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Calvinists would like to make people believe that if one does not teach universal salvation, he must either be a Calvinist or an Arminian. And since the Arminian position does such violence to the grace of God, many preferred to call themselves Calvinists. But a person doesn't have to take either position.
I am neither Arminian nor Calvinist. I believe in salvation by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ. I believe in the eternal security of the believer. I believe that Jesus Christ died for all men, and I believe what the Bible says, "That whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
skypair said:It is quite simple, really. Even Calvinists will tell you that the "foreknown" are believers. RC Sproul says that the passage wouldn't make any sense unless that were the case.
I have "heard that song before." :laugh: They are all "active" verbs meaning that God does them, eh? So God's "foreknowing" is an act on His part, not ours. True! What is "foreknowing?" It is "knowing beforehand," "foreseeing." Let's don't "trump this up" into something it is not. God could hardly be offering salvation/rebirth to "whosoever" (John 3:16) if He already decided who would be saved.
I do appreciate your interest in this topic though.
skypair
Is God omniscient, bbas? Does He, therefore, also know who won't believe? Is He going to conform them to the image of His Son? NO. (BTW, the notion that God "foreknows" = like Abraham "knew" Sarah is isogetic construct without any "redeeming value," if you get my drift.).bbas 64 said:Rom 8:29 For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren: Rom 8:30 and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Where does this passage make reference to God knowing who will believe?
Well, I have made the statement that......“I also noticed someone here saying that the process to salvation is:
Foreknowing, election, etc - but this isn't scriptural. Calvinism isn't scriptural”
Romans 8:29-30
V.29 ¶ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
V.30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
--------------------------------------------------1 Peter 1:2
"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."
That being the case, you would do well to "conflate" some of your steps into the Rom 8:29-30 "mold.". "Election" and "predestination" are the same thing. "Jusification" and "regeneration" are the same under the NT salvation model -- ditto for "redemption" and "glorification."stilllearning said:I believe the order of salvation is.......
foreknowledge, (It all starts with God, knowing the decision we will make
election, (Then we are elected and predestined to be saved
predestination,
redemption, (This is a result of our faith in Christ!)
regeneration, (This is the new birth.)
justification, (Being justified before God, based upon our faith.)
sanctification, (Being set apart unto God, as we obey Him.)
glorification (The moment we each get our glorified bodies!)
One of the reasons that I am here, is to try and come to a better understanding of how these concepts fit, into the Gospel of Salvation by Grace through faith, “and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God:”(Ephesians 2:8).
I plan to. But I am going at it slowly, because I have not arrived yet.“That being the case, you would do well to "conflate" some of your steps into the Rom 8:29-30 "mold."
andJames 2:14
“What [doth it] profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?”
Now some look at this, as being contradictory to the things said in Romans.James 2:21
“Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?”
EXCELLENT! My own pattern is prayer, meditation, and patience for the "precious fruit," Jas 5:7. I guess I have gone months before God answered my "inquiries" on some passages. But it has been oh, so precious to me when I received it!!! :godisgood:stilllearning said:I plan to. But I am going at it slowly, because I have not arrived yet.
Yes, I could look back at some of the conclusions, that great Saints of the past(Henry, Pink, Poole, Gill etc.), have come to, but I prefer to wait and study, and allow the LORD to clue me in, on these steps.
Here is an interesting nexus between Calvinist's definition of saving faith and the free will biblical view. They say (probably rightly) that "faith" and "belief" are the same. But how do they interpret then what James says here? "Belief" in itself obviously isn't enough -- the "devils also believe and tremble," Jas 2:19!! Is it not clear then that unless we do something with the belief we say we have that we are still as lost as "devils!?"James 2:14
“What [doth it] profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?”
Likewise here. This was obviously not the first instance of his faith/belief. Heb 11:8 also says "By faith Abraham, when he was called ... obeyed and went out..." It wasn't just that Abraham believed God but it was also that he responded to God's offer!James 2:21
“Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?”
No, sir. I admire that you want to take the right path but I will tell you, this attitude/opinion is a "dead end." There is no "faith" without human "activity." To say such is to denigrate Enoch's faith in "pleasing God," Noah's faith in building the ark, etc. These men weren't justified by listening to and believing what God said but by DOING what He said.But with just a little study, you understand that this is talking about “being justified before man”...
BRAVO, Amy!!!Amy.G said:First, one has to believe there is a God.
Hbr 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
God has made Himself know to all men.
Rom 1:19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
Rom 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
We are given a conscience, the basic knowledge of right and wrong.
Rom 2:15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves [their] thoughts accusing or else excusing [them])
At some point in our lives, we become aware that we have broken God's laws, and thus become guilty of sin.
Rom 7:9 I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.
At this point we KNOW that we have sinned against a Holy God. We can either seek God or reject Him. For those that choose to seek Him, they will find Him. For those that continue in their rejection of Him (because they loved their sin) God gives them over to a debased mind, their hearts are darkened.
Rom 1:25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
But for those that seek God, Christ will find them.
Luk 19:10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
Christ will send the gospel to those who are seeking. They will hear it, and believe and be saved. Those that come to Christ have been drawn by the Father, through creation and the conscience.
Jhn 6:37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.
The Holy Spirit will come into them and seal them forever.
Eph 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
You are now a new creature in Christ!
2Cr 5:17 Therefore, if anyone [is] in Christ, [he is] a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
:godisgood:
skypair said:Is God omniscient, bbas?
Does He, therefore, also know who won't believe? Is He going to conform them to the image of His Son? NO. (BTW, the notion that God "foreknows" = like Abraham "knew" Sarah is isogetic construct without any "redeeming value," if you get my drift.).
So let's "back up the wagon" here. Where did we go astray in thinking that God only foreknew believers? Where did we limit God's foreknowledge so that He wasn't omniscient? Isn't it patently obvious that 1) the context is about believers and 2) that that is what God foreknows about those He then predestinates?
I mean, let's get serious here. If scripture didn't mean "foreknow," Paul could have said "elect" (as one of the other posters here has made him say), right? "Whom He did [elect], them He did predestinate..." "Choose" would have been another good word -- "Whom He did [choose], them He did predestinate..."
Why do you think Paul used the word "foreknow?" So that we could all argue over one of the simplest compound words in ANY dictionary??? I'm sorry but these "elect," "choose," "forelove," etal. options are not what the Spirit says to me.
skypair
Goldie said:All it takes to be saved:
First of all it must be kept in mind that Christ died for sinners, not good men. We are all hell-bound sinners, no matter how good we are perceived to be in men's sight. We are sinners and we need to be saved. We are guilty. We cannot save ourselves. We have to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ - believe in Him as our Saviour, and God will fulfill His promise - "Thou shalt be saved".
But do not confuse this with simply believing that there is a God or that Jesus exists - because they demons do this as well - James 2:19. Put this way - you can believe a doctor is good without making him your doctor. So it's not enough to simply to believe the truth about Jesus - you are to believe on Him, which means You are to trust Him, and depend on Him in order to be saved.
We are NOT saved by good works, because we do not deserve our Salvation (due to reasons mentioned in the first paragraph). Romans 3:20, Galatians 3:11, Titus 3:5 - compare with Ephesians 2:8-9 and Hebrews 9:22.
Church membership won't save you either. Nor does water baptism. Nor does leading a moral life.
To quote Dr John R. Rice - "Don't depend, then, on what you do, but on what Jesus did and promises to do for you. "
But doesn't the Bible say we must repent?
Acts 17:30, Luke 13:3-5. But the problem here is, people take the word "repentance" out of context. Dr Rice stated that they take it to mean a period of weeping and mourning over sins, or sorrow for sins, which we see in many pentecostal/charismatic churches today. The root of this belief comes from the Douay version of the Bible which doesn't state "repent", but "do penance", and this can also be seen in Finney's "mourner's bench" during his "revival" meetings, whereby people were told/taught that God would not hear their prayer, nor forgive them their sins, unless they went through a process of sorrow and mourning of their sins - this can still be seen today in the Latter Rain Revivals, and the Pentecostal churches.
We should be ashamed of our sins - but we shouldn't be mourning them.
Trust in Him and He will forgive your sins.
I also noticed someone heresaying that the process to salvation is:
Foreknowing, election, etc - but this isn't scriptural. Calvinism isn't scriptural
Here's scriptural proof:
First off, Calvin believed in infant baptism, he was an Amillennialist (Revelation 19 & 20 tell us clearly that the Bible supports a Premillennial standpoint), and the Bible stands on Believers' baptism, as opposed to infant baptism, he also believed that the Sacraments were on equal footing to the Bible, yet Revelation tells us not to add anything or take anything away from it. It is my understanding that putting man-made instruction and teaching on an equal footing with scripture is looking for trouble.
The 5 points of Calvinism and why they hinder salvation, also a scriptural refutation:
1. Total inability. Meaning that a sinner doesn't have the ability to come to Jesus Christ and trust in Him. Refutation: Although the Bible does teach total depravity, this simply means that there is nothing good in man and that he doesn't deserve salvation. Mankind is desperately wicked. The Bible doesn't teach man's inability though - see Matthew 23:27, Revelation 22:17.
2. Unconditional election. What is meant here is that while some people are "elected to heaven, others are elected to hell", and this is unconditional in both instances. So the question that comes to mind here is : If this is true, then what is the entire point of preaching the Gospel then? And what was the point of Jesus dying on the cross? Unconditional sounds like pure fatalism and humanism, in fact - it is just that, as Calvinism states that God has already decided who will be saved and who will be lost and there's absolutely nothing we can do about it. Refutation : There is a Bible doctrine of God's foreknowledge, predestination and election - but not in the manner Calvin meant it. God does select (elect) individuals - Abraham is a good example, but it's so that they can carry out His plan(s), He doesn't elect them for salvation. Likewise, nobody is predestined to be saved - only Believers are predestined - see John 3:36. It doesn't mean that Israel, being chosen, that all the Jews are saved - it simply means that Israel was chosen to spread the Word - God gave His Word to the Jews, God gave the Messiah to the Jews - and from there to the gentiles.
3. Limited Atonement. By this they mean that Christ died only for the Elect - i.e., those He has chosen for salvation. Refutation : This is totally unscriptural, because then at Judgment man can say to God, "You didn't want to be my Saviour". The Bible clearly states that Jesus died for ALL - see Isaiah 53:6, John 2:2, Hebrews 2:9. Although He died for all men, it doesn't mean that all are saved, because most will reject Him.
4. Irresistible Grace. This means that God forces people to be saved. In other words, compelling those to be saved who don't want to be saved. Refutation : Where's the love and obedience in this? I'd hate to force my son to love me or do anything he doesn't want to do. Irresistible grace goes against God's character. The truth is, men do reject and go against the Gospel and against God - see Proverbs 29:1, Proverbs 1:24-26.
5. Perserverance of the Saints. This in a nutshell means that those who perservere will be saved. This is salvation by works (Lordship Salvation). Refutation : The Bible teached eternal security of the born-again believer - that those who trust in Him have everlasting life, which doesn't depend on perserverance - See Jude 1, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Ephesians 4:30.
As Dr Curtis Hutson once stated:
Amy.G said:First, one has to believe there is a God.
Hbr 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
God has made Himself know to all men.
Rom 1:19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
Rom 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
We are given a conscience, the basic knowledge of right and wrong.
Rom 2:15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves [their] thoughts accusing or else excusing [them])
At some point in our lives, we become aware that we have broken God's laws, and thus become guilty of sin.
Rom 7:9 I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.
At this point we KNOW that we have sinned against a Holy God. We can either seek God or reject Him. For those that choose to seek Him, they will find Him. For those that continue in their rejection of Him (because they loved their sin) God gives them over to a debased mind, their hearts are darkened.
Rom 1:25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
But for those that seek God, Christ will find them.
Luk 19:10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
Christ will send the gospel to those who are seeking. They will hear it, and believe and be saved. Those that come to Christ have been drawn by the Father, through creation and the conscience.
Jhn 6:37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.
The Holy Spirit will come into them and seal them forever.
Eph 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
You are now a new creature in Christ!
2Cr 5:17 Therefore, if anyone [is] in Christ, [he is] a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
:godisgood:
Romans 3:11 is quite true. No one on his own seeks God. God must draw him.bbas 64 said:Good Day, Amy
If as you prepose Christ finds those who seek, (they must ssek to be found by Christ) then he finds nobody...
Rom 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
No one seeks, so Christ finds none. :tear:
The gospel goes no where :tear:
There is no good news, there is no plan nor purpose....
You have to seek;
Seeing none do the eternal plans of God are worthless and there is nothing he can do about it. He is waiting for seekers and there are none "checkmate"
:BangHead:
In Him,
Bill
NE has an excuse for rejecting Him. You said.........“With just a little study, you understand that this is talking about "being justified before man" and in Romans, Paul is talking about, “being justified before God”.
First lest look at a little more, of what James had to say.........“No, sir. I admire that you want to take the right path but I will tell you, this attitude/opinion is a "dead end." There is no "faith" without human "activity."
Notice verse 18, “shew me thy faith without thy works”James 2:17-20
V.17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
V.18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
V.19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
V.20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
What's the old saying? "None so blind as he that will not see."bbas 64 said:Good Do you plan on dealing with the text as written???