1. Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Yes, you have decided to follow Jesus...

Discussion in 'Music Ministry' started by Humble Disciple, Jul 19, 2021.

  1. Humble Disciple

    Humble Disciple Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2021
    Messages:
    742
    Likes Received:
    38
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Some Calvinists don’t like the hymn “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus,” because of the connotation that we decide to follow Christ, rather than Him electing us. That’s unfortunate, because, like “Amazing Grace,” it’s a beautiful song with a beautiful story behind it:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Have_Decided_to_Follow_Jesus


    If you are a Christian who’s made the sincere decision to follow Christ, God pursued you first and then you surrendered. It’s like if your house was surrounded by police, and then you came out with your hands up.

    If you are among God’s elect, He will not give up pursuing you, by sending people to share the Gospel with you and by preparing your heart for receiving it until you relent. Some, like Jonah and Paul, need more dramatic means, to have their lives turned upside down before surrendering.

    If you have decided to follow Jesus, your only assurance of “no turning back, no turning back” is the same irresistible grace that enabled you to decide to follow Jesus in the first place. Surrender is sweet indeed.

    Acts 5:31
    He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

    Acts 11:18
    When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”

    Acts 13:48
    Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.





    John Newton, the songwriter of "Amazing Grace," was a Calvinist, because of what God's enabling grace had done to own his life, from a slave trader to an abolitionist.

    Amazing Grace - Wikipedia

    “I was blind, but now I see,” is a reference to total depravity, that man, in his fallen condition, cannot repent and believe the Gospel without God’s irresistible grace.
    Total depravity - is it biblical? | GotQuestions.org

    “How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed” is the teaching that regeneration precedes faith, that God’s grace changes our wills so that we may believe.
    Does regeneration come before faith? | GotQuestions.org

    “He will my shield and portion be as long as life endures” is a reference to preservation of the saints, that God’s elect, through His enabling grace, cannot lose their salvation.
    https://www.gotquestions.org/perseverance-saints.

     
    #1 Humble Disciple, Jul 19, 2021
    Last edited: Jul 19, 2021
Loading...