tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385083746048472996.post41271003588750249..comments2024-03-22T17:35:43.879-04:00Comments on Growing Christian Resources: What you must believe in order to be a Christianmahlonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16398857921080520475noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385083746048472996.post-361205215889485072013-10-14T21:54:53.509-04:002013-10-14T21:54:53.509-04:00Glad to see your response. You raise a very import...Glad to see your response. You raise a very important point in the ongoing discussion of who ultimately is decisive in the manner of Christian salvation. You are correct in establishing that "God's elective purpose of grace" (a phrase used by the Baptist Faith & Message 2000) is the decision that explains why anyone believes. <br /><br />However your point of there not being any place in the Bible that describes saving faith in a volitional sense is not correct. Deuteronomy 30:15 & 19, the Israelites are told to "choose" life and not the way of death. Joshua 24:15 states that the people were to choose whom they were going to serve. Job 34:4 talks about us "choosing for ourselves what is right". And then when you arrive at the New Testament, the idea of "choosing" is implied in the supernatural work of faith that comes forth in the believer's heart. Acts 15:22 depicts the church "choosing". <br /><br />Now let me hasten to add that the "choice" made for God in the Old Testament and Jesus in the New occurs because of God's choice for that person. On that point you are correct. However to say that there is not a legitimate choice made for Jesus as a result of the Spirit's saving work is not correct. In the NASB, I count nearly 70 occasions where we find this word "choose". <br /><br />Of those occurrences, nearly 50 of them refer to God's Sovereign choice, with roughly half the remainder referring to choices made by believers operating in God's Sovereign purpose. The rest of scripture that records choices made by unbelievers against God is due to their own doing. Only God can design a salvation wherein there is no conflict between human responsibility and the Sovereign purposes of God. <br /><br />To illustrate, God's use of "choice" in human salvation can be likened unto a water current that runs in confluence with the ocean. The maritime rivers that run through our world's oceans can affect the temperature and climate of our weather - much like the decisions of human beings affect the climate of history and the world. Yet those maritime rivers operate in set patterns determined by the much larger ocean. So even though the weather is "directly affected" by those rivers, those maritime rivers would not be able to function without the much larger ocean in which they function. Such a phenomena is what we term "confluence". Theologians use the term "concurrence" to describe how God in His Providence utilizes the choices of people to affect the outcomes of His purposes - both in salvation and history. <br /><br />In conclusion, I do agree with you that anyone who believes does so because of God's Sovereign working. People who reject Christ and die and go to hell do so because of their own doing. However, I would disagree that the Bible does not use the language of "choice" or "volition" to describe saving faith. mahlonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16398857921080520475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385083746048472996.post-53664888036139149052013-10-14T17:03:57.446-04:002013-10-14T17:03:57.446-04:00No, God doesn't need your help to save you.
...No, God doesn't need your help to save you.<br /> <br />Baptists and evangelicals are correct: sinners MUST believe to be saved. But you will not find one passage of Scripture that states that the sinner must make a “decision” to believe. The sinner must believe, but it is God who makes the decision for him to believe.<br /><br />Acts 13:48 (ESV)<br />48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.<br /><br />This passage of Scripture points out the great fallacy of (Arminian/Free Will) Baptist and evangelical theology: The sinner does not assist or even cooperate in his salvation. The sinner is a passive participant in his salvation. Yes, he believes, but he believes because he was appointed before the world existed to believe, not because HE makes a free will decision to do so.<br /><br />God chooses who will believe…the sinner chooses to reject Christ and send himself to hell. Christ died for all and desires all to be saved. God has predestined NO ONE to hell. <br /><br />The Arminians and the Calvinists are both wrong. <br /><br />http://www.lutherwasnotbornagain.com/2013/10/salvation-is-much-simpler-than.htmlGaryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02519721717265344702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385083746048472996.post-14118114795603642532012-03-10T08:22:14.897-05:002012-03-10T08:22:14.897-05:00Dear Mike:
It is my pleasure and privilege. I pr...Dear Mike:<br /><br />It is my pleasure and privilege. I praise the Lord for whatever benefits may come to those who read this blog. Thanks for taking the time to read the posts. Use whatever material you deem useful. Have a Jesus filled day dear friend!<br /><br />For His Glory<br />Bro. Mahlonmahlonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16398857921080520475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385083746048472996.post-15948444911575941872012-03-09T20:39:57.370-05:002012-03-09T20:39:57.370-05:00I truly enjoy reading and studing your blog Brothe...I truly enjoy reading and studing your blog Brother Mahlon, Thanks for taking the time to share!<br /><br />Mike M.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com