DIME Ministries said:
That intrepretation of that single passage contradicts the rest of the teaching in the Bible, so we must reject it in favor of a more clear teaching.
You believe the Bible to teach otherwise?
John 1:12-13 born (again) not by man's will, but God's
John 3:3-8 flesh begets flesh -Spirit begets Spirit wind/Spirit blows
where it will
Titus 3:5 according to his mercy - washing of regeneration
1 Peter 1:3 Begotten according to God's mercy
1 Peter 1:23 Born of incorruptible seed by Word of God
1 John 5:4 Born of God
Deuteronomy 30:6 Lord himself circumcises our hearts
Ezekiel 36:26-27 The Lord gives anew heart and enables by his Spirit
Galatians 6:15 Nothing we can do avails - only becoming a new creature
Ephesians 2:10 We are created unto good works
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 We are new creations - old passed, new come
John 5:21 The Son quickens whom he will
Ephesians 2:1,5 Quickened who were dead
Colossians 2:13 dead in sins; quickened by Christ
Matthew 11:25-27 hid from wise - revealed to whom Christ will
Luke 10:21 same as above
Matthew 13:10-11 Given to some to understand - others are hardened.
Luke 8:10 same as above
Matthew 16:15-17 flesh and blood did not reveal -special blessedness
John 6:37 all the Father gives shall come
John 6:44 No man can come except the Father draw him; and Christ will
raise up
John 6:45 everyone who has learned (been disciple) from the Father
comes
John 6:64 Jesus knew from the beginning
John 6:65 no man can come
1 Corinthians 2:14 natural man cannot know spiritual things
Ephesians 1:17-18 God gives spirit of wisdom - eyes of the understanding
enlightened.
Acts 5:31 Jesus gives repentance to Israel
Acts 11:18 God has also granted repentance to the Gentiles
Acts 13:48 As many as were ordained to eternal life believed
Acts 16:14 The Lord opened Lydia's heart
Acts 18:27 believed through grace
Ephesians 2:8-9 faith a gift of god
Philippians 1:29 it is given to us to believe
2 Timothy 2:25-26 God may give repentance to the acknowledging of the
truth! Previously captive to devil at his will Romans 1:6-7 the called of
Jesus Christ = beloved of God
Romans 8:30 predestinated then called then justified then glorified
Romans 9:23-24 prepared for glory, then called.
1 Corinthians 1:1 called to be an apostle by God's will
1 Corinthians 1:9 called by God the faithful
1 Corinthians 1:23-31 not may wise, etc.
Galatians 1:15-16 Paul called when it please God
Ephesians 4:4 Those in the body called in hope
2 Timothy 1:9 called according to his purpose and grace
Hebrews 9:15 called; receive the inheritance
Jude 1 sanctified - persevered - called
1 Peter 1:15 calling - holy
1 Peter 2:9 called from darkness to light
1 Peter 5:10 called to eternal glory
2 Peter 1:3 given us all things ... hat called
Revelations 17:14 those with Christ are called, chosen, faithful
Isaiah 55:11 God's word accomplishes what he pleases
John 3:27 nothing received except from heaven
John 17:2 gave eternal life to as many as thou hast given
Romans 9:16 not of him that willeth or runneth
1 Corinthians 3:6-7 it is God who gives increase
1 Corinthians 4:7 who makes you to differ? cannot glory!
Philippians 2:12-13 God works in you both to will and to do
James 1:18 of his own will begat he us
1 John 5:20 Son of God gave us understanding
John 17:6 Christ manifested himself to those the Father gave him out
of the world.
2 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 4:12-13; Hebrews 10:16; Hebrews 12:2;
Hebrews 13:21
God Controls "Nature"
"Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar: The Lord of Hosts is His name" (Jeremiah 31:35)
"By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened. Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud: And it is turned about by His counsels: that they may do whatsoever He commandeth them upon the face of the whole world in the earth. He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for His land, or for mercy" (Job 37:10-13)
"For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth". (Genesis 7:4)
God determines the length of your life
"All the days ordained (set apart) for me were written in your book before one of them came to be"
(Psalm 139"16)
"Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? Are not his days also like the days of an hireling?" (Job 7:1)
"Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble...Seeing his days are determenied, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his boundes that he cannot pass" (Job 14:1, 5)
God controls your steps
"A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps" (Proverbs 16:9)
Gods control in regards to our hearts
Above when Solomon said "A mans heart deviseth his way, but the Lord directeth his steps", it must be noted the this verse cannot have been meant as a blanket statement over every single affair in our lives, (at least in regards to the heart that is). For upon my studies concerning the extent of Gods control in the affairs of men, I realized that the Bible explicitly teaches that God also has control of the heart. Sometimes it is not the man's heart who divises his way. Sometimes it is God who divises the ways of the mans heart and then He also controls mans steps on top of that.
"And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall the , and shall make her desolate and , and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil His will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled." (Revelation 17:16-17)
"And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: But I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go" (Exodus 4:21)
"And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: For they shall be my people, for they shall return unto me with their whole heart" (Jeremiah 24:6-7)
"But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people" (Jeremiah 31:33)
"And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto those things which were spoken of Paul" (Acts 16:14)
God controls all things
"In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purposes of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will"
(Ephesians 1:11)
Consider:
1. Who takes the initiative in working our salvation?
2. How are we brought to faith? Does the Lord use people as His instruments to accomplish His purpose?
3. Who determines where the gospel will be preached? Will everyone hear it before Christ returns?
4. What is true and living faith?
5. If the case of unbelief lies in man, why can we not say that the cause of faith also lies in man?
6. Define the terms 'predestination' and 'election.' (
http://www.bible.crosswalk.com)
7. Are we free to live the way we want? Can we choose? Keeping in mind we are dead in our sin.
8. Why do some accept God and others do not if we as people are all equal in our sin?
9. Why pray to God for the salvation of a lost soul if it's up to that lost person?
Even when Jesus himself makes a statement so clear as to say, 'you cannot hear God because you are not of God' you still deny the teaching for your tradition. But as Jesus also tells us in the same passage, John6:60
Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them,
Doth this offend you? 62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. 65 And he said,
Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.