Search results

JLB, look closely at the passage you provided. And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen...

Do you think I was suggesting we pray to Augustine or in his name? Not sure what triggered you to quote verses on repentance to me.... Ye, we are. I did not know this was in dispute.

Yes, but with Augustine we pray, "O Lord, command what you will and give what you command." Of course, I am sure he did not mean it in any way that could be construed to support Calvinism. :wink

Actually, the word in Greek is a compound word meaning "changed thinking/mind." "Turning from" - i.e. a change in behavior - is the outward manifestation of changed thinking. Closely related to this, we are transformed by the renewing of our mind. Romans 12:2 (ESV)

Q, given what you have written above, how do you reconcile it with Christ's assertion that He has all authority? (Not picking a fight; just curious.) Matthew 28:18 (ESV) And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."

I did and no, they are very insufficient. One is a short paragraph from Britannica (I assume the digital version Encyclopedia Britannica.) on the Epistle of 1 John. The other is from a website that I could find nothing on the site providing any real information on who developed, inspired, or...

I read your response twice and have no idea as to what most of what you have written means. Sounds quite mistical, but mostly incomprehensible.

You're going to have to help me out. Where do any of the early church fathers - let's say within the first through third centuries - write that John was addressing Gnosticism in his epistles. From you confidence, I gather you know of some primary source.

I have found Wayne Grudem's definitions clear and useful: Systematic theology is any study that answers the question, "What does the whole Bible teach us today?" about any given topic. A doctrine is what the whole Bible teaches us today about some particular topic. Christian ethics is any study...

This is so ironic. The gnostics claimed secret knowledge. You claim secret knowledge that John was writing about gnostics. Does that make you just a tad bit gnostic? :) Sometimes you just gotta smile!

Let's not be silly. If I pray that God brings America to repentance, I am not asking that He bring the brick walls and buildings to repentance. Neither am I applying the need for repentance to every individual in America.

The saint He elects, He keeps. He is the author and finisher of a believer's salvation. There are those that appear to be redeemed, but are not, i.e. tares among the wheat. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they...

This a good question and the answer is not simple. Ezekiel spoke to people under a different covenant than us, so some of the answer has to do with Christians being participants of the covenant spoken of in Jeremiah 31:31-34 Ezekiel did speak of righteousness, but not the righteousness we...

Given that God is all-powerful and nothing can frustrate His will, I think it is Biblical, and reasonable, that what God desires most, He accomplishes. So when I see the verse clearly saying He desires something - i.e. that none should perish - and yet know that there are those who will perish...

Actually, the hyper-Calvinist is the one described by our Arminian friends here as they try their best to convince us it is where the doctrines of grace (TULIP) necessarily lead us. I have no issue with calling everyone with the same messages given to non-believers in Acts 16:31, “Believe in...

I agree that we will desire only good. That is not my question. My question is if God transforms our desires so that we only desire good, has He not made us "robots" in that we will always only choose good and not in any real sense have the option of choosing not-good? Truth be told, I grow...

So we will not have the choice to sin in heaven because we'll never be presented with the choice by the Deceiver? We will only have the singular choice to always choose what is right? Sounds like we'll be robots, per your way of understanding.

In heaven, do you think we'll be able to sin against God? If not, why not? I am assuming not being a "robot" implies we will have the ability to choose something other than what is good. If I am wrong, maybe you can define what you mean by robot.

From what I understand you have told me, when you write of the Holy Spirit guiding, you mean He works in an advisory role and a teaching role. Not in a way you'd consider His guidance as being decisive, since He has delegated any decision to you exercising your free will. And your conscience and...

Very sorry to hear about your husband. I will pray for him. I'll also do my best remember to be more gracious if you seem to miss something I have written. Also, you mentioning real-world stuff has a bit of a jarring effect on me and helps me remember the people on this forum are...