anyway. It gives insight to the fact that despite saying God is sovereign, at the root of your faith is faith itself.
And keep in mind while reading, these comments were given in a context of rejecting what is said:
that God chooses who will be saved without considering any merit or action on their part,
Again, the merit and/or action is a condition of salvation. That is what this says.
That man, contrary to scripture, does nothing in regard to his salvation.
Man does something to be saved. That is what this says. And it defies Paul's teaching that it is not of ourselves.
When you say that God has to open their heart to the truth then we have to ask why He only opens some hearts and not all since we know He desires all to come to Him.
The problem is, I didn't say that, but have specifically said I believe God gives every man and woman opportunity. Does what your antagonist believes really mean so little to you that you feel you have license to unjustly and dishonestly represent their positions in a public forum?
As you rightly said we are saved by God's grace because of our faith/trust in Him. Our faith does not save us but it is the condition of our salvation.
"We are saved, not by God's grace, but because of our faith/trust in Him."
In the future, you might want to throw in that little issue of "... through faith." This way, those unlearned in salvation will not notice the blatant error of your teaching. This implies our faith and/or belief allows God to save us through grace.
That is why I said, "We are saved by grace through faith, not by faith through grace."
Faith is not a work but it is a condition of salvation.
You are trying to say two things at once. Men have to believe/have faith but this isn't a work.
For my view, this is true. But not for yours, because you continue to deny that it is God, and His grace by which men can repent, believe, and have faith.
You continue to teach that natural men have this ability within them, denying the teachings of Christ and Paul, and a few of the Prophets as well.
The Holy Spirit has told us all are convicted.
This is a starting point: understanding that the Comforter reveals truth to natural men so they can believe is not the same as man being made puppets. When that truth is revealed to them, and their understanding is opened, as I said, it isn't something anyone can reject. It's like trying to deny the sun produces sunlight. The ability the natural man did not and does not have, that is, to understand spiritual truth, has been given to the one coming under conviction by the truth God is revealing.
The Gospel, now and forever—stands at the top of the list in regards to spiritual truth. He gives us an entire Old Testament testifying that the saving truth of the Messiah is coming, and the majority of the New in explaining to us that is has come, and what it means.
Again, I believe all men and women will come under conviction, and it is at this time that the natural man either actively rejects the Gospel (which is fully within his inherent ability) or receives the Gospel (which is a condition that has been made possible, not because of what the man has done, but because of what God is doing.
Do you notice the conditions there, the person must hear and believe prior to their being saved.
Again—how can they do that?
John 16:7-9
King James Version
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
8 And when he is come,
he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9
Of sin, because they believe not on me;
Who makes it possible to believe? He does. It wasn't something within your ability as an unbeliever. You were predisposed to unbelief.
Here is an example of why it is foolish to impose faith and belief as "conditions (to be met in order to be saved):"
John 14
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Look at it carefully. We have your "condition" of believing.
Or do we?
One will do the works He did if they believe? Can I point out that this is prophetic in nature, because obviously no one is believing? Christ is teaching about the Age to come, and it is another no-brainer, "Those who believe will ..."
No different in any verse you find your condition in.
You are making my point, the person has to think something is true before they will trust in the one or the situation the information is about.
And before that, they have the ability to understand that truth.
Natural man does not.
Again ...
1 Corinthians 2:11-14
King James Version
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
That anyone would deny this passage is always amazing to me. It cannot be construed in any way to make the natural capable of receiving or knowing the spiritual things of God.
Paul credits God for the knowledge he has received, and takes this back to the natural condition. It is incontrovertible Bible Truth.
You said “God opened your heart to these truths.” see post # 64 So the question stands. If God has to open their heart to the truth and He desires all to come to repentance then why does He only open so few hearts?
Again, we see a mixture of what I have said with what I haven't. We also see you trying to say two things at once.
Where do you stand? Dos He open all hearts, or just some? Your very statement denies that God opens all hearts to understanding the truth He reveals to them. The truth, I will add, by which He will also judge them. They won't go into eternal separation because they never had an opportunity. They will go into eternal separation because, after knowing the truth, they turned from the truth.
God is Just. Arguments that presume to place blame on Him for the eternal damnation unbelievers will face show a lack of understanding of God's righteousness.It's the, "If God is good, why does He let bad things happen?" routine.
Continued...