What is the Gospel?

[Tenchi]

Yes, He does. It is called omniscience. And He also is the one who gave the faith to begin with, Phil. 1:29, John 1:12-13.

Well, I don't know that God "looks into the future" and informs Himself of what is to come. That isn't omniscience, that is God doing research and learning. Is God, God - is He an omniscient God, in particular - if He only knows the future once He's looked into and seen what will occur? That doesn't seem like omniscience to me. I think a more robust, more reasonable conception of divine omniscience would hold that God has always known everything and doesn't, therefore, ever have to do any "looking into the future" to see what will happen.

 

[Tenchi]

ALL of grace; nothing of us.

But without compulsion, God waiting on us to humble ourselves under the Truth of the Gospel, and in faith trust in Christ as Savior and Lord, by doing so putting ourselves in position to be saved by the Savior.

Matthew 18:2-4
2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

James 4:8-10
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Matthew 7:21
21 Not every one who says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

John 5:24
24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

John 3:14-18
14 "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;
15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
18 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Romans 10:9-10
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

 

[asterisktom]

Well, I don't know that God "looks into the future" and informs Himself of what is to come. That isn't omniscience, that is God doing research and learning. Is God, God - is He an omniscient God, in particular - if He only knows the future once He's looked into and seen what will occur? That doesn't seem like omniscience to me. I think a more robust, more reasonable conception of divine omniscience would hold that God has always known everything and doesn't, therefore, ever have to do any "looking into the future" to see what will happen.

I probably didn't phrase that right. Let me just say that He doesn't just look into the future (as if He needed to find anything out) but that He knows the future because He controls it.

 

[kyredneck]

27 And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
32...Was not our heart burning within us, while he spake to us in the way, while he opened to us the scriptures? Lu 24

you can bet that there was more than a nutshell worth in what the Lord told those two disciples.

...would love to have heard that sermon...

 

[asterisktom]

27 And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
32...Was not our heart burning within us, while he spake to us in the way, while he opened to us the scriptures? Lu 24



...would love to have heard that sermon...

Who knows? Maybe it will be in the eternal archive for us to know about, I Cor. 13:12.

 

[JesusFan]

Well, I don't know that God "looks into the future" and informs Himself of what is to come. That isn't omniscience, that is God doing research and learning. Is God, God - is He an omniscient God, in particular - if He only knows the future once He's looked into and seen what will occur? That doesn't seem like omniscience to me. I think a more robust, more reasonable conception of divine omniscience would hold that God has always known everything and doesn't, therefore, ever have to do any "looking into the future" to see what will happen.

God always has known fully and totally what can be known, never had to learn know anything new

 

[Van]

So our faith might be "flawed" but that's OK because our works will save us? I don't think so.
God saves us first, and the works follow.

Works has nothing to do with it and you know that was not what I said. One fine day, someone will actually address what I post!

 

[Van]

And how does God know what He knows? Does He look into the future and see that a person's faith will endure to the end and be fruitful?

No! Please address what I said, these constant attempts to put words in my mouth are not useful.
God knows our heart, because scripture says so. God knows who actually believes and who does not. John 6:64.

 

[kyredneck]

Who knows? Maybe it will be in the eternal archive for us to know about, I Cor. 13:12.

1st Corinthians Chapter 13

12​	For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known.

 

[Van]

I think I need to say a bit more about this.
God justifies the ungodly (Romans 5:6). He takes the very worst of people and changes them through the Holy Spirit.
'This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners [c.f. Matt. 9:13] of whom I am the chief' (1 Tim. 1:15).
'For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit [John 3:5], Whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that having been justified by His grace [not by "commitment" or "devotion"] we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life' (Titus 3:3-6; c.f. Titus 1:2).

ALL of grace; nothing of us.

Again, posting truth, salvation is all of grace and nothing of our merit, does not even address the issue.

My point is His choice is not based solely on what we believe, but also on His recognition of our commitment and devotion to Christ, making Christ the overriding priority of our lives. So even if our understanding is flawed, just as perhaps a child might have a flawed (or limited) understanding, but has given his or her all to Christ, then God might credit that faith as righteousness, and transfer that youth into Christ.

Again, salvation depends not of what we believe, but on the grace of God who may credit our faith as righteousness, when it does not merit His grace. That would be works!!

 

[TheOneWhoLives]

No! Please address what I said, these constant attempts to put words in my mouth are not useful.
God knows our heart, because scripture says so. God knows who actually believes and who does not. John 6:64.

I did not put words into your mouth and to make such an assertion is a blatant lie. YOU said God knows something. Specifically, that God knows a person’s heart when they come to faith.

Now, please answer the question instead of resorting to smokescreen. How does God know the contents of a person’s heart? Does He change a person’s heart and then credits their faith as righteousness? Or does He credit a person’s faith as righteousness based on a person’s ability to change their own heart?

 

[Martin Marprelate]

Again, posting truth, salvation is all of grace and nothing of our merit, does not even address the issue.

My point is His choice is not based solely on what we believe, but also on His recognition of our commitment and devotion to Christ, making Christ the overriding priority of our lives. So even if our understanding is flawed, just as perhaps a child might have a flawed (or limited) understanding, but has given his or her all to Christ, then God might credit that faith as righteousness, and transfer that youth into Christ.

Again, salvation depends not of what we believe, but on the grace of God who may credit our faith as righteousness, when it does not merit His grace. That would be works!!

I'm sorry, and it gives me no pleasure at all to say this, but you are effectively denying the Gospel. When Paul asks the Corinthians, '...What do you have that you did not receive?' (1 Cor. 4:7), the answer he expects is "nothing, Paul!" Not, "Our commitment and devotion to Christ of course, Paul!" No! We bring nothing to Christ. If we did, it would mean that His shed blood was not enough to save us. '....When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son' (Romans 5:10).
And it's not true to say that it doesn't matter what we believe. To believe, however sincerely, that the moon is made of green cheese won't save you. To believe that there was such a person as Jesus of Nazareth who lived a long time ago and did a lot of good stuff saves no one. Even to believe that He is the Son of God won't help you unless you have seen yourself as a sinner and have trusted in His atoning sacrifice to save you (1 John 1:8).
Salvation is
By grace alone. Purely through the undeserved mercy and favour of God
Through Christ alone. Only His perfect life and atoning death can save sinners.
By faith alone. Faith is the medium that unites us to Christ, but even that is the gift of God, 'That no flesh should glory in His presence' (1 Cor. 1:29).
According to the Scriptures alone. No human wisdom, no scheme of angels or men (Gal. 1:6-9).
To the glory of God alone. Of course. '... That you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His glorious light' (1 Peter 2:9).